Bounty hunting + vigilante PSA from Attleton - text

[captain_by_the_book]

[ What is this, a second message from the Attleton Guardian's office within a week? Once again it's published on the network, as well as being read on the radio and local TV. ]

Due to recent circumstances, the Attleton Guardian's office reminds you:
Capital punishment and torture are outlawed in Attleton, this is not to be circumvented through the bounty system.

Bounties are to be delivered alive only, unharmed beyond injuries incurred resisting arrest. If the bounty is killed in self-defense it is the hunter's responsibility to prove it beyond reasonable doubt.

Both bounty hunters and vigilantes will be held to Attleton laws. All acts of apprehending suspects are to be done with minimal damage to yourself, the suspect and property.

Suspects must be brought to the Guardian's office. Any attempt to exact personal punishment will be treated as a crime.

If attempts are made to circumvent the laws by bringing in bounties barely alive, be aware it will lead to further tightening of the regulations.


OOC: Basically this means Attleton will be copying Nova re. ingame consequences, though there is no bounty license system.
If Cassian responds to comments on this at all it is likely to be curt, but characters are welcome to use this post to talk among themselves.

Comments

[kalmaleader]

[He'll say whatever he needs to or wants to. It may not win him any electoral positions, but he believes it'll accomplish more than trying to be nice or merciful.]

All right, I will.

It's difficult to keep the peace when there are those who insist on starting a fight. So what can we do but fight back?

[captain_by_the_book]

We have no choice. It's not like we can just surrender to lawlessness. So... we keep going.

[ For whatever it's worth. Small steps. Keeping their towns as safe and calm as they can and making sure that conflicts don't escalate beyond what is unavoidable. It's the best they can do right now. ]

I kind of miss the times when breaches of the barrier were the only problem we dealt with.

[kalmaleader]

[Qubine lets out an exasperated sigh.]

The barrier breach is the one problem that I can't deal with. Or rather, I lack the means to deal with. But I'm working on it.

You're right, we can't surrender to lawlessness. The world I come from, Sornieth...you could call it lawless. We don't have a single body to govern us. The deities watch over us, but they don't dictate how we live. We're free to do as we please...to do as we must.

But that also means that the Beastclans are free to wage their war on dragonkind. After they started attacking us, we learned that they had been driven into hiding when dragonkind was born. They're obviously not interested in sitting down and working out any sort of truce. They'd rather see dragonkind extinct. And while we can sympathize with them...sometimes...we can't just give up what we've worked so hard to build either. So we just sharpen our claws and survive, not only the wrath of the Beastclans, but nature itself when it goes out of control.

In this world, sometimes I have questioned whether these laws just hold us back. Some things I have done to survive in my world, I could be locked up for in this world. On the other hand, there's no denying that this world is far more peaceful than Sornieth. Perhaps it's because of these laws, or something else entirely. So I would agree that it's wise not to surrender to lawlessness.

[captain_by_the_book]

[ Cassian nods. ]

There are many parts of my galaxy which are similar. Well, there are laws, but they are set and enforced by whoever is strong and ruthless enough to do so. Criminal syndicates, for the most part. This saying, might makes right, sums up the situation.

Then there is the Empire, where I live. They seek to enforce order in the galaxy but their idea of order is tyranny. Their methods are a lot like those of the vigilantes we have seen lately. They use fear and brutality and group punishments to keep the people cowed, and whether a crime is worthy of punishment depends wholly on whether their own are affected by it.

[ And this, indeed, is at least half the reason he reacted so strongly to Marco. Law enforcement employing fear and violence hits too close to home. ]

This is the first place I've ever known justice, outside of the group I belong to enforcing it among our own. I can't give that up.

[kalmaleader]

I'm not sure if that's worse than being completely lawless...

So is that why you became a Guardian?

[captain_by_the_book]

In a way, among other reasons. I don't know if I would have run if I'd thought I stood even the smallest chance to win, I was still so new to Attleton.

[ He hadn't been prepared for his task, an assassin and soldier still fresh from a war, too fresh to easily slip into the role of a police officer. He hadn't really known what he was getting himself into, or else he would likely have considered himself woefully unqualified for the job. ]

You said your world is lawless. And you just had to fight to survive... Is that why you went into the Guardian service?

[kalmaleader]

[Qubine suppressed a snicker.]

I aimed for a Guardianship position because I have a natural instinct to respond to threats anyway. So yes, it's part of my instinct to survive. If I protect myself, the people will be protected as well. Likewise, if I protect the people, I protect myself as well.

[captain_by_the_book]

That's one way to go about it.

[ He nods. For once, he's making a concerted effort not to judge, even if it's very different from his own approach. ]

For me, the duty to protect others has always meant to sacrifice my own well-being. But we are from different worlds, with different requirements of sacrifice.

[kalmaleader]

...I would hope that sacrificing oneself would not be a requirement. Of course, if there was absolutely no other option, that would be one thing, but getting yourself killed would only rob you of your ability to keep protecting.

[But it would be hypocritical of him to judge, given how many times he's nearly gotten killed for Shayla's sake...]

[captain_by_the_book]

Well, as death isn't permanent here it is a more than acceptable sacrifice which I expect all Deputies to be willing to bring without hesitation, just as I do.

[ Well, nobody can say he's not blunt about it. ]

I expected the same at home, of course, where death was permanent, but there couldn't be foolish or reckless death. Our lives belonged to the rebellion, we didn't have the right to waste it selfishly.

[kalmaleader]

[He shrugs.]

...I suppose that makes sense. Icewarden knows how many times I've almost gotten killed to protect my mate. But staying alive is rather imperative for me, so I can continue to protect her from harm, as well as from grief.

[It was bad enough losing their sons. It'd be even worse if they were to lose one another...]

[captain_by_the_book]

Yes, that would make sense. It must be different when you have a partner, or a family even.

[ He sure knows that losing his partner is a great concern and motivator to him. ]

I didn't have any such close ties back in my world. None other than my best friend.