galvarelli/anti-refugee-protests.txt

―Nikki, follow me, emergency, Vaughan yelled as he passed Nikki's office without stopping.
She sighed, and jogged to catch up with him.

―What's up?

―Meadowlark protesters over by the Barns, looks like it's gonna get violent. We need Calvin to do something about it.

Nikki groaned.

―Goddamn religious fanatics, she murmured under her breath.

He nodded.

Adam was going through some files, and protested as Nikki and Vaughan walked by his desk and made for Calvin's door.

―He's busy, Nikki. He said to keep everyone out.

Nikki stopped, and gave Adam a firm glare until he dropped eye contact and retreated to his busy work, leaving Nikki and Vaughan to walk into Calvin's office.

Calvin started when they walked in, and set down the small black book he had been reading.

― I thought I'd asked Adam to minimise interruptions, Calvin said.

He sighed after a moment and gestured for them to sit down.

―Sorry for the interruption Calvin, Vaughan said, it's the Meadowlarkers protesting by the East Side.
	There's a group coming in with torches, and there are some refugees making a counter demonstration at the line.
	It's looking like it could get violent.

―Where's the City Garrison? Nikki asked. This seems like a local issue, not something that needs the President.

Vaughan hesitated, in what Nikki thought was a particularly despondent way.
Nikki also noticed Calvin slowly putting the book in his shoulder bag.

―There's some guards there, but they've basically stepped aside.
	I think the protesters have avoided doing anything too drastic while they're there, you know the Garrison, half of them are part of the Flocks.

―For fuck's sake! Nikki yelled.

There was a moment of silence while the gravity of the news sank in.
Nikki knew the Garrison was sympathetic to the Meadowlark, but openly refusing to step in was a step too far, even for Darius.

Vaughan leaned forward, and looked at Calvin.
―We need to send in the Presidential Guard to clear the protest, as soon as possible. Show that we're serious about protecting the Barns.

―Absolutely not, Nikki said immediately. Vaughan, just picture it. Presidential guards coming in to stamp out the Meadowlarkers? We'd be voted out, if they hadn't murdered us by then.

—Nikki—

—They've been waiting for years to play the victim card, Nikki interrupted, and if they see Calvin's personal troops doing anything close to stopping them free expression of religion, we're scoring an own goal, Vaughan. It's crazy, we can't do it.

—Nikki, this is life or death.
	We can get Auroklos to make a statement denouncing violence, and then it's not a religious issue.

—Auroklos is a spineless fool, and the farm animals don't vote.
	The Flocks do, and we need to keep them happy.
	Losing our small hold Northhaven will trash any part of our agenda.
	Worst case, we'll have every town outside the Haven coming in here asking for Calvin's resignation.

Vaughan threw his hands up and scoffed.

—Calvin, weigh in. Now or never, we'll need to move soon.

Nikki felt a sense of calm come down.

—Wait, both of you.

—We don't have long, Vaughan said.

—Dammit, wait, give me a second to think.

The Presidential Guard was too closely tied to the old governments when the Flocks were suppressed, and the City Garrison was free of that stain.

—I think there's only one course of action here.
	We give the Garrison an out, and bring the Presidential Guard with us out of uniform.
	That way we can say we're bringing them as support, and the Garrison can pretend their inaction was out of caution, not apathy.
	The protesters will see it as Presidential support of the Garrison, not us undermining them.

—We can't sit down and condone the Garrison for this.
	Everyone who would have watched the Barns burn need to lose their jobs.

—No, Calvin said.

He stood slowly, and began to walk to the door.

—Nikki's right, Vaughan.

Calvin's tone was tense, and Nikki could feel his reluctance at admitting it.
He reached the door, and passed on instructions to Adam, who left the room quickly.
Calvin began to follow them and gestured for Vaughan and Nikki to join with him.

—We'll still ask Auroklos to make a statement, and maybe come to the protest to speak.
	I'll need to be there, along with Darius.
	He'll still have to agree to help us, and we'll owe him a favour.

—Calvin, it's going to look like we're supporting the protests.
	We'll lose any credibility on refugees.

—Vaughan, our credibility isn't worth anything if we're not in power to actually use it, Nikki said.

Calvin nodded slowly.

—Nikki, stay behind, run the office.
	And see if there's any answer from Old Imperial about my malacusis question.
	Vaughan, you'll be with me.

Nikki watched them leave the office, then headed back to her office.
Letting the Garrison go unpunished stung, although there wasn't another way to get them to help cover up their failure.
Unless there was.
Nikki stopped in the hallway, stopped in an empty office nearby, and wrote a brief note.
Then she started back to the bullpen.
She found her target in a cube near the far end of the office, a young yak who yelped when Nikki stopped in front of her.

—Your brother still works at Justice, right?, Nikki asked.

—Sorry ma'am, what?

Nikki tried to remember when the young yak had been hired.
Less than a year, she thought.
Probably hadn't dealt directly with Nikki much.

—You're Annie, if I remember correctly? You're not in trouble, don't worry. Your brother, he's an administrator in Justice?

Annie looked slightly less panicked.

—Yes, ma'am, he's still in Justice. How'd you remember?

—He had that issue with getting a transfer there, he asked for help from us or something.
	I remember Adam mentioning something like that, how's he finding it there?

—He's doing okay, ma'am.
	You know Justice.
	It's tough, but he's happy to be there.
	Why do you ask?

—Just curious how he was doing, was reminded by a conversation with Adam.
	Do me a favour, can you call him up and pass on a message?

―Yes, of course.

―Perfect, Nikki said as she handed Annie the note.

—I'll call him now, ma'am. Anything else?

—No, feel free to return to your work now.

Nikki pivoted away, and started back to her office.