(OCC: This is an union character to be, but for now it is of what led the character to the present moment or at least a glimpse of it)
The Present
Three men sat in a dimly lighted room; they all surrounded a table with their chairs and simply quietly stared at each others or the desk in the middle of them. Two of them tapped ash off their cigarettes from time to time and refilled their glasses with ale as they ran out when the night had progressed. They were known as the `committee` or so to speak, they were the chairman, the vice chairman and the spokesman of the Cyphar`s Free People’s Party or in short CFPP. Originally it was supposed to be a proper meeting, but after seeing the budget numbers many had left home or those that remained as the party had a rough time as of late. They were the third party, a minority within the population and the other two parties had an agreement between them to keep everyone else out of power. The two main parties changed power making the elections all the same; smaller parties were pushed aside by overpowering campaigning machines, threats or worse. The CFPP had decided to give them a run for their money and ironically it was their money that was ending, the party wasn’t able to gather enough funds for efficient operation.
And what would happen when the next elections would arrive? Use another great deal of money? But where can we get such money?
"So where did we make a wrong turn then? Where did we make a mistake that we fell into this damned hole of a situation?" The oldest and the chairman, Janos asked before dumping his cigarette to the ash cup and pouring another drink for himself.
The vice chairman, Karmon simply sighed and the spokesman, Leonid scratched his head. These men were ideologists; they believed that they would have been able to trash the two parties’ plans of keeping power by rallying the people with all they had. Yet that was not enough, nothing seemed enough and now the three head members of the party sat around wondering what went wrong? Leonid finished his drink and tsked as he placed the glass aside.
"Perhaps the people of this planet are just... stupid enough, we promised rights and enhancements for the people, but we could still try to change things as we gained almost as much as votes as the second party. It was a small difference and we could certainly try to change things from the opposition, try to simply use the old methods to turn people to our side..."
"Highly unlikely brother Leonid..." Karmon muttered with grin as they all remembered the old methods instead of inspiring the crowd with speeches or parades. "Taking riots to the streets from meetings or picking up fights with the guardsmen isn’t actually what many would consider civilized; besides you remember your first riot. None of us wish things like that to come to pass and after we were abandoned by our most notorious sponsor the rest have pulled out.
We can either go on with the old methods saving every credit we can or we can accept the fact that there is no future for DFPP...."
The two nodded quietly as eerie as it sounded it seemed that they were in a dead and the only option would be smashing their heads against the wall to achieve something yet that wasn’t very healthy on the long run. They could enhance their image with their current course yet they were running out of money fast with no sponsors. Turning back into a militant force was simply hitting yourself as much as your political enemy, no one liked a party that used violence as a tool unless it they were at first targeted with violence. The riots and marches of the CFPP in the past had been full of that, the guards getting CFPP and the CFPP beating up the guards to get attention. Not very civilized Leonid had to admit and nor did such riots anymore inspire the spokesman as he had witnessed some dear to him die in one. The planetary army had to step in as the guards had been beaten back by a massive riot raging with the heart of the capital. The only problem had been that it was Leonid that had been commanding the soldiers that had opened fire at violent rioters....
--------------
9 Months Ealier
"Lieutenant, Leonid Kahn reporting to service sir!"
The young man in the uniform informed to the captain sitting behind his desk before the young lieutenant, fresh out of the academy Leonid had thought his job would turn out to be like any other. Patrolling, reporting to higher ranking officers, calming down crowds and training. He wore a grey uniform and cap on his head, at the time he had short hair that had grown back on his head after the academy. The captain laid his eyes upon the new lieutenant entering his ranks with a most judgemental stare, to state that he was in charge and that Leonid would do as he told him to.
"Lieutenant, I received your file this morning and from what it tells me you are a highly devoted and distinguished man.... but I can’t say that I like the look of your personal record...." The captain stated with an annoyed voice.
"How come, sir? As far as I am aware I have not committed any crimes or anything that might have stained my record" Leonid asked with a steady voice not even blinking an eye.
The captain had a certain look that told Leonid that this was not about him, but more about someone close to him "You are married am I not correct?"
"Yes sir..." Leonid answered like a machine.
"And you are aware of what your wife does as her job?" The captain said and raised a brow as he continued the questioning.
"Y-yes sir....but I do n..." Leonid began to stutter in his speech as he was uncomfortable with the situation that he was facing in the captains hands.
"Lori Kahn, a notable member of CFPP and she has been arrested on many occasions for destroying property, resisting arrest, attacking law enforcers and for heating up the anger in crowds. Would you like to explain how an outstanding officer such as yourself came to unite with such a reckless hag? And more importantly do you support her views?"
The captain asked and clearly stating his political view, but also that for such loyalties there was no place in the army that was ultimately loyal to the planets government in charge. Leonid bit his teeth together as he tried not to explode at the captain for insulting his wife or worse jumping over desk ti strangle the narrow minded bastard. Leonid hmhed slightly at the question and finally answered after few seconds of rearranging his words that were about to come out of his mouth.
"I do not get involved in politics sir, she may be as she may and she might be a part of the DFPP yet that is her work. We both keep our work for ourselves and do not talk about it, bad for our marriage sir. Yet I believe she and her party simply wants to be heard more due to the course of their actions"
The captain hmhed, clearly amused by the answer yet could not hide his contempt that he could not do anything about the matter as there was no law forbidding such relations outside the army.
"I see yet you see to it that your outside relations do not get in the way of your judgement, I do not want one of my officers having a problem to execute orders just because he has a wife that in league with the rioters. Very well I shall assign you to lead 3 squads in the northern part of the city; you are to rendezvous with sergeants Maros, Farkel and Utho before the team barracks. You shall be given an assignment soon as I can sort out the mess of paperwork I am about to drown into.... Just walk outside the building and at the parking there is a transporters waiting for along with some other soldiers to be taken to the northern base.... Until your first next report goodbye lieutenant... oh and take this file, it holds specific details of your base, quarters and so on..."
The captain said with a cold tone as he began arranging the papers spread out on his desk and placed the file of Leonid amongst many others within a drawer. Leonid grabbed the file offered to him and exited the office into the hallway in where many soldiers awaited to be assigned; a strong stench of cigarettes floated across the hallway as Leonid walk trough it. He gazed quickly at the soldiers sitting by the wall and the fastened his phase to get out of the stench; he pushed his way out of the door into the fresh air. He coughed as fresh air entered his lungs and he quickly walked down the stairway to reach the parking. There floated a big, truck like army transporters that was greyish in colour and had stronger weaponry on the roof to be used by a gunner. He climbed aboard into a space that had two benches alongside by the wall with soldiers sitting there, at least no one smoked in the small space Leonid thought in relief. He took a seat near the entrance, after a few minutes the door was slammed shut and the transport notched into movement.
Most of the journey to the military base Leonid simply stared at the wall in his thoughts thinking of the meeting with the captain, especially the nasty comments of his wife made his gaze down at his finger that had a ring. Another soldier by him gazed quietly at his hand as he did so, but turned his gazed away as soon as Leonid realised that the soldier was staring at his arm. Not too many got married and entered service, many believed that only bad relationships would come out of that yet Leonid and his wife, Lori had survived even with them both busy. He had the army and his career, she had her political career yet they never talk about them as the military sometimes had to calm down riots. Nothing violent, except for some gas shells shot into the crowd to drive them back. Leonid could not help thinking of that was the military career the best choice for him and his wife, but it was a promise to his father who had made his swear so. Besides Leonid had never been much of an idealist perhaps, he liked that he had a straight path before him set by others and that he could decide how to go on that path by giving orders to his comrades.
Besides the military had been less violence of late as there were no major threats, the fleet might have had some casual struggles with pirates, but nothing more than normal patrolling on the surface. The stopping of the transport pulled him out of his thoughts or a consequence of it actually as a soldier accidentally hit him on the shoulder on his way out. Leonid grinned; slightly humiliated before dropping out of the transport to gaze around at the base he had entered. It had a normal barricade surrounding it and some fortified points, otherwise the barracks and others were lined well in the middle of the area. He headed for his barracks and soon was pushing the door open to gaze at the other officers of the army; he was obviously gazed at by everyone as he was new. He appeared confident as he walked past the others beds and took one that seemed to be free, everyone returned to their own matters as Leonid unpacked his items. He took one last gaze at the time, he still had around five hours before he would have to meet with the sergeants and he laid down as he had not slept in a while. The rest certainly would come into need as he would be in the heart of his first assignment in a matter of 7 hours....
The Present
Three men sat in a dimly lighted room; they all surrounded a table with their chairs and simply quietly stared at each others or the desk in the middle of them. Two of them tapped ash off their cigarettes from time to time and refilled their glasses with ale as they ran out when the night had progressed. They were known as the `committee` or so to speak, they were the chairman, the vice chairman and the spokesman of the Cyphar`s Free People’s Party or in short CFPP. Originally it was supposed to be a proper meeting, but after seeing the budget numbers many had left home or those that remained as the party had a rough time as of late. They were the third party, a minority within the population and the other two parties had an agreement between them to keep everyone else out of power. The two main parties changed power making the elections all the same; smaller parties were pushed aside by overpowering campaigning machines, threats or worse. The CFPP had decided to give them a run for their money and ironically it was their money that was ending, the party wasn’t able to gather enough funds for efficient operation.
And what would happen when the next elections would arrive? Use another great deal of money? But where can we get such money?
"So where did we make a wrong turn then? Where did we make a mistake that we fell into this damned hole of a situation?" The oldest and the chairman, Janos asked before dumping his cigarette to the ash cup and pouring another drink for himself.
The vice chairman, Karmon simply sighed and the spokesman, Leonid scratched his head. These men were ideologists; they believed that they would have been able to trash the two parties’ plans of keeping power by rallying the people with all they had. Yet that was not enough, nothing seemed enough and now the three head members of the party sat around wondering what went wrong? Leonid finished his drink and tsked as he placed the glass aside.
"Perhaps the people of this planet are just... stupid enough, we promised rights and enhancements for the people, but we could still try to change things as we gained almost as much as votes as the second party. It was a small difference and we could certainly try to change things from the opposition, try to simply use the old methods to turn people to our side..."
"Highly unlikely brother Leonid..." Karmon muttered with grin as they all remembered the old methods instead of inspiring the crowd with speeches or parades. "Taking riots to the streets from meetings or picking up fights with the guardsmen isn’t actually what many would consider civilized; besides you remember your first riot. None of us wish things like that to come to pass and after we were abandoned by our most notorious sponsor the rest have pulled out.
We can either go on with the old methods saving every credit we can or we can accept the fact that there is no future for DFPP...."
The two nodded quietly as eerie as it sounded it seemed that they were in a dead and the only option would be smashing their heads against the wall to achieve something yet that wasn’t very healthy on the long run. They could enhance their image with their current course yet they were running out of money fast with no sponsors. Turning back into a militant force was simply hitting yourself as much as your political enemy, no one liked a party that used violence as a tool unless it they were at first targeted with violence. The riots and marches of the CFPP in the past had been full of that, the guards getting CFPP and the CFPP beating up the guards to get attention. Not very civilized Leonid had to admit and nor did such riots anymore inspire the spokesman as he had witnessed some dear to him die in one. The planetary army had to step in as the guards had been beaten back by a massive riot raging with the heart of the capital. The only problem had been that it was Leonid that had been commanding the soldiers that had opened fire at violent rioters....
--------------
9 Months Ealier
"Lieutenant, Leonid Kahn reporting to service sir!"
The young man in the uniform informed to the captain sitting behind his desk before the young lieutenant, fresh out of the academy Leonid had thought his job would turn out to be like any other. Patrolling, reporting to higher ranking officers, calming down crowds and training. He wore a grey uniform and cap on his head, at the time he had short hair that had grown back on his head after the academy. The captain laid his eyes upon the new lieutenant entering his ranks with a most judgemental stare, to state that he was in charge and that Leonid would do as he told him to.
"Lieutenant, I received your file this morning and from what it tells me you are a highly devoted and distinguished man.... but I can’t say that I like the look of your personal record...." The captain stated with an annoyed voice.
"How come, sir? As far as I am aware I have not committed any crimes or anything that might have stained my record" Leonid asked with a steady voice not even blinking an eye.
The captain had a certain look that told Leonid that this was not about him, but more about someone close to him "You are married am I not correct?"
"Yes sir..." Leonid answered like a machine.
"And you are aware of what your wife does as her job?" The captain said and raised a brow as he continued the questioning.
"Y-yes sir....but I do n..." Leonid began to stutter in his speech as he was uncomfortable with the situation that he was facing in the captains hands.
"Lori Kahn, a notable member of CFPP and she has been arrested on many occasions for destroying property, resisting arrest, attacking law enforcers and for heating up the anger in crowds. Would you like to explain how an outstanding officer such as yourself came to unite with such a reckless hag? And more importantly do you support her views?"
The captain asked and clearly stating his political view, but also that for such loyalties there was no place in the army that was ultimately loyal to the planets government in charge. Leonid bit his teeth together as he tried not to explode at the captain for insulting his wife or worse jumping over desk ti strangle the narrow minded bastard. Leonid hmhed slightly at the question and finally answered after few seconds of rearranging his words that were about to come out of his mouth.
"I do not get involved in politics sir, she may be as she may and she might be a part of the DFPP yet that is her work. We both keep our work for ourselves and do not talk about it, bad for our marriage sir. Yet I believe she and her party simply wants to be heard more due to the course of their actions"
The captain hmhed, clearly amused by the answer yet could not hide his contempt that he could not do anything about the matter as there was no law forbidding such relations outside the army.
"I see yet you see to it that your outside relations do not get in the way of your judgement, I do not want one of my officers having a problem to execute orders just because he has a wife that in league with the rioters. Very well I shall assign you to lead 3 squads in the northern part of the city; you are to rendezvous with sergeants Maros, Farkel and Utho before the team barracks. You shall be given an assignment soon as I can sort out the mess of paperwork I am about to drown into.... Just walk outside the building and at the parking there is a transporters waiting for along with some other soldiers to be taken to the northern base.... Until your first next report goodbye lieutenant... oh and take this file, it holds specific details of your base, quarters and so on..."
The captain said with a cold tone as he began arranging the papers spread out on his desk and placed the file of Leonid amongst many others within a drawer. Leonid grabbed the file offered to him and exited the office into the hallway in where many soldiers awaited to be assigned; a strong stench of cigarettes floated across the hallway as Leonid walk trough it. He gazed quickly at the soldiers sitting by the wall and the fastened his phase to get out of the stench; he pushed his way out of the door into the fresh air. He coughed as fresh air entered his lungs and he quickly walked down the stairway to reach the parking. There floated a big, truck like army transporters that was greyish in colour and had stronger weaponry on the roof to be used by a gunner. He climbed aboard into a space that had two benches alongside by the wall with soldiers sitting there, at least no one smoked in the small space Leonid thought in relief. He took a seat near the entrance, after a few minutes the door was slammed shut and the transport notched into movement.
Most of the journey to the military base Leonid simply stared at the wall in his thoughts thinking of the meeting with the captain, especially the nasty comments of his wife made his gaze down at his finger that had a ring. Another soldier by him gazed quietly at his hand as he did so, but turned his gazed away as soon as Leonid realised that the soldier was staring at his arm. Not too many got married and entered service, many believed that only bad relationships would come out of that yet Leonid and his wife, Lori had survived even with them both busy. He had the army and his career, she had her political career yet they never talk about them as the military sometimes had to calm down riots. Nothing violent, except for some gas shells shot into the crowd to drive them back. Leonid could not help thinking of that was the military career the best choice for him and his wife, but it was a promise to his father who had made his swear so. Besides Leonid had never been much of an idealist perhaps, he liked that he had a straight path before him set by others and that he could decide how to go on that path by giving orders to his comrades.
Besides the military had been less violence of late as there were no major threats, the fleet might have had some casual struggles with pirates, but nothing more than normal patrolling on the surface. The stopping of the transport pulled him out of his thoughts or a consequence of it actually as a soldier accidentally hit him on the shoulder on his way out. Leonid grinned; slightly humiliated before dropping out of the transport to gaze around at the base he had entered. It had a normal barricade surrounding it and some fortified points, otherwise the barracks and others were lined well in the middle of the area. He headed for his barracks and soon was pushing the door open to gaze at the other officers of the army; he was obviously gazed at by everyone as he was new. He appeared confident as he walked past the others beds and took one that seemed to be free, everyone returned to their own matters as Leonid unpacked his items. He took one last gaze at the time, he still had around five hours before he would have to meet with the sergeants and he laid down as he had not slept in a while. The rest certainly would come into need as he would be in the heart of his first assignment in a matter of 7 hours....