[IC] New Crobuzon & the World Beyond

[Betimi]

While each of you slowly step out of the Smithy with your hands up, a handful of militia with various mechanical augmentations to mostly their arms but a few also to their legs and eyes, scurry out from behind cover from across the street with crossbows and firearms pointing in your direction.  Within moments you're surrounded and roughly handled while metal shackles are attached to your wrists and attached behind your backs.  The only exception is Kee, who is screamed at by several officers to get down on the ground.  When [if] he complies, an officer jumps on his back and shackles both his hands behind his back, then his feet together and then both his hand and feet are shackled together again in what resembles a hog-tying technique.  The officers ignore any request for charges except to repeat, "The Magistrate handles charges of High-Terrorism."

Betimi cannot help burt speak her mind at the allegations of High-Terrorism [i](Thanks Naberius)[/i]... but she does not physically resist
"HIGH-TERRORISM??.. but we only just arrived in your city yester-eve, and we have done nothing but visit a tavern and an alchemist, with no violence of any sort. We were just visiting this fine smith.." She trails off seeing the extra harsh treatment of Kee, and begins to realize what must be going on. "You think us compatriots of this little man? We only just met him when he visited the smithy we were already dealing with. We do not know him."