"Why didn't you kill Badu?" Eve asked. "I didn't want to draw attention to myself. Badu's death wouldn't go unnoticed. But it won't happen again, I promise." JS said cuddling her. "To let Badu live or not to attract attention?" Eve smiled stroking him. He smiled back: "The first, I guess." "What's Gray 9?" she asked, but JS's attention was captured by reports from Rasharr and broadcasted images of burning cities and riots. "Jay, really. Are we burning homes and shooting people to make them angry?" Eve asked: as ruthless as he was, "her" JS didn't do these things. JS shook his head: "My orders are crystal: no uncalled-for violence. I picked our men up personally and they haven't a Badu's bone in their body. Moreover Rasharr people are their own countrymen, Titon settlers were nothing to us. OK, we're carrying things far, maybe too far, but the GHOULs opted for nasty punishment like firing on the crowd, or razing entire neighbourhoods. It's their call and they'll pay hard. Eve, pitched battles would do many more civilian casualties and I'm trying my best to avoid it. I learned a lot from the EA's mistakes in Titon." Their attention was caught by a sound of fanfares: the Great Matriarch was reading a statement with simultaneous broadcasting. "To finance the war, taxes on basic necessities will increase and the draft made compulsory where there had been riots." JS ordered his operatives on Rasharr: "Operation Fairy Godmother." He darted a wicked grin at Eve. "As odd as it seems, riots strengthen the structure of the state, so if we want just to change the ruling party without unleashing chaos, we must get the upper hand by creating counter-state areas where the rulers are us." "It's what happened in Titon?" Eve asked. "In part. We were ordered to move to an area of Titon-1 far from where we were posted, to be certain that no one would recognize us. There we offered solidarity to those who had lost their homes in the fires, hurt by the militia, or couldn't pay their taxes. We rebuilt their homes and did honor loans with no maturity lending money interest free, making very clear it was EA's aid. Soon people began to ask for our help and were tight-lipped about our presence with the cops. Our agents are doing exactly this and are clearing up they're Maurr's." "So all went smooth after Badu's defeat?" Eve intervened. "No, Badu was a problem, but it's always very hard to keep a proper balance in the use of strength. On both sides there are always hotheads, thugs, fanatics, cowards and bigmouths. One evening, some militias attacked a girl, we caught the culprits and broke their legs. Since then, most people turned to us for law and order, and not to the Exarch's courts. The Exarch's militia feared the hate mounting against them: it was just a word, a gesture of annoyance, a child hurling a bottle full of colored water against their vehicles. They reacted viciously. So we taught our charges to keep bowls full of vinegar against tear gas and make nasty Molotov cocktails adding soap. They began to feel stronger and not pay their bills and taxes. Entering our neighbourhoods became a problem for debt collectors even if supported by the militia. When they approached the boys began to toss Molotov cocktails while mothers and grandmothers bet on launches taking herbal teas. We stayed on the backstage with our rifles at the ready. This is what our men are doing in Rasharr." "Do we give weapons to people?" Eve asked. "No. This was the EA's error on Titon. Stirring the mob arises the worst in it and it's likely you're supplying weapons to fanatic scum even worse the ones you're fighting against. At the end the new leaders will use your arms against you. This happened on Titon and the EA had to make an all-out war. No, we won't give guns, we provide armed men, people we trust. They'll be the resistance backbone until we land." -- Thanks!