Guards and Order

[GamesMaster]

Their probation goes without other incident, and they return to work. The day after their return, a courier runs and fetches both of them early, an hour before their shift -- Wylde finally being on time, because of being woken by the courier in the late afternoon before her evening shift. 

When they arrive, the guard station is fuller than normal, busier. Seems something big is going down...

[tag Aveline for purge prep]

[Aveline Vallen]

"Bright Scales, you're on time?"  Vallen shakes her head as she resumes her breakneck rush through the main office space. "Well, keep up the miracle and hustle outside! The captain will be here in four minutes to give the brief and you two are already in the shit." The captain? During evening shift? Surely they would've have noticed the city on fire or a swarm of elder dragons, right?

[Solras, The Protector]

Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch looks confused for a moment then snaps a salute and marches out to the briefing. If something's urgent enough to get the Captain here on the evening shift... Well it's best to learn what's going on first, that way one knows how to deal with it.

But.... Something smells bad here... She hopes she is wrong about that... Her senses have been wrong before.

[GamesMaster]

"Alright everyone, this isn't your first dragon-wrangling for most of you," the chief begins, as soon as he gets in position. "But for those of you new to the guard, I'll go over the basics. You'll be working in small teams, not just your usual partnerships. We'll be instituting a lockdown at sunset, cordoning off the district here and here," he says, gesturing to a map he's had wheeled out to the courtyard for this purpose. The streets he points to neatly corral what's informally known as "cattown", the bit of Coalside taken over by catfolk as their living and business area. 

"We'll send teams in from both ends, searching for the suspect. Heavy gear, all of you, and don't be afraid to get rough if you need to. The gear can take it, it'll keep you safe. Those claws of theirs don't stand a chance against good steel. Remember: the law's on your side, and you have the tactical advantage, so throw your weight around if need be. Any you find resisting, haul them in. We'll be able to get more information out of them before we let them go."

He flips over the map, revealing a sketch: a white, long-furred cat. "This is the suspect. Many of them look alike, so if you're not sure, haul them in. We'll cast a wide net and be sure to get the suspect. The worst thing we can do is end the night empty-handed, so be sure to be thorough and broad. If we don't get this guy, it's our budget on the line." 

[Solras, The Protector]

"We got a name? So's we know we've got the right one?" The gruff call comes from somewhere near Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch, and it's about the right pitch to be the diminutive dwarf's voice, but that peach pattern and inflection is wrong for a dwarf. it sounds more like the speech pattern of someone who speaks Common as a first language, and not as a language learned after thirty years of gargling rocks to speak with. Anyone who was not looking at Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch when she asked the question probably would not think that it would be her that spoke.

[GamesMaster]

"We do not; the aim is to collect suspects who may have been in Lily and Oak late last night, and we will have the victim pick the correct one out of a lineup. There was an assault in one of the playhouses, you see, and it's a Light's cousin, so we have to be careful to produce a suspect or ten. Just grab any that might have been light enough: white, cream, tan, the like."

[Aveline Vallen]

Next to the Captain, Sgt. Vallen's expression is grimly blank. At the lull, she steps forward get the crowd's attention. Unnecessarily really, given that her bellow could very nearly break a sleep spell. "On the note of budget! Last time we had a full sweep like this, a new recruit got careless during a search and knocked over a lantern in someone's house. The resulting blaze cost the guard nine thousand gold in manpower, compensation and fines. That recruit is currently in year two of eleven years of hard labour in the Coal Bin. Unless you want to join him, I suggest you pay the fuck attention and keep to protocol. You are Nyran Guards, not a mob, not some local militia! We do this professionally, we do this neatly, we do this right!" She pauses a second, taking another step forward.

"Is that understood, guards?" She doesn't actually using any of her paladin ability, but there's a faint glow of divine energy in her eyes, wisps of shimmer in her hair as she makes her demand.

[Solras, The Protector]

Yes.... this is  bad... and WRONG

"SIR, YES SIR!" Snaps Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch automatically, he mind no longer paying attention to the briefing except at the most superficial level. Inside she is trying to come up with a plan. A way to reverse, or undo this raid. Too many innocents will be hurt by this, too much hate created too much fear. There has to be a better way. There has to be a different path that history can take... If only she can manage to find it.

Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch looks over at Wilde to see how her partner is taking this news. Hopefully she'll keep it together long enough for the briefing to break up and be pulled aside to quietly talk about what they're going to do about this.

[Wylde]

"Yes, sir!" barks Wylde, back ramrod straight as she salutes.

[Aveline Vallen]

Vallen glares at the assembled troops for another long moment, then nods sharply before stepping back. Not enough. Not nearly enough, but I don't know what else I can do. I wish... She fights back a sigh, an infrequent but persistent regret surfacing. She loves her life, loves her husband and their little house, their mabari and the nursery they're slowly putting together for that 'one day soon' they're still discussing, but sometimes she wishes she'd been more focused on her career. Not much a mere sergeant can do about something this big. Do what I can and pray, that's all there is. 

"Any last instructions?" she murmurs to the Captain.

[GamesMaster]

"Just keep your wits about you. Those cats are clever. They can be more of a handful than you expect. Reconvene here half an hour before sunset to get your gear and your group assignments."

[Aveline Vallen]

Vallen waits a moment to be sure he's done, then nods. "Very good sir. Troops!  Remember, no-one leaves the compound, we're on the clock and security level is Griffon! Fall out!" Turning, she salutes the Captain-- perfectly by the book, no less and certainly no more-- then strides off to get ready herself.

[Wylde]

As the group breaks up, Wylde falls into step beside Solras. "Well this should be fun," she says, a bit cheerily. 

[Solras, The Protector]

"Indeed. And we don't have much time. Let's get going."

Solras, Daughter of Umdor, and Elder Private of the Watch suits action to words and starts making their way out of the guard house. They're not running, but they're certainly making good time through the place. moving as fast as they can without being suspicious.

[Wylde]

"Woah, hey!" says Wylde, struggling to keep up. "We have hours before the raid, there's no rush."