by House Alexin (Posted August 8th, 2010, 12:43 pm)
Title: A whole new world
Type of RP: Consensual (internal faction)
Story:
Walking through the construction site, Baroness Alexin sighed at the dismal sight. She glanced at her uncle and he replied with an understanding nod but the party continued in silence. The slow process was bad enough but the crippling inefficiency and incompetence of her House was another, and it was the latter which plagued her thoughts. Around her she could see nothing but starving men, women and children struggling to survive.
In comparison Zoya and her entourage were well fed, well rested and an outsider comparing the two groups on appearances alone would surely think them two completely different species. The group rounded another corner and left the construction site before stepping aboard a 'thopter that would whisk them back to the star port and their temporary accomodation.
As the 'thopter flapped it's way towards the star port the group sat in silence. Most looked guiltfully at the deck plating, not that guilt would stop them from eating like kings back at the star port. The young woman stood up and kept her balance as best she could.
“Well I think we can all feel shame at what we have just seen, and from the reports I receive I think we can all acknowledge that the House guard won't protect what few of us are left should the mob finally snap”, she allowed the terrible mental images of what the peons would do to them if they were to rise up play out in their minds for a moment, “Now we need to feed these people”
The young Baroness paused, she was very close to repeating herself but considered it a sign of weakness, a ruler should only have to issue orders once. And she'd given similar orders several months ago but before she could continue a young aristocrat from Eirdanos cut in.
“And how will we distribute this food? The House Guard is short on officers... Unless you're suggesting we deliver it ourselves?”, at his own remark he laughed and two others joined him but the laughter was short lived, and then silence returned.
“As tempted as I am to send you into a hungry mob I doubt it would be wise to send you alone to feed them. We must show the peons that we are trying to help them, not open ourselves up to attack. If they kill one aristocrat what then do they have to lose by killing 2 or 3 or 4 or all of us? No the House Guard shall distribute the food. So when we return to the star port the House Guard shall be fed, armed and then I shall lead the convoys, with your help Uncle, and feed my people.” she spared her warmaster a second glance “Uncle?”
“Yes m'lady?”
“You are now in charge of feeding the house guard, I expect you to make sure every guardsman is well fed before we depart”
“Yes m'lady”
Within two hours the house guard at the star port had been fed a proper meal and were looking better for it, though no one would say they looked the epitome of health. They stood guard over half a dozen large containers, containing enough foodstuffs to feed everyone on the construction site for two days and she'd left orders for all the other peons to be fed by the House Guard while she and Ludwig travelled the short distance to the construction sight and fed those peons.
The guardsmen looked a little nervous, but they held themselves straight and Ludwig assured her they were all good soldiers. Then before more could be said 'thopters took off and hovered over the large containers while they were secured via chains to the underside of the 'thopers.
As the work was nearing an end the Baroness and her own escort, made up of 5 guardsmen and Ludwig, stepped onto their ornithopter and waited for take off. The mood amongst the guardsmen outside the thopter was good. Most were nervous but some of the veterans made jokes while they worked and it was becoming somewhat infectious. The men were happy to be working she realised. She could well understand it, she herself sometimes felt like she was simply waiting for death to take her.
When the last container was finally secured the ornithopters began to rise and for a heart stopping moment it seemed to the young woman as though the weight of the containers would be too great for them, but then they cleared the ground and all was fine.
Then the thopters lurched forward, the Baroness checked her watch. 50 minutes ago two platoons had headed off to assemble everyone on the construction site and prepare for their arrival and she hoped everything had gone off without a hitch. If it had gone ahead as planned then about now the platoons should have assembled the peons and prepared a perimeter for the containers and the Baroness.
She was tempted to ask her uncle to get her a situation update but knew if anything had happened the platoon would have reported it, the fact was the peons were probably too exhausted to do much more than sigh.
Her brief reverie was interrupted by the sounds of life and she glanced out of her window to see a great crowd of almost a thousand people assembled, and the House Guards small line looked awfully thin. She did her best to stave off fear and look calm. Eventually the signal came that it was safe to land and the cargo containers were lowered and the wires released before her own touched down and her guard tumbled out, followed by Ludwig and then herself.
Ludwig glanced around somewhat anxiously but he said nothing, in private he had urged her not to come with him but she had insisted and explained that she thought it vital the peons saw her, and not some other ambitious aristocrat as being the one who was feeding them and who cared for them.
The commander of the two platoons came running up to her and slammed his clenched fist into his chest in salute. “M'lady the mob knows the drill, they each know they'll receive a bag of foodstuffs that has enough food to will last for two days. But they're a tad worried about where and when the next load of foodstuff with arrive”
Zoya nodded and walked towards the nearest container, “Don't worry, I shall be addressing them”. The guardsman glanced at Ludwig, no one had ordered him to prepare a platform for her and he worried he'd be punished.
“Wait here” the Baroness ordered as she disappeared from view and several minutes later appeared standing on top of one of the containers. Simply staring at the crowd until they realised it was her and a hush slowly fell. Her simple orange dress flapped slightly in the breeze but she mentally decided she looked fine, but realised she had no idea what she was going to say.
“I thank you for your patience. Every two days from now on food shall be brought to you, but only if you work for it. Tomorrow new recruitment offices shall be set up here and in the camp around the starport, these will recruit construction workers, soldiers, cooks, teachers and all the other things necessary for our House to grow strong. You will have to register as labourers, soldiers or whatever else to receive food. Anyone who does not will starve and anyone who shares food with these people will be flogged, we must all work and I shall make sure you do. Anyone found hoarding food will executed”
Nothing was said as she nodded to the officer on the ground, who opened the first of the food containers and began issuing food to the peons. Lots of greedy little hands shot out, and the crowd surged forward. Privately the Baroness feared they'd break the cordon but outwardly she spoke up again, “You are Alexins! Conduct yourselves as such and wait your turn patiently”. There were one or two jeers from the crowd but her words seemed to have calmed sufficiently for the guardsmen to begin passing out the food safetly.
Summary:
- A delivery of food is taken to the construction site and all of the peons are given two days worth of food rations.
- Every two days a convoy is to deliver food to the construction site to give the peons more 2 day rations
- Only peons who are active in the topic 'Recruitment drive'* are eligible for food. The rest shall be made slaves and recieve half food rations
- Anyone working the construction project must register in the topic 'Recruitment Drive' to be entitled to food
OOC:
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OOC: show*Recruitment Drive:
viewtopic.php?f=126&t=2019Read Main Topic 