The Silver Spire

[faust]

"Hmm.." He stroked his chin, thinking. "What kind of good will package did they give out?" He was already making a note of things to bring in a pack. His shamanistic healing ability would probably come in handy. He was also a very good negotiator, having a natural charisma. As a last resort, if, when found, the dwellers would not relent, he would summon a demon to scare them back to their holdfasts, or attack... but that was only if absolutely necessary. The pistol wasn't finished yet, so he would have to get back to it later.

[Jenny]

“Food and medicine, I believe,” she gestured helplessly. “I left the police chief in charge of making arrangements. I can only imagine what happened to those that delivered it.” She shuddered. “They must have gained access to the lifts, because regulation would have kept them on ground where they did not have access to the city.”

[faust]

"Well, let's go convince them it's in their best interests to leave." He put a hand reassuringly on her shoulder and moved out the door.

[Jenny]

“You want to help me?” She blinked, absolutely stunned, almost staggering to the door as he led the way out. “Why would you do that, after the way I treated you before?” Athala followed him mechanically, a look of awe on her face. “You really shouldn’t concern yourself, isn’t your wish to get home as soon as possible?”

[faust]

"That isn't going to happen for a while. I can see that, now. It really is to my advantage to see peace restored. If that isn't possible, I can show them things they have never seen before!" He brought his hand up, closing his fingers in a crushing gesture. He strode determinedly toward the lift down to the plaza.

"Besides, I like you."

[Jenny]

She hurried behind his hurried stride, still stunned that he was actually going through with it. She flushed a deep blue color and swallowed hard when he said he liked her, shaking her head a little. No one liked her, Athala. Usually she was seen as a brat. She had been called as such. She took her place beside him on the lift and tapped her fingers together nervously.

So why am I blushing like a primary school girl? Just shake it off… down to business, right…

There was a loudspeaker in the common area that announced that the city would be experiencing a drill and that all citizens should remain in their homes until further notice. Everyone was hurrying about, scooping up their children and running to their homes, wishing to comply with the police force that had begun to emerge with full riot gear.

[faust]

Faust, dressed in local attire, looked almost no different than everyone else. No one paid him any attention. That was good. He drew in his energies as he strode, eyes beginning to glow a bright fiery blue. He didn't know where he was going, but he knew if he saw fighting, he had his cue to intercede, and they would regret messing with him.

[Jenny]

There were dwellers all over the place, here and there, but most of them, worked to a frenzy, were in a standoff with a line of police on the road line parallel to the main lift system.

“Guardian,” most policemen and women went rigid in respect to Athla’s rank.

She waved them off, standing in a line with them, looking over the throng of rebels who were practically foaming at the mouth.

They spotted Faust and most gave him an uncertain glance, losing for a moment a part of their zeal. He was in every respect, a foreigner. They had never laid eyes on the like of him before.

[faust]

Faust calmly walked out in front of the line between the ranks of officers and dwellers. He was a speaker by nature, cunning, intelligent, persuasive. (9 of 12 points in charisma in shadowrun, but only because that's the max for the race. equiv. to 16 of 18 in charisma in d&d)

He gave the 'hold' sign to the police line without looking back. Raising both hands, he showed the dwellers that he had nothing in his hands. No weapons, just himself. He lifted up his tunic to show nothing was hidden, either.

"I come in peace. I am Faust. I am not of your world. I am a reluctant visitor. There is no need for violence. We can settle this like real men." He used the same auto translation enchant as he did with Athala and the others. I understand your feelings of oppression. I promise you things will get better for you while I am here. But violence isn't going to help. It can make your situation nothing but worse. You lose your lives and those in power begin to fear you and thus perpetuates the cycle." He looked at each dweller, eye to eye in silence. He was listening.

[Jenny]

“They don’t care about us…” One shouted.

“Yeah, they would rather see us starve!” Another chimed in.

“We’re nothing but laborers to them.”

“Nothing but rats… rats that starve.” A third.

The dwellers surged forward, restless in their numbers and indignation.

“It’s time for a change. The Tzeitelians have ruled far too long, give us a chance.”

“Give us a voice!” Another chimed in.

The policeman stumbled back, and in Athan’s absence, they looked to Athala for direction.

She shook her head, speechless at what she was hearing.

[faust]

"I understand. I hear your concerns and I will do as much as one outsider can. But if you cross this line, you will not live to see the next day. Change can come about without resorting to violence." He stroked his chin, a faraway look on his face.

"I remember the early years of the great Awakening on old Urth. You don't know what a human is, but where I come from, they were the dominant race. I was in your shoes. After the awakening, it took many years for change to come about, but eventually it did. There are still places where the old traditions still hold sway, but the races are intermixed in most places."

He glanced at the policemen.

Maybe what I'm saying seems like blasphemy. I assure you though, the benefits far outweigh the negatives."

Faust turned back to the dwellers.

"Trust me, please." He held out his hand invitingly, as if to take theirs in his. His burning blue eyes flashed at theirs, an almost imperceptible smile turning up the corner of his mouth.
"I'm sure I am more alien to both Tzeitalians and Dwellers, that you can see how they might feel. I am different, no? Does it frighten you? I assure you, I intend no harm. However, you will have cause to be afraid of me for real if you cross me. This is true for either side."

He raised his right hand fingers splayed like a cup. purplish green flames sprang from his upturned hand. He locked eyes with each and every rebel. Then he closed his hands and snuffed the flames and stood back to watch what came next, the look on his face almost daring someone to make a move.

[Jenny]

“You’re siding with them?”

“You have such power, why don’t you use it against these barbarians?!”

“They’re slavemasters, that’s what they are!”

His displays of power gave many of them pause, and he was eyed by every member of the group.

“Why are you willing to fight for these Tzeitelians? Don’t you know who you’ve sided with?”

“Done what?” Athala strode forward from the ranks, standing beside Faust. “Given you a chance? Given you economy?”

“Economy?’ One scoffed, shouting among the din. “You’ve given us nothing but suffering!”

[faust]

"I haven't sided with anybody. If these people are who you say they are, I should be afraid, too. When I... came here, I landed more ore less in the upper limits of the city. There are enough people here to easily cut me down. I am more different to them than you are, and yet I am still standing. I have more or less freedom to act how I choose. I do have something to barter with. And that is knowledge of scientific advances that can change the whole way you do everything.

"So trust me. I can show you a better way. I can make things happen. The choice is yours. See for yourselves, I am ready." That's all he said. He was done talking. Those who wanted to press their luck were welcome to cross the line. They hadn't seen anything but him standing and talking, but he'd cast a protective spell around himself. He could see the planet's ley line points and had stood on the one point in all of the upper city.

[Jenny]

“Who cares what you have to say, you’re just an outsider!”

“Yeah, what do you know, you don’t know what we’re going through!”

“Enough of this, they will pay for their crimes!”

Egged on, the crowd surged, hungry for punishment. They began to claw at the policeman, tearing aside their shields.

“Every Tzeitelian will pay, it’s time that we took action for ourselves!”

[faust]

Faust was not going to have any of it. He mouthed the necessary incantation, stomped his foot on the ground. Immediately a wave of force spread out from him like a wave knocking everybody back and down. The police line flew back, the Dweller line flew back.

"I warned you." he said quietly, shaking his head. "Pity." Then, a wall of fire sprang up on either side of him, it was open where he was standing, but there was no passing him. He shouted to the Tzeitels angrily, "You will stay put!" It wasn't a request. His eyes burned like demon fire. He turned back to the Dwellers. He would not openly attack until they did, but if they knew what was good for them, they would back off.