04-19-2023, 09:18 PM
The Lauchenoirian Cabinet was in the middle of its meeting when Calhualyana’s broadcast took place. Jae Chung had burst into the meeting to show the video. The assorted government ministers had watched in silent horror. When it was over, there was a pause before Alvarez turned to Jae and simply asked, “is it true?”
“We believe WOE did indeed attempt to attack a Xiomeran ship. The part about Lauchenoirian intelligence being behind WOE’s actions is, of course, nonsense. They likely do have two Lauchenoirians in custody, aside from those we previously knew about. If they are charged with terrorism, there is a chance they will face execution.”
“You know, Jae, right now their fate is not the first thing on my mind,” Alvarez snapped harshly. “Did you hear her? If we don’t get a handle on this WOE business, we could very well be faced with a Xiomeran attack on Lauchenoiria.”
The mood in the room was already sombre, but with the statement put clearly, the mood shifted to one with a sprinkle of fear. Everyone in that room knew fine well that Lauchenoiria was no match for Xiomera militarily.
“What do we do about the kidnappings?” Adelita Cabello said reluctantly, after a prolonged silence. “Are we still going to make a statement?”
Alvarez groaned. “If we do, we are poking the bear. If we don’t, we look like we are granting Xiomera carte blanche to do as they like to our citizens. A no-win scenario, in other words. But the statement is not the most important thing here. We cannot allow any more WOE incidents. What we have been doing so far is not enough.”
“What are you suggesting, then?” Rodrigo Montaña, the Defence Secretary asked.
“We have been guessing who among the Watchdogs is most likely to also be a Warrior. Put simply, we do not know with enough certainty that we have them all. But what we do know about is the Watchdogs. Last week I rejected a suggestion to question each and every person on their list. It was overkill; and I am not Calhualyana,” she shook her head.
“But if we don’t act, Lauchenoirians may well find themselves answering to the actual Calhualyana,” Montaña filled in what hadn’t been said.
“Exactly,” Alvarez sighed. “Better they are questioned by us now, than at the hands of a Xiomeran invasion force. Chung, tell the FPIS and LDSS that they should implement the questioning of everyone on the Watchdogs list. Detain, question, and release them. I don’t want anyone who is not involved with Warriors held for longer than twelve hours max.”
She took a deep breath and continued. “Make it clear we are looking for Warriors: gain as much cooperation as possible; and anyone who is confirmed or suspected to be a Warrior after that should be detained. Also, put markers on the passports of everyone on the Watchdogs list. We can’t risk any Warriors getting out of the country. I don’t like this any more than you do, but we no longer have a choice.”
*
Later the same day, twenty-seven people at a protest outside a petrol station were detained and questioned by police on Butterfly Island. This led to a further fifty-two arrests of people in the same Watchdogs local group.
The office Savannah Martinez had left days before was raided; a handwritten sign-up sheet confiscated and the names cross-referenced with the electoral register and social security databases.
A fifteen-year-old girl about to go on a spring vacation with her parents was detained at Annatown International Airport after her passport was checked. She had joined the WOE mailing list as a dare.
Five men called John Smith who all lived in the same district of Carville were questioned by police who did not know which one of them joined Watchdogs of Our Earth in 2021. Four of them were very confused.
A Kerlian woman with PTSD attacked a police officer attempting to arrest a man volunteering at the Centre for Kerlian Refugees in Usera. In her head, she thought he was being taken to a labour camp.
And also in Usera, a familiar face who had attended one single WOE meeting in 2020, before Warriors had even formed as a distinct unit, was very surprised to find herself being arrested.
“We believe WOE did indeed attempt to attack a Xiomeran ship. The part about Lauchenoirian intelligence being behind WOE’s actions is, of course, nonsense. They likely do have two Lauchenoirians in custody, aside from those we previously knew about. If they are charged with terrorism, there is a chance they will face execution.”
“You know, Jae, right now their fate is not the first thing on my mind,” Alvarez snapped harshly. “Did you hear her? If we don’t get a handle on this WOE business, we could very well be faced with a Xiomeran attack on Lauchenoiria.”
The mood in the room was already sombre, but with the statement put clearly, the mood shifted to one with a sprinkle of fear. Everyone in that room knew fine well that Lauchenoiria was no match for Xiomera militarily.
“What do we do about the kidnappings?” Adelita Cabello said reluctantly, after a prolonged silence. “Are we still going to make a statement?”
Alvarez groaned. “If we do, we are poking the bear. If we don’t, we look like we are granting Xiomera carte blanche to do as they like to our citizens. A no-win scenario, in other words. But the statement is not the most important thing here. We cannot allow any more WOE incidents. What we have been doing so far is not enough.”
“What are you suggesting, then?” Rodrigo Montaña, the Defence Secretary asked.
“We have been guessing who among the Watchdogs is most likely to also be a Warrior. Put simply, we do not know with enough certainty that we have them all. But what we do know about is the Watchdogs. Last week I rejected a suggestion to question each and every person on their list. It was overkill; and I am not Calhualyana,” she shook her head.
“But if we don’t act, Lauchenoirians may well find themselves answering to the actual Calhualyana,” Montaña filled in what hadn’t been said.
“Exactly,” Alvarez sighed. “Better they are questioned by us now, than at the hands of a Xiomeran invasion force. Chung, tell the FPIS and LDSS that they should implement the questioning of everyone on the Watchdogs list. Detain, question, and release them. I don’t want anyone who is not involved with Warriors held for longer than twelve hours max.”
She took a deep breath and continued. “Make it clear we are looking for Warriors: gain as much cooperation as possible; and anyone who is confirmed or suspected to be a Warrior after that should be detained. Also, put markers on the passports of everyone on the Watchdogs list. We can’t risk any Warriors getting out of the country. I don’t like this any more than you do, but we no longer have a choice.”
*
Later the same day, twenty-seven people at a protest outside a petrol station were detained and questioned by police on Butterfly Island. This led to a further fifty-two arrests of people in the same Watchdogs local group.
The office Savannah Martinez had left days before was raided; a handwritten sign-up sheet confiscated and the names cross-referenced with the electoral register and social security databases.
A fifteen-year-old girl about to go on a spring vacation with her parents was detained at Annatown International Airport after her passport was checked. She had joined the WOE mailing list as a dare.
Five men called John Smith who all lived in the same district of Carville were questioned by police who did not know which one of them joined Watchdogs of Our Earth in 2021. Four of them were very confused.
A Kerlian woman with PTSD attacked a police officer attempting to arrest a man volunteering at the Centre for Kerlian Refugees in Usera. In her head, she thought he was being taken to a labour camp.
And also in Usera, a familiar face who had attended one single WOE meeting in 2020, before Warriors had even formed as a distinct unit, was very surprised to find herself being arrested.
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