- Shari -

 

Okay, it seems as if just now a coup went through right in front of me.

 

"Shari, should I still get started?" (Liqu)

 

Oh damn!

 

"No! Stay put! We're going to wait and see what happens next." (Shari)

 

Really, I have no idea how this is going to play out, but throwing in a slime on a rampage is very unlikely to de-escalate the situation.
It will very much depend on what the man who's currently overthrowing Ekoras does next.
Speaking of him, now he's taking position right in front of the mid-section of the troops we were up against, and presumably still are.

 

"I guess this time is as good as any. Let's go through with this and make it quick, as this is going to be a long day!" (Gareth)

 

He procures a small bundle of papers out of his pocket and begins reading through these.

 

"Guard Alron, Guard Beska..." (Gareth)

 

Captain Gareth starts to read down a list.

 

"Guard Glarius, Officer Harrow, Guard Malcolm..." (Gareth)

 

More and more names are dropped, until Gareth has passed every single one of them.

 

"Guard Wulfren, Guard Breska, Officer Zendren." (Gareth)

 

Finally, he comes to an end, and turns once again to the assembled.

 

"All of you were found guilty of charges of varying expanse and severity. Therefore, you are all hereby under arrest! I order you to drop your weapons, step slowly forward, receive your chains, and accept your handling. Cooperation now may serve to mitigate your judgment. Otherwise, you will be struck down as the rabid dogs you are!" (Gareth)

 

Of course, there are complaints to this kind of announcement.

 

"This is outrageous!" (according to the list Officer Harrow)

"Officer Harrow. Guilty of embezzlement, corruption, assault of all possible degrees, murder, of a higher-ranking officer at that, as well as the general lack of a conscience. Already one of these points would get you hanged. However, given the peculiar circumstances, we'd offer a reduction to an indefinite service as a criminal slave." (Gareth)

"You filthy dog! Let's see who's going to get cut down!" (Harrow)

 

At this, the man draws his sword.

 

"I would suggest you don't do this." (Gareth)

 

Of course, he doesn't listen and begins moving into range to slash down at the guard captain.
Only to get shot down by at least a dozen arrows at once after taking a single step.
Just now I notice the sudden appearance of a huge number of archers on the higher ranks.
They completely planned this through!
I'd even say they were supposed to be for us in any other circumstances.

Yet now the guys in the middle troop, which was the biggest in the room, seems to have lost their calm, as they are in a very disadvantageous position and completely surrounded on all sides.
One of those being ours.
Damn, this too is part of the plan!
They're using our troop to maintain control!
Yet they're still rather unhappy about their prospects and seem to consider their chances of breaking right through our lines.

Gareth seems to take note of this as well.
Which prompts him, for some reason, to take another look into his papers before pointing right at one of them.

 

"Sigh. Guard Wulfren. Several cases of corruption, assault, one dubious case resulting in death. Doesn't look great, I need to say. Even given the very liberal standards I was applying to your comrades, you're unfortunately just below the line to have made the cut. However, I fear that some standards have to be maintained. In this case, I can only offer you a five-year sentence of forced labor. Mostly because the paperwork of a public execution would be a hassle. Yet after that you'd be free to go. Sounds better to me than the alternative. If you think so as well, please come over. You others better not make a wrong move." (Gareth)

 

At the last part, he points to the archers above.
Miraculously, the man complies.
He steps with hesitant but still regular steps forward and gets handled.

 

"Guard Breska. Corruption, killing of a comrade, and forgery. Seven years. We both know that's better than what you deserve." (Gareth)

 

In this way, the officer proceeds.
With each guard taking the sentence, the number of potential enemies lowers and the soldiers become less likely to fight back.
Which is also why Gareth slowly starts putting out harsher penalties.
Some even get the idea that they might accelerate their positioning by handing themselves over before Gareth is at them.
He still simply tells them their respective sentences, but I wonder if they actually got a bit better off by being among the first to surrender.
Eventually only a handful remains.

 

"Officer Morlin. I don't really feel like pointing out all your misdeeds, and feel like you want that even less if I look at some of the things here. So let's make it nine years. And that's very generous." (Gareth)

"I can't believe I accepted you as my captain." (Morlin)

"Yeah, could have taken the job yourself. Too late for that now. So, sentence or execution?" (Gareth)

 

Despite some mumbled insults, the man gives in.
After this, the next steps almost seem planned through.
The former guards get chained up and guided out of the room.

Now Gareth finally deems it to be the time to mind our presence, and walks up to us.

 

"Please, excuse this display. Rest assured that the rest will professionally be taken care of. We secured enough cells in the dungeon to contain them for the time being." (Gareth)

 

That wasn't the main issue I had, but good to know.

 

"Next time, I'd like to receive prior notice before becoming part of this kind of ploy." (Peras)

"I apologize, yet this was a very convenient excuse for me to assign the guards as I required. Something Lord Varros would've never done by himself." (Gareth)

"I see. So you took this chance to relieve the Marquis from his duties." (Peras)

 

Yeah, I get what Peras is getting at.
It's hard to look like the good guy after you basically seized control of the whole city with some grand scheme to overtake the military.
Not to mention that the royalists may currently have some aversions against rebels.

 

"Of course, I don't intend to remain in charge. Uh, I hope this act in itself won't get me on the list as well." (Gareth)

"I wouldn't think so. Yet before we make a final judgment, I suggest we deal with the immediate issues. Like, for example, getting my troops into town before any enemy forces decide to ambush us." (Peras)

 

Well, I suppose it wouldn't do to antagonize the guy who's now in charge of the whole town.
This situation seems like it very much calls for a royal pardon.

 

"As you say. Don't worry, their entrance has already been taken care of. I made particularly sure that only personnel with ascertained loyalty are manning that gate." (Gareth)

"Good to know. Though, I'm not entirely convinced how much this is exactly worth. I was under the impression that the guards in Ekoras weren't exactly reliable." (Peras)

 

An understatement if ever one was made.

 

"There's no need to worry. I assure you that they'll do as they were told. It actually helped to know about the dirt of roughly two-thirds of them. My thanks for the assistance on that matter, by the way. The offer of a general pardon was quite the motivator for most. Of course, I'm good enough a judge of character to see for who this would've been a lost cause, and put them in the right places to be dealt with in due time." (Gareth)

"I see. While I can't say I support your methods unconditionally, I also need to admit that it's impressive that you apparently were able to seize control over the soldiers." (Peras)

 

I agree.
I'm already rather overburdened with Liqu alone.
Getting a whole town's worth of guards, of which approximately eighty percent are corrupt, is quite the feat.
The promise to restore justice and order alone is rather unlikely to cut it for most of them.

 

"Now, as much as I would like to discuss all of this in detail, I fear that time is of the essence. We should get started with some very crucial steps or the situation will catch up with us. Believe me, we don't want this." (Gareth)

 

Seems like things are about to become quite rough.