Arrhazon City first became the unified capitol and seat of government power fully half of a millennia before. In a world where pride was taken in caring for those less fortunate or less able to fully provide for their own care, the capitol was a model of efficient government and neighbourly goodwill.

At the same time M’traliel busily saw to the needs and assimilation of the first year students assigned to her, in another part of the capitol, hopelessness gave way to rising rage. M’traliel was one of a fortunate few in Arrhazon society, window dressing covering an ugly underlying problem, a problem of which M’traliel was acutely aware.

After all, she had chosen N’rellia for that very reason. What she had yet to grasp was the prevalence of despair that already moved toward hatred in some communities, where critical mass to insurrection loomed nigh. All that was needed in these isolated – and the places near critical mass for insurrection were isolated locales at this point – was a trigger mechanism; with a triggering incident, the flashpoint would rapidly escalate toward violence.

For all of Arrhazon’s societal advances, the culture was overwhelmingly patriarchal. Anthropologists debated the root of patriarchy to this day; and M’traliel doubted there would ever be consensus on the history, on the why. This was the last remaining element of bigotry left in their world, but it was also the most entrenched, the most deeply rooted, and the most widespread. Only a relatively small number of men saw the need for change, yet encouragingly, that number was slowly increasing.

And truth be told, many women – probably a majority still – really weren’t interested in working for change; they were too busy attending to the issues of their daily lives.

Some young women were growing quite restless and aggressive, turned off by the vision of their own bleak futures. They were ill inclined to follow in the footsteps of their mothers and grandmothers, who spent their lives existing in large part to see to the wants and needs of men who saw only some right granted by the universe in their own entitlement.

Where before no one dared to speak of such issues, there were now undercurrents and whispers in the wind of women cautiously and carefully discussing the issue. Some of the women audaciously expressed a willingness to give their lives to change the world.

M’traliel believed heart and soul in non-violent change. She believed everyone who was interested in change felt this way. Unfortunately, her belief was about to be proven wrong by events unfolding on the southeast quarter of Arrhazon City. Non-violent change might be a goal worked for, but it would have to be held as dear as the overall end goal, else solving one problem would only create another in its stead.

For M’traliel, violence would solve nothing. The power of education – the power to defeat the moral arguments of one’s opponents – is what most appealed to her, for even the strongest could not stand in opposition to the idea of equality, if adopted as sacrosanct by an overwhelming number of people.

Few civil disturbances begin with conscious effort to incite. Usually one event leads to another to another, and only in hindsight is the proximate cause – the first incident in a long unbroken chain of events ending with a full blown riot – evident.

On the evening of M’traliel’s first night with her students, a group of 6 young women walked into a liquor lounge – a lounge for men only. Taking a seat at the highly polished dark brown and natural ghrevle countertop, they apprehensively chatted amongst themselves – well knowing they were crossing a very formidable line.

After five minutes of being ignored by the barkeep, one of the women turned to the barkeep and loudly ordered “a round of your finest brew, please!”

The barkeep turned his back and walked away, instead choosing to wait on a man at the far end of the bar. Outraged, the young woman – who was significantly taller and solid than the barkeep – rose from her seat and walked to the end of the bar, flipped open the hinged countertop, entered the bar service area, walked over to and grabbed the collar of the barkeep, throwing him against the bar holding the liquor, with bottles falling and smashing on the hard stone floor.

Law enforcement authorities were on the scene inside of 2 minutes. Inside of 10, a medical lifter was outside, and emergency technicians were seeing to the injuries of 4 of the women. Two of the women were lost forever.

Within an hour, word had spread across the southeast quadrant of the city. Women poured out of their homes, defying orders to remain where inside. They fed off each other’s anger, and within 2 hours, at least 20 buildings were afire, including the liquor establishment were it all began. Vehicles were overturned, while several men were beaten; unofficial underground reports claimed 3 were dead.

The chief of government ordered in reinforcement forces; these units carried heavy weaponry, and they were far more equipped to deal with large scale insurgency or civil disobedience than local authorities. Before this night was over, scores would be dead or dying, scores more severely injured.

Nnone of this was reported, would it ever be reported, by official media.