Chapter 35

As ever it was a spectacular sight with the Regiment marching in time onto the parade ground, their colours held high. The audience also cheering and clapping to the sound of the march as most of them saw their people in armour for the first time. Amanda took and returned the salute once they came to a halt and stood at attention in front of her and lowered the Colours so she could bless them. It was clear many of those in the Regiment were almost fit to burst with pride and emotion as they responded to the Oath as taken by Amanda as she spoke the words with reverence.

Afterwards she inspected the Troopers speaking to many and clearly making a big impression on all, both Officers and Troopers alike. The Troopers then marched from the field to change into their dress uniforms and join the massive party now taking place on the parade ground with their families. In this, Amanda mixed freely talking to all and generally ending up charming them as well. Pretty much all of the Troopers had grown up under Imperial rule and there were no mixed loyalties, though even with their parents and grandparents, it was obvious where their loyalties now lay.

“I don’t think the Empire needs worry about this planet at all now,” I said in an aside to Amanda during a quieter moment.

“Yes, I suspect Sanctify will be the same,” she nodded. “Are you going onto the streets tonight?”

“Yes, my love, hoping to catch the ordinary folk doing ordinary things.”

“I’m planning to sneak away with you.”

“Sounds good, I’m sure Trusha will love it if something happens,” I chuckled.

“I’m not attracted to violence,” Trusha spoke in a slightly exasperated tone.

“But you love a chance to let loose,” Amanda giggled.

“Well...”

“Plus it’s not fair if Liono has all the fun,” I added with a smile.

“OK, you got me,” she finally replied with a slight smile.

“Where do you plan to set up shop?” Amanda asked.

“Lansvig quarter, right on the edge of a run-down known rebel area,” I replied.

“Ah, hoping to pick up the vibes from those who run into them daily, if not the rebels themselves?”

“The AIs told me there is a lot of ‘incidents’ and I’m pretty sure Aunt Vilgra amongst others will want to judge the mood.”

“Yes, nice as these events are, they don’t tell the whole story,” Amanda nodded.

“They show the best of society, but we’re kind of here to judge what’s going wrong too,” I replied thoughtfully.

“Yes, our real mission,” she giggled, before going back to the meet and greet.

Lansvig quarter was split between a dwindling rebel supporting community and a growing loyalist sector. Whilst there was no overt or open violence, it was clear that there were tensions and the local Guardian chapter patrolled extensively and in strength to prevent violence from spilling over beyond what the current AI level could prevent.

The place where I set up to work was close to the ill-defined ‘borderline’ between the factions, though in the loyalist part of the district. The local market was outwardly peaceful enough but it was also clear to a more detailed examination that there were several groups using it who clearly didn’t get on, nor was it as simple as rebel vs loyalist as it was plain to me that each major group had minority factions within them as well.

“Tense here,” Amanda noted as she returned with Trusha and a couple of drinks.

“Not bothered by your accent?” I asked.

“No, not really, I just sounded like one of the interstellar newsies, plus I was buying.”

“Oh right,” I chuckled as I began sketching.

As ever I soon drew an interested group, many of whom simply commented on the work and weren’t that interested in having one. That changed when I started drawing people, however, and soon several were chattering away before taking a sketch of themselves off to be sealed at an AI utilities booth.

“Never seen anything like this before,” an older man commented.

“It’s just a talent of mine,” I shrugged.

“You could probably sell them.”

“Thank you, but I do this for fun, not to pay the rent,” I chuckled.

“You should be a little careful though, your accent marks you out as a stranger and there are those passing through who’ll assume you’re some sort of Imperial spy.”

“Spying on what? How people live?” I asked looking bemused.

“True, though that’s the reason they’ll use,” he smiled before accepting the drawing.

“You’re not wanted here, Impy scum,” a loud mouthed braggart snarled as he and several other approached.

“Beg to differ and I’m not moving on,” I shrugged, dropping into the zone.

“Get lost Fellis, guys just drawing people,” a voice from the crowd yelled out.

“He’s an Imperial, they don’t belong here!”

“We’re all Imperials, or hadn’t you noticed, loser.”

“I’ll always be a Republican, best of the best!”

“Must be why you live in a slum and can’t get employment,” came a laugh.

“Wouldn’t want to work for an Impy company!”

“But you’ll take their food ration!”

“Gentlemen, calm down,” I spoke loudly. “You’re all entitled to an opinion.”

“Shut up Impy scum,” Fellis snarled and threw a punch which I easily dodged.

“Best of the best, Fellis? You couldn’t even hit a boy!” the voice from the crowd came back along with derisive laughter.

“Stop dodging and fight,” Fellis yelled at me.

“Why would I want to fight you?”

“Shut up scum!” he hissed before launch a series of blows at me that missed but got him a nerve pinch causing one arm to go limp.

“I’d give up now before this gets serious,” I informed him with a shrug.

“I’ll never give in to Impy scum!”

“Stupid,” I muttered before launching a series of blows that had him reeling back in agony before dropping to the ground unconscious.

“Holy shleck, artist, did you kill him?” the speaker from the crowd asked before emerging.

“Nope, just gave him a rest with time to consider why attacking someone you know nothing about is a bad idea,” I chuckled.

“You got that right, stupid fool has had this coming for a while,” he replied. “Name’s Plennt.”

“Nice to meet you Plennt,” I’m Dayyev,” I replied seeing him frown in surprise then nod thoughtfully.

“It’s nice to have someone come down and draw people, makes a nice change,” he nodded.

“Well, I’ll draw anyone,” I shrugged. “Bring along your family, I’ll even do one of you all together.”

“I will, just be careful, Fellis is a hothead, but he’s not the only one,” he warned as a couple of unhappy males dragged the unconscious Fellis away giving me hostile looks, but nothing else.

“I expect there will be some who can’t let something like this go,” Liono commented from where she had watched.

“Yes, a pity,” I nodded.

“Hope so,” Trusha replied at the same time.

Things settled for a while as I became popular amongst the loyalists but avoided by the rebel groupings. Still it was obvious that something was being planned as we were now under observation from the end of the market that led into the rebel quarter. It was also a fact that the loyalists knew it as well and were keeping an eye out for us, as well as preparing to ‘duke’ it out with the rebels as tempers simmered.

“Lot of them,” I murmured.

“We have reinforcements from Kilios in amongst the local loyalists,” a clearly unconcerned Trusha replied.

“Poor rebel shleckers don’t stand a chance,” I chuckled.

“That’s the point, to drive it home that the Empire will not put up with their crap.”

“And here they come,” Amanda warned as over a hundred men and women suddenly charged across the square to try and get us, as well as the now charging loyalists.

That, unfortunately for the rebels was the only thing that went right for them as although they got to us first, Trusha and Liono waded in and were beating the living daylights out of anyone who they could get at. Nor were the ones who reached Amanda and I doing much better, as for all we were fighting defensively, we had picked a good spot where the rebels could not mob us. The main battle though was in the centre of the market where the loyalists were more than holding their own with the aid of the Kilios ‘volunteers’ and were even driving the rebels back, leaving several sprawled and clearly incapacitated bodies lying on the ground in their progress.

The rebels’ case was further exacerbated by several loyalists moving around to block their retreats as they were driven back in confusion from the strength of the response. The biggest danger was coming from flying objects, though as we (and Kilios) were on the ‘zone’ there was little danger to us. Particularly when Kilios were grabbing the objects and accurately returning them to take out the throwers, sowing more seeds of confusion amongst the rebels.

“Guardians!” a yell went up and amazingly the loyalists swiftly dispersed leaving over a hundred groaning, clearly broken bodies lying on the ground. From our party’s view, Trusha and Liono looked particularly smug at having gotten to break some heads and Amanda and I were unharmed at mostly being on the periphery of things, though we’d both taken down a knife wielding assailant.

“Interesting use of makeshift weaponry,” Trusha said in an aside to Liono as a Guardian squad moved cautiously into the market area.

“Usual amateurish mistakes of not following through and trying to avoid us once they realised we were trouble though,” Liono averred.

“I suspect they were demoralised by the way things went,” I added.

“True,” Trusha smirked. “They certainly had the numbers.”

“Could you tell us what happened here?” a Guardian Investigator accompanied by a Senior Guardian asked as he approached.

“I was just drawing the market scenes as well as some of the people when these people (I indicated the fallen rebels) charged out from over there (I pointed) and were met by people in the market,” I explained somewhat blandly.

“You were attacked?”

“Everybody was,” Amanda replied.

“So ... why are only the original attackers here getting medical treatment?”

“They weren’t very good fighters,” Trusha replied.

“Got what they deserved,” Liono added.

“AI tri dee cams seem to confirm that, ser,” the Senior Guardian noted. “The group from the ... lower quarter attacked first and soon regretted it.”