The Thomarian
S1 | Chapter I - “The Thomarian”
Part 1
21:04, 12 October 2022 – Nibenia, State of Crystal Coast
There was always something so haunting about the Cappedorite autumn nights. The way that the rain drizzled onto the streets of Nibenia alone whilst sharp flashes of intense light briefly filled the sky, only to be followed by the menacing rumble of thunder seconds later, really solidified a feeling of uneasiness among the citizens of Cappedore. The streets of Nibenia are littered with wanted posters one person: Galen Lloyd, the suspected mind behind the 2012 Thomarian Uprising that brought terror to so many in the eyes of the Cappedorite state.
In the darkness, past the city lights, hidden within the rainy Cappedorite countryside outside of Nibenia, a small cottage farm lies comfortably hidden away. But inside, the environment is less than comforting. Viktoria Melnyk, and her mother, Elizabeth, sit by their living room window, anxious and paranoid at every subtle movement in the darkness. Their gazes lie concentrated on the darkness outside, until they concentrate their view on a heart-dropping sight. Headlights nearly blind them as a white van with the letters “URIA” emboldened on the side pulls onto the driveway, stopping at the very top.
Viktoria turns to her mother, who breathes lightly, quivering.
“Mum?” she asks, her mother turning to her. “You need to go. It’s me they’re here for.”
Her mother nods timidly in agreement, before placing her palm on her daughter’s cheek.
“Don’t let them bully you, Vik” she utters, tentatively. They hug one last time, before Viktoria observes around 5 figures emerge from the van, four of what seemed to be special force agents and one in a white leather coat. She turns back to her mother, who quickly grabs two bags that were set down on the floor beside her and leaving for the backdoor.
Viktoria slowly gets up and makes her way to the front entrance of the house, to which she takes a deep breath before confidently opening the door. Stepping out, she can see the figures much clearer; they are indeed agents of the United Republic Intelligence Agency, and the figure in the white coat she recognises much more closely. She slowly shuts the door behind her, slowly advancing into the darkness and the rain as the agents stop in their tracks.
The man in the white coat, who is somewhat taller than her, steps forward.
“You, young lady, are a very difficult one to find nowadays,” he states eagerly “But I’d never imagine I’d find you here, on a farm in Crystal Coast.”
“It’s a peaceful life. I’m sure you of all people would understand that.” Viktoria replied with confidence.
The man smirked. “Lonely, I’d imagine.”
Viktoria gazes at him with much confusion, before lightly stuttering. “Well, ever since my mother died, I suppose it has been.”
The man lets out an expression of dead, before pacing closer towards her, as if to bring comfort and empathy.
“I am… deeply sorry to hear that, Viktoria” he states, before swiftly turning to the four agents behind him, ordering them to search the house. As he does so, two of the agents move forward with their guns drawn, passing Viktoria on either side and making their way into the cottage.
Viktoria sighs and rolls her eyes, glaring at the man. “What is it you want now, anyway?”
“We have reason to believe Galen Lloyd is in the area; I need you to come back.”
She scoffs, looking up into the rainy sky before looking back down at him. “I won’t do it, Lynton.”
The man, who Viktoria knew as the Commissioner of the URIA, Bevis Lynton, looks at Viktoria with a perplexed expression.
“You weren’t granted a presidential pardon last year just to simply refuse to cooperate. You work for the union, now. We were so close to bringing an end to any more potential disorder with your assistance in Operation Starlight last time.”
Viktoria would scoff again, a nauseated sensation taking over her expression. “Seriously? Fearmongering and marginalising a community within this union is your way of bringing an end to potential disorder?”
“Well…” Lynton smirked, “we all have to start somewhere, Melnyk.”
Behind them, in the house, thudding and smashing can be heard as the agents roughly ransack the cottage in their search efforts. Viktoria turns to the house in shock, before sternly turning back to Lynton.
“I’d be of no help, commissioner. I haven’t been in contact with Lloyd since the uprising and last time was a matter of luck, not talent.”
Lynton would chuckle, before smirking and glaring at Viktoria. “Viktoria… you’re an astounding warrior but you’re also a terrible liar. Now I admire your contribution and efforts, I really do, b-“
Lynton’s speech is cut off as he notices a figure running towards the group at high speed. It was Elizabeth, Viktoria’s mother, wielding both her bags with a worried look on her face.
“Ah, look, it’s Elizabeth Stratton back from the dead.”
Viktoria and the two agents who were stood by Lynton’s side both turn to look at Elizabeth. Viktoria yells for her mother, while the two agents point their rifles directly at her and Viktoria, causing both to stop in their tracks.
“Stop!” Lynton yells, triggering the agents to stand their ground and hold their fire.
As they do this, Elizabeth drops her bags and aims another weapon at Lynton himself. He smirks at this direct threat.
“Oh, Lizzy, troublesome as ever, just how you were when you worked for the government.”
“You’re not taking her!” she shouts.
“No of course I’m not, I’m taking both of you,” he replies “that way you can both come and live under the watch and the safety of the United Republic and assist us in this operation and then you can finally live your lives in peace!”
Elizabeth scoffs “As hostages.”
Commissioner Lynton felt unsettled at this, and desperately attempted to double down. “No, as heroes of the union.”
Viktoria gazes at her mother, a worried look descending on her face. “Mum…?” she nervously utters, tears forming in her eyes. “…put it down.”
Lynton nods in agreement at Viktoria’s plea with her mother, who glances over at her daughter, and then back at Lynton.
“Y-You will never win!” she exclaims.
Lynton gazes over at one of the agents, ordering him to “do it.” Upon this command, the agent fires at Elizabeth, with her firing a panicked corresponding shot at Lynton. Both grunt, as Lynton kneels down with his hand covering his shoulder. Elizabeth, on the other hand, falls to the ground. Viktoria calls for her mother once again before running over to her.
“M-Mum!!! N-NO!!” she screams, kneeling down by her mother’s body on the ground. The rain seemed to get heavier and more intense as the situation evolved.
Lynton staggers to his feet and orders for the agents to arrest Viktoria. She struggles, attempting to fight her way out of their grip, but they restrain her against the walls of her cottage and handcuff her almost immediately, dragging her along to the van and shoving her inside. As the van doors shut, Viktoria whimpers in pain as she feels the van rolling away yet only manages to observe the absolute darkness around her. All she fears for now is the wellbeing of her mother, and their futures in Cappedore.
Part 2
22:36, 12 October 2022 - Dorchester, State of Thomaria
The night-time streets of downtown Dorchester had changed drastically since the uprising 10 years prior. They seemed busier during the night, with a stronger police presence. At least, that’s what it felt like to Ruslan Kovalenko, one of the leading figures of the remnants of the Thomarian Liberation Army who long since scattered and disbanded since the 2012 Thomarian Uprising turned south, seeing all its leaders either killed, arrested, or moved into hiding.
Ruslan knew he had to be weary of everything around him. The fact that the police presence in Dorchester hadn’t been lowered even since the end of the uprising was an obvious sign that the government still knew that a Thomarian revolt was likely to be afoot at any moment. The smell of smoke and cuisine filled the air down the busy high street, with Ruslan pushing through crowds of people to make his way through to a secured alleyway hidden quaintly by a charity shop. He turned, and swiftly made his way down, anxiously looking around himself.
As her turns a corner, he bumps into who he was expecting to see: Jez Purcell, a former spy for the TLA, who seemed distress. Ruslan and Jez both shared looks of exhaustion before Jez went to converse with him.
“I was about to leave,” he said, anxiously.
“Look, I came as fast as I could, Purcell” Ruslan replied, panting through his own words.
“Look, I have a train to catch, walk with me.” Jez attempts to walk on past, but is stopped by Ruslan.
“Back to Kairi?” he inquires.
“They’ll leave without me!”
“Calm down,” Ruslan assures Jez, “do you have news from Kairi?”
Jez pants hurriedly, before quickly turning the Ruslan. “A pilot who works for CappeHaul, one of the cargo drivers, he came to us yesterday with information on Galen Lloyd.”
Ruslan nodded, his eyes wide open, expecting more from Jez.
“He’s telling people that Galen has a small gathering and it looks like they’re planning to cause havoc in Grodu, in Crystal Coast.”
Ruslan pauses, “What kind of havoc?”
Jez sighs, and attempts to hurriedly rush past, exclaiming that he has yet to catch a train to Kairi, Cappedore’s largest city. But Ruslan grabs a hold of his collar, pushing him back; “I said, what kind of havoc!?”
“A second uprising!” Jez spurts out, glaring at Ruslan. “That’s what Galen called it!”
Ruslan stepped back in shock. Galen wasn’t meant to be the one to start the final stages of the Thomarian revolution. Ruslan knew that if Galen Lloyd was planning another riot, especially in a deep union state such as Crystal Coast, then it would purely be done out of his own personal hatred for the union, not his want for an independent Thomaria.
“Some bloke codenamed Roach sent the pilot. That’s all I know.” Jez continued.
Roach! Ruslan recognised that name! He was one of the main organisers of the uprising in 2012. Could it be that he had managed to set himself free?
“It’s all falling apart. And Ripley’s right. There’s spies everywhere-“
The two are stopped by the sound of indistinct radio chatter, before two police officers turned up behind them, asking what all the commotion was. Jez stepped back, a worried look on his face, while Ruslan slowly smirked.
“Come on. Let’s see some ID, guys.”
Ruslan smirked again, “Yeah of course, heh” he chuckled. “Just- I dropped it.” He pretended to kneel to pick something up, before quickly drawing a pistol and firing shots at both of the officers.
“No!!” Jez yelled, while a commotion could be heard filling the busy street right next to the alleyway. “For fuck’s sake, Ruslan, what have you done!?”
Ruslan didn’t respond, and instead inspected the immediate rooftops for an escape.
“Are you crazy!?” Jez shouts, holding his arm up to Ruslan “I’ll never climb out of here with this arm!”
Ruslan shrugs, moving to comfort his friend, before simultaneously shooting him in the back. Alarms blared in the distance as Ruslan watched Jez fall to the cold, hard ground. He immediately concealed his pistol, turning and running to climb up the pipes to the rooftops, and successfully making his escape before the police arrived upon the unsettling scene.