Heart of the Dragon-Brought to you by Monbvol and Cannonshop

[monbvol]

Heart of the Dragon

Act I

War room
Daimyo’s Palace
Kanowit
Draconis Combine
3052

“The Nova Cats have issued their Batchall.”  Daimyo Ryukan Kaneda announced to his war council.

“My Lord, I request permission to join you on the field of battle.”  Hatsu Hideki, the long-time head of the household staff and master at arms proclaimed.

“I appreciate the sentiment my old friend.  But I have another task for you.  If we hurry we can ensure at least some of our people escape.  There is a jumpship at the Nadir point that has room for two Dropships.  Find the merchants that arranged for those collars.  Convince them that it is their duty to help as many people escape from this world as possible.  It is not a glorious task but an important one.  I ask you to undertake it.”

“I will see to it at once.”  Hideki bowed.

“You cannot send us all away.”  The commander of the local militia declared.

“No, I cannot.  Have your troops help load up what supplies we can for our people.  After that is done, distribute the arsenals to the rural areas.  We have no hope of holding this world in a traditional pitched battle but we can serve the Dragon by melting into the countryside and becoming thorns in their side until aid can arrive.”

“Hai.”  The militia commander bowed.

Hikkaru’s room

A knock at the door broke Hikkaru’s meditation.

“Enter.”

Hideki entered, the aging man then bowed.

“What is it?”

“I am to fetch you and your mother.  Your father has ordered as many people off this world as possible before the Nova Cats claim it.  I have interpreted these orders to include you and your mother.”

“I see.  And who else?”

“To help secure the cooperation of the merchants, their families and the families of their business contacts, and then as many people as we can safely bring aboard the Dropships, chosen as randomly as possible.”

Hikkaru nodded.

Since the Clans had resumed their offensive Hikaru had a trunk of necessities packed and ready to go.  It seemed likely this day would come and thus his prudence had paid off.

“Where shall we go?”  Hikkaru asked as he retrieved his trunk.

“Our end destination for the moment is Luthien.”

“I should be staying with my father.  Do my duty to the Dragon.  But I am a useless disappointment.”

“Do you not see, young master?  Your father understands this is going to be a long war, and that help will be unlikely to come.  So he is planning for the long term.  He knows you will be more service to the Dragon alive and free.  Not dead or in captivity at the hands of the Clans.”

“You are a wise man Hideki.”  Hikkaru nodded.

“Come.  We must fetch your mother next.”

“Hai.  She will be more difficult.”

The two went down the hall to the master bedroom, Hikkaru gently knocked.

The door slid open and Hikkaru’s mother Emi had clearly been crying.

“Word has already gotten around.  I am as ready as I can be.”  Emi gestured to a small assortment of luggage.

Hideki and Hikarru nodded as other servants appeared to collect the luggage.

The trip to the space port was quiet.  There was nothing more to be said.

Militia troops had formed a perimeter to keep the panicked masses at bay.

The Buccaneer had been hastily configured.

As such the bunks for Hikarru and his mother were rather simple and spartan.

“These are the best we can offer on such short notice.”  The Captain said.

Emi was quietly crying again.

Hikarru knew he could use his authority to demand two of the crew give up their bunks so he and his mother could have more suitable accommodations but he knew that would just create problems in the long run.  Plus he doubted that it would actually be that much of an upgrade.

“We understand.”

Hikarru started storing their luggage.  It barely all fit in the space provided to them.

With careful and gentle prodding he helped his mother into the improvised launch set and buckled her in.

As he leaned in, his mother hugged him.

He hugged her back as she drew him in further, the wetness on her cheek touching his.

“I know.  He does his duty for the Dragon and has decided we should live.  But…”  Emi said quietly.

“He is your husband and my father.  I understand mother.” Hikkaru said as he drew back to secure himself.

“I should be with him.”  Hideki said as he joined them.

“I am certain if circumstances were different he would have gladly done you the honor of a position on the battlefield next to his.  But he knows this conflict is not over and that your true value is in teaching the next generation of the faithful sons and daughters of the Dragon.”  Hikkaru said as the alarm for liftoff sounded.

The transit out to the jumpship was thankfully uneventful as the passengers were too distraught for conversation at the prospect of now being refugees and the Nova Cats granting them safcon.

Furuike ya
Kawazu tobikomu
Mizu no oto

One last time I jump into the pond of battle to do my duty for the Dragon.  Hear me!  Carry on!  The Dragon needs you all!

Final transmission from the Daimyo’s palace.

A stuffy administrator’s office
Luthien City, Luthien
3052

“The Coordinator sends his regrets for not tending to this matter personally.”  The elderly man sitting across from Hikkaru might have been sincere at one point, but now with the ravages of age and a war on a scale not seen in some time, he barely even looked up from the printouts in front of him.

“I understand.  I am but a refugee without a world.  He has many far more important matters to attend to than to see to such a lowly person as I.”  Hikkaru answered far more sincerely.

“Still that you are of a noble family, one who’s head of family did the duty of them as best can be expected of them in these trying times has come at an opportune time.  The Daimyo of Apriki also did his duty to the Dragon and leaves only a daughter.  As such it has been decided you and she shall marry and together establish a noble family that shall rule the world of Apriki for the Dragon.  Transport has been arranged.”  The administrator barely even looked up from the obvious script he was reading from.

At least he has the sense to not betray his true feelings.  Hikkaru thought to himself briefly.

“I Obey.  For the Dragon.”  Hikkaru bowed.

Hikkaru spent some small amount of time procuring some much needed things for the trip to Apriki in the local markets.

By the time he returned to the starport the local sun was starting to set and Hideki was waiting for him.

“I must apologize, my master.  Your mother… She slipped away from me and I cannot locate her.  All I was able to find was this.”  Hideki bowed as he presented a neatly folded piece of paper.

Hikkaru unfolded the paper.

I am sorry my son.  My grief overwhelms me.  You remind me too much of your father.  I have made arrangements to enter into a monastery.  Please forgive me and do not try to look for me.  I still love you but the pain is too great.

Your mother

“She has made her wishes clear and as such I cannot fault you Hideki.  Spread the word.  We move on to the world of Apriki.”  Hikkaru shook his head.  “For now we shall honor her request and pray that she has judged correctly that this will bring her the peace she desires.”

“Hai.”  Hideki bowed again.

Daimyo’s palace
Apriki
Draconis Combine
3052

Hikkaru sat across from his bride to be.  Her soft brown eyes almost melted his grief at first sight.  She was of an age with Hikkaru.

“So you are my husband to be.” The young woman across from him smiled.

“I am.” Hikkaru almost stammered.

“Then for now you may address me as Hinata.”  The young woman giggled.

“You’re beautiful.”  Hikkaru found he could not restrain himself from the direct complement.

“You’re bold.  I like that.  Tell me, are you a proper samurai as well?”  Hinata poured some tea for the two of them.

“No.  I was born with a deficiency that has prevented me from serving the Dragon that way.  I do what I can to keep myself fit though.”

“Good.  I am not looking to become a widow, especially at my age.”

“Hah.”  Hikkaru almost spilled his tea as he started laughing too hard.

“Shall we take a stroll around the grounds after tea?”

“That sounds fantastic.”  Hikkaru smiled.

Under a blossoming cherry tree
Daimyo’s palace garden
Apriki
3052

Hikkaru stood nervously in his formal attire.

Hinata came walking out of the house in her formal Kimono, veil draped over her carefully painted face.

Hikkaru felt his heart skip a beat each time she took a carefully measured step and the drums beat out the procession rhythm as the other instruments and singers performed the ancient traditional songs.

Fortune has smiled on me.  This may be an arranged marriage and rather sudden but Hinata… I may be a young fool but I am a very lucky man.

Hikkaru was lost in his fiancee’s gaze and had to be prodded to say his vows twice before he finally did so.

Hinata had no such trouble.

The handful of guests were mostly those expected for such a ceremony as neither had any real friends or family to come attend.

The Daimyo of Irurzun was easily the most important guest.

“So you are the son of the Frog and my newest Daimyo.”  The man almost grunted.

“I am Daimyo.”

“A shame.  I had expected more.”

“I regret that I cannot give my death to the Dragon but I do instead give something else.  My life.”  Hikkaru knew he should have measured his words more carefully.

“I will keep that in mind.”  The Daimyo walked off.

“Hikkaru, it was not wise to antagonize your senior in such a way.”  Hinata joined her now husband.

“Perhaps but if he is wise he will also understand that what I said was not meant as an insult but a reminder that the Dragon also needs those who farm, fish, make, and study.  This is not a war that can be won by the old ways of Takashi but by Theodore’s.”

Meanwhile, Kowloon,
3052…

"It's a Giant militia formation, Henrietta, you can do better."  Colonel (regent) Jameson Stonecipher III said sadly,  "they may as well have outright said you're unreliable."
Henrietta winced.  "Yeah? So?" she asked.  "I'm patient status until they clear me anyway, and besides, I wasn't Patri   ck, didn't get the grades to get into CMW, never mind Nagelring, and I didn't so much 'graduate' as fight a frantic last ditch to the escape dropship at Blackjack.  Big Militia formation or not, they're making me a Hauptmann, and I wouldn't get there in a unit with Nagelring grads."

The older man harrumphed.  "I was looking forward to a quiet retirement, too…"

She rolled her eyes, "For right now, I'm on leave, here with Lizzie, to make sure the place is ready for Pat and his new wife."

"So they're going to release him?"

"Reserve status so he can take up the Ducal seat, sir.  They're supposedly letting him pro-rate his five since he's a ducal heir and Dad's been confirmed KIA."

"But they're keeping YOU?"

"Spare." she said, "Heir and a Spare, I'm the spare, he's the Heir…and someone needs to run die firma and I didn't finish my schooling.""  she put the datareader down on his desk, "In the meantime, Colonel, sir, we've got to fix these discrepancies, or you'll have the Inspector General crawling up your ass with a ground glass phallus. Her Majesty wants the Tithe ready for deployment, that means opening up the training grounds and finding equipment…"

***

"He's been

Stealing!!"  Elizabeth insisted, "From the realm!!"

"And I know that, and you know that, and we can even prove it, but we're going to pretend we can't."  Henrietta said evenly, "we're going to pretend, that these are errors and mistakes and we're going to fix them and he's going back to Filtvelt or wherever the Royal Family found him."

"But-"

"But nothing.  Here's what happens if we don't pretend: We'll be fighting a civil war here on Kowloon inside a week, and win or lose, everybody loses.  Stoney has friendships in court, and Dad never cultivated any, and Grandad pissed off the Feddie side with his policies, so we still don't have friends in court, violence will not win this, we're going to be polite, we're going to be clear, we're going to hand the world over to Patrick intact and that is where it ends."


Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
18 February , 3053

Hikkaru had summoned the physician after Hinata had started complaining about pains.

“She’s early.”  The Doctor pronounced.  “Daimyo Ryukan I must ask you wait outside.  This is a delicate time.”

“I understand.”  Hikkaru nodded.

I am useless once again…

He went out to the garden, the small meditation shrine.  But he could not find peace enough in his mind or body.  So he instead started strolling the walking paths.

He tried to study the koi in the pond.  The leaves on the cherry tree.  Anything to try and distract him from the fact that his wife was in distress while carrying their first child.

None of it was working.

It was a small mercy that an aid came to fetch him.

He returned outside their room.

“Tell me Doctor, what is it?”

“I am sorry.  Your wife has passed from complications during childbirth.  I was able to save your daughter.  It is highly likely she will have developmental problems being born this early.  I have done all I can here and have arranged for a medical VTOL to get your daughter to NICU as quickly as possible.”

“Do it.  Do not waste space for me.” Hikkaru fell to his knees and began to cry.

For an arranged marriage they had found happiness together in a short time that most never find, even when allowed to choose one’s spouse freely.

After a few moment Hikkaru collected himself and stood up.

“Arrange for the ground car.  I wish to have a few moments to grieve and the drive will allow that.”

NICU ward
Osaka Medical Center
Apriki
About an hour later

Hikkaru stared at the impossibly small thing that was his daughter.

“Do all you can Doctor.”  Hikkaru commanded.

“I shall.  I am confident that if she survives the night she will have a future of some measure.”

“Good.  I shall stay here until then.”

“Of course.  I shall have a chair brought up so that you may sit and watch her in more comfort.”

“Thank you.”

Hikkaru stood there silently.  Willing his grief away as best he could.

I must be of steel.  For her.  She needs me now and I cannot be lost.  Hinata would not want that for either of us.

Daimyo’s palace
Apriki
18 February 3053

Hideki looked at the two children in front of him.

One was his grandson, also named Hideki after himself.  The other was Clara.  His granddaughter.

Hideki the Younger was here because his father had begun his training for entry into the DCMS and his mother had been killed fighting the Ghost Bears.

“Welcome Grandson.”  Hideki the Elder greeted the barely older than a toddler.

“Grandpa!”  Hideki the Younger exclaimed.

Clara stood there nervously.

“Grandaughter.” Hideki the Elder shifted his attention to the small girl, younger than Hideki the Younger.

Clara just nodded.

“Come.  I shall show you to your rooms.”



3053.02.18, somewhere antispinward on the Clan Front…

It was the very definition of a ******.  "Scout lance, fall back!! Fire Lance, support them!!"  The Jade Falcons had been ready for the raid, and they'd caught the Command element on landing.

"What about the Colonel?"

"I have not the faintest ****** clue where Colonel Stonecipher is, what I know is this raid is a ****** disaster, fall back to the extract by lances, cover each other!!"

The Mercs hadn't been worth the money, and she had to figure out how to extract some of them with her own men under fire.

They knew we were coming, they knew where the drop zone would be.  another carat on her command console went black, as Heffernan's Zeus  shattered on the ridge to her left.  son of a bitches knew we were coming.

"Move! Move! SCHNELL GOTTDAMMIT!!"  she hammered out with her Griffin's PPC at the distorted bird-legged thing hopped over her battalion CO's broken 'mech.

back to blackjack once again…  she pushed up to a run, going perpendicular to the enemy's line, as a Thor erupted from a  blind cliff. 

She smashed its cockpit with a fist, and twisted its autocannon arm sideways as it was firing…

Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
28 February 3053

It took every favor Hikkaru had with his peers, even indebting himself to many to arrange for his guests that had shown up this day.

A small number of Nova Cats believing in their vision were already finding ways to trickle into the Combine.

The Scientist had come.

She examined the diminutive child.

“I am sorry.  Her mental capacity is beyond even our ability to correct.”

Hikkaru slumped in his chair.

After a brief moment of silence he looked at the Scientist.

“Perhaps an alternative.”  Hikkaru said thoughtfully.

Then suddenly he got up and dashed into another area of the house leaving the Nova Cat Scientist bewildered.

He returned with a hair.

“From her brush.  I know of your Iron Womb technology.  If you cannot help my daughter then you can repay the debt of blood your Clan owes me with another daughter with my wife.”

“Very well.  I shall make arrangements.”  The Scientist sighed.

Maintenance shed
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
3 March 3053

It wasn’t a true Iron Womb, but a close enough approximation as the Scientist fully understood the implications of the never ending stream of requests of this type that the Nova Cats would receive if they used a true Iron Womb.

But this?  This was something that in theory the Combine should be able to produce itself.  The results would not be as successful as what could be achieved with a True Iron Womb.

Scientist Conrad studied the genetic samples.  The one from Hikkaru was mostly fine.  There were some genetic predispositions to certain conditions that would prevent a child from becoming a Warrior.  The sample from Hinata though.  It had not been properly stored and was thus largely useless.

Scientist Conrad looked over at the toddler Yurika.  Someone had left her unattended and she had found her way into the maintenance area.

“It is a good thing that this is not a dangerous technology for one such as yourself that I am working with.”  Conrad then thought for a moment.  “Your timing is excellent.”

He grabbed a syringe and some swabs.

Yurika didn’t let out a sound when he drew a sample.

“You must have a good tolerance for pain.  Still I apologize.”  Conrad began putting the combined samples into his equipment.

“I still need to fill a few gaps.”  Conrad furled his brow.  “Fortunately I do have the data and equipment to synthesize and introduce Katayama markers.  That will fill the gaps without disrupting the DNA chains too much.  Yes.  That should still have her pass DNA checks as the daughter of Daimyo Ryukan and his wife without the issues of Lord Ryukan himself.”

Conrad began the work.

Within a few hours everything was in place.

Yurika was still sitting quietly on the floor, forgotten by Conrad when he left the shop.

She stood up unsteadily then more waddled than walked over to the artificial womb.  On the control panel she pressed a series of commands into the device.

Eventually Clara came into the shop.

“There you are.  Everyone has been looking for you.  Come on.  It is dinner time.”  Clara, barely older than the toddler, grabbed Yuirka’s hand and began pulling her to the main house and dining hall.

Maintenance area
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
10 March 3053

“This should be impossible.” Conrad checked the readings for the third time.

“What should be impossible.”  Hikkaru demanded as he stood behind Conrad.

“Twins.  With this equipment that should not be possible.  But somehow it is.”

Conrad tapped commands into the console then a look of shock came over his face.

“You have found something.  Out with it.”

“Someone tampered with the artificial womb.”  Conrad said after a moment.

“Who?”  Hikkaru demanded firmly.

“The Dragon told me how to do it.”  Yurika’s small voice was barely audible above the hum of the machines and generators.

Hikkaru looked at his daughter that had seemed to appear out of nowhere.  Somehow as incredible as the statement was he did not doubt it for a moment.  The sincerity in Yurika’s voice left no doubt.

“The Dragon said if I did that I could have two sisters instead of one.  So I did.”  Yurika  giggled innocently.

Hikkaru stopped himself for a moment and realized something.

“Is there a danger?”

“It would be better if we separated them so each was in their own artificial womb as the system is only really designed to handle the needs of one fetus.  But that can be done safely.”

“Then do it.”

“Yes Daimyo.”

I need to take greater measures to see after Yurika.  But that she is able to do this at this age…  This is nothing short of a miracle.  Hikkaru snatched up his daughter.

“You’re going to be a big sister now.”  Hikkaru realized that as much as he felt guilty for asking for another child in this way, what Yurika had done meant she did not see it as her being replaced.

What had been missed was the proclamation by Yurika that she would have sisters.

By everyone.

But the confirmation of that proclamation would come in a few more weeks once the fetuses were old enough to make that determination.

The Daimyo of Irurzun was the first to send a carefully worded letter of congratulations.

The thinly veiled contempt and dismissal of Ryukan Hikkaru was easy enough to read between the lines.

Similar messages washed in from his peers.

Still when Hikkaru welcomed his daughters Natsu and Yuko into the world on the 29th of January 3054 he found he did not care.  The methods may have been unusual but he was the father of three daughters that he found himself adoring.

Yurika’s room
Daimyo’s Palace
3 February 3054

Doctor Wanda Greene had just completed her residency at Osaka Medical Center in the capital of Apriki when Daimyo Ryukan Hikkaru poached her for his house hold physician.

She was examining Yurika as she sat quietly on the floor.

“It is odd how quiet she is.  Usually children with this sort of condition are more active.  Both physically and vocally.”

“She’s not always that way.  Sure that’s how she is most of the time.  But every now and again she’ll make an outburst of some sort.”  Clara had already been appointed Yurika’s official companion despite her own youth.

Wanda nodded as she placed a portable noteputer in front of Yurika.

“What is that?”  Clara asked.

“A simple battery of tests.  Audio visual, simple stuff really but should reveal just exactly what kind of condition we’re dealing with.”  Wanda said as she watched Yurika tap commands into the noteputer or tap on the touch screen.

A few hours later in the main hall

“There is no doubt about it.  Yurika is a very special case.  Despite the complications of her birth she tested extremely highly in terms of intellect.  Technology in particular.”  Wanda briefed.

“How can you be certain?”  Hikkaru asked.

“Somehow she hacked the test noteputer.  That should be beyond a child of her age but she did it.”  Wanda sighed.  “She really should be under much more specialized supervision.”

“In a facility? I think not.  I am Daimyo of this world and she is my daughter.  We shall see to her needs.”  Hikkaru said flatly.

Ducal Palace
Kowloon
12 August 3055

Colonel Stonecipher skulked back into his office.

His carefully veiled attempt to get Henrietta Ngo killed in battle in the vain hope that the evidence against him would disappear too had not worked the way he had hoped.

So now he was gathering up his golden parachute before disappearing for good.

“She said you would be stupid enough to try this.”  A tall blond in Ngo Industries secretariat dress code said as she stepped into Stonecipher’s office.

“Heh.  And what is a legal secretary from Ngo Industries going to do about it?  Bury me in paperwork?”  Stonecipher scoffed.

“A tempting idea if I had enough paperwork.  No.  I think I’ll try this…”  The woman tore the side of her dress open while discarding her heels then stepped closer to Stonecipher.

By the time Stonecipher’s brain registered danger she had struck him in the throat.

Choking for air she stepped back slightly and snapped a kick into the bridge of his nose.

Stonecipher fell to the floor of his office like a cold sack of potatoes.

“Natalie…  Now we’re going to have to replace the carpet…”  Liz complained as she entered the office next.  “And I’m going to have to wait to question him.”

“Take it out of my paycheck.”  Natalie Roshack chuckled, “Hmph.  I just might.  So when is big sis going to be back?”

 Liz scrunched her face. “Two weeks according to her message.  But you already knew that.” 

"Your brother gave his permission…"

“Yeah.  I guess I’m just impatient since we can finally do something about Stoney boy here."

“You still do not care for me do you?”

“No.  But you helped save big sis’ life on Blackjack and she likes you.  So call it ‘me warming up to you’ that we’re having this conversation at all.”

“Fair.  I am expensing this dress though.”

“You’re learning.”

“Indeed.”

“But that also means I am definitely taking the carpet out of your paycheck.  You didn’t have to break his nose and get blood all over it.”  Liz shot back.

“Worth it.”

***

"You were supposed to detain him until IG could arrive, Elizabeth."  Duke Patrick Ngo was home after spending weeks jumping from Jumpship to Jumpship to do his annual duty to the realm on Tharkad as Duke of Kowloon.  "You promised you'd let the professionals handle it."

"Natalie's professional, and he was packing for an unscheduled trip."

"Just the broken nose?"

"Well, there might be some side effects from the narco…desertion is a capital crime, Pat."

'I know." he said.  "Henrietta diverted to Melissia for recovery.  She managed to bring most of the 1st and 2nd battalions out alive-she's getting a medal."

Liz pumped her fist "YUSS!!!"

"Thought that'd make you happy.  They're talking about rebuilding the seventy seventh."

"It should be the ONE Seventy First." Liz scowled, "We're paying for most of it, after all."

"No, not going to fight that fight." He shook his head, "You're not either, Lil'Bit.  How's the new medicine?"

"Leaves me groggy." Elizabeth confided.

"Funny, Li says you pay more attention in Assembly meetings now that you're on it." he observed, "Cham says you're calmer too.  Is it helping you focus?"

The girl nodded.

"Good. Henrietta's gonna be happy about that…"

"What happens with Stonecipher?"

"He ditched his command and tried to run." Patrick said, "So…he gets a courts-martial and sentencing under AFFC guidelines. While you and the doctors were playing 'pincussion the traitor with drugs' did you find out why a decorated Fedsuns officer would do that?"

Liz looked at the floor, then, "You won't believe it."

"I'll believe you told me something if you talk."

"He thinks his whole operation here, the embezzlement, the equipment theft, all of it? Was sanctioned.  He got it in his head to run, because he got a coded order from his handler in an HPG message." 

"One that obviously didn't originate with the Steiner-Davions?"

She shook her head, "I…I don't think so, there's no win condition."

He nodded.  "You're right, there is no win condition for that…so next suspicion, because I know you have one."

"Grandfather warned about trusting messages from secret sources coming through Comstar…I think the Earthers were using him as a sock puppet."

Patrick sighed, "have the transcripts ready when LIC shows up with their auditor." he told her, "but keep backups just in case, and a suicide watch on the prisoner."

"Pat, are you going to open the trade with the Fedsuns half?"

"Archon Melissa made a solid case." He said, "Yes.  I know, Grandfather was pretty adamant, but…"

"But it's done and done?" Liz asked.

He nodded.  "Yeah, done-and-done.  We're going to do business in the other half of the realm directly.  We need the export cash."

"Bad?"

"Lots of lost customers thanks to the invasion." he asserted, "Plus we're going to have to deal with reality sooner or later, dealing with it sooner is less painful…and this way, we won't have domestic intelligence stealing goods to resell to people who would be our customers if not for that ban."

“Hmph.”  Liz frowned then nodded.  “Fine.”

[monbvol]

Bonus content:

Art

[Liam's Ghost]

I'm glad I'm not the only one who still has that haiku stuck in his head two and a half decades later.

[monbvol]

Sensei Kolberg is probably laughing at us right now.

[Daryk]

Glad to see it getting posted, even if Google won't let me in to edit! :)

[worktroll]

Quite a variation on the Ngo-verse! Tagged for great glory.

[ThePW]

*eats popcorn*

[mikecj]

Interesting variation.  Thank you!

The 77th?  I thought they were on Haven. 

[Dave Talley]

Tag

[DragonKhan55]

Tagged. Looking forward to Liz (Draconis Edition) (TM)

[idea weenie]

I wonder how long before the Dragon Liz and the Kowloon Liz get together?

[monbvol]

Garden
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
Draconis Combine
27 June 3055

It was a rare nice day during this season on Apriki.

So the children were out in the garden, enjoying the day.

Yurika giggled as a harmless local insect landed on her hand.

Natsu leaned over to get a closer look.

As Yuko came over it flew away.

“Aw.  I waned oo hee.”  Yuko’s missing teeth giving her a severe enunciation problem.

Clara brought out a small basket.  Inside were meal boxes and drink containers.

“Lunch.  I’m starved.”  Hideki the younger proclaimed.

“Yurika as our Lord’s eldest daughter gets served first, you know that cousin.”  Clara chided as she pulled out a box and drink container and set them in front of Yurika.

“I know.  I’m just saying I’m hungry.”  Hideki the younger almost pouted.

“Patience.”  Clara took another box and drink container out and handed them to Natsu.

“The summer wind carries songs of gratitude.”  Natsu said as she started laying out a small blanket.

Yuko smiled when she received hers next.

Then finally, after what seemed like forever, Clara handed Hideki the Younger his meal box and drink container.

Clara helped Yurika with her box and drink.  Yurika took the small handful of pills out of her box then quickly gulped them all down with a swig from her drink container.

“I wih my heeh would grow back in faser.”  Yuko grumbled as she carefully nibbled on a rice ball.

“It is a tribulation we all must contend with Mistress Yuko.”  Clara smiled.

“Yah buh you have all your heeh.”  Yuko complained.

“Tomorrow ends yesterday’s problems.”  Natsu said before proceeding to attack a roll.

Hideki the younger looked like he wanted to say something but stopped himself and instead began eating.


July, 3055, Tharkad…

You would think it would have the decency to rain, or drizzle at least, especially here, especially now.

The Archon's funeral procession wasn't under an overcast sky, the press didn't need umbrellas.

"Funerals…" Henrietta Ngo, Baroness Hue-on-Kowloon, muttered, "are for the living."

She'd been on the way here anyway, as a witness and escorting guard for her former Commanding Officer, Colonel Sir Jameson Stonecipher, who'd managed to ****** up so badly that he ran off in the middle of offensive operations and tried to desert.

Which left the 77th Fedcom (Reserve) in the hands of an XO named Sweeney, who in turn  handed off the job of explaining to Mount Asgard what the ****** happened to freshly made Kommandant Henrietta Ngo.

Just in time for word of the Archon's assassination to reach their transport at the Gibbs turnover.

If there was anything IN the box being drawn down Kaiser Freidrichstrasse, it was so mangled by the explosion as to be nearly unrecognizable, or more made of mortuary cosmetics than flesh or bone.

Henrietta knew exactly what an explosion of that sort does to human beings, she'd seen it enough in the last five years.

She wasn't the only member of the family here, she reached out, and laid a hand on Elizabeth's shoulder, "straighten up and look sad." she muttered, "and put the handbrain padd away, we're on camera."

Faintly, she wished to god that Patrick could've come for this instead.

***

"...know that a controlled and organized retreat is one of the hardest tasks an officer can carry out, routs are, sadly, far too common." 

Henrietta leaned forward to the mic, "The term you're looking for, general, sir, is Orderly retreat, as opposed to the usual circus of chaos, confusion and cowardice.  The Seventy Seventh's first and second battalions executed an Orderly withdrawal, I can't say what Headquarters company or the fourth battalion did, as communications were disrupted.  Given the condition at the rally point on Melissia, I'd speculate that fourth battalion were pursued a bit more vigorously than the rest of us, seeing as they only retained thirty percent of their pre-landing fighting strength."

“The reports do paint a strange picture against this Red Corsair and her group of ‘pirates’.  Is there any other clarifying detail you would like to add at this time to explain such a chaotic and disappointing engagement?”

"They knew where we were landing, they were emplaced and waiting for us."  she said, "My battalion commander, Kommandant Parker, was hit from three sides, so they knew who the command element was ahead of time.  They had our comms channels and encryption broken or jammed at the site, and if those were 'pirates' I'm the first lord of the ****** star league-those were Clan Regulars, likely operating under a false flag to exploit details of the Tukayyid truce."

“That is a chilling prospect.  Thanks to Focht we know the Clans are no longer getting intel from Comstar or the Word of Blake.  That leaves few prospects for where the Red Corsair could have gotten such information.”

"They got it from somebody."

"How did you get out?" another senior officer asked.

"I changed the comm orders to a backup on low freq RF and organized a fighting withdrawal since we couldn't call in air support or artillery." she snapped, "Not a big deal, but they apparently didn't have the Nuclear exchange protocols."  she leaned back, "I don't anticipate that working a second time."

“That is not standard operating procedure.  But given the evidence and similar testimony from other officers it is to be commended.  Hauptmann Ngo you have done your duty by all accounts.”

And there it was.  'Hauptmann'.  The field promotion being denied.

"Thank you sir." she said. 

“We have some further deliberations to make in private.  So expect to hear from us again soon.”

"The witness is dismissed."

She stood and saluted the panel, executed a sharp about face, and left the chamber.  She'd expected to have to testify against Stonecipher, she didn't expect to have to  defend her actions on the site.

An oversight on her part.

***

"So what's going to happen?" Elizabeth asked over lunch.

"Well, they're going to 'deliberate' and then, I'll probably be offered a bad conduct discharge as the alternative to a resignation for the good of the service."  Henrietta explained, "See, nobody likes losers, Lizzie.  I pulled two and a half battalions out of a ****** and the very politically connected Regimental Commander was caught in an act of bald cowardice.  The standard operating procedure for that, as in the one outside the regulation lists, is to go after the lowest ranking person you can pin the responsibility on and shuffle the connected noble to a desk somewhere safe and quiet…or he dies of an accident or suicide, but they have to look like they're doing something and connected people have blackmail."

Liz put her spoon down on the plate next to her soup.  "That's not right."

"It isn't right, it is, however, what is."  Henrietta explained, "Outreach is full of good officers from the AFFC and Lyran commands, most of whom aren't IN the AFFC anymore for reasons like this.  We train the best mercs in the business, but the actual national service is…wanting."

“You better not go merc on me.”

"Not planning on it." Henrietta said agreeably. 

A throat clearing interrupted the women and Helena looked up.

"Good job out there, Ngo, almost like your dad." Morgan Kell rumbled.  "Mind if I have a seat?"

"Recruiting already??" Elizabeth scoffed, and Henrietta held up a hand in warning.

"Please, sir, if you want, have a seat."

"You think they're going to bounce you for that retreat?"

"Seems likely." she said, "I've seen it before-"

"So have I.  I'm here to tell you someone has juice, on your side, your career isn't as doomed as you think."

“I think that deserves an explanation.”  Liz butted in.

"The Commonwealth needs patriots." Morgan stated, "Competent patriots.  I mean, I've sure as hell benefitted from the social generals chasing off good officers before, but the Commonwealth needs good line officers...and I have a bigger bag of dirt than Stoney does.  At least enough to keep the review fair...if you want to stay in, Henrietta..or I can offer you a job with the Hounds."

"I'll take 'staying in'." Henrietta said, "it's…a family thing."

"Consider it done, the bag of dirt will remain in the bag as needed."

“Good.  I’m sure as hell no ruler and aside from maybe making a living on the fashion runway it’s not like I have a lot of other talents.”  Henrietta chuckled.

"What's your end?" Elizabeth asked suspiciously.  "Nobody does anything for nothing."

"I'm looking to refurbish some factories, Miss Ngo, are you capable of representing your brother in business yet?"

Liz grimaced, "You got catalog numbers?"

"I do."

“Somebody came prepared.  Careful Liz.”  Henrietta warned.

Elizabeth sighed, "How much off the standard rates are you looking for, Your Grace sir?"

"Five percent." he said firmly, "Though I'll ask ten for old times sake, your Grandfather always claimed the best way to get the rate you want, is to ask for half what you'll accept."

"Have your rep call Ms.Whyte at the office tonight, we'll have the contract ready by morning." Liz said, "Five is fine, we'll still make a profit."

“Well then, pleasure doing business with you.  As you can imagine I am a busy man.  I’ll be in touch though.”  Morgan extended his hand.

Liz took it and shook it.  The deal was made.

"Five percent?"  Henrietta inquired.

"Grandfather always said Morgan Kell gets five percent off the list pricing, payback for interceding with Her Majesty Katrina to get him out of Blackgate-see? I paid attention to Grandfather's stories!"

“Thus why you’re on the board and I’m living a life of ‘adventure’.”

"You could be on the board, Henrietta, you chose to give Pat your proxies…I, on the other hand, have been using mine…with Ms Whyte's assistance, anyway."

“And you’re doing great.  But I’m not you or Pat.”

"Be glad you're not me, the drugs make everything worse." Liz told her, "like, I'm having to force the food down today, because everything smells and tastes gross."

“Everything?  Even if I were to spring for some milkshakes?”
Lizzie looked tempted and alarmed at the same time.

Yurika’s room
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
Draconis Combine
7 July, 3055

Yurika looked at the tangled mess of wires and components in front of her.

Half an hour ago it had been a standard electronic media player.

She started arranging it, straightening the cables, organizing the bits.

“What are you working on?” Clara sat besides Yurika.

“Your cousin broke the media player.  I’m fixing it.”  Yurika declared.

“You don’t have to do that.  My cousin should face the repercussions of his actions.”  Clara studied the mess.

“I want to.  Besides, he will anyway.  Your grandfather will demand it.”  Yurika grabbed a tool and began separating parts from the shattered housing.

“Here you go Yurika.”  Yuko brought in a small stack of wood.

“Thanks.”  Yurika said warmly.

Natsu came in with a small box.

“What’s that for?”  Clara asked.

“Old housing is broken.  Need new housing.”  Yurika said as she kept grabbing bits and working on them then laid them down in neatly organized sections.

Natsu opened the box and handed Yurika a wiring tool as she pulled out a wood working tool.

Clara stood up and went running off.

Yuko watched her sisters work together, handing them anything they asked for.

By the time an adult had shown up the trio had already cut the panels of wood to allow mounting of the dials and controls for the media player and nearly had it reassembled.

Hikkaru studied his daughters for a moment, not interrupting them.

Yurika closed the top of the media player and turned it on.  After a brief moment it started playing an old melody.

“You three didn’t hurt yourselves?”  Hikkaru finally asked.

“No father.”  Yuko answered.

“The passage of time degrades us all.”  Natsu shook her head.

Yurika simply held her hands and forearms up to show she was unhurt.

Hikkaru nodded.

He stroked his chin in thought for a moment afterward.

Yurika turned to look at him.  She gave him a look.  The kind of look only a daughter can give their father.

So much for being of steel for them… Hikkaru sighed.

“Very well.  I shall create a dedicated workshop just for you Yurika.  Though I suspect your sisters will spend a fair bit of time there as well.”

Yurika smiled.

Hikkaru’s office
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
Draconis Combine
14 July 3055

“Daimyo…  Your visit is most unexpected.”  Hikkaru greeted his guest.

“Certain stories have been reaching me, enough that I felt concerned one of the Daimyo’s within my area of responsibility was not managing things as they should.”  The Daimyo of Irurzun said coldly.

“What stories Daimyo?”  Hikkaru was certain he already knew the answer but he needed to be sure.

“Your daughters.  Is it true they are doing the work of technicians?  With tools that are far too dangerous for ones of their age to safely use?”

“It makes them happy and they have not suffered any injuries.  I see no need to interfere.”

“And what of your servant’s granddaughter?  Is it true she is the product of not just an affair but the rape of a hated enemy?”

“So what if she is?  She has taken to Yurika and even though they are of a similar age to one another she helps to see to Yurika’s needs.  She is loyal and faithful.”  Hikkaru answered flatly.

“You…”  The Daimyo seemed flustered.

“Serve the Dragon.  I do not care about the origins of those who serve me as long as they are able to carry out their duties and so far none of my servants have failed in that regard.”  Hikkaru pressed a button on his desk.

The monitors around his desk came to life showing financial information, battle reports, and streams of all sorts of news reports.

“Death is as light as a feather.  Duty is heavier than a mountain.  This is my mountain.  This is how I serve the Dragon.  It may not be the glorious honorable death that bushido teaches but thanks to people such as I?  The Samurai get their swords, they get to battle, they are clothed, they are fed, and when the battle is done?  They are healed.”

The Daimyo of Irurzun seemed taken aback by everything he was looking at.

“And how I see to my family is my business.”  Hikkaru steeled his gaze.

“You overstep.  I demand satisfaction.”  The Daimyo gathered himself finally.

“If you survive mine.  You have insulted your host, even if you are his superior, this is poor behavior.  And you have insulted my granddaughter.  For that I shall be your opponent first.”  Hideki stepped into the office.

“Very well.”  The Daimyo of Irurzun stepped out of the office.

“Hideki, be cautious.  He is of the old ways.”  Hikkaru looked at the aging man.

“Then my victory is certain.”  Hideki had a gleam in his eye, one Hikkaru knew that meant Hideki was indeed certain.

Hikkaru followed Hideki out to the dojo.

Hideki changed into his dueling gi.  Then he stepped to the wall where various katana and wakazashi were on display before he settled on a pair with red scabbards.

Hikkaru took his place as lord of the manor.

The Daimyo of Irurzun drew his katana and went into a high guard/ready stance.

Hideki drew his blade in a lower stance to his right.

“Begin.”  Hikkaru commanded.

The Daimyo stepped forward, bringing his blade into a counter-clockwise fient.

Hideki side stepped and on the Daimyo’s counter swing he batted aside his opponent’s katana, flat to flat.

Hideki blocked two more quick strikes before he saw his opening.

With his own feint Hideki caused the Daimyo to over commit to a high block, and with a lightning quick counterswing he caught both the Daimyo’s arms.

Hideki withdrew his blade.

“It is done.”  Hideki declared.

The Daimyo’s hands were still attached but the damage was obvious.  Hideki was correct.  The duel was over.

Doctor Greene was quickly summoned and began tending to the Daimyo’s wounds.

“Honor has been satisfied.”  Hikkaru judged.

None of the entourage that the Daimyo of Irurzun had brought with him that were now serving as witnesses objected.

Once the guests were gone, Hikkaru laid a hand on Hideki’s shoulder.

“You know what I am going to say don’t you?”  Hideki said.

“Yes.  And I know you’ll fight my enemies for me.  But that is part of the problem isn’t it?  To solve this problem long term I need to make some additions to the staff.”  Hikkaru nodded.

“I am getting old.  If I were younger he would not have even gotten the second swing off before I had ended the duel.”  Hideki shook his head.  “Still it was good to feel battle once more.”

“No doubt.  But I think it is time for you to start doing what my father wished.”

“Hai.  I shall start tutoring Natsu and Yuko along with my grandchildren.”

“Thank you old friend.  Now that our business is taken care of and my duties as Daimyo are concluded for the day I shall cease neglecting my children as it is almost time for the evening meal.”  Hikkaru smiled.


Late evening, 25 July, 3055 (Tharkad Local Time)

"Partisan Politics!!"  Henrietta practically snarled. "Do they just not understand we're at war?"

Elizabeth shrugged noncommittally, "You expected different?  Oh, right, since Pat got back you've been able to avoid having to come."

"You're one to talk, Lilbit."

The hired car pulled up to the secure passenger door and opened.  Elizabeth carefully helped herself out of her seat, "thank you Harvey, I've got this…"  she said, planting her Grandfather's bluewood cane on the ferrocrete sidewalk and leveraging herself out of the seat, while Henrietta accepted the driver's aid.

"You could have worn something more formal."  she told her little sister.

"Tonight I'm 'Baroness Spider Moon', there's forms to follow, one of them, is I don't have to gussy up like a Dirtyfoot."  Liz said, "besides, black business is formal…enough.  Nobody's going to care…"  Liz paused and examined her older sister critically, "You left the sixteen kilo platinum hammer in the trunk."

"I Left it at the condo!!" Henrietta snarked back.

Liz cocked an eyebrow, "Harvey?"

The boot of the car opened, and the driver brought the heavy ass metal Medal around.

"Public show.  The Archon's wake, and Victor's Coronation." Lizzie said, "you're representing Patrick, as his Heir-apparent, I, on the other hand, am the almost-disqualified spare."
"You're still going to have to do your swearing in." Henrietta teased.  "Eighteen…which is why you got your very own invite."

"Bitch."

"I've been called worse by better, lilbit."

"No, I mean, I'm high as a kite on this stuff.  I've got to fake being straight all night now." Liz huffed.

"So the docs…"

"Prescribed harder stuff than what I WAS taking, and I'm not used to it yet.  This is going to be a fiasco.  Thank god I'm still super-duper minor…"

"And I'm not? Baroness Hue?"

"You've got an actual city Henrietta.  As far as these innahs are concerned, I'm basically a hassenfanger who owns a bunch of 'worthless real estate' separated by distances best calculated in astronomical units."

"Maybe he'll let you out of it."

'You sound doubtful."

"Victor's sharp." Henrietta said, "he's got a gift for people.  Katherine's also sharp with people, sharper even.  You got your invite because someone looked at the books…and that's also why you didn't get to wait until Christmas."

Liz made a face as they passed the door scanners.

Henrietta hefted the enormous platinum thing onto her shoulder one handed, and caught her sister's stumble with the the other in a move almost as graceful as a ballet.  "Knee?"

"Knees." Lizzie nodded.

Henrietta blended…well, she would've, if she wasn't escorting her younger sister.  Elizabeth stood out.  Mourning black business jacket, ankle length skirt, white blouse and of course, their Grandfather's Bluewood cane.

An antithesis of fashion, neither of them wore makeup, but it really was noticeable with Elizabeth's too-pale complexion and flat, unstyled hair.

The blue armband with the Lyre, instead of the fist, was probably part of that, marking Elizabeth as a devoted Conservative supporter like a silent primal scream in the face to everyone who saw the FedCom merger as a good thing.

"Remember your third grade year at Groningen?" Henrietta cautioned.

"Yes…"

"Don't do that. I'm going to go talk to some officers, don't start any fights, you're not eight and they're not other kids."

“One time and now I have a reputation.”  Liz sighed.

Henrietta let her sister find a spot and mingled her way over to a group of semi-familiar faces.

"Babysitting, Kommandant?" 

Henrietta shrugged and took a glass from a passing steward, "Lizzie's eighteen now, she doesn't need it, and nobody here would trust their kids with her as the sitter…so, I noticed we've got some new faces."

“War is hell.  A fair number of officers killed in action were Dukes or Duchesses of worlds.  Now their heirs need to swear in.”

"Yah, but Lizzie's exempt and a baroness. Why?"  she asked.  "Why are we here? Why am I not going back to my unit to help end this war?"

“Because for a moment, we have time to breathe.  So we’re taking it.”

"How many of these children are we going to be sending out to get back by parcel post?" she nodded at a group of young officers, fresh from graduation.  "They're Kids."

“Too many.  But that’s the way it always is isn’t it?  Some of them are older than you at least."

"You know what I mean-they've been protected their whole lives, they're not ready."

"Were you?"

"No…but that's the point isn't it?  Most of my enlisted and junior officers have at least got some life experience before they were called to the colors again…" she sighed.

“Find me the secret answer and I’ll use it.  Until then, that’s what they make schnapps for.”

"What's the scuttlebutt on the Archon Prince, why did he include Elizabeth? She's got a permanent draft exemption for medical, they won't even let her into an academy."

"Might be an oversight."

"Might be a disaster waiting to happen." Henrietta corrected her peer.

“Yeah.  Probably.  Honestly what makes more sense is someone is wanting to send a message and your sister has a rep.  So they might be counting on said disaster.”

A pair of Guards sequestered Elizabeth and led her to the Archon's office.  "He's interviewing her."  Henrietta muttered, "Shit. I should be in there."

"If he wanted you in there, you'd be in there."

***

"...I looked at your requests." Victor Ian Steiner Davion was tall enough Liz didn't have to crane her neck to meet his eyes.

"And?"

"No way in hell." He said, "You're a Noble, sure, but, you're a civilian, period." he stated.  "The idea of a Naval Militia's interesting, your prospectus claims you can pull it off, but no."

"I qualified-"

"As a terminal patient." he interrupted, "Yes, I saw the Guild cert card, and Yes, I checked with the Guild Reps, it's real, but you might be qualified to helm a jumpship, for now-but what about in three years, Lady Ngo?? When you're on the kind of drugs terminal patients have to take to stay rational?  So no.  I mean, christ, you're high as a kite right now."

"I can lower the dose-"

"No." he said.  "Can you build it without wearing a uniform?"

She hemmed, frowned, "Yeah."

"Build the ships, the realm will buy the transports at least." he told her, "but you're not going to get a uniform, and I don't have to be the ****** who sent a terminal patient off into combat."

"Then we'll build the ships, can you get the licenses?"

"I'll lean on them, we need transport jumpships and couriers." He told her, "Focus on those."
"As you command, Your Majesty."

"Oh, and we're going to make that one official, you're swearing in tonight so there's no question about your loyalties, or who's responsible." he added.  "They can't put up a fuss, if it's by my order.  It's truly amazing what an Archon's Decree can do about removing red tape."

Liz made a face like she wanted to say something but didn’t.

That part done, Victor shifted gears, "How's your sister really doing?" he asked, "That ****** with the Red Corsair…"

"I worry about her." Liz said.  "Henrietta has…the last few years have been hard on everyone, or so I'm told, but she keeps wanting to go back out there."

“A soldier, through and through.  Some people are not meant to be civilians.”

"Yeah, look what it did to our father." she countered, and rubbed the spot just below her collar bone, "Or mom."

“She’ll find her balance.  We all do eventually.  And she has you to help her find it.”

"For as long as I last." Liz agreed, "This…" she swirled the tumbler, "it's from Kowloon?"

"Your grandfather sent my grandmother a bottle every year." Victor said, "most of them are gathering dust, I first tried this stuff as a kid, because I was curious, it burns."

"That's how you know it's good." Liz said agreeably, "Cheers."

“Cheers.”

***

"So?"  Henrietta met her sister coming out of the Archon's offices.

"I got my boon." Liz told her, "most of it, anyway. He flat refused some of it, but I got enough.  Sanction for the project Grandmama Cheryl wanted to try back when we were little kids."

"Which is?"

"I get to build a small fleet for the realm, and we don't have to keep it a secret." Liz said happily, "I just can't be part of it."

"Too right. Gawd, when Pat said you were apprenticing with Li…"

“Li’s good.  Plus I can’t stand being idle, you know that.”

"Make sure you stick to his terms, Lizzie." Henrietta said, "You're going to be carrying Archon's paper."

"I know."

“You going to be able to make it through the rest of the ceremony?”

"Have to.  I made a promise." Liz said, "You know what Grandfather would say about that-always make sure your promises are stronger than your threats."

“Yeah.  Okay.  If it gets too much we’ll figure out the consequences later but you don’t dare keep it from me alright?”

****

Elizabeth's oath was slightly modified with Victor's assent.  She swore loyalty to the Commonwealth, as opposed to any specific individual or even family, then he granted her 'boon'- Royal Permission to build a shipyard in the Kowloon system and produce transport jumpships for the AFFC.

The painful price of that boon, was public acknowledgement of Elizabeth's medical condition, her exemption from the draft, and a broad hint for the rest of the Nobility that this was an Archon Prince indulging the fantasies of a sick girl.

Henrietta was appalled, right up to the point that Liz quietly informed her that it had all been arranged beforehand. 

Political Theater, to cover what had been going on in the outer system for years.

Which did make Henrietta glad her job wasn’t public relations for Ngo Industries.

to be continued

[worktroll]

It's nice watching smart people at work. Both sides.

[Daryk]

I can say with reasonable assurances: it gets even better! :)

[arcticwyrm245]

nice stuff, looking forward to what comes next!

[Euphonium]

That's a nice start, thanks folks.

[Shadow_Wraith]

Nice story update!  Looking forward to the next one.

[monbvol]

Act II

Yurika’s workshop
Daimyo’s palace
Apriki
18 February 3063

Yurika looked at the latest tool her father had gotten her.  A bench sized tool, one that would not be out of place in a mech hangar.  An armor shaper.

“Happy birthday.”  Hikkaru said warmly as his eldest daughter hugged him.

Yurika let go after a moment and dug into the manual.

Hikkaru shook his head in amusement.

Natsu set her gift next to Yurika as Yurika kept reading on the floor.  Another book.  From the university that Osaka Heavy Metrics maintained on the world.  A primer on material science.

“Another year.  Another step.”  Natsu hugged her sister.

Yuko added a book of ancient Japanese fables to the stack of gifts then also hugged her sister.

Clara was next.  She brought a basket of various snacks.

“You must remember to eat.”  She declared before stepping away.

Hideki the Younger offered a book of haikus.

“I hate to remind you my lord, but…”  Hideki the Elder broke the reverie.

“Hai.  I tried to make this next meeting for any day but today, but I could not.”  Hikkaru stepped over to Yurika.

“My duty as Daimyo demands my attention.  But we will have a nice dinner later, together as a family.”  Hikkaru cupped his daughter’s cheek in his hand.

Yurika stopped reading long enough to grab onto his hand, trying to keep it on her cheek as long as she could.

“I know.  But if this meeting goes the way I hope I will have more time to devote to you and have to spend less as Daimyo.”  Hikkaru smiled as Yurika released his hand.

Hikkaru left Yurika’s workshop and went to his office.

There he found the consultant he had hired after the incident with the Daimyo of Irurzun.

“Jyestha, have you found the people I asked you to find?”  Hikkaru asked the young hindu woman.

“I have.  It wasn’t easy but your new lawyer is waiting your interview and acceptance in the next room.  Her name is Lucy McMinniman.  Good marks at the University of Atria.”

Hikkaru nodded.  “And my new wife to be?”

“Sarah Drakkonsdotter.”  Jyestha answered.  “She’s from one of the few families that decided to stay with the Combine rather than go over to the Free Rasalhague Republic.  Which does bring some small clout.  Her flight was delayed but she’ll be here in about 30 minutes.”

“I know I make your job difficult Jyestha.  Thank you.”  Hikkaru nodded.

“If I wanted easy I’d be working at the Pink Garden where I’d have to be dealing with lecherous customers.  I’ll take complicated over that.”  Jyestha smiled.

“Send in Miss McMinnamin.”  Hikkaru chuckled.

“Daimyo Ryukan.”  Lucy bowed.

She was young but tall and her emerald green eyes complimented her bright red hair.  Her attire was formal.  A suit jacket over a vest, white shirt, black pleated skirt, and stockings.

Hikkaru was impressed by her lack of shoes as he returned her bow.

“Miss McMinnamin.  You have studied our ways well.  Your world… I am not familiar with it.”  Hikkaru said as Lucy sat across from him.

“It is not formally a part of the Draconis Combine yet, but with the chaos there, the Combine has granted me this opportunity for a more stable life.”

“Thus your attention to detail.”

“Yes.”

“Then you will be a most excellent fit.  I need someone like you to take up a vacancy in my legal staff and with your knowledge of our customs you’d also be quite useful in other roles.”

“I am eager to start.”

“Very well.  Since I know you and Jyestha are already somewhat familiar with each other I shall entrust her to show you to your room and office.”

“Thank you Daimyo.”

Hikkaru and Lucy exchanged bows once more before she left with Jyestha.

Sarah arrived exactly as predicted.

There was nothing either had to say to the other.

Jyestha had found her after an extensive search.  All part of her campaign to help Hikkaru change his image.

Hikkaru was smart enough to know that nothing he did would completely stop the chatter about his hiring practices, how he was using the fame of his father, and using others to fight his battles.  So instead he was leaning into certain aspects of that image.

Sarah knew all of it and for her part had agreed to play the role.  For while the traditionalists did not approve of Hikkaru, many that were aligned with Theodore’s reforms did and Hikkaru was earning some marks in his favor in his handling of Osaka Heavy Metrics.  The biggest manufacturer on Apriki.

In a few days they would be married and Sarah’s family would go from respected but not financially wealthy to respected and financially well off from the bride price.

3063/02/18, Hood IV, Lyran Commonwealth…

"There is only ONE conflict worth the time and effort."  Colonel Henrietta Ngo stated.  "Tell Victor the same thing.  We cannot afford to have our key units fighting our key units while a hostile foreign power is occupying forty percent of the Commonwealth!"

The 77th was loosely 'deployed' covering bandit-chasing duty and watching the coreward Falcon front.  The entire regimental presence here, was less than a battalion, and they'd just come in from field-testing ersatz survival equipment.

Cheaper equipment, from contractors closer to Terra, on the far side of the Truce line.

"So…you're not siding with Victor, that's good." General Sharon Bryan's expression was pleased on the holotank.

"I'm siding with my nation, against a foreign invader.  Everything else is just noise and posturing, General.  Lyran worlds are under occupation, that is a higher priority than a spat between Royals who can't find the comm-number for a family counselor!!"

“It is more complicated than that.  But for now you’re correct, our commands have bigger fish to fry.”

"Then, where are the supplies?" Henrietta asked, "I'm getting back-channel requests from half a dozen commands on the border because their ammunition and spare parts aren't reaching units standing on the front line against the invaders?"

“I’m working on it.  For now we just have to make do with what we do have and hope the truce holds.”

"Understood, General Ma'am." Henrietta's expression went to that blank, emotionless state.  "Do you have any further instructions at this time, Ma'am?"

“No.”

"Then I'll quit wasting your time, Ma'am.  Am I dismissed?"

“Yes.”

Henrietta waited until the Comstar logo was spinning in the holotank, then, "Adept, I need to place a call."

“Where to?”

"Ducal line, Kowloon, Nha Tranh 771413." she stated.

“If you want it live that’ll take some time to arrange and be expensive.”

"Arrange it.  I can pay out of my personal accounts."

“As you wish.”

***

On the screen, Henrietta looked withdrawn and harried.  "What's up?"

"Where's Pat?"

"Three more jumps short from Tharkad, he left me in charge." Liz said, "What's going on?"

"You can't authorize what I need, Lizzie."  Henrietta looked downfallen.

"So tell me anyway."

”We’re getting the runaround.  Supplies are not reaching us and well…”

“You want to see if the family business can help out.”

"It's a LOT of help, Lizzie, not just my people, I've been getting requests from seven or eight commands along the border…It's Dukes business."

"Because Military, right?" Liz asked.

"Yeah."

"Send me the list on the subchannel, and the destinations." Liz told her, "I'll use my nonexistent authority and see what I can do through the firm…and maybe through other channels."

”I know we don’t even make some of the stuff that we need right now, but..”

"So we find things we do make that can make do, or maybe I put the arm on some of our delinquent customers and THEY find stuff to send.  You're right,it's Duke business, but the Duke left me playing regent. I'll make things happen."

”Be careful lil’bit.  This is some pretty serious stuff.”

"What're they going to do? Life in prison's gonna be short anyway, and execute me?" Liz laughed.  "*I've got this, gimme your get-list."

”Sending it now.”

Elizabeth took the time to read it back.  "That's all of it, right?"

"Yeah, nothing was deleted."

She nodded, shooting an amused look to the slightly offended Comstar adept monitoring the call quality.  "No worse than a month to a month and a half, I'll call you if it falls through."

”I’ll try and call again before then.  Hopefully we can talk about something less depressing.”

Liz nodded, "Look to the sky on the third day, big sis. You'll know the aid is there…so, no husband yet?"

"Not yet."

"So a wife?" Liz teased.

"No thank you."

"Evelynn's got her second kid on the way." Liz confided.

”Shit.  A second already?  I’m definitely out of the loop.”

"Our brother is both charming and horny, or maybe it's that those two are disgustingly cute together and can't keep their hands OFF each other-which is good for us, but it means Pat's going to Tharkad in a mood, since he's having to do it while his wife's having a baby."

”Heh.  I can imagine.  I’d love to hear more but if I keep this line going much longer and I might have to take out a loan.”

"I'll give you a good rate on Hue?  I love you big sis, go, do your job. I'll see you at Landing Day."

”Love you too.  And remember Natalie promised me she’d be there for you if you needed anything while I was deployed.  So don’t be afraid to ask her for help.”

"Noted.  See you soon." the call cut out.

Liz turned, "Ms. Roshak, help me to the car, and then, we're going on a flight.  You DID pass shuttle quals?"

“It was something to help pass the time.”

"Good, have the boys meet us at the port, we're going to my office on Spider Moon, and call ahead to have Ms. Vu Dao prep the green binders."

“Should I also contact Miss Whyte?”

Liz nodded, "Yeah, but she's with Pat, so it'll have to be a short-form text.  Use the blue folder for your encryption, keyword 'Star Cadet'. I'll have a text to send in a few hours, once I've had time to digest this."

“Why do I get the feeling I’m also going to need a bottle of hair dye before this is over?”

"You'll look stunning in a white suit." Liz told her.

Natalie helped Liz into a wheelchair and checked for any mysterious bruises before wheeling her out of the Comstar site.  "You did not tell her about your latest accident."

"It wasn't spinal, so it doesn't matter…much." Liz said, "besides, we've got the medilert bracelet now, so I know when a surge is coming."

“It does to her.  But you want her focused.  I can accept that.”

"Damn right I want my sister focused.  Pity is disgusting."

“Aff.”  Natalie nodded.  “So I shall keep your secret.”

“You’ve still got it that bad for her?”

“Intellectually I accept she will never feel the way about me that I feel about her but that does not stop the heart from wanting what the heart wants.”

Liz snorted, "The heart, is a blood pump, it lets you know things by failing at inopportune times, love can be simulated with chocolate…speaking of which, let's grab a bite on the way, nothing too heavy, but there's a nice pastry shop on the way to the port, and their chocolate cheesecake is pure decadence."

“Aff.  I know the place quite well.  Why do you think I have added an extra half hour to my daily planner for fitness exercises?”

Elizabeth's bracelet beeped.

They had time to get her into a 'safe' position before the seizure hit.

Two minutes, but it left her drained.

The cheesecake would have to wait.  Everything else?  There was a schedule to keep.

Hood IV, March 10, 3063…

The jumpships arrived at the nadir point, then short-jumped to the L1 point between Hood IV's main planet, and its second moon.

"What is the meaning of-?"

"Deliveries for the 1st Battalion and Headquarters Company of the 77th.  I expected them, lord Duke."  Henrietta said, "Though I expected more discretion."
"Deliveries?"

"Let's find out."

"How do you know?"

"See that roundel? Nobody uses it but my family's firm." she told him, "Lord Duke, get your militia commanders down to the port with stevedores and inspection officers…and lots of security."

“Security?  What for?”

"You know how you've had to curtail militia training because of a shortage of parts and ammunition?" she offered,  "you won't have to do that now.  Kowloon's sending you some of their stockpile-but it needs to be inspected and hand-receipted to verify it's actually getting to you."

“Well then… I guess I better get on the comms.  What do I owe you for all of this?”

"A regiment of well-trained militia ready to defend their homeworld against Clanners." she told him, "Trained and ready, that's what it's for, that's what you owe-but not to me. I'm doing this because I swore to defend the nation…and you stick with your position on refusing to take sides in the Royal Spat."

“And we’ve been punished for not picking a side.  But thanks to you that is now a viable choice.”

"Spoiled brats do that." Henrietta noted, "but we have a duty to make sure there's still a nation here when those two finally finish tearing each other apart."

“It’ll come to that soon enough, won’t it?”

"Since Victor abdicated and Katherine went to New Avalon to be a Princess instead of staying to be the Archon?? Yeah. It's been coming for a while."

“Which means we have a lot of work to do.  The Jade Falcons will gladly take the opportunity.”

"Yes, a lot of work.  Sooner or later the Falcons, or another Clan, are going to come, either to widen their resource base, or open a new front in the invasion."  she paused a moment and the staff car lurched into traffic, "They can't not do it."

“And we’re now on our own, with only each other to rely on.”

  “That’s what they make ijeero for.”

Yurika’s workshop
Daimyo’s palace
Apriki
7 April 3063

Yurika’s workshop now truly had the look of a mech hangar.  The gantries, tools, machines, and everything else you would need.

Including the bits of mechs collected from battlefields, written off as not even being worth scrap.

But they served to keep Yurika and Natsu busy.

Yuko’s interests had started drifting in other directions lately.  Spending more time training with Hideki the Elder and Hideki the younger in kendo and martial arts.

But that didn’t bother Yurika or Natsu.

For now since they were still too small to properly work on the larger pieces without help they were studying them.

Understanding how they went together.

“They really do this?  At their age?”  Sarah asked Clara as the two sat out of the way, observing the others.

“Yes.  With only minor injuries.  They are both quite gifted at it.  Yurika is far more the inventor though while Natsu is becoming the engineer that actually implements it.  Their father indulges them because it makes them happy and he feels guilty that he spends so much time being Daimyo instead of their father.”

“No wonder he sought a second wife.”

“I would not recommend stopping them.”  Clara warned.

“True.  I do not wish to antagonize them.  But they are children.  That is a lot of complicated and deadly machinery down there.”

“The truly dangerous stuff that they are too small to safely use they do ask for help with.  The rest?  Only minor cuts and burns.  Nothing more serious than what they would get playing in the garden or training with my grandfather.”

“How?  They are far too young.”

“That is a mystery.  The only partial explanation we can find is that Yurika reads.  She prefers old fashioned hard copy but she’ll also read electronic format.  Natsu is similar but not quite to the same extent.  In the end it is one of the great mysteries of the universe that we will likely never know.”

“I see.”

“Time for me to give Yurika her medicine and her meal.”

“Medicine?”

“Doctor Greene has developed a treatment that will help Yurika be more self sufficient, at least when it comes to non-technological things.  She neglects eating ,bathing, and rarely speaks.  Doctor Greene is hopeful that this treatment will help alleviate that.”  Clara stood and walked out of the workshop.

Sarah found she couldn’t help but be fascinated by Yurika and Natsu.

That was when she realized Clara was right.  The two were clearly communicating but she hadn’t heard Yurika utter a single word the entire time she’d been there.

Clara returned with the meal boxes and drink containers.  After giving one each to Yurika and Natsu she fished an injector out of her apron pocket, took the protective cap off and injected Yurika.  Putting the cap back on she disposed of it in the special container  for such a purpose on the wall.

“You seem to be something of a prodigy yourself.  Safely handling an injector like that.”

“It’s not hard.  Doctor Greene taught me and Yurika lets me inject her.”

“Still you should be allowed your own time and interests.”

“I don’t mind.  Besides, I do have my hobbies and time to pursue them.”

“Like what?”

“I draw and I dance.”

“Does Yurika do anything else?  Anything fun?”

“This is her idea of fun.  Reading, working in her workshop, and spending time with her sisters.  She’s starting to miss Yuko since Yuko’s now training more and more with my grandfather.”

“So my role is to help traditional conventions go out the window and establish a new one…”  Sarah muttered to herself.




3064, Melissia…

Hubris.  Pure goddam hubris.  "You're sure?"

The intel officer nodded, "The Falcons did a vertical envelopment on the base, General Bryan was inside."

"Who's next in the chain, that wasn’t in Sharon Bryan's deathtrap?"  she demanded, implying who would be if someone else wasn't.

"Ah, GeneralLeutnant Adam Steiner, Mein Kolonel."

"Then let General Steiner know that the 77th FedCom Regiment stand by to his orders, and get me a Clean CSOI!!!"

The enemy was in force, with Naval bombardment capability, Melissia's defenses were in failure mode.

The orders were to cover the withdrawal of General Steiner's units, then follow.

An organized, fighting retreat is one of the most complex and difficult operations any military can execute.

Henrietta led hers as 'advancing to the rear' while managing the holding actions to let other units-really fragments of other units, make it to the dropships, and from there, out of the system.

For their part the Falcons seemed intent on pressing them on the ground but once in the air or in space?  The Warship didn’t pop open the vulnerable transports to hard vacuum.

The fighters?  Those hounded and harassed for as long as they could.

By the time the last ship got out, hardly anyone could even move; they were too exhausted.

Henrietta disembarked her mech finally.  As she walked towards the passenger facilities she passed a no longer quite so fresh faced Leutnant she didn’t recognize.  She reached into a pocket and fished out a flask and tossed it to him.

“It’ll help a little.  Not much mind you.”  Henrietta said as the young man took a swig and then made a face before tossing the flask back.

She returned the flask to her pocket and then finished her walk to get a shower.

After she was done she got dressed and headed up to the command deck.

"General Steiner. Sir." she saluted.  "What now?"

"Have you even slept?"

"I'm fit, sir.  Can't say the same for the Sixth Donegal or the Third Alliance Regulars, maybe a spot of good luck we were delayed when she ordered the seven-seven to Melissia, or we'd have been inside the death-trap."

"The fortress."


"I argued against it back in July of last year, sir.  History shows a fortified position is the definition of stupidity when aerial bombardment, indirect fire artillery, or vertical envelopment are things that actually exist.  The only reason to build a fort, is as a distraction to focus the enemy while your maneuver units catch them up the ass, Sir."

"What's your breakage?"

"Thirty percent, but we'll have most of that recovered by the time we ground on Chapultepec.  Where do you need us?"

***

"You MUST pick a side!"  Nondi Stiner herself insisted.

Duke Patrick Ngo crossed his arms, "I serve The Commonwealth, not fractious political cults.  In point of fact, I do not have to 'pick a side', the true Archon will reveal themselves through actions...like maybe, dealing with the current flurry of invasions by Clan Jade Falcon, something anyone with half a grain of sense would have recognized was coming!!"

"Guards! Arrest this…Traitor!!"

"Should've shot me." Patrick told her, "My grandfather broke four of Alessandro's best specialists in Blackgate over five years.  You should have had me shot."

With that, he was carried away  to be interned until charges could be assembled.

***

"Let me get this straight, you had my brother, the Duke of Kowloon, arrested on general treason charges for refusing to declare a side in this…'civil' war? And now, you want me to..what?" Elizabeth leaned heavily on the console as she faced Regent Nondi Steiner on HPG.  "What do you want me to do?  I mean, the arrest itself is a violation of the Charter, but not a violation without precedent, after all, my grandfather spent five years in Blackgate for refusing to tell Alessandro where Katrina was hiding-three of those years AFTER she returned. So what is it,exactly, you want from me that you don't already have Your Grace?"

Elizabeth shook out a crayon from a box. 

"Your pledge of loyalty." Nondi said, "To Katherine."

"Ooh, shakedown!!" Liz looked up, "let me guess, Henrietta's either in the field or told you to pound sand, so you're going to hold my brother as hostage and make me say words that sound good on camera, and mean nothing to the relevant situation here above the truce line."  she pulled an orange one from the pile.  "Tangerine…"

"It is NOT meaningless!!"

"It is, if we're all wearing jade green uniforms next year because you had our key units fighting our key units while the nation is being invaded!!" the girl slammed her too-frail fist onto the console.  She then took an experimental bite of the waxy thing, "hmmm so tangerine's a word meaning citric acid and sugar, interesting…"

”Your options are to swear, be declared traitor, or your entire system be declared in rebellion.”

"Would being declared in rebellion get you to move units into the area?" Elizabeth asked, "to enforce it, I mean…" she cocked her head, "say, since you aren't doing that already, that sounds positively delightful, if all I must do, to get you to do your ****** job is be declared in rebellion."  she put the crayon down, cleared her throat.

"Adelaide.
Babaeski.
Ballynure.
Barcelona.
Blue Hole.
Chahar.

Do I need to list every single one in alphabetical order, Madame Regent? You're not doing the job, why should I listen to what you have to say, or care what you might do?  IF you kill my brother, It's because you were going to do it anyway, and right now, you're holding the reasonable one and negotiating with somebody decidedly unreasonable, who has nothing to lose.  Try again."

”When we win, I will remember this.  And there will be a price.  You could have swore.  Gotten the Davions out of our realm, telling us how things are to be done.  Instead you choose this.”

"You won't have a long time to nurse that grudge." Liz reminded her, "but for right now, you have a job to do." DING_DING_DING echoed from Lizz's bracelet.

Nondi clearly frustrated cut the call from her end.

Elizabeth seized in the chair for five minutes before she was safe to be helped from the HPG center.

"Elizabeth?" Natalie was clearly concerned.

"They're going to torture him, maybe kill him… we're in revolt now, Nat, send out summons for proxies, and make sure the next shipments get out to Henrietta and Adam Steiner's people."

"Yes ma'am."

“Evvie and the kids.  Make sure Li has someone watching them now.  I’ve done and made them targets too.”

"For principle?" Natalie asked.

Liz nodded weakly.  "Never give in or they just keep doing it to you."

“I will take care of it.  You rest.”  Natalie nodded.

***

“Liz is resting.  Henrietta, this was the worst one I have witnessed.  I had to call and let you know.”  Natalie sighed.

"So, five minutes or longer?"

“Five minutes and thirty three seconds according to my watch.”

Henrietta closed her eyes.  "I thought it would take longer… she's in stage two, isn't she?"

“The evidence seems to confirm it.”

"We're launching the counter-attack in a few hours.  Keep her safe, keep her stable."

“I will do all that I can.”

"I wish I could come home.  I'm sorry you're stuck with this."

“Do not be.  I will handle this.  So that you can do what needs to be done without having to worry.  But I also had to let you know.  She is your sister.”

“Nat…”

“I know.  Different universes and different circumstances. Speaking of which, Pat okayed her 'university' idea.”

“How is that going?"

"The project is following its timeline, why?"

"Because I think it might be important for making her look out away from the abyss.  Encourage her." Henrietta instructed, "keep her distracted building her school."

“I will.”

"Do you have anything you want me to tell your former colleagues?"

“Just what you told me.  That honor also means keeping your word even when it is not convenient.”

"I can do that. Good luck, Natalie. We're all going to need it."


“Good hunting Henrietta.”


Dojo
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
2 August 3064

Yuko stood in the center of the Dojo in her prep school uniform.

“Fall admission.  Not unusual due to when you were born.  Remember all I taught you.”  Hideki the Elder spoke softly.

“Hai, sensei.”  Yuko bowed.

“I’ll miss you sis.”  Yurika said quietly as she hugged Yuko.

“I’ll miss you too.  But I’ll be back before you know it.  Mandatory leave for offworld students before they go into the advanced programs.”  Yuko smiled.

“May the winds keep you aloft and the currents see you return with good tidings.”  Natsu was next to hug her sister.

“Don’t worry.  I’ll bring you some chocolates when I come back.  Supposed to be the best in the whole district.”  Yuko looked at Clara.  “I know I can count on you.  Thank you for taking care of my big sister.”

Clara bowed.

“And next time I’m back we’ll have that re-match to find out who really is better at Kendo.”  Yuko smiled at Hideki the Younger.

“My little girl, growing up and going off to school.  Are you still sure about this?  It is not too late.  I could bring tutors here.”

“After all the trouble you’ve already gone through to get me into prep school and a reserved conditional spot at Sun Zhang?  I am.  No offense but I want to see more than Apriki.  I love you all.  But I have to be who I am too.”  Yuko smiled as she felt tears building in her eyes.

“Wanderlust and the heart of a warrior.  My fierce little dragon.”  Hikkaru handed Yuko an origami red dragon.

Hikkaru and Yuko hugged until the ground car arrived.

“This will be a test unlike any other you have faced as a father.”  Hideki the elder proclaimed.

“Any advice?”  Hikkaru asked.

“Having done this with my two sons and one of my daughters?  Just keep in your heart that you have raised her well and that she will be back.”  Hideki the Elder answered.

“You are a wise man my old friend.”

“I got that off a fortune cookie.”  Hideki laughed.

Academy for Advanced Placement
Student Dorms
New Samarkand
14 September 3064

Yuko unpacked the last of her things into the provided space.

Everything was neatly placed.

“New girl.”  The voice of a male student came from the doorway.

“You’re in the wrong dorm.”  Yuko said flatly.

“So are you, charity case.”

“I see.  I expected this.  New student hazing or bullying.  Predictable.”  Yuko rolled her eyes.

“Why you little…”

“A reasonable proposal before you start something.  Let us go to the dojo and change into our training gis.  They cannot punish anyone for extra sparring.”

“That’s a great idea.  See you there in twenty minutes.  If you’re not there it’s open season.”  The bully suddenly smiled.

“I’ll be there.”  Yuko rolled her eyes.

Yuko was confident she got to the dojo first.

She found the office.

“Sensei.  Some of the other students expressed an interest in engaging me in some practice sparring.  I have everything I need.”  Yuko held up her bag, smiling sweetly.

“Cadet Ryukan is it?”

“Hai.”

“All right.  I’ll be there shortly to supervise.”

Yuko dashed off and found the locker rooms.  She got changed.

As she expected, the reason the boy from before was late was because he had shown up with friends.

"Y-ou b-brought Friends?" she demanded.

"Not my idea." Hiro said, "trust me, this was not my idea, and they're my brother's 'friends', not mine."

“This complicates things…”  Yuko frowned.

One of the boys cleared his throat, "not if it's really about helping Hiro get better at his fighting, rather than embarrassing the family with another girl he's manipulated into bed!" the speaker was a large boy with a shaved head, almost ebony skin, and a crooked smile showing ceramic teeth replacements.  "He isn't manipulating you, is he?"

“So before in the dorm…”  Yuko deepened her frown.

"It's not like that!!" Hiro almost begged.frantically looking between Yuko, and the large boy who seemed to be the leader.  "Im not like that anymore!!"

“You said I was in the wrong dorm and called me a charity case.  These others seem to think you have an interest in me.”  Yuko shook her head.

"Wait, he insulted you?" a smaller boy, with a scar running past a white-blind eye who could be Hiro's twin if not for the obvious damage, spoke up, "Seriously dude?  Miss, you want us to teach him a lesson, or you want to do the teaching?  I'll have the Gonzales boys keep a look-out either way.  My brother seems to have forgotten his heritage and the face of our father."

“Hiro is it?  It seems you are under a lot of stress.  So I shall forget about before.  But if it is true you need help with your fighting I will teach you as my sensei taught me.”

“Who is your sensei?”

“Hatsumi Hideki.”  Yuko answered flatly.

The name seemed to have magic.  "Now I want to watch this even more." Hiro's scarred brother said.  "Hiro, you better pay attention, if she's from Hideki's school, you're about to get schooled."

Hiro timidly nodded.

"I don't suppose you're offering lessons for guys who didn't insult you, are you?"

“I am willing.  I’m new here and I could use a way to get to know people.”  Yuko nodded.

"Gonna need mats." the big boy said, "do it properly."

Within a few minutes what had started as a bad first impression had turned into the beginning of an instructional lesson.

"...so, Hiro is your brother…" she fished for a name.

"Ryu. Kamigata Ryu." the scarred boy said, "Mom and dad decided not to make rhyming names when they had twins. I'm the bad one, by the way-ask anyone in the family.  Bad choices and…." he gestured to his blinded side, "bad luck.  Made up for it with a high pain tolerance by the time I was ten. My twin is…soft."

“The challenge then will be to harden him without making him brittle.”

"Yep.  I doubt doing to him what happened to me will be a good method." Ryu agreed amiably.

“I do not have my sensei’s body of experience but I will do my best to use what he taught me to help your brother.”

“You seem rather forgiving.”  Hiro peeped up softly.

“It is necessary in my family.  For my father does have a certain reputation.  A small one to be sure.  For the old traditionalists we’re seen as poor fits for nobility.  So we must be tolerant and forgiving or risk making too many enemies.”  Yuko nodded.  “Now let’s see your stance.”

She found her next few hours were busy, correcting stances among seven different boys of different sizes (well, five with different sizes, and Hiro and Ryu).

I have my work cut out for me…  Yuko thought to herself.

[Daryk]

Dang, my editing privileges came back too late for Nondi... she's missing an "e"... :/

[monbvol]

Blackjack, 5 October 3064

The clanner in the Omnimech clearly hadn't gotten the memo about the 77th, or maybe they did, and didn't believe it.

Henrietta stepped under his missile launcher like he was standing still, and brought her 'mech's foot down on one of the legs, leveraging mass and velocity in a shin-stripping horse-kick you can't do with digitigrade legs, while she brought her fist up across the beak-like forward cockpit assembly, smashing armor plate and leveraging the velocities to do more damage.

The Falcon at least had the sense to see it coming, and ejected a moment before five tons of reinforced endosteel alloy wrapped in starslab occupied the space his or her command seat had once held.

"Every time I come back here, it's the same ****** thing…" she muttered.  This time, at least, it wasn't in a training battalion's spare Chameleon.

Cyan lightning smashed past her, heating the sensors on her right side.

The Clanner in their black lanner raised both arms in a sort-of-salute.  "I am Georgy of the Hazens, who do I have the honor of defeating?"

She almost stuttered.  This one was pure traditionalist indeed, demanding to know their opponent.

"Ich Bin Lyraner, boy.  Eject or leave, you won't be walking out." she replied to him.

His gunnery was good, but he was overconfident in it.  Armor sheathed off in rainfalls from his weapons as she closed at a run, hopped on her remaining jump-jets, and delivered a flying kick to his birdlike 'mech's side torso.

Warnings and faults began showing in the armor plating on the leg and actuator.  It was still functional for now but another stunt like that and she’d be hopping home on one leg.

He fired short-range missiles and they scored all over her 'mech as she twisted, ducked, and failed to dodge.  She replied with a medium laser that was a lot more…centered, in this case, where the armor had already been compromised over his powerplant.  Her second medium, drew a red line across the first hit, finishing the job where the upper and lower torso, by necessity, had the weakest plating.  The reward was a jet of rapidly cooling plasma from his engine, venting out the side.

He took a step forward, and…wobbled, tilting crazily.

She stepped up, and shoved.  The compromise had hit his gyro, clearly.  He went over and ejected, unable to continue the fight.

The hill overlooking the athletic field of the Blackjack School of Conflict belonged to the 77th. "They're getting younger, and worse." she noted.

“Good for us.  Still must feel good Colonel.  Now you can invite your girlfriend back to the spot you two met.”

"Yeah, except Mark's off somewhere else." she groused, "I had the biggest crush on him when we were…cadets."

“You know I’m not talking about Mark.  Oh well.”

"Natalie isn't my girl, she's my sister's minder…but your jokes are getting better Moshe. I almost laughed at that one.  Tell our battery to set up on the lee side of the slope, Archer's people are somewhere east of us, and the Clanners won't turn around if we don't hit their rear with lots of falling frag."

“Jawhol Kolonel.”  Moshe’s smile was almost audible.  “One dose of unpleasant surprise coming up.”

"Scouts out first, Moshe, I want my shots landing on Clanners, not allies."

“Of course.  I’m just keeping the channel clean.  Higher ups are already going to have a field day with some of the transcripts.”

"****** 'em if they can't take a joke." she observed saltily, which made her XO laugh. 

“Okay then one unscheduled proctology examination on the way for our Clan friends.”

The infantry were already bringing up their guns, mostly thumpers from Arluna's militia, the guns started slinging shell as Henrietta walked to the maintenance point.

“Shit.  Now I’m thinking what kind of karma it’ll be if one of them actually does have bowel cancer by some chance…”  Moshe groused.

"He won't for long."

“True.”


Blackgate Prison, Lyran Commonwealth

The cells here, on level 17,  are single-occupancy.  This is the level where 'special' prisoners-prisoners too valuable to execute outright, and too dangerous to be released, particularly too dangerous for whichever regime is running Tharkad, are kept.

In the centuries that the Lyran state has existed, from the Protectorate of Donegal, to the present, the number of men (or women) who've walked out of these cells alive? can be counted on one hand.

With a finger left over.

HIs grandfather was the last man who could claim that honor.  His grandfather had broken four Interrogation specialists in five years on this level.

Patrick could do no less than his Grandfather.
They ran the lighting on a randomizer, and filtered in bursts of sound-never enough to do damage, just enough to confuse a normal time-sense, to interrupt sleep, and in between, there was a lack of auditory sensation.

This was interspersed with trips down the hall, to be questioned, 'interviewed' and once in a while,  shoved into sensory deprivation chambers.

Nothing intended to leave a mark, the target, after all, is the willpower and sense of self.

Patrick had been prepared for this by his Grandfather, and by the simple demands of being Duke of a star system where a third of the population are spacers with their own traditions and folkways.

Ways he had to learn with his letters and numbers during the twelve years he spent fostered to his Grandfather's estate while his parents pursued active military careers.

The experience? Was still torture.  No amount of Rockjack tricks to stave off boredom or maintain focus could make it less than an assault on his very being.

An assault motivated by his refusal to support one side of an entirely unnecessary civil war in the middle of a foreign invasion.

It is the unfortunate fact of nearly every interstellar nation-the contrast between high sounding ideals, and the brutality of the necessary Administrative State-that it only takes a little bit for the guardians to become the predatory parasites, and worst yet, they will believe they are doing it to secure 'freedom', or 'maintain order' or preserve a 'rule of law' that they violate with impunity.

Blair Atholl Orbit, February, 3065…

"We've got an accord with the Falcons, Ngo."  General Steiner told her, "and…a contact…has identified where your brother is being held.  We've got coordinates."

"I'm going."  she said quietly.  "Where am I going, exactly?"

"First off, you're not going in alone, the file on the target says it's heavily defended, and your unit took heavy losses getting us this far."

The image on the Holostage lit, showing a system just rimward of Donegal, in an empty zone. 

"The site is here-" the image 'zoomed' into first a ragged solar system around a dying red dwarf, then to a world-sized rock orbiting roughly one AU from the dying, dim star.  "-the bunker complex is here…" the target lit on the planetoid and zoomed in further.  "Loki maintains a heavy presence, including battlemechs, to secure the entry which my source says, is here.  It's vacuum ops until you've entered the complex, which is dug into the crust about half a kilometer."

"Hello, Blackgate Prison." Henrietta said quietly.  "We breach it, they vent atmo, right?"

"That's the working theory, they'll exploit the fragility of the prisoners to cripple any rescue attempt."  Adam said with a nod, "Which is why even people who've found out where it is, haven't been in a hurry to launch a rescue before-but they've got more than your Brother in there, they've got hostages from around fifty or so important families and factions inside the Commonwealth."

"We'll need to take the surface installations without breaching the envelope inside." she agreed, "Then take the interior and tunnel systems without giving them the chance to vent the atmosphere."

Academy for Advanced Placement
New Samarkand
11 November 3065

One of the long standing traditions was that mechwarrior families with heirs that showed potential would often start training with their heir at ages as young as ten.

Since Yuko’s father had no potential for piloting a Battlemech she had no such advantage.

But that was what the Academy for Advanced Placement was for.  For such students they could get fundamental training before being sent onward to Sun Zhang for proper, full fledged, mech training.

Yuko had been assigned a temperamental Phoenix Hawk, a so-called ‘Davion’ variant that had been taken during the War of 3039.

Just keeping it moving in a straight line with all the quirks it had developed over the decades was a challenge.  But today’s challenge was not about moving in straight lines.

She entered the course’s slalom section and she used the machine’s instinct to pull right to her advantage but cut hard back to the left using a light burst, not enough to go airborne, from two of her jump jets.

The next section was a series of hair pin turns.  The sharpest ones would require her to turn left to stay on the course.

Yuko tapped commands into the computer.  She found the power balancing subroutine for the actuators and quickly adjusted some settings on the fly.

She couldn’t completely remove the machine’s need to pull right, but it was far more manageable now.

Yuko feathered the throttle and shimmied the hips to help throw her mech into the first left turn of the section.

As expected it wanted to drift right but Yuko again tapped only a pair of jump jets for a brief second to compensate.

This time though alarms sounded as the right hip froze completely.

Yuko couldn’t correct fast enough and the mech was face down and a bit more than her ego was bruised.

“Not bad Ryukan-san.  You tried to modulate power to the faulty actuator.  Not the first cadet who thought of that.  I will have a packet for you to study for winter leave.  I expect you to read it and know why your trick failed upon your return.”  The instructor behind her in the jump seat broke his silence.

“Hai, sensei.”

Yurika’s Workshop
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
Draconis Combine
25 December 3065

“Of all the ways…Maintenance mode?  The configuration I entered combined with the triggering of the jump jets put the right hip actuator into maintenance mode.”  Yurika was helping Yuko with her ‘homework’.

“I didn’t want to believe it either.  But when the mech went into the dirt bank… Reading that made it make sense.”

“Then I got something to show you.”  Yurika grabbed Yuko’s hand and dragged her to a new wing of the shop.

In the hangar was a Battlemech.  A Dragon to be precise.  Assembled.  But the arms were wrong.

“Remember all those scrap dad bought me to keep me busy?  They’re not scraps anymore.  It’s yours.”  Yurika proclaimed.

“Thank you.”  Yuko hugged her sister.

“There is a catch.”

Yuko didn’t even realize what was happening until it was too late and she felt a prick in her neck and before her vision completely blacked out an injector in her sister’s hand.

When Yuko woke up she had a splitting headache.

“Don’t try to talk yet.  Keep your eyes closed a bit longer.  I know you want to open them but you’ll be very sensitive to the light just yet.”  It was the voice of Doctor Greene.

“Your sister has done something to you.  I’m still trying to figure out exactly what.  But if it is what I think it is, you won’t be going back to the Academy or to Sun Zhang.”  Doctor Greene continued.

Yuko had to open her eyes now.

The burning heat of pain of the light made her want to shut them again but she endured.  On the back of her hands and up her arms were tattoos.

She wasn’t sure if it was because of her current condition or not but she could swear they were slightly glowing.

Hikkaru’s office

“I made sure they will grow with her and won’t drive her insane.”  Yurika said defiantly.

“I indulged you too much.”  Hikkaru shook his head.  “The DCMS will never believe your word and the only way to be sure with these kinds of implants is to wait and see.  The Daimyo of Irurzun is turning over rulership to his heir.  I am being summoned for the occasion.  I am ordering your workshop sealed.  We will talk about further punishment for what you did to your sister when I return.”  Hikkaru shook his head.


Zaniah III
26 December , 3065…

She could barely walk, but she managed to do it with something like dignity.  "Your Highness." she said, "The Commonwealth needs you.  The realm is invaded and our best are killing our best.  Someone has to make it stop."

Peter studied the young woman for a moment.

"Why me?"

"Nobody else can do it." she asserted, "Victor abdicated, Katherine created this problem, y-y-your G-g-gre-..." she shuddered, and a blood vessel in the corner of her eye burst, "Nondi is making it worse. SOMEONE has to be in charge, someone that everyone either has no hate for, or trusts, someone who's been above it all and c--ca-cahhhh…" a whimper and she almost collapsed.

“MEDIC!”  Peter cried out as he moved to Liz.

They managed to carry her away to the hospital, but one of the doctors looked grim. 

"What is it?"

"She's dying and there's nothing we can do about it." Dr. Maslovski explained, "that girl should be resting comfortably, not traveling halfway across the realm to…I don't know, see you? Ask you for…"

“She shames me.  She has more courage and conviction than I do.”  Peter shook his head.

"She's asking about you, claims she hasn't finished her meeting, Sir."

“I will see her then.  Please.  Do what you can for her.”

***

Elizabeth Ngo, He'd found out, was Baroness Spider Moon, a noble whose landhold consisted of a bunch of moons, gas giants, asteroids, and rocks-none of them habitable by even the most extreme imaginings, and she owned one of the largest shipping concerns in the Commonwealth.

She was on direct-drip Morphine when he walked into her hospital room, with tablets on her lap and scattered around, working.

"Thank you for seeing me, Your Majesty, I'd stand but….doctors say no." 

“From what I’ve been told you should be resting.  But I see that is not your strong suit.”

"If I rest, I have less time to work, and my time's running out." she answered, "I was kind of out of it-being on unfiltered pain does that, the drugs keep me stable. We need you to assume your proper place, Your Majesty,for the realm.  You need to take the seat on Tharkad, relieve Nondi before she kills everyone, and end this civil war-your people need YOU."

“I’ll have to go against her directly.  Fighting family, it is no small thing.”

"Your grandmother felt the same, right on through after Alessandro sent a hit team and she had to go into hiding." she noted, "My Grandfather was in Blackgate keeping the secret of where she'd gone and where she was, until three years after she'd removed her uncle.  My brother is currently in Loki's hands for saying similar things-that this civil war is a mistake, that the invasion is happening, that Lyrans should not be killing Lyrans…and you came here, because you'd been manipulated, your comments…" she slid a padd, "Say you felt like you'd been a pawn.  Know what happens when a Pawn stops being a Pawn?"

“They become something else.”
 
She nodded, "Yep, the most powerful piece on the board. I think we can do this, you can do this, and I think it strongly enough to abandon two childhood dreams and a lot of obligations to come here and try to convince you not to be anyone's pawn, ever again.  MY doctors say I'm done in three years."

“Who else have you roped into this?  I find it difficult to believe you’ve come this far on your own.”

"Maggie Doons.  Rowe-McClaren, some of Bradford's relatives, and Morgan Kell sounded interested, he's the one who clued me in on where you were."

“I imagine Duke Kell would do more if he did not have his own issues at Arc Royal.”

“He is minding the store.  Adam Steiner? Minding the store, but Nondi isn't.  It's time you put the old…the sister of your grandmother, in a nice retirement home and take charge of your legacy while you still have a nation. I'd prefer to be alive when that happens."

“You do not negotiate fair.  How can I deny you?  How can anyone in their right mind deny this whole situation?”

"You can say no, you can send me home, keep laying low, and hope the Falcons get bored…or you can step up and be the man you should be-the Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth that is your due, and make this problem end."  she said evenly, "You DO have a choice, I'm just betting you're smart enough to make the right one for all of our sakes."

“It is a difficult choice to make but I’d rather be able to look at myself in the mirror after today without being filled with disgust at my cowardice.”

"Good, let's talk logistics, as you said, this is going to be rough, I've got data on units that will fall in line immediately, a frankly enormous number of jumpships I can call on, and you have allies if you want them, let's save the Commonwealth while there's a Commonwealth left to save."

Instead of the mirror it’ll be my reflection in whatever I still have a taste for when this is all done and it will not be my cowardice I will be disgusted at but she is right, this needs to be done.  Peter nodded.

Daimyo’s palace
Apriki
8 January 3066

Hikkaru strode around his home.  He had returned as quickly as he could once he had heard about what happened.

The wreckage of furniture and decorations, blood stains that were still being cleaned up.

Hideki the Younger was kneeling in Hikkaru’s throne room, bandaged and ragged looking still.  He had stayed behind with Clara and some other staff and guards.

“Forgive me Daimyo.  I could not stop them from taking your daughter.”  Hideki the Younger bowed.  “If you ask, I will apologize to my ancestors in the garden.”

Hikkaru shook his head.

“No.  I will decree your punishment to be something more difficult.  To live.  To become better.  So that the next time your Lord is attacked you can slay ten times as many enemies.”  Hikkaru declared.

“I understand my lord.  I believe I have cleaning that needs done.”

“That can wait.  Go visit your cousin in the hospital.”  Hikkaru nodded.

“Yes my lord.”

Hikkaru looked at Hideki the Elder who had entered the throne room as his grandson left.

“I have many calls to make.  Whoever took my daughter will pay.  I cannot let our last conversation be a disagreement.”

Yurika’s workshop

Natsu was going over the mech still.

Yuko was searching around the ground level.

“I’m surprised they left it.”  Yuko said as the area didn’t show the same signs of recent combat.

“When one is in a hurry, the heavy becomes a burden.”  Natsu climbed down off the mech.

The two continued walking around the hangar until they found a crate.

Another present-Love Yurika was stenciled on the front.

Yuko opened it.

Inside was a suit.  One unlike any Yuko had ever seen before.

It was lined with circuitry.

She carefully put it back.

“You are conflicted.”

“She ruined my chances with any professional military.  Even most mercs wouldn’t accept me now.  I am no longer desirable for dynastic marriages.”

“Family.”

“Yeah.  If for nothing else I have to help find her so I can give her a piece of my mind.”  Yuko declared.


Blackgate…

"You're being released."  It had been pulled enough times, that Patrick didn't believe it.

The guards led him to a lift, and never once lowered their guard, but it was a different direction than the usual path.

The ride upward took minutes, and the doors opened into a habitat area.

"New stunt? New method?" he asked aloud.

"You're being released." the guard told him.  They unlocked his cuffs.

"Patrick?"  oh shit, did they get Lizzie too?  "What did they do to you?" she was glassy eyed and alarmed all at once.

He recognized the man standing just to the side, surrounded by other prisoners who were also looking…confused.

"Liz? How did-"

"Because there's a new Archon in the Commonwealth." she told him, "Come here…let me see you."  His vision blurred, and she was real.  "Don't cry…" she said, "not where they can see you."

It was her.  "What did it cost?"

"Three years of my life." she told him.  "Many of my Dreams, ambitions…but you're coming home."

She led him to the throng around Peter Steiner-Davion. 

"Your Majesty…" Elizabeth awkwardly took a knee. 

"Get up, Liz, I need my advisors standing." Peter said uneasily, "not bowing, for christ's sakes, You're Lyrans!"

"What now?" Patrick asked.

"Now, Duke Ngo, if you're up to it, we're going to remove a problem occupant from my house on Tharkad, and god help us all."


’Passenger’ cabin
Word of Blake Dropship flying the cover identity of Tokyo Maru
Enroute to Solaris 7

“Hello.”  A soft male voice announced as Yurika’s vision cleared as she woke up.

“Who are you?”  Yurika asked.

“I’m no one you need to worry about.  I will not hurt you.”

“But I’m clearly your prisoner.”

“I hope to convince you this is much more of an extraordinary opportunity.  I mean after all your father locking you out of your own workshop like that?  The people I represent want to give you the freedom to create whatever you want.  But first, rest.  This has been a trying experience and you’ve been through a lot.  I’ll have a meal brought to you later.”

“Where are we going?”  Yurika asked.

“I see no harm in telling you.  We’re going to Solaris.  There are all sorts of new and interesting technologies for you to work with waiting there.”  The man stood and exited.

As he walked to a communication terminal he smiled.

Adept Perseus reporting mission success Precentor Cadmus.  We are enroute.  The short, simple letter would be sent via HPG.  No one would know as the computer applied the encryption and built a fake message about financial exchanges and information brokerage around it.

Tharkad, Day 2 of the battle…

Lyrans, killing Lyrans.  Henrietta had tried like hell to avoid this.  Elizabeth's indirect method got Pat back, but the war had to happen anyway.

Old Nondi might've been starving the border garrisons, but she'd spent lavishly on her own defense.  The 1st Royal Guards were backed up with Jaegers units equipped with the finest new hardware Coventry Metal Works and Defiance Hesperus were turning out, including new technologies, more than a few of which would've been damned useful during the counter-attack that ended the Falcon incursion.

Irrelevant to that, now.  "Spread out pattern Rassenficke Drei, they've got another one of those big gauss carriers."

Her job was to keep the riff-raff off the Archon-because for some insane reason known only to god or Royalty, he insisted on being in the front lines instead of usefully in a headquarters vehicle.

Then again, he was using Pat for that.

Natalie engaged the heavy-gauss platform-this one was at least based on a Quad, so it didn't try to fall over when the pilot shot the main gun.

But it was clear that whoever handled training for the Royal Guards regiment on Tharkad, they didn't study much feedback from the field.

Nat's machine-a capture from the Falcons, laid accurate fire at long range instead of the massive, blunderbuss-bombard-like 'accuracy' of the heavy weapon.  In this case, she pinked the thing's main gun right down that huge bore.

The explosion was…impressive.

Or at least, it would've been, if Henrietta didn't have other things to focus on instead.

Even Moshe was strangely quiet.  He was usually much more talkative.

A wheeled tank with a big cannon came around the corner, and Henrietta upped to a jog from the flank, while his turret tried to track Nat or Moshe.

Henrietta applied a kick to the thing's turret, and the impact shed armor, as the turret lifted and tumbled into the facing of a shop along the street.

"Showoff."

"Ammo."

She said it, right before she had to use the antipersonnel weapons on an infantry unit that had been shadowing beside and behind the tank.  A couple of Quads, these heavy weapons carriers, Fenrir armors, tried to engage her.

She popped them with the PPC.  One, Two, Three…four ran back up the alley.

“Bad dogs!”  Moshe finally broke his silence.

Up ahead, the Archon had found the Regent, and they were fighting a duel, because why not?  Nondi Steiner was, at least, a competent 'mechwarrior…

Just that age and treachery might be advantages, but you have to be smart and aware for that to BE an advantage.

Henrietta crossed a street and caught a Royal Guards Zeus in the flank, close enough that she didn't bother with weapons, instead using hand actuators and legs to make the take-down before the larger, heavier machine had time to set its feet. Leverage and being just more prepared meant sweeping the legs out from under the Zeus mid-step, while clotheslining it across the windscreen/cockpit assembly, feet go up, 'mech comes down.  The stomp she delivered finished the takedown.  Ugly, but necessary.

Nondi's move to have help, was stopped because Peter had acquiesced to having his own.

The Regent's Hauptmann omnimech went down under Peter's guns, and Henrietta noted in passing that it was, at least, a merciful ending-as much as any ending like that can be merciful.
Patient Room 601
Osaka Teaching Hospital
Apriki
Draconis Combine
10 January 3066

Hideki the Younger watched his cousin like a hawk for any signs that she would come out of her coma.

“I should be there instead of you.  If I had just been more capable…”

Clara’s right hand twitched.

“DOCTOR GREENE!”  Hideki the Younger yelled.

Doctor Greene came rushing in with some orderlies.

“What is it?”

“Her hand… It moved!”  Hideki the Younger pointed at Clara’s right hand.

Doctor Greene began checking Clara and the readings from the machines.

“She did.  It’ll be a bit before she’s back with us fully but she’s coming back.”  Doctor Greene declared.

Hideki the Younger began to cry as Doctor Greene began to rattle off instructions to her nurses and orderlies.

Two days later

Clara still couldn’t talk from the tube being removed.  It was a painful experience but as it meant she was going to live and recover, one she was grateful for anyway.

Clara had never learned a gesture based language but there was a memory burning in her mind that she did not want to forget but knew she might despite her best efforts in her current condition and it was proving difficult to get anyone to understand she wanted something to write with and something to write on.

After about half an hour it was Doctor Greene that figured it out.

One of them mentioned they needed to hurry, to get to the Tokyo Maru, before they missed the extraction window.  That must be the ship that took them and Yurika off world.

It took only a mere moment before that information was in Hikkaru’s hands.

Hikkaru’s office

Hikkaru smiled.

Clara had given them a vital early clue.

He had the Dropship.

With that it was a simple matter for him to find the Jumpship.  At least the first one.

Someone as bold as this would not be so foolish as to use just one.

Proserpina Express.  It was the only entry on the approved Jumpship schedule.

It was a ship known quite well to him.  It was the main merchant vessel for this region.

The next stop was Irurzun.  The former Daimyo was no fan of his and the current one, while certainly polite, indicated he was not a fan of Hikkaru either during his recent visit.

Still I must beg him for his help.

[Daryk]

Woo! More has been posted! :)

[monbvol]

Command center, Mount Asgard, 1 week after the battle of Tharkad, 3066…

"We finished the casualty reports, Generallmajor Kleist?"

"Ja, The estimates have-"

Henrietta's fist clenched, "I didn't ask for estimates.  Nearly every man killed in action here with the exception of the Kell Hounds and the Wolf people, were soldiers in the Lyran ARMED FORCES, with records, command chains, and family who have to be informed!!"

The personnel man flinched.  "We…we are still looking for them, general." he said weakly.

"So no, the casualty reports are not done? How ****** hard is it for you to say that, instead of trying to blow happy smoke up my ass?"  She laid a hand on the desk, and leaned on it, "What do you need, to get it done?"  in the corner of her eye, she saw Moshe produce a noteputer model PADD and prepare to copy.

He was a good aide, sometimes, though Natalie could at least manage to look threatening.

The recitation took twenty minutes, and Henrietta made sure every word was copied down faithfully, "I'll ask His Majesty to release additional manpower to help with the accounting." she finally said, "I must say, the LAAF I knew, was more efficient about accounting than this.  I am…disappointed."

A reputation can be a powerful thing.  Having a Lt. General, which is rank inferior, confronting a senior General Officer of the Generallmajor in such a fashion is only possible when everyone knows said Lt. General has a ten to one kill ratio including some of the most brutal battlefield killings physically possible.

Crushing, for example, the cockpit of Kleist's predecessor under her 'mech's foot like an empty beer can has some advantages in cutting through polite social customs…at times.

"Did you get it?" Liz asked.

"He tried to stonewall me, but you're right, they're bunking the ball on these and there's no good reason for it.  Here-" she handed Moshe's PADD to her little sister.

"Thanks.  Have they said where you're going next? How long before I get to see you again?" Liz asked.

"I'm getting out." Henrietta stated, "I'm done.  I've begun writing my resignation letter.  Fifteen years, I think, is sufficient time spent, trying to formulate frantic, last-minute, last ditch solutions to problems caused by other ****** people."

"You're quitting."

"I'm quitting. Handing in the government property battlemech and putting the platinum hammer in the closet.  Mind helping me write my resume?"

"What kind of job do you want?"  Liz asked.

"Well…I'm thinking I might get into sports…at least on Solaris I won't be killing kids."

“Solaris?  That’s practically on the other side of the realm!  Why would you go there of all places?”

"Because it's nowhere close to a front line, or a civil war, Lizzie, I'm tired of this..."

"You're going to need stuff, like equipment…" Liz bit her lip, "Okay, it's a marketing gig.  Ngo Industries will finance your stable, because I sure as hell won't cheer for Bradford's guy!!"

Throne room
Daimyo’s Palace
Irurzun
29 January 3066

“Daimyo Ryukan, I am most troubled by the current situation.  Despite the disagreements in the past between our families, this is an affront to the Dragon.  I have sent word to all the other Daimyo’s under my purview.” The Daimyo of Irurzun said flatly.

“Thank you Daimyo.” Hikkaru bowed.

“Perhaps you should retire to the guest quarters while we wait for their responses.”

“Hai Daimyo.”

Hikkaru bowed and left.

He entered the guest room and tapped the computer terminal.  The information from the various other worlds within the purview of the Daimyo of Irurzun’s domain.

Registry number 11012SL14B out of Black Earth, MS 'Tokyo Maru'.  Itinerary linked to JS Kassembla from Prosperina to Sadalbari, confirmed switch  to Tramp Class MS Fogarty (Fedsuns Registered with Trans Universal lines) from Sadalbari to Markab.  Transfer at Markab to MS Glorianna, Lyran registry Jumpship NG-1774A2131 (Merchant Class).  Transfer of Tokyo Maru at Hesperus…

Hikkaru noted the report made special emphasis on MS Glorianna, there was even an attached file.

The file showed that merchant class had been busy, ISF sources placing it in close proximity to several violent incidents in the FedCom's recent civil war, mostly tied to the sudden arrival of weapons or ammunition to units along the border with the Clans.

Covert resupply, covert actions, covert operations.  It was an obvious link suggesting who had taken his daughter.

With this information in hand he at least had a location where he could catch up to them.

Markab.  If I  hurry, I can beat them to Markab!!

Hikkaru began looking through the databases for available ships, drafting letters to merchants who owed him debts, anyone he could call on for aid to get to Markab before the abductors slipped away.


Tharkad, 2 February 3066

"You're really okay with this, Liz?"  Duke Patrick Ngo asked.

"Five years is the usual minimum, I've got three left, but Peter's right-we need reforms and this is the time to start implementing them.  Hey, at least it's not an internship, he's giving me the chance to really fix things."

"As the Exchequer, a role that's been a-"

"Corrupt sinecure for centuries, yeah. I'm the Tax Woman…but hey, I've got three years left according to the doctors, so it's not like I'll have to live with being the most hated woman in the Commonwealth, now is it?" she asked lightly.  "We're going to start with audits-not just Kathrinists, but everyone-nobody's done a decent economic survey of the Commonwealth since Archon Basileus Marsden, so it's long overdue. I figure that's going to eat up most of my time, but it's the price I promised to pay."  she straightened her brother's jacket, "and it lets you be Duke, and Henrietta get her time off…and who knows, maybe I'll make a difference?"

"My sister, the Royal Tax Collector…" he sighed.

"Your sister, the retired general going to Solaris, and we'll miss her party if you keep standing like an oaf, Patrick!" she scolded.  "I've got my meds."






Markab 1 March 3066

"So who owns the ship…for real?" He paged down the secondary file.  The ship's homeport was Ender's Cluster?, a long way from the Combine, and the mortgage was held by…"huh."

They had images of the woman who holds the mortgage papers and insurance on the ship that was carrying the likely abductors of his child, along with references to a raft of information that ISF considered too classified to include beyond suggestions.  One of the supporters of the faction that had, so far, apparently won the civil war in the FedCom.

"Motive?" he muttered.  It was right there.  The woman was dying, and his daughter was a talented…it was too easy, too simple, so it has to be wrong.

But Elizabeth Ngo was a place to begin.

Hikkaru would have to approach this entire situation very carefully.  He was in a foreign nation, he had no authority.  And soon the ship with the abductors of his child would be here.

The best play would be to just simply follow them for the moment.

Hikkaru looked up the transit information.

MS Gloria would be passing through the Murchison system.

There… I can make the attempt there.

He checked one more thing.  Scheduled departures.  And he felt his heart drop.

MS Gloria's open transit slot was filled already.  A Comstar registered transport was to link with the jumpship here, and de-link at Murchison.

A ComGuard transport.

“This is no good…”  Hikkaru muttered.

“My Lord?”  Hideki the Elder entered the room.

"This…this is no good."  Hikkaru said grimly, "my daughter's abductors are going to be…"

"Let me see?" Hideki asked.

Hikkaru showed him.

"Why not ask for Comstar's help?" Hideki asked, "Indirectly, perhaps? A pretext to encourage their very strict security to have a look?"

“I have no contacts within Comstar to make such an arrangement.  But perhaps a subtle word to the Adept at the compound…”  Hikkaru stroked his chin.

Hideki inclined his head, "Yes…may I see something, My Lord?"

“Of course.”

Hideki brought up the known personnel listing for Ms Gloria…  "Lucas Deen/Cartwright671…what a strange kind of name…"  He looked up, "The captain of the ship you're looking at, Milord, is like some of the habitat people in the Azami-the spacers…perhaps…"

“Perhaps…”  Hikkaru said thoughtfully before he opened another information query.

Markab System Port control Station…

Lucas looked at the very politely worded request.  "Dammit, we're all full up with that contract the Archon saddled on us…"  he muttered.

But this 'Hideki' fellah, he'd used the right terms.  "What do we do, boss?"  his cousin Linda, who was the 'face' for dealing with Dirtyfeet, asked.

Lucas felt the sense of planetary doom in his feet.  "Where's the Tokyo Maru's helmer?" he asked, "I mean, those guys went surface-side, but we can't enter unless the ship's in danger, and they're still docked for another twelve hours."

"You're taking it seriously?"

"Aggrieved parent, thinks the Folk may have made off with his kid? YES, Yes, I take that seriously-we've had to spend the last four hundred years losing that reputation, if some dirtyfoot bastards are trying to pass off their human trafficking on us? I want to know."

“This would be a lot easier if we were on our side of the border, not stuck here in the Suns.”

"Jawohl." Lucas agreed, "PM this Hideki guy, and get the local lawmen, and contact our lawyer so we can get a warrant to search the Tokyo Maru for an abducted girl, we're not leaving this system until I'm satisfied we're not accessories to trafficking…and have the kids rig a malf on the docking collar, keep them tied to us."

"Ayeh Sirrah."

Magistrate’s chambers
Markab Customs and Enforcement office
5 March 3066

Hikkaru, the Magistrate, Lucas, Linda, and a Marshal all sat in the small office.

The Lyran captain looked deeply uncomfortable, glancing out the windows at the spaceport outside, his XO looked calmly, almost stereotypically, Lyran from her blonde hair and two meter height, to her easy slouch in the local gravity.

"We have the warrant?" Captain Lucas asked.

The Magistrate harrumphed, and produced the document.

"Let's get to it then.  If the girl is there, getting her back is my priority and the goddam schedule can [unintelligible]."  the Lyran captain seemed very agitated, angry.

“Marshal.  You know what to do.  Daimyo Ryukan.  If this is a waste of our time…”

“The Dropship is confirmed.”  Hikkaru said firmly.

"Mister Magistrate, if she's not there, it's good news for us." the tall blonde woman said, "It means we're not hauling kidnappees or slaves."  the way she said that last word was like spitting something foul.  "Confirmation of innocence is vital, Reputation is everything with people in our business."

“Then let’s get this done.  I don’t want an international incident on my watch though.”  The magistrate dismissed the guests in his office.

“Daimyo Ryukan it would be inappropriate for you to be part of this.  But given the situation…”

"He's a guest of Sithers-Deen shipping." Lucas said grimly, "if any man has a right to be on this, it's the father who's searching for his child.  You law-types are here so we don't have to flush the airlocks if we catch the bastards, thus, I don't have to run from a murder charge for vigilantism."

“All I meant is he should wait.  I can’t stop you from inviting him to your ship but this is a delicate situation, especially when we make entry.”  The Marshal shook his head.

"What my Captain is trying to say, is that he feels very strongly that this should be proven one way or the other, as quickly and efficiently as possible, and that he feels for Daimyo R-reeyu-kan? For the Father in this case, we've done periph service with the Transport command doing health stops…"

“Then I offer a reasonable compromise.  I shall indeed wait for the Marshal to complete his task before boarding the Dropship in question as the good Captain’s guest.  But to ensure that my daughter is indeed there or not, I suggest my Man at Arms, Hatsumi Hideki join the boarding operation.  He knows the face of my daughter quite well and will not be in the way.”  Hikkaru said thoughtfully.

“Okay.  I can make that work.”  The Marshal nodded.

Docking gangway
Tokyo Maru
8 March 3066

"HEALTH AND WELFARE!!"  the port Marshall boomed as the Gloria's crew forced the airlock's controls and both doors swung open.  "All hands stand to, Health and Welfare Inspection!! If you have Contraband we will find it, so you might as well bring it out now!!"

The crew of the Tokyo Maru were startled by the sudden activity but quickly recovered.

“Captain to the main hatch.”  One of the crew said into a commpanel.

Within a few minutes the Captain of the Tokyo Maru was standing across from the Marshal.

“What is this about a health and welfare check?”

"Random Draw." the Marshall said with a cold bark "your registry came up, we're to do a level four sweep of the ship.  YOU should know the reg."

“This is why we’ve been barred from undocking?  We’ve basically been hostages for a week.”

"YES.  compliance is expected, you're carrying FedCom paper, you KNOW the reg."

“I’m lodging complaints with everyone I can over this so let’s get this over with.”

"Get in line behind the skipper of the Gloria, we just finished his."  the Marshall gestured, and deputies started flowing through the airlock.  "You got nothing to hide, you got nothing to worry about."





“Give me shipwide.”  The Captain grumbled.  “We’re being inspected.  AGAIN.  All crew stand to and let them do their jobs.”

Hideki was the last man to board the Tokyo Maru.

The Marshal and a handful of his deputies followed the Captain up to the Command Deck.

Hideki followed another deputy as they searched the passenger berths.

One by one each proved empty until about thirty minutes in.

“Wait.”  Hideki said as the Deputy finished her search.

Hideki went over to the computer terminal.

He tapped on it.  The screen flickered.

“What is it?”

“This terminal, something is off about it.  In a familiar way.”  Hideki then took out a small utility blade and pried the outer housing off.

“She was here.”  Hideki declared as he saw a very familiar wire braiding style.

"Well, that does change things..."  The Deputy said, then signaled her colleagues.  "White Gloves boys, this is a crime scene now."

Hideki stood aside to allow the others to work.

Meanwhile, the deputies started escorting crew off the ship.

"What's going on?"

"You're a suspect, you can call your lawyer when we ground." the Marshall told the Tokyo Maru's captain.

"What's the charge?"

"Trafficking, you're lucky, Captain, if the boss of the Gloria had twigged BEFORE you made port? You'd be trying to breathe vacuum.  They're Spacers, they take this kind of shit ultra-seriously and aren't bothered by due process concerns. You're safe with my deputies, for the time being."  He didn't add what the Dracs would do, if they'd caught them out alone.
He didn't need to.

“Trafficking?  All the travel papers for our passengers were in order!”

"We'll see about that…after my deputies have finished examining the scene and we've finished going over your logs and papers."

Hideki took the opportunity to quietly return to his master.

“What is it my old friend?”

“She was onboard.  Without a doubt.”

“But not anymore.”  It wasn’t a question.

“She left us a clue though.”  Hideki said quietly.  “Solaris.”

“She was always a clever girl.”

Knowing the ultimate destination raised some questions but also gave him an opportunity.

He did not relish the prospect but as a world far away from his power base he would need to carefully gather allies.  But to get started he would need a mechwarrior he could trust to give him the cover he needed to do that.

So he began writing a letter to his daughters.

Next he began making all the arrangements he would need to make this work.

Hikkaru’s office
Daimyo’s Palace
Apriki
15 March 3066

Yuko was still too young to fully fill in for her father while he was away but with the help of Doctor Greene, Hideki the Younger, Jyestha, and even Clara she was able to keep the affairs of the world in order.

Then his message came in.

Yurika was being taken to Solaris.

Her father was starting a stable to provide cover for the rescue mission.

Yuko looked at the back of her hand, the tattoo glowing slightly.

“All right big sis.  Time to see if this really does what you think it will.  I finally have a way to be a mechwarrior.”

Stablemaster’s Office
Champions of Olympus
Solaris
16 March 3066

Precentor Cadmus looked at the report from Adept Perseus.

“We’ve been sloppy.”  Precentor Cadmus declared.  “But it also presents us an opportunity.”

“What do you need me to do sir?”  Adept Athena said from her seat across from Precentor Cadmus.

“I see a way to divert the attention of many foes at once.  I wish to arrange for the abduction and possible indoctrination of Elizabeth Ngo.  Everything indicates she is a senior advisor to the new Archon.  If we can turn her…”

“She is notoriously anti-Terran sir and dying from one of the incurables, will that even work?”

“Nothing remains incurable forever and that gives us a carrot.  If that fails, well we won’t have to worry much about the stick.”

“Reports are that her sister Henrietta is retiring to become a gladiator on Solaris.”

“Even better.  We’ll bring Elizabeth here as well.  Introduce her to Yurika.  I’m sure the two of them would get along quite well.  Have our agents leave behind an origami dragon.  Use red paper.”

“Sir?”

“Trust me.  It is important that they do so.”

“Yes sir.”  Adept Athena stood and left the office.

If they got to the Tokyo Maru I have to assume they found some clue that I am bringing Yurika here.  It doesn’t matter.  Soon.  We will begin the holy work.  Time was never a concern.  Let them come.

Passenger cabin
Dropship Ginny’s Folly
Attached to MS Kobalt Zephyer
Nadir point Sarpsborg
23 March 3066

By the time the LIC report about the abduction of her sister reached Henrietta she was almost to Solaris.

She almost decided to turn around, go back to Tharkad and demand action for the return of her sister.  Then she kept reading the report.

An origami red dragon had been found at the scene.

There had always been rumors of groups similar to but distinct from the nekekami in the Combine.  But LIC had confirmation that one did exist.

They were known as the Red Spirits.

LIC confirmed the identity of one particularly notable member.

Most of his work was done during the Ronin War and the War of 3039.  Then when he aged out he joined the retinue of the Ryukan family as Master of the House and Man at Arms.

Hatsumi Hideki.

An incident at Markab with one of her sister’s ships and the Ryukan family was included in the report.

And with little trouble she found out that this Daimyo Ryukan had just started a stable on Solaris.

“You seem troubled.”  Natalie of course followed Henrietta.

“One way or another I have questions for this Ryukan Hikkaru.”  Henrietta

“I promised I would support you in whatever manner you needed.  Nothing has changed.”

“I’m with you too boss.”  Moshe added.

“Okay then.  We do what we were going to do before this happened but with a twist.  It’ll be our cover until we can get a hold of this Daimyo Ryukan and ask him some questions about my sister.  There’s too many coincidences for Solaris to not be important in all of this.”

[Daryk]

I'm editing as fast as I can... hopefully I can keep up! :)

[monbvol]

No worries.  Something tells me you'll catch up quicker than you expect.   

[Daryk]

And indeed I did! Quite a ride! :)

I hope others enjoy it as much as I did! ;)

[monbvol]

Act III


unknown location, in transit…

She opened her eyes, took a ragged breath, and started to laugh maniacally.  "You fools don't even know what an 'exchequer' is, do you?"  She wiped her lips with the back of one hand, "It means, I'm one of many accountants.  You're not getting shit for a ransom for me, the government has lots of accountants!!"

“The way I see it, Miss Ngo, you have a simple choice.  You can make this a relatively pleasant experience, or continue being obstructionist.  I know our methods seem harsh, but be honest, would you have come willingly if we politely asked?”

“Well, we’ll never know now will we?  Something I learned a long time ago is that first impressions matter, and it’s a right bitch to overcome a bad first impression,” Liz answered coldly.

“Well that is certainly true.  But your views on our Order are quite well known.  Still, your voluntary cooperation, while preferable, is not strictly necessary.”

She smiled.  "At least you've the wit not to be asking me for retirement investment advice.  You're just interrupting my projects."

“So we are.  Perhaps it is for the best though.  Could you imagine how disruptive it would be if your projects were completed?  The conflicts that would result?”

"Every evening when I go to sleep, every morning when I wake up," she said maliciously.  "It's what helps me out of bed… is it 'adept'?  I imagine them all like flowers in the garden made from the corpses of fanatics.  We're in a dark age, and I aim that I might die, but we'll get out of it."

“See?  Our philosophies are not so different.  We too believe we are in a Dark Age, and that it is our duty to bring humanity out of it after they’ve finally burned the need for conflict out of their souls.  Well, at least to a more reasonable level.”

"Then stop screwing it up when someone tries to accomplish something.  Conflict is built into the human being, it's what really separates us from hive animals or domestic cattle. But it's like any question-see, violence isn't an answer, it's a question.  Sometimes the answer has to be yes, but only when 'no' doesn't work."

“And that is why the efforts of those such as yourself are well intended, but ultimately doomed to fail.”

"If you can't fail, you can't succeed," she shot back.  "Failure is inevitable, it's what you do after that decides what comes next.  What's REALLY funny, is you kidnapped an accountant.  Not a scientist, General, or leader.  What's the matter?  Were we getting close to your backhanders?"

“I think you underestimate your own importance.  You have the current Archon’s ear.  You have a seat on the board of a major manufacturing company.  You have a lot of influence.  But you are still blinded.”

"I have two years and I'm dead, and Peter knows it," she countered.  "Not as much influence, as disgusting pity-i'm expendable because I have to be.  You done screwed up."

“Perhaps.  My instructions are clear though.”

"Free advice for you.  Invest in bomb shelters, because thanks to your interference, nobody's going to be ABLE to stop the Clans when they come for Old Earth."


“That depends on the wisdom of the House Lords.  If they continue to fail to see the big picture…”

"I didn't say 'willing'.  The royals LOVE you guys.  I'm saying able," she coughed.  "I studied economics, Adept.  They can't fund the fight you need, and it's your order's fault.  You've been crippling recovery for so long, the infrastructure isn't there anymore."

“I will let you in on a terrible secret.  We’re not as responsible as you think for the failings of the economy or development of technology.”

"Everyone who's ever embezzled says much the same, Adept, even when their firm fails utterly.  'It's not my fault, it wasn't that much!'," she mocked.

“Oh, I do not deny we have had our hand in it.  Merely that you underestimate how corrupt, petty, and jealous the House Lords are of each other.”

"I 'misunderstand' that people will, when they think a certain thing, do what they think is best for themselves?  I'm not a socialist… I Know People Act Like That.  But I also know that there's one monopoly on information that's sphere wide, one semi-omniscient entity, and that entity's got control over everyone's information.  If people are acting on bad info, it's because that's what they're getting," she coughed.  "See, human beings are selfish... but they always want to think they're on the side of god and the angels."

“Then I shall tell you a sobering secret.  The Ministry of Communication, ComStar, whatever you want to call us?  We did nothing to start the Succession Wars.  Indeed, without any help from us they were more than happy to start nuking themselves into oblivion.”

"Nobody with a brain and a library card would argue that-the Ministry didn't stop it, any more than loading a flying tanker with gasoline is going to stop a forest fire that's already out of control."  She folded her hands.  "You didn't kill me, which means my death isn't a goal, or you'd have left me where I was secure in knowing I'll be dead fairly soon anyway.  You're not stupid so that means it's not ransom.  Pat would pay it with nukes, Peter's got other methods to do the same thing with less fallout… so, it's a battle of wills."  She straightened her blazer, and leaned on her elbows.  "One of us is walking free, committed to the other's cause.  That's the only endgame that fits."

"You would?"

"Observe: I’m sickly, weak, and small, cut off from outside and in your possession.  I am NOT equipped to stage the epic holovid escape attempt and probably will need support if I try to run, being as I'm far from healthy.  That means the physical escape is out, I'm Catholic, so suicide is a non-starter because I don't want to end up in Hell.  That means my only choice, if I want to remain true to myself, is convincing you n-nn-not… only t-t-to let me go, but help me get back... so, I have to change your mind.  YOUR mission, because I'm not dead yet, is to change mine."

"One of us… so you intend to resist."

"Surrender, historically, has never worked particularly well for my people.  I'm opposed to the idea in concept, because I know where it leads," she told him.  "Let's get started, shall we?"

Stable Master’s Office
Dragon Heart Stables
Solaris
8 April 3066

Hikkaru sat in his new office.

The place was more of a warehouse converted to have basic facilities and quarters.

By his measure he had overspent for what he got but he was assured that he got a bargain by Solaris standards.

At least he was able to bring it up to a reasonable standard.

“Your children will be here in a month with the arrangements you made,” Hideki reassured Hikkaru.

“I do not relish being away from them this long, nor putting Yuko’s life on the line.  But it is necessary,” Hikkaru nodded.

“I made some inquiries with some old friends.  I have convinced Watari Hesmana to accompany your daughters,” Hideki continued.

“Thank you, old friend.”

“We are far from home, surrounded by many enemies, and I am not as young as I used to be.”

“I still believe you have no true equal.”

“There is always someone that is superior in some measure.”

“Sarah?”

“Will be able to see to the affairs of Apriki.  I know the waiting is hard, my Lord.  But that is all we can do for now.”

“Hai.  The work progresses but… You are correct.  All that is left is minutiae and to wait.”

Secure Workshop
Champions of Olympus
9 April 3066

“See Yurika, all is as I promised.  Tools, new technologies, everything you could want and no restrictions.”  Precentor Cadmus showed the teenager around her new home.

“Hmmm…”  Yurika picked up a tool she hadn’t seen before.

“Manual library is on that shelf.”  Precentor Cadmus pointed at a bookcase.

“Thank you,” Yurika said softly.

“You are welcome. I shall leave you to work,” Precentor Cadmus smiled.

Yurika picked up a book and began thumbing through it.

It’s missing stuff.  Yurika scrunched her face.

She put the book back and checked another.

Over the next few hours she repeated the process.  All of them were obviously missing information that should be in them.  Nothing that would prevent Yurika from being able to use any of the tools provided to her, but at the same time she knew she wouldn’t be able to use them to full effect either.

Her meal was brought to her by a blonde woman.

It wasn’t home.  The flavor of the meal was off.

I have to figure out how to get out of this…

Stable Master’s Office
Champions of Olympus

Precentor Cadmus watched the video feeds.

“She’s already figured out your first test,” Adept Athena proclaimed.

“Yes.  And rather quickly,” Precentor Cadmus smiled.

“I don’t see it,” Adept Perseus said.

“The key is how quickly she went through the books.  She has figured out that they have been carefully edited.  She’s even more phenomenal than I thought.”

“Is it wise to only watch her by camera then?” Adept Persues asked.

“For now.  A physical presence would cause too much distrust at this stage.  She will come around.”

“Are you sure introducing her to Elizabeth Ngo is still a good idea?”

“Yurika was able to successfully perform EI tattooing on her sister at an age that defies logic and reality.  It will be interesting to see how Yurika will approach the problem of Cholman’s with that kind of talent.”

“She’ll be here soon enough and we’ll find out,” Adept Athena reported.

“Good.  Good.”

It really will be interesting to see what will happen.

Solaris Spaceport
13 May 3066

Yuko was overwhelmed.  All the neon displays, slot machines in the main areas, and more people in one place than she’d seen since perhaps Prep school.

She stepped up to the Customs Official.

“Papers please,” the official said flatly, with a slight German accent.

Yuko handed over her small booklet.

“Business or pleasure?”

“Watashi wa eigo ga wakarimasen.  Anata wa nihongo ga wakarimasu ka?”

“Who is the accompanying adult for this child?”  The official demanded.

Hesmana stepped forward.

“Business,” Hesmana stated.

The official looked at the papers, Yuko, then Hesmana.

Hesmana handed over her own documents.

“I believe you’ll find everything is in order,” Hesmana smiled.

The official stamped the papers.

Yuko stepped quickly past the official with her papers disappearing into her pocket.

“Why did you pull that stunt with the official?”  Clara caught up.

“I know what my father did, but I’m a terrible liar.  So I did the next best thing.”

“Pretend you don’t know English?  What if he was a little smarter?”

“He’s Lyran.  They’re of poor education and character,” Yuko said.

“What did your father do?”

“I need to be sixteen to participate in the games.”

“But you’re only twelve!” Clara exclaimed.

“A necessary lie for our mission.  You must keep the secret now as well.”

Her father was waiting with a number of ground cars for the small retinue.

“It is good to see you again,” Hikkaru smiled.

“Hai,” Yuko hugged her father.

Secure Workshop
Champions of Olympus Stables
14 May 3066

Liz was all but shoved through the door before it closed behind her.

“Hello,” Yurika said quietly.

“Hello?  You don’t look like an Earther….”  Liz said wearily.

“No.  I’m from the Combine,” Yurika was arranging tools on her desk.

"Wow, they're grabbing from everybody," Liz said it sourly.  "So what did you do to piss off the Earthers?"

“Hai.  I upgraded my sister so she could use her combination Christmas and Birthday present.”

"Harsh…ow."  Liz found a mostly clear bench and hopped onto it.  The empty space where her monitor bracelet had been itched, and the 'come down' from being denied her prescriptions was more or less a minor buzz in the persistent aching.  "So…'upgraded' like what?"

“She needed a more efficient interface for her mech.  So I gave her one.”

"That doesn't sound that bad, what was it, holographic?  Headset mount?  Maybe some feedback in the suit?"

“It was based on Enhanced Imaging techniques.”

"Waiitaminit… your sister let you do surgery on her?"

“I… have impulse control issues…” Yurika shook her head.

"So no, she didn't.  That's ****** up.  Don't help me," Liz said.  "Just…" she made it to the floor, and three steps before… it went on for minutes.

Yurika was next to her.

“This is bad.”  Yurika shook her head as she began to gather supplies.

“Uhhh… how… how long this time?" the new woman asked, her face flushed, her voice a rasp after ten minutes of sustained, agonized screams and gasps.

“Ten minutes.”  Yurika was brushing away the remains of vomit.

"Great… got any industrial cleaners?  I think… no, I know I soiled myself… ******."

“Shower is this way,” Yurika helped Liz up.

“So what are you going to do to me?”

“Help you if I can.”

"Better idea..help yourself escape," Liz told her.  "They got wise to my trick, changed guards on me… couldn't' get through fast enough, but there's enough here to make a lot of things that can get you out."

“Yes.  But… It would be troublesome.”

"Best… part of doing science, kid.  It's not about why, it's about 'why not?'  So… what do you already know, and what can we do to make them back off?"

“We’re being monitored,” Yurika lowered her voice once they were in the shower.

"Of course we are," Liz said maliciously.  "But, are we being monitored by people who know what they're looking at?"

“I don’t know.  That is why I think I need your help.”

"First statement of science, 'I don't know'.  But to become real science, you gotta take the next step… what's your name, anyway?"

“Ryukan Yurika.  You are?”
"Well Yurika, I'm Elizabeth Anne Ngo, and did your teachers tell you the first principle of scientific inquiry?" Liz asked.

“Form a hypothesis and then test it.”

"Hypothesis; test… also known as 'I don't know, so let's find out'. That's elemental BELOW the Scientific Method, it's why there's a scientific method."

“Hai.  Do you have any technical training?”

Elizabeth sighed.  "Some minor training.  Mostly in more esoteric things, higher math, KF theory… and of course, the standard physics and engineering you have to learn in order to sell machine tools to the big outfits, most of my gifts are administrative."

“Good.  Then we may have a chance.  For both of us,” Yurika nodded.  “We’ll have to figure out a way to communicate that they will not notice right away.”

Elizabeth sighed "SO, it's the epic holovid escape plan after all… No," she said.  "Won't work, see, these guys are ComStar, or affiliated.  They eat crypto for breakfast and have been running a scam on the rest of humanity for centuries.  Want to ****** them up?  Make them look for a secret when it isn't there-they'll spend more time digging for codes than is rational."

“Hai.  Misdirection will be key.”

"Make 'em look for the misdirection and you can get away with shit in the open, spy types are pretty similar regardless, or so my late security chief thought….hey, they gave you a workshop, wanna make some toys that will drive them nuts?"

'What kind of 'toys'?"

"Wherever we are, I don't really care what happens here, so let's play with self-replicating robots."

“We’re on Solaris.”

"Even better."

“If I was successful my Father knows I am here and should be on world by now.”

"Ryukan… shit, one of the outfits I have paper on may have run into your old man at Markab a few months ago."

“Then odds are even more in our favor.”

Liz finished cleaning herself in the shower, and dressed in a coverall from the bench.  "Heh…so let's give our guards something to obsess over…did your education include classical literature?"

“Hai,” Yurika nodded.

"English Lit, American period, 'The Ransom of Red Chief'," Liz said with devious relish.  "Ever read it?"

“Iee, but I think I get the jist of what you’re thinking.”

"Let's have some fun… with science!"

“Hai.  The Dragon is displeased at our current situation.”

"Check this out… ooh, a whiteboard, perfect!!  Look at what these equations suggest, and look, they gave us a lab to make something to test it!!"  Elizabeth had almost entirely given up on science once her mother lost her mind and shot her, and the burdens of being a CEO and Baron had asserted themselves on her psyche.  This was, despite everything, going to be lots of fun.

“Let’s make the laws of physics our bitches.”

"Well, at least, we're going to make their conventional scientists weep while they mas-" Liz stopped herself.  "Yeah, let's do that instead… postulate…" she began doing equations on the whiteboard.  "We're going to need to find a fusion plant… or make one…"

“That will take some time but it can be done.  They have given us a great many tools.  I do not think they realize the entirety of what they have given us.”

"Yeah, but my company makes better ones…" Liz said for the cameras.  "Krupp's stuff is nice enough, mostly… when it's properly been readjusted."

Yurika nodded as she started going through the drawers she’d spent a great deal of time organizing.

At the top of the board, Elizabeth carefully penned "Maxim: 14", with double underlining.

Yurika giggled.

Stablemaster’s Office
Champions of Olympus

“Sir?”  Adept Perseus asked concerned.

“It is what I expected.  Let them continue for now.  We can afford to wait and observe.  Besides, Lord Ryukan and Henrietta Ngo are both on world.  That means they are uncomfortably close.  So prepare yourself.  If we can eliminate Miss Ngo’s older sister and Lord Ryukan’s youngest…  Well, we’ll have two less problems.  And we have the perfect cover,” Precentor Cadmus nodded.

“As you command, Precentor.”

This will be most interesting indeed.

Scheduling office
Solaris Gaming Commission

“Time to set up the qualifiers,” the official grumbled.

The usual pile of attempts to rig matches, bribes for favorable stadiums, it was all quite typical and annoying.

So he started sorting stables and arenas.

“Zoo Crew, Fursnakes, Dragonheart, Champions of Olympus…”

He put Henrietta Ngo against Ryukan Yuko in the Steiner Colosseum.

“That should get some good media coverage despite being newcomers,” the official nodded.

Fursnake Stablemaster’s office
16 May 3066

“You have mail.”  Natalie tossed a letter at Henrietta.

“Damn.  I figured they’d notify me electronically.”  Henrietta opened the letter.

“So who’d you get?”

“The universe has one twisted sense of humor.  Ryukan Yuko.”

“The daughter of the man you have questions for?”

“Yeah.  Now I just might have the opening I need to ask them.”

***

"Well? Is it fit?"  Henrietta asked.  Not getting an answer, she reached out and lightly tapped Sophie's shoulder, getting the young lady's attention, she sighed, and signed. How has the work gone? Is it ready?

Sophie nodded and signed back, Everything on Fursnake looks good.  Tests finished this morning.

Henrietta inclined her head, Where's your big sister?

I sent Lenny to get breakfast for the crew, they deserve that much for sticking through the night, is that okay?

Henrietta nodded firmly and gestured Yes.  Have you slept?

Sophie's laugh was a harsh rasp of air across deformed vocal cords, Six whole Hours!  the deaf girl signed.

Get some rest once the crew's seen to, we've got a bout in a couple days. Opener.

Mechbay
Dragonheart Stable

Natsu fit the last piece of Yuko’s suit in place.

In addition to the circuit lined skin suit there turned out to be an exoskeleton, almost Battlearmor really in the crate that Yuko had never fully investigated.

“I wish I had more time to practice.”  Yuko triggered the lift.

“Do you still practice walking?”  Natsu chided.

“What is that supposed to mean?”  Yuko found herself unusually confused by her sister’s statement.

The cockpit opened and Yuko stepped in.

It was unlike any mech cockpit she had seen or studied.

She felt embarrassed at not having studied the machine closer.

As she worked herself into place and began the power up sequence she noticed a readout was missing.

“Gyro…  There’s no gyro read out…”  Yuko said as suddenly, she felt a strange sensation overcome her.

I am the Dragon…

Yuko carefully stepped out of the hanger.

Once outside into the small practice area attached to the stable she put the mech through a series of drills.

The responsiveness of the machine was impressive for its great bulk.

She was able to manipulate the mech in ways she had never manipulated a mech before.

“Supplies are limited.”  Natsu cautioned as Yuko nearly lost her footing doing a particularly acrobatic movement.

“Hai,”  Yuko answered.

Yuko smiled.

At least once she would live her dream of being a Mechwarrior.

She didn’t want to bring the mech in but it was meal time.

As she parked it and shut down, she felt a little sad at the loss of sensation.

I must be cautious.  This could get addictive.




Secure Workshop,
Champions of Olympus Stables

This was a new one.  Opening rounds, usually not in widecast, even for the Open.  But Solaris has more than one 24 hour sports network, and they pay for anything exclusive that they can sell up-market through ComStar.

Olympus Stables has a holoviewer that gets all the channels.

"Should we fight?" Yurika asked semi-seriously.

"Your little sister versus my big sister?" Liz shook her head.  "Pardon if I get kinda vocal.  When Henrietta was at her last year at Groningen before she went to Blackjack, I got looks from half the parents in the stands during the interacademy junior kickboxing intramural.  She pulled first place in the Ladies Grade Twelves, and second overall behind a Dra- I mean, 'Former Combine Resident' that Colditz, the feeder school for Nagelring, brought in as a ringer to get the trophy from Kei Lu Junior School on Kwangchowwang.  Their girl posted fifth," Elizabeth explained.  "Security almost dragged me out of there before her fight was over."

"So we're not going to be enemies if Yuko wins."

"IF, big if.  Big fat 'if'," Liz asserted.  "She might-My big sis hasn't been doing athletics for fifteen years, and there are some moves she can't do in a 'mech-at least, not in the season opener, the crowd loves blood, but not if it's every time."

"So dangerous?"

Liz shrugged, "My big sister's in control of herself, but she did kill five Jade Falcon front liners on Blackjack using a borrowed training rig Chameleon that had the weapons de-powered-that's not small, and for a while she was getting personal challenges every time they bumped into certain Clan units, the 77th pulled a LOT of attention from the Clanners once they knew she was with  'em.  Your sister beats mine, she's gotta be something real special."

"Why borrowed?"

"Because the Shadowhawk dad sent with her she handed to the Cadre-to the 'real warriors', when the Clanners showed up.  She was a freshman and not considered certified, but she was a patriot so when they asked, 'can we borrow your machine to help fight the invaders' she said 'yes'.  She didn't get it back.  The Miliz guy they gave it to got himself killed in the battle."

"But… how?"

"The way she told me, she and a few other freshmen were given Chameleons to help with traffic control and directing civilian evacuations, then the battalion got eaten and she didn't surrender.  So she spent a week playing blood tag with bred-from-birth killing machines in superior gear.  Alicia Li only got her out just in time-they figured out where she was stopping to rest and almost had her-they put a full star of Omnis on the job, with Toad-suits, because they were hot to get her alive-or kill her in a humiliating way?  She doesn't really say, but she's the only Blackjack Cadet who didn't either die, or surrender."

"So you think she's going to win."

"I have to think that, I have to believe-she's my sister... damn, do these pre-game shows ever end?"

"You're being so calm about this…"

"I'm so stoned that what I'm on would probably kill you…yeah.  I'm calm, it's the drugs," Elizabeth told her.  "Whoever the ComStar pharmacist is, he's got a hotline to the good drugs.  LD-150 with an L-Dopa chaser, probably so I don't shit on their furniture while screaming my throat bloody."

"They want me to fix you," Yurika said.

"Well, you ain't doing it while we're watching the opener, besides, imagine me without the syndrome-right?  The withdrawals from the highly-toxic and addictive shit I'm using to stay stable?  That's potential nightmare fuel right there.  I dried out from Neuroin before, it's a ****** nightmare every time, but at the time it was necessary to stay on schedule."

'On schedule?"

"When your time is extremely limited, doing things that make it shorter is a bad idea.  I've periodically disengaged the hard drugs so my body can lose tolerance levels. It stretches out the effectiveness, dig?  Downside being it's a ****** nightmare every time. The worst parts are the damn cravings.  My arms itch when I'm taking a few weeks clean.  Worst part was last year, when Peter insisted I work during one of my 'clean' months."

"Because your painkillers are very addictive!"

Liz nodded, "Yup.  Addictive and bad for you.  Bad for me, but on me, it matters less… alright, they're shifting the coverage to the actual venue!"

The Colosseum

Henrietta looked at the clearly modified Dragon across from her.

“Somebody’s gotten fancy,” she mused.

Those things coming off the back look to be some sort of aerofoil to help with lift.  So it jumps… And looks like it’s a nasty brawler.  This could get interesting…

“Spectators!  Are you ready to be entertained?  For today’s qualifier we have Henrietta Ngo from Fursnake Stables against Ryukan Yuko from Dragon Heart Stables!  Both are new comers to the Solaris Circuit and are competing for a coveted spot in the Open Class.  This looks to be a mismatch Karl.  Despite her relative inexperience Yuko is the hands on favorite,” came the voice of color commentator Gustov Bachmann.

“Bigger isn’t always better Gustov.  Henrietta is a seasoned veteran and has the homefield advantage.  Despite being outmassed, her Griffin is a tried and true machine that has seen her through a lot of campaigns,” Karl Lipman bantered back.

“Hey granny, could you knit me a sweater after the match?  Don’t worry I’ll make this quick so you can get back to the old folks home in time for your soap operas,” Yuko chided.

Great.  I’m fighting a child.  Henrietta heard the youth in her opponent’s voice.

“Sounds like someone needs a nap and a bottle,” Henrietta shot back.

The walls and pillars of the Colosseum rose up.

The signal was then given to start the match.

Henrietta triggered her jump jets as did her opponent.

She thumbed the trigger for her Snub Nose PPC at her opponent, but miscalculated when her opponent would start dropping, the shot impacting on the fields protecting the spectators which elicited a mix of cheers and jeers from the crowd.

Damn.  Those aerofoils are more effective than I thought.

Henrietta triggered her jump jets again.

Yuko’s mech also bounded over the walls.

They were now in very close range of one another.

Alright let’s do this.

Henrietta triggered her battery of Small Lasers, paired ER Medium Lasers, and her SRM-6.

The groupings were good but something seemed off to Henrietta.

Don’t have time to figure that out now.  She grimaced as she tried to dodge the return fire.

“What the hell is that?”  Henrietta saw a ball of something.

Not only did it strip away a fair bit of armor but her mech was running even hotter now.

Two laser beams reached out from the Dragon but were poorly aimed.

The bigger machine took the last couple of steps needed then swung two clawed fists at Henrietta.

“Not bad,” Henrietta said as she twisted and turned her machine to barely dodge both strikes.  “But let a professional who’s been doing this a while show you how it’s done.”

Henrietta grabbed the left arm of her opponent’s mech with her right hand and pulled it high and up, exposing the shoulder actuator.  That was where she jabbed her left hand, quickly followed by the retractable blade hidden in the forearm.

With a wrenching motion Henrietta tore the left arm free.

“I’ll make you pay for that, granny.”  Yuko’s anger was clear.

“You’re young, raw, and undisciplined.  You’re letting your passions rule you,” Henrietta countered coldly.

The unfamiliar weapon in the torso of the Dragon spit its hot pellet again but missed.  The lasers struck home this time though with one hitting each leg for minimal damage.

Henrietta triggered all her lasers again but left her SRM rack out.  Again the groupings were good but the armor on her opponent’s mech did not seem to be deforming as she expected.

Her opponent swept a clawed foot that caught Henrietta’s Griffin’s right leg.

Warning indicators of all sorts began going off.

She dropped the arm and put two well placed punches into the center torso right where the gyro should have been, but when she pulled back the retractable blade there was something on it but it sure wasn’t gyro housing.

“What the…”  Henrietta said as she triggered her lasers and SRM rack again.

Only the two lasers retorted from the Dragon.

Seems I broke her fancy new toy.  That’ll help.
Another kick from the Dragon followed but Henrietta was able to dodge this one.

“Time to end this.”  Henrietta stepped inside the Dragon’s strike before it could recover.

She carefully grabbed the head assembly with her right hand and jabbed her retractable blade at the connection point and severed the data trunk between the mech and the cockpit.

“AAAuuugh.”  Yuko screamed at the sudden disconnect from her mech.

“Shit.”  Henrietta grumbled.

She carefully helped the Dragon to the ground.

She then laid her mech on the ground.

Popping the hatch she scrambled over to her opponent’s mech and began working some tricks she had learned over the years to pop open the hatch on her opponent’s mech.

The recovery teams were still on their way when she opened the hatch and entered the mech.

“Damn…”  Henrietta was taken aback by the exoskeleton.

She opened the faceplate.

“Bitch.  That hurt,” Yuko said with her eyes closed.

“Just how old are you?”  Henrietta asked.

“Sixteen,” Yuko tried to lie.

“Bullshit.  If you’re sixteen I’m First Lord of the Star League.  I need to talk to your father about TWO things now,” Henrietta sighed.

[monbvol]

Stablemaster’s office
Dragonheart stables
About an hour later

Ryukan Hikkaru was sitting across from Henrietta Ngo in his office.

She had forced this meeting after the match.

“You’re a real piece of work, you know that?” Henrietta finally broke the silence between them.  “I know you faked the papers to get your kid into the games.  Soon the post match medical eval is going to figure that out too.  In fact I’m pretty sure the authorities are on their way here now to shut you down.”

“It was necessary.  But the deception has served the desired purpose,” Hikkaru countered coldly.

“So we’re going to dance around this?  Suit yourself.  I’m not the one with a ticking clock and a stack of legal troubles that will make for an interstellar incident.”  Visions of places this man never saw flashed in succession and Henrietta couldn't keep it in anymore.  "What the ****** were you thinking??  She's a child!!!" her fist clenched unconsciously, "How many more'? I almost killed your kid!! Jesus, I thought MY parents were bad!!"

“It is my shame, yes.  It was necessary.  I needed a mechwarrior I could trust.  I have no contacts with ISF or DEST.”

"Lord Ryukan, your child… we all dreamed about doing that as kids, right?  She goddam near died because this business is dangerous.  It's why it's a fantasy, the feedback from when I cut her control runs ****** came close to killing her.  I know this, because I've killed EI enhanced Clanners in the field-the feedback can be lethal, didn't the con-man who sold that tech to you mention it?"

“I did not buy it.  At least not in the way you think,” Hikkaru paused for a moment.  “My daughter, Yurika figured out how to do it using alternative materials.”

"Fuuu… wait, you've got a mad scientist and you let her use her siblings as guinea-pigs?"

“The last words between us before she was abducted were about what she did to Yuko.  As terrible as it is, she is still my daughter.”

Henrietta's expression was shifting. Her eyes seemed to…unfocus.  "About where would you say your gal Yurika would hit on the Stanislav Kolpin battery?" she asked, "Ballpark it because I bet you had her tested."

“She broke the test for technical and scientific skills.”

"******!!  Christ, wrong tree, wrong house…  we have a mutual problem then," she stormed, '****** ****** ******."

“I do not have your sister.  And if you tell the truth…”  Hikkaru shook his head.  “There are only a handful of other options.”

"Yeah, I know, whoever grabbed Lizzie grabbed your girl too…shit, I"m not set up for this…"
“This was my smoke screen to buy time.”

"They're going to expect a rivalry." she said, "We can use that…dammit, I wish it was Lizzie here instead, she thinks corkscrewy about politics… Okay, you're not surprised, right?  ISF probably has a file on my little sister… Do you have suspects?"

Hikkaru looked puzzled, "You believe me?"

Henrietta sighed, "Yes, yes I do.  There's no winning 'endgame' for you to kidnap my little sister, nor for the Combine, and she's on a timer, so there's NO endgame where it makes sense when you think about it… But your girl wasn't the only one who broke the Stan Battery in testing.  Lizzie got tested after she submitted a science project to convert Luthien to an asteroid field for under five hundred million Kroner, including transportation costs… She was twelve."

“I believe your term is ‘wunderkinder’.  There is one entity that suggests itself.”

"The Earthers," Henrietta agreed.  "Ministry of Communications, aka ComStar.  You know enough to keep your relevant traffic to couriers, right?"

“Hai,” Hikkaru nodded.  “But as you mentioned earlier, I have another problem.  A medical examination will reveal the true age of my daughter.”

"Yeah,  your girl Yuko isn't going to clear medical without giving away her age, and the mad science shit her sister did to her.  Do you have good lawyers?"

“Yes.  But even the best lawyers will not allow me to keep operating this stable.  Not while under investigation anyway.”

"There are ways to screw with that.  'Due process' requirements, delays, legal harassment and if we have to, bribery and blackmail."

“You would help me?”

"Two fists going in to get our girls out working together?  'Apes together strong', Lord Ryukan, we're both after the same target and if we don't work together, the sheisty bastards from Earth are likely going to get away with it again.  My company damn near got overrun thanks to their play with Operation Scorpion, and there's plenty public now showing they're behind a lot of the misery we've all suffered for the last three centuries, so I'm not keen to let them get away and help is always appreciated."

“Then my next step seems to be to figure out how to communicate with you without using the local data nets or easily spotted couriers.  If they believe we’re working together…”

"Harassment,” she said.  "It's like part of the Kayfabe for rival stables-sending fans to heckle appearances, sending teams to vandalize equipment, sites, buildings, assaults and insults-we just need to use single-use codes while we're doing it. To outside observers it'll look like standard Combine/Commonwealth hate and discontent, which is what our enemies set up with planting the paper dragon.  We could even use the lawyers if you're suing me and I'm suing you."

“Yes.  If they are expected…” Hikkaru nodded.

"My sister likes to say people stop looking if they see what they expect to see… Speaking of which, you'll be well set to have your man there-" she gestured at his silent, older retainer, "-eject me bodily with rancor when we're done today.  'Throw me out', as it were."

“Hai.  When the time comes, make it look good, Hideki.”

"As for the medical, you can probably stall if you've got a fight-doc with the right certs on your payroll to screw with testing results," she added.  "League rules are rules, but people are, by and large, lazy when an easier option is presented."


Secure workshop, Champions of Olympus Stables

"How did she miss?" Yurika was more upset during the bout when several of Yuko's shots seemed to just… miss her opponent.  "She shouldn't have missed!"

"My sister's that good," Liz suggested.  "Maybe?"

“More likely she got rattled.  She was always too emotional,” Yurika sighed.

On the holostage, Henrietta cut the arm off Yuko's 'mech, and held it like a flail.  "That's going to be expensive," Liz suggested.

“Especially since I had to raid some rather exotic scrap piles for components for that armor.”  Yurika furled her brow.

"Green spectra from the wound says you used iridium in the stranding in the armor plate-like they used to use on warships," Liz suggested.  "Am I close?"

“Hai.  Lamellar plates.”

"Old stock SLDF Navy plate?" Liz asked.  "Star league era? That is one expensive parts bin…"

“Improved protection versus even the latest armor in military use without the speed loss of Hardened.”

"Oops!!  You hardened the shell, but your internal structures…"  On the holo, Henrietta caught Yuko's arm, spun her to the ground, and drove the spike up under the cockpit.  "And match."

“Oh nooooo…”  Yurika was aghast.

"Non-lethal, unless you relocated the cockpit three meters lower," Elizabeth speculated.  "That was aimed at the nerve trunk, not the pilot."

“The enhanced interface.  The feedback from severing the connection like that…  Yuko will be in a great deal of pain after that.”

"Crap.  No buffer?"

“The best buffer I could manage means she will survive the feedback at least, but that will still cause the kind of migraine that I think you have some familiarity with.”

"Damn…" Liz shook her head.  "That bad?"

“I would have needed the help of Doctor Greene or far more surgical training for anything better.”

Lizzie's eyes were unfocused, when she looked at Yurika.  "Next time, you get the help," she said.  "I built a shipyard, but I knew enough to get help because otherwise the job would be half-assed and have unforeseen problems-problems OTHER people would have to pay for.  When you're the brain, you GOTS to keep in mind the people you're working for… or on, or who work for YOU."

“I was able to make sure she would not go insane.”

Elizabeth started reciting calcs out loud, as the holovid viewer shifted from the public feed to one pirated from the venue's securicams, showing Henrietta checking on her fallen opponent and getting visibly upset.  Yuko managed to sit up mid-silent-rant.

“This is not good,” Yurika said.

"No shit.  Henrietta wanted to do Solaris to stop killing… or almost killing… people she calls 'kids'.  Your sister's YOUNG."

"How can YOU tell?"

"Feet," Liz said.  "She's not finished growing yet.  And hands… and the shape of her face.  Head to body proportion…"  Liz gestured to herself, "See, I'm a 'petite', right?  Stopped growing when I was twelve, but I filled out by the time I was sixteen.  Your sis has a good quarter meter to go before she starts filling out based on that body-glove she's wearing-you kinda pick that stuff up when you hang with Penny Doons and Daphne Rowe."

“It is true.  She is young and not fully in control of herself yet.”  Yurika shook her head.

On the screen, they could see Henrietta Ngo, almost middle aged, lecturing Yuko like a disappointed Parent, complete with emphatic gesturing.

“She’s going to do worse to my father isn’t she?”

"I'd say triggering Henrietta's mom-instincts might mean your old man's in for more than an earful," Liz agreed.  "But she'll stop short of killing him since there's no mom in the picture."

“No, there is not.”  Yurika shook her head.

"So yeah, your dad can probably expect to have the full weight of my family's legal department land on him with lawsuits and accusations of child abuse."

“Not to mention the gaming commission,” Yurika sighed.

"Oh yeah, that too-assuming he doesn't have a good hook into their offices," Liz said.  "When my sis was first talking about doing Solaris, I had some of our corporate people look into the conditions here…if your old man knows who to bribe, THAT part will get swept under the rug. Yuko isn't the first underage competitor to sneak in, and she put on a good show, and for these guys, a good show is worth MORE than their ethics."

“This is my fault.  If I hadn’t done what I did…”

"Learn from it," Liz asserted, cutting off Yurika's self-accusation.  "Learn and you can make it up, restitution.  Wallowing just screws you up and leads to screwing up worse-screw up bad enough and you end up like my Mom, eating a bullet in a bathroom, so don't do that, I had to attend Penny's funeral, I don't want to see yours."  She gripped Yurika's arm, "You're supposed to outlive me, 'kay?"

“Death is as light as a feather.  Duty is heavier than a mountain,” Yurika recited.

"That's only for the person dying.  Trust me, everyone else suffers once the pain is gone," Liz told her.  "I know it, I live with it."

“There is another meaning, one my father embraced.  The more difficult thing to do is to live.  Dying is easy.”

"Bingo," Liz agreed.  "Dying is easy, living is hard… speaking of which…"  She got up, "I need to do something you shouldn't emulate, our guards will be watching."

"Drug time?"

Liz nodded, "Drug time."

“I will make sure they are distracted as best I can.”

***

Bathroom

Elizabeth didn't tell her how easy it would be.  A single mistake and she'd be gone before her conscious mind caught up.

So easy, one overdose and their captors lose a hostage and leverage.

She metered out the correct amount and pressed the autoinjector.  Leaving that way would leave Yurika alone with them.  It was enough, for now, to keep her from making that mistake.
Ice flowed through her burning nerves, and for a while, she wouldn't be entirely without pain but she would be clear headed.  "I just have to last long enough for her to be rescued…" she muttered.

Meeting Room 108
Solaris Gaming Commission
18 March 3066

Lucy McMinnamin looked across the table at the stuffy, overweight, middle aged bureaucrat and hid her real feelings about how she felt about the way he was looking at her with a pleasant smile.

Well that is why I dressed this way.  It will at least distract the lecherous fat slob.

“Miss McMinnamin, this is a serious matter.  Not only is your client’s daughter not of legal age for the games, she’s barely old enough to even be an apprentice.”

“Ah but she is that old.  It was an unfortunate misunderstanding and catastrophic error in the paperwork.  Here is the correct paperwork.  Along with a copy of the case of Adolphus Hernandez versus the Solaris Gaming Commission 12 April 3013.”  Lucy handed over a stack of papers from her case.

“I’m not familiar with that case.”

“The short of it is that the stable that Mister Hernandez was an apprentice for had a series of unfortunate events to their more seasoned mechwarriors.  Despite being only thirteen years old the choice for the stable was give up their earned spot by forfeit or put the boy in the games.  The commission allowed the boy to substitute for his mentor.  For six matches.  Before they decided that he could no longer participate.  Thus the lawsuit.  I have seven more legal actions to support that there is precedent for underage gladiators.  And a dozen accounts where no legal action resulted but underage Gladiators were involved.”

“We need to have standards.”

“So we’ll hire another mechwarrior to be the mentor for Yuko.  That way she will be in compliance with at least half a dozen prior incidents.”

“This is still highly irregular.”

“I know.  And we do recognize we made an error.”

“You’ll have to not only hire a mechwarrior to help teach the girl but I’ll have to hit you with a fine.”

“We understand.  And we also understand that the fee for correcting our paperwork in an expedited manner is also quite high.”

“We seem to understand each other then.  Good.  But watch yourselves.  Another serious incident like this and we will have no choice but to close your stable for good.”

“Pleasure doing business with you,” Lucy said sweetly.

“Indeed it was.”  The man extended his hand.

Lucy stood and shook it.

The official stamped some papers and handed them to Lucy, keeping copies for himself.

Lucy studied the papers.  Once the mechwarrior was hired, the fees and fines paid, Yuko would be allowed to continue.  She put them away in her briefcase.

As soon as she was outside of his office and the door closed she found a restroom and washed her hands.

Ugh… his hands were clammy as all hell.  Still not the worst I’ve had to deal with.

Once she was outside she pulled her personal comm out of her briefcase.

“It is done,” Lucy said simply.



Outside the offices of Fursnake Stables…

"No Comment," Henrietta said bluntly.  "Officially, no comment.  Unofficially, I'm against the idea of putting kids in the arena against adults, I was horrified to find out the age of that other pilot, the relevant complaint was filed, the Gaming Commission reviewer came to a decision, and per standard rules, I'm to leave it where it's at and not offer comment on that decision."

"Is there a reason you refuse to comment on the Gaming Commission's decision?"

"I told you, there are contractual issues here including recognizing the authority of the Gaming Commission on this matter."

"What will you do if you face her again?"

Henrietta scowled, "Mister Rothfuss, that question is loaded. If I claim to pull my punches and don't, then I end up being a liar, if I say I'll treat her like any other opponent, I end up a bully, I refuse to answer that."

"Why? It's a simple question!" 

She glared at the other reporter, this one from Sportz-Extreem!! vid magazine, an outfit out of the Free Worlds.  "Oh-kay then… Let me explain something to you, Mister Canavan.  I fought in the Coventry relief.  The Jade Falcons were using sibko kids on an abbreviated training program and were using Coventry as a live fire exercise with real casualties.  I killed a lot of those kids, most were a couple years older than…than my recent opponent from Dragonheart Stables.  In that situation, I had no choice in the matter-it was kill them, or they were going to kill other people, which is warfare.  Solaris is not warfare.  It IS, however, dangerous, and not for Children."  She held up her hands, "It doesn't wash off, not really, no matter how hot the water is, or harsh the soap.  I'll still see the blood there.  I'll answer your question this way-I will do my level damnedest not to add more blood to these hands, but life is imperfect, and even here, people die."

"You have several public challenges since your arrival here on Solaris, I have a question!!" the voice piped over the rest of the throng.

Henrietta gestured, "Go ahead?"

"When will you answer the challenge from Zellbrigen stables?"

The man who spoke, was dressed in dark green and jade green almost-military dress.

"I wasn't told about that one in particular.  I expected to face one of your warriors in the later tiers of eliminations during the open," Henrietta responded.  "We're still new to the scene here, and not much Solaris rep, not a high profile outfit.  You guys usually stick to proven winners.  Fursnake Stables isn't established enough to get that kind of attention normally."

"You are not…normal.  You cut off several potential ristars on Coventry, and a number of other places."

"That was the War," Henrietta stated, almost spitting it.  "In war, we kill a lot of people... Jesus, what's your name anyway?  I don't know the scene here, and Cathay's a ways out from here."

"Stephen, of the Malthus bloodline."

She looked puzzled, as if…

"We fought before, on Melissia," he contributed.

"Jesus, that was a lifetime ago.  Also, that's a lot of territory.  The 77th fought for a week getting the remains of the other units out, and we were on another planet when Melissia was retaken."

"I know," he said sourly.

"Where are you in the standings here?" she asked.  "My stable's signed onto the Open, so standings actually matter, Stephen."

He scowled, "Low enough the match could be held officially." he answered.

"So, recent?"

The man nodded.

"Did your stable's manager file the challenge yet?" she pressed.

"Aff."

"Then wait your turn," she said harshly.  "We're here, this isn't a war, we play by the rules.  You of all people should understand sticking to the rules."

"You killed thirty of my throthkin," he stated.  "In ONE battle, using dishonorable means!"

"That, was war," she said coldly.  "Wait your turn. You'll get it, and you'll get the glory to go with the honor if you win, jump the queue and you'll pull a bad reputation for your entire stable, and that will reflect on your Clan."

"See that you make it to the round," he asserted, and walked away.

"Well, that was… not fun.  Ladies and gentlemen, I need to get back to work.  Besides, there are better people to interview on a lovely day like today."

***

Fursnake Stables, operations..

Over a decade being a professional soldier had left a mark.  Henrietta's 'stable offices' included a layout that would be familiar to any field grade commander.

"Give me good news, Moshe," she said, dropping into a chair at the table.

"We've identified several stables with ties to Comstar or their breakaways with Word of Blake, and suspects on four that are tied covertly, either by funding, or materiel, or personnel backgrounds."

"That is… unsurprising, how many are we going to have to pare off?"

"About a dozen, which, given how many Stables are on Solaris, not to mention everyone… and I do mean everyone having at least one but probably more covert operations going here?  Is a hell of a narrowing.  The only people who don't fit the profile for possibles are the Clanner affiliate stables-who are the people most interested in arranging an in-person meeting with live fire weapons."

"One of the Zellbrigen guys was outside when I was answering the press."

"Yeah, they're on that list, so are the wolf-affiliates over at Canid."

"Famous people get hate mail," she shrugged.  "How thoroughly hateful is it?"

"One of the Canid guys wants a personal duel with Natalie, claims it's over something she did in the Homeworlds. Before they launched Revival.  They're willing to get a sponsorship for the match."

"What's the Catch?" Henrietta asked.  "Because if there wasn't one, I'd be hearing that Natalie's out on a personal grudge mission, and I'd be swearing up a blue storm."

"They want it by Clan rules, including abtakha."

"****** that!!"

"I can win-"

"I can't trust they aren't putting a plant in our ranks." Henrietta said coldly, "Clan Wolf is one of the few that bothered to do any recon.  They at least know what an Intel section is."

Natalie's argument died on her lips and she looked pleased.  "You believe I would win."

"I believe I could stuff you in a securitymech and you'd beat any other Clanner in a Dire Wolf.  I just can't afford to pay for the probable security breach when you won and had a guy with bondcords following you to every meeting-assuming you left enough of him intact to walk, which is not a given."  She laid a hand on the table, "Hard rule-we don't do it Clan style no-matter-what.  No bondcords, no bondsmen, no having to explain to my brother that I haven't picked up a slaving habit-Patrick doesn't get your culture Nat… and that's despite you knowing him for almost a decade."

"I understand, Ich Bin Lyraner now."

"Precisely, complete with the flaws," Henrietta asserted.  "Besides, I need you to be 'Ms Whyte' for a few days."

"OH??"

"Yeah.  Under your own name, but that persona. We're building a brand because that's what Stables do.  So there's a look.  Fursnake is corporate, everyone's going to have to dress up in public.  We are, after all, supposed to be fronting Ngo Industries here, and that means?"

"Sales calls," Natalie said with a frown.

"Sales calls.  Use it to build your hate and anger for the arena."

“You are lucky I don’t mind dying my hair,” Nat chuckled.

"You've got another angle on that," Moshe observed.

Henrietta nodded, "Yeah, sales calls give us physical access to businesses, including businesses associated with our potential targets."

"That's spreading us pretty thin," Moshe said uneasily.

"Pat's loaning us some staff," Henrietta said.  "From the Corporate office… at least, officially."

"Unofficially?"

"Coast Guard," she said.  "OCB people.  They're taxed under corporate as 'loss prevention specialists' and they have a desperate need to make up for dropping the ball with Lizzie."

"Hence wanting me to use the Ms. Whyte persona," Nat recognized.

"Yeah, I'm worried you might have to be the adult.  The team's not from Lizzie's detail, but the whole SERVICE took a black eye with that kidnapping."

“Now I know this is serious,” Nat shook her head.

"Everyone gets a three-man team to oversee on our 'sales calls'," Henrietta told them.  "So Moshe?  You need to be on best behavior too."

“Rule 11.  Don’t date co-workers.  Goes double for subordinates,” Moshe deflected.

“And?” Henrietta pressed.

“Fine.  I can’t promise zero HR complaints, but I’ll do my best.”

"Just keep your team from leaving a trail of bodies, Moshe.  This isn't bandit hunting and my concern is some of the guys we're getting from VDL are… motivated.  You need to make sure they're focused."

“I will,” Moshe said more seriously.

Tommy Deen cleared his throat, "You don't really think-"

"I think we need to be making damned sure any 'sanctions' as your cousins would call it, are cleared ahead of time," Henrietta told the Hatter-born Rockjack.  "This isn't the war zone, we need to not be making work for local homicide investigators."

Lenny, next to her sister, cleared her throat, and Sophie signed.

"That's right, investigations funded by cash go further than investigations funded with blood, Sophie, very true," Henrietta nodded.

“And if we start dropping bodies, well they’ll start doing the same.  And that will draw all sorts of unwanted attention.  Not to mention the distinct possibility they will cut their losses and stage it as if Liz went on an unscheduled trip, partially influenced by the narcotics she’s on.  Then we’d find her in some alleyway, just another statistic,” Moshe said flatly.  “Sorry boss.”

“You’re just saying a nightmare I already contend with.”


Secure workshop, Champions of Olympus stables…

"Somehow you expected different?" she chuckled weakly, as Yurika came out of the safety of a closet.

Elizabeth was on the floor.  Her 'minder' was standing there looking shocked.

"How…many…minutes?" Liz asked.

"Ten."  Yurika's neurodivergence let her slip straight to the semblance of rationality after Elizabeth's latest 'episode' had driven her to hide in distress.

"Shit, I'm getting worse…" she focused on the white-garbed guard.  "God, quit gawking.  It's not like YOU had the seizure!!"

The guard composed himself.

“I don’t know how to help you,” Yurika confessed quietly.

"Alcohol, THC, clean underwear and a shower, but the shower first… and a hand to it.  Not sure, but I think I ****** up my left knee pitching over… at least this time I didn't break a toothbrush, or bite through a drinking cup."

“Hai.”  Yurika helped Liz up.

She helped Liz into a chair for a moment and examined Liz’s knee.

"You broke your kneecap," Yurika finally said.  "It's a simple fix with what I’ve got here-"

"Later, I want drugs, hot water, and soap.  I know I soiled myself with that one."

Yurika was fortunately large for her age and able to help Liz to the shower.

"You really bit through a drinking cup once?"

"Second time I seized was at breakfast," Liz said.  "Two minutes, but I hadn't gotten the habit of crumpling into a safe position, and didn't know the precursors, so chomp-broke three teeth and the corpsmen had to pick ceramic shards out of my lips and gums," Liz confided.  “Doc Huyn did a good job covering the damage and sewing my face back together.  Pat hardly noticed the damage."

“I think I know how to let our families learn of where we are but I am fairly certain the method will be caught by our captors…” Yurika said quietly.

"We need to know how close they are to finding us before you trip that trigger," Liz told her.  "If discovery risk is high, then best odds for success is to do it in a situation where these Earther goons don't have time to get clever."

“Which is the hang up with my idea.  I don’t know how to confirm how close our families are.”

"Do you know how to write machine code?" Liz asked.  "Not MacOS, or Serpent, but ones and zeroes?  Straight binary?"

“Hai.  I had to do so to make the enhanced interface actually connect to Yuko’s mech’s systems.”

"Everything here is on networks-like the holovid they let us watch for the opener.  Most security systems are rigged to trip to programming languages, not straight machine code, because ninety nine point nine percent of programmers, and that includes hackers, write it in something you can use a standard compiler to translate…usually in whatever spoken language the operator's using."

“Hmmm…  Then I may have an idea for how to get short messages out.  One, maybe two phrases at a time.”

"Heh…I was thinking more of hijacking their internal mail and security system," Liz said.  "This stuff is mostly Omnisoft or Mac Terra gear, except for that server stack idled in the corner, that's Nashan, and they program in SL-Unity."

"How do you know so much?"

"Customers," Liz said.  "Gotta know a customer's needs and habits when you're going to sell them equipment, or you get rooked by Krupp, or Tatsubishi Industries.  Pat lost a contract to Sanyo Morningham once, because the outfit wanted their stacks in Nirasaki version eighteen point oh."

Yurika suddenly seemed disconnected from the world for a moment.
“Reality to Yurika…”  Liz poked Yurika.

“I did it again, didn’t I?”

"Spaced out?  Yeah…hey, at least yours don't leave you injured, sore, tired, and drained.  It must be these enormous brains we got, they come with manufacturer's defects 'cause we're still beta phase testing. Your manufacturer clearly had higher standards than mine.“

“The candles that burn brightest burn shortest,” Yurika nodded.

"Just gotta get rid of this basket we're in," Liz suggested.  They reached the emergency showerhead and Liz dropped her soiled clothing on the floor, revealing a forest of bruises along her sides.  One more sign of the violence of her latest episode.  "Hot water, hot water please let the water be hot…" she muttered.  Yuika could see the puckered scars of through-and-through gunshots that had been treated, just to the left of center on elizabeth's back and chest, and the zipper of surgery, faded but still visible.

Yurika turned on the water and tested it.  She frowned.

“It is cold.  But I have an idea.  You will bathe Japanese style.”  Yurika set Liz down carefully then dashed out to the workshop.

She gathered up a couple pieces of machinery and a cart.  She then tossed a welding rig and several bits of metal on the cart.

Liz was astonished when she saw the cart come into the shower area.

Yurika set to work.

“I’ll be done shortly.  Just need to make this water tight.”  Yurika set the metal up in an easy to grab but organized fashion.

"Up… down… on… off… but why?" Liz mused.  "Every computer ever made by man needs to convert AC to DC, and only uses on, and off.  What if we changed things…"

“Electricity has only three states.  A positive charge, a negative charge, and not present.  But if we perhaps use that, combined with either voltage or amperage…”

"Positive, negative, neutral, with a ground like it all has, but yeah. Why not?  I mean, besides nobody does it, why don't they do it?"  Liz was toying with an idea to keep herself distracted from the aches.  "Somebody had to have at least considered it before…"

Yurika was working feverishly as Liz washed herself with the cold water.

Yurika looked at Liz, then her contraption, then dashed out to the workshop one more time.

When she returned she made an adjustment to one side, then added the two machines.

Liz was about ready to complete her cold shower when Yurika turned off the water then helped her into what was obviously now a tub.

She hooked a hose to one of the machines and turned it on.

Yurika quickly showered then joined liz.

“I’ll add the storage tanks later and make it more comfortable as time permits but for now this will suffice.”

“This is nice…”  Liz had to admit the cold shower did dull her pain but now the heat of the water was easing it away.

[monbvol]

Mechbay
Dragon Heart Stables
20 March 3066

Michael Roberts looked at the two girls in front of him, wondering just what the hell he signed up for.

“You’re lucky I came up through a traditional mechwarrior family too.  I started out learning when I was ten.  Now you…”  Michael looked from Yuko to Natsu, “I’m not sure what to make of you.”

“When the machine fails, I make it whole again,” Natsu answered, trying to put a lyrical twist to her answer.

“Riiiight,” Michael shook his head.

“You get used to it,” Yuko offered.

“So who is her mentor?” Michael asked.

“Only when the mountains need to be moved do I need help,” Natsu said more evenly.

“So you only need help with the heavy lifting.”  Michael found himself starting to understand Natsu.

“Fine.  Whatever.  My job is to teach you.  Not her.”  Michael looked back at Yuko, “Let’s start with some basic maneuvers to see how much you already know.”


Heat Two, The Factory

"...recent statements we'll see today if that's just posturing, Rick.  Fursnake Stables is a Corporate stable, Ngo Enterprises in the Lyran Commonwealth, not a name I'm familiar with."

"Well, Sandra, you probably haven't-they're a tooling and equipment vendor, not your usual choice for a Solaris stable, most of the other sponsors here in Steiner Arena buy some of their equipment from Ngo Enterprises, but the company's had a hard line policy of staying out of Military contracting.  The closest they come is the Boojum Shipyards at Kowloon, where they build jumpships-civilian jumpships, not warships or combat dropships.  Speculation is that Duke Patrick may be considering extending directly into military supplies, especially after losing the Hesperus bid to Krupp Terra four out of the last five major expansions."

"On the other side of the field, is Richter the Wrecker, a veteran competitor in the Medium-heavyweights here on Solaris, Richter's fans are out in force tonight!  He's got sixty-two victories over his career, with over twenty of those being fatalities!"

"Richter's a melee specialist, Rick.  That mace Eisengrimm sports has crushed most of those cockpits.  I'm afraid colonel Ngo isn't ready to face that kind of raw power!" Sandra enthused.  "His Talon modifications mean kicks are going to be extra exciting for our audience!!"

"Solaris gaming commission has already pegged the odds of this match, it's a three point five to one favoring Richter the Wrecker, with a fifty percent chance the match will end in a fatality!"

***

"...keep an eye on your competition, Yuko, especially someone who's beaten you before," her father explained as the holoplayer showed the match.

On the screen, the spike-adorned, mace-toting customized 65-ton heavy 'mech missed with nearly all of its ranged weapons, while the lightly-modded 55-ton Griffin piloted by Henrietta Ngo seemed to step between his shots, moving steadily and casually, delivering a fusillade of laser and PPC fire in return.

Most of which, also missed.  "She's not very good today," Yuko said.  "She fired less against me, and more of her shots actually hit...?"

"She's not firing to hit him, she's firing for other reasons," Hideki said thoughtfully.  "See?  At that range the smalls wouldn't be more than a flashlight on his plate, but she's firing those too."

"That's going to raise her heat!"

"Yes, yes it is."

“Triple Strength Myomer,” Michael added.  “Boosts a ‘mech’s physical attack capabilities but needs the machine to run hot to do it.”

Realization struck.  "I boosted her with my plasma cannon!"

"Thus, why she didn't bother with shooting up the terrain, and focused on actually hitting YOU."

“All I did was throw off her follow up shots calculations.”  Yuko shook her head.

On the screen, the Griffin started to accelerate, not just the feet, but the movement of the whole body, at the same time, the number of shots dropped off to concentrated shots, as she stepped laterally and stayed out of his main firing arcs, while closing distance.

Yuko had found a notebook and something to write with and was taking furious notes.

"It's like watching Kai Allard when he was still fighting with Cenotaph-look how economically she's moving-no flash, no excess, every move is with purpose," Michael pointed out.  "She's keeping it hot, but she's not going overboard on any of it."

“Hmmm… I will also need to consider the arena too,” Yuko noted.

"Yah, she must've considered it.  See how she side-steps the pit trap?  She didn't just miss the trap, she side-stepped to close range at the same time."

“And with her melee advantages, even Ishiyama would be more advantageous to her,” Yuko nodded as she made more notes.

Richter's frustration was almost a visible thing, as he rushed at seventy KPH to close, spinning his big machine and using his mace's mass to increase the turn-trying to land a physical blow on his evasive foe.

Henrietta popped her jump-jets on a hop barely to chest level, bouncing her foot actuator off the head of the mace and forcing her foe to compensate for the shift in velocity and vector, ruining his follow-up.

"That's…weird. Those jets have a LOT more power than that."

"Strategic, Michael," Hideki said with certainty.  "You said it yourself-she's very economical in her movement-that was on purpose."

The PPC blast followed by the retracting blade to Richter's shoulder as she came down demonstrated it.  The pre-existing damages, which had seemed to be clever deflections by the more experienced gladiator, turned out to match well with synthetic lightning followed by a body-mass-assisted cutting.  Richter's arm dropped, leaving his mace one-handed.

Yuko's mind analyzed the move.

Diagrams and calculations flowed from her mind to her notebook.

If she was going to become a great mechwarrior, no detail, no matter how small, was going to escape her attention.

Especially if she was going to redeem herself in battle against Henrietta.

Richter tried an assisted booster jump, to spin and face his opponent with his good arm, Henrietta's enhanced speed let her stride in time with it-firing small lasers into the wound where his 'mech's right arm had been, until a jet of plasma erupted-not weapons plasma.  Engine plasma.

The 65-ton custom 'mech's spin ended on contact with the ground, and it toppled with a slap from her battle fist. 

Then, Henrietta stepped back.

"She is not going for the coup de grace," Michael said.  "She's going to let him get back up."

"Is that unusual?"

"Against a man with a nasty rep like Richter?  Yeah, that’s unusual.  Most of the gladiators who could get a killer like him in that position would finish him off."

“He is already defeated,” Hideki declared.  “Let us see if he realizes it.”

Richter propped up on his remaining arm and released a fusillade of energy fire, which Henrietta seemed to simply step around, without closing now.  Like she was waiting for something.

“Heat.  He’s going to shut down from heat soon.”  Yuko noted.

Richter the Wrecker's 'mech shuddered, and the myomers driving its limbs faltered, the 65-ton machine flopped with a thunderous crash.

A few moments passed, and then, the defeated 'mechwarrior came out of his machine, the match was over.

"Now, Yuko, what did you learn?" her Father asked.

“Much.  For starters, next time I face her I cannot let my fury distract me.  She will punish such unfocused aggression.  And my main weapon will also work against me.”  Yuko was still making notes.

"The weapon that wins, is not the weapon you're using," her father told her.  "The lesson is that your greatest weapon is your mind.  Henrietta made her opponent underestimate her, then she made him angry, so angry he did not think... then she used that anger to defeat him."

“Just as she did against me.  If I had been more focused I would have more severely damaged her mech at the very least.”

"Observe her discipline," her father said.  "Michael suggested it-most warriors would have gone for the immediate, easy release.  She stepped back and did what?"

“She baited him.  Knowing she had already compromised the reactor, causing heat to build up in the mech, she baited him into firing his weapons.  Then she let her foe shut down from the heat,” Yuko nodded.

"She held back, Yuko.  I think I get what your father's trying to point out-in the heat of a match, in that emotional high one of the hardest things to do, is hold back," Michael explained.  "Every warrior feels that thrill, that rage, that emotional overdrive.  It takes a heck of a lot of self-discipline to use the kind of tactics she used.  That woman must have liquid nitrogen running in her veins instead of blood to be that calm and disciplined.  She understood the other guy's fury, his anger, his passion, and every movement from start to finish was pre-planned as she did it.  That's what it takes to be a champion.  Everyone buys gear, but it's the self-control that tends to win it."

“And she has the experience to adapt her plan when her opponent does something unexpected,” Hideki added.

"Experience?" Yuko asked.

"Every foe she's fought since she was a cadet trying to escape from Blackjack has had superior equipment, hellacious training, and fanatical passion," Hideki counted off.  "That means habits of thinking she had to develop-she never really knew whether the Clans would unveil some other, new, horror."

“I have learned much, now I must put it into practical use,” Yuko nodded.


'You'll get a chance.  Zellbrigen Stables is pushing for a 'juniors' match-sibko kids.  The Gaming Authority and Canid are also on board with this, and you have been invited."

“I accept.  I wish to begin training at once,” Yuko said eagerly.

Stablemaster’s office
Champions of Olympus

Precentor Cadmus sighed as he turned off the holoviewer of Henrietta’s fight.

“She is going to be troublesome.  Should we try and arrange things with the commission again so we can nip this problem in the bud?” Adept Athena asked.

“No.  That would draw too much attention to us.  We will just have to let Adept Perseus force a match his way.”  Precentor Cadmus shook his head.

“How goes the special project downstairs?”

“Fruitful.  I know the game they are playing, but we’re still gaining more from them then they realize they are giving us.  So for now I am willing to devote what resources we can to keep Miss Ngo stable.”

“It might go a great way towards bringing her around to our viewpoint if we could actually cure her.”

“I have had the same thought and have made the request.  It is up to my superiors if they believe it can be done, and is worth the effort.”

“Ah, Adept Perseus, welcome back.  Your match went well, I take it?” Adept Athena greeted Adept Perseus as he entered the office.

“Yes.  Don’t worry.  I didn’t kill my opponent this time.  I know how much attention that could bring on us if I do that too much.”

“Good.  Now let’s have a meal together.  We do not do that enough,” Precentor Cadmus smiled.

"You look a bit sour, Athena," Perseus said.

"Your next scheduled bout-that Falcon from Zellbrigen stables, he tried to challenge a certain someone to a match and got shut down."

"It's that 'someone' that has you so glum?" Perseus asked.

"Henrietta Ngo."

"Oh. I caught the recording of that match on the way back," he said.  "She isn't one of ours, is she?"

"What?"

"She fights like she's enhanced.  It's all over the recordings.  If that woman doesn't have at least a co-processor in her head, she's juicing LD-150 or she's pure ice water."

“Athena, see what you can find out from the medical review boards.  They are required to check for PEDs of varying sorts,” Precentor Cadmus ordered.

"You really think she might?"

“"You saw the fight," Perseus answered.  "That?  How she fought?  THAT is not normal.  Maybe ten people sphere wide could do that without enhancements, and six of those belong to our blessed order."

“Even if she is not, the access to her medical files could turn up some other useful information,”  Precentor Cadmus nodded.

"So…what do you think she has?" Athena asked, intrigued.

"My guess, if she’s enhanced, is a core processor, maybe skill wires and a pain editor at minimum," Perseus stated.  "It'll be lower tech than ours if it's not one of our order-or our wayward brothers-doing the work.  But I think it'll be there.  She sidestepped incoming fire-accurate, incoming fire."

“Which is no small feat to be sure.  We clearly need more information on her,” Precentor Cadmus added.  “I will also ask for a profile from ROM.  In the meantime, proceed as I have commanded.  If you see an opportunity, arrange an introduction.  A quiet one.  Nothing official.  Nothing linking back here.  But if you can arrange some sort of meeting, we need to get a measure of our most dangerous foe in the game we are playing at the moment.”

“What of Lord Ryukan?” Adept Perseus asked.

“He is a minor noble with few real connections.  He will be of little concern.  After we deal with Miss Ngo, we’ll arrange for a quiet end to Dragonheart Stables and Lord Ryukan.”

***

"It's really simple, Yurika, see how the equations just… end?  And then they start up again? Here's the eighteenth formula, but see, they jump straight to another formula that suggests there's something in between.  Something that everyone just 'forgot'.  But it's why it's so interesting-we have all the formulas everyone uses for Jumpship travel, and there's at least one, maybe more, that just…aren't there, but would tie them together!"  Elizabeth was having a 'good' day, which meant her depression was in abeyance and she didn't need so much of the drugs to stay coherent.

“Hai.”  Yurika took a marker to the white board and started drawing figures and diagrams.

The gap between two of them was obvious.

“There.  Drawing out the gravimetric calculations shows it.”

"Yup, I've got an advantage," Liz confided.  "I've seen hyperspace with my own eyes.  It's not instantaneous, and there's a process governing how inertia and velocity change during jump."

“Change?"

"Why you arrive at relative rest to your destination no matter which way you were moving before," Liz clarified.  "See?"

Yurika could see it in the new math Liz was scrawling on the board.  "Everyone settled on thirty light years way back in Terran Alliance days…" Liz said.  "But why?  Right?  It's because time does pass during jump..."

The field equations she was scrawling out had unfamiliar symbols.  "What are those?"

"Gotta call 'em something, and everyone's used up greek letters and Hebrew," Liz commented. "Maybe we could use Kanji to represent certain forces I'm sure are active in Hyperspace… But I'm shit with Kanji and chinese is six thousand frikking characters…"

“Hmmm…”  Yurika thought for a moment.  “Perhaps simpler.”

Her friend was having a 'good day' and Yurika was fine with letting Elizabeth play in her theoretical physics-even when she was obviously wrong.

Yurika was glad for the company.  Even her sisters could not always keep up with her so it was nice to have someone who was at least close.

Liz was more like Natsu in terms of talent.  Certainly, maybe almost more talented, in material science and engineering.

While Elizabeth happily ran her equations down the board, one of the Adepts stepped up to Yurika.

"Fascinating, isn't it?" he asked.  "Her intuition in trying to solve Fuchida's riddle, I mean."

"Fuchida's riddle?"

"Nobody knows what's supposed to go in there.  Not even the Order knows, and we have the original manuscripts," he told her.  "It's too bad, really… she won't live to solve it.  So many have died after LONG careers trying, and she doesn't have a long career ahead of her…  Oh, and supper is ready."

Even for her, at least for now, it was beyond her as well.

The Jungle
Inaugural ‘Juniors’ circuit
25 March 3066

“Today we have an interesting match.  Our very first Juniors circuit!  The crowd seems rather into it today, wouldn’t you say Bob?” Joy Walters of Solaris Broadcasting tried sounding chipper.

“I-I, nope.  Can’t do it.  Kids shouldn’t be fighting kids.  At this age they shoul…” Bob Henderson said before the feed was cut off.

“Sorry about that folks.  Looks like I’m going to be commentating this one by myself today.  We got what should be a hell of a matchup.  Ryukan Yuko of Dragon Heart Stables against Zellbrigin’s own up and comer Ezekial.  Rumor has it Ezekial was one of the last Clan Smoke Jaguar Trueborns to come out before their demise.  Let’s see just how much bad blood there is between these two.”

Yuko had studied the available information on her foe.

She even anticipated their ‘mech choice.

They are trying to provoke me by using a Ryoken.

A fairly common mech used by the Smoke Jaguars during the invasion, and by others as well, so there was little surprise she was seeing it on Solaris.

She watched the media feed.  On the left arm was a large autocannon.

The close combat variant.  Not a completely unwise choice for the environment.

The dense forests of the Boreal Reaches meant if she didn’t jump it would be a few moments before she would lay eyes on her opponent again.

“I was bred and born for this freebirth.  What chance do you think you have?” Ezekiel started with the trash talk.

“Better than the Jaguars have of still being relevant,” Yuko shot back.

Then just barely through the trees she saw her foe and he saw her.

He brought up the autocannon and started firing.

Yuko, having judged the range to be too far, especially with the trees, fired her Plasma Cannon into a particularly thick clump of trees that promptly burst into flames and started belching smoke.

The autocannon shells of her opponent either splintered trees or went into the ground.

Her opponent over committed to circling around the obscuring smoke.

Now…  Yuko triggered her ‘mech’s jump jets and landed behind her opponent.

She envisioned the strikes like she was the one actually performing the two quick punches.

Her opponent was trying to bring his torso about already, but it was too late.

Structural and engine components were stuck on the claws of her ‘mech until she shook them clean.

Unable to continue to support the weight of the heavy autocannon, the left arm separated from the left torso.

Her opponent was trying to bring his whole mech around now.

Yuko side stepped and shuffled her mech with her opponent.

She wasn’t quite fast enough to stay behind her opponent but she was able to keep clear of the only remaining weapons as she lined up her next pair of strikes.

The left torso was already so compromised that even though that was where her first blow should have landed the momentum caused it to carry on to the center torso.

Her second strike she was able to pull at the last moment rather than cave in her opponent’s cockpit.

The tell tale signs of reactor shutdown due to too much damage were obvious.

Yuko was conflicted as to what to do for a moment.  So she just bowed her mech towards her opponent but said nothing.


Secure area, Champions of Olympus…

"You should've given her a sword," Elizabeth said with humor, but her voice was weak and faint.  She'd had a bad one earlier today.

"A…sword?"

"Style," Liz told her friend.  "The whole samurai-bow thing, looks cooler with a sword.  I never told you did I?"

"What?"

"I hate this stuff-the battlemechs, the arenas," Liz coughed.  "I prefer… people sports.  Only gave a shit because my sister wanted this, could care less about any of… of it otherwise.  Set up her funding through the company because I don't wanna lose her."

"Why do you hate it?" Yurika asked.

"Waste," Liz said.  "It's… a waste, all of it.  A distraction.  The best technical minds in six realms, figuring out how to put on a bigger spectacle, while we've lost so much knowledge and capability we don't even properly know what's been forgotten-nothing's new, Yurika.  Stuff I've been working on?  It was already answered by someone else, but it's been forgotten."

"Miss Ngo?" an Adept said from the doorway.

"Is it time again?" Liz groaned.  "Or did your guys who've been looking at my hobby project come back with peer review of my calculations and estimates?"

"There are questions," he said.

"First piece of real science is always having questions," Liz commented.  "You're just lucky I'm soo bored, and so weak, that I'm willing to write it down for anyone.  You do know there's only so far you can model mathematically before you have to up and build it, right?"

"This is very expensive," the man admitted.

"No shit, science ain't cheap," Liz countered.  "And then, there's the chance I'm wrong.  What're you gonna do if I am, anyway?  Kill me?" she laughed.  "You've got engineers on Earth, Earther, build it and find out the answer."

"There are questions," the Adept said more firmly

"Yeah, that's how science works. Asking questions…" Liz mumbled back.  "I'm very tired, leave me alone, I don't have the answers."

“Don’t seek the answers from me either.  I can’t give what I don’t know.  And there are many questions that can only be answered by building it,” Yurika added.  “And you know I’m speaking the truth.”

It was a half truth and Yurika knew it.

Since she was old enough to talk she could only speak the truth.  But what she had learned was to lie by omission and misdirection.

So strictly speaking, it was possible she could glean some additional insights and predictions by going over the math further, but what she said was true as well.  They were testing some long held assumptions with what they had given the Blakists.  And the only way to know for sure was to build and test the device.

The Kobe Slums
2 April 3066

Clara was walking along the street quietly and carefully.

The reputation of this part of the district was well known, so she was mindful of her surroundings.

But she had come here on the orders of her master.

There was an interesting rumor going around about a couple of talkative technicians.  Rumors of unusual shipments going in and out from their stable.  Of a technological nature.

It was a long shot, they all knew it.  But if the rumors were true they would need to have words with these technicians and find out more.

So Clara was dispatched to meet with the local Yakuza.

“What a pretty little maid.  Will you be dutiful and come clean my place?”  A man walked up to her.

Clara sized him up with a critical eye.

Usually the Yakuza would keep people like this out of their territory.  Someone is getting brazen.

“I have an important appointment to keep.  Please leave me to do my task,” Clara said to the local street tough.

“Perhaps I should keep you company.  A pretty thing like you would attract all the wrong kind of attention.”  The street tough grabbed Clara by the shoulder.  “Or better yet you should come to my place after all.”

“Release me now,” Clara demanded firmly.

“You’re coming with me even if I have to carry you.”  The street tough grabbed Clara’s other shoulder.

“Poor decision,” Clara said as she clicked the heels of her shoes together.

Before the street tough registered what was going on the blade sticking out of Clara’s right shoe was buried in his left thigh.

In shock his grip loosened enough Clara broke free.

“Don’t worry.  I missed the artery on purpose.  So you won’t bleed out immediately.  But I would recommend getting to your street doc right away.”  Clara found a spot under a tree to sit for a moment.

She removed her shoe and cleaned the blood off the blade and the shoe itself.

The street tough was hobbling away slowly.

“Damn.  You bled on my stocking too.  Good thing I’m a well prepared maid,” Clara sighed as she cleaned the blood stain as best she could.

Clara, now presentable again, resumed her journey with a slightly quicker pace than before.

She found the address she was given for the meeting.

Stereotype much… Clara sighed as she saw it was a small noodle house.

“I have a meeting with Masaka san,” Clara said to the hostess.

She was led to a private booth in the back.

“Hatsumi san.  I’m glad you made it safely.  I must apologize.  There are those who think now is an opportune time to disrupt good business.  Please sit.”  A middle aged but very fit man in a suit rose and bowed.

“Thank you.  I’m not surprised you heard about my encounter on my way here already,” Clara said sweetly as she bowed and sat.

“I do regret we were unable to meet you and see you here safely.  But yes, word reached me some moments ago.  Rest assured I have made inquiries to the identity of these new criminals.  Are you hungry?  We make excellent Udon noodles with shrimp here.  It is the least I can offer for being such a poor host.”

“Thank you.”

“Tea?”

“Yes, please.”

“Now as for what brings you to me.”

“Yes.  My master has heard of your business.  He has asked me to inquire about possibly catering for an event,” Clara said carefully.  “There are questions he wished me to ask.”

“As is expected.  So please ask.”

“Is it true you source some of your supplies from Cathay?”

“Montenegro actually.  There was a time when we dealt with Cathay, but that time has passed.”

“A most unusual arrangement.”

“Not at all.  We had a surplus heating element and they had a surplus of shrimp.”

“Really?”

“Hai. They were quite talkative about it.  How it was so odd that they were in need of so many things and how things were constantly coming and going but they were denied access to the freezers.  Strange that.”

“Hai,” Clara nodded.  “This shrimp?  Did they say where they got it from?”

“Iee.  All the more I can tell you is when you get older you should try Brit’s.  Especially their evening special.  I think you would find it interesting.”

“Thank you for indulging my questions.”

“Now how many are we catering for?”

“A dozen adults and three adolescents.”

“That many?  Considering the circumstances and that we can order in bulk we can reduce our usual fee.”

“Thank you Masaka san.”

“Then let’s eat.”

The noodles and tea were placed before them.

[monbvol]

Dragonheart stables
About an hour later

“If I understood the code they were using correctly, the technicians were from a stable in Montenegro.  The Yakuza were selling illicit goods to one of their usual contacts when they overheard the technicians,” Clara reported.

“Seems flimsy still.  Could be any number of illicit operations.  Nothing to do with the abduction of your daughter.”  Hideki the Elder rubbed his chin.

“It is still a possibility,” Hikkaru nodded.

“He did give the location where the technicians in question seem to favor spending their off hours even if their stable is unknown.  Brit’s.”

“That’s a bar in the Leaguer district,” Michael said.  “I spent a few evenings there when I first got on world.”

Hikkaru looked around at his retainers.

Clara was too young to be sent on this mission.  He and Hideki the Elder would be too well known or stand out too much.

Michael was an outsider but was proving he could be trusted to an extent.

Hesmana would do it if asked but her religious beliefs about alcohol would make it problematic for her to maintain long term surveillance.

Wanda and Jyestha were not well suited for this task.

“Hideki the Younger.  I have a mission for you,” Hikkaru said after a moment.

He was just old enough and the only retainer he had left that might have the ability to pull off this mission.

“Hai, Master.  I will not fail you this time.”

***

"Business…is…

…business," Moshe observed.  "At least, so my grandfather once said."

"But can you do it?"

"Not me, Ngo Enterprises can," Moshe asserted.  "I'm rather surprised you're not going with Krupp or Central Machine for this sort of work, it's not exactly top-secret classified.  I don't think… Mister Green?"

The Ngo Enterprises legal rep looked up, "Jes zur?"

"Are there export restrictions on this technology?"

"Not zeence Hez Grayce ended poleezey 314, zur," the plainclothes Coastie answered.

"Well, then, let's talk price and delivery dates…"

***

Sophie sat in the back of a commercial truck, silently peeling away corporate security programs that had a flavor.

That flavor was the same flavor you get cracking into a Comstar Interstellar Bank database by remote.  Licorice, aka 'Black Ice'.

Terran flavored.

Leni was with her, as bodyguard, because Sophie literally wouldn't notice, here in an enclosed vehicle, if someone opened fire.

Not unless the bullets hit HER. Not this deep into a slice.

Every system had a vulnerability.  As she poked and prodded, carefully sifting through the connections to various subsystems she found the vulnerability of this system.

Someone had left the digital equivalent of a post-it note with their credentials on the wrong side of the firewall.

The reason they did it didn’t matter.  People were lazy and stupid like that all the time.

With that she was in.

A quick scan of the ports and directory structures keyed her in on what she should focus on first.

Of course she started checking for tracer and self-destruct code and anything else she could without tripping the alarms before she put everything on a specially prepared hard drive.  It would take more time than Moshe could buy them in the meeting to properly go through all the data but unless the employee suddenly turned up they’d have it.

Or if the system was being properly monitored.

Which it was.  Sophie quickly triggered her own scripts and cut the connection.  Unless they were really good they’d trace the connection to the Capellan Embassy with all the false re-routes she used.

Sophie frowned since she didn’t get everything she wanted before she had to cut the connection.  But feeling certain she got something at least useful she started checking over what she did get on her sacrificial rig to make sure if anything got past her initial scans it wouldn’t get anything of value.

***

"Oh, sing a song of Mister Stark!...

…Laboring in the Dark!!"  Elizabeth was making something in the corner of Yurika's lab room.

"Liz…what're you doing?"

Elizabeth was clearly in a manic phase.

"I'm modifying a sintering printer," Liz told her.  "Gah!  Changing the settings… Ouch, hot…"

"What are you doing with it?"

"Testing an idea.  English lit, twentieth Century… no, that won't do it… hmmmm…"

"What literature?"

"Anthony Stark Versus The Berserkers," Liz said proudly.  "I'm gonna make Captain Ultron!!"

"A what?"  Yurika was sometimes confused by her friend's frequent references to antiquity and obscure, and according to Adept Layne, incorrect, references to speculative fiction from pre-spaceflight.

"It's like Count Frankenstein's Monster!!" Liz said.  "Only, I think I know how it works… and besides, if it doesn't?  It's not like we paid for it!!"

"Is this like your small domestic robot project from last month?"  The remains of that were scattered in a corner scrap bin, over a dozen of them, unfinished because Liz hit a 'low' period and simply stopped bothering.  The best of the samples, she knew, had been taken by their captors off to somewhere else to be examined, and not returned.

"Better."

"Before you ruin my stuff, explain it to me."  Yurika was somewhat shocked by her burst of emotion.

Elizabeth's attempt at 'explaining' was disconnected, disordered, almost random.  Even Yurika had a hard time putting it together.

This has become intolerable.  If I am to get out of here I must do something.  Yurika began to wrestle with her conscience.

About that moment, the equipment Liz had open, started to smoke.  "Oh ******! I'm sorry Yuirika!!"

Everything in the older girl's body seemed to collapse in.  From Manic, straight into 'the hole', like the light just died "I… I'm sorry, I didn't… I can't fix this…"

“It’s okay.  We’ll fix it later.  First we need to address another issue.”  Yurika dug around for an injector and carefully hid it from Liz.

"Everything I do turns..to…shit."

“For what it’s worth, I blame our current captivity for this.  As nice of a cage as it is, it is still a cage.”

"I ****** it up."  Liz was definitely down off the precipice.

“Shhh…  We will deal with that later.”  Yurika stepped closer to Liz.  “First we need to worry about you.”

Yurika found herself reluctant to use the injector at first.  Liz had been one of the few people she had met in her life that had even been close to an equal.  But the past few weeks…  She couldn’t help but hide some of the material supplied by their captors she was reading from Liz.

"I..can't fix it," Liz whispered.  "I'm going to end up like mom…"

“No you won’t.  I will not allow that to happen.”  Yurika finally worked up the nerve to sedate Liz.

Yurika only had to look over at their supervisor for the day to get the help she needed to get Liz onto the table.

“Will this cure her?” Adept Perseus asked quietly.

“Depends on how you want to define cure.  Even so, what I am doing is highly experimental.  While I am confident it will at least buy her a few years she did not have before, and make her more functional, I’m not sure how much of her will really be left after this,” Yurika answered sadly.

Yurika began to sanitize the operating area.

Plus we may have waited too long.  For that, I have myself to partially blame.  This would have been much more successful if done right after birth but the more she grew the less likely a cure was going to even be possible.  Yurika had been studying Cholman’s.

Perhaps her grasp was still too limited, as gifted as she was there was still a great deal she had to learn.  But so far, her conclusions had been that there was a good reason it was one of the ‘incurables’.

Once it gets too far, it causes irreparable damage to the brain.  And would continue to do so.  No matter how much was cut out and replaced by machines.

Eventually all that would be left would be machine.

Yurika could do that.  Create a nano-machine that would cut away the dead tissue and replace it with a synthetic alternative.

As far as she knew though, no one had ever tried something like this on this scale.

So even she did not know for sure what the final outcome would be.  If the synthetic neural tissue would even be able to hold a personality or a true sentient consciousness.

Which meant even if she succeeded she still might lose Liz.

But it was this or lose Liz for sure.  Not only was she a friend, Yurika had done the cold hard math.  Without Liz there was less than a 5% chance she would be rescued or affect her own freedom.

“You might want a chair.  This is going to be a few hours,” Yurika said flatly as she started assembling all that she needed.

“I’ll be fine,” Adept Perseus smiled.  “If there’s anything you need, please, ask.”

There was something about the man that made Yurika feel funny, especially the way he talked.

A deep rich voice full of warmth.

Intellectually she knew it was an act.  Something to distract her.  But to her more primitive parts…

She was a teenager.  A secluded one at that.

Intellectually she knew that too.  But damn was it distracting.

“Alone would be nice,” Yurika said after a moment.

Adept Perseus nodded and rose.

“As you wish.”  He bowed, then left.
Henrietta Ngo had…

…a chart in her office.  A chart, and a calendar.  There are only a few weeks left on that chart.

IF she reached the end of it, they wouldn't be looking to mount a rescue.  It would be a body-recovery, and vengeance.  One that required euthanasia.

It was how long her sister Elizabeth was predicted to last before she hit the final stage of the syndrome.  Enough is known about Cholmann's syndrome that Dr. Huyn on Kowloon has successfully predicted each onset within 24 to 96 hours.

It's the timer.

"What do we know?" she demanded of her team.

The timer is running out.

“We’re looking for a needle in a stack of needles.  Solaris is fairly notorious for young girls getting snatched up for human trafficking and the sex trade.  Weeding all of that out…”  Moshe started.

“We’ve got some of the best investigators in the realm and this is really the best we have so far?”  Henrietta let her frustration boil over.

“Solaris isn’t the Melissia theater.  We don’t know the players here like we do back home.  So just learning who we can ask questions of and getting those people to answer them, is taking time.”

“Time we don’t have,” Henrietta grumbled.

“Perhaps I can offer something.”  Lucy had gone unnoticed for who knows how long before making her presence known.

“I’ll take what I can get,” Henrietta said as she studied her ally’s lawyer.

“Lord Ryukan has sent one of his retainers to a bar in Montenegro.  It was a long shot at first but after a few days he reported back that he overheard something potentially useful.”  Lucy produced a few sheets of paper.  “After checking on it with what few sources we have on Solaris, we were able to identify these imports.  There are too many shell companies between us and the final customer for us to identify where they are going in the end.  But perhaps with your connections you can find out.”

“How can you be so sure it is related to our girls?” Moshe asked.

“It is true we cannot be absolutely certain, but Lord Ryukan recognizes some of those materials.  They are the same things ordered by Yurika shortly before she gave Yuko her…gift,” Lucy grimaced.

She didn’t like what Yurika did to Yuko, but she also didn’t like that Yurika was being held captive.

“This stuff came in a month ago,” Henrietta said, looking at the invoice dates.  “It’ll make tracking it down harder.”

“I know.  We do regret not being able to find it sooner.”

“No.  I should be apologizing.  This is big.”

tap-tap-tap. Sophie often didn't have the voice to be heard-or the ears, but she could read lips.

She could also read data.

tap. Tap….TAP!!

She wanted someone's attention.

“Seems someone wants our attention.”  Lucy looked at Sophie.

Sophie? You have something?

The deaf girl nodded firmly, then started signing so fast…

SLOW DOWN! I can't read that fast.  Henrietta signed back.

The girl sighed, and drew out a pocket reader.

[I recognize those shipping numbers, they were in a packet routed from an address here on Solaris, in Xolara, their property codes disappeared into a Comstar flavored firewall, but the address chain went to Champions of Olympus Stables, their service area.]

“Seems we have a substantial lead after all,” Lucy smiled.  “Thank you young lady.”

Sophie offered a complex gesture.  "She says 'you're welcome'," Henrietta commented.

Sophie, have the OCB people dig up everything on record about how that facility is built, who the contractors were, what they were paid, what they bought for materials, and how long ago, Henrietta instructed.  Coordinate with Lucy's people to get surveillance on the site-we can't afford to go in blind.

The deaf girl straightened up her posture, clicked her heels together, and offered a vigorous nod-like an imitation of a fictional Prussian soldier.

"What was that?"

"We're going to try and coordinate-neither of our groups can afford to go in blind, or shooting at each other by mistake. Sophie is…" Henrietta struggled for a moment.  Natalie finally said, "Sophie is the senior leader for our domestic spies, Lucy-she's the OCB station chief."

“I see.  Well mum's the word outside our two groups.  We’ll need a cover so we can get the right people together without arousing suspicion,” Lucy smiled at Sophie.

Sophie pulled out a business card.

Sophie Lerner, Ngo Enterprises Tech Support Team #22.  If it's broke, we'll fix it!  The card had a business number and an employee number.

"Tell Hikkaru he bought a Myomer loom," Henrietta said.  "Sophie and her translator/bodyguard are company help set to help you install it."

“That is most generous Miss Ngo.”

"It's not free, it's on credit-but the contract is…or will be, anyway, good for cover.  Also expected in this environment."

“I will have the paperwork drawn up.  Come Lucy, we have negotiating to do,” Natalie smiled.

"Publicly, your boss is 'buying our silence', given the shenanigans earlier this month.  We're Lyrans, so everyone EXPECTS me to be an easy bribe."

“We’ll make it look good,” Lucy nodded.

Lucy and Natalie went to an adjoining office where they could work out the contract in private.

Stable Master’s Office
Champions of Olympus

“We have a problem,” Adept Athena reported.

“Oh?” Precentor Cadmus looked up from his paperwork.

“Adept Kaiser on a suspicion followed Adepts Olds and Ford to Brits.  He confirmed they’ve been looser lipped than would be otherwise preferable.”

“How bad?”

“They didn’t let slip anything explicit but given our situation…  Should we arrange for punitive measures?”

“Check around yourself, Adept.  I want your assessment of how much damage control we need to do.”  Precentor Cadmus furled his brow.

An alert appeared on his screen.

“Another problem?”  Adept Athena asked.

“Perhaps.  It seems Ngo and Ryukan submitted a contract for a myomer loom.”

“Do you think it is related?”

“I know I’d be very bad at my job if I didn’t at least consider it.  We can’t move overtly.  We need a distraction.  Something to keep them off us a bit longer.  Lean on your contact in the gaming commission.  See if you can get Adept Perseus in the next match against Ngo.  Try and pile on the pressure.  Make it clear the match is do or drop out.  Which will force her to have to choose between maintaining her cover or pursuing matters best left unpursued.”

“It will be done.”  Adept Athena bowed then left.


It was a lot harder than it looked…

Helping Yuko had been easy compared to this.  Yurika had to keep Lizzie out while she worked, first to limit the damage, and then, to keep Lizzie from damaging herself-it was bad enough with the seizures. 

Seizures caused by a mix of lesions and tumors forming in intermediate parts of the brain and nervous system.  Genetics programmed badly, by…

Well, by mad scientists.  Liz had been reticent, but Adept Asclepius had supplied the supplementary material on the syndrome.

It had been done using a dangerous, now discredited, method called 'recombinant DNA restructuring' at a clinic on Earth during the late 21st century.  They'd been trying to create a cure for a host of inherited nervous system ailments including epilepsy and Huntington's Sarcoma.

The 'cure' at the Hanoi People's Genetic Medicine project had been tested on political prisoners, then released to the rest of the world because it initially seemed to work, even on advanced patients.

It wasn't until three generations later, and a celebrity astronomer named Michael Cholmann, that the side-effects of early genetic engineering caught up with mankind.  Three generations for the 'fix' to mutate in the bloodlines of the patients, to create a horrifying syndrome that led to an ugly death.

Yurika was trying to halt that progress using microsurgery devices and intuition.

It was proving more difficult than she'd imagined.

To the point of what had started as something that should have only taken her a few hours was now going to be several days with Liz in a medically induced coma.

Yurika was exhausted now but she had done all she could.  The rest was up to the machines and Liz.

She decided a break was in order at the very least and sat in her favorite chair.  She fell asleep a moment later.

Mechbay
Dragonheart Stables

Natsu looked at her guests sternly.

“What?” Leonora asked.

“An ordered environment is a sign of an ordered mind,” Natsu said coolly.

“Huh?” Leonora was confused.

She’s trying to say don’t mess up her stuff. Sophie signed.

That’s when Leonora finally caught on.

For a mechbay it was immaculate.

Clean, organized, efficiently laid out.  Everything about it was nigh perfect.

Sure she could argue with some of the decisions if she really wanted to, but that was because she was bigger and older than Natsu.

“So where do you want the loom?” Leonora asked.

“Where the evening sun meets with the gantry,” Natsu nodded towards one end of the bay.

Okay then let’s get it installed then we’ll have our meeting. Sophie signed to her sister.

The trio walked to the indicated spot while the hauler and crane got the machine into position.

Sophie popped an access panel and started working on the control systems.

She held out her hand from the machine expecting her sister to hand her a tool.  Instead the hand wrapped around the tool was not Leonora’s.

When she pulled herself out of the access hatch she saw Leonora was still getting her toolkit situated while Natsu already had all hers neatly laid out.

Lenny!  Look at her!  She’s good. Sophie got Leonora’s attention.

“My sister’s impressed.  How’d you know which tool she needed?” Leonora looked at Natsu.

“Yurika was as quiet as a gentle breeze in her youth.  So I learned to anticipate.  The rest?  I do as most others have.  Read.  Practice.  Learn.  And yes, sometimes the machine itself will tell me what it needs,” Natsu answered.

“You’re weird,” Leonora said matter of factly.  “But that’s better than being boring.  By a long shot.”

[monbvol]

"...and the crowd's a good one this afternoon, today's card is…

…of course the main main event with Cenotaph Stables versus Zellbrigen, but this crowd's early for the third phase disqualifying match in the Middle Weight Open.  Stephen?"

"We're getting into the hard-core rounds for the Open Tournament, Grace, and as you know, we're entering the phase in the tourney that sees elimination of competitors, and in the case of some of these smaller Stables, whole stables and teams!"

“Indeed.  For the undercard we have Fursnake versus Champions of Olympus in the Colosseum.  Despite the mass difference between the opponents it should still be a wild fight with the home field advantage for Fursnake and Kolonel Ngo!”

"I see you've already got a favorite, Gracie?  That's a little unusual, isn't it?  Perseus from Olympic isn't a pushover."

“What can I say Stephen?  She’s made quite the splash already and I wouldn’t mind having her dropbox number.”

“So would a large portion of our viewers.  Looks like they’re only raising the pillars.  None of the walls.  Not much cover for Kolonel Ngo to use to get under Perseus’ heavy guns.”

“Look at those odds coming in from the sports books.  You better get your bets in quick, people.  Looks like the match is about to start.”

"But first, a word from today's sponsors, Tayside Fluid Grains, the finest ales and beers; Federated Macintosh Computers-when you need it not only fine, but correct; and Comstar, the only service  you will ever need for messaging and delivery services!"

Henrietta felt the lift raise her mech to the arena floor.

In clear view was an Orion.

None of the usual missile racks were there and the two arm lasers were clearly not what was installed on any variant she’d ever seen.

“I’m so glad we finally got a chance to meet Kolonel Ngo.  I do hope you won’t hold it against me that I intend to make this quick.  I have much to do and this is quite distracting.”

"Well, I'll beat you quick so you can go about doing it, then." 

“Optimistic.  I like it.  Makes it all that much more satisfying when I win and crush my opponent’s hope.”

"You sound just like Star Colonel Masha Crichell on Jessenice did."  She felt a surge of focus, and the distractions… stopped being distracting.

“Ah, but unlike our unwelcome and uninvited guests, we share one thing, you and I, we know what real war is like.”

She didn't answer over the channel.  She just started to move.

The lights in the arena dimmed slightly with the start of the match.

Perseus followed along the edge of the arena, careful to keep a wall to his back, giving Henrietta no room to jump in behind him easily.

He almost had a shot, and then…

"What the-?"

On MHD and radar, she went behind a column too narrow to provide concealment-and vanished.

Seismic sensors were picking up the throbbing music of the arena.  He looked up.

Nothing in the sky.

Synthetic lightning and laser energy sizzled just past his shoulder-from the left, a position in the direction he'd seen her going, before… Is it some new ECM? he wondered.

He whipped his heavier machine around, trying to anticipate where she could have possibly vanished with the limited cover of the columns.

As he pulled back he saw a glimpse of his foe’s mech and he triggered the trio of Blazer Cannons trying to bracket her.

Armor flaked in his visual, but then synthetic lightning smashed his Orion in the left knee actuator, and she was moving-moving-gone, the 'no lock' warning blinking at him like mockery.

Slowed by the damaged actuator he knew better than to pursue the more mobile machine.  That would be a good way for her to get behind him and rake his thinner back armor and end the fight very quickly indeed.  He also knew she was very skilled in brawling with her smaller machine.

So he set himself between one of the columns and the wall of the arena.  If she wanted to strike at him, she’d have to show herself again.

Then he heard one of the arena elevators trigger.

That must be how she is doing it, she must be using the elevators to the lower area.  But how is she moving between them so quickly and without my sensors noticing?

Henrietta gripped the top of the column as it rose, perching like a predatory animal and waiting for the moment.  The fight organizers had said 'variable terrain' and clearly that’s what they meant.

The asymmetrical form of an Orion was stalking on the elevator platform nearest the north side, she took the opportunity and jumped across to a pillar that just finished rising, as the one she'd been on began descending.

Skeet, I'm being skeet, dammit.  Soldiers in the air are targets of opportunity, not air support.

The two bright beams of laser energy shot skyward from the larger machine, one of which tore off more armor.

She pulsed the jets, and used the column as a deflection point, coming down to ground level and doing a tuck-and-roll to bleed off velocity before coming to her feet, and firing her lasers and PPC practically into his center ring-it would've worked better if she'd gotten behind him, but the heavy armor had to absorb MOST of it-even the mediums at their longest effective range.

It was too MUCH like fighting Crichell.  This guy thinks and anticipates…

One of the central walls began rising.

Quickly for its size the larger machine got around the corner and out of sight for a moment.

Perseus looked at the damage diagram.  Her shots are grouping nicely part of him mused.  The woman's main weapon was clearly a bone-stock, pre-helm, PPC, maybe even the old Donal model.  The lasers had hit in spectra making them the most common energy weapon of the last century.  NOT recovered tech or even salvaged Clantech, and not modified.  It HAD to be a new ECM.

His heat gauges were returning to a comfortable level now as well.  The Blazer Cannons on his mech were not proper weapons of war on today’s battlefields, but in the Solaris arenas, were quite deadly where their limited range but tremendous firepower were aided by the close quarters of the various arenas.

Why is she using old-style energy weapons though? She's got the budget for better… it nagged at his gut-he wasn't connecting somewhere.

With his opponent having jump jets he started moving along the wall in the center of the arena for a moment then swung around in anticipation of where he would land if he were his opponent.

Damage alarms went off from his flank!! he whirled around in time to get a visual of her ducking back behind  a descending column in the wrong direction.

Damn it.  I’m letting her get to me.  That was a stupid mistake.  I should have known she’d use her superior ground speed, not her jump jets.  There was something familiar about this… something he almost remembered.

He caught a glimpse of her again, and let fly with the Blazer Cannons, scoring the coatings on a wall segment that was rising and a column that was dropping, but no joy.  Where have I seen these tactics before?

The heat from firing all three of his big weapons was causing his cockpit to become uncomfortable again.

Synthetic Lighting from his left-and up.  This time drawing a melted line along his left arm and chest plating.  He had it! Humptulips!  The Jade Falcons on Tukayyid! She's using Clanner tactics!! stick-and-move.

Countering her would be difficult with the damaged knee actuator but the arena was designed such that it was difficult for an opponent to have long, clear lines of sight.

She's a brawler, and she's using snapshots from mobility, so she's fought Clanners a lot, she expects me to have a range advantage. She expects a firepower advantage…so she's going for the bleed.

He checked his readouts again while he had a moment.

I can’t chase her down and thus I can’t pin her down.  But I can limit her options.

Perseus moved his mech towards the nearest elevator to the lower areas.

Just maybe I can force her into an environment where she has no choice but to be exposed to make her attack.

Damage alarms sounded again, this time from his thinner, rear armor.

A snapshot from his right arm Blazer did not give him much indication he actually hit her before she disappeared again.

A hand actuator covering his windows, however, told him exactly where she was, right before systems in his right leg announced something massive had struck at the rear of the knee joint, collapsing it, and another string of alarms showed something striking with significant power just to the left of his power-core rupturing cooling lines and heat sink assemblies.  The knee was damaged but not destroyed, his gyro was struggling, but it was still intact.

I can still win this!!

He swung the torso around to bring at least one of his Blazers onto his foe and triggered as soon as the system registered…nothing, his eyes registered her first. He used manual aim and depressed the trigger.

Armor blew off the modified Griffin, right arm, side, reflecting the blue-black of Triple Strength Myomers under the now shattered armor plates.

Her next punch was to his damaged frontal glacis, and it was accompanied by a three meter long retracting spike.  More heat, and he was getting balance warnings as his gyro began fighting instability.

Now… Now or never.

He manually lined up all three of his weapons and depressed the triggers.

One passed over her head, one passed her shoulder. One passed, just below her 'mech's left torso.

His heat scale spiked, and then… The inevitable.  System shutdown.  He tried to frantically override, but there was no stopping it with firing all his weapons at once with his cooling system compromised the way it was.

“Well done, Ngo,” he said as he waited for the inevitable.

She stepped back, and retracted the blade.  "Can you stand up?" she asked.  Something hollow in her tone.

“When the heat goes down.”

"We'll wait then."

“Strange.  You could end this fight now.”

"I could've ended you when I grabbed you, Perseus.  But this isn't war.  I'll wait for you to get up, or concede."

“A show for the crowd.  Heh.  Good to know I’m not the only one developing bad habits that would get them killed on a real battlefield.”

"I have had a belly full of 'real war'," she said.  "Killed enough thanks, gave at the office."

“Ah but that’s the rub.  And truthfully you could cripple my mech without killing me quite easily as well. So, no, there’s another reason.”

"You were at Tukkayyid, weren't you?" she asked, diverting, deflecting…

“Perceptive.  Yes.  I was there that dark day.”

"Yeah, I won’t kill you," it sounded like a decision.  "You're owed that much."

“Then I shall do the unexpected.”  Perseus triggered his surrender flare.

With that, the fight was over.

“We’re both playing a dangerous game here, Ngo.  I look forward to our next meeting.”

Henrietta had to admit to herself that she was surprised he had given up.

"Buy you a beer after?" she asked.

“I would enjoy that.”

Tech crew and salvage teams filed onto the arena, to retrieve the damaged Orion, while Henrietta walked off under her own power.

Whatever else, Fursnake would be in the semifinal.

Champions of Olympus would have to win their next two matches to place for a wildcard slot.

The Cobalt Coil

"...so, Heinleffer's puking in a bucket when the Charge of Quarters comes in with two Gendarmerie and an angry civilian wife…"

“Oh my… I think I know where this is going.”

"...because it turns out, he left his personal datastick on the nightstand!!  So, our resident queen looks up from where he's heaving a sixteen martini desert, and says, proper as you please, that nothing happened.  She's all kinds of incensed that he's saying that, since she's got proof, right?"  Henrietta was buzzing slightly telling old not-at-war war stories

"She's going there!"

"Shush Nat, so, there's this brouhaha going in the barracks and naturally, they decide to involve myself… and so I tell her our resident horn-dog who'll screw a knothole in a plank, if he says nothing happened, it probably didn't.  She doesn't believe me…"  she accepted a fresh pint, "I look at Leutnant Heinleffer and scowl, like this!" she makes a fiercely judgmental face.  "He cracks, says to me, and the entire assembled audience, he says…'Hey, the guy told me this!" she holds her hands a good twenty eight centimeters apart, "I thought maybe thus-" her hands close the distance to about 150 mm,  then she makes a pinching shape, "Would you believe? And the angry wife turns chalk white.  He then proceeded to compound the insult, by admitting he couldn't stop laughing long enough to do anything with the dude but leave."

“Reminds me of Adept Kelly.  She just couldn’t say no.  If it had a pulse and was breathing and could say yes, that was good enough for her.  We wondered how the hell she didn’t get any sick calls or maternity leave,” Perseus laughed.

"Some girls just have the knack," Henrietta confided.  "I didn't… but then, I was the ugly betty according to some of the guys-I went 'battleaxe' I guess.  Must've been early-I struck out with Mark at the Academy-he liked girls with more curves I think."

“Just means you haven’t met the right man yet, Ngo.  But then again, I’m getting the sense that as much as you value family, settling down and having your own isn’t what you want.  At least not right now.”  Perseus sipped his beer.

"I used to," she said.  "I used to want that… anyway, Heinleffer didn't make it off Melissia.  Falcon Turk chopped his cockpit with two gauss shots back to back.  Absent Companions," she hoisted her drink.

“Yeah.  Last I saw of Adept Kelly, a Falcon Elemental was dragging her out of her cockpit.  Not in one piece either.”  Perseus raised his glass.

"Saw a lot of that during Bulldog, with the Jaggies-their guys would pause and linger over a kill, to try and make sure it was really a kill.  Made them easier targets," her eyes were glass-like as she said it.  "Huntress was eight kinds of ******."

“They are our sins, returned upon us, to make us pay for all our follies and those of our ancestors.  The sooner they are rendered past tense, the better.”

"No, they're pirate ****** from the original bandit kingdom," she spat.  "Natalie excepted-she figured out who was what, but Kerensky's deserters founded the biggest, best supplied bandit kingdom in human history.  The conditions their civilians were living with…"

“Both can be true at the same time,” Perseus offered.

"Hennie, you've had enough," Natalie said.

"No.  I really haven't… see, I've been there and if someone said 'hey, we're forming an army to go liberate those poor bastards in the Clan Homeworlds', I'd go… because I've seen it with my own eyes... It's bad enough we're not pushing them out of the Commonwealth, or that Morgan Kell talked two successive Archons into sheltering his traitor son's friends…"

"Definitely had enough," Moshe said.  "Come on boss, time to get dry."

“We should do this again, soon.  And perhaps without quite so many chaperones.”  Perseus paid the table’s bill with a smile.

"Yer cute, wanna bang?" Henrietta suddenly said.

"I try not to take advantage of a woman when she's… impaired," Perseus said diplomatically.  "See how you feel when you're sober."

“Cool your jets boss.  Time to go home.”  Moshe gauged how close he could move towards Henrietta without triggering her and began helping her out of the bar.

“My number.  When you’re more clear headed,” Perseus handed Henrietta a card.

Perseus walked out of the bar with a wave.

There will be consequences for this when I get back.  But not too severe I think.

Offices, Champions of Olympus, 0300 local time…

"So, what did you learn about them, Adept?"

“Miss Ngo herself could be a good candidate for War Plan Alpha.  She hates the Clans and if the Star League accepts our proposal, I think we could turn her.  Her subordinates…  Well, she has poor taste in at least one case.  The other, I think, would follow her.”

"The Jade Falcon Defector?"  Athena asked.  "We speculated in analysis that they were… personal."

“From what I observed that would be an easy mistake to make.  The defector clearly has feelings for Miss Ngo, but does not act on them.  It could be a useful leverage point in the future if need be.”

“How can you be so sure?” Adept Athena looked uncertain.

“The topic of discussion.  It did not paint her former affiliation in a good light.  She didn’t even object.  Not even when I suggested their removal could not come soon enough.”

“From the Inner Sphere?  I doubt that would register,” Adept Athena asked.

"From existence," Perseus stated.  "Natalie Roshak had no objections to the idea of dismantling the Clans entirely when Miss Ngo and I mentioned it.  Her profile needs to be updated by ROM, the Crusader has thoroughly switched sides."

“I am inclined to agree then,” Precentor Cadmus nodded.

"So which one do you have the problem with?"

"Moshe, 'Moses', the light 'mech pilot.  There is something… off about him."

“Yes.  The ROM file on him is depressingly thin.  I suspect someone decided he wasn’t important enough to devote proper resources to,” Precentor Cadmus nodded.

"I disagree.  I met the man, everything 'moderate', even his mannerisms.  He's either Loki, or Lohengrin Domestic Branch, which is why he has a very thin file.  But has clearly been with her for a very long time," Perseus argued.

“Either way, this is indeed distressing.  Adept Perseus, I’m willing to authorize your continued interactions with Miss Ngo.  We need more information.”

“And our guests below?” Athena asked.

"According to the Spark, the Theorist will be in a delicate medical condition for several days-assuming the treatments work," Cadmus said.  "Hopefully, when she regains consciousness she can continue the work she began.  Feedback from Yale North America and Berkeley say that her approach to Fuchida's Riddle is already showing promising signs for implementation."

“Still, I feel like we should move them.  As soon as possible.  Our enemies seem to know too much as is,” Athena asserted.

“Hmmm… You may be correct.  As soon as we have medical clearance it may be time to move them and close up this operation,” Precentor Cadmus nodded.

"You were rejected on plan Cuckoo Bird?" Perseus was surprised.

"It was determined that, given the history of such moves, a Cuckoo would be detected quickly.  The failure of both the Joshua Marik and Hanse Davion replacements is well documented," Cadmus stated.

“Besides, we no longer have the time for such a measure,” Athena nodded.

"If we had recognized the value earlier, this would not be as much of a problem," Cadmus agreed.  "Now however, we must deal with conditions as they are."

“And Ryukan?  What shall we do to keep him distracted?  We must not underestimate him,”  Athena prodded.

"He has a 'type', Athena.  You may need to undergo some surgical correction to meet it, and study.  I am awaiting authorization to pursue that plan," he paused.  "It may involve enhancements."

“I understand,” Athena bowed.


Hilton Head, Terra, [date]...

"We need to move the assets from the Olympic Stables site on Solaris closer to home!" the Demiprecentor argued.  "They've become too valuable to have that exposed!"

"Valuable?  How?"

"Fuchida's Riddle," the [science and research] official stated.  "Cracking the thirty lightyear barrier, possibly even cracking other related issues in Physics.  Asset Theorist has already proven out with work at the Ceres and Ganymede sites-her direction has borne fruit.  Our Blessed Order needs to retain that."

"What other phenomena?"

"Inertial and gravity control may be within our reach.  She's not finished it, but our best guesses from what has been delivered from Asset Theorist, is that it is possibly feasible... Which means we need her closer to hand, and not exposed to be lost or… or stolen back."

Apollyon frowned, "I disagree, there is no hurry."  The Cyborg Precentor, the Leader of the Hands, shook his head.  "But the Ryukan girl?  She IS valuable.  Begin preparations to bring her in."

“And Precentor Cadmus?”

“Has become too exposed.  We should clean house.  Start over with a new Precentor.  One less clumsy, more experienced.”

“It will be done.  Peace of Blake be with you.”

Demiprecentor Sammael listened to the order, and seethed.  Apollyon was afflicted with the same blindness so many of his colleagues were-the work of asset Theorist could reshape interstellar travel, and he wanted a talented 'mech tech instead.


Champions of Olympus, secure area…

"How is she really doing?" the tall Adept asked gently.

Yurika sighed and blinked the aftermath of a long night from her eyes, "She is stable, the treatments are proceeding.  I think I've gotten ahead of the worst of the syndrome-but it's a race against her immune system, and I have to maintain constant vigilance."

He offered her a dish of udon noodles and shrimp, and a tall bubble tea.  "Thank you for your good work, Ryukan Yurika."

Yurika nodded her head in weak thanks.  She was pretty sure they were dosing her food with something, but what, she wasn’t sure.  Not like there was anything she could do about it anyway.

He handed her something else, "This may help.  It is an… innovation from the Federated Suns.  LD-150 is supposed to be a drug that facilitates logical thinking in small doses, but it’s very dangerous-you might find it to be of some value in your work with your… patient… Or not, I can't say, I’m no expert."

“Thank you.”  Yurika took the note and studied it as she started eating.

Within a few minutes of reading through the chemical structure, Yurika already had an idea about how to modify the drug to better serve her needs.

But she didn’t want to give that away to her captors so she kept it to herself for the moment.

Perseus looked at the young girl.  The orders had come in.  In the near future, she would be moved who knows where, and the closest thing the young girl had to a friend?

He had orders to kill her as soon as the results of the experiment were verified.

It disgusted him.

It used very evasive language, that order.  The expressed concern being that the Ngo girl was digging into things that mankind could not be allowed to know until after the Third Transfer was complete.  She was to be terminated, and her work archived for later investigation.

These past few months…  As he thought about everything he had been a part of, what he was doing.  It all seemed so wrong now.

What did we sign up for?  It nagged at him.  Henrietta, so institutionalized into the mind of a field-soldier, didn't even realize her stories about barracks life were a whole litany of horrors, but still milder than the horrors she'd seen in the field.  Keeping an innocent girl prisoner for her gift?  Using another as a human guinea pig, only to kill her if the treatment works?

Why did I leave Mori's Comstar, why did I leave Focht's Com-Guard, if we're going to be worse than the House Lords?  The lift stopped at the surface level, and he stepped, as if unseeing, into the main level of the complex, lost in thought.  I signed up to fight the Clans, to protect Terra… not this.

His comm chirped, and he looked at it before answering.

"Heya, Paul, it's Henrietta, from a few nights ago?  I'm sober if you're up for lunch."

"Sounds good, where?" Perseus asked.

"Little noodle-and-stirfry place on Saigon Strasse, Mama Ji's, it's near the Steiner Arena."

"I'll be there in half an hour."

"Good, I still owe you that beer."

Fortune favors me.  Cadmus is still in charge for now.  So his orders still stand.  If I play this right I can help her get her sister back and look myself in the mirror again.

Perseus got into his ground car and drove carefully to the place.