galvarelli/anti-refugee-protests-2.txt

The summons to arms caught Kral by surprise, but he leapt out of his room and found himself in the midst of a dozen other yaks doing the same thing.

―Kral, here! he heard Hermann call.

―Yes, sir.

Kral pushed past and joined Lieutenant Hermann.

―Captain said to bring you as well.

They passed over to the next hallway.

―Oy! Ward, Trevor. This way! Hermann called again.

The other sergeants followed, and Hermann led the three of them to Adrienne's office.

―All of you, at ease.
	We've got some orders here, and not much time to think about them.
	There's a riot brewing over at the Barns, and we are escorting the President there, then we're there as crowd control and peacekeeping.

―What about the Garrison? Hermann asked.

―They're just letting it play out, you know Darius.
	Couldn't give a shit about doing his job if a-
	Well, if he had to give a shit about doing his job.
	That's not all though.
	President is asking us to do this out of uniform.

―As in, what? Kral asked.
	So people don't think the guards guarding the President as he walks in are the President's Guard?

Captain Adrienne looked grimly at him.

―Exactly, Sergeant.
	This way we look a bit more like Garrison reserves coming in to support them.
	As I said, we're joining the President on his way there, and they're readying a tram in minutes.
	Havenmount says that they're bringing in torches, and fire service is on standby.
	Trevor, your men and I are going to go with the President.
	As a Guard, so your guys in uniform.
	Got it?

He nodded.

―Ma'am, is this, um, legal? Sergeant Ward chipped in.

―Honestly, not sure.
	But we have orders from the President, in writing, so that really starts to look like his problem.
	And when it comes down to it, stopping violence is our job.
	If you want to hang back though, Sergeant, I can ask your squad how they'd feel about going without you?

Ward shook his head.

―Good, get your squads in gear.
	Apart from the uniform bits.
	Shields and truncheons, not spears.
	Fire service is on the way, 
	Dismissed.

The four of them left, and Kral explained the situation to his squad.
Luckily, they took it well enough.

There were two trams being readied on the platform.
Kral and his squad followed Hermann onto the first tram, with Ward close behind.
Kral kept his eye out the window, and saw President Calvin, followed by Darius and Vaughan, heading to the second tram.

Their tram started moving immediately.

―Want to talk strategy? Kral asked Hermann, who was looking at a map of the area.

―Yeah, they're up a few blocks into the Barns near the gate to Northhaven.
	I'm thinking funnel them south and west, through the gate if need be?

―Not a great idea, that puts them too close to Havenstreasure.

―So?

―It looks closed off on maps, but we won't actually be able to cordon that off.
	When you're actually there it's confusing alleys and odd fences, and even if protestors try to disperse they'll end up turned around.
	Impossible to close off.

―What's your suggestion?

―We can push them north.
	It's a few blocks up, then with a squad there by the market it'll let them leave out the next gate.
	Further away, but the market's got wide streets.

―Right, makes sense.
	Should have asked you earlier.
	I know you know the area well.

Kral shook his head.

―No problem.

―Right, everyone, listen up. Hermann announced to the tram.
	Here's where we're getting off the tram, he said, pointing at the map.
	We'll assemble here, then arrive at the protests in formation.
	Got it?

There was a murmur of assent.

―At least for now, first priority is separating the Hierarchy folks from the counterprotest.
	Come in with a wedge formation.
	Ward, I'm not sure how quickly we can have the fire service there, but I want your squad with them.
	Kral, your squad will be with me in the line.
	Try to keep a few guys mobile if you can.
	We'll look to get the Meadowlarkers to disperse north, and if we want an echelon to push them to the gate, that'll be your squad most likely.

―Sounds good, sir, Ward answered.

Kral agreed as well.
The tram had passed Mindemoya a few minutes ago, and was making its way swiftly into the Barns.
Kral held his shield and truncheon ready.
President Calvin only rarely actually came to the Barns, so the Guard never really had to work there.
Kral felt odd about it.
Seeing armed guards near his home gnawed at him, even if he was one of them.

The tram arrived.
Hermann threw the door open.

―Go, go.
	Form up, and we're going to move.

The Guard was well practiced, and they formed their squads sharply.
Once the tram was empty, the driver took it off the main tramway into a parking bay, and the Guard began to move in turn.

―President's coming in close, Kari murmured to Kral.

He glanced back.
She was right, their tram was visible as well, although not immediately behind.

―You alright, Sarge? she asked.

He nodded.

―Yeah, I will be.

―Good.

They reached the protest itself, approaching the line between the protest and counterprotest from the side.

There weren't as many Meadowlarkers as Kral had feared, but they still outnumbered the guards.
Many were holding improvised weapons, sticks or torches.
At the back, a few Hierarchy officials were shouting to the crowd.
Chants of awful slurs against farm animals echoed down the streets.
Kral felt his blood boiling, and Kari gave him a stare.

―Steady on, Kral.

The counterprotest was small, only a handful of cattle, a pair each of donkeys and pigs.
A sheep as well, just to highlight the hypocrisy of the Hierarchy.
No point in honouring the Elder Species in one breath if you were denying them a place to live in the other.
His parents weren't there, which was a small mercy.
They were forming a tight line across the street, and the Meadowlarkers had formed an aggressive arc in front of them, with the front shouting.
Clods of dirt and rocks flew across the line, occasionally hitting the farm animals.

The fire service was waiting behind them, cut off from the action, which was good.
The Barns' fire service was already stationed nearby, near the Heavenstreasure complex, which was good. 
They looked equipped already, ready to deal with the torches.

Kral looked for the Garrison.
There were a few scattered around, on the other side of the street, across from the crowd.
They weren't organised in any way.

They stopped, close to the protests.
Hermann tapped his loudhailer, and began to address the crowd.

―Commander Darius has ordered this protest to disperse.
	This assembly is now unlawful, and if you remain, you will be arrested.
	I repeat, the City Garrison is ordering you to disperse.
	This assembly is now unlawful.

Hermann gestured, and the Guard began to slowly, deliberately push left, forming a wedge shape, Kral's squad, and Wade's squad on the end, facing the protestors, Hermann's facing the counterprotestors.
The Garrison members on the other side of the crowd looked caught out, and almost seemed to form a wedge of their own out of reflex.
To Kral's left, the counterprotesters were moving back, but the Meadowlarkers pushed back, shouting.

As they pushed through, meeting the Garrison, Kral felt the weight of the Meadowlarkers pushing at him.
A rock hit him in the head, and he snarled at the crowd.

―Get back, all of you!

A yak shoved against his shield, and Kral pushed back.
With surprising ease, the yak was left stumbling backwards into the crowd.
Some of the crowd seemed to back off a bit more, and a tense quiet seemed to come over the area.
Hermann kept up the chant, instructing the crowd to disperse, but no one actually seemed to move for a moment.
Kral had his eyes firmly on the crowd, but a glance to the left showed that the line had reached the Garrison officers.

Hermann called for them to advance, and slowly, the Guard began to push their line toward the crowd.
The Meadowlarkers began to turn and retreat slowly, although Kral saw many were trying to stay put, only encouraged back by others in the crowd.
As that was happening, Kral heard some rumbling discussion in the crowd, and saw people pointing behind him, to the side street they'd come from.
President Calvin was arriving with Darius and Adrienne, surrounded by Trevor's squad.

A moment of confused quiet passed, and then, as if coordinated by some secret signal, the crowd erupted in anger.
The protestors surged towards the Guard, and their weight pressing against him pushed Kral back against Hermann's men behind him.
On his right, Kari was pushing against a yak with her shield, and she lost her balance.
The protestor's horns scraped her shoulder, and Kral instinctively lashed out at him with his truncheon, scoring a blow between the eyes.
Immediately, the yak seemed to lose balance and sway, and started to fall.
A few protestors behind him backed up, and Kari used the opportunity to make some room, so she and Kral could pull the yak behind their line.
The second line dragged the yak back, hopefully to receive any necessary attention from the fire service medics.

―I'm okay, I'm okay, she shouted, preempting his question.

Kral nodded.
He had to trust her judgement on that, despite the bloody spot on her fur by her shoulder.
Similar scenes were repeating across the line, Kral saw, and their straight formation had immediately been left ragged.
But Kral pushed his attention back at the crowd.
One in front of him was swinging a big stick wildly, and Kral slammed his shield into him, forcing him to drop the stick and try to flee.

Smoke began to fill the air.
Kral looked around for the source, and to the left a building had started to burn.
Two yaks on Hermann's squad were restraining someone, presumably the culprit.
Kral couldn't quite see whether the fire service was able to reach it, but the crowd was pushing forward, trying to stop the arrest.
Some guards and protesters had bloody injuries.

Something stirred inside Kral, anger that these bigots were hurting good people.
He broke formation slightly, pushing forward, using his shield to force his way forward.
Roaring, he swung his truncheon, hitting one of the yaks shouting obscenities.
One yak charged at him, head first, and they locked horns briefly, until Kral effortlessly pushed him down, pushing his head through until the yak fell to the ground.
Some of the crowd started to back away from him, and the momentum of the small victory pushed further forward.
He stamped the ground, and swing his horns in a wide arc, driving back the protesters close to him.

―Kral, back! he heard Kari calling.

He stepped back, closer to the formation, and looked around.
The protestors had broken the line in a few places, and especially by the Garrison on the left, were preventing the fire service from being able to reach the now multiple fires.
Adrienne was with a few guards, near the medics tending to some of Wade's injured squad.
Calvin was nowhere to be seen, presumably escorted away by Trevor.
The situation was clearly worse than Kral had expected.

Perhaps buoyed by Kral stepping back, the gap he'd cleared quickly filled again, and the tightly packed ground slammed into Kral and the other guards like a wave.
Kral gritted his teeth and dug his hooves into the ground, pushing with his shield as hard as he could, trying to reduce the pressure on the guards around him.
As he held his ground, Kari started to get pushed back, and as with earlier, he felt some fire within him roar back into life, and with a surge of effort pushed forward.
This time, a large section of the protesters in front of him were pushed to the ground.

―How did you do that? Kari murmured, only half a question.

―We need to figure out how to help out the other side, Kral said.

―Looks like the Garrison are showing their true colours here, Jason said.

Kral looked again.
The Garrison officers on the left had retreated back to the cover of the buildings nearby.
The firefighters had reached a couple of the buildings, but the first one lit was burning stronger than ever, and protesters had taken control of that side of the street.

Around Kral, the protesters had started to keep their distance, giving them a bit more space.

―Kari, take over here, I'll go help on the left, Kral said.

―No, Kral. Bad idea.
	Medics behind us.

Kral began to feel a bit disheartened.

―Do we need talk about how to disengage here, sir? Jason asked him.

―Not yet, Kral said, a little hesitantly.
	Let's push back here if we can, try to at least divide the group up.

Kral called out a slow advance, and the yaks around him were able to step the line forward, with the crowd wary around him.
However, by both ends, especially on the left by Hermann and the Garrison, the protesters were engaging far more aggressively.
Even in front of Kral, they weren't dispersing or dividing so much as just making a small amount of space.
There were too many to actually threaten them.

Suddenly, the pressure seemed to lift from Kral's side.
He heard some shouting from the back end of the crowd, and Kral had to use all of his height to see over the crowd.
A group of yaks with black caps and masks, some armed with wooden sticks and metal rods, were running at the protest from the north, surrounding them.

―Who the fuck are they? Kari shouted.

―No idea, but this is as good a chance as any.
	We're charging.
	Kari, I want you and Jason to make arrests as we go.
	Dom and Bryce, he called to his squad.
	You too, another arrest team.
	Restrain 'em and pass 'em to Wade's squad.
	Sound good? he shouted over to Sergeant Wade.
	
―Alright with me, Kral, Wade responded.

Kral signalled, and they charged forward at the now-surrounded protesters.
With the same strength that Kral had suddenly found, he easily pushed through, and the yaks in front of him tried to flee, but were caught by the black-capped group on the other side.

―Let them get out, let them go! Kral shouted, but they didn't be able to hear him from the other side of the crowd.

On the other side of the line, the guards got the idea of what Kral was doing, and pushed forward as well.
Suddenly, the tide had clearly turned, and the protesters were now losing ground.
Hermann was echoing Kral's call to the black-capped group to let the Meadowlarkers leave over the loudhailer, and they did leave a few gaps for them to run away.

Kral caught up to some of the protesters he'd seen throwing rocks and held them down until Dom and Bryce came over to arrest them.
The fire service was finally able to reach the biggest fire, and seemed to be controlling it well.
Kral saw that there were more and more restrained yaks being held and escorted away, including many wearing masks and black caps.

As the crowd remaining started to thin, one of the masked yaks holding a metal pipe came over.

―Ho, Sergeant!

―Sepp?
	What's going on?

Sepp pulled down his mask.

―This is the group I was telling you about.
	They're tired of the Hierarchy twisting the true Meadowlark into something evil.
	Pretty good, huh?

―Sepp, you can't be here like this.
	Showing up armed, masked.
	This isn't okay.

―Kral, this was a riot.
	I'm happy to get arrested if it was for a good reason.

Kral nodded and sighed.

―I guess I'm not happy.

―Sepp? Kral heard Kari ask as she approached.

Sepp looked at her blankly, until recognition hit.

―Kari! I haven't seen you since what, Kral's promotion celebration?

―Yeah.
	Kral, what's your friend doing here?

―Unfortunately, it seems like he's part of this group.
	Sepp, if you're okay with coming with us and giving a statement, we probably don't need to formally detain you.
	At least avoid the physical restraints.

Sepp smiled.
―Sure, I just want to help fight the Hierarchy.

Kari waved over a Guard, who took Sepp away to the group of mostly restrained yaks being held.

―Careful Kral, I know you're close, but this isn't about fighting the Hierarchy with your pals.
	You know that, right?

―I do, Kari.
	Thanks.

―No problem, sir.

Kari left, leaving Kral with his thoughts.