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The City At The Center of Mars (Red Planet Rising)

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Spaceport Strike! - Part Seventeen: The Red Warriors
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    • Spaceport Strike! ​

    Part Seventeen: The Red Warriors​

    With your decision made to investigate the fire, the team falls in line behind you as you make your now frequent trek. Civilian life seems to be a bit more frequent in the street, now - Though it seems to be somewhat angrier than it was upon your arrival. Clumps of people huddle together, whispering and glancing around, which only intensifies when they see you walking down the street. You get less greetings, as well, though not outright hostility - People regard you more with fear and neutral curiosity rather than positivity or negativity. Seems that news has filtered out that the Garrison has continued to undergo purges of corrupt personnel. Even odds on whether the figured out you're conducting the purges, or are just wary of you being an MPA representative at all, to explain the general reaction.

    When you reach the site of the fire, you are confronted with an unusual sort of obstacle. The place you reach is clearly the old site of the encampment, with pre-fab buildings half-made dotted around the large empty lot that, perhaps once upon a time, was used as an auxiliary spaceport landing pad or storage facility. However, it is also currently occupied by a sizable group of what appear to be…Laborers, though they don't resemble the guards you saw at their barricades. Those people looked to be workers who were given guns and armor, likely seized from the caches the Council mentioned. These people look simultaneously more professional and more amateur, at the same time. They wear wildly divergent clothes, with an equally wide variety of weapons prominently displayed on their person, the only consistent marking on them are a variety of anarchist, communist, and Laborer iconography. Their hairstyles are spiked, styled, and rough in a way you can only slightly curl your lip at, before forcing yourself back to a neutral expression - It may not be to your taste, personally, but you're not going to risk alienating a group or judging them without even talking to them.

    Janice, less concerned about that, openly scoffs. "Punks." You glance over at her. "You know them?" She shakes her head. "I know their type. We're not going to get anything useful out of this." Bill groans. "Of course you'd say that." You decide to shut this down before it turns into a public argument. "We'll talk about this afterwards. For now, we have a scene to investigate." You stride forward, taking in the group of punks. Some are tagging the walls of the pre-fabs, with 'Scabs get what they deserve', 'Solidarity or Death', and the flag of the Martian League that you saw closer to the Spaceport, among others. Several of them have set up a makeshift firing range of sorts, using bottles as targets. Quite a few simply are sitting at parts of half-built prefabs, chatting amongst themselves. This last group is the first to notice your approach, and quickly moves to a more alert posture, with a few gripping weapons - Though you notice they seem to be gripping pipes, seemingly hand-made clubs, and various rods and pieces of steel, instead of going straight for their guns, which you choose to take as a good sign.

    This lasts until you actually come close enough for them to get a good look at you, which sparks a chuckle amongst the group. One of them yells out - "Nevermind!", causing most of them return to what they were doing. You think for a second, then choose the one who yelled to approach at her position, lounging on a stoop in a small group of three punks in a loose semi-circle. "So, what can we do for the ever-fine Conductor Beriel, slayer of Stadium shitheels? If that is who you are, and we haven't just mixed you up with some other Conductor wandering the district." One of her friends giggles.

    "I'm Conductor Beriel, yes. I had a few questions about this place, if you don't mind." She nods. "Shoot, Conductor!" She chuckles. "Metaphorically, of course." The crack of a pistol goes off behind her, as the small group conducting target practice cheers - Someone, apparently, just made a good shot. You glance over to your team, taking a second to gauge their reactions. River seems nonchalantly bored, Galle seems nervously excited, Bill is openly sizing up the punks, and Janice is doing a poor job of hiding her disgust. Same as normal, then. You turn your attention back to the punk. "Would you mind introducing yourself and your friends here, if you don't mind?" She waves her hand. "Of course, of course. I'm Mary Mariner."

    "I'm Joy." The punk on the left volunteers second, her smile interrupted only by the piercings in her lip. The punk on the right nods, his long curly hair shaking slightly. "And I'm Karl." You make a mental note of these names. "And, all of us-" She sweeps her hand around to the former encampment, "are the Red Warriors." You nod… "You don't identify as part of the Laborers?" You nod at the patch on her clothing with the Martian League flag, and she shrugs. "Kinda? We're, ah…friends of 'em, if you catch my drift. Gotta have a united front, and they're fighting the good fight. Sorta under their big tent, sorta not. Very informal sort of thing, that's our style."

    "Mhm." You make mental notes of all this. "Can you give us any insight onto what happened here?" She shrugs. "Sure. The scabs calling themselves a 'Labor Association' were camping out here, and the Garrison was too tight on the Laborers for them to handle it at the time without jeopardizing their position. So, we gave them a helping hand. Gave the FLA fucks a helping hand too, in getting the fuck out of Watson District, though it seems they didn't get the message." She frowns, cracking her knuckles. Joy chimes in, still smiling. "Not that some of us aren't happy to teach it to them again, whenever we see their recruiters around!" Ah. What is it with people confessing things to you, lately?

    "So, you set the fire in the encampment?" You want to be absolutely sure of this before you question them any further. "Yep." She nods. "A few molotovs into some of the empty buildings, like this on, fire flares up, without risking hitting any of their kids or shit - We're not stupid, yeah? - Then, once they started running around trying to put it out, our people started putting the boot to them, wrecking tents, slashing shit up as the fires start to gutter out. Pretty easy to do so, with the cover of darkness. Though we wound up having to scram when the Enforcers showed up and started laying into everyone - We weren't there to start a big firefight, and if they'd tried to arrest any of us, it would've been a fight." She smiles at you, and you understand the implicit message. She's telling you this not just because she thinks you're a decent sort, due to the reputation you've gained amongst the Laborers, though that's likely a part of it, but because she's confident that you can't arrest her for it - Which she isn't wrong about. You don't fancy your team's odds against the several dozen well-armed and likely veteran street fighters around, and if it comes to a firefight…mmm. That's a lot more risk then you'd ever like to take.

    "Mhm. May I ask what caused you to choose this form of attack?" She nods. "Arson's a good fear tactic. Even if your enemy's not afraid, they gotta run and deal with it or else it'll spread - Used it against the occupation in the War. Throw a few molotovs into a collaborator's house, hit whatever's nearby as the patrols all rush to the fire. Worked as well against these fucking scabs as it did against the MUC, though it was more of a honeytrap then a diversion." She chuckles, and Karl chimes in. "The scabs folded a lot easier, too, though I can't blame 'em for that."

    You glance back at your team and notice some obvious differences. River is nodding along, Galle looks conflicted, Janice continues to look disgusted, and Bill is stepping forward to ask his own question. "The Garrison showed up afterwards, didn't they?" Mary shrugs. "If they did, we were gone by then - Not our problem, anyhow. Hellas's goons - At the time, of course, don't want to, ah, denigrate your work, Conductor - fighting with the Council's goons was a good deal for us, you know?"

    You nod. "Thank you for your time, then, Mary." She chuckles. "Hey, no problem, Conductor. We'll be here for the rest of the day if you need to find us again, but no promises beyond that." You turn to your team and gesture for them to follow you to a distance away from the Red Warriors. "Right, thoughts?" Galle grimaces and opens her mouth…but doesn't speak, so Janice snatches the opportunity out of the air. "Look, ma'am - These punks just admitted to what we were looking for. They're working for the Laborers, they did the arson, wham-bam, case closed. Now we can focus on figuring out who else knew beforehand, what happened with the Enforcers, if the FLA knows about this and lied to us…" River speaks up. "I doubt the FLA lied to us, if what Conductor Beriel told me is accurate. This was a night raid. Those are never clean, and any testimony's going to be different. If we need to double-check with them, then, sure. But I doubt they lied."

    Bill pipes in. "I think we need to focus on the Laborers - If they knew about this and approved it or not. I won't pretend to be unbiased on the ethics of the situation…" Janice rolls her eyes. "-But we should get all the information before making any judgement. Not like we can exactly haul these people in for questioning." This last bit is directed pointedly at Janice, who takes the opportunity to speak again. "No - But we should talk to the group who can. Where are the Enforcers during all this? They have Stadium gear, they've got manpower, we saw that when we went and met the Council - If they aren't out here cracking down on these people, or the Laborers, or the FLA…what are they doing? If we can get an in, and as I mentioned, I think we can get an in through whatever ex-MCPD defectors joined up with them, if I'm right, then we can know what they're doing."

    Sister Galle speaks up. "I think we should double-check the FLA. As much as I want to, ah…find the middle ground here, I think we need to recognize that, uh…" She grimaces. "For as much as it is unlikely that all of the FLA's members deserve it, the organization as a whole did willingly engage in trying to cross a picket line. They made themselves…ugh, I feel so mean putting it this way, but they made themselves targets for this sort of thing, right?" River shrugs. "I think in that case, we should just ask Mary here-" She nods back over to the small group of punks. "-Some more questions before we go." Galle nods. "Let's do both of those things, then!"

    You think about it…and then you make your decision.

    What questions would you like to ask Mary (and the Red Warriors) before you leave? You may write-in as many questions as you want, here, or none at all.

    [] Write-In Questions Here.

    Where will you go next, once you're done questioning Mary?

    [] To double-check the FLA's story.

    [] To find out if the Laborers knew about this.

    [] To figure out what the Enforcers have been doing, during all this.

    QM's Note: Apologies that this took so long! As an apology, have something a bit different then normal - A write-in vote! Feel free to ask literally anything - Any questions that get a reasonable number of votes will be answered, and I'll make sure to have it be framed somewhat reasonably ICly.
     
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    • Scheduled vote count started by TheMaskedReader on Nov 20, 2022 at 10:31 PM, finished with 6 posts and 4 votes.
    • [X] To figure out what the Enforcers have been doing, during all this.
      [X] To double-check the FLA's story.
      [X] "You sound like you're… familiar with the Enforcers and what they're up to. We haven't had much time to investigate them, because of the Garrison…situation. Can you tell us what you know the Enforcers have been up to, especially in the last few days?"
      [X] "The Council is a nest of political infighting, as you probably know. Still is there anyone you'd say is trustworthy on the Council? It's kind of hard to say who is always a snake and who is just trying to use me specifically."
      [X] "Do you know why the Enforcers just started fighting with everyone? We've gathered that they don't like the scabs and want them gone, but isn't beating them up as a reaction to a fire a little extrem? We know why you did it, that was your plan from the start, but are the Enforcers the kind of people who just do that? Without planning that before hand I mean."
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    • Spaceport Strike! - Part Eighteen: Questions and Answers
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    • Spaceport Strike! ​


    Part Eighteen: Questions and Answers​

    You ask. "You sound like you're… familiar with the Enforcers and what they're up to. We haven't had much time to investigate them, because of the Garrison…situation. Can you tell us what you know the Enforcers have been up to, especially in the last few days?"

    Mary taps her chin. "Mostly holding onto the Council's core territories - They know if they get between the Laborers and Garrison, they'll be the real losers, and that if they get caught outside of that…well, not a lotta folks in the District who like them right now, eh?" She smiles, then frowns. "Some of them have been rowdier then the rest, though - More daring. Those guys hang out at a local bar, just south of the marketplace, whenever they're off-duty, and they like to roam around off-hours. Too big of a group to get hit for their shit without sparking everything off."

    You note that, following it up with your next question. "The Council is a nest of political infighting, as you probably know. Still is there anyone you'd say is trustworthy on the Council? It's kind of hard to say who is always a snake and who is just trying to use me specifically."

    "Power springs forth from the barrel of a gun, Conductor." Karl speaks up. "Not a single one of those bastards is trustworthy. They're all just corrupt politician fuckers - Hardly even their fault, to be frank. Stadium practically shoved it on them with hardly any oversight, can you expect anything better from the collaborators with the Stadium occupation?" He glares at Bill while Joy scoffs. "Oh, shut it, Karl, you're going to offend our guests for no reason. I do agree, though - They definitely all got corrupt, it's just that it's in different ways. Lederberg's on a constant power trip, Byrd's a bootlicker to the bone, and Dollfus probably wouldn't spit on any of us if we were on fire." Bill frowns, but doesn't comment.

    "Do you know why the Enforcers just started fighting with everyone? We've gathered that they don't like the scabs and want them gone, but isn't beating them up as a reaction to a fire a little extreme? We know why you did it, that was your plan from the start, but are the Enforcers the kind of people who just do that? Without planning that beforehand I mean."

    Mary glances at Joy, who glances back. "Conductor - They're cops. Wouldn't be surprised if the whole lot of them are ex-MCPD. I'm sure that they had some plan or another, but if it didn't boil down to 'beat the shit out of the uppity refugees the second we have an excuse', I would be shocked." Janice's frown becomes even more pronounced at that, and she glances at you, signaling her rapidly eroding patience with this conversation. Luckily for her, that is your last question, and so you nod, and thank all of them for their time, before turning around to go on your way. As you do, Mary shouts out one last thing. "Hey, Conductor - Remember, solidarity forever!"

    "Solidarity forever." You reply over your shoulder, and there's a few other choruses of it around the remains of the camp, including from your crew.

    Once you're a bit away from the Red Warriors, and are heading towards the Marketplace, Janice calls a stop to your walk. "Right - We need to talk about that." You glance towards her, weary already of the direction you're sure this conversation is going to go. "I mean, we solved it, didn't we? The Red Warriors did it - They returned to the scene of the crime, they confessed to it, and they practically dared us to do something about it, those smug punk bastards." Bill grudgingly nods. "She's not wrong, Rosie - We did…well, I mean, it seems like a pretty obvious conclusion to me." River pipes up. "No reason to not check it with everyone else involved, then. We've seen enough chicanery in this District that I think it's warranted." Galle joins in, agreeing with her. "Yeah! I mean…like…" She sighs. "Is it wrong to think they didn't really do anything wrong, if they did do it! I mean, like, obviously, we should prefer if they didn't, it makes things much less complicated for us, but…well, we had this conversation! The FLA made themselves targets!"

    Janice shakes her head, mouth twisting. "And did the children amongst them do the same? Did the old, the infirm, those who didn't participate? This isn't war, not anymore - This was just cruelty, executed by people who can't fit into civilian socialist society, that they excused by dressing it up as some righteous retribution as they squat in the ruins. Bill, they called Stadium's garrison an 'occupation', for Mars's sake - You've got to agree with me here." He scratches the back of his head, clearly uncomfortable. "I mean…we can't really do anything about it. They've got a decent amount of people with guns, and if we go in with the intent to hold them accountable, the Laborers are going to take it as an attack on them. Maybe we can try and talk it out with them, if we want to do that, when we get around to checking with them? That sounds more feasible…I guess."

    River shakes her head. "Nah - Galle, you're right. They didn't do anything wrong. This is war - War's never stopped, for a lot of people, just 'cause the big groups of soldiers moving around did. It's a cultural war, one fought for the places and people, not just for the land and labor. How can we win a final peace if we tolerate things that compromise our ideals?" She shrugs, and Janice shakes her head again, starting to go into a tirade. "That sort of thinking will just see us locked into an eternal state of war against the invisible enemy! The reactionary, the traitor, the wrecker, ever-present, yet never-seen - It's the sort of thing I'd expect from-" And at this point, you step in, before people start to say things that they'll regret, or will permanently negatively impact team cohesion. "Right. Thank you for your input, everyone - And we'll do our best to ensure justice will be done…but that isn't our call to make, here. The civilian government of Watson District will have jurisdiction over crimes committed within its borders, that's MPA law on the matter. All we can do is report it to them, and trust that they'll handle it. We must hold respect for the rule of law, and for the will of the people within the District." Though you have to admit internally, it's unlikely that any civilian government will have power sufficient to enforce their will across the District until you're done here, and even then, quite a few of the contenders wouldn't bother punishing the Red Warriors, if not outright congratulating them.

    With that thought, you push onwards, trekking in mostly uncomfortable silence until you reach the Marketplace Plaza, which remains as bustling as it was yesterday. This time, instead of heading for the Courthouse, which remains just as guarded as it did yesterday, if with a slightly larger flow of civilian and Enforcer traffic, you choose to remain in the Marketplace area, though not before Janice splits off from the group. "I'll be right back - I'm just going to go check on that bar Mary mentioned. If my gut's right, those are the defectors I'm looking for." You nod, and give her consent to go off, as you and your remaining team begin to interview patrolling Enforcers, who appear highly nervous to be essentially ambush-interviewed by you. Unfortunately, they all only give one real response - They had nothing to do with it, and that you should go talk to the command center in the Courthouse.

    With no progress made after several interviews, you sigh, and tell Galle and Bill to keep interviewing Enforcers out in the Marketplace, while you and River head for the Courthouse. Once you get inside, you're directed to an office on the ground level, a ways aways from the Council chambers you visited last time. You pass by several doors clearly leading deeper into the building, likely to cells and storage. When you get inside the indicated offices, frankly, it seems more like a military command post than a law enforcement headquarters. Maps are positioned all over the place, with circled buildings and scrawled notes, while men and women lean over tables, talking seriously while moving small figurines on a table. You note that there are significant portions of figurines around where the Garrison is, and where the Laborers are positioned, as well as the FLA.

    Your entrance provokes something of a flurry of activity, though, as you're hastily escorted through the room into an office with a sign hung on it saying 'Commander'. And inside…is Rosa Lederberg. You're not sure who else you would've expected, frankly.

    "So, Conductor! You make your return to the Courthouse. How can the Enforcers help you?" She smiles, her voice firm and free of shakes. She seems more in her element, here, then she did in the Council room earlier. You shake yourself free of your thoughts - "Councilwoman Lederberg, me and my compatriot here are looking for the Enforcers records of the incident at the refugee camp, as well as to interview some of the personnel involved with it." She frowns, drumming her fingers on the desk. "Well, of course, Conductor - if you'll merely allow me a moment to gather those things." She stands, and abruptly exits the room.

    River turns to you and quite bluntly states the obvious. "We're not getting anything out of this, boss. I don't trust that woman more than I can throw her, and any testimony she feeds us is going to be obvious bullshit. Now, luckily-" You pre-emptively frown, because you can just tell that this is going to be a bad idea. "-She left us alone in her office, with those nice big filing cabinets in it, because she doesn't think we're smart enough to dig through her files while she's off preparing whatever she's about to feed us. So, if you'll keep lookout…" She steps around the desk, even as you hastily stand up and walk over to the thankfully tinted door, watching for approaching silhouettes. After fifteen or so minutes of River digging through and reading files, you spot a group of approaching silhouettes and frantically scramble back to your chair, with River hastily closing the drawer she was in the middle of digging through and slides back into her chair, just as the door opens.

    "Conductor! I hope I didn't make you wait too long - Here, I've got copies of the reports right here and I brought Enforcer Williamson with me, to make a statement directly to you. I hope you understand if I remain present in the room." Lederberg returns to her desk, her demeanor still firm - Though she seems to have not spotted that River has rifled through her files.

    Enforcer Williamson salutes, moving to stand beside Lederberg, and begins to give his story, staring straight ahead while reciting it.

    "Ma'am, myself and my patrol were stationed to monitor the area around the refugee camp, due to what was deemed as a high likelihood of crime in the area, due to foreign and heterodox interests colliding. With our orders to serve as a quick reaction force, we came running as soon as we saw smoke - With what appeared to be a brewing riot in the refugee camp, we sent out a call for backup, and started making arrests." He clears his throat, then continues. "While the riot was quickly quelled, the camp had clearly proven itself to not only be an ongoing threat to the livelihood of the resident citizens of the district, with the criminality displayed by its inhabitants, but also an existential one, given its clear risk of going up in flames. Thus, we began emergency dispersal operations, to ensure that none of the refugees were at risk from the fire hazard, while continuing to make arrests for riot-related offenses, such as attempted battery on Enforcers. At this time, backup arrived, who began aiding us in this. However, at the same time, Garrison forces arrived and demanded the immediate release of all detained peoples and the withdrawal of Enforcers from the area. Given our lack of firepower, and our subordinate mandate, we complied and fell back. That's all there is to say, ma'am."

    "Mhm." You noncommittally mutter, while perusing the file that Lederberg passed you…it does seem to back up what was said, though it's obviously only working off of Enforcer testimony, and could easily have been doctored…if they knew you were coming, or knew someone would investigate. So…maybe. "Well, thank you for your time and compliance, Councilwoman, Enforcer." You stand. "I believe we'll take our leave, then." Lederberg smiles, while Williamson maintains his straight posture, staring at something in the ceiling behind you.

    As you exit, River whispers to you. "I didn't find anything about the fire - But I did find a lot of notes about local workplaces, marking some as higher priority for response then others, and talking about pressure on some of the others. Maybe something to look into later, once we get down to actually dealing with the Council, huh?" You nod, looking across the marketplace for Bill and Galle…it takes you a moment, but you spot them, Galle holding a…photo of some kind as she and Bill seem to be arguing about something. You catch up at the same time as the argument seems to be winding down, Galle pouting slightly and Bill just sighing in exasperation. "What happened?" He glances over his shoulder, surprised, while Galle practically jumps out of her skin. "Oh, Rosie - Nothing much. Galle just got distracted and wound up getting conned out of some of her tools when I was interviewing an Enforcer." She pouts again. "I did not! I bartered for an antique postcard, showing one of the original inhabitants of Mars, which will make a perfect prayer charm for warding off bad fortune!" She flashes the photo towards you, which has a faded picture of some kind of…mechanical device on it? You peer at it. "Is that…a mobile hab station of some kind?" You make your best guess, and she sighs. "It's a rover, Rosalind! They were the first things we ever managed to land on Mars, mechanical emissaries that became loved by the Mother, who showed her favor by shielding them from storms and damage and extending their natural lifespans! Honestly, do you guys not know anything about Martian history?" River, Bill, and you all shrug or shake your heads, and her face flushes. She turns away, sticking the postcard into her pouches. "Anyways, Bill, why don't you tell them about what you found…" She kicks the ground slightly, clearly a bit embarrassed.

    "Right. Anyways, we clearly weren't getting anywhere with just asking directly - So we started asking about the FLA indirectly. And, yeah, the Enforcers really bear a grudge against them - Talked up a storm 'bout them being 'parasites' coming to 'hurt Watson independence' and 'bring crime to the district'. Lots of that sort of rhetoric, which is real worrying to me - It's the sort of thing that's gonna cause problems down the line, if we don't sort it out and figure out where it's coming from. Could be homegrown, but I doubt it - The folks around here don't seem to care about the foreign element so much as the scabbing, but the Enforcers were really focused on that bit." Just as Bill finishes, Janice sprints up, breathing a bit heavily. You glance behind her, but nobody's chasing her, even as Galle worriedly asks her - "What happened, Janice?"

    She shakes her head. "Nothing - But I needed to come back and report this as soon as possible, ma'am, once I got away from those…ugh. The MCPD defectors I mentioned." She stands up straight, taking a deep breath. "I located the bar that was mentioned by Mary Mariner - It did indeed host a population of off-duty Enforcers, who, while initially suspicious due to my uniform, eased up significantly upon my self-identification as ex-MCPD. From there, it was a short matter of ingratiating myself and some social lubrication via alcohol to overhear some conversations which discussed recent events - While all the normal opinions one would expect of regular ex-MCPD defectors were expressed, one man expressed worry that the 'refugees would snitch about the fire', before being hastily shushed by his compatriots, who warned him not to talk about that." She takes a deep breath, and just as you're about to reply, she continues.

    "After that, I lured that man outside into an alleyway, and then pinned him to a wall and showed him my old Internal Affairs Badge, demanding to know everything he knew about the incident. He spilled everything he knew, with only light intimidation necessary." She salutes. "He confessed that a small group of the ex-MCPD members of the Enforcers had gotten together to attack the camp through arson, to make it look like a riot was breaking out. They knew it would draw in the rest of the Enforcers and give them a reason to break up the camp, which apparently they'd been waiting for before Lederberg would give the go-ahead. He strenuously denied any higher-up involvement, claiming it was just them deciding to do it after a night of drinking, which he persisted in saying even after the application of further intimidation techniques. After that, I quickly made my exit from the scene - I did not identify myself by name, and it's unlikely that they could have made it here faster then I did, but it's best that we leave the area before they catch up, ma'am!" At that, your need to make a fast decision takes precedence over your desire to ask questions or shake Janice until she went cross-eyed.

    With your hasty exit being necessary to prevent a diplomatic incident from breaking out, you make a snap decision on where to go next.

    [] To the FLA, to see if their story still holds up.

    [] To talk with the Laborers about the Red Warriors.

    QM's Note: Been a while, huh? Sorry for the prolonged absence - College, finals, and other projects have been a real drain on my time and energy! Luckily, however, most of it has passed, bar the obvious, and I should be able to write more consistently now...I hope. As always, thanks to @grimely!
     
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    Sandstorm Blues
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    • Sandstorm Blues​


    "...Most folks, when they talk about the war, they think about the battles, you know? And those are big and dramatic, full of easily quantifiable advances and losses and tipping points and such." The soldier being interviewed shrugs. "I don't know about that. But I signed up for this, uh, historical record thing because I thought it was important - I thought it was important that what we went through get remembered. I didn't fight in any battles. At least, not static ones - Fought over frontlines and such. No. I served in the Long Retreat. The bloodiest part of the war Station fought in, I got told when I got back. Stadium took more losses overall, fighting in the meatgrinder to take Central, but per capita, you saw more casualties - Not deaths, mind, casualties - in the Long Retreat. You know, it wasn't a historian who came up with that name. Some guy made a crack about it on the radio, during one of the moments of peace, and it just kinda stuck."

    A question is asked.

    "What was it like? It was like being in the heart of a sandstorm. Pure and simple. I'm not disparaging anyone who fought anywhere else, but if you asked me to describe what those Red Mars freaks refer to as 'eternal torment', I'd say being trapped in the Long Retreat. Fighting every inch, every building, every block as you get ground back by MCPD forces and partisans. Men and women bleeding out slowly from preventable wounds because you can't pull them back to get medical aid because there isn't a supply chain, there isn't a backline, there's nothing but the ever-present grind and the retreat."

    "I've been in a sandstorm. On the outside. I was young. Wore a suit, all the protective gear. It didn't help - It whips at you, flays skin off every part of your body it can get to. That's what it's like. It took every part of me it could get to and scraped it raw. You couldn't sleep, you know, because if you did, you risked getting encircled or just surpassed by the tide of MCPD forces - And that was a death sentence. Maybe you got taken prisoner or went underground, if you were lucky - But I heard a lot of people go down fighting, instead. Some people around here say the war was close, that we won based on pure luck…and I have to agree with them. If you were only seeing what I saw during the war, you'd think we never won a single battle. If they'd been able to just keep pushing, if we hadn't won those decisive blows at City Hall, I doubt we would still be here. Every town, every city, from the Rocabarraigh Citadel to whatever podunk town serves as the capital of Cu Sith Gorge - A husk of itself, inhabited only by people scraped raw by the war, just like I was." The soldier sits in silence. "That's a frightening thing to think about, for me. Keeps me up at night, imagining my sisters and brothers where I was, where the people I met were."

    "So, that fear, that experience - It deserves to be remembered for what it was, that's all. Some folks fought in the big battles - But a lot of us just fought and bled and got scraped raw as a diversion. As a…delaying tactic. To buy them time. And I want that to be written down. We deserve that, don't we?"


    "You want to interview me? I thought you commies wouldn't bother keeping a historical record of so-called 'reactionaries', now that your revolution's won the day." The Central soldier forms his mouth like he's about to spit, but stops - A gesture he clearly expects to have some meaning. Wasting any liquid seems anathema to him - Perhaps because of his older sensibilities, from a time when Mars was less terraformed. "Whatever. What do you want to know?"

    A question is asked.

    "Why'd I fight? Because Mars needed me, damnit!" Another question. "Damn it - It's, you know, an expression-Oh, right. I forgot, most of you follow that goddamn Bio-Dyne theosophy crap. You know it's all corporate bunk, right?" A shrug. "Whatever. I fought because I was a soldier! I signed up to be a soldier because Mars was my home, damnit! We were so close to building something new, something independent from those Earth sonsofbitches, and then they nuked us all to hell because they couldn't settle their petty disputes! So, when my detachment got told to get to a bunker and get ready for a long nap, I was ready. I didn't have any family left outside, none that I would call family, anyways, and so I stepped in without hesitation. They let anyone who didn't want to go leave - Not like they'd be around when we got out, huh?" He chuckles.

    "I didn't care about ideology, or whatever - I know some of the other people who volunteered for the long sleep did. I just wanted Mars to be a place I could be proud to call my home, free from the depredations of scum and imperialists." He hangs his head slightly. "But, well, that didn't work out so well, huh." He glances around his jail cell. "I heard they released those MCPD soldiers on recognizance or whatever - But when they asked me, I turned them down. Honestly, I won't lie, I prefer it here. The structure, the stability…but mostly, I don't want to see what Mars is like, under you people, because frankly, I'm afraid I'll like it enough to overlook my principles. And if I do that, then that means all the shit I did during the war, all the shit I did because I was a soldier for Mars, didn't mean anything - Wasn't for anything. So, I'd prefer to just sit right here, and go right back into my own personal little cryo-sleep. Maybe in ten years I'll change my mind and decide you commies aren't so bad. But that's all I'm gonna say to you now - I did what I did, we did what we did, because we wanted a free Mars, one that's independent from the old world and its mistakes. And for whatever you might've delivered to the people here now, you didn't deliver that."


    "When the war came to my home village, it destroyed everything I knew. We were mostly serfs - And that term…it carries a lot of baggage, down here. But we were just farmers and bakers and people. Our Lord, may the Mother protect his soul, was a decent sort - Light with the tax, let us pay with crops and goods, and barely bothered with anything outside his estate, and the village folk who worked up there never had many complaints - Beyond the ordinary things, you know? Everyday things. It had been a bad summer, so belts were already tightened - But that band of, no, I won't call them revolutionaries, more like deluded idiots, came through. Young men, probably students from a nearby township who'd headed east for whatever reason. They told us that the Admiral-Kings were dead, that a new age had dawned for Enterprise - And that we were being liberated from the old aristocratic regime." She shudders in disgust. "The Lord wasn't having none of it, though - Holed up in his estate with a rifle and one or two of the more loyal servants who decided to side with him. They didn't like that."

    "They rallied some of the younger folk, and they stormed the estate, dragged out the lord and shot him in the village commons for 'counter-revolutionary activities', then held a show trial for the surviving servant who'd helped him, then shot him for being a class traitor. Forced us all to come watch. And we all knew if we spoke out, we would be next in front of their guns, so we just kept our heads down and tried to keep working. We needed to be prepared to harvest, and if civil war was coming, then we couldn't risk a bad year. They wouldn't stop interfering, though! Every day, they drained our supplies without working in exchange for 'guarding' the village, made us attend political education classes and talked about being 'environmentally cautious' with farming, and if anyone dared get pissy with them, they'd start making noises about 'counter-revolutionary activity' and throw their weight around. None of us had guns, and they did, so nobody wanted to start a fight."

    "Eventually, things came to a head, though - They got serious, gathered around their little radio a lot more. A lot of us could tell something was wrong, that something was coming. They eased up on weapons restrictions, started doing drills in place of political education - Which was worse, in a way. It meant that they thought we were going to have to fight. None of us wanted to, and they didn't force us, but…what choice did we have? A lot of the elders thought that whoever was coming would kill us for not fighting back against the revolutionaries, and a lot of the younger folk agreed with their cause." She shakes her head.

    "...My father had seen Knights in action, once. Fought as a man-at-arms for one of the Admiral-Kings, got enough money off of it to start his inn. And he knew there was no chance for anything our village could field to stop them if they decided to look our way. So he had me and my mother and my husband pack our bags - Leave the village, before they showed up." She grimaces. "...Never found out what happened. We left in the middle of the night, didn't risk saying goodbye. I had friends back there. A life. And if those, those revolutionaries hadn't shown up, hadn't done what they did, I wouldn't have had to leave it. And that's my experience with the War. Happy?"

    A murmured thanks.

    "Well, I'm not. I'll be taking my leave, now."

    QM's Note: And with this fun little sidestory, voting will be closed! Update soon (depending on Christmas circumstances)!
     
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    • Spaceport Strike! - Part Nineteen: The Price to Pay
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    • Spaceport Strike! ​

    Part Nineteen: The Price to Pay​

    After your quick exit from the Marketplace Plaza, your journey towards the FLA is interrupted by only light conversation, dancing around Janice's actions. Bill's attitude seems to be one of mild approval, River has taken to addressing Janice with grudging respect, and Galle is the same as she always is to everyone - Cheerfully friendly. All in all, not the worst outcome, but you do hope that this doesn't come back to bite you later.

    Still, as you approach the FLA's building, you notice some key differences. The Garrison guards are gone - A consequence of your actions, perhaps? With the arrest of Hellas, it's likely that all personnel on special assignments from him were recalled to the Garrison. You can see the consequences of that, though - Nervous men and women mill about in front of the building, holding pipes and planks of wood in a loose semblance of 'guard duty', though it doesn't look like they've been entirely successful. Several windows look to be shattered, probably from rocks or bricks being thrown through them, and two of the guards are trying to scrub out graffiti scrawled on one of the pillars outside the building.

    When they see you, they tense - Clearly not very trusting of a group of armed strangers. Your uniforms seem to do little to assuage this wariness. "What do you want, Conductor?" The lead guard calls out. "Here to do more of the Laborers' dirty work?" A few of them slip inside, probably to carry news of your arrival. You hold up your hands in a gesture of peace. "We're not here to cause any trouble. We're just investigating the fire at your encampment a few days ago." The lead guard shrugs. "We'll see if Eva wants to speak with you." It is a few moments of uncomfortable silence before one of the guards slips back outside to whisper to the head guard. "...You can go in, Conductor. Alone." He nods to the rest of your companions. "They stay out here." You glance back at them. "That seems a bit-" He cuts you off. "Or you can leave. No skin off our back."

    You sigh, and turn to your companions. "I'll be right back." You give a subtle nod to Janice and Bill, though, and they nod back - If something goes wrong, they know what to do. With that, you walk towards the guards, who step aside. One of them opens the door for you, and you walk into the cavernous lobby of the building, walking back towards the offices where you met the Syrtis sisters last time. The atmosphere seems tenser, now - The stairs up are also under guard, and when you reach the back hallway, the men and women there, rather than unpacking goods, are packed into tight huddles, discussing things in somber tones. That all halts upon seeing you, though, and one of them wordlessly points to a door - The office you spoke with Eva Syrtis in last time. You accept the unspoken demand, and stride through, doing your best to not show your nervousness - For all that you have trust in your team, if anyone here decided to do something stupid…well, it wouldn't be much help to you if the team burst in five minutes after the fact, would it?

    Kelly Syrtis nods to you as you pass through, however - An island of mild acknowledgement in a sea of hostility. As you enter Eva's office, you take heart in that. This hope is dashed upon the rocks upon seeing Eva's face, a mask of grim displeasure. "So, Conductor - Welcome back." You sigh, not even bothering to conceal it - This is going to be an unpleasant experience. Might as well get a word in. "I see that the FLA has been having a rough time of it." Eva nods, curtly, gesturing. "Well, Conductor, I wonder why that might be - It isn't as if you have imprisoned some of the men who have been protecting us from the worst of the xenophobes and extremists in this district, hm?" You raise an eyebrow at that. Does she mean Cytas, in addition to Hellas? She continues, heedless of your confusion. "After you arrested Hellas, everything went to shit. Now, we get hourly 'complaints' giving the Enforcers cause to harass us, and the Garrison's too wrapped up in their own affairs to protect us. I hope you'll forgive me if I'm not the most pleased about this, especially since you certainly seem to be quite buddy-buddy with the Laborers, who've been taking advantage of our moment of weakness to start up their own campaign against us. Our recruiters have been beaten and threatened by their thugs, our building the target of bricks and vandalism from their goons - Refugees entering the district are now recruited directly into the Laborers 'or else', rather than given the chance to choose! We are under attack, and your meddling has only made the situation worse-"

    You put up your hands, trying to calm her down. "While this is unfortunate, Miss Syrtis, it isn't what I'm here to deal with. I'm here investigating the fire at your encampment. For as much as you may interpret my actions as you like, my sole concern is ensuring that the rule of law is followed, and that is a motivation without bias or concern for optics." You lie with a straight face. "I'm simply here to hear your story again." She sighs. "Ugh, fine - You know the story, it hasn't changed. A fire broke out, we put it out, and then the Enforcers charged in to arrest us." You note this down mentally. "Did anyone report multiple fires?" She shrugs. "I don't know - It was a crazy night, and a big camp. Plus, we had some fires of our own - Controlled ones, you know, for cooking and heat and such. Could've been?"

    "Did anyone report non-Enforcer attackers?" She shrugs again. "I didn't see any. Beyond that, though, it was crazy, as I said. It was chaos at night - Who could say?" This could be intentional stonewalling…or genuine confusion. She's certainly given plenty of indication as to it being either, and the lack of detail makes it hard to determine which it could be. "Mmm. Are you aware of a group called the Red Warriors?" She nods. "Yeah, those are some of the jackasses attacking our people. Did they do it?" She leans in, clearly interested.

    "We're looking into multiple possibilities at the moment." Your tone is non-committal. The last thing you need is the FLA deciding to target the Red Warriors. Or perhaps…well, a thought for later. "Are you aware of any significant factions within the Enforcers who might want to do you harm?" She laughs. "You mean besides the entire group? No. Those pigs are all the worst of the worst - Power-tripping jackboots of Lederberg." Well, you can't say you're surprised, given how they've been treated. "I see. Is there anything else you can tell me?" She shakes her head. "Nope." She pops the word slightly. Her intent here is clearer - This, at least, is an intentional stonewalling of you. You'd be frustrated if the roots of her grievance were not so clear - She does not trust you to enforce actual justice anymore, rather than use it against her people, as so many others have. Perhaps later, this can be remedied. But that time is not now. "Thank you for your time, Miss Syrtis." You nod your head and turn to exit. Her silence is farewell enough, given your chilly reception this entire time.

    As you begin the walk towards the entrance, however, you are surprised to hear footsteps behind you. Kelly Syrtis appears by your side, having stood up from her desk. She speaks quietly to you as she walks with you back to the front. "...My sister can often make rash decisions, in pursuit of what she thinks is best for us. I do not always disagree with her about those decisions. In this case, I do. I do not have much to offer besides assurances - For all that my sister can be testy, she is not a liar. Whatever she told you in there was the truth. However, she is also afraid of our people getting in trouble - She would not have told you anything that would compromise our members or open them up to arrest under your laws. I did not see anything myself, but, well - I doubt whatever happened was as clean as she presented it. Regardless, I hope you will not view us too harshly for it. I doubt any of our members committed any horrid crimes - We try to police ourselves, and I would say we are fairly successful at it."

    You nod. "Thank you, Miss Syrtis - Or, well, I suppose I should say Kelly, hah?' She doesn't return your small chuckle. "...I do not particularly like the MPA, Conductor - But I am not fool enough to believe it is going anywhere anytime soon. Thus, I wish to work with you for our mutual benefit. The key word there is mutual, however - I wish to ask you, as a sign of your good faith in our relationship…who started the fire at our encampment?"

    You have a choice to make here. Doubtless, however you answer, it will filter back to the FLA and impact future events.

    [] The Red Warriors did it.

    [] The Enforcers did it.

    [] The Red Warriors and Enforcers did it.

    [] It was an accident.

    [] I don't know who did it.

    [] I'm afraid I can't comment.
     
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