Hue City...
From here, Nathan found he could see the mighty Ia Drang falls, two hundred Kilometers to the Northwest, and the massive cloud at the base of them. and with Binoculars, he could look on the Ia Drang Bridge-the outermost portion of the underground city, a balcony in ferrocrete and endo-steel, now that it had been repaired and updated.
"It is beautiful here." he said.
"Yeah, but the view's better from the Balcony." Liz said, standing next to him, "You still have papers to sign."
"hm? Oh...right...things are so much simpler in our system..."
"yeah, but your system doesn't include deeds or taxes." she stated, "Which you will be collecting on behalf of your Clan now."
"I have Merchant Administrators for that."
"okay, your staff will be." she said, "it's the same thing. Clan Jade Falcon needs foreign exchange capital, Marthe turned me down on the credit-default-swap scheme after talking with those same Merchant Administrators."
"You were going to try to back-door bankrupt the entire Clan system, Liz."
she sighed, "Yeah, and it would have been hilarious. the ultimate prank, and profitable for your Clan."
"I do not think driving millions of lower caste into penury is 'hilarious'."
"It would be if you knew anything about economics." she said, "The actual plan was to break their alliances and set them on each other's throats with refusal to pay the interest. the Homeworld Clans would be so wrapped up in their internal fighting they wouldn't be in a position to even consider launching another expedition to the Inner Sphere for generations."
"You are not even ashamed, quineg?"
"nope. Failed scheme, proves I'm not that good at scheming, kind of refreshing to have a head of state tell me hard 'no', most of the time they see the c-bills and get all drooly and greedy-except Victor, Victor doesn't get greedy, I really have not a clue what vices he's hiding, but they're probably boring...aside from that Drac princess he's been schtupping."
"Elizabeth...what is this?"
"Oh, immigration form." she said.
"immigration?"
"Residency on Kowloon, means immigrant status. the second page details rights and responsibilities." she said. "Note it's been amended, you're not forswearing your allegiance to Clan Jade Falcon, but you are accepting a responsibility to send a representative to the planetary legislature, to represent Clan interests in the Solomon Valley-which is where Hue is, and is now the Jade Falcon enclave."
"Why would we do that?" he inquired.
"Because you live here." she stated. "You're bringing in people to live here, that means they get a vote and get to hear their grievances aired in a public forum, it also means formalizing limitations-your law reaches to the border of your land, anyone crosses that border and breaks it, it's your responsibility, but it also means there are going to be conflicts, and I don't like settling conflicts with seventy ton war machines or kiloton warheads if they can be settled with discussion and negotiation."
she turned him with a hand, "See that forest over there? Wildfires every four to six years, you'll be responsible for having a crew to help with them, because your people live here too. that means you want to get to know the chiefs at VDL and New Saigon, as well as Bien Hoa and Ia Drang, since they're going to be sending in firefighting crew to help-you bought yourself a place in my community, and that means you're one of us now."
"preventative measures?" he asked.
"Those trees produce a sap that is valuable." she told him, "Management of that forest area will be in your hands out to your border, there are also valuable medicinals growing in there, and some of them need the fires to start gestation. It's part of your Clan's income now, if you want to cut it back, I won't stop you, but I suggest you have smokejumpers trained up and ready to help control the fires instead."
he considered that. "What else?"
"Water rights, page six fifty two. Fishing as well-fish is a staple food and it's healthy, but you don't want to overfish or you'll be sorry later, there are provisions for controlled aquaculture if you can find people to run it, and that can be a boon to your offworld holdings, or a profit source, but you'll need to make sure your fishermen know when and where the seasons are, and if you want expanded ranges, your best bet is to convince the Assembly that it's a good idea...and your military personnel will be responsible for the defense of your enclave against piracy, raiding, and external aggression...right to the border. after that, it's my problem."
"There are so many details in this..." he noted.
"Details win campaigns, details win wars." she said, "Details are, therefore, good to have covered, you'll also want to appoint someone to mediate low-level disputes with the neighbours, our liaison is with the Coast Guard, who will be maintaining an access point on your border, I suggest you might want to man your side of it for the sake of appearances if nothing else."
"I have that covered." he said. "you know, you are now standing on Jade Falcon land."
"I do not feel threatened, Nathan Roshak, because you are not an enemy." she said, "You have convinced me you can be trusted."
he blinked in surprise. "how?"
"Actions." she stated. "Dinner at my place?"
"I would suggest mine, now that I have one...but I have yet to do the...ah...shopping."
"sounds like a bargain to me, housewarming." she said it more softly.
