Civil Disobedience

Posted on Sat 11th Mar, 2017 @ 10:27pm by Lieutenant Commander Solan Jekkar & Lieutenant Commander Andrew Eberstark & Lieutenant Sianna Dal
Edited on on Sat 11th Mar, 2017 @ 10:28pm

2,323 words; about a 12 minute read

Mission: Wrongs Darker Than Death Or Night
Location: Deck 1554, River Walk
Timeline: MD 02, 1645

More than two hours into the protest, Caroline Post, Vanguard's anchor for Federation News Service, noticed the crowd was growing more restless. What had started out as entertainment, an excuse for a party almost, was slowly turning into something ugly.

Marchers were getting tired, perhaps beginning to feel they were not being heard, that what they were doing was pointless. Security had, so far, kept things civil between crowds on the sidelines and the actual marchers, but the reporter felt a shift beginning in the mob mentality that was always present at protests and rallies. This was a little bit of both. Vanguard's Chief of Security had arrived on the scene only a few minutes before, which told her that she wasn't the only one noting the change in atmosphere.

Demonstrators carried signs saying everything from "Go Home Starfleet" to "It Happened to Bajorans" and "Victims Try Criminals". Some were more inflammatory, and a few included rude drawings and runes. Caroline's teams of photographers had caught it all - enough to fuel holo programs across the galaxy, if that were one's desire. They'd recorded the shouting that was increasingly raining down on the heads of the marchers. Apparently, the few hundred observers were in support of the Attorney General's ruling to hold the Cardassian war criminal's trial on Andoria.

Caroline estimated a thousand or more marchers who supported the Bajoran point of view - that Breloc Tejar had committed crimes against Bajorans, and they should be holding his trial on Bajor. She glanced at the turbolift in time to see a group of new arrivals met by the Chief of Security and Tac/Strategic Ops Chief. Interesting. The Chief Diplomatic Officer is getting involved in this? She moved closer, hoping to overhear something newsworthy.

Sometimes Sianna Dal missed Botchok. It was decadent, excessive and it was violent and savage beyond all measure, in ways that were less than obvious at times, but sometimes, something simply worked better on Botchok than it did on Earth or Vulcan or Andoria. Handling the occasional protest had been easy, there. It had never been so simple on Earth - it was like trying to ride a wild, untamed beast.

The diplomat glanced over the crowd, her expression neutral, betraying none of the distaste at having to deal with the hoi polloi crowded in the area, "Are we certain we can't simply stun the lot of them and sort them out later?" the question was soft, the tone light, though a small part of the Orion hoped the offer would be accepted, "I was in the middle of the nicest lunch-date with Ensign Rau. Do you have any idea how hard it is to get fresh gagh to this station?"

Sianna frowned slightly. In retrospect, her last question came out as a bit more of a whine that she intended.

Andrew, having only met her briefly in passing prior to this, was surprised by the CDO's remarks. He gave a slight grin at the suggestion and responded in the same quiet tone, "Although I would agree, that thought came into my mind as well, I hardly anticipated it coming from the Chief Diplomat," crossing his arms as he overlooked the scene. "The short answer to that suggestion is no. We need to contain this situation before it gets out of hand here and possibly becomes something much bigger without the use of violence."

Glancing slightly behind them before looking back to the woman and the Chief of Security, Andrew continued, "If this continues down the road it's on, we're looking at it conceivably getting much more exposure than just on a Starbase, and that's something someone in my position would very much like to avoid. What we need to do is diffuse this right now by talking."

Looking back at the crowd and then to the Chief of Security, trying to sound like he was not leaving anything to chance and not anxious of the crowd, he added, "Do you think you and some of your people could accompany us? We need to at least try to find the leaders of this thing. Hopefully they'll have some more sense."

Caroline was astounded to hear the Chief Diplomatic Officer talking about stunning a crowd of protesters! She pushed her way through the circle of people around the Orion woman and demanded, "Are you seriously talking about stunning peaceful protesters?"

"No, but it would get me back to lunch in time, rather than having to deal with this rank idiocy." With a sweeping gesture, the diplomat indicated the crowd and the signs on display, "Look at that ... for all claims to the contrary, they still haven't gone beyond their savage roots. Eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth, because that's what a trial on Bajor would be. A kangaroo court out for revenge. Barbaric. I would expect that kind of thing from Bajorans, zealots that they are, but those aren't merely Bajorans out there. Attempting to reason with such small minds is a waste of everyone's time."

'And particularly mine' was unsaid, but it hung in the air.

Sighing, sensing a more general frustration from the woman, Andrew chimed in, "I agree there are...better ways to go about expressing one's displeasure with events." Andrew paused, not sure he believed the next words out of his mouth, "But it looks like they don't want to turn violent. Our job is to keep it that way."

This time he looked directly at the woman who barged in on their semi-private conversation, "Otherwise, this situation is going to gain some traction throughout the Federation. And I'm willing to bet that it won't be isolated to this Starbase once that news gets out that their protests can garner so much attention from the Federation News Service. I can also say, fairly certainly, that all of those will not be peaceful protestors. And even I don't know how badly that will impact the political climate of this sector, let alone the Federation."

"Well, the news is already out there, all over the quadrant, and this isn't the first protest. There was a large one in Paris half a day ago. That's probably what sparked the idea for this one," Caroline told him with a shrug. "I'm only reporting history."

Andrew wasn't one who lived for politics, however he came to realize that it and his job went hand in hand in certain situations.

Stepping forward a few steps away from the woman he assumed worked for the News Service, Andrew glanced back to the Chief of Security and to Lt. Dal, folding his arms again, "We need to settle them down. Lieutenant, do you have a suggestion as to how we can communicate without provoking them?"

It wasn't the first time a shoulder or back had been turned to Caroline in her reporting career, and she was sure it wouldn't be the last time, either. She hung back, but continued to listen to the conversation behind her while observing the crowd ... and their growing restlessness.

Sianna Dal pursed her lips in thought, "We are dealing with a mob and mob mentality is ... simpler." Though infinitely more dangerous. "The loudest ones are likely to be leaders or, if not, it would help defuse the crowd by depriving it of those willing to whip it into a frenzy. In the absence of that, we can demand that they choose representatives to speak with - anything that disturbs the cohesion of the mob would be useful to us."

Andrew nodded in agreement, "Good idea. Let's see if we can't politely disrupt these proceedings. Think you can try and calm some of these people down at least so they'd be willing to disperse and talk in a much less provocative way?""

He started, cautiously, to make his way closer to the crowd and turned back to the Chief of Security, "If you don't mind making sure you have your people hang around in the unlikely event this goes south, I think Lt. Dal and I would be very appreciative."

"Average tolerance for gravitational pull is 40 gravities vertical in most species. Simply increasing gravity plating by a factor of 4 would be quite sufficient to disable without any real harm." Though she had not attended Starfleet Academy, there had been courses for operating on starbases - very thorough ones, which caused more than one nightmare on Sianna Dal's part, not that she'd ever admit to such, "Vulcans and myself would remain mobile, though only for a short time before exhaustion, but it should be quite sufficient."

It also had the advantage of not being nearly as obviously an aggressive action as gassing or shooting the crowd.

Caroline gasped, "You can't do that! People are guaranteed the right to peaceful assembly, and so far, they are being peaceful!"

At that moment, a Cardassian broke through the cordon between the crowd and the marchers. His intent was immediately obvious, and several others followed him. Fighting broke out between the two groups, and began to spread like wildfire up and down the line of march.

"Well, it seems the protests have stopped being peaceful." there was dry humour to Sianna's voice - an utter lack of concern based from the fact that nothing seemed to be on fire. Yet.

Solan reached into his holster for his phaser; the Andorian Commander then aimed it at the crowd. "I would recommend you get back a safe distance, you may not like this next part." He waved a number of Security personnel forward. "Phasers on maximum stun, wide beam setting." He then approached the crowd. "You are in the midst of a civil disturbance. Cease your actions before the use of force is authorized!"

Caroline's head was spinning at how fast things had moved from peaceful to violent. Only moment ago, it had looked like the fleeters were going to pull some leaders out of the line of marchers for a meet with Starfleet authority. Now there was chaos everywhere. She hoped the combatants could hear over the noise of scuffles and punches.

Struggling to break through the crowd of those fighting right in front of Caroline were three Bajorans and a Betazoid. "Stop! Stop! This is a peaceful protest!" they called, without noticeable effect. Caroline noticed the distress on their faces.

"Keep the holos rolling, Harry, and get that action in front of us, but for the love of Elvis, stay behind the security people. I don't want to be picking you up off the floor," the reporter demanded.

Handsome grinned at her, right in his element. "You got it!" He quickly panned the crowd action, getting close-ups of the faces, including the four who were possibly leaders. Then he was on to the security force, faces mostly tense and expectant, though he saw a few calm men and women in their ranks. Apparently, some people weren't worried about becoming part of the fray. No one fired, waiting for the command from their commander.

A few people were starting to step back from one another, and Caroline took a deep breath, the first in several minutes. Then a small container of some kind flew out of the crowd, directly at the Chief Security Officer. Harry followed its trajectory with the holocam.

Seeing the trajectory of the object coming from the crowd, Andrew shouted to the Chief of Security, "Sir, get down!" pushing him out of the way as the container flew past them and, much to Andrew's relief, hit a bulkhead before coming to a rest without harming anyone else.

As if a switch flipped in his brain, Andrew instantaneously lost his patience for the situation. Looking at the crowd, then back to the man, Andrew suggested, "On the other hand, if we can't find the leaders, maybe we take Lieutenant Dal's original recommendation."

Solan nodded and looked towards one of the Security Officers in attendance. The Efrosian male nodded and tossed his rifle to the Commander. "I don't want to be the one who has to explain a bloodbath on the Promenade in my first week....." The Andorian male was still very calm and composed given the situation. "Echo Team, get into formation."

The Security Officers nodded and got into position. They moved to form what looked like some kind of arrowhead. Solan proceeded to then take up position as the tip.

When Caroline could breathe again, she asked Harry, "Are you getting all this? Things are moving so quickly ...."

"You bet," the photographer replied laconically.

"This is your final warning." Solan said loudly as his voice was projected through a loudspeaker. "All teams...standby." The Commander checked the rifle he had in his hands, and then it began. The Andorian proceeded to lead the formation with their weapons drawn and ready. "This ends now."

He signaled for those on the upper balcony to proceed into position. The Holofilters adjusted to mimic the posture of the security staff and the crowd appeared not to notice. At a slow but intimidating pace, the security team proceeded forward step by step until they reached the outer line of the crowd.

By now, most of the fighting had stopped. Both marchers and observers became aware of the security personnel advancing on them, and began to back away. Being surrounded, it was difficult.

"Stop now," a calm, quiet voice spoke into the growing silence. "Violence is not the way." A woman of average height, wearing a long dusty-green robe, came quietly through the crowd toward Commander Jakkar. Stopping a few feet from him, she held up her hand in the universal Vulcan symbol. "Live long and prosper," she said quietly.

The fighting had completely ceased. A calm seemed to emanate in waves outward from the figure. She was beautiful, in a quiet way, her bearing regal and ageless.

"Come," she said. "Let us reason together."

 

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