It was late October, a time for the incoming bitter winter, and the Ruegen Shadow Rebellion was facing huge trouble. Shean had passed the order that once the rebellions were captured at the Eastern Frontier of the capital Winstaw, all of them would be executed. The morning news show host on the radio reported it with as subtle a bitterness as it could do without having his throat come under the blade of the State and the ruthless crown that led it.
'It's the morning of 19 October, 1927. The weather is predicted to be sunny with occasional gusty winds in the northern areas of Ruegen. And now the headlines for today.
General Shean Sylvanus, following the protest from parents of the rebels of Ruegen Shadow Rebellion, has announced a public address at the Symposium Open Auditorium today.
Martial law imposed on Winstaw has been extended till 27 October.
Lieutenant Singoi on Saturday, 18 October, said that he was deeply disappointed by the path the youth of Ruegen had chosen. This comes as an addition to a string of comments Lieutenant Singoi has made regarding the Ruegen Shadow Rebellion.'
Collins Lamar, a young journalist, could sense the subtle anger in the host's tone. Anger that the host had suppressed for his life was more important to him than raising his voice against those in power. He was one of those who were selfish but not heartless—the majority of Ruegen's ordinary people.
Collins turned the radio volume down and leaned against his car window, staring out at the empty street. The streets of Winstaw were known for their vivid and lively atmosphere, but now it was barren, dusty and subject to barely any souls walking over it. The only things Collins had seen go past his car were the cars of state officials heading to work as usual. They could not afford to stay back in the comfort of their state-sponsored mansions while their power was threatened. They had to be up and ready to tackle the angry youth that had had enough of the misery the State 'gifted' them.
The tall buildings surrounding the street were also quiet. The windows of these structures were shut. Some were empty, and the ones that were not, the people inside were content with listening to the radio or doing their daily work, for little would change in their lives after the General's speech today.
Collins looked at his watch. It was eight thirty, and General Shean's speech was expected to start at nine, yet there was no sign of him. This speech of his was regarding a controversial decision from a week ago: 'General Shean has announced that all the surviving rebels that will be captured at the Eastern Frontier after an all-out attack by the State will be publicly executed in Summer Park, Fulin County.'
While the people expected a truce between the rebels and the State, what they got instead was the news of their loved ones being possibly mass executed. Families of those who had joined the rebellion were furious with his decision. Many of the rebels belonged to the young age group between eighteen and twenty-two. Many Rueginians found the government's decision to be self-serving rather than one that ought to bring peace and harmony. The government was not going to punish enemy soldiers but their own people. The rage that followed the decision, therefore, forced General Shean to announce a public address to talk, argue for himself and defend the execution.
As his warm breath began to cover the window, Collins backed off and turned towards his partner, another journalist, Rubye Joiner. Both of them were tasked to cover the General's rare and hard-to-come-by speeches. They could not even recall the last time he had come out in public and spoken to the people. He had become just a name and face to the population; his voice was something that barely anyone could recall or describe what it sounded like.
Collins took out his cigarette box from the column next to his steering wheel. As he flung it open, he said, 'I might as well dig my grave here.'
He took out two cigarettes and handed one to Rubye. She said as she took it, 'The key to handling General Shean's events is to have patience.'
Collins lit his cigarette and said, 'The event starts at nine. Where is he?'
Rubye was right. General Shean was a man who liked to take his time and do things leisurely, which is why a law that must have been passed months ago would be passed hurriedly after lying in the Parliament document box for ages, untouched and forgotten.
However, today, the case was different. While the General was delayed, he was in a hurry instead of calm and unworried. He was pacing his room, searching for things with thoughts tangled inside his mind, preventing him from thinking straight. His Second-In Commander, the third most powerful authority in Ruegen, Kigri Julian was awaiting the old man outside his office in Winstaw Government Square. The Commander, the second most powerful authority next only to the General, was outside in the jeep, which was part of Shean's convoy.
Finally, having figured things out, Shean stepped out. He was dressed in the usual olive green and ochre of a General's official outfit, his trousers tucked into his high boots and his cap on his head. He looked at Kigri and said, 'Everything ready?'
Kigri was a well-built man with sharp looks and a keen mind. He replied, with a formal smile to the General, 'Yes, sir.'
'You and Algar are with me, and who else?' Shean asked. Algar was the Commander.
'The Special Force Guard Captain, Devin Bujun,' Kigri replied.
'Alright then. Let's waste no more time and leave,' Shean said.
Shean had to be on time no matter what. He could not afford to be late, although he had already taken enough time. Being late meant to him that the public would be hard to manipulate.
'If he is late for today's speech, how will he take us seriously?' they would say, and one thing Shean despised with all his heart was being called 'incompetent'. It was beyond measure the number of newsrooms that he had banned and forced shut because they dared to use this cursed word.
Shean's convoy consisted of two jeeps and one military truck, carrying a band of SFG officers and their Captain. Shean sat in the jeep in the middle with Kigri while Algar led the front jeep. Finally, at eight forty, the convoy left the Winstaw Government Square, thirty minutes away from the auditorium.
At nine twenty, Collins saw, from his side mirror, the convoy of General Shean.
'He is here,' he said, and both he and Rubye stepped out of the car to go to the auditorium. It was a vast, almost oval, open space. At its centre was a raised platform. All around it was an empty cement ground to accommodate a large standing audience. At the edge of this ground was a chained corridor, a pathway leading to the stage without disturbing the audience. The auditorium was often meant for plays, interactive ones or small festival concerts. Given that the General's speech was intended to be short, no seating arrangement was in place, and the people had to stand on the hard ground. The atmosphere was tense. Desperate families were huddled together to create as much space as possible to let more in. They whispered to each other, wondering where the General was and whether he had cancelled the speech at the last moment. The bitter wind of October did not help the people. Dust crept into their eyes occasionally, but they stood undeterred, waiting to hear the General decide the fate of their children. All of them collectively eyed the street outside the auditorium until they saw the General's convoy approach. Relief and worry took over the people at the same time.
The Chief of Police, Stylin Bosco, was waiting for the General at the entrance. He stood straight at the gate, and as soon as the General stepped out of his jeep, he greeted him. Stylin led Shean through the chained pathway and finally to the stage. Behind the General were Algar, Kigri and the SFGs, including their Captain. The SFGs separated from their Captain and made their way to the stage, moving between the audience to surround it from beneath, circling it with their guns in hand. The SFG Captain, Devin, joined Algar and Kigri on the stage and stood right behind the General, only an arm's length away. A team of police officers was also standing in the middle of the crowd to keep any threats in check. Yet none would imagine how close to danger the General stood.
Shean walked towards the lectern. The audience settled themselves, ready to hear their General speak. Shean set the mic right, tapped it twice, looked at the crowd and finally spoke, breaking the tense air of the auditorium with his thick voice.
Collins had his camera ready, and Rubye had her notepad ready. What was the General going to say? What would be the fate of the Ruegen Shadow Rebellion?
'All those who have gathered here, I want to first assure you all that our country, our land, our nation, our glorious nation, stands tall despite the many ways our foes have tried to bring us down,' Shean began. He rested his hands on the lectern and continued, 'I know your concerns very well, but you must understand that for me, the nation's safety is first. Sparing the lives of those who once threatened it will be a disservice to it. Those rebellious men and women that you all came here to stand for are backstabbers to this nation. They have colluded with our ever-so-bitter and jealous foes to bring our nation down.'
As Shean continued his speech, the usual mix of nationalism, patriotism and moral, three SF Guards slowly made their way to the stage. Two of them stopped right next to Algar, while one of them, a tall figure, leaned forward near Davin and whispered something to him. No one noticed, and those who did ignored it.
'I believe that for you all present here, your nation should be first. You should trust the government to handle the traitors the best way possible,' Shean said.
Rubye rolled her eyes as she noted down the statement. Which of these rehearsed and repeated lines of the General would make the headline tomorrow for the Anti-Falsifications Bureau?
'Some of those who committed lesser crimes will be spared death but put in prisons,' Shean added, as if his words would lessen the worry of those present there.
Then, a loud voice echoed through the auditorium, bouncing off the hard cement ground, ' My kid! My kid is not a traitor!'
The words were contagious as everyone followed up with the voice and started yelling, 'My kid is not a traitor! My kid is not a traitor!'
Shean stepped back a little from the mic and looked at Stylin with his brows furrowed. Stylin quickly ordered his men to control the crowd. He went over to Shean and asked him not to worry. Then he ran down the stage to assess the situation. At that moment, the two SFG officers standing next to Algar pinned him down, disarming him immediately. Other SFG officers on the ground, clearly outnumbering the police, kept the force away from the stage, leaving Shean almost unarmed and unguarded. Shean turned to look at Kigri and then at Devin. Devin removed his cap, revealing a young man, barely nineteen, with brown hair, fair skin, brown eyes, and dark lips. He was of a typical height expected of his age, but his looks sent a chill down Shean's spine. It reminded him of someone. Someone he thought would never return, let alone return to haunt him.
'Ash–Ashin,' Shean stuttered as the Captain reached out to his belt, grabbed his gun and pointed it at Shean. Shean looked at Kigri, but he turned his gaze away. The Captain fired three shots at Shean. Bang! Bang! Bang!
The entire auditorium fell silent as the gunshots rang out. Rubye and Collins ducked in reflex before finally looking up at the stage. They watched in horror as Shean collapsed onto the ground, blood soaking his outfit. Everything went still as if time had stopped. When the realisation hit everyone, the silence broke, and people began to scream in terror.
The General of Rugen, Shean Sylvanus, had been assassinated.