Union of Independent Worlds Faction RP thread

[Cannonshop]

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..."

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.

[Marlin]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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."]

[Marlin]

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.

[Cannonshop]

"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."

'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.

[Marlin]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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.

[Marlin]

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?"

[Cannonshop]

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."

[Marlin]

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.

[Cannonshop]

"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."

[Marlin]

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."

[Marlin]

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.

[Cannonshop]

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?"

[Marlin]

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."