Karogeth was out like a light the moment his head hit the pillow, and the next thing he knows, it's morning. After staggering bleary-eyed to the mess room where breakfast was waiting, he finds out what today's duty assignment will be.

It's Fareyn himself who hands him today's task.

"We need a technician in the citadel. Yes, I know it's still under total lockdown. But The High Council has been deadlocked for nine days now, and the broad area null-field generator was only booked for three. We've got nobody from the dome out there, supposed to be maintenance-free for up to six days, well, it's three days overdue. And the Academy of the Mind were complaining about psychic overspill days ago, and that was before Guruinath lost it and started an artillery duel with them.

"I've got you the necessary access pass; take a communicator with you and report back if you have any trouble at the Citadel gates.

"Any questions?"

Karogeth

Another day, another journey alone into the heart of a faction mistrustful of their own, to tend to an overtaxed piece of machinery. Well, it could be worse - with his track record, it probably would be, soon enough - but it remained to be seen what horrible fate would need to be narrowly averted this time.

"Which make and model on the broad-area null-field generator? I'll need the right tools..."

"It's one of the two XBs, biggest ones we've got", he says, "On full power it will block everything on Citadel Island, from where it's installed. Powered by a P105 with a second power source on backup".

Karogeth

The redundancy was a good thing, but he'd need to ensure that the P105 wasn't running hot. He ran a mental checklist over what he'd need, making sure to add in a couple auxiliary cables just in case. He then nodded and said,

"I'll get right on it."

"Take the small in-town power-waggon, if you're planning on carrying anything heavy", Fareyn says.

Karogeth

"As you say. Probably a couple of type three cables and an extended toolkit."

Karogeth negotiates the small power-waggon through streets far quieter than normal. To be honest, calling the thing a 'power-waggon' is a bit of an exaggeration; rather than the lumbering eight-wheeled beasts that roll from city to city, this one has just three wheels; little more than a motorised handcart. Too small for a Source, it's powered by batteries recharged from the dome's building power supply, and thus has a limited range. It can theoretically get up to a decent speed, but they're all-too-easy to overturn on cornering, so Karogeth keeps it to a speed not that much more than a jogging pace.

When he arrives at the Citadel, his way is blocked by two knights of clan Zalyn. They're armed with flamelances, pilot lights lit, and seem to be prepared to use them.

"What is your business", says one, "Don't you know there's a complete lockdown?".

Karogeth

He sighed, and showed his credentials.

"Yes, I do, that's why I'm here. Do you know what happens to high energy machines such as the broad-area nullfield generator if they exceed their tolerances and aren't properly tended to? The one in there is overdue for maintenance: I've been tasked with making sure there isn't an incident, now or in the near future. Put me under guard as you wish, but I'm not going to have any preventable problems on the conscience of the Karazthan."

"Spare me the the guild ulsoghir-droppings", says the knight, "What part of 'total lockdown' does your silly little tick-tock mind not understand?".

He doesn't even read the letter bearing Fareyn's seal. He tears it in half, and throws the bits at Karogeth's feet.

Karogeth

"The part that says 'Huge explosion, preventable, killing everyone in the area.' But I suppose you're right, lockdown is lockdown. Ah well, I tried. Time to head to the next city over."

He shrugged, and began slowly reversing the wagon.

"Good riddance, and don't come back", snorts the knight.

Karogeth

He stops the cart a few more units away, turns around, and reaches for his communicator.

"Karogeth here. We've got an obstruction that needs clearing at the Citadel gates, as expected. I've backed the cart out of immediate blast radius if we need to counter their prejudiced extremism with extreme prejudice."

"Yes, just what I feared", says Fareyn, "Idiots".

Karogeth can imagine Fareyn rolling his eyes at this point.

"Now, much as we'll like to shoot a knight or two just to show we mean business, it might not be such a good idea after that little incident with the airship. Even if your lightning wand is only set to 'stun'. You have got a lightning want, haven't you?".

Karogeth

"I have, yes. What would you recommend? I've seen river mud less thick and obdurate than these two."

"Did you explain the consequences of failure?", Fareyn asks, "Every wizard in the city will know the moment that thing goes down. Would serve them right if they all got eaten by a drarth. You need any backup?".

Karogeth

"They aren't listening. Backup would probably be wise."

"Not sure how many from security we can spare", he says, "What level of backup do you need"?

Karogeth

"Opposition stands at two knights of Zalyn with flamelances. We just need enough to show that this is serious business, or at least to warrant passing it up the chain to someone intelligent."

"If I can find a couple of guys from Security, I'll get them to head for the Citadel as soon as they can get there", he says, "As for intelligence, we may need to go right up to the Varakeyr beforfe we get someone with any brain cells".

Karogeth

"True enough. All right, Karogeth out."

Karogeth waits.

Eventually two operatives in the black uniforms of The Division of Security arrive, a man and a woman. Karogeth recognises them as Zageyn d'n Zofeth and Balmuire d'n Tethena, both experienced people.

"OK, techie", says Zageyn, "what seems to be the problem?"

Karogeth

"The way is obstructed by a couple of thick planks," he nodded towards the gateway, "And if we don't get in there and fix a generator, very bad things will start to happen. The high ups don't want us to scratch the woodwork, although when push comes to shove the city matters more than they do. Although we need to avoid too major an incident after the moebius fractals wrecked the airship."

"So we can't just go and zap them with lightning wands, I take it?", Zageyn says, "Let's see what a bit of gentle persuasion can do".

The three of them return to the Citadel gateway.

"I see the ticktockman is disobeying our clear orders not to return", says the knight as the three Karazthani approach.

The knights lower the flamelances, and fire warning shots Karogeth's head. It's close enough to singe his hair.

"One step further forward, and it's not the hairs on the top of your heads that get burned", says the knight.

Karogeth

"Frankly, the city matters more than you guys. I'm not going to let you be responsible for its destruction through your obdurate madness. They're not giving us a choice, and the paperwork for two guards is less than that for everyone within the walls."

"So", says the lead knight, "You're trying to threaten us, are you? We don't like people who are little better than mere humans getting ideas above their stations"

He aims the flamelance squarely at Karogeth, who can see that the knight's finger is already on the trigger.

Out of the corners of his eyes Karogeth can see the two Men In Black readying their lightning wands.