Chapter 18

The Myshkan rebels with Lyrin and Lagos leading rush the Kevutian Regional Command Headquarters in Lunik Province and overtake it with little effort. With total surprise on their side, they are able to capture the buildings and take many officers hostage. They are all too happy to destroy the office of the fee collector. The Myshkans start to take out their anger and frustration on the captured soldiers but Lagos makes them stop. Ony'a finds the officer in charge of the Kevutians and he is made an offer. Lagos will release all of them if they go peacefully and tell the maceoran that they should leave Pa'Myshka. The officer tells Lagos that the Kevutians would never allow that.

An excerpt:

Minlennavi 9 “Lenn” stood at his post. He had been there for three horons now and was due for a shift change but no officer had yet come by to relieve him. He would just have to wait. He recalled one time when he had been on duty for six horons and there was no officer in sight to let him go. It turned out his immediate officer had discovered the joys of kova wine and had passed out before she remembered to check on her posts. That was a long time to stand guard and guarding was one of the least exciting jobs for a Kevutian soldier. But, he stood tall and did his job like he always did. He knew that if he was ever going to move up in rank that he was going to have to do a good job so he stood his ground and did his best to look like the model soldier just as he had done for most of his adult life. It didn’t seem to faze him that he had never been offered a single promotion in all his time in the security service nor that he was still just a light junran, he was certain that one day he would be noticed and rewarded.

This day had started much like any other. He started his guard duty at the Kevutian Regional Command Headquarters of Lunik Province just before light and remained there until he could be relieved. Like most days this one had started quietly. The Regional Headquarters was never as busy as the main temple in Kodok Province and since the main temple was not far away, most people preferred to do their business there. Still, this province had its own needs and requirements and a handful of soldiers and officials could be seen occasionally moving through the buildings. As the day progressed, however, the activity around the buildings increased.

Lenn had been on guard through the short daylight time and now, as dark descended, there was an increase in activity. It started with just a few soldiers moving quickly through the buildings then the number of increased. They were running about with worried and confused looks on their faces. They were dashing into buildings then out of buildings. Soon a pattern of people was criss-crossing the grounds. It was pandemonium and Lenn had never seen anything like it before. But, with all the people moving about, not a single one had come to him to explain what was happening nor had anyone thought to let him leave. So, he remained loyally on guard, without moving, as turmoil erupted all around him.

He maintained his gaze forward but watched things develop with his peripheral vision. His back was to the entrance of the main building and he could hear constant movement behind him. His job was not to restrict Kevutians from entering the building but to prevent Myshkans from causing any trouble. In all the cycles in which he had come to stand at this or any other building in the complex, there had never been any trouble. He had come to see his job as one of the easiest though it certainly wasn’t stimulating. The only Myshkans he had seen here were escorted by other soldiers. For good reason, they tended to avoid these offices.

Today would be different.