"The merchant council of Verrin City has barred the iron doors of the municipal chambers for the third consecutive hour," Lieutenant Drake reported, standing beside Ava on the grand limestone steps.
"Two hundred armed mercenaries from the Iron Fang syndicate are holding the perimeter with loaded crossbows and shock batons," Sergeant Cole noted, observing the tense standoff.
"They believe that if they stall the vote for four days, off-world corporate fleets will arrive to enforce the old Directorate trade monopolies," Ava said calmly, unstrapping her long-range sniper rifle from her back.
"The merchant oligarchs have grown wealthy for forty years by taxing seventy percent of every cargo crate passing through this seaport," Lieutenant Drake added with deep frustration.
"Our local fishermen and dockworkers cannot even afford to buy the fish they pull from the sea with their bare hands," an elderly harbor foreman spoke up from the front rank of citizens.
