Chapter 18.1
Seras
Well-known member
Chapter 18.1 Home on the Range.
3027
New Avalon
NAIS
A different perspective
Hanse Davion
Hanse was surprised at himself. Settled in the commissary of the NAIS for a brief lunch, Melissa sitting across from him in a cozy nook that the staff had set up for him. He found himself quite enjoying the sharp intellect of the girl that he would soon marry.
There wasn’t a single thing he said or spoke of that she didn’t pick up and follow along with, or in some cases to his shock, surpass him.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You did have the Memory Core longer than I have. Did you really study Endo-Steel construction?”
“Well I did go through quite a few of the SLDF courses instead of the standard Nagelring Courses. There was little point in studying science that was so far behind.”
Hanse chuckled, nodding at that. Most of the NAIS courses had been instantly rewritten which had caused an absolute riot with the staff. But the new knowledge was too valuable not to start teaching it. “I’ve taken a few of the courses myself, but I suppose I will have to defer to your wisdom in the future regarding scientific advances. You have surpassed me.”
“Hardly.” She scoffed. “You run an entire state, and had time to go through the course on Hyperspace generation. I never bothered with that one. A bit too dense for my taste.”
“Oh it was… and hardly useful. I still barely understand it. But to be the first person to touch on knowledge thought so long lost… I had to.”
“I understand.” She spoke after a moment, “I felt that way about some of the medical knowledge… The Cancer treatments. Well, mother and I both felt passionately about it.”
Hanse nodded. Katrina’s once husband had died from the disease. The fact was that for all the medical advances the Inner Sphere still had. Cancer was still something they struggled with.
“Well between the NAIS and wherever you have the cancer research started up, we should be quite prepared for the future.” He offered with a smile that had her smile return.
“I think so too. So much more to relearn. To start spreading through our states again. It feels right that we are regaining so much.”
“Hah, To going backwards, to move forward.” He teased raising his drink which she smiled and tapped her own against it. “Speaking of, have you had a chance to speak with Commander Eisen-Blume?”
Melissa huffed her smile growing amused. “Oh sure. She dragged me out onto the training course in her Nightstar, to see how well we compare now. Annoyingly, she is better than I expected a few years of actual experience with her mech gave her the edge this time.”
“Oh? I didn’t know the two of you had a competition with mech piloting.”
“She is the one that made me interested in piloting. It was a technical issue, apparently my brain is slightly a-typical, it means normal NeuroHelms don’t quite connect right. The SLDF helms could bypass the issue. She gave me one when I was younger. Well, I suppose you could say the two of us running off to hit the mech course when we meet might be a new tradition. But you didn’t want to hear about that. You want to know if I learned anything more about her Naval forces. No. She continues to be tight lipped.”
Hanse smiled the young woman grumbled a little as she played with her drink. “Well thank you for trying.”
“No it was for me too. I’ve been trying to get her to spill as well, but she isn’t interested. The only thing I managed to squeeze out of her was the fact her next Warship is already spoken for. In her own words. ‘I have plans for that one!’ something like that.” Melissa grumbled, Hanse chuckling as Melissa had spoken the Commanders words, in a voice eerily similar to the other blonde.
“I wish we had more information on her… benefactors.” Melissa met his eyes, and he could see she agreed with him. There had been more than a few meetings over the last month about who it was, that had supplied the Commander with a Warship, Melissa was sure she didn’t have the resources purely in manpower from the recruits she already had yet to do something like this. Especially since 99% of the ISDF were currently accounted for on Zaniah.
“I do too. But we can be sure they aren’t any of the other great houses. It doesn’t fit. If they had a Warship, they wouldn’t have given it to Vicky.”
Hanse nodded agreeing. It was one of the reasons he had taken it slow while putting down an agreement with the Commander. If he thought the Warship was actually under the command of Takashi, he would have already ordered the nukes broken out.
But that didn’t fit. So instead he was stuck trying to make sense of an impossible.
How did a woman with no history pull a naval yard out of nothing. One that was capable of creating a Lyran Warship design, one which had already been confirmed to not be one of the original Tharkad runs.
The Stick, as she named it, was newly created, and not one the Commonwealth had built.
That fact alone had caused an uproar in the Commonwealth. Hanse was only getting minor details at this point in time, but he had a few messages from Katrina regarding the shock that had struck the Commonwealth.
Of course the ship's first act had been rescuing Melissa. It probably gained a lot of leeway with that one act.
But that came back to where the ship came from. And the rumors? The rumors had been exploding.
“I still have my five pound on her having a connection to the SLDF.”
“You only say that because of the movie.” Melissa grumbled, but it was all a joke to them at this point. They had made a game of going over the rumors that were spreading about just where the ship came from.
“Perhaps, but it does fit.”
“No I think she just found a Naval yard, and managed to sneak people around to finish building a nearly completed Tharkad. It makes more sense, and doesn’t bring ghosts into it.”
“You don’t think the SLDF are still out there?” He asked curiously, and she shook her head.
“No that’s not what I mean, I think they still exist, but they are probably just as happy to ignore us as we are to not try and find them. At least they certainly haven’t done much to reach out to us over the last three hundred years.”
“What if they have. Or if they are now. Commander Eisen-Blume, certainly seems to pull equipment from no where.”
“No we have information on where a lot of her equipment came from, and Vicky herself was in a Lyran orphanage for a long time. Of course LIC checked in on the orphanage once she came up. The Matron, and every person that worked there, confirmed that Vicky was a normal kid since she first was dropped off at four. So no strange connection to the SLDF there.” Melissa mocked waving her finger at him.
“I have lost. It seems my bride to be, will certainly be able to handle me without issue.” He teased back and that caused the young woman to blush as she actually looked her age for a moment before she regained her composure.
“Good. I would hate to have you believe this isn’t a partnership.” She offered and he couldn’t help but smile at that. She was quite charming.
He wasn’t sure he could ever truly give her his heart, but he felt at least he would enjoy her company.
“We got company.” Morgans voice broke them from their quiet moment as they both blinked looking up. Melissa immediately started giggling as the one looking around the commissary with multiple guards all trying to hold her back and failing was none other than the Commander herself.
Of course the fact she was holding probably her body weight in bags made the entire scene comical rather than concerning.
“Mel! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere. Oh hey Hanse, Old man. Still looking grumpy!” She teased Morgan, as the guards finally backed off as Hanse signaled them to let the Commander through.
He supposed this was his fault. He had given her a rather hefty access to the NAIS. It wasn’t like 90% of the things they tried to keep secret here, hadn’t come from her memory core to begin with.
“Vicky? What are you doing?” Melissa finally asked as the woman stomped over nearly teetering with how much she was carrying.
“Oh this! Did you know there are orphanages here in Avalon City? When I heard I went and grabbed a bunch of the ISDF Swag! Want to come help pass out toys to orphan kids?” Vicky asked standing tall before the two rulers seemingly unbothered by the massive pile of bags she was carrying, all of which Hanse noticed had the Eisen-Blume stamped atop them.
Melissa Hanse noticed, was waffling a bit, but Hanse was nothing if not a gentleman. Plus his schedule was completely open for at least another few hours. He had made sure he would have plenty of time to get to know Melissa. “I wouldn’t mind coming along with Melissa if you don’t mind the company Commander?”
“Not at all! The kids would love to see their Prince. Grumpy, you want to come too?”
Morgan Kell, Hanse noticed seemed to take the Commanders rudeness in stride. “I’m escorting Melissa, where she goes, I go.” He shrugged and stood.
“Great! So… Can you take some of these? I can carry them, but my arms are getting a little tired.” She begged holding out a massive stack of bags to Morgan who was already reaching out to take them from her, even as his eyes rolled.
“What even is all this?” Melissa asked as she took one of the bags from the Commander and opened them. A moment later she burst out laughing as she started pulling childrens toys out of the bags.
A stuffed Nightstar in the ISDF colors.
A small noteputer with an Eisen-Blume stamped across the back.
A small jacket, that was ISDF colored.
And tons of other bits and bobs that Melissa was laughing as she went through.
“Where did you even get all this?” Melissa asked as she was looking over the Nightstar toy.
“It’s been in the works for a while. We passed this stuff out to the younger kids in the orphanage on Zaniah, and a few other worlds, but it’s not like we talk about it much.” The Commander shrugged shifting the bags still hanging off her.
“Oh is this a button on the Nightstar?” Melissa asked, as she was squeezing the toy.
“No! Don’t pus-”
“I am the Phantom of the SLDF!” The little toy cried out unmistakably the Commanders voice, and to Hanses ear that sounded like a recording coming from a mech cockpit. The woman grew bright red as all the eyes in the room switched to her. Melissa, Hanse noticed, looked like someone had just fed the cat a canary.
“It’s not my fault! Stupid Eldritch abomination! It was supposed to just say normal stuff! Someone is messing with me!”
“Vicky! I love it!”
“I hate it!”
“I think it’s cute! Can I keep one?”
“Ugh!” The Commander responded as she turned and tried to waddle out of the room. “Well you old people coming? We can take my hovercar. It’s a little messy though. I got even more bags filling the thing.”
Melissa looked to Hanse amused as if the Prince of the Federated Suns would just take a normal Hovercar. But Hanse decided if only because this whole situation was so strange he would go along with it. Of course his protection detail would already be going over the car for bombs, and ensuring they had a safe path to the orphanage.
None of their group Hanse included, expected to walk out into the parking lot of the NAIS and find an absolute top of the line Hovercar waiting for them, with little Eisen-Blum flags on it.
“Vicky… If your car is full of more bags, And you were taking them to the orphanage, why did you carry so many into the NAIS with you?”
The blonde stalled for a moment, as she walked up to the drivers door and simply sighed. “Idiot sandwich.” Was all Hanse managed to hear as she then simply ignored the question.
Interesting.
—-
A different perspective
Morgan Kell
Morgan Kell had plenty of experiences in his life. After Mallorys world, he was sure nothing could surprise him anymore.
But forty minutes after the group had stopped at the Avalon City Orphanage. Morgan was surprised.
Melissa was incredibly amused, and Hanse?
The man was practically pouting.
Sure when they first arrived he had been the most interesting thing in the orphanage. Every orphan had been incredibly excited to meet their prince.
Then Vicky had stolen the show. Not through the toys she passed out, she had given plenty to Hanse to hand over as well, but just…
She walked among them, as one of them. And the orphans reacted. She wasn’t some untouchable leader.
She was their leader. And Morgan, who had been a leader of men all his life, both politically and militarily was suddenly drastically aware of just what a charismatic leader could do with enough people. Already Morgan was going to have to make a note of just how many orphans the ISDF had contact with. Because if his napkin math was correct.
The ISDF might just be a lot bigger than anyone realized.
Because there were hundreds of kids at this orphanage alone.
And Morgan would bet money that when they all got old enough, they would all be joining the ISDF.
Every last one of them.
It had started simply enough. The Orphanage matron had been absolutely shocked when Hanse Davion had walked into her orphanage, and had told her, they were here to hand out toys for the kids.
The poor woman had practically fainted, and had been obviously flustered as the Prince had put on his best charming persona.
Them meeting the kids had been loud, shouting and screams of surprise and excitement. Vicky had been completely unaffected. The woman simply striding in amongst the kids as if she wasn’t twice most of their age, or wearing armor.
They hadn’t taken long to simply accept her as being one of them.
Hanse and Melissa both received plenty of attention, although mostly Hanse. Morgan got a few of the older boys asked questions about mechs, but that was all the attention he got as he passed out bags of toys.
But soon attention slipped from Hanse and Melissa, as Vicky started talking. Telling stories, sharing tidbits.
Calling the orphans family. Each of them was called cousin by the blonde, and it was accepted without a ripple of contention.
Once the blonde was settled on an old couch, helping a smaller girl with a braid as she told stories about her assault on Ko.
Well the kids were far more interested in her and the ISDF than Hanse Davion.
The fact many recognized her from that movie she was in. Only made her even more interesting.
Morgan was actually surprised at how absolutely casual she was with the kids. She tweaked noses while talking, poked sides, lifted the smaller kids and acted as if they were the mechs she was talking about getting giggles and laughs.
And did it all with a casualness that made the First Prince of the Federated Suns, someone usually treated with almost mesianic respect by the citizens of the suns left quiet in a corner as she spoke.
Morgan chuckled as she told the story about her Hovercar. That had caused every person in the room to burst into laughter.
Even the First prince laughed at the plight of Draconis Governors when their prized Hovercar got stolen.
“So that’s why I drive a really expensive piece of junk, but hey. It does have heated seats!” The girl ended her story to another barrage of laughter, “Ah before I forget! There is tons of Noteputers in the bags! They don’t all have the same stuff, but they have SLDF courses! It’s the same stuff I put in all of our libraries, just split between a bunch of different notputers for space. So pass them around and use them okay? Education is really important! And if you want to join the ISDF you will have to do them anyways! So if you can prove you did them before you get to the fun stuff like mech training faster okay?”
“YES!” The cries came back at her, and she laughed.
“Oh?” Hanse suddenly spoke up. “Is that what those noteputers are for? I hadn’t considered something like that. It might be rather useful for the Vagabond Schools.” He said while looking over one of the Noteputers from a bag he hadn’t finished handing out.
“Vagabond School?” Vicky asked, but it was the way she spoke that made everyone look to her. The girls face was going through a small array of emotions, but seemed to settle on determination.
—-
A different perspective
Melissa Steiner
Melissa really shouldn’t be surprised. I mean it was as surprising as anything Vicky did, so if the woman always surprised you, shouldn’t you be more prepared to be surprised?
Well Vicky basically Vicky’ed the whole situation.
“What do you mean, you don’t have schools on entire worlds!?” The girl demanded the whole room despite sitting on a couch covered in orphans that had moments before been hanging all over her.
Now they were looking at her in awe, as she quite abruptly was nearly yelling at the top of her lungs. At the First Prince of the Federated Suns.
The man who looked bewildered at this turn of events.
“The worlds in question, have schools. Simply not enough. It has been an active issue that my brother started trying to remedy with the Vagabond School program.” Hanse replied, “The Vagabond school program has been active for almost twenty years now.” He offered, trying to explain the situation.
Vicky though? She had a look on her face that was pure determination. Even Melissa felt like she was flowing in the womans wake.
“I understand. Things have been hard, but that means there are entire worlds of people that need help.” She spoke firmly. A statement of fact. She turned to the kids dismissing Hanse as if he was just another person, and not the most powerful person in the room. “Sorry little Cousins. I have a job to do! But don’t worry, Big Sis Vicky is pretty cool and will help out! Don’t forget to do the lessons on the Noteputers if you ever want to be a cool awesome Mechwarrior, or Pilot, or Engineer, or even an awesome Warship captain!”
As Melissa watched, the kids didn’t want her to leave, but Vicky handled it like she had a million times before now, patting heads, giving hugs, but always moving towards the door. “Hey you all coming?” She called out as she nearly got to the door, casually pulling off a young boy from around her leg and casually handing him to one of the older boys that looked just as about to grab her.
“Yes, I think we have stirred up enough trouble for the Matrons today.” Melissa offered as she had noticed the women looking quite harried, but unwilling to actually do anything with their prince present.
The next few minutes were a blurr but soon the group was once more settled into Vickys car as the blonde instantly began grilling Hanse for more information about the Outback, and the problems there.
Melissa let out a sigh, she had been worried Vicky would go tearing off instantly, but it looks like instead the woman was plotting.
Melissa wasn’t sure which would have been better.
—-
A different perspective
Hannah Hayha
Zaniah III
Red Base
Hanna jerked behind her controls, the Movement was ridiculous, she could hear her gyro screaming, but the movement was something she had been training for all week. A jerking side step that could be done at full speed. A motion designed even for assault mechs to try and dodge incoming fire.
The streak of the PPC buzzing past her mech told her that for the first time she had done it. Jerking back on her controls she had a moment of weightlessness just before the mechs weight fully shifted back. And in that moment.
“Hold your breath, aim what you can, and take the shot. You only have a half second. But if you can, it will be an unexpected shot.” The words from her trainer.
She felt her mech stir and in a fury her ERPPC fired back. Shooting towards that damned Marauder. Her shot was perfect, which is why she was cursing when her shot not only missed. The fucker used the same move she had just used.
The return fire was too much, she couldn’t push her Nightstar into a second dodge and the PPC splattered across her nose. The simulated weapon fire telling her she had lost.
Mech ‘tag’ was basically the name of the game. And she had just lost. Again.
“Fuck!” She cursed as she rested back, she had hoped she would get him with that. But it was still just beyond her.
“C’mon Darling! No need for that. You actually pulled it off this time you know? Another year or so of this, and you may actually count as an elite pilot.” The voice over the comm tried to re-assure her.
At first it had been nothing but mocking, but over the past year of working with him his attitude had changed. Hanna still wasn’t sure exactly why.
“Ugh. Thanks.” She grumbled. “How is the rest of the Gunslingers doing Lawrence?” Hanna asked, the team had been split up amongst the elite mechwwarriors that had taken the lucrative contract from Vicky. Seriously, it was a hefty pay for basically training. Some had been kicked out when they had proven to be incompetent, or simply not willing to actually teach, but that still left a few elites that had happily accepted an easy job.
“Oh everyone is improving well. Mitchell likes the other one Lenden. I think he keeps grabbing him for training just because of how much the kid blows his top.”
“Yeah Lenden is like that.” She chuckled weakly. Lenden had been absolutely furious when Mitchell one of the elite pilots had started ‘picking’ on him. Oh man. It had been hilarious. Funnier was the fact Lenden was actually getting pretty good. He had a strong instinct now that someone was showing him how to really pilot.
Hanna’s Comm buzzed after a moment. “Hanna. I need you inside, we just got a message from Vicky… You aren’t going to believe this.” Benny tells her with a sigh before cutting the comm.
“Sorry Lawrence. Something just came up!” She calls over her comms as she turns her Nightstar towards Redbase.
Benny only sounded that put out about Vicky when she did something stupid… Or crazy. Or stupid crazy… I mean it was Vicky.
By the time Hanna got her Nightstar locked down deep in the depths of the Castle Brian, she could tell something was going on. People were running all over getting ready. And if Hanna didn’t miss her mark, she would bet it meant they would be leaving again soon.
She sighed. She had really hoped to get the time to finish her training first.
Walking into the Command room she knew she was right. She could see the captain of one of the Collosus, finishing a salute to Benny before passing by her his legs hurried back down the hall.
“What did she do this time? Decide to go to war with the Dragoons? Or maybe she figured taking over Terra was on the Docket?” Hanna asked as she walked up to Benny.
“Worse.” He muttered with a tired sigh. “She ‘found’ a working Warship.”
Hanna’s joking smile stuttered.
“That fucking little Goblin!” Hanna hissed “A Warship!?”
“Yep.”
Hanna was quiet letting that simply roll around her mind. “Well fuck.”
“That was what I said.” He grumbled.
“So where are we going?” She asked already thinking about the fights to come. Wondering if a Mech was even needed?
“Nowhere. Vicky is requesting a Library Crew and Colossus, they will carry some mechs and such, but Gunslingers are staying here to complete the training, and I am staying to keep RedBase going.”
Hanna blinked. She wasn’t going? “But what if Vicky gets in a fight!? She will need her Mechwarriors even with a Warship!”
“Oh it’s worse Hanna. She isn’t going to a fight. She heard about the FedSuns Outback… Apparently they have planets that are basically uneducated and illiterate.”
“Oh god. She is going to conquer the Federated Suns.” She muttered in horror.
“That’s what I’m afraid of too.” He mutters. “I’ve already ordered everyone to prepare for an expansion.”
“Oh… That’s a lot of orphans.”
Benny looked haunted. Recruitment had been insane over the last year. After the Invasion of Ko, and the everything else the knowledge of the ISDF was growing to be something everyone at least knew about.
Orphans from all over were coming, or sending messages requesting to join. The libraries were working. Maybe too well. If you couldn’t afford a message. The Libraries were paying for people that wanted to be recruited to get a message to Zaniah. Honestly Benny had spent so much time handling recruitment, that he had created an entire recruitment division.
“Wow. I’m really glad she didn’t leave me in charge.” Hanna muttered with a hint of schadenfreude. Bennys glare had her laugh as she closed in placing a kiss on his nose. “You know I’m your second, I’ll always be here to help out.” She tells him, and that settles him quite a bit. “Sub-Commander Benjamin Rommel is the rock of the ISDF.”
He scoffs, but his spine straightens a bit and he looked more ready to deal with the mess Vicky left behind wherever she went.
“I can’t believe she got a warship and didn’t even bother to warn me. She knew what she was doing when she left.” He grumbled. And Hanna laughed.
“What else do you expect from our Goblin? You do realize we are going to have to deal with so many spys now. Like a million more than we have already.”
He sighs weakly. “I’m going to kill her.”
All Hanna could do is chuckle and pat him on the back
—--
That next week was a rush of activity. HPG messages to Zaniah, Sandy screaming at being told the new plan, settling in the new FedSuns crew on board the Stick. Getting the deal between the FedSuns/Lyran Commonwealth, and the ISDF for Warship actions taken care of.
Anyway, we were readying fast and furious. I had told Sandy I wanted to be gone in a week, to meet up with the Library group on board WhiteBase.
Apparently Hanse had realized I was serious about leaving so soon and hadn’t tried to slow me down, although I could tell he wanted me to not rush off. Probably full of questions he wanted answered.
But then if he didn’t want me rushing off he never should have allowed part of his state to have illiterate planets! I had to take a deep breath and keep myself from exploding every time I thought about it. These worlds were his responsibility. People were barely able to survive, out there, and he ignored them.
Even if my mind understood he was limited on what he could do for every planet, my heart didn’t care.
Still. There was no reason not to be civil. The Vagabond school was putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, and about as effective, but it was an attempt. It was fine. I would take care of the rest.
It was close to the final day and Hanse had invited me to a dinner, along with Melissa and Morgan, Ardan joined as well.
I had been given an amused look by Melissa when I once again showed up in my armor, instead of any fancy dinner attire, like the rest of them were wearing, but I shrugged at her idly tapping at the Eisen-Blume on my chest, to remind her, that I wasn’t some weird noble.
I was a weird non-noble!
Sitting at a fancy table eating dinner with some powerful people wasn’t new to me. I had done something similar on Tharkad. Yet still weird. Although at least this time they didn’t give me tea! The new drink was some weird sparkly cider or something? Not sure. Tasty though.
“So Commander. I am curious.” Ardan asked, breaking me out of my focus on stuffing my face. “What is it that prompted the creation of the ISDF?”
I was quiet for a moment. I could see Hanse perk up in interest as well, Melissa was looking over as well, their conversation dying out as I was put on the spot. The fact I could read Hanses interest so clearly, meant this was likely another little trap from the man.
Ah this was an interrogation… Well. Might as well.
—--
A different perspective
Hanse Davion
“Ardan. I expect the report from last night is complete?”
“Yes. We had some of our best go through the Commanders chatter.” Ardan offers as he takes a seat across from Hanse dropping the report on the First Princes desk. The two were in his office, and he had purposefully ensured that Melissa would have time to see her friend off, as the Commander was leaving in a few hours.
Hanse decided there was no time like the present to go through the report. He skimmed bits and pieces to start. The obvious warning that nothing was guaranteed inside, but it was all estimates, and guesses.
“The Inner Sphere is a shithole. Huh?” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he re-read the transcript.
“Yes I believe Victoria feels rather strongly about the state of the Inner Sphere.” Ardan replied dryly, as he waited for his prince to continue reading.
“I mean you guys went from the most advanced state humanity has ever been in, and in three hundred years nearly knocked yourself back to the stone age! What kind of idiot does that! If you win a war to rule the kingdom, but you burned down everything that made the kingdom worth it, what’s the point?”
Hanse read aloud, once more he felt that same twinge of irritation reading through the Commanders words. She spoke as if that was the plan. He had read the diaries of his ancestors the men and women in charge during the first and second succession wars.
What had happened, had been totally unexpected. It was thought impossible. But then before there had always been the SLDF to stop the war from growing.
Hanse skipped the next bit. Her biting commentary of the leaders of the Inner Sphere, and how they allowed worlds to basically fall to ruin on their watch wasn’t something he needed.
“Ah here we are. The naval base and warships.” He mutters reading through.
She had mentioned the Warship production, and naval base only once last night. Despite Ardans, efforts to focus her on it. The minor drug she had taken in her drink had made her more likely to spill, but it wasn’t enough to really force it, and to his irritation, she had managed to sidestep the matter each time. Or simply saying nonsense.
“How many do I have? However many I want I guess?” He repeated her words.
“It is an entirely annoying statement.” Ardan added after Hanse had finished re-reading it. For someone that should have been on enough truth serum to have difficulty actually lying. The fact she had offered complete nonsense was irritating.
“It doesn’t look like our boys got more much than I did. She believes that statement as truth, but it’s a vague statement to begin with. She could mean she has the ability to create as many as she likes, or she has access to enough ships as to not matter… So unfortunately we are back where we started. She either has a Naval yard, somehow able to create warships, or she has some connection to a faction that still has Warships.”
“The SLDF is still the greatest bet.” Ardan agreed. “Too many coincidences regarding Eisen-Blume and the SLDF. The Movie could have been chosen specifically to mock the idea of that being the truth. It’s not like we haven’t done something similar.”
“Agreed, but the lack of surety means we are stymied on how to act. If she is on her own, and she found a naval base. Picking her up for a more thorough interrogation would be an option… But if she has connections to the SLDF. If the exodus troops are still alive and are checking in on us?”
“Touching her could create an enemy we aren’t prepared for.” Ardan agreed it wasn’t the first time the two had gone around in circles about what to do. Unfortunately the Commander had done a good job. Her connections to Katrina, and Melissa, gave her a certain immunity to the normal snatch and interrogate that Hanse would have ordered.
Although the idea was still on the table, just collecting dust for now. In a few years when the Federated Commonwealth was more connected perhaps.
“Anything new about the Warship?”
“Nothing at this time my Prince. The security measures the ‘Delta Ops’ have laid down are quite stringent. And the few men that attempted to smuggle listening devices on board Were immediately discovered. Oddly the devices were forced to be handed over and destroyed, but the men were allowed to stay on the crew.”
“The Commander is an odd woman.”
“Indeed. Are we sure we shouldn’t push for a deployment of the ship? She is planning on taking it to the Outback. It won’t do much good out there.”
“It will take at least a year or more before I would want to bring that ship anywhere near a front. Let her run out to the Outback if she wants to help my people. It will give the crew time to learn how to use the ship, even with our old warship training information it will take some time before I would have faith in the Warship being ready.”
“It could still be used as a symbol… Or bait.”
“That would be useful if we were more desperate, but we hold every advantage, and it’s growing every year. Once the Federated Commonwealth is created, I would rather have the Warship under our control, than a single victory.”
“Understood. And if we don’t have control of the ship then?”
Hanse leaned back, running a hand over his chin. The entire situation was something that was rapidly turning into a problem. The ISDF moved in ways that Hanse didn’t like. Katrina might have given them latitude to act because of their contributions, but Hanse saw it differently.
The Commander had spoken outright about her intentions.
“I worry about what they will become.”
“I understand. They could very easily become a threat. Or even have the intention of becoming a threat in the future.” Ardan offered frowning.
“Unfortunately, Katrina is protecting them, if she wasn’t so fond of the Commander, we could get some real answers.”
“Perhaps she knows something that we don’t? We never considered the ISDF as something more than an odd mercenary company before now. Perhaps, Katrina knows something she didn’t bother to inform us about?” Ardan offered with a shrug.
Hanse considered it. “I don’t know. There is the rumor about them being related…”
“Unlikely. You are well aware of that.” Ardan pestered him grumpily, Hanse smirked, he knew Ardan hated incorrect information.
“But, this is a good chance. I am guessing a DNA sample was gathered?”
“Of course. Standard procedure for anyone entering the palace.”
“Start running some tests. I want to know if there is a familial link. If there is, it means any interaction we have with the Commander will have to take a soft touch from here on out.”
“I will send the order to our lab.” Ardan offered. Both men had known each other long enough to realize their meeting was done. Ardan stood and headed out.
“Oh and Ardan? Check it against the Cameron genome as well.” Hanse finally spoke just as Ardan was about to leave. Hanse had done it on purpose, and Ardan would know.
He only sent a final task to Ardan when he didn’t want to talk about it.
Hanse didn’t expect it would impact much even if it was true. House Cameron was gone. They didn’t have a single ounce of support left in the Inner Sphere.
At least. That is what he had thought.
—-
3027
New Avalon
NAIS
A different perspective
Hanse Davion
Hanse was surprised at himself. Settled in the commissary of the NAIS for a brief lunch, Melissa sitting across from him in a cozy nook that the staff had set up for him. He found himself quite enjoying the sharp intellect of the girl that he would soon marry.
There wasn’t a single thing he said or spoke of that she didn’t pick up and follow along with, or in some cases to his shock, surpass him.
“I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. You did have the Memory Core longer than I have. Did you really study Endo-Steel construction?”
“Well I did go through quite a few of the SLDF courses instead of the standard Nagelring Courses. There was little point in studying science that was so far behind.”
Hanse chuckled, nodding at that. Most of the NAIS courses had been instantly rewritten which had caused an absolute riot with the staff. But the new knowledge was too valuable not to start teaching it. “I’ve taken a few of the courses myself, but I suppose I will have to defer to your wisdom in the future regarding scientific advances. You have surpassed me.”
“Hardly.” She scoffed. “You run an entire state, and had time to go through the course on Hyperspace generation. I never bothered with that one. A bit too dense for my taste.”
“Oh it was… and hardly useful. I still barely understand it. But to be the first person to touch on knowledge thought so long lost… I had to.”
“I understand.” She spoke after a moment, “I felt that way about some of the medical knowledge… The Cancer treatments. Well, mother and I both felt passionately about it.”
Hanse nodded. Katrina’s once husband had died from the disease. The fact was that for all the medical advances the Inner Sphere still had. Cancer was still something they struggled with.
“Well between the NAIS and wherever you have the cancer research started up, we should be quite prepared for the future.” He offered with a smile that had her smile return.
“I think so too. So much more to relearn. To start spreading through our states again. It feels right that we are regaining so much.”
“Hah, To going backwards, to move forward.” He teased raising his drink which she smiled and tapped her own against it. “Speaking of, have you had a chance to speak with Commander Eisen-Blume?”
Melissa huffed her smile growing amused. “Oh sure. She dragged me out onto the training course in her Nightstar, to see how well we compare now. Annoyingly, she is better than I expected a few years of actual experience with her mech gave her the edge this time.”
“Oh? I didn’t know the two of you had a competition with mech piloting.”
“She is the one that made me interested in piloting. It was a technical issue, apparently my brain is slightly a-typical, it means normal NeuroHelms don’t quite connect right. The SLDF helms could bypass the issue. She gave me one when I was younger. Well, I suppose you could say the two of us running off to hit the mech course when we meet might be a new tradition. But you didn’t want to hear about that. You want to know if I learned anything more about her Naval forces. No. She continues to be tight lipped.”
Hanse smiled the young woman grumbled a little as she played with her drink. “Well thank you for trying.”
“No it was for me too. I’ve been trying to get her to spill as well, but she isn’t interested. The only thing I managed to squeeze out of her was the fact her next Warship is already spoken for. In her own words. ‘I have plans for that one!’ something like that.” Melissa grumbled, Hanse chuckling as Melissa had spoken the Commanders words, in a voice eerily similar to the other blonde.
“I wish we had more information on her… benefactors.” Melissa met his eyes, and he could see she agreed with him. There had been more than a few meetings over the last month about who it was, that had supplied the Commander with a Warship, Melissa was sure she didn’t have the resources purely in manpower from the recruits she already had yet to do something like this. Especially since 99% of the ISDF were currently accounted for on Zaniah.
“I do too. But we can be sure they aren’t any of the other great houses. It doesn’t fit. If they had a Warship, they wouldn’t have given it to Vicky.”
Hanse nodded agreeing. It was one of the reasons he had taken it slow while putting down an agreement with the Commander. If he thought the Warship was actually under the command of Takashi, he would have already ordered the nukes broken out.
But that didn’t fit. So instead he was stuck trying to make sense of an impossible.
How did a woman with no history pull a naval yard out of nothing. One that was capable of creating a Lyran Warship design, one which had already been confirmed to not be one of the original Tharkad runs.
The Stick, as she named it, was newly created, and not one the Commonwealth had built.
That fact alone had caused an uproar in the Commonwealth. Hanse was only getting minor details at this point in time, but he had a few messages from Katrina regarding the shock that had struck the Commonwealth.
Of course the ship's first act had been rescuing Melissa. It probably gained a lot of leeway with that one act.
But that came back to where the ship came from. And the rumors? The rumors had been exploding.
“I still have my five pound on her having a connection to the SLDF.”
“You only say that because of the movie.” Melissa grumbled, but it was all a joke to them at this point. They had made a game of going over the rumors that were spreading about just where the ship came from.
“Perhaps, but it does fit.”
“No I think she just found a Naval yard, and managed to sneak people around to finish building a nearly completed Tharkad. It makes more sense, and doesn’t bring ghosts into it.”
“You don’t think the SLDF are still out there?” He asked curiously, and she shook her head.
“No that’s not what I mean, I think they still exist, but they are probably just as happy to ignore us as we are to not try and find them. At least they certainly haven’t done much to reach out to us over the last three hundred years.”
“What if they have. Or if they are now. Commander Eisen-Blume, certainly seems to pull equipment from no where.”
“No we have information on where a lot of her equipment came from, and Vicky herself was in a Lyran orphanage for a long time. Of course LIC checked in on the orphanage once she came up. The Matron, and every person that worked there, confirmed that Vicky was a normal kid since she first was dropped off at four. So no strange connection to the SLDF there.” Melissa mocked waving her finger at him.
“I have lost. It seems my bride to be, will certainly be able to handle me without issue.” He teased back and that caused the young woman to blush as she actually looked her age for a moment before she regained her composure.
“Good. I would hate to have you believe this isn’t a partnership.” She offered and he couldn’t help but smile at that. She was quite charming.
He wasn’t sure he could ever truly give her his heart, but he felt at least he would enjoy her company.
“We got company.” Morgans voice broke them from their quiet moment as they both blinked looking up. Melissa immediately started giggling as the one looking around the commissary with multiple guards all trying to hold her back and failing was none other than the Commander herself.
Of course the fact she was holding probably her body weight in bags made the entire scene comical rather than concerning.
“Mel! There you are, I’ve been looking everywhere. Oh hey Hanse, Old man. Still looking grumpy!” She teased Morgan, as the guards finally backed off as Hanse signaled them to let the Commander through.
He supposed this was his fault. He had given her a rather hefty access to the NAIS. It wasn’t like 90% of the things they tried to keep secret here, hadn’t come from her memory core to begin with.
“Vicky? What are you doing?” Melissa finally asked as the woman stomped over nearly teetering with how much she was carrying.
“Oh this! Did you know there are orphanages here in Avalon City? When I heard I went and grabbed a bunch of the ISDF Swag! Want to come help pass out toys to orphan kids?” Vicky asked standing tall before the two rulers seemingly unbothered by the massive pile of bags she was carrying, all of which Hanse noticed had the Eisen-Blume stamped atop them.
Melissa Hanse noticed, was waffling a bit, but Hanse was nothing if not a gentleman. Plus his schedule was completely open for at least another few hours. He had made sure he would have plenty of time to get to know Melissa. “I wouldn’t mind coming along with Melissa if you don’t mind the company Commander?”
“Not at all! The kids would love to see their Prince. Grumpy, you want to come too?”
Morgan Kell, Hanse noticed seemed to take the Commanders rudeness in stride. “I’m escorting Melissa, where she goes, I go.” He shrugged and stood.
“Great! So… Can you take some of these? I can carry them, but my arms are getting a little tired.” She begged holding out a massive stack of bags to Morgan who was already reaching out to take them from her, even as his eyes rolled.
“What even is all this?” Melissa asked as she took one of the bags from the Commander and opened them. A moment later she burst out laughing as she started pulling childrens toys out of the bags.
A stuffed Nightstar in the ISDF colors.
A small noteputer with an Eisen-Blume stamped across the back.
A small jacket, that was ISDF colored.
And tons of other bits and bobs that Melissa was laughing as she went through.
“Where did you even get all this?” Melissa asked as she was looking over the Nightstar toy.
“It’s been in the works for a while. We passed this stuff out to the younger kids in the orphanage on Zaniah, and a few other worlds, but it’s not like we talk about it much.” The Commander shrugged shifting the bags still hanging off her.
“Oh is this a button on the Nightstar?” Melissa asked, as she was squeezing the toy.
“No! Don’t pus-”
“I am the Phantom of the SLDF!” The little toy cried out unmistakably the Commanders voice, and to Hanses ear that sounded like a recording coming from a mech cockpit. The woman grew bright red as all the eyes in the room switched to her. Melissa, Hanse noticed, looked like someone had just fed the cat a canary.
“It’s not my fault! Stupid Eldritch abomination! It was supposed to just say normal stuff! Someone is messing with me!”
“Vicky! I love it!”
“I hate it!”
“I think it’s cute! Can I keep one?”
“Ugh!” The Commander responded as she turned and tried to waddle out of the room. “Well you old people coming? We can take my hovercar. It’s a little messy though. I got even more bags filling the thing.”
Melissa looked to Hanse amused as if the Prince of the Federated Suns would just take a normal Hovercar. But Hanse decided if only because this whole situation was so strange he would go along with it. Of course his protection detail would already be going over the car for bombs, and ensuring they had a safe path to the orphanage.
None of their group Hanse included, expected to walk out into the parking lot of the NAIS and find an absolute top of the line Hovercar waiting for them, with little Eisen-Blum flags on it.
“Vicky… If your car is full of more bags, And you were taking them to the orphanage, why did you carry so many into the NAIS with you?”
The blonde stalled for a moment, as she walked up to the drivers door and simply sighed. “Idiot sandwich.” Was all Hanse managed to hear as she then simply ignored the question.
Interesting.
—-
A different perspective
Morgan Kell
Morgan Kell had plenty of experiences in his life. After Mallorys world, he was sure nothing could surprise him anymore.
But forty minutes after the group had stopped at the Avalon City Orphanage. Morgan was surprised.
Melissa was incredibly amused, and Hanse?
The man was practically pouting.
Sure when they first arrived he had been the most interesting thing in the orphanage. Every orphan had been incredibly excited to meet their prince.
Then Vicky had stolen the show. Not through the toys she passed out, she had given plenty to Hanse to hand over as well, but just…
She walked among them, as one of them. And the orphans reacted. She wasn’t some untouchable leader.
She was their leader. And Morgan, who had been a leader of men all his life, both politically and militarily was suddenly drastically aware of just what a charismatic leader could do with enough people. Already Morgan was going to have to make a note of just how many orphans the ISDF had contact with. Because if his napkin math was correct.
The ISDF might just be a lot bigger than anyone realized.
Because there were hundreds of kids at this orphanage alone.
And Morgan would bet money that when they all got old enough, they would all be joining the ISDF.
Every last one of them.
It had started simply enough. The Orphanage matron had been absolutely shocked when Hanse Davion had walked into her orphanage, and had told her, they were here to hand out toys for the kids.
The poor woman had practically fainted, and had been obviously flustered as the Prince had put on his best charming persona.
Them meeting the kids had been loud, shouting and screams of surprise and excitement. Vicky had been completely unaffected. The woman simply striding in amongst the kids as if she wasn’t twice most of their age, or wearing armor.
They hadn’t taken long to simply accept her as being one of them.
Hanse and Melissa both received plenty of attention, although mostly Hanse. Morgan got a few of the older boys asked questions about mechs, but that was all the attention he got as he passed out bags of toys.
But soon attention slipped from Hanse and Melissa, as Vicky started talking. Telling stories, sharing tidbits.
Calling the orphans family. Each of them was called cousin by the blonde, and it was accepted without a ripple of contention.
Once the blonde was settled on an old couch, helping a smaller girl with a braid as she told stories about her assault on Ko.
Well the kids were far more interested in her and the ISDF than Hanse Davion.
The fact many recognized her from that movie she was in. Only made her even more interesting.
Morgan was actually surprised at how absolutely casual she was with the kids. She tweaked noses while talking, poked sides, lifted the smaller kids and acted as if they were the mechs she was talking about getting giggles and laughs.
And did it all with a casualness that made the First Prince of the Federated Suns, someone usually treated with almost mesianic respect by the citizens of the suns left quiet in a corner as she spoke.
Morgan chuckled as she told the story about her Hovercar. That had caused every person in the room to burst into laughter.
Even the First prince laughed at the plight of Draconis Governors when their prized Hovercar got stolen.
“So that’s why I drive a really expensive piece of junk, but hey. It does have heated seats!” The girl ended her story to another barrage of laughter, “Ah before I forget! There is tons of Noteputers in the bags! They don’t all have the same stuff, but they have SLDF courses! It’s the same stuff I put in all of our libraries, just split between a bunch of different notputers for space. So pass them around and use them okay? Education is really important! And if you want to join the ISDF you will have to do them anyways! So if you can prove you did them before you get to the fun stuff like mech training faster okay?”
“YES!” The cries came back at her, and she laughed.
“Oh?” Hanse suddenly spoke up. “Is that what those noteputers are for? I hadn’t considered something like that. It might be rather useful for the Vagabond Schools.” He said while looking over one of the Noteputers from a bag he hadn’t finished handing out.
“Vagabond School?” Vicky asked, but it was the way she spoke that made everyone look to her. The girls face was going through a small array of emotions, but seemed to settle on determination.
—-
A different perspective
Melissa Steiner
Melissa really shouldn’t be surprised. I mean it was as surprising as anything Vicky did, so if the woman always surprised you, shouldn’t you be more prepared to be surprised?
Well Vicky basically Vicky’ed the whole situation.
“What do you mean, you don’t have schools on entire worlds!?” The girl demanded the whole room despite sitting on a couch covered in orphans that had moments before been hanging all over her.
Now they were looking at her in awe, as she quite abruptly was nearly yelling at the top of her lungs. At the First Prince of the Federated Suns.
The man who looked bewildered at this turn of events.
“The worlds in question, have schools. Simply not enough. It has been an active issue that my brother started trying to remedy with the Vagabond School program.” Hanse replied, “The Vagabond school program has been active for almost twenty years now.” He offered, trying to explain the situation.
Vicky though? She had a look on her face that was pure determination. Even Melissa felt like she was flowing in the womans wake.
“I understand. Things have been hard, but that means there are entire worlds of people that need help.” She spoke firmly. A statement of fact. She turned to the kids dismissing Hanse as if he was just another person, and not the most powerful person in the room. “Sorry little Cousins. I have a job to do! But don’t worry, Big Sis Vicky is pretty cool and will help out! Don’t forget to do the lessons on the Noteputers if you ever want to be a cool awesome Mechwarrior, or Pilot, or Engineer, or even an awesome Warship captain!”
As Melissa watched, the kids didn’t want her to leave, but Vicky handled it like she had a million times before now, patting heads, giving hugs, but always moving towards the door. “Hey you all coming?” She called out as she nearly got to the door, casually pulling off a young boy from around her leg and casually handing him to one of the older boys that looked just as about to grab her.
“Yes, I think we have stirred up enough trouble for the Matrons today.” Melissa offered as she had noticed the women looking quite harried, but unwilling to actually do anything with their prince present.
The next few minutes were a blurr but soon the group was once more settled into Vickys car as the blonde instantly began grilling Hanse for more information about the Outback, and the problems there.
Melissa let out a sigh, she had been worried Vicky would go tearing off instantly, but it looks like instead the woman was plotting.
Melissa wasn’t sure which would have been better.
—-
A different perspective
Hannah Hayha
Zaniah III
Red Base
Hanna jerked behind her controls, the Movement was ridiculous, she could hear her gyro screaming, but the movement was something she had been training for all week. A jerking side step that could be done at full speed. A motion designed even for assault mechs to try and dodge incoming fire.
The streak of the PPC buzzing past her mech told her that for the first time she had done it. Jerking back on her controls she had a moment of weightlessness just before the mechs weight fully shifted back. And in that moment.
“Hold your breath, aim what you can, and take the shot. You only have a half second. But if you can, it will be an unexpected shot.” The words from her trainer.
She felt her mech stir and in a fury her ERPPC fired back. Shooting towards that damned Marauder. Her shot was perfect, which is why she was cursing when her shot not only missed. The fucker used the same move she had just used.
The return fire was too much, she couldn’t push her Nightstar into a second dodge and the PPC splattered across her nose. The simulated weapon fire telling her she had lost.
Mech ‘tag’ was basically the name of the game. And she had just lost. Again.
“Fuck!” She cursed as she rested back, she had hoped she would get him with that. But it was still just beyond her.
“C’mon Darling! No need for that. You actually pulled it off this time you know? Another year or so of this, and you may actually count as an elite pilot.” The voice over the comm tried to re-assure her.
At first it had been nothing but mocking, but over the past year of working with him his attitude had changed. Hanna still wasn’t sure exactly why.
“Ugh. Thanks.” She grumbled. “How is the rest of the Gunslingers doing Lawrence?” Hanna asked, the team had been split up amongst the elite mechwwarriors that had taken the lucrative contract from Vicky. Seriously, it was a hefty pay for basically training. Some had been kicked out when they had proven to be incompetent, or simply not willing to actually teach, but that still left a few elites that had happily accepted an easy job.
“Oh everyone is improving well. Mitchell likes the other one Lenden. I think he keeps grabbing him for training just because of how much the kid blows his top.”
“Yeah Lenden is like that.” She chuckled weakly. Lenden had been absolutely furious when Mitchell one of the elite pilots had started ‘picking’ on him. Oh man. It had been hilarious. Funnier was the fact Lenden was actually getting pretty good. He had a strong instinct now that someone was showing him how to really pilot.
Hanna’s Comm buzzed after a moment. “Hanna. I need you inside, we just got a message from Vicky… You aren’t going to believe this.” Benny tells her with a sigh before cutting the comm.
“Sorry Lawrence. Something just came up!” She calls over her comms as she turns her Nightstar towards Redbase.
Benny only sounded that put out about Vicky when she did something stupid… Or crazy. Or stupid crazy… I mean it was Vicky.
By the time Hanna got her Nightstar locked down deep in the depths of the Castle Brian, she could tell something was going on. People were running all over getting ready. And if Hanna didn’t miss her mark, she would bet it meant they would be leaving again soon.
She sighed. She had really hoped to get the time to finish her training first.
Walking into the Command room she knew she was right. She could see the captain of one of the Collosus, finishing a salute to Benny before passing by her his legs hurried back down the hall.
“What did she do this time? Decide to go to war with the Dragoons? Or maybe she figured taking over Terra was on the Docket?” Hanna asked as she walked up to Benny.
“Worse.” He muttered with a tired sigh. “She ‘found’ a working Warship.”
Hanna’s joking smile stuttered.
“That fucking little Goblin!” Hanna hissed “A Warship!?”
“Yep.”
Hanna was quiet letting that simply roll around her mind. “Well fuck.”
“That was what I said.” He grumbled.
“So where are we going?” She asked already thinking about the fights to come. Wondering if a Mech was even needed?
“Nowhere. Vicky is requesting a Library Crew and Colossus, they will carry some mechs and such, but Gunslingers are staying here to complete the training, and I am staying to keep RedBase going.”
Hanna blinked. She wasn’t going? “But what if Vicky gets in a fight!? She will need her Mechwarriors even with a Warship!”
“Oh it’s worse Hanna. She isn’t going to a fight. She heard about the FedSuns Outback… Apparently they have planets that are basically uneducated and illiterate.”
“Oh god. She is going to conquer the Federated Suns.” She muttered in horror.
“That’s what I’m afraid of too.” He mutters. “I’ve already ordered everyone to prepare for an expansion.”
“Oh… That’s a lot of orphans.”
Benny looked haunted. Recruitment had been insane over the last year. After the Invasion of Ko, and the everything else the knowledge of the ISDF was growing to be something everyone at least knew about.
Orphans from all over were coming, or sending messages requesting to join. The libraries were working. Maybe too well. If you couldn’t afford a message. The Libraries were paying for people that wanted to be recruited to get a message to Zaniah. Honestly Benny had spent so much time handling recruitment, that he had created an entire recruitment division.
“Wow. I’m really glad she didn’t leave me in charge.” Hanna muttered with a hint of schadenfreude. Bennys glare had her laugh as she closed in placing a kiss on his nose. “You know I’m your second, I’ll always be here to help out.” She tells him, and that settles him quite a bit. “Sub-Commander Benjamin Rommel is the rock of the ISDF.”
He scoffs, but his spine straightens a bit and he looked more ready to deal with the mess Vicky left behind wherever she went.
“I can’t believe she got a warship and didn’t even bother to warn me. She knew what she was doing when she left.” He grumbled. And Hanna laughed.
“What else do you expect from our Goblin? You do realize we are going to have to deal with so many spys now. Like a million more than we have already.”
He sighs weakly. “I’m going to kill her.”
All Hanna could do is chuckle and pat him on the back
—--
That next week was a rush of activity. HPG messages to Zaniah, Sandy screaming at being told the new plan, settling in the new FedSuns crew on board the Stick. Getting the deal between the FedSuns/Lyran Commonwealth, and the ISDF for Warship actions taken care of.
Anyway, we were readying fast and furious. I had told Sandy I wanted to be gone in a week, to meet up with the Library group on board WhiteBase.
Apparently Hanse had realized I was serious about leaving so soon and hadn’t tried to slow me down, although I could tell he wanted me to not rush off. Probably full of questions he wanted answered.
But then if he didn’t want me rushing off he never should have allowed part of his state to have illiterate planets! I had to take a deep breath and keep myself from exploding every time I thought about it. These worlds were his responsibility. People were barely able to survive, out there, and he ignored them.
Even if my mind understood he was limited on what he could do for every planet, my heart didn’t care.
Still. There was no reason not to be civil. The Vagabond school was putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, and about as effective, but it was an attempt. It was fine. I would take care of the rest.
It was close to the final day and Hanse had invited me to a dinner, along with Melissa and Morgan, Ardan joined as well.
I had been given an amused look by Melissa when I once again showed up in my armor, instead of any fancy dinner attire, like the rest of them were wearing, but I shrugged at her idly tapping at the Eisen-Blume on my chest, to remind her, that I wasn’t some weird noble.
I was a weird non-noble!
Sitting at a fancy table eating dinner with some powerful people wasn’t new to me. I had done something similar on Tharkad. Yet still weird. Although at least this time they didn’t give me tea! The new drink was some weird sparkly cider or something? Not sure. Tasty though.
“So Commander. I am curious.” Ardan asked, breaking me out of my focus on stuffing my face. “What is it that prompted the creation of the ISDF?”
I was quiet for a moment. I could see Hanse perk up in interest as well, Melissa was looking over as well, their conversation dying out as I was put on the spot. The fact I could read Hanses interest so clearly, meant this was likely another little trap from the man.
Ah this was an interrogation… Well. Might as well.
—--
A different perspective
Hanse Davion
“Ardan. I expect the report from last night is complete?”
“Yes. We had some of our best go through the Commanders chatter.” Ardan offers as he takes a seat across from Hanse dropping the report on the First Princes desk. The two were in his office, and he had purposefully ensured that Melissa would have time to see her friend off, as the Commander was leaving in a few hours.
Hanse decided there was no time like the present to go through the report. He skimmed bits and pieces to start. The obvious warning that nothing was guaranteed inside, but it was all estimates, and guesses.
“The Inner Sphere is a shithole. Huh?” He couldn’t help but chuckle as he re-read the transcript.
“Yes I believe Victoria feels rather strongly about the state of the Inner Sphere.” Ardan replied dryly, as he waited for his prince to continue reading.
“I mean you guys went from the most advanced state humanity has ever been in, and in three hundred years nearly knocked yourself back to the stone age! What kind of idiot does that! If you win a war to rule the kingdom, but you burned down everything that made the kingdom worth it, what’s the point?”
Hanse read aloud, once more he felt that same twinge of irritation reading through the Commanders words. She spoke as if that was the plan. He had read the diaries of his ancestors the men and women in charge during the first and second succession wars.
What had happened, had been totally unexpected. It was thought impossible. But then before there had always been the SLDF to stop the war from growing.
Hanse skipped the next bit. Her biting commentary of the leaders of the Inner Sphere, and how they allowed worlds to basically fall to ruin on their watch wasn’t something he needed.
“Ah here we are. The naval base and warships.” He mutters reading through.
She had mentioned the Warship production, and naval base only once last night. Despite Ardans, efforts to focus her on it. The minor drug she had taken in her drink had made her more likely to spill, but it wasn’t enough to really force it, and to his irritation, she had managed to sidestep the matter each time. Or simply saying nonsense.
“How many do I have? However many I want I guess?” He repeated her words.
“It is an entirely annoying statement.” Ardan added after Hanse had finished re-reading it. For someone that should have been on enough truth serum to have difficulty actually lying. The fact she had offered complete nonsense was irritating.
“It doesn’t look like our boys got more much than I did. She believes that statement as truth, but it’s a vague statement to begin with. She could mean she has the ability to create as many as she likes, or she has access to enough ships as to not matter… So unfortunately we are back where we started. She either has a Naval yard, somehow able to create warships, or she has some connection to a faction that still has Warships.”
“The SLDF is still the greatest bet.” Ardan agreed. “Too many coincidences regarding Eisen-Blume and the SLDF. The Movie could have been chosen specifically to mock the idea of that being the truth. It’s not like we haven’t done something similar.”
“Agreed, but the lack of surety means we are stymied on how to act. If she is on her own, and she found a naval base. Picking her up for a more thorough interrogation would be an option… But if she has connections to the SLDF. If the exodus troops are still alive and are checking in on us?”
“Touching her could create an enemy we aren’t prepared for.” Ardan agreed it wasn’t the first time the two had gone around in circles about what to do. Unfortunately the Commander had done a good job. Her connections to Katrina, and Melissa, gave her a certain immunity to the normal snatch and interrogate that Hanse would have ordered.
Although the idea was still on the table, just collecting dust for now. In a few years when the Federated Commonwealth was more connected perhaps.
“Anything new about the Warship?”
“Nothing at this time my Prince. The security measures the ‘Delta Ops’ have laid down are quite stringent. And the few men that attempted to smuggle listening devices on board Were immediately discovered. Oddly the devices were forced to be handed over and destroyed, but the men were allowed to stay on the crew.”
“The Commander is an odd woman.”
“Indeed. Are we sure we shouldn’t push for a deployment of the ship? She is planning on taking it to the Outback. It won’t do much good out there.”
“It will take at least a year or more before I would want to bring that ship anywhere near a front. Let her run out to the Outback if she wants to help my people. It will give the crew time to learn how to use the ship, even with our old warship training information it will take some time before I would have faith in the Warship being ready.”
“It could still be used as a symbol… Or bait.”
“That would be useful if we were more desperate, but we hold every advantage, and it’s growing every year. Once the Federated Commonwealth is created, I would rather have the Warship under our control, than a single victory.”
“Understood. And if we don’t have control of the ship then?”
Hanse leaned back, running a hand over his chin. The entire situation was something that was rapidly turning into a problem. The ISDF moved in ways that Hanse didn’t like. Katrina might have given them latitude to act because of their contributions, but Hanse saw it differently.
The Commander had spoken outright about her intentions.
“I worry about what they will become.”
“I understand. They could very easily become a threat. Or even have the intention of becoming a threat in the future.” Ardan offered frowning.
“Unfortunately, Katrina is protecting them, if she wasn’t so fond of the Commander, we could get some real answers.”
“Perhaps she knows something that we don’t? We never considered the ISDF as something more than an odd mercenary company before now. Perhaps, Katrina knows something she didn’t bother to inform us about?” Ardan offered with a shrug.
Hanse considered it. “I don’t know. There is the rumor about them being related…”
“Unlikely. You are well aware of that.” Ardan pestered him grumpily, Hanse smirked, he knew Ardan hated incorrect information.
“But, this is a good chance. I am guessing a DNA sample was gathered?”
“Of course. Standard procedure for anyone entering the palace.”
“Start running some tests. I want to know if there is a familial link. If there is, it means any interaction we have with the Commander will have to take a soft touch from here on out.”
“I will send the order to our lab.” Ardan offered. Both men had known each other long enough to realize their meeting was done. Ardan stood and headed out.
“Oh and Ardan? Check it against the Cameron genome as well.” Hanse finally spoke just as Ardan was about to leave. Hanse had done it on purpose, and Ardan would know.
He only sent a final task to Ardan when he didn’t want to talk about it.
Hanse didn’t expect it would impact much even if it was true. House Cameron was gone. They didn’t have a single ounce of support left in the Inner Sphere.
At least. That is what he had thought.
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