Intelser Forums

It's been less than two years since Arluna was depopulated by a horrific plague, and even now, there is a faint 'taint' of death in the air.  The Plague year changed the people here, as it did on six other worlds.  Self-reliance, determination, and a subtle streak of...things have changed radically here.

Much of Arluna's capitol is still empty, but it is slowly filling out, and there is a sense of something building here, streets are no longer marked in german-they are marked in english, or vietnamese, but the german signs and adverts are slowly being overtaken by a new identity, one that is growing in strength even as the influence of Lyran culture diminishes.

These are survivors, and they know it-there is a grim pride, and under that pride, a wrath lurks, a sense of a people, coming together, with vengeance on their mind and in their hearts.

The graffitti along the main road from the space-port says it all...


'Rim Worlds Delenda Est."

'Ten Billion Demand Vengeance'.

'No more Absentee Landlords'.

'Where was Tharkad when we needed them?'

'Independence forever!'

'On Our Feet.'

On Inarcs, the sentiments are echoed, the same can be said of Neerabup, and Anembo, and Jerangle, and every other world in the Union- the Plague zone has begun coming together, and they chose the hardest-hit world as their capital for one reason: To remind them all, to become more...a black centre of fury, tempered by hard-won wisdom.

Boojum 17, Nghien Cooperative, Kowloon system...

Lt. Giao Pham switched on her suit-light, and crawled through the half-collapsed airlock tunnel to the inner door.  "Fourteen, did the datalink show any damage to the inner door?" she asked.

"Negative on a breach alarm.  Looks like the impact probably knocked the sensors offline."  Fourteen, an Inarcs native going through his last week of Coast Guard training, replied.  Giao reached the broken-open inner door of the burrow.

"How many bodies?" she asked.

"Living or dead?" Fourteen replied.

Gaio made a face, "LIVING, Fourteen, you don't rescue dead Rockjacks, unless they're a nav-hazard."

"Two." Fourteen said, "We're gonna need to excavate to get the beachballs out, the parking bay's wrecked too-looks like the fire might've started there, the reaction probably-"

"Don't speculate, Fourteen, this rock should've been in a stable orbit, something moved it with the people inside into an orbit that intersected something else-we're about two degrees off the course they SHOULD have been on if they were hit in their registered orbit..."

"Right...burrows don't move under their own power." Fourteen noted.

"Exactly.  someone gave this rock a push."

Nha Tranh spaceport, Kowloon...

"...sorry Scott, we can't pay you, and the Commonwealth's dumped out of their contract."  Charles Vanh wasn't sorry.  Not one bit, but there was no reason to be uncivil, and more than a few reasons not to be unpleasant.

"You've already said you're making for somewhere south-now, I can read a map, and so can you.  When you catch up with Adam, give him this from Top, got it?"  Charles handed Scott Blackstone, Commander of the Blackstone Highlanders, a small thing, really.  Five centimeters long, wooden, and sharp with a triangular profile, on one face, it said "Somerset", on another, "IOU".

"I lost my oldest son on Somerset, Scott...and take care of yourself. I don't want to see you again at all until this is over."

The Mercenary left the room.

"You're just letting him go?"  Anh Le asked.

"Yeah." Charles said, "I am.  If we have to fight someone, I'd as soon NOT have it be on our home soil, and maybe the damn Congress might get some damned sense-we're not in a position to launch foreign wars, not with the Commonwealth on one border, Debbie dancing her ass off at the Clanners to keep them from 'adding' us to their possessions, and all the rest."

"But you gave him a toothpick..." she said.

"To give to Adam Steiner.  yeah...well, Scott Blackstone's not wrapped up in personal business, but I needed someone to take it there." Vanh told her,  "He needs to know why before I kill him, make himself right with god or whatever he does as a replacement for that."

Colonel Scott Blackstone took the toothpick with a bemused expression.  He nodded to Vanh.  "I will, and I will.  And, for what its worth -- I'm sorry that things ended up this way."  He came to attention, saluted, executed a crisp, parade ground-precise about-face, and left the room.  He wound his way out of the spaceport's terminal, through two security checkpoints (who didn't stop him; the marblized blue-black-white battle dress of the Highlanders was well known), and out onto the spaceport's drop pads.

His XO, Major Charles Lydecker, was waiting for him, watching as the last of the unit's 'Mechs and tanks were loaded up on their DropShips.  He saluted and let out a breath.  "I'm amazed you're still alive."

Blackstone snorted.  "Yeah. . . me too."

"They actually going to let us leave?  Or is this all a charade so that they can kill us via decompression when they blast our DropShips while outbound?"

"They'll let us go, Chuck," Blackstone said as he pulled out his sunglasses.  It was bright and sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  "They know where we're going, but Vanh said they'd let us leave unmolested.  Coming back?  That'll be the hard part."

"Really.  He said that?"

Blackstone let a grim smile creep onto his face as he stepped off towards the DropShips.  "Not in so many words.  But Daphne's a friend of mine, but they all hate her here."

Lydecker chuckled.  "Good thing I didn't invest in that retirement home."

LCS Kowloon, in transit from Tharkad...

The bridge speakers echoed with the sound of a Skye traditional- (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gdlkx_cIqtE&feature=related)Copyright belongs to Flogging Molly and their record company-I didn't write it, I don't intend to infringe on their copyright.

"...Genuflect all you refugees who fled the land
Now on guilt you kneel
And say a prayer for those left behind
From beyond the pale to the Northern sky
So you saved your shillins and your last six pence
Cause in God`s name they built a barbed wire fence
Be glad you sailed for a better day
But don`t forget there`ll be hell to pay
Rebels are we, though heavy our hearts shall always be
Ah, no ball or chain no prison shall keep
We`re the rebels of the sacred heart
I said no ball or chain no prison shall keep
We`re the rebels of the sacred heart..."

Kapitain Michael Collins sipped whiskey, and stared out through the vision ports.  "Regrets, sir?"  his Nav Officer was a rockjack with the improbable name of St. John Nghien.

"Regrets? hell yes...but they took Maddie, and I won't leave my friends to face those maniacs alone." he said, "I guess I really am not a good officer-hell, I'm not even a particularly good terrorist, you know what I was in Blackgate for, St. John?"

"No sir."  Nguyen replied.

"I bombed a tax-office on Rahne." Collins said, "For Free Skye, now, I'm going out into the dark to fight for independence for someone else...while Skye is free, and the price of that, is I'll never be welcome back home agian."

"You're a good officer sir." Nghien said, "You held it together, held US together."

"We'll see, boyo." Collins said, "We'll see, contact all units, prepare for KF jump in Time-minus three hours."

Vincent has never been so busy as he has these last few weeks, as he acts as the middleman for the UIW and his Clan. So much so, that he is starting to feel as if he is nothing more than a glorified mailman, but that attitude and opinion changes as he reads the message that was delivered to him:

QuoteTO: Vincent Frehley, Clan Star Adder Consulate, Arluna
FROM: Lan Nghien, Deputy Director, InterClan Watch
ORIGIN: Sudeten

Sir,

I write this to ask of you a favor.

I was recently informed of the deaths of my sister and her husband, leaving their young children, Vinh and Lan, without parents, with myself being the last living family member.

Unfortunately I am scheduled to depart for my new posting in the Homeworlds that comes from my position within the ICW soon, so I will be unable to care for them for the duration of my stay.

Sir, I ask you to travel to Kowloon and take them as your charges. Please keep them close to their heritage, their people. Allow them to grow up in a way that I was not able. Give them the chance to be children and the opportunity to heal from the horrors they have survived.

Sincerely,
Lan Nghien

After reading the message, he feels obligated to do as Lan asked, he recalls his own parents and the sense of loss he felt when they died. He had other family to take him in, and it is the least he can do for the larger Family that he and Lan share in Clan Star Adder.

Calling to his aide, Kyle, "Contact any outgoing Drop and JumpShip that is planning on going to Kowloon, tell them that they're going to have a passenger."

As Kyle does as told, Vincent sends a short missive to Debra:

QuoteArchDuchess,

I have received a request from a fellow Adder who was at one time a citizen of Kowloon. Family members have recently died there, leaving a pair of young children without any to care for them.

He asked me to take them in and foster them, thus I am already making preparations to depart in order to fulfill his request. I shall return as soon as possible in order to address the Committee. While I am gone, Kyle will act in my stead.

My home staff will be occupied making my residence ready for new additions.

Respectfully,

Vincent Frehely

"Dao, what's this?" Debra asked.

Coast Guard Adjutant Commodore Dao Thanh read the message from the Adder Consul.  "oh...yeah... There was a collision in the Boojum Belt, killed some civilians, turns out to be something of an international thing-the Nghien 17 burrow...looks like fifteen dead total, two survivors-and they're related to a former Marine who defected to the Clans at Addergrad." she said.

"Why wasn't I informed of this before...Dao, we've got to work on this shit, ah cain' have mattahs o' int'national ampoat con' undah mah nose wi' no breif'ns, sweet Jayzus..." Deb was almost incoherent.

Dao waited five minutes while her Boss ranted, then spoke up, "Other than the fact that the next-of-kin is in foreign service, the notification procedures for this sort of thing are long established.  I got a bounce off the canary sheet because it's a criminal investigation."

"Criminal? he said it was an accident..." Deb pressed.

"Criminal investigation of sabotage-that burrow had to cross three orbits, means it had to have been pushed-it moved retrograde and off its orbital path-sure as hell they'd have known something was wrong on-board, but there wasn't a radio call and everyone was confined inside.  According to the Canary sheet, they've got a dozen suspects with motive and some opportunity."

"Who's leading the investigation?" Deb asked, "I want someone good on it, you can tell Alicia Li I'll be following this closely...and tell her I want every courtesy shown the Consul or his men while they're in the Kowloon system." 

"Because Vincent's a Friend, or because of Politics?" the AG Commodore asked.

"Both."  Debra asserted, "One, the Adders are our point of contact with the Clans of the Grand Council-at least, until some Other clan decides to put up housekeeping on Embassy Road, they're our eyes and ears for security on that front, and I'd as soon NOT lose that information source-which, if they think we're not taking their concerns seriously...and second, because Vincent's a good friend and I don't want that relationship jeapordized."

The same dispatches also contained the following message directed to Coast Guard Adjutant Commodore Dao Thanh

"Commodore Dao Thanh, I am contacting you to seek permission for the safe transit of a merchant convoy through several of the UIW's systems.  The convoy is en route to the newly formed Adder Commonwealth carrying relief workers, HPG technicians, various needed supplies, and infrastructural components.  My fellow merchants have assured me that there is sufficient lift capacity for several dropships destined to the worlds of Arluna, Inarcs, Anembo, Australia, and Mandaoaaru with requested humanitarian aid.  With the horrific attack uncovered on Jesenice in the last months, saKhan Tobias McKenna will not allow these transports through without adequate protection and as such the convoy will have appropriate military escorts.  He also wished me to inform you that some of the convoy's goods are time critical and as such the convoy must go through on schedule, whether or not safcon is granted.  Clan Star Adder intends to extend its rede with regards to Kowloon to the entirety of the UIW, and shall not be the first to instigate any hostilities that may occur.  We both hope to avoid any unpleasantness that this passage may result in, but that of course is up to you and your government.

Personally I look forward to all the potential business we may share in the future, and I bid you a good day."
-Wallace Mart, IS Mercantile Adjutant, CSA

OOC: not sure who this should be sent too, but figured the Coast Guard would be a good choice.

Quote from: DisGruntled on July 09, 2010, 05:46:14 PM
The same dispatches also contained the following message directed to Coast Guard Adjutant Commodore Dao Thanh

"Commodore Dao Thanh, I am contacting you to seek permission for the safe transit of a merchant convoy through several of the UIW's systems.  The convoy is en route to the newly formed Adder Commonwealth carrying relief workers, HPG technicians, various needed supplies, and infrastructural components.  My fellow merchants have assured me that there is sufficient lift capacity for several dropships destined to the worlds of Arluna, Inarcs, Anembo, Australia, and Mandaoaaru with requested humanitarian aid.  With the horrific attack uncovered on Jesenice in the last months, saKhan Tobias McKenna will not allow these transports through without adequate protection and as such the convoy will have appropriate military escorts.  He also wished me to inform you that some of the convoy's goods are time critical and as such the convoy must go through on schedule, whether or not safcon is granted.  Clan Star Adder intends to extend its rede with regards to Kowloon to the entirety of the UIW, and shall not be the first to instigate any hostilities that may occur.  We both hope to avoid any unpleasantness that this passage may result in, but that of course is up to you and your government.

Personally I look forward to all the potential business we may share in the future, and I bid you a good day."
-Wallace Mart, IS Mercantile Adjutant, CSA

OOC: not sure who this should be sent too, but figured the Coast Guard would be a good choice.

To: Wallace Mart, IS Mercantile Adjutant, Clan Star Adder
From: Adjutant Commodore Dao Thanh

RE: Transit

Per Executive Order 14: Instructions to the Coast Guard, All systems have been informed of your convoy's movement and intentions, and the time-critical nature of your mission.  Your Convoy's flight plan has been pre-approved, and UIW Coast Guard search-and-rescue is standing by to render assistance should you require it.  Safe IFF codes and frequencies are included in the attachment at the end of this message.

Request your escorts observe SLDF Transit regulation 189 Dated 2 December, 2769 (Signature Aleksandr Kerensky, countersigned by Admiral Noriko Murakami) and broadcast 'friendly' IFF to all recievers.

Best of fortunes to you, and godspeed your journey,

Dao Thanh,
Union of Independent Worlds Coast Guard
Adjutant Commodore, Arluna.

Countersigned:
Alicia Li, UIW Coast Guard
Admiral, Chief of Naval Operations Spider Moon, Kowloon

[Attachment]

Congress of Electors, Arluna, August 20 3068...

Those who enjoy sausage, and respect Government, would do well to observe the making of neither Laws, nor Sausages.

"You grasping filthy bastard..."  Carlin Norris of Neerabup snarled, "What we do on our world is none of your concern!"

James Litchveld of Inarcs reddened, "None of our concern? It's bloody immoral!" he thundered, "Letting those...practices...see the sanction of law? Forcing members to acknowledge them, to legitimize them?  IT's the road to HELL I say!"

One of Norris' aides whisered in the Neerabup senior Elector's ear, and he smiled broadly, "Hell you say?" he sounded reasonable, "I suppose so-if your religion demands it-nobody's really come back from the afterlife to report, however, I'm told you, yourself have contracted such...services.  I've even got holorecordings in my possession..."

Litchveld let out a half-strangled cry of pure rage, and vaulted the barrier, crossing the floor as the master-at-arms and three deputies moved down from the entries to try and intercept-everyone at a dead run, as the Junior Inarcs Elector, from the enclave of Paradiso, then vaulted into the main opposition party's ranks, lashing out with fists and feet.

The brawl was on.

Debbie MacAulliffe, Archduchess of the UIW and Elector Arluna, reached down, stood up, and raised her pistol, firing a single chamber of the revolver into the air-the blank was designed to generate more than the normal volume of a pistol.

BLAM!!!

"I Said Order, Get Back in your Seats!!!"  she bellowed.

Legislators looked up, frozen for a moment at the immediate threat of deadly violence from the person they'd themselves chosen to lead them.

"Now, Sit Yo' Asses In Yo Seats, an' Act lahk ADULT rep'sent'ives of th' PEOPLE or by-god, Ah will have to use the speedloadahs in mah desk..."  She snarled it rather quietly, but with the kind of theatrical projection that let even the stunned ears of the audience in the galleries overlooking the chamber hear her.

"You, Mistah Norris, an' You, Mistah Litchveld, Yo' ah-gument is NOT about legalized Prostitution, it's Personal, and none of the People's business...except YOU all made it eVERYONE's business..." The master-at-arms and the security Deputies separated the brawlers and treated those injured in the five seconds of actual scuffle.

"Yo' takin' it out on the LAWN." she finished, "you two can pick your weapons, but you two settlin' it out front.  This Congress is in Recess until Twelve Noon, at High sun, two of you will face one another, one will remain, and this matter is CLOSED, per Provision Fourteen of the Instrument of Governance, covering the use of Honour duels.  Your choices are as follows..." Here, she reached into the desk, and brought out a copy of the document:  "You may use the following: claw-hammer, Knife, or Hatchet.  Right hands bound, the fight will continue until either one, or both combatants are unable to fight further, Or you could both Apologize and submit yourselves to a form of discipline to be determined by the Committee on Conduct Within Chambers."

Grantsberg, Arluna...

"Read the most recent screed from our neighbours spinward?"  Commodore Dao Thanh asked. 
Debra MacAulliffe nodded, and sipped her tea.

"You're going to respond, aren't you?" Dao asked.

"Nope." Deb said, and sipped a bit more, "Strategically, what they're trying to do is more suicidal than what we did."

"Yeah..." Dao, the Military Attache' to the Archduchess prompted.

"Arc Royal's in a position where they have to rely on the kindness of strangers." Deb told her, "We're in largely that position ourselves, but instead of doing everything they can to cultivate good relations with their Neighbours, they're doing everything they can to drive off their allies, in the middle of an invasion...where Arc Royal and the territories that joined Sharon Mulcahy's little pseudo-Estates General are on the front lines." she set the cup down, "We're a backwater-nothing of importance to the Grand Council or the Star League here, certainly nothing important enough to send a large force to collect-at least, for the moment.  Means we can be dense and maybe survive this, if we can convince MOST of the people looking at our home that it's not worth the trouble to take or hold...they've got REAL wealth down there, and REAL enemies who REALLY see them as a genuine threat-enough threat to commit real forces to taking.  If, say, you were a merchant, in a bad part of town, and you have, say, a few good bodyguards, do you go and piss off both the gangs, and the police?"

"um...not if you're smart." Dao said.

"Right.  The Arc Royal folks, they NEED the SLDF there, they need the Leaguers spending blood and treasure defending them-and instead of cultivating the Leaguers, instead of making sure that Star League's troops WANT to defend them, what're they doing?  Callin' them names, trying to run them out, making threats...and then, there's them and us-to attack us they're going to have to strip their other defenses, to do it successfully, they're going to have to strip a LOT of those defenses-what's the Grand Council going to do while Arc Royal is out here, playin' blood-tag with us?"

"Over-run 'em?" Dao speculated, "It's what I would do."

"Exactly.  Sharon's a bully, but she's smarter than that...or she was, anyway, or I can hope she's got an advisor who can read a damn map, analyze trends, and count heads, and I can hope she's got the wits to listen to that advisor...I sent a letter to General Hall, He probably won't like what I said, but he's smart enough to know why, and I offered a little carrot to go with the stick I HAD to use." Debra commented, "Hopefully it doesn't screw up our relations with the Wolves, and it doesn't screw up one of the other carefully balanced-yet-tippy relationships we've got.  I would much prefer knowing at least a little ahead of time, who's going to attack us, and being prepared to defend against THAT attack, than finding out I've pissed off someone else and now I've got a war with someone we SHOULD be at peace with."

Uncharted Space...

There was nothing to warn whatever strange inhabitants of these lifeless stars that...
discontinuity

"Radar's clear, Commodore."  Vinh Van Giap sighed, reached up, and un-zipped the LCAF uniform overjacket.  "Secure from Jump, we're holding in this zone until the Inarcs Jaegers show up."  He said.

Some of the crew were Dirtyfeet, they looked nervously at the nav-station, which showed an empty star system populated with unliveable rocks and balls of gas.  Humans, even Jumpship crew, don't come out into these reaches much-the chance of a mechanical failure stranding a shipper in one of the dozens of empty star-systems out here was too great, and the zone had been emptied long ago of the nav-beacons that, in the Star League's era, had led travellers along this route in safety.

"Okay, I want one squadron on CAP at all times, one on ready-standby, with Patrol droppers loose until our friends get here, while legit traffic doesn't run through this sector, illegals do-if we see an illegal, we take them. I'd as soon NOT have our position broadcast across half of known space."

"Aye sir."

Nearby, the rest of TF Tiger's jumpships rippled into being, the orders were relayed to them, as well- Transports stay locked, as do Assault ships-the Assault boats needed to conserve their fuel, and would only undock in the event of a hostile or unidentified contact too tough for the fighter squadrons, Patrol ships, and Marine boats to handle.

Anything too tough for the Assault boats, of course, meant pulling in the CAP and Patrol ships and boogeying the hell out to the second rendezvous location.

"Keep the fax open in case we pick up some interesting traffic-I half expect Arc Royal's people to come poking for a quick, safe route to hit Objective Zulu."  He ordered.

"Zulu's pretty dense, sir, you sure they'd peel that kind of force?"  Poindexter Kravitz, a Coventry native, asked.

"I would.  Factories, recharge station...it's a prime piece of real-estate and I think Mulcahy's smart enough not to want it in the hands of her enemies."  Giap quipped. "If they show up, we run."

Spider Moon, August 25, 3069...

"Admiral, what's with the recent series of advertisements?"  Greg Killhane of CBC News asked.

"Well...part of the recent troubles in the Commonwealth included paralyzation of commerce-and with all the claimants to the Archon's throne out there-besides the big ones of Robert Kelswa Steiner, Charlemagne Steiner, and Sharon Mulcahy, that paralysis is only worse-and what happens when economies are paralyzed across big areas of development? Look out at the antispinward, and you can see what happened to the old, former Rim Worlds.  It's a nest of piracy and a navigation hazard.  We're offering a unique service-we're not aligned with any of the powers currently at war with one another, we can provide safe shipment of goods, search-and-rescue services, relief supplies, and mediation of disputes in a timely fashion.  We also have a considerable body of experience in hunting pirates in large part thanks to the neglect of our former sponsor-state, and this could be of considerable use to nations facing Reaver bands like The Dark..."  here she kind of half-smiled bitterly, "Of course, the other reason, is because the UIW is a small nation, and there's a recession on-trading in our strongest areas of expertise, the Congress is hoping to pull the economy up to pre-plague standards,and to surpass those standards using any and every available resource we've got-and what we've mainly got, are experienced Spacer crews, and manpower.  We don't have a lot to sell, besides our services, but those services are something nobody else has, or can afford to put, on the table at the prices we're willing to accept."

The Steps of Congress, Grantsberg Arluna, 28 August, 3069...

"...one question at a time, please..."  Archduchess Debra MacAulliffe made placating gestures to the crowd of reporters, "Jim, I think you've waited longest..." she said to the Skye Broadcasting reporter.

"What is your government's position on the recent announcement by Archon Robert-Kelswa Steiner?" he asked.

"Well, 'kay Jim? first off, even Robert has yet to announce more than candidacy and line up supporters-he's not claimed it's a fait accompli yet...but his government did Recognize our sovereignty, and he's announced the dispatch of an Embassy here, naturally, we're working out who to send as our Embassy now."

"Any ideas who that might be?" Jin Lah Suk of WKLN asked.

"That's not for public consumption yet." Debra told her, "I'll announce the name when the Congress has finished their closed door hearings."

TO: Archduchess Debra MacAullife, Union of Independent Worlds
FROM: Khan Stanislav N'Buta, Clan Star Adder
ORIGIN: Addergrad, Clan Star Adder Environs

Archducess MacAullife,

I have good and bad news for you and your Realm. The Grand Council of all the Clans of Kerensky has seen fit to recognize the Union of Independent Worlds as its own Nation. The bad is that the UIW has been given no special protection from those Clans that may wish to test the mettle of your Warriors and Soldiers.

Clan Star Adder is still willing to place what limited forces we have in your territory at your disposal should their skills and experience be required, though I would advise to only do so in emergencies. Against another Clan it would be seen as my Clan shielding your Nation, which I can but suspect is something you would prefer not to be perceived. However, they are there just in case.

Furthermore, Charlamagne Steiner is planning on making a stop at Arluna to address the Ruling Body of the UIW, I have no insight as to what he will say, only that he requested it, and since this is his mission, for the lack of a better word, I saw no reason to deny him.

Through the unorthodox and often illegal channels available to any military, I have been made aware through the Watch of Clan Star Adder that a rather sizable combined force of former LCAF Units are already in, enroute to, or in place within the borders of this Adder Commonwealth. Some are prestigious and would have been a formidable opponent had they remained to face the Clans, and I can only offer conjectures as to what has gone over to the other claimants and sub-factions.

I hope that the UIW has gained the services of reputable and honorable forces.

Sincerely,

Stanislav N'buta
Khan, Clan Star Adder

Arluna
Union of Independent Worlds
Zenith Jump Point

Sensors around the world that is now in effect the Capital of a New Nation pick up the emergence waves of incoming JumpShips. That is no real surprise considering that Arluna has been the focus of considerably more traffic than it was used to, and it didn't come as a shock when the Ships were identified as belonging to Clan Star Adder, one of the few friends, or at least a non-enemy, that the fledgling IS State has.

No one is really sure as to why a Clan bent on the effective destruction of the Terran Hegemony, and in the minds of many despite all that the Adders have done for a number of worlds along what was once the Lyran Periphery Border, has accepted the formation and presence of a gaggle of backwater planets as an independent Nation. Few though are going to complain, at least not a great deal, and not in public about their good fortune. They are all to aware of how quickly and easily the massive military might of Clan Star Adder could be directed their way, so they plan accordingly and walk that all to narrow fence of trying to be non-threatening to anyone, buying as much time as they can...

Nope, the arrival of a small fleet of JumpShips and their attached DropShips wasn't anything that couldn't be handled by the experienced and efficient Coast Guard and Space Command, Control and Communications. However, what did cause a stir as the announcement that was broadcast from one of the Ships:

"Arluna SCC and C, I am Star Colonel Charlamagne Steiner of Clan Star Adder," said the voice through the Center's Communications Relay, "As I venture to the worlds that have chosen to intertwine my Fate with theirs, I have decided to make a brief stop here in order to answer any concerns and questions that the Union of Independent Worlds may have regarding my objectives and goals. Also, I may have a few of my own to ask of your Archduchess and the Ruling Council."

The voice of the Star Colonel is firm, confident and friendly, "I thus request approach vector and landing coordinates for one DropShip. Star Colonel Charlamagne Steiner, out."


Meanwhile, at nearly the same moment of the Archon-Designate's arrival, another JumpShip at the planet's Nadir Point departs. It's destination the fellow UIW world of Kowloon, one passenger most uncomfortable, for the stress from an accelerated burn to the JumpShip has left him feeling quite ill and battered. His only consolation are the drugs taken to minimize the effects of severe Jump Shock he suffers, and the knowledge that he is on his way to help a fellow Adder Clansman.

Vincent Frehley making a mental list of what he is going to need in order to care for two small and young children, number one on his list is a Nanny or Caretaker, preferably one who is native to Kowloon and has extensive knowledge of the children's heritage.


Minutes later after the Star Colonel's appearance on the far side of Arluna, Vincent Frehely, Merchant Consulate and defacto Ambassador to the Union of Independent Worlds vanishes in a burst of invisible radiation. His personal mission perhaps not as important politically as Charlamagne's, but one of a much more intimate and emotional nature. What makes them equal is the human element involved, whether a pair or billions, every individual is important to Clan Star Adder.

Quote from: GraeGor on July 15, 2010, 04:28:45 PM
TO: Archduchess Debra MacAullife, Union of Independent Worlds
FROM: Khan Stanislav N'Buta, Clan Star Adder
ORIGIN: Addergrad, Clan Star Adder Environs

Archducess MacAullife,

I have good and bad news for you and your Realm. The Grand Council of all the Clans of Kerensky has seen fit to recognize the Union of Independent Worlds as its own Nation. The bad is that the UIW has been given no special protection from those Clans that may wish to test the mettle of your Warriors and Soldiers.

Clan Star Adder is still willing to place what limited forces we have in your territory at your disposal should their skills and experience be required, though I would advise to only do so in emergencies. Against another Clan it would be seen as my Clan shielding your Nation, which I can but suspect is something you would prefer not to be perceived. However, they are there just in case.

Furthermore, Charlamagne Steiner is planning on making a stop at Arluna to address the Ruling Body of the UIW, I have no insight as to what he will say, only that he requested it, and since this is his mission, for the lack of a better word, I saw no reason to deny him.

Through the unorthodox and often illegal channels available to any military, I have been made aware through the Watch of Clan Star Adder that a rather sizable combined force of former LCAF Units are already in, enroute to, or in place within the borders of this Adder Commonwealth. Some are prestigious and would have been a formidable opponent had they remained to face the Clans, and I can only offer conjectures as to what has gone over to the other claimants and sub-factions.

I hope that the UIW has gained the services of reputable and honorable forces.

Sincerely,

Stanislav N'buta
Khan, Clan Star Adder

To: Stanislav N'Buta, Khan Clan Star Adder
CC: Charlemagne Steiner, Archon-Claimant, Lyran Commonwealth.
From: Debra MacAulliffe, Archduchess, Union of Independent Worlds

RE: Forces, Recognition

We were actually surprised at some of the units that declared in favour of the Union, and a bit dismayed at some who departed us for...redder...pastures.
The Delight included one of the most storied and legendary units from Skye.
The Dismay being that Blackstone really didn't learn what kind of people he's claimed friendship to, the folk on Inarcs have lost one of their own to Daphne's hypnotic embrace, and that betrayal will be felt keenly as soon as word gets around the Union.

In a way, we got damn lucky with that, better to know an enemy is an enemy, than to think him a friend just because of blood ties.

Your news about Recognition, both votes, is good news-the vote TO recognize us is good news, and the vote NOT to suspend Trials is good news-I've read the copy of the Law of the Clans Vince loaned me thoroughly, and it strikes me that by voting NOT to suspend Trials, the Grand Council honours us with what amounts to a status of adulthood within their view of international community.  It is, of course, also an implied challenge that the UIW is going to have to work very hard to live up to.

I've kicked around the ball with some of the Defense Committee in Congress, and we've designated areas in each system for the conduct of Clan-Style trials, these areas are well away from populated zones, and are open to use for training and for Trials both between Clans (in the event two Clans are having a dispute that needs to be settled here or nearby), and to handle formal trials on behalf of the UIW in our interactions with member Clans of the Grand Council.

We do insist that Trials within our space be conducted under the most stringent of the Kerensky rules of engagement, and that they be over-seen when possible by a neutral third party, to prevent accusations of foul play.

I hope this is seen as a reasonable restraint.  

We do offer an alternative in situations where both parties are too angry, or their feuds too deep to be settled in the normal, prescribed fashion.  In cases where the dispute is too severe and is causing disruption beyond the immediate parties involved, personal duels may be held at 15:45 every thursday, under the prescribed rules for Honour duelling, on the lawn of the Congress building.  Combatants will be bound strong-hand to strong-hand and at the ankle, and provided with appropriate weapons, to fight until one or both are dead.

Naturally a final offer of mediation will be extended prior to the fight.  We've only had it get down to an actual fight a couple times-once with a pair of Congressmen whose personal feud was disrupting the Congress and impeding the people's business, and once in a water-rights dispute on Neerabup that had begun claiming the lives of bystanders.

Both disputes were effectively settled in the aftermath, the heirs on Neerabup are, I understand, getting along well, and both Neerabup and Inarcs have sent more reasonably inclined, cool-tempered replacements for their late congresspersons.

Arluna Traffic Control...

"Message received, Star Adder dropship, Vector Two one Alpha, set ILS for channel 18 Delta on the Yankee pulse spectrum, Traffic inbounds are clear at this time, expect to see you on the ground in twelve, that's one-Two Star League Hours, time locally at Grantsberg's diplomatic terminal is zero-five-thirty hours, weather is clear with high temp of forty Celsius projected for noon, chance of precipitation is Six percent, humidity levels are at ten percent, and projected to remain low through friday.  The Archduchess is being informed of your pending arrival, schedule coordination is on Diplomatic Channel Whiskey-One-six-five-Bravo, pulse Baker One, do you copy, over?"

[ooc: to save time, the ATC directs Charlemagne's dropship to the spaceport-which looks considerably better than it did two years ago.  Fresh-cured Ferrocrete aprons with precise 'socket' landing docks for spherical dropships, and flat, long, clean and well-kept runways have replaced the cracked, crumbling, and cluttered mess that greeted Adder landing forces in 3067.  In spite of the fresh coat of paint, and the obvious signs of new construction, the site is very recognizable as the same one seen in holovid reports from the Plague era-it's just that the damage and neglect have been erased, revealing the architectural gem of a port built when the Star League was at its height, and could spend vast sums on even minor colonial worlds' infrastructure.]

Deb managed to not-fidget in the high-sun noontime of Late summer, the Marine Honor-Guards were managing somewhat better than that-of course they do, they're Marines. she thought.

"Company, Atten-Tion!"  Lt. Pol Nguyen found the job of doing 'parade ground' marine something of a letdown after returning from Kwangchowwang, but it had not taken much to understand why he had to be here today, in charge of a Company of light infantry Strike Marines instead of in field exercises or at another far-flung relief assignment.

The dropship ramp extended down.  "Parade, Rest!" He barked.  the men in each line slammed rifle butt to the ground, snapped feet exactly shoulder-width apart, and snapped their free hand behind their back in unison.

Drill and Ceremony have their place in the military-they reinforce discipline and attention to detail, and chickenshit details like greeting VIP's with a company of Strike Marines in full dress Blue-and-Khaki is a way to show the foreigners Why Yes, we're a Professional, Trained and Disciplined military!

Pol, of course, knew it was mainly for the benefit of the holovid people-the Adders had already acknowledged the skill, discipline, and potency of the UIW Marine Corps at Kwangchowwang, when they were forced to break a bid they were confident was enough, and then offered Hegira as an alternative.

It was tantamount to a homage to the honour and valour of the Corps... SHE thinks so, anyways... he slipped a glance at the Archduchess, standing to the right of the formation in her denim riding skirt and khaki blouse-not as sharp as a good marine uniform, but she's not a marine, she's a civilian.

Pol had to be here, then, because he was the man who drove the point home to the rest of the Universe.  "Company, Atten-Tion! Port Arms! Present Arms!!"

As first the bodyguards of the Star Colonel came down the ramp, then, Charlemagne himself.  Holovid and twodee cams zipped around the secure perimeter, imaging and recording the arrival of a head-of-state, the first such arrival to the UIW, for Posterity's sake.

I sure hope he understands that the dog-and-pony is as much for the civilians as it is for the visit... Pol mused, remembering the frank, friendly and direct manner of the Adder Star Colonel on Kwangchowwang.

The Entourage and Charlemagne trooped the line, and Pol was pleasantly surprised that none of these kids had managed to screw up or fall out as the Clanner went past.

"Welcome to the Union of Independent Worlds, Star Colonel."  Debra said, and extended her right hand in the familiar greeting, that was the cue, and so, Pol barked, "Order Arms, Gunny Chao, Take control of the Formation!"

Charlamagne extends his hand to the Archduchess, in his eyes she can catch a glimpse of discomfort, as if he isn't used to such displays, especially those that are directed at him. And that is precisely accurate, Charlamagne Steiner is not accustomed to being treated as the center of attention, despite the fact that he's just that for months amongst his own.

Taking the Archduchesses hand in his, he first shakes it, and at a low cough by one of his bodyguards, he turns it over, and somewhat clumsily, places his lips on the back, before releasing it...somewhat quickly in the eyes of those that are more experienced matters.

After straightening, Charlamagne resorts to form, and puts himself at attention, then salutes the Archduchess and the assembled  UIW Marines, holding it to the count of five before assuming parade rest and replying to the Archduchess, "Thank for the all honor you have shown me Archduchess," he says nervously, "this is far more than I expected." The look in his eyes adds to those paying attention, and really more than I feel I deserve.

The Star Colonel's uniform is crisp in its appearance, as if it was brand new, never before worn prior to this event, which it hasn't. It appears to be the standard uniform for Clan Star Adder Warriors, though the material is different. While it could still be used for regular, everyday duty, a special treatment and combination of fibers alters the light reflective properties, allowing multiple colors to be seen. Depending on the perspective, intensity of light and motion, for the uniform of Star Colonel Charlamagne Steiner two colors dominate; Star Adder Indigo and Lyran Blue. The effect is mildly mesmerizing as he and the Archduchess are led to her waiting car, alternating and blending together, he and the colors serve as a unique symbol for the idea of unifying such two different yet surprisingly similar cultures.


A short ride, devoid of traffic, and an uncomfortable, at least for Charlamagne, lunch follow before the two leaders and their respective entourages get to the heart and purpose of Charlamagne's visit...

Back Yard, MacAulliffe Farm, High Sun (1530 Hours on a 24 Hour clock), 22 Miles outside Grantsberg...

"...looked as uncomfortable as I felt the first time someone showed up with the dog-and-pony." Debra was saying, "You are going to have to get used to that, an' more, Star Colonel.  The show isn't for the guest, and it is not for the guy running it-the show is for the civilians, it makes them feel..." She searched for the word, "It is for the civilians.  ah-I learned that one a short time after going to work for Peter.  Lyrans love their ceremonies, an' as much as we have left the Commonwealth, there is a certain amount of that out here, too-I expect you reach Coventry or Alarion, you will see a rank of 'mechs in about the same formation Lt. Nguyen's marine company was holding, doing roughly the same thing... and Alarion will probably do a flyby with fighters.  They'll do it because it reassures the citizens that all is well, that their leaders are up to the job, and that they know how to handle a State visit by dignitaries...but enough with the small-talk, right?"

There were Marines here too-Pol and his men had changed uniforms on the bus-ride up, while the road route was secured by "army" (militia) troops.  On one level, placing the lives of two heads-of-state in the hands of sunday-soldiers offended Pol Nguyen's professional dignity, but on the other, getting to wear civvies and short-sleeves at Debbie Mac's house was an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Pol, go inside and fetch the Blue file off'n my desk." Debra ordered, "an'  the map marked 'Saturday'."

"Aye Aye ma'am." Pol went inside, and retrieved the items, coming back out to the back-yard, while the Archduchess cleared the picnic table and set aside river-rocks to hold the map down.

"I've had people asking if we're going to be getting more neighbours." Debra said, "Especially from business and community leaders, questions about whether all trade with the Clan side are going to be fight-or-Barter situations, and what the exchange rate for Clan Work-Credits and Kerenskies to Kroner and C-Bill is going to be."

the young marine spread out the map while she talked, anchoring it with river-rock on the corners.

"Some of the questions period requests were really fascinating to me personally." Deb confided, "For instance, one of the Coast Guard instructors over at the Union's academy on Kowloon wants to know if we can get a Chatterweb node put in-apparently Leutenant Commander Giao Pham* was exposed to it after Addergrad, and thinks it would be a real asset."

Spider Moon, 3rd body orbiting gas giant Boojum, Kowloon system, August 29, 3069...

In spite of good relations, No Star Adder had ever visited Spider Moon.  During their one try at conquering Kowloon, the Clan had bypassed the place, and the Rockjacks that lived there, and in the asteroid and moonlet systems in Kowloon's outer solar system.

Seemingly as if by some divine madness, the Clan had apparently finally seen fit to rectify that-for the saddest of reasons.

An Adder was coming here.

"What do you know about Vincent Frehley?" Commander Minh Thanh asked.  Giao shrugged, "He's been on Arluna the last two years as the Consul, he's a Star Adder officer, other than that? Not much, I suppose Denh Cham Moskovitz over in OCB might have a file on the man."  she said, "Most of my Adder Exposure was at somer-I mean, Addergrad."

"Well, he's coming here to take a hand in the Nghien case."  the Commander of all fifteen smallcraft, one jumpship, and twelve fighters-the total of the Coast Guard assigned to cover the outer system's rockjack colonies, said, "Apparently Lan Nghien's out of the Inner Sphere for a time."

"Figures." Giao said, "You want me to ride herd on him, instead of running my investigation?"  It was a mild accusation.

"Giao, you're a first rate spacer, a good instructor, and one of the best hands with subordinates I've ever seen-but yeah, I want to put it in OCB's hands now-specifically Moskowitz and his number-crunchers.  You've hit dry looking for motive combined with opportunity, and we need to narrow the suspect lists down-that means a trained investigator, someone who can go..." she stopped.

Giao finished her statement for her, "Go down to the Planet, and look for motive down there." she said.

"Yeah... find out who Lan's daddy  might've pissed off enough to hire a contract hit out here."  the Commander told her, "Besides, I need someone with experience dealing with Clanners, and you're it until next rotation."

Kahanist Synagogue Seminary, Ia Drang...

"...incomplete."  Rab Kheffer said, "Shoddy work over all.  Admiral, I won't endorse OCB's conclusions on the Tharkad detonations.  The core samples are corrupted by the drilling techniques and the particulate air-sampling was less than one part per million-with samples that small, those weapons could have come from anywhere."

Alicia Li sighed, "It isn't like I can send a full team back there, Rabbi...you're certain your organization won't endorse this?"

"In addition to my spiritual duties and teaching duty, I run the UIW national Labs now, and I will NOT have shoddy, half-assed workmanship coming out of our analysis group, now, or in the future." he scolded, "You may inform the Congress that we do not support OCB's findings in this matter."

"Thank you for your time." Li said, and showed herself out.

MacAulliffe Farm, Arluna...

Evening descended, and it was time to go inside.  The oddly informal formality of the meeting thus far-mixing blunt business with what could only be termed a 'casual' environment, shifted to a much more formal air when the door closed and the two heads of state were in the sitting room.

Map displays, data streams, and the signs of a working office clashed somewhat with the wood-burning fireplace and worn-but-comfortable furniture-the furnishings of what had been a prosperous, but essentially common, farm house.  The other things, the displays, imagers, data stream managers and high-tech props of governance were out of place here-yet they WERE here.

"...Thing is, you're coming in as Archon, you will need to know what obligations your predecessor burdened the office with.  Namely, the treaty that ceded worlds to the Terran Hegemony."  Debra pushed a PADD across the low table, to Charlemagne.  "There was an obligation for mutual defense in that treaty.  One that had the Lyrans working support for the Terrans when they hammered the Free Worlds league in 3063... Dad was part of that mission."  she nodded to a framed twodee picture of a large, scarred man in 'working clothes' standing in front of the house.  "Notable in recent years, you might consider the essential absence of the Terrans from the front lines." she added.  "They didn't keep up their part of the bargain.  You might point that out to Robert Kelswa Steiner if you get the chance to meet with him-Lyrans are dying on the front-lines, and half the realm's been conquered, and where are the Terries? it's their war, isn't it? they're the ones who sheltered the...um...'not named', right?"

Midnight, Calsom corporate Farms, Australia, Grid 182631 Northwest...

Jesse heard the barking outside.  "Emily wake up." he said, "I think the dogs are back again."

Jesse and Emily Williams wouldn't have been adults before the Plague changed things, they sure as hell wouldn't be running a thousand acres of ranch-land, and there's nowhere in the Commonwealth that would have let them be married-at fourteen and thirteen, legally they would be children anywhere but here...

Barking echoed across the hills, and they were trapped up here.  Feral Dogs are a problem.  The pack was led by a big Rottweiler, and it was hundereds strong.

"They're going to get the cattle." Emily said.

"Maybe.  Stay up here, I don't think they can climb, an' if they can..." he handed her the 10mm pistol.

"What, are you crazy?"  Em said.

"That Cattle's all we have to sell, Em." Jesse said, "Those ferals will kill more than they'll eat."  He counted cartridges, "But if I pop the Rottie, they'll probably fall in on each other."

The rifle was left at the old farmhouse when the original owners had succumbed to the plague.  Hope this works... Jesse laid himself across the branches of the tree, and looked through the weapon's night-vision scope.

In the illumation, the ferals looked like colour-image reverses, photographic negatives of dogs, with glowing white eyes and lolling tongues over fangs.

The big rottweiler was the brains-it hung back, sending golden retrievers, german shepherds and irish wolfhounds ahead, the barkier little dogs running along hte flanks-terriers, blue-heelers, and general category mutts moving to 'cut' cattle out and break up the herd.

where are you, son of a bitch?

There he was, watching, on top of a rock, like some character from a childrens' show.

BLAM  the shot drove the hunting-rifle into Jesse's shoulder, flipping the dog backward with an agonized yelping.

The army of ferals kept coming.

Jesse shifted to the next largest-what looked like a shepherd/wolfhound mixed with something else.

BLAM!!!  it echoed across the canyons.

The barking changed from baying, to something else...something angrier.

The wild dogs weren't interested in the cattle anymore-they sensed an enemy and they were going to kill it.

They were coming...

CGNAS Spider Moon, 1600 Local time, August 28, 3069...

If "low Tech" described most of the UIW, and one believed in zero-sum games with Karma, then the Boojum gas giant's communities were the opposite end of that equation...then again, they had to be.  Like Ender's Cluster or the Sol Belt, technology did not merely rule here, it was ubiquitous-and it had to be.

It's a matter of survival in the belts, and rockpiles surrounding Boojum, a gas giant one third again the size of Jupiter with as many moons, moonlets, and a ring system that could rival Saturn's for spectacular colors.

Nowhere in the outer system is a place where man could walk unprotected, from the hard vacuum of space to the corrosive atmospheres of near-planet-sized moons, to the icy, vacuum-exposed wastes of Spider moon itself, the nature of the place was extermination to earthlife.

And people lived out here regardless, for it is man's way, to defy nature and cosmology in the pursuit of wealth, or privacy, or adventure.

Within the Coast Guard Naval Air Station (so named because 'space station' on a moon, even one as airless and cold as Spider Moon, just sounded silly...), tense traffic-controllers watched the jump points. The scheduled flight from Arluna was coming soon, bearing a foreign ambassador whose mission was mercy, but whose nation was militant.

Outside the station, life continued as it always does.  The McKinnon cooperative and the Phaley Conglomerate were disputing a claim on a colloidal lump of carbon compounds-the price for it on the local market being higher than an equal volume of raw Germanium ore-because you don't need Germanium to live, while the Fulston family and the Pham Partnership were settling on a contract to share a claim on a chunk of rare earths barely sixty meters on a side, worth millions of C-bills or Kroner on the open market.

Out here, the Coast Guard is the postal service, civil service, police department and fire/rescue agency for over fifty thousand people spread across an area several thousand times the size of old earth's surface.

Radio calls from the furthest points suffer time delay-light moves at a specific velocity, but man travels by Jump Ship from here, to the limits of the Kowloonese Coast Guard's range-out in the shell of the local Oort Cloud.

The Law here, is the Commodore assigned to Boojum.  Her spacers range everywhere, no claim is closed to their scrutiny, no dispute beyond their reach, and until just recently, no criminal beyond her grasp.

and it is a crime that brings the Star Adder's Consul to the Boojum Belts.

Calsom corporate Farms, Australia, Grid 182631 Northwest...

Emma looked up at the sky, they were out of bullets, and the outcrop they were cold-camped on was surrounded by dogs.  Emma looked to the sky.  "When you wish upon a star..."

The falling star turned to a wave of white-hot light and thundercracked across the badlands.

The cattle fled as the thunder and light made day of night, and half a kilometer away, the valley was lit by the light of fusing Hydrogen as the first of the dropships landed.

The dog-pack fled into the night.

"what...was that?" Jesse asked, trying to blink the brightness out of his eyes.

"I saw a falling star." Emma told him.

His eyes began adapting as the dropships passed nearby, coming to rest in the empty, old militia landing field across the river.

The Airfield that belonged to wild pigs, which were now fleeing in a noisy rout, knowing, like the dogs, that the pillars of fire brought men with guns-guns to kill feral animals and armour too hard to bite through or trample.

"Emma, give me the glasses." Jesse said.

She handed him the binoculars.

He peered through and searched memories more than two years old-back when he'd been a child, obsessed with heroes...

"Markings are Fourth Skye Rangers." he said, "Either it really is the Pride of Albion, or it's bandits pretending to be."

"you sure?" she asked.

"Dad and me spent a whole summer painting a model of Harrison Frisch's Zeus.  It's either them, or someone who's pretending to be them."  Jesse said, "You wouldn't remember, it was in the time before."

4th Skye Rangers Cantonment, "Camp Grizwald" Australia...

"That, is a big F'ing boar."  Harrison Frisch said, looking at the 800 kilo razorback hog 'mechwarrior Lincoln shot in what was supposed to be the Operations shed.

"aye it is.  Some of the Lads are out collectin' more.  Th's cities are back up, but out here in th' backcountry, the feral animals are pretty rampant-you saw that massive pack o' dogs, din' ye?" Lincoln noted.

"Yeah, I saw 'em, what about the civilians they had cornered on the rocks?" Frisch asked.

"Still in th' area, figger they're the herders for that load o' beef what went runnin' when we did the low-pass."

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 16, 2010, 07:22:08 PM
Back Yard, MacAulliffe Farm, High Sun (1530 Hours on a 24 Hour clock), 22 Miles outside Grantsberg...

"...looked as uncomfortable as I felt the first time someone showed up with the dog-and-pony." Debra was saying, "You are going to have to get used to that, an' more, Star Colonel.  The show isn't for the guest, and it is not for the guy running it-the show is for the civilians, it makes them feel..." She searched for the word, "It is for the civilians.  ah-I learned that one a short time after going to work for Peter.  Lyrans love their ceremonies, an' as much as we have left the Commonwealth, there is a certain amount of that out here, too-I expect you reach Coventry or Alarion, you will see a rank of 'mechs in about the same formation Lt. Nguyen's marine company was holding, doing roughly the same thing... and Alarion will probably do a flyby with fighters.  They'll do it because it reassures the citizens that all is well, that their leaders are up to the job, and that they know how to handle a State visit by dignitaries...but enough with the small-talk, right?"

Charlamagne, still with that "deer caught in headlights look", answered rather quietly, almost as if he were trying not to be noticed and heard, "Military style ceremonies I can deal with, the Clans have a number of them. However the crowds are considerably smaller and composed of ones peers and comrades."

He takes a sip from the water glass before adding, "In time I may get more used to such spectacles, but that does not mean I have to enjoy them,quiaff."

QuoteThere were Marines here too-Pol and his men had changed uniforms on the bus-ride up, while the road route was secured by "army" (militia) troops.  On one level, placing the lives of two heads-of-state in the hands of sunday-soldiers offended Pol Nguyen's professional dignity, but on the other, getting to wear civvies and short-sleeves at Debbie Mac's house was an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Pol, go inside and fetch the Blue file off'n my desk." Debra ordered, "an'  the map marked 'Saturday'."

"Aye Aye ma'am." Pol went inside, and retrieved the items, coming back out to the back-yard, while the Archduchess cleared the picnic table and set aside river-rocks to hold the map down.

"I've had people asking if we're going to be getting more neighbours." Debra said, "Especially from business and community leaders, questions about whether all trade with the Clan side are going to be fight-or-Barter situations, and what the exchange rate for Clan Work-Credits and Kerenskies to Kroner and C-Bill is going to be."

"To be quite honest, I do not know if you will be getting more neighbors, though I suspect it likely. There is talk about the fates and Fates of several other Clans, most notably the Wolves and Scorpions," he says, "as far as business and trade, it would be best to prepare for all, Barter, Trial or Purchase."

"Monetary exchange rates will likely vary from Clan to Clan. Clan Star Adder uses kerenskies for all Inner and Inter-Clan merchant dealings, and offers a one-to-one rate of exchange to all allied and friendly non-Clan Powers. While not accepting the monetary units from those dubbed as enemy. Neutrals are given a two-to-one rate, that is two of theirs for one kerensky."

"Needless to say, amongst those worlds that were Lyran prior to the Sundering, most were pleased at not losing any of their earning and savings. Of course, those who owned large military holdings were not so when they learned that those were Nationalized and placed under the direct control of the Clan Council," he added with an amused smile.

Quotethe young marine spread out the map while she talked, anchoring it with river-rock on the corners.

"Some of the questions period requests were really fascinating to me personally." Deb confided, "For instance, one of the Coast Guard instructors over at the Union's academy on Kowloon wants to know if we can get a Chatterweb node put in-apparently Leutenant Commander Giao Pham* was exposed to it after Addergrad, and thinks it would be a real asset."

His expression changed somewhat, still amused, but in a more thoughtful way, "I can send a missive to the Watch, and if Director approves, and is not overruled by the Khan and Council, then a Chatterweb Node would be placed within your borders."

"And on the topic of communications," he injects, "Clan Star Adder is willing to provide HPG service to the Union of Independent Worlds, even training some of your own in the maintenance and operations of such devices. Several dozen Techs are amongst my companions just for that purpose should you wish to begin here on Arluna. The exact details of a more long term HPG service would have to be worked out with the Watch or a proxy, but
I am sure that something can be arranged to the benefits of all parties."

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 18, 2010, 07:47:53 AM
MacAulliffe Farm, Arluna...

Evening descended, and it was time to go inside.  The oddly informal formality of the meeting thus far-mixing blunt business with what could only be termed a 'casual' environment, shifted to a much more formal air when the door closed and the two heads of state were in the sitting room.

Map displays, data streams, and the signs of a working office clashed somewhat with the wood-burning fireplace and worn-but-comfortable furniture-the furnishings of what had been a prosperous, but essentially common, farm house.  The other things, the displays, imagers, data stream managers and high-tech props of governance were out of place here-yet they WERE here.

"...Thing is, you're coming in as Archon, you will need to know what obligations your predecessor burdened the office with.  Namely, the treaty that ceded worlds to the Terran Hegemony."  Debra pushed a PADD across the low table, to Charlemagne.  "There was an obligation for mutual defense in that treaty.  One that had the Lyrans working support for the Terrans when they hammered the Free Worlds league in 3063... Dad was part of that mission."  she nodded to a framed twodee picture of a large, scarred man in 'working clothes' standing in front of the house.  "Notable in recent years, you might consider the essential absence of the Terrans from the front lines." she added.  "They didn't keep up their part of the bargain.  You might point that out to Robert Kelswa Steiner if you get the chance to meet with him-Lyrans are dying on the front-lines, and half the realm's been conquered, and where are the Terries? it's their war, isn't it? they're the ones who sheltered the...um...'not named', right?"

"I was not aware of such a Treaty, and further points out that the Not-Named and Terrans are not to be trusted. First things first though, I must get the worlds that have chosen to follow me stable and secure," his eyes seem to blank slightly, and his tone alters so slightly, "I foresee a time when Robert and I will have more than words...," the look on his face after that brief sentence is a mix of embarrassment and relvelation, though if pressed as to what he meant, he simply replies, "The Universe is vague."

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 19, 2010, 02:03:53 AM
CGNAS Spider Moon, 1600 Local time, August 28, 3069...

If "low Tech" described most of the UIW, and one believed in zero-sum games with Karma, then the Boojum gas giant's communities were the opposite end of that equation...then again, they had to be.  Like Ender's Cluster or the Sol Belt, technology did not merely rule here, it was ubiquitous-and it had to be.

It's a matter of survival in the belts, and rockpiles surrounding Boojum, a gas giant one third again the size of Jupiter with as many moons, moonlets, and a ring system that could rival Saturn's for spectacular colors.

Nowhere in the outer system is a place where man could walk unprotected, from the hard vacuum of space to the corrosive atmospheres of near-planet-sized moons, to the icy, vacuum-exposed wastes of Spider moon itself, the nature of the place was extermination to earthlife.

And people lived out here regardless, for it is man's way, to defy nature and cosmology in the pursuit of wealth, or privacy, or adventure.

Within the Coast Guard Naval Air Station (so named because 'space station' on a moon, even one as airless and cold as Spider Moon, just sounded silly...), tense traffic-controllers watched the jump points. The scheduled flight from Arluna was coming soon, bearing a foreign ambassador whose mission was mercy, but whose nation was militant.

Outside the station, life continued as it always does.  The McKinnon cooperative and the Phaley Conglomerate were disputing a claim on a colloidal lump of carbon compounds-the price for it on the local market being higher than an equal volume of raw Germanium ore-because you don't need Germanium to live, while the Fulston family and the Pham Partnership were settling on a contract to share a claim on a chunk of rare earths barely sixty meters on a side, worth millions of C-bills or Kroner on the open market.

Out here, the Coast Guard is the postal service, civil service, police department and fire/rescue agency for over fifty thousand people spread across an area several thousand times the size of old earth's surface.

Radio calls from the furthest points suffer time delay-light moves at a specific velocity, but man travels by Jump Ship from here, to the limits of the Kowloonese Coast Guard's range-out in the shell of the local Oort Cloud.

The Law here, is the Commodore assigned to Boojum.  Her spacers range everywhere, no claim is closed to their scrutiny, no dispute beyond their reach, and until just recently, no criminal beyond her grasp.

and it is a crime that brings the Star Adder's Consul to the Boojum Belts.

Vincent Frehley, steps out into the "night" sky, a full e-suit covering every square centimeter of his form. The view is spectacular, and were he not here on more pressing matters, he'd be tempted to spend an hour or three just gazing at the "sky".

It isn't long before his attention is grabbed by a trio of figures approaching him, not so much the fact that they're heading in his direction, but more the differences in their suits and the intensity of their walk, and the fact that they don't change course to avoid people, the people move, often hastily, out of their path.

Consul Vincent Frehley, Clan Star Adder Merchant Representative to the world of Arluna, now Capital of the Union of Independent Worlds, is here to take the responsibility as guardian to a pair of young children, the niece and nephew of a fellow Clansman who is even now on his way to the Clan Homeworlds to take his position as Deputy Director of the Inter-Clan Watch.

Vincent has already made arrangements, not that he'd have bothered due to Lan's new Rank, but still setting the wheels in motion to ensure a solid relay of HPG CommSats would be in place by the time he arrived so that he would be able to check up on and talk to his family would be worth the effort.

The three have closed the distance to just a few meters, and just before they stop before him, he introduces himself, "Vincent Frehley, Merchant Consul to Arluna, Clan Star Adder. I'm here to meet and serve as advocate and guardian to Vinh and Lan Nghien."

Spider Moon CGNAS...

"Welcome to the Belt, Consul Frehley.  I'm Leutenant Commander Giao Pham," she gestured to her left, "This is Warrant Souhon, and this is Petty Officer Cham, Suohon is the State Advocate for child services, and Cham's assigned to help you out with day-to-days while you're a guest here."

They walked to a rover and Vincent could see it was an old one-such rovers were fairly common in the Kerensky Cluster, usually for use by exploration teams.  This one wasn't a leftover or relic, though.  The dull foamed metal frame was not pocked with micrometeroid impacts, and the spun-wire wheels were still polished with sharp traction pads.

The ride to the actual pressurized area of the base took only a few minutes at speeds that showed the driver was long used to operating a motor vehicle in one tenth gravity.

As they drove, Vince could see work going on-crews were excavating machinery.

"What's that?" he asked.

"The Spider Moon site used to be an SLDF missile base, we are not sure what they needed a missile base here for exactly, but they left the launch gear when they un-loaded the missiles themselves.  The gear is useful for some of the mining co-ops, so periodically the Coast Guard auctions a piece off to make budget-especially when tax revenue's down.  Started with over a hundered tubes, that would be the last twenty or so over there-they auctioned it last July to a couple co-ops working the Oort Cloud.  The silo structures work pretty well as base-structures for linear processing, and the lift equipment, blast doors and wiring are pretty commonly used for expansion of living spaces in floating burrows."  she explained, "One of the few cases where it is cheaper to buy, than to make on-site, you do not always find good sources of copper, and copper is less bulky than aluminum."

"Superconductors-" he said.

"We can spin that too-but that is too valuable for industrial applications.  Copper's better for domestic tasks-you don't have to sink it like you do supercon."  she expanded, "Temp's a big issue in a burrow."

The rover rolled up to a pair of large blast doors, that opened, they drove in, the doors closed, and the floor descended.

It looked like a Brian Cache's entrance-but cared for, kept clean and maintained, even with a fresh coat of cerampaint.

As the elevator descended, pressure increased until they were at planetary sea-level ranges.

Giao took off her helmet, and breathed in deep.  "Mix is good." she said, and only then, did the others doff their helmets.

She was young, and pretty, and did not fit the stereotype of someone whose responsibilities and authority stretched across the back end of a Solar System...she looked, in other terms, like her file holo in the Watch reports.  They got off the Rover and Cham drove it into a parking stall, before joining the three.

"Let us get to the office, I am sure you want to meet the kids." Giao said.

Quote from: GraeGor on July 20, 2010, 05:14:48 PM

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 16, 2010, 07:22:08 PM
Back Yard, MacAulliffe Farm, High Sun (1530 Hours on a 24 Hour clock), 22 Miles outside Grantsberg...

"...looked as uncomfortable as I felt the first time someone showed up with the dog-and-pony." Debra was saying, "You are going to have to get used to that, an' more, Star Colonel.  The show isn't for the guest, and it is not for the guy running it-the show is for the civilians, it makes them feel..." She searched for the word, "It is for the civilians.  ah-I learned that one a short time after going to work for Peter.  Lyrans love their ceremonies, an' as much as we have left the Commonwealth, there is a certain amount of that out here, too-I expect you reach Coventry or Alarion, you will see a rank of 'mechs in about the same formation Lt. Nguyen's marine company was holding, doing roughly the same thing... and Alarion will probably do a flyby with fighters.  They'll do it because it reassures the citizens that all is well, that their leaders are up to the job, and that they know how to handle a State visit by dignitaries...but enough with the small-talk, right?"

Charlamagne, still with that "deer caught in headlights look", answered rather quietly, almost as if he were trying not to be noticed and heard, "Military style ceremonies I can deal with, the Clans have a number of them. However the crowds are considerably smaller and composed of ones peers and comrades."

He takes a sip from the water glass before adding, "In time I may get more used to such spectacles, but that does not mean I have to enjoy them,quiaff."

Deb nodded.  "Pol and the boys call 'em dog-and-pony shows." she said, "I call them a titanic pain in the ass for everyone involved, except the Press, who love to snap the holos, and the Citizens, who it's really for."     she sighed, and they walked to the car, and a Marine opened the door to let them in.

Quote

QuoteThere were Marines here too-Pol and his men had changed uniforms on the bus-ride up, while the road route was secured by "army" (militia) troops.  On one level, placing the lives of two heads-of-state in the hands of sunday-soldiers offended Pol Nguyen's professional dignity, but on the other, getting to wear civvies and short-sleeves at Debbie Mac's house was an opportunity too good to pass up.

"Pol, go inside and fetch the Blue file off'n my desk." Debra ordered, "an'  the map marked 'Saturday'."

"Aye Aye ma'am." Pol went inside, and retrieved the items, coming back out to the back-yard, while the Archduchess cleared the picnic table and set aside river-rocks to hold the map down.

"I've had people asking if we're going to be getting more neighbours." Debra said, "Especially from business and community leaders, questions about whether all trade with the Clan side are going to be fight-or-Barter situations, and what the exchange rate for Clan Work-Credits and Kerenskies to Kroner and C-Bill is going to be."

"To be quite honest, I do not know if you will be getting more neighbors, though I suspect it likely. There is talk about the fates and Fates of several other Clans, most notably the Wolves and Scorpions," he says, "as far as business and trade, it would be best to prepare for all, Barter, Trial or Purchase."

"Monetary exchange rates will likely vary from Clan to Clan. Clan Star Adder uses kerenskies for all Inner and Inter-Clan merchant dealings, and offers a one-to-one rate of exchange to all allied and friendly non-Clan Powers. While not accepting the monetary units from those dubbed as enemy. Neutrals are given a two-to-one rate, that is two of theirs for one kerensky."

"Needless to say, amongst those worlds that were Lyran prior to the Sundering, most were pleased at not losing any of their earning and savings. Of course, those who owned large military holdings were not so when they learned that those were Nationalized and placed under the direct control of the Clan Council," he added with an amused smile.

Deb chuckled, "When you nationalized those industries, did your folks look at their balance sheets? Coventry Metal Works owes one of our firms a pretty nasty sum for some heavy machinery, and Bradford was making noises about not having to pay his bill because of a change in ownership."  she sighed, "Kelli Fitz was pretty angry about that."

Quote



His expression changed somewhat, still amused, but in a more thoughtful way, "I can send a missive to the Watch, and if Director approves, and is not overruled by the Khan and Council, then a Chatterweb Node would be placed within your borders."

"And on the topic of communications," he injects, "Clan Star Adder is willing to provide HPG service to the Union of Independent Worlds, even training some of your own in the maintenance and operations of such devices. Several dozen Techs are amongst my companions just for that purpose should you wish to begin here on Arluna. The exact details of a more long term HPG service would have to be worked out with the Watch or a proxy, but
I am sure that something can be arranged to the benefits of all parties."

"Coast Guard'd be interested in that-One of the things we...'inherited' from the Elsies is a handfull of really, really old Explorer class ships from the Heyday of the Star League, they've got the fittings for HPG installations, but who in their right mind is going to let agents of a foreign power on their ships-especially a power that...well..." she shook her head, "If we could set up an operator/maintainer school for HPG technology for the Coasties that'd be great-especially with the planned Exploration Initiative."  She handed him a stack of flimsy.  "We intend to start moving pickets out in to these unexplored regions to set up an early-warning net to spot out Pirates before they reach friendly territory.  The more early-warning we've got, the better we have it in preventing another Jessenice massacre."  she folded her hands, "Officially, it's going to be looking for additional resources, and we're keen to do that too-but there's no room for it in the budget, and we sure as hell don't have the population to start launching colonies...but we're working on a long-term plan here."

Quote

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 18, 2010, 07:47:53 AM
MacAulliffe Farm, Arluna...

Evening descended, and it was time to go inside.  The oddly informal formality of the meeting thus far-mixing blunt business with what could only be termed a 'casual' environment, shifted to a much more formal air when the door closed and the two heads of state were in the sitting room.

Map displays, data streams, and the signs of a working office clashed somewhat with the wood-burning fireplace and worn-but-comfortable furniture-the furnishings of what had been a prosperous, but essentially common, farm house.  The other things, the displays, imagers, data stream managers and high-tech props of governance were out of place here-yet they WERE here.

"...Thing is, you're coming in as Archon, you will need to know what obligations your predecessor burdened the office with.  Namely, the treaty that ceded worlds to the Terran Hegemony."  Debra pushed a PADD across the low table, to Charlemagne.  "There was an obligation for mutual defense in that treaty.  One that had the Lyrans working support for the Terrans when they hammered the Free Worlds league in 3063... Dad was part of that mission."  she nodded to a framed twodee picture of a large, scarred man in 'working clothes' standing in front of the house.  "Notable in recent years, you might consider the essential absence of the Terrans from the front lines." she added.  "They didn't keep up their part of the bargain.  You might point that out to Robert Kelswa Steiner if you get the chance to meet with him-Lyrans are dying on the front-lines, and half the realm's been conquered, and where are the Terries? it's their war, isn't it? they're the ones who sheltered the...um...'not named', right?"

"I was not aware of such a Treaty, and further points out that the Not-Named and Terrans are not to be trusted. First things first though, I must get the worlds that have chosen to follow me stable and secure," his eyes seem to blank slightly, and his tone alters so slightly, "I foresee a time when Robert and I will have more than words...," the look on his face after that brief sentence is a mix of embarrassment and relvelation, though if pressed as to what he meant, he simply replies, "The Universe is vague."

"That Treaty, and their failure to uphold it, is one of the main drivers for the decision to go independent." Debra told him.  "WE are no longer bound to it...as Archon, you are going to have people-probably good ones, whom are not...as enlightened about the Realpolitik involved.  I'm waiting for Robert to realize they abrogated their end, and take actions...and if he does, he may need help."  She brought up a display.  "These systems were ceded to the Terrans in exchange for that treaty.  They are heavily industrialized, and deeply militarized.  You may be able to convince him to let the Grand Council's forces through Skye without a fight, if he is first made aware of how thoroughly betrayed his Commonwealth was-which is the difference between fighting a proxy, and fighting your true enemy."

She handed Charlemagne one more file.  "This is the summary of action from the Lyran support end on the Terrans' war against the Free Worlds League. It summarizes known Terran force strength at that time-since then, they have likely grown bigger.  You should pass this to your folk-we can't afford to let it be known we're passing it to you for...obvious reasons.  I ran the numbers-the longer the Hegemony can stay out of this fight, the less likely your colleagues on the Grand Council are to win it, hell, the less likely anyone but the Terries are to survive it-certainly if things continue as they have been, there will be no Lyrans left, only worlds sledged flat by armies passing back and forth."

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 20, 2010, 07:31:21 PM
Deb nodded.  "Pol and the boys call 'em dog-and-pony shows." she said, "I call them a titanic pain in the ass for everyone involved, except the Press, who love to snap the holos, and the Citizens, who it's really for."     she sighed, and they walked to the car, and a Marine opened the door to let them in.

Charlamagne waited for the Archduchess to enter first, one of his first lessons was in male to female etiquette, of which allowing her to enter any vehicle first was the proper manner. Once she had moved aside, he too stooped and entered the car.

QuoteDeb chuckled, "When you nationalized those industries, did your folks look at their balance sheets? Coventry Metal Works owes one of our firms a pretty nasty sum for some heavy machinery, and Bradford was making noises about not having to pay his bill because of a change in ownership."  she sighed, "Kelli Fitz was pretty angry about that."

"They may have, but I have not had the opportunity to review," he answers, "and if this Bradford believes that he can get away with not honoring a debt or deal, he will soon be relieved of that belief," the Clan Star Colonel says with some animosity, "as well as of his position. I am sure that there is somewhere that could use more manual laborers."

"I shall make note to have all outstanding balances paid in full," he declares, "with interest. Once the situation is more stable of course."

Quote"Coast Guard'd be interested in that-One of the things we...'inherited' from the Elsies is a handfull of really, really old Explorer class ships from the Heyday of the Star League, they've got the fittings for HPG installations, but who in their right mind is going to let agents of a foreign power on their ships-especially a power that...well..." she shook her head, "If we could set up an operator/maintainer school for HPG technology for the Coasties that'd be great-especially with the planned Exploration Initiative."  She handed him a stack of flimsy.  "We intend to start moving pickets out in to these unexplored regions to set up an early-warning net to spot out Pirates before they reach friendly territory.  The more early-warning we've got, the better we have it in preventing another Jessenice massacre."  she folded her hands, "Officially, it's going to be looking for additional resources, and we're keen to do that too-but there's no room for it in the budget, and we sure as hell don't have the population to start launching colonies...but we're working on a long-term plan here."

"I will have two dozen Techs behind then," Charlamagne states, "in order to begin the training, at least as much that can be done if facilities are limited."

"And I believe we may have found that interest I mentioned. Have your people make a report of what is owed, and how long overdue. When able, I will see that HPG's are built, shipped and installed in those Explorers as compensation for the delayed payment or delivery of promised wares."

"That is, providing that such is acceptable to you and the Union of Independent Worlds," he asks, though his tone indicates that he already believes what her answer will be.

Quote"That Treaty, and their failure to uphold it, is one of the main drivers for the decision to go independent." Debra told him.  "WE are no longer bound to it...as Archon, you are going to have people-probably good ones, whom are not...as enlightened about the Realpolitik involved.  I'm waiting for Robert to realize they abrogated their end, and take actions...and if he does, he may need help."  She brought up a display.  "These systems were ceded to the Terrans in exchange for that treaty.  They are heavily industrialized, and deeply militarized.  You may be able to convince him to let the Grand Council's forces through Skye without a fight, if he is first made aware of how thoroughly betrayed his Commonwealth was-which is the difference between fighting a proxy, and fighting your true enemy."

"If he asks, I, to be honest, would have to think about it," he says, "And I can but suggest such a course of action with the Khan, and he would then decide whether to bring it up in the Grand Council."

QuoteShe handed Charlemagne one more file.  "This is the summary of action from the Lyran support end on the Terrans' war against the Free Worlds League. It summarizes known Terran force strength at that time-since then, they have likely grown bigger.  You should pass this to your folk-we can't afford to let it be known we're passing it to you for...obvious reasons.  I ran the numbers-the longer the Hegemony can stay out of this fight, the less likely your colleagues on the Grand Council are to win it, hell, the less likely anyone but the Terries are to survive it-certainly if things continue as they have been, there will be no Lyrans left, only worlds sledged flat by armies passing back and forth."

He scans the document, eyes taking in the main gist of its contents, "You are right, this information should be passed along. I will see to it immediately before I leave the Arluna system," he concludes, "which of course will be after I address your Congress. There are many questions they want to ask, quiaff. I cannot promise much at this time, as I do not know what precisely I have to work with, and what challenges will arise as time passes. Though I will answer honestly and as best I can."

"We can figure something out on the compensation later, Charlemagne, I just need your assurance that it will be attended to later." Deb said, "I give you my guarantee that your response will be...forwarded to Him."

she dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs, and poured something purple from a mason-jar into a glass, "In the meantime, Ah'll need you t' pass on a message to the Grand Council." she said, "We intend to have relations with as many of them as will come, from what ah see, we have some mutual enemies, not just the Rim Wuhlds, an' thet fahl's all true-but not all th' Terries have-they have the entahr Innah Spheah wrapped up-they own both Comstah, an' Wuhd of Blake, an' Ah don' b'lieve anah moah than you do thet they ahn't readin' everyone's mail-yo'ah f'miliah with the tactic of Interdiction?"

Charlemagne nodded.

"They've got a blade t' th' throat of every nation, big 'n small, in the Innah Spheah, They've used it befoah, it wuhked, you thin' they won' use it agin?"  she sighed, "Means EMCON, you know EMCON?  means we can't put anythin' impo'tant on th' HPGs, at least, not un-coded, an' modahn Depcryppy means it's best to have 'signals' then details, so's if they DO intahcept, all they git, is gibberish don' make sense to 'em."

The map-display shifted again, showing a tactical plot made of worlds that had declared for Charlemagne, the UIW, and a route through Skye to the Terran Hegemony.

It also showed SLDF troop dispositions-some of the locations were outdated-some of the worlds shown had fallen in previous months, others were places the Clans' frontal assaults had either succeeded or stalled.

"Theah's an Opportunity here."  she said, and highlighted a route across the map.  "Force concentrations here, open running through here."  Areas highlighted.  "Time is short, they're going to close that, an' they may blackmail Skye into fortifying this southern border area.  You need to get Stan to get the Clans Moving through before the Terries realize their delaying force isn't delaying anymore, it's been encircled."  she paused to study his reaction, adding, "Th' Rimjobs already signed a Comstah contract-means theah' gon' go for alliance next...we might be able to do something regards t'that."

The map shifted over, displaying the known Goliath Scorpion and Spirit Cat holdings.  "We c'n staht harassment attacks against the Rimjobs, tah 'em up chasin' the Navy in the back-country, assumin', that is, the Clans can keep the Terries from reinforcin' them.  Th' Wildcahd, in mah opinion, ah these two-the Scorpions don' answer theah mail, an' the Cats ah an unknown quantity."  she turned to look at her guest, "Ah need to Know we can operate without interference from those two.  Joint operations ah bettah, but at MINIMUM we must be able to make operations plans without worryin' about what the Cats and Scorpions are doing."

Marine Corps Recruit Training Center, Hamburg, Neerabup...


The Recruits weren't much younger than Eddie Vanh.  He stopped in front of one.  "What is your fucking name, Hậu môm"

"Sir, Silas Jones, SIR!" the recruit said,

"I didn't hear that, what is your NAME Hậu môm?"  Eddie barked.

"SIR SILAS JONES SIR!!"

"That's not your name, your name is Maggot.  do you like that name, Maggot?"  Eddie snarled.

"Sir NO SIR."  Jones answered.

"Too bad, Maggot.  Skinny white boy like you, why did you presume to sign up with my Corps? You should be a fucking accountant!"  Eddie barked, "Did you get good marks on your Entrance Exams, Maggot?  Do you think this is going to be a fucking JOYRIDE??  I'll be watching you."

Ngo Industries central office, Kowloon...

Kelli watched the INN feed, and made a private note, before turning to Ms White.  "Check Dan Brewer's account and make sure DefHes is up on their payments, Ms. White." she said quietly, "I get the feeling that any late or pending payments are going to be defaulted."

"Yes Ma'am...what do you want me to do with them?" Ms. White asked.

"Forward them to Defiance's Board of Directors with a past-due notice." she said, "Not that they'll pay, mind, but it's good to keep the books balanced."

Congress, Arluna...

"There is a motion to condemn the actions of the Lyran Commonwealth in the suppression of Hesperus Two.  All in favour?"  Debra Mac asked.

Twenty hands went up-she counted them.  all of the Inarcs Congressmen, Neerabup, Anembo's second district and the IV district of Australia..

"Opposed to the motion?" she asked.

Twenty-one hands came up, including Cindy Vanh of the Ia Drang district on Kowloon.  For some reason, seeing Chuck Vanh's sister voting against condemnation was..disturbing.

"Abstain?" she asked, "The motion is rejected by one vote, with sixteen abstaining.  Shameful, people.  I know there's a lot of Pro-Skye sentiment, but come on...Next item on the Agenda..."

Camp Nevermind, Badlands Australia...

the colours looked similar-an outline of old Britain on a green background, but Britain was brown now, and the name "Albion" was replaced by "Prydain at Awstralia" along the bottom half of the flag, and at the top, "Chyfalle chan Annibynnwr Bydau".

"New Uniforms?"  Captain Gwynned Colter asked.

"Aye."  the Supply Sargeant said, "Ye won't hae t'buy the first sets,e'en officers."

She looked them over.  The cut was familiar enough-old Star League pattern BDU's in a tiger-stripe pattern Like those crazies in the 171st.  A long field-coat in dull, dusty brown, and the helmet...she'd seen the helmet pattern before as well-it HAD been tested by the Board back in '51, with improved electronics that were more compact, a sun-visor, and an external shell that could serve multiple uses, but at the time, the AFFC had rejected the pattern as being 'aesthetically unpleasant' in spite of nearly half a kilo less weight for the same protection, better hearing, and, unlike the LCAF standard helmets, no 'blind spots' that a human didn't already have.

The shoulder-patch was the same as the Regimental standard, but with a killer-whale superimposed over the map of Britain.  "Why's it different from the Standard?" she asked.

"Killer Whale's the symbol for the 1st Division, Mum, it's superposed over Regimental insignia as part of the shoulder-patch.  The 171's got a Killer Whale killin' a Shark over a Star o'David...sign here."

She took the uniform draw, signed for the BDU, and moved down the line.

The next step, was a tailor.

Gwynn found out why the native Marines called the dress uniform a "Wool Body-Condom".  Between the row of brass buttons and the tight tailoring, it was hot, sweaty, and in spite of that, it managed to make her look..trimmer.  The starched white hat that topped it was a stark reminder-the UIW's dress uniform,and field uniforms, both required headgear. unlike the LCAF's regulations.

Arluna Zenith
10th October 3069

An IR flash heralded the arrival of a new guest.
As soon as the Monolith came into being, it put forth a message on all frequencies: "Attention Arluna control, this is the Jumpship "Memory" of Clan Ice Hellion. You have offered to take our delivery. We are here to hand them over into your custody. We are coming in peace and request landing coordinates for our freight. Memory out." Captain Gill, formerly Gill Dubcek, knew he was supervised by some Marines, but still, he had a mission for his new Clan. And he would deliver the living cargo without more trouble than it was worth.

Quote from: Marlin on July 26, 2010, 07:49:31 PM
Arluna Zenith
10th October 3069

An IR flash heralded the arrival of a new guest.
As soon as the Monolith came into being, it put forth a message on all frequencies: "Attention Arluna control, this is the Jumpship "Memory" of Clan Ice Hellion. You have offered to take our delivery. We are here to hand them over into your custody. We are coming in peace and request landing coordinates for our freight. Memory out." Captain Gill, formerly Gill Dubcek, knew he was supervised by some Marines, but still, he had a mission for his new Clan. And he would deliver the living cargo without more trouble than it was worth.

"Ice Hellion Memory This is Arluna Traffic Control Alpha,  Live Cargo Droppers Follow landing signal on Channel 162A at pulse 22/3 to the delivery point, Local Coast Guards will meet your delivery at the landing zone, over."

The pulsed signal led the dropships to what looked, at first, like a medium-sized city...until the pilots got close enough to eyeball the fact that the place was overgrown and a deserted ruin two years' neglected.  There was a local drop-port, it wasn't neglected, and it wasn't abandoned.

There were also armed troops here-equipped with Heavy Needlers and other light, antipersonnel weapons. Temporary structures were marked "Voluntary" and "Involuntary" and led to different portions of the terminal complex.  Both had signs up, Proclaiming "Welcome to Oxford-on-Tyne"

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 23, 2010, 07:04:48 PM
"We can figure something out on the compensation later, Charlemagne, I just need your assurance that it will be attended to later." Deb said, "I give you my guarantee that your response will be...forwarded to Him."

"I give you my word that it will be attended to...one way or another."

Quoteshe dropped into one of the overstuffed chairs, and poured something purple from a mason-jar into a glass, "In the meantime, Ah'll need you t' pass on a message to the Grand Council." she said, "We intend to have relations with as many of them as will come, from what ah see, we have some mutual enemies, not just the Rim Wuhlds, an' thet fahl's all true-but not all th' Terries have-they have the entahr Innah Spheah wrapped up-they own both Comstah, an' Wuhd of Blake, an' Ah don' b'lieve anah moah than you do thet they ahn't readin' everyone's mail-yo'ah f'miliah with the tactic of Interdiction?"

Charlemagne nodded.

"I personally cannot address the Grand Council of the Clans," he says, "however I can pass your request to Khan N'Buta, and it will then be up to him. You could have asked him yourself you know, it is an open secret in Clan Star Adder that he has some interest in your Nation, though none are sure as to why."

Quote"They've got a blade t' th' throat of every nation, big 'n small, in the Innah Spheah, They've used it befoah, it wuhked, you thin' they won' use it agin?"  she sighed, "Means EMCON, you know EMCON?  means we can't put anythin' impo'tant on th' HPGs, at least, not un-coded, an' modahn Depcryppy means it's best to have 'signals' then details, so's if they DO intahcept, all they git, is gibberish don' make sense to 'em."

"Thank you for the insight. I had not considered employing any encryption prior, now though I will. Director Adderson likely can assign a team of Watch personnel to oversee activities, if he has not already."

QuoteThe map-display shifted again, showing a tactical plot made of worlds that had declared for Charlemagne, the UIW, and a route through Skye to the Terran Hegemony.

It also showed SLDF troop dispositions-some of the locations were outdated-some of the worlds shown had fallen in previous months, others were places the Clans' frontal assaults had either succeeded or stalled.

"Theah's an Opportunity here."  she said, and highlighted a route across the map.  "Force concentrations here, open running through here."  Areas highlighted.  "Time is short, they're going to close that, an' they may blackmail Skye into fortifying this southern border area.  You need to get Stan to get the Clans Moving through before the Terries realize their delaying force isn't delaying anymore, it's been encircled."  she paused to study his reaction, adding, "Th' Rimjobs already signed a Comstah contract-means theah' gon' go for alliance next...we might be able to do something regards t'that."

Charlamagne studied the map intently, amazed at this girl's ability to recognize such details, though odds are that she was briefed ahead of time.

QuoteThe map shifted over, displaying the known Goliath Scorpion and Spirit Cat holdings.  "We c'n staht harassment attacks against the Rimjobs, tah 'em up chasin' the Navy in the back-country, assumin', that is, the Clans can keep the Terries from reinforcin' them.  Th' Wildcahd, in mah opinion, ah these two-the Scorpions don' answer theah mail, an' the Cats ah an unknown quantity."  she turned to look at her guest, "Ah need to Know we can operate without interference from those two.  Joint operations ah bettah, but at MINIMUM we must be able to make operations plans without worryin' about what the Cats and Scorpions are doing."

"Clan Star Adder cannot offer much more regarding Clans Goliath Scorpion and Spirit Cat," he states, "even though both Clans owe the Adder for their current Holdings, neither has been very receptive to contact for some months now, and that worries the Khan."

"I will do what I can, though I think it highly unlikely that they will take what I have to say seriously. More than a few Clans probably view what Clan Star Adder has done as extremely un-Clan, even with precedent set by Clan Wolf."

"Now though," he says with a touch of reluctance, "I feel the need to address your Congress, a sudden sense of urgency has come over me. Rather intense, and that has me concerned."




(ooc: some IC posts will be made soon with Charlie in the ACW, though those will take place after he addresses the UIW Congress. There are situations, issues and all the other fun things that he needs to deal with)

Quote from: Cannonshop on July 26, 2010, 08:07:19 PM

"Ice Hellion Memory This is Arluna Traffic Control Alpha,  Live Cargo Droppers Follow landing signal on Channel 162A at pulse 22/3 to the delivery point, Local Coast Guards will meet your delivery at the landing zone, over."

The pulsed signal led the dropships to what looked, at first, like a medium-sized city...until the pilots got close enough to eyeball the fact that the place was overgrown and a deserted ruin two years' neglected.  There was a local drop-port, it wasn't neglected, and it wasn't abandoned.

There were also armed troops here-equipped with Heavy Needlers and other light, antipersonnel weapons. Temporary structures were marked "Voluntary" and "Involuntary" and led to different portions of the terminal complex.  Both had signs up, Proclaiming "Welcome to Oxford-on-Tyne"

October 15th
3069, Arluna, Oxford-on-Tyne

Star Captain Ezra had watched the preparations and sites with a mixture of feelings. They were ready, but this city.. he had never seen this before.
Anyway, as the Dropships landed, he would march out to the next member of the security detail to find their commander and agree on a course of action.
Being a Warrior since 31 years, he was certainly past his prime and did not like guarding criminals and fools, but the duty was more important than his feelings.

"I am Star Captain Ezra, I have supervised this transport. Where is your commander?", he asked the armed trooper that stopped him.

Quote from: Marlin on July 27, 2010, 09:43:00 AM


October 15th
3069, Arluna, Oxford-on-Tyne

Star Captain Ezra had watched the preparations and sites with a mixture of feelings. They were ready, but this city.. he had never seen this before.
Anyway, as the Dropships landed, he would march out to the next member of the security detail to find their commander and agree on a course of action.
Being a Warrior since 31 years, he was certainly past his prime and did not like guarding criminals and fools, but the duty was more important than his feelings.

"I am Star Captain Ezra, I have supervised this transport. Where is your commander?", he asked the armed trooper that stopped him.

Private Julio Ortega tried not to stare as the Ice-Hellion officer walked up to him, and demanded to see someone in charge.
"Sargeant!"  He called over an NCO, "Sargeant, he wants to talk to the captain."  The Sargeant in question was in the Advisory group from the Marines, and in charge this morning of Julio's platoon while the NCOs and Staff were out doing qualification exercises.

Even to an offworld observer, the difference between 'Army Group' and Marine uniforms was obvious-Julio's BDU was dull olive-drab with sew-on rank and the word "Army" over the left breast pocket.  Sgt. Killinger and the Marines playing Cadre wore tiger-stripe pattern camouflage duties and a long, duster-style field-Jacket of brown, with the word "Marine" sewn over the right pocket, collar-pinned rank, and a brown 'stetson' with mesh sides to vent heat.

Sargeant Thomas Killinger looked the Hellion officer over in a glance, "Star Captain, if you'll follow me to the Officer's Deck, I'm sure the Leut-I mean Captain can answer your questions?"  He looked over at Ortega, "Private, carry on, I'll take it from here."

The Involuntaries were being rounded up and in-processed-doctors hit them with innoculants against the local diseases, checked their teeth, some were directed to dental techs, others moved down the line.    Injuries and bruises were treated, food was provided in small cardboard containers with soft-plastic utensils.

"Sorry 'bout the way it looks, Star Captain-we take these folks in, we try to make sure the environment doesn't kill 'em.  That group is going to hit the psychists first, then the locals will start interviews, find out what they know how to do, what they need to know how to do, and schedule 'em for class-after that, it's going to be job interviews for some, others will get sent to a work-detail to serve out their sentence doing burial detail and brush clearing-figure when they had enough of that they'll be settled down."

Ezra tried to hide his disdain for the contractions he heard. It seemed that the lower Caste were still somewhat more cultured than the people of the Inner Sphere.
He nodded at the explanations by the Sargeant but did not say too much. This would wait until he met the Captain. But it looked as if they knew what they were doing. At least.

Meanwhile:

Kelli Fitz had received a message per Text, it seemed to have been routed from some of the Drop Ships that had landed. Ice Hellions?

As she read it, it slowly came to her. Him!

"Kelli, I hope my message finds you well. We haven't met for a long time but I hope you remember me. Now, I belong to the Ice Hellion Clan and I think they are nothing to fear if you aren't on the wrong side of the battlefield, that is. They sent the Genyosha packing.

Anyway, I have sworn to follow them, but for now they are in a war against the Terrans and to my taste neglect the defense of their holdings, Melissia foremost. This is where you get into play. As an aide to the planetary governor I have access to some funds and I need equipment. Nothing too fancy, best would be good solid tanks. Not only can they be maintained by us but the boys that make up the first defense units here will much sooner become accustomed to them, remember, I was a tanker back then as well. I just hope the leadership will see the wisdom in my decision as I think they will never deal with an Inner Sphere power, at least not in the foreseeable future. All this here is to be treated confidential, of course. Leadership has seen wisdom in disposing the criminals to Arluna and that is why I can write you. There will be Jumpers trickling in about the time and if you want to acknowledge, in two weeks, the one you got the message from will return to Melissia. Your contact will be the Chief of Guard of DropShip "Botterbloom", I trust him as he is an old friend of mine. If you can arrange something like that, let me know please. I am sure you will find a way.

Sincerely
Bill Gerhard


Quote from: Marlin on July 27, 2010, 07:16:12 PM
Ezra tried to hide his disdain for the contractions he heard. It seemed that the lower Caste were still somewhat more cultured than the people of the Inner Sphere.
He nodded at the explanations by the Sargeant but did not say too much. This would wait until he met the Captain. But it looked as if they knew what they were doing. At least.

Meanwhile:

Kelli Fitz had received a message per Text, it seemed to have been routed from some of the Drop Ships that had landed. Ice Hellions?

As she read it, it slowly came to her. Him!

Code Select Expand

"Kelli, I hope my message finds you well. We haven't met for a long time but I hope you remember me. Now, I belong to the Ice Hellion Clan and I think they are nothing to fear if you aren't on the wrong side of the battlefield, that is. They sent the Genyosha packing.

Anyway, I have sworn to follow them, but for now they are in a war against the Terrans and to my taste neglect the defense of their holdings, Melissia foremost. This is where you get into play. As an aide to the planetary governor I have access to some funds and I need equipment. Nothing too fancy, best would be good solid tanks. Not only can they be maintained by us but the boys that make up the first defense units here will much sooner become accustomed to them, remember, I was a tanker back then as well. I just hope the leadership will see the wisdom in my decision as I think they will never deal with an Inner Sphere power, at least not in the foreseeable future. All this here is to be treated confidential, of course. Leadership has seen wisdom in disposing the criminals to Arluna and that is why I can write you. There will be Jumpers trickling in about the time and if you want to acknowledge, in two weeks, the one you got the message from will return to Melissia. Your contact will be the Chief of Guard of DropShip "Botterbloom", I trust him as he is an old friend of mine. If you can arrange something like that, let me know please. I am sure you will find a way.

Sincerely
Bill Gerhard


Well... interesting, Bill's still alive.  She wondered how the Hellions dealt with his tendency to prank-and then thought better of asking.   She switched her terminal from 'Georgia' to the unconnected-to-any-network 'Lisa' terminal, and began composing a message.

Quote

Bill, it's good to hear you survived the invasion intact-a bit startling to find out you're working for a Clan directly, but I'm sure that's one hell of a story in and of itself.
Give me specs on what you're looking for, and I'll do some rock-flipping to see what I can broker-we might be able to score some new-production gear that fits your needs, or dig up some stuff on the Market that's 'gently used' enough for your clients.

And you still owe me a beer for the Ennesby Nestor case-I told you that guy was guilty.

Kelli

FWL Embassy, Embassy Row Grantsberg

Ambassador Morena Enara Baccarin was a native of Eleusis a world of largely Canopian heritage taken and kept by the Free Worlds League during the Reunification War. Despite their long unification and pacified status they had clung to the Magistracy culture and the New Hedonist philosophy of their forebearer's. As such she was currently sun bathing on the roof of the FWL Embassy enjoing the contrast of the contrast between the cool winter air and the powerful array of sun lamps strategically positioned about her dais, while reading the latest series of reports from Atrues.



"Of course, Atreus has finally managed to shake out some instructions for me in-regards to matters with the Union? They finally accord me with Parliaments 'will" and they provide me with these? *sigh* thankfully I have had some time to ingratiate myself with some of the people of the Union government. Hopefully they shan't be offended by Atreus's presumption."

"Malcolm if you would be so good as to bring the Car around."

"Lady Baccarin, might you consider waiting on the car a while."

"To what end?"

"..."

"Lady Baccarin, I mean no disrespect to you, your noble family, or your judgment as an Ambassador but the people of Arluna rarely go about clad so...lightly.

"Be at ease Malcolm, your insight into such matters are why I maintain you on my staff. Please have Lady Diana pick something appropriate and then bring it to the master bath."


With that Morena shrugged the robe to the ground and proceeded inside the Embassy.

"Oh and Malcolm please have Mr. Jayne request a audience for me with the Duchess, or her designated representative at their governments earliest convenience.

Grantsberg, Arluna, September 13, 3069...

The Capital was becoming a Capitol.  Debbie wouldn't have believed it two years ago during the depths of the plague.  The increased traffic, the crowding...  The air was filled with the sounds of thousands of voices, chattering, shouting, the rumble of engines,and the smells and sights of a city rebuilding itself.

the chaos was almost, but not quite, enough to be lost in-to walk anonymously.

Almost...not...quite.
 
She still wore her pistol in the open-most folks did-but now, instead of it being a matter of practical necessity due to the populaiton boom of feral animals and the despair-driven madness of the plague, it was...

she stopped and looked at a dress on display.  Fashionable?  The cascade of silks on the seamstress' mannequin was interrupted by tooled leather-a holster that held a highly-decorated, inlaid and engraved revolver-far more intricate than the Maxim-Ruger 10mm magnum Debbie herself favoured, but styled to look...

"sakes alive." she whispered.  "ah gotta do somethin' bout thet..."

and then, for some impossible to understand reason, she felt a wave of hysterical laughter rush through her, as she imagined some Noble's offspring on Tharkad wearing such a getup.

She turned from the silly-to-her looking outfit, and kept walking, letting her boots find their way to the government complex where, according to her day-planner, the Free Worlds League Ambassador would be coming for a light lunch and heavy discussion.

[ooc: posted with Graegor's blessing...]

Boojum...

"...Mister Frehley, your paperwork is pretty much complete, You have met the children then?"  Judge Sandra Diaz asked.  The process had been gruelling-the legal forms alone tested the Adder Consul's patience many, many times. 

"I have." he said.

"Well...I do not see any reason to delay this proceeding further-advocate for Children's services?"  Diaz asked.

Corpsman Bianh Dinh Lao stood up,  "Child Protective Services finds no significant issues with Fosterage, provided the children receive adequate educational support and are not required to renounce their citizenship, Your Honour."

Diaz nodded. "Very well.  Signatures?"  Documents, this time there was only a single signature required, were presented and signed.

"Mister Frehley, You are now the designated legal guardian in absentia to these children, their safety, health, and upbringing are your sole responsibility, until the age of their Majority, their behaviour is your responsibility, should either of them get into legal trouble while in your care, you, and you alone will be accountable to discipline them, and to pay back or absorb the actual criminal consequences.  Should they be abused in your care, you will be hunted down, the children taken from you, and you will face severe punishments regardless of other citizenship or position you may hold.  Do you understand, sir?" Diaz asked.

"I do."  The Adder Consul said.

"Then, It is so-ordered by this court, that Vincent Frehley is named Sole Legal Guardian to Lan Vanh Nghien and Giao Kun Nghien, ages five and Two standard Years, for the period of twelve, and Sixteen years separately, that he and he alone is permitted to accept, extend, or apply the perogatives of their Parental figure until such time as each has reached the age of Eighteen Years, that He is personally accountable and responsible for their upbringing, education, and all sundry duties and privelages accorded to a parent for that time, and that he will be responsible for providing them each their starting 'stake' upon adulthood equivalent to what is necessary that they be productive and contributing members of society."

The gavel thumped, "So ordered. Congratulations sir, you are a father now."

Quote from: Marlin on July 27, 2010, 07:16:12 PM
Ezra tried to hide his disdain for the contractions he heard. It seemed that the lower Caste were still somewhat more cultured than the people of the Inner Sphere.
He nodded at the explanations by the Sargeant but did not say too much. This would wait until he met the Captain. But it looked as if they knew what they were doing. At least.

Sgt. Killinger led the Clanner officer to Captain Laura Gammond.  She had that same distant/crazy stare that the Marine had, but she was clearly Army personnel, brown wool long-coat, green wool overtunic with a tie, folded atop a khaki shirt.  Her trousers were plain brown with a blue stripe.  "...Johnson, I do not give a shit what the Teamsters rep said, those trucks had better be on their way to Gordon by first light, or I swear to god I'm going to chop someone into kindling in the ring if they aren't."
Her blonde hair barely covered a recent wound, and she wore a sidearm in a cross-draw angled holster-designed for speed, not glamour, and rigged for a left-handed draw.

she looked up, and hung up the old-style handset phone  as Sgt. Killinger cleared his throat, and the Star Captain could see she had a deep, recently-healed scar that marred what had probably been pretty before she'd gotten it, running down her cheek, and (based on the way the flesh fell) ending in a notch at the base of her jaw.  it was the kind of wound that a hatchet, or tomahawk, might make.

"Star Captain." she greeted the Clan warrior, "I take it you have some concerns?"  She extended her hand to offer a handshake-it was missing fingers, and blunt, nasty-looking cut scars were visible just at the edge of the jacket's cuff.

[ooc: if the Ice Hellions have been keeping up with their Watch briefings and profiles, she's clearly been in at least one 'Arluna' style duel-and (most rare of all) lived through winning it.  Likely within the last two months, though some of the scars look older.]

Ezra took the "hand" without hesitation but likely pressed a bit too hard considering her condition.  He had seen worse wounds before. Mostly on more dead people. But the Clans could have given her the missing fingers back, he supposed.

"I am indeed Star Captain Ezra, the leader of the Guard for this transport." His gaze was his usual hidden disdain for Inner Sphere people of this kind mixed with a bit of respect for her abilities, if not her fighting skills, then at least those to survive.

"I have some more questions. First: I saw the "involuntaries" being treated first. I heard they will be chipped. Question: will the volunteers be chipped as well?" He used his fingers to count. "Second: will the volunteers be separated from the criminals, if so, for what duration? Third: Command will need a summary of the processes done to the subjects up until they are "settled"." He seemed to feel obliged to add an explanation: "Based on this will be determined how many other transports will be arranged. Everything else you can add to this will likely help."

He would extend courtesies later. Perhaps. And despite having seen much, his scars were more hidden and his face showed only some age. As a Mechwarrior Phenotype, at least he was not too different to them. Must be the reason he was made the Chief for this first transport.

Quote from: Marlin on August 03, 2010, 10:29:57 AM
Ezra took the "hand" without hesitation but likely pressed a bit too hard considering her condition.  He had seen worse wounds before. Mostly on more dead people. But the Clans could have given her the missing fingers back, he supposed.

"I am indeed Star Captain Ezra, the leader of the Guard for this transport." His gaze was his usual hidden disdain for Inner Sphere people of this kind mixed with a bit of respect for her abilities, if not her fighting skills, then at least those to survive.

"I have some more questions. First: I saw the "involuntaries" being treated first. I heard they will be chipped. Question: will the volunteers be chipped as well?" He used his fingers to count. "Second: will the volunteers be separated from the criminals, if so, for what duration? Third: Command will need a summary of the processes done to the subjects up until they are "settled"." He seemed to feel obliged to add an explanation: "Based on this will be determined how many other transports will be arranged. Everything else you can add to this will likely help."

He would extend courtesies later. Perhaps. And despite having seen much, his scars were more hidden and his face showed only some age. As a Mechwarrior Phenotype, at least he was not too different to them. Must be the reason he was made the Chief for this first transport.

"Well, Star Captain Ezra, I take it you noticed the separate processing arrangements on the pad-yeah, we separate out the crims from volunteers, we also separate out the different types of criminals-we sort 'em by skillsets, what they did, psyche profiles, and what the nerds call 'rehabilitation factors'... the less vile a criminal is, the shorter he's working to make his stake before we turn him loose, some never get turned loose, child molesters, for instance, stay on permanent Probie status isolated from general population, doing jobs we don't want honest people doing, same for homicidal maniacs...the ones that just can not control themselves, they get shot..."

She unrolled a map.  "Volunteers can pick anywhere they want to settle after they've had the survival course, or they can sign up with a job to rack up some money for better-than-issue gear.  Volunteers get radios, guns, ammo, and whatever basic necessities they need depending on what they decide to do, they also get some housing assistance getting started, and if they're out in the boonies, they get razorwire fencing and perimeter alarms.  Families with kids get home-schooling materials and a weekly visit from the Education Department's teachers.  This isn't virgin country out there, and reading is a survival skill as a result of that-we take literacy pretty seriously when there's risk of a kid 'finding' a mineshaft or some dangerous leftover that the clearing teams missed on the first sweep.  Generally if there's a car available that will make the trip to a settler's stake without breaking down, we let 'em have it-people who are mobile, can survive better than people who're stuck in one place.  I use light aircraft and frequent visits by either Military or Civil police to keep up connection between neighbours, and there is the short-wave and Telnet hookups-a family might have a fifty klik walk to the neighbours, but help is only a shout away."

"The ones that pick 'town' settlement areas, well...generally they need to find their own niche-either getting a job with one of the companies, finding a job nobody is doing that they will get paid for, or joining a clearance team as a trustie."

"Clearance teams?" he asked.

"Glad you asked about that-after the plague, a lot of household pets and wild animals suddenly experienced population booms-the worst hazards are Hogs, Dogs, and Gators.  The Hogs get up to a thousand kilos and they're both mean, and smart-they run in packs and they're a serious threat to...hell, anywhere they happen to congregate.  Dogs are, in my own opinion, worse-unlike the Hogs, dogs will kill just for shits and giggles, and the ferals have no fear of man-and they run in bigger packs than the Hogs do.  Gators are...well, they are NOT earthlife alligators, that is just the niche they fill, they are actually a kind of big amphibian, like a real big salamander, but mean and dangerous and too stupid to be afraid of anything, Gators will take a steer right off the bank and with no trouble-your average man is just a snack, and they've been known to crush motorcycles thinking they're food with a bite... Clearance teams go out and go after packs of Hogs, Dogs, and Gator infestations either before an area has been opened for volunteers, or they go after roving packs that show up in range of habitable areas-it's good honest work for people who don't have any other skills, and it teaches them skills that are probably going to be useful for the next hundered years.  Clearance teams learn how to handle everything from guns to poisons, learn tracking, skinning, cooking, and trapping, as well as basic construction and other skills that might make them attractive to an employer when their tour is up."

Quote from: Cannonshop on August 01, 2010, 05:14:05 PM
[ooc: posted with Graegor's blessing...]

Boojum...

"...Mister Frehley, your paperwork is pretty much complete, You have met the children then?"  Judge Sandra Diaz asked.  The process had been gruelling-the legal forms alone tested the Adder Consul's patience many, many times. 

"I have." he said.

"Well...I do not see any reason to delay this proceeding further-advocate for Children's services?"  Diaz asked.

Corpsman Bianh Dinh Lao stood up,  "Child Protective Services finds no significant issues with Fosterage, provided the children receive adequate educational support and are not required to renounce their citizenship, Your Honour."

Diaz nodded. "Very well.  Signatures?"  Documents, this time there was only a single signature required, were presented and signed.

"Mister Frehley, You are now the designated legal guardian in absentia to these children, their safety, health, and upbringing are your sole responsibility, until the age of their Majority, their behaviour is your responsibility, should either of them get into legal trouble while in your care, you, and you alone will be accountable to discipline them, and to pay back or absorb the actual criminal consequences.  Should they be abused in your care, you will be hunted down, the children taken from you, and you will face severe punishments regardless of other citizenship or position you may hold.  Do you understand, sir?" Diaz asked.

"I do."  The Adder Consul said.

"Then, It is so-ordered by this court, that Vincent Frehley is named Sole Legal Guardian to Lan Vanh Nghien and Giao Kun Nghien, ages five and Two standard Years, for the period of twelve, and Sixteen years separately, that he and he alone is permitted to accept, extend, or apply the perogatives of their Parental figure until such time as each has reached the age of Eighteen Years, that He is personally accountable and responsible for their upbringing, education, and all sundry duties and privelages accorded to a parent for that time, and that he will be responsible for providing them each their starting 'stake' upon adulthood equivalent to what is necessary that they be productive and contributing members of society."

The gavel thumped, "So ordered. Congratulations sir, you are a father now."

(ooc: will touch on this off and on in the Adder thread - http://intelser.org/forums/index.php?topic=126.msg9871#msg9871)

Oxford on Tyne, Everglades Continent, reception centre...

"Captain's talkin' to the Clannah ship-boss."  CPO Aldous MacAfree said, "Prob'ly shouldn't disturb that meetin'."

"Jesus, chief, she's going to scare the poor bastard."  Nigel Mason was the hiring man for the Teamster's Guild, "Hope this load's got some drivers, those extra routes..."

"You can Train Drivers, I'm thinkin'." MacAfree said, "Figure he's going to ask about her after they meet?"

"No.  Clanners usually aren't that interested in people who aren't shooting at them." Mason said, "at least, that's how they were back in fifty, I don't expect the character's changed much these days.  Still, he'd probably get the creeps finding out she got those chop-scars during the plague riots, an' they just keep getting opened up..."

"Let's not tell 'em, okay? I'd rather they think our boss is a psycho maniac than think she's an object of pity." MacAfree said, "if they think she's got a quick temper an' has won a bunch of duels, they might leave well enough be, they don't need to know about Jasonville."

"Point...anyway, pass it up the chain, we're ready to roll for Gordon at noon." Mason said, "Should make her happier..."

Camp Nevermind, Australia, 1530 Hours...

"What do you call a kid who can ride, shoot, and survive out here well enough to own two thousand hectares of ranch, and work it?" Major Dumphries asked, there was a couple kids rounding up a herd of cattle to drive north.

"I give up, Terry, what do you call 'em?" Brigadier General Frisch asked.

"You call 'em a kid." Dumphries said, "Those two out there-the boy's thirteen, the girl's just a year older, they should be in school dammit."  Dumphries said, "Not chasing two thousand kilo steers on horseback with shock-rods and rifles, and sure as hell not trying to make a living and pay taxes..."

"Plague orphans, Terry.  At least those two aren't out making trouble for the cops." Harrison said, "Fact is, Jesse's got a good head on his shoulders, and his..." he sighed, "His wife seems to have hers together too-a hell of a lot better than some of the survivors up north, anyway."

"It..it's just wrong, sir." Dumphries said, "it's just wrong."

"Isn't that why we stayed?" Frisch said speculatively, "righting some wrongs? Giving these people the chance to get their shit together without being taken over by the space-nazis or eaten by the Pirates?"

"Yeah...you're thinking of something." Frisch said.

"You know, I am.  We've got a Commissary contract coming up for the garrison, I'm thinking we might be able to...well, keep those two out of trouble and out of the poorhouse."  Frisch said, "Bloody likely could get the boy to take some extension courses, anyway, give 'em some stability."

"Kid does seem to know what he's doing with those steers." Dumphries said, "They're in good shape..."

"I think we've found a beef supplier closer than Perth, anyway." Frisch said.

Bradshaw, Neerabup, Midnight...

Never let me go.  it was 33 degrees Celsius, too warm for  mid-night, and humid.  Thomas sat in his living room, surrounded by reminders.

It was hot, like the fevers, and he sat shivering and sweating and staring at the holo of Jane, but the tears would not come.

Two years gone.  Two years she was gone, in the ground...and he had no tears to weep with.

Thomas, where are you? it's dark down here.

He could see her, standing in the windows, from the corner of his eye-out of reach.

Always now, out of reach.

Following him.

never let go, you promised never to let me go...

He reached down, and lifted the bottle.  The bottle promised oblivion, but he knew from long experience that the promise was a lie.

He unscrewed it one-handed, and tasted the amber bitterness, the taste of the lie, the promise of a peace he would never have.

You promised me forever.

the gun tasted like cold metal.

Click!

Click!

Click!
 
The tears wouldn't come, she wouldn't leave...

You promised me forever.

"Forever."

Satherton, Anembo, 1430 Hours...

Gunshots rang out "Everyone down on the floor, this is a robbery!"  There were three men in balaclavas with automatic weapons, and a fourth with an automatic pistol.  

"Empty the Cash draw, NOW!!"  the pistol was the leader.

Greta's headaches had gotten worse for months now.  she fumbled the till open as the customers cowered.

no... I survived the god-damn plague, my head hurts, not to-dammit day!  

He shoved over the counter with the gun, pressing it into her face.

"Hurry UP Bitch!!" his breath smelled like sweaty, rotten meat...like Philip had when she had to bury him in a fog of fevers...

Greta saw RED

She didn't know what happened next, the Police weren't saying, but when she stopped seeing red, the ambulance was here, collecting the bodies of three robbers and the living, screaming body of a fourth.

"I'll take that, ma'am..." the Constable told her, lifting the robber's pistol from her hands, "are you okay?" he asked.

"I have a headache...no, it's gone now."  she said, "What happened? I only remember him pressing the gun into my face..."

she wiped blood from her hands, on her work-dress, then realized..."oh dear, It will have to be dry-cleaned..."

The customers were looking at her in un-concealed fear now, shying away.

fingers fell out of her pocket, broken and severed and bloody and fresh...

"Ma'am, I think we need to take you to a hospital." the Constable said, "in case you were injured during the fight."

Quote from: Cannonshop on August 04, 2010, 08:01:10 AM

"Well, Star Captain Ezra, I take it you noticed the separate processing arrangements on the pad-yeah, we separate out the crims from volunteers, we also separate out the different types of criminals-we sort 'em by skillsets, what they did, psyche profiles, and what the nerds call 'rehabilitation factors'... the less vile a criminal is, the shorter he's working to make his stake before we turn him loose, some never get turned loose, child molesters, for instance, stay on permanent Probie status isolated from general population, doing jobs we don't want honest people doing, same for homicidal maniacs...the ones that just can not control themselves, they get shot..."

She unrolled a map.  "Volunteers can pick anywhere they want to settle after they've had the survival course, or they can sign up with a job to rack up some money for better-than-issue gear.  Volunteers get radios, guns, ammo, and whatever basic necessities they need depending on what they decide to do, they also get some housing assistance getting started, and if they're out in the boonies, they get razorwire fencing and perimeter alarms.  Families with kids get home-schooling materials and a weekly visit from the Education Department's teachers.  This isn't virgin country out there, and reading is a survival skill as a result of that-we take literacy pretty seriously when there's risk of a kid 'finding' a mineshaft or some dangerous leftover that the clearing teams missed on the first sweep.  Generally if there's a car available that will make the trip to a settler's stake without breaking down, we let 'em have it-people who are mobile, can survive better than people who're stuck in one place.  I use light aircraft and frequent visits by either Military or Civil police to keep up connection between neighbours, and there is the short-wave and Telnet hookups-a family might have a fifty klik walk to the neighbours, but help is only a shout away."

"The ones that pick 'town' settlement areas, well...generally they need to find their own niche-either getting a job with one of the companies, finding a job nobody is doing that they will get paid for, or joining a clearance team as a trustie."

"Clearance teams?" he asked.

"Glad you asked about that-after the plague, a lot of household pets and wild animals suddenly experienced population booms-the worst hazards are Hogs, Dogs, and Gators.  The Hogs get up to a thousand kilos and they're both mean, and smart-they run in packs and they're a serious threat to...hell, anywhere they happen to congregate.  Dogs are, in my own opinion, worse-unlike the Hogs, dogs will kill just for shits and giggles, and the ferals have no fear of man-and they run in bigger packs than the Hogs do.  Gators are...well, they are NOT earthlife alligators, that is just the niche they fill, they are actually a kind of big amphibian, like a real big salamander, but mean and dangerous and too stupid to be afraid of anything, Gators will take a steer right off the bank and with no trouble-your average man is just a snack, and they've been known to crush motorcycles thinking they're food with a bite... Clearance teams go out and go after packs of Hogs, Dogs, and Gator infestations either before an area has been opened for volunteers, or they go after roving packs that show up in range of habitable areas-it's good honest work for people who don't have any other skills, and it teaches them skills that are probably going to be useful for the next hundered years.  Clearance teams learn how to handle everything from guns to poisons, learn tracking, skinning, cooking, and trapping, as well as basic construction and other skills that might make them attractive to an employer when their tour is up."

Ezra nodded. No smile was on his face but the questions increased in numbers:

"I assume that you agree with the report then. You did not answer my question about the chipping. I will add that we would expect the codes of the chip frequencies to be copied to us as well. I understand that the volunteers do not need to be chipped, but the Khans would like to have that to prevent movements to "liberate" their homeplanets."

He had more questions, especially about those Clearance objects but he broke off here to give her another chance. He wanted to take part in such exercise, though.. chances were slim to have a fight here and the ovKhans would certainly reprimand him for seeking such, but those animals sounded like worthy game..

Quote from: Marlin on August 05, 2010, 08:30:38 AM

Quote from: Cannonshop on August 04, 2010, 08:01:10 AM

"Well, Star Captain Ezra, I take it you noticed the separate processing arrangements on the pad-yeah, we separate out the crims from volunteers, we also separate out the different types of criminals-we sort 'em by skillsets, what they did, psyche profiles, and what the nerds call 'rehabilitation factors'... the less vile a criminal is, the shorter he's working to make his stake before we turn him loose, some never get turned loose, child molesters, for instance, stay on permanent Probie status isolated from general population, doing jobs we don't want honest people doing, same for homicidal maniacs...the ones that just can not control themselves, they get shot..."

She unrolled a map.  "Volunteers can pick anywhere they want to settle after they've had the survival course, or they can sign up with a job to rack up some money for better-than-issue gear.  Volunteers get radios, guns, ammo, and whatever basic necessities they need depending on what they decide to do, they also get some housing assistance getting started, and if they're out in the boonies, they get razorwire fencing and perimeter alarms.  Families with kids get home-schooling materials and a weekly visit from the Education Department's teachers.  This isn't virgin country out there, and reading is a survival skill as a result of that-we take literacy pretty seriously when there's risk of a kid 'finding' a mineshaft or some dangerous leftover that the clearing teams missed on the first sweep.  Generally if there's a car available that will make the trip to a settler's stake without breaking down, we let 'em have it-people who are mobile, can survive better than people who're stuck in one place.  I use light aircraft and frequent visits by either Military or Civil police to keep up connection between neighbours, and there is the short-wave and Telnet hookups-a family might have a fifty klik walk to the neighbours, but help is only a shout away."

"The ones that pick 'town' settlement areas, well...generally they need to find their own niche-either getting a job with one of the companies, finding a job nobody is doing that they will get paid for, or joining a clearance team as a trustie."

"Clearance teams?" he asked.

"Glad you asked about that-after the plague, a lot of household pets and wild animals suddenly experienced population booms-the worst hazards are Hogs, Dogs, and Gators.  The Hogs get up to a thousand kilos and they're both mean, and smart-they run in packs and they're a serious threat to...hell, anywhere they happen to congregate.  Dogs are, in my own opinion, worse-unlike the Hogs, dogs will kill just for shits and giggles, and the ferals have no fear of man-and they run in bigger packs than the Hogs do.  Gators are...well, they are NOT earthlife alligators, that is just the niche they fill, they are actually a kind of big amphibian, like a real big salamander, but mean and dangerous and too stupid to be afraid of anything, Gators will take a steer right off the bank and with no trouble-your average man is just a snack, and they've been known to crush motorcycles thinking they're food with a bite... Clearance teams go out and go after packs of Hogs, Dogs, and Gator infestations either before an area has been opened for volunteers, or they go after roving packs that show up in range of habitable areas-it's good honest work for people who don't have any other skills, and it teaches them skills that are probably going to be useful for the next hundered years.  Clearance teams learn how to handle everything from guns to poisons, learn tracking, skinning, cooking, and trapping, as well as basic construction and other skills that might make them attractive to an employer when their tour is up."

Ezra nodded. No smile was on his face but the questions increased in numbers:

"I assume that you agree with the report then. You did not answer my question about the chipping. I will add that we would expect the codes of the chip frequencies to be copied to us as well. I understand that the volunteers do not need to be chipped, but the Khans would like to have that to prevent movements to "liberate" their homeplanets."

He had more questions, especially about those Clearance objects but he broke off here to give her another chance. He wanted to take part in such exercise, though.. chances were slim to have a fight here and the ovKhans would certainly reprimand him for seeking such, but those animals sounded like worthy game..

"Everyone gets chipped at first, it's useful as a locator in case someone gets into trouble out there." she explained, "speaking of that..." she reached over to her desk terminal, "Killinger, the Star Captain has just informed me he has not received the frequencies and codes for the chips, tell Langley to get her ass in gear with that, muy pronto, capische?"

she turned back to the Star Captain, "Sorry about that-you were supposed to get them as soon as the safeties showed you were clear for offload."  she said apologetically, "The pulse-codes are different between involuntaries and volunteers-they have to be, we have to keep them sorted to prevent some smart-ass from jumping a fence-line and pretending to be off probie status-those that make it off probie legitimately get a re-tune as part of the release process, those that do not...well, we like to make sure graves registration knows where to log the body."

she handed him a PADD with an open file, "That being your three primary code-pulses- Probies, Lifers, and Voluntaries." she told him, "Lifers we keep separated to avoid letting someone's serial killer prey on civilians because his files got lost, the other two are separations to note status-probies, or 'probationer applicants' get a countdown code that adjusts according to their work-files, evaluations, and time-on-duty status.  we mostly use the Voluntaries as a means to augment search-and-rescue if some new colonist finds themselves ass-deep in a bad situation and sinking, for instance if someone gets cornered by a pack of Hogs, or stranded in the mountains during a white-out, or just gets lost and needs rescue."

Office of the Archduchess, Grantsberg, Arluna, 9 A.M. local time...

"...more reports.  an old lady tears up four gunmen in a bank-robbery-so what?" Debbie Mac asked, "It's a good thing."

"Ma'am, she ripped one man's fingers off, put them in her pocket, shot the other three, then used up the pistol's ammunition torturing the guy."  Sarah Caldwell was the Attorney General, senior prosecutor for the entire UIW. 

"So give her a medal." Debbie said.

"Not that simple, ma'am, it wasn't rational, she blacked out before she did it, doesn't remember a damned thing-now, what happens when someone else nuts out, say, instead of during a bank-robbery, they flip in the middle of a grade-school or something?"

"Can that happen?" Debra asked.

"No idea if it will, but there are reports of psychotic breaks from one end of the Union to the other-not many, mind, but the disturbing part is what they all have in common." Sarah said.

"Let me guess, they're all survivors." Debra said, "People who got sick,then got better on their own."

"Hole in one, your Grace." Sarah said, "Cases are isolated right now, a handfull of suicides here, one or two bad drunks over there, the occasional nervous breakdown here and there...but there's a common trend and it's got a lot of folks worried."

"Like the chaos after the Plague here." Debbie speculated, "River packs, that kind of thing..."

"Yeah.  We're keeping it low-visibility for now so that nobody 'enterprisingly' starts screaming cover-up, but..." Sarah looked out the window, letting it hang in the air for a moment.

"But, you and Stoneson over at State think that it might be why the Scorpions cut off contact, right?" Debra asked.

"Yeah.  They took before-and-afters and were digging into medical histories, found...something, I guess, and just went armadillo-they know something about the Plague, and I think it scared 'em."  Sarah said.

"Speculations, Sarah." Debra said, "according to the Adders, the Scorps went armadillo to the other Clans, too-might be nothing, might be a problem on THEIR end, it doesn't all revolve around US."

Coast Guard Medical Station Elizabeth, Lower Seine, Arluna, 1200 Hours...

"...so, do you remember the fighting on Kwangchowwang?" Charlotte Dupree was a registered psychiatric nurse, "you remember why you got that medal, right?"

Pol Nguyen looked at his counselor.  "Not clearly." he said, "I remember a few parts, but..."

"But you don't remember the charge on the Star Adder position?" she asked.

"No ma'am, I don't.  I remember ordering the men to fix bayonets, we expected them to counter-attack." he said, "I remember telling the troops to hold the line..."

"but you don't remember leading the charge, and you don't recall what happened down there?" she asked.

"No ma'am..." he said.

"Well, you definitely show signs of post-traumatic stress, Leutenant, it's perfectly normal to experience nightmares and have blocked memories after heavy combat." she said, "I'm going to prescribe a mild sleep-aid, follow the directions you get at the pharmacy, and come back to see me in a couple of weeks...until then, I think we can squeeze you into the weekly group therapy sessions, if you feel the need."

"Good." Ezra took the Data, looking roughly over it. "There are two more days to provide the full report, because we will be leaving then. Communication is tight, thanks to the Terran scum, but I would message that beforehand. Melissia will have some more transports on its own, so the sooner we get there, the sooner we can be back, provided leadership approves of your processing. I think you do good work here."

He now tried a smile. "I find the prospect of hunting some of your mentioned species intriguing. Is it possible to have a look at those for me and perhaps my crew? We have dropships as our bases and some weapons of our own, so it might help you too. And yes, it is below the typical warrior's duty but I think my warriors would appreciate some hunting, especially after mean creatures. And" he chuckled very slightly "we want to help accomodate our delivery as much as we can." He looked expectantly. "We could search for them at far places where you have not been yet and stay out of your AoO. But of course that is up to you or planetary command."

Quote from: Marlin on August 05, 2010, 10:59:25 AM
"Good." Ezra took the Data, looking roughly over it. "There are two more days to provide the full report, because we will be leaving then. Communication is tight, thanks to the Terran scum, but I would message that beforehand. Melissia will have some more transports on its own, so the sooner we get there, the sooner we can be back, provided leadership approves of your processing. I think you do good work here."

He now tried a smile. "I find the prospect of hunting some of your mentioned species intriguing. Is it possible to have a look at those for me and perhaps my crew? We have dropships as our bases and some weapons of our own, so it might help you too. And yes, it is below the typical warrior's duty but I think my warriors would appreciate some hunting, especially after mean creatures. And" he chuckled very slightly "we want to help accomodate our delivery as much as we can." He looked expectantly. "We could search for them at far places where you have not been yet and stay out of your AoO. But of course that is up to you or planetary command."

"Well, if you want a first-hand look at a clearing operation, we are about to open Gordon County to settlement-you probably heard me yelling at the trucking contractor about getting a support column put together to cover the operation."  She said, "a few extra gun-hands would not be a bad idea, sattelite and airborne recon show lots of Hog-sign and the area is pretty overgrown, so we can not use helicopters.  Best, from I think your perspective, is that the advance camp has the urban area mostly secured-but the truckers lost two rigs night before last, could be gators from the river, but the report says it's a Hog pack with a big raziorback in charge-a smart one, could also be escapees from the zoo, though, so there's plenty of stuff to shoot, if you want to..."  she looked him over, "You ever use a Mauser 1250?"

[ooc: "Mauser 1250" is a 12.54mm five-shot semiautomatic rifle most often used for dangerous game.  It weighs seven kilograms, and produces a felt-recoil impulse on par with a .600 nitro express double with an ME equivalent to .50 BMG firing solids.]

Decius, Everglades Continent Settlement zone 4, south of Gordon...

"BITCH!!" Jord Kreiler snarled, getting to his feet, the damaged truck forgotten.  

Miranda Reyes Gonzales stepped lightly back, in a sing-song she said, "You're trespassing, Cabron.  This is my land."  

"I'm a government contractor, god-dammit!" he barked at her.

"Where is your government? they gone two years, trespasser, and you're taking my property out of my barn to fix your...truck?" she racked the bolt on the TK-22 assault rifle, "You didn't even fucking knock before you and your friend broke into my home."

Kreiler was terrified now-he'd been up on the Carolina Continent, he'd been in her shoes-only those had been raiders flooding up the riverside highway...

"You don't know?" he asked.

"I know you don' belong here." she said.  "I know this is private property, that I've had to defend it from banditos like you before, I thought I taught them a lesson."

She tossed flowing, jet black hair that touched her shoulders in a way that made him think of smelling it...touching it...  and her olive skin was flawless, and revealed in the summer heat by shorts that none of the Teamsters would wear because of the pricklethorns and a tank-top that revealed perfect...Think dammit, quit looking at her like that she's going to kill you...

"Lady, I-I didn't know, the whole zone's supposed to be depopulated, scans didn't show any power sources..." he stammered.

"No power for the last year." She said, "Lines went down and the batteries, they run out, you know? what you were scrounging for, it wouldn't do you any good-there's no gas left for the generators-not even the fuel cell, I'm stuck with keeping the hot water in the solar panels and enough lights to keep the animals back-you're going to pay your life for broken machinery."

"Lady, I'm serious, there's a government now, it's in Grantsberg, they've reopened the county for settlers...they're putting things back together, you don't need to shoot me...let me call my boss, she logs your property and they'll run a new power line in and everything, just don't shoot, okay?"  He pled with her while lowering his hands.

She looked skeptical, but she didn't pull the trigger.  "Okay.  If you're telling the truth...if not, I can shoot you later."

Quote from: Cannonshop on August 05, 2010, 08:11:44 PM
"Well, if you want a first-hand look at a clearing operation, we are about to open Gordon County to settlement-you probably heard me yelling at the trucking contractor about getting a support column put together to cover the operation."  She said, "a few extra gun-hands would not be a bad idea, sattelite and airborne recon show lots of Hog-sign and the area is pretty overgrown, so we can not use helicopters.  Best, from I think your perspective, is that the advance camp has the urban area mostly secured-but the truckers lost two rigs night before last, could be gators from the river, but the report says it's a Hog pack with a big raziorback in charge-a smart one, could also be escapees from the zoo, though, so there's plenty of stuff to shoot, if you want to..."  she looked him over, "You ever use a Mauser 1250?"

[ooc: "Mauser 1250" is a 12.54mm five-shot semiautomatic rifle most often used for dangerous game.  It weighs seven kilograms, and produces a felt-recoil impulse on par with a .600 nitro express double with an ME equivalent to .50 BMG firing solids.]

Ezra nodded in approval. "Acceptable. But will energy weapons be of use against those big Hogs? Otherwise I will ask some of my Warriors if they have their ballistics with them. A Mauser IIC might be available. If none of that is or Lasers are useless, we will accept your weapons arsenal. Now, I will call up my warriors and report back." A smile crept up. "Well bargained and done, Captain."

(OOC: Not having any material available, but he should have some pulse-laser rifles and sidearms and perhaps even some heavier stuff like the Mauser IIC, but not sure if it is comparable to yours. The rest of the weapons would be Marine and Guard stuff.)

Quote from: Marlin on August 06, 2010, 10:23:25 AM

Quote from: Cannonshop on August 05, 2010, 08:11:44 PM
"Well, if you want a first-hand look at a clearing operation, we are about to open Gordon County to settlement-you probably heard me yelling at the trucking contractor about getting a support column put together to cover the operation."  She said, "a few extra gun-hands would not be a bad idea, sattelite and airborne recon show lots of Hog-sign and the area is pretty overgrown, so we can not use helicopters.  Best, from I think your perspective, is that the advance camp has the urban area mostly secured-but the truckers lost two rigs night before last, could be gators from the river, but the report says it's a Hog pack with a big raziorback in charge-a smart one, could also be escapees from the zoo, though, so there's plenty of stuff to shoot, if you want to..."  she looked him over, "You ever use a Mauser 1250?"

[ooc: "Mauser 1250" is a 12.54mm five-shot semiautomatic rifle most often used for dangerous game.  It weighs seven kilograms, and produces a felt-recoil impulse on par with a .600 nitro express double with an ME equivalent to .50 BMG firing solids.]

Ezra nodded in approval. "Acceptable. But will energy weapons be of use against those big Hogs? Otherwise I will ask some of my Warriors if they have their ballistics with them. A Mauser IIC might be available. If none of that is or Lasers are useless, we will accept your weapons arsenal. Now, I will call up my warriors and report back." A smile crept up. "Well bargained and done, Captain."

(OOC: Not having any material available, but he should have some pulse-laser rifles and sidearms and perhaps even some heavier stuff like the Mauser IIC, but not sure if it is comparable to yours. The rest of the weapons would be Marine and Guard stuff.)

"Energy weapons will work on 'em just like they work on any other big animal, Star Captain, we mainly use ballistics because energy weapons have a bad habit of burning up most of their energy on the undergrowth, bullets on the other hand, just keep-" the telephone rang. "Dammit what now?"  she reached over and picked up the phone, "What?"

"What? How-never mind...you're certain?...how many?  uh-huh...yeah it's important enough...is there room to land?  Okay, I will be out there in about twenty...twenty five minutes.  Tell him to sit tight, and don't provoke her."  she hung the phone up again and looked at Star Captain Ezra, "Want to have a look before? It seems one of our missing truck drivers just checked in-he stumbled across a survivor enclave that got missed, and apparently he's being held at gunpoint until he can prove there IS a government operating, if that sidearm's loaded we can discuss details on the way out for your hunting trip, but this is kind of a big deal-I have been trying to get the Congress to listen to me about putting Beagles to work in the interior for just this reason..."

She was taking the wool dress jacket off, and the tie, and pulled out a leather flight jacket and helmet.  "IF, that is, you do not mind riding in a Turbo Twin in the weapons position."

With the dress uniform jacket off, he could see the pilot's wings-they were small, brass, and showed a pair of birdlike wings with a three-bladed propellor in the middle-they were, in fact, the old, pre-Amaris-crisis "Fixed wing Pilot" wings, used for aviators whose mission never left atmosphere, and these looked like a genuine antique.

"KILLINGER! You are doing Liason while I am out, make sure the damn airport does not burn down while I am gone..." She looked over at the Star Captain, "Shall we, Star Captain? Get a chance to meet the residents?"

Ezra was now in action mode. He called his 2nd in command via his communicator and let a point of his warriors gather for the duty as explained to him. Now he only had his ER Laser pistol, but the Captain would know what she was doing. He followed. But some of her hasty speech's contents was lost on him.

Anyway, this meant action, at least he hoped and he would have something to do. His Warriors would get some action soon. Of course only those worthy of this treat..

She led him outside to what had once been the parking lot of a major city's air-and-space port.  It was now an impromptu airstrip, and idling on the ramp, was perhaps one of the most peculiar aircraft Ezra had ever seen.

It had the 'body' of an attack helicopter, but instead of a rotor, there were two 'booms' with propellor engines, stretching back to vertical stabilizers joined at the top by what was probably the horizontal stab.  The entire aircraft was less than fifteen meters long, and it squatted on tricycle landing gear.  A young looking soldier in green coveralls handed Ezra a helmet with a dangling cord-like the Captain's, the purpose was obvious-apparently the interior of hte aircraft was as noisy as the design was both simple, and starkly utilitarian.

She ran a visual, hands-on checklist with a speed that would have impressed a born-and-bred Technician caste, opening and visually inspecting all the working parts (and, in the process, revealing just how rock-simple and utilitarian the aircraft was-simple engines, simple, quickly repaired avionics, simple, redundant control systems.)

the final step was opening the canopy and rear deck hatch.  "Climb on in, Star Captain." she invited, snugging into the front seat, "In ten minutes we will be over Gordon County."

The instruments were an interesting mix of 'glass cockpit' modern avionics, and brute-force simple analogue gauges and other instruments.

Lacking VTOL systems, the aircraft rolled less than 250 meters on the hardball parking-lot before it cleared the jersey barriers, revealing a drop of more than 200 meters to the street below.

"The Kowloonese copied an old 20th Century design for their fire and rescue services, it turns out it is not half-bad as a COIN and Liason aircraft." she said, "We will be taking it easy on the way up to Gordon, at a cruise of two hundered and fifty five knots at fifteen thousand feet-about forty-five hundered meters, give or take.  The instruments on the panel in front of you include passive and side-looking infrared and radar, slaved to a MADION processor that is also collecting signal from chipped personnel and the beacons on equipment,  this aircraft can carry up to two tonnes of external ordinance, including machine gun pods, bombs, and rocket packs.  It can be retrofitted to carry fluid dispenser equipment instead in less than half an hour, or rigged as an ambulance or squad-level airborne insertion vehicle in the same amount of time.  Not as fancy as a 'proper' military machine, but it fills the role we need it for here about as well as anything can.  The same trip would take a chopper about five hours.  I have about eight to ten hours' linger time with a range of nearly five hundered miles on internal fuel, or fifteen hundered at max carry of external fuel on the hardpoints, and because of the damn staff-job I got saddled with, I have to have a damn emergency before they let me play with him."

The cockpit was, as the helmet he'd been given indicated, noisy, and filled with odd vibrations.  The lack of armouring was...disturbing.  Even a laser pistol could hole any point on the aircraft in one shot-the redundancy in-built had a purpose beyond easing maintenance, then-it was there because the designer expected ground fire to chop into the aircraft.

Ezra was left speechless as he saw the small thing. Although he was no blabbermouth, this was just.. antique. And small. He guessed that this backwater world had not much to start with, so this was at least mobile. He got into his seat as weapons officer and hoped there would be no bandits with rifles.. or bows.

Anyway, he was ready. How nice it was to have a functioning infrastructure.. even as lower ranked warrior. He signed her that he was good to go. Time for action. And if they survived this, perhaps he would appreciate his Dropships and shuttles more.

Now he would check the radars for both of them. The weapons were to be shot only in emergency as it seemed dry on ground, so he would not be trigger-happy now. And then, they were on a diplomatic-like mission. He grimaced and they took off.

For Laura, flying was like a junkie getting their favourite high.  she had to remind herself to keep it straight and level and avoid 'having fun' with the Star Captain in her back-seat.

"We are now crossing the boundary between the old urban area of Oxford, and open country-or in this case, crossing over the boundary between the cleared zone, and the rainforest." she said, as below, the slightly-overgrown became a dense, tall carpet of yellowed green and deep, vivid bluegreen foliage.  "Arluna is, according to the survey reports, in its equivalent of old earth's early cretaceous, the native forms are mostly amphibian or reptilian analogues-we have been human settled long enough that there are lots of mammals now, moreso since the plague.  The really big native predators are mostly extinct thanks to centuries of combined human and human-introduced competition and ecological pressures-probably the main driver for the big-damn-hogs out there, trying to fill a niche that used to be filled by big-damn-lizards.  Native plant-forms were sporific and evergreens, of course with five hundered years of humans planting shit, losing seeds, and clearance farming, we have hardwoods, earthlife evergreens, and most of the biodiversity to make resettlement kind of a pain in the ass-even with centuries of human habitation, there are still creatures nobody has ever seen cropping up-and more of them since the Plague cut our numbers down..."

The aircraft shuddered for a moment as a gust of wind-shear hit, then she stabilized it.  "I radioed back to base, your men can catch one of the Kings*, we will be on the ground half an hour before them, but it is the best bet for bringing any heavy gear you want with you-I expect you probably do not look too kindly on roughing it in a hammock during your trip-you do, after all, have a schedule to keep."


[ooc: *King Karnovs, TRO Support Vehicles, a VTOL capable conventional aircraft built as a heavy lift transport, very common throughout the inner sphere.]


After nine minutes, forty five seconds in the air, he could see a clearing, and the trace of a highway that had become overgrown, and on that highway, two trucks sat, with heat traces showing quadrupedal animals around them.  A yellow indicator lit about five kilometers off the highway, in an area with lighter woods and small clearings.  The instruments told him that whoever it was, was "Probationary Status:6 months Remaining".

"See our driver yet?" she asked.

Ezra nodded, and flicked the toggle indicated on his visor.

She banked, and circled the clearing.

There was a small structure-barely a shack, really, nestled in the trees, with a larger sheet-metal barn near the centre of the clearing.  Indicators showed barely one hundered meters of clear area.

and here is where it gets fun... she thought to herself, banking the plane hard to port, nosing up and deploying flaps to kill velocity as she reversed the pitch on her propellors to bring it down near stall-speed.

The plane dropped like a rock, nearly straight vertical with (according to the on-board instruments Ezra was monitoring) less than two meters of distance from the tail-boom to the trees, at a steep angle of descent, but nose-up.

She goosed power and reduced her flaps a bit, bringing airspeed up to 30 kph as the landing gear deployed.  "Gonna be rough..."

The first shuddering shock, and she put full reverse on her props while going back to full flaps.

The landing roll was less than fifty meters to full stop.

"Sorry about getting fancy like that." she told him, "I had hoped at least double the space in the clearing...anyway, missed the fence-cleared it on the bounce by a meter!"  She said it with an almost child-like enthusiasm, and a huge grin over her shoulder.

The aircraft came down, bounced over the fence, and rolled to a stop.  "Okay...you still don't move." Miranda told the two truck drivers,  whom were now kneeling on earthlife grass, hands bound to feet behind their necks.

"What more do you Want, lady? we called, and they sent an aircraft!" Jordan was uncomfortable-she'd hog-tied him, and then caught and hog-tied Probie Millson (after demonstrating that she could find, sneak up on, and beat the man senseless...), his legs and hands were falling asleep, and the ground was making his knees ache.

"What do I want?  More proof than a bush-plane." Miranda told him, "and if I get it, I'll then want an explanation!"

The pilot climbed out of the plane, followed by a man in a strange uniform-a very advanced looking laspistol on his hip.

"He's kind of cute." Miranda commented,  "You two just sit tight."

she kept the weapon levelled, using the patrol-sling to keep the weapon ready for 'hip-shooting'.  What they didn't know, was that the rifle was the bluff-it looked threatening as hell, but Miranda had no shells to fire, just an empty magazine that was (thankfully) not transparent to visible light.

So far, at least with these two, the bluff worked.  The Patrol aircraft's threat-sensors might be working too-which is why she kept the two men bound, in spite of the risk that El Jefe's pack of Hogs could show up in the clearing looking for an easy lunch.

"hey, what did you do in your Oldlife?" the one called Jord asked.

Miranda sighed, "I was a social worker." she said, "I basically took care of old people."

"A...social worker?" the other guy, the one Jord called a "probie" scoffed, "I got my ass kicked by a social worker?"

She glanced down at the two men, "I also taught self-defense to single mothers in Oxford's slums." she said,  "you know, rape prevention.  What's a 'probie' anyway?"

The man looked at the ground, "I...I have a criminal record on Inarcs-petty stuff.  They sent me here."

"Ohhh...petty crook-and now you're driving for The Man?" her turn to scoff now.

"Yeah. I have two years left on my sentence, then I'm about as 'free' as you can get after being sent to a prison-colony." he told her, "I used to steal cars..."

She snorted, "I see.  A Felon.  great."

Millson bridled a little, "HEY, it doesn't mean I'm a bad guy, okay? yeah, I ran for a chop-shop, but when the Plague hit, I picked up good points for taking care of sickies and getting medicine to people who needed it!"

"Likely story." she said.

"What about you, social worker? hiding out in the back-ass of beyond?" he blustered, as the two new visitors walked up to their position, "You cut and ran out here, hid out, didn't you?"

"I came home." she said, "My family was ill, so I came home...and buried them, and after that, there really wasn't anywhere to go.  I have seen what Oxford smells like, and nobody was alive there."

Jord spoke up, "That's where you picked up the rifle, isn't it?" he said, "One of the road-blocks?"

She gave him a glare that would curdle milk, and muttered something obscene in spanish.

Ezra knew now why he was enjoying his Marine life up in space. Still gripping the handle and his weapon-stick after they had stopped, he had to breathe in, breathe out several times. Not that he was not used to some Gs but this was pretty rough. Anyway, she had brought them here.. safely. Finally he let loose, checked the surrounding and there seemed to be their target. As in diplomacy. 2 guys bound, one woman guarding them. She was young. She had two bullets it seemed, but he assumed that they could get her under control if things got ugly. A Sternsnacht (I like Sternennacht better) was not really made to hunt humans. Anyway, one remark to Captain Laura was in order: "You are enjoying this, quiaff?". He did not make a sour face, but likely was still a bit pale.

As they walked slowly and peacefully towards the trio, Ezra added: "I will let you do the talking. Radar looked clear so far. He then let himself fall behind Laura. It was unlikely that the.. girl would get them in one shot. Her Rifle was no real threat to them, as the low-amperage radar sensors had shown the Mag empty. He did not feel threatened by this at all, it seemed as if he was just a visitor. And two men guarded by a quite beautiful little woman seemed nearly comical. Laura would deal with it.

Of course, despite trying to look harmless, he was on high alert, especially against additional visitors.

Star Commander Roger.. formerly Roger Kollen, Lt. for the LCAF and FedCom Forces in their infantry units. Finally stationed on Melissia. Testing in to the Clan was easy enough, although lesser men would get in trouble. He knew warfare till he was an adolescent. But it seemed his best years were over for his new superiors. At least Bill had made it to the top of planetary and he cared for his buddies. Anyone with a brain would live on either as before or within the Clan. There were limits for the new people, of course and sometimes it got harder, but even then, they seemed to provide for their kin all needed to live. Those Merchants even had really some nice stuff for their own.

Now Billy had a mission for him and while many others went to hunt here on Arluna, he had to stay alert for a message of this Kelli.. The guards were on shifts around the Droppers, the delivery was already being processed good, all were being tracked now and it seemed quite good for a backwater world. Seems the secession paid off. But Melissia was too dear for Roger to leave.

When would she show up.. or at least her message, he wondered. And would they survive this adventure should those Hellions.. his Hellions get wind of this..?

Quote from: Marlin on August 07, 2010, 06:59:06 PM
Ezra knew now why he was enjoying his Marine life up in space. Still gripping the handle and his weapon-stick after they had stopped, he had to breathe in, breathe out several times. Not that he was not used to some Gs but this was pretty rough. Anyway, she had brought them here.. safely. Finally he let loose, checked the surrounding and there seemed to be their target. As in diplomacy. 2 guys bound, one woman guarding them. She was young. She had two bullets it seemed, but he assumed that they could get her under control if things got ugly. A Sternsnacht (I like Sternennacht better) was not really made to hunt humans. Anyway, one remark to Captain Laura was in order: "You are enjoying this, quiaff?". He did not make a sour face, but likely was still a bit pale.

As they walked slowly and peacefully towards the trio, Ezra added: "I will let you do the talking. Radar looked clear so far. He then let himself fall behind Laura. It was unlikely that the.. girl would get them in one shot. Her Rifle was no real threat to them, as the low-amperage radar sensors had shown the Mag empty. He did not feel threatened by this at all, it seemed as if he was just a visitor. And two men guarded by a quite beautiful little woman seemed nearly comical. Laura would deal with it.

Of course, despite trying to look harmless, he was on high alert, especially against additional visitors.

"WELL, we thought you two were hog-chow."  Laura commented as they walked up.

"Not yet...she's still deciding."  the older of the two drivers announced, "Could you get us out of this, Pretty-Please, O' Mein Kapitain?"

Laura stopped twenty feet back, "Rifle's empty, sweetie, and I do NOT think you are fast enough on that shoulder-rig, so why not just let us all be civil, and would you mind terribly loosening the ropes before my drivers lose their ability to make a living?"  she said it in a sarcastic, sing-song tone, she jerked a thumb back at the airplane, "Cop model."

Miranda sighed disgustedly, and lowered the weapon.  "You look better than you did the last time I saw you, Sherriff." she said, "How's the hand?"

"It healed-mostly.  Star Captain Ezra, this is Miranda Reyes Ortega Gonzales, City of Oxford Ambulance service, she picked what was left of me out of the middle of a riot on the third week of the civil chaos...I thought you were gone up north for sure." Laura said with a slight ironic twist, "Seems to me you dropped me off at the aid-station, and took your leave instead of taking the Evac bird."

"Something like that, family business.  I notice you have a new uniform." Miranda said.

"Yeah-I got drafted, turns out prior service as an officer comes in handy." Laura said, "You are going to cut my men loose, aren't you doc?"

Miranda drew that big, jungle-chopper knife, and a few moments later, both drivers were rubbing wrists and ankles, and giving her dirty looks.

"I never finished Med School" Miranda said, "Not a doctor-five credits short."

"Close enough...may We come inside the house, or are we going to stand here in your yard until sundown?" Laura asked.

She sighed, rolled her eyes, "Come on in, I will see if there is enough water for tea in the filters."


They went inside.  "You stayed." Laura said, "how long?"

"I left Oxford when I could not find anyone and I could smell the bodies from the top of the Corringer building." Miranda stated, "I took an ambulance out here-crashed it about thirty days' walk south of here."

"You're a good pilot, Miranda, how did you do that?" Laura asked.

"Even the best pilot can't beat mother nature on fuel-vapour and fever-dreams." the young woman said, "I tipped the tail-rotor and augured in, does the Star Captain want some honey in his tea?" she asked.

"What did you tell those two fools out there?" Laura asked.

"I told them I was a social worker."  the girl said, "You should have seen their faces."

"I thought that was Brian?" Laura asked.

"It was-he drowned in his own vomit." Miranda said, "about two days after the Government abandoned Oxford and pulled the doctors out..."

"Did you get sick?" Laura asked.

"No." Miranda said, "Everyone around me got sick, I didn't, the riots after the pullout..."  she shook her head, "You were there for some of those."

"I was, and I saw worse up north when Grantsberg fell, then Norman and Cairo...why didn't you try to find any people?" Laura asked.

"After Oxford? please, no-thank-you.  LAST thing I wanted to see, were people." Miranda said, "I still have dreams about it."

"Everyone that survived the plague has bad dreams." Laura told her, "Without exception."

"So, the plague's under control, and now you're re-settling out here." Miranda stated, "You folks even re-opened the Boze Highway."

"Well, yeah. It is what is done after a disaster-first a mourning period, then you get back to work-and you should get back to work, Miranda. Playing Jane Tarzan just doesn't suit you."

"My life, my land, my rules, Sherriff." Miranda said, "excuse me, what is your rank, since you joined an army?"

"Captain, in case you were wondering." Laura told her, "Acting as a military governor-it's Naval Captain's rank-equivalent to a Colonel."

"Well, Captain, I would consider it a kindness if you would NOT be bringing strangers into my land." Miranda said, "I still have the deed to this property-it was my Father's land."

"your father's Hacienda was ten miles north of here-why the shack with the solar stills and cheap panels?" Laura asked.

"I burned it down last year, it smelled." Miranda said, "I only needed the Cabin anyway-upkeep on that five thousand square foot stucco castle would have eaten all my time."

"The resettlement is going to happen, Miranda." Laura said, "We have shiploads of new settlers from off-world, they are going to need the space.  YOU could be part of that."

The tea whistled, and Miranda brought out five ceramic mugs-all mismatched, and poured each about half full before answering.  "I would prefer to keep my isolation splendid, thank you." she said, "Living with the dead for over a year, I think I earned that right.  You are still an officer of the law, yes?"

"Technically I am the law out here." Laura said, "at least until I'm either promoted out, or replaced."

"I will turn the phone back on, you can bloody well call ahead next time, but keep your people off my land, if you please-the boundaries should still be in the database down at city hall." Up close, served TEA, Ezra could see the lurking horror and trauma in her dark, bottomless eyes.

"We're going after a pack of Feral Hogs, Miranda, they're a threat to the rest of the county." Laura said.

"Oh, El Jefe and his pack?" Miranda asked, "Big razorback, probably over a tonne total body-weight?"

"That would be the one, from what I've heard." Laura said, "it's going to be a military operation, and it's probably going to be going off near here."

"Best of luck. I put two twelve-mil Nitro Express into El Jefe," she gestured at a big, double-barrelled rifle, " it didn't even phase the fucker-he still trashed my barn and they camped under the tree for three days."

"Tree?" Laura asked.

Miranda pointed out the window, "See that big Blackwood out there? Hogs can't climb, and its roots go too deep for them to dig it out.  They took turns in shifts while the rest ate my horses, the sheep, and looted the root-cellar." she told them, "When I got to be too small a snack, and they had eaten everything they could find, they left-like locusts-I was not worth the effort to dig the tree up-not that the swine didn't try."

"How long ago?" Laura asked.

"About two weeks." Miranda said, "I had to use bleach to get the smell out."

Ezra declined at the offer of Honey. He was no Ghost Bear. Nearly grinning stupidly at the thought, he kept his composure.

But the hogs had him interested. Seemed to be worthy prey. If he had his Dropship here, there would be no doubt how it would end. But with only a small machine and handguns..

He nodded and nipped some tea. 'Interesting.' He had tasted some IS Food of course but the new aromatics always were nice to have.

However the two here would decide, if they could find that pack in the next 30 hours, it would be his.

Those people here suffered. Despite their weapons mostly non-Warriors and so he would want to make it better for them. They would have it better within his Clan of course, but what could he do. It was not his decision.

Time to go Pack-Hunting.

"The Star Captain wants to go after this 'El Jefe', I think." Miranda said, "That laser won't do the job-Laser pistols do their work by boiling blood to steam about six inches in-the steam explosion actually does the damage, and El Jefe's fat layer is thicker than that-you need something that does damage deep."

"What would the imminent medical doctor who hid in a tree suggest, then?" Laura chided, "Cannons?"

"Boar Spear." Miranda said, "Cannons would work, but not for a Great White Hunter-no risk, no thrill...and they might miss.  A spear with a cross behind the head, on the other hand, well, it is risky, but the Boar makes sure you do not miss...you just have to drive it into somewhere vital, and avoid being trampled as the beast dies."

"Where, in the Lord's name, would you find something like that, Miranda?" Laura asked.


"It just so happens that I am rather sore at El Jefe for eating my quarter-horse." Miranda said, "The head is in the shop, and I think I may have found a suitable shaft-not too heavy, but strong enough that the blade will bite deep.  The spear-head is made from a chunk of truck-leaf-spring, the shaft is a carbon-fibre tent-support post from the big army tent I used as a barn last year...and I have a spare, if there is a man brave enough to join me in stalking this menace?"

Ezra got it. This was a challenge. And despite his yearn for some adventure, this would certainly ... be deadly.

"Miranda, tell me, how long will it take for you to track this beast down, and his Pack? Now I am visibly the .. most experienced here and my Clan's Totem is a Pack Hunter too. Not as cumbersome and slow as these hogs, but smaller and much quicker. And I would never advise to go hunting after them on foot. Or even on some bio-ride. If we can separate him from his Pack, then you might get a chance, but before that.." He shook his head, grimly.

"I admire your spirit and just to see how you go forth with this would be thrilling, but I have a schedule to meet. You have 48 hours to track the Pack down, either my Warriors start shooting and leave this Jefe for us, or you are alone again. I might be able to squeeze some more hours in, perhaps even a day or 2 if I got a shuttle, but I will have to meet the JumpShip. The Clan tolerates no extras. What say you?"

"I might add that my Warriors will bring some Laser Rifles, and perhaps a Mauser IIC, which would be enough to kill most of those beasts." He breathed out. "They might be needed elsewhere, though, that is up to Captain Laura."

This little woman really was either mad, desperate or of Warrior Material. He liked her.

"This tea is tasty.", he added dryly.

Quote from: Marlin on August 09, 2010, 09:44:39 AM
Ezra got it. This was a challenge. And despite his yearn for some adventure, this would certainly ... be deadly.

"Miranda, tell me, how long will it take for you to track this beast down, and his Pack? Now I am visibly the .. most experienced here and my Clan's Totem is a Pack Hunter too. Not as cumbersome and slow as these hogs, but smaller and much quicker. And I would never advise to go hunting after them on foot. Or even on some bio-ride. If we can separate him from his Pack, then you might get a chance, but before that.." He shook his head, grimly.

"I admire your spirit and just to see how you go forth with this would be thrilling, but I have a schedule to meet. You have 48 hours to track the Pack down, either my Warriors start shooting and leave this Jefe for us, or you are alone again. I might be able to squeeze some more hours in, perhaps even a day or 2 if I got a shuttle, but I will have to meet the JumpShip. The Clan tolerates no extras. What say you?"

"I might add that my Warriors will bring some Laser Rifles, and perhaps a Mauser IIC, which would be enough to kill most of those beasts." He breathed out. "They might be needed elsewhere, though, that is up to Captain Laura."

This little woman really was either mad, desperate or of Warrior Material. He liked her.

"This tea is tasty.", he added dryly.

"Got a map, Laura?" Miranda asked, "I know where to look, and when."

"We wait for the rest of the Star Captain's men." Laura said decisively, adding, "Spears?" with a snort.

"You haven't seen them." Miranda said, "I think El Jefe's older than the plague."

"Undoubtedly." Laura said, "Takes a long time for a piggy to pack on as much mass as you're saying he's got...but what makes you think guns won't be enough?"

"Because he's got arrows, old scars, and I thought I saw a hunting knife in his hide when he was ramming the tree to try and shake me out." Miranda told them, "The fucking thing is a Beast of Legend..and like I said, he took a twelve milimeter nitro express at fifty meters twice, and didn't even care.  Uncle Jose used that rifle on Kyoto Armor Bears and El Jefe shrugged the shots off like they were bee-stings...come on, Star Captain, you take a look at what I have, then we go find El Jefe and we kill him."

"WE WAIT until the rest of the hunt-team is here." Laura asserted again, "Miranda, unless the damn piggies are moving out faster than a King Karnov can fly..."

Miranda nodded, "fine.  I can still show your guest where we will be hunting him, Yes?"

"You know where he is?" Laura asked.

"I've been tracking him for a week." Miranda said, "I know where he's likely to be tonight-or at least, where his pack will be."

"Where?"  Laura asked.

"Stokeley's Grocery-and-gas on 15th street in Gordon.  They roost in the grounds of the old junior-high." Miranda said, "They'll go for Stokeley's because I left some canned soup on the floor this morning-they'll smell it and come poking in the aisles."

"How are you going to separate him?" Laura asked, "Hypothetically."

"Well...by smelling like a challenger to his dominance." Miranda said, "I killed a two-year-old male this morning while I was out, took his scent glands and I've got a grunt-call.  Honestly if you had not shown up, I would have gone anyway, extra hands can help with the rest of the free-range pork."

"As long as my Warriors cover our backs, I think we can do this. If a second hog will show up, while we are on foot, then we will be in serious trouble. And I will take a Laser Rifle with me, perhaps it can do some damage." He thought shortly: "The Warriors shall go to the 15th street and wait for them, if you agree, if one hog survives, it will likely be their chief. Then we get to work. I think I have some time for this today.", he smirked. "Show me your weapons."

She led him to the barn, and there they were.  

The head was a full meter long, steel, worked steel...more than three weeks' worth of work, certainly.  These were clearly hand-worked with an obsessive's attention to detail, made for a task, and actually made rather well-the steel was not brittle, nor soft-it was tempered just right for the job.

"The attack, it was not random." she told him, "it was off my schedule, but I think El Jefe figured out I was tracking his pack."

They were clearly "Boar Spears" in the classical sense of the term-weapons that are really only good for a single job-killing a wild animal at very close (danger close) ranges and holding that animal back from the user.

He eyed over them. This was tremendous work and they looked like they were made for this. Which they were of course. Shortly he wondered if the Bear Warriors took those to hunt for their totem.

With some caution he took one. If the handle was attached on it, there would be serious momentum given to this spear.

He laid it back down, looking at her: "Did you make these?", he asked, glancing at her inquiringly. "It is missing a stamp."

However, he could not deny that he was thrilled to hunt with her. Althoug part in the back of his brain screamed helplessly that he was too old and soon to dead to return to his Clan. And ranted on over the implications of this fact. He had to ignore this. Here was a worthy opponent and a woman worth of a reliable partner for this task. She had guts, that was undoubtable.

Quote from: Marlin on August 10, 2010, 06:04:30 PM
He eyed over them. This was tremendous work and they looked like they were made for this. Which they were of course. Shortly he wondered if the Bear Warriors took those to hunt for their totem.

With some caution he took one. If the handle was attached on it, there would be serious momentum given to this spear.

He laid it back down, looking at her: "Did you make these?", he asked, glancing at her inquiringly. "It is missing a stamp."

However, he could not deny that he was thrilled to hunt with her. Althoug part in the back of his brain screamed helplessly that he was too old and soon to dead to return to his Clan. And ranted on over the implications of this fact. He had to ignore this. Here was a worthy opponent and a woman worth of a reliable partner for this task. She had guts, that was undoubtable.

"My Father made them-as art." she said, "I had to walk up to the old hacienda site, they were in the outbuilding where he kept artwork when a customer could not, or would not, pay.  After the rifle failed, I went looking for alternatives, and found these."

she hefted the spear, showing him the pointed butt-cap, "They are meant to be set against a charge, this end into the ground with the blade held level." 

She passed him something else-this was more modern, and certainly more familiar: an advanced-ceramic machete of the sort used across human space.  The ceramite blade in this case had maker's marks from Camillus Cutlery on Terra.  "He also kept some antiquities." she said, "The handle has been replaced, but the blade, so they say, will never wear out. That blade dates back to the Star League Defense Force's 121st Airborne infantry regiment.  we will need to clear some brush along the way, and we may need to add wounds to the beast to bring it down."

'Beautiful.' He took this ancient piece. It was beautiful. And so old. He could understand the Scorpion's a bit better now.

"A very good piece. The Blade, however, will wear out at one point of heavy use, but it will take very long. You will take it. I am not that sure that we can wound our prey with this, as when he is that close, we are in trouble." Reluctantly he gave it back to her, still eying it with a bit of envy. 121st Airborne..

"You will use it. You know the way and I have my vibroblade." He patted his thigh where it was fastened.

One last glance over the weapons they would use and he turned to go to the house again. "Now, tell me something more about that 'el Djeffe'. You make it sound like it is a rabid Ghost Bear with Heavy Armor. How fast is he?"

His Warriors should be there in an hour. At least he hoped.

Quote from: Marlin on August 11, 2010, 10:09:47 AM
'Beautiful.' He took this ancient piece. It was beautiful. And so old. He could understand the Scorpion's a bit better now.

"A very good piece. The Blade, however, will wear out at one point of heavy use, but it will take very long. You will take it. I am not that sure that we can wound our prey with this, as when he is that close, we are in trouble." Reluctantly he gave it back to her, still eying it with a bit of envy. 121st Airborne..

"You will use it. You know the way and I have my vibroblade." He patted his thigh where it was fastened.

One last glance over the weapons they would use and he turned to go to the house again. "Now, tell me something more about that 'el Djeffe'. You make it sound like it is a rabid Ghost Bear with Heavy Armor. How fast is he?"

His Warriors should be there in an hour. At least he hoped.

She nodded, "He's fast, not like a normal hog, he's got longer legs, it's like some rogue scientist tried to re-create Dinohyus Daeodon and turned it loose in the forest here."  She was more...rational in the barn, with the weapons, than she'd seemed inside the house.   "He chased down my horse, like I told you-and she was running for her life.  Figure normal mammal densities he stands about two meters at the shoulder, and maybe three meters not including the cute little curly tail, and the tusks are about..." She held her hands apart about a third of a meter, "This long, in a mouth that could bite a man in half lengthwise."

The pair walked back to the house.  "So...Clan Ice Hellion?  I have heard of them." Miranda said, "I heard your people got the Ilkhan's spot."

Her comment revealed something-she'd been out of contact long enough to be unaware of events going back more than a year.

"How is that working out? Got to Terra yet?"

"Clan Ice Hellion, yes. IlKhan Sellen Cage, may Kerensky bless her eternally, died on board of our Flagship over Sudeten, fighting many Warships. She will always be remembered as our best Khan and ilKhan of all the Clans." He suddenly felt tired. Sellen had been the light of the Clan. He even had seen her personally back in the day..
But soon hate filled his mind again.

"Those sullying Terra have paid a price for this, but it is far from over." He clenched his fists. "With the Lyrans breaking apart, perhaps we can pave our way faster to liberate Terra at last." Now he was in fighting mood.

"Let us finish your menace here. I want to kill today."

King Karnov Transport J-310, 5 min. from LZ "Miranda"...

"...Fast rope down, the Clearing is too small for a landing with this beast."  The loadmaster said.  Some of the 'guests' looked ill, but the ones from the Clan unit didn't look worried in the slightest.

"Fast rope? I don't know how to do that!" one of the Probies, a 'beater' (meaning brush-beater or 'bait man') named Orenthal complained.

"Cheer up, Probie, it's like bungee-jumping."  one of the regular-service troops overseeing the local team told him, "You'll be rigged, just follow instructions."

"BUNGEE JUMPING?!" the Probie's eyes went wide, giving everyone in the rear of the cargo bay something to chuckle about.

A former Mob enforcer doing hard time from Anembo named Konacevic leaned forward, "You freeze, bait-man, an' we have to carry you, in little bags." he said, "You don' listen to the Jumpmaster, an' we carry you in a buncha little bags, you do the thing and treat it like juuuust a thing, you be okay, I take care of you good, get you a trip to Dolly's girls an' some good booze, okay?"  he said in a thick Croat accent.

There were few injuries, and nothing major enough to matter, but the team was assembled on the ground at last.

Miranda laid out a map on the ground-it was a survey plot, with hand-made markings.

"Sherriff, you take the first team one kilometer west, spread out fifteen meters distance except in heavy brush-go ahead and tighten your formations, El Jefe's pack may try to separate what they percieve to be the weak from the rest of the team.  Star Captain, your men should deploy north-to-south anchoring on the Sherriff's people, maintain a slight backsweep in their line of march to avoid accidents."

"Where will we be?" Ezra asked.

"WE will be at the corner between the two teams-the formation should move northeast right into Gordon itself, clearing the brush at the soccer field." she said, "We are not going to spook El Jefe, I think-he will charge the point he believes to be the weakest zone-try to take out what he thinks is the dominant pair.  It is how he has dealt with rivals in the past."

One of the convict-hunters raised his hand, "Ma'am, what if we get this sucker first?" he asked

Miranda looked at him, and laughed a soft, musical laugh.  "You do NOT need to worry about that, you will have enough with his pack-remember to fire at the nearest ones only-if you become target-fixated, their friends will tear you to pieces before you realize they have charged you."

"pardon, ma'am, that ain't how Hogs react..." one of the volunteers said.

"It is not how ordinary hogs react-these are not ordinary hogs." Miranda said, "you will see... he will send the weakest adults first, to wear us down.  I saw this pack take out a biker gang last April-these use tactics."

When the Warriors looked at Ezra, he just nodded. "Do as she said. Kill those damn beasts. And try to survive." One handed Ezra a Laser-Rifle. He took it with some relief. If the bad guy did not want to play with them, he would try to take him down at range. But anyway, there would be death pigs.

When the groups would be ready to march off, Ezra went to his second-in-Command, Charlotte, and said: you take care of your flank, if they do not go there, reinforce wherever necessary." She just nodded, her white ponytail flying. Her age did not show much except on her hair. If Ezra died, she would be the one who brought home the ships.

He looked to Miranda now: "Let us go and get our weapons. This little piggy is dead meat soon." he looked grimly.

ONce into the jungle, Miranda had to stop often to allow the others to catch up.

away from the clearing, she could feel the ripples in the air-tiny fluctuations of temperature and breeze-it would rain soon.

"the rain will mask the approach." she commented to Ezra, "monsoon season, they won't be able to see or hear us until we're close-this is good, carefully-that's stranglevine over there, you get caught in that and it will take too long to get you out."

She hardly used the Machete-over a year living in the bush she'd gotten used to moving like a part of it...

Miranda moves through the rainforest like it's part of her.  From an outsider's perspective, it'd be like she kind of melts through it silently while most of the teams are hacking and crashing like six-foot bumblebees.

The rain will mask their approach some, though-and kick up a misty, disorienting environment, like a fog.

at the edge of the overgrown soccer field, the hogs will attack, it's hard to see what's happening only a few meters away in the weather, and sound is muted.

El Jefe appears, announced with a rumble and the squealing of hogs, ratcheting sibilant hiss of lasers, and the thundercracks of rifles.

They will feel him coming before they see him, looming out of the mist and the underbrush like a mountain of thunders and madness and rage, Ezra can see glitters of metal things on his thick, coarse-furred hide-the flights of arrows, a knife, some other impossible in the moment to recognize weapon whose user would never need it again, and red eyes, hateful little orbs set back on a long nose with angling, ferocious tusks.

It is a Boar drawn from the ranks of hell itself, unnaturally huge, with a glittering intelligent malice in its eyes and stinking breath chuffing from its snout like steam..

Miranda sets her spear as the boar charges with a hooting roar and a squeal that digs into a man's nerves like fingernails on a chalkboard, like scraping steel in a collision.

El Jefe is huge, like some elemental of pigs, like a demigod of hogs, a monster un-naturally sized and un-naturally fierce..

Miranda set her spear, and El Jefe came, like a freight-train, and the point on the base dug into the ground a moment, then the shaft flexed as the spearhead dug in...slightly off centre.

The boar roared, and with a mighty swipe of his tusks, she was hurled into the jungle, her spear broken-like her body.

and now Ezra faced the monster alone.

Her blood dripped from its maw, tusks were red...

Ezra has a hard time following the rather small woman, but she moves with precision. It is her realm. Rain. Seems she is comforted by it. So Ezra will take this as a good sign. There she rests, the team seems to be in place.

Until the inevitable attack, there is radio silence. Ezra takes up station left of his companion. The rifle hangs down from a branch to his left, ready to be fired in case a hog breaks through. And if it is the big one, to anger it, he supposes.

There, he hears rifles crack, even stakkato of one of the Auto-rifles and Laser blasts. The hogs squeal. Several distand 'thuds' mark their falls, but still the underbrush cracks relentlessly, marking their attack.

Charlotte makes some hasty reports, indicating her flank is fine and they hold. If she holds and the other flank too, that means..

They come for the both here.

There! Is this the Jefe? No, a rather big swine, though, overlooked by his Warriors? He grabs the Rifle and shoots at it. Repeatedly. It is nearly through, but finally a Pulse-Blast from his left lets it collapse just meters from him. He hears muffled calls, and more screams.

Miranda? Just as he turns, he sees Miranda setting up her spear, she looks so strong, yet so small. But still it seems she is made for this day. He has no time to appreciate what he sees as just half a second later a black monster breaks through into his view and just runs over her!

She flies away, her spear is broken and the big one escaping? Hastily, he grabs his rifle, sending some shots into his flank. This makes Jefe think again, it seems. He turns in a loop and he is fast. It seems Miranda did not hurt him too much..

Spear, set up. His adrenaline is more than he had had in years. And perhaps it is his last day. Make it count! He holds the spear with his right and draws his Vibroblade, the Pig comes blowing air and groundshaking. Is that blood from his snout..?

(by CS)
Fetid, stinking breath the beast lets loose a sound that reaches into the deepest instincts-things long forgotten by man, from the days when humanity were little more than frightened monkeys with rudimentary intelligence, shivering in darkness and hunted by The Beast.

The ground thunders under its hooves, and he could see the tusks-long, dagger-like, curved, and red with blood, the beast's eyes filled with hate, and rage, and....pain?  he could see-her spear-the shaft was broken, but the head lodged deep in its body, causing a slight limp.

The misty rain gives it a surreal quality, like something from a dream-or vision, or nightmare...
(/CS)


Then the impact:

Ezra felt something in his right arm snap under the pressure, but the spear held straight. For others, the sound of ripping flesh and hide would be sickening, Ezra just watched with interest. The split seconds the boar ran itself onto the spear were stretching to an eternity. Now the Monster was close enough to get his tusk, red on its own, to the Vibroblade, which hummed, glowing red and tore through the hard and sharp tooth into the mouths side. The beast did not stop, Ezra did not let loose until the last possible moment, when he tried to jump to the right.

And all went dark.

Charlotte had overlooked from her small tree that the pigs were killed methodically by her Warriors, adding some pulses to a particular resiliant one, felling one going straight to the anchor, when she saw the monster. It crashed through the center and then... came back?

Hastily she ran there, seeing Ezra alone against the beast. He held fast, the Hog running into his spear, perhaps less fast than before, but there could be no way out for him. In the final moment he threw himself to the side as the beast collapsed nearly over him, while tearing it open with his Vibroblade. The screams of the monster would haunt her for weeks to come as it thrashed on the ground.

Ezra seemed k.o. but slowly stood up again, his right arm in an unnatural angle, the left still clutching the Blade. He moved to the still writhing beast like an executioner and tore into its right ear to finish it. The screams of the monster increased, nothing else was there anymore. She held her ears to escape this torment.

After many long seconds, there was silence.

She stood back up from her knees, seeing Ezra, triumphant over this giant hog. There he stood.

And broke to his knees, throwing up, his left arm covered in blood to the elbow.

Her comm crackled: "Charlotte, 2 smaller hogs escaped to where they came. The rest...are dead."

She was with Ezra now, helping him up. The proximity to this dead beast was terrifying.
What did he want? He looked at her with bloodshot eyes and mumbled: "Help Miranda."
She nodded and got her a team to search.

Fortunately and owing to Ezra's foresight, some of the Warriors were good with MedTech. They rushed now in to help. Ezra himself was no more able to stand, it seemed his left leg was broken. The beast might have been too close for him and injured his leg. But Adrenaline would do that to people sometimes.

They stabilized him to be transported to safety. Where was the young woman, though?

And how were the right flank?

Finally, they found her..

"...see the choppers coming,
hovering over head.
They've come to get the wounded,
They've come to get the Dead..."
-Airborne Cadence.

KK14 hovered, and settled in the soccer-field.  Now that the infestation had been (mostly) cleared, there was somewhere to land.

Corpsman 1st Class Jody David came off the bird with 100 kilos of medical.  "Where's the crit case?"  when one of the troops on perimeter hesitated, he shifted straight to snarling mode, "Listen, dickhead, I'm going to ask again, and you don't give me a good anwer, I'm shoving that rifle up your ass and I'll have THREE patients to deal with!"

"Over there, sir."  Probie Wellington said, gesturing to the north end of the field, where a group of mixed Army, Clan, and Probies were clustered around the back of a pickup truck.

"You, YOU, you're stretcher bearers now, fall in and follow me." Corpsman David snapped, "Endele, chop-chop!"

David was a big man-he could, in some circles, be mistaken for a Clanner Elemental-Breed.  Two full Corpsman field packs were hardly a burden for him.


The male was in his thirties or forties, "Okay, broken leg, looks like a couple cracked ribs, and...yeah, Star Captain, I'll get you later-hey, you, Clanner with the blonde hair, you're field-medic trained? good, here-there's preser-sleeves, decon and bonesets, take care of your boss..."

He looked over Miranda.  "Dios!" he pulled out a pair of UV illuninators, "You, You, shine these to kill the surface bacteria..." He was pulling on surgical gloves and extracted a strange, vaccuum-cleaner looking instrument, "How long?" he asked.

"What?" someone he didn't bother to look at asked.

"HOW LONG?? How long has her gut been opened up like this?" He demanded again.

"About twenty minutes standard, why?" was the answer.

"Peritonitis and opportunistic infections! she was laying in a field of pigshit! we're going to have to stabilize her before she can Evac out to a hospital." He was cleaning the wound out, a process that included 'scooping' the contents of her perforated intestines with the weird little vacuum.  "Blue needle, it's in the box, NOW. she could fucking die, and hang up a couple bags of BR-453 and run them through the oxygenator into an artery, this gal's lost a hell of a lot of blood..."

Although the Clanners had tried to preserve Miranda to the best of their abilities, the small Medkits they had with them were not sufficient. The big boy here brought the right stuff, Charlotte thought, even as he ordered her Warriors around.

The recent reforms had already shifted some responsibilities to the Techs anyway, so quite some Warriors were used to having some Techs order them around in special situations like that. She took an UV lamp from another, not to help this loud one, but for her Star Captain. He would want this girl alive as she saw he liked her.

She would not understand that, as that young thing was stupid, arrogant and did not know her limits. Resulting in this mess. And she was freeborn.

Surgery under the best of conditions is painstaking to the point of exhausting work-doing it on the back of a derelict flatbed pickup under manually held lights is a thousand times worse-at least, for a dedicated doctor.

it was getting dark by the time the patient was stabilized enough to make it to the loading ramp of the King Karnov idling at the far end of the field.  Jody finished wrapping the presersleeve around her abdomen, supervised the two stretcher-bearers as they lifted her onto a stretcher-gurney, and carried her away.  He turned to the Star Captain, who was, at least, conscious.

"She'll live, at least, I think so." He told the Clan Warrior, "Your people should get you onto the medevac bird, and back to town, Doc Clement can give you a scrip for series-antibiotics in case there's anything your kids missed, I'd suggest you visit your ship's doc asap and get a thorough going-over, Clan meds have got to be better than what we've got here locally."

Ezra did not say a word, he was escorted by some of his Warriors. Indeed he would want to go to his Dropship, where some Op-Theaters were. Transporting humans through space can be problematic if no medical unit is going with them. He mumbled to Charlotte besides him.

She approached that man, Jody, and told him: "The Star Captain wants to get treated in one of our Dropships. It has several theaters and will have space for her as well. He wants her to come with us until she can be released to one of your hospitals. You may come with us to observe. Do you accept?" She asked not really with a choice in her voice.

Quote from: Marlin on August 17, 2010, 09:38:57 AM
Ezra did not say a word, he was escorted by some of his Warriors. Indeed he would want to go to his Dropship, where some Op-Theaters were. Transporting humans through space can be problematic if no medical unit is going with them. He mumbled to Charlotte besides him.

She approached that man, Jody, and told him: "The Star Captain wants to get treated in one of our Dropships. It has several theaters and will have space for her as well. He wants her to come with us until she can be released to one of your hospitals. You may come with us to observe. Do you accept?" She asked not really with a choice in her voice.

"Ma'am, it's gotta be better than what we have at Oxford, I'll buy off on that."  He brought out a PADD, tabbed something in, and thumbprinted it.  "Okay, take this with you-they won't give you any grief at the port for taking her along...as long as she can come back when your people have seen to her."  He jerked a thumb behind him, "I'm assigned to look after these guys, it was just damn lucky I was able to bring enough spares."

The thumbprint noted his rank,name,  and the initials "M.D. (Pending DROS)"

She nodded sharply.

"Good. Well bargained and done." She sent Ezra a thumbs up. Off it went to the port.

The supervised Doc in the Theatre had a younger man besides him and two others seemed to overview the scene. Those who knew might have known that the older was a Scientist once, now he served in his old position but would be watched over suspiciously while teaching a new Doctor as well.

The AMU made its diagnosis and finally Miranda got the treatment she needed. Ezra watched shortly and then had to be moved to his Theatre where he would be checked through. He would have to walk with a crutch until his leg was ok again, in 0-G it would be easier for him, experienced as he was, but the next few days would see him hobbling.

The Doctors assured him that she would soon be stable enough to be sent to the inferior Hospital without worry. But still she was in coma. It would take a while, days if not weeks..

Incompatible proteins, scraps of some leafy plant, bits of varous...things.  The scan showed a lack of proper nutrition-most likely caused by eating non-terran derivative flora and fauna, mineral deficiencies that affected bone-strength and dental structures (not serious...yet), various self-set or poorly set broken bones, scar tissue...  and the wounds sustained against the Beast El Jefe.

She was definitely NOT in top condition before her injuries.

IV fluids to deal with the vitamin and mineral deficit, IV nutrition to improve her constitution, active antibiotics to deal with the dozen or so opportunistic infections that were waging a turf-war in her body, immune-boosters, and cultured blood in her type to replace the "field grade" blood supplements used by that meatball field surgeon.

The actual surgery was, at least, competently done, given the conditions, so the Clan Doctor did not have to revisit it with more than standard scanning.

The problem of more concern, was the head injury.  In spite of a thousand years' of improvement, a bash like that could result in serious consequences.  closed-head cases were always touchy...

Fenimore, Neerabup...

"...scuttlebutt says the government's planning an expedition-rumour has it being named Pathfinder, rumour has it they're going out looking for Bandits."  Charlie Glass poured a shot of sweet wine, "Any of that true?"

"Can't say." David Ryder said, "I know we've gone on an accellerated training regimen, and that about half the unit's been reorganized into a base-five organization.  Lots of emphasis on duelling tactics, sniping, and what they call 'gunslinger' stuff, could be they're planning to set up a training centre with an OpFor configured like the Clans..."

Admin centre, Oxford-on-Tyne, Arluna, Sept. 23rd 3069...

"...now, could you please tell me, Captain, why a guest to our nation went and got run down and run over and chewed up by a damn big Wild Boar in your area of responsibility?"  Debbie Mac was here-the Elected Archduchess herself.

"Not technically my area-the soccer field is owned by the Gonzales family." Laura said, "Turns out there's still a Gonzales left, turns out she's been armadillo since the Plague."

"Property ownership doesn't define your responsibilities, Captain." Debra MacAulliffe said, crossing her arms and staring down at the seated officer.

"No, but...Your Grace, you know the Constitution-she invited him-and gave US permission to hunt there.  What was I supposed to do, argue with a Property Owner, or the Clanners? Call the hunt until they left?"

Deb sighed, "Fine...you're right, you know.  It's not my job to tell you how to do yours-especially when you're just following the laws."  she sat down, "So, did they have a good time?"

"Not sure. Figure the Clanners probably did-they seemed to be in a pretty good mood in spite of their C.O. getting mauled by that Boar..." Laura said, "Minus Miranda getting her guts ripped by that thing, and their boss getting rammed-and-trampled, I'd say they seemed to enjoy themselves, who knows, maybe we can open an 'adventure safari' centre and get tourists to pay for the privelage of shooting ferals-couldn't hurt, anyway."

"What do we know about that animal?" Debra asked, "Is it..?"

"No match to the other carcasses, the vets are still working on it, but looks like a freak, ma'am-we don't have a damned clue where it came from or how it got here unless old man Gonzales was buying freaks for a menagerie." Laura said, "It's genetically compatible with the others, but we can't find any actual blood relation to the other hogs taken in the cull.  I'm thinking of asking the Clanners to run a screening and see if it's genemodded-pigs don't grow like that and haven't since the last ice-age on Terra, long before spaceflight."

"Make sure you get an answer-send some of your samples to the guys up at the MK Synagogue on Kowloon also-they might get us an answer before the Clanners do." Debra said, "If someone's been dumping genetweaks on our worlds we should find out about it before we get another case of the super-pig, I don't want the King of Hogs showing up again without warning."

"You going to stop off and look in on the Ice Hellions while you're here, Your Grace?" Laura asked.

"well...otherwise it's just ribbon-cutting and makin' empty noises, isn't it?" Debra said speculatively, "Vince is offworld, the Scorpions still don't answer their messages, and our message traffic into the rest of the Inner Sphere is spotty right now...yeah, I think I'll be looking in on our guests, let 'm know theyah welcome visitors, it can't hurt."

"Well...watch the accent, Ma'am.  Their XO is pretty...um...traditionalist Clanner?"

(mostly by CS)

Dropship "Silent Guard" Arluna

Doctor Leonard was called to the wardroom to report on the patient.

"...her immune system is like nothing I have seen in twenty years." he stated, "I wish I could get a gene-sample and find out why."

"Explain-clearly." Charlotte ordered.

"It is...aggressive. it took a severe system-wide trauma for her to get sick at all, and she is recovering at a rate that does not square with the parameters of our equipment." 
He said, "She heals at the normal rate, but she already does not need antibiotics-a normal case with E. Coli getting into the bloodstream would have her on broad-spectrum series and immune boosters for weeks.  That animal's tusk was dirty, it tore open her bowel, intestines...hell, it penetrated her diaphragm-it should have killed her, and even with everything that meatball-medic did, she should be hanging at near-death just from the infections."

"Can you speculate?" she pressed, a bit more attentive.

"Well, my first guess would be gene-customization, but that could be spotted with even the equipment in a shipboard medbay-my second guess is a one-percenter." he said.

"One Percenter?" the Clan female warrior asked.

"Actually more like point-zero-zero-one percenter, the statistical anomaly-that tiny fraction that statistically may exist in any large gene-grouping that is virtually immune to bacterial or viral diseases.  Statistics say they should exist, but there is no legitimate scientific documentation that they DO exist, and further, even with our best work...we never could find the right mix."  he said, "The distribution is effectively too random."  He smiled, "We have a true freak of nature in our medbay, back when I was in the lab..."

"Forget the Labs." Charlotte snapped.

"She should be studied, Ovkhan-if we can find out the gene-grouping that gives her that resistance, it could be beneficial." he stated.  'My career is effectively over, there is no scientist caste, but this could help the Clan!' he knew he would have to try to be persuasive.

"Your written report mentioned malnourishment," Charlotte observed, "could the alien plants she has been eating have contributed to this?"

"Unknown, which is why she needs to be studied-along with her native environment." Leonard said, "Find the right mix, and it could be the first real medical advance since the Golden Century."  Please, can you not see how significant she is??  In some ways, Leonard knew, and some day, his mouth-and his dedication, would get him shot...

Charlotte cocked her left brow. "I see what you are trying to do, Leonard. If it does not impede her healing, get yourself a gene-example. But you are not to study her in her environment. If what you are telling is true, then she is a gem, but she does not belong to us. You may look into her genes and report it back to me, but no further. You have tried to betray the Clan once, and I will not allow you any more chance at that!"
He sighed, "We need to know if it is natural or environmental, and if the resistance is affected BY the environment..." He looked up at the Warrior,  "You could trial for her." he said, "I know that is permitted-and she would then belong to the Clan, and we could do more than computer modeling off of a small gene-sample-as for her environment, just samples from it would be of use-soil, water, plants, what she has been eating... consider that disease is still a major killer-even with our advanced medical knowledge, yearly thousands of lower-caste, as well as warriors, are preyed upon by illnesses we can barely contain, it shortens lifespans, gobbles up work-hours, and reduces the useful lifetime of tech, laborer, Merchant, and warrior.  A generation virtually immune to normal illness could accomplish so MUCH more."

Charlotte's hand snapped forward to his throat when he went too far for her, telling her to trial for the woman, but she stopped and pouted her lips in thought.

"Trialing for her is not possible.", she said sternly. "Getting some samples should be no problem." 'I will have to talk to the Star Captain for this. If he can convince the local commander, we should get it.' "Get a list of what is needed." This doctor got on her nerves. She should be used to it as old Warrior, but was not. He was acting like a merchant. And certainly he would profit from this and tried his best to achieve the most. Ezra would have to decide most of it, of course, but to trial her away was certainly just stupid considering the relations of this state to the Clan. But...

"Is there anymore now, Leonard? You should use your energy rather to advance your research instead of wast it talking. Like a Merchant." She hissed the last word, clearly to display her distaste for his ways.

He knew when it was over. So he let hang his shoulders and shook his head. For now that was all he could achieve. But his inner Scientist already was excited about his work.

Oxford Spaceport...

Quote from: Marlin on August 20, 2010, 09:51:29 AM
My counter. :)

"The Head of State? Well, I guess as this is their main planet, the possibility was there.", Ezra mumbled as he got the message of the visit. "Charlotte, help me get in my uniform." She was his most trusted Warrior, second in Command of this ship and often coupling partner. Her body was still hard and only her hair showed her age. She was beautiful. Ezra on the other hand.. he was tall, well built but his face showed some of his age with wrinkles. In light of the recent events, though, he had lightened up. Charlotte assumed it was about this Miranda.

Anyway, her Dress Uniform looked good on her. Off-white, two pieces with gray bands around the cuffs while gray stripes ran down the front. The right shoulder showed her unit patch as usual for a trueborn. The sword at her left was also the issued piece for Mechwarriors. Even though she had not piloted one in years, she was entitled to this uniform.

Ezra on the other hand just had his field uniform without the helmet. He had switched the pulse-laser standard with his trusted ER-Laser pistol, not that it would see use now. His left leg was still in a splint and his right arm slung in to hold it still some more days. He shortly thought about removing it, but it would have done no good. His left arm would have to suffice now.

He just hoped he could stand this official business. He would rather look after Miranda. And the Doctor Leonard. It certainly was interesting what he had found. And if the Captain and the Archduchess agreed, he would get some of the samples. And would from then on operate under biohazard restrictions. Perhaps the "Silent Guard" would never touch down on a planet, except Arluna?

"You're sure you don't want to put on a uniform?" Laura asked.

"Certain of 't." Debra MacAulliffe said, "Ah didn' enlist, wound up bein' head-of-state 'fore I could get draft'd, don' see much point in put-on a show of phony medals an' un-earned rank, if they'ah half th' chive they preten' t' be, they'll know who ah am."

It was true-to a point.  Her Grace Debra Allison MacAulliffe had grown to a person who radiated authority-and could likely do so wearing a burlap bag and bunny-slippers.

NOT that she needed to duel much in the last few months- three times in the formal, bound-at-the-wrist melee, and twice before and after that with hand-guns, she'd 'settled' challenges to her, and the Congress', authority-all without leaving any scar that wasn't well covered by a good blouse and sturdy, ankle-length skirts.

Today, for instance, in the warmth of late summer, she wore a cotton-and-flax blouse, thin gray cashmere skirts, and her trademark laceless boots, with the pistol riding low on a hip-rig, cross-draw style for speed, complemented by a half-jacket with rigid collar, kept open.

They approached the guard-post point manned (for now) by Ice Hellion troopers on one side, and Marines on the other.

"Milady, could this not wait until-" her Physician spoke up.

"Relax, Harvey, Ah don' expect Ah'll have t' fa'ht anyone t'day, Ah'm jus' goin' ta Pay mah respect t' the Stah-Cap'n an' his people foah theah help dealin' with th' Feral infestation in Goahd'n Canty." she admonished, "an' t' check in on miz Gonzales."

Oxford Spaceport,
Hellion Landing site,
Security checkpoint

Warrior Desmond, a Freeborn Infantryman and Marine since his graduation from Hector's 3rd tier Training Camp, had seen much in his "career". Mostly the bloody ground and details that most MechWarriors, Elementals and Fighterjock would miss. The aftermath of battles, fistfights of lower Castemen, bandits trying to escape the inevitable, being hunted down by the Clan, Criminals trying to escape their fate by shooting their way out, harming innocents. He had dealt with all that and maintained a certain pride, common for the lowest tier of the Warrior Caste. Now he was on Arluna.
Foreign World and still they were here, only guarding the perimeter for the Dropships that had brought scum here to rebuild that planet.

Suddenly on the other side was movement. Two women seemed bound for his post. Was this scheduled?

He could not remember. But that did not mean much. Better call your superior. "Point Commander?" This was a rather fat Elemental. One of only three with the whole shipment. Already on the comm. It seemed all was good, so Desmond relaxed a bit. Still, careful.

Both were quite young, one civilian, perhaps a diplomat, the other the Captain, he had heard of. Gruesome scars. Oh, Kerensky, there he saw the Star Cap and his Charlotte, with Dress Uniform? Seems the Diplomat was rather important. They made their way to the Checkpoint from the Dropper. The two women now closed, and fatty behind him went to attention mode. A growl let Desmond do the same. He hoped he wouldn't need to say anything.

Laura took the lead when they reached the checkpoint. "I am Captain Gammond, UIW Marine Corps, this is Archduchess Debra MacAullliffe, UIW Head of State.  We would like to have a chat with your Commanding Officer." she said it in a rapid-fire meant to convey a certain professional courtesy mixed with a distaste for delaying tactics.

For her part, Deb looked over the troopers at the checkpoint.  The point-commander would have had Vince all over him just for the extra paunch-and for once, she was glad that Neil, an aged and former Star Adder Elemental who normally worked as her bodyguard, was on pre-deployment briefing duty at the Navy Office, giving briefings on Trial Protocols, rather than here to (likely) berate the man for being slack.

The junior trooper looked...nervous.  Deb held her own expression and posture in what Dao taught her was called 'Sáng sủa Chuẩn bị', or "Serene Preparedness" in the Kowloonese form of Krav Maga known as Bàn tay Mở.  it had become habit-a habit that essentially intimidated the less...scrupulous yet more perceptive members of the Congress-usually more effectively than her pistol, or her voice did.

It had also been useful one other place-and for some reason the younger, fitter warrior made her think of poor Morgan Kell at the trial...

Quote from: Marlin on August 21, 2010, 09:46:58 AM
"I am point Commander Lucas," fatty said with is deep voice. Desmond saw the Captain's looks. He tried to compose himself, he had seen much worse, despite her scars. Nothing to be feared. But the Archduchess somehow reminded him of his mother back on Londerholm.. only  she radiated authority. He should write his parents a letter again. Lucas spoke on: "I acknowledge you both. You are free to pass."

"Ah Thankee Point Commandah." Deb said, and gave him, and his fitter subordinate, a cursory nod of respect as they walked through the checkpoint.

Quote
Just in time, Ezra and Charlotte closed in. Both stood at attention briefly, and then Ezra put on his short speech.  However, he still had trouble with the proper form of address.  He knew that the IS had the habit of differentiating per family status for women.  Males were Misters, females could be Mrs., for married women, Miss for unmarried or Ms., if the status was unclear.  In German that would be Frau or Fräulein but the usage of the latter seemed to be used not on every Lyran planet as women were keen on being equally treated. Now he had read that in Japanese the differences in talk styles were even worse so he was glad they had attacked here. He interrupted his train of thought, using only their titles. "Archduchess, I welcome you in the name of Clan Ice Hellion. I am honored that you want to see us." He nodded to the Captain. "Captain Laura, good to see you."

Deb gave them the 'grin' and answered, "Pleased to meet you, Stah Captain." she said, and rendered a shallow curtsy,  after Laura returned the salutes.  "ah'm afraid ah do not have a speech all pr'pahd, this vis't is unplanned 'head a tahm, Cap'n Gaumond tells me y'all wuh a great he'p in cleain' th' infestation at Goahdun, an' she mentioned y' wuh takin' caah of one a' mah folks heah on yo' ship, seems a thing t'do, step bah an' see how yo' doin', an look in on Landholder Gonzales."

Her accent was Thick-thick enough draw a look of brief confusion from Point Commander Lucas, and cause the female Officer to flinch slightly-ever so slightly, like any Noble on Tharkad, at an accent known derisively among the upper class of Lyrans as 'hillbilly marbles'.

"Tahm permittin', Stah Cap'n, Ah would lahk t' meet an' thank the men y'all brought with you on th' hunt, Ah have heard good things 'bout a couple of 'm, 'specially bringin' down El Jefe, the dom'nant male, and whah'l weah at it, Ah don' s'pose y'all have a trained scientist aboahd-seems our vet'rinarians found a puzzle with that an'mal, an' it maht take a trained geneticist t' unravel it."

Ezra tried to fight back the urge to simply cover his ears, this accent was gross. He could not imagine someone could mutilate this language so much. But, his willpower to stay friendly won out. Just his right eyelid twitched twice, involuntarily, as he tried to process what she said. This might be harder than to kill El-Jefe.

Charlotte on the other hand just grinned inwardly. It was good she would not have to say much or play nice if she just did not listen. That would make a good joke later. She kept her perfect composure.

Ezra, having decoded the message cleared his throat, putting up a diplomatic smile: "Yes, we tried to help Miranda clear her land of this particularly problematic infestation. Also, of course, we can go to look after her right now, if you want to follow me." As the women went to his side, Charlotte took his right wing, he continued: "Her wounds were serious enough but it seems she will survive. She injured the big hog enough so that I could finish it. Perhaps she even prompted him to return, after he ran over her. I guess we will never know. All in all it seems that Laser Rifles are good at taking them down.." He tried to lengthen his speech not needing to hear her as long as possible, she was no small woman and looked decent enough, but this language.. "After the visit in our ship is over, the Warriors who were with me will be gathered for a short visit by you." Somehow a perverse delight, he thought, they would get to hear her too. Only he hoped they would not kill her in rage. But then, they had seen likely worse things in their duties.

"And yes, our Doctor here would certainly like to hear about what your Veterinarians found out about that beast. If your scientists (in a neutral tone) have made a report, it would be very helpful. Finally I assume that we will be back with the next shipment, so we might see progress."

They were now at the "Silent Guard"'s ramp and went in. It was the biggest ship on the tarmac and again in great shape after the deliverance. Of course it was quite old and in some places it showed, but still was a good piece of Clan technology. (An Overlord C)

oh dear lord I thought she was seeing a therapist! Laura cringed inwardly as Her Grace opened her mouth, and likely set back diplomacy for another generation.

"Charlotte...a word?" she asked, as they entered the ship, relying on the Hellions' basic understanding of military courtesies between Executive Officers.

"What?" the Clan female asked, dropping back and falling in just a few paces behind them-in the typical noisy environment there was just enough activity to cover the conference.

"I am afraid nobody has brought up Her Grace's difficulty." Laura said, "She sees a speech therapist, several times a week to overcome it, but I do not think anyone bothered to mention that in reports you may have read-one of the reasons or so it is said, she resorts to, ah..physical measures when overseeing Congress-she is...hill-people, do you understand?  She writes well, and is no fool, but she has what amounts to a sort of...speech impediment, one caused by her upbringing.  Most often she overcomes it with rehearsals before a speech, but..." she nodded at the leaders ahead of them as Ezra spoke-and kept speaking...

"There was no time for such preparations.  It is probably more embarrassing to her than it may be uncomfortable for you, though I am told by Colonel Neill from the Arlunan Army that she sometimes lapses deliberately to test the character of people she meets for the first time. you may wish to alert the rest of your team before she meets them."

Here the scarred officer grimaced,  "our Lady's accomplishments are considered more notable among the military for the hurdles she strives against, but I do not think your men would understand this without prior preparation, and the last man that underestimated her because of her speech had to be carted off the grass before congress to a closed-casket burial-the man before him ended his political career with trousers full of his own excrement, whimpering like a little child from that same lawn-and he was former Loki.  I would as soon not have problems arise because of mistakes, or misunderstandings..."

Quote from: Marlin on August 22, 2010, 12:46:51 PM
Charlotte nodded, still hiding her grin. It was nice seeing the Captain care for this and uncomfortable. The Front Liners would likely not have this pleasure.
They fell back another meter, as Ezra described the alloys of the ship's walls and the housings of the now human freight in meticulous detail, as well as the security measures to contain them.

"Thank you, Laura, but I think it will not be needed. Our Warriors can behave. Discipline will be maintained. The Star Captain would not be happy if someone would provoke something and his Warriors know that... they are not that..reckless." She first wanted to say 'stupid', but despite the quality of those under her, she had to be loyal. They followed the two through the ramps to the Medical bay. "I would like to ask you for a favor though: the warriors that took care of the hogs.. I would like to award them something that would be good for them. We had no time to take care of the hogs and I think their tusks make for good 'vineers'. If possible, I would provide each of them a tusk of their victims. What say you?"

They had reached the med-bay where the small Miranda was being treated and entered. The doctor was there, along as several MedTechs. They barely noticed them. "And this is now the theater in which Miranda is being treated. It seems she is tough.", Ezra added. "Leonard, come over here." The Doctor, with Miranda stable, came to his new guests.

"Doctor Leonard. It is a pleasure, Mylady Debra McAulliffe." He took her hand and indicated a formal kiss. This incited a small gaze of displeasure in the face of Ezra, who did not like that a Doctor was showing his superior skills of etiquette. But of course, this creature usually prepared himself well. Now he remembered that even if he wanted to, he could not cover his ears. The right arm was still unuseable.

Something about 'Dr. Leonard' was...disturbing...something about him was wrong and Deb sensed the Star Captain's tension increase at the man's use of court ettiquette.

"Doctah, Ah'm not th' Pope." She said, hoping the joke would ease tensions, and then she paused-probably a breath or two longer than any of them expected, and forced herself into 'public' mode.  she looked Ezra directly in the eye, bypassing the Scientist,   "ah...I would Like to see Landholder Gonzales, Please, we can discuss the other matter after I have done so."   everyone in the room could her her straining to make each syllable clear and precise.  it was FAR easier to understand, than the rapid-fire drawl of just moments ago, but it was equally clear that it took a measure of concentration to speak so clearly.  Her 'public speaking' mode carried without being either a shout, or merely loud-but it was no doubt at all that she could, using that method, be heard in a crowded auditorium full of raucous and contentious people.

She added another bright grin-a brief grin, "After I see Landholder Gonzales, and before we speak about the scientific mystery El Jefe has presented our doctors with, I would like to present some small tokens-they are not much, of gratitude to your troops, Star Captain, if that is acceptable to you?"  She hoped she was hiding how much effort had to go into suppressing her accent.


Laura watched her Leader's posture-and knew this took effort, she could see it.  If I can see it, odds are, the Clanners can see it too.

Both Clansmen were oblivious to the joke, perhaps it had something to do with the Cobras?

Leonard maintained his composure and pulled back silently, opening the way to the subject's bedroom.

Ezra's smile was surprised but genuine now. Thankfully she could speak real english.

"If you would follow the Doctor, Miranda lies over there. First things first. And I am curious now what you brought."

Charlotte, staying away several meters was astonished about her Star Captain's diplomatic skills. Really interesting. He could have been Star Colonel or Galaxy Commander with this..

The three over there moved to Miranda's room now.

Debra stepped forward, and looked down on Miranda's body, covered in feeding tubes, sensors, and wiring.  She lifted her valise, and drew out a small item, which she pinned to the pillow, and another, which she laid on the table beside the comatose woman. "'n arglwyddes chan 'r hela , ddychwelyd at ni."* she whispered.

She turned, "Star Captain, if you will assemble your men in a convenient place, where I might express our gratitude, please? and after that ceremony, I would like to confer with Doctor Leonard about the...odd little biological mystery you were gracious enough to kill for us."

[*"Our Lady of the Hunt, Return to Us."]

Ezra nodded. "The Warriors will be gathering outside. You see we have taken care for your Landowner. Soon she must be relocated however, and the where is not ours to say. The Ships must meet their schedule."

He gazed at the two Captains, Charlotte had already communicated for the involved personnel.

So slowly he guided his guest outside, this time the Captains taking the lead, Leonard checking Miranda and then looking for the Warriors in relative secrecy. Some Techs gathered around him, not wanting to miss what the state-leader would have for those hunters.

They were certainly impressed by the stories that circulated.

"Roster?" Deb asked, "I need to make sure I get the names right on the certificates-one copy goes into the National Archive for future historians, the other goes to each warrior with the awards."  she explained-"We are not the Lyrans, we do not just hand out medals like candy and forget about it later."

Quote from: Marlin on August 23, 2010, 09:14:21 AM

'This certainly increases the amount of personal belongings of some by a considerable degree,' Ezra mused.

"The names of the Warriors will be provided to you in a timely manner. I have no doubt that the most will be back in the next delivery, too."

The more he thought about it, the more sense it made. Arluna was still classified as dangerous, and the less ships they sent directly here, the less risk of the flu to spill elsewhere. And they were expendable enough to stress them with quarantine-procedures.

Charlotte again spoke into her communicator, probably with one who could give them a listing. It would be done.

Deb looked at the assembled Warriors, and cleared her throat.  "About two years ago, there were three hundered million people in the Everglades continent, about twenty million lived here in Oxford-on-Tyne.  Those people would never have thought, in their wildest nightmares, that the tamed safety of this land would vanish into a chaotic wilderness filled with dangerous animals-many of those animals dangerous because of a familiarity with Man."  she paused, "You should think about that-Ferals do not fear humans-they see us in terms of food now-because they saw us as the providers of food in the past.  You gentlemen, you warriors, have done a great service to the people who will be called upon to tame this land, and by extension, to all Arlunans, and even the Union of Independent Worlds.  Given that, I am somewhat ashamed to say I can only offer you a mere recognition, and an award for your help.   You stood together with your neighbours-and we are neighbours, and proved your skill and courage, demonstrating that the lineage back to the original Star League Defense Force is NOT diluted by your Clans' long absence from the Inner Sphere.    You are appreciated, and you will not be forgotten."

Deb looked at the assembly-eleven warriors faced her directly, with twelve more along the side of the ramp, the Elemental phenotypes forming 'bookends'.

"Warrior, point fifth, Lukas, please step one step forward?" she asked.

An Elemental stepped forward from the rank running up the side of the ramp.  She walked over, head level to his chest, reached up, and pinned a bar of laquered metal to his uniform's breast, and slid a ribbon of gold, red, and dark brown, then, she handed him a flat plate of aluminum with scrollworked engraving citing "For Valourous service, you will be remembered, you may return to the formation..."

Each warrior in turn, from lowest rank, to highest, until 25 Warriors had been medalled.  Some were openly pleased, others stoic and tolerant. 

She 'pinned' Ezra last, adding a Purple Heart along side the memorial bar.

"You have our thanks." she said, concluding the mini-ceremony.

Ezra seemed stoic but took her hand. Her left, because only his left arm was functioning.

"In the name of my gathered Warriors I thank you for this gesture. We would have done more if we could. Our superiors will be reported with what happened here and hopefully it will mark the beginning of a good relationship between our two.. entities." A small but sincere smile could be seen on his face.

He turned to the formation.

"Warriors, you are dismissed. Prepare to leave this planet. For now."

Charlotte grinned at Laura. Part of it surprise about her Ezra's abilities, but stayed with the three.

"Archduchess, you had something more to say for us?", Ezra faced Deb again.

Debbie had one last item in her briefcase.

"I confess I do not understand half of this stuff-but the Hog that gored you? It was no more natural than seedless peaches or plastic fruit." she said,  "The tech to do it is...well, according to our folks, we could not do it if we wanted to, and they have doubts that the Star League could have done it-the thing is related to ordinary boars about as much as a human being is related to a chimpanzee, I thought maybe your Clanner scientists could figure out where in hell it was cooked up, and by whom, and maybe if the bastards who cooked it up are still lurking around."  she told him.

Ezra looked surprised. "You mean it could be genetically altered?" A gaze to Charlotte. "This would be uncommon out here. Do you have your scientist's report with you? It could be interesting for the Clan Command as well as even Leonard is able to do some research, we might lack the facilities for this."

He gestured her back into the ship. "It should be no secret that the Clans have made use of this technique before, not only for the creation of the best Warrior but also for colonizing the Homeworlds. Several animals have been released on these worlds and created an important part of the ecosystem." He looked at her directly: "This is mostly negligible there because the Homeworlds were a terrible place before them. Here, the opposite is true. This ecosystem seems to support humans well and would not need so much engineering.
Do you think this could be an act of terrorism?"

Debra nodded.  "Either a terrorist act, or a field-test for a future terrorist threat." she said, "We are not sure which, but the docs tell me it's growth-cycle was accellerated, and that beast had more than a small amount of human tissue in its gut-from a recent kill, we also extracted some fifty spent bullets, in addition to the arrows and a few other fragments.  Your Laser burned it, which slowed its healing enough for you to kill it...barely enough."  she shivered,  "Someone built that nightmare, and if they can build one, they can build more-we need to know who has the capability, and lacks the morality to pull off this kind of creation and turn it loose."

she handed him a thick binder with a datadisc enveloped on the cover.  "This is what our docs came up with, Like I said, I'm educated and I can not understand half of it...but they are very worried, which makes me very worried, too-between this, and some...incidents involving...citizens, I think we have damned good reason to be concerned at the prospect someone is using our people and worlds as guinea-pigs."

Ezra snarled at the details.

He gave the report to Charlotte.

"We will try to solve this. I will prepare a report to Clan Command. Perhaps they will funnel additional resources for it, but I am not sure at this time. Also, I do not know how long it may take. When I am back, I may have something new for you. If there are humans involved, I will gladly do the same to them as I did with their.. creation." He grimly added.

"Now, we have just hours until we must leave. I will do all I can to return. You need people, and I need solid ground under my feet. Miranda shall not come with us, I suppose. Where shall she be treated? Leonard will prepare her transfer. We need a decision. Also, if you have a shuttle, I ask for permission to stay two days longer to .. watch over her as well. Leonard says, the more I stay on ground, the better for me and..to write my report."

Charlotte went off after nodding at the two women, she had preparations to make.

"She's not ready to be moved!" Leonard claimed.  His 'assistant', standing behind him, reached up, and hit him with a pneumatic injector-knocking him out.

"She is, actually." the Assistant told them. 

Debra looked at the man on the floor.  "What's his problem?" she asked.

"I do not know." the young doctor-in-training said, "He has been obsessive ever since we put her in the scanners-he wants her for some kind of research project, he even tried to badger the XO into trialling to keep her."

"Interestin'." Deb said, "Laura, get a meat-wagon out here, she goes to Grantsville General tonight, if she's healthy enough for the trip."  Her accent was back, not as thick as it was initially, but tinged with obvious mix of anger and stress.

Debra looked to Ezra, "You have a schedule t'keep, Star Captain, but I would like it very much if you can find time to come on back-as a guest, after you-all have wrung the doc on the floor there for what he knows an' isn't sharin'."  her expression was darkening, an invisible thunderclap behind her eyes, "Ah don' care t'have someon' try t'fool'n one of my people into somethin'...bad.  Ah think Herr Doktor on th' floor there, he'in plannin' somethin' Naughty, you get him wrung out good, I w'll consider it a great favour if you tell me why he wanted t' kidnap one'a my people-an' why he thinks he could get it over on yours."

Ezra's face was now completely unamused.

"Miranda will be well. You have my word. If I could stay 2 more days after my ships, I would explain this to you. If there is no shuttle, then I will do next time. In private though. Much of it is Clan-internal and not supposed for exterior ears. As few as I know about it. His interest in Miranda I would explain as well. It might be interesting for both parties involved."

"Karol, get Leonard away, I will deal with you two later.", he told the MedTech grimly. He took up the Doctor with quite ease and moved off. Seemed unhappy as well.

And back to Debra: "Now this is the time of your decision. When Miranda's Transporter arrives, the time is close. Let me tell you, despite the shortness of our meeting and our lack of diplomatic skill, it was an interesting experience and I would be happy to meet you again."

Two hours after the Departure of Miranda...

Charlotte's personal Comm chimed.  "What?" she demanded.

MedTech Karol's face on the comm looked decidedly uncomfortable.  "There is a problem." he said.

"Why are you calling me, Technician?" she demanded.

"It is a matter for the Warrior Caste, and I felt that it may be better to approach you, as you are more conservative than Star Captain Ezra." he told her, "It has to do with the woman, Miranda Gonzales; I ran a standard gene-check, as we are supposed to do, looking for Not-Named Contamination.  She checked out clean, but...Either the equipment is faulty, someone has sabotaged the screening, or we just released a product of the Scientist Conspirators into the world, because the woman's DNA holds markers for at least four Clan bloodlines-and she is too old to have been born after the start of Operation Revival."

"What?" Charlotte growled.

"Leonard was trying to hide what she is-if our equipment has not been sabotaged-it means he knows more than he is willing to tell...I am not trained to interrogate prisoners, OvKhan, and we do not have the girl any more so I have no way to see if the samples were somehow contaminated-I do not think they were...What I need to know, is whether I should report this, or bury it?"

Karol was earnest to a fault at times-a  rather short washout from the Elemental programme with a 'glass jaw' and weak heart, his mind was keen, but his manner at times was almost child-like in his faith and enthusiasm for serving the Clan and obeying rules.

Even when he (occasionally) broke those rules-such as tranqing the Doctor and, for that matter, jumping the chain of command to ask for a decision from the executive officer.

Charlotte needed some seconds to process this information. The implications were.. terrible. Groundshaking.

"Thank you, Karol, for informing me. I will be with you shortly. Get the Doctor into arrest."

**

Ezra had been given allowance to stay two more days, with a shuttle getting him to the Jumper then. And, by Kerensky, it was needed. When Charlotte approached him, just an hour before they started, with the news, he was about to kill Leonard. Of course, that would have been counterproductive. But Debra would need to hear this. The possibilities were not good. He would make sure to warn Clan Command, and to get the resources to check this and again. This meant the Watch would certainly be involved. A thought that sickened Ezra. Either him or some of his subordinates would become Watch members. Despite him only being 3rd tier Warrior, he had his pride. The Droppers now thundered to space and he watched. 'Good ships', he thought.

When he made his way to Deb's Landhold on an old 4WD Car, kindly provided by Captain Laura with a driver named Private Donald, he gathered himself. Perhaps it was all a mistake? Perhaps she was no real genecrafted piece?

Finally he was there. Only 45 hours left.
He has to wait some minutes but finally is allowed in. And spares the courtesies.

"Archduchess, I need to talk to you privately." She let her attending fellows go after short thought. "The incident with the Doctor and Miranda. I will have to go into detail before. It should not be known to you, but the Clans had to face a cabal by the Scientist Caste to remove the Warriors and to attain leadership over the Clans. This was done interClan. Only few Clans are thought not to be involved. They mixed genes from different Clans without those Clans knowing. They funneled materials and even SibKos beneath the schedule. They collaborated with the Bandits and even stole genetics from the Main Repository, likely from others as well.

Thus, the Scientist Caste in my Clan was taken out. Those with less guilt were put to the Tech Caste as Leonard was and are under supervision permanently. Now, when he had Miranda in hospital, he checked her through, and told us he found her different. May I have some water?"

His mouth was already dry from this much talk. He sipped, not paying much attention to it. "The difference, his words, are her healing ability and system. It needed a massive trauma to get her infected. She would not get sick otherwise. At all. Thus he wanted to study her to prove if there were genes that would benefit the Clan as well. I allowed for a gene sample and would have tried to get some samples of her environment. However.." here it seemed he had to gather his thoughts again.

"When you left, a MedTech ran another check for Not-Named blood, it is a standard test for us. Nothing was found, but he claims he found enough evidence that she was crafted like El-Jefe. Now, it should be totally impossible, as he found genetics of some Clan-Bloodlines, and when she was.. produced, there were no Clans in this part of the Inner Sphere." He looked exhausted and drank another deep gulp. "It might still be, the Dragoons were here, and the Cabal might be older than I believe and even here already to test their abominations. My hope is, and I will ask my Clan to double and triplecheck, that this is a mix-up and this is just coincidence. I had to let you know, though." He breathed out and in to calm down.

Debra looked pensive, and stirred her drink-today it was red tea and lemon juice over ice, a pitcher and a second glass were laid out for the Star Captain. 

"Ah do not see how it is possible." she said after a pause.  "After the evidence on El Jefe came up, I started digging." she gestured to the clutter of books, readers, and disks on the shelves of her private, home office.  "They tried something like that back in the mid-21st century-they could not make it work, an' that was with full DNA-all the parts were there, but they could not get it to start, and they could not get it to run-the best they got were undifferentiated  T-cells in clusters that turned non-viable in some pretty awful ways-a full-custom Gene-built fake person just...I do not believe in it... but she might just have that random, or maybe your doctor screwed up his equipment hoping to force your hand?"  she asked, "You mentioned he was a minor offender-seems to me that he gave off a sleazy vibe-I did no' like him at first meetin', he felt like..." she closed her eyes, "he felt like Taxman Burris, all smiles and wheedles an' ready to screw anyone or anything to get ahead-the Psychists call it 'sociopathic personality disorder', good at looking friendly, but all the emotional depth of a mud puddle and loyal only to himself, or his cause."  she opened her eyes.  "I would have a neutral Clan Tech who has no prior contact with him, look over the gear when you hit Melissia-make sure he did nothing weird to it or the data it contains.  The Gonzales and Ortega families have been Arluna Native longer than my own kin were, they emigrated here from Terra with the first wave of colonists to hit this world-that is a LONG time, an' we can check her Gene-records, they keep 'em for Medical personnel on hiring, an' she has LCAF service, I know they also file gene-records for graves-registration, somethin' weird lahk that would be a flag on those files, an'..." she stopped.

"Dammit.  Old habits... those records were kept at Mt. Asgard, an' that whole facility went to ten thousand degrees Celsius not four months ago..." she sighed heavily.

Ezra spoke again, mostly oblivious to her terrible slang.
"The Problems that might arise from it, I cannot fathom. Perhaps I will have to fight a Trial, unlikely, the interest of the higher-ups in your realm increases, for good or bad, or nothing happens at all, as the War takes precedence. But still, there might be worse or better things coming from it. You should doublecheck at your hospital as well, that what I say is true. At least that she is extremely resilient is fact. For that and her spirit, I admire her. If she is a product of the same class like the hog, I will have problems with this."

Deb nodded.
"We'll run a local check on her against the records at Oxford and here in the Capital, if she really is Miranda, those records will check out.  I'll repeat, I think your 'doctor' Leonard may have screwed with your gear to try an' force you into something you obviously do not want t' do."  Deb said, "If she turns out to be Miranda, and those records end up matching what your gear is sayin' anyway? Just remember: she isn't just her genes anymore than you are just your boots-the difference between humans an' machines is that a machine is only the sum of its parts-it can never transcend what it is made from-people can, an' People do.  Genes don' give you spirit, or courage, or wisdom-they only give you hardware-I don' care if she was brewed in some evil mad-science lab, or just Enrico Ortega's daughter with a weird mutation twist-she is one of MY people first an' last- who she is will always matter among my folk more than what she might have been- 'member, I was born on this farm, My parents, they were not even legally married-an' now, because of WHO rather than WHAT I am, Ah have built a government, and built an interstellar nation-an' I was never all that wealthy to start, in an environment where that is the first thing everyone wants to look at."

Ezra was now back on track. A glimmer of hope perhaps? He cleared his throat, but it was unclear if in response to her terrible slang or to her lecture on genes. But at least he seemed more calm now.

"I will do what I can. And so far it seems that despite all hardships, you do a great job." He tried a smile.

She smiled at him, "Thank you, Star Captain...anyway, on the issues surrounding Miranda, I have ordered her files opened already-we need to confirm she is who Captain Gaumond thinks she is, and then, we have to make sure she has not been..." her smile vanished, "Messed with by some mad-scientist, if she has been, then..."  she put her glass down.  "If some quack has been tinkering with one of my people against her will, Star Captain, I will do such things as they will forget Elizabeth Ngo's...unkind reputation." 

"Reputation?" he asked, somewhat intrigued.

"She executed a man for embezzlement-with her own hands, on live tele when she took over Kowloon, and she...did things to his conspirators.  You may have heard something about how she made Hopper Morrison seek greener pastures?" she asked.

"I have heard...rumours? but they seemed exaggerated." he told her.

"She sent one man back to Hopper with the rest of the company that tried to raid Kowloon in '60...or, that is to say, the heads of that Company of pirates, and several hours of video footage taken as those men died.  Liz liked to use crucifiction as bandit-deterrent, it is no 'rumour.'..if someone has been tinkering with Miranda's genes against her will, using her as a...test subject?"  Deb's hand stroked the holster, "when I lay hands on the people responsible, they will wish they were in the clutches of a hostile Crusader Clan, they will beg for death, and I will keep them alive and aware until there is no possibility that their body can remain alive one moment longer... People are not lab-rats."

"what about if she allowed it willingly?" he asked.

The thundercloud behind her eyes parted for a moment.  "Her body, her right to consent, Star Captain, I am no tyrant."  she told him, "No matter how...unethical the science might be, if she consented, then it is her right to do so...but I doubt she did, I will have to ask her when she wakes up... speaking of recoveries, how are you feeling?"

He smiled shyly. "I will be alright soon enough, one month at length. But you remind me of someone. In a better way.. ah yes.. " His mind seemed to wander off.

"A Star Colonel I once knew. He mostly hunted Bandits. It was rumoured he was of Smoke Jaguar origin. Well.. You remind me of him. Yes, when they went down, the old Way was lost..." He took a long sip of this drink.

"Ah, that is interesting. One of the things you are ahead. But it is said our Castepeople try that as well."

Quote from: Marlin on August 28, 2010, 08:31:12 PM
He smiled shyly. "I will be alright soon enough, one month at length. But you remind me of someone. In a better way.. ah yes.. " His mind seemed to wander off.

"A Star Colonel I once knew. He mostly hunted Bandits. It was rumoured he was of Smoke Jaguar origin. Well.. You remind me of him. Yes, when they went down, the old Way was lost..." He took a long sip of this drink.

"Ah, that is interesting. One of the things you are ahead. But it is said our Castepeople try that as well."

"I will take that as a Compliment, Star Captain." Deb said, "Anyone tell you why I managed to organize a government here after the dying dropped off?"  she asked, adding, "it IS a funny story...perhaps Ironic is a better term."

She stood up, and paced in memories, "It was about crops." she said, and gestured out the window, "The new automation makes it look effortless, the clever boys over at Ngo Plant six on Kowloon mocked it up as part of the recovery, we may start marketing outside the borders if it passes OUR field test... I asked people from the Relief contingents about crop prices-and I did not like getting the dumb looks-nobody knew whether I needed to calculate my plantings in terms of Kroner, or Credit."

She turned to look at him, "So, that drove my next choice." she told him, "I sure as hell did not want to count it in terms of body-bags because they had to fight it out, so I worked out, based on the assurances of both Clan contingents, the Niops group, and the Coast Guardsmen, that everyone thought they were working in our collective interest-and I gambled.  See the horse-barn over there?" she pointed at a pole-building without walls, fenced in by tube-steel fencing.

"Aff, I saw it as I was driving in." Ezra answered.

"I put it up about a week before the meeting, the parking lot the Coasties built for me, and they helped me contact the bigger survivor enclaves.  I talked them into sending representatives to discuss our collective future-what WE wanted, because if we did not make it understood ahead of time, we would have had four or five well-meaning 'helpers' killin' each other and burning what was left trying to decide for us."  she leaned on the back of her chair, and gestured, "It took a week to get everyone who would come-it ended up being about twenty percent of the actual Enclaves, but nobody knew that then...we argued back and forth for three days, hearing the pitches from every power that had a hand in fighting the Plague here, plus views from separatists off Kowloon, radicals here, we argued and we talked and we listened, and somehow, in the middle of it,  that gathering turned into something like a government, and that Government started negotiating with powers far larger and more powerful than we were even before the Flu...and I kept getting pushed up to the front of the room to handle those negotiations..." she sighed, "Because I was the one that decided to get everyone else together in the same...place, because Everyone knew who I was...and tht was a result of being the first to start contacting the enclaves and talking about OUR future."

She sat back down, "It was that simple, Star Captain.  I had the nerve to not sit and just take whatever someone else was going to give me, I was proactive when everyone else was still milling about in confusion, or flying on autopilot."  she poured another glass, "The UIW was not what I planned when I came home.  I either had to take the tiger by the tail, or I would end up in its mouth."  She stopped pacing, "I read, you may have noticed all the books?  I read a LOT, I have to. One thing I have learned, is that an adequate solution today, is better than a perfect solution too late."  she grimaced, "Unfortunately, that has meant having to kill men to make things move.  It has meant sacrificing men too-and it means that next month, I will probably be sending men to die in the cold of space to find out why the Scorpions do not answer their mail, and whether or not their scientists-to whom we owe a lot of lives, have been fooling with my people and my worlds on a genetic level-against their will."

She looked him in the eye, "And we will find out.  Then, I will have an entire array of bad decisions to choose the least damaging version of, the one that kills the fewest of my nation's citizens while still accomplishing our goals."  she sighed, "To do this job, I have already sacrificed my Christian Faith and my place in Heaven, Star Colonel-to do the job my people have given me, I have had to accept that Elizabeth Ngo was right-you either serve your people and pay the price, or you save yourself and THEY pay the price.  Nicholas Kerensky even identified this in his writings, where he discusses the sacrifice of individual honour for the honour of the Clan, you know this passage?"

UIS Incorrigible Flirt, Kowloon...

"Navigation plots are finished, Relay ships are out-bound.  With any luck, we won't need reinforcements, but if we do..."  Lt. Commander Lin Xia Xu stopped at Captain Giap's gesture.

The former Coastie captain shook his head, "If we need them, we need them-hopefully we won't." He said, "The Union has few enough warships as it is, I would as soon not lose one because a simple Recon went sour...but it ain't my call-it's the CNO's call."

"Yes sir."  the XO said, chastened.

"Excellent, All Hands, all hands, prep for KF Jump, our classified destination is the Goliath Scorpion system formerly known as Death of Adrian, As of this moment, all comms are condition Black, I repeat, all comms are condition Black."

"To answer your question: I know the Remembrance. Besides that, not much literature about the Founder is circling. At least not for lower ranked Warriors. We have enough literature digitalized and there are books available, but not for all. They are impractical for the most part.

However.. " he limped over to the shelves and looked over those books, closing with his left hand, not touching them. "Is it possible that I may read some of them? When I am on-planet, of course." He looked at her.

"Your story is interesting. And so far, you combined ruthlessness, quickness and luck to create a multi-system state. That survives. Yet." He seemed to remember something: "You alluded to the Scorpions", his gaze darkened a notch. "They might be dangerous. I may try to get a report on them for you by Command. It will take a while and I do not know if they would provide it to me or you, but it is worth the try." A quick smile appeared when he remembered her calling him Star Colonel. He would not bring it up. "Yes, leadership can be a burden. Some are born for it, most have to work hard, though." He sighed, seemingly remembering someone. "If we can be of help during our visits that lets us meet our schedule, like the hog-hunt, only call us up. The Warriors will need some avocation and be thankful for it. For me, it was the first real challenge for a long time." A short fierce grin appeared on his face, that seemed younger for the duration. He sat back down and rubbed his leg shortly.

Quote from: Marlin on August 30, 2010, 11:05:25 AM
"To answer your question: I know the Remembrance. Besides that, not much literature about the Founder is circling. At least not for lower ranked Warriors. We have enough literature digitalized and there are books available, but not for all. They are impractical for the most part.

However.. " he limped over to the shelves and looked over those books, closing with his left hand, not touching them. "Is it possible that I may read some of them? When I am on-planet, of course." He looked at her.

Deb nodded, "Yeah, you should definitely read more." she said, "I got the copy of Nicholas Kerensky's General orders to the Clans from a...friend." she said,  "I tend to encourage my own military personnel to pursue higher education-if an officer knows what has been tried in the past, he can better predict what will be tried in the future, and knowing how people think is always more useful than just knowing some physical skills."

Quote
"Your story is interesting. And so far, you combined ruthlessness, quickness and luck to create a multi-system state. That survives. Yet." He seemed to remember something: "You alluded to the Scorpions", his gaze darkened a notch. "They might be dangerous. I may try to get a report on them for you by Command. It will take a while and I do not know if they would provide it to me or you, but it is worth the try." A quick smile appeared when he remembered her calling him Star Colonel. He would not bring it up. "Yes, leadership can be a burden. Some are born for it, most have to work hard, though." He sighed, seemingly remembering someone. "If we can be of help during our visits that lets us meet our schedule, like the hog-hunt, only call us up. The Warriors will need some avocation and be thankful for it. For me, it was the first real challenge for a long time." A short fierce grin appeared on his face, that seemed younger for the duration. He sat back down and rubbed his leg shortly.

She reached over to the bookshelf, and handed him a battered volume, "If any-one asks, you are...pursuing diplomacy by keeping this safe." she said, "I found it to be fascinating to read, the dialect could be a touch difficult, but Kipling makes some very good observations-that have gone well beyond the nineteenth century."

Ezra frowned for a moment but smiled thankfully when she gave him the book. He felt the cover cautiously, with the book in his lap.

Finally he spoke up again:
"So, to wrap up what we have discussed now: we will check what is up with Miranda's genes.
We will test the Hog for tampered genes likewise. Measures will be taken to get the ones responsible if there is tampering found. Moreover, I will try to get a report about the late Goliath Scorpions. I will return this book.", he added with a hint of a smile.
"There is one matter I wish for: Leonard wanted samples from her environment to check if this could be part of Miranda's resilience. I would want to go and gather it. If you allow of course. You might want to doublecheck that as well and I would give you a copy of the list. After that I will have to go. But I will be back soon, barring circumstances beyond my control. Would that be acceptable for you?"

Quote from: Marlin on August 31, 2010, 06:14:22 PM
Ezra frowned for a moment but smiled thankfully when she gave him the book. He felt the cover cautiously, with the book in his lap.

Finally he spoke up again:
"So, to wrap up what we have discussed now: we will check what is up with Miranda's genes.
We will test the Hog for tampered genes likewise. Measures will be taken to get the ones responsible if there is tampering found. Moreover, I will try to get a report about the late Goliath Scorpions. I will return this book.", he added with a hint of a smile.
"There is one matter I wish for: Leonard wanted samples from her environment to check if this could be part of Miranda's resilience. I would want to go and gather it. If you allow of course. You might want to doublecheck that as well and I would give you a copy of the list. After that I will have to go. But I will be back soon, barring circumstances beyond my control. Would that be acceptable for you?"

Deb nodded almost-absently, "The site is still secured-I do not see any harm in it, Star Captain, as long as the samples are small-but you might want to bring someone with a survey background with you, or a doc you can trust." she said, "Shouldn't be anything rougher than the normal wildlife in the area now-and not much of that...still, I think I am going to have Captain Gaumond loan you some eggheads from the survey corps-just to be thorough-if there's some kind of new medicinal plant in the area, or something everyone has over-looked the last few centuries..." she paused, and added, "Besides, I really do NOT need to have to explain to your XO why you got eaten by a Gator."

Ezra grinned at the last comment. "I suppose I would have some words to tell to any Gator before, quiaff? And yes, a trusted Doctor it shall be. Please offer Captain Laura my greetings. She is partly responsible for my success in the hunt. I hope I will see her again. And you of course." He stood up and looked openly at his host.

"This all has been an exciting experience to say the least. I look forward to more of this." He sipped his rest of the drink. 'Delicious. More.'

"With your allowance I will prepare for the last part of my Ground-work."

Holy Cross Hospital, Grantsville, Arluna...

the hoofbeats thundered in the misty darkness, it bulked out of the trees, Miranda clutched the spear, and set the base of it in the ground.  Red eyes, like blood-soaked pits of fire glared from the shaggy beast, steam from its nostrils burled and boiled outward.

Impact!

The spearhead buried a meter into the beast's chest, the shaft flexed in her hands, and the foul stench of its breath watered her eyes and made her sinuses burn, as it bellowed its surprised rage.

The shaft broke, but she could feel the hot blood spraying down onto her as it drove forward.

El Jefe lowered its head, and brought up its dagger-tusks, driving them into her gut, lifting her off the ground in one smooth, perfect motion, hurling her into the air.

'This is it, I'm dead...'

Darkness did not come...


The mist cleared, replaced by stark white tiles, and a gagging, uncomfortable thing blocking her throat.

The sensation was suffocating, she struggled-and realized her hands and feet were bound.

Her heart triphammered, as panic set in...

November 1, 3069, Office of the Archduchess, Congress Building, Arluna...

"Happy Monday." Debra MacAulliffe grumped.  Gloria Li Wu, the receptionist, smiled up at her, "Morning Boss."

"Messages??" Deb asked, yawning.

"The Free Worlds Ambassador has an appointment at Ten, there are messages from the Spirit Cat Clan asking when and who we're sending in exchange for their ilChi, and there has been an informal request for a meeting to discuss a possible Manufacturing development contract with the Steel Vipers...also, Laura Gaumond messaged to let you know they finished the survey at the Ortega place-nothing real exciting there."  Gloria chippered.

"and Congress?" Deb asked.

"In Recess-it's the off-term and they've all gone back to their regional offices to work with their home-folks." Gloria told her.

"Good...good..."  No more legislation for a while, which meant Debbie could focus on running the Executive Branch.  "What about the mess in Arc Royal?"

"well...they want to ship their head-of-state here." Gloria told her.

"What?" Deb stopped, and set her coffee down on the desk.  "Say again?"

"Seems their 'estates general' has announced the dissolution of hte Commonwealth, and they don't think they need her anymore.  State thinks it might be a bad idea." Gloria said.

Deb frowned.  "I liked Sharon before she went nuts, Gloria-I recommended her appointment to that job to Peter-one of my mistakes...tell the Arc Royal people they're making a mistake throwing her out."

"Will we offer her sanctuary, though?" Gloria asked.

"If SHE asks.  I'm not going to be a holding pond for hostages or exiles." Debbie said, "We already have one of those-tell them anyone that wants to immigrate is welcome, but it has to be their choice, not the choice of some third party or political opportunist-make it sound...polite when you tell 'em.  Taking in the folks who can't get on in the Clans is different-a lot of those are refugees an' they mostly come willing."

November 1, 3069, Grantsville Holy Cross Hospital, Ward 3...

"Where am I?" Miranda mumbled.  The sky was...white, and criss-crossed...wait, that's a ceiling...

"Holy Cross Hospital, Landholder-you aren't going to tear up my ward agian, are you?"  A tall man loomed over her in doctor's whites, his burnished, almost ebony-brown skin seemed to gleam...but his eyes were kind.

"Wha?" Miranda was confused, "How-what are you talking about?"

"First time you came out of your coma, you trashed the critical-care room you were in, we had to tranq you in the hallway." he said, "you've got a few bruises from that-it's not unexpected, you went through hell down there, but at least we don't have to feed you through a tube now."

"How long was I out?" Miranda asked.

"Two weeks, three days, seven hours...fourteen minutes." he told her, "Not including the eight hours we had to add to that after we sedated you."

Her stomach rumbled.  "FOod?" she asked.

"I'll put a nurse on it.  I'm Doctor Wells, by the way, Nice to meet you at last, Madame Ortega."

Arluna Zenith Point
16. November, 3069

A lone voice transmits a message from the planet's Zentih point.

"Arluna control, this is the CSVS Seeker. We request travel clearances and landing coordinates for an envoy from Clan Steel Viper. Acknowledge Arluna."

Quote from: GreyJaeger on September 08, 2010, 02:45:53 PM
Arluna Zenith Point
16. November, 3069

A lone voice transmits a message from the planet's Zentih point.

"Arluna control, this is the CSVS Seeker. We request travel clearances and landing coordinates for an envoy from Clan Steel Viper. Acknowledge Arluna."

"CSVS Seeker, this is Arluna Control, Welcome to the Union of Independent Worlds, Prep for incoming Nav-Data Stream on channel 62, SLDF Delta Range, Over."

Quote from: Cannonshop on September 08, 2010, 05:18:45 PM

Quote from: GreyJaeger on September 08, 2010, 02:45:53 PM
Arluna Zenith Point
16. November, 3069

A lone voice transmits a message from the planet's Zentih point.

"Arluna control, this is the CSVS Seeker. We request travel clearances and landing coordinates for an envoy from Clan Steel Viper. Acknowledge Arluna."

"CSVS Seeker, this is Arluna Control, Welcome to the Union of Independent Worlds, Prep for incoming Nav-Data Stream on channel 62, SLDF Delta Range, Over."

"Aff, Arluna Control."

Arluna Port Control, 0330 Hours Local time, 16 November, 3069...

"Hey, Keller, what you got there?" Chief Vinh asked.

"Um...Steel Viper transport, they're flying a pennant." PO Sandra Keller said, "He's pretty quiet, they've stuck to the beam practically like glue, but..."

"But they're flyin' a pennant, and you don't like doing diplomats, right?" Vinh asked.

"Yeah." Keller said, "I always feel like I'm going to fuck something up and start a war or something."

"That's natural, especially on the graveyard shift.  You stick to the book and remember you're Coast Guard, you'll do okay." Vinh told her, "and let me know if there's a problem."

"Aye-aye sir."

Dropshuttle K1-C CSVS Hun
Inbound, Arluna

"Status report, Pilot Carl." Star Commander Jaymie asked the pilot of the Clan dropshuttle.

"Tree-six hours, one seven minutes until landing Star Commander... Approximately."

"And you are keeping us on their transmitted travel vectors quaiff?"

"Aff... to the letter, as well as keeping comms discipline."

"Good.. Should keep them good and tense." The Star Commander smiled as she stifled a yawn.

Arluna Zenith
8th November 3069

An IR Flash informed those watching about a new guest.

"Attention Arluna control, this is the Jumpship "Memory" of Clan Ice Hellion. I have with me several Dropships to land at the appropriate site. Just like before roughly two months." The voice of Captain Gill seemed bored so far, but took a different pace now, as if reading or remembering words: "I also have to inform you that there is the official ilChi of Clan Ice Hellion with the Dropships and requests to take up permanent station on Arluna. Please copy."

System Control 08 November, 3069..

"Jumpship Memory, this is Arluna Traffic Control, we copy that last transmission, could you...ah..."  the sound of keys tapping can be heard over the link, "...Okay, found it!  Your ilChi has a standing invite to land at the Capital.  Vectors for Diplomatic traffic should be coming up on subchannel 5, you can proceed with your standard delivery per precedent, we can keep this channel open and locked in case you have other ATC issues, Over."

"Thanks, Arluna Control. Sorry, it is a Diplomat. We will stand by. Dropships unlocking now. "Memory" out."

Gill leaned back in his command chair. His mission was done. Until they came back of course. 

Arluna SpacePort, Arluna

The Steel Viper K1-C shuttle made landfall on the ferrocrete landing strip. As soon as the shuttle stopped and a landing gantry was put into place, the door opened and a pretty brunette Steel Viper warrior walked confidently down the stairs and headed with crisp, clean strides towards the awaiting dignitaries. In a strong voice and a stern set to her face, she addressed the assembled Arlunans. "I am Star Commander Jaymie of Clan Steel Viper, and I bear you greetings from Khan Perigard Zalman."

UIS Deliberation, Sector 1311...

"Incoming message...oh shit...sir, Incorrigible Flirt is down, Captain Giap's ordered abandon ship, and they're DX'ing the Black Box, code  book, and they're scuttling, message says that the Scorpions did not answer hails before attacking...sir, they're gone."

Captain Joshua Zev nodded, and said a soft prayer.  "Well...we know now.  relay the message back home, and keep charging the drive-we can't finish the mission, but we CAN keep a watch out for any reprisals while we wait for further orders."

"aye aye, sir...are we going to try to mount a rescue?"  Ensign Damh asked.

"Not right now-the Flirt's crew are trained for survival, if Giap ordered them into the Belt at Shora, they could hole up for months in the rings of that gas-giant.  I'm not risking the ship on this."

"Aye Aye sir."

Theil residence, Goldenlake District 10 Km south of Bien Hoa.


  Master Chief (retired) Henrik Theil looked over at his daughter. "Sarah I'm not too keen on you remaining in the LCAF. It's not like they can pay you anymore let alone support you. Why in god's name did you keep your comission?" Sarah looked around at the maple trees and sighed.
"Dad, I swore an oath. When they called me to regular service it meant something. I love Kowloon but I was happy to get out on my own and see the Commonwealth. I felt like I belonged and was needed. I was not like serving my time in the Coast Guard doing customs and SAR work. You might find this a bit silly but I met someone. He's a Colonel. Before you jump to conclusions I made Kommandant before I met him." She chuckles softly. "His name is Lowell and I miss him terribly. Part of the reason I kept the comission is because he proposed. I accepted of course under the condition he came here to meet you. I have a holodisk in my things he made just in case he couldn't make the trip."

  Henrik nodded. "I guess I will have to watch it soon. You did report your status to the local military liason I hope?" Sarah nodded. "Yes and better yet I sent my status to Admiral Li. Apparently she still has contacts in the LCAF."

Quote from: GreyJaeger on September 13, 2010, 06:58:30 AM
Arluna SpacePort, Arluna

The Steel Viper K1-C shuttle made landfall on the ferrocrete landing strip. As soon as the shuttle stopped and a landing gantry was put into place, the door opened and a pretty brunette Steel Viper warrior walked confidently down the stairs and headed with crisp, clean strides towards the awaiting dignitaries. In a strong voice and a stern set to her face, she addressed the assembled Arlunans. "I am Star Commander Jaymie of Clan Steel Viper, and I bear you greetings from Khan Perigard Zalman."

"Welcome to Arluna."  Debra MacAulliffe said, "I hope you brought an appetite, you have arrived just the right time of year-half the continent is wrapped up in harvest festivals, so when I heard you were coming, I pulled something out of the smoker and put it over a pit-if you brought crew or troopers along, consider them invited as well-otherwise, I end up having to deal with leftovers."  Deb smiled.  The wiry man standing behind and to her left never changed expression.

Pol Nguyen watched 'his' Archduchess greet the Steel Viper officer.  don't smile...  He tried manfully to keep his expression totally neutral.    Show no emotion.  After months stuck on the bodyguard detail, working with a 'loaned' Star Adder, he was thankful that, at least, the Steel Vipers did not send an Elemental breed.

"Let me introduce you to my immediate staff, and we can do that while we go to the car." Debra said.  "This, is Leutenant Commander Pol Nguyen, Union Marine Corps, you might have heard of him-he took a company of half-trained light infantry against the Star Adders on Kwangchowwang, and fought so well they had to break their bid to take the planet-since then, Commodore Pham has kept him 'at home' doing the onerous task of keeping me out of fights, keeping deranged nuts from blowing me up, and training Army Reserve troops for defensive operations."

"Ma'am." Pol saluted from attention.  It was robot-precise, but he had the thousand-mile stare of someone who survived extensive heavy combat-or someone who lived through the deaths of millions at close proximity.  His eyes carried horrors few could endure-and fewer could endure and remain sane.

"This is Rabbi Doctor Mai Huyn of the Kahanist Synagogue Ia Drang, she is my senior science advisor, she invented the Huyn Swab method for detecting the Arluna Flu virus, and was a co-discoverer of the Cure for the Flu."

"Shalom." Mai was a rarity-a pure Asiatic ethnic specimen in her late forties or early fifties.  The cadaceus pin on her blouse declared her specialty.

"This is my Minister of State,  the Elector Magritte Dora of Inarcs." Deb continued, and a russet-haired woman in her mid-thirties gave a shallow curtsey.  Mdme Dora put forth a valiant attempt to seem harmless-an attempt that was blatant mostly in its transparency, and her eyes did not smile with her mouth.

"and finally, Economic Director Kelli Ann Fitz, from the Office of Special Services." Deb said.

Kelli Fitz was lanky, tall-ish, and for an economist, she looked more like an assassin-right down to the same killer's stare that Lt. Nguyen had, her immaculate white business-suit with the black blouse did not look so much like a Merchant's garb, as something of a uniform.  "Pleased to meet you." Kelli said.  Her hands had the calluses of a martial artist.

 Even though the Clans did not practice most Inner Sphere forms of greetings, whether they are salutes, handshakes, or bows, Jaymie watched what each individual did as they were introduced and precisely mimicked their gestures. As each person was introduced, she mentally cataloged their names, rank, and titles, to be researched later. Just as much as this mission was to secure basing and industrial rights, it was also a mission of Intel gathering. Star Commander Jaymie was not a member of the Steel Viper Clan Watch, she was a Star Commander in the 223rd Battle Cluster of Beta Galaxy. What she had was a very analytical mind and an insatiable curiosity.

Throughout her life, she was always being reprimanded for wasting time studying non-military matters. It was this very trait that was now being implemented by Khan Zalman. The Khan wanted to increase relationships with the worlds of the Inner Sphere, and she was here to see if that was possible.

Turning to address McAulliffe, "Aff, that sounds agreeable Archduchess."

Quote from: GreyJaeger on September 18, 2010, 01:15:33 AM
Even though the Clans did not practice most Inner Sphere forms of greetings, whether they are salutes, handshakes, or bows, Jaymie watched what each individual did as they were introduced and precisely mimicked their gestures. As each person was introduced, she mentally cataloged their names, rank, and titles, to be researched later. Just as much as this mission was to secure basing and industrial rights, it was also a mission of Intel gathering. Star Commander Jaymie was not a member of the Steel Viper Clan Watch, she was a Star Commander in the 223rd Battle Cluster of Beta Galaxy. What she had was a very analytical mind and an insatiable curiosity.

Throughout her life, she was always being reprimanded for wasting time studying non-military matters. It was this very trait that was now being implemented by Khan Zalman. The Khan wanted to increase relationships with the worlds of the Inner Sphere, and she was here to see if that was possible.

Turning to address McAulliffe, "Aff, that sounds agreeable Archduchess."

"We should go, then." Deb said, "Pol, make sure the Star Commander's men have a ride up to the farm, Kelli, you an' Magritte an' Mai are in the Rooikat, the Star Commander an' I will be takin' my car."

The group moved out.

"I try not to make everything such a fuss, Star Commander, but one of the pains from the job, everyone wants to make me sit in the back seat."  She said with a grin.

Debra MacAulliffe's 'car' was a ton-and-a-half six-wheel drive flatbed truck with a stake-fence around the cargo area.  Presently, it was loaded with nondescript shipping containers.

She helped the Star Commander up into the cab, and said, "It was this, or the motorcycle, an' it rained last week, the roads are oily between here and my place."

Inside the truck, there was a shot-gun clipped to the dashboard, and a rifle clamped beside the passenger seat.  Both looked well-used.

Debbie climbed into the driver's position after her guest was buckled in.  "We are, believe it or not, less uncivilized than this-back when I had the truck modified, we had feral dog-packs running loose an' any stop for any reason you needed one man on point security with a gun while changing the tyre."  she said it in an apologetic tone.

Then, she started the big diesel and put it into gear.

The drive took twenty minutes along mostly-empty highways followed by narrower and narrower country roads-remarkably, the big, bulky and stiff-sprung vehicle rode smoothly over ruts deep enough to break most smaller vehicles.  As the motorcade passed the gate of the MacAulliffe farm,  Jaymie could see the bones of bodies, marked with a sign; "Tresspassers will be shot" strung out on barbed wire fencing to either side of the gate.

They passed a wrecked military-vehicle's corpse inside the gate, the thing had been shattered what seemed years ago-bramble was growing over it, but to a trained eye, the vehicle had been killed by a land-mine of remarkably large size, then picked apart by small-arms fire.

"During the riots, some of the Gangers tried to shake down the small farmers who were still alive out here." Debra clarified, "That bunch, they were persistent, killed a couple of men who were working for me, before I finished them off, it was about a week before the Star Adders showed up...by then, I was pretty sick...but they did not get any sicker, an' they did not threaten anyone else after their visit here...'course, that may be on account of they never left-we put the ones that were most intact on the fence, an' the rest in the garden for fertilizer.  The Roses are fantastic in that patch."


The motorcade pulled into the dooryard, and up to the house.

Here, there were soldiers...and families.  "on account of your arrival, I decided that the troopers with family nearby needed a 'family day', I hope you do not mind breakin' bread with Union troops." Debra said,  "Especially since Sargeant Quhon's wife makes the most divine potato salad, everyone not on duty is helping with the reception, then when their rotation goes to duty, the guy they replace gets his turn, it builds cohesion for the men to recreate together, which I need in a bodyguard detail."

Deb helped the Steel Viper out of the truck, then bellowed out "Alright! I need some men to un-load the beer an' party supplies!!"

 Star Commander Jaymie took offense at the "help" offered by the other woman, but never let the irritation show, even in her bright green eyes. The Star Commander can climb into the cockpit of her Mad Dog even at full extension in less that four seconds, and she was scaling much more difficult obstacles than the truck cab by her tenth birthday. But she let the unintended slight pass without comment.

She listened as the Archduchess drove, but paid the most attention to the surroundings. This world was fairly pristine and still in a fairly natural state. The thought made her wonder if this is what Strana Mechty and the other worlds of the Pentagon Worlds and Kerensky's Cluster looked like to her ancestors.

When the Archduchess inquired whether she minded eating with the Union troops, the question puzzled Jaymie. Why would I mind? Is this a test of some sort? But once again, not even a flash of uncertainty crossed her pretty face. "Neg Archduchess, it will be a unique experience for myself. I have only been in the company of members of my own Clan and other Clans."

After arriving at the house, she again accepted the "help" getting help out of the cab of the vehicle. After the other woman's announcement for assistance, Jaymie nimbly jumped onto the bed of the truck by using the tire as a step while pulling herself up by grabbing onto the railing. In about three steps over two seconds, she was ready to start the debarkation of the party supplies.

Inside, there was noise, as always when people come together. Especially warriors on free time and in this case freeborns and their families.

Ezra knew about that concept as many of his warriors were freeborns, birthed and raised in families in the Homeworlds and some even in the Inner Sphere. But still, he felt cleaner thinking about his own upbringing.

Not making this an issue however was important as he had talked to a few people already, even civilians. This too he had experience in, however these people here had a sense of liberty towards him which would not be found within his Clan. Of course, he would not command them around, but they were different.

Although he had yet to see after Miranda, news were that she had woken up shortly after he left. And the news he had brought with him were interesting too. However, that would be needing more pursuit with Miranda and Deb.

He hoped to see Laura too, but she had certainly to do with his delivery again. So he went to Seargent Mark, a Veteran of the Coast Guard who could eat tremendous amounts of food. As he showed here. However, he was a good talk.

The weather was clear, the tables loaded down with a variety of dishes, the main course had been cooking for thirty-six hours over a smoky bed of coals right out in the open.

Half a steer takes a while.  This one was just about done.

As they offloaded the truck, most of the containers were stacked to form a makeshift bar with a fenced area-a Beer garden, sequestering the alcoholic beverages from the younger crowd.

A couple of Marines plucked at guitars and other musical instruments-not so much entertaining the rest, as one-upping each other's skill.  Some of the older children were leading the younger ones in a series of children's games that sometimes spilled into 'grownup country'.

One could almost miss the Marines pulling security duty on the perimeter-untrained eyes would miss them, in the treelines and green-belt areas in ghillie suits, concealed in the loft of the barn, and moving or not-moving just out of sight.

There were a lot of snipers.

The other thing, was the presence of armament-for all the pastoral innocence on display, there was definitely the sense of walking into an armed encampment where the residents were one wrong sound shy of organized and effective violence-and this was as true for the obvious civilians-at least, the adult civilians present, as it was for the Marines.

For all the effort to look relaxed, these people showed the sustained-stress patterns of a people besieged by an unseen enemy-a people just waiting for the next attack.

"Make yourself comfortable." Deb told the ilChi, then headed over to where a few of the wives were working, and put her own hand to the preparations.

A couple of people joined the musicians, and they seemed to settle on something to actually play instead of just showing off their abilty to chord.

one of them was a girl about fifteen years old, and she sang...

"The clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Like acid and oil on a madman's face
His reason tends to fly away

Like lesser birds on the four winds
Like silver scrapes in May
Now the sands become a crust
And most of you have gone away..."

Captain Laura Gaumond stepped out of the house and walked over to Ezra.  "You look like a long-tail cat in a room full of rockers, Ezra." she said, "You could try relaxing."
Mark wiped his chin, checked his watch, and said, "Sorry to cut this short, Sir, but I've got duty in five.  We can pick this up in eight hours if you are still awake."  He grinned crookedly, got up, and headed for the bathroom.

The singer continued.
"...Come Susy dear, let's take a walk
Just out there upon the beach
I know you'll soon be married
And you want to know where the winds come from..."

He looked up, "I did not know you would be here, Captain Laura Gaumond."


"...Well it's never said at all
On the map that Carrie reads
Behind the clock back there you know
At the four winds bar..."

Laura shrugged, "I'm just the taxi-driver, I brought someone who wanted to see you yesterday, but it took a while to get her out."
"Hola, Gringo."  came from behind him, and he turned.  Miranda looked a bit paler, and a bit better fed, since he'd seen her last, "Do you dance?" she asked.

"...Hey, hey, hey, hey
Four winds at the four winds bar
Two doors locked and windows barred
One door let to take you in
The other one just mirrors it
Hey, hey, hey, hey..."

"Careful with that, those bottles are real glass."  Lt. Pol Nguyen warned Star Commander Jaymie, "Real fragile...thanks." he accepted the case from her, and passed it to a big Marine with three chevrons on his sleeve "You are a guest, you know." he smiled at her, his eyes twinkled merrily.

"...In hellish glare and inference
The other one's a duplicate
The queenly flux, eternal light
Or the light that never warms,
Or the Light that NEVER, never warms..."


a VTOL's rotors beat the air in the distance, making a whupping sound that grew in noise and intensity.  From the back of the truck, Jaymie could see weapons teams bringing shoulder-fired missiles up.  The tension went higher, and then, it seemed to just relax back to the low level it had been.

"Navy." Pol said, identifying the chopper's markings, "From the base, who'd they send out here on a chopper?"

",,,The clock strikes twelve and moondrops burst
Out at you from their hiding place
Miss Carrie nurse and Suzy dear
Would find themselves at the four winds bar..."

Debbie stepped back from checking the steer, and watched the chopper land out past the horse-paddock, with a decidedly unchristian glare.  "Who th' FUCK??" she growled, and started storming out to where the bird was offloading its passenger.

"...It's the nexus of the crisis
The origin of storms
Just the place to hopelessly
Encounter time and then came me
Hey, hey, hey, hey..."


Pol and half the Marines that were technically 'off duty' left off from what they were doing, and turned to follow-and-screen their Leader.
Before he left, he winked at the Steel Viper, "Duty calls. Have some fun." he said, and rushed to beat Debbie to where the helo was lifting off.
for just a moment, he actually looked as young as his dossier said he was...

The girl, to her credit, kept singing as if nothing untoward at all was going on, though her expression was decidedly nervous...
"...Call me Desdenova, eternal light
These gravely digs of mine
Will surely prove a sight
And don't forget my dog, fixed and consequent..."

Commodore Dao Pham gripped her hat with one hand as she ran out from under the rotor-blades and the chopper lifted off-its windstorm nearly knocking her to the ground.

"...WHAT IN TH'NAMEAHELLDOYATHINKYADOINYALLCOULDABEENKILLED!!!"  Debbie was shouting over the sound of the departing helo.  Her Liason to the CNO's office straightened-and that was a hell of an accomplishment-Dao's face was streaked with tears, her compexion flushed, her expression one of grief and anger.

"They Killed them."  She said, "They attacked them without a word, and they killed them."  she held out a file to the Archduchess, "We got word a little while ago from the task-force, it's all in the file."

"Your young man was out there, wasn't he?" Deb asked slowly, measuring each syllable.

"yeah." Dao said, "He was."

"Come on..." Debra MacAulliffe took her friend by the arm, "You need a drink."

[ooc: Lyrics to "Astronomy" property of Bue Oyster Cult, written by Songwriters: Bouchard, Albert;Bouchard, Joseph J;Pearlman, Samuel C.  Thus, I don't own the song, don't claim to own it, had nothing to do with it, don't claim to have anything to do with it, etc. etc. etc.]

At first, Ezra was surprised seeing his two favorite Arlunans at once, when Miranda wanted him to dance, she just took his hand and tried to pull him. But he did not move. On her second, he went into an awkward dance. This would become a trial. Listening to the girl singing was quite hard when he had to watch not to stomp on Miranda's feet and still trying to follow the tact.

Laura was right, he was a bit nervous. The Clans did not celebrate that much. And then, the lower Castes were enjoying themselves like this, as an Officer, he was not used to that.

But once he got into the mood even a small bit, the atmosphere changed. He saw Debra storm out and her soldiers following. Some more tacts dancing and Miranda stopped, turning to the situation.

Laura was watching as well, but it seemed to be no immediate danger as Debra walked back in, a deranged Officer at her side.

What would that mean? And where was the Viper ilChi, presumed to be here? They had not been introduced yet.

They walked into the house, and up the stairs.

"Sit down, get 'hold of yo'self." Debbie said, adding "Bạn sống sót sau dịch hạch, bạn xem người đàn ông chết trước khi."

Dao looked up at her, "Your pronunciation is terrible." she said, wiping her face off with a kerchief. 

"Well, Ah guess thet makes me unintelligible in two languages 'stead of one." Deb said mock-seriously, "Now, you got yo nerves back?"

"Yeah." Dao looked around the room.  "You moved your office? the gear's new?"

"Prah-vate office, th' sittin' room's too public fo' lot of the work Ah have to do." Deb told her.

"Makes sense..." Dao said, "I know, I shouldn't have gotten so worked up-"

"But you did." Debbie told her, "Ah undahstan', now tell me Ever'thin."


it took several minutes, and Deb reviewed the messages sent, as well as the data that the Incorrigible Flirt had gathered in the Death of Adrian system.

"Prep a breifin', yo' go'n to present this t' ouah guests, ace-out what you think they don' need t' know right off-hand." Debbie told her, "But I want an unedited copy fo' mah files aftah."

"You want me to brief the Clanners?" Dao said, aghast.

"Yep." Debbie said, "Ah wan' you t' brief 'em-ah'll read their reactions, maybe we can shake somethin' loose on what's goin' on, ah don't think Frehley's been entiahly Honest 'bout the true situation, an' we just lost a ship an' a crew from thet."

"aye aye." Dao said.

"Get cleaned up, we'll staht in two houahs." Debbie told her, "Have it ready"

Miranda was amused by Ezra's attempt to dance, but she kept it well-hidden by being playful-though she found the whithering stare from Charlotte to be about as amusing.

"I have heard..." she said quietly, the singing had ended and the band were playing a slow, saucy instrumental ballad, "...that you took down El Jefe by yourself..." she said, pouring flirtatious overtones into her voice, "...and that you Clan Warriors have..." she danced closer to him, and slid against him seductively, "...fewer hang-ups than ordinary men."

That's right, I'm going to take him from you. she thought at his constant-follower Charlotte.  "Is this true?"

Some of the troops who responded were talking about the 'deranged' officer...

"...coast guard local commander-hell, she never looked like that during the Plague, something got to her..."

"...boss took her upstairs, hung out a 'do not disturb', probably classified..."

Things otherwise were settling down again, back to that guarded watchfulness and strained good cheer...except that Star Commander Jaymie could see that there were fewer of the actual troopers pretending to recreate, and the mood among the older dependents was subdued.

"...Dao Pham must'a had serious bad-news for the boss, to be able to over-ride the no-fly-zone restrictions like that-whatever it is shook the living shit out of her."  A big black NCO was telling two other enlisted men.  "I was with the Commodore when she was a Leutenant during the plague, she handled Bradenberg without batting an eye."

"You serious? Frikkin' Bradenberg? the town got hit by that cannibal son-of-a-bitch and his gang?"  one of the men scoffed, "Didn't bat an eye?"

"Well, not in public, not in front of the civvies." the NCO corrected himself, "So whatever it is, it's gotta be boku bad shit..."

Ezra had noted that something serious was going on, although the people went mostly back to party mood.

During the dance he had noted Miranda, who seemed back to normal, that meant great shape again, trying to get closer. That was certainly new. Would she really want to couple with him? Sure, he still was in good shape, but she was so young. Well, as he would stay, perhaps it would be nice to get comfortable. Charlotte would be gone soon anyway.

Oh, she seemed not amused about Miranda's engagement, but that was her style. And he mused that she would calm down, unable to interfere as she could just "dance" as himself.

When the music had set in again, he knew he owed Miranda an answer, just not in a dance. He gestured to a desk, the Archduchess certainly would explain later, the murmurs of the soldiers certainly were not encouraging, though.

Sitting and pouring some drinks in, one for Miranda, and each for him and Charlotte, who promptly came to them, he tried to explain what happened.

Debbie's House, 1435 Hours, 1 hour after Dao's arrival...

"Is the Free Worlds Embassy coming?" Deb asked.

Magritte Dora, the acting Minister of State nodded, "they are, I could keep them busy..."

"No, I want Inara here as well.  Round up the ilChi from the Ice Hellions and the Steel Vipers, and have the sitting room set to record-with Vince off-world we can't have him in here in person for the brief, but the Adders ought to know what's on." Debbie said, "Have everyone assemble in the sitting room."

"Yes, ma'am..."  Magritte curtsied and hurried off.

"You sure you want the Vipers in on this, Ma'am? we don't have a treaty with 'em yet.." Lt. Commander Pol Nguyen asked, "Given what I managed to over-hear, I'm not sure they're going to want to after the briefing."

Deb shrugged, "We pays our money, and we takes our chances, they'll be MORE pissed if the other shoe drops and we didn't tell 'em ahead of time what's going on out there-besides, they MIGHT have some idea what it all means."

She sighed, "In the mean-time, get me an RTO, I have overrides to send out."

"Overrides?" Pol asked.

"We can't afford to pussyfoot on Miquelon-the report says the local commander bid most of a Clan Galaxy against that understrength battalion we sent-I'd as soon not lose that capability on a planet we wouldn't get, we're going to need those troops up north."

"You're going to send the Abort order?" Pol asked.

"Signed by Myself, I'll badger the Congress when they come back into session about that." Deb said firmly, and sat down to type out the order...

November 16th, 1345 Hours
Arluna, Union of Independent Worlds

The space above Arluna's star rippled with a new radar ping. An emerald accented Merchant-class jumpship had just appeared, sporting a Clan Jade Falcon IFF and markings. A single hail was sent and responded to, followed by a single detatched dropship, a Union-C.


After the dropship had met with the Coast Guard ASF nearer to the planet, the dropship's captain opened the channel to the UIW fighters.

"Arluna Coast Guard, this is CJFS Hermes-Alpha, transporting Star Captain Alexis Hazen, ilChi to the UIW. Requesting permission to land at Arluna Spaceport, and an audience with the Archduchess."

"So basically, when our trap snapped, most of the hogs died in hails of fire. One particular big one came after me and despite my shots, would not stop. Only Charlotte let me see the next day. However, distracted by that, I only saw you set up your spear and then Jefe ran over you. I guess your spear went slightly off center. You flew meters high. Jefe ran further, but I could not let him. Some shots sent him a message and he was either in rage or too dumb to ignore them, so he came back." Ezra spoke less audible now, as some of the soldiers tried to understand, but it was more the remembrance of that very day that let him do that. "So he took a turn and fast, I had to set up my spear and my Vibroblade, I saw he was wounded. He was not that fast anymore, but still, one ton of monstrosity could kill anybody. When he pushed himself on the spear, I saw the hatred in his eyes. Even took one tusk off him before I would jump away the last possible moment, but still he got my leg. My arm is still in the process of healing," he showed the splint on his right, "because the stress of holding the spear up against him caused sinews to rip and muscles to snap. The bone was crushed as well. But at least he will not be alive anymore." Ezra and Charlotte were now pale faced, but both knew what had happened that day. He finished with a smile.

"I think it was a worthy hunt." He cheered to Miranda.

Quote from: Daemonknight on September 21, 2010, 10:11:38 AM
November 16th, 1345 Hours
Arluna, Union of Independent Worlds

The space above Arluna's star rippled with a new radar ping. An emerald accented Merchant-class jumpship had just appeared, sporting a Clan Jade Falcon IFF and markings. A single hail was sent and responded to, followed by a single detatched dropship, a Union-C.


After the dropship had met with the Coast Guard ASF nearer to the planet, the dropship's captain opened the channel to the UIW fighters.

"Arluna Coast Guard, this is CJFS Hermes-Alpha, transporting Star Captain Alexis Hazen, ilChi to the UIW. Requesting permission to land at Arluna Spaceport, and an audience with the Archduchess."

"Hermes-Alpha, this is system control, Permission is granted, lock onto beacon 259 by 173 channel 17 and follow the pulses.  Wish you'd called ahead-the Archduchess just left the port a couple hours ago.  We will have someone to meet you and conduct the IlChi to the reception, Over."

Quote from: Marlin on September 21, 2010, 11:35:51 AM
"So basically, when our trap snapped, most of the hogs died in hails of fire. One particular big one came after me and despite my shots, would not stop. Only Charlotte let me see the next day. However, distracted by that, I only saw you set up your spear and then Jefe ran over you. I guess your spear went slightly off center. You flew meters high. Jefe ran further, but I could not let him. Some shots sent him a message and he was either in rage or too dumb to ignore them, so he came back." Ezra spoke less audible now, as some of the soldiers tried to understand, but it was more the remembrance of that very day that let him do that. "So he took a turn and fast, I had to set up my spear and my Vibroblade, I saw he was wounded. He was not that fast anymore, but still, one ton of monstrosity could kill anybody. When he pushed himself on the spear, I saw the hatred in his eyes. Even took one tusk off him before I would jump away the last possible moment, but still he got my leg. My arm is still in the process of healing," he showed the splint on his right, "because the stress of holding the spear up against him caused sinews to rip and muscles to snap. The bone was crushed as well. But at least he will not be alive anymore." Ezra and Charlotte were now pale faced, but both knew what had happened that day. He finished with a smile.

"I think it was a worthy hunt." He cheered to Miranda.

Miranda smiled again, "Yes it was...though I am disappointed that the spears did not work out as well as I thought they would..."   

There was a commotion where the vehicles were parked, and the Wagonneer-a four wheel drive 'station wagon' type truck, pulled out in a hurry.

Miranda actually noticed this.  "Laura's driving." she said, accidentally using contractions, "Looks like that weenie-bitch from State is riding with her-I wonder what they forgot?"

A pair of Marines wandered over to Jaymie.

"Ma'am?" one of them, a big, redheaded trooper whom would almost qualify as an Elemental breed for size, spoke up, "Star Commander, you are a rep for your Clan, you know Clan traditions, right-I was wonderin' if you could settle a discussion with some damn facts."  He said, "Specifically, see...me an' tony here, we were on Kwangchowwang a few months ago-now, Leutenant Commander Nguyen talked the Star Adders into a...'trial of possession' for the planet, right? one a' their units against our Marine company, and we fought 'em for three days in a fuckin' swamp an' kicked their asses-so they threaten to drop a friggin' Cluster on us.  Does that sound right to you?"

The smaller man was dark-his skin was the colour of burnished and oiled walnut, "Jim, don't bother the lady, okay-you know an' I know they only follow their 'rules' when it's to their advantage-shit, you heard about what they put up to fight off that short battalion on Miquelon, right?  A fuckin' Galaxy to fight off a short battalion..."

"See what I mean, ma'am? I think he's wrong, but I think maybe he does not consider me a credible source." 'Jim' said.

Star Captain Hazen disembarked the Union-C that had conveyed her to the planet. The spaceport was busy, but she noted the large staff car zooming in her direction. She noticed that only 2 of the bodyguard detail were coming with her, although what a short point would do in an attack was beyond her.

The staff car whisked her and her 2 guards away, presumably to this party the Arch-Duchess was throwing. Upon arrival, the guards managed to blend into the crowd with varying degrees of success, depending on where around the estate they happened to be. Alexis went off in search of the Arch-Duchess, having been pointed in her general direction by a staff aide to the Congress.

Quote from: Cannonshop on September 22, 2010, 09:37:57 AM
A pair of Marines wandered over to Jaymie.

"Ma'am?" one of them, a big, redheaded trooper whom would almost qualify as an Elemental breed for size, spoke up, "Star Colonel, you are a rep for your Clan, you know Clan traditions, right-I was wonderin' if you could settle a discussion with some damn facts."  He said, "Specifically, see...me an' tony here, we were on Kwangchowwang a few months ago-now, Leutenant Commander Nguyen talked the Star Adders into a...'trial of possession' for the planet, right? one a' their units against our Marine company, and we fought 'em for three days in a fuckin' swamp an' kicked their asses-so they threaten to drop a friggin' Cluster on us.  Does that sound right to you?"

The smaller man was dark-his skin was the colour of burnished and oiled walnut, "Jim, don't bother the lady, okay-you know an' I know they only follow their 'rules' when it's to their advantage-shit, you heard about what they put up to fight off that short battalion on Miquelon, right?  A fuckin' Galaxy to fight off a short battalion..."

"See what I mean, ma'am? I think he's wrong, but I think maybe he does not consider me a credible source." 'Jim' said.

Star Commander Jaymie listened intently to the two Union Marines, primarily to make sure she understood what they were saying through their horrendous accents and atrocious use of language. It was a considerable act of will for her not to grind her teeth or exhibit some other visible sign of discomfort she was feeling. The Star Colonel was not a veteran of the Viper's first occupation in the Inner Sphere, she passed her Trial of Position just two years ago. Although she thought she knew what to expect through speaking with those veterans and watching holo-vids from the Inner Sphere, she realized that until you experience the Inner Sphere's butchery of language first-hand, you will never be prepared.

"You are asking if the Star Adders actions on Kwangchowang and Miquelon, through the calling in of additional forces at the former, and committing a much larger defending force at the latter, is legal by Clan Law, quaiff?" Receiving nods as responses, she continued. "On Kwangchowang, the commander of the attacking force can call in the forces equal to the last competing bid with very loss of honor. For example, to win the bid and the right to carry out the Trial, the Adder commander may of cut three points of BattleMechs and a star of Elementals from the last bid of the losing bid. Those forces can be called in with very little issue. Anything more than requires the permission of the commander of the losing bid. Even if the opposing commander acquiesces, it is a major loss of honor to do so, but is legal by Clan Law. The matter though would be considered to be dezgra, or dishonorable. Also, threatening the use of excessive force to cause an opponent to capitulate is not illegal, or even dezgra, as long as such a threat is not carried out."

"As to the scenario on Miquelon, a defender may choose to defend with any part of, or all available forces at their command. Even if the defending forces are many times greater than the attacking force. The act is neither illegal, nor particularly dezgra.. Just more of a case of being frowned upon by Clan custom."

Looking at the smaller man, a small glint of fire shone in her eyes subconsciously. "Keep in mind Tony, that during Revival, almost all Clans bound themselves tightly to Clan bidding practices and Zellbringen. Our Inner Sphere opponents used our practices as a weapon against us in many forms, such as falsifying unit records or strengths. They may even omit a unit, or even units. Inner Sphere commanders would corrupt Zellbringen in an attempt to do whatever it takes to gain victory. You will have to excuse us for not allowing our ways to be used as a weapon against us."

"See, Tony, I told you."  Jim admonished the smaller man, adding, "Bạn đã đúng, 'danh dự của họ là có điều kiện về bao nhiêu một lợi thế mà họ nhận được."  with a chuckle.

The smaller man scowled at the larger man, and replied, "Làm thế nào để bạn biết cô ấy đã không học tiếng Việt, thằng ngốc?"

"Because the Clans only speak English, and you two better go check the southeast perimeter."  A voice from behind the Steel Viper ilChi half-growled, "Before the Star Commander decides she is offended further by your poor English grammar."  

Lt. Commander Pol Nguyen stepped around where she could see him, "Duchess wants to see you in the sitting room, Ma'am." he said.  The almost-cheerful look he'd had before the incident with the helicopter was gone, replaced by a stony all-business face that had about as much emotion as  a corpse.  "If you need someone to direct you, I can assign a Corporal." he added, "Someone more professional than those two-in the meantime, I must gather the other guests-you might want to be the first to arrive."

 "Aff Lt. Commander. I will find my way." With that, the Viper MechWarrior made her way to the manor, and entered through a side door. With people moving about all throughout the house, Jaymie simply stopped a younger female and asked her where the Archduchess's sitting room was located. After receiving the directions, and repeating them to ensure she understood the teen girl, she made her way to the room. Finding the door ajar, the Clan warrior gave a slight rap on the door jamb before entering.

"I was told that you wanted to speak with me about the matter that seems to have cast a pall over the festivities."

Quote from: GreyJaeger on September 23, 2010, 03:10:19 PM
"Aff Lt. Commander. I will find my way." With that, the Viper MechWarrior made her way to the manor, and entered through a side door. With people moving about all throughout the house, Jaymie simply stopped a younger female and asked her where the Archduchess's sitting room was located. After receiving the directions, and repeating them to ensure she understood the teen girl, she made her way to the room. Finding the door ajar, the Clan warrior gave a slight rap on the door jamb before entering.

"I was told that you wanted to speak with me about the matter that seems to have cast a pall over the festivities."

"Actually, I wanted to speak with you in private on other matters-before addressing the news Commander Thanh brought me." Debra said, "First, I would apologize to you-I was not raised a Noble, so I am having to improvise this whole 'international diplomacy' thing." Deb told her, continuing, "Sometimes I get it right-and sometimes I screw it up-I was reminded, for instance, that what I thought was good manners in helping you up onto the truck might be percieved as an insult by someone raised in the Warrior Caste...so that out of the way now, please do not take it the wrong way, but I am dead-curious what the UIW can do for Clan Steel Viper-your Occupation Zones are a good many Lights out from here, and we do not occupy strategic territory in your war with the Terrans.  Try as I might, I can not think of a single strategic reason your Clan would have to want to even acknowledge our existence-and that makes me curious."

Debbie paused for a moment, then smiled, "ON the other hand, I see LOTS of reasons why we would want to have good relations with as many Clans as possible-I like the Adders, do not get me wrong, but fact is, I have no interest in me, or mine, becoming their chattel, no matter HOW well I get along with their representative, or how much help they gave us during the Flu, they are Clan-all that can change in a single, internal fight that changes a single leader in their Touman, a balance of influences strikes me as being not undesirable, from OUR perspective."  Here Debbie set out a pair of glasses, and a pitcher.  "The economic benefit to us of just having stable relations is obvious, if you decided to invest in the Union, there are trade benefits that would likewise be obvious-but you folk are warriors first, your priorities are Warrior priorities, needs are military needs.  So I have to think maybe there is a Military reason you have come-and I would like to hear it."

she poured an amber tea that smelled faintly of mint, into each glass, indicating that the ilChi should choose one.  "I am responsible for fourteen billion people-that is my job, in an area that three years ago had twenty-four billion people.  We only finished burying the dead this last spring, though they are still finding more as areas are re-opened.  If the Flu had been a natural occurrance, if it had NOT been the hand of man, I guess my thinking would be different-but since it WAS the hand of man, and since a recent...incident occurred showing that someone has been monkeying with the wildlife in an intent to kill people, I find I have to ask more questions than a better-educated, less..uncouth? person would."

In the meantime Ezra and his companions took a good drink, Ezra only one beer, though, but he took a steak. There were even some soldiers listening to Miranda "the Invincible" and her story. Surviving on Arluna for so long, that was a feat.
And surviving the biggest Hog in Arluna's History was certainly worth listening to, especially as this was only 2 Months ago.

At first, the Star Captain from the Jade Falcons had turned down offers of food-awkwardly, self-consciously even.  Eventually, though, she figured out how to stop the offers without starting a fight-she filled a plate and picked at it, observing the people around her from a relatively secure location.

A group of kids spread out in a rush as one of their number counted, eyes closed-this game is played throughout human space-hide and seek is ubiquitous.

"Funny thing about kids." a woman seemed to materialize beside Alexis Hazen, without making a sound.  The civilian clothing was almost an obvious lie-the local gal's hair was helmet-clipped short and her muscle tone would have made any Infantryman proud.  "take that one-" she pointed at the girl who was now seeking her playmates, "Six years old, when she was three, we found her with the remains of her mom, the body was half-eaten by dogs, she seems so normal now... she hardly ever wakes up screaming anymore.  some of the troops who show up for counseling just do not have the trick of managing the horror they saw yet-not like the kids."

Then, the woman smiled, "I am Emmaline Chao, I run the farm when Debbie is busy riding herd on that bag of chaos we call the Congress."  she extended her hand, presenting the Jade Falcon ilChi with a cup of steaming coffee.  "I read you as not-a-drinker, biding your time to see Deb?"

Alexis nodded, "Aff." she said, and took the cup.

"Well, you will not have to wait long-If she had known the representative of the ilKhan was on her way here, she would probably have set aside a less...public place for a first meeting." Emmaline said, "As it is, I do apologize for the informal situation on her behalf-she will probably insist on apologizing herself...but six months of the year, I run this place and the other six I make sure everything runs smoothly on her behalf-at least, in her own private property, so it is also MY job."

"You are...remarkably well informed." Alexis told her, "I only expressed being the ilChi for Clan Jade Falcon."

"Which is the Clan from which Diana Pryde hails, I doubt she would trust the job to someone from another Clan-that would be kind of wrong, would it not?" Emmaline responded.

"You manage the place, quiaff?"  Alexis asked, somewhat disdainfully.

"Mainly I keep unwanted visitors out." Emmaline corrected her, "shoot trespassers, handle the bills, keep the hired-hands on their task, and see to the details any Castellan would see to in a 'normal' Noble's or Ruler's stronghold when they are away.  Lucky for me, I only have to manage the ranch, instead of trying to manage upkeep on something the size and complexity of a Brian fort-like the previous Duke of Arluna lived in.  It is a good deal easier than commanding a Boat Squadron during the Plague year, looking for survivors and shooting it out with half-mad ferals."  The woman grimaced, "There are things a person sees in those conditions, and you can never un-see them.  I sometimes wonder how Debbie manages to deal with what SHE saw-and what she had to do to keep this place during the riots."

the six-year-old found one of the others, a tow-headed boy about nine.

"Billy there-he killed his first man when he was six, he was protecting his little sister from the guy who had just aced three adults." Emmaline pointed to the boy, "You would not think a kid could ever be that normal after having to do that, especially since his sister died of the Flu..."

"They are orphans?" Alexis asked politely.

"Most of them-Debbie houses about fifteen on the property, so in addition to my other duties here, I get to play schoolteacher, Sensei, and doctor-mom, we had more, but the three teenagers already enlisted this year, so they went off to Vin Drin Lap and Ia Drang for Basic-two for the Marines, one for the Navy. I figure Billy will probably go Army unless he develops a burning need to get off-world."

"What happened to the old Brian fort?" Alexis asked speculatively.

"Well, it was stripped out pretty much before the Plague, mostly just the passive defenses, we finished the job and turned it into a tomb-clearing out four towns' worth of dead bodies it was either stuff 'em in the bunker, or spend the next three winters digging with earthmovers."  she said, "Then we ferrocreted the entrances and vents, landscaped and parked the site, and put up a plaque, I guess if you are curious a private tour can be arranged, since it is the off-season up north."

Quote from: Marlin on September 23, 2010, 07:09:33 PM
In the meantime Ezra and his companions took a good drink, Ezra only one beer, though, but he took a steak. There were even some soldiers listening to Miranda "the Invincible" and her story. Surviving on Arluna for so long, that was a feat.
And surviving the biggest Hog in Arluna's History was certainly worth listening to, especially as this was only 2 Months ago.

"...and then, Laura says, 'I thought you were dead!"  Miranda laughed, "I swear, the only person who wasn't surprised to see I was alive, was Ezra here."  Miranda was slightly tipsy, and getting minor details slightly wrong as a result.  "So, I got Ezra here...I got him to come out to the shed, an' we talked about El Jefe a little bit, then I showed him my attempt at a solution-spears. Can you believe that??"  she shook her head, "Damn lucky am I, to be here alive and talking about that-lucky that there wasss something more effective than two meters of carbon-fibre rod with a meter-long boarspear head on the end of it."

"If I recall, you lodged yours in pretty deep, Miranda." Laura interjected.

"Yeah, not deep enough...the damn thing had glowy red eyes." Miranda expounded.

"Trick of the light." Ezra pointed out.

"Shh! I'm tellin' the story, we all know YOU killed the damn thing..." she was clearly in high spirits-or perhaps the Spirits she was drinking had made her somewhat high...

Alexis shook her head at Emmaline's offer of a tour.
"While I have been known to enjoy the occasional historical pursuit, I must decline, at least until after I have spoken with the Arch-Duchess. Perhaps once I have delivered my messages, I will take you up on the tour. It will be interesting to see a Castle Brian re-purposed to something other than war." Alexis noted that there was an odd inflection in Emmaline's voice when she mentioned the Castle complex, and the new Jade Falcon ilChi couldn't help but wonder if perhaps there was something more there.

She had read her Watch reports on the way to the surface, and they had been quite detailed, considering the short time span the intelligence arm had to work with. She surmised that the radical shift from defensive, reactive forces to the new order of quick strike teams had less to do with a change of top-level command, and more to do with the Flu. More than just a simple plague, as she originally assumed, it was clear, at least in her mind, that the super-bug had 'infected' the whole of the Union worlds' society, even down to converting a perfectly usable defensive space into a sealed mausoleum.

Only a fool could ignore the signs. Even being outside, while inconspicuous by itself, in context, it seemed that the people of Arluna were avoiding areas that had proved deadly before: namely, large indoor gatherings. She wished she could investigate her theories, but her orders had been quite clear: settle the meeting, then she could have her fun exploring and learning all she wished about the planet's history. A history of death, but also one of self-discovery, from the sudden changes that had been wrought.

Alexis suddenly realized she had become a statue for a moment, idly chewing on the bone of a pork rib she'd finished a few minutes ago. Emmaline was looking at her quizzically, and she grunted quickly and replaced the gnawed bone with a fresh, meaty one.

"I apologize, I was simply thinking on something you had said. I find it most curious that you would convert the Castle into a crypt. And why seal it with ferrocrete? The facility has it's own pressurization system, quiaff? Why not just use that to keep the storage areas in vaccum, that would preserve them better than sealing it off with ferrocrete...or is there more to the sealing than just keeping the bodies safe?" She knew that perhaps she was stepping on dangerous ground, but until she could meet with the Archduchess, why not indulge herself in a little local history?

Quote from: Cannonshop on September 23, 2010, 07:00:09 PM
"Actually, I wanted to speak with you in private on other matters-before addressing the news Commander Thanh brought me." Debra said, "First, I would apologize to you-I was not raised a Noble, so I am having to improvise this whole 'international diplomacy' thing." Deb told her, continuing, "Sometimes I get it right-and sometimes I screw it up-I was reminded, for instance, that what I thought was good manners in helping you up onto the truck might be percieved as an insult by someone raised in the Warrior Caste...so that out of the way now, please do not take it the wrong way, but I am dead-curious what the UIW can do for Clan Steel Viper-your Occupation Zones are a good many Lights out from here, and we do not occupy strategic territory in your war with the Terrans.  Try as I might, I can not think of a single strategic reason your Clan would have to want to even acknowledge our existence-and that makes me curious."

Debbie paused for a moment, then smiled, "ON the other hand, I see LOTS of reasons why we would want to have good relations with as many Clans as possible-I like the Adders, do not get me wrong, but fact is, I have no interest in me, or mine, becoming their chattel, no matter HOW well I get along with their representative, or how much help they gave us during the Flu, they are Clan-all that can change in a single, internal fight that changes a single leader in their Touman, a balance of influences strikes me as being not undesirable, from OUR perspective."  Here Debbie set out a pair of glasses, and a pitcher.  "The economic benefit to us of just having stable relations is obvious, if you decided to invest in the Union, there are trade benefits that would likewise be obvious-but you folk are warriors first, your priorities are Warrior priorities, needs are military needs.  So I have to think maybe there is a Military reason you have come-and I would like to hear it."

she poured an amber tea that smelled faintly of mint, into each glass, indicating that the ilChi should choose one.  "I am responsible for fourteen billion people-that is my job, in an area that three years ago had twenty-four billion people.  We only finished burying the dead this last spring, though they are still finding more as areas are re-opened.  If the Flu had been a natural occurrance, if it had NOT been the hand of man, I guess my thinking would be different-but since it WAS the hand of man, and since a recent...incident occurred showing that someone has been monkeying with the wildlife in an intent to kill people, I find I have to ask more questions than a better-educated, less..uncouth? person would."

Habit and discipline found the Steel Viper officer falling into a parade rest stance, and once she realized it, she remained that way. She felt that since she was entering a more formal situation, the stance was appropriate. The Star Commander took a moment to consider the Archduchesses words before responding. "Technically, the Steel Vipers do not have an occupation zone in the Inner Sphere, unless you are referring to our holdings in the Deep Periphery? Regardless, there is a strategic goal at play in my being here. Before the Steel Vipers can engage the Terrans and their puppets, we need to secure our ability to repair and refit our combat forces. By having the infrastructure in place before capturing worlds more conducive to combating the Not-Named. Another important military goal is to spread our military infrastructure around so a single world falling does not cripple our ability to repair and refit."

"But not all our goals are military in nature. All the Clans were tasked by the Founder to conquer Terra, but for the Steel Vipers, we were given a complimentary yet different task. Yes, we may need to use military force to accomplish our goals, but the Founder also told us to achieve creating a new Star League through co-operation with the Inner Sphere. Unfortunately, during our first sojourn into the Inner Sphere, we did not know how to implement the Mercer Doctrine. Truth is, we still do not. Khan Zalman has a plan, and sending me here is a step. The Khan took another step several weeks ago when he was able to pass a reform that allows our lower castes to attempt to test into another caste, even into our warrior caste, if they pass. The Khan defended his proposition himself successfully when the vote was challenged, as well as a Trial of Grievance for even proposing the change. Once the Warrior Council gets word of my mission here, he will likely have to defend himself again."

Knowing she was not on the course she planned on following, but decided to continue. "The point I am trying to make, is that the Vipers are in transition. If my Clan can build a relationship with an Inner Sphere state not built solely on conquest, even a small one such as yours, and the relationship is successful, maybe we can do more, quaiff? The Union of Independent Worlds may just be the opportunity we need to test our abilities, and our convictions. And you are correct in stating that everything could change due to a single Trial. But change often comes with a much lower cost. Tomorrow you could change your mind in a fit of pique. The Lyran government could pull itself out of the abyss and come here in legions to bring your nation back into their fold.. Or the so-called SLDF could come here to claim your nation as their 'Protectorate'. Those are all things to be considered to be sure, but they are all events beyond any one of our control. Khan Zalman knows this, yet he feels strongly enough about his ideals and his convictions that he is willing to risk everything to attempt this. He would be here himself if it was not for very pressing business in the HomeWorlds."

Deb reached over and toggled a concealed control, the centre of the table opened, and a holodisplay appeared above.

"Basing and infrastructure we can do." she said, "I assume your Watch has profiles on our worlds already, so it comes down to a matter of selection based on your needs and requirements-perhaps one of the more fortunate outcomes from the Flu, is that most of our worlds lost the bulk of the un-skilled, the Flu ripped through the old welfare-island populations first and hardest, then skipped over rural and landholder populations to hammer the top tiers, I think it might have had something to do with the cities being mostly upper class and welfare classes in the urban centres, that might be good news for ya, it means there are a lot of empty spaces to fill in, and a largely idled skilled workforce to draw off of, especially on Anembo and Australia, which would insulate your facilities from bandit attack-at least somewhat, meaning you would not need to post garrisons quite as large as you would on, say, Neerabup or Kowloon..." her accent started creeping into  her words at this point, and there was a slight growl as she continued,  "...and that brings up something I am going to want to bring up when everyone else finally gets here-I think we know where the Reavers came from-or at least, who is backing them, and it is a serious problem."

she paused, gathering her thoughts and (more importantly) focusing on controlling her speech for a moment, "I think we can work together, Star Commander.  I think you may find working with us will help your folk learn to work with others-perhaps quicker than you or Khan Zalman may realize, but nobody should go into this kind of relationship blind, doing so risks a lot of lives needlessly."

She keyed something on the table, and spoke, "Leutenant, bring the other delegates, it is time for them to meet each other and to find out what has us all in a tizzy tonight."

"Aye Aye, Ma'am." was the response over the comm unit.

Deb looked up at her guest, "In a few minutes, when everyone else gets in here, you will have to sit through something-and some of it you already know, and some of it may come as a surprise to you, and hopefully, you and the others might have some ideas on what needs to be done about it." she said.

outdoors...

The girl was singing a folk-song now, sad and lilting and slow, as Miranda continued trying to tell her story.

"Sir, Ma'am? The Duchess needs to see you now."  Pol Nguyen was a man Ezra had met-briefly.  The little Marine officer seemed to appear like some kind of gruesome magic trick.  "Sitting room is just off the front hall, through the double-doors..."

"I have been there before, Leutenant Commander."  Charlotte told him, "As has the ilChi."  

"Good.  I have to retrieve the other representatives." Pol said, and snapped a salute before turning and march-walking away.


Pol's next stop, was under one of the walnut trees, where Emmaline-the-Castellan was entertaining the Jade Falcon ilChi.

"Ma'am." he said,  "The Archduchess would appreciate your presence in the sitting room of the main house as soon as possible. do you require a guide?"

"I can show her the way, Leutenant Commander." Emmaline piped up, adding, "You going to get Ambassador Inara?"

"If you are showing Star Captain Hazen the path, yeah." Pol stated, "The others have already been informed."

"Good... Star Captain, if you would follow me?" Emmaline inquired.

Pol, seeing that this portion of his duty done, headed off to seek out Ambassador Inara of the Free Worlds League...

With a nod to Miranda and shortly smiling as the gathered people, Ezra moved quickly. Not that he really wanted to go to an official meeting just now, it was nice here. But he knew what his duty was. And he was a Warrior. Determined he walked quickly, with Charlotte following.

He hesitated and turned to her: "Charlotte, I think it is better that you stay. I was promoted for a higher security clearance. I know you would hear things beyond that you already know which would likely irritate you. Stay here." She nodded reluctantly. Of course he would be right. Of the few opportunities they had, he had grasped them, letting him rise above what both would have dreamed of. He was certainly wiser than her, but somehow it hurt.

When he was let in, Ezra knew the Archduchess but reserved a smile. There was a woman, though, a Warrior. Steel Viper Star Commander. He could not make out the name, but that would come. 'What do the Vipers want here?' he wondered.

However, Deb seemed thoughtful, this was urgent and serious business.

"Archduchess, Clan Ice Hellion is represented now." He spoke, waiting for her reaction.

Star Captain Hazen followed the Castellan through the party grounds, disposing of her empty plate and cup(she would have to learn this style of cooking, it was certinly a few pegs above field rations) before making it to the Manor proper. It was only a short walk to the meeting room, and took stock of it's occupants.

The Ice Hellion was no suprise, they had been quite active here for some time. The Viper Star Commander was somewhat unexpected, but Alexis decided she would find out what she needed to know in good time. The Arch-Duchess herself looked older than her years, but between surviving the ravages of the Arluna Flu, and trying to corral a fractured segment of the Lyran Commonwealth, Star Captain Hazen couldn't exactly say she would look any better.

"Arch-Duchess, I am Star Captain Alexis Hazen, Jade Falcon ilChi to the Union, and I bring greetings from Khan Sonoma and the Jade Falcons. Likewise, ilKhan Diana Pryde has asked me to represent her personally for this meeting." She nodded to the two Clan warriors in the room aswell, not wanting to offend by adressing them without proper rank and bloodname.

Quote from: Daemonknight on September 24, 2010, 08:54:27 PM
Star Captain Hazen followed the Castellan through the party grounds, disposing of her empty plate and cup(she would have to learn this style of cooking, it was certinly a few pegs above field rations) before making it to the Manor proper. It was only a short walk to the meeting room, and took stock of it's occupants.

The Ice Hellion was no suprise, they had been quite active here for some time. The Viper Star Commander was somewhat unexpected, but Alexis decided she would find out what she needed to know in good time. The Arch-Duchess herself looked older than her years, but between surviving the ravages of the Arluna Flu, and trying to corral a fractured segment of the Lyran Commonwealth, Star Captain Hazen couldn't exactly say she would look any better.

"Arch-Duchess, I am Star Captain Alexis Hazen, Jade Falcon ilChi to the Union, and I bring greetings from Khan Sonoma and the Jade Falcons. Likewise, ilKhan Diana Pryde has asked me to represent her personally for this meeting." She nodded to the two Clan warriors in the room aswell, not wanting to offend by adressing them without proper rank and bloodname.

Debbie nodded and said, "I'm pleased to meet you, Star Captain Alexis Hazen, this is Star Colonel Ezra-" She gestured to Ezra, "-the Ice Hellion ilChi, and this is Star Commander Jaymie the ilChi from Clan Steel Viper."  She set out two more glasses.  "I hate to say that I did not expect to have so many of you here at once, and maybe I should have...Dao, we are ready to start."

A side door opened and in walked Dao Thanh in her field uniform, carrying a stack of folders, these she passed to each of the ilChi, and Deb said, "Ladies, Gentleman, please have a seat,  Commander Thanh is here to present some information we think-hell with it, I think your clans should know-some of this is probably old hat to you, Ezra-you were involved in some of it."

"Now announcing, the Elector of Eleusis, Banorett of the Free Worlds League and Ambassador to the Court of the Duchess of Arluna. Ambassador Inara Sýntrofos."

It is good to once more be in my element. Pageantry, Joy, and yes of course intrigue they are my constant companion and friend though Inara as she sauntered into the main foyer wearing a mother of pearl silk weave strapless evening gown, with silver and gold highlights. The Colors of the Knights of the Inner Sphere but even the most brazen Dame would be shocked to see them displayed as they were here, the silk weave instead of being the regular soft sheer fabric was instead a true weave almost a knit pattern causing the gown to appear to leave little to the imagination above the waste while the silver wrist guards and bustier complimented the golden laurel crowne in her auburn hair.


"Duchess Debbie as always it is a pleasure. Thank you for inviting me into your home. I...look forward to enjoying it ...fully with you. "

"The Captain-General wish's you to know he appreciates not only your business with the nascent Irian Aerospace Company,
but he also cherish's the friendship between the Free Worlds and the Union in keeping he hereby gifts you The Dagger of Artemis an Aquarius Class Combat Shuttle, I have no doubt that the Coast Guard shall use it well to defend your borders against all predations."

" Further Despite events on Coventry we are going to do all we can to insure your just recompense from those shirkers on Coventry does come your way."

As Inara bent over slightly and clutching both arms to her chest in her exuberance, she moved closer towards the Duchess's just short of encroaching on her personal space, she noticed the slight tension in the Captain of the Duchess's guard throwing the Captain a none to subtle wink of ...interest as she gathered herself and continued on down the receiving line.

Ah so many very diverse...people and groups are here for the occassion, to speak with, to teach, to learn from, to..experience.


But first things first, if I don't tend to the Captain-Generals business and all of it mind you, young Malcolm will never let me alone this evening...and in nowhere near my preferred method thank you very much.


"Inara you are the Captain-Generals eyes and ears on Arluna!"

"Inara you represent the League on Arluna!"

"Inara the Free People depend on you to show these Unionists what we're on about."

"Inara would you please stop seducing the help."

Nag nag nag that man was born old I swear, his mouth is always in motion... hmm, now there is a thought. Anyway there is the now the later shall come later."

"

"As always a pleasure to see you again Senator you simply must come-by the Free Worlds League Embassy when you find the time."

as she traced a finger one finger across the back of the scarred Unionists hand she gave it a little squeeze as she sashayed on further into the event.

*sigh* Why oh why did I ever leave Eleusis for diplomatic service, oh yes?

"Young Simon was so refreshingly innocent, and his Mother River was so unrefreshingly damn scary. "

"Seriously I am the Bannoret! Even still best to give her another decade to get it out of her system....and best to bring a few of these strapping young men back with me...well even if she is over it they will have...other uses. Mr. Jayne for certain."

Deb closed her eyes, marshalling her discipline.  "Ah expec' thet Lt. Commandah Nguyen had s'm diff'culty deliverin' th' message, Ambassadoah?"  slipped out anyway,  She clenched her teeth for a moment, then, more clearly, "Star Colonel Ezra, star Commander Jaymie, and Star Captain Hazen, this is Ambassador Inara from the Free Worlds' League, Ambassador, I would suggest you avoid offending the ilChi from the Ice Hellions..." she gestured to Ezra, "...Steel Vipers..." she gestured to Jaymie, "...and Jade Falcons-the last being the personal representative of the IlKhan herself, Diana Pryde... now that we have all met one another, the briefing can begin- this information should be considered privelaged, but soon to be made public, Dao, could you fetch the Ambassador her copy, please?"

Commander Thanh left the room and returned with a similar dossier to the ones now in the hands of the Clan ilChis, which she presented to Inara.

"First, we can go over the historical background, so that nobody feels left out." Deb said it quietly, but the room's acoustics worked in her favour-something her great grandfather had, no doubt intended when the house was re-built.  "Dao?" she said, giving the Coast Guard officer her cue...

"Three hundered years ago there was a Star League project that built a biological weapon-the documents on it are sketchy at best, what we have been able to put together with some assistance was that it was intended to be a 'clean' method of pacifying rebellions along the Periphery border-particularly, from what we have been able to gather, it was intended to act as a preventative after the Dinh Diep riots on Kowloon in 2729.  That virus was released about two years ago here on Arluna-by accident-from what we know (or think we know) from records shared to us by the Goliath Scorpions, General Kerensky himself ordered the project shut down-records are sketchy, but there you are-those records were critical in finding the cure, but not before roughly ten billion people on a dozen worlds were dead, including most of the population of Arluna...I believe the ilChi from each Clan present here today are conversant with the virus, and the method and circumstances of its release, and no doubt your colleagues in the Star Adder Clan have not made a secret of who was involved in relief efforts and the eventual development of the cure-though I also suspect that their reports and statements minimized local involvement in that development-that is not relevant to the discussion today, Everyone that was here during that period has their own stories to tell about it, most of which are either boring, or, so I have found, hard for offworlders to view with credibility."

The ordinary looking table on which drinks were set out, lit up, revealing the surface to be little more than a good holostage.

Floating roughly twenty centimeters from the surface, was an image of a huge animal that bore some resemblance to a Boar-except this one had long legs, and was roughly the size of a bison.  "This is the beast Star Colonel Ezra killed at Gordon, on our Everglades Continental landmass in the southern hemisphere.  Put bluntly, this beast was and is no natural mutation, nor is it a normal part of the ecology-it is genetically engineered, it is engineered to kill humans, and the size..." a representation of a human was brought into being, with a 'scaling' measure showing the difference "...is where it gets to be in about two years.  Star Colonel, the beast you killed was two years and six months old based on the best work our veterinarians and genetics people could work out based on typical animal markers such as bone deposition, tooth wear, and projected growth rates based on DNA cultures."

The beast stopped rotating and was sectioned out.  "The nasal membrane has receptors keyed to biological scent markers typical of genus Homo, and those receptors are tied to the rage sections of the mammalian mid-brain-in other words, it smells humans, it becomes aggressive.  Blood, neural, and other factors show this species is capable of remarkable levels of self-repair in extremely compressed periods of time, it is also highly resistant to damage-the skin density would make a Rhino envious, fat layers below that are laid out with stranded tissue, making it very difficult to damage with blunt trauma and nearly impervious to most ballistics, the bones have strand-carbon structures and it is not implanted-this is how the damn bones grow, creating in-built trauma plates, making for a general structure that is pretty much impervious to most light military weapons and completely impervious to the bulk of civilian grade hardware-rifle bullets will not stop it, will not kill it, and machine guns would have a hard time up to SLDF standard 20mm rounds, the next are the internal organs- there is the main heart, but there are additonal muscle bundles on the arteries and additonal valves-means it can go longer even with a good shot to the heart-possibly long enough to actually recover from the loss of that organ, likewise for other key internal organs...and then, there is the brain, which feeds through TWO spinal chords-the primary where there SHOULD be one, and a secondary in this muscular sheath running underneath the spine-with connections to the same motor nerves served by the main spine...which means even a broken neck or back likely can not stop it and will only act as a minor irritation...the point is, this thing was made to grow fast, and designed to hunt and kill people as its primary prey.  The brain-experts tell me that when it was alive, it was about as smart as a chimp, and exuded Pheremones that normal, non-engineered pigs will respond to as 'dominance' pheremones."

she stopped, "SOmeone designed it and turned it loose on Arluna, sometime about two years ago from the evidence we have gathered.  A couple helicopter gunships took down another one two weeks ago-they had to burn the fucker with inferno rounds...now, as far as we know, nobody in the Inner Sphere has the technical knowledge to genetically engineer one of these things-but we know they ARE genetically engineered-the dead one was a sow, and we were able to recover six fetuses from the carcass-all with developing structure just like El Jefe.  It takes a hog about six months to grow to sexual maturity...now someone with unquestioned access to Arluna turned this loose sometime in the last two years-there is only a narrow window for that to have occurred-during the Relief Operation.  Someone with advanced genetic engineering skills beyond the state of the art of the Inner Sphere-before we were cut off, I had contact with UW Donegal, and they never saw anything like this before...except for samples of the Smoke Jaguar and a few other engineered beasts picked up for analysis on Huntress after Serpent...and those examples are less thoroughly worked out than this-less refined, showing less practical knowledge and technical or theoretical completeness."

While Dao spoke, Debra watched their faces in silence.

"We have heard rumours that there was a problem in the Scientist Caste of several Clans, that these scientists were engaging in violations of your Ethics laws, conducting experiments and attempting to wrest control for themselves.  Another rumour says that some of the Clans, incluiding one that had unquestioned access to Arluna during the Plague Year, are rumoured to be under the influence of this 'conspiracy'."  Dao turned to Debra.

"I sent out a team to ask them." Deb said simply, "There were other things they were supposed to address as cover, but the primary mission was to determine why the Goliath Scorpion mission to Grantsville pulled out, why their seekers stopped going to Kowloon's archives, and why they stopped answering their messages-we called it operation 'sharp stick' and it was running under the cover of being an expedition to track back the Reaver Bandits that hit Jessenice in May, and Jerangle last March-the Bandit hunting mission was real-we intended to find out if they had hit Scorpion holdings, and if they had any info on the attackers that we had not already gathered ourselves."

She picked up her glass, frowned, and tossed it into the fireplace.  "We found out an answer we did NOT want...Dao, you better give them the rest of the information."

 The Steel Viper MechWarrior spoke before the UIW officer could speak. "The animals that the various Clans engineered, were to make the animals adaptable to the various planets of the Kerensky Cluster and Pentagon Worlds. The only instance of a Clan going farther than that would have been the Snow Ravens when the scientists of that Clan introduced a genetically modified shark to hunt the Sea Fox. Does the Scientist Caste have the means and capabilities, especially those who are involved with the Cabals. But to dismiss an Inner Sphere power being scientifically capable of creating a creature such as this is premature. The Niops association supposedly has radically altered the human genome, and the Terrans has had access to the former Nova Cats Scientists for a decade. The Terrans also are believed by the Clans to have made extensive leaps forward in cybernetics."

Looking at each individual in the eyes, she continued. "I am not saying anyone is, or is not responsible. Truth be told, I find this to be nearly impossible. Point is, the question that needs to be asked along with who, is why? Granted, our information on the Scientist Cabal is limited, I would not be remiss to state that the Vipers have the most information on them, but unfortunately, I am not privy to that information. I could request an inquiry on the subject, but I can not guarantee anything."  

Dao, at least, nodded, and looked to the Archduchess.

"I would appreciate that, ilChi Jaymie." Deb said, "Anything you could gather-we do not know who for certain, or why, but we do know roughly when, and we have samples of what it is-an' if it would help, I can have some of the samples we gathered transferred to your folks for analysis..in fact, I expect I will be authorizing transferral of samples to everyone here for analysis-Star Colonel Ezra, you faced one of these-I would guess the first one, based on the timeline and age of the ones we have encountered since, at Gordon...but there is a reason I mentioned there being more to this...see, like I said, we sent a mssion to inquire from the Goliath Scorpions-based on the working relationship we had locally with their team, and the previous statements from their Khan as of two years ago, we did not expect what we found at Death of Adrian...Dao?"

"We found an invasion fleet assembling at Death of Adrian, and they did not answer hails-at first.  The UIS Incorrigible Flirt, a Quetzcoatl class long-range Cutter belonging to the Kowloonese Coast Guard division was sent to that system to establish contact...Thirty six hours after arriving and after two hailing attempts, the Coast Guard vessel was attacked without challenge-they did not even bother with a surrender order  or heave-to, just radio silence and then they jumped the cutter with twenty fighters.  The cutter's complement of twelve cut the number down some, but in the end damage to the core prevented a jump-out, so the Captain ordered the surviving crew to ditch, scuttled the ship, and burned the codebooks and black box-we do not know if any of the crew survived, but given the nature and manner of the attack, it seems unlikely that anyone made it to the most likely survival position."

Ezra in his mind weighed Jaymie's arguments. She had a point. But then.. 'Black Box?' What does that mean? That was a new twist.

That the Scorps would attack suddenly however and massing was a bad turn of events.

He didn't know what to make of that. But Command would certainly be interested.

"What are your plans now, Archduchess?" He asked Deb.

Quote from: Marlin on September 26, 2010, 05:49:12 PM
Ezra in his mind weighed Jaymie's arguments. She had a point. But then.. 'Black Box?' What does that mean? That was a new twist.

That the Scorps would attack suddenly however and massing was a bad turn of events.

He didn't know what to make of that. But Command would certainly be interested.

"What are your plans now, Archduchess?" He asked Deb.

Deb leaned back in her chair, "Well, first off, is we need to know if what we are seeing, is what is really there." she said, "Gather information-so first we let some people who know them better than we do know what has gone on, what they have (best we can tell) and where, in exchange for information we do NOT have-like details on this 'scientist Cabal' and their objectives, any odd behaviour other Clans have noticed out of the Scorpions, and suchlike.  Then, we can start talking about what can be done about the situation.  In the meantime, I have ordered an abort on a scheduled trial against the Star Adders for Miquelon-that mission was not going to go anywhere any-how and I need those troops on the Periphery border in case what we THINK is happening is, in fact, what is happening-after that, putting all reserve units on standby-to-action, and putting my General Staff on notice that they need to start formulating an operations plan to defend the Union against attack from that front, and orders to begin planning counter-strikes if the Scorps intend to actually launch an invasion...and then, there is the matter of follow-up.  I do NOT intend to leave any of our people in their hands if I can avoid it-getting a SAR team in could be tricky without some kind of activity to keep them focused elsewhere...Dao?"

Dao Thanh nodded, "Page fifteen of your briefing packet, OCB managed to get this information, and before they were attacked, the flirt managed to confirm it."  She said.

QuoteOn station
Goliath Scorpion      Sojuz   Nightlord   LFB Mobile   Regular   Reliable      30      30   1310   Death of Adrian
Goliath Scorpion      Sowershennij   Liberator   LFB Mobile   Regular   Reliable      30      30   1310   Death of Adrian
Goliath Scorpion      Karttikeya   Potemkin (Clan)   LFB Mobile   Regular   Fanatical      50.5      50.5   1310   Death of Adrian
Goliath Scorpion      Auriga   Lola III (Clan)   LFB Mobile   Regular   Fanatical      6.5      6.5   1310   Death of Adrian
Goliath Scorpion      Garlon   Congress (Clan)   LFB Mobile   Regular   Fanatical      13.75      13.75   1310   Death of Adrian
Goliath Scorpion   Mu Galaxy   11th Scorpion Dragoons      Transported   Green   Reliable   5.00
Goliath Scorpion   Mu Galaxy   33rd Scorpion Grenadiers      Transported   Regular   Questionable   8.25
Goliath Scorpion   MF 1         Transported   Regular   Reliable   24.00      24   IS1310   Death of Adrian

Due to arrive
Goliath Scorpion   Mu Galaxy   11th Scorpion Dragoons

"Datalog intercepts and sources were able to obtain the following information, rated by our analysts as 'somewhat reliable', though given the radio silence reported by the expedition, I have down-checked it to questionable at best-turn to the next page, please."

Quote11th Scorpion Dragoons -- move
33rd Scorpion Grenadiers  -- move
Sojuz   Nightlord -- defensive patrol
Sowershennij   Liberator -- defensive patrol
Karttikeya   Potemkin (Clan) -- defensive patrol
Auriga   Lola III (Clan) -- defensive patrol
Garlon   Congress (Clan) -- defensive patrol

"Does not look like much compared to what you Clanners or the Free Worlders routinely toss around, but, then, they would not NEED much in a standard, conventional battle to gain space-superiority against us-we inherited a good chunk of hte former Lyran fleet, but that fleet was gutted two years ago and never rebuilt, and while we may have a trick or two up our sleeves to even some of the odds..." she shook her head, "...the circumstantial evidence points to invasion prep-Death of Adrian has one factory, and it is small, that is more fleet strength than Tharkad had in orbit when the bombs went off, and a hell of a lot more than the Scorpions would need for typical defense operations in a zone where there are no major hostile states and disputes over territory can be handled through the Clan Trial System.  There are no viable targets within range of that base, except us."

 "Star Captain Hazen or Star Colonel Ezra, do the vessels or either of yours on contain an HPG I can use to send a priority message?"

Star Captain Hazen responded immediatly.

"You may of course use my ship's onboard HPG. My dropship is at the main port, they can link you to the jumpship."

Ezra chimed in. "I assume, that your HPGs are still run by ComStar? This might become an issue later. However, I would propose at least a Reconnaissance Raid agaisnt them, if not preemptive action against the Scorpions. It might delay their attack, if there is any. Because I have doubts that they would attack you. It seems they dismantled the Factory of Adrian which indicates a full move of their most important infrastructure. News from other Worlds, in this case Nyserta point strongly in this direction. It was abandoned by all Warriors and Scientists as well as all high-tier functionaries. Nevertheless, your concern is valid. Gaining more orders movements would help as well."

Deb shook her head, "Not Comstar-back when it was Kat on the throne, they gave the franchise to Word of Blake.  We do not have the technical capability to tek' them over fr'm the Robes, so we ah stuck with them 'til we c'n fahnd anotha provaduh...an' given they have a habit of blowing up HPG's now, Ah'm suspectin' any change of provider is go'n to have to be done quick...an' Violent, AND simultaneously-somethin' Ah still have not figured out how t' manage without tippin' a hand to lettin' them know ahead of time..." as she spoke, she made a pair of fists, which she then opened rapidly, and added, "Boom-no Comms."

Ezra made a face shortly when she went back to her slang, but returned to straight almost immediately.

"I understand perfectly, Archduchess. Their source of power is that they can keep all realms not in line with them in a stranglehold. In one way that is an admirable position. But I see that it is not to your liking. I will ask Command if and when the Clan could be ready to exchange those HPGs if need be.

We will agree that for now a change is not feasible. We have to deal with our own interdictions yet, and when this is done, we will talk about that again.

Back to the topic, I will also prepare message to let loose one of our Clusters, the only one in range against the Scorpions. Certainly a Recon Raid was feasible, if they are already gone, then an invasion will have to commence. But I will tell you that if the Scorpion Traitors remain on the World, the Cluster will not move in force to its death."

Quote from: Marlin on September 30, 2010, 08:33:23 AM
Ezra made a face shortly when she went back to her slang, but returned to straight almost immediately.

"I understand perfectly, Archduchess. Their source of power is that they can keep all realms not in line with them in a stranglehold. In one way that is an admirable position. But I see that it is not to your liking. I will ask Command if and when the Clan could be ready to exchange those HPGs if need be.

We will agree that for now a change is not feasible. We have to deal with our own interdictions yet, and when this is done, we will talk about that again.

Back to the topic, I will also prepare message to let loose one of our Clusters, the only one in range against the Scorpions. Certainly a Recon Raid was feasible, if they are already gone, then an invasion will have to commence. But I will tell you that if the Scorpion Traitors remain on the World, the Cluster will not move in force to its death."

"If we coordinate, they will NOT be moving to their deaths." Debra's words were clear, low.  "I will commit forces to this regardless-but working WITH you-all of you-is preferable to trying to bear this load on our own."  she sat down, "If we miss them, I guess we just have to watch our collective rear for a while longer-if we catch them, we can get answers."

Vincent and his young charges, along with several other new employees, amde the journey from Kowloon to Arluna well enough, in fact in some ways the kids tolerated it better than he did. He still does not like traveling by JumpShip, never has, but in the modern day, it is a necessary evil, though he vows to keep his feet on solid, organic ground for at least the next ten years.

For now that he has a family, or sorts, he can't be traipsing to all corners of settled space, granted if the Inner Sphere Merchant adKhan says he's going, he really won't have a choice, so he thinks that he better make himself indispensable at Arluna so that there is never a reason to send him off somewhere else.

Besides, Vincent has come to like life on Arluna, and now that he has something other than business to occupy his time, he's rather looking forward to what the future brings. He's long had the desire for a family, but could either never find the time or the right person with which to start one. Now though, he has one, albeit as a surrogate of sorts, still though it's better than being alone.

Hopefully though, the two will grow out of their current need to always be near him, time is the one thing that their therapist told him they need to recover. That and the reassurance that he won't leave them as their parents did. The hardest part was getting used to sleeping with some form of illumination on, for if it got totally dark, both would scream until a light was turned on.

Initially he tried one of those sleeping masks, but gave that up the first night after getting up to use the bathroom and fracturing a toe on his left foot when he walked into an table. The injury bothering him whenever he has to stand for extended periods, or walk for long distances, not that he did either frequently, it's still somewhat bothersome.

Right now though, the boy was seated on his bunk, gently rocking back and forth, eyes staring at the bulkhead, as the girl drew unrecognizable pictures that she presented to Vincent as gifts. All previous ones prominently displayed on the walls of their shared quarters.

Vincent smiles as he recalls the girl giving him the first, calling him Anca Fin, which he took to mean Uncle Vin, her young age and lack of an extensive vocabulary, making some sounds harder to pronounce than others. He laughs inwardly at the time he accidentally introduced himself as Anca Fin when interviewing tutors for the children.

Soon, and none to soon, he will be home, which will become the home of these two youths, all done as a favor to the new Deputy Director of the InterClan Watch, and it never hurts to have a favor owed by one in a position of authority....




"Arluna Control, dis the Star Adder Merchant Vessel Five an' Dime. In addition to our usual cargo we be bearing a person of significance, Ambassador Vincent Frehley  two young children, a nanny and several tutors, fresh from Kowloon."

"He be asking fo' alternate coordinates fer approach and landin' otha' than the main SpacePort, wha' should Ah be sayin' to 'im?"

"Star Adder Vessel Five and dime, this is Arluna Coast guard traffic control, set your vector on preplot route course eleven-delta (for 'Diplomatic') and welcome back-I have orders to expedite Ambassador Frehley to her Grace's presence on landing, Might want to catch eight good hours, local time on landing is zero-three hundered, Over."

 Star Commander Jaymie took out a noteputer and began typing a message. After attaching copies of the various reports she transferred the message to a datachip and motioned to a Jade Falcon tech. "This needs to be sent immediately. All pertinent information is on the chip."

After watching the tech leave, the Steel Viper officer looked at her wristwatch. "I would estimate that it will take between thirty-six and forty-eight hours to get any official reply. Clan Steel Viper ground troops are too far out at this time. However, the bulk of our WarShips can reach all the way to Death of Adrien, however I do think it may be more prudent to focus more on Intel Gathering missions. My Clan's WarShips can also set up defenses on the UIW's borders, save for Neerabup. We gather information, and in March to April, Viper ground troops will be in a position to strike."   

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 01, 2010, 07:29:54 AM
"Star Adder Vessel Five and dime, this is Arluna Coast guard traffic control, set your vector on preplot route course eleven-delta (for 'Diplomatic') and welcome back-I have orders to expedite Ambassador Frehley to her Grace's presence on landing, Might want to catch eight good hours, local time on landing is zero-three hundered, Over."

"Roger Willco Arluna CG, I be a letting the Ambassadir know, though can't guarantee he be gettin much rest with them to rapscallions o' his"

Star Captain Hazen watched her tech leave the room with the Viper message.

"Arch-Duchess, I have brought up your nation's isolation from the rest of the Inner Sphere to Khan Sonoma, and the ilKhan herself. Khan Sonoma has informed me that the Falcons are perfectly willing to provide your HPG services, once we clear your space of TH personnel. We can have forces moving here within the next two months, although It will take some time for them to traverse such a distance. There are CJF warships at Coventry at the moment, and they should be able to arrive in UIW space within the next few months aswell. However, our fleet is not our strong suit. CJF ground forces can move in force, although it would take longer to get them here.

I have also been empowered to offer you this contract, Arch-Duchess. It comes from Khan Sonoma, although I understand that the ilKhan has also approved of it's contents." Star Captain Hazen slides a small datadisk to Debbie.

((OOC: Cannon, consider that datadisk the terms of our deal that was PM'd to the GMs: infra, banking, and Comms))

Quote from: Daemonknight on October 01, 2010, 05:41:30 PM
Star Captain Hazen watched her tech leave the room with the Viper message.

"Arch-Duchess, I have brought up your nation's isolation from the rest of the Inner Sphere to Khan Sonoma, and the ilKhan herself. Khan Sonoma has informed me that the Falcons are perfectly willing to provide your HPG services, once we clear your space of TH personnel. We can have forces moving here within the next two months, although It will take some time for them to traverse such a distance. There are CJF warships at Coventry at the moment, and they should be able to arrive in UIW space within the next few months aswell. However, our fleet is not our strong suit. CJF ground forces can move in force, although it would take longer to get them here.

I have also been empowered to offer you this contract, Arch-Duchess. It comes from Khan Sonoma, although I understand that the ilKhan has also approved of it's contents." Star Captain Hazen slides a small datadisk to Debbie.

((OOC: Cannon, consider that datadisk the terms of our deal that was PM'd to the GMs: infra, banking, and Comms))

Deb ran the numbers on her portable, re-read it, reached over and pulled down a battered copy of a Legal dictionary, fiddled a bit while chewing her lip...

then, she plugged her portable into a printer, ran off a stack of flimsy, and signed it.

"Agreed." She said, handing one copy of the stack to to the ilChi, "For your records, the second copy goes into the Congressional Library in Grantsville, an' the third goes into the wall safe here...and if anyone in Congress gives me guff about signing a treaty while they were in Recess...well, they can cry, but then they will remember that they voted down the advice-and-consent provision so that they could go home an' campaign." she said with a pixie grin, "Maybe they will take th' job more seriously, now that I have exercised my executive privelage-I do wonder how the Robes are going to take being told they are no longer holding all the aces."

Quite surprised by the fastness of the news, Ezra harrumped.

Also, a bit of jealousy could be seen on his face when Deb talked about the Word of Blake.

So he hastened to add his words: "Archduchess, to my knowledge, the Beta HPG for Mississauga is already in place. We will remove all interdictions on our Planet done by the Word or ComStar soon and will definitely be able to assist or even provide full Communications for your realm. Although the War and our commitment to the Front is our primary concern, weakening our enemy elsewhere is most important. I will have to talk to the Loremaster but I can assure you that we have the means and the will to match the offer of the Jade Falcons, with whom we have quite good relations. View it as a competition of equals."

At that he watched the Bloodnamed Star Captain with a stern gaze.

He then spoke to Deb again: "I will take care that the Cluster is to mobilize; while I have no COmmand over it, I am sure the Loremaster and Star Colonel Wendy (Metzger) will agree. And it would give her unit probably some experience and a test of the Cluster's abilities."

Star Captain Hazen offered the Hellion nothing more than her icy gaze when the word 'equals' was mentioned. The Falcons and Hellions perhaps, but Alexis thought she caught a more personal inflection in the words. No matter: her Clan had the agreement, not the Hellions. She curved her lips ever so slightly, her grin looking more like that of a predator than anything else. She turned back to the Arch-Duchess, and was all professional once more.

"Thank you Arch-Duchess. I shall have my ship transmit a copy of the file to Sudeten, and then I will be able to tell you what section of our Touman can be made availible to cleanse the HPGs of Terran involvement. As to the Scorpions on the border, I know that the CJFS Jade Aerie battlegroup, currently at Coventry, was designated to move nearer the border of the UIW to re-establish communications. They will be re-routed to Arluna to provide naval cover, should the Scorpion fleet make a move in this direction."

Sector 1416, former Lyran Commonwealth...

"Spread the formations out, start mapping-we might as well do something while we're out here playing relay-the-message."

Alexis was looking through a starmap of UIW space, deciding how best to utilize the Jade Aerie Naval Star when it arrived, deciding Kowloon to be the best rally point. In reading the USIIR report for the world, she noticed that there was a special asterisk next to one particularly developed manufacturing centre...

"Arch-Duchess, might I inquire as to the nature of this facility? It seems quite advanced, yet it doesn't seem to be listed among your nation's corporation's holdings... If I am not mistaken, it is an old Wolf-in-Exile facility, quiaff?"

Quote from: Daemonknight on October 03, 2010, 07:30:13 AM
Alexis was looking through a starmap of UIW space, deciding how best to utilize the Jade Aerie Naval Star when it arrived, deciding Kowloon to be the best rally point. In reading the USIIR report for the world, she noticed that there was a special asterisk next to one particularly developed manufacturing centre...

"Arch-Duchess, might I inquire as to the nature of this facility? It seems quite advanced, yet it doesn't seem to be listed among your nation's corporation's holdings... If I am not mistaken, it is an old Wolf-in-Exile facility, quiaff?"

Deb looked at the listing.  "Yeah.  The Wolves have not expressed much interest in it for the last...two years?"  she looked to Dao.

"eighteen months." Dao said.

Deb nodded, "You should contact Chuck Vanh on Kowloon, and have him set up a trial-we can't run the factory, and it has been idle for more than a year.  The official position of the Union is that possession of the site is a Clan Matter, to be resolved between Clanners-but the neighbourhood IS inside one of our cities, so it would be best to hold the trial in a designated zone..."

*OOC- This message arrives forty two hours after the Viper officer sends a missive.

Star Commander Jaymie waited her turn to meet with the Archduchess and her staff. Once admitted, she was sure to bring in a holoprojector and played a message.

The image of a spinning emblem of Clan Steel Viper faded to the head and shoulders of a Clan Steel Viper MechWarrior. The man is quite handsome despite the slightly over-sized features commonly found amongst sufferers of giant-ism. Bright hazel eyes stared through the holographic message. In a deep bass timber the Viper officer began to speak. "Greetings Archduchess McAuliffe. I am Galaxy Commander Byron Breen, commander of Beta Galaxy and the Steel Viper Touman in the Inner Sphere. I am aware of your situation, and Clan Steel Viper is currently en route. The attached files list our proposed dispositions and deployments. Clan Steel Viper is interested in the Goliath Scorpion systems of Death of Adrien, Gabenstad, and Vargtass. With the Viper vessels in-bound in the next few weeks, they will be fall under Clan Jade Falcon Command. When Viper ground forces arrive, any ground operations will be under Viper command, with Clan Steel Viper leading from the front in any ground assaults."     

After the big Meeting, Star Colonel Ezra demands a meeting with the Archduchess.

He will wait and is in the meantime signalling Melissia what will be needed.

Star Captain Hazen likewise awaits a private conference with the Arch-Duchess. She has time to spare, and begins looking for something more entertaining than political cross-talk.

In the meantime: Arluna Security Control was called from the Dropper on the official Dropport: "This is Star Commander Wolfe: I am commanding the security detail of Clan Ice Hellion's ilChi. Request a base for his Diplomatic Star of one BattleMech, and 2 Tanks. 2 Transports with VTOLs complement. We need a free route for this transport. Over."

Quote from: Marlin on October 04, 2010, 11:53:09 AM
In the meantime: Arluna Security Control was called from the Dropper on the official Dropport: "This is Star Commander Wolfe: I am commanding the security detail of Clan Ice Hellion's ilChi. Request a base for his Diplomatic Star of one BattleMech, and 2 Tanks. 2 Transports with VTOLs complement. We need a free route for this transport. Over."

It took about half an hour for the convoy route on Highway 17 to go active, and five minutes for the Hellion techs to translate the paper map from the port, to the designated Ice Hellion embassy compound in what was rapidly becoming known as "Clan Quarter" on the southwest side of the city into digital route-markers for their war machines to follow.

The actual drive was only about half an hour.

The Gurdeson Estate had belonged, before the plague, to a 'mechwarrior family loyal to the former rulers of Arluna-they, like most of the urban upper crust, had died in the plague and the riots that happened immediately after the outbreak, but the estate had been largely undamaged, and included facilities suitable for maintaining a military force nearly three times the size of the actual Hellion Contingent-in conditions that would be considered ridiculously lavish in the Clan Homeworlds.

Similar facilities were already allocated to the ilChi of both Clan Steel Viper, and Jade Falcon-the UIW did not NEED such facilities, as their military forces did not function on the lines of Feudal power relied on by generations of 'mechwarriors in the Inner Sphere, following the both more ancient, and modern model of a Professional Military establishment that did not rely on a bribe of luxuries and political power to remain loyal.

Vincent was seated in the back of the limo with the children and their nanny, the rest of his newly hired staff he sent on to his residence to unpack and put away the children's belongings and to get some rest.

He was somewhat surprised at being informed of the Archduchess's desire to speak with him, not to mention various vessels belonging to the Falcons, Hellions and the Vipers at the SpacePort, obviously something big was in the works, if not already taking place.

Guess he would just have to wait until he arrived for his audience with the Archduchess to find out what has, is and might be going on....

Thiel Residence, Golden Lake District Kowloon.


Sarah sat under the maple tree and just thought. She wondered if she would ever be able to see her friends in the 4th again. She was also awaiting a reply from Admiral Li regarding possible departure. She really had no idea if she would ever make it home.

Via Courier


  TO:Admiral Alicia Li, CinC UIW Naval Forces


  From:Kommandant General Daniel Russell, CinC Royal Guards Bde, LCAF


RE:Personal


   Alicia,

One of my best officers was caught on Kowloon when the balloon went up. She was able to communicate her request to remain on the rolls and keep her LCAF commission. Kommandant (promotable) Sarah Thiel is at her home of record in the golden lake district. I have an officer in my custody who wishes to retuen home. Leutnant General Evelyn Mosovich has been placed on the retired list on my authority and will be able to leave assuming she can get transport. She has recovered from her injuries and has had massive reconstructive surgery at my personal expense. She looks Deb's age. Please respond if you can get Thiel her fiancee would be pleased. The 4th sends their warmest regards as does Maria.

Best wishes,

Daniel

A Convoi of six trucks, 2 Heavy Tanks and one sleek yet intimidating Mech rumbled along Highway 17, the people watching would truly know that this was a deadly force. Two of the Trucks obviously carried VTOLs strapped on them, and the Mech seemed to be not heavier than 35 tons, but only the fewest would know its designation.

He walked quite slowly at the back of the Convoi, while a brutal looking tank took the point. In the center there was another heavy tank. Thus, there were 5 Warmachines while the other Trucks carried other goods and obviously ammunitions and infrastructure. The ilChi seemed to be an important man.

At the Gurdeson Estate, the Clansmen took up position and seemed to get organized. A Trinary would have fit in to the huge facility.

BattleTech Osric in the Incubus 2 was said to be a better Pilot than Ezra himself. He checked the sensor array for all he saw and it saw. The big villa was truly a worthy place to live in. Much better than any GravDeck at least.

He would like it here.

Star Commander Wolfe then would order him to continue while the trucks were already parking into the Mech Bays.

Star Captain Hazen was distracted by her com unit beeping loudly, obviously a priority message as she immediately stood and began speaking into her wrist-comp's audio pickup. After a few moment's conversation, she turn to the nearest uniformed soldier.

"Soldier, please inform your superiors, and the Arch-Duchess, that there will be inbound jump signatures within the next 6 hours. A Clan Jade Falcon battle group is currently en-route to Kowloon, but they will have to stop at the Zenith jump point to recharge their batteries. I do not want their sudden arrival to cause any undue confusion."



**6.5 Hours later**
Arluna System
Zenith Jump Point

Arluna's native Coast Guard forces, forewarned of the incoming jumpships, were still totally unprepared for what they saw. Their radar and IR systems jumped suddenly, caused a few Sensor techs to believe it was infact the fear Goliath Scorpion invasion. However, after officers calmed the initial hysteria, it was shown what had actually appeared.

The huge predator that was the CJFS Jade Aerie, a prized Black Lion, was attended by shoals of fighters and dropships, some of the cargo drop ships even requesting landing clearance for supply runs to the surface, not even bothering with escorts, a sight rarely seen outside of secure Clan systems. The other warships were equally impressive: the squat, powerful form of a Liberator, IFF-tagged as the CJFS Gauntlet; the brand new Conqueror-class CJFS Jade Vengeance still showing it's virgin shine, not even marred by space debris, yet. Almost lost amongst it's bigger brothers, the small Congress-class CJFS Jade Thunder could've been mistaken for one of the jump ships transporting the independent Raptor Wing formation.

It was the most impressive display of sheer naval power that had graced Arluna in quite some time, and although it was not staying, the Coast Guard got the chance to drool over equipment they could only dream about. They were graced in a different way however.

"Arluna System Control, this is Star Admiral Folkner, Clan Jade Falcon. I must request anchor positions for my ships to deploy sails and recharge our batteries; we've been running a little looser and hotter than I prefer to make time here. I am also requesting landing clearence for a number of my dropships that're running resupply runs to the surface: we've been out for quite some time and could use some fresh supplies. Likewise, I would request permission for rotating R&R shifts for members of my crews that wish to take them. We will only be in the system for as long as it takes our re-supply dropships to transport all requisitions to our ships. If granted, I would like to personally come to the surface and meet with the Arch-Duchess. Or she is welcome aboard my vessel, along with any of her Navy or Coast Guard personnel she would like to accompany her."

"Jade Eyrie, this is Coast Guard system control for Arluna, anchor coordinates are now being transmitted on subchannel One Four Echo Band Zulu Two One, vector solar south on the nine-o'Clock and in close formation.  You caught us in the early morning so traffic is light, we are coordinating now with civil defense authority to make some space for your shore leave, since we do not have a formal status of forces request you confine personal armaments to sidearms only on Weapons Hold.  Leave Parties will report first to the south Spaceport Lounge for safety briefings, we expect you want to get these rotations through quick, but keep leave parties to Cluster size or smaller so we do not have to worry about someone getting lost,  UnRep parties and support droppers need to come down on the West side of the 'port near the provisioners' docks, please remind your supply officers to have their req-lists in hand at the dock, you ARE the descendents of the Star League Defense Force, I am sure your supply personnel know how to fill out a 6267-4b purchase order and a 3305-2A credit-chit, so make sure your people HAVE those on-hand and filled out-we have not yet managed to re-vamp the transaction recording software and we want to make sure everything is rikki-tik, Over."

Dao Thanh was feeling better this morning-she hardly vomited at all before PT.  People put up with this for NINE MONTHS??  as she released the transmit button.

"You serious? you're asking them to fill out THOSE forms?"  Lt. Martin Maguierrez asked.

"I doubt they expected differently, Leutenant." Dao said, "I suppose their Merchie supply officers MIGHT be lugging bags of Kroner or Kerenskies around, but it would be space inefficient to do so, and with the Treaty, there's going to be a branch of the Falconbank in down-town soon enough, so I am rather anticipating they're going to want to use Clan Credits or Clan Trade currency-either one has to be accounted for tightly, to make sure that they aren't cheated on their end, so we account for it just as tightly to make sure nobody gets light-fingered on OUR end."

she sighed, "Besides, if we make sure they do it the first time, we won't have the problem we had when the Terries came through two years ago and didn't pay for half the shit they bought, broke, or stole."

MacAulliffe Farm, 0330 Hours, 22 December, 3069...

"Bout tahm y' got heah, Vince." Debbie Mac was up, and she was dressed to go outside, "Ah got c'mmitments from Three Clans t'back us up with th' Scorpions, an' the biggest meetin' ah have hed sin' Januarah of 68 y'all were off-world an' away from y'phone."  she slid a packet across the breakfast table to him, "Review it, take it t' yo' Khan's attention, give me an answer 'fore January first." she said quietly, "We Were going t' be working up some training an' such, you c'n tell Charlie 'at we ah, after all, NOT goin' to be hasslin' his northwestern boadah-seems we may have bigger threats than we thought, closer t' home..."

[ooc: it's the same information the other Clan Reps got, plus a certified copy of the trade/economic development agreement with the Jade Falcons]

"After Ah deal with the cows, Ah get to go an' have three or foah more meetin's like this one, Vince." she said, "Then, Ah got t' tell Alicia Li that she's workin' with a Clannah-she will NOT like that much, givin' up command rights is hard fo' her, but AH want this mission t' go smoothly-or as smooth as it is likely to go.  Y'all want to make sure your Clan is aware of the operation, hell, they might want a PIECE of it-jump-day is near the start of next month."

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 06, 2010, 06:57:53 AM
MacAulliffe Farm, 0330 Hours, 22 December, 3069...

"Bout tahm y' got heah, Vince." Debbie Mac was up, and she was dressed to go outside, "Ah got c'mmitments from Three Clans t'back us up with th' Scorpions, an' the biggest meetin' ah have hed sin' Januarah of 68 y'all were off-world an' away from y'phone."  she slid a packet across the breakfast table to him, "Review it, take it t' yo' Khan's attention, give me an answer 'fore January first." she said quietly, "We Were going t' be working up some training an' such, you c'n tell Charlie 'at we ah, after all, NOT goin' to be hasslin' his northwestern boadah-seems we may have bigger threats than we thought, closer t' home..."

[ooc: it's the same information the other Clan Reps got, plus a certified copy of the trade/economic development agreement with the Jade Falcons]

"After Ah deal with the cows, Ah get to go an' have three or foah more meetin's like this one, Vince." she said, "Then, Ah got t' tell Alicia Li that she's workin' with a Clannah-she will NOT like that much, givin' up command rights is hard fo' her, but AH want this mission t' go smoothly-or as smooth as it is likely to go.  Y'all want to make sure your Clan is aware of the operation, hell, they might want a PIECE of it-jump-day is near the start of next month."

"My apologizes Archduchess, I wasn't sure what I would need to care for two young children, so may have gone overboard on covering my bases," Vince yawns, "and while they seem to be adjusting well, the same can't be said about myself," he says as he scans the document.

"And from the looks of this, it will be a few more hours before I can try to catch up on some rest. I'll read it more thoroughly and forward it to the Khan along with my recommendations once I return to my office."

His tone of voice changes as he takes several swallows from the tea provided, "So how are you adjusting to the sudden change in the UIW stature? Never mind, from the look in your eyes I'm guessing you'd like to strangle someone, and I'd prefer not to be in the near vicinity lest I become a target," he smiles warmly trying to ease her tension by getting her to laugh.

"I suppose I should be on my way to make sure the Khan is able to provide an answer by the deadline," he stands, then offers a slight bow, "By your leave Archduchess," he says before slowly turning and making his way out of Debbie's office, though he stops briefly at the door, "You know where to reach me should the need arise," and with that he departs.

House of Congress, Grantsville, 0830 Hours, same day...

Debbie walked in, past the silent and empty Congressional Meeting chamber, up the stairs to her office, nodding to staffers as she went.

"Gloria, Ah'm not late, am I?" she asked her Receptionist, who was sleepily sipping coffee.

"No Your Grace."  Gloria said.

"Good, when the Jade Falcon ilChi shows up, send her straight in." Debbie said, "Then put up the do-not-disturb act until she leaves."

"Yes ma'am."  Gloria replied.

Debra walked into her "Official'' office, sat down, and pulled out a stack of papers, placing them to make herself look 'busy'.

And waited.

House of Congress, Grantsville, 0843 Hours

Star Captain Alexis Hazen entered the government building, and made her way to the Arch-Duchess' office. The receptionist waved her in with a smile, which Alexis returned. There are some cute ones here, if nothing else. She placed her personal appetites on the back-burner as she entered the Arch-Duchess' office(not bad herself, now that I think of it). She smiled as warmly as she could, although it might have come across slightly predatory.

"Greetings Arch-Duchess. I trust that my warning about the warships arrived in time to keep your Coast Guard from to bad of a scare? That is in fact the battle group heading to deal with our Scorpion problem. Now, you have invited me here, so I would hear first of what business you would like to do with Clan Jade Falcon? Or is there something for the ilKhan herself?"

"Well..." Deb stood up, "I was hoping that the private business you mentioned earlier could be handled now." she said, "I understand your visit has more to do with an errand for the ilKhan than it does just a trade and communications deal between the Jade Falcon clan and the UIW..."  she pushed the papers into the 'out' box, and sat on the desk.  "So, what does the ilKhan want from me is the question."

Seated like this, this close, Alexis could see details that had been less prominent in Debra's sitting-room, including the beginnings of fine gray hairs in what should, based on the girl's age, have been a lustrous dark, reddish brown, and the beginnings of age-lines and frown lines on her face...

But mostly, there were the eyes-like faded green beads, hard eyes of a Veteran, one whom has looked into dark places and seen sights that scar the soul forever. 

"Pol Nguyen. He is the officer that defeated the Star Adders on Kwanchowwang, quiaff? The ilKhan is aware that a group of infantrymen, Coast Guard Marines infact, defeated a Star of Clan Star Adder forces, and forced the Adders to bring overwhealming force down to capture the planet...a whole Cluster if I remember correctly. The ilKhan, being freeborn, has few qualms about the specifics of a warrior's birth or status. She is much more interested in their spirit and results.

She has instructed me to challenge the Union to a Trial of Possession for Pol Nguyen and the remainder of his unit. They will become abtakha in Clan Jade Falcon, but will in essence become ilKhan Pryde's bodyguard coterie. I understand that few of those warriors survived the battle, so the ilKhan would settle for the cream of the Marine crop, chosen by Pol Nguyen himself.

The ilKhan is aware of the power of symbols, and believes that taking Inner Sphere warriors as bodyguards will show that the Clans and Inner Sphere are pefectly capable of meshing together, if the oportunity is given."

"Ghurkas."  Debra said, "You are looking to recruit Ghurkas."  she reached over to a shelf next to her desk and pulled down a book, and set it on the desk next to her.

"These are citizens, Star Captain, not Serfs, if they go to work for your ilKhan, it has to be their choice."  she said, "I can give them permission to Trial for the job you are offering, but I do not have the right to order them into it, and when they are too old?"

The book was a compilation of The Rememberance-noted on the cover were three sources-two of which are no longer Clans at all.

"Be aware, one of my terms for that, is that they have to volunteer, and second is that they retain the right to return when your Clan is through with 'em."  she said, "I can not budge on those conditions, I can only give them Permission to volunteer for this duty you offer-they must choose to join you-if you try to conscript them, you will need guards to watch the guards."

she thumbed the book idly, "Now, mind you, I am inclined to GIVE that permission, but you will have to make your case to the men you want to recruit."

"Are these men not warriors? Do warriors not do what is ordered of them? Many within the Clans would consider it an honor to be granted the right to serve in a prestigious Cluster or Galaxy, let alone the ilKhan's own Keshik. To even extend that to a Sphereoid is quite beyond any sense of tradition that I am aware of. However, as ilKhan, it is her right, in Clan law.

However, I suppose I am able to see your side. You are not Clan, so I cannot expect you to understand. And reading a book, especially The Remembrance, does not mean you understand it. You have to live it, something that is not possible in the Inner Sphere in my opinion. I am sure we could discuss the subject of life within the Clans another time though. I will not be able to accomodate your second condition. Once a warrior within the Clan, it is not possible to simply leave. You die a warrior, or live long enough to be solahma, which is far from an honorable fate. I can ensure that all warriors who volunteer are aware that only those who live to become solahma will be allowed to return to the Union, but that is as close as I can come to your demand.

Any who participate must agree, for once they are abtakha, they are not only members of Clan Jade Falcon, but of the Warrior Caste. They will be of the most honored in our society, held back only by dint of birth. Such prejudices are fading, but only slightly, however they will seldom interact with Clan warriors off the battlefield, and are less likly to experiance it. However, how many of your warriors can say they were given a chance to fight alongside the best warriors in the Inner Sphere? I think more will volunteer than you might think, if they are truly the warriors the ilKhan believes them to be.

What say you, Arch-Duchess? Are the terms of the Trial acceptable to you?"

"This..." she held up the book, "Is not the Rememberance-that..." she gestured at the bookshelf, "Is the entire lower two rows over there-export volumes from the Wolves, the Nova Cats when they were aligned with the Inner Sphere, an' market copies sold by the Diamond-Sharks to anyone who would pay-it so happens that the LIC did, an' I managed to get one of their copies."  She sighed, "Find out what someone thinks of himself-what he believes is normal, moral, and right, an' it makes it easier to avoid making the same mistakes the arrogant make-not perfect, just easier."  She set her book down, "THIS is the war-journal of Tranh Truk Ngo, from the Kowloon Uprising of 2769 to the Liberation of Terra in 2782.  Ah am reflecting how similar your offer is to the one Kerensky offered the Kowloonese...and where the differences are."

She grimaced, "Ah am also noticin' thet you think Ah have the habits of a-" she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "-Great House Noble.  I insisted on limitations to mah own powah, Stah Captain, ah have seen what happens when theah is a weak rulah wi' absolute authoritah-Peter was a nice fella, but he was utterly un-fit to govern, an' theah was no means t' keep his mistakes from crackin' the Commonwealth like an egg in the pan-if the Union is to suhvahve past Mah lifetime, it is only because Ah have made it so that it can not be broken bah th' foolishness of a single individual gettin' into this job-the men will do what they are ordered, but there are orders Ah may not give.  Ah can not, fo' instance, tell the men thet they may not return home, or trade them-no matter the benefit, without their express consent-I can tell a man to die, I can not tell him to live for someone else-but I can permit him to do so on his own hook, I can allow it, I can endorse it, but in the end, it must be by his choice-it is a small diff'rence but tellin' how significant those details are."

She reached down, and toggled a switch, "Gloria!"

"Yes Your Grace?" came over the com.

"Send Leutenant Commandah Nguyen in, the Stah Captain wishes t' make him an offah."  Deb said, "Tell him ah would be most appreciative that he listens to it with an open mahnd."

"Yes Ma'am."  the connection shut off.

Deb turned to the Star Captain, "Ah assume, you will want th' best, Pol an' his kahnd, they want t'be the best, so the challenges have to be hahd, they will want to win theah spot..."

The door opened, and Pol Nguyen walked in as she was speaking.

"Second place is the first loser." he added, "What am I supposed to win now, Your Grace?"

Deb gestured to the Jade Falcon ilChi, "Star Captain Hazen has an offer for you, a new assignment, could be very long term, and prestigious."  she said, "Could also help the Union more than buying another warship, or a factory, or raising another regiment.  You want t' listen carefully to her offer."

Star Captain Hazen rose and turned to face the Lieutenant Commander.

"Lieutenant Commander Pol Nguyen, I am Star Captain Alexis Hazen, ilChi from Clan Jade Falcon, and emissary of ilKhan Diana Pryde. The ilKhan is aware of your victory over the Star Adders on Kwanchowwang. I will come straight to the point. The ilKhan has charged me with the issuance of a Trial of Possession for you and your fellow Marines from that battle, and any others you deem of equal skill and spirit, to serve as abtakha in Clan Jade Falcon, and become members of the ilKhan's own Keshik. In the Inner Sphere, you might call a Keshik an Honor Guard: you and your men would be personally responsible for the safety of ilKhan Diana Pryde, untill you are physiclly unable.

The Arch-Duchess has told me that one condition must be that the men be allowed to return home. As this would be against the Clan way, the best I can offer is that all men who are to be subjected to the Trial's outcome volunteer, after being made perfectly aware that they have no control over their ability to leave once they enter the Trial. If they are taken as abtakha, they are members of the Warrior Caste of Clan Jade Falcon, and would be the first time that a Clan offers such status on a large scale. They would not be permitted to leave unless deemed Solahma. Those who wished to retain their status as Clan warriors could potentially be found other positions, such as Falconers. Infact, ilKhan Pryde has sent along one of her own Falconers from her past, to oversee and ensure only the best make it. Her name is Johanna.

What do you say, Lieutenant Commander?"

Pol looked thoughtful for a moment, "There are guys who would throw the fight." he said, "You want the best...how about this-treat the trial as an intake test-The best ones keep the right to return, that means the ones that win can come home when they are too worn out, badly hurt, or old to keep up.  The losers have to give up their citizenship-and only the TOP losers-the best performers in the trial who did NOT win." he said, "I learned one thing guarding Her Grace-bodyguard detail is too important to take chances that you are getting second-stringers or second best, and this is for someone whose likely assassins are, by definition, the best they can send."  He picked up the book.  "You know anything about the war against Amaris the Tyrant?" he asked, holding it so that Hazen could see the cover, "I had ancestors in the original 171st, working with the Nine-Oh Heavies, they liberated Elbar, fought the Rimjobs in Israel and Southeast Asia, and racked up victories against enemies who had them out-massed and out-teched-and when the war against the Tyrant was finally over, they returned home...that was BEFORE Kerensky made the call for Exodus.  I am given to understand General Kerensky was glad to see the backs of them...something about being too brutal to Rimjob POW's."

He placed the book on the table before Star Captain Hazen, "THAT is first-hand accounts from that time.  You make it a call for volunteers, I will sort the best of those, then you run the trials-the best volunteers will win, it is what we DO.  Second best will still give a good fight, but mission-comes-first, and the mission you outline requires the best-if not in all positions, in leadership at the minimum.  That, in turn, means you want the winners of the trial-so there has to be a 'motivator', I did not join the Marines because my family was poor-I could have joined the LCAF for the pay instead-and neither did my men.  We joined because we uphold a tradition and set an example for our people."

He sat down, "There is a guy I knew-a Marine who was at Somerset with the fleet there-nice guy, Lan Nghien, made Sargeant, he joined the Star Adders after they won there...his family disowned him for surrendering, you won't get the best recruits if they can't come home, especially for a protection detail or an honour guard mission." He said, "and quality counts-I won't have my people embarassing their kin by failing with all eyes on them."

Star Captain Hazen smiled.

"Well bargained and done, Lieutenant Commander. I will inform the ilKhan. The trials shall be done as you say, and you will have oversight on those who are to be selected to the duty, to ensure the proper motivation and quality that you speak so highly of. I will also be informing Khan Sonoma, as if these men prove their skills, when are worn out and no longer wish to fight, perhaps there will still be a place for them within the Clan, even if they return home. We are building the shipyards around Kowloon after all, and I have been informed that a special school of naval warfare is planned aswell, to include several Solahma Clan naval officers as its Falconer Commanders. Perhaps those that win their ToPs will also be granted the right to choose the life of a Falconer, once they are finished on the frontlines, training Kowloonese and Clan marines, quiaff?"

Hue City, Union of Independent Worlds...

"...do you have ANY help coming, Merchant Factor?"  Charles Vanh was meeting with the Wolf administrator of the Canid Creations factory in Hue-in his official capacity as Speaker of the Assembly, "The Government on Arluna is inclined to let the damn Clans stomp you flat and take the facility-and your people, bondsman.  I assume you don't want that, but my hands are tied."

"We might...there was a rumour that with Marco Hall as the Commanding General, we would be getting SLDF flagged reinforcement." the Factor said.

"They'd better hurry the fuck up, then." Vanh said, "I got a telex from the Capital, Her Grace just signed a major trade deal with the Jade Falcons-they're goign to be restoring the old pre-Amaris-crisis shipyards over Boojum, and opening outside-the-border communications by taking over the HPG contract-that could screw you and your people over-if you have friends on the way, they had better get their asses in gear-that deal just bought the rep from Boojum's support-it's a big deal out there, good for the economy..."

"I know, I know." the Factor said, "What is the general mein down here? I have not been out of the complex much."

"People around here like your folks well enough, Factor, they don't like the idea that Little Debbie is going to treat this as an internal matter between Clans-but it's not enough 'like' to stage a revolt over-that Yard's going to generate a lot of jobs, and having interstellar Comms again will generate more-we're in a deep recession, I have too many people out of work-people vote their wallet before they vote their conscience."  He sighed, "I might be able to hide some of your folks in the population if it comes to it, and filter them back across the border, or just hide your workers and security guys in the population with ident cards indicating citizenship..."

Queensland City, Australia, Union of Independent Worlds...

"Jesse, look!"  Sarah carried the newsprint over, "They liberated Millerton-looks like the Albion gave the Clanners a good what-for."

Jesse looked at the paper.  "No...see here? The Albion trialled for it-that means they fought what adds up to a formal duel-like a big Solaris fight, but see here-the Archduchess signed a major economic and trade agreement with another Clan, they're..." he stopped, and re-read it.  "Bloody hell...I wonder how that nice Adept over at the HPG is taking this news?"

"what news-let me see!" Sarah pressed, tugging at the paper.

"looks like Her Grace isn't going to renew the HPG contract with the Word of Blake, she's signed a contract with FalconCom instead..."

Kowloon, Union of Independant Worlds
Zenith Jump Point

Star Admiral Folkner walked to the HPG station on the bridge of the Jade Aerie.

"Lets make this quick, we have a mission to attend to."
"Recording Star Admiral."

"Attention Canid Creations, this is Star Admiral Johann Folkner of Clan Jade Falcon. I am here to issue a batchall for the Clan Wolf facilities here, with what forces can you deny my claim?"

"Message packet away Star Admiral. 4 hour travel time, assume 9-10 hours for a response of some kind. Well within our window before we need to make the next jump."

Arluna
House of Congress


Ezra was waiting outside for too long, as he thought. And despite that, his schedule was too full. He could not talk to Charlotte again, who somehow was annoyed about him and he had wanted to talk to Miranda a bit more, which would not happen as the route to her land was too far.

At least his new residence was adequate. This was an understatement. It was huge. A Trinary of Mechs and perhaps a Star of Elementals could find their place there.

His own suite was far too big for him to be comfortable. He would have much work to do as well.

But when would Deb have time? The things they needed to talk about were important.
And the Falcons had already paced ahead.

The door was open to the lower House chambers-the membership weren't due to meet for another three weeks.

Acoustics are a fantastic thing-the Congress meets in a room designed to amplify sounds without relying on electronic assistance.

Petty Officer Allison Osborne could remember the ideals that built this place-the strong sense that, having been left out to dry, the worlds that joined the Union were strong-and strong in their independence.

She sat down-something not really forbidden to anyone-in the seat of the delegate from Arluna, and tried to analyze the feelings she was having.

We're going down the wrong road again-back into dependence...

she drew her sidearm, chambered a round wiht an audible racking sound on the slide.

It's all going to fall apart...

She remembered the fight at the reservoir, and the swampy land on Kwangchowwang-where they'd failed and come home heroes.

It was all so pointless.

she put the pistol's barrel in her mouth.

BLAM!!!

[ooc: Ezra probably heard the shot.[/b]

'What was that? A Shot?' Ezra cursed himself for not having any gun with him, but nonetheless, he stormed to where the sound came from. Knowing only that this was the house where all the government's talking happened, he assumed that this would be it. But they were not meeting at this time.

More cautiously, he approached the big door of the Ah, Lower House Chambers. Nothing to be seen, what about the left? Nothing; Right? There, a female, brain and blood splattered behind her. No one except her, but he heard boots from the Guard, as he assumed.

With seemingly no threat anymore, he walked over to her. Allison Osborne read on her chest, shot through the mouth. 'What a waste.' The Pistol in the hand, still, hanging awkwardly nearly falling. He waited.

It was no nice view, but those were the sights of people dying unnaturally. A thing he had wished for quite some time ago, but now he knew he would live for quite some time. He was just too good at surviving.

"Did you touch anything??"  The first questions out of Lt. Davis' mouth to the foreigner.

"no." he was told.

"Okay, Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to wait over there-" the Leutenant pointed to the doorway, "Corporal Duvays will take your statement, but the OCB guys are going to probably take it again, This is how you found her?"

The Ice Hellion ambassador nodded without a word.

"Okay, just go...over there, Sissons, McGittrick, help secure the scene-somebody tell me the fucking cameras were on!!"

This was like in one of those movies, mostly badly, horribly structured flicks that Ezra had seen during his time as Marine. German speakers called them 'Krimis' and it involved usually a murder while the murderer was not known. Then there was the commissar, an Inquisitor of sorts who did not possess that power but worked for the prosecutor. It was all complex and easy to manipulate, but that commissar tried to put together the pieces and hunt the offender down with his mind and skill of following the track.

This belonged to it, witnesses needed to be asked. Here it was Ezra himself. He could not suppress a small smile when he saw the young man approaching him. That was supposedly the Corporal.

"Come here, I will not hurt you, Corporal. If you have questions, I am here to answer them."  And over to that Leutnant: "Leutnant, I have an appointment. If I miss it, you will need to inform the Archduchess."

"We'll let her know, sir...Sissons, take the Ambassador out to the foyer, have someone get him some coffee, an' take his statement-then send Powell and Loesch up to tell Her Grace that her visitor's helping out on an OCB investigation and we'll cut him loose soon..."

Ten minutes later, a female Corpsman whose nametag said 'Trac' was pressing a hot cup of strong coffee into Ezra's hands.  "Here, sir..." while personnel in rank-less civilian clothes and raid-jackets marked "Investigator" were taping off the scene and making measurements-while "Medical Examiners" were removing the body.

"this is a lot for a suicide?" Ezra asked her.

"No sir.  Suicides are treated as a murder investigation-especially military." she told him, 'Standard Procedure-I'm sorry you had to see that."  the young girl said, "Especially when the vic doesn't leave a note...I've had to work ten or fifteen of these in the last three months."

"Is that a lot?" Ezra asked.

"Statistical averages say I should only be working two or three a year, so yeah, it's a lot." she told him, "First one done in a public place since...July?  Back in July we had a Chief Petty Officer from 2nd Fleet do a swan dive into the street." she said it almost-casually, "That was a hell of a mess, he didn't leave a note either.  This one is weird, women don't usually eat a gun-if it's a female, she'll usually put it right...here." She pointed to a spot between her (rather small) breasts, "Keeps the face looking good for the funeral-so that's three weirdshit things about this one-first, she did it in a public building, second she didn't leave a note, an' third, she fucked up her face when she did it...not normal, not normal at all-Investigator Griffin's going to be having kittens over this..."

"Hey Trac!! She's a One Percenter!"  someone called over, the little Corpsman looked over at the man speaking, then, her face clouded over more.

"One Percenter?"  Ezra inquired.

"Plague Survivor, one of the Test group...it explains a lot...look, ah, I'm sure you got business, you got a commscard?  We can call you if The Griff needs anything besides your prelim statement."  Trac told him.

He nodded to the small woman. "I will be on-planet." Then he made to the stairs. He had still much to talk. The schedule would not become more relaxed after this.

But the one-percenter reminded him.. was Miranda not one of them? She survived the plague. Did Debra do that as well? One percent of billions were still some millions.. But Miranda was also more different. One of the topics at hand.

But any government should know that those people were killing themselves. Waste. Their binding to their Clan/state did not seem that good. It was not unheard of for Solahmas not getting their last action, but otherwise?

At the Office where he hoped to find the Archduchess was a secretary first. Did he knew her yet? From the Party? Her name was Gloria.

With his cup of Coffee and his Data crystal still in his pocket he greeted her. "Gloria. Is the Archduchess ready to see me now? Your Investigators make good coffee." he added, sipping.

Gloria hit a button, and looked at the screen.  "Yes, her meeting with Star Captain Hazen is concluded."  she said, and then, she keyed something else.

"Your Grace, your two-o'clock is here." she said.

"Send him in." Debra's voice sounded tired and slightly tinny.

Ezra glanced once more at Gloria and moved through the door, bowed his head and closed it.

Taking the cup to his left hand, he marched towards Debra and extended his hand.

"Good afternoon, Archduchess. I hope to find you in a good mood, but I can understand that you might have already enough. You had to deal with a Jade Falcon, after all."

A dry smile appeared, marking his talk as a joke. At least in the broadest sense.

Now more earnest: "Did you hear what happened to.. ah, in the Lower house chambers, qu..?" He tried to not say the Clan phrase.

Quote from: Marlin on October 11, 2010, 11:36:58 AM
Ezra glanced once more at Gloria and moved through the door, bowed his head and closed it.

Taking the cup to his left hand, he marched towards Debra and extended his hand.

"Good afternoon, Archduchess. I hope to find you in a good mood, but I can understand that you might have already enough. You had to deal with a Jade Falcon, after all."

A dry smile appeared, marking his talk as a joke. At least in the broadest sense.

Now more earnest: "Did you hear what happened to.. ah, in the Lower house chambers, qu..?" He tried to not say the Clan phrase.

Debbie nodded.  "Yeah...ah heard it." she said, "Ah will mourn her latah-when there is Tahm...maybe then, they can tell me why."

Her tone sounded...washed out.  "Let's get down to business-work is the best thing for it."

He nodded and sat in front of her.

Taking another sip of that nice, bitter liquid, he started.

"Very well. We have the topic of 'El Jefe', then Miranda, then the Scorpions in connection with those, then the Factory on Kowloon, which if I remember correctly is soon to be a target for a Trial. By my Clan, that is. I expect the Falcons will be fast to act as well.

Then is the topic of Communication to talk about. I have the suspicion, that they already created facts, which my Leadership will be unhappy about. However, let us get started with the Scorpions, quiaff?"

He pulled out his DataCrystal, looking for an appropriate system to plug it in, Debra had to show him.

He pressed some buttons until a text appeared:

QuoteResume about the Goliath Scorpions:
Clan Ice Hellions was once on good terms with this Clan. In the wake of the Scientist cabal, this has changed drastically. No communications have been done whatsoever, just a complaint by their Khan, believed to be a faint, about the conquering of Manaringaine in the Grand Council. Other than that, their Khan distanced themselves from the HomeWorld-Elements, who struck with nuclear weapons.
Unless there is a decisive change in attitude by them, Clan Goliath Scorpion is considered hostile and a detriment to the War cause.
Found Elements are to be taken down with extreme prejudice or if no sufficient force is available, to be avoided.

He let her read and when she seemingly was finished, he took on again: "There has to be a small update: The Nova- Spirit Cats trialed them two months ago on New Kerensky, aka the Rack, when they defeated him, a Warship in orbit obliterated the Cat's force. Commanding them was the saKhan of the Cats and his Keshik was annihiliated. It is clear that the Scorpions always were at the forefront of this Cabal. They are now on the same level as the Terrans."

OOC Note - This happens before the arrival of anyone new.

"Mr Vanh, there is much news.  However, as a merchant, let me first address the factory.  While your nation has not been utilizing its capacity, Clan Wolf has been.  Your people have continued to work well.  However, given recent events, I am not sure we will be able to continue running it.  Your nations position in regards to the clans is making this a dangerous area.  Especially given my other news.  We do have our forces here, as we have for some time.  However, our entire touman has joined the Star League Defense Force.  Clan Wolf has always been commited to the mission of the Defense Force and have made it more official now.  As such, the 303rd is now a Star League Defense Force formation.  We are considering our options.  Even as the SLDF, we intend to abide by our agreements, which include recognizing your forces as primary control of this system.  However, we also expect your people to do their part in defending this world and its holdings.  We recognize the special nature of the facility we run.  We made a special agreement with you, given your unique position previously.  We now must question if you remain committed to our original purpose here.  Given what you have suggested from your leadership elsewhere, it would seem that, in general, we are running a factory for an enemy to our Clan and the Star League.  Clearly, this would be an untenable position, quineg?"

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 08, 2010, 07:44:25 PM
Hue City, Union of Independent Worlds...

"...do you have ANY help coming, Merchant Factor?"  Charles Vanh was meeting with the Wolf administrator of the Canid Creations factory in Hue-in his official capacity as Speaker of the Assembly, "The Government on Arluna is inclined to let the damn Clans stomp you flat and take the facility-and your people, bondsman.  I assume you don't want that, but my hands are tied."

"We might...there was a rumour that with Marco Hall as the Commanding General, we would be getting SLDF flagged reinforcement." the Factor said.

"They'd better hurry the fuck up, then." Vanh said, "I got a telex from the Capital, Her Grace just signed a major trade deal with the Jade Falcons-they're goign to be restoring the old pre-Amaris-crisis shipyards over Boojum, and opening outside-the-border communications by taking over the HPG contract-that could screw you and your people over-if you have friends on the way, they had better get their asses in gear-that deal just bought the rep from Boojum's support-it's a big deal out there, good for the economy..."

"I know, I know." the Factor said, "What is the general mein down here? I have not been out of the complex much."

"People around here like your folks well enough, Factor, they don't like the idea that Little Debbie is going to treat this as an internal matter between Clans-but it's not enough 'like' to stage a revolt over-that Yard's going to generate a lot of jobs, and having interstellar Comms again will generate more-we're in a deep recession, I have too many people out of work-people vote their wallet before they vote their conscience."  He sighed, "I might be able to hide some of your folks in the population if it comes to it, and filter them back across the border, or just hide your workers and security guys in the population with ident cards indicating citizenship..."

Quote from: NVA on October 11, 2010, 07:41:31 PM
OOC Note - This happens before the arrival of anyone new.

"Mr Vanh, there is much news.  However, as a merchant, let me first address the factory.  While your nation has not been utilizing its capacity, Clan Wolf has been.  Your people have continued to work well.  However, given recent events, I am not sure we will be able to continue running it.  Your nations position in regards to the clans is making this a dangerous area.  Especially given my other news.  We do have our forces here, as we have for some time.  However, our entire touman has joined the Star League Defense Force.  Clan Wolf has always been commited to the mission of the Defense Force and have made it more official now.  As such, the 303rd is now a Star League Defense Force formation.  We are considering our options.  Even as the SLDF, we intend to abide by our agreements, which include recognizing your forces as primary control of this system.  However, we also expect your people to do their part in defending this world and its holdings.  We recognize the special nature of the facility we run.  We made a special agreement with you, given your unique position previously.  We now must question if you remain committed to our original purpose here.  Given what you have suggested from your leadership elsewhere, it would seem that, in general, we are running a factory for an enemy to our Clan and the Star League.  Clearly, this would be an untenable position, quineg?"

Here, Vanh pulled out a nic-stic, and lit it.  "Factor, I can't give you much assurances there-when Khan Hall became General Hall, he pretty much told us to piss up a rope when we went to him offering our assistance-at least, that's how Debbie reacted, and I'm not sure she's wrong on that, what with the Blakies doing everything in their power to cut us off and press the Union into the Clan camp-I'm glad YOU have clear comms out, we're getting a data pipe about wide 'nough to move a few written messages a week-the news about Wolf's decision to go whole-on into the Star League wasn't in those...on the other hand, we've got pretty GOOD data on what is happening between the Clanners-because unlike the SLDF or the Star League, they're still talking, and we get a few dispatches and some contact with the Free Worlders-but most of that is econ data and related to THEIR concerns, and of course, once or twice a month we manage to exchange messages with the Skye-Lyrans, so it really should NOT be a surprise that Debbie's working more closely with the people that are still willing to talk to us-especially if the results mean jobs for the citizens and a fair sized effort to deal with a Rogue Clan directly on our border, who may've turned loose a genegineered weapon on Arluna."

He drew in a puff, and let it out, "Which you guys didn't do, or express much concern over...but it's a pretty big deal for a lot of the folks in the Union, now in spite of that, Clan Wolf has a good reputation as neighbours.  I don't want to see your guys getting killed, on the other hand, I also won't sacrifice my world to an invasion because my personal preferences got in the way of a national policy established by a government that I helped to found- Regardless of my personal view of that policy, or its implications."

He paused, "Now, as for your production...yeah, you've been good tenants and you pay your taxes on-time and don't disrupt the neighbours, but honestly you haven't built anything for US since '68."

"When we opened this factory, and before then, we presented a number of gifts to you.  However, this factory requires orders and requisitions.  Your government has not once requested any output from us.  Nor, has it made any orders.  As such, we filled the requests we received.  If there was an expectation that Clan Wolf would be able to provide you military hardware as an ongoing gift, well, we do not have the economy to do that.  The 303rd was produced and brought online here.  Your people helped make that happen with their hard work.  This unit has remained commited to the defense of this world against the clans.  That was our agreement with you.  Now, if your parent government, which did not exist when our agreement with you was made, has chosen to allow the clans free access, then, so be it.  Franly, Marco Hall did not have the forces as Khan of Clan Wolf to protect this world from a full scale clan invasion.  Now, as the Star League Defense Force, the same is true.  Given the reports that you pulled your people from non UIW worlds that you jointly protected with us and the SLDF, the first message came from your side.  UIW forces were not interested in the joint defense of the Lyran State.  Now, I am a merchant, not a politician, however, when you declared yourself independent of the Star League state you came from, you cast aside the Star League.  They simply, I guess we simply do not have the resources to protect all the worlds of the fractured Lyran state who do not want to participate in the war.  We do not want to see you fall to or join the clans, but, neither can we fight them off for you when you declare yourself independent from any Star League state."

Quote from: NVA on October 11, 2010, 08:45:22 PM
"When we opened this factory, and before then, we presented a number of gifts to you.  However, this factory requires orders and requisitions.  Your government has not once requested any output from us.  Nor, has it made any orders.  As such, we filled the requests we received.  If there was an expectation that Clan Wolf would be able to provide you military hardware as an ongoing gift, well, we do not have the economy to do that.  The 303rd was produced and brought online here.  Your people helped make that happen with their hard work.  This unit has remained commited to the defense of this world against the clans.  That was our agreement with you.  Now, if your parent government, which did not exist when our agreement with you was made, has chosen to allow the clans free access, then, so be it.  Franly, Marco Hall did not have the forces as Khan of Clan Wolf to protect this world from a full scale clan invasion.  Now, as the Star League Defense Force, the same is true.  Given the reports that you pulled your people from non UIW worlds that you jointly protected with us and the SLDF, the first message came from your side.  UIW forces were not interested in the joint defense of the Lyran State.  Now, I am a merchant, not a politician, however, when you declared yourself independent of the Star League state you came from, you cast aside the Star League.  They simply, I guess we simply do not have the resources to protect all the worlds of the fractured Lyran state who do not want to participate in the war.  We do not want to see you fall to or join the clans, but, neither can we fight them off for you when you declare yourself independent from any Star League state."

Charles sighed, "Look, we don't have to worry about falling to the Clans...yet." he said, "and I would have ordered more from you guys-back when we were under Lyran rule, you saw it too-they taxed hell out of us, then refused to invest any of it in our defense-they were counting on throwing us (and you) to the Clans to buy time...I'm asking if you think you'll be able to hold Hue,  If you can't, then we're going to have to explore some options that I don't particularly like, that you don't like, and that we both don't like-because I can't officially help you to do anything, but retreat off-world before the threat arrives...and I think Grace would make me sleep on the garage floor if I did that without going over ALL the options first."

Quote from: Marlin on October 11, 2010, 06:04:44 PM
He nodded and sat in front of her.

Taking another sip of that nice, bitter liquid, he started.

"Very well. We have the topic of 'El Jefe', then Miranda, then the Scorpions in connection with those, then the Factory on Kowloon, which if I remember correctly is soon to be a target for a Trial. By my Clan, that is. I expect the Falcons will be fast to act as well.

Then is the topic of Communication to talk about. I have the suspicion, that they already created facts, which my Leadership will be unhappy about. However, let us get started with the Scorpions, quiaff?"

He pulled out his DataCrystal, looking for an appropriate system to plug it in, Debra had to show him.

He pressed some buttons until a text appeared:

QuoteResume about the Goliath Scorpions:
Clan Ice Hellions was once on good terms with this Clan. In the wake of the Scientist cabal, this has changed drastically. No communications have been done whatsoever, just a complaint by their Khan, believed to be a faint, about the conquering of Manaringaine in the Grand Council. Other than that, their Khan distanced themselves from the HomeWorld-Elements, who struck with nuclear weapons.
Unless there is a decisive change in attitude by them, Clan Goliath Scorpion is considered hostile and a detriment to the War cause.
Found Elements are to be taken down with extreme prejudice or if no sufficient force is available, to be avoided.

He let her read and when she seemingly was finished, he took on again: "There has to be a small update: The Nova- Spirit Cats trialed them two months ago on New Kerensky, aka the Rack, when they defeated him, a Warship in orbit obliterated the Cat's force. Commanding them was the saKhan of the Cats and his Keshik was annihiliated. It is clear that the Scorpions always were at the forefront of this Cabal. They are now on the same level as the Terrans."

Deb looked over the reports, and listened to Ezra.  "In all your investigations into this Cabal, Ezra, did your people ever figure out what their endgame objective was?" she asked, and looked up, "Operations, plans, infiltrating deep into...probably more than one Touman, funnelling weapons, altering genetics in the Warrior Caste, working to cure the flu on one hand, and turning loose a genegineered horror with the other-all of these taken individually make no patterns-taken together, they are working to a Plan...figure out their plan, figure out their objectives and we can stop reacting to what they're doing, and start taking the initiative away from 'em."

Debbie's accent was not just gone, it was replaced.  A slight asiatic lilt to her words, a coldness in her eyes that she hadn't had before-a cruel Sanity showing through.

"The Scorpions aren't the terrans, Ezra, they are more like..." she drew and laid her pistol on the desk, "This.  You can destroy one weapon, but until you have defeated the mind behind the hands, you will just be destroying weapons forever-I want to go after the mind behind this-because that is the foe that threatens my people."

Ezra bit his lip.

"Archduchess, this is one of the weak spots within the Clans. The Cabal could fester for so long because our countermeasures are weak. The Watch my Clan has now is still quite unable to do its tasks. Any investigation we tried did not go well. The individuals we interrogated were of the Cabal and even they could not tell us about everything going on.

The only thing I fear for the Scorpions, is that they help the Terrans against us. If they can stay away from Terra, we can put them down. Eventually. If they move into the Deep Periphery, we can find them, eventually. But we must separate them from the Terrans. To answer your question, we do not know, what their ultimate plans are. Obviously for the Scientists, to end Warrior supremacy and lead themselves. Nothing more."

Quote from: Marlin on October 12, 2010, 08:05:42 AM
Ezra bit his lip.

"Archduchess, this is one of the weak spots within the Clans. The Cabal could fester for so long because our countermeasures are weak. The Watch my Clan has now is still quite unable to do its tasks. Any investigation we tried did not go well. The individuals we interrogated were of the Cabal and even they could not tell us about everything going on.

The only thing I fear for the Scorpions, is that they help the Terrans against us. If they can stay away from Terra, we can put them down. Eventually. If they move into the Deep Periphery, we can find them, eventually. But we must separate them from the Terrans. To answer your question, we do not know, what their ultimate plans are. Obviously for the Scientists, to end Warrior supremacy and lead themselves. Nothing more."

Deb mulled this over, and seemed to be 'listening' to something.  

ask him for access to known conspirators, give them to Kelli to interrogate, and send a special team into former Scorpion areas to comb through and seek evidence.  Try to make it look like his idea.

"We have people with extensive experience in investigations of this type, Ezra." Debbie said, "Maybe, if you have some live ones, we might be able to put together more information than your native intel people have been able to-naturally, it would have to include new investigations into more recent events..."

You should have tried harder to make it HIS idea.

I'm in charge here, besides, I don't know him that well-you don't manipulate EVERYONE you need to get help from.  she thought back, keeping her face neutral.

He's going to say no.

His choice. Deb responded, Go back to sleep if you don't like how I'm handling this.

"At minimum, we need to pull a more thorough investigation, and if your Watch people are as 'off' as you suggest, maybe we can help you with that as well." she added, "Though I'll have to twist some arms to get deeper cooperation, I don't think it will be that difficult-we are already involved in recruiting a...'team' for another, unrelated mission-you might hear something about it later, if all goes well."

He kept his straight face. "I cannot say that it is totally impossible for us to hand over our personnel, but I will have to check with the Khans first. Do not think that we are unable to interrogate. You should know that the Scientists kept many of their inventions from us, we believe it could be some type of mental blocker for the higher ups in the chain. But I can think of one individual that you already know.. A better teamwork between our nations however, could be helpful, especially in the Watch department."

He turned to the door: "Allow me to get one assistant here for further expalanation on the Gene stuff. He is a trusted individual and will be more able to tell us about the next problem."

She nodded and Ezra moved to the door. One of his Staffmembers would be waiting. There he was.

He just pointed into the room and the smaller male went in.

"This is Scientech Unther. He will tell you what we found out." On his gesture the man bowed to Deb and began:

"Now, what we found out is, that the grass on the land of the subject is high in chromium and nickel, and the water shows flouridation. This is certainly not explaining her genetic disposition.

Basically, we could not uncover anything that would hint to engineering, and if you did not find such a thing in her records, only she could tell. If she is not mindblocked, however. Or hypnotized. This is all possible. We could find out if she has mindblockers in her, but that would need permissions and quite some time. So right now, we do not know if she is a product of nature or of engineering. I tend to assume the former so far. There should be such individuals, but.."

He looked to the Star Colonel if he could continue, but he shook his head.

"You are dismissed, ScienTech." Unther handed him another datachip and bowed again, showing a bit of nervousness and inexperience. Then he left the room.

Ezra, turning to Deb now in a sharp movement: "What we have found is a plant that could be of use for us. Now, Command has advised me to not give you the advantage of knowing before we do make a deal, so you will have to bear with me. Processing could be staying with you, or we would do Trials on a regular basis for this. The problem is that I personally do see that as problematic, despite what the Grand Council has resolved. As ilChi I will ask you how do you see this. As a Warrior, I would be pleased to have to fight once in a while even here. I understand that your Industry might not be suited to regular combat, as skilled as your soldiers might be. Of course, unaugmented Trials are always possible, but we cannot rely on this. It depends on orders and the executing Warriors. What say you, Archduchess?"

Quote from: Marlin on October 12, 2010, 08:44:42 PM
She nodded and Ezra moved to the door. One of his Staffmembers would be waiting. There he was.

He just pointed into the room and the smaller male went in.

"This is Scientech Unther. He will tell you what we found out." On his gesture the man bowed to Deb and began:

"Now, what we found out is, that the grass on the land of the subject is high in chromium and nickel, and the water shows flouridation. This is certainly not explaining her genetic disposition.

Basically, we could not uncover anything that would hint to engineering, and if you did not find such a thing in her records, only she could tell. If she is not mindblocked, however. Or hypnotized. This is all possible. We could find out if she has mindblockers in her, but that would need permissions and quite some time. So right now, we do not know if she is a product of nature or of engineering. I tend to assume the former so far. There should be such individuals, but.."

He looked to the Star Colonel if he could continue, but he shook his head.

"You are dismissed, ScienTech." Unther handed him another datachip and bowed again, showing a bit of nervousness and inexperience. Then he left the room.

Ezra, turning to Deb now in a sharp movement: "What we have found is a plant that could be of use for us. Now, Command has advised me to not give you the advantage of knowing before we do make a deal, so you will have to bear with me. Processing could be staying with you, or we would do Trials on a regular basis for this. The problem is that I personally do see that as problematic, despite what the Grand Council has resolved. As ilChi I will ask you how do you see this. As a Warrior, I would be pleased to have to fight once in a while even here. I understand that your Industry might not be suited to regular combat, as skilled as your soldiers might be. Of course, unaugmented Trials are always possible, but we cannot rely on this. It depends on orders and the executing Warriors. What say you, Archduchess?"

"Tell you what, Ezra-have one of your Merchants draw up a development contract for...agricultural development in the area, if the plant produces something you can use, then you need to see if it is even possible to cultivate it, since the property belongs to Miranda as Landowner, it should not be hard to get her to lease it out to you, you would then only need to fight over it if she says no."  Deb leaned back, "These are not public lands, so I do not have much jurisdiction on how they are used, so long as the legal owner is good with it-if she is not, then you will have to fight it out with HER, or her designated representative."

"Well, the situation here is strange.  Yours is the only facility of its type.  Technically, given our agreements with you, we cannot accept a trial for this facility, as it is not ours to trial for.  Now, the proprietary technology is ours, but the clans will not care about that.  If you wish to accept their trial, you are welcome to.  And, per our agreement, you may even bid the 303rd to defend your holding.  However, we commited to the people of Kowloon and to you.  Even if your new government on high decides to piss on that agreement, we will not.  Oh, the clans may cry about us, but we have held to our ways, to our agreements, and to our honor while those your people are getting in bed with pissed it away at every opportunity.  The Star Adders are seen as the second coming for what they did for the plague victims.  But, that is the thing about some snakes.  They will hypnotize you before the kill you.  But, in the end, they will try to kill you.  The other clans are so scared of the Adders that they are merely scrambling to grab a few of their crumbs.  So, say the word and we will fight the trial to come.  Some of your nations people are to be commended for their ingenuity in their engagements with the clans.  Perhaps, you can come up with something similar when the skulkers arrive.  If, instead, you choose to ask us to leave, we will simply remove our property and go.  The factory can be restored to build technology you understand.  Or, the people of Kowloon can buy the snake oil and turn it over to their new overlords when they get here."

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 12, 2010, 06:21:37 AM

Quote from: NVA on October 11, 2010, 08:45:22 PM
"When we opened this factory, and before then, we presented a number of gifts to you.  However, this factory requires orders and requisitions.  Your government has not once requested any output from us.  Nor, has it made any orders.  As such, we filled the requests we received.  If there was an expectation that Clan Wolf would be able to provide you military hardware as an ongoing gift, well, we do not have the economy to do that.  The 303rd was produced and brought online here.  Your people helped make that happen with their hard work.  This unit has remained commited to the defense of this world against the clans.  That was our agreement with you.  Now, if your parent government, which did not exist when our agreement with you was made, has chosen to allow the clans free access, then, so be it.  Franly, Marco Hall did not have the forces as Khan of Clan Wolf to protect this world from a full scale clan invasion.  Now, as the Star League Defense Force, the same is true.  Given the reports that you pulled your people from non UIW worlds that you jointly protected with us and the SLDF, the first message came from your side.  UIW forces were not interested in the joint defense of the Lyran State.  Now, I am a merchant, not a politician, however, when you declared yourself independent of the Star League state you came from, you cast aside the Star League.  They simply, I guess we simply do not have the resources to protect all the worlds of the fractured Lyran state who do not want to participate in the war.  We do not want to see you fall to or join the clans, but, neither can we fight them off for you when you declare yourself independent from any Star League state."

Charles sighed, "Look, we don't have to worry about falling to the Clans...yet." he said, "and I would have ordered more from you guys-back when we were under Lyran rule, you saw it too-they taxed hell out of us, then refused to invest any of it in our defense-they were counting on throwing us (and you) to the Clans to buy time...I'm asking if you think you'll be able to hold Hue,  If you can't, then we're going to have to explore some options that I don't particularly like, that you don't like, and that we both don't like-because I can't officially help you to do anything, but retreat off-world before the threat arrives...and I think Grace would make me sleep on the garage floor if I did that without going over ALL the options first."

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 13, 2010, 06:46:18 AM
"Tell you what, Ezra-have one of your Merchants draw up a development contract for...agricultural development in the area, if the plant produces something you can use, then you need to see if it is even possible to cultivate it, since the property belongs to Miranda as Landowner, it should not be hard to get her to lease it out to you, you would then only need to fight over it if she says no."  Deb leaned back, "These are not public lands, so I do not have much jurisdiction on how they are used, so long as the legal owner is good with it-if she is not, then you will have to fight it out with HER, or her designated representative."

A smile flashed over his face. "Excellent. I will do that. Now, the Operation against the Scorpions is already in motion. However, Clan Ice Hellion cannot commit much more of its force against an enemy this far from the main line of battle. Yet. If the situation worsens, this might be reconsidered. You seem confident that the Scorpions are the offenders in the El Jefe Case. Is there anything new that you found with Miranda? Any hint of genetic engineering?"

Quote from: NVA on October 13, 2010, 08:30:03 PM
"Well, the situation here is strange.  Yours is the only facility of its type.  Technically, given our agreements with you, we cannot accept a trial for this facility, as it is not ours to trial for.  Now, the proprietary technology is ours, but the clans will not care about that.  If you wish to accept their trial, you are welcome to.  And, per our agreement, you may even bid the 303rd to defend your holding.  However, we commited to the people of Kowloon and to you.  Even if your new government on high decides to piss on that agreement, we will not.  Oh, the clans may cry about us, but we have held to our ways, to our agreements, and to our honor while those your people are getting in bed with pissed it away at every opportunity.  The Star Adders are seen as the second coming for what they did for the plague victims.  But, that is the thing about some snakes.  They will hypnotize you before the kill you.  But, in the end, they will try to kill you.  The other clans are so scared of the Adders that they are merely scrambling to grab a few of their crumbs.  So, say the word and we will fight the trial to come.  Some of your nations people are to be commended for their ingenuity in their engagements with the clans.  Perhaps, you can come up with something similar when the skulkers arrive.  If, instead, you choose to ask us to leave, we will simply remove our property and go.  The factory can be restored to build technology you understand.  Or, the people of Kowloon can buy the snake oil and turn it over to their new overlords when they get here."

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 12, 2010, 06:21:37 AM

Quote from: NVA on October 11, 2010, 08:45:22 PM
"When we opened this factory, and before then, we presented a number of gifts to you.  However, this factory requires orders and requisitions.  Your government has not once requested any output from us.  Nor, has it made any orders.  As such, we filled the requests we received.  If there was an expectation that Clan Wolf would be able to provide you military hardware as an ongoing gift, well, we do not have the economy to do that.  The 303rd was produced and brought online here.  Your people helped make that happen with their hard work.  This unit has remained commited to the defense of this world against the clans.  That was our agreement with you.  Now, if your parent government, which did not exist when our agreement with you was made, has chosen to allow the clans free access, then, so be it.  Franly, Marco Hall did not have the forces as Khan of Clan Wolf to protect this world from a full scale clan invasion.  Now, as the Star League Defense Force, the same is true.  Given the reports that you pulled your people from non UIW worlds that you jointly protected with us and the SLDF, the first message came from your side.  UIW forces were not interested in the joint defense of the Lyran State.  Now, I am a merchant, not a politician, however, when you declared yourself independent of the Star League state you came from, you cast aside the Star League.  They simply, I guess we simply do not have the resources to protect all the worlds of the fractured Lyran state who do not want to participate in the war.  We do not want to see you fall to or join the clans, but, neither can we fight them off for you when you declare yourself independent from any Star League state."

Charles sighed, "Look, we don't have to worry about falling to the Clans...yet." he said, "and I would have ordered more from you guys-back when we were under Lyran rule, you saw it too-they taxed hell out of us, then refused to invest any of it in our defense-they were counting on throwing us (and you) to the Clans to buy time...I'm asking if you think you'll be able to hold Hue,  If you can't, then we're going to have to explore some options that I don't particularly like, that you don't like, and that we both don't like-because I can't officially help you to do anything, but retreat off-world before the threat arrives...and I think Grace would make me sleep on the garage floor if I did that without going over ALL the options first."

"Let me see if I've got this straight..." Charles said, "The facility is ours. the proprietary technology is yours, the agreement you made with the Lyrans, adjusted by OUR negotiation after the Da Nang riots means you can't accept a Trial for the site, the Clanners make no secret of being keen on nabbing both site, and personnel, and the Central Government is staying out of it..."

He frowned.  "I hate to suggest something that would separate your men from their kin, but I think I see a way out of this.  What do you say we trial you for...well, your staff and the gear, we win, you're citizens with the right to Emigrate back should you so choose?  I know Debbie would have kittens, but I can probably use clause two or three of the Constitution to cover the move, and per last month's Congressional Finding, the trial would be Legally binding-she'd be obliged to defend citizens-at-risk, which means I could make Li step in-plus we'd retain your services until such time as you decided to re-join your Clan, and in the meantime, you'd still have a place to stay."

He paused, adding, "It ain't perfect by any stretch, but it would be legally above-board, an' I don't think the Adders would be able to handle getting humiliated by Kowloonese troops again, and my own experience during Revival tells me the Falcons would consider it over once you guys had a different flag over the barracks-especially OUR flag-though they might Grievance it since Deb gave 'em a green light..."

"While I appreciate the offer, I am not sure it would work.  For one, we are not Clan Wolf troops anymore.  We are Star League Defense Force.  Our nationality would not change that.  Secondly, we are not looking to hide.  We are still clan in our nature and upbringing, even if our warriors are a bunch of well armed merchants.  Neg, if you say it is our fight, we will fight the Falcons and anyone else who shows up.  However, they may not like our counter bids.  Remember, Tharkad did not complete the agreement for Kowloon.  So, unlike any other agreement, and to honor your people, the agreement here was different.  We can not leave the factory as a clan factory for you to run.  Your people would still not be able to.  And, we ARE at war with the clans.  We can not just hand over our technology or people to them.  I am sorry, but, given their stated goals, the Grand Council is the enemy.  Frankly, they are your enemy.   They just see reason to allow you to exist so they can deal with the bigger devil they have created.  And, while I do not brook a fight with UIW central, we have no agreement with them.  Our agreement is with the people and government of Kowloon.  I know what some of your people tried to do for the warriors lost to the cowardice of the Adders at Miquelon, Millerton, and Howick.  It is not unappreciated.  But, I have received a communication just now that 3 clans have arrived.  I am not sure how they will decide what happens or if they will actually issue a trial.  If you wish to keep your government out of the bidding process and mask the agreements we have, then just authorize my force to deal with the situation and we will, in our way."

"Factor, you had two choices, now you don't have them.  Ask your warriors this: lose a battle you can't win, or fight the battle that you CAN-later."  Charles said, and then, he fixed the Factor with his one good eye, "I lost vision on my left side and my right hand escaping from those people, Factor, you don't have to tell me they're bad news-but unless you've got an old-star-league division with full warship support on the way, you're going to have to consider whether you REALLY want to die honorably and un-noticed now, or go to ground now, and come back to fight when you CAN win."

Charles gestured up the valley, "See that dam up there, Factor?  We had a plan in case the adders tried to take the factory when we contracted that specific location-this is the kind of bastards we are.  That dam is the bottom end of the regional flood control system-one of the things that the OLD Star League built here as a sop to the locals after we threw the Rimjobs out.  Normally, it's not sitting right-at-peak-load, because the other dams up the river system for this tributary space the loading out.  We opened the sluices all the way up to Broadfork-there's enough stored energy sitting up there to wash everything in the valley into the Little Yangtze and Golden Lake, including the Canid Creations site..."  he set the cigarette down.  "I'm going to make this as fair a fight as I can-because otherwise, they're going to swamp you guys with numbers, and here is How-they get their final bid, that bid has a cap on it of equal manpower and equipment-as in exactly equal, to 303rd's manpower and equipment, if they break the bid, the dam goes, the valley goes, there's no more objective to trial over-if they try to manuever out of the trial zone, the dam goes, if they call in orbital support?  Dam goes-your guys have been here for two years, they're trained and I assume they know their equipment-your men OUGHT to be able to handle an even fight, strictly enforced.  The only question is, what victory conditions do you want for your side."

Two Hours later, field comm station, outside Hue City...

Chuck put the transmitter down, and looked at the Wolf Factor, "Get out of my house, Factor.  You people won't defend your own, you don't belong here.  I'll give you forty-eight hours to evacuate before I invite them to come kill you."  He leaned over on the desk, letting his prosthetic arm take the weight, "Simmons, tell the air-defense net to let the Clanners in, then turn off this fucking transmitter."

He gestured to the Wolf Factor's tunic, "You folks lined up with the Terrans, that's fine, but you guys tried to dump your feuds in our laps-and you didn't even say please.  Get Off My World."

Quote from: Marlin on October 13, 2010, 08:37:52 PM

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 13, 2010, 06:46:18 AM
"Tell you what, Ezra-have one of your Merchants draw up a development contract for...agricultural development in the area, if the plant produces something you can use, then you need to see if it is even possible to cultivate it, since the property belongs to Miranda as Landowner, it should not be hard to get her to lease it out to you, you would then only need to fight over it if she says no."  Deb leaned back, "These are not public lands, so I do not have much jurisdiction on how they are used, so long as the legal owner is good with it-if she is not, then you will have to fight it out with HER, or her designated representative."

A smile flashed over his face. "Excellent. I will do that. Now, the Operation against the Scorpions is already in motion. However, Clan Ice Hellion cannot commit much more of its force against an enemy this far from the main line of battle. Yet. If the situation worsens, this might be reconsidered. You seem confident that the Scorpions are the offenders in the El Jefe Case. Is there anything new that you found with Miranda? Any hint of genetic engineering?"

Deb frowned.  "Hints? as far as we can tell, she either has a really colourful family history, or she was engineered....or our docs do not have the skill to make an accurate determination." she said, "Even with the data your people provided, we know for a fact only that there is a lot we do not know about Genetics, gene-gineering, and how it might have been applied to Miranda Gonzales-we are fair certain whatever was done, was done before she was...born?  No recombitants, no sign of the typical 'entry' viruses they used back in the wild-west days of genetic engineering, the work was built in if it even happened."

she spread her hands, "She is a mystery to us-we have her school records, service records, every visit to a doc since she was about three...and nothing says she has ever been any different than she is right now."

she leaned back, "Doc Huyn had her up at the Synagogue, they tested her with every virus we have on file-plus a few that were appropriated during the breakup-tailored stuff, her immune system slaughters them all, even HIV derivatives that attack immune systems-she never had a day sick her entire tour in the military, and damnsight fewer injuries than she should've, then there's her service in the Public Health department-direct exposure and she never took a sick day, not once."

she folded her hands, "If that is not engineered, Well...that would make her the living proof that statistically, anything is possible, no matter how improbable."

she sighed, "Y'all got rid o' your Scientist Caste, this is gonna be more'n tech work, Ah'm bringing the Falcons in." she said, "OUR people are not equipped for this kind of investigation-Ah know we found questionable markers that look a lot lahk a Clannah they analyzed at Pandora in '54 after he was captured in '50...but thet don' mean much.  If she is an engineered person, we need t' know, just like you do."

"It is your prerogative to seek other help," Ezra stated cooly "but rest assured that our ScienTechs are more than capable to find such. I look forward that the Falcons will not find anything we did not. Until then I will assume that she is a freak of nature, like Leonard said. He is not with me anymore.

Let us come to the Deal of Communication. Is it true that you already have created facts with the Falcons? Because my Clan is looking at expanding its economy to cope with the stress that is about to come when we hit the Terrans. They severely outproduce us in any kind, except perhaps quality. We must be ready or we go under."

Quote from: Marlin on October 22, 2010, 11:55:51 AM
"It is your prerogative to seek other help," Ezra stated cooly "but rest assured that our ScienTechs are more than capable to find such. I look forward that the Falcons will not find anything we did not. Until then I will assume that she is a freak of nature, like Leonard said. He is not with me anymore.

Let us come to the Deal of Communication. Is it true that you already have created facts with the Falcons? Because my Clan is looking at expanding its economy to cope with the stress that is about to come when we hit the Terrans. They severely outproduce us in any kind, except perhaps quality. We must be ready or we go under."

Deb nodded, "We signed the deal almost a month ago-the Falcons are putting an HPG hub on nearly every world in the Union-not just a transmitter, Ezra, but a hub, able to handle comms well beyond what the Union alone needs-that puts a hell of a lot of people here into jobs that pay well-and provide steady work from a growing, instead of dwindling, pool of capital-you may not have noticed, but the Union's been in a recession since before we left the Lyrans, people out of work tend to go criminal, or..."

She paused, sighed, and added, "Or, they do other things.  Suicide rates are about ten times what they should be throughout the country-I think you saw that.  Hopelessness breeds dispair, Ezra-so if the Falcons want to build communications and can run them more reliably than the Blakies can, and it puts MY people to work? you are dead-right we jump at that-I can not rely on Independence Fervor to prop these people up-I have to show results-I owe it to them."

Sector 1416...

"...said she had to undergo treatment for injuries-we still don't know what those were."  Captain Truk Trang watched the airlock lights shift to green.

Sarah Thiel tugged at her LCAF uniform, nervously as the inner hatch cycled open.



Evelyn Mosovich sat in the docking lock, waiting for the lights to indicate 'clear'.  For the first time in two years, she was in civilian clothes again. 

"Lieber Gott!"  someone said on the other side.

"Hey Tyler, dừng lại nhìn chằm chằm, I don't think the plastic surgeons got THAT much wrong." Evelyn said.

Hauptmann Tyler Dennig jumped, but kept staring, "you...have a face." he said.

"Yeah, and a retirement, courtesy of LCAF Medical." Evelyn said, "Since I can't hold a security clearance now that the home-folks have gone independent and I won't swear their silly loyalty oaths."  she kicked past the airlock, "So, these are it?" she asked, adding, "Sarah, I'm surprised your daddy let you do this."

"I'm twenty Five, Auntie Evvie...you look like your pictures..." Sarah said.

"Yeah.  I do... get your people across, Fowler's on a tight schedule." Evelyn said.

"Not before we confirm something...general."  Truk Trang kicked off a bulkhead with a portable reader, "Forearm?" he asked.

Evelyn rolled up her sleeve, and presented her forearm.

He pressed the sampler into the inner skin, and they waited.

A sting bit down and the blood was drawn, cycled, tested, along with skin and a tiny sample of muscle-tissue.

"Well, am I me?" Evelyn asked.

"Just a minute..." Truk watched the readouts as the sampler ran through DNA records, medical records, biometrics...

"You're You." he said, "Not a copy-or at least, not one primitive enough to blow a deep-tissue sample." 

"Good for that!" she announced, "Got a mental patient for the Rabbi to talk to coming..."

The cylindrical carton slid through the airlock, a rig designed to transport dangerous felons, the Hybernation tube keeps its subject in a drug-induced comatose state while supplying nutrients and hydration, and periodically 'shocking' the patient's musculature to prevent atrophy.  "Maddie went nuts." Evelyn added, "Tried to attack General Russell."

"Why-how?" Truk asked.

"Simple, I reminded LCAF medical that it's cheaper to warehouse her with us, than to try to treat her in the Commonwealth." Evelyn said, "She's convicted of attempted mutiny, but the insanity was judged 'nough of a mitigation to keep her off death row-so I get to bring her home.  Now..."

"yes."  Truk nodded, "Okay, if you are bound for the Lyran Commonwealth's service, this is your stop-everyone off the boat."

"It's going to be good to get home." Evelyn said.

Sector 1416

  Sarah Thiel looked at the other Lyran officers and men. "I think I'm just going to go home. I'll work as the Military attache on Arluna and someone has to let Deb know what is happening." She looked at the UIW captain. "Permission to come back aboard?"

Quote from: Deathrider6 on October 24, 2010, 09:13:28 AM
Sector 1416

  Sarah Thiel looked at the other Lyran officers and men. "I think I'm just going to go home. I'll work as the Military attache on Arluna and someone has to let Deb know what is happening." She looked at the UIW captain. "Permission to come back aboard?"

"About time you saw SOME sense, Sarah.  Your Daddy is gonna be pleased." Mosovich commented, as the Captain nodded, and helped Thiel back aboard.

A messenger knocked on the Archduchess' door, and entered when summoned. She placed a fascmilie note on Debbie's desk and then withdrew. The note was typed out, and signed by ilChi Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon.

The note read:

Archduchess,

I have just recieved word through my ship in orbit of an incomming CJF jumpship called the CJFS Dancing Mad. It has among its passengers, one Robert Kelswa-Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth. It will be arriving here in a matter of weeks. I would sugest some sort of reception for the good Archon, as Tharkad has apparently been attacked by the Tharkad Martyrs, according to the report sent to me. Real-time communications are not possible because of the distances involved, however messages can be sent both ways presently.

If you require the services of my HPG, my dropship at the spaceport will be the best place to utilize the link to my ship.

Deb read the note, then looked at Star Colonel Ezra.  "Ah think we will haf't cut this meetin' shoat." she said quietly, "It would seem the conflicts of others have become oah concahn, aftah all..." she closed her eyes, and focused for a moment, before continuing, "Ezra, I would appreciate it if you would attend a special meeting tonight-I intend to gather you, Star Captain Hazen, Star Commander Jaymie, and Ambassador Inara to discuss the question of war with Arc Royal."

He nodded. "I will be there. And I must admit, at some point in our talk, which admittedly was not that of a success as I had hoped, you had a firm grip on your standard language." He smiled. "The topic you mention however, will be discussed but I will have to have another message to my Khans ready soon." He stood up, took his cup with the rest of cold Coffee and left.
Would be interesting to see what results the suicide case had brought.

Grantsville Medical Centre, Arluna...

"...think I'm done healing!" Miranda Ortega insisted, "Why all these extra tests?"  

Dr. Chao shook his head, "First off, just because you can handle an airliner flight to the Capital under supervision, doesn't mean you're in any shape to go back out into the bush-you aren't fully recovered yet, and we've seen some...anomalies, issues that are enough to call in outside help."

"I'm fine." Miranda said.

"You feel fine, but you have to understand, Baronesa, the Department of State considers you to be a diplomatic treasure, your excellent relations with the Ice Hellion ilchi alone dictate we take extreme care in guaranteeing your health-as a freeholder and new member to the peerage, there is also a duty to assure that you are able to take up your duty to the State in that capacity."

"I didn't ASK to be added to the Rolls." Miranda groused.

"Yes, but you were-your story, your grand hunt, they're the stuff of local popular myths now-people look up to you, can't have you dying of unpredicted complications, now can we?"

HPG Compound, Arluna...Two weeks prior to the arrival of the Jade Falcon Sakhan Brian Pryde...

Debbie Mac walked up to the gate, and nodded to the Word of Blake guards, "I want to see your boss." she said, "Tell him it's a damn good idea he talks to me today, it's business."

After being cleared by the Leutnant, it was a suicide, after all, Ezra decided to look after Miranda, besides Deb, she was the most influential person in regards to relationships with his Clan, from the IS side, of course.

And that she owned a considerable mass of land was the reason for her importance. 'Inherited by birth..', Ezra mused. An odd concept for him, but was it not proven that some lines in the Inner Sphere had more success than others? Either through manipulation or more seldomly, skill. The contact with the Inner Sphere obviously had influence on Ezra and subsequently on all Clansmen, one just had to look at the Ghost Bears. They were established as leaders of a giant Empire, the Horses seemingly were coming to terms with a Periphery state. The Adders even inherited a hughe swath of Planets just by their Cobra Abtakha's Bloodname. A really absurd thought would one have thought it before. But all took care in dealing with the people as did the Hellions as well. But no one could deny it changed the attitudes perhaps on both sides.

Where would it lead? Numberswise, it was natural that the Clans could only lead from the top or be assimilated and fade away along with their lifestyle. And then the People would be again be slaves of their Lords, ordered to battle and if not, becoming innocent victims of their petty wars. What could be done to avoid this? Teaching the masses had repeatedly shown to be inefficient, however as the Communist party in the Dominion showed, some were easy to convince of the Caste System's advantages. The New Clusters in the Clan proved that.

With these heavy thoughts he entered the Grantsville Medical Center, where Miranda was supposed to be, according to Gloria.

"...Miranda? Oh, she's on floor six, Sir."  The Nurse at the reception desk told Ezra, "turn left at the elevators and look for room forty-four, of course, the doctor may give you a bit of a runaround-she is under observation."

The facility was competently laid out enough-but scandalously primitive by the standards of Clan medicine...or even most Inner Sphere facilities, and clearly bureaucracy has already begun to take root here.

He walked away from the Nurse, and moved on to where she had guided him.

Still under observation; what would that mean?

In the Elevator, he straightened his uniform again, of course, when on official duty, he had to look good. With some worry, he watched his wrinkles. He was old, no doubt. His hair, while full, was grey for quite some time. On the left side of his scalp, some scar tissue, but it was not visible except you felt or knew it.

'You have come a long way, Ezra.' he thought. Indeed, his career was very much meandering for the most part. Once he was a true warrior, then it declined. And now he was a mere Diplomat. 'But still a Warrior.'

Finally his confidence came back, just at the right time. He walked up to the next nurse and asked for Miranda or at least her doctor. For now.

Quote from: Marlin on October 29, 2010, 08:17:40 AM
He walked away from the Nurse, and moved on to where she had guided him.

Still under observation; what would that mean?

In the Elevator, he straightened his uniform again, of course, when on official duty, he had to look good. With some worry, he watched his wrinkles. He was old, no doubt. His hair, while full, was grey for quite some time. On the left side of his scalp, some scar tissue, but it was not visible except you felt or knew it.

'You have come a long way, Ezra.' he thought. Indeed, his career was very much meandering for the most part. Once he was a true warrior, then it declined. And now he was a mere Diplomat. 'But still a Warrior.'

Finally his confidence came back, just at the right time. He walked up to the next nurse and asked for Miranda or at least her doctor. For now.

"Hello Star Colonel, I am Doctor Li Hu Chao, Miranda is...busy, but you may observe if you like."  The physician was an old man, wrinkled and gray-haired and slightly stooped with age, "You may find it...enlightening, this way please."

Arluna Zenith Jump Point
0945 Shipboard(1145 local)
CJFS Resolve

saKhan Pryde gently floated himself down the corridor to the main dropship's bridge. The Star Captain in charge of the boat nodded to him, as they were undergoing the tenuous procedure of undocking from the jumpship. Once the collision detection system read 1 kilometer, he seemed to relax slightly.

"All is ready saKhan Pryde. Requesting landing clearance for Arluna City now. ilChi Hazen should already know of our arrival." The saKhan nodded without comment, and headed for a grav-chair in preperation for their re-entry.

A transmission was heard in Arluna's Coast Guard Communications room,
"Arluna Control, this is CJFS Resolve-Alpha, requesting clearance to land at Arluna Spaceport for saKhan Brian Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon."

"Resolve-Alpha, this is Coast Guard Control, lock on to landing beacon One-Four Delta Range X-ray, prepare for some turbulence as the weather at Grantsville is thunderstorms with a side of Lightning, winds are at Three Zero Knots South-Southwest and visibility is 200 Meters, Over."

Star Captain Daniel raised an eyebrow at the weather report. Not the worst he'd delivered into, but then again, he didn't have the saKhan sitting 2 meters away, in nothing but a G-chair.

"Better strap in saKhan, we're going to have to do some maneuvers to clear the worst of it."

"Neg. Fast as possible, drop at as straight a ballistic as you can manage. I have not the patience for concerns about comfort. Just get us down Star Captain."

Obviously not a man who put much stock into personal comfort...or safety.
"Aff, saKhan. Desmond, you heard the saKhan. Take us up over the equator, say 3 degrees off, then point the nose and lets get this bird down." The ship rumbled as the new course was plotted, the dropship altering to be directly 'over' the landing pad, albeit many kilometers away from even the highest reaches of the stratosphere.

"Mark!" A 10 second burst at full catapulted the dropship at huge velocity towards the planet below, speed being what would allow them to dodge the worst of the storm's wrath. The faster they punched through, the quicker they'd be done with it. Only after locking onto the beacon and plotting their trajectory, did the Star Captain re-orient his craft, nose to the sky, making it look as if the dropship were hurtling to the ground for a combat drop. The Star Captain grinned, thinking that dealing with saKhan Pryde might not be all that unlike combat after all. The man was sitting, dealing with nearly 3Gs of acceleration(and climbing), and he was not even noticeably concerned, watching the sensor readouts.

"Mark!" The main engines fired again, only 8Kms up, their roar drowning out the booms of lightening as the Star Captain pushed everything he had to begin the 7.5Km retro-burn that would be required to settle the craft onto the pad. He looked at one of his screens, and grinned as he realized that at such a velocity, the ship was blowing through the clouds fast enough to leave a wake behind them, shining sunlight down through the cloud cover briefly.

"750m Star Captain!" Evans, the sensor tech read out the dwindling altitude. Must be something to see, though Evans, as they hit 500m and the drop speed slowed to a crawl.
**********************************

On the ground, standing under a hastily erected tarp some 1km from the beacon the dropship was aimed at, Star Captain Alexis Hazen conceded that such a maneuver was well in keeping with the saKhan's personality. A dangerous tactic in any weather, such a storm could easily throw off their trajectory or blast them with lightening. But then, the saKhan had always been one to whom danger was beneath his notice. No reason for him to get soft now.

As the dropship broke the lowest cloud cover, there was a huge pressure wave from it's enormous velocity coming down, almost a minute before the ship could actually be made out, albeit as merely a glowing outline from it's re-entry. At last, the dropship grounded, and within minutes, one could see forms walking swiftly towards her, one a few steps ahead of the more hulking figures. Hazen grinned despite herself. Things could become quite interesting here with one such as the saKhan around.

Brian Pryde swept past the Star Captain, his coterie of Elementals keeping pace easily, although she was turned around for a moment, expecting him to stop. He said not a word as he walked to a waiting hovercraft, that soon departed and sped towards the Jade Falcon compound at maximum speed.

Arluna, Union of Independant Worlds
Jade Falcon Enclave, Arluna City

saKhan Pryde looked at the compound with a faint look of disdain on his face. It only deepened when he took a room that had once belonged to the head of the estate's family. It's opulence was highly excessive by Clan standards, and Brian wondered why anyone would need all this. Although, there was bound to atleast be better food here than what was normally at hand, so that was something. With only Elementals currently stationed here, as a token guard force for himself and Star Captain Hazen, the manse was largely empty, although in good repair.

He beckoned Hazen into what had once been a study. Still full of countless volumes, and he decided that perhaps such lavish quarters had their benefits.
"Star Captain Hazen, I would hear your report on the situation here."

"The situation is calm. The Ice Hellions, Free Worlds Leauge and Star Adders are all represented here, although it seems our offers have made it farther than the others from what I am able to ascertain. Our communications offer was taken far quicker than I anticipated-"

"Yes, I am aware. However, I am more interested in the people I shall be dealing with. Tell me of the Archduchess. I have heard everything from her being the next Helen of Troy, Minobu Kurita reborn, a simple-minded farm girl, to the next Michael Cameron. I need details, not rumors."

"The last is closer to the truth than any, except perhaps Helen. She is quite pretty, although you wouldn't know it to look in her eyes." A stern glare from Brian made Alexis quickly change her train of thought. "She seems to play up the 'country girl' aspect as a way of weaking one's expectations, and therefore their guard. Shes a very cunning woman, saKhan. Do not underestimate her. I believe that she has a plan, and she seems the type that will see it done one way or another. From what I've gathered in my time here, she is not one to shy from conflict either. Quite the contrary, she seems to positivly thrive when confronted with a challenge."

"And the goal you mentioned? What is it." The saKhan was obviously considering angles and methods, his eyes seemingly looking right through the Star Captain. Although one would be a fool to think he wasn't taking everything he heard into his plans.

"Were I to venture a guess, saKhan, I would say she wishes to make the Union as self-sufficent as possible, to ensure that it becomes strong, able to stand on it's own, not beholden to any other, be it person or nation. I believe that she has the will to make it happen aswell. She is a complex person, saKhan. I believe you share a common hobby, saKhan, as I've heard that her education is laregly fueled by her apetite for reading material." The Star Captain was not ignorant of the irony of the room they now sat in. The saKhan had gazed at the collection with a ghost of a smile on his face.

"She was in the thick of the Plauge, organizing the whole sector from the ashes it was left to rot in by the Lyrans. I think she could make a very capable ally." The saKhan seemed quite intrigued by the Archduchess, and proded the Star Captain for details for a further hour before he was satisfied enough to head to the Govornment Building. He left Hazen at the compound, prefering to travel alone to this particular meeting.
****************************
45 minutes later, Arluna City
Govornment Center

saKhan Pryde walked up the steps of the govornment building, and once his identity was confirmed, he was let through the security checkpoint without so much as a glance at the weapon he carrier: after all, such a man was indeed a weapon himself, what was a pistol? He easily found his way to Debbie's outer office. He came up to the reception desk, and nodded to the receptionist.

Clearing his mind, he offered the receptionist a nearly pleasant smile.
"I am saKhan Brian Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon. I have come to speak with the Archduchess."

Gloria looked up, and touched the intercom switch, "Milady, there is a gentleman to see you, his ident indicates he is the SaKhan of Clan Jade Falcon..?"

"Send 'im in, Ah'm almos' done heah..."

"Sir, the door on the left, would you like a mint or cup of coffee before going in?" Gloria asked.

"No, but thank you." The saKhan walked to the indicated door and stepped through.

He walked into Debbie's office, and noticed the thick folder on her desk, and the images on a dead woman with a pistol in her lifeless hands. Debbie slid the images into an evelope as saKhan Pryde closed the door behind him.

"Greetings Archduchess MacAullife, I am saKhan Brian Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon. I have come here to attend the conference you requested, and also to meet with Star Colonel Icaza upon his arrival from Tharkad. I thought it best for us to meet beforehand however, seeing as how my Clan and your nation have thus far worked exceedingly well together. I wish for that relationship to continue during the conference." Brian appraised the Archduchess as he spoke, seeing both the fire and the tiredness that Hazen had spoken of. And interesting woman, no doubt.

Debbi stood up, and set the file aside.  "Welcome t' Ahluna, SaKh'n." she said, "Yo' visit'z un'xpect'd..." she stopped, and it was like seeing someone clench with their mind. "Sorry, it has been a hell of a morning-I got some...worrying results on an investigation, and we are in the middle of performance audits on the civil services..."  she gave him a look-over, "which is really not very interesting for you, I suspect."

she scooped up papers and files, and set them aside before lighting a map-display hidden in the surface of the desk-a three-dimensional map of the UIW and neighbouring territories hung in the air, "I expect you are here about the Arc Royal situation and my calling a conference to discuss the potential of a war with the..." she paused, as if the word was distasteful, "Lyrans.  I have to tell you, the source of concern for ME, is not so much the lyrans, as the Tharkad Martyrs, whose actions are play-by-play the sort of actions carried out by Stephan Amaris three centuries ago...and worse yet, they are so confident, it would appear, that they do not even attempt to HIDE their crimes, or their intent..."  reports scrolled off  in the same display-many of them from 'open' sources and Media.

"Terrorists, SaKhan, are like a rabid dog in a residential area-they may bite someone you do not like, but if they are not put down, they will eventually bite someone you DO like.  When they have state-sanction as the Tharkan Martyrs do, well...that is like a whole pack of rabid ferals-and I can tell you from experience that such are a threat that MUST be dealt with early-say, when you can use a rifle, instead of needing a machine-gun and airstrikes."

Animal Control Operations Jennison Sector 4, Australia...

After two years, people were finally coming back to Jennison. 

Or, at least, they were Trying to.  Jennison had been, before the outbreaks, a middle-prosperity feeder city and bedroom community serving the planet's capital and acting as a transportation hub for the region.

Australia's heavy urbanization had made the planet incredibly vulnerable to the Arluna Flu-though luck had it that only half that world's population had died, leaving a more viable population core.

But, it still left towns like Jennison vacant...

"I've got thermals, looks like a Grade Niner pack, over."    Sarah Elliott banked the H-7 west and listened to her back-seater chatter on the readings.

"Roger that, Dogcatcher two, we're seeing sign on the ground here, definitely ferals, looks like they accessed the buildings through riot-damage.  No sign of current human habitation, but there are dead animals-looks like dog kills, over."

"Is it Cujo, Dogcatcher Ground?"  she asked.

"Could be Cujo, maybe, Stinson's testing the leavings for Rabies, Over."  was the reply from the ground team.

Sarah saw something highlight on her HUD.  "Ground team, get to cover, the mass is moving your direction, about fifteen KPH, should reach your position in five, Over." Sarah said.

"Keep weapons tight, Dogcatcher One, we are moving to the vehicles now, Armour squad is deploying to cover movement. Over."

she angled the nose down while trimming the rotors to hold position, and spun the chopper, looking for a visual identification.

"I see Rotties, it's...fuck me, Dogcatcher, there are a HELL of a lot of dogs coming your way up Meridian Avenue-all large breeds, they're moving in groups of...looks like tens and fifteens, some of them have diverted down side-streets, they're trying to flank and surround, I can't find a group tight enough for fireballs, over."

"Can you confirm pack behaviour, Over?"  was the response.

"I confirm pack behaviour, it's a master-pack, not Cujo, I repeat, the dogs are not Cujo, Over."  she answered, "It's not rabies, just a very LARGE pack of ferals."

Grantville General Hospital, Ward 3 Observation 2...

There was no clock on the wall, and the chair was a comfortable angle-designed, much like a control couch, to allow the body to relax while the mind was alert.

"Tell me about July of thirty-sixty-seven."  the Psychiatrist, Doctor Ellen Monroe, asked.

Miranda sighed, "July...the plague was in full swing and showing up world-wide by then, the quarantine was failing in other cities, around July Fourteenth, the majority of the doctors were patients-the late stages of the flu were taking hold, and the few of us still working had to restrain them."

"Why did you have to restrain them?" the shrink asked.

"Because as the viral infection reached apogee, people would get violent, lose all inhibitions, go crazy." she said, "There were two million people in Oxford, the riots were every day, all day and all night by the fifteenth-most of the Militia were either on the streets or down with the virus-we were losing, badly, and areas of town were burning."

"Was that when the order to withdraw the Militia came down?"  Ellen asked.

"It was.  We had about two hundered effectives by then, and the trigger event was when the riots overran the police headquarters-scratch that, we're confidential here?"

"Completely."

Miranda sighed, "The riot at the Police Headquarters-didn't start on the street, it started in the barracks-some of the men tried to hide their symptoms-taking antifever meds, antihistamines, even Brocol to cover it...well, some of them, actually I'd say most of them, were so sick that it had to happen-they were tearing each other apart in there, it spread out FROM the Police barracks into the streets.  I got the call to extract the local sherriff's chief deputy-she was holed up in the motor garage with a fire-truck and pump crew...at that point, the gangers who were in holding had been released by a power failure in the main building, and they were part of the mob..."

Để: Task Force 1416

Từ: Tiger Six thực tế

RE: Phong trào để hỗ trợ các phần tử chống phát xít trên thế giới trước đây Lyran.

Bạn đã nhìn thấy tất cả các báo cáo, tôi không cần phải đi vào những gì đã xảy ra, chúng tôi đã được bố trí ở đây trong trường hợp cần thiết và có nhu cầu. Các Thánh Tử Đạo Tharkan phát xít tổ chức và lap-dog chính phủ của họ về Arc Hoàng gia đã treacherously và có ác ý đầy thu hút đồng hương trước đây của chúng tôi đến một cái chết vô ích cho một lý do xấu, đồng thời họ đã tấn công thế giới của Tharkad, và lật đổ chính phủ, được công nhận hợp pháp của Khối thịnh vượng chung Lyran trong một cuộc đảo chính đẫm máu và tàn độc d'tat.

Báo cáo được lọc trong các tội ác chống lại thường dân của Các Thánh Tử Đạo Tharkan. Trong khi các nạn nhân của điều này không phải là đồng hương của chúng ta nữa, họ vẫn còn, nhiều người trong số họ, thân nhân của chúng tôi.

Tôi đã nhận được ý hoạt động khi chúng tôi được hướng dẫn để giữ vị trí ở đây, để chuẩn bị trước các hành động thù địch chống lại empt đất nước chúng ta.

khủng bố của chính phủ hoàng gia Arc sẽ cảm thấy tự tin hơn cả một chiến thắng dễ dàng, họ đã thể hiện màu sắc thật của họ, và lừa dối cả hai đồng minh cũ và mới, để thực hiện vụ giết người, tình trạng lộn xộn, và kinh hoàng đối với đồng hương cũ của họ.

Chúng ta đã thấy điều này trước khi. Lịch sử là replete với các ví dụ của những gì sẽ xảy ra nếu điều này đi unopposed.

Tôi đã liên lạc với hải quân chỉ huy và các CNO đã ủy quyền cho chúng tôi để bắt đầu các hoạt động phong tỏa đối với thế giới của đối phương, tổ chức gần biên giới của quốc gia của chúng ta, và hành động để hỗ trợ các hoạt động giải phóng "Long Bin" và "Tây Sơn."

Chấp hành mệnh lệnh của bạn, và đứng vững, chúng tôi có thể phải chết, và nó chỉ có thể mua một ít thời gian, nhưng NGƯỜI phải thể hiện được cách danh dự.

Chỉ huy:

Commodore Trần Cao Kyi,

Viện thống kê công tác 1416

Đường dây Hướng dẫn: CNO Office

Đến: Brian Kincaid, Chuẩn, đội Arcturan 20 (3 Lữ đoàn, Sư đoàn 1 Thủy Strike)

Từ: Alicia Li, Đô đốc, Trưởng đoàn hoạt động hải quân của thế giới độc lập

RE: Mission Sơn Tây được ủy quyền, chuẩn bị mọi lực lượng dưới sự chỉ huy của bạn cho việc triển khai chiến đấu chống lại các mục tiêu quy định trong Kế hoạch chiến Red. Vũ khí điều kiện về đến là vũ khí tự do, Nội quy của Engagement là theo ý của Tư lệnh. Thời gian biểu ít hơn ba mươi ngày.

Nhiệm vụ là để bảo đảm kiểm soát thế giới tại khách Sơn Tây và thiết lập các căn cứ phía trước để sẵn empt xâm nhập bởi Arc lực lượng chính phủ Hoàng gia, và để giám sát việc di tản của thường dân bị mắc kẹt phía sau thân thiện dòng.

Săn bắn tốt, và xin Chúa chúc lành.

Alicia Li

Để: Đại tá Lâm Tấn Tài, 2 viên chỉ huy Trung đoàn độc lập Marine

Từ: Trưởng Li Alicia hoạt động hải quân

RE: Bin hoạt động Long là Go.

Theo kế hoạch hoạt động mô phỏng trong Chiến tranh Kế hoạch đỏ, bạn có để di chuyển lực lượng của bạn chống lại mục tiêu Long Bin. Nếu bạn enconter lực lượng kém hơn, bạn có để đè bẹp họ, nếu bạn gặp phải lực lượng cấp trên, bạn có để gây càng nhiều thiệt hại nhất có thể, sau đó rút lui với mục tiêu Sơn Tây.

Gunfire hải quân hỗ trợ sẽ có sẵn cho bạn để hạ cánh hoạt động trên Red kế hoạch chiến tranh.

Alicia Li, CNO

CP, 1st Brigade 2nd Division (Sons of Albion), Australia...

"Incoming encrypted, sir...it's got the flags for the Archduchess, and...shit, it's in Viet."  Colonel Devla Clavell announced, handing Von Frisch the offprint.

"Viet? You're sure?" he asked.

"Yes sir."  she said, "whatever it is, they don't want someone intercepting the Black Box pulse and reading it-at least, not easily-we had to hack it from the Purple substitution encryption book...does it mean what it looks like, sir?"

QuoteĐể: Tổng Von Frisch William Harrison

Từ: MacAulliffe Debra Archduchess

RE: Tình hình Lyran

Tôi đang gửi này, mật mã Bill. Không nghi ngờ gì bạn đã nghe nói đến nay về những gì mà Arkies đã kéo, bao gồm sắp xếp các cuộc thảm sát của quân đội Lyran tại Arc Hoàng gia và cuộc xâm lược bạo lực của Tharkad.

Tôi đoán tôi sẽ bị treo cổ như kẻ phản bội của ba chính phủ khi điều này là trên-một trong hai chúng tôi sẽ giành chiến thắng, và Quốc hội sẽ nhấn mạnh vào đầu tôi, hoặc chúng ta sẽ mất, và các Arkies sẽ xâm chiếm chúng ta, hoặc chúng ta giành chiến thắng , và các Lyrans cuối cùng sẽ nhận được để thử tôi như một kẻ phản bội và ly khai.

Đó là nếu Clans không quyết định tôi là sốt, bị hư hỏng và cần phải được đặt xuống bản thân mình, nhưng chúng ta sẽ chiến tranh với các Arkies, tôi sẽ không đứng được và để cho người bán thịt Redshirts của họ tốt, trong khi phần còn lại của vũ trụ nhìn vào, đặc biệt là tôi sẽ không đứng được và để cho họ làm điều đó cho quê hương cũ của bạn trong Skye.

Tôi đang cố gắng đưa ra một liên minh, nhưng tôi sợ rủi ro thiên văn học đã tăng lên và chúng tôi có thể kết thúc chiến tranh với một hoặc Clans hơn trong quá trình giải phóng con người của bạn. Tôi cần bạn để sẵn sàng cho việc truy cập-punch chúng ta đều biết sẽ rơi khi tôi đặt kế hoạch chiến tranh đỏ thành hành động-we're chưa sẵn sàng, chúng tôi sẽ không sẵn sàng cho một năm có thể hoặc hai, nhưng nếu chúng ta không di chuyển ngay bây giờ, trong một năm hoặc hai các damned Redshirts sẽ được diễu hành trên đường phố và chúng tôi sẽ được lên chống lại tường anyway-cách duy nhất để giành chiến thắng này, là làm theo bánh mì nướng Chúa Montrose.

"Ông Dù lo ngại số phận của mình quá nhiều,

hoặc sa mạc của ông là nhỏ.

Ai sẽ không đặt nó chạm vào,

Để giành chiến thắng hay mất tất cả. "

Tôi muốn người đàn ông của bạn thực hành các hoạt động phòng thủ và lực đẩy, cũng như thực hành chiến tranh thông tin khác nhau ops càng sớm càng tốt, và có được như nhiều người dân địa phương được đào tạo lên như là bạn có thể căng ra. Tôi đang gửi đơn đặt hàng tương tự để chỉ huy khác trong các đơn đặt hàng làn sóng thứ hai và thứ ba. Làn sóng đầu tiên sẽ đến Hai-Oh và Trung đoàn độc lập của Rangers bạn đã thiết lập cho ops raiding. Tôi ghét kéo họ, nhưng họ đang đơn vị của chúng tôi triển khai dễ dàng nhất cho hoạt động tấn công.

Đến lượt bạn sẽ có làn sóng hai có lẽ bởi sau đó, chúng tôi sẽ có một số người bạn đến ở về phía chúng tôi cho việc này.

Deb

Von Frisch read it, then, he slid it into a translator scanner keyed to Kowloon's dialect of Vietnamese.

He read it again.  "Fucking Translator's not broken...yeah.  Recall all leaves, I want all senior staff officers in the blue-room in thirty minutes..."

Quote from: Cannonshop on October 27, 2010, 06:54:07 AM
HPG Compound, Arluna...

Debbie Mac walked up to the gate, and nodded to the Word of Blake guards, "I want to see your boss." she said, "Tell him it's a damn good idea he talks to me today, it's business."

Five minutes later
Precentor Arluna's office

Precentor John Ackermann was a fairly recent arrival on Arluna, having been dispatched from his previous post in the Draconis Combine after the last Precentor was lost to the Arluna Flu. Fair-haired and endowed with piercing green eyes, Ackermann had found himself in the rather unenviable position of administering an HPG station that was theoretically open, but for all intents and purposes was interdicted by virtue of being surrounded by silent star systems in virtually all directions. Of course, it also made him just one step short of being Blake's Personal Representative to the Union. Bowing deferentially as Debbie Mac entered his pleasantly-decorated office, Ackermann intoned, "Peace of Blake be Upon You, madame. How may the Word of Blake be of service to you?"

Before she could respond, he shook his head, "You are here about the FTL communications situation of course. Specifically the implications of the destruction of the HPG stations on Brooloo and Gatineau, as well as the blanket interdiction levelled against the Lyran regions which have accepted Star Adder rule."

Gesturing to the tea service on his office's coffee table, he continued, "To speak entirely honestly, I hope I am wrong, but I doubt that very much. Shall we discuss the matter over tea? Its some of the last of the stock I had imported from Terra before the war situation cut off shipping links to the Hegemony."

The interview was not confidential, though, as Ezra and the doctor besides him, watched and listened intently.

Ezra thought about those incidents and what a BioWeapon would do to any Homeworld, 'may Kerensky prevent this'. His conclusion was, that the lower tie Warriors would not behave much different. It was unthinkable, so he blocked out further musings about such horrible incidents.

And proceeded to listen how she had survived this catastrophe for two years. Not just because of her physis, that was obvious. She was a survival specialist and to Ezra she had some Warriorlike personality. No doubt, that had helped her.

"There's a reason we're questioning her." the doctor said quietly, "Something you should maybe ought to know, but the bloody government doesn't want to confront-the plague is not entirely over-we estimate there are somewhere near two hundered million potential time-bombs out there, near enough, not just in the Union, but all the way down to Coventry and beyond."

He muted the session, and brought up a display.  "there have been...incidents.  A middle-aged bank teller went berserk during a robbery, an old man with arthritis killed four people with his bare hands-thousands of incidents, most of them wind up in statistical limbo as padding suicide and crime stats, but Star Colonel, I've got case files on over five thousand plague survivors cutting loose with the kind of violence you get in a b-feature holo, and every one has the same symptomology-after the eruption, they don't remember a god-damn thing...then there are the suicides-now surgical scans and post mortems show cysts in their brains..."  he brought up a display, "The cysts? are full of viral material-from the Flu, Star Colonel...it's like a second, unpredicted stage of the disease-thankfully we don't have new cases cropping up, at least, not yet-so it might not be communicable, but even at a tenth-percent survival rate, that's hundereds of thousands to millions to hundereds of millions of potentially dangerous people, on the edge of erupting into the kind of Chaos Miranda there witnessed at Oxford-and we don't even have a good means to track the probabilities."

He nodded.
"So you know what it is about. Is there research underway for a second medication.. perhaps?
I will need the data to tell my Clan and get some research on these effects done. If the Viral material is still around, the plague might come back on other planets. We will need an improved vaccine to counter these effects.

When you say survivors, were they immune to the Virus? What is about those that got inoculated? Are they factored in?
Does she have those cysts?"

He asked motioning towards Miranda.

Quote from: Marlin on November 12, 2010, 10:27:22 AM
He nodded.
"So you know what it is about. Is there research underway for a second medication.. perhaps?
I will need the data to tell my Clan and get some research on these effects done. If the Viral material is still around, the plague might come back on other planets. We will need an improved vaccine to counter these effects.

When you say survivors, were they immune to the Virus? What is about those that got inoculated? Are they factored in?
Does she have those cysts?"

He asked motioning towards Miranda.

"she's clean, that's one of the reasons she's still here, Star Colonel." the Doctor said quietly, "if we can figure out why she's clean, we might be able to...do something.  At this point, we're still gathering data."

Here the old man paused, "As for Survivors-that would be people who managed to live through being infected, Star Colonel...thankfully so far, incidents have been low-relatively, I would say less than one in a hundered has had...incidents-and that is extrapolating, after all, not all violent outbursts or suicides, even today, are the result of the plague-but there have been enough to impact violent crime and suicide statistics measurably, this year the Union of Independent Worlds alone has suffered higher rates of both, than the entire Coventry Province did two years ago when we were still Lyran-at least, on a per-capita basis, the true numbers have a lot of my colleagues worried...and the threat of mutation is very real..."

Although his head began to ache under the thinking and the possibilities, Ezra did not want to seem unconcerned.

"So infected survivors tend to go frenzy when confronted with potentially life-threatening situations or stress. Or to suicide. You might check if the inoculation has to do with this phenomenon as side-effect. Did you? We need a new one regardless. Gather the data and hand me one copy then. The Clan will coordinate with your efforts to achieve better and perhaps faster results.

When will she be ready for release?"

His mood was not all too happy anymore, he wanted to get out of here.

HPG Compound, Word of Blake Cantonment, Arluna...1 week prior to the arrival of the Jade Falcon SaKhan...

Debbie sat down in the chair Precentor Ackermann indicated, "Ah'm sorry it took me so long t'visit y'all in puh-son." she said, "an' Ah'm sorry thet when ah fan'ly git heah, it's...not with good news."  She accepted a cup of tea, but added nothing to the brew.  "Precentah, You know we have been cut off from the rest of the Inner Sphere, largely due to the decisions made by your boss on Terra.  It's goin' on six months now, and Ah have come t'you, in paht, because you did not come to me with a plan to deal with this earlier-The Word of Blake had a contract with the Lyran Commonwealth, the Union is not the Commonwealth any longer-moreso now, Ah really don't think we can go back, and with no link to the rest of the Inner Sphere, any negotiations we opened to write a new contract with either the Word, or the other Comstar, would be largely worthless to us, and of largely no worth to your order-Ah don't have a clue how y'all hope to get yo' side told when your policies have effectively cut off the very people your order needs to persuade-that's not my issue.  MY issue is choosing a provider for our national long-distance communications needs...and making sure that provision does not result in a blood-bath."

She opened her valise, and laid out a small stack of folders.  "These are exit-visas, they're dated for two weeks from now, transit-papers, and if necessary, proof of citizenship to get you past any pickets between here, and Coventry-not just for you, I have these set up for all four hundered some-odd personnel we Know about inside UIW borders-I want your people safely on their way to Terra before the Falcon tech-crews arrive to take over the HPG system locally, I expect you'll have your own security people scrubbing any equipment you can't pack or disable between now, and then."

She put the cup down, "anyone out of your bunch that isn't going, better have a good cover identity, Precentor, and someone somewhere to hide them-the Clans are on the war-path, and while it would be gratifying to change their direction, I have to care for MY people first and foremost-we're isolated here and we don't have that many allies, our best ally in the Inner Sphere is too distant to help us if the Clans decide to eat our worlds...and based on the performance of the Hegemony in honouring their treaties with the Commonwealth, there's no help coming from your folks any time soon-so I have to do the practical thing, and try to avoid a shooting war on our soil-which means I have to give you your eviction notice."

She pulled something else from the valise.  It was a single datadisc.  "This is for your bosses, and I'm going to pay you to deliver it to them..."  she sighed, "The virus-we think it may be mutating, right now I've got control of sixty percent of the worlds hit by the Arluna Flu, the rest are in Arc Royal, Robert, or Charlemagne's hands-we can control the flow and maintain some spread-control inside the border here, but they can't.  This is everything we know about the virus, including the post-infection symptoms the egghead doctors have compiled-your people are goin' to need this information if there is a renewed outbreak outside the Union's borders.  I'm also preparing to launch quarantine actions if necessary against the nearest threatened systems to prevent the spread if what we fear is coming, comes to be..."

she stood up, "Ah am sorry about this." and left.

Grantsville General Hospital...

"Well, if you can wait another half-hour, Miranda's session will be over with..."  the old doctor said, "But you have to understand, Star Colonel-she is going to be needing further counseling, and probably additional testing in the future."

Deb's office, 22 February, 3070...

Quote from: Cannonshop on November 01, 2010, 08:13:32 PM
Debbi stood up, and set the file aside.  "Welcome t' Ahluna, SaKh'n." she said, "Yo' visit'z un'xpect'd..." she stopped, and it was like seeing someone clench with their mind. "Sorry, it has been a hell of a morning-I got some...worrying results on an investigation, and we are in the middle of performance audits on the civil services..."  she gave him a look-over, "which is really not very interesting for you, I suspect."

she scooped up papers and files, and set them aside before lighting a map-display hidden in the surface of the desk-a three-dimensional map of the UIW and neighbouring territories hung in the air, "I expect you are here about the Arc Royal situation and my calling a conference to discuss the potential of a war with the..." she paused, as if the word was distasteful, "Lyrans.  I have to tell you, the source of concern for ME, is not so much the lyrans, as the Tharkad Martyrs, whose actions are play-by-play the sort of actions carried out by Stephan Amaris three centuries ago...and worse yet, they are so confident, it would appear, that they do not even attempt to HIDE their crimes, or their intent..."  reports scrolled off  in the same display-many of them from 'open' sources and Media.

"Terrorists, SaKhan, are like a rabid dog in a residential area-they may bite someone you do not like, but if they are not put down, they will eventually bite someone you DO like.  When they have state-sanction as the Tharkan Martyrs do, well...that is like a whole pack of rabid ferals-and I can tell you from experience that such are a threat that MUST be dealt with early-say, when you can use a rifle, instead of needing a machine-gun and airstrikes."

[ooc: because of scheduling problems etc. the scene involving Brian Pryde and Debbie Mac had to be broken up and a flashback sequence clumsily used.  I hate doing this, but it had to be done...]

She stopped her ranting, "Ah apologize, SaKhan, I am sure you did not need to hear me go off like that-We should start over again.  Welcome to my world, my nation, and my office.  How was your trip?" she smiled hesitantly.

Quote from: Cannonshop on November 13, 2010, 08:25:37 AM
Grantsville General Hospital...

"Well, if you can wait another half-hour, Miranda's session will be over with..."  the old doctor said, "But you have to understand, Star Colonel-she is going to be needing further counseling, and probably additional testing in the future."

He had time. Nowhere else to go. "I will wait for her. She is your people, what you do with her is not mine to decide. Now, if you would switch on sound again..."

He wanted to listen. And to talk to her, of course. That was his goal.

Arluna System


Less than a week after the brief conflict engulfed the UIW, CJF jumpships appeared over Arluna. Instead of conveying CJF military forces, these were transporting the few thousand dependants that the UIW had approved for deportation from UIW space, at the request of saKhan Brian Pryde himself. One dropship in particular made a beeline for the Arluna spaceport, where the saKhan was waiting alongside a point of his Elemental bodyguard, and Star Captain Hazen. The look in the saKhan's eyes was something akin to a hungry predator eyeing it's prey, as a figure was nearly dragged out of the dropship by two un-armored Elementals.

They threw the man down at the saKhan's feet, and a tortured groan escaped his throat as his left arm hit the pavement. Brian kicked the man over to get a better look, saw the unnatural angle his arm was in. He glanced at the warriors.

"Were you given orders to beat this man, to break his arm?"

"No saKhan. I was-"

"I asked only if you were given orders. I applaud your initiative, warrior." Brian bent down, kneeled near the Blakist's head. The man groaned, and tried his best to sneer at Brian as he saw him. The saKhan merely smiled, and stood before kicking him once in the ribs. He turned to one of his elementals.

"Get a Medtech to see to him, and clean him up. I want him in good health when he faces his punishment." The Blakist had passed out already, and was literally dragged behind two of the Elementals behind Brian. As the man was dragged back, a column of civilians was marched out across the pavement to the waiting dropship, the last group of WoB civilians to be removed from UIW space. Brian Pryde glanced at the column out of the corner of his eye as he passed them. The preadatory grin returned briefly, before he disappeared into the hover car that would return him to the CJF Enclave.

House of Congress, Grantsville, Arluna...

"...families, Archduchess, what about them?"  Governor Charles Vanh of Kowloon asked, "Some of those Blakists married locals, had kids for christ's sake."

Debbie turned from the window.  "The Falcons have assured me that they won't-"

He frowned, "After the Blakists killed their Ops team? You really think so?" 

She sighed, "Look, Chuck, I know, okay?  I managed to get them to agree to leave pregnant women, Union natives and kids under thirteen in our hands, I can't get a better agreement than that."

"You did?" Vanh looked surprised.

Deb sighed, "Oh...ye of little faith, Anh nghĩ tôi ngủ qua tất cả những bài giảng?" she asked mirthfully, "The books aren't for decoration, and I do sometimes pay attention to what goes on around me."

Basement of CJF Enclave
Arluna, Union of Independant Worlds

Having been recently scrubbed clean, and a single high-intensity light installed, the room was barely fit to house mice, let alone a man. He sat in the corner, his back against the wall, the thin cotton shirt he wore holding on by the last few threads. He was quite bruised, his arm still taped to his side from when it was broken by a Clan elemental following his capture on Kowloon. The man's eyes were terribly bloodshot, and sleep deprivation was making him somewhat delirious.

The single door into the room, a heavy steel job with 3 dead-bolt locks, was thrown open, and a lone figure stood in the portal. He wore a mechwarrior's jump suit, and a pair of heavy leather gloves. The knuckles of the gloves were embossed with small metal adornment, in the shape of the Star Leauge star. The man pulled them taught, and stepped into the room. The figure on the floor wimpered slightly as the larger figure walked in, and the light above him extinguished. Despite the heavy door being locked, the man's cries of pain could still be heard on the ground floor above...

**2 hours later**

saKhan Brian Pryde arrived after the man had been worked over already. The Blakist was bleeding from a number of shallow cuts made by the metal knuckles. He had large bruises across his face, and he seemed to be holding his ribs in pain. He had been raised to sit, and Brian had a look of disgust on his face.

"Allow me to explain something to you, filth. You are the lowliest scum in the universe. Not even a freebith coward is below you. Being in the same room as you repulses me." Brian was standing infront of the man, arms held across his chest, a relativly relaxed posture despite the fire in his eyes and words.

"So when I say that you will die, believe me that it will be so. There is nothing you can do about this fact. You will die for the way you executed my warriors. Your fellows wisely took their own lives to escape my retribution, cowards though they be." Brian had begun pacing around the man, and he noticed the Blakists' eyes were making an attempt at following him. It seemed he was unable to turn his neck however, and he stiffened every time Brian walked out of his field of vision.

"However, I considered what punishment could possible be worthy of you? A simple execution is far to civilized for you. Torture would only make you receed within yourself. Placing you in the wilds of Arluna, alone and without any food or weapons is an interesting choice, but you might survive against all odds. So I have thought of a better plan." Brian extracted from his pocket a small black box with a red button on it, and a small antennae.

"This is a radio transmitter. It is attatched to a small radio here in the compound, which in turn is pre-loaded with a set of orders. You need not know the contents of the orders. All you need to know is this: you will not die untill you press this button. You will be brought to the very brink of death, before I have the best medical care in the known universe used to nurse you back to health. Then you will be broken again. This will continue untill you press the button. You have no third option. Your comrades have not the stomache to return here, so you shall remain in my power untill the end of our natural lives. That button is your only chance for a quick, painless death." Brian placed the small box on the man's legs, and grinned as the Blakist looked at the box. He patted the man on the shoulder, like an old friend.

"Try not to take to long to decide. You have an hour untill your first 'persuasion' begins." Brian left the man to his thoughts, the door locking behind him. The Blakist was left to contemplate what sort of orders the small red button would send out...and how much pain he could endure before he pressed it.

CJF Enclave
Arluna, Union of Independant Worlds

A small convoy arrived at the gates of the CJF compound around the time that Brian was delivering his speech below ground. The prisoners were arriving from the spaceport, those recovered from the raids of the HPG compounds in the surrounding worlds of the UIW. The blown HPG cores were even now being replaced, as CJF techs began to install the CJF-built communications systems on a host of worlds.

The lead car was unique, in that it held a high-value prisoner, instead of the normal assortment of Acolytes: the Demi-Precentor, head of the Anembo HPG complex. The saKhan would likly find anything he knew most valuable. Capturing any member of the Blood was rare, let alone one of rank to potentially actually know something valuable. The Falcons lead the prisoners into holding cells hastily cleaned in the basement. The Demi-Precentor catches a glimpse of the Falcon saKhan as he is led into a cell similar to the one the saKhan just exited.

Brian merely smiles, wondering just what he'll learn from that one.

Sheridan Street, Grantsville, 1900 hours local time...

"...there! That's the place!" Miranda announced, and the hired cab pulled over.  "Come on, Ezra, it will be FUN."

The sign over the club said "Whiskey-a-Go-Go", there was a small crowd forming at the entrance, and two bouncers.

Quote from: Cannonshop on November 23, 2010, 08:00:18 AM
Sheridan Street, Grantsville, 1900 hours local time...

"...there! That's the place!" Miranda announced, and the hired cab pulled over.  "Come on, Ezra, it will be FUN."

The sign over the club said "Whiskey-a-Go-Go", there was a small crowd forming at the entrance, and two bouncers.

Ezra had only a hint of military clothes on, more civil was not possible. It was just a Suit, trousers and his standard boots. One of his Workers had tailored it for his "civilian circumstances". Odd for Ezra to think in these terms, as he saw himself a Warrior, and that only. Just that he was also envoy. He took his money out to count it to the driver, another concept alien to him to pay with cash, and it took time, while Miranda already ran to the entrance. The two security people did not frighten Ezra at all, but it seemed they controlled the entree. Knowing he was not quite a party figure, he wondered if they would even let him in, especially if they knew his origins. At least today he had some weapon with him, unlike at the meeting with Debra. Finally, the Cab Driver went off, not very happy it seemed, but did he not give him what he said? Then he strolled over to Miranda, who, in her youth already seemed excited just to stand there.

Arluna, Union of Independant Worlds
Arluna Spaceport

Having already had a busy day so far, saKhan Pryde once more found himself waiting on the tarmac of the spaceport, awaiting a dropship's arival. As the Union-C touched down, he saw the stenciled name on the side, Dancing Mad-A.

This should be interesting, if the message was accurate, he thought. Was it actually possible that the old man had pulled off such a coup? Brian thought he'd have to watch out for this one. His thoughts were cut short as the dropship finally settled into the ground, and it's drop ramps lowered.

Two figures emerged from the dropship. One was dressed in his Jade Falcon ceremonial dress uniform, and held himself tall, towering over the other figure. His figure spoke of extended martial training, and it was obvious to all Clanners here the man was an Elemental. Star Colonel Icaza walked purposefully twords his saKhan, but kept his long strides in time with his companion.

The other man was dressed in a simple Clan Jade Falcon warrior's jumpsuit, having left his offical LCAF uniform back on Tharkad in the hands of the ICW agent, Reinhardt. Archon Robert Kelswa-Steiner had a grim look on his face, but Brian assumed this was more determination than anything else. Also, there was a hint of anger, but how it could be directed at his Clan, Brian did not know. An educated guess, it was aimed at Arc-Royal's minions. The Star Colonel spoke first.

"Greetings saKhan Pryde. May I present Archon Robert Kelswa-Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, and Duke of Skye. He agreed to leave Tharkad with me and travel to a safe haven from the Martyrs who attacked Tharkad. I am pleased to see that you are here to speak with him." Brian looked over the Archon and smiled slightly.

"Greetings Archon Kelswa-Steiner, Star Colonel Icaza. I am glad to see that both of you made it off Tharkad alive."

BKS: "Thank you, saKhan Pryde. Your Star Colonel was generous to offer his assistance in this matter. I believe that we have much to discuss you and I. I don't want to take up any more of you're time than I need to, but I think perhaps we can help each other. It's obvious to me that the ilKhan got my message, or else she wouldn't have sent your Star Colonel to speak with me in the first place. Is she here aswell?" Brian's eye twitched slightly at the contradictions, but he said nothing about them.

"She is not, she is still on Sudeten. However, I believe that I will be able to work something out with you that will be to her satisfaction and yours. Such as removing the taint of the Tharkad Martyrs from your worlds?" The look on the Archon's face darkened considerablly at the mention of the Martyrs. Brian smiled, knowing they had a mutual goal, and that it would be beneficial to both to persue it.

"Come, this is not the place for such conversation. I invite you to stay at the CJF Enclave while you are on Arluna. No doubt, the Archduchess will be interested in seeing you at some point. I know the Free Worlds Leauge has a representative on world aswell, and no doubt the Captain-General is very interested in what has happened to you."

Bobby nodded, and the group walked to a hover car that took them to the CJF Enclave.

Quote from: Marlin on November 23, 2010, 11:41:52 AM

Quote from: Cannonshop on November 23, 2010, 08:00:18 AM
Sheridan Street, Grantsville, 1900 hours local time...

"...there! That's the place!" Miranda announced, and the hired cab pulled over.  "Come on, Ezra, it will be FUN."

The sign over the club said "Whiskey-a-Go-Go", there was a small crowd forming at the entrance, and two bouncers.

Ezra had only a hint of military clothes on, more civil was not possible. It was just a Suit, trousers and his standard boots. One of his Workers had tailored it for his "civilian circumstances". Odd for Ezra to think in these terms, as he saw himself a Warrior, and that only. Just that he was also envoy. He took his money out to count it to the driver, another concept alien to him to pay with cash, and it took time, while Miranda already ran to the entrance. The two security people did not frighten Ezra at all, but it seemed they controlled the entree. Knowing he was not quite a party figure, he wondered if they would even let him in, especially if they knew his origins. At least today he had some weapon with him, unlike at the meeting with Debra. Finally, the Cab Driver went off, not very happy it seemed, but did he not give him what he said? Then he strolled over to Miranda, who, in her youth already seemed excited just to stand there.

At the door, Miranda rattled off something in rapid-fire spanish, and the bouncers replied, then she rattled off more, and they let both her, and Ezra, in ahead of the line.

Inside, music played a frantic pace and bodies circulated and gyrated to the beat.    Along the walls, dimly-lit booths showed people gathered, drinking and talking and smoking.

"Come on!" she took Ezra by the hand, and led him out into the milling crowd.  There were civilians, and soldiers, workmen and businessmen, women in very little clothing, and girls dressed neck-to-ankle.

Some danced with athletic grace, some just kind of bobbed and shuffled, others swirled and kicked and leapt.

Somehow, they reached an empty table, and sat down.

Surprisingly, the music wasn't too loud-it was just loud enough to overcome the crowd in the room.

Room 7, Congress Building...

Debra looked at the map and marked off locations.  "what in hell are they doing??" she muttered.  The messages from the Star Adder Khan sat on the tabletop, printed out instead of merely kept as electron-records.  The pattern only made sense if...

"no." she shook her head.  "No way in HELL."

"Ma'am?" her friend and the official head of Naval Intelligence, Dao Thanh, asked, concerned.

"The adders, Dao." she told the Commander, "Their behaviour pattern only makes sense if they've decided to side with the Terrans-or if they fear the Terrans too much to confront them-they've committed the bulk of their known Touman to Coventry, and left a whole raft of systems largely unguarded."

"What makes you think that?" Dao asked.

"Because Stan's messages are long on threats and rationalization, and short on any sign of confidence." Debra said, "He's bluffin', an' he's doin' a bad job of it.  Based on what we know about what was at Coventry-an' what ain't moved out of there, plus the battle reports, he wins his clan's corncobbed there-if he loses, an' those Nukes still ain't accounted fo', so he maght, he an' Chahlie ain' gonna be able t'hold theah terry-toray from likes of US, much less th' Terries oah the Stah-League...he's openin' hisself up t'be taken down by anothah ahk-royal betrayal too-too many risks." she shook her head, "Th' man ain't That stupid, so it's got t'be eithah a plan t' suicide the Grand Council, or he's on drugs."

"What's that mean for us?" Dao asked warily.

"Means we can trust his threats-but we can't trust his promises." Debra said, "Not 'til ah can actually confront him and find out what in' hell he thinks he's doin'-if he's stripped th' garrisons ah think he's stripped, we're wide open on our skye-ward border-jus' a promise an' some threats between us, an' whatevah unpleasant su'prise the Ahkies have linin' up out theah...an' that assumes we'ah not next on the hit-list from th' Addahs."

"You've got the Falcons-" Dao began, and saw Deb shake her head, "No?"

"No." Debra MacAulliffe shook her head, "We don't-we have a deal with 'em, but nothin' more binding than common interest-if those interests fail to coincide, we ain' got shit." Deb said quietly, "Brian's no fool-if we become too much trouble, we're either going to be absorbed by the Adders, or by the Falcons-and a war with the Adders means both-with a lot of dead, and either one leaves us open to the Arkies an' the Martyrs because regardless of who wins an invasion, all sides will be too weakened to hold them off-an' while the Free Worlds is strong, they don't want to be this far Coreward, they came as a favour to Robert, and he's out of power now, they won't risk more than a token force on our behalf if there's no significant payoff for 'em-the only payoff that Ah can think of, well...that would involve getting the Clans to take the Terrans on one side, while the Leaguers take 'em from the other, an' that plan relies on the strongest Clans being willing to fight the Terrans, rather than the enemies of the Terrans...an' the Adders aren't willing, and if they aren't willing, and the Bears are wavering-which reports suggest they are, the Falcons, strong as they are, aren't strong enough even with the Hellions."

"what do you suggest?" Dao asked.

"Ah don't know yet.  Ah know that what with kicking the WoB out, an' bein' unable to manage it without bloodshed, we're not going to be able to talk to 'em without a position of strength-we're on our own as far as the Inner Sphere is concerned, and if what Ah'm afraid is goin' on is, in fact goin' on, we're on our own dealin' with the Clans too."  Debbie sighed, and poured a glass of water to halfway.  "We need an out." she said finally, "We need some means to defend ourselves from being back-stabbed by one or more of our current allies."

"Leverage." Dao said.

"Leverage, an' we ain't got shit for leverage raght now."

The SLDF transport dropship was a simple, no descript Mule class.  It came in on a free merchant jumpship to the Arluna system.

"Arluna Control, this is the SLDF Pack Horse, requesting clearance for General Andrew de Moray, of the Star League Defense Force, to land and meet with your representatives."

Quote from: NVA on December 01, 2010, 09:01:54 PM
The SLDF transport dropship was a simple, no descript Mule class.  It came in on a free merchant jumpship to the Arluna system.

"Arluna Control, this is the SLDF Pack Horse, requesting clearance for General Andrew de Moray, of the Star League Defense Force, to land and meet with your representatives."

"SLDF Pack Horse you are cleared to land at pad socket nine, local time is 1930 Hours, we'll have a greeting party ready to receive the General.  Weather at Grantsville is thirty-two celsius with visibility clear, Over."

Ezra viewed the scenery with suspicion. This could be what the other Castes did when Warriors did not watch. Dark Caste could be anywhere! 'Snap out of it already, this is not your planet!', he had to force himself to look at Miranda and try to not be grumpy. It was her idea and in his mind, pleasing her would get him advantages in regards of their deal.

Miranda's legs flashed from beneath an asymmetrical skirt that rode her walk in a way that was...distracting.  Her blouse was designed in a similar way-when stationary, very modest, but as she moved...

"I do have a question." he started. "What is it?" she smiled. "That Cab Driver was not as amicable as most people I dealt with here. Does he not like money? I would not like it." he asked her candidly.

There were drinks to get, in this atmosphere, it would be wise to keep oneself fresh, he mused, while waiting on her reaction.

Andrew de Moray looked over the scene before him.  He hated what had become of the Lyran state.  Too many clan vessels in this system for his taste.  Still, he had a mission.  He stepped off the dropship to meet the awaiting party.

"I am General Andrew de Moray of the Star League Defense Force.  Thank you for seeing me."

Quote from: Marlin on December 02, 2010, 08:52:16 AM
Ezra viewed the scenery with suspicion. This could be what the other Castes did when Warriors did not watch. Dark Caste could be anywhere! 'Snap out of it already, this is not your planet!', he had to force himself to look at Miranda and try to not be grumpy. It was her idea and in his mind, pleasing her would get him advantages in regards of their deal.

Miranda's legs flashed from beneath an asymmetrical skirt that rode her walk in a way that was...distracting.  Her blouse was designed in a similar way-when stationary, very modest, but as she moved...

"I do have a question." he started. "What is it?" she smiled. "That Cab Driver was not as amicable as most people I dealt with here. Does he not like money? I would not like it." he asked her candidly.

There were drinks to get, in this atmosphere, it would be wise to keep oneself fresh, he mused, while waiting on her reaction.

"It is the area." Miranda said, "Lots of immigrants from the Inner Sphere around, some of them do not like Clanners-either that, or you did not tip him enough."  she laughed, a musical sound, as a bucket arrived, filled with ice, and bottles of a rich, aromatic brew.  Miranda took one bottle out, sliced a lime with a small knife, and laid some salt across her palm, "Try the Pulque, it's good here."

"What is Pulque?" Ezra asked.

"It is like beer, but instead of hopps, it uses Soharo juice-the salt knocks some of the bite off, and the limes taste sweeter when you have had a pull of it."  she told him, adding "It is a little bit like an alcoholic sports-drink, the Soharo juice is rich in minerals your body sweats out, and the alcohol ends up being a delivery system instead of a leaching compound."

Quote from: NVA on December 02, 2010, 04:43:52 PM
Andrew de Moray looked over the scene before him.  He hated what had become of the Lyran state.  Too many clan vessels in this system for his taste.  Still, he had a mission.  He stepped off the dropship to meet the awaiting party.

"I am General Andrew de Moray of the Star League Defense Force.  Thank you for seeing me."

"I'm Maggie Dora, Foreign ministry, and this is Chuck Vanh, he's the guy currently sitting in charge of the Defense oversight committee."  Magritte Dora said, "Debbie-er, the Archduchess, is currently up to her ears-"

Vanh cleared his throat, and Magritte stopped.

"General." Charles Vanh was wearing the prosthetic arm today-it was a plastic and cables arrangement that wasn't that useful.  "Sorry about your people on Kowloon." He added, "I tried my damnedest to avoid bloodshed with that, and truth be told I didn't even really want to see them leave-but if I did not make a good show for the Clanners, they'd be dead and I'd be short a city... so, what can we do for the Star League Defense Force today?"

Quote from: Cannonshop on December 03, 2010, 07:30:11 AM

Quote from: Marlin on December 02, 2010, 08:52:16 AM
Ezra viewed the scenery with suspicion. This could be what the other Castes did when Warriors did not watch. Dark Caste could be anywhere! 'Snap out of it already, this is not your planet!', he had to force himself to look at Miranda and try to not be grumpy. It was her idea and in his mind, pleasing her would get him advantages in regards of their deal.

Miranda's legs flashed from beneath an asymmetrical skirt that rode her walk in a way that was...distracting.  Her blouse was designed in a similar way-when stationary, very modest, but as she moved...

"I do have a question." he started. "What is it?" she smiled. "That Cab Driver was not as amicable as most people I dealt with here. Does he not like money? I would not like it." he asked her candidly.

There were drinks to get, in this atmosphere, it would be wise to keep oneself fresh, he mused, while waiting on her reaction.

"It is the area." Miranda said, "Lots of immigrants from the Inner Sphere around, some of them do not like Clanners-either that, or you did not tip him enough."  she laughed, a musical sound, as a bucket arrived, filled with ice, and bottles of a rich, aromatic brew.  Miranda took one bottle out, sliced a lime with a small knife, and laid some salt across her palm, "Try the Pulque, it's good here."

"What is Pulque?" Ezra asked.

"It is like beer, but instead of hopps, it uses Soharo juice-the salt knocks some of the bite off, and the limes taste sweeter when you have had a pull of it."  she told him, adding "It is a little bit like an alcoholic sports-drink, the Soharo juice is rich in minerals your body sweats out, and the alcohol ends up being a delivery system instead of a leaching compound."

Following her advice, he drank one of these. Weird method of drinking at all, but he could not deny that it was interesting of taste. The climate herein made him thirsty. Also he had a vague remembrance of the meaning of 'tip', but to no avail. "What does 'tip' mean, then? I never had to pay anything so far, so you might explain to me. Customs of your people interest me, as I will have to stay here. With you." He tried a smile at her.
She liked him, that was quite obvious, but what to make of it?

Quote from: Marlin on December 03, 2010, 09:53:05 AM

Quote from: Cannonshop on December 03, 2010, 07:30:11 AM

Quote from: Marlin on December 02, 2010, 08:52:16 AM
Ezra viewed the scenery with suspicion. This could be what the other Castes did when Warriors did not watch. Dark Caste could be anywhere! 'Snap out of it already, this is not your planet!', he had to force himself to look at Miranda and try to not be grumpy. It was her idea and in his mind, pleasing her would get him advantages in regards of their deal.

Miranda's legs flashed from beneath an asymmetrical skirt that rode her walk in a way that was...distracting.  Her blouse was designed in a similar way-when stationary, very modest, but as she moved...

"I do have a question." he started. "What is it?" she smiled. "That Cab Driver was not as amicable as most people I dealt with here. Does he not like money? I would not like it." he asked her candidly.

There were drinks to get, in this atmosphere, it would be wise to keep oneself fresh, he mused, while waiting on her reaction.

"It is the area." Miranda said, "Lots of immigrants from the Inner Sphere around, some of them do not like Clanners-either that, or you did not tip him enough."  she laughed, a musical sound, as a bucket arrived, filled with ice, and bottles of a rich, aromatic brew.  Miranda took one bottle out, sliced a lime with a small knife, and laid some salt across her palm, "Try the Pulque, it's good here."

"What is Pulque?" Ezra asked.

"It is like beer, but instead of hopps, it uses Soharo juice-the salt knocks some of the bite off, and the limes taste sweeter when you have had a pull of it."  she told him, adding "It is a little bit like an alcoholic sports-drink, the Soharo juice is rich in minerals your body sweats out, and the alcohol ends up being a delivery system instead of a leaching compound."

Following her advice, he drank one of these. Weird method of drinking at all, but he could not deny that it was interesting of taste. The climate herein made him thirsty. Also he had a vague remembrance of the meaning of 'tip', but to no avail. "What does 'tip' mean, then? I never had to pay anything so far, so you might explain to me. Customs of your people interest me, as I will have to stay here. With you." He tried a smile at her.
She liked him, that was quite obvious, but what to make of it?

Miranda's laugh seemed to cut the noise of the room. "A 'tip' is how someone who isn't paid well manages to eat-service jobs do not pay a living wage, most of the time-so it is customary, when you recieve good service from a waitress, barman, cab-driver or the like, to pass a small gratuity-think of it as a 'bonus'...or perhaps another way to put it, is that while they may work for a service, most of their income is decided by how well the customer feels they have performed...and unlike official pay from their employer-of-record, tips are not taxed.  the way it works, is that if the service is poor, well...the service-provider stays poor. If it is good to excellent, you tip them a small percentage, depending on how well they did their job-usually at the conclusion,  it is kind of complex, and you have to be very observant sometimes, to see how much, or whether, to give that small extra."

She nodded to an overloaded waitress-"She works so hard, because she gets more for working harder-now, see the Ginger-girl?"  she nodded to another barmaid, this one talking idly with another staffer, "She does not work so hard-they both get the minimum from the Club, but Sherri, who is fast, competent, and does not neglect her customers? she will probably take home as much in 'tips' tonight as Ginger there will make this week from the Club-owner's purse..." here Miranda paused, "Of course, Ginger there, she will probably find some horny customer and let him take her home for the evening, where she will exchange a different kind of services to make up for her poor showing on the floor tonight."

Ezra nodded understandingly, but it seemed quite complex. Taxes as well. He knew the people on their worlds had to give up parts of their earnings to keep the system they lived in afloat, but why complicate things further with tips?

The two waitresses were good examples of this system. But the special services.. he had heard about this concept, and more sickening, that some "Warriors" even took part in this. Now he felt a bad taste in his mouth and gulped his drink away.

But Mirandas laughter was delighting. Which brought him to his next question:
"Miranda, are you enjoying yourself?"

Quote from: Marlin on December 07, 2010, 10:50:46 AM
Ezra nodded understandingly, but it seemed quite complex. Taxes as well. He knew the people on their worlds had to give up parts of their earnings to keep the system they lived in afloat, but why complicate things further with tips?

The two waitresses were good examples of this system. But the special services.. he had heard about this concept, and more sickening, that some "Warriors" even took part in this. Now he felt a bad taste in his mouth and gulped his drink away.

But Mirandas laughter was delighting. Which brought him to his next question:
"Miranda, are you enjoying yourself?"

She nodded, "I am."  she put her drink down, "It is good to be among people who are not dying." she announced, "at least, not dying TODAY...though I AM going to drag you out of the booth when I'm ready to, and make you dance with me."

'Oh no! Not again.'

Ezra put up a brave front. Perhaps she did like him to dance with him once more. All to make her approachable to any deals. Not that Ezra felt really bad, but these civilian situations took him off guard and he could not prepare for this. Tips were one example, dancing another. And given what happened at the last party..

So he just smiled and ordered another drink for them, at least he had some moneys, thanks to his Tech, who gave it to him before. "Sherri, we want another one of this, and a Naranjijuice for me as well." It was warm in here.

The music ended, and there was a short pause.  Miranda tugged on Ezra's shoulder- "Look, the headline act." she told him.
On the stage, there were more instruments, and someone adjusted the microphone stand down.

The band came out, and helped finish setting up.  Their short hair was almost as dead a giveaway as the military precision they showed during the sound-check.

Finally, the stage lights rose, and a man rolled out, riding a wheelchair that looked antique.

Notably, the wild-haired young people, instead of the blase' that one would expect, applauded with the older people in the room.

"Good Evening, I'm John Troward, and this is my band."  the cripple in the wheelchair said, "Third Squad, take a bow."

Miranda leaned close to Ezra, "Johnny was on Kwangchowwang,' she whispered, "They had to build a ramp to the stage for him."

"Tonight, we're going to play a really OLD song-found it in an archive in New Seoul back in '55, but it dates back to the twentieth century, it's got a pretty good beat, so come on out and bring your honeys..."

She grabbed Ezra's arm, "Come on."
Steely Dan - Don't Take Me Alive (With Lyrics) (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tllhmK9g4G4#)

Congress Hall, 1400 Hours Local time, Arluna...

Deb sat down, and looked at the schedule for the fiftieth time today.  "They will be arriving soon, Archduchess."  Gloria reassured her. 

"You made sure they all got the messages, right?" Debbie asked.

Gloria nodded, "Yes'm..."

Congress Hall, 1402 Hours Local, Arluna

saKhan Brian Pryde entered the room followed closely by Archon Robert Kelswa-Steiner, wearing an unadorned LCAF officer's dress uniform, bereft of even rank insignia.

Bowing to Debbie, Robert was the first to speak.

"An honor to meet you, Archduchess. I must thank you and the saKhan for giving me sanctuary from the Association's coup." saKhan Pryde smiled at Debbie as she returned Robert's bow.

"Are the others not yet arrived? I was hoping that we could move this foreward quickly..."

OOC: I assume I shall discontinue the clubbing. We can take that up again if you wish.
And OOC EDIT: should we not assume that all are attending and only take those into account that explicitly do not want to come here?

The active approach of course would be much better, but it also drags this out too much, due to perhaps OOC issues.

IC
1356 hours local time, Arluna

"Can we get this done faster?", Ezra mumbled to the security officer. He would be late.

Whatever it was, that dude took his time. Perhaps it was for the Suicide? Checking his ID for the third time, finally he let him through, Ezra gave him an angry look. He knew what he would have done, had he been no diplomat..

but now he hastened to the Hall.

Arriving 1405.

Once breathing in and out heavily, finally he entered.

Who was that? Were the rumors true? "Archduchess, saKhan, I was held up," he said matter-of-factly. He nodded shortly to all attending and looked for his seat. To be diplomat was so new to him, still.
Finally he sat and could think of yesterday. It was really nice. If one discounted that he still had no chance to talk to Miranda about the deal.. 'Patience.'  

He prepared for the discussion now.

Deb nodded to Robert, "Robert Steiner, Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, this is Ezra, the ilChi of the Ice Hellions-I suspect some of your men are acquainted with his of late...Funnily enough, that is a major part of what we are here to discuss."

The paintings-or rather, the clear blas-plas covering the paintings in the room, shifted to status-boards, and the wooden surface of the central table revealed itself to be a powerful holodisplay disguised as furniture.

The Inner Sphere filled the centre of the room, with zones of space color-washed, showing a three-dimensional map.

"There are two problems, an' I figure we can address 'em both tonight-or at least, define the problems tonight, so that they CAN be addressed."  she said, "The first, is the Arc Royal problem-the problem that has overtaken the Lyrans, destroyed a stable government, and is driven by some of the most devious and fanatical lunatics in known space."

The zone controlled-or claimed, by the Arc Royal government flashed dark red.  "The second, is the dog's dinner the Star Adders have made of...well, everything they've touched since Charlemagne collected a third of the extant Lyran Commonwealth's worlds on the strength of his name alone."

She turned to Brian Pryde, "SaKhan Pryde, what was the exact wording of the Grand Council's declaratoin of war against the Terrans, and why is it that I've been watching the Clans go out of their way-with the exception of the Ice Hellions, to avoid combat with the Terrans?"  she paused, "In particular, the nearest Clan forces to Terra should be..."

she highlit the rimward border of the 'Star Adder' zone, "..somewhere down here-launching attacks-or at least raiding.  Why is the Star Adder touman allowing itself to bog up here..." she highlit the zone on the 'coventry line' "...particularly with the deal that Stan N'Buta claims to have cut on your behalf with the Arkies?  Does not the ilKhan set objectives and command all of the Clans equally?  If the Adders are having a Leaguer problem, would it not make sense to threaten the Leaguers where they LIVE instead of letting them fight a war by remote?  And Robert, didn't y'all allow the Hegemony to garrison worlds near Freedom-I seem to recall a fair amount of traffic on that?"

She paused, "Seems t'me, the Clans have a problem decidin' who they want t'fight, and where they OUGHT t'fight-and it seems t'me thet y'all could stage a better, stronger offensive on someone else's land, than in y'alls own back-yards, a principle goin' back t' the twentieth cent'ry 'bout thet-defense is stronger, but rarely wins decisively if the offense has enough capacity to make up their losses."

She walked around the table, "The Free Worlds has reason t' hate the Terries more'n anyone else-even th' Clans don' have as recent, or as deep, a reason t'hate 'em, AH have a reason NOT t' have the war this close to mah borders-bad 'nough Ah have the Redshirt Tharkan Martyrs gang this close t'me-a condition which ah do NOT lahk one bit-they ah, as Robert found out, decietful kinslaying sons of bitches every one of 'em, an' worse, they lured men to be ambushed with a false cry for he'p, I am given t' understan' your fleet units did not know those men weren't invaders, ilChi Ezra?"

she crossed her arms, "Which loops back, really-Ah could understan' a lack of strategic unity-daddy was on th' line when they pushed the Falcons off Coventry...but what Ah can NOT fathom, an' y'all may please enlaght'n me on this, is how, with a third of the Commonwealth declarin' for Clan governance, an' with the other two-thirds negotiatin' for an armistice and withdrawal from the war-in part due to the perfidy of the Terries, AND with the Free Worlders offerin' safe-conduct, the Clans as a whole, and your Star Adder Colleagues in partic'lar, have not so much as sent a recon-ship to determine where the Terries have their forward forces deployed?"

She fixed Brian, and Ezra, and Robert, with a sphinx-stare, and Robert was reminded of Elizabeth Ngo's mannerisms when that late worthy was about to make a threat or an offer to someone she was displeased with... "Do I need to send MY ships to find out where they are, if I do, are you-or the Grand Council of the Clans, going to do anything at all with the information?  Do I need to risk my people so that you can take the war away from MY doorstep?"

Robert's hand balled into a fist, and he made to stand up, but his anger was instantly quelled by the raised hand next to him. He sat down without comment, but stared daggers at the Archduchess.

saKhan Pryde was the picture of calm. He allowed a slight grin to play across his face as he spoke.

"Archduchess, perhaps since you know so well the job description of ilKhan, you would like to take the job? Lead the Clans against the Terrans, and obliterate them in a single, sweeping campaign? We should leave right now so that you may challenege Diana." He allowed his smile to drop as he glanced at the Hellion officer, who seemed somewhat offended by the saKhan's glib tone. He continued in a much more serious tone.

"The fact of the matter is, no one Clan could hope to even penetrate the outer defenses of the Hegemony. Safe-Conduct is all well and good, but without the proper forces, it matters not that you can arrive at your destination. Even were the entire Touman of the Jade Falcons and Ice Hellions brought against the Hegemony, we would likly annihilate ourselves on their guns. The Clans must be united in their offensive, and at the moment, many Clans have other objectives, such as securing their own borders. The Falcons have ever been on the frontlines of the conflict, and only recently have our worlds become even close to being considered 'secure' in the military sense. The Snow Ravens move to join the Ghost Bears in their Dominion. The Adders try to defend their bloated realm against the depredations of the Free Worlds Leauge, who I dare say, have shown about twice the tactical sense, and three times the honor. That will be dealt with in its own way.

I believe this meeting was called to discuss the Arc Royal issue, and the campaign against the Hegemony. As to the first, I would hear what my erstwhile brethern of the Ice Hellions have planned, before I divulge my own strategy."

Ezra nodded to Robert as he was introduced to him. No smile could be seen, though, although he tried to look neutral.

'Interesting options for the Falcons.'

When Deb spoke he looked onto the map, which he already knew it looked like and then had to put his forehead into his hand. His language was only bearable with strong will. 'She can do better..'

"Your question, Archduchess, is a valid one. I am not involved in this operation but I would think that the fleet did not know about this. As far as I can see, the Clan forces were not even needed to destroy that group on Arc Royal. And as to your further questions as the noble saKhan has already.. tried to explain: the ilKhan and the Grand Council both have lost much power over the last years. Too many Clans were lost and some Clans got mighty..

The ilKhan does not hold the power to reign in straying Clans and that might be part of the problem. The other is indeed the need of secure power bases for the assault on the Terran scum. My last report contained bad news for my Clan too, it seems Odessa is more heavily defended than assumed, Terran and fSLDF forces beat back my Clan and inflicted heavy losses." he frowned.

"However, our next strike will be more decisive as my Khans try to gather a multi-Clan force again as was done against Wolfsbaum, where the Traitors could make off. At least the station was captured.

Now, the focus of the Adders on their worlds is understandable. What is not is, that they are losing trials en-masse. I think that the ilKhan would be well placed to mediate between the two factions as this war is increasing in cost and time, time we would need to gather on the shores of the Terran entity. saKhan Pryde told you what I must underline, we are not as strong as the Abomination." Now he looked quite bad mooded. "Without the Naval strength of the Ravens, we risk all. They were the key over Sudeten and will be again when we meet the Terrans. You say Arc Royal must fall. Would it not lead us from the path against the Terrans again, something which you already disapproved, Archduchess? Not that I do not understand your concerns about them."

saKhan's eyes narrowed dangerously as the Ice Hellion spoke. He turned his head slowly to fix his stare on the Hellion warrior with the intensity of an ERPPC.

"Watch your words, surrat. Your words are dangerously close to calling the Grand Council and the ilKhan herself weak. By extension, you are calling the Falcons weak. I will let this pass once, but utter such again, and you will find yourself in a Circle of Equals you are unlikly to leave under your own power." The saKhan's threat was not idle, and those present could almost feel the malevolent anger radiating from him.

After a few tense moments, Robert spoke.
"I must disagree with the Hellion's opinion of our chances. To say that without the Ravens we are lost, is grossly understating the strength of the Clans. The Ravens of course have the largest of the fleets, but by no means do they possess the only naval strength. The inclusion of the Ravens would greatly assist our cause, but so would the addition of any other group, including the Free Worlds Leauge. The Star Adders must be brought to end their conflict with the Leauge, so that we might work together against our true enemies."

Brian flicked his gaze to Robert momentarily, but his gaze once more returned to boring holes into the Hellion warrior. Although listening to the conversation around him, it seemed he was mentally challenging the Hellion to speak ill of the influence the ilKhan wielded a second time.

"We of the Free Worlds appreciate the support and...love that our friends and comrades both of Clan Jade Falcon and in the Union have made towards us."
"While we understand the well of emotion and the struggle to return to normalcy that have caused you take the stance that you have Duchess. "

"I would note you are undervaluing the steps towards stability that your friends and your own forces have taken to stabilize the region. More than one Successor Lord would gut their own mother for the privilege of a state free of the Wordlings and their secular Comstar cousins."
"Also with the reduction of potential threats to merely the Star Adders you no longer need to worry over competent bandits preying upon your worlds, merely incontinent ones.
Far be it from me to be petty but I feel that bringing an end to the Star Adder's unjust and unconscionable war upon the Free Worlds is paramount...after all shipments of the latest fall line's will be coming out soon and the need to end their threat will most likely tie up merchant vessels for months if something is not done soon.

I mean think of the horror....last year's fall line. It's barbarous.

Um...Lady Inara I don't think shipping in new clothes should be the main concern for ending a war that threatens the lives of millions.

Clothes...right I was talking about 'clothes' lets go with that.


OOC: Yeah...I really need to start focusing on doing this only when I have alcohol in the house no where near my best or my average work.

As the saKhan spoke, Ezra was about to get up, thankfully his only aide, a nameless Tech, hissed something, as if to remind him what and where he were. So Ezra kept his place and returned the stare.

And he bared his teeth before answering to him: "I am not afraid of you, saKhan. I may be unblood and old, but I have nothing to lose. We would see who leaves a Circle of Equals on his power.." after another small word by the Tech he backed up a bit. "For the sake of our goals here however, I believe the Archduchess has the word now. And I agree with Lady Inara. The Adder-FWL War has to end. This is a task mainly for the ilKhan. Then we can think of either offensive against our enemies."

He seemed settled but stared equally against the saKhan. It seemed that he still welled in his Clan's past glory.

Brian smiled, seemingly satisfied that he'd elicited a response from the Hellion, and shrugged, indicating he considered the matter settled.

"I would have to say that I believe the ilKhan is the wrong person to foreward any request for mediation to the Star Adders. Considering the contempt they showed her last time, by sending their unblooded, unranked...whatever the woman was, they obviously do not take her seriously. That is being handled as we speak. However, with Lady Inara here" Brian nodded in the FWL Ambassador's direction, "I believe that we can work on one half of the equation alongside this meeting. ilChi Hazen has drafted a preliminary set of conditions that we believe the FWL would find acceptable, and we feel would also appeal to the Adders. I personally would like to see Addergard burn for the way they have tossed Kerensky's teachings into the fire, but that will have to wait.

As for Arc Royal, its simple: the Star Adder conflict gets in the way of the Free Worlds League being able to threaten the southern edge of the Skye-Donegal region." Robert closed his eyes and muttered something that the educated among the group would recognize as German. Casting the Archon a bried glance, Brian continued.

"If the Free Worlds League can be freed for action against the Martyrs, and independants, it will allow the Hellions and our Falcons to strike the Martyrs in the seat of their power- the Clan-Lyran warzones. Despite being heavily militarized, I believe a concentrated offensive could breach the area far enough to cause significant disruption to the Martyr economic and industrial sectors, rendering them incapable of mounting any sort of defensive, or counteroffensive campaign. Unless they appeal to the Hegemony, they would be unable to stop us. If they DO appeal to the Hegemony for aid, we must have sufficent forces in reserve to meet any expeditionary force they deploy. The Spirit Cats, Camels, Steel Vipers, and anything the Snow Ravens can spare, should be held in reserve to strike at potential TH deployments."

The Falcon saKhan looked at the others assembled, and seeing no immediate objections, began plotting rally points, targets, estimated force requirements, and potential ambush systems, detailing his plan...


((OOC: i dont have those details worked out yet, and I frankly dont want them in a public forum. It'll be handled via PM or GM-overviewd Skype between the relevant parties.))

"The better question Archduchess," a feminine voice answers, to all present she stands proud and unflinching under their collective gaze, meeting any with equal intensity, "IS why is the FWL still committing troops to claiming territory where all Trials have been refused, as is the right of the defender according to Clan tradition."

"While it's true that a third of the old Lyran Commonwealth came over to Clan Star Adder, they did so peacefully, without bloodshed. Meanwhile, an equal amount, if not more, was forcefully brought into the Free Worlds League under the guns of their Ground and Naval Forces."

The two men to either side, one slightly behind, let her speak, and when she finishes, at least for the moment, the one behind addresses the gathered dignitaries, "Gentlemen, ladies, Warriors, Khans, etc. I am Vincent Frehley, Consulate to the UIW for the Star Adder Commonwealth States. I introduce to you all, MacLeod Connery, Logistics Adjutant - Inner Sphere, former saKhan, of Clan Star Adder, and his wife Kassandra Centrella-Connery, formerly a Warrior of the Magistracy of Canopus, whom shall be speaking for Clan Star Adder and the Star Adder Commonwealth States."

The young woman waits impatiently for the Consul to finish, before she continues, "They sure have a funny way of expressing that hate, instead of launching attacks against the Terran Hegemony and acting in concert with the Clan from the beginning, the FWL goes after nearly undefended and initially neutral worlds, that posed no threat to anyone, let alone a Nation as potent as the FWL has been believed to be."


MacLeod Connery then addresses the Ice Hellion representative, "We have not lost that many Trials, and as my wife has stated, as the defender, the right to accept or deny any Trial is ours and ours alone. That the Free Worlds League seems to have difficulty grasping that concept after so many years of education on the Ways of the Clans, would seem to indicate some defect in their training system."


Kassandra smiles at her husband, her left hand on her swollen belly, "And I agree, the conflict between my Clan and the FWL must end, but as I have learned and know, the pride of both is great and neither will back down easily, let alone happily."

"And thanks to the endeavors of the Merchant Caste, we have the results of the latest events that had occurred over and on Coventry. Verigraphed Battle ROMs and audio logs from all Adder Ships, as well as those that survived from the other Ships that were involved in that debacle," Connery winces visibly at those words.

"Clan Star Adder has little desire to expand its holdings beyond the original Steiner Protectorate borders. Had the FWL not invaded, and by refusing to accept the blanket refusal of Trials, that is precisely what they have been doing for months, Clan Star Adder would have been able to improve more worlds at a faster pace than it has. Even so, under the pressure exerted by the continuing aggression, HPGs and other Communications have been built, with more being built as we speak."

"Simply put, had the FWL stayed out of Adder territory to begin with, we would not be here today having this discussion. One of which I've heard countless variations of in the Court of my mother Magestrix Emma Centrella."


"I agree that this isn't a matter for the ilKhan, and she showed her contempt first, after the support Clan Star Adder has given her in her path to the ilKhanship and maintain her position when threatened by others, by continuing to negotiate with the FWL even after she was given the transcript of the initial peace overture made by the FWL towards Clan Star Adder, via Charlamagne Steiner, which I happen to have a copy of as well should any wish to see it, and the counter proposal that was made before the FWL representative broke off said negotiations in order to try and get a more FWL friendly result."

"And the likely reason the FWL didn't go against the Skye-Donegal region of the defunct Lyran Commonwealth is because it wasn't lightly defended, it had a solid, stable central government. Like all Successor States, the FWL prefers easy victories over long, drawn out and costly battles. Don't try to deny it, while I may have been born and raised in a Periphery Realm, I am still more familiar with the ways of the IS than any Clansman here and likely still alive anywhere within the various OZ's."


"Which Kerensky is that? The General that fought against Amaris and led the core of the SLDF that would become the Clans, or his son, who is alleged to have done more than a few not so honorable things in order to solidify his control of his fledgling society. Clan Star Adder seems to be one of the few remaining that is attempting to come to terms with the conflicting ideals from both sources."

"Have you ever heard the saying no plan survives contact with the enemy? Well, the same can be applied to cultures and civilizations, for neither can they survive contact with a different one. By the standards of some of your won more fanatical brethren, every Clan has been corrupted. As well as all Successor and Periphery States are no longer what they were before the Clans arrived."

"It's called interaction. It's called progress. It's called evolution. Call it whatever you want, but the Clan Jade Falcon of today is not the exact same Clan from thirty years ago, which is not the same as the Clan Jade Falcon from one hundred years ago, so on and so on. The same applies to all Clans, like it or not, which you probably don't."


"Now what is this proposal you have that may end the needless waste and let us all focus on the primary goal: removing the threat posed by the Not-Named backed Terran Hegemony."

Debra's mein chainged, and she hopped up onto the chair at the head of the table, sitting perched on top of it to gain a measure of the height she didn't have.  "Lady Centrella-Connery, he-said-she-said, are those verigraphs from a third party? because if they are not, then y'all gotta be aware I could have Kelli Fitz over in OSS produce verigraphed battlerom footage of Father Christmas, in flight, in his sleigh, drawn by eight tiny reindeer, that would show up on scans as being genuine proof that he exists... which is why I ain't bought the Leaguers' verigraphed scans either-do you have third-party data from someone NOT involved in the dispute?"

This was a posture Vince, at least, had seen before-one of Debra's early jobs forming the provisional government, was resolving disputes that had already turned violent.

Her resolution methods were sometimes quite violent, and she'd killed at least one witness caught lying.

"I have verigraphed imagery from the Leaguers showing YOUR people doing it." she added, "They delivered it over a week ago, I think it safe to say that both the Star Adders, and the Free Worlders, have good reasons to hand out evidence that the other side is responsible for the bombing on Coventry-so, unless one of the two of you has someone NOT you who can step forward and corroborate your story, I'm going to call references to the bombardment of Coventry inadmissible in this chamber-at least, today.  Maybe you can get the InterClan Watch, or maybe some other Clan or Inner Sphere power to investigate and verify your claims."

She looked at Inara, "That goes for YOU too-accusations of war-crimes are serious business, no third party means it's your word, against theirs, Civilians died, there were two sides fighting in the area at the time, both have a reason to lie about it if they did it, and to scream about it if they did not do it...for all I know, it was the Terries, or the Martyrs trying to keep both sides at one another's throats."

"As for credibility, now...someone has lied to me practically since I took this job, gone back on their word more than once, and it is not the Free Worlders." she said, "So, let's be real clear here-Coventry is not on the table...unless you want to go somewhere I do not think you want to go."

The SLDF envoy paused before beginning.

"Thank you for meeting with me.  The SLDF and the Star League is concerned about what has happened out here.  I understand the difficult position you find yourself in and I have come to see how the Star League might be of assistance and how we might repair the situation after recent events.  The SLDF is worried about the Star Adders recent activities around here and their inability to keep a promise.  Given that and their use of over reactive means on numerous worlds suggests that they may turn their sites on you when it is convenient for them.  But, we don't want to make your situation worse than it already is.  Our purpose should be clear.  We still need to push the clans back and try to remove the less honorable ones, like the Adders.  We have tried to support the independent worlds in their choices so far and have kept our word at every turn, even when it might hurt us.  I simply want to see if we can improve our working relationship out here and assist you in making sure you do not become a clan state."

With that, the envoy paused to see what service he might be.

Quote from: NVA on December 15, 2010, 06:10:30 PM
The SLDF envoy paused before beginning.

"Thank you for meeting with me.  The SLDF and the Star League is concerned about what has happened out here.  I understand the difficult position you find yourself in and I have come to see how the Star League might be of assistance and how we might repair the situation after recent events.  The SLDF is worried about the Star Adders recent activities around here and their inability to keep a promise.  Given that and their use of over reactive means on numerous worlds suggests that they may turn their sites on you when it is convenient for them.  But, we don't want to make your situation worse than it already is.  Our purpose should be clear.  We still need to push the clans back and try to remove the less honorable ones, like the Adders.  We have tried to support the independent worlds in their choices so far and have kept our word at every turn, even when it might hurt us.  I simply want to see if we can improve our working relationship out here and assist you in making sure you do not become a clan state."

With that, the envoy paused to see what service he might be.

"I think even Debbie Mac's losing her patience with the Star Adders, I think the first thing we're going to have to work out, is what parts of the SLDF can safely operate out here." Representative Vanh said, "A wolf unit's likely to end up being a target, and we can't cover that-and it doesn't help your mission.  There's a general feeling in the Congress that Deb's getting a mite too cosy with the Clans, and while the Free Worlders are a help balancing that off, they're just one nation, and really don't want to be too exposed out here...I'd say a good opening would be an intelligence-sharing agreement regarding certain known threats, including the Star Adders and the Martyrs."

Although Ezra was irritated to see a former saKhan with his "wife", he chose not to make that an issue now.

"Thank you for this. I think it is good that we delve into this further. Yes, you are right, either side is proud and not easily convinced by peace. In a pure Warfare scenario, you have proven that the Star Adders are strong. However, you lost Coventry to a Trial and the FWL have shown that they can win in this fashion. Now your forces stand on Coventry proper, as far as I have heard, against their rede to not step onto it for half a year. This is a problem. You talk of needless waste. If what I have heard is true, then there is the opportunity for both sides. The Alarion strike has been called off by the FWL, I see it as a gesture of good faith. And as much as I do not like it, you should let the Coventry force go that is still on the planet, even though other Lord's troops are with the FWL and I would not mind to see them destroyed.

Marik has seemingly listened to my Clan and the Jade Falcons and would not pursue this waste further. However, I can see if Coventry is going like planned, they would see that you do not aim at peace, and will come full force. Which will lose us our only friend in the Inner Sphere and plunge you and them into a bitter war which neither side will come out in good shape. The Terrans are their main enemy. Do not make them choose.

As to why they did not gobble up Skye Worlds, perhaps Robert would have an answer to that?" He nodded at Robert Kelswa, still the de-facto leader of Skye and the Planets.

"If we could finally behave like civilized people, then the issue of accusations of War-crimes would be investigated, by uninvolved parties. If you want peace, you have at least one step to do. It may be painful, but be assured, if those troops you let go would come at you again without provocation, we would be on your side. If you choose not to, you must deal with a whole Successor state alone. Projections I got see you at a disadvantage there, despite your successes so far. Also, the whole operation against the Terrans would need to be replanned and likely be shifted to an unspecified later date as two of our most powerful allies, or conservatively spoken at least one, would be missing.

Make your choice." Ezra nodded solemnly at Deb, what else could he do? So far they had only gotten words. If they really wanted peace, they would have to prove it now.

Deb looked thoughtful for a moment after Ezra spoke.

"Who Benefits?" she asked suddenly.  "WHO benefits if the Free Worlds League and the Star Adders are going at it hammer-and-tongs?"

she looked at each of the delegates present in turn.  "Elizabeth! Display Projections, Query, 'Who Benefits if the Star Adders and Free Worlds League continue with their War, timeframe six months to two years'.  Base projection on known production and troop deployments cross-referenced to trend lines over the last four years."

The holoimage of the map vanished, and a string of data points, images from broadcasts, and Industrial Figures filled the air.

It took about a minute, and a cool, feminine, yet utterly mechanical voice replied, "Two entities benefit from continued hostilities-the Terran Hegemony, and the Arc Royal Estates General, Archduchess.  Of the two, the Terran Hegemony benefits to a greater extent, as this conflict works to their favour in ninety out of one hundered statistically likely scenarios."

"Query: Would such a benefit be worth mounting or executing a false-flag operation to provoke and or escalate further hostilities?" Debra asked.

"Undoubtably.  However, it is unlikely that the Arc Royal government would be able to mount such an operation-lack of resources and civil strife presence argue against it-the Terran Hegemony has access to the necessary equipment, as well as extensive intelligence and deception apparattus necessary to carry out a likely deception operation on the necessary scale, in addition to strong motive to tie up or otherwise weaken both the Free Worlds League, and the Clans.  Behavioural and archive data indicate that the Terrans may be very concerned with the threat Free Worlds research into Hyper-Pulse-Generation technology poses to their monopoly on Inner Sphere Communications, as well as long-standing hostility between the Hegemony's government and the Free Worlds League.  Taking a Clan out of the running by tying it up in a conflict with the Free Worlds would, as they say, kill two birds with one stone.  The profit margin for such a deception operation significantly exceeds potential risks should it be discovered or logically deduced-alone, the League has no chance against the Terrans, and Star Adder operations up to the current date indicate no interest in pursuing the war against the Terran Hegemony beyond the paying of lip-service."

"Clarify."  Deb asked, "What trends?"

"Since the current series of Clan offensives began in 3067, Star Adder forces have retreated in the majority of cases where Terran Forces have advanced, including the arrival of the Terran Third Corps into this sector in 3068.  Since the defection of worlds to Clan Star Adder, there have been no tracked indications of raid or reconaissance activity against known Terran foreign basing, including known Terran bases within the former Freedom Theatre of the now defunct Lyran Commonwealth, further, the ceding back of worlds taken from the Arc Royal government-worlds ceded without fighting, indicates no interest in secure lines of supply or support for offensives spinward or rimward of their current position. Star Adder production sites are situated away from the front-lines, and the Miquelon Corridor is a narrow and strategically vulnerable link that is too narrow and exposed to support a serious offensive against Terran interests.  It is not, however, too narrow a link to support a lower-level conflict in the former Lyran Commonwealth, against an opponent known to have little interest in the area."

"Speculate."  Deb ordered.

"Based on trend-lines and projections, it is unlikely that the Star Adders are going to move against the Terran Hegemony even in the event of an armistice-it is more likely that they will direct their aggression at targets they see as likely to fall easily along the antispinward side of the Inner Sphere.  Probability is in excess of forty percent that the Adders will, at some point, elect to remove the Union of Independent Worlds, Clan Spirit Cat, and Clan Ice Hellion from the area to secure their rear and ease consolidation prior to arranging a separate armistice with the Terran Hegemony.  This is based on two things: the Star Adders have had a poor showing against forces they do not outnumber in the majority of engagements over the last five years, they have repeatedly instituted new and statistically unlikely structures of rank, including the unprecedented office of 'Ur-Khan' for their former coventry province holdings, and then, there is the social issue."

"Social Issue?" Deb frowned.

"Prior to the Tharkad Bombing, public polls on Coventry showed deep-seated hostility toward all things Clan, regardless of WHICH Clan.  The defection of Duke Bradford and the apparent sea-change of public opinion prior to Charlemagne Steiner's actual assumption of control appears to be a manufactured, rather than organic, outcome.  Such manufactured outcomes have been tracked before-notably the polling data that supported the defection of roughly one third of the Skye Province to the newly-created Terran Hegemony.  Similarity of method indicates that the same operators may be connected in both cases."

"Which operators?" Debra asked.

"The Terrans."

"Elizabeth, Speculation and Projection mode off-I'm going to have to send someone to look at your software." Debra said, "Restore the map."

"Restoring."

"Well, to date, we have nothing on the terrorists.  We could not risk our assets on Arc Royal after they threatened to set off a nuclear device simply to coerce General Hall.  Believe me, there is a special place for those terrorists on our target list.  It is too bad we have to focus on the threat of the clans continuing to press forward.  In fact, it appears that many of the clans are cooperating with the terrorists.  We noted Steel Vipers, Ice Hellions, and Falcons at Arc Royal as we were pulling out.  Given the movement of the Ice Hellions, we believe that they are in coordination and assisting the martyrs.  I will have my XO send you the details of what we have seen and the intel behind our assumptions."

The general sent a quick message and the data was soon being sent to Vahn's terminal.

"As for the Star Adders, on our exit from UIW space, we encountered a large formation moving through Millerton.  They tried to bully our forces, but stated that they could not 'stop us', as they were heading to Coventry to deal with the issues there.  Given their past usage of orbital bombardment, I would not be surprised to see them continue that against Coventry.  But, that is our supposition, based on history, not specific intel.  Between them and their allies, there is likely a massive force heading to Coventry.  We have seen the Hellions and Falcons there as well.  The Falcons have also been known to use orbital bombardment, killing a large number of people on Sudeten when they lost it."

Quote from: Cannonshop on December 16, 2010, 10:38:23 AM
"I think even Debbie Mac's losing her patience with the Star Adders, I think the first thing we're going to have to work out, is what parts of the SLDF can safely operate out here." Representative Vanh said, "A wolf unit's likely to end up being a target, and we can't cover that-and it doesn't help your mission.  There's a general feeling in the Congress that Deb's getting a mite too cosy with the Clans, and while the Free Worlders are a help balancing that off, they're just one nation, and really don't want to be too exposed out here...I'd say a good opening would be an intelligence-sharing agreement regarding certain known threats, including the Star Adders and the Martyrs."

Robert listened to the AI's report with cold indifference. In his eyes, a computer was only as useful as the information put into it, and any possible output from a computer was easily controlled by giving it specific inputs. He didn't know if thats what Debbie had done, but he knew it was possible. However, he did not say anything, merely glowered at the Star Adders.

saKhan Pryde, however, had no issues with speaking his mind.

"As much as I enjoyed that hypothesis, it does not actually mean anything. We could run thousands of simulations, and come up with everything from the Terrans wearing FWL uniforms, to the Star Adders being led by Sun-Tzu, as the cause of the conflict. The simple fact is that the conflict must END." He turned his gaze to the Star Adders.

"Here is what I would assume to be atleast a starting point for the Adders and the Leauge. First, all hostilities at Coventry cease immediatly. Second: all Clan salvage, not including warships, goes to the FWL. All IS salvage, not including warships, goes to the Adders. The Adders keep all salvageable Clan hulks, any non-Adder vessels to be handled as an intra-Clan matter, and not relevant here. All IS hulks similarly go to the FWLN.

Second: all FWL forces are to withdraw from the Steiner Protectorate. Any worlds that claimed for Charlie, BEFORE being under FWL attack are to be returned. Independant worlds, or worlds under FWL control before calling for Charlie are to remain in FWL control. This cannot be negotiated, as neither party has any right or privledge to dictate terms to another realm within its own borders.

Third: the FWL will launch an investigation, supplementing an ICW investigation, to find the ship's captain responsible for the orbital bombardment. The FWLN will submit him for punishment before the ICW. Likewise, the FWL will pay a sum to be determined by a neutral party, to the citizens of Coventry, as reparations for this act of supreme barbarism.

Fourth: the Steiner Protectorate will declare Coventry as a de-militarized zone for a period of not less than 2 standard years. This world has seen enough bloodshed. Any Trials for the planet must be fought in proxy elsewhere. Clan Star Adder, the Steiner Protectorate, and the Free Worlds Leauge, will maintain embassies on the planet, to facilitate diplomatic communication between the three realms, so this useless fighting can be prevented in the future. Hardly anything has been gained, except for the loss of life and material. It is not the Clan way, and I hardly think the Captain-General enjoys expending his soldiers and fleets just to see the pretty lights."

saKhan Pryde looked around at both Ambassador Inara, and the Adder party.

"Anything either of you would like to add, or discuss? Perhaps once you are away from each other's throats, we can focus on problems that actually have a solution."

OOC: Italics are thoughts


Well quite the full house, here perhaps I should send for Mr. Jane to join us while it would be best if he not speak he does glare so fetchingly menacing. Still better him then Malcolm he would have his saber out and across the table the after the second insult to the League's 'Honor' Vanraians can be so touching...fine seamstress's though. Also it would seem Sir Paul has done a good job of establishing the League's position on Sudeten with the other Clans as the Falcons and Hellions at least to seem to be largely in step with the position I have been advised to expouse from Atreus. I shall have to thank him....properly the next time we meet it is making my job rather more bearable.

"On the matter of a independent investigation to the Coventry Attrocity The Free Worlds has no fear of the outcome of a open and independent investigation. If one of our Captains has done this thing we would of course turn him over for just punishment. Let us hope that all suspect state's can agree to such openness and not turn back on such a commitment once given. In the interests of time and diplomacy I feel no need to enumerate whom here has been less then stellar in meeting their commitments such is beneath the dignity of the task we have all come here to see accomplished.

Also I am certain that all are capable of puzzling it out.

As to the question of why we are committing troops to claim territory when Trials are denied. Well actually your husband's people keep noting to our various commands when they issue trials that if "they do not depart it will mean war between them and whoever has arrived" or some such. Seeing as the Adder's declared war on the Free Worlds long ago our boys tend to just head planet side to broadcast the trial request in the clear. You know just incase some lowercasteman or other was preventing the Adder Warriors from finding out ...oh how does the phamplet on Clan Practices put it...Ah yes "non-warriors preventing the acceptance of the honorable batchall of the warriors of the Free Worlds" really just a cultural misunderstanding since no other Clan has refused a trial we hadn't really thought it possible so just kept going then once the shooting start's it's standard procedure that a failure to announce a counterbid is a declaration of "All in"."

"To be quite blunt, the Spirit cat's are not here Madam Connery. Off all the enemies of the Terran Hegemony only they have gotten closer to Terra in battle then the Free Worlds, and they were not shooting at the time. I can provide you with the history books of the last decade of war but considering your own mother were the Terran's unwilling guest I do not think it shall be necessary hmm?

As to how many battle's have been lost or won. I see no point in getting into whom one what battle's and where. It is known to all the state of the War Front which is a statement of fact acknowledged by all parties here today.

Power's below when one has to open a argument on the state of a war with "we have not lost that many battles" yes. you. have. Still its impolitic to point it out poor dear, it is obvious to everyone in this room who has the misfortune of polishing a turd. Darling you are not sorounded by idiots we KNOW your Emma's brat Goddess I pray thee when I get pregnant do not allow the hormone's to strike me so?

As to the matter of Thomas's response to Charlemange's counter proposal. I rather thought the Captain-General was clear when he told the entire Inner Sphere that no Steiner would sit upon the Archon's throne without his support. Robert Steiner listend and thus he is the rightful Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth. Ever still our friend and ally despite recent additions to his titles.

I don't think I can be more clear of Thomas's support for Robert. Though if this is not to take advantage of Robert Steiners proclamation before falling into Falcon hands, I'll join the Cult of the Knights of Cameron.


...While the Free Worlds League ascribes to the theory of Evolution we deny that we are corrupt. Those who abuse their power's of office are swiftly prosecuted in a free and fair trial.

It is the nature of government in whatever form Clan, Inner Sphere or Periphery to root out corruption for it cannot stand the sight of day.

Though what such a ideological discussion has to do with the price of tea on Vanra I cannot say.

As to the socalled verigraphed "proof" of the Star Adder's...well enough has been said about this fiction for all here to make their proper distinctions...

Further we support the statements of Ice Hellions and accept the wisdom they have offered.

As to the amendments made by the Jade Falcon's...the Free Worlds does not object. We have prevented the Steiner Protectorate from preying upon the rightful Archon's realm our accord will further secure that. If they no longer claim but those who have chosen to follow them then they are no longer our conscern.

What the hell the LCCC is always in love with Clan Tech and the fact remains if the Adder's start demanding massive alterations to a third party recommended and created peace accord...they shall look even more obstinate in their fellows eyes.

The move is to you young Kassandra time to show us what you have learned at your Mother's knee. I would show you what I learned but Pregnant women are just not my thing too much effort involved in negotiating the child.

Not enough freedom to.....Now what is Pryde on about again must not let the mind wander to far. Don't worry just look intensely interested and wait for someone to parrot the whole thing to me.

Kassandra listens quietly, some of the Falcon proposal is acceptable, other parts not so much, but in the end it comes down to the Adders and Leaguers, talk about two bulls in a china shop, she muses, a slight smile coming to her lips at that old saying.

Once the League representative finishes, she speaks, looking directly at her FWL counterpart, "Interesting statements there, sir. The Captain-General was clear when he told the entire Inner Sphere that no Steiner would sit upon the Archon's throne without his support and We have prevented the Steiner Protectorate from preying upon the rightful Archon's realm our accord will further secure that. If the FWL is so supportive of Robert, then perhaps they should return all of the former LC worlds they have taken to him, seeing as how he is your ally."

"As to urKhan Charlamagne Steiner's claim on the Archonship, tune into a special SACS HPG broadcast, he'll be addressing that topic."


"Now to the matter of settling the situation between the Adders and League, that is something that should, and will, be discussed between myself and the esteemed League representative...alone."

"No outside influences, no third party interference, just he and I, together, hashing things out to an acceptable compromise that neither of us is entirely happy with, but one we can live with."

"If none can agree on that first step, then...," she ends her sentence with a shrug of her shoulders.

saKhan Pryde merely blinked at the Adder.

"Are your eyes decieving you? Perhaps you need glasses, but I hardly think Ambassador Inara is a he, unless my definition of the word is incorrect. Do as you wish of course, but I shall remember for the next time the Adders get themselves into a situation that they can't get themselves out of, that they do not want or require the benign assistance of the Falcons." saKhan Pryde did not wait for an answer, nor respond to one if give, he simply stormed from the room, barely holding his anger and contempt in check.

ilChi Hazen attempted to stand aswell, but a gesture from Robert saw her sit back down, a slightly annoyed look on her face, at what was obviously a command.

[ooc: sorry, didnt look that closely at genders]

Quote from: Daemonknight on December 18, 2010, 04:08:35 AM
saKhan Pryde merely blinked at the Adder.

"Are your eyes decieving you? Perhaps you need glasses, but I hardly think Ambassador Inara is a he, unless my definition of the word is incorrect. Do as you wish of course, but I shall remember for the next time the Adders get themselves into a situation that they can't get themselves out of, that they do not want or require the benign assistance of the Falcons." saKhan Pryde did not wait for an answer, nor respond to one if give, he simply stormed from the room, barely holding his anger and contempt in check.

ilChi Hazen attempted to stand aswell, but a gesture from Robert saw her sit back down, a slightly annoyed look on her face, at what was obviously a command.

Deb watched the Falcon SaKhan go, and then, she hopped off the chair, and said, "Excuse me...Elizabeth, thông báo cho nhà bếp để mang đồ ăn nhẹ."  She skirted the edge of the room, and announced, "I will be back shortly, in the meantime, the staff will be providing a light lunch for any of you that are hungry."  and darted out the door Pryde left through.

Robert saw Debbie jump up and leave the room, and he saw flashes of emerald green uniform as she went outside. Apparently, the saKhan had left more to leave the situation that to actually leave the conference.

Looking at the FWL Ambassador and the Hellion officer, Robert spoke.

"Now that the nasty business between the FWL and the Adders can hopefully close, we can get to the real reason this meeting was called: discussion of the events on Tharkad, and what they mean for the immediate future. I will not lie to you: I wish dearly to retake my homeland from the clutches of those savages on the Arc Royal Estates General. Mark my words, for it's happened in the past, their dogs, the Tharkad Martyrs, while thought to be leashed, will soon show their rabid fangs and bit their own masters. Eventually, the false Estates General won't move fast enough, or with enough purpose to suit the Marytrys, and we will see another bloody coup like they tried on Tharkad.

If they are to be stopped, it must be swiftly and decisivly. If we attempt to deal with them piecemeal, or in an uncoordinated fashion, they will turn tail and run to the Terrans, whom none of us wish to see advance into Lyran territory. As the only true Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, it is my duty to retake my lands from any usurpers, which these Tharkad Martyrs are. saKhan Pryde and I have discussed it between us, but we both agree that we need others to ensure the operation is successful."

Robert turned to face Ezra.

"Star Colonel, it is my understanding that the Hellions have been allies of the Falcons of late. It is my intention to utilize the help of saKhan Pryde and his Clan to retake the whole of the Lyran Commonwealth between Tharkad and Terra. We lack sufficent force to do it alone, and your Clan's assistance could be most valuable in the northern sectors around Arc Royal itself." Robert shifted his gaze to Ambassador Inara, "Likewise, the FWL, once disentangled from the Adders, could further solidify our alliance with assistance in the south, around Hesperus II and Skye herself. the saKhan has spoken of taking the fight directly to Tharkad and Donegal, and I would be leading a push from a different angle altogether.

As a single force, we could crush the Martyrs before they even have a chance to commit much to their defenses. The campaign would need to be short to ensure that any retaliation is met with overwhelming force, from the Martyrs or the Terrans should they be called, or even if they decide to come in themselves."

Robert turned to face the Adder delegation. It was obvious there was little love lost between the two, and why should there be? From Robert's seat, the Adders had been decimating his country for the past 3 decades, and now they had claimed nearly a third of it on the happenstance of a Bloodname, some upstart who bore the name Steiner, who couldn't be farther from the line of succession. From the Adder side of the room, Robert was everything they had fought against: a nobleman of the Inner Sphere, one of the 'corrupt Successor Lords', who was only concerned with his own power. Robert hoped fervently that both attitudes could change before they were both annihilated.

"Delegates of the Star Adders, I come to you. Despite us having little reason to even be cordial with one another, I think that perhaps this is not the time for us to be fighting- you seem to have enough of that going on between you and the Free Worlds Leauge. However, as the Terran Hegemony is invariablly going to take interest in the Clans taking huge chunks from the Lyran Commonwealth, they will inevitablly send a military force to repel the Falcons from Lyran space. And this is where you come in, the 'ace in the hole' as the saying goes. The Terrans will assume that you have been battered by the Free Worlds Leauge, and that since you are not participating in the initial stages of the attack, you are staying out of it. This would be a ruse, to lure them out of their fortresses in the Hegemony."

Robert slammed his fist down on the table hard enough that saKhan Pryde and Debbie looked into the room from outside, their hushed conversation quieting suddenly. The vehemence of Robert's next statement touched every warrior present.

"We must CRUSH their force! It must be dealt such a devestating blow that the Terran military will never forget the horrors they face when the Clans march to war united under a common cause. We must strike fear into their hearts, we must make them know- neg, we must make them BELIEVE, that each and every one of them is the target of an individual Trial of Annihilation. We must shatter their resolve once and for all, so that their forces will cringe in fear at the mere mention of an approaching Clan strike. If we can accomplish this, the other Inner Sphere powers will see that the Terran Hegemony can be defeated, that they need not exist in fear of them.  The other Invading Clans will see that the Hegemony's vaunted military can be broken, as it was shown last at Sudeten. We must create that battle again, but this time, the Terrans will never recover." Robert lifted his hand, and all were shocked to see that a small pool of blood had collected: the violence of his fist had actually casued the wooden desk to rupture, and he had ripped 2 of his knuckles open on wood splinters. He raised his fist, the blood clearly visible against the tanned skin of the Skye nobleman. The fire in his eyes was undeniable, the conviction with which he spoke touched the heart of even the iciest warrior present.

"The Terrans must be made to fear the Clans, not as a threat to the Inner Sphere, but as a threat to theim They know the Clans seek their end, but they feel secure in feeding fodder from other nations to slow the Clans. My beloved Commonwealth has bled for the Terran Hegemony for far to long, and now it bleeds once more, this from internal strife. The internal power struggles must end! We must strike at the source of the problem- the Hegemony must be made to pay for its crimes, and all the crimes made possible by it's actions."

******************************
Outside the conference room

saKhan Pryde smiled as he heard Robert's impassioned speech to the Adders. In truth, it was meant to stir Ezra's heart aswell, and likly his own. He must admit, he atleast felt something in the man's words. Such a united force would be powerful indeed. If others of the Clans could be brought into the fold, it would be a force the likes of which had not been seen since the Amaris Coup. Brian grinned savagley as he pictured the words that would be entered into the Remembrances of every Clan, of the way that Kerensky's children had marched to war once more, once more to Terra, to free the cradle of humanity from tyranny and deciet. To march forth with 2 of the 5 successor houses, the descendants of the liberators of Terra would return once more.

It was a chilling thought, a humbling one, to think that perhaps he would see the events unfold that led to the culmination of the Clans standing on the soil of Terra, as their ancestors had done hundreds of years before, their enemies different, but their purpose the same. The symbolism was undeniable.

What Lyran Worlds might those be?

The former SilverHawk and Stewart Worlds that have been liberated on the border?

The fact is the Free Worlds has limited its annexations to those worlds that have previously held membership in the Free Worlds.

Conquest for conquest sake is really more of a Steiner vice then one of our own.

While I am certain some of the former Lyrans in your Protectorate might disagree with us on this matter, since their own worlds are not among those being decided upon its rather not a major issue. I really can't see the relevance to our own discussion.

The young Charlemange's position on the status of the Archon's seat is no longer of concern to the Free Worlds Government or the Captain-General. Robert Steiner's coronation on Tharkad has been recognized. As such in the eyes of the Free Worlds he is the legal Archon until such time as he steps down on transfers his power's to another entity.

Any claim's, or even well wish's on the matter are now properly the concern of House Steiner as represented by its titular head Archon Robert.

Now as to a private discussion? Are the Hellions not your chosen diplomatic channel in these talks? Are the Falcons not involved as oathmaster?

It is rather irregular to toss parties out of a negotiation when you are the one who invited them.

To be blunt your actions on this matter makes little sense dear.  I am certain we can avail ourselves of a nearby conference room if you wish to make a private proposal. However if you are not going to make a proposal. Or even comment directly on the ones your arbiter's brought to us as the Star Adder proposal.

I will have no choice my lady but to inform not only the Captain-General but both the Falcon and Ice Hellion Khan's the results of that discussion.

After all the Free Worlds has nothing to hide from open diplomacy.

Nicely played young Centrella but not nicely played enough.

Quote from: GraeGor on December 18, 2010, 03:57:01 AM
Kassandra listens quietly, some of the Falcon proposal is acceptable, other parts not so much, but in the end it comes down to the Adders and Leaguers, talk about two bulls in a china shop, she muses, a slight smile coming to her lips at that old saying.

Once the League representative finishes, she speaks, looking directly at her FWL counterpart, "Interesting statements there, sir. The Captain-General was clear when he told the entire Inner Sphere that no Steiner would sit upon the Archon's throne without his support and We have prevented the Steiner Protectorate from preying upon the rightful Archon's realm our accord will further secure that. If the FWL is so supportive of Robert, then perhaps they should return all of the former LC worlds they have taken to him, seeing as how he is your ally."

"As to urKhan Charlamagne Steiner's claim on the Archonship, tune into a special SACS HPG broadcast, he'll be addressing that topic."


"Now to the matter of settling the situation between the Adders and League, that is something that should, and will, be discussed between myself and the esteemed League representative...alone."

"No outside influences, no third party interference, just he and I, together, hashing things out to an acceptable compromise that neither of us is entirely happy with, but one we can live with."

"If none can agree on that first step, then...," she ends her sentence with a shrug of her shoulders.

OOC I assume all others except Inara and the Star Adder are out of the room and the talks there and Roberts talk happens there?

OOC- no, the 'clandestine' talks are happening via PMs. Robert spoke in the conf room with everyone there, Chaos just decided to ignore the speech. for the sake of making things move smoothly, lets just assume that Robert's speech takes place AFTER Inara's reponse. Otherwise, we'll have 2 conversations going and wont be able to untangle it.

As Inara watched the blood drip onto the table from Robert Steiners clenched fist she couldn't help but to let her mind wander.

Ahh, that Robert is such a man..a pity he's a Steiner, If I bundled him up and took him home to Eleusis the people would never approve of him as a consort. Also far to high strung, quickest way to the grave you know.

Archon, I can agree your previous pronouncements do give the Free Worlds the right, and responsibility to put down any rebellion against the lawful Archon and maintain control over such polities for the duration of the Crisis.

Dear God, who the hell lets the Captain-General getaway with clause's like that in agreements anymore. I mean really.

I can further agree that it is in the interests of all that the Free Worlds extends its blanket of security over those worlds now currently threatened with lawlessness, and protect our controlling interest in Defiance Industries as well as insuring the swift return of a strong Lyran government to Tharkad.

I never saw the wisdom in Thomas hanging back and not moving to secure more worlds for the League but...I have to give it to the old Tom he acctually has the Lyran Archon asking the League to take Hesperus...its masterful.

As to the remainder of your proposal I can see no reason why the Captain-General would have any objection however getting such information to Atreus and back ...securely could take time. Given that your proposal does not require Free Worlds involvement in the stage's against the Terran's as you have currently outlined...I propose given the risk we simply not tell him.

Fewer who know, fewer chances of a leak. It is after all in everyones best interests if the Phone Company remains in the Dark and thus comes out to play.

Outside the conference room

saKhan Pryde smiled as he heard Robert's impassioned speech to the Adders. In truth, it was meant to stir Ezra's heart aswell, and likly his own. He must admit, he atleast felt something in the man's words. Such a united force would be powerful indeed. If others of the Clans could be brought into the fold, it would be a force the likes of which had not been seen since the Amaris Coup. Brian grinned savagley as he pictured the words that would be entered into the Remembrances of every Clan, of the way that Kerensky's children had marched to war once more, once more to Terra, to free the cradle of humanity from tyranny and deciet. To march forth with 2 of the 5 successor houses, the descendants of the liberators of Terra would return once more.

It was a chilling thought, a humbling one, to think that perhaps he would see the events unfold that led to the culmination of the Clans standing on the soil of Terra, as their ancestors had done hundreds of years before, their enemies different, but their purpose the same. The symbolism was undeniable.

Deb stepped into the hall, and leaned against one of the supports.  "So, what is the plan?" she asked, "Let 'em stew a while?"

Brian stopped pacing, and cast a baleful eye at the conference room, "I do not think I can stand a single more arrogant, useless, piece of...Filth from the Star Adder Sibkos."

"The lừa is from Canopus.  Her Momma is the former Magestrix."  Debbie said, "Ah do not rightly know the uniformed gigilo walkin' behind her."

Brians' eyes flew wide open, and his fists balled. "That freebirth scumbag is not even a Clanner? Some sphereoid bitch walks into the room, univited none the less, and tells us what will and will not happen? And her Clanborn HUSBAND stands mute to this farce? Where is his honor? What kind of stravag thought this joke up?"

Debbie looked thoughtful, "Either Stan N'Buta, or Charlemagne Steiner." she observed, Adding, "I figure Ah gen'rally do not rate first-class treatment by the lights of the Adder Khans-it is a shame that they did not consider who ELSE might be here."

Charlemagne Steiner. I think I shall take Star Colonel Icaza's route. That eyas is not worthy of a bloodname, nor of any sort of respect. He will be naught but Charlie to me either. What have the Adders fallen to? Using nameless, rankless, freebirths of the Inner Sphere to negotiate for them? And to send along a Clan warrior as a mere consort!?" Brian began to march into the room again, with fire in his eyes.

"Hang on, SaKhan Brian Pryde-You have professionals in there now-let them do their jobs, the insult is N'Buta's to answer for-Ah would suggest takin' it up with HIM.  These ah jes' nhân viên, employees-the policy issue is with their boss."

Pryde looked down at the Archduchess. After glancing once more at the room(he could feel his hatred of the Adders surge once more), he let out a breath that seemed to calm him visibly.

"You are right of course, but pay they shall, and far more than N'buta might think. They have insulted the Clan way at nearly every turn these past few months. No price is too high for their crimes."

Debbie shrugged, "They have done more than that-when Inarcs was under quarantine in '67, they landed and secured a half-kilometer zone around the only major industries, looted the factories, and left five hundered million people to die-hardly a shining example of good conquest administration, then they pulled out when the Terry III Corps moved in-not even a fight before they abandoned it, I guess they got what they came for."  she said, "Up until some recent revelations, everyone out here was just so damn glad they helped on the cure, they did not notice."

She added, "A big part of my job is STILL making people sit on their grievances and feuds."

Brian was silent for long moments. He then strode purposefully to the doorway into the conference room, but did not enter the room itself. "I must apologize for my absence, but something has recently come up, and I must consult with Khan Sonoma and ilKhan Pryde immediatly. ilChi Hazen, and Archon Robert are fully capable of expressing my wishes in this meeting."

Brian then closed the doors to the room as he walked back to Debbie. "I must speak with Khan Sonoma and the ilKhan. This abhorrant act, among others, must be brought to their attention. That the Adders would go so far as to rape a world's industries, then leave its people to die, is the epitome of waste. Not not offer the slightest assistance, to simply pillage, is the act of a corrupt successor lord, not of a son or daughter of Kerensky." Brian looked as if he were searching for further words to express his thoughts. There was a kind of cold anger that was by far more intense than the raging inferno that had been shown earlier
this was intellectual anger, the kind that reached down below concious thought, the kind that only developed when one's core values were attacked.

Debbie saw the shift, and spoke up quietly, "We may still need them." she said,  "or at least, need their troops and equipment-the Terrans have had three years to prepare with the biggest industrial base known to man, and none of the notions of honour that control Clan rules of engagement." She paused, "an' I can not say they did not help SOME-they did help with the cure, an' at least, on Inarcs, they occasionally sallied if the rioters got too close to their perimeter-and at least there was SOME law left when we had the cure in production and were distributing it...but compared to, say, how they treated Arluna, which had NO industries to take and damn-few-too-little left of the people here..." she shrugged, "The flu was bad, Brian-half a billion sick people would look, ah suspect, like too many to really help-especially with a disease that had already claimed a world and was spreading fast-what surprises the hell out of me, is that they felt safe taking the gear-the damn original sample survived in a warhead for more than three centuries."

They were silent for a moment.

"Ah have the site staff bringing food to the conference, Robert seems to have things in-hand, and I can get an update from Liz or a staffer if anything needs my attention...You hungry, SaKhan Brian Pryde?" she asked, "Ah know a place off-site, down in the Kosher neighbourhood, best barbecue sandwiches in town, an' the beer is not half bad."

Pryde shot a glance to conference room, where he could still hear the others talking.

"I have not eaten today, and I have yet to try anything local. ilChi Hazen has said the area you speak of is quite good for new foods."

Mai's Deli, Grantsville, Arluna...

Debbie drove, an unusual action for anyone in her position, almost as unusual as her choice of vehicle-few planetary, much less national rulers would use a pickup truck as their personal transport.  Traffic from the Congress to the Deli was light, and it took only a few minutes.

The only flaws in her illusion of normalcy, were the pair of VTOLs and the motorcycle escorts-the nearly invisible nature of her bodyguard detail resolved instantly into visibility-at least, for a trained warrior's eye.  She parallel parked on the street, and they went inside.

"Ah try to be approachable-Commandah Nguyen does not approve 'o thet-says ah'm takin' too many risks with m' safety."  she confided as they went inside.

Brian merely smirked. "I am sure the Commander would feel somewhat better to know that a Trueborn Clan Warrior, especially one of such a rank as mine, is around to ensure nothing befalls you. You are going to have to order for me, Archduchess, as I have no idea what language that is, let alone what any of it means."

"Bianh, số bữa ăn bốn, với bia."  Deb said to the young woman behind the counter, "and we'll be eating it here."
She looked over to Brian, "The language is Kowloon-Viet, but they do understand English here."

  Brian looked at his sandwhich with mild distaste, but attempted to hide if from Debbie. He wasn't about to sabotage what so far had proved to be quick a lucrative friendship for his Clan...

 Brian hesitantly tried the sandwich, to be 'polite' and because even as a fledgeling, he had been drilled to never allow anything to go to waste.
It wasnt' as bad as he'd feared.
"The city seems empty." he said.

"Grantsville is about as full as it has been since '67." Debbie told him, "Before that, well, there were over a million people here.  I think we have the population up to around sixty thousand-not including transients or guests."
She paused... "The smell's almost gone." she added.

"Smell?" Brian asked.

"Used to smell like Carrion everywhere-between mother nature and recovery efforts, we have managed to kill that-or so I'm told, though there are some areas up north and east that people still say stink-there were about two billion eight hundered thousand killed all told-between the plague, and the...issues...afterward."

"I would assume you are referring to riots, and other such civilian unrest following the government breakdown."

"Those contributed, but it was the secondary problems-that much dead meat in the open releases diseases, fouls water supplies, and then there's the ferals-feral dogs are like human beings-they kill for pleasure and they have no fear of man...and they're social.  In the outlying recovered areas we still have problems with feral dog packs, rats, other animals." she said, "The plague itself probably got about a billion and a half-the rest are all secondary-kills from disease, disorder, and animal attacks."

Brian's face twisted slightly in disgust. From the way she spoke of Feral dogs being like feral humans, he assumed she had encountered such pathetic dregs. "They still exist, they have not been eliminated? How are the areas to be considered secure if such remnants of the plague remain."


She dipped a fork into the slaw, and munched some down, before continuing, "I still have teams out looking for survivors and enclaves, but this was a world with over three billion people before the Flu got loose-and even with best tech and some advanced search techniques, it takes time, and manpower-we're short on manpower here-even with the immigrants and outside help.  That is why you do not see civilians walking around un-armed, even in down-town...I hear it is actually WORSE on Australia because the bulk of the population that survived lacked survival skills and relied too much on centralized authority to make their decisions, and then there is what happened on Inarcs..." she sighed,  "Resources to spare, but nobody to exploit them-or at least, not enough somebodies to exploit them, everyone is pulling bodies from the light-hit worlds, but it is a process-first clean up the bodies and get the utilities up, then start re-taming zones...and it takes time an' manpower to do that.  They had fires on Jerangle that took out some of the bigger town-sites and threatened the survivor zones, same with Jessenice-not enough bodies to fight 'em."

Brian took another bite of the sandwhich, less hesitiant this time(it wasn't bad, once you got past the odd flavor of the sauce), and chewed slowly as he thought. "Personally, I would prefer that my warriors be allowed to build their compounds in the less civilized areas. Cities that were hit hard by the flu, especially ones that have survived with their structures intact. It would serve to give them plenty of room for manuvering and trials, especially in the empty cities. I don't mean totally on their own, but there must be cities that're laregly, or mostly abandoned near occupied ones.

Close enough to allow the civilians of the Union to benefit from their presence, but far enough away to allow them freedom for live-fire trials and exercises. Not to mention, that it would likely boost the morale of the populace to see that the Falcon warriors can clean these cities out of the scum that infests them. My warriors are not pest exterminators, and there is no glory in it, but if it makes it easier for your people to accept us as allies, if not friends, then it is worth the usage of resources and time. And unless the SLDF is mounting a surprise deep-strike, or the Adders suddenly remember what it is to be Clan, I doubt they will be  worried about actual combat in the near future."

She set her fork down, "That dovetails with what Ah was going to suggest for your garrison compounds, actually."  she said,  "Back at the office, ah've got some sites mapped out and verified by scout teams as clear of human presence, just need occupants."  she managed a smile, "Ah would not ask your men to move in to areas that were completely insecure, or barrack in builidngs full of corpses."

"There are just some things you do not ask a man to do."

"There are few things that a Clan warrior will cringe from. If he needs to sleep in a bunk with a corpse to accomplish his mission, it will be done, and likly without complaint. However, I do not think it will be nessicary either. The sites my Clan will occupy will be cleared, bodies burned, building leveled, and then rebuilt using Clan specifications, including commuications uplinks to the HPG compound in the planetary capital, which would also house aleast a Binary of mechs. The primary bases will also include a stabalized earth landing pad able to handle dropships upto 10,000 tons."

"Well..." she reached into her pocket and brought out a PADD-this one was a little different from the usual models-the casing was of some dull, yet iridescent metal, and it had a full keypad instead of stylus.  "Elizabeth, display proposed sites for Falcon Garrison positions-tab geoplot and utilities data for browsing, and authorize SaKhan Brian Pryde access to all relevant file data."  she told the device, then handed it over.
The display popped up a small-scale holographic.

"Here you go." she added, "Not as advanced as your gear, but it works-and the plots are as current as we could make them."

Brian looked at the displays, and compared them to his mental recollection of the plots he'd worked out the previous weeks on the jumpship that brought him to Arluna. "These are close to my own deployments. Of course, I will require the sector commander, Galaxy Commander Nadia Binetti, to look over the dispositions with me. If I could have a copy of this file, to take with me to the Falcon Compound, I could have the exact plots decided upon, for your review and authorization, by the end of the week."

"Good.  Ah am going to need to pick a general-staff Liason to work with Galaxy Commander Binetti an' handle coordination for the move-in."  she said, "In the meantime..." she took the PADD back, and clicked out a datachit, "...let see...save to thumbdrive...gotcha." she handed over the chit, "Ah trust you have readers with Star League standard ports, should be everything on there."

Brian merely nodded, and took another bite from his sandwhich(it seemed he was enjoying it more with every bite, although he also seemed slightly offput by said enjoyment). "We will access it without issue. Galaxy Commander Binetti is on planet already, and will likly enjoy the oportunity to exercise her strategic ideas. She has something of a flair for combating Sphereoid combat styles. She defeated quite the host of Lyrans on Baker 3 in our Occupation Zone a few months back."

"Huh...we just got a vet back from that operation." Debbie commented, "Word has it some lừa broke formation and took two RCT's into an ambush-General Mosovich had to scramble to get the rest out of that con chuột- làm tình."

Brian smiled. "The Lyran general responsible for the decimation of those RCTs in on-world aswell. He is the Galaxy Commander's bondsman, and she uses him as a personal servant. His weakness and tactical stupidity allowed many Lyran warriors to their pointless deaths. Many were saved, when it became clear they could not win, or retreat, the smart ones surrendered. Some have tested well enough to join our warrior caste, but many didn't. This Lyran eyas should never have been in command of a Star, let alone the RCTs he led to their doom. I can speak with the Galaxy Commander, if this General Mosovich wishes to confront the bondsman. She will undoubtedly allow the meeting. She has taken to attempting to prove to the stravag that his pride was his downfall, and will likely think it an excellent lesson to have his former subordinate face him."

"Evelyn probably would-just to see the look on his face." Debbie said with a grin, "She spent some time in the body-and-fender getting her lungs reinflated and her face fixed after...well, let us say that some folk just do not appreciate having their asses saved...the 416th mutinied and went to the Rim-Worlds on the trip back from Baker 3."

Brian's eyes hardened. "They what? After she saved those soldiers from Binetti's counter attack, they mutinied, deserted, and attempted to kill her, before running to the Rim Worlds, of all places? What type of dezgra actions are these?"

Debra shrugged, "Apparently, when the General Staff purged people and changed it from the 416th Republican to the 416th Commonwealth Guards, Evelyn tried to keep the experienced officers-it backfired when Daphne and Adam went public, so guys that she put her career on the line to save from the stockade turned on her while the LCAF was in chaos-four marines out of the platoon assigned to the transports managed to get her out before she was turned into a bargaining chip, but that leaves me with a General Officer with a Distinguished Career, and no open slots in the Marines or Army to match her rank and experience.  I think a couple months to a year in a Staff Billet, working Liason with a distinguished ally, would justify keeping her on the rolls until I have a unit for her to take command of."

Debra paused, "Politics..." she shook her head.  "Evelyn has pull on Kowloon-right up there with Chuck Vanh and Liz Ngo-they led a revolt against a corrupt Regent in the fifties, makes her a bloody national hero by default..." she sighed, "She has the ma thuật, the touch."

 Brian: "Staff rolls? Why must the General serve as a liasion officer, even to my Clan, to retain her position on the military rolls? Surely she is able to operate a battlemech still, and even if not, she should be sufficently skilled to hold her rank of General within your armies, quiaff? Sometimes I wonder how many Lyran soldiers actually fight compared to the number that sit behind a desk and sign paperwork..." Brian's ingrained Clan efficency chaffed at the idea of having a warrior who was as solid as Mosovich(he had read the reports of her tacticlly perfect retreat, despite her idiotic superior), sitting behind a desk at the Jade Falcon compound, passing messages.

"If the General is assigned as a Liasion officer, would you have any objections to her being assigned as an officer within a Falcon line unit? I know for a fact that there is atleast one Star Colonel slot open within the Galaxies currently within your borders."

Debbie tapped her plate a moment, "First, is why a staff-job..." Debbie said, "that is budget-Evelyn Mosovich is a Gen'ral, an' Ah do not have a Brigade to giver her-Ah do not want t' drop her grade because she earned those pips the hard way...but Ah canna give 'er someone else's brigade,  it would disrupt too much an' they ah already dealin' with enough disrupting, with the change in ranks and reorganization from separate RCT's answering to a Theatre command to Brigades that are integral to, and managed under, a Divisional command." She paused....

"Plus, Ah do not know how losin' the 416th might have affected her-that kind of mutiny has an impact." She cracked open another beer, "See, They thought they were winning-how would Clannah troops react if they thought they had it in the bag, an' this upstart Star Colonel pulls the plug?" Debbie took a swig from her beer before continuing. "Mosovich knew they were losing, the Admiral on the Naval end could see Binetti's forces had them cold. Plus, there were no follow-on forces on the way with Mount Asgard a radioactive hole."

Brian downed the last of his beer an ordered another- alcohol was alcohol to him, one of his 2 vices. "I suppose I understand your position- you are unsure if her mental state is able to handle the stress of combat, let alone the stress of command."

Debbie sighed, "No, Ah'm worried that SHE might be worried about it-Evvie Mosovich survived having her face burned off on Tamar, losing her husband-to-be, an' almost getting left. She might have doubts, an' then, there is the whole matter of getting her up to speed-she was out of circulation for five months."

Brian merely nodded. Such mental disorders were rare among the Clans, but it did happen. Usually when a particularly skilled warrior faced his first defeat unusually late in their career, and had yet to understand how to cope with the loss of honor that came with a defeat.

"I have an idea that could solve both of our problems, quiaff? The good General retains her rank within your military. She is placed as your Military Liasion to the Jade Falcons, at which point she will be attatched to me, as the head of the Falcon Touman. She will recieve a temporary rank of Star Colonel within the touman for the duration of her position as Liasion Officer, what we sometimes call an ilChi, borrowed from the Blood Spirits. While she will not have actual command of a line unit, as she will be accompanying me, she will eventually find herself on the frontlines, but without any command responsibility. Unless I have need of her, which will only be when I believe she has removed most, if not all, of her fears."


Debbie nursed her beer as she mulled the idea over in her head. "Gives her TDY Time, leaves the Navy Department time to put together a proper Brigade command, or open a slot for a Division once we have the Third Division up an' running, plus valuable time handlin' co-op duty with allied forces, an' we can see if she has her mojo."

Brian nodded at her analysis. "In this way, we open a diolouge between our respective militaries; I gain valuable insight into Sphereoid tactics, and you get a Clan evaluation of her combat efficency, and believe me, she will not see combat if she does not qualify to atleast Mechwarrior status within the Touman, despite her rank."

Debbie nodded.  "Works good for me-Ah have not seen her yet since she spent time in the hospital an' come back-word has it they fixed the botched reconstructive surgery on her face.  Dao says she actually looks HUMAN again-so Ah will probl'y want t' know if she is actually fit-to-fight before she gets another line command anyhow...Hey, Ah have an idea-How 'bout we go visit the Coast Guard barracks where she is stayin'-they have her in a BOQ, an' as a flag-rank officer, Ah need t'see her anyway..."

Deb grinned impishly, "B'sides, a surprise inspection with a VIP should give the REMFs in-garrison fits."

Brian nodded. "I will inform Galaxy Commander Binetti to meet us there with a point of my Elementals, and her bondsman. She and the General should meet, as they will be working closely together while I am here in the Union. And It would likly cause your men additional discomfort to see that they are being compared against Clan warriors... Perhaps it will instill some pride, to know that foreginers are showing them up on their home soil. A Clan unit that suffered such dishonor would likly be drilled and Trialed into the ground untill dead, or improvements were made"

"Ah think Ah had too much beer t'drive..." Deb said, and keyed the PADD.

"Commandah, Get me a drivah an' that stupid damn official staff-car down heah...we ah goin' to visit Gen'ral Mosovich in the BOQ at Camp Puller."

"Ah, Aye-Aye, Ma'am." was the audible reply.

"An' Get someone drivin' that truck of mine back home-Sissons if you can fahnd him."  she added.

"Aye Aye." was the reply.

Deb looked to Brian, "Ah do not drive when Ah'm Buzzed-it would be a bad example." she said ruefully.

Brian chuckled as he drained the last of his 2nd beer. "It does not take much to 'buzz' you, does it Archduchess? I still hold the record in the Gamma Galaxy, for most Fusionnaries downed in an hour without blacking out. It is a number that I do not remember, unless looking at the Galaxy's 'unoffical' records." Brian smiled at the thought of his first posting. It had been quite the jubilant crowd, during the invasion years.

"Ah'm a Lightweight with the fruit of the fields, Suh." Debbie replied, "Between work an' work...an' more work, Ah don' get t' party much...not that Ah evah did."

"It is a part of my past, but a fond part. It certainly falls short of the thrill of the battlefields." As the two stood, Debbie caught the saKhan's eyes flash over her body, and quickly surmised that aside from booze and battlemechs, women were likly the last peice of his trifecta of interests.

She blushed involuntarily, and with her pale complexion, even sun-burned as it was, she had zero hope of hiding it. "Work first." she said, and it sounded like the tired refrain of someone who ALWAYS put work first.

Brian fixed her with a slightly worried look. "If I might ask a personal question? What exactly does the Archduchess of the Union do to relax from the stress of leading her people?"

"If ah do mah job raht, OTHAH people get to go on with theah lives, have fun, relax..." Deb said quietly, "Ah got this job because Ah stepped up to handle it an' took positive action-ah guess y'all could say when Ah did that, ah gave up mah right to...relax. She added, "Duty is the Mountain, Death is a feather."

Brian stepped infront of her, blocker her path for a moment, and waited untill she looked up at him before speaking.

"I have seen many who believe as you just said, many of them believe it so deeply that they would rather work than eat, or sleep. The majority of them are worn out husks by 26, far younger than what even the Clans consider 'old'. Some actually get themselves killed. I once knew a young warrior, Star Commander James. He was an excellent mechwarrior, the top of his sibko, top of the entire year of cadets that graduated from Ironhold that year.

After 3 years, his insatiable work ethic saw him sleeping less than 4 hours a night, and constantly in the gym working his body harder and harder, and when he was not doing this, he was in the simulators, honing his skills.

He was among the best ristars of his brief career. He died, 4 years after he passed his Trial. He was so exhausted, so over-worked, so wound up, that on a drop through a hostile landing, he had a heart attack and died in his mech, before ever firing a shot.

Brian held Debbie's gaze as he spoke. "Those who do not know how to balance work with their own life are doomed to fail at the first, and lose the second. A good leader knows how to get everything done. A great leader knows how to pick people to get it done in their absence. You have a staff- you should utilize them. Take a night or two off, do not look at military briefs, intelligence reports, or even hear the words of a single political opinion. Go see a holovid. Have a few drinks at your home. Something, anything but work yourself into a 60 year old woman by age 25"

Deb sighed, "Ah do read." she said, "Classics, books-but everything Ah do, sooner or later, falls into working again-an' Ah do delegate, jes...Ah mentioned our shortage of people...theah's another reason why..." she nodded to the door, "we should step outside-surprisin'ly, people tend t' mind their own business more on the street, than they do in-doors."

Brian looked around swiftly, and any who had been watching the exchange, quickly averted their gaze before the peircing blue eyes of the Clan saKhan bored into them. Brian turned on his heel and led Debbie outside to the waiting staff car. Once inside, he broached the subject again.

"Obviously from the way you say that, I am not the first to sugest that you take more time for yourself. Manpower might be an issue that the UIW suffers from, but the Clans certinly don't. I have a proposition. You have many cities nearly empty, and a massive population shortage, meaning a manpower shortage. I can put a request to the Khan to allow lower caste, laborers and technicians and scientists, to take up residence on UIW worlds around the Clan enclaves. However, to justify such a population movement, it would require the right to create facilities on every world the UIW owns. However, you would benefit greatly from the population influx."

"In the short term to assist you- as I am perfectly capable of negotiating on behalf of the Clan, and Archon Robert is likewise a diplomat far above my capabilities, ilChi Hazen is largely a functionary at this point- a wasteful use of her skills and capabilities. I will assign her to your personal staff immediatly. She will be worth 5 of any of your current advisors or staff."

Debbie considered the saKhan's offer. "The manpower issue is only part of the problem." she said, "Ah'm one-of-a-thousand, that is what we call it-Ah survived the infection, I recovered..."  "But..."  she sighed, "Commandah Nguyen is cleared for this, so are the rest of the detail-Ah do not know if I am one-in-ten-thousand-about ten percent of Plague survivors have...other damage-we first started tracking it about six months ago.  Ah know Ah should get checked for cysts, but..." Her tone reflected real fear, "What if it happens to ME?  Ah have to get as much done as Ah can, just in case Ah can't...later."

Brian didn't seem to understand. "Cysts? What kind of damage are you talking about exactly?"

"There have been some incidents-an' they found cysts in some people's brains-people who survived the Flu an' recovered, then went nuts later." Debra told him, "First it showed up in coroner's reports after a rash of suicides, later, they checked some people who...acted out, Violently, seems the virus leaves a present behind in a few cases-depression, psychosis, it is like a time-bomb in your head, but you do not know when it will go off, or why, or how, just that it will be BAD-I had some coroner's people look over a few...well, Ferals.  People who turned dangerous.  Same problem in a bunch of them, the working hypothesis is that about ten percent of plague survivors are carrying these things in their brain-tissue.  That is still millions of people, an' we do not know if it is even operable or detectable pre-mortem...Ah survived getting sick, therefore, I am at risk of still BEIN' Sick-just no idea when or where or how it might happen, only that I have one in ten chance that to-morrow, I will not be...me."

The vehicle turned northbound on the broad, six-lane freeway, and accellerated. "I have no idea if I might go mad, or stupid, or start cryin' and  can't stop, or blind..." Debbie became quiet, her voice trailing off...

Understanding that she was feeling quite upset, but yet not understanding exactly what she was going through, Brian was at something of an impasse. He shifted closer to her on the seat, and laid a gentle hand on her shoulder. "I think that you are perfectly healthy. No cyst will materialize to bring you low, not after what you have done for your people. You are among the most noble of the leaders I have encountered or read of in the Sphere: most are concerned with expanding their power, or settling old grudges, not the betterment of their people. It is the duty of the strong to protect the weak." Brian was unsure if this would comfort her or not, be it was all he could come up with under the off circumstance.

He made a mental note to have Hazen send a HPG message to Sudeten, requesting a Scientist-team of doctors, especially brain doctors. Debbie was decidedly Pro-Clan, and if nothing else, the Falcons couldn't risk losing that ally within the UIW. Brian resolved that if it was possible to perdict, or even remove, he would see that the Clan's doctors got it done.

Debbie was still quiet when she spoke up again, "It scares me like nothin' else, Ah have billions of people on over a dozen worlds who rely on me to make decisions, to address their wrongs, and settle their disputes.  Ah am terrified of the risk that Ah might lose it, at the wrong time...Ah've tried to put in mechanisms to cover that-makin' sure that mah term is limited, that there is a means to transfer power without a civil war, but these folks, lots of them grew up in very feudal orders-they are not really ready to take on the responsibilities-and they NEED to be...so I work, and I work some more, an' Ah hope that maybe ah can last long enough that when ah fail, they won't be put into chaos. And Ah thank you for the compliment." she added.

The car slowed at a gated area, and a faint smell of river-water and wet sand filtered in.

"Fear is healthy. Only the insane or the hopeless feel no fear. Even Clan warriors feel it, though we are indoctrinated since the sibko to ignore it, deny it any purchase in our minds. However, I believe you have made great strides, considering what you have accomplished in such a short time, despite what appears to be weighing so heavily upon your mind. However, I have no wish to see you fall prey to that fate. I will have ilChi Hazen dispatch a priority message to Sudeten, requisitioning a full medical trauma/surgery team, and a fully functional operating theatre. Also, the head medical scientist on Sudeten in the field of Neurology, and Neruosurgery. Not only do I have no wish to see a friend of the Clan befall such a fate..." Brian's face softened slightly," I personally have no wish to see any such thing happen to you.

Through another gate, a hover truck was waved through, sporting the Jade Falcon, a sword grasped in it's flashing talons. The Phi Galaxy symbol was also emblazoned on the side of the car.

The driver stepped out, and opened the door on Brian's side of the vehicle, "Sir, Ma'am, we have arrived at Camp Puller."   Brian could see him clearly now-young, except for the eyes, which seemed to carry an echo of war as seen from the mud and dirt, up close with no filters.

"Pol, why in hell were you driving instead of Corporal Days?" Debbie asked.  The young man's asian eyes briefly twinkled, "well, Your Grace was...busy enough that Your Grace did leave her Personally-Owned-Vehicle in a tow-away zone, Daisy drove it back to Your Grace's personal residence."  he said with what could only be termed 'excessive' formality.  "Besides, these limos, they have the sweetest ride..." he added, "I felt that I deserved a little fun with all the creative ways your grace finds to make the job of guarding your grace's backside a royal pain in my own-being as your itinerary requires your grace to remain away from her personal residence, with the truck at your farm, you will HAVE to not dodge your protective detail."

Brian merely smiled as Debbie tried once more(again, unsuccessfully) to get out of the oppressive guard detail that surrounded her. Brian was watching as the warriors of Phi Galaxy stepped from the hover truck: a tall, slender woman wearing a simply green jumpsuit was most definetly Galaxy commander Nadia Binetti. Behind her, was a shadow of a man, wearing metallic grey fatigues, with a black armband stiched around both biceps. He trudged along after her, keeping his eyes firmly planted on the groud, looking up just far enough as not to walk into Nadia or anyone else. The tall, musclar group behind the bondsman were obviously Clan elementals. They stood head and shoulders over Nadia, and moved with a fluid grace that could only be attained when one was no longer encumbered by customary battlearmor. 10 had arrived, though Brian saw why: Nadia had brought 5 of her warriors, aswell as 5 of Brian's personal retinue.

Brian turned back to Debbie. "Archduchess, is General Mosovich inside already? I think we shall make quite the specatcle, but I wonder if we should do this inside the barracks, for shock value, or out here?"

Debbie shot Commander Pol Nguyen a sharp glance, and answered the SaKhan, "We should check in with the charge-quarters, ain't that right, Commander?" she bounced the last bit off Nguyen, who shrugged, "Major Hidalgo already knows you and the VIP's are here to see General Mosovich..." he said, "I radio'ed ahead-she is on the Bravo range-which can not be reached by car, I believe Galaxy Commander Binetti's staff already know that we have a Karnov in-bound to carry everyone up there-should be here momentarily..."

Two H-7's and a Karnov crested the hill, the gunships circled as the slick
landed on the grass beside the barracks-building.

"Who is flying?" Deb asked.

"AS IF! KURANOV! I WOULD NOT TRUST THE JOB TO SOMEONE ELSE!!" Nguyen replied, having to shout over the sound of the rotors.

Brian, GalCom Binetti,the bondsman, and the Elementals allowed Debbie to settle herself into the chopper before taking up positions around her, making sure that she was shieleded by a Clan body at every angle. Brian's angle just happened to put him sitting next to her, on her left side.

Debbie nodded to the chopper's 'chief', who went along and checked everyone's harnesses, handing out headsets as he went.  The crew-chief wore a brown jumpsuit and black helmet, with "Jumpmaster" wings.  "Welcome aboard, the internal comms should be set to channel six, channel eight is the flight crew, sixteen is the ATC, weather conditions on Bravo range are clear and sunny with highs of twenty degrees celsius.  Those of you unfamiliar with the Karnov will note the large drop-ramp and clamshell door aft-that is your emergency egress, your harnesses are for your safety, Bravo Range is a manuever range and live-fire area, therefore we will be conducting a tactical insertion route-even though the range is technically closed.  under the seats, you will find barf-bags if you need them, please do not spew in my aircraft outside the bag, as most of you are already prior service, that concludes our safety brief."

The chopper lifted hard, and for the next fifteen minutes, it manuevered like a roller-coaster.

Deb looked to Brian, "Kuranov is an instructor pilot, probably the best chopper-jockey we have." she said,  "We'ah flyin' in nap-of-the-earth 'cause Camp Puller is a training base..."

Eventually, the ride smoothed out, just in time for the landing gear to deploy and the helo to settle to earth.  "We ah heah." Deb said, as the clamshells opened and the ramp dropped.

"Everyone got your sidearm?" Deb asked.

Brian pulled out a clan pulse laser pistol from a shoulder rig, while many of the elementals had similar weapons. Nadia Binetti had a gyrojet pistol she had acquried during a boarding action some years ago, when her jumpship was boarded by the enemy during a batchall process

The Elementals deployed first, moving swiftly and with confidence to secure the LZ, the way that they had learned some time ago at Ironhold.  The surprise was that the Archduchess' marines were already deployed in the tree-line, and positioned facing outward.  (the surprise being that, initially, they were nearly invisible-a rarity for Inner Sphere troops to manage in the presence of Clan Warriors-at least, in the experience of the veteran troops from Phi Galaxy and the SaKhan's personal detail.)

"Nobody puked?" came a voice, and the pilot stepped out of a side-door at the nose of the aircraft. Deb shook her head, "No, Leutenant Kuranov, everyone kept Lunch down." she said. "Darn." the pilot took her helmet off, revealing a nordic face framed with blonde, blunt-cut hair. "The General's over by the stream." Kuranov added, "Fishing."

Brian nodded and without even a hand signal or a word, the Elementals split into front/back deltas, with the saKhan, Debbie Mac, Nadia, and the bondsman in the middle. The hike to the Stream took several minutes, and the area was...beautiful, almost idyllic, an old-growth hardwood forest with light ground cover, fresh mountain air, and a peculiarly soothing feeling.

They reached a campsite almost by accident-the firepit was sheltered in stones and set up to make little smoke, the 'tent' was a poncho-hooch over a hammock, camouflaged with local materials, and a strking woman with long, black hair, was cleaning fish with a small knife.  she looked up, and looked...well...not like the most current Watch holos in her file.

"General Mosovich?" Deb asked.

"That's me." the voice was still cracked, much older than the face that spoke.  "Unless I slept through the LIC briefings..." she stood up, "YOU are SaKhan Brian Pryde, Clan Jade Falcon, and..." she looked thoughtful, "Nadia Binetti, Galaxy Commander, Phi Galaxy, looks like you picked up a duelling scar?"

Commander Nguyen looked more surprised than Debbie did, "your...face?" he was visibly stunned.

"Seems Danny Russell had some pocket change and knew a good plastic surgeon." Mosovich said, "They based it on my file holos from almost twenty years ago."

She grimaced, "Still feels funny-having feeling in my face again."

Galaxy Commander Binetti grinned at Mosovich.
"Well met again, General. It seems you came out from Baker 3 better than me." She indicated the scar, only slightly marring the beautiful face(she actually got more requests for coupling now than she did before. Perhaps the war scar was a turn on for the Clan warriors). However, both women glanced at the man trudging up the path behind the Galaxy Commander. When his eyes met the General's, they widened considerablly, and white-hot fire surged through them. However, an equally searing glare from Nadia quenched the fire in the bondsman. He was no longer a General in the Lyran Alliance- he was merely a servant, forever in service to the Clan warrior who'd defeated him, and 2 whole RCTs with little more than a half-strength Galaxy.

Brian merely watched the exchange, distantly amused.

Nadia shifted her gaze from the fallen Lyran General, back to Mosovich.
"I believe that you two were acquainted before we met in battle. As I understand it, you are the reason he only managed to get 2 RCTs killed instead of perhaps 4 or 5. He is my bondsman now, but seeing as how he is in this state, to suffer through the rest of his life, with nothing but his shame at his defeat, his humiliation for the way he led all those brave warriors to their pointless deaths. If you believe your words or actions can increase his punishment, I think perhaps you could borrow him for a time. It would serve as an excellent reminder of his shame to know that that despite being the superior ranking officer, he was by far the inferior commander."

Evelyn looked at former General Liddel, and asked, "What did you do, castrate him?"  and Liddel just stared at her, mouth slightly agape-when last they met, Evelyn Mosovich had a face that resembled a skinned and shredded cadaver, lipless and horrifying.  The nineteen-year-old with the clear complexion had been a faint memory lost on Tamar during the first Clan invasion.

He could not believe it was the same person.

Nadia smirked. "Of course not, we are not barbarians. It took time, but he eventually learned his place in society."  She stared almost as much as Liddel-for decidedly different reasons.  Sizing me up? nice.  Evelyn noted the Clan warrior's posture and movements, noting the position and placement of the other Clanners (and the Marines) in the clearing.

Evelyn turned momentarily her gaze to Liddel again, observing his posture, his apparent shock, and the way the man seemed 'out of it',
she sighed, and shook her head, "You have crushed his only redeeming quality-the Liddel I remembered may have been a moron, but he was a fighter, and the LCAF never had enough of those."  she paused, adding,  "Even when it was the AFFC."

Nadia's smirk turned decidedly less 'smirky', "It might please you to know that he fought quite a bit after his capture. He was steadfast in his refusal to do as instructed. In that, he earned a small measure of respect. However, he made the mistake of insulting a particularly strong Elemental at one point, and after having several broken bones and a 2 weeks in the hospital, much of the fight was gone from him. It still arises now and again, but for the most part, he does not fight his fate anymore. A pity really."

I'll bet. Evelyn thought, looking at how Liddel seemed to be 'measuring' distances, counting heads...at least you got smart enough to PLAYACT being broken. she thought, out loud, with a scornful look at Liddel, she dismissed his presence, and gestured for the others to join her by the fire.  "Archduchess, SaKhan, and Star Colonel, have a beer, and will someone tell me why you-all felt the need to come up here in the middle of the week?"  she nodded to SaKhan Brian Pryde, "Not exactly dressed for fishing, and the range doesn't open for the next class of marines until next week."

Hotel site, Bravo Range, Camp Puller, Early evening...

Debbie Mac wasn't buzzed anymore, she perched herself on the half-overgrown hood of a car that had been abandoned here two years ago, indian-style.

"General-er, yeah, General..." she began, "Yo' a hero on Kowloon, one of my most experienced officahs, an..." she looked at the ground, "Ah cain' give ya a command commensurate with your rank."  she said. 

Mosovich blinked.  In spite of the extensive surgeries, she still lacked some expression.  "Nice way to say you don't trust my mental state, Archduchess." she said, "AND nice way to say you don't trust my leadership abilities after the mutiny."

Deb looked uncomfortable.  "I didn't want t' say it." she admitted, "Ah wa'n't shoah how y'all would react."

Evelyn nodded.  "Not the first time I have had to deal with that, Your Grace." she said, "They didn't want to bring me back after Tamar, either-I only got re-called back to active duty after the Rowe Conspiracy was uncovered, and they didn't have anyone with flag experience or equivalent to take the 416th."  she said, "Fact is, I would probably have stayed on the disabled list if Liz hadn't gotten them to waiver me...so, am I resigning for medical reasons, or for the good of the service?" she asked.

"Neithah." Debra said, "Unless y'all can't handle it ah NEED a senior officer for a sensitive post-an' believe it, it's a damn tetchy one... an' when you're done with the tour, we SHOULD have a Brigade ready fo' you to command-eithah in third or fourth division."

"Fourth division's not even got staff forming." Evelyn reminded her, "And we don't have gear for most of third."

"Ah know-Ah need you to work with our allies...they call it an 'ilChi', we call it 'Liason Officer', they'll be 'valuating you an' rating you on their standards, so it ain' no walk in the pahk...but you are senior enough to actually fill the role, an' at least ONE Galaxy Commandah thinks highly of you-which Ah can't get for any other likely candidate 'cept Commander Nguyen, who's going to be running a...different...mission on behalf of the nation, connected to our relations with the Clans in a few months."

"And you do not want me rotting in a Rear-Echelon job or on civilian reserve while you're...what, scrambling and dealing for equipment?" Mosovich asked.

"Exactly." Debra said, "They can keep you from gettin' rusty, at least until Ah have a Brigade to give you."