Union of Independent Worlds Faction RP thread

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Cannonshop]

Deb's office, 22 February, 3070...

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.

[Marlin]

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.

[Daemonknight]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Daemonknight]

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.

[Daemonknight]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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.

[Marlin]

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.

[Daemonknight]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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."

[NVA]

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."

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Marlin]

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.