Buy a Little Mercy [Open; Potentially Graphic Material]

[cityship]

Less than an hour after the ship leaves Agrestic's orbit, an announcement is broadcast throughout Stacy.

|| Attention, crew. Your crewmates, Howard Bassem and Charles Merriman, have been apprehended attempting to desert. They will now be given Punishment. According to established guidelines, you are all requested to report to the Observation to witness the Punishment. Attendance is not mandatory, but highly suggested. This will serve as a reminder of the consequences of treason and desertion. ||

On the observation deck, Archon Yavek, Archite Rekkti, two other Daligig and a handful of Kessek soldiers stand outside a spherical force field. Inside the bubble, Orc and Howard are suspended by tentacles looping around their wrists. Orc's ceased thrashing around and struggling against his restraints; rust-colored fissures have developed around his shoulders and forearms from the strain, but now he simply hangs there, looking defeated. Howard's nose is bleeding, and every time a drop falls to the bottom of the forcefield there's a small sizzle. He's weeping and begging the Daligig with every plea possible, but they act as if they aren't listening. Instead, they wait for an audience.

Comments

[meat_mooks]

"Do not tell me how to manage a war." Yavek sneers. "Yes, we are each responsible for our actions. But you say that as if you're expecting me to renege responsibility for this one."

[battorch]

"She is doing no such thing," Tim said calmly, looking sidelong at Sakura as he spoke. "Only arguing the necessity for our being self-reliant. It is hardly beneficial for us to have the responsibility for transgressions taken out of our hands, and certainly does little to establish the power and responsibility of the crew. Don't you run the risk of the crew expecting your team to take matters into your own hands, when you already have far more than just us to manage?"

[encourage]

She let Tim's words address Yavek's initial response. It was the only real warning she'd given him, and all he was going to get. "I expect nothing of the sort. Only the assurance that you believe as we do."

[meat_mooks]

"We did leave the responsibility for transgressions to the crew, and the result was attempts to disable the Warden and letting these two cowards escape. Until your unit proves themselves capable of governing themselves we will continue to intervene."

[battorch]

"Clearly we have different standards about how things like this work-- I don't think you're in the right to judge how we choose to punish crew without even allowing us the opportunity to rebuke our would-be-escapees."

[encourage]

"Continuing to intervene doesn't allow our unit to prove themselves capable of governing." She kept her voice level still, if her gaze was flat, and she stood absolutely still. Almost smiling.

Dangerous indeed.