Union of Independent Worlds Faction RP thread

[Daemonknight]

House of Congress, Grantsville, 0843 Hours

Star Captain Alexis Hazen entered the government building, and made her way to the Arch-Duchess' office. The receptionist waved her in with a smile, which Alexis returned. There are some cute ones here, if nothing else. She placed her personal appetites on the back-burner as she entered the Arch-Duchess' office(not bad herself, now that I think of it). She smiled as warmly as she could, although it might have come across slightly predatory.

"Greetings Arch-Duchess. I trust that my warning about the warships arrived in time to keep your Coast Guard from to bad of a scare? That is in fact the battle group heading to deal with our Scorpion problem. Now, you have invited me here, so I would hear first of what business you would like to do with Clan Jade Falcon? Or is there something for the ilKhan herself?"

[Cannonshop]

"Well..." Deb stood up, "I was hoping that the private business you mentioned earlier could be handled now." she said, "I understand your visit has more to do with an errand for the ilKhan than it does just a trade and communications deal between the Jade Falcon clan and the UIW..."  she pushed the papers into the 'out' box, and sat on the desk.  "So, what does the ilKhan want from me is the question."

Seated like this, this close, Alexis could see details that had been less prominent in Debra's sitting-room, including the beginnings of fine gray hairs in what should, based on the girl's age, have been a lustrous dark, reddish brown, and the beginnings of age-lines and frown lines on her face...

But mostly, there were the eyes-like faded green beads, hard eyes of a Veteran, one whom has looked into dark places and seen sights that scar the soul forever. 

[Daemonknight]

"Pol Nguyen. He is the officer that defeated the Star Adders on Kwanchowwang, quiaff? The ilKhan is aware that a group of infantrymen, Coast Guard Marines infact, defeated a Star of Clan Star Adder forces, and forced the Adders to bring overwhealming force down to capture the planet...a whole Cluster if I remember correctly. The ilKhan, being freeborn, has few qualms about the specifics of a warrior's birth or status. She is much more interested in their spirit and results.

She has instructed me to challenge the Union to a Trial of Possession for Pol Nguyen and the remainder of his unit. They will become abtakha in Clan Jade Falcon, but will in essence become ilKhan Pryde's bodyguard coterie. I understand that few of those warriors survived the battle, so the ilKhan would settle for the cream of the Marine crop, chosen by Pol Nguyen himself.

The ilKhan is aware of the power of symbols, and believes that taking Inner Sphere warriors as bodyguards will show that the Clans and Inner Sphere are pefectly capable of meshing together, if the oportunity is given."

[Cannonshop]

"Ghurkas."  Debra said, "You are looking to recruit Ghurkas."  she reached over to a shelf next to her desk and pulled down a book, and set it on the desk next to her.

"These are citizens, Star Captain, not Serfs, if they go to work for your ilKhan, it has to be their choice."  she said, "I can give them permission to Trial for the job you are offering, but I do not have the right to order them into it, and when they are too old?"

The book was a compilation of The Rememberance-noted on the cover were three sources-two of which are no longer Clans at all.

"Be aware, one of my terms for that, is that they have to volunteer, and second is that they retain the right to return when your Clan is through with 'em."  she said, "I can not budge on those conditions, I can only give them Permission to volunteer for this duty you offer-they must choose to join you-if you try to conscript them, you will need guards to watch the guards."

she thumbed the book idly, "Now, mind you, I am inclined to GIVE that permission, but you will have to make your case to the men you want to recruit."

[Daemonknight]

"Are these men not warriors? Do warriors not do what is ordered of them? Many within the Clans would consider it an honor to be granted the right to serve in a prestigious Cluster or Galaxy, let alone the ilKhan's own Keshik. To even extend that to a Sphereoid is quite beyond any sense of tradition that I am aware of. However, as ilKhan, it is her right, in Clan law.

However, I suppose I am able to see your side. You are not Clan, so I cannot expect you to understand. And reading a book, especially The Remembrance, does not mean you understand it. You have to live it, something that is not possible in the Inner Sphere in my opinion. I am sure we could discuss the subject of life within the Clans another time though. I will not be able to accomodate your second condition. Once a warrior within the Clan, it is not possible to simply leave. You die a warrior, or live long enough to be solahma, which is far from an honorable fate. I can ensure that all warriors who volunteer are aware that only those who live to become solahma will be allowed to return to the Union, but that is as close as I can come to your demand.

Any who participate must agree, for once they are abtakha, they are not only members of Clan Jade Falcon, but of the Warrior Caste. They will be of the most honored in our society, held back only by dint of birth. Such prejudices are fading, but only slightly, however they will seldom interact with Clan warriors off the battlefield, and are less likly to experiance it. However, how many of your warriors can say they were given a chance to fight alongside the best warriors in the Inner Sphere? I think more will volunteer than you might think, if they are truly the warriors the ilKhan believes them to be.

What say you, Arch-Duchess? Are the terms of the Trial acceptable to you?"

[Cannonshop]

"This..." she held up the book, "Is not the Rememberance-that..." she gestured at the bookshelf, "Is the entire lower two rows over there-export volumes from the Wolves, the Nova Cats when they were aligned with the Inner Sphere, an' market copies sold by the Diamond-Sharks to anyone who would pay-it so happens that the LIC did, an' I managed to get one of their copies."  She sighed, "Find out what someone thinks of himself-what he believes is normal, moral, and right, an' it makes it easier to avoid making the same mistakes the arrogant make-not perfect, just easier."  She set her book down, "THIS is the war-journal of Tranh Truk Ngo, from the Kowloon Uprising of 2769 to the Liberation of Terra in 2782.  Ah am reflecting how similar your offer is to the one Kerensky offered the Kowloonese...and where the differences are."

She grimaced, "Ah am also noticin' thet you think Ah have the habits of a-" she wrinkled her nose in disgust, "-Great House Noble.  I insisted on limitations to mah own powah, Stah Captain, ah have seen what happens when theah is a weak rulah wi' absolute authoritah-Peter was a nice fella, but he was utterly un-fit to govern, an' theah was no means t' keep his mistakes from crackin' the Commonwealth like an egg in the pan-if the Union is to suhvahve past Mah lifetime, it is only because Ah have made it so that it can not be broken bah th' foolishness of a single individual gettin' into this job-the men will do what they are ordered, but there are orders Ah may not give.  Ah can not, fo' instance, tell the men thet they may not return home, or trade them-no matter the benefit, without their express consent-I can tell a man to die, I can not tell him to live for someone else-but I can permit him to do so on his own hook, I can allow it, I can endorse it, but in the end, it must be by his choice-it is a small diff'rence but tellin' how significant those details are."

She reached down, and toggled a switch, "Gloria!"

"Yes Your Grace?" came over the com.

"Send Leutenant Commandah Nguyen in, the Stah Captain wishes t' make him an offah."  Deb said, "Tell him ah would be most appreciative that he listens to it with an open mahnd."

"Yes Ma'am."  the connection shut off.

Deb turned to the Star Captain, "Ah assume, you will want th' best, Pol an' his kahnd, they want t'be the best, so the challenges have to be hahd, they will want to win theah spot..."

The door opened, and Pol Nguyen walked in as she was speaking.

"Second place is the first loser." he added, "What am I supposed to win now, Your Grace?"

Deb gestured to the Jade Falcon ilChi, "Star Captain Hazen has an offer for you, a new assignment, could be very long term, and prestigious."  she said, "Could also help the Union more than buying another warship, or a factory, or raising another regiment.  You want t' listen carefully to her offer."

[Daemonknight]

Star Captain Hazen rose and turned to face the Lieutenant Commander.

"Lieutenant Commander Pol Nguyen, I am Star Captain Alexis Hazen, ilChi from Clan Jade Falcon, and emissary of ilKhan Diana Pryde. The ilKhan is aware of your victory over the Star Adders on Kwanchowwang. I will come straight to the point. The ilKhan has charged me with the issuance of a Trial of Possession for you and your fellow Marines from that battle, and any others you deem of equal skill and spirit, to serve as abtakha in Clan Jade Falcon, and become members of the ilKhan's own Keshik. In the Inner Sphere, you might call a Keshik an Honor Guard: you and your men would be personally responsible for the safety of ilKhan Diana Pryde, untill you are physiclly unable.

The Arch-Duchess has told me that one condition must be that the men be allowed to return home. As this would be against the Clan way, the best I can offer is that all men who are to be subjected to the Trial's outcome volunteer, after being made perfectly aware that they have no control over their ability to leave once they enter the Trial. If they are taken as abtakha, they are members of the Warrior Caste of Clan Jade Falcon, and would be the first time that a Clan offers such status on a large scale. They would not be permitted to leave unless deemed Solahma. Those who wished to retain their status as Clan warriors could potentially be found other positions, such as Falconers. Infact, ilKhan Pryde has sent along one of her own Falconers from her past, to oversee and ensure only the best make it. Her name is Johanna.

What do you say, Lieutenant Commander?"

[Cannonshop]

Pol looked thoughtful for a moment, "There are guys who would throw the fight." he said, "You want the best...how about this-treat the trial as an intake test-The best ones keep the right to return, that means the ones that win can come home when they are too worn out, badly hurt, or old to keep up.  The losers have to give up their citizenship-and only the TOP losers-the best performers in the trial who did NOT win." he said, "I learned one thing guarding Her Grace-bodyguard detail is too important to take chances that you are getting second-stringers or second best, and this is for someone whose likely assassins are, by definition, the best they can send."  He picked up the book.  "You know anything about the war against Amaris the Tyrant?" he asked, holding it so that Hazen could see the cover, "I had ancestors in the original 171st, working with the Nine-Oh Heavies, they liberated Elbar, fought the Rimjobs in Israel and Southeast Asia, and racked up victories against enemies who had them out-massed and out-teched-and when the war against the Tyrant was finally over, they returned home...that was BEFORE Kerensky made the call for Exodus.  I am given to understand General Kerensky was glad to see the backs of them...something about being too brutal to Rimjob POW's."

He placed the book on the table before Star Captain Hazen, "THAT is first-hand accounts from that time.  You make it a call for volunteers, I will sort the best of those, then you run the trials-the best volunteers will win, it is what we DO.  Second best will still give a good fight, but mission-comes-first, and the mission you outline requires the best-if not in all positions, in leadership at the minimum.  That, in turn, means you want the winners of the trial-so there has to be a 'motivator', I did not join the Marines because my family was poor-I could have joined the LCAF for the pay instead-and neither did my men.  We joined because we uphold a tradition and set an example for our people."

He sat down, "There is a guy I knew-a Marine who was at Somerset with the fleet there-nice guy, Lan Nghien, made Sargeant, he joined the Star Adders after they won there...his family disowned him for surrendering, you won't get the best recruits if they can't come home, especially for a protection detail or an honour guard mission." He said, "and quality counts-I won't have my people embarassing their kin by failing with all eyes on them."

[Daemonknight]

Star Captain Hazen smiled.

"Well bargained and done, Lieutenant Commander. I will inform the ilKhan. The trials shall be done as you say, and you will have oversight on those who are to be selected to the duty, to ensure the proper motivation and quality that you speak so highly of. I will also be informing Khan Sonoma, as if these men prove their skills, when are worn out and no longer wish to fight, perhaps there will still be a place for them within the Clan, even if they return home. We are building the shipyards around Kowloon after all, and I have been informed that a special school of naval warfare is planned aswell, to include several Solahma Clan naval officers as its Falconer Commanders. Perhaps those that win their ToPs will also be granted the right to choose the life of a Falconer, once they are finished on the frontlines, training Kowloonese and Clan marines, quiaff?"

[Cannonshop]

Hue City, Union of Independent Worlds...

"...do you have ANY help coming, Merchant Factor?"  Charles Vanh was meeting with the Wolf administrator of the Canid Creations factory in Hue-in his official capacity as Speaker of the Assembly, "The Government on Arluna is inclined to let the damn Clans stomp you flat and take the facility-and your people, bondsman.  I assume you don't want that, but my hands are tied."

"We might...there was a rumour that with Marco Hall as the Commanding General, we would be getting SLDF flagged reinforcement." the Factor said.

"They'd better hurry the fuck up, then." Vanh said, "I got a telex from the Capital, Her Grace just signed a major trade deal with the Jade Falcons-they're goign to be restoring the old pre-Amaris-crisis shipyards over Boojum, and opening outside-the-border communications by taking over the HPG contract-that could screw you and your people over-if you have friends on the way, they had better get their asses in gear-that deal just bought the rep from Boojum's support-it's a big deal out there, good for the economy..."

"I know, I know." the Factor said, "What is the general mein down here? I have not been out of the complex much."

"People around here like your folks well enough, Factor, they don't like the idea that Little Debbie is going to treat this as an internal matter between Clans-but it's not enough 'like' to stage a revolt over-that Yard's going to generate a lot of jobs, and having interstellar Comms again will generate more-we're in a deep recession, I have too many people out of work-people vote their wallet before they vote their conscience."  He sighed, "I might be able to hide some of your folks in the population if it comes to it, and filter them back across the border, or just hide your workers and security guys in the population with ident cards indicating citizenship..."

[Cannonshop]

Queensland City, Australia, Union of Independent Worlds...

"Jesse, look!"  Sarah carried the newsprint over, "They liberated Millerton-looks like the Albion gave the Clanners a good what-for."

Jesse looked at the paper.  "No...see here? The Albion trialled for it-that means they fought what adds up to a formal duel-like a big Solaris fight, but see here-the Archduchess signed a major economic and trade agreement with another Clan, they're..." he stopped, and re-read it.  "Bloody hell...I wonder how that nice Adept over at the HPG is taking this news?"

"what news-let me see!" Sarah pressed, tugging at the paper.

"looks like Her Grace isn't going to renew the HPG contract with the Word of Blake, she's signed a contract with FalconCom instead..."

[Daemonknight]

Kowloon, Union of Independant Worlds
Zenith Jump Point

Star Admiral Folkner walked to the HPG station on the bridge of the Jade Aerie.

"Lets make this quick, we have a mission to attend to."
"Recording Star Admiral."

"Attention Canid Creations, this is Star Admiral Johann Folkner of Clan Jade Falcon. I am here to issue a batchall for the Clan Wolf facilities here, with what forces can you deny my claim?"

"Message packet away Star Admiral. 4 hour travel time, assume 9-10 hours for a response of some kind. Well within our window before we need to make the next jump."

[Marlin]

Arluna
House of Congress


Ezra was waiting outside for too long, as he thought. And despite that, his schedule was too full. He could not talk to Charlotte again, who somehow was annoyed about him and he had wanted to talk to Miranda a bit more, which would not happen as the route to her land was too far.

At least his new residence was adequate. This was an understatement. It was huge. A Trinary of Mechs and perhaps a Star of Elementals could find their place there.

His own suite was far too big for him to be comfortable. He would have much work to do as well.

But when would Deb have time? The things they needed to talk about were important.
And the Falcons had already paced ahead.

[Cannonshop]

The door was open to the lower House chambers-the membership weren't due to meet for another three weeks.

Acoustics are a fantastic thing-the Congress meets in a room designed to amplify sounds without relying on electronic assistance.

Petty Officer Allison Osborne could remember the ideals that built this place-the strong sense that, having been left out to dry, the worlds that joined the Union were strong-and strong in their independence.

She sat down-something not really forbidden to anyone-in the seat of the delegate from Arluna, and tried to analyze the feelings she was having.

We're going down the wrong road again-back into dependence...

she drew her sidearm, chambered a round wiht an audible racking sound on the slide.

It's all going to fall apart...

She remembered the fight at the reservoir, and the swampy land on Kwangchowwang-where they'd failed and come home heroes.

It was all so pointless.

she put the pistol's barrel in her mouth.

BLAM!!!

[ooc: Ezra probably heard the shot.[/b]

[Marlin]

'What was that? A Shot?' Ezra cursed himself for not having any gun with him, but nonetheless, he stormed to where the sound came from. Knowing only that this was the house where all the government's talking happened, he assumed that this would be it. But they were not meeting at this time.

More cautiously, he approached the big door of the Ah, Lower House Chambers. Nothing to be seen, what about the left? Nothing; Right? There, a female, brain and blood splattered behind her. No one except her, but he heard boots from the Guard, as he assumed.

With seemingly no threat anymore, he walked over to her. Allison Osborne read on her chest, shot through the mouth. 'What a waste.' The Pistol in the hand, still, hanging awkwardly nearly falling. He waited.

It was no nice view, but those were the sights of people dying unnaturally. A thing he had wished for quite some time ago, but now he knew he would live for quite some time. He was just too good at surviving.