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Post by Ladorak on Apr 8, 2009 19:14:15 GMT -5
The meerkat's head rocked back a bit. Wait a minute, wait a minute....escalate the fighting?! "Sir...." he cleared his throat, lowering his voice. "With a due respect, they would have no recourse but to abandon this demonstration and return to their homes. The issue here is that my troops are in danger! We were under fire the entire time we were in town! Don't you..." he stopped himself again from saying too much.
"Sir I am asking you...beseeching you even, to please allow us passage into the fort, if nothing but for the protection of these walls!" he knew that that was pushing it. His National Guard was technically not allowed anywhere Rosferian bases, but the Lieutenant felt that these were extenuating circumstances. "We'll be fired upon if we go back to town. If you won't turn the guns on the town then at least lend us the fort's protection! I mean if we go back there's going to be nothing but fighting, and for the safety of my troops, I am requesting that we be allowed shelter within the fort. I have to look out for my beasts first and foremost here....please sir."
He was almost begging, but was too proud to quite go that far and humble himself before this proud Rosferian. He was desperate though, and was trying to come up with a good enough excuse to just get inside the fort. He could deal with everything else later.....after his safety and the safety of his force was assured.
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Post by Carrow on Apr 8, 2009 19:27:00 GMT -5
"You do know you shouldn't even be here, right? National Guard types like you aren't allowed near our bases, and, on top of this, I hear you violated your sick leave and chose to stay here. True, the circumstances we find ourselves in are most definitely unusual, but that doesn't change the fact that there are rules to be adhered to. The fort's gates stay closed!"
What the meerkat was attempting to do was all kinds of illegal, and the dormouse Commandant always obeyed laws, no matter what. Around them, the sounds of fighting increased in volume. Dorris gnawed at his lip nervously. At times like these, he wished he wasn't such a stubborn creature.
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Post by Ladorak on Apr 8, 2009 19:40:18 GMT -5
"Yes, yes, yes, sir I know! I know that!" Boneparte said, growing frustrated and bringing up his paws on either side of his face, palms open and facing towards his cheeks. He was trying to emphasize his point. "Sir, irregardless of what the status of my sick leave is, we NEED to respond here!"
He glanced down at the milling crowd. They appeared to be fortifying houses and blocking streets, defending the convent it seemed. Great....street fighting....not something he had in mind. "Fine....you don't want to protect us fine, that's your prerogative. But can't you at least just let us in to gather up some of your ammunition so that we can continue this fight? We aren't going to last long without proper supplies, and we're going to need bullets....and lots of them. Just let us in....for the bullets sir. Just....the bullets."
It almost seemed as if the meerkat was out of breath. STUPID mouse! Just accept the deal! At this point Boneparte was planning on trying to seize control of the fort if he managed to get inside and show this blasted Royalist a thing or two....but no....that wasn't the answer. It would only land him in worse trouble than he already was in. He would have to be patient....not let his temper get the better of him.
"What do you say Colonel Faria sir? Just the ammunition?"
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Post by Carrow on Apr 9, 2009 3:49:26 GMT -5
Dorris could tell that the meerket Lieutenant had plans, and he studied Boneparte's face for a moment when it looked like he was going to go through with them.
"Let you at our ammunition? I can tell you're planning something, and would honestly not put it past you to double-cross me if I gave you access to the fort, so I still maintain that its gates will not be opened to you. I have a job to do here!"
The Commandant had realised that the riot had developed to the point where street fighting was certain, and the dormouse knew he had to relent eventually, but there was no way this National Guard upstart meerkat was getting his paws on ammunition of any sort.
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Post by Ladorak on Apr 9, 2009 17:17:23 GMT -5
Narrowing his eyes, the meerkat could see that he wasn't making much progress on the garrison commander......not a good thing. He suspected him too much....and well, he had been a good judge of the situation, even if Boneparte had checked himself and decided ultimately not to try and seize control of the fort.
But this blasted Colonel wasn't yielding either, and that...just wasn't any good! He was tempted to take his cap off and throw it in anger upon the ground, a byproduct of course of his temper, but it would get him nowhere with this thick skulled commandant. Flustered, he turned away, walking a short distance to release some of his pent up energy. There just HAD to be a way....a way that wouldn't involve too many hours lost trying to make headway with this persistent and obstinate garrison commander.
What to do...think Boneparte think.....but then it hit him! He would go over this blockhead's...head, by getting orders from the District Governor! He was a civilian, and was a worker for the Legislative Assembly, but he had authority over the military troops in his District, and the only one higher than him were of course Pascale, who was head of the Department of Personza, and the Municipal Commander who was responsible for all military troops on the island. the Municipal officer was a civilian as well, but had authority to order the garrison troops on Personza to whatever he saw fit for the island's defense.
Boneparte wouldn't have time to go to him....but the District Official was a close friend of Pascale's, and even could be considered a member of his cadre. He and Boneparte got along well by relation as well, and it was to him that Boneparte now looked. He lived on the outskirts of town, and would be easy to reach without the meerkat endangering his life. "Fine....I'll be back in probably under two hours. I expect you out here waiting for me when I return." Boneparte's words were way out of line, but he didn't care at this point. He would get the authority he needed, and get this damn riot under control if it killed him!
Turning his back on Dorris, the meerkat turned to the soldier closest to him. "Follow me." He said, indicating that the rest of his platoon should wait on the road, despite it being illegal to do so. They had no other recourse. Passing by them, he gave them hushed orders. "I'm going to go over this guy's head. A friend of mine may be able to fix this. If Colonel Faria tries to clear you off the road then take up fortified positions in the houses farthest from the town square and dig in but do not attack the townsbeasts. Find what cover you can....and prepare yourselves for possible street fighting."
It was the one order he didn't want to give, but he had no other choice. He would deal with this....and end this pointless standoff once and for all.....
*******************
A little under two hours later, as promised, the Lieutenant meerkat returned, bearing in his paws a directive from the District Official himself. Much to his chagrin, he saw that his troops had been forced off the road, and from one of his subordinates he learned that Faria had given them orders to withdraw to the convent. His anger simmering within him at this news, he was happy at least that they hadn't fully followed Faria's orders, and instead chose to obey his own.
They were fortifying buildings in the town, as were the Royalist citizens, carving out sections for themselves and setting up roadblocks here and there. His hometown was rapidly becoming a bit of a warzone.
Marching up to the waiting dormouse Colonel, Boneparte grinned in a rather condescending way. "Colonel Faria, you are hereby relieved of your command in favor of myself by order of the District Officer." he waved the paper in front of Faria's snout, hitting his nose by accident as he did so. "I am to disregard any and all orders given by you, as are my men, and I am to take command of this fort at once, and furthermore, you are to provide my volunteers with protection, so that means you must cooperate in furnishing me whatever aid I require."
He held the paper out for the rodent to take. THIS should do the trick. No more messing around......the fort would soon be his. He stood there confidently while he waited for Faria to read the orders.
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Post by Carrow on Apr 9, 2009 17:30:28 GMT -5
"What is it that you do not get, Lieutenant!? The only orders I will carry out are those given to me by the King. Any other attempts to get me to budge on my position, well..."
Dorris took the directive from Boneparte's outstretched paw, and tore it in two, right before the astonished meerkat's very eyes.
"That is that settled. Really, there was no need for you to have to go to those lengths, Lieutenant," Dorris said, smirking. "I don't think I am doing anything that could be considered out of order. Surely we can come to some sort of agreement, but I don't see a solution forthcoming if you continue down this route. I mean, really, knowing full well that as a member of the National Guard, you are not allowed inside these walls? My, you do persist. If I were you, I'd try a different tack."
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Post by Ladorak on Apr 9, 2009 17:45:47 GMT -5
At first, Boneparte could do nothing but watch in utter horror as his order was ripped apart before his very eyes. "Wha.." was all he could say, at a loss for his words as he watched this mouse....this MOUSE....a species that was normally used as a domestic pack animal in some countries.....was not only disobeying orders..but disobeying the law as well!
The white tatters of the paper fluttered to the ground before him, giving him a sinking feeling of despair. What was this Colonel's problem!? How could he be so brazen and so deluded as to have done such a thing!? Boneparte was trying his best to control the raging tempestuous storm of anger inside of him, and he wanted to explode in wrath at this knuckle head and bite his head off.
"What....WHAT do you think you're doing!? You can't just tear up orders from the District Governor like that! Excuse me sir but that the hell is the matter with you!?" he demanded, forgetting that he was speaking to a superior officer. "What will it take to get this through your head!? My troops are in DANGER! They need help! You were given direct orders to assist them and all you do is rip the orders up!?"
He was stumbling with words, trying to think of the right combination to say. NEVER in his rather short few years of military service had he EVER seen an officer act in such a manner! "You give us orders to withdraw to the convent but how does that fix anything!? Sir we NEED to turn the guns on the town! I don't understand this! You can't do that! That's insubordination!" he said in a shrill voice, his angst becoming quite clear. What could he possibly do now!?
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Post by Carrow on Apr 9, 2009 18:02:20 GMT -5
"Oh, I realise this, Lieutenant, but you forget the fact that you are speaking to a superior officer in this manner, all too easily. Really, I should have nothing do to with this, and the District Officer's orders matter not a jot to me. This is illegal, I'll admit, but every bit as illegal as what you are asking me to do. I am sticking by what I said."
Dorris felt he had to get the message home, and so he looked into the meerkat's wide, disbelieving eyes, speaking slowly and authoritatively, his words crystal clear.
"There is absolutely no way you are going to get so much as a paw inside this fort. If it were not for your position, I would perhaps consider allowing you access to the fort, but you've really gone and shot yourself in the footpaw."
There had to be another way. Both creatures knew this, and Dorris was secretly ready to accept the moment a compromise was reached, but for now, their standoff continued.
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Post by Ladorak on Apr 10, 2009 10:59:41 GMT -5
So...this rodent actually admitted that what he was doing was illegal? It was at this point that Boneparte decided that he liked the rodent race the least of all of those inhabiting Rosferia. He was tempted...his fists were clenching up....he was ready to lash and deck this mouse upon his jaw....
...But though Boneparte Lantzer may have been rash, he was not stupid. He was actually quite sharp for his age, and knew that violence against a superior officer would probably land him in jail and end up getting him thrown out of the Rosferian military....and even though he despised Rosferia, after working so hard to graduate from his 2 year Academy in just one year.....well needless to say he didn't want to undo all of that work.
But what to do? What could he possibly do? There had to be an agreement they could come to. It was clear he wasn't getting into this fort, and he was being ordered by a superior officer to withdraw to the convent....something he couldn't do without risking his troops. So then what.....how to get back at this mouse but still get them a favorable position?
"OK.....OK I think I know how to make this work Colonel Faria sir." Boneparte said, raising his paws again to try and calm himself down. "Look....the townsbeasts object to some of my troops more than others, and what if.....what if I sent those particular beasts home? Told them to take a leave of absence and leave the town? However....I have conditions that must be met as well. I'll only do this if you'll be willing to rescind your order about making us withdraw to the convent. If we do that we'll be fired on and my beasts will die. I can't do that....I'm their commander....you must know what it's like. I have to look out for their safety."
Frankly, Boneparte doubted if Colonel Faria even cared about Boneparte's "soldiers" or not, but at least he could appeal to reason....something that so far hadn't worked. "So what do you say? If I promise to send my most troublesome troops home, will you rescind your withdrawal order?" he looked at the mouse now with an equally intense gaze, having only faltered briefly under Dorris's own eyes.
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Post by Carrow on Apr 10, 2009 11:38:09 GMT -5
"Ah, see!"
Dorris Faria smiled.
"Now that's a sensible suggestion. You have a deal, Lieutenant. I wouldn't normally listen to requests such as this, but needs must, I suppose. Please, do your best to calm yourself down. Your troops stay here, under the condition that you send, as you said, the most troublesome few creatures home."
Now that a decision had been reached, the dormouse was back to his normal cheerful self. He would have given Lieutenant Lantzer a completely different response were it not for the situation the pair were in, and he had seized upon the first available opprtunity to put an end to the standoff.
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