Union of Independent Worlds Faction RP thread

[GraeGor]

[ooc: sorry, didnt look that closely at genders]

[Cannonshop]

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.

[Daemonknight]

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.

[chaosxtreme]

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.

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.

[Marlin]

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?

[Daemonknight]

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.

[chaosxtreme]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Daemonknight]

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."

[Cannonshop]

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...

[Cannonshop]

 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."

[Daemonknight]

 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..."

[Daemonknight]

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."

[Cannonshop]

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."