From a Ristar to a Lady

[The Wobbly Guy]

A ristar of Clan Smoke Jaguar, Star Captain Avryl Showers was shot in the back and died on Garstedt while the defeated remnants of her clan fled from the Inner Sphere.

But death is not the end for Avryl. A little more than a year later, she finds herself reincarnated in the body of Anastasia Kalinska, the spoiled daughter of a baron on Altoona, an Outback world in the Draconis March.

To her dismay, she finds her clan Annihilated, and herself betrothed to Finn Rason, a viscount of a nearby world and her most tenacious enemy in her previous life.

In the aftermath of the Great Refusal, amidst the Federated Commonwealth Civil War, can Avryl uncover the truth behind her death while navigating her new life as Anastasia Kalinska?

--------------------------------------------------------
Forward Base Epsilon Five,
Garstedt, Clan Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone
11th August, 3059

“Beep… beep… beep!”

The communications panel on the watch station console started its incessant bleating. Star Captain Avryl Showers quickly swivelled her chair from where she was watching the camera feeds covering the valley approach to the Forward Base and mashed one hand hard on a button.

“Receiving!” She barked, then released her hand on the button. Her bracelet, adorned with ancient discoloured coyote bones, jingled mildly on her wrist. It was one of the few possessions she truly felt was her own, ever since winning it as isorla after a raid on an old Coyote cache. Many laughed at her and called it old and ugly, but she somehow liked it ever since laying eyes on it.

Static fizzed for a second, before it faded out, replaced by a tired voice. “Star Captain Showers, this is Star Colonel Layse Wimmer.” The Star Colonel commanded the 143rd Garrison Cluster. “We are pulling off Garstedt. Galaxy Commander Corbett wants to preserve what remains of the Jaguar’s strength. We will regroup back in the homeworlds.”

Avryl’s blood ran cold. Neg!

She pressed the button again, “We can counterattack, quiaff?”

“Neg, we cannot. The filthy Spheroids are too many in number. We will be outnumbered four to one in every fight, and dying for nothing gained. Your orders are to quickly pack up everything you can and egress using the Snik protocols. There will be dropships waiting for your unit. Avoid combat at all costs. Every unit and warrior we can get out counts. Do you acknowledge and obey?”

Avryl gritted her teeth. “Aff, I obey.”

“Wimmer out.”

Avryl took a moment to seethe silently. The clan had fought so hard, paid so much! And to lose everything they had gained… it was unacceptable!

But her superiors had spoken, and she would obey her orders. There were already Spheroid forces on the ground, and more were inbound from the jump points. She had been determined to make them pay for every inch of ground, but her superiors clearly had other plans.

Before she could punch another button, the door to the watch station opened. Star Commander Pence Lamongue stepped through. A thin, hard man, abtakha from the Burrocks. Avryl trusted his abilities in battle, but nothing else beyond that. If only they had more loyal and skilled warriors… otherwise she would not have tolerated his borderline insubordinate behaviour. As it was, her unit was comprised of such outcasts and dezgra of the clan, since it was a raiding unit assigned to the most dangerous missions behind enemy lines.

But it was her unit. She was proud of them and what they had managed to achieve. Even if she did not like individual members.

Pence smirked, “Thought I heard the communicator sound off down the corridor, and came along to check it out. New orders, quiaff?”

“Aff. Snik protocols, we are pulling out.” She did not bother to explain further, and turned to make an announcement over the public system to the warriors, technicians, and essential personnel from her command.

A horrible burning sensation stabbed through her chest, and she felt a sharp pain percolating through her lungs, making her limbs lose strength. She fell over the console, her body twisting around as she slumped to the floor, and saw Pence with his sinister smirk holding a laser pistol.

She tried to speak, but the blood coming up her throat blocked her vocal cords, and she could only cough, the terrible pain in her chest continuing to spread. She could feel blackness around the edges of her vision.

She was dying.

Pence crouched down in front of her. “Sorry, it would not do to have you waking up the others and running off so easily. Would be bad for the deal I made.” His eyes were cold and mocking as he actually took out a tissue and gently wiped blood off her mouth. “So much for the Black Lotus, ristar of Clan Smoke Jaguar, feared along the border for her daring and skill. I owe surkai.” His tone was mocking. “Just not now.” He stood up and walked out the door.

Avryl could feel her death soon, but she somehow managed to push herself up against the console on unsteady, wavering legs with all the strength she had remaining to her. No telling what Pence would do, but at least she must warn the others. She could just see the button that would alert the whole base, but everything was going dark…

The last thing she knew was her hand coming down on the alert button.

Kalinski Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
4th January, 3061

“Ahhh!” Avryl woke with a gasp. She jerked up with a start, her head turning to the sides, and her eyes immediately scanned her environment for threats, and more importantly, for where Pence could be.

Something was wrong. Instead of the spartan, sterile ceiling she expected of a military installation or a dropship, she saw a brightly coloured ceiling, lit by orange-red sunlight streaming in through the filtering curtains. Not the bright yellow of Garstedt’s primary. Or the cold breeze from the windows that was completely different from Garstedt’s hot, arid climate.

Her hands went unbidden to her chest, seeking evidence of the exit wound caused by the laser beam, but found nothing but the white shift she seemed to be wearing. She lurched upright, ignoring the tiny pricks of pain from her back from the sudden movement.

Avryl stared around her surroundings. The room spoke of excessive opulence, furnished with expensive looking woodworked furniture, extravagant gold chandeliers hung from the ceiling, soft cushions on several recliner seats around the room…

Come to think of it, I have never been on a bed this soft, she thought, one hand pushing down experimentally, her fingers easily sinking into the soft material, a stark contrast to her time in the sibko, when the beds were almost as hard as rocks to toughen up the trainees. Even as a warrior, the beds were slightly better, but not by much.

Wherever she was, the clan surely could not afford such extravagance! She planned to have strong words with whoever had prepared these quarters for her.

I need to get up, find out what is happening. She shifted her legs off the bed, planting her feet down on the cold floor. I should be an infirmary, or a field hospital, or a patient room, not this… whatever this is!

The moment she tried to stand up, she fell heavily to the floor. Stunned at the weakness in her legs, she clutched at the mattress to try to pull herself up.

“What is wrong with me?” Avryl gritted her teeth and tried to stand up again. Her head turned around to look for possible places to support her legs as she walked, and she froze.

“Huh? What the…”

She could see herself in a mirror. And the image that she was looking at was definitely not Star Captain Avryl Showers, bloodnamed officer and ristar of Clan Smoke Jaguar, with shoulder length brown hair, dusky complexion, and piercing pale brown eyes that verged on the colour orange.

It showed a pale girl with long black hair, barely out of her teens. Bright blue eyes stared back at her, framed by a face that would be considered beautiful by any measure. Her lips were pale though, and her features were a bit gaunt.

She blinked. The image blinked simultaneously.

She used a finger to poke her own face, and when the skin and texture felt all too real to her, she started to feel around the edges of her face, trying to find some loose skin, something, anything, that would peel off this falsehood and reveal her own face. But there was nothing.

She screamed mentally. What is going on? She looked at her left wrist. Her coyote bone bracelet and codex were missing.

The door clicked open. She turned to see a startled looking woman in some form of a uniform.

“My lady! Forgive me, I didn’t know you were already awake!”

Summoning all her strength, Avryl staggered to her feet, teetered the few steps to the woman, and grabbed her by the arms.

“Where are we? Tell me everything? What has happened to me!”

The woman seemed panic-stricken. “My lady, I don’t know what you are talking about! You were in an accident and have been unconscious for three standard days since the New Year Celebration!”

Three days? Three days could not even get her from Garstedt to the jump point, unless the dropship pulled some serious Gs. I need information.

“What is this place?”

“Do you not know, my lady? This is your lord father’s estate, on Inman!”

Inman? Where in the Founder’s name is that? Am I still in the Inner Sphere? Or somewhere else entirely? Or even some other time?

“Lord? What lord?”

“Pardon? It’s your father, Baron Kalinski!”

Avryl stared at the woman, aghast. She had no real father, no clan trueborn born of the iron wombs had. Certainly, they had genefathers and genemothers, the genetic donors who contributed their DNA, but not real parents in the traditional sense.

“What about the war? The clans…”

The woman was close to tears. “My lady, I don’t know what you are talking about! The war with the clans ended last year! The Smoke Jaguars were destroyed! Annihilated, they said the correct term was!”

The words struck Avryl right between her eyes.

Clan Smoke Jaguar? Annihilated? What she had fought so hard for? The clan that strived above all else, to reestablish the rightful Star League?

Avryl fainted.

Rason Estate,
Innerman City, Inman
4th January, 3061

Newly appointed to his position, Viscount Finn Rason stared at the verigraph in front of him, wishing that it would spontaneously combust in front of him, removing a particularly onerous obligation.

The paper refused to cooperate, however, and stayed stubbornly there.

“This is just ridiculous,” he grumbled. He was a decorated soldier, a veteran of Operation Bulldog, the short but brutal campaign to evict Clan Smoke Jaguar from the Inner Sphere. He had just been honourably discharged from his position as a Captain in the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth so that he could take up his father’s position as ruler of Delacambre, one of the Trivet worlds.

But now he was to obey his father’s last instructions, simply because of some arcane arrangements made before he was even born? And even backed by the Count of Inman himself, his signature on the will. If he refused, he could very well be stripped of his title and rank. Count Haynes had the power to do that.

And this dictate, this missive was simply too outrageous.

He was ordered to marry, and not just marry anybody, but the infamous Anastasia Kalinska, sole heir to Baron Kalinski of Altoona.

Oh, sure, she was renowned for being the most beautiful woman in the Trivet worlds, maybe even the whole Draconis March. Hair as dark as night, skin soft and pale, a perfectly formed face, eyes that shine like stars, a figure with curves to die for. But she was just as notorious for her shitty personality. She was nicknamed the ‘White Lotus’, but from what he could glean from the rumour mill, the term also held a negative connotation.

And given that she was even romantically involved with Baron Renard Haynes, the son of Count Haynes, Finn had the feeling the old Count was trying to save his son from a possible scandal by supporting this. Since his own father had passed on, the family’s obligations now fell to him.

Apparently, young Baron Haynes had broken up with Lady Kalinska during the recent New Year’s Day celebrations, and the young lady had been so distraught that she tried to commit suicide by jumping into a nearby lake. Her attempt failed, and she was supposedly recovering at her home.

If Finn had felt bad about the arrangement before, this made it worse. He was getting married to somebody who did not even understand the value and sanctity of life. To throw it away, just like that?

Father, what have you gotten me into? He leaned back in his chair, sighing. I’d rather be in my Templar on field exercises.

5th January

Avryl tapped the surface of her tablet, scrolling the screen down as she read the relatively short piece of news, very recently obtained from the merchants of Clan Diamond Shark, now plying their wares around the Inner Sphere.

They traded in information too.

“...The remnants of Clan Smoke Jaguar were finally crushed on their homeworld Huntress. Soon after, during the Great Refusal on 23rd April 3060, ilKhan Lincoln Osis and what remained of his command unit were defeated. The most brutal and cruel of the Crusader Clans, Clan Smoke Jaguar, was no more.”

“What is this stravag nonsense!” She flung the expensive tablet across the room, not caring when the fragile screen shattered into tiny shards over the floor.

Even that slight exertion of effort left her panting, but her emotions were also running wild. “What about restoring the real Star League? What about avenging the lost peoples of the Inner Sphere? Punishing the Scavenger Lords? Lies!”

She had fought so hard for the clan. She even sacrificed her own honour to serve, commanding an unit of cast-offs on near-suicidal mission after mission. Only for all of it to come to naught?

She descended into another coughing fit, prompting the maid at her door to come rushing in.

“My lady, if this continues, you will faint again! I’ll call the doctor!”

The maid held her close to her own chest, while the background faded off into a blur. Avryl could hardly stay conscious, her body seemed like collapsing upon itself. Ah… what a weak fragile body this is. I am powless.

The next few hours were spent in a tortured haze, the pain in her chest and the fever robbing her of what strength she could muster. She laid on the bed, struggling to breathe, panting.

Anastasia Kalinska… no, that is not my name. That is the name of this body I am in.

Even in her feverish state, Avryl could not help but run over what facts she had managed to glean from the maids.

She was Anastasia Kalinska, sole daughter and heir of Baron Boris Kalinski, the ruler of one of the baronies on the mining world of Altoona. She lost her mother at a young age and lived on Inman with her father ever since. During the New Year Celebration a few days ago, she had thrown herself into a lake and was at death’s door for three days.

“Ana…,” She heard a man weeping. “Ana…”

That is not my name, she wanted to say.

“Don’t worry, Ana, daddy’s here. Everything will be all right.”

But it is not all right. My Clan is dead. Gone. Annihilated.

“Have to… go…” she murmured. To Garstedt. Huntress. Strana Mechty. Anywhere her clan once was. She should have died with her clan, with her people. She did die. So why was she even here now, in a body that was not even hers?

The man cried, “Ana, what do you mean by ‘go’? Why do you keep saying you have to go? Please don’t leave your daddy behind…”

Through her puffy eyes, Avryl could see a reedy middle-aged man with blond hair, his face etched with lines of worry and concern, leaning over her.

“Who… are you?”

The man’s face twisted with pain. “You don’t even recognise your own father? The doctor said you lost your memory…”

Avryl could only look at him with pity. Why are you looking at me with such affection? Just because you share blood with this body?

Oh yes, she understood the importance of blood. The Clans ran on it, revered it in all its forms. Blood for battle. Blood for their forebears. When the blood is spilled, the Bloodname is earned.

But this was different. The love of a father for his child… is that what a father should be? She could feel his trembling hands clasped over hers, as though willing life into her frail body.

“Ana, please!” He sobbed.

She could hear faint footsteps approaching. “My Lord, it is time for the meeting at the Count’s manor.”

The man whimpered, “My daughter is so sick, how can I even think about other matters?”

Maybe… for this man…he lives for his daughter. Just as I once did for my Clan.

Avryl steeled her resolve, and tried to squeeze back against the man’s hands.

“Ana!”

My feelings of rage and betrayal are mine alone. I shall not let my anger cause this body to die. Her eyes blazed with determination. Furthermore, even if the clan was annihilated, I must find out what happened to the others!

The names of those in her command filtered through her consciousness. Victories and defeats, good times and bad. She needed to find out if they had managed to survive, what happened to the remnants of her clan.

And to do that, I must live on as Anastasia Kalinska!
--------------------------------------------
Otome isekai is always fun because of the fish-out-of-water aspect. This recasts the web novel series 'From a knight to a lady' into the Battletech universe. I thought, what could be more different than a pampered noble-born lady? Easy - a trueborn warrior of the clans, created by eugenics and trained from infancy to be the pinnacle of martial skill.

The original web novel had a creepy 2nd ML (go read the story, what Khalid did was absolutely disgusting), but I changed him to a straightforward antagonist.

It's also a practice in world-building (the system mechanics drove me nuts, especially Altoona), and taking a closer look at the socio-politics of the neglected Outback.

Note that when writing the buildup to the FCCW, the writers never quite explained a major plothole - the IS victory in the Great Refusal was under a comms blackout by the SLDF itself, so the IS never knew what happened until they returned to the IS and they were directed to Luthien for the celebrations.

But the clans were not beholden to keep it secret. Maybe the embassy on Strana Mechty tried, but really, why should they keep such an important event from their IS holdings at all? And given the HPG links from the Clan homeworlds to the IS... the Clanners in the IS should have learned of the results within a week. And given the way IS intel agencies are keeping tabs on the clan OZ, something will have leaked out.

In fact, we know Kat SD got intel from Vlad long before they returned to the IS. And I don't see why the Nova Cats, for example, won't blast messages ahead to their IS holdings. Ditto for the Ghost Bears. The Diamond Sharks, in my story, sold bits and pieces of it, but perhaps they did accede to the embassy demands to only release it after a certain date, and to leave out certain information.

[Brother Jim]

Neat !!!

[The Wobbly Guy]

Chatham, Kagoshima Prefecture,
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
9th April, 3058

The air on Chatham was foul, but Avryl supposed one got used to it after a few hours on the planet. She idly wondered if the stink would ever fade from their equipment though.

“Whoever said the Inner Sphere was a paradise must have missed this place.” Erlin grumbled from his spot, where he was eating a protein bar. The smell from the fruit-flavoured bar probably helped with the stench.

Avryl smirked at him, “Some of the homeworlds are worse. At least the air here is only foul, you can get used to it. Shadow’s atmosphere is virally tainted. Too much time breathing it and you will get sick even if you are vaccinated to your gills. The viral load simply overwhelms your immune system.”

The others shuddered, even as they hunkered down around Avryl, awaiting the signal to get to their mechs for the ambush. Aff, the air was terrible, but the chance to stretch their legs outside of their mechs was a rare reprieve.

Gast, ever the peacemaker, spoke up, “I am sure this is the exception. Most of the worlds we passed through had much better air, quiaff?”

A chorus of affs replied almost in unison. Gast continued, “I may be a Warden, but I can still appreciate the wealth we have seen. There is so much potential in the worlds of the Inner Sphere, they should have been much better off.” Another chorus of affs affirmed his sentiment.

Avryl always thought it was ironic that many of the warriors in her command were Wardens, who felt that the role of the clans were to defend humanity against all threats, instead of conquering them and re-establishing the Star League by force. In contrast, Clan Smoke Jaguar was almost wholly Crusader, as was Avryl herself.

The Star League, where all of humanity was united under a single banner, was the peak of humanity’s achievements. It was humanity’s Interstellar Golden Age, with rapid technological advancement and widespread prosperity.

It ended when Stefan Amaris betrayed and assassinated the First Lord Richard Cameron, pitching the Star League into civil war. When the civil war ended, there was no one single remaining lord who could command the majority of the other lords’ allegiances, and so the lords of the five Great Houses, each leading a massive interstellar state, prepared to wage total war on one another.

The remaining members of the Star League Defense Force, who had survived the civil war, foresaw the impending conflict, and knew their presence would only make it worse. Their Commanding General, the Great Father Aleksandr Kerensky, was urged to take up the throne of the First Lord himself, but he refused, knowing that it would not stop the war, only exacerbate it. Instead, he led his followers into an Exodus far away in the deep reaches of space, where they settled five marginal worlds, the Pentagon Worlds, and eked out a new civilisation.

Even there, though, peace did not last. Old hatreds and feuds among the diaspora erupted, casting them into the same conflict that engulfed the Inner Sphere. Aleksandr Kerensky’s son, Nicholas Kerensky, led a Second Exodus to the newly colonised world Strana Mechty, where he forged a new society.

The Clans.

Twenty clans, almost all named after a fearsome predator or animal totem, were organised. Each led by the most elite warriors who followed Kerensky, identified after rigorous testing and trial. From Strana Mechty, they subdued the Pentagon Worlds, and for the next two hundred years, the Clans grew and prospered.

At around the start of the 30th century, the clans split into two camps, the Crusaders and the Wardens, along the ideological question: should they return to the Inner Sphere and conquer it to reform the Star League?

The Crusaders felt it was the whole reason for their existence, to reform the Star League under their rule. The Wardens disagreed, feeling their role was to remain aloof from the Inner Sphere’s corrupting influence while standing ready to intervene should the Inner Sphere require saving from an existential threat.

After decades of political manoeuvring and deadlock, the Crusaders finally succeeded in getting the clans to invade the Inner Sphere. After a spate of initial successes, their advance bogged down in hard fighting and the invasion finally ended when the clans lost to the Com Guards at Tukayyid.

Since then, the border between the clans’ conquered holdings and the Great Houses was often punctured by frequent raids between the different factions, in search of information, supplies to destroy, or simply just testing the defences.

Avryl’s unit, the Jaguar’s Mists, was currently on such a raid. Their mechs were hidden in the forest surrounding them, covered by tarps which would obscure visual scans, while the ECM on one of the mechs did the rest.

Erlin added, “Then we can prove the Houses wrong without a fight, quiaff? Just by making sure our worlds are better than theirs. Full bellies, and all that.” He swallowed the last of the protein bar with a look of satisfaction.

Avryl scowled at him. “Are you trying to provoke me? You know our clan does not have the best record for development. We are not Diamond Sharks.” She nodded to Camille. “No offence.”

Camille, abtakha from Clan Diamond Shark, smiled, “None taken. Star Captain, Erlin has a point. It is easier to attract flies with honey than with vinegar.”

Erlin, Gast, and Camille were Wardens, recruited when Clan Smoke Jaguar conducted Trials of Possession against other clans for various purposes and claimed as isorla after their clans had lost. Rather than allowing them to languish in the touman, saKhan Brandon Howell, second in command of the Smoke Jaguars, and a master strategist, decided to group the Wardens into a specialised raiding unit using lower quality mechs, and he placed Avryl in charge.

Avryl held no illusions about the nature of her unit. It served several purposes, to get the Warden warriors to contribute to the clan without costing too much in resources, with a good chance of getting them killed. Every successful raid also weakened their enemies, the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery (DCMS) of House Kurita. But it was her unit, and she recognised their skills were too valuable to squander in poorly planned battles.

She was surprised to find herself fitting in well with them despite their ideological differences. It helped that they never pushed their personal agendas, and were fairly content about their lot.

Larris grumbled, “Bad point to compare the people of the Inner Sphere with flies, Camille.”

Larris was a Smoke Jaguar freeborn warrior, who managed to test his way into the touman despite the intense prejudices against freeborns prevalent in the clan. His experiences made him taciturn and withdrawn, but he was a valued member of the unit nonetheless.

Camille shrugged in response. “What else am I going to say? But why flies? Why not some other insect or creature that is more appealing?”

Avryl grinned, “We could always get a Goliath Scorpion to find out for us.” Goliath Scorpions were known for their love of history, and finding out the exact origin of this saying would be something they find challenging

They all laughed quietly. A beeping sound from their communicators quickly cut off the laughter. Their expressions turned serious. They were all seasoned warriors, and knew when to flip the mental switch for battle.

“Signal from Star Commander Pence is in. Mount up and move to your designated spots.” Avryl was all business now. “Remember to stay within my ECM umbrella until the DCMS company is in position for our ambush. If this goes as planned, we will be victorious today.”

The reply was enthusiastic. “Seyla!”

 

Kalinski Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
7th January, 3061

“I… I’m sorry, my lady!”

“What are you talking about?”

As Avryl regained her senses and some of her strength, she started to learn more about the original owner of the body she was now in. For starters, the servants were very responsive to Anastasia’s requests. Excessively so, in her opinion. Even back in her days as a Bloodnamed mechwarrior officer, she did not remember the lower castes grovelling to her quite so much.

“So a drop of tea….”

Anastasia looked down and saw that a drop had fallen onto the saucer beneath the cup. She did not know much about the art of drinking tea gracefully, so she just drank it directly without any pretence at etiquette. The maid was trying to keep up by refilling it constantly, inevitably leading to the accident.

She wondered why spilling a single drop of tea could cause such a fuss. She was also genuinely curious about how the nobility of the Inner Sphere behaved. She looked at the red drop of tea, and then at the maid, who was trembling and kneeling. Anastasia was bewildered. Was it really necessary to kneel down because of that one drop?

“Why are you kneeling?”

“I’m sorry, my lady, please…”

Anastasia was puzzled. Please? Then what? While she looked at the maid, the maid spoke while meeting her gaze.

“Please don’t beat me. Please!”

“…Beat? What do you mean?”

With such a weak body, how could she have beaten the maid?

“Me?”

“Yes, yes!”

“I beat you with a whip?”

“Yes!”

“Did I only use the whip? Was there anything else?” Like most clan warriors who learned the basics of many weapons, Avryl knew how to use a whip. She had even used a deadly neural whip in a duel while contesting for her Bloodname, although her main melee specialty was in swords. She wondered if muscle memory carried over to her new body.

“I… I also had to walk with your shoes on the back of my hand while putting my hand on the floor.”

The maid was so naive that she was confessing all of Anastasia’s misdeeds. What if she actually told everything she knew because she could not withstand torture?

Anastasia tapped her chin with a finger thoughtfully. “Stop bringing me tea for now.”

“Yes?”

“Please, you can just stop bringing it.”

Anastasia had no idea how the original spoke, so she just tried to go off on what little she knew or had heard about nobles in the Inner Sphere. There was the one holovid series, the Steinhearts, that was part of the isorla collected by her unit after a successful raid, and she remembered viewing sessions where she and her companions had poked fun at the foibles and antics of the characters in the show.

Not so funny now that she was in the actual situation.

The maid looked shocked at the overly kind tone Anastasia was using and then realised it was an expression of forgiveness, and she withdrew quietly.

Anastasia looked out the window. Inman was a cool world orbiting a M-class red dwarf that, if it was slightly heavier, could inch into the slightly hotter K class. Due to the very slight axial tilt of the planet, there was not much seasonal variation, and the temperature was cool throughout the year.

It had only been a few days since she woke up. She was trying to live as Anastasia, but it was not easy. She had no noble manners or elegance, so she just drank the tea as it was served, without any concern for proper etiquette.

She was freeborn now, surrounded by other freeborns. She had to let go of her past prejudices, but learning a whole new way of life was just not possible right away.

The doctor’s diagnosis of memory loss had been a surprisingly useful cover, and she managed to avoid scrutiny. However, she hated the possibility of having to live like a weakling for the rest of her life. She would have to start on some physical exercise soon. Even if this body had never done any real physical exertion, she would try her best to get back to some semblance of combat readiness and activity. She would not feel comfortable otherwise.

At that moment, the door opened, and the Baron walked in. Anastasia hesitated, but put on a formal smile. Even that was enough to make his face light up with joy.

“Ana! You look much better now.”

“Aff, that is right.”

“Hmm?”

“Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

Sometimes she would still slip back to her clan speech patterns, but she found she was able to adjust relatively quickly. The Baron smiled with satisfaction and handed her a gift.

“What is this?”

Despite her slip-ups, the joy of giving a gift to his daughter made the Baron seem unfazed by her unusual speech patterns. He handed her a gift with a ribbon beautifully tied around an elegant paper box. Although she really had not expected anything, she forced herself to look excited. When she opened the box, she found a pair of blue earrings that were shining brightly.

“It’s the finest quality jewellery among the items that came in this time.”

According to what she heard, Baron Kalinski owned several mines in his demesne on the nearby world of Altoona, including a small gem mine. Selling gems and valuable ores for industrial production was his major source of income. Other than the fact that it was a blue gem, she did not know much about it. She just gave an awkward smile and thanked him.

“I don’t know when we’ll be able to attend another banquet, but when we do, our Ana should stand out the most. Of course, even without these earrings, you would still be the most beautiful.”

Anastasia furrowed her brow. She was aware that the body she now inhabited was beautiful. But was it that important? And a banquet? Is it really necessary for me to participate in such things as a noble? Supposedly, Spheroid nobles do this all the time, but the thought of seeing the faces of the decadent feudal lords of the Inner Sphere made her feel terrible.

The Baron did not seem to have noticed her pensive expression. “I’m glad you’re happy.”

“Me too,” she replied automatically.

Upon hearing those words, the Baron seemed to brighten up. Although his face was thin and reedy, he looked somewhat better with a genuine smile on.

“Ugh!” She found herself in a tight embrace. It was awkward and uncomfortable. She wondered if she should hug back, but before she could react, the Baron released her.

“I have more good news. Actually, I wanted to tell you when you woke up, but I couldn’t, until you were better.”

“Good news?” She asked. “What is it?”

“You’re engaged! You have a fiance. Can you guess who it is?”

Fiance. Anastasia almost blanched at the thought. The idea of marriage in the clans, particularly the warriors, was almost taboo. They lived and died for war, for the clan. Sexual fidelity was almost never a consideration. If they felt attracted to another person, even a stranger, they would just approach the person straight up and ask for coupling. There would be no consequences either, thanks to the contraceptive technology implanted in every warrior.

The civilian castes did have marriages, but often required the sanction of the scientists and was mainly for the purpose of reproduction. Avryl knew that many civilians have partners outside of their approved mates and it was never an issue as long as contraceptives were used and did not produce children not permitted by the clan.

But this… to actually have a fiance… Avryl was no stranger to sex, especially back in the sibko as a growing cadet and naturally curious about her maturing body. After she became a warrior, she rarely partook in it, preferring to focus on improving her martial skills, although she did end up coupling with Tiaret quite frequently during their posting on Londerholm.

“Who is it?”

Her question was half-hearted, but the Baron shouted as if it were enough.

“Viscount Rason of Delacambre asked for a marriage!”

Rason? Why does it sound so familiar? I’ve heard this name before. Anastasia furrowed her brow as she tried to recall the name. Rason, Rason, Rason. Delacambre… She felt like smacking herself. How could I forget?

She blurted out, “Finn Rason?”

The Baron looked amazed. “Oh, yes! That’s right. He’s Viscount Finnickerhet Ian Rason now. Ana, you are really smart. I didn’t know you were close enough to him to call him Finn. Unfortunately, Viscount Rason succeeded to the title just after his father passed away.”

Anastasia wanted to smack herself for her slip-up. For somebody with memory loss, she should not know this! Thankfully, the Baron did not notice.

Furthermore… She actually knew Captain Finn Rason of the First Davion Guards, who hailed from Delacambre, some stravag Outback world in the Federated Commonwealth. She had issued batchalls to him, they had faced off on the battlefield, weapons blazing away at each other trying to defeat each other, Avryl Showers in her Spirit Walker, Finn Rason in his Rifleman.

Of all people to get engaged to… It was hard to believe that Finn Rason was now her fiance. It was at this exact moment that the reality of her situation sank into Anastasia, the realisation that she was somehow now completely a noble in the Inner Sphere and in the body of a woman named Anastasia Kalinska.

“He said he’ll visit in two days.”

“….”

“Surprised, aren’t you?”

Anastasia could not think of any other reply. “…Yes?”

“Ana? You don’t like it? You still haven’t forgotten about Baron Renard Haynes?”

She was confused, “What do you mean?”

The Baron closed his mouth tightly, as though realising he had made a mistake and refused to reveal any more information. Could it be that the original Anastasia had something to do with this other noble? Such a troublesome woman.

Anastasia sighed.

 
9th January
1000 hrs (1200 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Viscount Rason’s visit took place before noon two days later. By right, there was no need to dress up as it was just a courtesy visit, but for some reason, the maids put in great effort to dress her up.

First, she had to bathe in warm water with some fragrant scent mixed in. The scent was too strong, and made her cough so much that her lips slightly turned pale, so they applied light lipstick to make her look less washed out.

Even her long hair, which demanded so much more attention and care than her previous shoulder length hair when she was Avryl Showers. It seemed shiny enough to her, but the maids spread some oil and kept brushing it. She had not even gotten out of bed yet, but if they were doing this much, how much would her head hurt if she participated in a banquet? And how do noblewomen endure such time-consuming grooming?

Anastasia felt distant from what was happening. Her stamina was waning.

If her stamina was going to wear thin anyway, she might have been better off getting some real exercise done. At least she would feel stronger in subsequent days, and actually improve her stamina!

Of course, she knew that it was too much for her right now. Her current body had virtually no muscles. Her recovery rate was terrible, and the aftereffects of her illness from her dip in the lake had not disappeared.

She waited for Viscount Rason on her sick bed with makeup on, and the thought of it made her feel humiliated. If any of her former comrades had seen this, they would not have stopped laughing. Come to think of it, there were several episodes of the Steinhearts where they did exactly that.

She thought of the names of her closest warriors. Erlin, Gast, Camille, Larris. What are they doing now? Did they manage to survive the Annihilation? What about the other warriors she knew? Star Captain Tiaret Nevversan? Star Colonel Pellen Wirth?

Anastasia hugged her knees and buried her head, trying to fend off sorrowful thoughts.

The maid, who had been waiting nervously next to her, said, “My lady, your hair is getting dishevelled!”

For some reason, Anastasia felt irritated by this comment. “Why do I have to worry about my hair when I am sick?”

At that moment, they heard a polite knock on the door. The maid next to her had been listening attentively, and gave her a slight nod.

Viscount Rason had arrived, punctual to the scheduled time. Anastasia expected no less of a former regular soldier and officer of an elite unit.

His footsteps echoed to the room as he approached the door, which was opened for him when he was near enough. Their eyes met and they locked their gazes on each other as he continued walking into her room. It was considered a breach of etiquette for a man to enter a noblewoman’s bedroom, but since he was her fiance and she was sick, it was allowed.

The Viscount walked towards her with sure and steady steps, like the soldier she remembered from their occasional communications. With each step came an overpowering sense of intimidation, not helped by the menace he was extruding.

Finn Rason was just slightly taller than average, but that meant he towered over the diminutive Anastasia. His hair was dirty copper, and his eyes were green. With a firm jawline and masculine features, he was definitely handsome, but to Anastasia, he was just the unlucky man to have her as his betrothed.

She frowned. There was a strange sense of deja vu. The last time she had seen Finn Rason was on the small display on her HUD when he granted her hegira on Yamarovka during the failed Smoke Jaguar counterattack. But to now face that same enemy while lying on a comfortable bed?

She felt like punching him right in his oh-so-very punchable face. No matter how handsome or attractive it was.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, the maids quickly bowed their heads and left.

Now, there was only Anastasia and Finn in the room. Instead of exchanging polite but empty pleasantries, they immediately exchanged hostile gazes more suitable for bitter enemies facing each other. Which, in Anastasia’s opinion, was exactly the case.

Finn spoke first, “I apologise for giving you such a late greeting, my lady.”

As an aristocratic man in front of his nobleborn fiancee, he should have shown his respect by kissing her hand, but he did not. Even worse, he just stood there instead of sitting on the prepared chair or kneeling next to the bed, forcing her to crane her neck to look up at him.

Anastasia finally decided to toss out a ceremonial remark. “I am sorry for your loss, my lord.”

Internally, she actually wanted to say something like, “Who cares, Viscount Rason?” but instead some level of tact made her choose the minimum level of courtesy.

Silence reigned for a moment. She raised her head, thinking she might have said something wrong, only to find the Viscount’s stern expression.

She hoped he would leave soon, now that he had seen she was fine. It was already hard enough for her to bear the situation she had been put in, and seeing the face of the enemy who had thwarted her so many times was just too much.

She was already struggling just to keep herself from killing this opponent who was once in her targeting sights.

Then the Viscount growled, “It’s a forced engagement, but it still feels disgusting.”

Anastasia rolled her eyes and tried hard to hold back from saying, “I feel the same way.” She finally looked up at him with hostile eyes.

Despite still feeling a bit weak, Anastasia forced herself off the bed and stood in front of him. Despite the height difference, she refused to give him the satisfaction of having her look up to him, so she kept her head down but moved her eyes up instead.

Finn mock-shuddered at the sight, his eyes staring down at her as though she was a mere insect in front of him. “Wow, you even have makeup on. Were you even sick at all?”

“No more pleasantries? Fine by me.”

The man’s green eyes slightly widened and then curved into a smile at the words that Ana spat out. He looked at her with an expression of interest and then chuckled.

“If it was up to me, I would never have agreed to this engagement. I can forgive your past dalliance with Renard Haynes, but if you can’t let go of him and continue to behave so shamelessly, either by committing suicide or by showing such displeasing behaviour in front of me, the future may not be very nice for you. Honestly, I don’t find you particularly likeable either.”

A cold smile formed on Anastasia’s lips. She folded her arms together and sighed. She felt like jumping out the balcony with shame. So the original Anastasia did have a “past” with Baron Haynes. And it seemed like she jumped into some lake because of a failed affair. Figures.

Anastasia found it all too ridiculous. Viscount Rason even seemed to expect her defiance. Even if it was a misunderstanding, why did she have to endure such a scandalous misunderstanding in the first place? Even if it actually was not her, Anastasia felt dirty just by association.

To make matters worse, the fact that the original Anastasia had committed suicide for love made her feel disgusted with her own body.

Finally, if that was not enough, Viscount Rason had mistakenly thought that the reason she could not receive him with a positive attitude was because she had not forgotten Baron Haynes. But if she backed down now, it felt too much like a loss in an opening skirmish.

Anastasia hated to lose.

So she looked at him and said, “If it is so unpleasant to you, can we just maintain this situation without getting married or find a way to divorce immediately after marriage?”

The Viscount smirked at her words, but his eyes showed that he was offended. “Unfortunately, I have a ****** obligation to continue the family line and have heirs.”

“……” Anastasia could not speak for a moment, flabbergasted by the thought of pushing a baby through that… that orifice. While Avryl had been born from an iron womb like all trueborns, the civilian castes still reproduced the old fashioned way. She remembered seeing an instructional holovid in the sibko about childbirth, and the whole thing just seemed insane to her.

And she would have to do this for Finn Rason, of all people? Maybe even several times?

No way. By the Founder, absolutely no way.

Finn continued, “Still, I like the idea of delaying the marriage. When the time is right, we’ll get married and then divorce right away. I don’t want to be with someone like you, my lady.”

He was twisting his lips into a crooked smile.

Anastasia knew very well now that Finn thought very poorly of her, which made sense. If the reason she jumped into the lake was because of Baron Haynes, it was understandable that her fiance would be disgruntled at the fact that his betrothed still loved another man.

It also seemed that Finn never liked Anastasia even without that complication. From what she had gathered, it was only through the orders of the previous Viscount that Finn even had to enter this engagement, and they could not cancel it. But they could postpone it indefinitely if they wanted to.

She had not even adjusted to her new situation yet, and they were already telling her to marry this man and couple with him? Not happening.

She laughed scornfully at his statement that he did not like her. “That is a good thing, thank you.”

She laughed heartily, then felt like biting her own tongue when she realised she sounded just like one of those cackling evil villainesses in the holovids. Finn also smirked as he looked at her face. He lifted his hand and stroked her fallen black hair, then placed his hand on her shoulder just below it. At first glance, it simply seemed like affectionate physical contact between an engaged couple.

Then he whispered into her ear, “If you do another foolish act of jumping into the lake again, you should be prepared for the consequences.”

Anastasia glared at him in response. “Then I guess next time I should just jump off the tallest building in the capital.”

At her confident words, Finn’s eyes gleamed with a dangerous light. Was he going to hit her or something? She was not afraid. She was used to getting hit. It was practically a requirement for getting through sibko training, where their trainers would beat them regularly to toughen them up.

Finn placed his right hand on her shoulder, and she hit his arm with her left arm, trying to knock it off with all her might. However, her meagre strength could barely budge his heavy grip. She was amazed to realise that her strength was even worse than she had thought.

She raised her hand again to push his arm away, but to no avail. Even she knew that Finn was not gripping her shoulder tightly on purpose. It was simply because she was inherently weak, and had been sick lately, so she had no strength. Angry and frustrated, she looked up at Finn, who looked at her with a mocking expression on his face. His eyes held clear contempt for her.

Words might work where strength did not. “Take your paws off me.”

Despite clenching her teeth, she knew she had already shown weakness. Finn calmly removed his hand from her shoulder.

“Well, it seems like you’ll have to take a lift up the tallest building, cos you certainly don’t have the strength to climb up on your own two pathetic feet.” His left hand came up, two fingers mimicking a walking figure.

In response to his mockery, she was so enraged that her hair started standing on end. Finn’s smile grew even wider as he looked at her. She wished she could just slap that face. However, it was entirely possible she would only end up hurting her own hand even if the slap connected.

“Get out.” Anastasia spat out.

Finn shrugged, and bowed slightly. “Alright, I’ve done all the formalities I needed to. No need to waste any more time.” He turned his back without even saying goodbye and left the room.

As he left, the maids suddenly emerged from wherever they were hiding and crowded around her, scrutinising her face and anxiously asking about her condition.

Anastasia ignored them and just glared at his back. Bargained poorly and done, Finn Rason.

It was not exactly what she had hoped for, but she had overcome her first crisis.
---------------------------------------------
I used a number of in-universe references here. Can you spot them?

Next, the mechs. I know the Spirit Walker is supposed to be extinct, but hey, it's always possible one still lurked around in a cache, and there are reasons why I wanted it in the fic. Meanwhile, Finn's Rifleman is his family heirloom, but upgraded with post-Helm technology. He's changed to another mech since Bulldog, though the old Rifleman is still around.

Lastly, the day-night cycle on Inman is 28 standard hours long, which leads to some required working around by the locals. I had a devil of a time trying to align the standard day/time with the Inman cycles, resorted to an excel spreadsheet to calculate.

[Starfox5]

A match made in heaven. How long will it take her to get back in shape to kick his butt?

[Sir Chaos]

A match made in heaven. How long will it take her to get back in shape to kick his butt?

Hopefully long enough for her to realize there are more deserving butts to kick. Like the one whose owner shot her in the back, or the one whose owner drove Ana to drown herself.

[The Wobbly Guy]

@Starfox5: Quite long. She keeps getting set back by events. And by the time she's ready, would she even want to?
@Sir Chaos: Yup, those are the names on her *hitlist. Finn has one too, as you will read next.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Haynes Palatial Manor, Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
9th January, 3061

Finn was still in a foul mood the next local cycle when he entered the Haynes palatial manor, seat of their power. The sentries on guard saluted him briefly as he passed through security. Then his mood grew even more foul when he saw the person approaching him.

Captain Spencer Larouche wore his usual oily smirk as he walked towards Finn, while Finn’s mouth curved in obvious disgust. Of all the people he hated, Spencer Larouche was at the very top.

“It is nice to see you, Viscount Rason.”

Finn felt like slapping that smirk away.

“Nice for you, not for me. Your face makes me angry, so I’d like you to get lost, Larouche.”

Larouche shrugged in response. “Unfortunately, I cannot. We are headed to the same place.”

"What?"

Finn never got along well with Spencer, and he was sure the other man felt the same, though Spencer never showed it outwardly. Finn loathed Spencer, not least because of what the other man had done.

“Count Haynes called us both in.”

“…… damn."

Finn cursed a bit under his breath. In the end, as they were both heading in the same direction, he had no choice but to go through the same hallway. There was only one corridor that led to the Count’s office.

"Oh, I heard you are engaged."

“……”

“I heard that your fiancee is the famous daughter of Baron Kalinski, the White Lotus of Altoona. Is that true?"

Finn refused to rise to the obvious bait. “…….”

"Ah, I've seen her face several times from afar, she is indeed very beautiful. So much so she managed to bewitch even Baron Haynes for a brief time.”

Spencer was mocking him now, bringing up the fact that the Count Haynes’ son Renard had abandoned the woman after playing around with her.

Finn twisted his lips. Despite his origins, that bastard seemed right at home in the venomous pit of snakes that characterised the nobility of the Inner Sphere. Finn didn't like the way he frequently mocked other people with his backhanded compliments either.

"Lady Kalinska surely must have been delighted to see you. You must be sad that she has not been feeling well."

He even raised the rumour that his fiancee had jumped into the manor’s lake right after being rejected by Renard!

Goaded, Finn finally said, “Your efforts for Renard seems more appreciated than that of Lady Anastasia.”

Spencer’s oily smirk grew wider. “I think anyone who hears that will misunderstand. I am only the Count’s faithful servant."

“Sure, whatever you say. I do get entertained by your efforts.”

“.......”

“I think they’re mostly in vain though. Still, I bet the Count is impressed.”

“Well, I can only thank you for your overt interest in me.” Spencer smiled.

What a sly fox. Without a ready comeback, Finn could only glare at the other man.

No more words were exchanged between the two men as they walked together. Finn’s thoughts turned towards his fiancee.

Based on noble ranking, Baron Kalinski’s daughter should have been glad for his engagement offer. After such a humiliating and scandalous event, she would probably have no other choice but to get married to an older nobleman as a second wife, if it wasn’t for his offer of an engagement to protect her status.

He was somewhat surprised to see that she was able to offer her condolences for his deceased father, but her cold demeanour showed her lack of maturity.

Her face had 'I couldn't marry Renard because of you' written all over it. She didn't even offer for him to sit with her as if she didn't even want to see his face. Come to think of it, just as he detested Spencer, she also seemed to despise him in the same way. Finn wondered if his family had ever done anything unspeakable to the Kalinskis.

However, he had thought Baron Boris Kalinski was pleased when he had responded enthusiastically to the engagement notice. Furthermore, although he had met the Kalinskis somewhat frequently since his return to the Trivet, and they had exchanged passing greetings, he had never engaged them in conversation. They simply had no common interests.

So why the deathly glare from Anastasia? When he thought about it, he realised another strange thing - her speech patterns was that of a warrior. He had been so startled by the novelty of speaking informally to his fiancee, that he didn’t even think about the fact that she could respond to his brusque words so naturally.

In hindsight, he should have been surprised that such a well-groomed noblewoman could speak so crudely at all. He didn't notice it at the time because it had sounded so natural. Did she go insane when she threw herself into the lake? He would definitely refuse to have a crazy spouse, regardless of the consequences.

Finn frowned at the memory of that unpleasant first meeting. He said he would divorce her right after marriage, but that meant even more paperwork. Thinking of that grim future annoyed him to no end.

Eventually, the two men reached Count Haynes’ office. With a polite knock to announce their presence, they pushed the door open and entered.

“My lord,” they greeted simultaneously, bowing at the waist.

Count William Haynes had ruled the Trivet worlds, comprising of Inman, Altoona, and Delcambre, for the past three decades since before the Fourth Succession War. He answered to Duke James Sandoval, Minister and ruler of the Draconis March, and further up to their ultimate sovereign, First Princess Katrina Steiner-Davion, now ruler of the Federated Commonwealth. Although as far as Finn knew, none of the First Princes had any reason to focus their attentions on the worlds of the Trivet, as isolated and poor as they were.

Count Haynes looked worried. The old man rested his forehead on one hand, his fatigue clear to both men. “Viscount Rason, Captain Larouche.”

They stood to attention.

“You heard the latest news?”

Finn mentally ran through the events of the past few days. Well, there was that affair Renard Haynes was involved in, receiving payoffs in return for introducing commercial interests to their prospective regulators. Strictly speaking, it was not illegal, yet the very perception of corruption can, in itself, be quite damning.

As a result, there was a groundswell of sentiment against Renard. The news networks were spinning furiously the past few days to shape public perception more favourably, but there were limits to their reach. There were already a few major protest marches.

Protests were fine. The Federated Suns was founded with an emphasis on freedom of speech. But usually, that was as far as things went. Rarely did these protests result in any actual change, and matters usually returned to the status quo after some time. If they didn’t…

The ‘whiff of grapeshot’ still worked as well as ever.

While petitions could still go up the chain to the First Prince, at the ground level the government officials and the nobility would usually conspire to mitigate such charges and find plausible excuses here and there to excuse the excesses of the local nobles.

Finn had seen it all. Studied them, even, during his time at Kilbourne Academy. The power of an entrenched bureaucracy, the Deep State, could make or break even absolute rulers, and was something even the monarchs of the Successor States often refused to admit to themselves. Capable rulers, like First Prince Hanse Davion and Coordinator Theodore Kurita, knew how to subtly shape the apparatus of state to their aims, while mediocre rulers, like Captain-General Janos Marik, would be foiled by internal opposition at every turn.

“Tensions are rising, and damn Renard for getting caught!”

There it was. It wasn’t that Renard did anything wrong. It was that he got caught. Nobody claimed Count Haynes, least of all himself, as any paragon of virtue. The old man had lied, swindled, and cheated his way to power and wealth over the years.

Finn supposed he shouldn’t be surprised. The Count had taken on Spencer as his military aide and commander of his household troops, after all. But even if he found it distasteful, he still owed the Count his loyalty and fealty.

Such were the obligations of a noble in the Inner Sphere, bound to the web of the feudal system. You didn’t have to like your rulers or even your subordinates, you just had to do your own job.

“I want the two of you to have your men ready. If the worst happens, you should know what to do.”

Finn glanced over at Spencer. The Count was deliberately being vague on his orders, all the more for them to take the fall if anything went wrong.

Strictly speaking, it wasn’t Finn’s problem. By tradition, the Viscount of Delacambre was responsible for the military defences of the Trivet, keeping tabs on production of vital logistics and making sure they could fend off pirate raids, or historically, hostile incursions from the Draconis Combine.

Finn himself preferred to be on an actual battlefield instead of handling domestic matters.

But when the Count called, well, he couldn’t refuse. The upside was, if he played a major part in resolving the problem, it would be the Count’s turn to owe him a favour.

And that would be useful indeed.

Kalinski Estate
17th January, 3061

“My lady, please stop.”

At the maid's plea, Anastasia slowed her pace. She was panting, and her heart was pounding. Sweat dripped down and stuck to her body. Bystanders would have thought that she was crazy, but unfortunately for Anastasia, she had only gone twice around the garden. And she was not even running, just walking a little faster.

To Avryl, Anastasia’s body was shockingly feeble. She was so limited in what she could do. How did the original Ana manage to go for all those parties?

When she resolved to start her physical training, she could not even find suitable clothes from the wardrobe to wear for exercise! So she was stuck wearing the shifts that Anastasia seemed to have in plenty. Thankfully, the estate grounds were mostly populated by the maids of the household and she did not have to worry about leering eyes.

Not that Anastasia cared. The clans were never that hung up on these social mores, though she knew that in the aristocracy of the Inner Sphere, proprieties still had to be observed.

Her plan was pretty simple. Although her body was far weaker than Avryl’s, she still wanted to be fit and strong. Who knew what dangers could be out there? Even if Anastasia was raised as a pampered and protected noblewoman, she just could not abide the sheer lack of physical activity.

So, she had to build up her strength and stamina. It was a good thing that she happened to be somewhat familiar with the therapeutic, rehabilitation, and conditioning exercises used by the clans to recover, especially after injuries, and this knowledge certainly came in handy now.

Except that she did not expect her body was going to be this weak!

She staggered over to a table, pausing to catch her breath. Her heart was pounding so hard she could count her heartrate even without putting a finger to her neck.

The maid next to her called out in worry, "Miss!"

Anastasia waved her off. “I am fine. I have to do this.” She was waiting for her heartrate to subside before continuing her exercises.

The maid pouted. “I will tell the master.”

Anastasia stubbornly persisted. "You can try, but this is something I must do." She took a deep breath and started doing supported squats using the table. If only the stravag shift didn’t keep getting in between her legs! She made a mental note to ask the maids to get her proper exercise attire.

Callisthenics were traditional bodyweight exercises used by warriors through the ages, and even after mankind’s ascent to the stars, they were still amongst the best exercises for building up strength. Anastasia recalled a fellow clan warrior who once lost his legs in battle and got cloned replacements, but still had to go through the gruelling rehabilitation exercises to ensure full reconnection of his nervous system and to recover his lower body strength.

Supported squats, standing pulls, standing push-offs, seated knee tucks, she recited mentally to herself. As weak as her body was, she could only do the most basic of exercises. And considering that Inman had decent 1.03 G gravity, she could not blame the weakness of her body on the local conditions either. Freebirth, there were clan homeworlds with 1.5Gs!

Meanwhile, the maids watched their lady, worried and yet proud of her determination. They had quickly realised that their mistress, who had always been mean with a sharp tongue, was now even more stubborn but also somewhat gentler. The more astute ones recognised that Anastasia was now kind to everybody to some extent, instead of playing favourites and capriciously switching as she had done in the past.

They knew that Lady Anastasia had lost her memory. She had lost all her etiquette and seemed to lack any knowledge of the social conventions that surrounded her status. Yet she was generous and they felt that made her more adorable than before. Even though she was an adult, she also did not begrudge their efforts to care for her.

The maid sighed, “I’ll hold up a parasol? The sun is very strong!”

Anastasia eyed the small and flimsy parasol dubiously, then up at the sky, where Inman’s M0V class primary cast down its reddish-orange light. Compared to Huntress’s G7V yellow star, this was far weaker and she would normally not even care. Except that Anastasia’s skin, like the rest of her body, was probably just as delicate, and might not even withstand the rays of such weak sunlight.

"Your arms would hurt. I am also taller than you. Your name is….?"

“I’m Luisa.”

“All right, Luisa,” she gave in eventually. The maid’s intentions were well-meaning, and Anastasia just could not bring herself to reject her kind offer.

One more thing the servants noticed was that she was friendlier with her maids and made an effort to remember their names, instead of just saying “Hey you”. Of course, the effort was ineffective since she would always mix up their names.

The estate, where everyone once walked constantly on thin ice due to Lady Kalinska’s vicious personality, was turning into an easier place to work in. One of the more poetic maids even compared the brighter mood to blooming flowers.

The maids remembered Anastasia’s savagery, but they held no grudges against her. At their lowly status, it was expected of their betters. Lady Anastasia’s rank was too high for them to consider otherwise. Besides, they felt they were already lucky enough to have jobs and food on the table. Why put all that at risk?

Except now, Lady Anastasia’s every action slowly entangled the convoluted knot of depressed feelings in the servants, confounding and astounding them in equal measure. Several times, she could not stand back and just watch the maids working hard. She would take on the small chores, such as pouring water for herself, even if her strength was still weak.

The maids managed to stop her from doing so anymore, because they would get into trouble with the head butler. These incidents also convinced them that Lady Anastasia was not inherently bad and that she was just spoiled. Maybe the failed suicide attempt also ignited a burst of maturity?

They certainly hoped so.

The Baron was also delighted with Anastasia's changes because she stopped being so picky and was a lot more easy-going. In all, they were slowly getting used to Avryl as Anastasia.

After several more exhausting rounds, Anastasia finally gave into Luisa's pleas to rest. When she entered the house, one of her other maids brought her a gift box, saying that the master had sent it since she asked for it. Opening the box, she was a bit surprised.

It was a dagger, adorned with so many jewels on the hilt that it seemed almost impractical. She held up the gaudy dagger with one hand, judging its balance critically. As she suspected from its appearance, it was poorly balanced, had a lousy grip with the jewels, and was meant for ornamentation, not actual combat. It was still sharp, but that was about it. Trying to block attacks or to stab with the dagger would be foolish against a competent opponent.

Anastasia felt disappointed, but consoled herself with the fact she at least got a dagger. She knew the Baron doted on his daughter, and would acquiesce to almost anything she asked for.

Asking for a gun would set off all sorts of alarms though, and she dared not press her luck too hard. And if a gun was too much, even more so for a mech. She was not even sure if her current body had the neurological responsiveness in the first place.

Besides, buying a mech was a whole new level of expenditure. Discreet and oblique enquiries had revealed that there actually was a family heirloom mech stashed away somewhere on Altoona, but nobody had seen it or even know where or what it was. Disappointing, but expected given what she had observed of the Baron and the state of the household. They were definitely not a military family, or else had lost whatever pretence to being one.

Anastasia sighed and finally strapped the sheath around her right thigh, before sliding the dagger into it. She practised drawing the dagger out of the sheath a few times, before she was satisfied at her draw speed and that she would not cut herself while doing so.

The dagger under her ostentatious clothes. A tinge of danger under a veil of glamour. She supposed that was who she was now, just like she was actually Avryl Showers in Anastasia Kalinska.

In fact, it took some explanation before she understood why her surname was different from her father's. House Kalinski still adhered to the old tradition of using different suffixes for male and female members of the family, although they did not keep the patronymics.

The best part of every day was mealtime. The food was far better than the rations issued to the warriors of the clans. Other than a few special occasions, it had always been the same old protein bars, energy drinks, and reconstituted ‘meat’ that passed for food. After she tested out as a warrior, the poor state of the Clan’s economy meant that even the warriors did not enjoy luxurious meals.

In the Inner Sphere, she had some exposure to the local food and delicacies on the conquered worlds of the occupation zone, and she came to appreciate ramen, donburi, and sushi, staple meals of the occupied worlds, but there were not many opportunities to enjoy them. She especially missed okonomiyaki.

The food on Inman was different, centred around European style cuisine. She found that she enjoyed aglio olio, pizza, and the lighter soups, though the more flavorful dishes still seemed too much for her recovering stomach. She also finally got to taste the mythical ice cream, and it was especially delightful, since she had never tasted anything like it before. The quillar flavour was too sweet though; she preferred vanilla.

It was sheer decadence compared to the spartan lifestyles of the clans, but Anastasia resolved to enjoy it since she now was able to. That did not stop her feeling somewhat guilty at times though.

Militia HQ,
Innerman City
18th January, 3061

Finn groaned. As if the protests weren't enough, the protestors were now going after the companies that had paid Renard off. It was a change of tactics that did not augur well for tamping down tensions.

Several of these companies had called in, complaining that they couldn't conduct business as usual due to people deliberately blocking their vehicles, pestering their workers, or playing very loud music outside their offices. A few extremists even went after the families of the owners, further exacerbating the tensions.

Civil disobedience of this sort could be very effective when sustained, and the authorities wouldn't have any real reason to shut most of them down.

The usual counter strategy would be to go after the protest leaders, putting them under house arrest. With the broad powers available to the local nobles, this was not just possible, but even legal. However, it could also set off another round of protests against the government’s heavy hand.

"Sir, Tom Cladis called to complain his family is being harassed." His secretary Eric stood to attention while reporting in his office.

Finn sighed. "Pass it on to Chief Donaire. It's the police's job, not ours. We're only good for breaking things, and this isn't the time for that."

"Then why did they call us?"

"Because these small minded fools are hoping we'll take action. And then the heat gets transferred to us because we'll end up breaking people."

With his command of the militia, he currently only had a lance of mechs and another lance of combat vehicles, but these would be overkill against the protestors. And Count Haynes himself had his own household guards, commanded by Captain Spencer Larouche. Better the steady escalation of force, first through the police, before they had to be involved.

If they were called in too quickly, the populace would forever remember the response, and nobody liked having to live the next decade constantly looking over their shoulder for possible threats.

He’ll have to tread the line carefully. Unless something serious happened that absolutely required the presence of a military force, he would wait for specific instructions from Count Haynes. And even then, he would make sure the justifications were sound before taking action.

Not that it would come to this, Finn hoped. The way things were going, it would only take a spark to set the whole city on fire…

----------------------------------------------------------
Inman

System Information
Coordinates 556.02 : 7.187
Stellar Class M0V
Recharge times 201 hours
Recharge stations Zenith

Geophysical
System Position 1st
Jump Point distance 3.17 days
Moons 2
Surface gravity 1.03
Atmospheric pressure Standard (Breathable)
Equatorial temperature 16 0C (boreal)
Surface water 80%
Highest native life Birds

Infrastructure
Capital Innerman City
Population 80,000,000
Socio-economic levels D-D-C-C-B
HPG station B

[Sir Chaos]

@Starfox5: Quite long. She keeps getting set back by events. And by the time she's ready, would she even want to?

If she lets Finn in on who she really is, by that time I think he might decide to let her kick his ass ("just this once, for old times´ sake"), so she can get it out of her system and focus on what´s to come.

I think that would be the kind of romantic gesture a Smoke Jaguar could appreciate.

[Starfox5]

Wouldn't that be like throwing a fight, and considered an insult?

[Sir Chaos]

Wouldn't that be like throwing a fight, and considered an insult?

You´re only throwing the fight if you could have won.

Avryl in her prime was probably a good bit more dangerous than Finn - she´s been raised as a warrior from birth, whereas for him being a soldier was something he did until it was time to be a noble again.

Plus, we could consider the whole thing a Trial of Grievance from the Clan perspective, and there´s plenty of precedent for clanners "throwing the fight" for various reasons - such as the Nova Cats during Operation  Bulldog.

[mikecj]

TAG'd

[The Wobbly Guy]

Finally, a bit of mech action! This is Battletech, after all. Those who have read the novels should know which scene from the novels inspired the action in this chapter.
----------------------------------------
Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
26th January, 3061
2200 hrs (1400 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

"It is nice to go outside after such a long time. It’s also good to take a break from your exercising."

"Is that so? Then I will try to come out more often."

The maid, Anastasia thought her name was Louise, laughed happily at that. The laughter wasn't aimed at Ana specifically, but more for herself.

I must be getting soft if I am so easily slacking off, Anastasia lamented internally. She trained hard for the past few cycles, but on the previous morning she could barely crawl out of bed because her muscles were all so sore. She spent the whole day getting massages from her maids to help her recover, and the maids all insisted that she took a break today.

It was also a time for her to get acclimated to the local day/night cycles. Inman was a slightly larger planet than Terra, and took 28 standard hours to make one complete rotation. As a result, the natives adjusted their daily schedules to the local cycle. Instead of 2400 hrs for local time, they used 2800 hrs.

The normal schedule for most people was to wake at 0600 hrs, do their stuff til 1400 hrs, then have a short rest period til 1800 hrs, where they would usually take a short nap (the locals call it siesta), then usually work again for a short time before knocking off for leisure, or start their leisure time straightaway. At 2600 hrs, most people would go to sleep for the next day, the long rest period. It also happened that every standard week of 7 days coincided with 6 local cycles, since each standard Thursday more or less matched the local cycle, so it was considered the start of each cycle and standard week, and hence also designated the rest day instead of the traditional Sunday.

Left with nothing to do, Anastasia gave into her curiosity and decided to explore the city a bit during the second sleep period, when less people would be out and about. Furthermore, she was feeling a bit cooped up in the Kalinski estate, having gotten used to constantly moving around when she was leading the Jaguar’s Mists Binary. So she made up an excuse about buying proper exercise attire to leave the estate, claiming that the ones the servants had provided still did not fit quite right.

The caveat was that she had to go with a bodyguard, given the current state of the capital.

The bodyguard, Ben, was now driving their hoverlimo. He did not look like much, and Anastasia figured she could have taken him down in seconds when she was still Avryl. Still, it was better than nothing, at least until she had trained up sufficiently to protect herself. In fact, she was already feeling a bit stronger compared to when she just woke up as Anastasia.

The Peloran Class Six hoverlimo was luxurious enough, but the low humming of the combustion engine spoke to its relatively low tech construction, while in the clan homeworlds, hover vehicles were usually powered by fuel cells or batteries.

Anastasia looked out of the window, which was opened to let in the cool air. Innerman City was completely different to what she had previously experienced before.

Some of the larger, more advanced structures were obviously old, but well-maintained, and probably stemmed from the time of the Star League. The simple but elegant architecture spoke of high hopes and a yearning for a more prosperous life.

Compared to the brutally utilitarian structures of the Smoke Jaguars, spiced up by bombastic monuments to the glory of the clan, or the plain cookie-cutter industrial looking cities of the Draconis Combine, occasionally interspersed with small pockets of beautifully crafted Japanese buildings, this was a whole new experience for her.

As the hoverlimo cruised at a steady speed down the road, Anastasia tried to process her mixed feelings. The fall of the Star League resulted in the Succession Wars, which lasted for more than two hundred years and wrecked the Inner Sphere, as the Lords of the five Great Houses struggled in vain to gain dominance over the others.

House Davion, rulers of the Federated Suns, where Inman was located.

House Steiner, rulers of the Lyran Commonwealth. Houses Steiner and Davion had merged through an alliance marriage, but Anastasia, with some of the rumours she had heard as Avryl, suspected the union was not going as smoothly as planned.

House Kurita, rulers of the Draconis Combine, which the Smoke Jaguars tried to conquer unsuccessfully.

House Marik, rulers of the Free Worlds League. She did not know much about them except they tended to wage internal conflicts within themselves almost as much as against external enemies.

House Liao, rulers of the Capellan Confederation. The weakest House, but had skilled warriors who were almost fanatical in battle.

For Anastasia, it was a bittersweet feeling, knowing that she had become a noble of one of the states which betrayed the Star League. Even now, evidence that the city was the result of Star League technology and economy was apparent, with access points along the roads for maintenance of the underground infrastructure. For example, the lack of messy hanging electrical cables informed her that the electrical grid was all underground, but this required vast maintenance and a robust infrastructure.

There was something else though.

"Why is the capital so noisy? I thought it was siesta?" There were throngs of people crowding the streets as they neared the city centre, slowing the hoverlimo’s speed to a crawl. Many held placards, with slogans and words, some horribly misspelt, a sign of their lack of education.

At Anastasia’s question, the maid opened the window separating the driver's compartment from the passenger seats and asked the same thing to their bodyguard.

"Ah, these are protestors angry at Baron Haynes for alleged corruption."

“Hmmph.” Anastasia huffed. She was still annoyed whenever Baron Renard Haynes’ name came up. She was also somewhat vaguely aware that he had gotten into some kind of trouble the last few days, based on the reports from the media, but judging from what was happening around her right now, the media was obviously underplaying the severity of the protests.

The maid looked a little nervous. “My lady, let’s hope nobody recognises the hoverlimo or you. It will be troublesome if somebody recognised you and connected you to the Baron. Better close the window. Or, we could turn back, but it’ll take time to exit the street.”

Anastasia looked at her, and conceded to the wisdom in her words. Behind the tinted plexiglass of the window, it would be much more difficult for the protestors to see her face. Turning back, however… it would be the same as continuing on their errand, and Anastasia really wanted to spend time outside the estate.

Traffic was at a virtual standstill now, while waiting for the mass of people in front of it to dissipate.

Then people started shrieking in fear and running away in the direction of the traffic.

 

Billy was just an Agromech jockey, been one for years. Harvest after harvest, doing the same things day after day, week after week, year after year. He was short, ugly, and people said he was stupid. But he had something many people did not have.

A responsive neurological system that enabled him to almost make a mech dance under his control. That was his sole point of pride.

When he was younger, he had used that ability to brag and get women. He had played around, spending his earnings in flashy displays of wealth. He didn’t settle down, instead wanting to continue his free-and-easy life with no strings attached.

That life just came crashing down on him.

His boss had fired him. Their company had specialised in helping richer farmers with their harvests, and profits had been good for many years. When word came of possible regulation on the use of agromechs, including stiff fines on the condition of the machines, his boss decided he needed some additional insider knowledge. So the boss had contacted Renard Haynes who promised to get him in touch with the legislators working on the regulations.

That was all and fine, but it turned out that this communication wasn’t quite kosher, resulting in the massive shitshow going on in the city, and the legislators decided to protect themselves and claim innocence. To gather funds for the impending legal battle, his boss decided to fire him in favour of younger pilots who offered almost the same value for much lower wages.

So much for loyalty.

He got fired on the very day he found out he had racked up a huge debt with his drinking and brothel bills, when he had been planning on his substantial bonus to pay off the debt. If he couldn’t pay it off, the debtors had promised no small amount of pain with their own hired muscle. In fact, he already had a substantial dose of it, the taste of blood in his mouth and the bruises on his face stirring anger within him.

With few choices available, he took a cab into the city, and snuck into the company’s offices near the city centre. There they displayed some of the HVR-99 Harvester mechs to prospective clients, usually rich farmers or nobles who owned extensive agricultural holdings.

He had something of a plan. Get behind the controls of a Harvester, and get out of the city. Get some vengeance on his boss, the protestors, anybody and everybody who offended him or laughed at him. Then maybe sell the mech off for a tidy price, then hide out in the countryside for the rest of his days. He fortified himself with copious doses of liquid courage, and went into the office.

It was the end of the long lunch break, so the mech display room was empty. Security at the doors was almost laughable, and he got in by claiming he needed to check something. The guards apparently had not been informed of his departure from the company, and let him in. He was worried they would pick up the alcohol from his breath, but it was a frequent enough occurrence that they didn’t think it was anything out of the ordinary.

He took off his jacket, revealing the protective vest that would protect against sudden collisions. He looked up at the blocky humanoid machine in front of him, a ten metre tall behemoth equipped with a lift hoist in the right arm and a wicked looking combine in the left.

It was a far cry from the powerful battlemechs that were purposely built for war, but still a threat under the right conditions.

He quickly climbed up the rope ladder hanging from the mech to the cockpit mounted in its head, a boxy compartment surrounded by plexiglass. Experience also told him that these display machines were also usually topped up with fuel for their engines, and generally well-maintained. In front, he could see the protestors thronging the pavement and street in front of the display window. Obviously, nobody was paying any attention to him, even when he climbed into the cockpit and retracted the ladder.

He could already taste their fear when he finally moved the Harvester.

He put on the bulky neurohelmet, made sure it was connected to the cable hookup behind the seat, and set it in place over his head and shoulders. He then inserted the data chip that automatically tuned the neurohelmet to him. His hands moved with easy familiarity over the controls, turning on the small battery that would ignite the engine and power the cockpit systems, flipping switches, prepping the engine and fuel lines, and making sure the myomer circuitry was connected. With everything ready, he pushed the button that would actually start the engine, and hence the mech.

The powerful Junkers 120-rated engine roared to life, and the cockpit systems fully brightened up from their standby status. He could feel the power that surged through the myomer ‘muscles’ that moved the mech. He was no mechwarrior, but the sense of power from driving a mech, that made him feel strong. Powerful.

The standard refrain sounded in his neurohelmet:

Engine online.

Sensors online.

All systems nominal.

The Heads-Up Display (HUD) on the neurohelmet showed everything was in order. He grinned and pushed the throttle forward, shattering the store glass display.

The protestors fled in fear.

 

“What the…” Anastasia widened her eyes as the protestors suddenly started fleeing the streets, many of them screaming as they tried to run away.

Their driver turned back to look at them, his eyes also wide with fear. “There’s something in front!”

Anastasia looked out the front of the hoverlimo. It took about a bit of watching, but about four hundred metres away at the far end of the wide boulevard, she saw an agromech suddenly turn the corner onto the wide thoroughfare they were on. It stomped around, waving its arms wildly and smashing aside lamp posts and smaller vehicles, sending them flying right into the throng of people. There was a wide space around it, cleared by protestors as they ran away. There were already bodies on the street, victims of the mech’s rampage. Anastasia was not sure, but she could even make out several small bodies. It even dared to hurt children!

The protestors were amongst the vehicles. Those in the vehicles were also trying to get out, since their vehicles were stuck in traffic and could not move, but with so many protestors blocking the doors, many of them were stuck as well. The situation had developed into a stampede, and Anastasia could see Louise in tears. The poor girl was frightened. Ben in front was not much better. For a bodyguard, his complexion was pale and he looked terrified.

Facing down a mech, even an industrial one, probably was not in his job description.

They had to get out, the mech seemed to be moving towards them.

“Ken, open the door and try to make space for us!” Anastasia ordered.

The bodyguard nodded. He took an opportune moment to shove open the door, then used his body to block some of the onrushing protestors as he opened the door to let Anastasia and Louise out.

The moment they got out of the hoverlimo though, a particularly burly man literally ran through the poor bodyguard. His head collided with the side mirror of the vehicle, cleanly knocking him out.

“Ben!” Louise screamed in terror. Then the man smashed into her as well.

The maid crumpled from the impact. Anastasia herself barely got out of the way, flattening herself against a car to avoid colliding with the man. She looked at Louise, who was crying profusely now, her hands clasped around her left ankle.

“My lady, my ankle! It’s hurt!” They looked at the direction of the mech. It was slowly advancing closer.

Her bodyguard was unconscious. Her maid could not walk. There was no way she could carry them both, not in this weak body. And she could not bear to see her own people hurt, especially innocent young Louise. If they served her, she was responsible for them. In her mind, she already considered the servants and maids of the estate as her people, and the role of a leader was to protect their people.

Louise cried, “Lady, you must run!”

Anastasia looked around, trying to stay calm. She saw a massive cargo hauler, also abandoned by its driver. No vehicles blocked its path to the mech. That seemed a bit promising…

She looked at the mech again. Was it her, or was it moving a bit strangely?

Her sight narrowed on the right knee joint. It walked with a hitch, probably poor maintenance on the knee actuator. Perhaps even damaged.

If she had been in Avryl’s body, she would not have hesitated to take on the mech, even if unaugmented. There were ways to open up a cockpit from the outside, and she knew quite a few of them, having learned them from Elementals as part of the training to raid the Draconis Combine. And from that point on, it was simply a matter of killing the pilot to end the threat.

But in Anastasia’s body, there was no way she would be able to scale the mech to reach the cockpit, even with the right equipment.

So the cargo hauler it is.

Ignoring Louise’s cries for her to run away, Anastasia lifted up the skirt of her dress and started running for the cargo hauler. It was not far, only about thirty metres away, and she was glad her exercises over the past few days had already borne fruit. She was at least able to run that far without collapsing!

The cargo hauler’s engine was still running, and adrenaline pushed her to grab the handholds and pull herself up to the driver’s cabin. She took in one look at the controls, which seemed not much different from the various vehicles she had driven before. The standard wheel, automatic gear transmission, and pedals for acceleration and braking. There was a suitcase next to the seat, she could use it to keep the gas pedal down.

She turned her eyes to the mech. She knew there was a chance she could knock it over with the cargo hauler, but head-on it was just too easy for it to avoid the cargo hauler with a side-step. She needed a distraction, but from where?

Suddenly, gunfire erupted from a side street. Several policemen were shooting at the mech with small arms. Their fire was ineffectual, bouncing off its thick armour. Even the few rounds that hit the broad plexiglass canopy surrounding the cockpit seemed to just bounce off.

But she had her distraction, as the mech turned and started moving towards the police.

Anastasia weighed the accelerator down with the suitcase, then quickly transferred her arms to the steering wheel even as the cargo hauler jerked into movement.

One thing that separated trained mechwarriors from mere pilots was their situational awareness. The ability to constantly take in information from their surroundings and ascertain the optimal course of action. She did not know if the pilot's neurohelmet had a three-hundred-sixty compression view, but she was betting on him not noticing the threat posed by her cargo hauler until it was too late, since his attention was focused on the police.

The gap closed quickly, even as she steered the vehicle, curving it slightly to angle it to hit the mech's knee at the optimal angle. Three hundred, two hundred, one hundred metres. Fifty, forty, thirty, twenty, ten! Somehow the mech did not notice the cargo hauler, and the police seemed to understand what she was doing, and continued firing sporadically even as they backed away from the rampaging mech. Just before the collision, Anastasia flung open the door of the cargo hauler and leapt out. She tumbled to the ground, rolling for several metres before she stopped. Thankfully, the thick sleeves on her dress prevented her skin from lacerations and scrapes. She was sure she would still have some bruises though.

The cargo hauler was still accelerating when it crashed into the right knee of the mech from the side. The entire leg joint twisted, and the mech spun around and crashed to the ground, causing a  minor earthquake with the impact of its fall. Anastasia knew it could have fallen on her, but it was a desperate gamble, and it had paid off so far.

She looked at the police, who had backed away too far to take immediate advantage of the situation. Even now, they were cautiously advancing.

Fools! She wanted to scream at them. It is down, but it can get up again. Get on it before the pilot can do so!

So it was up to her again, and she was only a few metres away from where the mech fell. She gritted her teeth and dashed forward to clamber on the mech on her hands and knees towards the cockpit area, thankful that the policemen had stopped firing. She was very conscious of the dagger sheathed on her thigh. The mech was already shifting under her, the pilot probably coming to grips with the situation and getting ready to stand up.

The cockpit of every mech, regardless of type, had some nominal security system to protect the pilot. But Ana knew that rescue crews also needed to pop the canopy top to extract unconscious pilots. Civilian mechs usually have less extensive security measures compared to battlemechs, which required specialised tools to open up the cockpit.

Memories from her time as Avryl came back to her, and she looked for an innocuous looking panel. Finding it in moments, she drew her dagger with her right hand and with a twist of her wrist, used the dagger to flick the panel open, her left hand already reaching in to yank the D-shaped pull handle inside.

The cockpit canopy popped out, revealing a small man in a bulky neurohelmet staring at her in open-mouthed amazement, even as the helmet visor covered his eyes and fed him information through the HUD.

He seemed to belatedly realise the danger he was in, his hands coming up to defend himself, but Anastasia had already stepped into the small space of the cockpit and stabbed forward with her dagger. End the threat, her mind sang. Even in the midst of combat, she was calm and collected.

She had not realised until this moment just how much she had missed the thrill of battle.

The man screamed for mercy before the first stab even went through his protective collision vest, and after the third stab of her dagger Anastasia was not sure if she should continue until the man was dead, because he was already just barely twitching, blood pouring from his mouth. Her own body was shaking with fatigue, but she knew she could not collapse, not now!

Anastasia heard massive stomps. More mechs are approaching. She looked up and saw a battlemech of an unknown design, with the heraldry of House Rason, a black boar over a green field, emblazoned on one of the massive pauldrons on the right shoulder. She had seen it before, on Finn Rason’s Rifleman 5D.

“You are early, Viscount Rason.” she quipped. Already, relief was spreading through her body at the presence of competent reinforcements.

She was not even aware when she fell unconscious.

 

Finn Rason had been prepared for many things, but seeing his fiancee Anastasia Kalinska standing over the body of a half-dead mech pilot with a bloody dagger in the cockpit of a downed Harvester was definitely not one of them.

First things first. He quickly got out of his Templar and lifted her small, lithe body into his arms. He carefully carried her out of the Harvester, and walked over to a shaded area of the boulevard. He frowned at the dagger in her hand, and carefully pried it away, handing it off to a nearby policeman. The police officers on the scene were already cordoning off the area and securing the Harvester.

Meanwhile, his scratch lance had set up around the area to prevent any further adventurism by anybody seeking to escalate the situation. A hover APC had accompanied them, and there were medics who would be able to provide medical care.

His fiancee’s fine dress was torn and tattered in places, and splattered with blood on others. Her hair was tousled, and there was blood on her face too. It was remarkable how she had still held onto her dagger even when unconscious. A policeman inflated a small airbed, and Finn laid her down carefully on it. A medic came over to look her over.

“My lady!” He heard a cry. Finn turned around to see a man in a black jacket supporting a young girl, clad in the clothes of a maid. He had a nasty bruise on the side of his head, with a trail of blood, while the girl was limping badly.

The man bowed, and stammered, “My lord, we are the servants of Lady Kalinska. May we ask about the lady’s condition?”

“The medic’s taking care of it. You two should get your wounds looked after too.” He gestured to his men, who quickly corralled the two next to Lady Kalinska.

He wondered if he should question the two, but the man talked first, “The stampede knocked me out, and Luisa here got her ankle stepped on.”

The girl was in tears, “My lord, I tried to stop Lady Kalinska. I really did! I told her to abandon us and run away, but she got up into that truck instead!”

Finn blinked and looked at one of the policemen standing around. “Is that true?” he asked.

One of the policemen holding a submachine gun nodded. “Yeah. We were just on the scene when that cargo hauler started charging at the mech. We figured it needed a distraction, and we helped set it up. This small lady jumped out before the hauler hit the mech. When the mech fell though, we didn’t know what to do. She somehow opened up the hatch cover and dove in. It was crazy sir.”

Surprised, Finn looked down at Anastasia. It took tons of courage to take on mechs on foot in any circumstance. And she did it without any appropriate gear or training…

Hold on. Finn realised something was strange. How did she know to pop the cockpit canopy? And to make the mech fall… he looked at the positions of the cargo hauler and the mech. She hit the knee at the best angle to make it fall. This isn’t the sort of stuff you can simply learn from holovids. How would a delicate noblewoman like her have the gumption to even try it?

The only thing he knew about Anastasia was that she had had an affair with Baron Renard Haynes, and when the Baron rejected her, she tried to commit suicide by jumping into a lake. But after this unexpected incident, he had to change his view of Anastasia.

“Not many people, even if military, could have done that. And I mean that in all sincerity.” Spencer commented, his eyes scrutinising Anastasia as though she was an interesting puzzle he wanted to solve. The man had arrived along with some foot infantry deployed from an APC from the Haynes palatial manor.

Finn frowned and moved to block his view. “She’s my fiancee, and I don’t appreciate you staring at her.”

Spencer got the hint and backed away. Finn got a feeling the other man was not likely to let this go, however, and resolved to keep a closer eye on Anastasia in the future.
-------------------------------------------------------------------
The novel which inspired the taking down of the Harvester was of course Hearts of Chaos, by Victor Milan, and one of the few where the protaganist is NOT a mechwarrior. Cassie Suthorn takes down a Battlemaster almost singlehandedly by popping the canopy and killing its mechwarrior.

Still, there were several problems with the scene as Milan wrote it. For example, if it was so easy to pop the cockpit canopy of a Battlemaster (or any battlemech, for that matter), then why all the hoohah over battlearmor? The way I see it, if rescue crews needed to pop the canopy top for battlemechs, they would probably need a finer touch, e.g. a small number panel to type in access codes, only capable by fingers in non-combat situations, plus the use of a specialised tool or two that usually only rescue crews would have. Even the humble screwdriver would do. Imagine trying to unscrew a panel under combat conditions!

But since in this story, it's just a Harvester, a civilian mech, then such security measures would not be needed, hence a simple panel which could be opened easily, plus the D pull handle.

[Sir Chaos]

Great scene. I look forward to seeing how Anastasia is going to explain her skills to Finn.


As for cockpit security, my head canon is that in battlemechs (as opposed to civilian machines), it´s an electronic lock that defaults to "open" when unpowered - probably with an autonomous short-term power supply, to keep the pilot safe if the mech shuts down from overheating. To allow access for rescue personnel, there´s some sort of dead man´s switch that unlocks the hatch if the neurohelmet reports the pilot to be unresponsive for a certain period - i.e. unconscious for more than just seconds, or dead. That sounds like a fairly simple, straightforward compromise between security and emergency accessibility to me.

[Starfox5]

Very nicely written. Now to milk that for propaganda - it is a good example of the "noblesse oblige" ideal so popular in BT society where nobles risk their lives to protect the civilians.

"the lack of messy hanging electrical cables informed her that the electrical grid was all underground, but this required vast maintenance and a robust infrastructure"

I'd thought that was standard in cities. It is in Switzerland - the only overground electrical lines are the big ones linking regions and power stations.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
27th January, 3061
0000 hrs (1600 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Anastasia dreamed.

She was back in the sibko, together with the remaining kits who had not washed out of the brutal training. Their Kit Master, a retired warrior named Qlost, barked at them fiercely. “What makes us Clan?”

They recited together, on the hot tarmac of the parade square under the punishing rays of Huntress’s star.

"If we think kill, we will kill.
If we have a boot, we crush our enemy.
If we have a hand, we strangle our enemy.
If we have a club, we bludgeon the attacker.
If we have a knife, we stab our foe.
If we have a gun, we shoot it.
If we have a tank, we roll it over the opposing ranks.
If we have an aerofighter, we bomb them.
If we have a mech, we win.
We are always the victor.
When the blood is spilled, the bloodname is earned.
We are the Clans!"

We are the Clans!

She became aware of a dull humming in the background. She slowly opened her eyes, and found herself lying in her hoverlimo.

“You were murmuring throughout, you must be conscious enough to dream.”

Hearing the familiar voice, her gaze turned to the source of the voice. Across from her, Finn Rason sat with his arms crossed.

The sight of Finn’s arrogant face started to clear Anastasia’s mind.

Why am I here now? Oh yeah. A Harvester mech had gone on a rampage, and she had stopped it. Finn only arrived when it was almost all over. She wondered what mech he used, it was not a design she had seen before, since it was definitely not the Rifleman he had used on the clan frontlines. He was still clad in cooling vest and shorts, but had thrown on a jacket to look more presentable.

“How are you feeling?” he asked. “The medic said there’s nothing much wrong with you, you didn’t suffer any injuries other than probably a few bruises.”

“I’m fine.” replied Anastasia. “What about my companions?”

He nodded, “Both of them suffered more serious injuries than you did and were sent to the hospital. Your driver might have a concussion, while your maid Luisa might have a fractured ankle, needs an X-ray to check. My man’s driving the limo now. I’m sending you home first.”

Anastasia felt a bit guilty for not remembering Luisa’s name correctly. She sighed in relief, at least they were safe. She took out her mobile phone and quickly typed out a message to the head butler, so that Ben and Luisa would not get into any more trouble. Furthermore, she insisted to him that the household would pay for any medical bills incurred. For once, the decadent wealth of an Inner Sphere noble came in handy.

“So you do have a heart.” He said rather callously. “I’ve thought you were cold and uncaring of anything.”

Ignoring the slight pangs of pain throughout her body, Anastasia slowly sat up. As she expected, Finn did not even try to help her as she struggled. She also did not want the help, so she was not complaining. Her long hair was tangled up and in a mess, but she ignored that and looked out the window.

The sky was already dark, and Inman’s two moons and the stars were shining since they were already away from the city, zooming along the road to the Kalinski Estate.

Finn continued to nag, “My lady, do you know how dangerous it was, to take on a mech like that? Please don’t be so reckless again. It would be very… inconvenient if anything serious happened to you.”

“……”

“If you continue to be this reckless, I will get your father to limit your outings.”

Anastasia quietly nodded her head. Finn seemed quite surprised by her passive acceptance, but that surprise quickly turned into suspicion from the look on his face.

Anastasia said, “I will be mindful. I did not mean to create trouble, I just needed to do something back then. I was too ignorant of my position.”

She could see guilt on his face. Obviously, his troops needed to respond quickly, and they really did. She had not expected a response so quickly. But when seconds and lives mattered, it meant people on the spot had to act. But nobody except her actually did anything. So he must have felt helpless when he realised she had already resolved the situation.

Hah! Take that, Finn Rason! She felt like gloating, to rub her victory into his face, but she was just too emotionally drained right now to actually do so.

Finn did feel guilty hearing Anastasia’s sincere self-chastisement. In fact, the militia had already been powering up in response to a surprise drill, and would have been there in moments, but Anastasia had already disabled the enemy. And he wasn’t there for her specifically, but she just happened to be there. Most importantly, she didn’t do anything wrong. Heck, they should give her some commendation award for her quick thinking, because she definitely saved lives there. Whether or not she was a noble didn’t matter.

He pondered for a moment whether he should correct this misunderstanding, but that disappeared once Anastasia spoke.

“In fact, I will make it simpler for you. From now on, you don’t have to take care of me. I will take care of my own business.”

He blinked. "What?"

"I'll tell my father too, so we won’t even need your help. We have been too troublesome, so we’ll just manage on our own.”

When she started talking, she had not meant to actually proceed to never asking for help again, but somehow her mouth moved faster than her brain, and once she had said it, she felt obliged to stand by her words.

Finn stared at her, and her look of determination seemed to cut him like a knife. She also seemed to be offended that she was so entangled with him.

“Did I do something wrong to you, Lady Anastasia?” The icy gaze she directed at him made Finn think again about whether he had done anything wrong to her specifically, but there was nothing he could think of. Did she even know she was doing it?

Anastasia spoke. “At least, if our engagement was even a little bit important to you, you would not have tossed me into the seat opposite you. Do you even have a conscience?"

He sputtered, "That…” When the driver had pointed out her hoverlimo to him, and after he had made arrangements for a driver and his Templar to be returned to base, Finn had carried her to her vehicle and placed her on the seat, then sat opposite her in the limo’s passenger cabin.

As a gentleman, even if they had no relationship, he should have at least made sure to protect her from falling off her seat by sitting next to her. But instead, he left her on the seat across from him without any hesitation and had just been observing her face waiting for her to wake up.

Yup, his behaviour was not befitting that of a gentleman and an officer, and furthermore, he was her fiance! When she pointed it out, he felt a stab at his conscience, but Anastasia’s blunt tone erased whatever guilty feelings her words had invoked.

"Well, I did not expect much from you anyway, so you can just forget about what I said. But even if you’re so unhappy about our engagement, you can’t just control my movements just because you are my fiance, Viscount Rason.”

She was being crude and offensive, but somehow he didn’t mind. So instead of answering, Finn just gave a twisted smile as a reply.

Anastasia Kalinska was a very strange woman. Finn again thought about what she did. The Anastasia he had met before wasn't like this. She was a stereotypical noble lady, just another pretty face. Had she been acting all along to hide her skills?

Then Anastasia noticed something outside her window, fixed her gaze on it, before she turned away and shook her head as if she had been mistaken about something.

“What? Is there something you saw?”

Perhaps it was because her actions were so outside of his expectation that Finn suddenly became curious about her. So, he ended up speaking first, which was a rare occurrence.

But Anastasia ignored his question. Finn wanted to say something to her, but he soon closed his mouth.

The soft yellow lights of the hoverlimo’s passenger cabin washed over her face, which somehow conveyed a strange melancholy.

Finn couldn't deny that he was becoming curious about this woman. That didn't bode well, but he just couldn't take his eyes off her.

Raldamax, Outworlds Alliance

“Woo! That was a blast!” Camille hooted in victory as she high fived a reluctant Larris.

Meanwhile, Erlin and Gast stood with the local militia commander as their combined support personnel supervised the partition of the supplies left by the defeated pirates. In the distance, smoking wreckage of the pirate force could still be seen, victims of their hard-hitting accuracy and evidence of the short battle.

Erlin was negotiating with Captain Santos, the local militia commander. Mentally he recalled the new terms the unit had wanted him to present.

“Captain, the previous agreement was that we take the mech parts and half the ammo, you take the rest.” The local militia had been so hard up for support against the pirates they were willing to accept nearly any terms.

Good thing the Jaguars’ Spleen was on hand. They sought minimal remuneration, while asking instead to be paid in food, supplies, salvage, spare parts, and recovered ammunition. The local militia had taken a huge risk by agreeing to contract them, they could just be another pirate band taking advantage to strike from within.

Erlin admitted quietly, “Our dropship is running out of space. My techs think we recovered enough of the Panther that we can put it together with the other Panther parts we already have to make a full mech. We think you can use it well.”

“One three-five tonner? With no mechwarrior?” Captain Santos grinned wryly. He knew just as well as Erlin did that trained mechwarriors were difficult to find. Erlin and his crew were by far the best mechwarriors Santos had ever seen.

Nevertheless, there was a reason why the old adage ‘Battlemechs are expensive, life is cheap’ still held true, even after the technological renaissance in recent years. Out here in the Periphery, just a single mech could make a huge difference.

“I am sure you can get some of your militia to try. Lots of willing volunteers, you know that.”

Santos whipped out a flask from a pocket, uncapped it, and took a long swig. Erlin knew it was alcohol, it was unprofessional, but out here in the boondocks, nobody cared.

“Gotcha. We’ll take it off your hands then, but we’re not exactly rolling in money.”

“No problem. Maybe one-point five million C-bills or barter equivalent to that? And before you think there is a snag, I guarantee it will be a fully functional Panther with working PPC and missile launchers. Your techs can check it out before we leave.”

Santos’ eyes widened. “That’s a real bargain, amigo. Sure, if you’re offering. And since we gave us such an offer, we’ll have one for you too. You folks are welcome to join our victory celebrations, food and drinks on the house!”

They shook hands to seal the deal. Santos added, “Lots of folks were wary of you when you came by, but you really proved yourselves. No merc commission board out here to vouch for anybody, I’m afraid.”

Erlin smiled thinly.

Santos continued, “And look, I know who you guys really are.” He did not elaborate, but they both knew what he meant, “Your mechs threw me off at first, but the way you guys shoot… heck, even most house regulars can’t do that!”

“Is that a problem?”

“Hell no! Out here in the Periphery, we don’t care much about interstellar politics. If anybody asks, you’re just a bunch of Samaritans passing through.”

Erlin’s smile widened a bit. “Always better to help good people.” Most of the others would not have understood that reference. He supposed that was why the rest of them had designated him to be leader - his training in the Cloisters of the Cloud Cobras gave him a better base of knowledge to interact with the Inner Sphere. More specifically, he had been a member of the Dharmo Cloister, based on Buddhist teachings, though every Cloister ensured their members were exposed to a wide range of religious beliefs.

Santos was right about their marksmanship too. The remnants of the Jaguar’s Mists barely escaped from Garstedt with four mechs, the Broadsword dropship Red Cavalcade, and they were just able to rendezvous with a fleeing Scout jumpship, Silence of Night. When the choices available were to rejoin the rest of the clan in their likely-doomed flight back to the homeworlds, or to stay in the Inner Sphere to seek vengeance against Pence Lamongue for his betrayal, the decision was immediate and near unanimous.

Most of the unit, including the support staff and even the crews of the ships, were isorla or abtakha from other clans, and held no real loyalty to the Smoke Jaguars. However, they were all fiercely loyal to Star Captain Avryl Showers, who had recognised their potential and put herself in the line of fire time and again to give them opportunities to prove themselves, forging them into a formidable unit capable of matching the best in both the Clans and the Inner Sphere. She was a ristar, and she had earned their loyalty.

Her death was a shock, and the survivors fully intended for Pence Lamongue to pay, one way or the other. If it required them to become mercenaries, then so be it.

They did not have much to go on, but they did pick up from a random media broadcast a picture of Pence in the background while a reluctant Finn Rason gave an interview to a member of the media. It was some Federated Commonwealth show welcoming home the war heroes of Operation Bulldog, the campaign to drive the Smoke Jaguars out of the Inner Sphere. That had been several months ago near the Draconis Combine periphery. But that was enough to go on.

They knew he was near Finn Rason. And they also managed to find out that Captain Finn Rason had just returned to his landhold of Delacambre as a Viscount, near the Davion periphery.

So that was where they were headed next. Besides, they also had unfinished business with Finn Rason.

They renamed themselves as a new mercenary unit, the Jaguar’s Spleen, in a tragically humorous allusion to their origins, and took up pirate-hunting jobs along the periphery, slowly gathering supplies and making their way to the former Federated Suns, now called the Federated Commonwealth. There had been a few betrayals and double-crosses, especially near Antallos, but they had managed to survive that turbulent area.

Their mechs and their skills gave them a significant edge against most run-of-the-mill pirate scum that preyed on vulnerable worlds without decent defences. They took down the better part of Sally’s Snookers, a small pirate band that pillaged Raldamax for ‘tribute’ regularly every six months for years. The rest of the Snookers consisted of a Trebuchet which blew up in an ammunition explosion, two Wasps which were only fit for salvage after being blasted to pieces by their combined firepower, and several APCs which the militia managed to cripple after the mechs had been eliminated from the field. The Snookers’ dropship had fled into space after the defeat of its ground forces.

Without the Spleen, the Trebuchet alone would have made mincemeat of the militia. Thankfully, the presence of the Spleen meant that the Snookers were the mincemeat this time round. And the addition of the Panther should stiffen up the local defences for whichever ragtag pirate band decided to pick on Raldamax next.

Their force composition was small but potent, a testament to the effort Star Captain Showers had put into the unit. Erlin piloted a relatively slow but powerful Blackjack-O, which served to anchor the unit. Gast’s Night Chanter, essentially an omni-Crab, isorla from an old Coyote cache that Avryl Showers had won possession of, where Gast had been taken in as bondsman in that same battle. Camille’s Owens, salvaged from a raid on the Draconis Combine. Larris’s Strider, also isorla taken in battle.

All omnimechs, though some were made with inferior Inner Sphere construction materials and engines. But the ability to equip them with clan-spec weaponry made them fearsome opponents and more than a match for the pirate rabble that inhabited the Periphery.

The appearance of their unit also made more than one pirate think they were a regular House Kurita unit instead of mercenaries, and even less would think of connecting them to the Smoke Jaguars. Which was just the way the Star Captain and saKhan Brandon Howell wanted when they designed their unit composition.

They had come a long way. But there was still an equally long way to go. Nine more jumps to Delacambre, Erlin thought. And then, Pence will pay!
--------------------------------------------------------
@Starfox5 - for various reasons, they'd downplay the incident, as you'll see in later chapters. The electrical grid being underground is only for well-planned cities with money and labour to spare. A lot of third world cities use overhead cables, which are of course susceptible to all sorts of stuff. For an Outback city to have this is only because it was planned and constructed by the Star League centuries ago.
@Sir Chaos - Whenever somebody asks Anastasia about her knowledge, she'd play it off as having done research on mechs due to her engagement. Finn wanted to ask, but got sidetracked by his concern over her condition and the curveballs she throws at him. Later one, he forgets completely because he's too distracted by his work and because he wrote it off as sheer luck. After all, she's just a crazy woman.

As most here would know, the verse at the beginning was lifted from Robert Thurston’s ‘Way of the Clans’, and that entire segment was probably something all clan sibkos learn, because it encapsulates much of clan philosophy.

The other memorable paragraph Thurston wrote in the same vein can be found at the end of ‘Bloodname’:

“Their commanding officer had ordered Ter Roshak's unit to stay alive as long as they could, and to keep on shooting the whole time. If they ran out of ammo, they were to use knives. If they lost their knives, then they must go after the nearest enemy with their bare hands. If their hands were broken, they must kick the enemy with their feet. If their feet were shot off, they must crawl to the enemy warriors and try in some other way to kill them. If they could not crawl, then they must fire into the nearest brush. If they could not move, then they must simply wait to die. If they could not die, then there must be something wrong with their attitude.”

That’s the clans for you, turning the edgelord dial up to eleven is kinda their entire raison d’etre. In fact, I tried to put a bit of Thurston's Joanna in Avryl, that is, if Joanna was a bit more mentally flexible and earned her bloodname, and hence wasn’t so bitter and hateful.

That documentary with Finn? That was one of Katherine SD’s PR traps to turn the FC against Victor and Yvonne, by promoting Victor’s efforts to help the Draconis Combine (and not the Lyrans) recover its worlds from the clans. Finn unwittingly played into that, because Katherine’s schemes were way above his paygrade. To be honest, the characters in this story are stuck in planetary and small regional politics, and they do not have the strategic overview to know any better. Read 'Prince of Havoc' to understand the purpose of highlighting the heroes of Operation Bulldog.

One of the things that always irked me in Btech was the sheer lack of understanding of the East by the writers, but that’s only to be expected by western-centric game designers. But for the Cloud Cobra Cloisters to not even pay a bit of lip service to two of the twentieth century’s major religions, Hinduism and arguably its more developed offshoot Buddhism? At least Victor Milan threw in some elements of these by fleshing out the Combine’s diversity in his novels, with Sufis, Jews, and the resultant culture clashes with the dominant brand of Buddhism in the Combine.

So I plopped in the Dharmo, which is based on the teachings of Buddhism. Naturally, this cloister tends towards a philosophy of defence, and its members tend to be more emotionally stable and to the Warden viewpoint. Don’t mistake their relative lack of belligerence for cowardice though! I visualise the Dharmo's philosophy as similar to the ones in Stirling's Emberverse series, the monks of Chenrezi Monastery.

[Starfox5]

And we find out what her old unit is up to. Ah, that will be a hell of a reunion...

[The Wobbly Guy]

Kalinski Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
27th January, 3061
0100 hrs (1700 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

When Anastasia returned to the estate, it was almost the end of siesta, and the servants were all in an uproar. They seemed to know already that she had put herself in danger. As she walked in wearily, the waiting doctor ran up to her and started fussing over even the tiniest scratch.

Meanwhile, the butler seemed to be looking for Viscount Rason. Anastasia cleared her throat.

“If you're looking for the Viscount, he is gone," she said.

The butler's face seemed to say, 'but he is your fiance... ’, but Anastasia did not bother to make excuses for Finn Rason. In fact, the reason that he left was because she forced him to. He wanted to accompany her in the hoverlimo into the estate, but she instructed the driver to stop at the main gates, and even got one of the security guards to drive the vehicle in, dumping Finn and his driver outside the gates.

It was petty, it was insulting, but Anastasia did not care. Angry at her firm refusal, the Viscount just stomped away from the estate entrance, already calling on his mobile for his personal transport.

“Any news about Luisa and Ben?” Anastasia asked, lightly freeing herself from her doctor’s hold. She cheered inwardly when they did not correct her, which meant she had finally gotten the names right for once.

Luisa was her attendant maid, so she should always be with her. For her to be at the hospital away from her mistress could be considered a dereliction of duty. Thankfully, Anastasia had already squared it with the head butler.

But what happened with the mech would be much harder to explain. Anastasia hoped nobody would ask.

The head butler Kevin nodded. “Luisa called from the hospital. Ben has a concussion and is under observation. Her ankle is only badly bruised, the x-ray showed no fracture.”

She sighed in relief.

“I’ve sent somebody out to fetch Luisa back. She will have to face punishment. Ben too, once he is back.”

Anastasia  blinked. “I thought I already said they didn’t do anything wrong?”

Kevin grimaced. “My lady, they are supposed to serve your every whim, and if necessary, sacrifice themselves before allowing you to be in danger. They have failed their duty and will be punished.” He seemed terrified of her response.

Anastasia looked at him, and thought, I need to control the situation. They are not back yet, so there is still time.

He seemed to belatedly notice her condition, “You are hurt and must rest! We will discuss this later when you are better.”

Before she knew it, Anastasia was changed and tucked into her bed. She tried to focus on thinking of ways to get Louise and Ken out of their fix, but she was still so tired…

She was asleep within moments.

 
27th January, 3061
0900 hrs (2500 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Freebirth!” Anastasia woke up with a start. She looked out the window. It was dark outside. She had slept for so long that she had woken up just before the long sleep period.

I slept so soundly that I forgot about Louise and Ken! She thought frantically. She quickly threw on a dress suitable for indoor activities without calling for a maid, and rushed out. Even at this hour, there would still be servants around, getting the household ready for the night.

She was barely five steps out of her door when a maid intercepted her.

“Bring me to the head butler,” she ordered in her most imperious tone.

The maid nodded anxiously, “Of course, my lady.”

Kevin was giving instructions to some of the household staff in the dining room when she was brought to him. He turned with a start to face her.

“Oh, my lady! You should still be resting!”

She ignored his comment, and asked “How are they?” Savrashi, she forgot their names again, so she used a blanket ‘they’ instead.

She saw the staff around them exchange glances nervously. Because of what happened, Luisa was going to be fired, but they all felt it was pitiful for her to receive Anastasia’s cruel wrath as well. No matter how much nicer she had been these days, there would not be any mercy this time around.

Kevin sighed at the situation. For the lady to wake up at such a timing, she must be really angry at them and eager to punish them. Ben was still recovering in the bunks for their guards, but he would be fired soon without severance pay, while Luisa had been taken to their confinement room reserved for unruly or rude servants who needed punishment. Thankfully, her ankle was only badly bruised, not fractured as initially feared.

Anastasia took his silence for reluctance to answer her. She said, “Bring me to her then.”

"Huh?" Kevin grew even more worried. Although the room where the servants were confined was located inside the mansion, it was a place that Lady Kalinska had never visited. If she was asking to go there, perhaps she may have had something else in mind. Perhaps something even worse than whatever had happened before…

He tried to head her off, “My lady, first of all, you need to take care of your…”

At the butler's words, Anastasia quietly raised a hand and stopped him. There was somehow more power in that brief gesture than in her anger-filled voice, and the butler could only acquiesce and led the way quietly.

The disciplinary confinement room was located in the most secluded part of the mansion. It was a dark, narrow, and gloomy place, as befit its position for punishing servants.

They stopped at the entrance of a hallway. Anastasia glanced at the door at the end of the hallway and gestured with her chin to open it.

The servants opened the door.

There was hardly any light in the room. Inside, Anastasia could hear the sound of a girl sobbing on the floor. As the door opened and light leaked in, she startled and looked up, and when she saw Anastasia standing there, she looked terrified.

Ana glanced around the room and then directly walked over to Louise.

Everyone thought that Anastasia would finally take her anger out on her. To the servants, their lady’s anger was natural. Regardless of the circumstances, it was her maid’s duty to protect her mistress. And Anastasia had been very close to getting killed by the deranged Harvester.

“Oh, Miss, I’m sorry, I was wrong!” Louise begged, putting her hands together as she wept.

When Anastasia reached out with her hand, Louise cringed from it. Anastasia adjusted and tapped the maid on the shoulder instead. "Get up."

Louise stood up, trembling, favouring her injured ankle. She seemed to want to say something, but was too afraid to do so.

Anastasia looked at her face. “She has not been beaten yet, right?” she asked the butler standing behind her.

"Yes, that’s correct. We had to wait for my lady’s decision,” the butler answered, a bit afraid of what was about to happen.

Anastasia nodded her head and breathed a sigh of relief as she examined the maid’s face. "I'm glad."

Louise’s face grew pale with fear, expecting the worst when Anastasia meted out her punishment personally.

Anastasia gestured with her eyes for the maid to follow her. She gestured to another maid to support Louise so she would not aggravate her ankle injury.

The servants look puzzled. What? Did she intend to punish her in her room? Then why did she come all the way here and take her? They simply thought that Anastasia would punish her maid, so they did not dare to guess that she had simply acted out of goodwill towards her maid.

As they walked off slowly, Anastasia leading the way, she noticed out of her peripheral vision a terrified Louise looking at the butler. Kevin kept his mouth shut and looked at her sadly with a silent gesture for her to just ask for forgiveness. Louise burst into tears, obviously afraid of what was going to happen to her.

Anastasia controlled her own facial expression. Was the original Anastasia really so barbaric? So much so for the servants to fear her wrath to this extent? She knew there were other Smoke Jaguar commanders almost as depraved, but even then their cruelty did not seem so petty, so wasteful…

More importantly, on some levels it could be argued they had earned the right to do so, via martial skill demonstrated in brutal Trials of Positions, Bloodname contests, and the like. While Anastasia had simply been born to it, and taken it as her natural right, when it was anything but.

"My lady." When they reached her room, the butler tried to follow her into the room, but she raised her hand to stop him. The butler was so surprised at her gesture that he halted.

Upon entering the room, Louise immediately fell to the floor, head bowed, and knelt on her knees. Ana tried to lift her up. “I am sorry. I caused you to be hurt..”

“…Huh?"

Anastasia saw Louise raise her head. She could see the doubt and the fear in the girl’s eyes, wondering if her currently kind words were just another trick to get her into even deeper trouble.

She patted Louise’s shoulder gently with one hand to express her apology. Louise was so startled that she almost let out a scream.

Anastasia did not know why, but she felt sad at the maid’s response. “I’m sorry, it was my fault.”

“Oh, no. I… I… I should have been more careful. I should have been more aware…”

Anastasia shook her head, “How would that have changed anything?”

She looked at Louise, who was still frightened.

“Tell them I took care of your punishment. You must have been so scared back then, and your ankle was hurt too. I will tell the butler that I scolded you in moderation. If you say you were not scolded, you'll get even more punishment."

“…Miss?"

Anastasia sighed, “What else can I say? If you want to be angry at me, then be angry. I deserve it. I placed myself at risk.”

“…!” She could see the shock on Louise’s face, in her eyes.

“If you don’t have anything to say, you can leave. Go and get some rest. Ask one of the other maids to get you a walking stick or a crutch so it does not hurt your ankle when you move about.”

Anastasia noticed Louise staring at her, her eyes looking down at the purple bruises on her arms, exposed by the short sleeved dress she was wearing. She could only guess at what the other girl was thinking.

“Oh, my lady!” Anastasia was surprised to see her maid suddenly burst outright into tears. When she first met Louise, she had been a quiet and professional maid so seeing her crying over such a small thing was a shock, and she was especially defenceless to those who cried.

Like most clan warriors, she was rarely exposed to others crying, since the ethos of militaries everywhere was the same - you do not cry since it does not solve the problem or defeat the enemy; you suck it up and focus on the mission, get the job done. And especially in the clans, most tears had long been beaten out of the cadets in the sibko.

Anastasia felt woefully under-equipped to deal with crying people. And being harsh in a military way would not be appropriate here.

“Louise, don’t cry. Please stop crying, Louise."

“Aww, miss, I was wrong! Never again!”

“Yes, yes.”

Anastasia, not knowing what to do with her, went closer to Louise and patted her on the shoulder.

“And it is Luisa, my lady. It’s not Louise,” corrected Luisa through her tears.

"Oh, sorry. Luisa. I must have hurt you.”

Luisa was a simple girl, and when her mistress finally showed her kindness, she let go of the lingering resentment she had built up ever since she started working for the Kalinskis.

 
Haynes Palatial Manor
3rd February, 3061

Raymond, the second son of Count Haynes, looked like any other bookworm, with thick black spectacles, a nerdy disposition, and always seemed meek and submissive to others. He smiled as he greeted Renard Haynes.

"Brother, what a pleasant surprise to see you here!”

Baron Renard Haynes sat right in front of him at the tea table in the garden of the manor, conversing with Countess Priscilla, their mother.

The Countess smiled brightly.

“Come and sit down, Raymond,” she said.

Unlike the brightly smiling Raymond, Baron Haynes frowned. Either way, Raymond sat down next to the Countess, smiling.

“It’s good to see you two together after so long,“ the Countess said with a kind smile.

“If it looks that good to you, Mother, I think we should visit more often in the future,” responded the Baron.

The Countess’s hand trembled lightly as she held her teacup. Raymond smiled. So, she knows.

He said, “Brother, the responsibilities of the heir are many, and you must be busy with government affairs, yet you still found time to visit? If so, the rumours that you and mother are not on good terms will disappear. I bet father will be happy too.”.

Renard frowned. Even jokingly, it was clear that he was reluctant to spread the word that he had a good relationship with the Countess.

The current Countess Priscilla was the second one to be married to Count Haynes, and Renard was not her son. The former Countess Feodora died of an illness when Renard was only five years old, upon which Count William raised his mistress Priscilla, Raymond’s birth mother, to become Countess.

Renard was about to say more, but Raymond interrupted him. “So, what were you talking about? Is this something I can hear?”

Renard smiled twistedly. “We were talking about the upcoming banquet for the Feast of Bounty.”

“Oh?”

Inman was initially settled by poor rural farmers from Europe, disenfranchised by the growing divide between the elites and the rest of society. Generally adherents of the New Avalon Catholic Church, the people of Inman did not have many official holidays for celebration. Other than the national holidays of the Federated Suns (Day of Honour, Festa Piepa, Federation Day, New Year, while Kentares Day is a day of mourning and does not count as a holiday), and a few religious holidays that were simply too important to just ignore (Good Friday, which actually goes with Festa Piepa, and Christmas), there was not much respite from work, especially in the earlier part of the standard year.

Therefore, the early settlers of Inman decided to celebrate the harvests of their agricultural world in late February, and also to spread out the holidays a bit. The Feast of Bounty was one of the biggest celebrations on Inman, and the ruling Counts would hold an elaborate banquet as part of it. It was the biggest banquet besides the Federation Day banquet, and even the nouveau riche could snag invitations and try to curry favour with the established aristocrats.

Besides, the incident of the Harvester gone wild had shocked everybody into inaction, putting all the protests on hold, buying time for the administration to defuse tensions. Vague promises of action from the authorities managed to placate many of the populace, while a number of officials were fired as scapegoats for their involvement. Many of the private firms were also given fines.

Renard got away with a mere rebuke from Count Haynes, and since it was not strictly illegal, no further action was warranted.

So Renard went back to enjoying his life and making it difficult for others.

Raymond asked, “Is there a problem?”

"No." Renard looked like he couldn't contain his laughter as he shook his head. "I have someone I want to invite. I’ve come to make a special request personally to the Countess herself."

“Oh, who is it? I'm curious too."

Renard giggled again at Raymond’s naive question. The sound of laughter was vulgar, but neither Raymond nor the Countess frowned, because Renard might have taken offense.

"Baron Kalinski."

“If it’s Baron Kalinski, then he’s already been invited.”

"No, it's not just Baron Kalinski…”

Renard turned the teacup on the tea table with his hand and wiped his mouth.

“Anastasia Kalinska. I want to see his daughter.”

The Countess's face turned pale. Everyone knew that Baron Kalinski's daughter had jumped into the manor lake longing for Renard's love.

“Mother, as you are in charge of the banquet, please help by using your power. I want to see her too, as I never had a chance to see her after the incident. I couldn't even visit her at her estates.”

“Renard, the Baron’s daughter hasn’t recovered her health. And haven’t you heard? She’s not feeling well again because she was recently involved in that riot.”

As Baron Kalinski was part of the faction that supported Renard, no one dared to ridicule him openly. But Anastasia was a different story.

The incident was less than two months old, and the ridicule and contempt that Anastasia would face due to the harsh social nature of women was beyond imagination.

"That’s why I am upset. Seeing her again will make relieve my worries. Mother, please do me this favour."

“Renard, that might be difficult.”

At her response, he flung his teacup at the white statue next to the tea-table.

The Countess was startled as red tea soaked the statue’s surface. He felt the faces of the maids standing next to him shift to fear.

“Excuse me, mother. There was a crack in my teacup. I think the maid in charge of this should be punished,” Renard said with a smile.

At Renard's glance, one of his guards roughly grabbed the arm of the maid, who was standing right next to him serving the tea. She gasped in terror despite her efforts to keep her face emotionless.

“Baron Haynes!”

He smiled when the Countess called out as if to dissuade him.

“I don’t think you ordered her to bring me a broken teacup on purpose. I hope you didn’t do this because you hate me."

Despite the tense confrontation, Raymond drank his tea quietly, not interjecting in any way.

"It's said that Baron Kalinski's daughter had an accident, and to order for her to show up so quickly may put the Baron in an uncomfortable position."

“Baron Kalinski is my uncle on my mother’s side. How can he be angry with me?”

As his guard clasped the maid's wrist and squeezed, a whimper escaped from her mouth. She was well trained, so she did not openly cry or beg for her life, but tears were dripping from her eyes.

There was no way there could have been a crack in the teacup she served. Renard had simply made an excuse to force the Countess to comply.

“Do it, Mother,” Raymond said softly. "Renard wants to see her, so there is no reason not to listen. Brother is heir, he knows what he is doing. I am sure Baron Kalinski will not mind."

“...”

Renard smiled smugly with Raymond siding with him.

Raymond had always been meek in front of Renard, and since he took his side, the Countess had no reason to refuse either.

“I will do it.”

“Thank you as always, mother,” Renard smiled brightly.

 
6th February, 3061

This was serious, very serious. Not the rumours swirling around, but the conclusions others had made publicly. It happened not long after the incident with the Harvester.

After that incident, the security guards became more vigilant, but for some reason, her maids were more relaxed than ever before.

Anastasia’'s own apology and waiver of Luisa’s punishment had been heard by the other servants.

It was only natural that the reputation of the young lady would change, as she had even apologised to her maid and said that it was her own fault, rather than getting angry with her, even though she had almost died.

Moreover, as if she was regretful about what she did, Anastasia complied with the servants’ requests quietly without being annoyed. She followed their instructions without complaint. She had already nearly died a few times in the short span of a month, but this might have prompted her to become the ideal mistress to the servants.

But some very serious problems remained. She had lost her memory and they welcomed the change in her personality, but the problem was that she seemed to have forgotten everything except how to speak.

She was much more active nowadays, working out everyday, and it was impossible to ignore her strange mannerisms, especially the way she walked. Sometimes her tone of speech was fierce and startlingly direct too.

The maids tried to rationalise it by thinking that it could be an aftereffect of almost dying, or she was feeling ill because she was hungry and cranky. However, that was just them trying to ignore the seriousness of the situation.

Her gait was clearly different from that of commoners, but it wasn't the gentle gait of a nobleborn woman. That was to say…

“It’s like the footsteps of a soldier, not a lady. Like a bullet, purposeful and direct.”

As if shocked by the butler's words, the Baron’s face turned white. That was the conclusion that the butler of the mansion, the one most sensitive to Anastasia’s changes, had reached.

“It seems that the aftermath of the… uhm… accident is rather serious because she lost her memory.”

“No, what…”

“There is not a lot of time before the banquet for the Feast of Bounty. We have to find a way somehow.”

“How do I do this… How could this happen…”

Stravag, why are you talking about me so freely when I am right here? Anastasia listened to the conversation between the butler and the Count without interrupting while drinking her tea. The Baron’s face turned pale as he saw the way she drank the tea.

Avryl was a trueborn, raised to be a mechwarrior from birth. Everything she learned was about how to kill and conduct war more effectively and efficiently. Social etiquette, especially that of the aristocracy of the Inner Sphere, was unknown to the clans. Besides, the greedy nobles of the Inner Sphere were widely considered to be one of the reasons for the fall of the Star League, and anything associated with them was frowned upon.

Anyway, Avryl had never learned the manners of a noblewoman, and she did not think she would be able to do so in the short time available.

The easiest solution to the problem for the Baron was to say, “Anastasia can’t go because she is still sick”, but that idea was immediately rejected. The Countess had sent the invitation directly. No one turned down a handwritten invitation from the Countess.

Anastasia, unaware that Baron Haynes and the Countess were not related by blood, assumed that the Countess was furious that she had marred her son's dignity.

It looks like I am going to be embarrassed, she thought indifferently.

"It's the first time she is officially out in public after the announcement of her engagement, so she will also have to dance with the Viscount Rason,” said the butler.

Oh, that was just perfect. Anastasia laughed as she thought of putting on heels, preferably sharp ones, and stepping on his feet. It was fun just imagining what expression Finn would make. It would be fitting payback for the times he thwarted her on the battlefield.

“I can learn to dance,” she said.

“In two weeks? Absolutely not. My Ana is smart, but that's not possible."

First of all, she knew she was lacking in aristocratic knowledge or manners, but when it came to dancing, she was confident she was able to learn.

She remembered Camille once telling her that dancing was similar to physical combat, in that both were about moving the body. Difference was, combat was about mutual resistance, while dancing was about mutual cooperation. But they both relied on good body control, which was something Anastasia was confident about, especially after her physical training in recent days. And it seemed her reflexes were not much different from when she was Avryl.

She yawned to show her disdain. The Baron gave her a concerned look, but she ignored him.
----------------------------------------
The festivals and holidays of the Federated Commonwealth/Suns can be found in Handbook: House Davion. Btech players should be familiar with what Kentares Day is about.

Calculating holidays, especially Good Friday and Easter Sunday in 3061, was a pain, but I managed to find a spreadsheet that does that up to 9999.

So in the Trivet (Inman), the official public holidays in 3061 are:

New Year Celebration: 1st January
Feast of Bounty: 21st Feb (3rd Thursday of each Feb)
Good Friday: 29th March
Easter Sunday: 31st March
Festa Piepa: 31st March - 2nd April
Labour Day: 1st May
Federation Day: 26th June
Day of Honour: 18th July (3rd Wednesday of each July)
Assumption Day: 15th August
Kentares Day: 4th October (1st Friday of each October)
All Saints’ Day: 1st November
Landing Day (Founding of Inman): 30th November
Christmas: 25th December

Is it enough public holidays? Or do you think there should be more? For those wondering about Thanksgiving, that's an American holiday, while Inman was settled by poor rural folks from Spain and France (hence the catholic holidays and siesta).

[The Wobbly Guy]

This is more of a transitional chapter leading up to a staple event of every otome isekai work - the ball!
----------------------------------
Kalinski Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
14th February, 3061

Generally, re-teaching manners to a nobleborn woman over the age of twenty would be a major scandal in the social world, no matter the circumstances.

Thus, the teacher the Baron quietly secured was not a famous etiquette teacher, but Madame Iris, who was known for teaching etiquette to non-nobles.

Madame Iris, the third daughter of a knight, had been the second mistress to a viscount somewhere else in the Draconis March. After the viscount died from cancer, she gathered what money she had saved up and set off for the Trivet worlds to establish a new life for herself. Her funds were limited so she could not live as extravagantly as before.

However, since she was born into the aristocracy, was part of the viscount's family for a long time, and was diligent in keeping up with the etiquette formalities, her training was coveted by wealthy commoners. They longed for the life of the aristocrats even if they had no access to it, but by educating their children, there was a chance they could get a foothold in the aristocracy, via marriage or alliances.

So Madame Iris earned her own livelihood by educating the children of wealthy commoners in the social etiquette of the nobles. Then one day she received a call from Baron Kalinski’s butler.

The Kalinskis were not particularly influential, even in the Trivet, but they were related to Baron Renard Haynes, the presumed heir to Count William Haynes, through his mother, the first Countess. And so they could not be ignored either.

Madame Iris had wondered who she could educate in such a family, and was startled to find out that it was the Baron’s daughter. If she was the daughter of the Baron, she must have been educated from an early age by excellent teachers already. So why was she needed at all?

In addition, she was also worried. Despite being new to the Trivet worlds, she knew the importance of keeping tabs on the aristocracy, so she had heard about Anastasia’s terrible personality that was completely incongruous with her beauty. And like everybody else, she also knew what Anastasia had done during the New Year Celebrations.

It seemed that this was the reason she would be paid very well. But no matter how much she had lowered herself to teach commoners, she still had her own pride to consider. If the Baron’s daughter was rude to her, she intended to quit immediately. But it seemed Baron Kalinski’s daughter had been alternating between being rude and polite in various settings, so she was also not sure of the girl’s true personality.

She was a bit surprised when they met. Anastasia greeted her and admitted, “Madame, I lost my memory in an accident, so I need to take lessons from you.”

Oh, she lost her memory in the aftermath of that ‘accident’, so she forgot her lessons.

Since Anastasia did not look down on her as a half-noble and instead respectfully asked her for instruction, Madame Iris thought she was actually a decent girl.

But that thought lasted only for a short time. The Baron’s daughter listened to her instructions, but the pace of learning was slower than she had expected.

“How many times do I have to say it? Your steps should not be light, but moderately heavy. A light gait makes a person look frivolous."

“All right.”

Anastasia tried to walk in the cumbersome skirt, her steps were heavier this time, but she walked  as if her feet were wrapped with lead. Madame Iris thought Anastasia easily had the talent to dance well, but the problem was that it seemed as though Anastasia had never learned the concept of 'elegance'.

Furthermore, it seemed that Anastasia did not understand why she had to learn this. Sometimes the young woman would grab the hem of her skirt and shake it in frustration.

Madame Iris knew that if Anastasia was not convinced of the necessity of learning, her speed would naturally slow down. It seemed that the manners that she had learned remained in her memory to some extent, but she was far short of being able to attend the banquet with the proper etiquette.

“My lady, do you not understand what I am saying?”

“Elegantly. If my footwork looks too light, it looks frivolous, so it needs to be heavy but elegant. I get it.”

Although the girl was listening, Madame Iris was getting tired of teaching Anastasia, who was growing more and more frustrating. She lacked the enthusiasm for learning that aspiring commoner girls have.

“Sit down, my lady.”

When Madame Iris pointed to the sofa to let her rest, Anastasia stomped over and leaned against the sofa. Madame Iris frowned. “My lady is obviously smart. But you seem unmotivated to do what you can.”

At that, Anastasia sighed in exhaustion.

“Because I don’t understand.”

“What is it you don’t understand?”

“What is the standard of elegance? Why is it so important to know how to hold your skirt? No, I don't understand the dress either. Why do I have to wear such a heavy skirt? There are many comfortable clothes. Why not pants? Or a jumpsuit? Why do women talk in such a roundabout way? If there's something you want to say, why not just say it right away? Who decides all of these in the first place?”

Madame Iris was astounded. Nobody had ever asked these questions. Everybody had just accepted it as the way things were. For the nobles, it was tradition, and the commoner people simply followed along.

“That’s what nobles should do.”

Anastasia frowned, "That is not true. Many men don't talk in a roundabout way. Male nobles just smile and move on even if they don’t walk with the right manners. Even if they behave crudely, it's not a big deal. It seems that such things are only asked of women.”

"You talk as if you've been hanging out with men, my lady."

At those words, Anastasia closed her mouth. As an older and more experienced woman, Madame Iris recognized immediately that Anastasia was hiding something.

However, what Anastasia had said was not entirely wrong. Crude behaviour from noblemen was tolerated to a greater extent than when it came from noblewomen. For women who did not behave with the right etiquette, they would receive criticism from other women and be socially ostracised. Thus, manners were more important to women.

“Men and women are not the same,” Madame Iris said calmly.

At those words, Anastasia’s face hardened. Even as Anastasia, it was difficult for her to accept the situation. She used to think this was a matter for others to worry about, not her, but she now was spending unbelievable amounts of mental energy on learning the correct etiquette. It was annoying how often she was called out for minor details that were never important, like how she walked.

‘Men and women are not the same’ was something that was never said in the clans. While it was true that men had physical advantages over women in general, extensive training and selective breeding over many generations had somewhat negated those advantages. Men and women compete on equal grounds in everything, from Trials of Positions to Trials of Bloodright. No concession was given to women, and none given when different phenotypes compete unaugmented either.

Avryl suppressed an internal wince when she recalled her brutal unaugmented duel against a male elemental during the final round of her Trial of Bloodright. If the locals thought blindsiding a Harvester was considered brave, she wondered what they would think of facing a genetically engineered two-point-three metre tall tower of hulking muscle in unarmed combat. To this day, she still could not quite believe how she won that fight. Well, she had Tiaret to thank for all the tips…

And this invitation… it was probably an opportunity for Baron Haynes to humiliate her after she had caused a scandal with the attempted suicide. She hated being manoeuvred into such a disadvantageous position, but she had no choice but to catch up as fast as she could.

Madame Iris continued speaking. “When men behave crudely, they are still judged. It may not be apparent, but they are. And good, proper etiquette is how nobles display their wealth and status, above those who are not part of the aristocracy. Furthermore, the education of noblewomen has a purpose.”

Purpose? Anastasia tilted her head in silent query.

“The strict etiquette of noblewomen symbolises the prestige of their families, as well as the prestige of their world, and finally the state. It is the same regardless of which Successor State we are in.”

“Then what about the noblemen?” She thought of Baron Kalinski, and Finn.

“Men have more opportunities to enhance the prestige of their families, through victories in battle, or successful governance. Sure, some noblewomen can still choose these paths, but here in the Outback, very few actually do, usually only those born into martial families who do it out of duty and tradition, and they start from a young age. Which other noblewomen would know from young to do this? So for the majority of noblewomen here, they can only show it through their manners and clothes. From the way they talk, to even the seams and pleats of their dresses.”

Madame Iris had given her a straightforward answer, and Anastasia was at a loss for words. She had never realised just how backwards some of these worlds are. The women of the aristocracy were essentially props for their families, so they had to learn all these. In a sense, they were defending their families as much as holding a gun or a sword.

Anastasia sighed and looked up at the ceiling. Here, too, they had a reason of their own. They were not idiots who only cared about clothes. If a family's prestige was to be defended with a fancy dress and steely words, then their way of life should also be respected. She supposed it was no different in the clans, with how each Bloodhouse zealously protected its reputation.

Madame Iris wondered inwardly whether she had offended Anastasia with her words. After the viscount died and she had to leave without disrupting his family, she had finally thought about this: what was the difference between the nobles and the commoners? So when Anastasia asked, she was able to give her opinions because she had already thought about the issue. Madame Iris conceded mentally that she might not be correct, but that was really her honest opinion.

"I see. I understand,” Anastasia finally said, smiling. “If this is their way, then I will just have to follow.”

She straightened her back and rose gracefully from her seat. Her somewhat rigid movements and free-spiritedness were gone. “Then, shall we try our best until the banquet?”

Like all other people, Madame Iris agreed that Anastasia was beautiful, but that was only on appearances alone. But when she combined it with the elegance and bearing of a noblewoman, Madame Iris felt the full impact of her charisma and understood why she was bestowed the nickname of ‘White Lotus’ by admirers and detractors alike.

 
Haynes Palatial Manor
18th February, 3061

“What are you worrying about?”

At Raymond’s words, Countess Priscilla lifted her head.

In the dull sunlight, the Countess stood in front of the golden birdcage, listening to the canaries singing. It was one of the things she did when she was worried.

“The banquet is happening soon.”

"Yes, it is,” Raymond nodded his head.

“I’m worried about Baron Kalinski’s daughter.”

At the words of his mother, Raymond looked at her gently.

"She brought such difficulties upon herself. You don't have to worry about it that much, mother."

His tone was soft, but his words were cold.

“Baron Haynes seems to be trying to create a rift between me and Baron Kalinski,” the Countess said, smiling bitterly.

“Is that so?”

She sent the invitation directly in the name of the Countess, so from the Baron's point of view, it was apparent that he would resent the Countess.

Renard was not wary of his brother Raymond but wary of the Countess, the leading lady of the Trivet. When he became Count, she would become the Countess Dowager, and he had to be wary of her political power.

“Even though he needn’t do so.” She sighed and placed her hand on her forehead.

“I think it’s just because my brother was acting up again.”

“You think so?”

“You know his personality well enough, don’t you?”

At that, the Countess nodded her head. They were both well aware of Renard’s sadistic character. Raymond stood next to the Countess and observed her birdcage.

“If he bothered to think about it, he wouldn’t have done that.”

“Why do you think so?”

“Wouldn’t he offend Finn?”

Viscount Finnickerhet Ian Rason was engaged to Baron Kalinski’s daughter. Mocking his fiancée, even if she was admittedly flawed in many ways, was directly linked to the honour of the Viscount. That would not be pleasant.

“Unlike Baron Kalinski, Finn would have immediately noticed that it was brother, not mother, who invited the Baron’s daughter because he hates brother’s personality.”

Raymond took off his glasses and rubbed the lenses with the hem of his robe.

"But in this case, you should just act a bit offended and then drop the issue. If we behave as though it’s not a big deal, then there is no insult either.” He continued, “I know Finn very well. Even though he looks like that, he's not really that cold-hearted. Well, except towards me.”

Raymond folded his glasses neatly and put them in his pocket, revealing his sharp eyes.

“Even if she is damaged goods and the engagement was forced, she is his fiancée. Inviting his fiancée there to insult her is to insult Finn too. Finn will never forget this if my brother goes through with his plan. But that’s Renard’s problem.”

“……”

“If it were me, I wouldn’t have given any reason to turn Finn into an enemy.”

Raymond’s eyes were shining sharply without his glasses. The genial smile on his face had turned into a sneer.


Kalinski Estate
21st February, 3061
0900 hrs (0900 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Anastasia did the best she could to learn proper etiquette, what should have taken years condensed into the span of just two weeks. By the day of the banquet, she was able to somewhat act like a noble.

Despite studying as hard as she could, she did not manage to completely memorise the various relationships between the nobles, or how to conduct a conversation politely. Nevertheless, she did manage to carry herself somewhat convincingly as a noblewoman.

Madame Iris had been perfectly blunt with her assessment. "With all due respect, there won’t be anyone who would want to bring up a conversation with you about what you have done."

“You mean like stupidly jumping into the lake to beg Baron Haynes for his love?”

“That’s right. So, you do remember what you have done."

She was praised, but somehow it made her feel bad. Madame Iris sighed at Anastasia’s expression.

“You will definitely be ridiculed at the banquet hall.”

"The easiest solution would be to not go, but I couldn't do that….”

Why did I have to end up in a body like this to suffer? she thought. But if she had to attend a banquet anyway, it was better to just get it over with. Avryl was a Smoke Jaguar warrior, she faced her problems and enemies head-on!

It’s just a banquet. She was acting as Anastasia, but the reality hadn't settled in yet. When she met Finn, she became intensely aware of her original self as Avryl, but presently, her life seemed to be floating somewhere unknown.

“It’s like I’m in a dream.”

"What?"

“No, it’s nothing.”

Anastasia laughed bitterly. If she did not accept that she was dreaming, she would not be able to understand what was happening to her. How could she admit that she, a Smoke Jaguar ristar, was now a noble-born lady and was going to attend a banquet in the Federated Commonwealth?

It was so much easier to treat everything like a dream.


1500 hrs (1500 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Before the banquet, her maids were bustling since the first activity period. First, she had to soak in a bath full of scented water.

Seeing the maids were all in high spirits to dress her up, she felt drained out. She had never guessed the day would come when she had to wear a fancy dress. If any of her warriors were to see her, they would laugh so hard until they fainted. She stood numbly as they dressed her up.

“Are you ready, my lady?” said her maid, Luisa, who was standing next to her. Anastasia nodded her head. Was a corset such a big deal? Or more specifically, why was it so important that they have to do what is called ‘tightlacing’?

“Ok… now breathe in and hold!” While Anastasia hugged a pillar as Luisa tightened the corset, it was apparent that the maid had done this before.

Anastasia was surprised at how painful the process was. And was it not harmful to compress the upper body to this extent? All right, so there is a reason for women to learn etiquette. But what is the reason for corsets and tightlacing? Is it to kill a woman? Deliberately weaken her? Ouch! This is torture!

Avryl had undergone resistance-to-interrogation training in the sibko, so she could definitely speak from first hand experience. Maybe even waterboarding wasn’t as bad as this.

“Louise, do you hate me for what happened?”

“Ah, no. How can I get mad at my dear lady? Come on, suck in more.”

If the reason for tightlacing and corsets was for noblewomen to look pretty, and looking pretty was their job, then Anastasia finally understood just how hard they had been working, if they had to endure such torture!

“Louise, I was wrong, sorry!”

“I’m Luisa.”

When her name was called wrong again, Luisa pressed her foot against the wall and tightened her corset even more.

 

After finally finishing, Anastasia looked at her reflection in the mirror. She was beautiful.

“Acceptable.”

Her maids frowned at Anastasia's bland sentiment. She was, of course, aware of her own face standing here, but she was not impressed even with the decorations, as that face was Anastasia’s.

Her long hair was pulled up and pinned, and her pale face came alive with the cosmetics applied by her maids when she had her eyes closed. Her face, which she thought was quite pretty from the beginning, was transformed into a more beautiful look when she dressed up.

What did they call Anastasia? The White Lotus of Altoona? She compared that to Avryl, who had been called the Black Lotus, the double-edged moniker coming from DCMS soldiers who both feared and admired her battlefield prowess. However, Anastasia and Avryl were simply too different to be compared in any way.

Anastasia looked at the dress she was wearing, a strapless design that exposed her shoulders and arms. It was a mix of white and deep marine blue, and adorned with jewels and flowers.

It was also expensive and an utter waste of resources. She sighed and reminded herself. I am Anastasia. I decided to live as Anastasia.

She opened the door of her room and stepped out. When she went down to the lobby on the first floor, her father was waiting for her wearing formal attire. He looked at her and seemed to be at a loss for a moment, but immediately smiled brightly.

She carefully gripped the hem of her skirt to keep it from wrinkling.

“Ana, you are so beautiful.”

"I think so, too."

The Baron burst into laughter at the unintentionally blurted words.

“You seem to be recovering your memories. An excellent sign."

Anastasia must have been a person who had confidence in her outer appearance. She understood because it wasn't unfounded.

The Baron dressed very stylishly, as befit his status as a wealthy nobleman. Even she could see that his clothes were made of different, exquisite materials. Anastasia involuntarily reached out her hand and fiddled with her dress. The Baron smiled.

“I’m sorry.”

"Why?"

"I am sorry for forcing you to go to the banquet."

"It's fine."

It didn’t need to be said. How many aristocrats could have refused the Countess's invitation?

The Baron seemed bewildered by Anastasia's nonchalant reply, but he gently placed his hand on her head and stroked it.

Anastasia felt the affection from the Baron. It was a strangely warm feeling tickling her chest, but somehow it turned into tingling pain in the corner of her heart.

"I hope that today you don't make the same mistake as before. Please don’t do things that would place Baron Haynes in a predicament.”

"Okay,” Anastasia responded obediently and grabbed his arm, and they headed towards the hoverlimo.

But, well, she wasn’t sure how she would react when she saw the Spheroid nobles eating and living in luxury. However, she wasn’t lying either when she said that she would try to live as Anastasia and did not intend to cause trouble. She had made her decision, she intended to carry it through.

Guided by the Baron's hand, she got into the vehicle, and the hoverlimo headed towards the Haynes palatial manor.

She started off relaxed, but her nerves started up again as they approached their destination.

--------------------------------------

A common trope in otome isekai is societal attitudes towards women in the military, and I felt this point needed to be addressed somewhat with regards to the Btech universe, which had always been gender-egalitarian from its beginnings. However, backwaters like the Trivet are just as likely to revert to more traditional roles, unless the tradition of the noble or martial family is to have their scions learn regardless of gender.

This is exacerbated by the relatively low proportion of non-infantry forces in their militaries, because the bulk of the garrisons in the Outback at both the planetary or household levels are infantry. So attitudes percolate upwards and downwards, resulting in the situation described above.

For combat vehicles, aerospace, protomechs, and even battle armour, it’s easy to see how women can fight on even footing with men (skill over sheer strength). But when it comes to conventional infantry… Probably only the clans have an even mix of genders in their conventional infantry forces (the Steel Vipers come to mind), and elementals of course have no problems. For everybody else, the sheer amount of upper body strength (thanks testosterone!) required to lug heavy weapons over extended distances at a reasonable speed (30 metres in 10 seconds) is no joke.

E.g. the fictitious Mauser 960 is 10.5 kg, including vibroblade and compact grenade launcher. That’s 10.5 kg plus body armour plus ammunition/energy packs, water bottle, and toss in a support weapon for a squad.

Sheesh.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Here we are, the Ball! Anastasia experiences firsthand the cut-and-thrust of the socialite world.

--------------------------------------------------------------------
Haynes Palatial Manor, Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st February, 3061
1800 hrs (1800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

The Federated Commonwealth, or even just the old Federated Suns part of it, was the largest and most powerful of the Successor States. However, its power was not without limits. Large parts of the realm were poor and underdeveloped - especially the worlds of the Outback, situated between the developed core of the realm and the Periphery.

The worlds of the Trivet belonged to the Outback. Characterised by subsistence level agriculture and low levels of education, the Trivet seemed destined to be forever trapped within the poverty cycle, unable or perhaps unwilling, to elevate its worlds to prosperity.

Even the long duration of the Star League did not seem to have improved matters much. Certainly, Altoona and Delacambre were settled only due to the efforts of the Star League’s terraforming agencies, but many Outback worlds were left in a state of benign neglect by their rulers for centuries.

This led to pockets of advanced civilisation in a sea of widespread poverty, if not outright squalor.

Anastasia ruminated on these thoughts as the hoverlimo travelled to the Haynes palatial manor, passing by fields of quillar, interspersed by small primitive hamlets and villages said to resemble those from the twentieth century. Inman was not a well-developed world.

In addition to the etiquette lessons from Madame Iris, head butler Kevin took it upon himself to give her a short primer on the Trivet worlds - Inman, Altoona, where their family demesne was located, and Delacambre, Finn’s holding. Isolated from the rest of the realm, the Trivet worlds were ultimately ruled by House Haynes from Inman, and each world had its own set of resources and problems. Each of the three worlds depended on the other two, locking them in an interdependent relationship, but also never quite moving past that due to myriad systemic issues.

One of which was the lack of education in the populace. Many learned what they could from their parents, there was no universal primary education, and even Innerman City had only two high schools for promising students. There were a few private institutes, but they catered mainly to the nobles and the wealthy, with some working adults willing to pay the exorbitant fees to get in.

Madame Iris had given her personal opinion when asked about the Trivet. She surmised it may be in the nobles’ own interest to keep the worlds underdeveloped, while retaining access to private schools and better education for their own families. By keeping the population poor and uneducated, it would be easy to influence and divide them to prevent any mass uprising, a sure way for the nobles to maintain their own power and status.

With only a modest application of will, it was actually relatively easy to educate any population over several decades, by building up infrastructure and trained manpower. Pre-spaceflight Terra had plenty of examples to emulate. The fact that it was not done was probably due to the rulers, at least the local ones, unwilling to do so.

The hoverlimo slowed down as it approached the palatial manor. But perhaps the word ‘manor’ was not quite accurate. A castle, harkening back to the mediaeval ages, might be more accurate, though the castle walls were now made of advanced ferrocrete and layered in mech-grade armour instead of mere brick and mortar. Anastasia suppressed the urge to scoff.

Clan Smoke Jaguar, and the clans in general, did not have many such fortifications. The customs of batchalls, bidding, Circle of Equals, and zellbrigen within the Clans made such structures unnecessary. If somebody wanted something, they straight up issued a battle challenge, batchall, to whoever had it.

Both sides then engaged in bidding, to decide the optimal amount of forces on each side, before actually committing them to battle within a strictly defined area, the Circle of Equals. During a battle, instead of focusing their fire on specific targets, clan warriors would challenge opponents and engage in one-on-one duels, a practice known as zellbrigen, to prove their skill.

This form of ritualised combat conserved resources and minimised collateral damage, sparing civilians from the horrors of war. Unfortunately, the Inner Sphere did not subscribe to such notions and engaged in less restricted warfare, or even total war, as in the First and Second Succession Wars, where the Great Houses used weapons of mass destruction almost indiscriminately in their quest for ultimate victory, shattering cities and rendering even entire planets uninhabitable.

A cool breeze blew gently against Anastasia’s face, focusing her on the present, far away from the bloody and desperate battlefields of her past. She took the Baron's hand, mindful of her dress and carefully climbed the steps, then walked into the light of the palatial manor, where servants directed them to the banquet hall.

Despite herself, Anastasia found herself enjoying the fragrant scents and soft music playing in the background. Whenever she took a step on the cold marble floor, the clicking sounds of her shoes resonated through the hall. She walked with the Baron down the corridor leading to the banquet hall.

The hallway was filled with people, but everyone went quiet as they looked at her.

Anastasia knew that their gazes were full of curiosity and ridicule. Although she thought of herself as quite self-assured, she wasn't so dispassionate that she could simply ignore those gazes. But since ‘Avryl’ was not the one who was receiving such gazes, she did not cower under their weight. In her mind, it was not really directed at her anyway.

Before long, the door to the banquet hall opened. The guests lined up for the attendant to announce each guest and position. As expected, everyone in the room looked at her.

She walked slowly, step by step, making a point of looking at the faces of the degenerate Spheroid nobles. She wondered what kind of expression they were making as everyone avoided her gaze.

They stared openly when they thought she was not looking, but looked away when she looked back at them, what kind of behaviour was that?

Cowards.

It amused her at the very least. She looked at the Baron to find him looking at her worriedly.

“Let’s go to the wall over there. Then people will look at you less.”

At the Baron's words, Anastasia nodded her head. He must have felt uncomfortable and embarrassed in such a situation, but the Baron's expression was calm. How could the original Anastasia ever have thought of jumping into the lake and leaving her steadfast father like this?

Anastasia thought it wasn't as difficult as she thought it would be for her to put up with everyone’s stares pressing down on her. It must have been because Baron Kalinski was right next to her.

No one said anything to the Baron, and she did not need to worry about causing any commotion, either. It seemed the Baron knew that too, so he did not leave Anastasia's side even for a moment.

Not having anything in her experience to compare him to, she thought the Baron was a fairly good father. In a way, Anastasia’s actions and behaviour must have put her father at a significant disadvantage at court. However, the Baron only showed his unwavering affection for her. The only downside was that he always seemed to be busy, and was not able to spare much time for her, especially after she recovered.

Anastasia looked up at the dais where Count Haynes, the ruler of the Trivet worlds, and his family would sit. It was still empty. The Count hadn’t arrived yet, and it seemed that his children, including Baron Haynes, had not arrived yet either. Even her fiance with his stupidly punchable face was not there yet.

At that moment, she smiled, promising to herself that she would relieve all of the annoyance she felt while learning dancing and etiquette by stepping on Viscount Finn Rason’s feet.

But she soon found that she was bored, and as she looked around at the Spheroid nobles lavishly clothed, many even more ostentatious than her attire, her anger grew as she recalled the impoverished villages they had passed. She clung to the thought that she shouldn't cause any trouble.

“Baron Kalinski!”

Someone from afar called him. The Baron turned his head.

Who was it? When she looked over, a man with dark hair and overly glamorous clothes walked over. She looked at the Baron in question.

“Yes, he’s your uncle,” the Baron answered firmly.

“Huh?”

She wasn't stupid, but Avryl was terrible at remembering things like family trees. It had gotten her in trouble a few times in the Clan touman when she lost track of who or which bloodhouse was in favour that week, and who their prominent warriors were.

As Anastasia tilted her head, the Baron added an explanation.

“This is Viscount Drake. He is also the maternal uncle of Baron Haynes.”

She nodded her head, startled by a thought that ran through her mind. If so, did that mean that she was related to Baron Haynes, who was supposedly her lover?

She connected the dots. She had heard that her father, Baron Kalinski, was a first cousin to the deceased first Countess, the mother of Baron Haynes, which naturally made them relations to the direct ruling line.

If she understood the traditions and customs of the Inner Sphere, Anastasia thought it was a bit strange that they dated as second cousins. In the clans, the Bloodhouses strived to avoid such interbreeding at all costs, as it often resulted in significant genetic damage and reduced viability of the sibkos formed from such interbreeding. Hence, expanding the gene pool and bidding for additional genetic legacies to maintain the vigour of their lines was a paramount priority for every Bloodhouse.

‘So, shouldn't we say hello to him?’ Viscount Drake was blatantly frowning as she stepped forward with a glance at the Baron. It wasn't a face that looked happy to see her. The only thing Viscount Drake wanted was to talk to Baron Kalinski.

What should I do? As she unwittingly looked back at the Baron again, he also met her eyes. Her mouth opened as she noted the indecisive look on his face. "Please go on."

She was startled by the voice that came out of her unconsciously. She didn't mean to say anything like that, so why was her mouth moving?

Even if I tell you not to go, you will go.

What? What was the thought that just popped into her head? She was bewildered.

The Baron smiled and patted her on the shoulder a few times. “I’ll be back soon, so hang out with your friends.”

She just managed to maintain a neutral expression. What friends?

The Baron then turned to Viscount Drake, the two men engrossed in conversation as they walked away.

Anastasia was too busy grappling with what had just happened. Even though she knew she had entered the body of another person, she had not thought deeply about what that meant. Was the original Anastasia dead? Or was she still in this body? Just now, it had clearly been Anastasia’s thoughts. She tried to focus on the feeling, but her thoughts did not return.

Feeling uneasy, she knew it wouldn't do much for her to keep thinking about it, so she looked around her and glared at the people who were whispering about her.

The Baron would probably not come back. Somehow, her intuition said so.

When the Baron left, she found herself fully exposed to the sneering gazes directed at her. Remembering the etiquette lessons, she forced herself to quietly put her hands together in front of her body, as befit the posture of a noblewoman. But the whispers continued.

“I didn't know she would still show her face!”

“She is not even shameful of what she did!”

The giggles of the others followed the loud voices of the women around her, but Anastasia kept her expression calm despite their blatant ridicule.

Anastasia lifted her gaze and saw men as well as women staring at her furtively. It seemed that it wasn’t just women who were interested in rumours.

“Are you okay now, Lady Kalinska?”

Anastasia turned her head toward the source of the gentle voice, and a woman in an emerald dress approached her. She covered her face with a fan, but even the ignorant Anastasia could tell a smirk lurked beneath it.

Was she supposed to stay silent even when someone addressed her directly? But she intended not to say anything. What was she to do now? Anastasia was in a bit of a dilemma.

“I heard that a lot of things have happened to you recently. The story was everywhere. I heard you were involved in the riot with the crazy mech. Didn't you get into a very serious situation, getting attacked by a mech?”

People's gazes quickly turned strange because the meaning of the phrase ‘serious situation’ was somehow taboo. Anastasia stayed silent and calm, even with those insinuating words.

“My lady, we heard that you almost died. You didn’t lose your voice, did you?”

What should she do? In fact, as Anastasia, the words of these people were not threatening in the least. These women fought with their tongues, but Avryl had fought for her life on the battlefield, against the best warriors the Inner Sphere had to offer. But the phrase ‘words are mightier than the sword’ existed for a reason. The woman's comments were clearly offensive and meant to insult her.

“Do you have nothing to say? I asked because I’m worried about you.”

Anastasia heard the laughter of the people around them once again. Madame Iris had advised her to keep quiet, but she decided that she would look more of a fool if she did not speak anyway.

Anastasia opened her lips.  "The reason I’m not saying anything is…."

All eyes turned to her. Under their curious gazes, Anastasia looked straight at the woman.

“Because I don’t know you are. Who are you to care so much about what happened to me?”

This wasn't a typical noblewoman's elegant and roundabout way of speaking, but rather a direct and sarcastic retort.

Of course, if Anastasia did not know the name of the daughter of a powerful family, she could be criticised for being ignorant, too, but Anastasia had quickly assessed the situation and was confident in her assessment of the situation.

She realised intuitively that someone else had sent this woman to do her dirty work, a pawn controlled by a commander higher-up in the pecking order. If the real culprit behind this rudeness was a woman from a more prestigious, higher ranked family, it would be better to send a hired pawn to do it for her instead of getting her own hands dirty.

As evidence, she observed that the woman's just-ever-so-slightly scruffy dress was a stark contrast to the lavish, modern look of Anastasia’s dress, as well as other noblewomen. She was obviously not very high ranking, and simply a pawn obeying orders from a higher ranked aristocrat.

Upon hearing Anastasia's words, the woman's face turned red at once. If the woman asked, ‘How do you not know me?’, she would certainly look petulant.

“I used to exchange greetings with my lady, but I think my lady doesn't have a good enough memory to remember me,” she said.

“I think so.” As she calmly accepted the woman's sarcastic remarks, a roar of laughter flowed out from among the people.

To readily admit her memory for names was poor, Anastasia made it more difficult for the other woman to continue harping on that point, since it would seem like a personal attack.

She looked around, looking for the ‘commander’ who made this woman do this. Among the eyes of the spectators, Anastasia met the curious gaze of a woman with platinum blonde hair, hiding the rest of her face behind a fan. Trusting her intuition, Anastasia knew she had identified the ringleader. She looked straight at the woman. Their eyes met, and Anastasia was about to make a move, but…

“My lady! I am the one in front of you right now! Is the lady ignoring my concern?"

Anastasia turned her gaze back at the woman confronting her.

It seemed like the woman was angry because Anastasia ignored her. However, she realised it was because her attention turned to the blonde-haired lady, and the lower ranked noble was desperate to divert Anastasia's attention back to herself.

A thought came to Anastasia, and she wondered idly if she could even ask about it. She deliberated for a second, and decided to do so anyway, damn the possible consequences.

“Can I ask a question?”

“Are you curious about my name?”

Anastasia shook her head.

“Even though it was a public rumour that I was in the midst of the riot, how did you know I was attacked by a mech?”

That was not entirely correct, since she was probably the aggressor, but Anastasia decided to roll with it. Besides, she had received communications through Baron Kalinski that the whole affair was to be hushed up, and the wayward, barely still alive pilot was to receive lifelong imprisonment.

The protestors were too poor to own multipurpose handphones, or too busy fleeing for their lives to record anything, and vehicle dashboard cameras were virtually unknown on the impoverished world. The footage from a few street cameras were quickly gathered and sealed in some obscure archives. So other than the police, and her own servants, and the militia who responded, nobody should know exactly what happened.

And for some reason, nobody wanted to find out more about how she was able to disable the mech. Anastasia suspected her father's efforts behind this, and maybe even the Count's influence to bury the whole matter as deeply and quickly as he could.

“What?” The woman was taken aback by the unexpected question. She paused, then answered, “It’s the militia.”

“Oh? The militia?” Now Anastasia felt a bit flustered and on the defensive. “Did the militia tell you?”

When Anastasia asked the question again to confirm, the woman seemed uncomfortable. She heard it from the militia? Did that make any sense?

“As it concerned defence and security, the militia would be instructed to keep the details secret, isn't that the case?”

For all her ignorance, Anastasia knew that no agency would ever disclose details of a case while it was still under investigation. Even more so when it involved mechs, even workmechs. This was simply common sense.

Her line of questioning sparked murmurs from the crowd gathered around her.

“Well, she’s not wrong.”

“It is still being investigated, so how did she find out? Who leaked the info?”

It seemed that Anastasia's doubts were not unfounded. Anastasia let out a dry laugh at this absurdity. “So the militia has no sense of information security?”

The phrase 'information security' was definitely not a phrase used by noblewomen, unless they were being groomed to lead their household. Although Anastasia's tone was harsh, people murmured that Anastasia was rightfully concerned about the issues that she pointed out to the woman. Leaking information on an ongoing investigation was a serious matter.

Anastasia knew that discipline for militia on backwater worlds was poor, and could not be compared to frontline units, but this was simply unacceptable.

Had this happened within her own Binary, she would have sent them for intense physical training, or sparring sessions with Elementals, guaranteed to shake them up.

Pathetic! Anastasia tsked in disapproval.

“Oh!” The young woman, who had suddenly inadvertently insulted the militia, was embarrassed. She now looked a little pitiful, but Anastasia had no intention of giving up the opportunity to ridicule the Spheroid soldiers.

Sure, they had not done anything personally to her or the Smoke Jaguars, but right now, she found that she did not care. Like the namesake of her clan, the Smoke Jaguar, she would pounce and press home the attack.

“So disappointing, the Trivet militia,” she said.

She tsked again and looked towards the men. Some well-built men who looked like members of the militia avoided her gaze. As Anastasia turned her gaze at the blonde woman again, the woman's face had turned pale.

It seemed that she was also the one who leaked the information from the militia. What connections does she have?

Viscount Rason should be here to see this, and ridiculed for the poor discipline of the soldiers under his command. What kind of expression would his smug face make when he heard these words?

Where was that man? Anastasia frowned when she glanced around for her fiance, but he was nowhere to be found.

“Isn’t the lady's fiance an officer in the militia? Your fiance’s honour....”

“You insulted his honour. Not me.”

Anastasia decided that she was going to speak her mind now. Her manner of speech  was still direct, but she softened her tone at the end, so it seemed congruent with Anastasia's gentle voice. When she said that, the woman backed away with a look of resentment.

I… I won?

When she looked at the faces around her, she seemed to have won, even though she didn’t mean to at the beginning. Anastasia didn't know the lady’s name, so she had just thrown that fact out there, and she ended up mocking the militia because she had been curious about the source of information.

Then the trumpet sounded, and everyone looked at the entrance to the banquet hall. It meant that the Count and his family were about to enter.

Anastasia did not care much for the degenerate, puffed-up nobles of the Inner Sphere, although she was now one of them, but she still observed with interest as the Count and his family walked in.

The Count was an old, slightly overweight man with a mild appearance even from a distance, but she couldn't get close to see what his face looked like. Anastasia thought appraisingly that the Count was a bit slovenly from his gait alone. Compared to the strong, charismatic warriors who led Clan Smoke Jaguar, he was not impressive at all.

He was followed by the Countess, his heir Baron Renard Haynes, and another young man who bore a resemblance to the Countess, probably his second son, whose name escaped her although Kevin had briefed her before.

She noticed Finn, who was following the count’s family. She could see him scanning the banquet hall, so she looked away to avoid his gaze. For some reason, she did not feel well whenever she looked at Baron Haynes.

Perhaps that was Anastasia’s influence?

The Count sat on a chair on the podium and started greeting the nobles who came up to him, obviously the usual hobnobbing for attention.

Anastasia somehow found herself drained, and the wave of queasiness that engulfed her when she saw Baron Haynes. She felt it would be better to avoid people right now and come back later. She avoided people's gazes and cautiously headed to the second floor of the banquet hall.

Due to the appearance of the Count, there was no one on the second floor. She walked, letting her footsteps lead her. From what the butler and Madame Iris had told her, there should be rest rooms available for those nobles who did not feel well or required some privacy, or for more sensitive conversations.

Without thinking too much, Anastasia opened the most ornate door at the end of the hallway before entering. She sighed and sat down on a sofa in the room. She looked around, wondering if she could take off her high-heeled shoes, then decided that it was fine for her to do so when everybody else was in the banquet hall and unlikely to come up here. She would have chosen a pair of comfortable and sturdy combat boots over these shoes, which were nothing more than uncomfortable shackles to her.

As her feet relaxed, she sighed and rested her head on the sofa, taking care not to mess up her hair. She wondered what the hell she was doing. In the end, all she had to do was wear aristocratic clothes and pretend to be Inner Sphere nobility to adapt as Anastasia.

Lost in her thoughts, she didn't notice that someone had opened the door, then closed it silently. She heard footsteps approaching her, and it was only then that she turned her head.

A man smiled at her with his blonde hair tossed stylishly. Standing in front of the door was Renard Haynes. “Hey, Ana. Were you waiting for me?”
-----------------------------

Again, in the story the characters have some they-do-not-know-what-they-do-not-know stuff, but our viewpoint reveals additional missing pieces.

The thing about the abysmal literacy rates in the Outback as written in the various sourcebooks just never really made sense. Throughout history, various institutions have sought to expand their reach through indoctrination via education and literacy - the Church (Catholic, Anglican, whatever) comes to mind readily. Entrepreneurs and rich businessmen engaging in philanthropy, various conglomerates trying to develop talent. Textbooks are easy to print and distribute, teaching the basics at the primary level is generally not that difficult.

The history of education in my country, especially in the British colonial period, was typified by such private sector initiatives, to the point where an association of rich businessmen were even able to set up a university! It was only after independence that the government stepped in to impose uniform standards and get everybody in line, but the fact remains that schools and somewhat decent literacy rates could be achieved without the government.

For the Outback to have only one high school per city beggars belief. So what’s really going on?

My in-universe explanation is the one postulated by Madame Iris, the nobles are the ones actively disrupting things, demanding adherence to stupid regulations and rules that don’t make sense (e.g. the textbook used must be the 4th edition of XYZ. Oh, it’s out of print? Too bad.) just to prevent schools, especially beyond the middle school level, from popping up. For exactly the reasons she suggested. And from then on it was just bureaucratic inertia and things that were abided by even when most people had forgotten the reasons behind it, and nobody had the energy to overcome the inertia (things had always been done this way!) and change matters.

Even Hanse Davion, as smart as he is, didn’t realise it wasn’t the lack of educators per se, but the (unwitting?) sabotage by local rulers and bureaucracy. So the Outback remains mired in poverty and illiteracy.

[Starfox5]

Hm. What about MechWarriors? Are they nobility by default, as it was sometimes stated in the early books?

[The Wobbly Guy]

Hm. What about MechWarriors? Are they nobility by default, as it was sometimes stated in the early books?

Yup, especially in the Outback. Usually they start off in a household that are at least landholding knights, but sometimes wealthy commoners can get a foot in the door if they are so inclined... but seriously, if you're already rich, why would you want to strap yourself to a walking nuclear reactor?

Unless the aim is to enter the aristocracy and rise higher in the nobility, of course. Nobility at the higher ranks do have advantages over merely wealthy commoners.

Sometimes, guys who enlist in the armed forces get screened and picked up to be mechwarriors, like Galen Cox and Renny Sanderlin, but they often have to be exceptional talents.

Note that while most mechwarriors are nobles, the reverse is not true - not all nobles are mechwarriors, or even warriors of any stripe. Yeah sure, they might have some military forces, but they're pretty much token represents.

One of the later chapters will show the Kalinski garrison on Altoona, and boy is Anastasia going to be pissed when she gets there!

[The Wobbly Guy]

The ball/banquet segment continues.
--------------------------
Haynes Palatial Manor, Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st February, 3061
1930 hrs (1930 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Stravag. She twisted her body around on the sofa and lifted her head to look at Renard. Renard’s smile widened as he stood in front of the sofa where she was sitting.

He was tall and handsome with his hair neatly brushed over to the side. Anastasia felt the unpleasant feeling come back despite his clearly pleasant face, as if her chest was being squeezed. It was not that he had a scary visage, but her heart was somehow racing.

“What are you doing here?”

“……”

“Ana, are you still angry?”

“……”

Are you angry? Was it normal to simply say that to a woman who jumped into a lake, begging him for his love?

“Ana, you need to be careful. There’ll be trouble if you keep coming to the reserved lounge.”

No wonder this room was at the very end of the hall. It was reserved for the Count’s family to use.

But why is he here? Anastasia observed the man in front of her warily.

“What would you do if the Countess or Raymond came in? You’re lucky I came in first.”

He stood in front of her, his posture aggressive and domineering. Anastasia chose to keep silent because she was not sure how she should react in this situation and still thinking of what to do.

“Can’t you say something?” he asked her, but it sounded like he was ordering her about.

When Anastasia still didn't answer, Renard sat down next to her. He brought up his hand and stroked her chin, then touched her lips with his thumb before his hand dropped down below her shoulder.

She stood still to see what he was doing and grimaced at the subtle gesture of his. She tried to slap his hand away, but he grabbed her wrist firmly.

“It’s no fun if you keep resisting.”

“What…!”

As Anastasia was about to get up, Renard pushed her down with a strong grip and forced onto the couch. His heavy body threatened to crush her.

"I missed you, Ana. I really, really missed you…"

Twisting her body, she tried to escape, but Renard reached out with one hand to press both her arms down above her head with tremendous force. In an instant, his mouth was on hers, her lips were forced open and his tongue pushed in. At the same time, his other hand fondled her chest.

Savrashi! Anastasia cursed inwardly. He asked her if she was angry but then suddenly started doing this. Is this guy crazy?

“That mech that went nuts didn’t get you, did it? You are still here, still my Ana.”

“Let go of me……!”

This piece of surat shit! Anastasia tried to push him away, but she was too weak, despite having improved her fitness somewhat since awakening in this body. But the dance lessons and intensive etiquette lessons had prevented her from doing her physical exercises for the past two weeks, so she had fallen behind again.

Even in this degrading situation, Anastasia felt resentful, but her hard-won discipline was keeping her calm while her mind was already trying to think of a way to extricate herself.

He tried to kiss her again, but when she shook her head to resist him, the Baron clicked his tongue and lifted his face, looking down at Anastasia angrily. Seeing his furious expression, he looked like a complete madman.

“I told you to stop being angry.”

Angry……?

“I know you love me. So now you have to let me love you.”

This is love? She scoffed inwardly.

"You were really impressive, Ana, to jump into the lake with that weak body to prove your love for me."

Anastasia frowned. From what she heard, Anastasia had jumped into the manor lake while begging this piece of shit for his love. However, was it to prove her love? Was there something more? She tried to retrace the memory.

“Ahhhh…”

Anastasia moaned and bit her lips as her head suddenly throbbed and ached. Renard’s voice suddenly sounded distant, even though he was next to her and his mouth did not move… the voice was clearly in her head.

A scene began to appear in her mind that Avryl had never seen before.

Earnestness. With a desperate, imploring expression on her face, the original Anastasia was looking at Renard.

Although their relationship was known publicly, Anastasia wanted it to be officially recognized that they were lovers. When that happened, she would be able to suppress all the other bitches, the socialite girls, especially Lady Venice, who were jealous of her beauty and her position. But Renard didn't want that.

That caused them to fight, and it wasn't long before rumours spread in social circles that the Baron had dumped Anastasia. And now, Renard was humiliating her in front of other people.

“I wish you wouldn’t bother me anymore.”

At those words, the people around Renard giggled and laughed.

With an intense expression on her face, she hoped that he would smile at her, formally telling her in front of everybody that she was his lover, and soon-to-be fiancee and wife.

“Don’t you have any pride? Why are you so persistent?”

Despite the words that broke her heart, Anastasia struggled to maintain her composure.

“Now, stop bothering me and get lost!”

Hearing his words, Anastasia smiled brightly at him in happiness. Her beloved, Baron Renard Haynes, had given her the signal.

Not long after they quarrelled, Renard and Anastasia met in secret. The Baron confessed his love for her had not changed and promised her the position as his Countess once he had ascended to the position of Count. However, he had a condition for Anastasia.

“Show me your love by giving me your life, Ana. You know, we've been lonely for too long, so we don't believe in love. So, prove your love; prove that I can trust you. Show me that you deserve to be my lifelong companion, to be the Countess of Inman.”

Anastasia told him she would do anything she could to show her faith.

“Ana, listen carefully. I will treat you coldly, but it's only because my parents don't like you, so I am trying to protect you,” Renard said.

The Count, for some reason, looked at her with displeasure, and she didn't know what kind of character the Countess was, but she believed Renard if he said she wasn’t happy with Anastasia.

“I also need a justification to accept your love.”

“What should I do?”

“When I tell you to ‘get lost’ at the banquet, prove your love for me.”

Anastasia nodded her head happily.

I'd be happy to do that. Renard, I'll do it again and again if you want. If I could be by your side, if we could love each other without any hindrance, if we could never be lonely anymore.

That was why Anastasia smiled broadly at the Baron's insult. Then, without hesitation, she plunged into the manor lake. To prove her love to the Baron, she wanted to show that she would risk her life. And the last thing she saw as she was drowning was…

“As freebirths go, you’re as bad as Amaris!”

“Huh?”

Seeing the real Anastasia's memories, Anastasia, no, Avryl was outraged. So, without hesitation, she kicked the Baron right between his legs. She supposed she could have used his momentary confusion over the comparison to Amaris to get him into some form of shoulder lock, but a kick at the crotch was far more satisfying.

Renard’s desperate screams of agony echoed through the lounge. His hand fell from where it had been stroking her body to protect his crotch area, and the Baron scrambled across the common room away from her, screaming in pain.

The last thing Anastasia had seen as she sank into the water of the manor lake was Renard, pointing his finger at Anastasia as she was dying and bursting into laughter at her foolishness.

Anastasia realised that the man she loved so much, that she was willing to die for him, had played her so completely that she did die for him.

 

Finn did not feel well that day when he met the second person on his most-hated list.

Captain Larouche, who he hated the most, would not be attending per se because he claimed to be in charge of the manor’s security during this banquet and went to the guard area. That was good. However, because of the Count’s invitation, he was forced to face that other piece of shit, Baron Renard Haynes.

A few hours before the banquet, the Count had summoned Finn. Baron Renard and Raymond were seated in the drawing room.

When he met the Baron, Renard’s face immediately lit up with a smirk.

“It’s been a while, Viscount.”

“Yes, my lord,” he replied automatically.

He didn't know what that smile meant. After all, everyone already knew that Finn’s fiancee was Anastasia, and that the Baron was her ex-lover.

He was not surprised that the Baron was making fun of the situation. There was no way that filthy bastard would let that pass.

He heard that the Countess had sent a personal invitation to Anastasia Kalinska even though she was ill, but Finn didn’t believe it. It was evident that the Baron was behind it. He knew the man’s sick personality.

The Baron himself did not like Finn or his father the late Viscount, as they had not liked him from the beginning, so the feelings were mutual. Finn also disliked the vicious and promiscuous Baron.

The Baron did not say anything about Finn and Anastasia's engagement in front of him. That was wise. If he insulted him by talking about his fiancee, the Count next to him wouldn't let him get away with it.

The actions of the Baron, this time, directly touched Finn's nerves. He was mocking not only Anastasia but also Finn.

The Count looked at his son and Finn alternately.

It was clear he had summoned him because he wanted to check to see if Finn harboured any resentment towards Renard because of the engagement he was forced into.

“It’s been a while, Viscount.” Raymond greeted him by asking for a handshake. Black spectacles slid down his nose. Finn smiled bitterly inwardly, he was getting tired of watching that ridiculous façade.

“Your eyes seem to have gotten worse.”

“I read a lot of books. Maybe too many.”

Finn deliberately squeezed Raymond’s gloved hand hard, but Raymond just smiled at him. With the greetings over, the Count finally spoke.

“Viscount Rason.”

“Yes, my lord.”

The face of the Count, who had been wearing a hard mask, softened at once. The old Count smiled.

“Boy, you don’t have to be so uptight.”

Despite their differences, the late Viscount Rason and Count Haynes had been close friends, and the Count favoured young Finn. The Count smiled as if looking at his son, but Finn’s expression remained the same. No matter their relationship, the Count was the Count, his liege lord.

“I may have made a mistake, Finn. You're getting into an engagement that's embarrassing for you.”

“It’s not like that. I think there was a reason.”

He wished there was a reason. If he put himself in such a horrible situation, there had to be a good reason. He had to believe there was a good reason. Otherwise, he would do whatever he could to cancel it.

“I want to believe that you will not have an uncomfortable relationship with Renard, right?"

Finn smiled at him.

“Matters of the past belong to the past. This should not affect my relationship with Baron Haynes.”

The Count chuckled at his answer. The Baron also looked across at him and smiled.

“That is fortunate, Viscount Rason. I was afraid of losing your support.”

Losing? How so? From the beginning, he and the Rason family were never on the Baron's side. He laughed bitterly at the Count’s decision of openly giving power to the Baron and providing political backing.

And the undercurrents of the recent takeover by Archon Katrina Steiner was still shaking itself out throughout the entire Federated Commonwealth. Nobody was yet sure who stood where on the issue. Finn suspected it would have repercussions on the succession issue on Inman.

More importantly, Victor Steiner-Davion was coming home, he was sure of it. If the Smoke Jaguars had lost, according to news from Diamond Shark merchants, there could be no other outcome. And if they had pledged their fealty to him, what would happen if he demands his throne back from his sister?

He looked at Renard. The young man with his hair neatly combed over had a handsome appearance, looked as if he belonged in a painting. But Finn always had his doubts. Why is he the heir?

Count Haynes was not a fool. Then, why did he appoint Renard as heir? Yes, nobles throughout the Inner Sphere practised primogeniture, but it was not absolute, with significant allowance to select other scions as heirs, particularly if the eldest was unworthy.

So Count Haynes could decide his successor. Was it because of his love for the first Countess who gave birth to Renard? Count Haynes had appointed Renard as his heir when he was only ten years old, and from that moment, Renard had been steadily gathering supporters and consolidating political power, even if he sometimes made mistakes, such as the recent corruption scandal.

Finn looked at Raymond, the second son. Raymond was smiling somewhat vapidly. The Count may have thought that he was a little lacking and that a meek, docile Raymond could not lead the Trivet. In Finn’s estimation, that meant the Count actually didn’t have good enough judgement to actually know Raymond’s capabilities.

Finn looked at the Haynes in front of him. They looked alike, but at the same time they didn't look alike.

When the time came, everyone got up from their seats. Following the Haynes family to the banquet hall, Finn surreptitiously glanced around, looking for his fiance as they would have to dance today in this troublesome place in front of many people. It had been arranged through a series of grudging text messages on their mobile phones, in order to keep up appearances.

He quickly found her.

His fiancee had stunning looks; it would make his brain hurt to find the right words to compliment her. She was very beautiful, and it was only natural that the accessories on her made her even more beautiful. This was an objective evaluation, he was not being biased.

The Count’s family was at the upper level on a dais. Due to its high location, Finn could look down at the entire hall, and he realised that people had gathered around Anastasia. It couldn’t mean anything good. He had heard she wasn't feeling well, so she was probably having a hard time.

Then Anastasia was looking at him. Was she looking at him because he was her fiancé? But it was an illusion, and her gaze shifted to the Count. It looked evaluative, and he was momentarily reminded of the way a predator stalked its prey.

She didn’t seem interested in what was going on though. She looked around, turned her head, and then headed elsewhere.

What was she doing? As Finn watched her with a frown on his face, she went up to the second floor.

Finn looked back at her and turned his gaze to where she was standing.

People were gossiping about her. All the people who did not respect Anastasia turned their attention to Finn to look at him, seemingly after whatever was said.

Finn kept a blank expression, opposite of what they expected. He gave a warning glare to those who stared at him.

“I’m thirsty. I’ll be back in a few minutes.” Renard, who had been standing for a while, went down to the banquet hall. He received greetings from those who approached him and mingled with the group. Then Baron Haynes quietly slipped away and disappeared to the second floor. Was he going to meet Anastasia? Was it a sign that she was looking for Renard and that she wanted to meet him? Damn it! Were they really going to play around like this?

Finn cursed inside. He didn't know when he would get married, but it would be very far in the future, and he would divorce her as soon as possible so that she would remain on the list of nobles involved in scandals. It would be disgraceful, but it would be more honourable than continuing to watch this scene.

His anger rose. Thinking about it, Anastasia was utterly reprehensible. She promised to dance with him today too, but she also arranged for a secret meeting right in front of him?

Then he made eye contact with Raymond. His smiling face said he knew everything.

His mind being read by Raymond, of course, made him feel shitty. He thought about what to do. Then, without realising it, he found himself heading to the second floor.

Was it sleazy to investigate his fiancee’s possible infidelity? Finn swore that if he ever got to date another woman, she had to be faithful to him. He didn’t want to experience such a lousy feeling ever again.

As the banquet had not yet begun, there was no one in the hallway leading to the break rooms.

He searched for Anastasia and Renard, but Anastasia didn't seem to be on the second floor. Then, his gaze reached the far end of the room. The lounge reserved for the Count and his close family. Finn frowned and headed towards it.

As he drew closer, Finn sensed there were people inside.

The Count and most of his family were still in the banquet hall, so it had to be Renard. At the same time, a woman's voice was clearly heard.

It was obvious whose voice it was. Finn forced himself to calm the fury he felt at the undoubtable adultery. Well, he wasn’t a man if he was going to get cuckolded like this!

Then the door opened.

What? A roar of pain leaked through the door. Finn frowned and walked over to it.

“...I will kill you! How dare you do this to me?”

Finn thought he must have heard wrong. Renard was clearly screaming in pain and anger. Anastasia's voice followed.

“If you want to kill me, you can try. But I don’t think you can.”

“Ugh, ahhh!”

“You should tell your father the Count that you acted like a total scumbag and then got kicked in your dick! I’m glad to have done that.”

Her words were clear and harsh, but they contained all the keywords that Finn needed to understand the situation.

As Anastasia came out of the room, their eyes met, and she quickly looked away, with a look of somebody who had committed a crime and had been caught red-handed.
------------------------
If the text feels a bit off, that's because I was lazy and just adapted from a translated version of the original web novel.

After about chapter 20 the translations stop, so I'll be adapting it off the manhwa, and changing some scenes to suit the setting, e.g. the battle on the FL's family holdings / Altoona.

BTW, the story of the original FL in the web novel was quite tragic.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Another of the common tropes in this genre - the dance!
------------------------------
Haynes Palatial Manor, Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st February, 3061
2000 hrs (2000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“My luck just sucks.”

Anastasia crossed her arms and sighed, then reached out her hand to grab his arm. Behind the door, there were still groans and a voice cursing vehemently.

Finn let himself be dragged along without resisting.

“What did you do?”

He thought he knew what happened, but Finn asked to confirm, and also out of courtesy.

“I kicked his fre… frickking… dick.”

Finn did not expect such a strong curse out of her elegantly shaped mouth. When her words registered with his brain, he felt like cursing himself at the severity of the situation.

Attacking a member of the Count’s family, especially the heir! She was grimacing. Even she seemed to understand what she had just done, the possible consequences.

“I know you’re quite mad, but you’ve taken it up a notch!” He couldn’t help but be honest with his opinion.

Anastasia crossed her arms as if she didn’t care. “If you stay here right now, it won’t do any of us any good. It’s better to just go quietly. Yes, I kicked that ******’s dick. He’s probably still on the floor.”

Again, she admitted she kicked Renard’s penis. Finn imagined his condition. His pain was entirely understandable as a man, but Finn couldn’t muster up any sympathy.

But still…

“Why did you do that?” He walked with her down the hallway.

“If I tell you, will you believe me?”

“What?”

Finn couldn’t answer the question right away. There wasn’t any real relationship between them. They don’t even trust each other yet. He considered for a moment if Anastasia would lie to him, take advantage in some way.

He sighed. “Tell me. I will try.”

Anastasia looked at him with suspicion and seemed to be a little worried. Then she said quietly. “Say, you are dating a girl. Then she asked you to prove that you loved her. What would you do?”

“Huh?”

“I’m talking about jumping into the manor lake. I did it because Renard told me to do it.”

“What are you saying?”

“The word love was a signal, and I was duped into one of his cruel jokes. The last thing I saw before I lost consciousness was him pointing at me and laughing as I drowned.”

“That is……”

Is she telling me to believe that? Finn thought.

Anastasia seemed to have misunderstood his words. “Yeah, that was stupid. To fall for that kind of sweet talk and trust that bastard.”

Her tone was entirely serious. As if she was blaming herself. Despite the crudeness of her speech, there was an underlying sincerity and ring of truth that convinced Finn that she wasn’t lying to him.

Meanwhile, they had nearly reached the banquet hall again.

If what she said was true, he understood what was going on and why Anastasia found words to be insufficient. For Anastasia, kicking Renard in his genitals many more times would still not be enough.

“Kicking him in the balls though… you’re not worried about the consequences?”

She shrugged. “I did it on the spur of the moment. I did not think that far ahead.”

He grinned. She was certainly turning out surprise after surprise. And to retaliate in this manner against Renard, who had been doing mostly as he wished throughout his life, rarely suffering any consequences.

It was, Finn felt, just desserts for the spoiled Baron.

Besides, the sense of irritation that clouded his mood all day had turned into mild amusement.

A short bark of laughter escaped him. “Hah! But to kick him there…”

“But that is the best place to kick. Where else?”

He tried to hold back his laughter, but it was tough. Where did Anastasia get the idea in the first place?

He couldn’t laugh out loud because of the current situation and its location, so he just kept his voice low and chuckled instead. It was a pity that he couldn’t see Renard on the floor. He regretted not taking a peek inside the lounge.

“So, any more residual feelings for Renard?”

“If I had, I wouldn’t have kicked him there.”

At that, Finn couldn’t endure it any longer and burst out laughing. Anastasia looked at him as if he was going crazy.

Finn thought about how the Baron would react. Injuring any member of the aristocracy, much less the ruling Count’s family, was certainly a crime. However, the circumstances were not so simple, especially for Anastasia’s situation. If the heir to the most powerful position in the Trivet punished a woman for kicking him in his crotch, he would always be a laughing stock. In his estimation, Renard was not likely to take issue with this matter.

No matter how foolish Renard may be, he must have sufficient wits about him not to take revenge on the Kalinskis, who number amongst his supporters, and risk driving them away. Finn decided he had to trust Renard and his advisors to do the smart thing.

He looked at Anastasia. He was beginning to see how unique she was. When she took down the Harvester, he had written it off mentally as pure luck, a minor miracle from somebody too stupid to know otherwise. But now he slowly admitted she actually might know what she was doing.

After laughing for a while, he blurted without thinking, “If anything happens, I will take care of it.”

“Huh?”

It was gratifying to think of Renard screaming with his ****** kicked, and Finn decided to be generous, reasoning that her act of vengeance was warranted. Anastasia blinked as if she had heard something unexpected.

“But if you are so rude in public, you will be punished for insulting the Count by extension. Be careful from now on.”

“Okay, I’ll be more careful in the future.”

She nodded her head politely again.

Finn felt he had misjudged her. She didn’t hesitate to admit her mistakes even though she seemed stubborn. One could not judge by looking at the appearance, and who would have imagined foul cursing words such as “bastard” and ‘dick’ come out of such a pretty face. He smiled again at the thought.

“Stop smiling like that, you look creepy. Why don’t we go and dance?”

“What?”

Anastasia grabbed his arm again and led him. She wasn’t strong, but her two arms clasped Finn’s arms tightly.

“About the dance. I was waiting for you so we can dance. It’s expected of us, isn’t it?”

For Anastasia, there was nothing to do anyway, and the goal was to achieve her duty of dancing quickly, but Finn assumed that was just a cute teasing gesture from his fiancée.

“This is a strange dance request."

Usually it was the man who invited the woman, but he was slowly coming to accept Anastasia’s direct manner. Finn held her hand and led her to the dance area.

When Anastasia and Finn appeared together, all eyes of the people in the banquet hall were focused on them.

And, where was Baron Renard Haynes? Many people looked for him, but he was nowhere to be seen. If Renard, Anastasia, and Finn were together, it would have been a spectacle worth seeing, and could probably generate enough scandal rumours to keep the gossip mills running for ages.

Finn and Anastasia certainly appeared to be affectionate with each other, not just from the usual arranged betrothal. Anastasia’s expression was stiff, but she held Finn’s arm, and he also followed her steps closely, showing his consideration for her well-being.

“It seems like he still cares about her as his fiancée.”

“Yeah, surprising, isn’t it?”

It was the first time Viscount Rason had behaved this way in public, so everyone noticed.

Unlike his predecessors, Finnickerhet Ian Rason rarely appeared in social circles.

Even as a boy, he spent most of his childhood on Delacambre, learning as a mechwarrior apprentice. Once he was old enough, he was sent to the Kilbourne Academy to complete his mechwarrior training and learn the art of command. When he graduated summa ****** laude and got a posting as a Leftenant with the prestigious First Davion Guards, it was a major source of pride for the entire Trivet.

As a young officer, Finn participated in Operation Bulldog, the massive attack to drive the Smoke Jaguars out of the Inner Sphere. His courage and skill were amply demonstrated in the battles with the clan invaders. He was even awarded the Silver Sunburst, a decoration reserved for particularly valorous acts in battle.

When the previous Viscount Rason died, Finn was honourably discharged from the AFFC and returned to the Trivet to take up his duties as a noble. Nobody doubted his abilities, and nepotism was never a factor. Everybody knew he earned and deserved his commission and rank.

As a scion of one of the oldest and most prestigious families in the Trivet, he was not just an uncouth soldier. Whenever Finn appeared at parties, there were many admirers from the opposite sex, so only the most beautiful young lady would be by his side, although nothing ever came of such dalliances. Finnickerhet Ian Rason was a trophy for any aristocratic young lady who wanted to show off her beauty. Finn was tall, leanly muscled and perfectly proportioned, a handsome man who exuded masculine confidence and strength.

Finn wasn’t particularly materially ambitious or traditionalist, but he possessed a sharp chilliness. He spoke little in public, but his sarcastic tone from time to time when he opened his mouth was able to verbally skewer most of those who offended him.

After inheriting his title, Viscount Finn spent more time in the capital. Furthermore, with the ironclad engagement to his fiancée, who was not well-received in public, people thought Finn would keep his distance from Anastasia, since she had committed an unspeakable and scandalous  act.

In addition, her terrible personality was well-known. The only thing she had was her beauty, but that was all. She knew it too so she wielded her beauty like a weapon. Anastasia was willful, temperamental, and vicious, and it was natural that she would be ostracised by other nobles. Therefore, she should be scorned by Finn as well.

But at the moment, anybody looking at those two would not have thought the same. It was a picture of a swooning lady in the arms of her protective fiancé. Finn even looked back at her from time to time. If anyone looked closely, it looked like her hand was held from Finn’s side.

As the people’s gazes lingered and people murmured, the eyes of the Count, who had been talking with the other high ranking nobles, stayed on them. Finn and Anastasia had gone out on the dance floor to the music and started dancing slowly.

It was rare for Finn to dance. He moved his feet a little awkwardly, but her dress was waving, painting a picturesque scene. Anastasia, who was facing Finn, smiled brightly.

One white hand was on Finn’s waist, and the other was holding his hand tightly. It was more beautiful than anything else when she, who always frowned, now smiled brightly.

Finn, who was handsomely dressed in the green dress uniform coat of the AFFC, stared at Anastasia Kalinska’s face. It was as if they were really in love, so passionately focused on each other.

By holding hands and dancing together, it seemed to solidify their engagement to the world. Some of Finn’s retainers and peers sympathised with Finn for his bad luck for getting engaged to such a shrew, and the ladies who had hoped to snag him were jealous and caustic towards Anastasia, saying Finn was too good for her.

Regardless, they were a lovely couple to the extent that magic was created where the lights shone brightly only upon them.

Of course, the fantastic and perfect image the people saw was only an illusion.

Anastasia stepped out her heeled foot just slightly faster than the beat, and Finn quickly shifted his foot to avoid it. At her expression of disappointment, a corner of Finn’s mouth twitched upwards.

Anastasia was dancing as she had been taught by Madame Iris, except for her feet which were not quite in sync to the music beat. It wasn’t noticeable because her shoes were only slightly exposed, but her steps were sometimes fast and sometimes slow. The reason, of course, wasn’t that she didn’t know the beat. The goal was something else.

“You must be planning to break my feet for sure.”

“No, not really.”

He had wondered why she had so readily extended the dance request. Now he knew. He dodged her foot once more. A clear sound of her heel resounded. At that, Anastasia’s skirt swayed gracefully.

“Mind explaining why you are doing this?”

Even after breaking the friendly atmosphere at best, Anastasia did not answer. As the music crescendoed for several beats, she swiftly delivered her blow with a thump. Finn gracefully avoided it.

“You’re aiming for my feet.”

“Right. I don’t like you very much.”

Even if she didn’t outright say that she didn’t like him, seeing this behaviour still made him guess at her true intentions. Still, he had to say he was glad she aimed at his feet, and not between his legs.

When Anastasia’s strategy did not work, she grumbled, “Is it that hard to let your foot be stepped on for once? Stop being so petty.”

“Why do I even have to let myself be stepped on? You’re the one being petty.”

“Because I want to step on you.”

“Why?”

“I wanted to step on you at least once.”

It was childish and it was indeed petty. But Anastasia really wanted to step hard on his foot. Previously, when Avryl saw Finn for the first time after waking up as Anastasia, she wanted to shove her fist into his face. And he had the gall to offer her hegira on Yamarovka! As if she couldn’t extricate her Binary without his offer to withdraw honourably.

Now, she didn’t have the strength to throw a punch in his face, and she wasn’t crazy enough to kick him like she did the Crown Prince. For just this one dance, she had to learn annoying etiquette and steps for almost two weeks, so she wanted to make her wish come true by stepping on his feet. At least once!

“You’re really one of a kind.”

She snarked back, “Right, I’m not your usual lady.”

She, a ristar and trueborn mechwarrior of the Clans, was inside a noblewoman’s body, so how could it be normal? It was a miracle that she managed to learn to dance formally at all.

“Oh.” Anastasia grimaced, making an annoying sound with her disappointment. Again, Finn had avoided her foot. Just barely.

When Finn saw that expression, it began to feel fun to him. He was able to avoid it easily from the beginning, so he wasn’t too offended.

“Did I do something wrong to my lady?”

“What?”

It was simple curiosity on his part, and not an apology for whatever wrongs he might have committed against her, or to soften the atmosphere.

“Did I do something wrong….”

The problem was that he was a Spheroid mechwarrior. And he was arrogant. But arrogance was a common trait amongst mechwarriors, even more so in the clans. Avryl would be lying if she said she did not have this character flaw herself.

Anastasia bit her mouth. She disliked him based on her past interactions with him, but would the original Anastasia have liked Viscount Rason?

When the past memories of Anastasia were triggered, she could feel vaguely the real Anastasia’s intense emotions towards Renard. So even if she were engaged to Finn, she probably wouldn’t be any different.

Either way, this guy was pathetic. And stupid. Neither Avryl nor Anastasia would ever like this man.

“Is it because I haven’t been paying attention to you for a while? All the other men must have been interested in you.”

“What?”

“I usually just go with whichever lady approached me first. I thought you might be upset about how I ignored you.”

“Why are you telling me this when I don’t care who you go around with?” Anastasia spoke, thinking what he said was absurd. They were supposed to be married soon anyway. The past was the past, and at least she should feel some discomfort about that.

But right now, Anastasia was laser-focused on only one thing. Stepping on Finn’s feet.

“Ah!”

As Finn was about to say something, Anastasia quickly stepped on his foot. There was a bright smile on her face. Finn let out a rueful smile in response.

His shoes were made of thick leather, and she was feather-light. It did not hurt at all, and felt like only a slight pressure on his feet.

Nevertheless, she smiled brightly as if she had achieved her goal.

Looking at her radiant face, he felt he could only play along. If he lifted his foot, she would lose balance, and she would suffer even more embarrassment on her part. But somehow, he wanted to be the bigger person this time.

As if to flaunt her victory, Anastasia smiled at him. The curves on her red lips gave him a wonderful feeling, and her blue eyes twinkled in the light of the chandelier.

Finn could not help but drink in her beauty. In particular, those eyes had an extraordinary magical power that was indescribable. When he could see that kind of smile, the price of being stepped on seemed meagre in comparison.

Then he wanted to slap himself. What am I thinking? Am I crazy?

“You did nothing wrong to me,” she said, looking at Finn.

Finnickerhet Ian Rason did not do anything wrong to Anastasia. Even to Avryl personally, and whatever happened along the clan border was just honest war, brutal as it was. Rather…

Then the song was over. Anastasia removed her hand very lightly. She achieved her intended mission objective, and she felt good.

“You stepped on my feet. What are you going to do now?”

“Well, I am going home. Nothing good will happen if I stay here.”

Finn only then looked around. All those who looked at them did not seem complimentary towards Anastasia.

She shrugged. “I can’t help it. It’s a self-inflicted wound.”

He looked at her. Since she admitted it straightforwardly, he couldn’t help but feel some sympathy for her, replacing his earlier judgmental thoughts that her misfortune was her own fault.

Did he believe this woman? Did Renard put her up to that?

Somehow, Finn believed it. He just didn’t feel it was worth questioning. Whether Renard made her do it or not, she stood by her actions, and accepted the consequences.

“Next time….”

“Huh?”

“Call me the next time you attend a banquet.”

“Why?”

I’ll go with you then. Finn was about to say that and then closed his mouth. In the first place, it was better not to make promises he might not be able to keep. Feeling embarrassed about being overly friendly, he tried to send Anastasia off quickly.

“Come on, let’s go home.”

Since almost all the nobles were gathered for the Feast of Bounty banquet, there was no need for her to address them separately before leaving unless she was a part of the ruling Count’s family.

“First of all, my father……”

“I will tell Baron Kalinski. I’ll take you to the hoverlimo.” If the valets were on the ball, they would alert the chauffeurs of the departing nobles the moment they left the banquet hall.

Was he ever such a kind person? Or is it because we’re engaged? Maybe he treats all women like this…

“Are you always this kind to women?” Anastasia asked, raising the corners of her lips.

“What?”

What kind of bullshit was she talking about? Finn’s eyebrows twitched. What made him feel uneasy was Anastasia‘s mocking expression on her face. It was as if she knew everything, just like the expression Raymond sometimes made.

“Should I now remind you that you almost got killed a while ago?”

“Oh, yes. So, is that the reason for the escort, because you are worried about me?”

Even if that was the reason, seeing that kind of expression made him want to say no. Finn knew Anastasia should have been recognised for her bravery in taking down the Harvester. He was considerate in case she incurred psychological trauma, but he felt annoyed to be on the end of her teasing glances.

“Just go back alone then.”

“I will.” She turned her back to him decisively and walked away. Again, that also made him feel rotten. She displayed no hesitation and left him completely cold.

Finn reflected on himself whether he was unattractive as a man, and he concluded he wasn’t. It was rare for him to step into the social world, but every time he did, usually a beautiful woman would approach him.

He was quite certain he was good-looking. But for Anastasia, that didn’t work at all. Did she not like him? How could she dislike him? Because of his behaviour? Well, he was trying to be more civil to her.

Then Finn felt people’s gazes on him. Rumours would spread that they had a fight if he sent her alone, so Finn sighed, gave in to the inevitable, and followed after her.

He glanced at his watch, tuned to the local cycle. 2100 hrs, dusk turning to night. As Finn moved away from the banquet hall, the sky continued to slowly darken.

Finn immediately found Anastasia.

She must have walked quickly, as she was already some distance down the hallway. As Finn looked at her back, he frowned at his strange feeling about the way she walked.

The dress obscured her steps, but somehow they were unnatural. Finn didn’t notice it when she was walking earlier, but her fast walking was odd for a noblewoman. But then again, it didn’t seem that strange to him. He concluded that was probably just her.

Finn caught up with her with several long strides. He didn’t run because it might seem that he wanted her and was chasing after her.

“What, why did you follow me?”

“I don’t want to hear about sending my fiancée out alone.”

In response, she smirked and walked away again. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to be telling him not to follow her.

Wait a minute. Fortunate? He didn’t know why he was thinking that right now. Finn shook his head as if the thought itself was absurd.

After catching up with Anastasia, Finn walked with her along the corridor. Anastasia closed her mouth as if she didn’t want to talk to him much. She didn’t even glance at him.

However, Finn was able to look at Anastasia freely with peace of mind from the corner of his eyes. Her appearance alone was striking. If his father had chosen his fiancée for her looks, he could understand why she became his fiancée.

She had sleek hair as black as night, skin as white as milk, and fine features with delicate lines. A thin but soft neckline and exposed collarbone made her look elegant. Her appearance was something a lot of men would lose their minds over.

However, for Finn, her eyes, to be precise the twinkling of her eyes, strangely caught his attention more than anything. While dancing, her eyes were clearly bright and twinkling. Now her eyes were reflecting the aloofness of moonlight. Although it was not his first time meeting Anastasia, she seemed different. Whether it was because their relationship was all tied up with their engagement or the events that had happened, there was a different aura about her. Her star-studded eyes are like, yeah, like.....

Then, Finn suddenly woke up to the sound of a distant voice. Then his face frowned. It was the voice of Captain Larouche.

The bastard Spencer said he was in charge of the banquet security tonight. He must have been making some quick checks. Finn didn’t want to ruin his mood that had been good so far.

“Heard something?”

Suddenly she stopped her steps. It was clear to Finn where the voice was coming from, and for some reason, Anastasia took interest. Of course, Finn would have no idea that Anastasia would recognize Spencer Larouche’s voice.

“It’s not something my lady needs to care about. Let’s go.”

“No, I think I heard a voice. Whose voice was it?”

“It’s nothing to worry about.”

Finn pulled her arm gently. The two did not feel awkward because the physical touch happened so naturally. Anastasia’s curiosity did not subside, and she kept trying to look back. She was just a bit stubborn, but Finn didn’t feel the need to satisfy her curiosity.

To think about Anastasia meeting and greeting that bastard automatically made him feel rotten.

“Who is it?”

“It’s just a son of a bitch.” Finn spat out. It wasn’t his nature to speak badly of others to a stranger, but he showed his distaste in front of her for some reason.

“Son of a bitch? Those are strong words, my lord.”

Despite the insulting and vulgar expression, Anastasia asked again without being surprised. She didn’t even frown at it.

When he talked that way, except with his subordinates or aides, others usually showed their discomfort, but Anastasia’s attitude showed that it didn’t matter. Finn was somewhat satisfied with that part.

However, Anastasia was thinking a different thing. A son of a bitch? If that’s the case, Finn isn’t much better, since they are all Spheroid freeborn degenerates. What is with this violent hatred?

“Anyways, please remember that you are engaged to me. I absolutely detest him. If there is one person I hate most in the Inner Sphere, it would be him.”

“Who is he?”

“I don’t even want to say his name.”

She didn’t want to get on Finn’s bad side since he had already offered to tidy up the loose ends after she kicked Renard, so she meekly nodded her head. She vowed that she would get that name later on her own.

As she grabbed her skirt and went down the steps of the palatial manor, she almost fell, tripping over her long dress.

Seeing this, Finn held out his hand. Anastasia glanced at his hand, yet as if to taunt him, she rolled up the hem of her dress and went carefully down the steps.

Just as she thought to herself that she did not need a man’s help, she again stumbled on her foot. Damn those heels!

Finn sighed and quickly grabbed her arm to support her. At his touch, Anastasia felt massive goosebumps. She thought about pulling her hand away, but her body staggered again.

She was sure it would be unsightly if she fell there. She swallowed her pride and forced herself to lean on Finn’s arm. As they struggled a bit for Anastasia to recover her balance, the two naturally held hands.

When they went down the stairs, the valets disappeared to call for the Kalinski hoverlimo, and they were momentarily alone.

Silence fell between Anastasia and Finn. Finn felt no need to say anything, and Anastasia was immersed in her thoughts about the voice she heard just now, which seemed so familiar. Then she realised that she was still holding hands with Finn.

“Can you let go of my hand now?”

Now that people weren’t watching, there was no need to be overly affectionate. She was a bit grateful for what he did for her, so she had just followed him, but not a bit longer than necessary. She hated that the engagement forced her to be so close to him physically, like a real lover.

At her sudden cold attitude, Finn raised one of his eyebrows and looked at Anastasia. The atmosphere, which had softened a little, was tense again. The reason Anastasia remained quiet was simple. This was a banquet that limited her behaviour, where she had to dance with him, and he said he would take care of her incident with Renard.

He shouldn’t mistake this as my affection. Anyways, he is the same as other men fussing over a pretty girl. Anastasia had no intention of being friends with Finn. When she glanced over at him, he also grinned as if he read her mind and smirked as if the notion itself was ridiculous.

Anastasia looked at Finn. She thought that if she was not forcibly invited to the banquet like this in the future, she would hardly have a chance to meet this man again. Of course, it was not likely anybody would be inviting her either.

When the hoverlimo arrived in front of them, Anastasia opened the door herself without waiting for the valet or Finn to do it for her. She then sighed as she leaned back on the seat. When she looked out the window, she saw Finn standing there, patiently waiting for her hoverlimo to leave before returning to the banquet hall.

Finn was looking at her, too, and their eyes met. After she settled into the hoverlimo, she began to look at him properly through the window.

His tall stature and good looks caught her eye. He had a chin with a strong masculine line and a sharp, clear nose as if carved into a sculpture. His green eyes were still sharp and intense. His dark red hair seemed like a dark flame in the night.

“He is handsome.” She hated to admit it, but it was the objective truth.
------------------------------
It's important to note how neglected the Outback is. For Finn to even get into the 1st Davion Guards was due to his academy performance and his family's history of service.

To put matters into context, Victor Steiner-Davion also graduated top of his class at the Nagelring and was promoted to Kommandant (Major) right off, in charge of a full mech battalion. So putting a backwoods yokel (even if he is a noble, because that's the perception in the FS) in charge of a lance in the 1st Davion Guards sounds about right.

[Sir Chaos]

I was under the impression that the Nagelring - at least the kind of track nobles are put on - trained officers, not mere mechwarriors, so any graduate would be a Lieutenant by default, and thus commanding a lance.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Kalinski Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st February, 3061
2230 hrs (2230 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Immediately after returning from the Feast of Bounty banquet, Anastasia took off her cumbersome dress and got ready to rest. In the past, she must have gotten ill for a few days after every banquet because the servants immediately served her some medicine she recognised as prophylactics, and one of the maids gently massaged her legs to preempt any cramps.

Not that she really needed it now, with her improved physical condition, but she knew she could not afford to be careless with her health.

As sleep slowly descended on her, her thoughts floated and she reviewed the events of the day.

At the palatial manor, memories of Anastasia suddenly came to her, and the emotions of the original Anastasia began to surface. She harboured a pity for Baron Kalinski that Avryl would never have, and it was Anastasia who subtly guided her towards the reserved lounge. She then met that ****** Renard, and that was one of the worst experiences Avryl ever had. Which, coming from the hell which was warrior training in the sibko and the insanity of war in the Occupation Zone, said a lot.

Somehow, she felt a strong sense of rejection. It was annoying because the memories and emotions that were not hers kept popping up. Her memories and emotions belonged to her, yet why did the other person’s memories keep invading her thoughts at will?

Because of that discomfort, Anastasia laid in her bed with her eyes half-closed, but she only managed to sleep after a long time ruminating over her own thoughts.

Nevertheless, the following cycle, when the Baron kissed her on the forehead, she suddenly woke up, startled.

It was just an affectionate morning greeting between father and daughter, but to her, it still felt like she had received a kiss from a stranger. But, oddly enough, she did not feel too bad about it either..

“Did you sleep well?” The concern on his face was obvious.

She asked softly, “When did you come in?”

“I came back a little late. Sorry for letting you go home first.”

“It’s okay.”

Then her maid brought a wet towel. The Baron took it and wiped her face himself.

I can do this on my own. But the Baron seemed to want to do it, so she let him.

His hands were very soft, completely different from the tough, hardened hands of trained soldiers. Anastasia was a bit disappointed that he had left her alone among the people yesterday.

“I’m sorry, I’m still treating you like a child.”

“……?”

“You are an adult already. You look so much like Grace.”

‘Who is Grace?’ As Anastasia recalled her name to herself, the word ‘mother’ came to mind.

Again, she remembered something she didn’t know as Avryl. It fouled her mood, but Anastasia tried to ignore it and turned her gaze to the Baron.

The bittersweet look on his face surprised Anastasia. The feelings that parents felt when they saw their grown-up children was something Avryl could not comprehend at all.

She did not grow up in a normal family as traditionally understood. Once decanted from the canisters they gestated in, trueborns were raised in creches by caretakers, ‘sibparents’, who cared for them, educated them, and started training them in combat skills. Those who did not wash out are promoted into sibling companies, ‘sibkos’, where their training was intensified to prepare them to serve their clan as warriors. In Clan Smoke Jaguar, there was little emotional attachment between the caretakers and their charges. Avryl did not even know what happened to her own sibparents. Probably rotting somewhere after the Clan’s annihilation. She made a mental note to find out if it was even possible to track them down.

Many children and cadets did not even wash out of training into the lower castes. They died, and few tears were shed for their passing. The common refrain by her sibparents and Kit Masters was often, “They were not good enough.”

So family was very much a foreign concept to her. She really had nothing close in her experience to compare the Baron to.

“I heard that Viscount Rason escorted you yesterday. I heard he is nice to you. I was worried, but his behaviour has now assured me you are in good hands.”

At the Baron’s words, Anastasia smiled wanly. He’d faint if she said that at their first meeting, she had asked Finn to divorce her as soon as they got married.

No, even more so once he finds out that there’s no Anastasia, but a Smoke Jaguar mechwarrior inhabiting her body.

He put away the towel, and they laughed together. Strangely, that spread some warmth in her heart.

“I can spend the whole cycle with you today. Do you want to go shopping?” Although the day after the Feast of Bounty was also a public holiday, the shops would still be open for business.

Anastasia shook her head. She could feel her energy levels were still low from the banquet, so she thought she should take a rest. Still, the Baron’s proposal made her happy. He must have been aware that she was frustrated while taking the etiquette classes.

“Father, you need to rest, too.”

At that, the Baron widened his eyes and then smiled.

“Ana, you have matured. Grown up.”

Soon after, they were eating a small breakfast together and drinking tea when a maid brought a letter to Anastasia and handed it to her. Anastasia was astonished to learn that it was from Count Haynes.

“Unfortunately, I didn’t get to have a word with you last night. I have some questions I would like to ask you. I have arranged for a short meeting at 1200 hrs without anyone disturbing us.”

Maybe it was because of what she did to Renard? She thought he wouldn’t talk because he would be ashamed, but did he inform his father? Maybe he was dumber than she thought.

Anastasia’s fingertips trembled slightly at her shock. Baron Kalinski also looked at the letter and spoke with concern.

“I heard Count Haynes was looking for you yesterday, but I didn’t know he would even invite you like this.”

“Was he looking for me?”

When she asked, the Baron nodded his head.

“Was he angry?”

“No, I don’t think so…”

Does he really know nothing? Or was Count Haynes hiding his intentions from Baron Kalinski? It was true that this invitation felt somewhat ominous as the Count’s intentions were unknown.

Anastasia frowned upon seeing the Count’s seal on the letter.

The seal of the Trivet was three items juxtaposed on each other, a stalk of wheat, a gemstone, and a dagger, symbolising the purpose of each world in the Trivet. Of course, the mailed fist set against a sunburst was also present, the symbol of the Federated Commonwealth.

Without realising it, she was holding the letter so tightly that it was crumpling under her grip.

The phrase ‘without anybody disturbing us’ meant that Anastasia had to enter the manor alone.

Baron Kalinski offered to accompany her, but she refused, thinking that the Count should have a good reason to see her alone.

[The Wobbly Guy]

22nd February, 3061
1600 hrs (1200 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Anastasia had a feeling she would still be a frequent visitor to the Haynes palatial manor, even after her very scandalous breakup with Renard Haynes.

Following her attendant, she noted the Haynes household guards patrolling the manor. It was, she supposed, an occupational routine, to observe the habits and movements of possibly hostile soldiers. The men were all wearing red uniforms. She vaguely remembered the local militia wore uniforms of a different colour, the green of the AFFC.

Avryl recalled studying reports on how planetary forces in the Inner Sphere were organised, along feudal, planetary, and/or state lines, in preparation for her raids into the Draconis Combine. It was enough to make her head hurt. The clan structure was, she determined, far easier to organise.

“Is there something wrong, my lady?”

“Oh, nothing is wrong.”

Anastasia realised that she was too deep in her thoughts and shook her head at the attendant’s words.

The dress uniform of Clan Smoke Jaguar was the same for all its warriors, grey with black and scarlet piping. They only distinguished each other by the daggerstars that denoted their rank, plus maybe one or two decorations and awards that only the very best and bravest managed to attain.

Then she made eye contact with the household guards. As Anastasia greeted them with her eyes as a courtesy, they passed her blushing and coughing. She rolled her eyes, not impressed with their self-control when faced with a beautiful woman.

Walking down the hallway leading to the Count’s office, Anastasia mentally checked what she was going to say.

Hmmm… She could fake crying. Obviously, if it was Avryl, it would never work, but if it was Anastasia, Count Haynes might believe her when she said Renard assaulted her. Besides, it was the truth that she did not give him consent at all.

So, would it be better to be honest? She had absolutely no intel on Count Haynes’s personality, she could not figure out the best way to talk to him. In such a case, maybe it was better to keep quiet instead?

After much thought, at the end of the hallway she saw a thick, ornate door. She figured it must be the door to his office.

The door opened, and Anastasia carefully stepped onto the rich grey carpet.

She kept her eyes down, as instructed by Madame Iris, so Anastasia could only see his desk.

Although she stood before him, the Count remained silent for several moments. Anastasia finally grabbed the hem of her skirt and curtsied politely.

“Lady Anastasia Kalinska, heir to Baron Boris Kalinski, greets Count Haynes, master of the Trivet.”

The greeting she thought she would not be able to pull off came out smoothly.

“No need to be so formal,” he scoffed, “look up.”

She raised her head and looked at the Count.

As she had guessed, he did not look impressive in the least. Just a slightly obese old man with greying hair. In the clans, warriors his age would already be sent out as cannon fodder to soak up bullets. But up close, his eyes were shrewd and cunning, and she instinctively recognised she should be cautious around him.

“How old were you when I first saw you?”

“I was twelve years old, my lord.”

Without even thinking about it, she answered the question. She supposed if she got it wrong, she could claim she didn’t remember. Even the Count would not be idle enough to remember the age of a young girl.

“Yes, it was.”

What… she was right?

Then she realised that the reason she answered correctly was that her body remembered it. Anastasia’s memory was still there. Somehow.

“I still remember you hiding behind Baron Kalinski’s legs, peeking out at me. But now you are able to look straight at me. Are you not afraid of me now?”

Are you not afraid of me now? It was an ambiguous question, dangerously phrased. Despite his appearance, the Count was not easy to deal with. Anastasia controlled her breathing and spoke.

“My lord, do you want me to be afraid of you?”

The Count smirked. “I asked first. You should answer.”

It meant that he did not want the usual games of wordplay and evasive answers. The calm atmosphere tensed up. Anastasia felt a bit of cold sweat on her back under his piercing gaze.

Anastasia tried to understand the Count’s intentions. This man had ruled the Trivet since before Anastasia or Avryl were even born, and she had to admit that he was different from the people she had usually dealt with in the past. Despite his looks, his eyes were as shrewd as any Khan’s.

She decided to speak honestly, “I cannot answer that question, my lord, because I do not understand why you would even ask such a question.” If this was a kind of test, she didn’t know the answer, so how should she answer it?

She didn’t know the Count’s intentions and she had no way to escape. So, she figured it was better to be honest. Internally, she cursed vehemently. Despite what he implied, they were still engaged in word games. She hated playing all these political games as Avryl since she had no real talent for it, not even in the clans.

Oh sure, the Clans claimed they were above politics, but as naive as she was, even she knew better.

He waved a hand, “Tell me more.”

Anastasia raised her eyes. “My lord, I am not clever nor do I have the skills to determine what you really want. If you ask me if I’m afraid, yes, I’m afraid. My lord has the power to punish my family. But if you’re talking about yourself, the person sitting in front of me right now, talking to me at this moment, I’m not afraid.”

At that, the Count smirked.

“It is my power that is scary, but you are not afraid of myself, as a person?” he asked.

“Yes, my lord.”

A heavy silence fell upon him. It wasn’t a lie, wasn’t that actually true for most people? Yes, she was very wary on the few occasions she came face to face with Lincoln Osis, the Khan of the Smoke Jaguars, because he had both the authority to destroy her and the physical prowess to easily snap her into half with his bare hands.

But the Count was not physically imposing. Rather, it was the authority he wielded that made him dangerous.

Count Haynes looked straight at Anastasia, and Anastasia held his gaze steadily.

His silent search came and went, and the Count kneaded his forehead several times.

Despite his inexplicable actions, Anastasia’s feelings were calm because the Count did not seem to be angry. This was Avryl’s own intuition. Soon, as she expected, the Count lifted the corner of his mouth and laughed.

“You are going to give Baron Kalinski and Viscount Rason headaches.”

Why is he mentioning that stupid Finn here? Anastasia groaned inwardly. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have said anything that would get her into trouble.

“There is no simple answer to my question. I just asked for its own sake.”

Did he really have to ask that supposedly simple question while obviously creating tension in the room? Anastasia wanted to protest against his unfair tactics, but she bit her tongue.

“Everyone always tries to guess the meaning of my words.”

Well, duh. That was only to be expected. The Count had almost absolute power in the Trivet, who would dare cross him if they said something wrong?

“Sometimes, what I say is just what it is.” He smiled and beckoned Anastasia to sit down on a seat in the room. After a moment’s hesitation, Anastasia sat down. She took a closer look at the Count.

His eyes were black, a colour anyone could have, his nose was blunt, and his mouth was wrinkled. If he didn’t sit on the throne and wasn’t clad in rich robes, would anyone be able to think of him as the ruler of the Trivet?

Again, she could not help but contrast him against the leaders of the clans. Every single one of the Khans exuded charisma, authority, and menace, even the septuagenarians of Clan Nova Cat, no matter what they wore.

“Girl, I don’t have any ill intentions towards you. Look at you. You were just a child hiding behind her father. But now you’re all grown up, standing proudly before me as a noble lady. I can feel the years weigh on me.”

“My lord, I cannot remain a child forever.”

When Anastasia answered without hesitation, the Count nodded. Then he looked straight at Anastasia. He stroked his chin with one hand.

“I knew that you had a special relationship with Renard. But I did not consent officially to your relationship. Why do you think so?” he asked.

“Isn’t it because you don’t like me?”

The Count was taken aback by her direct reply. Anastasia was overly blunt, and she knew she did not have much tact. Maybe that was why Avryl often got into trouble back in the clan. If it was not for the bloodname she had earned, and the support of saKhan Brandon Howell, she would have been stuck back in the homeworlds on dreary garrison duty, and probably died there instead of on Garstedt.

“…Why did you think so?” asked the Emperor, puzzled.

“Because Baron Haynes said so.”

“Tsk. Tsk. My son has no respect.” He clicked his tongue and frowned.

“I never said anything like that. It was simply dynastic politics. I hoped, still hope, in fact, that Renard would be able to marry the daughter of a powerful lord elsewhere in the realm, solidifying our ties with other worlds to bring gains for the Trivet. You, on the other hand, would not bring anything to the table. That is why I did not approve of your relationship.”

Well, that made sense.

“But I didn’t know that you were so serious about your relationship with Renard. Serious enough to jump into the manor lake. If I knew your determination, I would have reconsidered my decision.”

From the look on his face, Anastasia realised why she was not punished for her massive scandal she created by jumping into the manor lake. The Count wanted to bury the issue.

“Do you still love Renard? If you truly do not want it, I can break your engagement with Viscount Rason.”

And now, with these words from the Count, Anastasia knew that the Count had no idea what she had done to Renard yesterday. She sighed in relief mentally.

The reason the Count had called her aside was to ask her opinion without any interruption.

Well, it probably was not difficult for him to break her engagement, but if so, she might get engaged to that bastard Renard instead.

Neg, she knew when to fold her cards instead of taking unnecessary risks.

“Thank you for your concern, my lord, but my relationship with Baron Haynes, it’s over.”

At Anastasia’s words, the Count looked puzzled for an instant and then smiled softly, as if he understood.

“Has Viscount Rason treated you well?”

“He has not been unkind to me.”

At Anastasia’s words, the Count burst into laughter again. “He is not a bad fellow.”

Anastasia frowned, not answering that. Seeing her expression, the Count nodded his head as if he knew what was going on.

“Girl, you are not good at hiding your true feelings.”

She heard that almost every day when she was Avryl. In critical situations, she could master her own facial expressions, but once she thought it was safe, she just relaxed and dropped her guard.

“House Rason controls Delacambre. It is heavily fortified and produces much of our advanced technology and military supplies. Their soldiers are well-trained, and he’s not exactly lacking for money. Finally, he’s not ugly. You should find him a decent catch.”

“Well, I think so.”

When she answered reluctantly, the Count grinned and shook his head in a slightly mocking manner.

“If you ever want to end your engagement, just tell me. It is for that reason that I have called you today. If the relationship isn’t right, then we need to fix it.”

If she asked him to end her engagement here, will Anastasia be linked with Baron Haynes? If she were the real Anastasia, she would welcome it, but she didn’t want to marry that ******. Viscount Finn Rason was infinitely better. Anastasia suppressed her own feelings of discomfort towards accepting the idea of marriage so easily and expressed her gratitude.

“Thank you, my lord.”

“Yes. Just one last thing.”

Anastasia tilted her head in silent query.

“It was a brave feat, taking down that Harvester mech. In so doing, you also quelled the riots.  Do you wish for any reward?”

None from your hands, she thought. It would make her beholden to him. Besides, she knew her actions were highly suspicious and the best course of action was to just lie low and let the matter rest.

“No reward is needed, my lord. I merely got lucky.”

He nodded. “Well, the offer always stands. Thank you for coming to meet me.” He gestured for her to leave. The Count had work to do, and he had made time to meet her.

Anastasia once again curtsied and left the meeting room. The attendant waited outside the door and immediately plastered herself to her side the moment she stepped out.

As she walked along with the attendant, she thought about how she felt. She knew she was not good at emotional thinking, but it was easy for her to be honest with herself. But now, she admitted she was somewhat confused.

The nobles of the Inner Sphere were decadent, but not all were degenerates like Renard. The Count seemed decent enough, and she knew from experience that Finn was stupid but honourable. There were others, like the samurai of the Draconis Combine, many of whom had bravely met their deaths against her Binary. She had learned to respect the warriors of the Inner Sphere.

But this was the first time she had a bit of respect for somebody from the Inner Sphere who was not a warrior. She felt a bit confused.

She realised she had lost attention of where she was going. The attendant next to her smiled blandly, “My lady, is something the matter?”

“Uhm, where are we going?”

The attendant suddenly looked stricken. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Since it is around 1200 hrs, I thought it was time for you to have your meal, so I’m bringing you to a lounge where we would serve you refreshments. Is that acceptable, my lady?”

“Oh.” She did not feel hungry, caught up in the stress of meeting the Count, but she supposed she could eat something now. “Yes please, lead the way.”

The attendant brought her to a luxurious lounge with tasteful leather sofas, and dominated by a huge viewscreen adorning one side of the wall. Advanced projectors at the sides hinted that it had an alternate holovid mode for full colour holographic projections for the latest in media entertainment,

“This lounge is reserved only for important guests, my lady.” The attendant explained. “Food will be served shortly. Feel free to use the noteputers or to browse the channels available for the viewscreen and holovid.”

Anastasia’s eyes lit up. Dual mode viewscreen/holovid for her use? She had been so overwhelmed with the deluge of dance and etiquette lessons in recent weeks that she did not even have time to indulge her own interests.

Watching historical movies, particularly those involving intricate strategy and massive battles, was one of her hidden pleasures. But back in the Kalinski estate, she had been too busy to do so, and anyway, they didn’t have such shows in their database because ‘they are too violent and not suitable for a lady’.

And this viewscreen was much bigger than any found in the estate, and way bigger than what the clans could ever countenance, even when using a holotank to conduct strategic planning. She idly wondered how much it cost. Anyway, she had a bit of time, maybe she could squeeze in something relatively short and particularly violent?

The latest Solaris Grand Tournament matches? Given that the latest edition only concluded in November of the previous year, there was a high chance they might have received the latest holovids. Yes, those might be fake warriors merely playing at the real thing, but some of them were veterans of the Clan front and worthy of respect.

She picked up the remote, and switched it on. She typed in the keyword ‘Solaris’, and a spate of options opened up on the screen. Her eyes glanced over the options available, then she started when she saw the name ‘Garrett Smoke Jaguar’. Matched against Jamie Ferraro.

Without reading the synopsis of the match, she just played it. The entire arena formed a three dimensional projection in front of her, and two mechs stalked each other from opposite ends. The high resolution enabled her to easily identify the mechs, Garrett’s Mad Dog, and his opponent’s Flashman.

The battle was over in minutes. Garrett fought with the expected fury of a Smoke Jaguar, riding his heat levels relentlessly to pin down his opponent, then pouncing on and finishing off Jamie’s Flashman with a barrage from his Mad Dog’s SRM racks. The mechwarrior duelist in Anastasia noted that Garrett ran too many risks for her liking, and against a more patient foe, could be undone by his own ferocity.

Though the match was short, the commentators provided enough information for her to learn that Garrett was a survivor from the Occupation Zone, and made his way to Solaris with his omnimech. Omnimechs were superior to normal battlemechs due to their modular weapons systems and quicker ease of repair for damaged weapons components, greatly simplifying logistics and could be customised to suit specific terrain or battle conditions. With clan-spec weapons, Garrett’s Mad Dog gave him a decisive edge in most duels.

It gave her hope. There should be more survivors like Garrett, so her binary could have survived!

She flipped through the menu again. There were some more matches that could possibly be of interest, and she was about to select one of them when the door suddenly barged open.

It was a man with black glasses, with long blond hair down to his shoulders.

He was struggling with several books while using his body to keep the door open. Then, Anastasia and the man’s eyes met.

“Ahhhh!”

He dropped all the books he was holding as if startled by her appearance in the room. The books did not male a loud noise on the carpeted floor, and they scattered all over.

Anastasia automatically crouched down to pick up the books. When she looked at the first book in her hand, she noticed that it was a love story with an unusually long and lurid title.

“Lady Kalinska, this is heavy.”

Does he know me? Then Anastasia remembered that the man was the second son of the Count, Raymond.

“Greetings, my lord…”

“Ahhhh!”

Raymond was about to wave his hand, saying it was okay to skip the greeting, but he dropped the book he had just picked up again.

Freebirth, is he stupid? She started picking up the book again.

“Ugh, I’m sorry, my lady.”

The future of the Trivet did not bode well. The heir Renard was just garbage, and the second son was an imbecile.

Then she put her hand on the last book at the same time that Raymond’s hand reached for it.

“Hmmm…?”

At the familiar touch on the back of her hand, she widened her eyes and looked at Raymond. He smiled, not knowing why. Anastasia furrowed her eyebrows very slightly. This man was dangerous.

“My lady, allow me.”

Anastasia quietly removed her hand from the book. He placed the last book on his pile and easily lifted the whole stack. Anastasia narrowed her eyes at him.

“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t disturb you. I thought this room was not in use.”

Anastasia forced herself to be polite. “No, it’s fine.”

He smiled, and given what she just learned, it only made him seem more dangerous.

He placed the stack of books on a table. “I like to do my reading here, and enjoy the viewscreen too. Do you know this is the biggest dual mode viewscreen in the entire manor, and in the entire Trivet? It’s a special customised import from New Avalon too.”

Her eyes widened a bit.

He rambled on, “My mother thought it was a waste of money, but my father the Count insisted. To impress our guests, he said. So we got it, and since we have it, might as well enjoy it.”

He glanced over at the options menu presented on the screen, and Anastasia cursed inwardly.

“Solaris Grand Tournament matches?” His eyes glowed with interest. “I didn’t know my lady was into this sort of thing.”

She thought fast. “My fiance is a mechwarrior. I thought I should perhaps learn a bit about his profession.”

“Oh, Viscount Rason would like that, my lady.” He flicked through the menu, “But may I suggest something milder than the Solaris Games? Something more educational perhaps?”

Anastasia nodded her head slowly and reluctantly. She knew he was trying to manipulate her, but there was nothing she could do without revealing her own expertise.

He continued to talk, flicking through the available options, yammering away with his recommendations, while Anastasia silently observed him.

He was a handsome man with a docile, scholarly look. The way he talked was smooth and suave, a marked contrast from Finn’s direct strength. It seemed he also loved to talk, but Anastasia felt it was a facade because there was an undercurrent of suspicion about him.

“My lady?”

“Oh, nothing. Carry on with your suggestions.”

Raymond seemed to be laughing at her. Anastasia hoped the food would arrive soon so she would have a reason not to talk to him any further. She very well could not ask him to shut up.

“Oh, what’s this?” Raymond exclaimed. A pop-up appeared in a corner, stating ‘News update!’

“My lady, do you mind if I find out about the latest news?”

She waved a hand, “Go ahead.” The way she saw it, nothing interesting particularly happened on Inman. The most exciting recent events were the Feast of Bounty celebrations, the Harvester incident, and the riots. She wondered what the latest update was about.

He pressed a control on the remote, and the holographic menu disappeared to a two-dimensional image on the viewscreen, showing a female presenter in a studio.

“The Archon-Princess has expressed her full confidence in the Trivet’s local forces to fend off any enemy attacks. Let us now go to the press conference, where Captain Sir Spencer Larouche will brief us on how the additional funds from the AFFC will be used to bolster our defences.”

The image cut to a small stage with a podium.

Then her world suddenly narrowed to just the viewscreen.

Pence Lamongue was standing at the podium. He was clad in the red uniform of the Haynes household guards, wearing his usual oily smirk. He bore no signs nor scars of the bitter struggle against the Inner Sphere. His uniform was clean and well-pressed, and he looked every bit the part of a charismatic mechwarrior officer.

But she knew better. She could not hear anything else except the blood rushing through her head, her ears. Her vision was tinged with red. She had no idea what was going on or what that treacherous stravag piece of dezgra dung was saying, but she hardly cared.

She just wanted him dead, or at least out of her sight. She did not even notice when she had grabbed a nearby flower pot.

“My lady!”

It took a while for Raymond’s voice to register in her brain.

“Put down that pot, my lady! It’s dangerous!”

She turned to him, her demeanour icy cold. She placed the pot on the table, then used both hands to hold Raymond by his collar, and gave him a hard shake.

“Who is he?”

“Don’t you know him? He’s the commander of our household guards.”

"Very well." She let go of his collar, and reached for the pot to throw it at the holoprojector.

"No!" Raymond grabbed it at the same time, their hands on opposite edges of the pot.

Anastasia didn’t care. She still wasn’t nowhere as strong as she needed, wanted, to be, but she knew leverage. She stepped in, twisting her body so that she could put both hands on the pot and wrench it from his single handed grasp.

He reacted almost instinctively, his feet carrying him away from her so that he could still put his other hand on the pot.

Her eyes narrowed at his sudden economy of movement, which spoke of extensive training, especially for warriors. “You are a mechwarrior. Stop acting dumb!”

Raymond’s gaze changed in an instant. From a nerdy wimp, his gait changed to that of a man in his prime. He smiled mischievously, and gave Anastasia a look of sheer curiosity. He seemed to be very interested in her situation now.

“You should have seen Captain Larouche before. But then again, you only ever had eyes for Renard,” he mused, one hand still on the pot.

“…Captain Larouche?”

“More precisely, Captain Spencer Larouche. He’s the military aide to the Count and as I already said, commander of our household troops. My lady, are you interested in him, instead of Viscount Rason?”

Her face paled on hearing Raymond’s words. Her mouth turned up in a sneer at the insinuation.

“My lady, I apologise for misunderstanding. So you’re not interested in him? He’s just a former officer from the LAAF we took on to improve our defences. He’s especially close to Renard. His nickname around these parts is ‘Renard’s Ass-wiper’”

She yanked at the pot again, this time using both hands, but his single hand was just able to hang on to it..

Raymond tsked. “This viewscreen is expensive. Can’t let it get wrecked.” He shrugged in regretful exasperation, then his free hand descended on the back of her neck. Knowing what this meant, she still struggled to hold onto consciousness.

But her vision was getting blurry. Then, at some point, darkness came, and she collapsed on the spot.
---------------------------------
Well, now we know where Pence Lamongue ended up.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Rason Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
22nd February, 3061
2000 hrs (1600 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Finn had seen a lot of unpleasant stuff in his life.

On the battlefields of Operation Bulldog, he had witnessed firsthand the horrors of war, and sometimes the worst humanity could inflict on itself. Panicked soldiers firing on innocents, civilians fighting one another over scarce supplies of food and water, rich merchants taking advantage of desperate families.

But what happened on Garstedt would be forever etched in his memory.

His mech company had filed into the mechbay of the Smoke Jaguar firebase, accompanied by several APCs carrying infantry and other support personnel, notably DCMS troopers and ISF agents.

The mech bay looked like an abattoir. Corpses were strewn all over, puddles of blood, and in the middle of it was a smirking Pence Lamongue, his palms faced upwards and empty, showing that he was not a threat.

Finn had been so tempted to shoot him right there and then, but the DCMS liaison assured him that Pence had switched sides and was now under their protection.

Clanners do not switch sides until after a defeat, and even then preferred to prove their loyalty as bondsmen first. Finn knew this. For a clanner to switch before a battle is decided, something was very wrong.

He climbed down from his Rifleman, the infantry already respectfully lining up the bodies for identification with handheld cameras before placing them in body bags with tags. A number of the bodies wore the daggerstar on their uniforms that marked them as mechwarriors. Others were support personnel. From the exit wounds on their bodies, some had been shot from the back. Many more had been cut down by prepared explosives and minefields.

It was almost impossible to defend against a trap set from within.

Most importantly, Finn did not see Star Captain Avryl Showers’ body. From what the DCMS liaison told him, she was Pence’s priority target.

He gave Pence a glowering look of menace. “You betrayed your comrades, and even killed your own commander.”

Pence shrugged nonchalantly, as though it was just an ordinary day for him, “What can I say? We were outnumbered, there was likely no way out, and the offer was too good. I do not want to die, there are still a lot of things left in life to enjoy.”

Finn gritted his teeth, then walked off to look through the base.

“If you are looking for Star Captain Showers, what is left of her is in the watch station.” Pence called out behind him. “You must be glad I killed her for you, Captain Finn.”

Glad? Finn did not think so.

It took a while, but the firebase layout was plastered on some corners, so he easily figured it out.

I have to see for myself, he told himself as he walked to the watch station, dread pooling in his stomach.

Then he found her.

Star Captain Avryl Showers was slumped over a console, one hand just below the button that would have alerted the firebase, a bloody hole in her back surrounded by the seared fabric of her uniform. Obviously, she succeeded, because they knew a significant portion of the Jaguar’s Mists had still managed to escape. There was no blood except for some around her mouth. Pence had used a laser weapon to kill her, cauterising the open wounds.

Her light brown eyes were still open, and Finn felt conflicted. She was an enemy mechwarrior, but she was skilled and honourable, in many ways the epitome of what a mechwarrior should be. She did not deserve to die like this, betrayed by a shot in the back.

He sighed, and drew one hand over her face to close her eyes. She looked so peaceful in death, so different from before, when her face and eyes were alight with the exhilaration of battle, an intoxicating presence that drew in both allies and enemies alike, which made the DCMS nickname her ‘Black Lotus’.

You couldn’t keep your promise, he thought in regret. She had promised him a one-on-one duel, to finally prove who was the better mechwarrior.

It would never happen now.

He gently lifted her body, and carried it out to the mech bay, where they would officially record her death. Then they would follow the customs of the clans and cremate their bodies.

To his disgust, the Draconis Combine’s Internal Security Force (ISF) rewarded Pence with a fortune. When he asked about it, the DCMS liaison told him that paying off a traitor was still a lot more cost effective than trying to take down the Jaguar’s Mists in battle, particularly with Avryl Showers in command. That was how much they feared and respected her.

Then to further his disgust, instead of killing him to shut him up, as they often did, the ISF foisted Pence off to the Lyran Intelligence Corps (LIC), and the next thing Finn knew was that Pence suddenly turned up on Inman, armed with a new name, a new history as a former Lyran Alliance Armed Forces officer who fought the clans, and still holding onto his own clan-spec Banshee, along with an expensive gift for Count Haynes. That, along with a quick demonstration of his skills in a mech, was more than enough to get him hired by the Count, along with a knighthood that enfeoffed him within the aristocracy.

Pence Lamongue may be a piece of canister-born scum, but like all clan bloodname holders, he was a gifted mechwarrior.

Finn had wanted to reveal the origins of ‘Spencer Larouche’, but strict directives from the Star League ordered him to never reveal Pence’s identity nor his betrayal. So all Finn could do was seethe quietly, hoping that one day the man would slip up and get into trouble.

If Pence had shown just the tiniest bit of remorse over his betrayal of his clan and his comrades, Finn would not have held so much animosity against him. He knew that circumstances sometimes drove people to do things they did not want. In fact, Task Force Serpent was only possible because of Trent’s betrayal, but Finn had heard enough over the rumour mill that Trent had very good reasons for his actions.

Basically, Trent did not do it for money. He did it for honour, for the ideal of a clan that had lost its way. He asked only for a worthy cause to fight for, and warriors to command in battle. Simple needs for a simple warrior.

In contrast, Pence simply showed no regret for what he had done, and revelled in his ill-gotten gains. Finn knew that when not on duty, Pence would live it up in his own mansion, indulging in excesses and other extravagant displays of wealth, with Renard often in attendance and participating with glee. Absolutely revolting.

Finn could not even unravel his own feelings towards Avryl. Was it sympathy, pity, or exasperation at her foolishness and naivete? Or was it even mourning?

Avryl fought for her clan and her beliefs, but was betrayed by her own subordinate. Sometimes, she would even appear in his nightmares, tormenting him with the unfulfilled promise between them.

“One day, we will face each other in a Circle of Equals, and prove once and for all who is the better mechwarrior. This I swear to you.” It was the last thing she had said to Finn, on Yamarovka, after she accepted his offer of hegira.

Finn, lost in his thoughts, was brought back to the present when his assistant Eric woke him from his siesta and gave him the latest news. Upon hearing it, Finn grew concerned.

“Lady Kalinska went to the palatial manor in the morning?”

Oh, no. Did the Count find out what she did yesterday? Despite his appearance as a genial old man, Count Haynes had a hidden vindictive side. If he felt offended, she would still be punished.

Why did she have to kick Renard there? he lamented. He decided to go to the palatial manor and find an opportunity to talk to Count Haynes. He intended to keep his promise to take care of any loose ends.

This time, Finn was going to be proactive. Renard was too licentious, and he would tell Count Haynes what Anastasia had revealed to him. Then the Count wouldn’t be too angry.

He wondered how Anastasia would react if he helped her this time.

This I swear to you. Would she ever say that to him? Then Finn realised he was remembering Avryl, not Anastasia, and shook his head.

Why was Avryl still tormenting him? To make matters worse, his thoughts kept mixing Anastasia and Avryl up, even though they were two completely different people. But the way Anastasia talked to him…

Feels like today is an unlucky day, he thought to himself.

He thought of glittering blue eyes the colour of sapphires and ebony-black hair. The laughter of delight that hung in the air amidst the lights of the chandeliers as they danced came to mind.

Finn shook his head to dislodge the distracting thoughts. He was about to leave when news came of Anastasia’s collapse.

 
23rd February, 3061
1000 hrs (0200 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

It was raining.

Anastasia blinked her eyes slowly and looked out the window. It was early in the current cycle, with several hours left to go til dawn. The sky was black, with the clouds blocking even the stars from sight.

The sound of rain filled the quiet room. She knew that she was in her own room, not at the palatial manor.

Luckily, she was returned to the Kalinski estate after creating such a commotion.

Anastasia groaned. She still had a sore pain in the back of her neck from being hit. Sitting on her bed, leaning back, she listened to the sound of the rain.

She recalled what she saw before she fainted.

On the viewscreen, Pence had worn a red uniform and that familiar disgusting smirk.

“Spencer Larouche.” Anastasia muttered his name. She had to admit, it was pretty smart of him to use a fake name that sounded so similar to his real one. But to give up the Lamongue Bloodname he had earned with so much blood and pain, just like that?

A small chuckle leaked out, then she twisted her lips up and burst into laughter. It was funny, so funny that she felt mad. She was still so hung up on the clans when he had obviously abandoned everything from them to build a new life for himself. She did not know how or why he betrayed her and the clans, but the very fact he did meant that she never even knew him at all.

And he was the warrior the Clan Watch had selected to ensure the Wardens in her unit remained loyal?

What a hilarious joke. In the end, he was the traitor, not the Wardens.

She tried to get out of bed, but she fell to the floor because her legs were so weak. But she continued to laugh, amused by the cruel joke the universe played on her.

It was not something she had even thought about, since the chances of finding him amongst the vast trillions of people in the entire human sphere were slimmer than finding survivors of the clan. But out of all the worlds populated by humanity, Pence had to turn up on the very same one she was somehow resurrected in?

Oh yes, she certainly wanted him dead.

She thought back to his words to her just before she died. He somehow made a deal with the Inner Sphere, probably through their intelligence agencies. Was it for money? It certainly was not for honour.

So Pence had given up everything he once had as a clan warrior and exchanged those for being a Captain of some pathetic household guards in some shithole of an Outback world.

She had tried to live as Anastasia, but she realised she just passively adapted to her circumstances without taking any real initiative of her own. She had some vague thoughts of finding survivors of her clan, specifically the members of the Jaguar’s Mists, but did nothing to advance that objective.

But now…

Clarity of purpose slowly dawned on her. She had been too complacent. Seeing Pence made her realise who she was and the death she had suffered.

Anastasia opened her room door and stepped out into the quiet, dimly lit hallway.

No one stopped her at this time since even the servants were still asleep. She had lost strength again, but she knew what she needed to do.

He killed her, so she will kill him. That was the only fitting surkairede for him.

“…Pence… Pence…” She kept muttering his name as she prowled the empty corridors of the estate mansion. The urge to kill him was overpowering, the rage in her bubbling up uncontrollably.

She wandered the hallways of the quiet mansion until she finally got to where she had seen a ceremonial sword that she had kept an eye on. As she stretched and reached out to grab the sword and lifted it, her body staggered at its sheer weight.

Anastasia gritted her teeth, grabbed it, and walked back down the hallway and out the front door.

Heavy rain hammered down in the dark night. She did not even care that she was only wearing a thin nightgown, almost immediately drenched in the rain, while she cradled the sword against her chest, her wet hair plastered around her face and body.

She began to walk across the grass field, not even caring that she was barefoot. The rain-soaked soil splattered over her bare white feet, but she did not care either.

Step by step, she moved forward, driven by a fury within that could not be quenched by the rain. When she approached the estate’s front gate, she slipped and fell in the rain-soaked mud.

“Ooof!”

Stravag. She cursed. When she was Avryl, she rarely slipped and fell in the mud.

Even though it was only a slight fall onto the soft mud, her body was winded by the impact, and it took her long moments to catch her breath back before she could get back up again. To make matters worse, her long, wet hair blocked her view.

She tried to use the sword as support to stand up, but the scabbard did not find enough purchase into the soft soil, and she fell again with a curse.

Fallen, she put her arms on the ground and levered her body up. Then her gaze fell upon her trembling arm. The pale skin and frail wrists. She looked at her own weak, fragile body. Even though she had just been in the rain for barely more than a minute, she had begun trembling. She was startled by her sudden realisation and slowly shook her head.

No, I am not like this. This… this… this is not my body! This is not my body! She bit her lip and shook her head desperately.

She tilted her head back and looked up at the black sky, still pouring rain down. With a steamy white sigh, she gritted her teeth. She then got her feet under her to get up from the ground again as if trying to deny what she had just realised.

She broke down the process into discrete steps, similar to how the Kit Masters used to admonish them on how to get their mechs upright, and actually found that she could get up surprisingly quickly this time.

Once on her feet, she tried to draw her sword with trembling hands, but the sword could not be pulled out of its sheath. She tried to pull it out repeatedly, but only the tiniest part of the blade became visible. It was just a ceremonial sword, made with cheap steel, and poorly maintained over the years. Without regular application of oil, it simply rusted, and the sword became stuck in the scabbard.

Anastasia cursed yet again. No matter what she tried, it was useless. It seemed as though the whole sequence of events was designed specially to drive in the point that she was essentially helpless.

She dropped the sword and knelt down, covering her face with her hands. She had already known her body was weak, but she thought if she could train hard and regain her strength, she would be able to regain some sense of normalcy.

She had been too naive and complacent. She had not thought deeply enough. It was only now, at this moment, that she realised the stark differences between her past body and this one. Avryl was the product of generations of selective breeding to produce the finest warriors, her body capable of split-second reactions and brimming with physical potential. Anastasia was merely a freeborn noblewoman, soft and gentle. Beautiful, yes, but nothing beyond that.

Her combat skills were the result of years of brutal training, but not that of Anastasia, the epitome of a lady brought up only to display the prestige of her House.

Avryl Showers was dead, killed by Pence Lamongue. She would never return to the world of the living. Even though her spirit, her soul was still alive in Anastasia’s body, she was not Avryl anymore.

Death was final. She was a fool to think that she could eventually recover her strength and be a mechwarrior again.

She still had not fully processed her own death. But now, it was clear to her what she had lost – her right to live as Avryl, the honour earned through serving her clan, and even the camaraderie of her closest warriors.

Avryl's memories, not Anastasia's, remained so vividly in her mind. Avryl's fierce life and her feelings of betrayal burn so clearly, yet she was no longer Avryl.

Who was she then? Was she Anastasia, or was she merely Avryl wearing Anastasia's face as a mask?

For the first time in a very long while, she let her tears flow. The rain continued to pour, a chill spreading all over Anastasia's body. Without realising it, she collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

 

Rason Estate
24th February, 3061
2300 hrs (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Upon reading the report, Finn frowned. His aide, Eric, saw his lord’s expression change and closed his mouth. This meant that Finn was uncomfortable.

“Unbelievable,” Finn muttered, sitting and leaning on the back of his chair as he looked out his window.

It was raining outside. He felt relaxed, but he tapped his desk with a finger. The impatient ticking sound spread out into the quiet office.

“So, Lady Kalinska has gone crazy?”

“It’s not that she is crazy. She had a breakdown." Eric felt compelled to point out.

“What’s the difference?” he said, sighing.

“Baron Kalinski is trying to keep it quiet, but rumours still tend to leak.”

“Yeah, she was crying in the rain in her nightgown in the wee hours barefoot with a sword out in the garden. Anybody would think that she had finally gone crazy.”

At this point, Eric thought Finn would express his anger about his engagement to Anastasia Kalinska. Being engaged to a madwoman would make him a huge laughing stock despite being the Viscount of Delacambre.

Instead, Finn grumbled, “How is Baron Kalinski managing his servants? They didn’t even know their sick mistress went out and now they can't even control their mouths. Unacceptable."

As Eric had expected, Finn was annoyed, but the reason behind his annoyance was surprising. It seemed Finn was angrier at the servants who leaked the information.

“Does she have to go crazy every few days?”

Eric knew Finn was referring to Anastasia Kalinska. He gave his superior a pointed look.

Finn glared back. "What?"

Eric gulped, thought he wasn’t paid enough to do all this, but plunged on. “Uhm, you heard that Lady Kalinska had a breakdown, but are you okay?”

“Do I have to reply to that?"

The Viscount’s green eyes held an ominous light. Eric realised he had made a mistake. However, what he noticed was that Finn first griped about the servants who spread the rumours, then complained about Bason Kalinski’s daughter. The priority and sequence of complaints had changed.

“How is Lady Kalinska?”

This was new. Now, instead of complaining about her, Finn was actually asking about her well-being. Eric concluded Finn was now emotionally invested in the relationship.

“She is suffering from a cold. She was always frail, so it's quite serious....”

“It must have been because she was in the rain. Tsk tsk." Finn clicked his tongue disapprovingly.

The Viscount continued, “How far did the rumours spread that she had a breakdown?”

“It shouldn’t have spread yet. It seems that their servants talked about it amongst themselves while buying groceries. The shop they were at just happened to be one of our intel sources.”

“Block the rumours if you can. Downplay it if you can’t.”

Eric nodded numbly.

Finn's feelings for Anastasia were still vague, but Eric had developed a better sense of his lord’s emotions, so he just nodded his head and proceeded to carry out his orders.

Finn sat at his desk and looked out the window blankly. Anastasia had never been quite sane right from the beginning, but what triggered her most recent bout of insanity? What exactly happened in the Haynes manor?

As far as he knew, Renard had been lying low since his humiliation during the Feast of Bounty banquet. He suspected Renard was just indulging his own vices quietly, but that was all. He didn't meet Anastasia that day.

Finn narrowed his eyes. There was one person he could ask.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Haynes Palatial Manor,
26th February, 3061
0200 hrs (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“It really wasn’t my fault,” said Raymond with a frown on his face while using a piece of soft tissue to clean his glasses. He shrank a bit under Finn’s harsh glare.

“Even my father asked about what happened. But really, nothing happened! I went to the guest lounge, you know the one with the huge dual mode viewscreen, and there she was, calmly watching some shows while waiting for lunch. Then all of a sudden, she went berserk and tried to smash the viewscreen.”

“…”

Raymond raised the corner of his mouth at Finn’s gaze, as if asking if he would believe it.

“Actually, there was something else, but I don’t want to say anymore because it’s personal to Lady Kalinska and she deserves her personal privacy.”

Finn snorted. “As if. It’s not about personal privacy, but about you holding onto it for later use.”

“I will not deny it,” he said, leaning against the back of the sofa with a lazy expression. Another curse word lingered in Finn’s mouth. He had been close to Raymond due to unavoidable circumstances from childhood, but he did not want to be any closer to him than he had to.

Raymond’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “If I tell you about Lady Kalinska, will you give me what I want?”

“Manipulative bastard.” cursed Finn. At that, Raymond closed his eyes and smiled. His demeanour and bearing seemed that of a meek and gentle nobleman, but Finn knew it was just a facade.

Finn continued, “Even though we are engaged, I don’t have to tell you that we are not close enough to do that for you.”

“Well, you are emotionally invested enough to come and ask me about her like this.”

Seeing Raymond’s cunning gaze, Finn grimaced. Raymond put his glasses back on. His sharp eyes were hidden again. “I thought she was an empty-headed girl that only chased after my brother, but Lady Kalinska was something else.”

“I initially thought so too, but I’ve realised she is not your usual vapid-minded noblewoman.”

“She noticed that I’m a trained mechwarrior.”

“What?” Finn controlled his surprise.

“She said, ‘You are a mechwarrior. Stop acting dumb!’ How the hell did she find out? I mean, I was pretty careful.”

“Hah.” Finn chuckled at that. It was because he could imagine the tone Anastasia used. Anastasia had the strange ability to say or do whatever she wanted, and to heck with the consequences.

“I didn’t deny it. If Lady Kalinska said that to anyone else they would think she’s crazy. But the problem is that she tried to break the viewscreen.”

“…It’s just a viewscreen.”

“The biggest high resolution holoprojector we have in the entire Trivet! My father would have gone nuts.”

“What else can you tell me?”

Raymond looked straight at Finn, and Finn felt as though he was being tested.

“Do Captain Larouche and Lady Kalinska know each other?”

“What?” Finn’s mood darkened further.

“Captain Larouche is Renard’s Ass-wiper, and Lady Kalinska was his lover.”

“Raymond, if you’re trying to piss me off today, you’re doing a very good job of it.”

“Nah, I’m just joking. The two don’t know each other at all. Lady Kalinska didn’t even know Larouche’s nickname. Heh, the one that everybody knows.”

Finn growled. “I really hate Larouche. That backstabbing bastard.”

Raymond’s eyes were alight with curiosity. “You never did tell me how you knew him before he came to Inman. The clan border?”

“Classified.”

“Ahhh…” Raymond nodded and drank his tea. Finn was very annoyed after Raymond mentioned Pence and Anastasia at the same time.

Was her meeting with Count Haynes the reason for her breakdown? But according to Raymond, Anastasia had been fine when he entered the lounge. So, what was the reason? Raymond seemed to know something, but he didn't seem to want to say anything.

Did she really go crazy? He was definitely not going to marry a crazy woman. Or even one prone to bouts of insanity from time to time.

Then Finn realised that he was already thinking deeply about Anastasia. He'd met Anastasia a few times in the past, but they both had no interest in each other. They simply did not mix in the same circles. Finn had never been enamoured of Anastasia's beautiful looks as many men were, and she had never paid him any attention. Her attention and energy were always focused on Renard.

When he recalled that, Finn felt like he had been hit in the head. She had said she was fine after the very public breakup and scandal, but maybe she wasn't? She could have been suffering silently by herself, just not letting it show. Hiding one’s emotions was a key virtue in the aristocracy, so it was possible.

If she kicked Renard in the crotch, it meant that she was really angry. If Anastasia was honest with him, she had just suffered a very serious betrayal.

Finn suddenly remembered his fellow soldiers, who often talked about dying because of love. He never really knew what 'love' was, since he never experienced it himself, but he also knew that this elusive emotion had the potent power to turn anybody insane.

Sure, he didn’t necessarily need to comfort her about her traumatic past, but he also should not have treated the matter so lightly. He knew that Anastasia’s reputation amongst the ladies of the aristocracy was essentially wrecked after the scandal of her attempted suicide.

For the ladies, the social world was their battlefield. Anastasia had zero standing amongst them after what she did.

Even Renard tried to pile on and forced her to attend the banquet after the incident. Finn thought Renard just wanted to mock her, but upon further thought, he realised with a sinking feeling that Renard had wanted something else from Anastasia, which was why he was in the lounge with her. With that dismal thought, Finn felt she should have kicked harder.

He still thought that the reason for Anastasia’s strange behaviour could be due to a broken heart. In the end, Finn concluded that Anastasia had not forgotten Renard, even though he wanted to believe Anastasia because, at that time, Anastasia's facial expression didn't seem like that was the case.

However, that was the only explanation he could think of. He felt rotten and conflicted.

“Damn rain,” Finn muttered while gritting his teeth.

Raymond asked, “Shouldn’t you go to Lady Kalinska?”

“How many times do I have to say we are not that close?” Finn retorted angrily.

He stared out the window, glumly contemplating his options. He couldn’t help but feel annoyed at the whole situation. He even felt a bit exasperated with himself for being annoyed in the first place. Why should he care?

Maybe just a phone call would do? But doing so lacked sincerity.

His thoughts chased themselves all over in his mind, until Finn gave into the inevitable. He got up from his seat, and told Raymond, “I’ll take my leave now.”

Raymond smugly replied, “All right, travel safe. Give my regards to Lady Kalinska.”

 
Kalinski Estate,
26th February, 3061
0500 hrs (1300 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

When she opened her eyes, her vision was blurry and she was already breathing hard. I cannot even roll my eyes, she thought. She looked around and saw her father next to her. Seeing the worry and sorrow on his face, she slowly blinked.

She was having a fever. As Avryl, she rarely fell sick, usually only after extremely strenuous outfield exercises that literally flattened every cadet kit in the sibko after their adrenaline and energy ran out. Also, the only reason she ever was in bed was to sleep. But ever since she became Anastasia, she spent an inordinate amount of time in her bed.

She was still very weak, and fell sick easily. If she was not careful and went out into the rain like the other night, she should have expected the consequences. Anastasia sighed, realising again that she could not afford to be so reckless with her health.

There was also a double whammy from her menstruation, which was apparently always somewhat irregular, but now coincided with her illness. The blood loss and cramps made her even more uncomfortable. As a clan warrior, Avryl had never needed to deal with it; the drugs provided by the clan’s scientists essentially shut down the cycle, since menstruation was obviously detrimental to their duties as warriors.

When she stirred from her sleep, Baron Kalinski raised his head and looked at her. She felt a pang of guilt when she looked into his tired eyes.

"Ana." His voice was mournful, and sounded hoarse after hours of crying.

Anastasia blinked her eyes.

He was still in tears. “Is it too hard to continue living? What are the problems you’re facing?”

Seeing his distraught expression, Anastasia sighed internally.

“I’m not asking for much. I just want you to live a healthy, happy life. Why is it so difficult?"

Anastasia scoffed. She was neither healthy nor happy. How could she even think of living happily? Now that Avryl was dead, was it happiness for her to just adapt to being Anastasia and live happily ever after? Just like that? Then what was the point if everything that once was Avryl was to be forgotten and cast behind?

Her heart ached, her hatred boiling, her sorrow overflowing. Her mind was in turmoil, grappling with a life that was unjustly taken away. She was getting sick of everything.

“Don’t worry, Daddy will do everything for you. If you are suffering, I will relieve you of that suffering.”

The Baron’s words did not really register with her.

She knew she should be grateful, that she had, somehow, been given a second chance at life. But the despair from the death of her first one, that was something she could not let go.

It was ironic. As a clan warrior, Avryl was not supposed to be afraid of death, but now that she did die once before, she could not be so sanguine about it. She really wanted to live, not die of some fever that she brought upon herself by being so careless with her health.

In her sleep, she dreamed of Anastasia, and her memories.

She saw how lonely Anastasia was when she was young. On the day of her mother's death, Baron Kalinski abandoned Anastasia in his grief. He had cried, saying he would follow her mother. No one was around to comfort Anastasia.

The Baron literally tried to follow his wife into death. He took poison and attempted suicide. It was Anastasia who found her unconscious father on the floor.

Baron Kalinski’s suicide attempt was not successful, and he survived. He woke up to find a mentally scarred Anastasia. He hugged her and wept, promising never to give up on his life again. From then on he tried to always show Anastasia the best of his love as her father.

But Anastasia knew that his devotion was only out of guilt. Already the Baron had abandoned her when her mother died. He would be someone who could abandon her again at any crisis, leaving her all alone. The Baron probably did not know how much the love he tried to give made Anastasia more miserable. Anastasia did not have faith even in her own father. That was a major cause of Anastasia’s problems and personality issues.

Despite her attempts to ignore them, the memories of Anastasia appeared repeatedly. As if her mind was telling her to forget Avryl. Therefore, Anastasia tried to keep herself awake in any way possible for her health and to prevent Avryl's memory from being engulfed by Anastasia's memories.

But she continued to suffer. Why were these memories flooding in? Why did she keep having memories that did not belong to Avryl?

Eventually, she began to get confused as her memories replayed. Am I Avryl? Or am I Anastasia with Avryl's memories? Am I even Avryl, when I have Anastasia's body and Anastasia's memories?

It was a question that she had never not considered before. Previously, she just thought, of course, that she was Avryl. Her body had changed, her environment had changed, but she had no one to recognize her existence as Avryl, so how could she think of herself as Avryl?

After three standard days, her fever had gone down to a point where it would not jeopardise her life.

Then the Baron began to enter the Haynes manor again. Anastasia felt downcast when the Baron was not with her every time she woke up, but she knew there was nothing she could do about it.

In Anastasia’s memories, the Baron was always busy with work. Loving his daughter and the importance of work were two separate acts for him.

After meekly following his instructions to take medicine and eat, she regained enough energy to get up and move around. However, her weak body was slow to recover. Her fever didn't seem to recede, and Anastasia remained dazed at all times. Her lack of energy and the inability to do anything placed her in a foul mood.

“My lady, he is here! You have to get ready.”

"Who?"

“Viscount Rason.”

So what? Why do I need to prepare? Anastasia thought blankly.
--------------------------------
The fiction itself states that on certain very developed worlds (e.g. Terra), women can remain fertile up to fifty or sixty years old, which means the technology exists to either shut down the cycle, thus preserving the ova, or to actually regenerate ova in the ovaries.

On worlds like Terra, I believe it would be the latter (remain fertile throughout puberty to ‘middle age’ of fifty/sixty), while for the clans, it would be the former, through an implant that injects the drug at regular intervals.

It just makes sense on many levels. The female warriors don’t have to worry about their periods (cramps, blood loss), and their ova are conserved if they test down and re-enter the civilian castes, in which case they would have to start contributing to the birth rate, usually at solahma ages of maybe thirty plus? As any fertility expert can tell you, normally the depletion of ova is such that after the age of thirty, the chances of conception are drastically lowered. The clan method would prevent this problem.

[Sir Chaos]

So, to-do list for Avryl/Anastasia:
- Kill Pence, as slowly and painfully as practical under the circumstances
- Get back into fighting shape as a mechwarrior and procure a mech
- Tell Finn who she really is, get him into that Circle of Equals as promised, and kick his ass (preferably in a non-lethal manner, because honorable enemies are a rare commodity)
- Either live happily ever after, or die gloriously, depending on the mood of the day

[The Wobbly Guy]

Kalinski Estate,
26th February, 3061
0600 hrs (1400 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Send him back.” Anastasia spoke without thinking.

The maid replied, “My lady, you said he could come.”

Anastasia tilted her head, considering. She did say that, but given the circumstances…

“Should I send him back?” Unlike other maids, Luisa bravely asked her for confirmation.

Anastasia pondered for a moment, then shook her head. She did not know why. It was just strange, that she wanted to see Finn. Maybe because he was one of the memories of good times from her past life. Also weird, because they spent much of that time trying to defeat each other.

Her dishevelled hair was quickly arranged, and a thick outer garment woven with warm wool was applied on top of the negligee. Anastasia was still slightly hazy about what was happening because she still had some fever.

“Do I go down?”

When asked if she should go down to her private suite for receiving guests, Luisa shook her head.

“The Viscount should come up to your room. You’re so sick!”

“Okay.” Anastasia agreed readily. It was really difficult for her to think straight.

When the maids finished their final makeover, Anastasia looked out of the window next to her in a dazed state.

The sky was grey, and all the scenery was hazy, perhaps foggy. Anastasia was lost in thought.

Where was Avryl now? Dead, or alive in Anastasia’s body? It was a question on her mind ever since she saw Pence again. After so many days, she still had no answer.

Then she heard footsteps in the direction of her room, and the door opened. Nevertheless, she kept her gaze fixed towards the window.

“Leave us.”

A familiar man’s voice echoed quietly in the room. Luisa seemed to greet him, and then went outside and closed the door.

The silence in the room seemed oppressive. Then more footsteps, nearing, and stopped next to her bed. Then there was silence again.

A man’s voice was heard with a very small sigh.

“Do you have to go crazy every few days?”

“……” Anastasia turned her head. Her eyes rested on his uniform coat.

He was dressed in the deep green uniform coat of the AFFC with silver cuffs and red piping indicating both his status as an officer and his branch of service. Strangely enough, he wore no decorations on his left, save only for the rank epaulettes of a Leftenant-Colonel. Like most mechwarriors who graduated from an academy of the old Federated Suns, he wore the traditional cavalry spurs on his boots.

“That’s the AFFC uniform, isn’t it?”

“What?”

Finn looked at Anastasia puzzledly. Finn was starting to conclude that Anastasia must be sick and out of her mind.

“Yes, it’s the AFFC uniform. I’m the commander of the local Trivet militia, I’m supposed to wear it.”

“Then where are your decorations?” She placed a hand on his left chest. “Didn’t you kill a lot of enemies to earn them?”

He stared at her, dumbfounded. Whatever he was expecting in a conversation with her, this was certainly not it. Green eyes scanned her face with a helpless expression.

“My lady, you must be really sick.”

Anastasia smirked at his words. It was a gloomy smile that was completely different from the dazzling one he saw at the banquet. Finn couldn’t understand this woman at all.

Anastasia looked up at Finn, since he was still standing. Strangely, his uniform did not repulse her. After all, she also wore a uniform, that of the Smoke Jaguars, until her death.

“What did you do today?”

“What?”

“Did you log time in your mech?”

He frowned at her strange familiarity with mechwarrior lingo. “Yes, a few hours just before and after daybreak, in fact.”

“Even when it rains, you are diligent.”

“As a mechwarrior, I have to be.”

Seeing Finn’s expression, Anastasia unknowingly bit her lips tightly. It was something that made her cry.

On the day she accepted Avryl’s death, Anastasia realised that she had no way to avenge herself on Pence. The skills that she had as Avryl, she had lost them after becoming Anastasia. Being a mechwarrior, in the weak body she was in? Impossible. And to even take on Pence outside of a mech? Even more impossible.

“You are a Viscount, so you must have great power here, not just on the battlefield, right?”

“……”

Finn’s frown deepened. Her once-glittering eyes looked somewhat hazy. Anastasia looked at him with an aimless stare.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was thinking. Yes, it was impossible for ‘Anastasia’ to kill Pence. What kind of power did a Baron’s young daughter have to kill an enfeoffed knight and the commander of the Haynes household guards? If she were a man, she could at least have some physical strength, but Anastasia was a weak noblewoman who could barely do anything.

Anastasia took her eyes off Finn and looked at her hand.

White, fine, and beautifully trimmed hands. It was a hand that contrasted so much with Avryl’s hands, which were full of scars and calluses from years of practising combat in all its forms.

“I’m really not following the flow of this conversation.”

Anastasia turned to look at Finn. Her expression was blank and she barely spoke.

“I’m just saying… that you are a fine man.”

He was dressed in a well-fitted dress uniform and had the build to accentuate its features. He was a Viscount of the Federated Commonwealth, or Suns, or whatever, so he had some level of political power even beyond the Trivet.

Within the Trivet itself, he had enormous power. He was also, she grudgingly admitted, a decent mechwarrior, and he had fought in actual battle, not just talked about it. He also exuded a refined masculinity that sent ladies swooning. And she knew, at least from glances around the banquet hall during the Feast of Bounty celebrations, that many noblewomen did just that.

He had everything, wealth, power, honour, health, even his own landholding.

“What are you talking about?”

“You’re also powerful.”

She envied him for what he possessed. When she saw Finn, who had everything she needed to take her vengeance, she was filled with jealousy.

“What are you talking about?”

She could never be like Finn. But if she wanted to get revenge on Khalid, what could, what would she do for it?

“Lady Kalinska?”

She shuffled to get out of her bed, struggling to get her body up with her arms. Her arms trembled so much that she was starting to sweat. A suffocating breath came out of her mouth.

“My lady.”

Finn helped her up. As he did so, their faces got closer.

Finn’s green eyes and her eyes met. At that moment, Anastasia stopped moving.

Her mind raced. After all, if I became his, I would be able to seduce this man and make him do what I want, right? I can use this man’s power. Women are like that in the Inner Sphere, that is just how it is.

Besides, she was the most beautiful lady in the Trivet, and hence the most valuable, as shallow as that line of thinking was. It would be easy for her to win the heart of this man. Then, she would belong to him and his power would also be hers? There was one thing beautiful women are good at… Yes, she can seduce this man.

What was that term used in one of those holovids? Femme fatale.

His hand was firmly on Anastasia’s back. Anastasia reached out, supporting herself in his arms. Her stretched hand slowly swept down his hard face.

“You…”

Heedless of what Finn was going to say, Anastasia reached out and put her arm around his neck and pulled him down to reach his face. Then she kissed him without hesitation.

It seemed as though a soft sound rang in both their ears at that moment.

She drew back. “You don’t like it?”

Finn seemed speechless at the question.

Her eyes, white face, and cheeks, which had a strange light, had a lovely flush. And there was an enticing curve on her blood-red lips, an obvious temptation when contrasted against her long loose black hair and white skin.

Finn stared blankly at the dizzying sight in front of him for a moment. He quickly raised one corner of his mouth at that short and simple provocation.

“Well, how about it?”

He pulled Anastasia’s waist and stuck her close to his body. Then their lips touched.

Although she started it, he took over the lead. Unfamiliar with the act of kissing, she could only follow awkwardly. Finn pressed his hand to her cheek and licked Anastasia’s lips open. In an instant, his tongue came in and brushed her even teeth.

“Ugh!”

The arm wrapped around his neck tightened, but Finn’s hand rubbed Anastasia’s back as if reassuringly. At that, she shut her eyes tightly. The black eyelashes trembled.

His hand, which had been on her cheek, moved behind her ear, stroking her head, and then went down to her neck and chest. Anastasia flinched, her eyes trembling, and finally tried to push him away.

Finn opened his eyes. For a moment, something brushed against his green eyes as he separated from Anastasia.

Anastasia breathed heavily, disturbed by the afterglow of their fierce kiss. Finn found himself a bit winded from the unexpected intensity.

A strange heat settled in the room.

Finn stared at Anastasia’s face for a long time with an incredulous expression, realisation dawning on him. Then he reached out a hand to tidy up his messy hair, and adjusted his uniform coat.

His face stiffened into a cold angry mask. He did not attempt to make any more conversation. The eruption of heat in the room cooled down just as quickly.

Anastasia stiffened with a surprised expression with her hand to her lips. Finn looked at her and frowned slightly. Then he turned around and left the room.

He did not turn around to see her hold her head in her hands in utter shame and regret.

The rain continued unabated.


26th February, 3061
1500 hrs (2300 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“What happened?” asked Baron Kalinski as he hurried down the corridor to Anastasia’s room. “I thought Ana was doing better!”

“She was! But after the Viscount’s visit, the fever bounced back,” said Luisa frantically, her eyes tearing up with concern for her mistress as she tried to keep up with the Baron.

“Ana!” He burst through the doors of her room, not caring for decorum. His heart sank when he saw his poor daughter lying on her bed, obviously still very sick. Yet she still tried to get up.

“Father, you’re here…”

“No, just lie down. You don’t have to push yourself.”

She fell back on her pillows, her breath coming in short pants.

He looked at her, his heart breaking at her condition.

“I can’t believe your health has deteriorated so much.” He made a decision. She won’t like it, but he felt he had not many options left. “How about going back to Altoona to rest and recover there? You’ll feel much better if you rest away from Inman.”

That provoked a strong reaction. She pushed herself from her sleeping position, and protested. “Why should I? I can recover just fine here! I don’t want to go anywhere else!”

He sighed quietly, “The thing is, there are some nasty rumours about you being spread here. They say you’ve gone insane.”

She stared at him in dawning realisation. I know I brought it upon myself with my own actions, but I cannot help but feel maligned!

“Father, do you also think I am insane? Is that why you want to send me away, so that I won’t be a burden?”

His silence told her all she needed to know. Poor Anastasia, you were given a lot of love, but not a lot of trust, it seems.

“Ana, I’m sorry.”

“I don’t really want to know.” She was tired of his excuses. Her voice was cold and sharp. The original Anastasia always acted the perfect lady, with a bright smile pasted on her face. Even when angry, she would vent it on others, never her own father. Maybe that was why he had gotten away with his half-hearted attitude for so long.

Baron Kalinski loved Anastasia, but only with his words, not his actions.

And actions always speak louder than words.

Where was he when the original Anastasia jumped into the manor lake? Where was he during the Feast of Bounty banquet, where he left her to the mercy of the wolves-in-ladies clothing? Even when she almost died in the lake, he had not taken any action at all against Baron Haynes.

Was this what a loving father would have done?

She resolved she would not repeat Anastasia’s mistakes.

He took her fragile hands in his own, patting them gently. “I will explain everything later.”

It sounded like a promise made to a gullible child, but she had no energy left to argue anyway. Besides, he was not entirely wrong. If she stayed on Inman, she might end up doing even crazier things.

“All right, I will go to Altoona.” Anastasia nodded in numb acceptance.


Rason Estate,
1st March, 3061
1500 hrs (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Despite what the various admiring ladies of the Trivet thought, Finn Rason wasn’t a paragon of virtue. At least, that’s Eric’s opinion.

Since entering the Viscount’s service as his personal secretary and valet, Eric had learned how to work around his master’s moods, achieving a sort of equanimity on how to advise and support his master on a variety of issues. He prided himself on having a broad outlook, despite not having attended a formal institution of higher education. Still, as the second son of a knight on Delacambre, he did have some private tutoring, and that had been enough for the Viscount to hire him in the first place after the Viscount was discharged from the AFFC.

In the short span of a few months, Eric quickly learned to accommodate his boss’s sometimes prickly attitude, and to find excuses when acting as the middleman between Viscount Rason and other notables.

But the Viscount was in a mood Eric had never seen before, and had been for the past three days. Everything seemed to set Finn off, from the weather to even the way the servants adjusted the paintings on the walls of the estate building.

Eric sighed. He had thought of quitting, but there weren’t that many prospects for a mere second son of a landholding knight in the Trivet. He had a plan - work for Viscount Finn for a few years, save up enough money, then seek a similar but better position on one of the more developed worlds.

“I have received a message from the Kolis Engine Consortium. Came in with the jumpship today.”

“What’s their business?”

The Viscount sat at his desk, reading reports and making notes. After three days, he was still as prickly as ever.

“They’re asking for funds to develop fission engines.”

“Are we a charity? Tell them no.”

“What do you mean…”

Eric knew engines were important. It was impossible to wage modern war without them. Even the humble internal combustion engine was still used in many combat vehicles. Fission engines were a major step up in the manufacturing capabilities of Delacambre, and a milestone towards achieving fusion engine production.

The Viscount was too hasty in his judgement and letting his emotions guide his decisions. Eric opened his mouth to protest.

Then his green eyes glared at Eric, as if he knew what he was thinking. Eric flinched.

“You think my decision is emotional and unreasonable right? Fission engines are too heavy because of their shielding to prevent radioactive leakage, and god forbids if one of them loses containment! Their maintenance is also a pain, and in short I’d avoid them unless absolutely necessary. If you really think I’m wrong, you can invest your own money.”

Eric looked down. “No, sir.”

“In the future, think about what reports are important before raising them to my attention. Is your head merely a flowerpot for growing hair?”

Eric squeezed his eyes shut. Maybe he should really just quit and find some other job? He didn’t have a family to take responsibility for, and he couldn’t even get married because he was too busy to go on dates, cleaning up after his boss.

Next, it was a report about some militia soldiers who were arrested for being drunk and causing a disturbance in public.

The Viscount’s foul mood struck again. This time he imposed a brutal punishment of hard labour for a week, which was far harsher than the usual extra guard duty.

In addition, when the umpteenth letter from Lady Yance, who was trying to pursue the Viscount despite his complete lack of interest in her, arrived, the Viscount just tossed it into the fireplace, saying that it was a waste of ink and time to write a letter.

The young lady’s flame-like love became a real flame in the fireplace and disappeared.

Even so, she was Baron Hoppe's daughter, and he wanted to say something because the Baron was the Minister of Finance, but he knew he didn’t want to become burned along with the letter and so kept his mouth shut.

Nope, he wasn't going to get burned, no sirree!

The next tribulation was morning tea.

Somehow, Viscount Rason drank the hot tea down in a single gulp, yet he did not flinch in the least. Eric knew he wasn’t unscathed though, because his mood worsened. It was the Viscount’s own fault for not listening when the maid told him the tea was hot and to drink it with caution.

Then finally the Viscount looked out the window and shouted.

“Damn rain!”

He was annoyed that it was raining now?

“Damn it, it’s raining heavily!”

So… he was annoyed when the weather was clear, and he was annoyed when it rained. Eric sighed, crying internally. He really felt like leaving the Viscount’s office for the comfort of his own bachelor’s pad, but he had a job to do, no matter how shitty the job was.

Eric could guess why the Viscount was in one of his moods. It was after visiting Anastasia Kalinska.

As soon as he went, he came back almost immediately, and on top of that he was in one of the foulest moods Eric had ever seen him in.

What in Blake’s name happened to the crazy young lady? On the first day after going there, the Viscount seethed quietly. On the second day, everything irritated him, and on the third day, he was like a ticking time bomb liable to blow up at any moment.

Eric paused in his thoughts… Don’t tell me, the Viscount had fallen for Anastasia Kalinska?

The Kalinski family was considered high ranking enough to serve as a suitable match for the Viscount, but things would be different if Lady Anastasia was as crazy as the rumours said. She was still sick from what information he was able to obtain, so what the hell happened? Besides, what was so attractive about her?

“What is so attractive about her?”

“Yes, yes?!” Eric almost fainted at the words that seemed to have dug out of his head. Had the Viscount suddenly mastered mind-reading? He really thought his heart was popping out.

Long live Viscount Rason. Long live and prosper! He quickly enumerated the merits of his master in his head. He did not dare to think that the Viscount was a prickly bastard. He also tried hard to think of his own poor circumstances and how a healthy infusion of funds could do wonders for his welfare…

“It is nothing.”

Finn murmured gloomily, obviously unaware of the nonsense percolating through Eric’s mind.

“I’m going crazy.”

“What?”

“For someone who is insane…”

Eric decided not to jump to conclusions because he had not yet obtained any definite information. But he was almost sure it was related to Anastasia.

So since they were already somewhat on the issue of Lady Anastasia, Eric decided that he would make a report that he didn’t deliver when the Viscount made a fuss with his tea during tea time, simply out of concern for his own skin. He judged the timing was now right, as the Viscount seemed to have mellowed just a tad since scalding his tongue with the tea.

“My lord.”

The Viscount looked at him indifferently.

“Latest report came in on Baron Kalinski’s daughter.”

“What? Why is her name on a report?”

When Eric saw him leaning towards him and showing such immediate concern, Eric felt his conjectures were almost right.

“Baron Kalinski is sending her back to Altoona.”

Finn frowned. He thought for a long time, before asking, “Why?”

Eric had been ready with a response. “Well, the rumours…..”

“I ordered you to block or downplay them.”

“You know it’s not that easy to stop. It’s already spread to some extent. Rumours were already spreading about the last time she jumped into the manor lake, what happened in the guest room, and what happened in her estate. All these led to a new rumour.”

“So, what exactly is this new rumour?”

Eric said carefully, “They’re saying Lady Kalinska is mentally ill.”

Finn gestured for Eric to continue.

“Inman is complicated. Too many intrigues going on. Baron Kalinski probably realised that and decided she would be better off away from here.”

“Right.” Yes, his boss agreed with him!

Finn looked quietly out the window for long moments, watching the raindrops falling from the sky.

“Eric.”

After a while, Finn talked again.

“Yes, sir.”

“Is Baron Haynes that attractive?”

“Yes?”

Finn had a serious expression on his face. Eric wondered what kind of bullshit his boss was on about this time.

“Is he more attractive than me?”

Could madness be contagious? Eric prayed hard that whatever afflicted Lady Kalinska would not infect his boss. He hesitated about what to say and came up with a deflective answer.

“There are many young lady with their eyes on Baron Haynes.”

“Then what about me?”

“The same goes for you.” Well, all these were common knowledge.

“Is Baron Haynes more popular than me?”

“Well, he hasn’t been betrothed yet. Every young lady dreams of becoming the future Countess.”

That said, Baron Haynes was still more popular than Viscount Rason. Baron Haynes had an impeccable PR service on his side to hide all his flaws, so it was easy for him to be popular with women.

“But my lord has spent years away from the Trivet, fighting for the Federated Commonwealth. It’s not exactly a fair comparison.”

Finn nodded, then asked, “Is the Countess such a coveted position?”

“Isn’t it the highest position a woman can have in the Trivet?”

Finn frowned. “Then, is Baron Haynes charming?”

At Finn’s words, Eric pretended to vomit. “I’m a citizen of the Trivet, but I can’t say anything nice about Baron Haynes. Even when I was a teenager, I’ve heard about his conduct and relationships with women, so a definite no there.” Renard Haynes might have very good PR staff, but the clues about his true shitty personality were all out there for anybody to just piece together, especially those in the aristocracy.

Then Eric’s face turned white. He feared Finn’s next question would be, “Am I charming?”

How in Blake’s Blood was he to answer this question? He didn’t feel like lying, that would have been too much for his conscience. Finn was a military man, blunt and direct. He focused his energies on staying sharp and the administration of his demesne, not on affairs with women.

In a way, that made him better than Baron Haynes, but it was not really a ringing endorsement of his ‘charms’! Eric agonised over how to end the conversation? Maybe it was a mistake to talk about Lady Kalinska? He knew a grievous mistake here could result with his neck on the chopping black, so he kept quiet and waited for Finn to make the next move.

Finn was muttering quietly to himself, but Eric feared to even listen to what he was saying. He did make out a few words and phrases here and there, as though the Viscount was grappling with something difficult to understand.

“Hey Eric.” The Viscount’s face looked entirely too serious. “What if a person gives you a hundred kroner when he is sick?”

His reply was firm and immediate. “I won’t take it.”

“That’s a hundred kroner, Eric. Taking it, no big deal right?”

Eric shook his head vehemently. “How could a sick person even make a proper and logical decision? Do you take stuff just because somebody wants to give it to you? You don’t even know where that money came from. If there is such a person, he should doubt his humanity. If somebody says it’s okay and takes it, then that person is trash. Trash!”

This time the explanation was so easy that Eric could answer without thinking too much. He might not be very educated, but it was what any decent person would think.

“Damn it…” Finn banged his head on his desk.

Eric thought that somehow the Viscount sounded very hurt. As if he were saying to himself ‘I’m trash’. But he was afraid to find out further, so he just kept his peace while his boss mentally flagellated himself.

-----------------------
Next chapter ends Act I.

[Cavgunner]

Really enjoying this.

[The Wobbly Guy]

This is the last chapter of Act I. We'll finally see some real mech action in Act II on Altoona!
--------------------
Kalinski Estate,
3rd March, 3061
2200 hrs (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Preparations for going to Altoona were quickly finished. Apparently, the Baron had been making plans for her since she first fell ill.

Originally, she was supposed to rest for a little longer at the recommendation of the doctor, but Anastasia said she would leave as soon as she could, saying she would leave quickly as she had decided. The maids and the Baron tried to dissuade her, but to no avail.

Anastasia had other ideas. Perhaps, away from the confusing presence of the Baron, the various nobles of the Trivet, and even Pence Lamongue, she could finally figure out why she was still alive.

On the day of her departure, Anastasia’s belongings were already packed away in several containers to be transported by trucks, while she would travel to the dropship port in the Kalinski hoverlimo. At the drop-port, she would transfer to a Mule dropship bound for a Merchant at the zenith jump-point, which also held the Trivet’s sole recharge station, an old Attica station constructed during the heyday of the Star League to support the colonisation of Altoona and Delacambre.

The Baron repeated the itinerary. “We’ve made all the arrangements. The Azure Afro will take you to the Yolander. You won’t even need to wait at the jump point, it should be recharged and will jump immediately to Altoona, then the Afro will bring you to Altoona and our family estates there.”

Meanwhile, Anastasia was busy calculating the transit times involved and how long the entire journey to Altoona will take, more to take her mind off immediate matters than any real interest in the subject. She also wondered if there would be any pirate bands around to intercept the commercial ships. As far as she knew, the Trivet had been both poor enough and far away enough from the Periphery to be spared pirate activity, but one could never be too sure. She made a mental note to find out if the Azure Afro had any integral fighter escorts.

“While you’re there, you can also see the gems and minerals being mined. If there’s anything you like, you can tell Matthew, the estate manager.”

Anastasia did not respond to that. She knew that what the Baron wanted was Anastasia’s ‘okay’ and a farewell smile.

But she didn’t want to give the Baron what he wanted. She wanted to get into the hoverlimo without saying goodbye. But somehow, she felt uncomfortable with the wrongness of it, regardless of what he had or had not done.

“Father.”

She was now able to say the word ‘father’ smoothly, without feeling awkward.

“I’m not well.”

The Baron looked sad.

Anastasia sighed quietly. “But once I am better, let me come back. I won’t cause you any more trouble then.”

This was her promise to herself as well. She promised to get well, find a way to centre herself. If, when, she returned to the capital, she would no longer be clumsy and weak.

“You’ll do that for me right? Father?”

At her words, the Baron was about to say more. She thought he would refuse her request, but he soon sighed and smiled.

He embraced Anastasia in a warm hug. He stroked Anastasia’s hair gently.

“Yes, I will.”

His eyes were red with tears.

“When you’re well, I’ll do it if that’s what you want.”

While she could feel her father’s affection, Anastasia also felt an unknown resentment and loneliness. That must be how the original Anastasia felt about the Baron.

“You’re my daughter. You’re all I have. Please take care of yourself.”

Anastasia gave him a brittle smile. She grabbed the hem of her skirt, bowed gracefully, and climbed into the hoverlimo.

Despite her previous refusal, her heart raced with excitement at the thought of going to a new world. I will take it easy, and focus on getting healthy. It would not take too long. And Pence would not be going anywhere.

The ride to the drop-port was smooth and comfortable. She fell asleep on the way, only to be woken up by Luisa when they were nearing the port.

She recalled a similar time when Finn was in the hoverlimo with her, waiting for her to wake up.

Come to think of it, what is going on with Finn? Rumours had spread that she was crazy. He must have heard the rumours and came to see me. Her eyes widened with a new epiphany. Maybe he did not believe the rumours in the first place!

But Anastasia’s father thought she was crazy, too… Anastasia shook her head. No, Finn must have wanted to check with his own eyes if I was really crazy.

Then she frowned and shook her head faster in denial about what she had done. To him? With him? She groaned inwardly. The kiss came to her mind again. She kept trying to get rid of those thoughts from her head. Luisa looked anxiously at her.

Anastasia barely registered the hoverlimo going through the drop-port security, but her eyes lighted up when she saw the massive bulk of the Mule class dropship in the distance, towering over the diminutive buildings of the drop-port.

Their driver opened up the partition separating the driver’s compartment from theirs, and said, “My lady, there’s apparently been a delay in the departure time, they’re waiting for some more cargo. You should alight and rest in the VIP lounge first.”

Delays were quite normal. Anastasia could not even recount the number of times she had experienced a delay of launch due to anxious techs or officers wanting to squeeze in just a few more items.

She nodded, “Let’s do it then.”

As drop-ports went, this was a small one, with only about four dropship berths. Anastasia noted three small shops selling souvenirs and food.

Thankfully, the lounge was close to where they alighted from the hoverlimo, and Anastasia was soon comfortably seated on a sofa in the VIP lounge, while Luisa bustled about the small counter, preparing tea for her.

Knock, knock.

Anastasia looked at Luisa, who was just pouring out the tea into a cup for her. The maid quickly put down the teacup and opened the VIP lounge door to peek out.

Luisa took one look and quickly turned to Anastasia, her eyes wide.

“It’s the Count’s second son, Sir Raymond Haynes!”

Anastasia nodded to Luisa, who opened the door fully to allow him to come in. Raymond had been courteous enough to stand outside the door, deferring to female nobility despite his rank, but that courtesy also needed to be reciprocated.

He was not alone.

Anastasia’s hair almost stood on edge when Pence Lamongue strutted in behind Raymond, wearing the uniform of the Haynes household guards. She stood and bowed automatically in greeting, but her mind raced, trying to get a grasp on the situation.

She glared at Raymond, who smiled back placidly. She did not buy his act for a moment, and knew he was testing her by putting Pence Lamongue right in front of her.

And Pence was still wearing that same oily smirk as when she met him for the first time on Huntress when the Jaguar’s Mists Binary were formed, so many years ago.

“Whew, my lady almost left without my seeing her.” Raymond started to ramble. “I was so worried about your health. At that time, you collapsed and was quickly taken to your estate. I wasn’t even able to ask about your condition.”

Anastasia swore profusely in her mind. It was obvious he was a schemer, and she hated schemers when she was Avryl. She knew he had knocked her out in the Haynes palatial manor, and it was a debt she intended to collect on one day.

Luisa bowed respectfully, mindful of her status, “My lord, this lowly servant wishes to know if there is anything I can help you with?”

“Oh, me? I came out because I just heard one of the dropship crew owned a rare limited edition hardcover book that I wanted to buy. A romance novel written by the author of “Play on a Mustang”! And as soon as I saw Lady Kalinska’s hoverlimo, I decided to kill two birds with one stone.”

Stravag. His stupid bookworm act was not convincing and only served to irritate her further. But that irritation was nothing to the building rage she felt on seeing Pence.

“Anyway, maybe that would be three birds? Because Sir Larouche here also needed to inspect the port facilities for the Count, so I dragged him along.”

Raymond’s expression, which had been relaxed, sharpened almost imperceptibly. He turned to Pence and introduced him.

“Sir Spencer Larouche.”

Her heart was pounding hard. Raymond did not seem to have any intention of letting go of the outburst of emotions that she exhibited when she saw Pence on the viewscreen. Raymond smiled innocently despite the harsh glare she directed at him.

Pence stepped forward and bowed politely, “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Lady Kalinska.”

He is using contractions fairly easily, she seethed inwardly. As soon as she met him, she thought she would swear and curse. But somehow, she remained silent, because she knew that once the first insult erupted from her mouth, a whole stream would follow.

And wouldn’t that be a spectacle and a convenient incident to really confirm her insanity? So she pressed her lips together to not utter a sound.

“Lady Kalinska, what’s wrong?”

She heard Raymond, but she still dared not utter a word. Just seeing Pence’s oily smirk disgusted her.

“You seem unwell, Lady Kalinska.”

Pence looked just a bit anxious, and his feet shuffled a bit. At that moment, Anastasia came to her senses.

When Pence was nervous or uncertain, he had a habit of shifting his feet, as though positioning himself better to either initiate or receive an attack.

And it was the same with him today. She recognised the fake smile on his face. He really did not care about her or the situation, but merely going through the formalities.

“I…”

Like a fool, her lips parted and a sound came out. Her fingertips trembled. Pence frowned slightly. It was the frown he used when looking at something he considered inferior.

“I, I mean….”

What should I say? I want to kill you? No, she could not. She had to say she was Avryl first, so he would know who his killer was.

But she was not able to, not with her own internal confusion over whether she was Anastasia or Avryl. How can she even call herself Avryl right now?

“Lady Kalinska?”

However, Anastasia was disgusted with his slimy face. Would he not die if she stabbed him in the neck now? Unfortunately, however, she had no weapon in her hand, and she doubted her body had the strength anyway.

“It looks like you are not feeling well. Here, take my hand. I’ll help you back to the sofa.”

Pence approached with a rather polite face and reached for Anastasia.

“Stop. I’ll do it.”

“…!”

It was a familiar voice. Anastasia lifted her head and saw Finn striding in, pushing himself between herself and Pence.

“I don’t think you’re feeling very well, so you should sit down while having a conversation.”

When Anastasia made eye contact with him, she saw his displeased face. Strangely enough, it invigorated her, and suddenly brought her mental clarity. She allowed Finn to guide her to the sofa, where she sat down gratefully.

“Viscount Rason, are you here to see your fiancée?” Pence asked Finn, his tone friendly and polite. His expression was in stark contrast to the sheer loathing on Finn’s face.

“Yes.” Finn’s reply was brusque and short.

“Viscount Rason.” Raymond greeted brightly. “Surprised to see you here.”

“Greetings, my lord.” Finn was polite to Raymond, but his tone carried a coolness that was impossible to miss. Raymond looked sad at Finn’s cold greeting, theatrically so.

Finn’s eyes burned with anger. “I didn’t know my fiancée would be meeting other men without my knowledge in a place like this.”

“I was worried about Lady Kalinska, so I came to see her off.”

“Is that so? I didn’t know my lord and Lady Kalinska were that close.” Finn pointed out through gritted teeth.

“She collapsed in front of me.” Raymond smiled impishly. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

Finn’s eyes were hot and angry, but he plastered on a polite smile nonetheless. “So what if I am jealous?”

“Eh!” Raymond started in surprise at Finn’s brazen words.

“My lord, I can be very jealous.” Finn’s eyes gleamed dangerously.

Of course, it wasn’t really that Finn was jealous of Raymond, and they both knew it. Rather, it was Finn’s warning to Raymond against doing anything unnecessary. Recognizing this, Raymond smiled nervously.

“Lady Kalinska.”

Anastasia looked at Finn, who was next to her, facing Pence. It was the complete opposite of what it was before, when it was her and Pence facing off against Finn on the battlefields of the Clan Occupation Zone.

“Are you feeling better? You don’t seem to have the energy to answer me.”

But she still did not answer. Although Finn’s voice was quite gentle, she remained silent.

Pence commented, “It’s a little surprising. I didn’t know that Viscount Rason has this side to him. He’s always treated women with indifference. I didn’t expect you to be this considerate.”

Finn’s face frowned when he noticed the sarcasm, knowing that Pence did it on purpose.

People always thought that Finn’s feud with ‘Spencer Larouche’ was one-sided, but the reality was a little different. Pence didn’t like Finn either, but not to the same extent as Finn’s hatred towards Pence.

Pence always tried to find small, irritating methods to rile up Finn. If the Count hadn’t enfeoffed him with a knighthood when he arrived, Finn would have tried to kill Pence himself.

“How I treat my fiancée isn’t for you to judge.”

“No, I think it’s a little bit special.”

“Special?” When Finn sneered at the question, Pence spoke to Anastasia instead of answering Finn’s words.

“Viscount Rason is a real gentleman. Don’t you think so, Lady Kalinska?”

Then all the eyes of the three men turned to Anastasia. Anastasia kept her eyes down and her mouth shut. She looked unstable at a glance.

Raymond watched her with interest. If Anastasia had another outburst here, only Finn’s reputation would be ruined.

It was the first time Spencer had ever attacked Finn so aggressively, so Raymond was very happy with the developing situation. He lived for drama, and the live drama he instigated was the best!

Spencer said sadly, “Oh, my lady is still not feeling well. It must be hard to talk, right? It’s such a shame. I wanted to talk to you, but with your physical condition… I don’t think it’s appropriate right now.”

At that moment, the corners of Anastasia’s closed lips slightly went up and opened. She could not take his veiled insults any more.

“I thank my lord for your consideration.”

Raymond’s eyes lit up. It was because Anastasia’s expression, which had seemed somewhat unstable, changed.

“I also thank you for giving such a positive evaluation of my fiancé.”

Anastasia placed her own hand over Finn’s hand. Finn’s hand flinched from that warm touch. His eyes lingered on Anastasia’s small white hand.

Spencer's eyes slightly widened when Anastasia, who finally started talking, said something surprisingly normal.

“My fiancé is not lacking in the way he treats me. Is it so surprising that the Viscount is such a perfect gentleman?”

Her voice was clear, and she was as gentle as a lady. Finn was also baffled by her unexpected demeanour. It was totally different from how she usually behaved. The current Anastasia carried herself like a typical highborn lady. Finn felt strange trying to reconcile her current bearing with her usual behaviour.

“His gentle behaviour was just a little surprising. It’s far different from how the Viscount used to behave in the past. Lady Kalinska must be really special to him.”

Anastasia twisted her lips in a wry smile, and said. “In the past? You sound as if you’ve known my fiancé for quite some time. Have you known each other for long?”

Anastasia had no intention of passing up the chance to needle Pence.

“No.” The answer came from beside Anastasia, not from Pence. She turned to see a displeased look on Finn.

“Not me either. I was a soldier in the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces. You wouldn’t know that, though. No, you won’t be interested in military matters at all.”

Wouldn’t know that. It seemed as if he was mocking her. There was a rumour going around that she was crazy, so it was expected that Pence would be aware of them.

Anastasia narrowed her eyes, and probed further. “It’s not that I don’t know. But I was just a little curious. You were a soldier of the Lyran forces? Then why have you betrayed your home country to serve in the Federated Commonwealth? Are you a traitor?”

She knew her barb struck home when Pence’s relaxed face hardened slightly at the words. Anastasia had alluded to his betrayal of the Smoke Jaguars, although she was not supposed to know anything about that.

“Although I now serve Count Haynes, I had no acquaintance with Viscount Rason previously. And the LAAF was once part of the Federated Commonwealth too, so there is no conflict of interest.”

At Pence’s answer, Anastasia laughed. “Sir, I hate being treated like a fool.”

Pence, I hate being treated like a fool. Anastasia deliberately put her habitual words into her mouth. Pence’s eyes widened slightly. At that, Anastasia felt a twisted exhilaration. You can take my statement any way you want, Pence, but no conflict of interest between the Lyrans and the Fedsuns? Who are you trying to fool?

“I don’t know how many people you’ve treated as fools and I don’t want to know, but I’m not a fool. I hope you don’t believe in rumours and just assume I’m one of them.” It took some effort, but she was gratified at her smooth use of contractions.

A silence fell between them at Anastasia’s harsh words. Raymond remained in his ‘interested shitstirrer’ mode, while Finn seemed lost in thought in their argument.

Pence stared at Anastasia as if searching for something, and Anastasia forced the corners of her lips to smile, while she was actually biting the tender flesh of her lips inside.

“It seems my goodwill was misunderstood. Lady Kalinska, I hope you don’t misunderstand.”

Anastasia frowned and turned her head at the words. Then, she looked at Raymond and said, “I’ll take my leave, my lord.”

Raymond looked disappointed, “I wanted to talk more, but it’s a pity. I hope to see you in the near future.”

“I will never forget the grace you have bestowed upon me.” Anastasia said with strength in her eyes without even smiling. Raymond could feel the chilly threat in her words, and shuddered just a bit.

“Let’s go.” Even though she was supposed to wait at the VIP lounge, she did not think she could bear another moment in Pence’s presence. Better to board the dropship first instead. She gestured to Luisa, who got the hint and started leading the way to the vehicle that would take her across the tarmac to the Mule.

As they walked off, Finn’s strong hand, which she had been holding loosely, moved to hold her hand more securely. She looked at him in surprise. The warmth emanating from his hand seemed to calm her treacherous fluttering emotions. Oddly enough, Finn didn’t do anything special, but Anastasia just felt that way.

Anastasia turned around and looked at Pence. She could feel Pence’s glare at her.

Anastasia thought about facing his face, but she decided against it. She turned around, and continued following Luisa. Finn walked along at her pace.

As they walked towards the vehicle, Anastasia asked, “Are you really here to see me off?”

Finn nodded. “I am your fiancé. You’re leaving for quite a journey, so I think I need to see you off. It’s only right.”

Anastasia shrugged. Maybe because prestige, appearances, and decorum were important to the aristocracy, she did not want to care too much about these. In fact, her nerves were still on edge with Pence behind her back.

When they reached the vehicle, a small sedan that would bring her and her maid to the dropship, Finn opened the door for her to get in. Luisa got in first, but Anastasia paused at the door, thinking.

“Thank you.”

She owed it to Finn today anyway. His presence somehow calmed her down and helped clarify her thoughts, enabling her to respond to Pence. By standing together in front of Pence, Anastasia realised her engagement to Finnickerhet Ian Rason had never felt more real.

It also solidified her identity as ‘Avryl’. Aff, she had lost everything that symbolised Avryl Showers, which was why she ended up doubting her own existence. But there was one thing she couldn’t doubt.

Her own hatred for the traitor Pence Lamongue. When she saw Pence, all the rage came rushing back to her, and it was all she could do not to find the nearest weapon and attack him with it. How could Avryl not exist when she possessed such strong emotions? She will take revenge on Pence. And in order to do that, first she had to become Anastasia.

Meanwhile, she noticed Finn’s frown as he asked, “Thank me for what?” Despite her words, Finn looked sour. It was as if he could not believe she was grateful.

“Everything.”

Finn paused and stared at her, obviously thinking hard with his puny brain. After a while, he seemed to have understood something in the end, and sighed.

“I know you’re not saying that just to be polite, but I’m sure my lady must have her own reasons.”

She stared at him, trying to figure out the weird expression on his face.

“I hope you’re able to clear your mind at Altoona.”

“…?”

“I don’t know when I’ll see you again, but please behave yourself. I’ll do my duty as your fiancé too.”

Somehow, Anastasia felt indignant at his words. “What do you mean by ‘behave yourself’?”

Finn replied, “I meant not to act recklessly like ‘that time’.”

Anastasia got into the vehicle. They exchanged glances one last time, then the door closed and the car moved off.

Anastasia blushed as she realised Finn referred to the ‘kiss’ they had, when she had tried to seduce him. And I forgot to apologise to him for that too!

“My lady, it seems the dropship is ready!” Luisa sounded excited for their trip. Of course, since she had never gone into space before. For Avryl, who had travelled the length of the Exodus Road, and fought all over the border against the Draconis Combine, interstellar travel was no big deal.

Luisa looked at her, noticed her blush. “My lady, are you all right?

Anastasia waved off her concern. “I am all right, it’s nothing.”

“By the way, ‘that time’... what happened with the Viscount?”

“Huh?”

“I’m sorry, I was waiting in the car and I just heard the voice of the Viscount.”

Flustered, Anastasia quickly replied, “Oh, don’t worry about it. He’s just showing his concern!”

At that time, Finn’s angry face came to mind. Fortunately, he seemed calm and reasonable just now, but that didn’t mean he wasn’t ashamed of her behaviour. Which was probably why he said what he said.

Anastasia felt ashamed all over again. Ah! Why did I try to seduce him?

She slammed her head into the car window, maybe that would knock some sense into herself.

At Anastasia's inexplicable actions, Luisa began to worry about her mistress again. Miss, please don’t be crazy, Luisa prayed fervently.

Twenty minutes later, Anastasia was securely strapped into a reclining launch seat while an excited Luisa happily babbled about the latest gossip in their estate and what she had found out about Altoona.

A small screen in front of her showed the view outside, and she could see the smoke already billowing from below the Mule, preparing for takeoff.

Moments later, the rumbling of the engines intensified, and she could feel the G forces pulling her back down as the Azure Afro lifted off.

Anastasia sighed. Next stop, Altoona.

 

After the Mule dropship lifted off safely, Finn drove his own car back to his estate.

He thought about Spencer Larouche. That bastard was usually smiling and composed, but somehow Anastasia had managed to pierce through part of his facade and elicited some anger. His fiancee certainly had a strange knack for messing with people he disliked. First Renard Haynes, now Spencer Larouche. He still felt a mess of complications about Anastasia Kalinska, but Spencer Larouche’s frown already made his day.

He had rushed to the drop-port just in case when he learned that Raymond had left the palatial manor, but thankfully the whole event had turned out well. Nothing critical happened, and Anastasia also looked fine, although her condition was a little strange.

In fact… she was too fine. Finn grimaced. I should have apologised at least…

She was sick because she could not handle the aftermath of losing Renard Haynes. Then he kissed her while she was still in a state of mental disarray. Anyway, Finn knew that she had kissed him to try to fill the hole in her heart after being dumped. He had kissed her with the intention of teasing her, but it turned out to be unexpectedly passionate.

Gah, he should be honest with himself. When Anastasia tried to seduce him, he had fallen for her charms hook, line, and sinker.

Only trash would accept a hundred kroner from a sick person, as Eric said, and Finn had to agree. She wasn’t well, he shouldn’t have taken advantage. He was angry for himself for even entertaining the thought of teasing her when she was already sick. What kind of man does that?

“I must be crazy.” He murmured to himself. Strangely, however, her glittering eyes during the Feast of Bounty banquet and their dance came to mind more than the clumsy smile of temptation when she tried to seduce him.

He couldn’t even remember what kind of clothes Anastasia wore. Because her eyes, those beautiful eyes, were just so memorable. Like… Like the eyes of Avryl Showers, the dead Smoke Jaguar mechwarrior. Their colours were different, but the life and energy they held within them seemed exactly the same.

“No way.” How could he compare his spoiled, delicate fiancée to one of the best mechwarriors he had known? He shook his head nervously.

Perhaps his battles with Avryl had so firmly entrenched her in his thoughts, that his mind often compared the women around him to her. And since Avryl was already dead, she’ll probably remain special to him forever.

Finn thought of Anastasia again. In any case, his fiancée, whose strange behaviour reminded him of Avryl, was safely on her way to Altoona, and he was kind of relieved.

He just wanted to live quietly in his own estate, minding his own business, without having any more weird incidents happening, or get caught up in Raymond’s intrigues he had no interest in.

His car sped down the dirt highway.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Haynes Palatial Manor,
5th March, 3061
0800 hrs (1600 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

The sound of footsteps stepping on the shiny marble echoed coolly in the hallway.

The man’s steps were slow. He cleared his throat and looked around anxiously. Before reaching his destination, he sighed inaudibly. He didn’t want to accept the invitation, but he felt he had no choice.

From the narrow gap in the large door, golden light and a loud voice leaked out.

When he opened the door and went inside, he saw a young man sitting on a red chair in the middle.

At a glance, the young man sat with his legs crossed in a relaxed posture, and seemed overflowing with his characteristic arrogance. He wore a twisted smile that didn’t bode well for people who crossed him.

The young man’s gaze turned to the man that just entered. His face brightened.

“Come here, uncle!”

“Greetings to Baron Haynes.” They were supposedly the same rank in the aristocracy, but as the presumed heir to the Count, Renard actually ranked higher, and he had to show subservience.

Renard shook his head. “No need for such formalities, uncle.”

He shook his hand affectionately and pointed to a chair right next to the seat where he was sitting.

“Come here.”

He guided him to the seat beside himself. Usually, Viscount Drake sat next to Renard, but today for some reason, the seating arrangement was different. When he looked at Viscount Drake, the other noble he nodded as if he allowed it.

“Sit down.”

Baron Kalinski sat down. Looking around, he saw the Haynes household guards standing around them.

“Are you busy with your mining on Altoona?”

“It’s just mining. What’s so busy about it?” He laughed weakly.

Renard smiled at the Baron’s words. The Baron’s landhold on Altoona relied on mining to maintain its economy, and also held some strategic importance for the Trivet and the realm at large since it produced germanium, the key element for constructing Kearny-Fuchida faster-than-light jump drives. This mining activity brought significant wealth to House Kalinski.

But that wasn’t all. “I’m always reassured that my uncle is helping me financially.”

“Family should help each other, my lord. Although my contributions are small, it should definitely help.”

Renard lounged in his seat and rested his chin on one arm. “Uncle, did Ana go back to Altoona?”

“Yes.”

“That’s too bad. I thought about meeting her at the drop-port to see how she is doing.”

“…”

“I think you did the right thing. There’s no point in staying on Inman if there’re rumours that she’s crazy. She’ll only be a laughing stock.” He looked down at the Baron. The other nobles sitting in the room burst into small laughter as if sympathising with Baron Kalinski. Nevertheless, the Baron’s expression remained unchanged.

“Poor thing, it must have been very hard for her. Well, it’s not too much. But I’m not going to forget.”

Renard chuckled. Then a woman’s scream was heard. Some of the Haynes household guards dragged in a woman in a maid’s uniform. She was shaking with fear. Baron Kalinski looked puzzled.

“Oh, I’m sorry. The maid broke a bowl in front of me when she said she would bring us tea. She needs to be punished.”

The maid was a beautiful woman with black hair like night. Baron Kalinski’s face hardened when he saw it. No wonder it was uncomfortable. It’s like… No, that must be an illusion. Baron Kalinski shook his head.

“Please watch too, Uncle! A little bit of entertainment for my guests.”

Renard giggled, raised his hand and lowered it, a clear signal for something.

“Sa… please save me! Save me!”

The maid clasped her hands together and begged for mercy. However, Renard’s expression did not change. He liked to abuse people below him, especially women. And somehow, today must have been a bad day for him. Baron Kalinski tried to keep his face expressionless and looked around at the people around him.

Viscount Drake looked blankly at the maid, Baron Hoppe looked terrified, and Baron Jules was smiling funny and openly, expressing sadistic excitement.

Soon after, a guard raised his whip with an expressionless face and swung the whip down hard. The whip cut through the air and hit her slender body.

“Argh! Save me, save me!” The maid cried. The strong whip struck mercilessly. The first blow alone had torn her clothes.

Again and again, the woman was whipped. It wasn’t long before blood began to splatter across the floor.

“Harder!” Renard’s face was grotesque, distorted by sadism.

“Uncle, do you see it? Look at that pathetic thing! She will sound like a beast soon!”

Renard’s eyes gleamed with excitement as he looked at the maid. The sound of the whip echoed loudly through the room, and the maid was in too much pain to even utter a sound.

After a while, only the moaning of a woman in abject agony could be heard in the reception room of the palatial manor.

Renard turned his head and looked at Baron Kalinski, right next to him. Baron Kalinski dared not show any reaction. Renard’s snake-like eyes flashed with joy, as if to observe his reaction.

Baron Kalinski tried to hide his worried expression and just watched the black-haired maid being beaten. Then he realised that Spencer Larouche was not here. He was usually a person who showed up at these meetings, being at Renard’s beck-and-call.

His eyes moved to the maid, who was still being whipped. As Renard had predicted, the maid was no longer just screaming, but howling like an animal.

“Next time, I’ll show you something even more fun. Aren’t you excited?”

Baron Kalinski suppressed a shudder.
-------------------------
Specs for the Attica can be found here.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Dropship Azure Afro,
Zenith Jump Point, Inman
7th March, 3061
0500 hrs

Anastasia peered out of a viewpoint, as the crew of the jumpship prepared for jump. The Yolander was a Merchant class jumpship with two attached Mules, and was the sole jumpship servicing the Trivet worlds, other than the occasional jumpship bringing in tourists or other irregular visitors to the Trivet.

She could just see the bulk of the Attica recharge station nearby, its exterior worn and dilapidated after centuries of operation. Nevertheless, it was still operational and was a key installation in the Trivet, enabling ships to recharge faster and jump out again instead of spending more than eight days at the jump point recharging through the sail.

The umbilical tube containing the recharging cable joining the Attica to the Yolander had already been detached from the jumpship. Anastasia had seen the Attica slowly retracting the tube shortly after the Azure Afro had docked with the Yolander. It was apparent the jumpship crew did not want to take any chances by charging their drive too quickly even with the direct energy feed.

The Yolander was an old jumpship, constructed during the early days of the Star League and just like the Attica space station, had seen far better days. There was no sense in risking the old and venerable jumpdrive when there was no real urgency travelling in the somewhat lackadaisical Outback.

With the dropships docked and the undocking complete, the jumpship was ready for jump.

The ship PA system chimed a soft pulsing tone, startling an anxious Luisa, also strapped within her own seat. Jump operations were already underway, and they were only fifteen minutes from jump.

Realising something important, Anastasia asked, “Luisa, do you have any idea if I have TDS?”

The maid looked puzzled, “What’s that?”

Anastasia patiently explained, “Transit Disorientation Syndrome. In short, do I get very sick after a jump?”

“The lord didn’t say anything about that. He said you were fine when you travelled with him from Altoona to Inman years ago.”

Anastasia nodded. That should be good enough. Generally, the Clans regarded most cases of TDS with severe symptoms as psychosomatic, and had otherwise largely bred it out of their warrior caste, and so the warriors of the clans rarely had to deal with the issue. But she wasn’t in her original trueborn body, and who knows how the jump would affect Anastasia’s weak body?

“Luisa, how about yourself?”

The maid suddenly looked nervous, “I… I don’t know!”

Realising her mistake, Anastasia quickly reassured her, “Oh, it’s not common, so don’t worry about it. I’m sure we can find some dralaxine if you need it.” Stravag, TDS can be psychosomatic. Maybe I shouldn’t have said anything.

A second tone chimed throughout the ship. Five minutes to jump.

Anastasia took a small sip from the water bulb next to her, careful not to drink too much in case she suffered from a bout of post-jump nausea and vomited all over the place.

She took the time to punch up on the small viewscreen data on Altoona, itself an oddity amongst the many star systems inhabited by humanity.

Instead of being the usual planet, Altoona was actually a moon orbiting the sole planet in the system, a massive red gas giant named Red Eagle. Red Eagle itself orbited a comparatively tiny M7V class red dwarf star, which barely provided sufficient sunlight for Altoona’s agricultural sector.

Despite extensive efforts by the Star League’s Department of Mega-Engineering, the terraforming efforts on Altoona were not complete, cut short by the civil war that ended the Star League. Hence, its atmosphere was still a bit thin, and the oxygen partial pressure was low enough that pregnant women and livestock had to rest in special oxygen-enriched venues in order to carry their children to term successfully.

Problems with the local conditions were exacerbated by the fact that Altoona was tidally locked with Red Eagle, which meant that Altoona’s day-night cycle essentially depended on its orbital period around Red Eagle, which was slightly more than twelve standard days. Red Eagle rotated around its primary with an axial tilt of ythirty-five degrees, while Altoona’s orbital had a minus-fifteen degree inclination to Red Eagle’s equator. Combined with the distance between Altoona and Red Eagle, these led to some variation in Altoona’s distance from the primary, which in turn had an effect on the surface temperature. Altoona itself had an axial tilt to its own orbital of ten degrees, which meant that parts of it would always be facing the star.

Due to the tidal lock and axial tilt, parts of Altoona either had prolonged sunlight or prolonged night, and other areas might only receive sunlight reflected off Red Eagle, creating a state the locals called ‘Half-light’. The local agriculture sector obviously positioned their farms to take advantage of the prolonged sunlight to encourage crop growth, but had to provide some shading and extensive irrigation to prevent excessive moisture loss.

Altoona was a relatively cool and dry world, with the highest local temperature being only twenty degrees centigrade despite the constant exposure to the sun, while the parts facing Red Eagle, called ‘Redwards’ by the locals, could go below a negative hundred degrees centigrade when not facing the sun.

As inhabited worlds went, Altoona was one of the most unusual ones she had ever seen.

Despite all the problems with the world, humanity persisted, for no better reason than to extract that most precious of commodities, germanium. Altoona was quite rich with that critical element, and exported significant quantities of it, required to construct the KF drives that enabled faster-than-light travel.

The landhold belonging to House Kalinski produced the lion’s share of germanium, about fifty tons per year. Anastasia could not really make sense out of the estimated numbers, but she knew enough to know that the income via exporting those fifty tons of germanium alone was a huge sum of money.

In fact, if she read between the lines correctly, the germanium was the major source of the Trivet’s strategic importance to the Federated Commonwealth. Inman and Delacambre were only important because Inman exported its agricultural surplus to support Altoona’s population, while Delacambre provided defence, mining equipment, and energy. Much of the money Altoona earned by exporting germanium went back to the other Trivet worlds.

The third warning chime sounded, indicating they were one minute away from jump. Anastasia closed her viewscreen, sat back, and sighed. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see a nervous Luisa wringing her hands anxiously.

Anastasia closed her eyes and focused on her breathing as she was taught years ago in the sibko, maintaining an even breath.

They jumped.

Instead of fighting it, she let the twisting sensation flow through and over her, her mind blank and formless. Before she knew it, they had snapped back into reality, floating around a new star. She barely felt any dizziness or nausea, and the slight sensation quickly passed.

Luisa, though…

The maid vomited violently into a barf bag she barely had time to grab hold of. Tiny globules of vomit floated in the air, escaped from the barf bag.

Anastasia quickly pressed a button on her seat to call for dralaxine, while her other hand took out a small handheld vacuum pump designed to clean up such liquids floating in microgravity. Poor Luisa, she thought.

 
Haynes Palatial Manor,
8th March, 3061
1400 hrs (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

It was about five standard days after Anastasia left. Finn was at the palatial manor for a meeting when he came across something unusual.

“Argh! Help me! Help me!”

“…?” He stopped at the sound of a woman whimpering and turned to see two Haynes household guards dragging her along the ground. Her back was bloody with welts and lashes.

He turned to Eric, and asked quietly, “What’s going on?”

“I heard that Baron Haynes is abusing the maids these days. He’s using the wing of the manor allocated to the household guards to keep it away from the Count.”

“I thought he was more careful these days, but I guess he hasn’t changed,” Finn said with disgust.

Eric nodded in agreement.

“But sir, they said he would only select maids with long black hair and single them out for abuse.”

“What?” Finn stopped walking, and turned to stare at Eric.

Eric cleared his throat nervously, “All the maids at the palatial manor with long black hair are either cutting their hair or dyeing them a different colour. They’re scared sir.”

“Those bastards are ruining the militia’s reputation.” While the Haynes household guards wore different uniforms from the Trivet militia and had a separate command structure, in practice they worked closely together. The public also tended to view them all as parts of an integral whole, so Finn could not afford to turn a blind eye if they were doing something wrong. “I shouldn’t be surprised, with Spencer as their commander. That’s the kind of ****** he is.”

Finn frowned, “Come to think of it, where’s Captain Larouche?”

“He’s on leave, I heard”

“Why?”

“Personal stuff I think.”

“Where?”

“He’s not on Inman. There was a jumpship that passed by yesterday. Maybe he got on it?”

“What’s he doing off Inman?” murmured Finn. Then Finn looked back. The guards were still dragging the poor maid slowly down the long hallway.

It was obvious why Renard was doing this. He was taking out his anger on the maids, anger from being wholly ignored by Anastasia. Now that she was on Altoona, she was effectively out of his reach and beyond his machinations.

Out of Renard’s reach? Finn had a bad feeling about it, but he put that aside for the moment. He started walking towards the central part of the manor, where the Count’s office was located.

Eric blinked, “Sir, where are you going?”

“I’m going to get some things settled right now.”

He quickened his steps to the Count’s office. There’s not much he could do for that poor maid right now, but if he acted fast enough, no other maids would need to suffer the same torture.

Shortly after Finn’s meeting with the Count, Count Haynes ordered Renard to be confined to his wing of the palatial manor.

 
Fort Lambourne, Altoona
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
12th March, 3061
0900 hrs

“Is she still sleeping?”

“Yes, she is.” Matthew, the estate manager, said, while looking at Luisa. He shrugged and sighed.

Anastasia kept dozing off for nearly the entire inbound trip on the Azure Afro, and virtually collapsed as soon as she arrived at Fort Lambourne, the ancestral fort that served as the de facto administrative centre of the demesne owned by House Kalinski.

Regardless, Matthew was content. For almost ten years, he had maintained the fort while waiting for the Kalinskis to come back. Finally, Lady Anastasia Kalinska, the heir to House Kalinski, had returned.

Luisa said in relief, “Finally, she’s able to sleep comfortably now.”

“Hasn’t that always been the case? When I saw her, she seemed to sleep well.”

Luisa, recovered from her short bout of TDS, shook her head and said. “My lady hasn’t been able to sleep properly since the accident.” The maid noticed her mistress always wore a frown even when sleeping, as though she didn’t want to sleep.

“But it’s good that my lady can sleep deeply this time.” Although she still had a slight fever, Anastasia was sleeping with a relaxed expression. “And she seemed to be in a good mood throughout the journey! So since she’s sleeping well, let’s not disturb her rest.”

“Yes, agreed.” He paused. “I hope the lady will like this estate.”

“My lady will like it,” claimed Luisa confidently.

Matthew wondered at Luisa’s conviction. The Lady Kalinska he had known hated this place.

“I heard she lost her memory, but her personality must have changed a lot too.”

Well, since her maids seemed so calm, he guessed there shouldn’t be any major problems.

[The Wobbly Guy]

1600 hrs

“Ohhhh, that was a really good rest!” Anastasia stretched her back, then grabbed her waist with a moan, because she had stretched her body so strenuously that she actually heard a creak from her waist.

She still couldn’t believe she managed to take down that Harvester in such a fragile body.

The journey from the drop port took two more days through rocky terrain in a jeep, and Anastasia found it intensely frustrating that her health just seemed to deteriorate. It seemed her illness took a lot out of her, and all the small gains she had made regarding her health had been negated.

During the long ride, she resolved to build up her fitness again, and if possible, convince somebody to let her drive a vehicle on her own. A motorcycle would be nice, though she could already imagine the looks of horror on the servants. Due to the bare infrastructure and lower technological base on Altoona, wheeled vehicles were the norm as they could navigate the terrain better than hover vehicles and were easier to upkeep.

When she arrived at Fort Lambourne, she had no energy to even consider what it looked like, she just plopped into her bed right away.

If any of the Smoke Jaguars knew this, they would surely laugh at me. It was not a forced march over difficult terrain requiring days of intense mech manoeuvring, it was only a ride in a jeep and she almost collapsed.

Anastasia sighed. I think I slept for almost three days. It seemed that when she finally reconciled her past identity with her present, it also led to a better understanding and acceptance of her own body, enabling her to rest fully. Anastasia also had a feeling that when she resumed her training, progress might be faster than before.

She looked around the room. Unlike the lavish mansion on Inman, her current accommodations were simpler and less ornate. She found it a welcome change from the Inman mansion, with ornaments which glittered so brightly her eyes sometimes hurt.

Well, the servants at Fort Lambourne claimed their preparations were all made in haste due to the suddenness of  her arrival, but she was actually relieved to be in conditions closer to what she was used to.

Anastasia rose from her bed, feeling refreshed and somewhat excited to be out and about in a new environment. When she opened the door, the maids outside were startled and started scurrying about in a frenzy.

“Ah, my lady!”

“My lady!”

“You should have called us to change your clothes!” Luisa suddenly appeared by her side, bright and eager as usual. Thankfully, her short bout of TDS did not last long, and she had mostly recovered when the Azure Afro reached Altoona.

At her maid’s words, Anastasia pointed out, “Why? This is not Inman.”

“Even if it’s not Inman! The lady is equivalent to a princess here! You have to be presentable!”

The maids immediately dragged her back into her room to wash her up first. Unlike Avryl, who never paid much attention to her eye gunk and simply used her fingers to wipe them off, the people here could not stand even a single grain of dust falling on her long eyelashes, let alone gunk in her eyes.

Luisa, as her personal maid, took charge. “My lady, you need to change your clothes!”

“I’ll guide you, my lady!” One of the fort’s maids ran quickly and pulled her to the main dressing room, which was not the one in her room.

Anastasia frowned. The servants here behaved very differently from the ones on Inman. They had no fear of her and did not hesitate to express their own opinions if they felt it necessary.

She was not aware that although rumours of her capriciousness had reached Altoona, they had no first hand experience of her anger and hence wrote it off as simply unfounded gossip. Furthermore, the first impression she had given was that of a very languid cat that simply wanted rest desperately. Even after she woke up, she still seemed quite meek and reasonable.

Finally, her sheer beauty put them at ease. The maids had even started to brag that there was simply no comparison between their lady and those known to be pretty on Altoona. No contest!

All in all, they had no reason to be afraid of her.

When they arrived at the main dressing room, Anastasia suppressed a sigh. As she expected, it was filled almost to the top with dresses. In fact, if her eyes did not fool her, it seemed to be a former ammunition storage room converted to storing dresses, and it was simply too large a space to be dedicated for just dresses.

She wondered where the Baron got so much money? The Inman mansion, the dresses here. The opulence of the whole thing was just too much for her clan-bred sensibilities.

“Well,” Anastasia crossed her arms. “I don’t want to wear any of these.”

Luisa nodded vigorously. “The dresses here are all out of fashion. We’d just adjust them to suit the new fashions! The Archon-Princess has great taste, we can emulate her style!”

Anastasia raised an eyebrow. “No, I mean, I don’t want to dress up at all here. Don’t make me sound weird.”

Luisa’s bright mood turned glum as she digested the implications of her lady’s words. She had lost the chance to dress and doll up her mistress. And she was so looking forward to it too!

Anastasia slowly walked around the dressing room, and looked at each dress. All of them were eye-catching dresses that could only be worn to expensive events. Still, it seemed she would have to choose one and wear it, since she could not ignore the sincerity of her servants, and their disappointed looks made her feel guilty.

Then Anastasia’s eyes fell on the dresses gathered in a corner of the room. They were clearly different from the other dresses. These dresses were mostly of a single colour, and they lacked fancy decorations.

“These dresses.”

“What?”

“What about these?”

“Ah, my lady! These are very old. They all belonged to the late Madame.”

Oh, the maid referred to Anastasia’s mother as ‘Madame’. But it was strange. Unlike the colourful dresses prepared for Anastasia, the dresses in front of her were so simple that they looked shabby in comparison.

“These dresses are different.”

“What?”

“I meant they looked simple.”

She raised her hand and touched the dress. Even though it was an old dress, it was well taken care of, and the fabric was smooth, did not wrinkle, and felt comfortable. It seemed too frugal for the late baroness, but if it was good enough for her 'mother', then it was good enough for her.

“I’ll wear one of these.”

“What? But, my lady…”

All the maids looked sad. But Anastasia had her own reasons. It wasn’t that she purposely wanted to be thrifty and frugal, she just wanted to wear comfortable clothes that did not glitter so brightly they hurt her eyes, or required her to tighten her waist.

“This one.” Anastasia gave the maids a pointed look, and chose a dark green dress among her mother’s dresses.

After putting on the dress with the requisite grooming, the maids praised her beauty, and said that wearing a simple dress made her look more beautiful. Anastasia brushed off the compliments, since they smacked of ostentatious flattery.

Luisa then led her to an old man with greying hair. “My lady, this is Matthew.”

“Sir Matthew?”

“Just Matthew is fine, Lady Kalinska.” He bowed respectfully. Anastasia hesitated about how to treat this man, since she could not even remember anyway, but decided to speak frankly.

“I don’t remember much, but it’s nice to see you.” When in doubt, be bold.

Matthew nodded. “The Baron, your lord father, appointed me as the steward, so I’m in charge of the overall management of the demesne.”

She understood, having learned that much from Madame Iris.

“I tried to match the clothes and your room to your aesthetic requirements, but I feel it is still far inferior compared to Inman, so please forgive me.”

“…” Anastasia did not reply immediately, but decided to wait and try to understand what he was saying, because it just did not make sense to her.

Then, the steward said with a more desperate look as if he mistook her silence for anger. “I know you hate coming here. Nevertheless, I’m sorry for our shabbiness.”

Did Anastasia hate it? The original Anastasia had never come down here at any point from what she remembered. She thought that even though she could not know the original Anastasia’s mind, she could make a fair guess that the loss of her mother and the attempted suicide of her father made her hate the place.

She decided to reply. “There is nothing to forgive. I have no aesthetic sense, and I don’t know the difference between what’s fashionable and what’s not. You can tell just by looking at this dress, right?” She gestured to the dress she was wearing.

Matthew’s eyes grew wide. “Oh, my lady. I thought the dress you’re wearing looked familiar.”

“Yes, I heard it belonged to my mother. I borrowed it.”

“Oh I see.”

Anastasia looked uncomfortable when she noticed Matthew’s teary expression. The next thing they’re going to say is…

“Oh, you look just like your mother.”

Ugh, she knew they would say that. Anastasia felt a bit guilty, since she was actually Avryl, and it felt like she was purposely using the memory of Anastasia’s mother to deceive them. Anastasia scratched her chin awkwardly.

“Now, is there anything I need to do here?”

“Oh, no, my lady. You can just do what you want.”

“Okay. I would like to have a meal first. Then maybe a tour of this place?”

“This way please.” Matthew smiled and led the way.

 

Fort Lambourne was just another old fort, built during the era of the Star League.

“What do you think of this place?” asked Matthew. After her dinner, Anastasia toured the fort.

Despite the standard time of 1900 hrs, it was still daylight, since Altoona did not adhere to Terran norms, with each cycle being more than seventeen days long, and the position of the demesne was such that they won’t ever be in complete darkness due to the axial tilt of both Altoona and Red Eagle. But the daylight was rather dim, as the system primary was a tiny red dwarf, and the sky a shade of red the locals called cherry.

“It is a really old fort.”

“Oh, I’m sorry for not being able to show you something more luxurious.” The stewart seemed anxious.

“Oh, don’t worry! I’m not blaming you for this place being old, since you can’t do anything about it. Furthermore, it’s neither a good or a bad thing.”

The fort was old, but relatively well-maintained. It lacked the same level of amenities as the mansion on Inman, which spoke to Anastasia volumes about its original purpose as a garrison fort for the Star League Defence Force.

Matthew explained, “During the time of the Star League, this was an important fort housing the garrison for the worlds around Altoona.”

Anastasia thought she knew better than him about how the Star League Defense Forces worked, but she decided not to say too much, “Yes, it looks like it.”

“…”

“When we were approaching by jeep, I saw the size of the fort. Building it can’t be cheap.”

“Yes, Altoona was an important garrison world for the Star League Defence Force. The unit posted here, the 225th Mechanised Infantry Division, was responsible for defending all the worlds within one jump of Altoona.”

Her ears perked up. “It was a division?”

“Yes. Apparently a division is huge, so they needed a lot of housing. This fort was supposed to accommodate a battalion, whatever that is.”

“Single branch or combined arms?” She asked almost automatically.

Matthew looked puzzled, “My lady, I don’t understand your question.”

“Oh,” Anastasia realised her mistake. “Uhm, never mind. It’s not a big deal.” Nice going, Avryl. You almost gave yourself away again!

“My lady, you seem familiar with this.” Matthew commented.

Yes, I am, thought Anastasia. But the familiarity was from Avryl, not the original Anastasia, who would not know anything about forts and the SLDF.

Looking at Matthew’s expression, Anastasia coughed once, then said, “I read about this in a book on the trip here. The journey was so boring that I even ended up reading books I usually found boring!”

Her explanation seemed to convince Matthew. She looked around the fort again, and gave a mental sigh of relief at her impromptu cover story.

The ferrocrete walls looked dull because of age, but still looked solid after centuries. Anastasia was able to appreciate the construction and sturdiness of the fort, as well as the intent behind it. “Sir Matthew, don’t misunderstand me. I don’t hate it.”

“What?”

“I mean, I like it. It’s nice. Historic, you could say.”

Matsy looked confused and said, “Didn’t you hate this fort because it was old? That’s why you asked the Baron to go to Inman, and then you never came back.”

“How can a person always remain the same?” Anastasia said, waving her hand dismissively.

She looked around the fort again, noting its condition. “No matter how I look, this place doesn’t look wealthy. Why is the mansion on Inman so glamorous?”

At Anastasia’s words, Matthew smiled wanly. “Because the Baron was willing to spend that money to make you happy.”

“Oh.” Anastasia tilted her head, thinking of that splendid mansion. Wouldn’t it be better to renovate this fort with that money? Just because they are nobles with a decent demesne does not mean they had enough money to fix up both the fort and the Inman mansion.

In her view, Baron Kalinski seemed like the kind of person who felt proud of spending all his money on his daughter.

“Come to think of it, where does my father stay while in the fort?”

“When he is here, the lord stays in the study or in the south annex master bedroom.”

“South annex master bedroom? Where is it? I don’t think I’ve ever been there? Right?”

“Well… That is the room with a photo portrait of the madame…” Matthew’s words faded off.

“Why is it strange that there is a photo portrait of my mother?” Anastasia raised her eyebrows. What does Anastasia’s mother have to do with this? “My father did not say anything to me about that.”

Matthew spoke cautiously, “Maybe because seeing her photo would hurt you?”

“…Hurt?”

As Anastasia tilted her head, Matthew shook his head. “Because you lost your mother.”

Anastasia felt a bit uncomfortable. What would it have been like if she was the real Anastasia? She didn’t feel anything about losing her mother because she wasn’t the real Anastasia. Instead, she gave the best answer she could.

“I was told I lost my memory, so I don’t really remember anything about my mother.”

Come to think of it, she didn't have any of the original Anastasia’s memories of her mother, which seemed strange. It was as though the original Anastasia did not want to recall those memories at all.

“Whatever the past is, I won’t be so easily affect by it, so don’t worry.”

Matthew nodded at Anastasia’s calm words. Still, he looked worried. She understood he was worried because she returned to Altoona to recover from her mental health issues, and her mother's portrait might trigger another breakdown.

She felt uncomfortable, but she didn’t feel offended due to his genuine sincerity and concern.

The original Anastasia truly received a lot of love from those around her. She thought it was just too bad  that she was not satisfied with it.

When the door of the south annex bedroom opened, Anastasia walked in carefully.

“My lady, please wear this…..”

Matthew covered her shoulders with a small cloak. She looked up. There was a swathe of blue cloth covering one side of the wall.

Matthew walked up next to it and pulled a string to bring up the cloth, revealing the portrait obscured by the cloth.

The photo portrait took her breath away. The frame was delicately crafted with platinum, with sapphires, large and small, glittering in this dark room.

However, it was the woman in the photo portrait, not the frame, who was breathtaking.

She was as beautiful as the moon. The fine black hair was down to the waist, and the red cheeks were pretty like peaches. Her eyes were dark blue, like sapphire, embedded in a frame.

She was wearing a dress the colour of her eyes, looking straight ahead and smiling playfully. Anastasia could easily see the striking resemblance between herself and the woman in the portrait.

“She is beautiful.”

It was an honest observation. What did Anastasia feel? She reached out with a hand to gently brush away some dust off the portrait, feeling a bit awkward.

“How did my mother die?”

Matthew said, “Really, you don’t remember at all?”

“Yes.”

She had no memory of Anastasia’s mother. Besides, if her mother had held a special place in Anastasia’s heart, shouldn’t it have come to mind? She suddenly felt sorry for Anastasia’s loss.

“She died of leukaemia. The onset was very sudden. The doctors said it was probably due to a huge dose of radiation she took when escaping Rasalhague during the Ronin Wars.”

“Oh? My mother was a commoner?"

"Yes, she was a refugee from Rasalhague, but she was also a trader and had money. Your father fell in love with her. They had you, but then…" his voice trailed off again.

Even in the thirty-first century, mankind was not free from the scourge of cancer. Sure, treatments had advanced significantly, but there was still no 'silver bullet' that could eradicate cancer.

Avryl remembered her time in the 144th Garrison Cluster, after she had just graduated from her first Trial of Position. One of the older warriors approaching solahma age developed acute myeloid leukaemia, likely from some radiation dose he had received as a younger warrior. Since any treatment was unlikely to be successful, Diaz chose an honourable death in suicidal battle instead. She would never forget the massive LRM-sized syringes the scientists gave him that would enable him to continue fighting in his Hunchback IIC despite the pain and weakness from the cancer.

She also never forgot how the survivors on both sides gathered to pay their respects to him after his glorious death in battle against the Nova Cats. For many clan warriors, dying in battle was their preferred ending. They even petitioned to have him in the clan's Remembrance, but the motion failed to pass.

If it was sudden onset leukaemia, a patient’s remaining time could be measured in days.

“My mother died in this room.”

Matthew’s eyes widened. “You remember?”

“I don’t know, it just appeared in my mind.” Anastasia frowned and faced her mother’s portrait. “But leukaemia… there should be treatments for it, right?”

Matthew sighed. “Not in the Outback. Medical treatments here in the Trivet are very limited.”

“Was it a matter of money?”

He shook his head. “No. We had enough money, it was the availability of the treatments. To even have a chance, your mother needed to be sent to the New Avalon Institute of Science, but there were simply no ships that could make it in time. Even the diagnosis required us to transport doctors and diagnostic test kits from Inman, and that’s the most they have.”

Anastasia felt regretful. The regressed technological levels of the Outback finally hit home. She had been too used to the cutting edge technology of the Clans, where they could even regenerate lost limbs, and took it for granted.

She said quietly, “Noble or commoner, in the end we all die the same way.” She looked at the baroness, who had a beautiful smile on her face.

Then a pained face suddenly appeared in her mind, making her stagger a bit.

Matthew rushed over to her. “My lady?”

“Wait a minute.”

In Anastasia’s memory, this room used to be quite bare, with only the portrait, a bed and a flowerpot in her memory.

Her father was kneeling next to her mother on the bed, imploring, “Grace, please, hold on. We’re trying to arrange for transport to New Avalon. I’ll do everything I can to get you treatment. Please, please.”

“Boris,” she gasped. “Breathing… hard…”

Her mother’s face came to mind. Next to her, Baron Kalinski’s desperation was evident.

“My lady? Are you okay?”

Anastasia exhaled a deep breath as Matthew asked again with concern, and shook her head.

“Ana… please. Your… father… kill me… beg… you.”

“No, I remembered a little.” Anastasia tried to act nonchalant. However, Matthew’s face looked particularly stiff, as though he knew she was putting up an act.

“My mother must have been in a lot of pain.”

He grimaced, “Not really. We didn’t have cancer treatments, but we do have a significant opium crop, so there was enough morphine to dull her pain before her passing.”

Anastasia thought about it for a while, then asked, “Did matters improve after my mother passed?”

“No. We don’t have the resources to support any advanced medical technology in the Trivet, especially here on Altoona. Inman has more advanced equipment and specialists, but even then they’re not much.”

Anastasia nodded her head at Matthew’s explanation. Talk about cutting one’s nose off to spite one’s face. The nobles insisted on keeping the population uneducated and poor, but the flip side was that medical treatments common on other worlds became impossible to support. Who truly suffers at the end?

Her heart was still pounding with the feelings from the memories of young Anastasia, the shock she had experienced when her mother died right in front of her eyes. She understood the original Anastasia’s feelings. The reason why she didn’t want to remain at the fort was because she did not want to be reminded of her mother’s death and her father’s attempted suicide.

Anastasia sighed at this uncomfortable feeling. Then she looked at the photo portrait, with the baroness smiling. What was the Baron thinking whenever he saw this photo? Anastasia didn’t dare to guess. After all, she wasn’t actually Anastasia.
-----------------------
The oxygen-enriched idea came from Kage Baker’s ‘Empress of Mars’.

Germanium economics (a paper exercise, with lots of burning catgirls)

Price of germanium in USD in 2021: ~$1187 per kg

Exchange rate (3062) C-bill vs 2021 USD: 1 C-bill to $4.78

Price of germanium in C-Bill in 2021: 246.44 C Bills per kg

Price of germanium per ton in 3062 C-bills: ~0.25 million C-Bills per ton

Assuming price of germanium is much higher due to scarcity of supply and high demand, leading to 100x the price, then price per ton: 25 million C-bills per ton.

Think about it - one ton of pure germanium can get you a lance of battlemechs.

Assuming the above figures, the stash of germanium found on Alphard by Johann O’Reilly was 50 billion C-bills (assuming real value pegged to 3062), which translates to about 2,000 tons of germanium. While an argument can be made for the price of germanium to be even higher with a smaller stash on Alphard, I think this is reasonable enough, assuming the germanium composition by mass on Alphard is 5%, which is insanely high. A 5% composition means that to extract 1 ton of germanium, 20 tons of mineral ore are required.

By comparison, germanium on Terra in the 21st century is usually extracted from ores with a mere 0.3% mass composition. Getting 1 ton of germanium requires 300 tons of ore.

Again by comparison, Altoona produces about 150 tons of germanium, exporting the whole amount to the Galax and Delavan yards. The Kalinski landhold alone produces 50 tons of germanium per annum, bringing in 250 million C-bills of income. Altoona has a mere population of 29 million, processing mineral ores with about 2.5% mass composition of germanium. They process about 6000 tons of mineral ore, which is about 16.5 tons a day, to get that 150 tons of germanium in a year.

That’s how precious germanium is, and the main reason why Altoona was colonised at all.

One more comparison: Terra in 2020 produced about 150-200 tons of germanium, with a population of more than 6 billion.

I won’t go into the chemistry behind germanium, but suffice to say the extraction process is energy intensive and extremely sensitive to moisture as one of the intermediate compounds undergoes hydrolysis easily, so the introduction of water needs to be controlled carefully.

In this chapter, I also wanted to highlight again the diversity of tech levels in the setting. Sure, they might have space travel, but in the Outback, advanced medical care, even for nobles, is limited

[The Wobbly Guy]

Finally, a glimpse of a mech! Also, one of the more fun scenes in the fic: What happens when a Smoke Jaguar transmigrator sees a bunch of household guards slacking off from training?
----------------------------------------------
Fort Lambourne, Altoona
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
12th March, 3061
1900 hrs

After the gloom from visiting Anastasia’s mother’s bedroom, she decided to try to lift the mood a bit by exploring the other parts of the fort.

They visited the kitchen, the various dining halls, even the greenhouse. As she suspected, many of the fort’s buildings and rooms, originally meant for military use, had been repurposed to suit the function of a manor house, the administrative centre of a feudal lord’s demesne.

What she really wanted to see, though, were the mech bays!

“Sir Matthew, since this was a SLDF fort, were there mech bays?”

“Oh,” he looked taken back for a moment, but recovered quickly. “Yes, there is.”

Trying hard not to sound too excited, Anastasia asked, “Can we go there next?”

“Yes, my lady. I must warn you, however, that nobody has been to the mech bays since about, well, forever!”

They were soon walking down a well-lit corridor, but obviously rarely used from the amount of dust on the floor. They reached a wide door with a bar handle, and Matthew pushed it down to open the door.

The lights came on the moment they stepped through the door, thanks to the motion detectors that would automatically activate the lights. Anastasia marvelled inwardly that the systems still seem to be working despite long years of disuse.

And there, right in the midst of the cavernous mech bay that could accommodate an entire company of mechs, was the most beautiful sight she had seen in weeks.

A battlemech.

It was painted in red and black. There were gaping holes in its armour, and strands of myomer stuck out in several places. She noted a particularly nasty hole on the head module. The remains of several unit insignia could still be seen on various parts of the mech, as well as the words ‘Surefire Strike’ written on one shoulder, surprisingly intact.

It was there, and it was beautiful. If nobody would claim it, then it’s hers!

Her lips recited reflexively. “Valkyrie. Thirty tons, max speed about eighty kph. Jump range one-fifty metres. Likely Succession Wars era loadout, a long range missile ten launcher, plus a medium laser as backup. Missile boat role, designed to work as part of a unit offering long range fire support and indirect fire for expanded tactical options."

Matthew stared at her in slack jawed amazement. “My… my lady!”

Anastasia realised what she just did. Oops, I did it again. “I learned all this watching documentaries on mechs, since my fiance is a mechwarrior, so I thought I needed to learn more about what he does.” She added a laugh, but it was nervous and not at all convincing.

But apparently it was convincing enough for Matthew. “I am astounded, my lady!”

“Do you know anything else about the mech?”

“My lady, I didn’t even know its design until you told me. I do know this was your family mech, and your grandaunt Maria piloted it until she died on Mallory’s World sometime in the 3010s. They transported the mech back here, and since then nobody has touched it.”

Anastasia frowned. “Nobody bothered to patch it up?”

“None of the other Kalinskis were mechwarriors, my lady. And maintaining a mech costs money.”

She bit back a retort. What about the glory and honour of being a mechwarrior? Or maybe it was just her clan-bred sensibilities getting in the way again.

Anastasia looked around the mech bay. There seemed to be some supplies and equipment scattered about, covered by dusty tarps. Several computer terminals lined the top of a workstation, maybe she could get some information there.

She itched to get started on restoring the Valkyrie. But she was in no shape to even handle the duties of a tech, and there might not be sufficient supplies on hand.

She would be patient. She would bide her time, build up her strength and stamina, get the supplies squared away, fix up the Valkyrie. Then she could, maybe, be a mechwarrior once again. The mech would not be going anywhere.

Anastasia forced her eyes away from the mech, and turned to Matthew, "I think I have seen enough of the fort for today. We will continue tomorrow."

 
13th March, 3061
0900 hrs

Anastasia tried to clamp down on her growing anger as she observed the household troops.

Of course, she was familiar with military training and discipline, having been a Smoke Jaguar officer. She also knew that household militia were usually not at the same level as regular federal or state units. Furthermore, Altoona was firmly ensconced in the Federated Commonwealth, not close to the border. According to Matthew, there had not been pirate raids for generations, so there was no need for a strong local military presence.

Nevertheless, Anastasia endured, fighting the urge to say something after seeing their ‘training’.

Yes, this was Altoona. These soldiers were not Smoke Jaguars. Strictly speaking, it was none of her business. At the same time, seeing what passed for their ‘training’ made her angry and she just could not stand it. It offended her as a warrior. Stravag, it would offend any observing professional.

Sure, the equipment was old. But to the extent that rust was visible on their auto-rifles? She wondered if the local gunsmith could fix the weapons.

In addition, their training vigour was sorely lacking. Anastasia sighed when she observed them training. Their effort levels as they did their various drills were half-hearted and utterly pathetic. Their movements were slovenly and lackadaisical, and completely ineffective as preparation for actual combat.

Being a soldier, a warrior should be a point of pride and honour. They might not be members of the regular military, the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth, merely infantry to serve as escorts, security patrols, and a deterrent against local banditry, but that did not mean they were there merely to act as props. These men seemed to be there just to collect an easy paycheck. She did not even see any females present in the soldiers, which in itself was an indicator of the local social dynamics.

She gritted her teeth as she thought of what Finn would say if he knew the standard of the Kalinski troops. As the leader of the Trivet standing forces, he had to be informed of the readiness levels of not just the Trivet forces, but the various household troops that would be called upon to support the defence of the Trivet as well. She would hate to be the one explaining to him why they were in such a condition. An image of her getting a lecture from him, of all people, on the state of her household soldiers came to mind, and she scowled.

This simply would not do!

“This sucks.” Anastasia muttered, biting her lip.

“Yes?”

Matthew and Luisa, who were standing next to her, asked at the same time. It was the first negative sentiment they had heard from Anastasia since arriving on Altoona, because she had been calm, even sweet, since waking up after her long rest.

Anastasia stepped forward towards the soldiers. “I would like to know who is in charge here.”

“Oh no, my lady, not that tone again!” Luisa pointed out, her hand stretched out to implore her mistress to behave more ladylike, because she seemed to have regressed to her default brusque behaviour.

Anastasia ignored her.

One man stepped forward, wearing the epaulettes of an officer. “My lady, I’m sorry for the late greeting. I am Craig Wurtz, Captain of the Kalinski household guard.” He bowed and greeted Anastasia politely.

This man seemed to be in his forties, and was the only one among the soldiers who seemed as though he knew what he was doing.

They observed each other carefully. Craig focused on Anastasia’s face, obviously admiring her beauty. But she did not care what the idiot in front of her was seeing and thinking. She asked harshly, “What the hell is going on here?”

“What are you talking about?” Craig looked bewildered by the criticism, when he had expected praise for the hard work put in by his men in training.

“How are your weapons so poorly maintained? And your soldiers, just lounging around… Why are you so slow with your drills during training? Isn’t the intensity too low to be effective?

This large training ground sited next to the fort was simply wasted on these men. Just thinking about how to start an effective training regimen gave Anastasia a headache.

Craig looked dumbfounded at Anastasia’s criticism. To be criticised by a lady who didn’t know a single thing about the military…

Matthew was also shocked. Lady Anastasia, who had not complained a single bit about the shabbiness of the fort and her room, did not like the way the household troops were trained? He had no way to interject himself into the conversation.

“My lady, the men can’t train all the time, they need to rest. I don’t think you understand our situation.”

At Craig’s words, Anastasia’s eyebrows went up. His words were polite, but his tone was dismissive of her concerns.

“This doesn’t look correct to me, but let’s assume you are right. As their Captain you have the authority to train them as you see fit, and I have no right to interfere. However, I’d like to hear about the condition of your weapons. Don’t you need to maintain your rifles properly, especially since it was the taxes of our landhold you used to buy these weapons?”

She pointed to the rusted barrel of one of the automatic rifles. “What’s this? I don’t even think this rifle can shoot straight if the barrel rifling is rusted!”

Craig frowned. Anastasia noted that the other soldiers were also irritated with her comments. It was as if they were embarrassed by her observations and did not want to admit it.

Her anger started to build at their reluctance to admit their faults. Her comments were relevant and necessary. If it was another man, like Finn, who pointed these out, they would have likely accepted it, instead of trying to dismiss her concerns as that of an uninformed lady.

“You seem to have something to say, Captain Craig Wurtz.”

Craig gritted his teeth and replied, “Isn’t the poor condition of our weapons… because so much of the budget is spent on your dresses and your toys? Like that racer you have in the garage!”

“……”

Anastasia’s eyes widened at his words.

Craig’s resentment was clear, and the other soldiers around him seemed to be backing him up with the looks of annoyance on their faces. Huh, they are trying to shift the responsibility back onto me.

“Is that true, Sir Matthew? There’s less in the budget for the household troops because of the expenditure on me?”

“Oh no, my lady, that’s not true! Well, that’s…..” Matthew looked a bit troubled. “The Baron said that Altoona is peaceful enough, so it would be okay to reduce the budget for our household troops, so I reduced it…”

“Well, there’s your reason. What does that have to do with my stuff?" Anastasia glanced at Craig.

However, his anger did not go away. “It’s obvious to everyone! I heard that your new dresses alone cost a fortune. If only you’d invested it in our equipment instead!”

She shot him a sharp look. “Yes, it was my father’s decision. Did you make a separate request because you didn’t have enough funds for new equipment?”

Craig frowned. He seemed to have nothing to say.

“Sir Matthew, was there any request put in to increase the funding for the troops?”

“No, there has never been anything like that.”

Anastasia sighed and said. “Then it’s not because of the dresses, but because of my father’s mistaken decision and the officer who knew about it but did nothing.”

“My lady!” Matthew tried to warn her to stop, but Anastasia knew she had to press on. The people of the Kalinski demesne could not afford to have defenders who were ill-equipped, and worse yet, ill-trained with poor discipline.

Craig shouted. “If I asked, he wouldn’t have listened! The Baron thought it would be a waste to give us more money!”

Anastasia calmly replied, “That’s just an excuse. The truth of the matter is, you only continued to complain without ever trying to improve the situation. And you assumed that using my stuff as a scapegoat was the easiest thing to do.”

To emphasise her point, she shook the skirt of the dress she was wearing.

“And the real problem I see is discipline, not about the quality of your equipment. Is it that difficult to ensure the rifle barrels remain free from rust? Do you really need a lot of money to clean and maintain your arms regularly? How are these related to my dresses and my belongings?” Even a child from the creche would know to maintain their firearms properly!

Craig’s face fell, ashamed of himself. He heard a rumour that the Baron spent a lot of money on dresses and other luxurious items for Lady Anastasia because he cared about her, so out of envy, he wanted some of that money to be used on the household troops instead.

So when that very same lady, less than half his age, criticised their training and their equipment, this ignited his anger and provoked him to speak his mind. But in the end, she was right.

The reason why their weapons were in poor condition was because of their negligence in maintenance. So was the intensity of the training. Craig also knew that the training intensity of the troops in other households was higher than theirs. Nothing to do with money.

“I’m sorry…” Craig admitted, lowering his head in shame. He had not taken responsibility in the right way. At the very least, he could have put in a formal request, but he didn’t because he was afraid of being scolded. But advising the Baron on matters of military defence was a key part of his duties, and he had neglected it.

Anastasia flipped her hair to one side. “Sir Matthew.”

“Yes, my lady.”

Anastasia turned to him, “Are the dresses worth selling?”

“….yes?” he replied hesitantly.

“Sell the dresses, leave just a few. I would also like you to go through with me all the things my father bought for me. If I have no use for it, we'll sell it. We should be able to recoup some value.”

Matthew looked stricken. “How can you do that? My lady, let’s talk to your father the Baron and think about increasing the budget for the household troops.”

“He's using my dresses as an excuse, so selling them is an obvious solution.”.

“Oh, my lady, that’s…!”

Despite Craig’s dissuasion, Anastasia’s thoughts did not change.

“I’ll use that money for the troops. In exchange, from now on you must follow my orders.”

“…..”

"Understood?" asked Anastasia brightly.

Craig nodded numbly, wondering how he had been outmanoeuvred by a mere slip of a girl not even half his age. And now he, a veteran of the War of 3039, had to take orders from her!

“How many soldiers do we have?”

“We're company strength, my lady.” He didn't elaborate, still thinking that she probably didn't know anything and he could just answer vaguely.

His hopes were dashed immediately. "Standard organisation, full strength of eighty-four troopers in three platoons? Do you have a separate command squad or HQ platoon?"

"Uh…"

Her eyes bored into him. "I expect to have a copy of your TO&E on my table by tomorrow morning at zero-nine hundred hours, after reveille and PT. It has to be detailed down to the last nut and bolt. Am I clear?" She let the command tone of Star Captain Avryl Showers, bloodnamed Smoke Jaguar officer, bleed into her voice, brooking no dissent.

He looked up at her, shocked that she used military terminology with such easy familiarity. He was suddenly reminded of some of his superior officers when he was a mere Leftenant in the AFFS, who suffered no fools and pushed every member of their units to their limits. He had a sinking feeling that Lady Kalinska belonged to that same category. Wasn’t she supposed to be some spoiled brat of a lady?

"Yes, my lady."

She mused openly, "I am worried that we only have a company of infantry to protect our germanium production. I'll ask my father if we can beef up the forces here a bit, maybe get some APCs to supplement your infantry and provide a quick reaction force. Right now, any pirate force would find us easy pickings."

"We have not been attacked in years, my lady."

“Just because it hasn't happened doesn't mean it won't happen.”

She shot Crag another glare. “Oh, and I’m thinking of doing some exercises in the morning, so I hope no one gets up later than me. I would be quite upset if any of your soldiers are lazier than me.”

“My lady, please…”

“No more excuses, Captain. You have your orders. Now get to it.”

As she walked away, Craig and his soldiers looked at each other in dismay but also relief. It was as if a storm had passed.

 

As Anastasia returned to the fort, Luisa and Matthew followed immediately.

Luisa clasped her hands together in consternation, and asked anxiously, “My lady, why did you do that, the soldiers must be very angry.”

Anastasia smiled grimly, “Of course, I did it to make them angry.”

“Why did you make them angry?”

“They did not expect to be confronted by the hard truths I presented. If they had simply accepted what I said and agreed to train hard, I would have let the matter slide. But they treated me like a fool and ignored me deliberately, so I had to make my points stick.”

Lusia frowned. “My lady pointed it out, of course they should listen!”

Anastasia burst out laughing at her maid’s naivete. “There is no way that these soldiers would listen to a lady who doesn’t even know how to hold a gun properly.” Well, of course she knew, but Anastasia was not supposed to.

Luisa looked unhappy. Her expression seemed to say, ‘You still have to listen to Lady Anastasia.’

Anastasia laughed again at Luisa’s expression. Her naivete sometimes warmed her heart.

“A warrior’s mind is rather simple. Prick their pride a bit, and they’ll often work harder to prove themselves. It is an effective way to deal with them.” Well, the clans did that all the time, even if it wasn’t necessary, because their warriors were generally self-motivated as a result of indoctrination since childhood.

“My lady, where did you learn all this?” asked Matthew in amazement, after he had recovered from the shock of Anastasia’s ploy.

She replied, “Learn? Is there a need to learn any of this? Isn’t it common sense?”

Matthew cleared his throat. “Common sense here and common sense on Inman could be very different, my lady.”

“Oh, I see,” said Anastasia, again realising she had, yet again, let the Avryl Showers in her come out just a tad too much. But really, seeing those sorry excuses for warriors would drive anybody to anger!

Trying to change the subject, she said, “Well, anyway, could I visit the town outside the fort? I would like to take a look.”

Matthew nodded, “Of course, my lady.”

The town outside Fort Lambourne, also called Lambourne after the fort, was not that big. There were a few villages in the Kalinski demesne, including some mining settlements around the Twin Mountains located at one end of the landhold.

Matthew hoped Lady Anastasia would like their landhold and decide to stay here until her marriage. It had been years since she was here, and her eagerness to explore the landhold she would inherit boded well.

“Do I need to bring anything with me?”

“Not much, my lady,” said Matthew. “Maybe a parasol, if you find the sun too bright.”

She stopped herself from scoffing. Afraid of the sunlight from a mere M7V star? Anastasia shook her head, “No need. Lead the way, Sir Matthew.”

 

Anastasia looked out the window of the jeep as it trundled slowly down the boulevard.

The population density here was low, with the houses standing separately from one another. She was mesmerised by the seemingly scenic view of the town through the window.

“The people here look well fed and clothed.” She commented to Matthew, who was riding with her in the carriage. “Is the Baron, my father, a gifted administrator?”

Everyone in the town wore clean clothes. Not particularly luxurious or extravagant, but simple and clean. Not quite what she had expected compared to her initial impression of the Outback, which was supposed to be a barbaric place populated by inbred savages.

The people passing by glanced at Anastasia through the windows of the jeep. Many of them even stood and observed her carefully. She was nervous about it, but she recognised that they were just curious about the landhold heir, who returned from Inman.

“No, my lady, the Baron is not particularly good at it.”

“But there are no naked people. Some people are even wearing nice clothes.”

Matthew wondered at what Lady Anastasia had been told about Altoona and the other worlds of the Outback.

“My lady, your imagination and reality are different. We might not be a rich landhold, but we do well enough.” Matthew said proudly.

She furrowed her eyebrows, feeling a bit like a child being chided by her seniors. She continued to observe the town silently.

She could see, feel the difference between Altoona and the other places she had been.

Unlike the clan homeworlds, usually bustling with frantic activity, or the worlds of the Draconis Combine, marked by harsh living conditions mitigated by a smattering of luxuries, the Outback was downright bucolic, populated by civilians who simply got by from day to day, free from the ravages of war, free to raise their children in peace, though somebody from a more developed world would regard them as mired in poverty.

As for the occupied worlds of the former Smoke Jaguar occupation zone? Those were veritable hellholes for the Smoke Jaguars because the natives were still loyal to the Draconis Combine and saw them as invaders to be driven out. Guerilla attacks were common, inviting harsh reprisals and extensive COIN operations. Everything fed one another into a vicious circle of conflict, there was no peace, only war.

The peaceful environs made her realise, “This is why my father didn’t have much of a budget for the household troops.”

“Yes.” Mattthew replied.

“How much of the demesne depends on the germanium exports?”

“Of course, the germanium was a big factor in maintaining our living standards. But even without it, we can get by. There’s enough domestic economic activity that we’re almost self-sufficient.” Matthew was very happy to see that Lady Anastasia was showing a keen interest in the landhold, so he answered her questions eagerly.

“I thought the Outback would be even poorer than this.” She admitted.

“My lady, to be honest, some worlds in the Outback are far worse off than us. For Altoona, we are relatively well governed because Count Haynes demanded it.”

“The Count?”

“Inman would send an inspectorate every few years. Therefore, the lords cannot neglect the management of their territories. Count Haynes can be very demanding, don’t you agree?”

Anastasia nodded and fell into thought. She closed her eyes, painfully recalling Khan Lincoln Osis, who had terrorised the people of the clan’s occupation zone with near ruinous extortion of resources and unceasing brutality, despite the best efforts of saKhan Brandon Howell to mitigate his policies to try to secure their foothold in the Inner Sphere.

Though a Crusader at heart, she had agreed with Brandon Howell’s view that they could not afford to squander their clan’s strength in enforcing their rule across the conquered worlds, and it was better to try to negotiate some sort of middle-ground with the natives so the could focus their touman’s strength outwards against external threats.

She sighed, “This is the difference between the Inner Sphere and the Clans.”

“Yes?”

“Just talking to myself, Sir Matthew. It’s nothing.” Anastasia shook her head. She did not like the twisting sensation in her stomach.

“Can I get off the jeep and walk around?”

“My lady, if you do that, won’t everyone look at you? Please don’t do that. Let’s take it slow and let the people get used to your presence first.”

Anastasia nodded, accepting his advice. Still, she could not stop thinking. Was the Baron’s decision to reduce the budget for the household troops correct? She was not used to such a peaceful environment. Even on Inman, intrigue seemed to occupy every corner. And of course, her time in the clans was always marked by conflict since it was practically their way of life. She wondered what it would be like to live in genuine peace.

Anastasia looked at the town outside the jeep for a long time. Then she turned to Matthew, her decision made. He had been in charge of the estate for a long time, and therefore was probably the most qualified person to teach her. Besides, he seemed to have a soft spot for Anastasia.

“Sir Matthew, I don’t remember anything yet.”

“I know. You don’t have to be impatient, my lady.”

“It seems I still lack much of the knowledge a noble should have in my position. Can you help me?”

“Of course.” Matthew smiled and nodded.

Anastasia smiled back ruefully. It’s time for me to live as a member of the Inner Sphere.

She had known only the way of the clans, and she now felt like a frog in a well. She recalled that information was ammunition, a saying the Jade Falcons had adopted from some Inner Sphere opponent, and without information, she could not take her revenge on Pence Lamongue.

As Anastasia hoped, Matthew was a very good teacher. She learned about Altoona, the Trivet, the governance of the Federated Commonwealth. And every day, she knew she was getting closer to exacting her revenge on Pence.

[The Wobbly Guy]

17th March, 3061
1200 hrs

At first Captain Craig Wurtz didn’t know what to think about the situation recently. An unfamiliar hum of energy now seemed to run through the fort at the start of every day, invigorating the soldiers. He used to drag himself out of bed, but not any more.

It was all due to Lady Kalinska.

Craig was the youngest son of a landholding knight in the Draconis March, and enlisted in the AFFS to start his military career. He served long enough to see action in the War of 3039 as a Lieutenant in the infantry as part of the 22nd Avalon Hussars RCT, then got an honourable discharge instead of reupping, opting for a cushy post commanding backwater troops in the Outback.

Sure, the pay wasn’t much, but the job was easy, and there wasn’t much to do. Hey, everybody wants an easy life, right?

Out of professional pride, he did try to instil some discipline in the troops at the beginning, but his efforts petered out after a few months. The lack of interest from the Baron, the paltry support, all of these made him give up after a while. Well, it wasn’t as if it mattered, anyway.

The Baron didn’t even seem aware of Craig’s position as his household troop commander. It was Matthew who hired him based on his references.

All Craig knew about the Baron was his love for his daughter.

He occasionally heard from Matthew about the distribution for the budget and was always disappointed to hear that the Baron had reserved a lot of money to lavish on his little girl. That’s why when she came to Altoona, he didn’t feel happy at all.

So Craig didn’t go to greet Lady Kalinska, and as he expected, she didn’t seem to show any interest in them either. However, it did please him a bit when she came to the training ground, but was angry at what she pointed out. He lost his temper and received a scolding from her.

Even past the age of forty, he still had a hot-tempered personality.

But to his surprise, despite scolding him, Lady Kalinska did acknowledge their issues and took steps to remedy some of their problems.

She coolly disposed of most of her dresses, leaving only a few select ones for everyday wear, and only two for special occasions. Many of the items the Baron bought for her were also sold off, such as the expensive wheeled racer he had bought for her on her eighteenth birthday.

Craig had been irritated and unhappy at first. His men also grumbled incessantly, determined to show the ‘cheeky’ lady their skills.

But in just two days, he changed his mind. The eyes of his men were sharp and full of determination, and they took to training with an enthusiasm that had been lacking in the past.

After three days of intense training, he could already see a change in the discipline of his troops. Of course, there was one more reason for that.

It was because Lady Kalinska joined their training at the start of every day.

It was difficult enough to wake up at zero-six hundred hours, but Lady Kalinska would appear at zero-six-thirty hundred hours without fail, her makeup off, and start her exercises at the training ground.

She explained it as ‘physical training’, and he could really see her doing the right exercises and putting in immense effort. The first few days with her seemed unpleasant because it felt like surveillance, but Craig soon changed his mind when his men seemed to draw energy from her presence and intensify their efforts.

Furthermore, her stamina was poor, but even they could see she was improving rapidly. She wore a tracksuit with running pants to train, and the soldiers admired her persistence. When she managed to do a kneeling push up for the first time, they all cheered.

Was this part of her plan?

This was now the ideal situation that Craig had so hoped for. They finally had serviceable body armour, nutritious meals, and decent weapons, either repaired by the gunsmith or new ones bought from local sources. Even the motorised vehicles they used were fixed up, or replaced if they weren’t repairable, finally allowing them to be a real motorised infantry unit instead of just being one on paper.

With Lady Kalinska’s eyes on them, the troops trained harder with improved discipline. He could swear that when he looked at her observing their training, her eyes seemed like that of a veteran, filled with experience and kindly tolerance for the brash, tough young men doing their best to live up to her standards.

The troops, like Craig, finally understood Lady Kalinska’s real intentions, and they all admitted there was nothing wrong with what she said. Unlike the indifferent Baron, who rarely ventured out of the fort even on the occasions he came back from Inman, Lady Kalinska was even praised for her efforts to connect with the populace, going out every day to the town to look around and talk to the locals.

At first, the soldiers thought her behaviour was unusual, but they soon accepted it as normal.

Same for the townspeople. At first, they felt she was like visiting royalty when she left the confines of the fort, and even walked along the streets of the town, but they soon got used to her presence and her jaunts to the town became a normal event.

The rumours surrounding her mental health were quickly dismissed by the inhabitants of the demesne. A few townsfolk even got indignant on her account. The change in her reputation was palpable.

Blake’s blood, even his wife noticed and commented on it. And his two girls, who used to constantly badger him for toys and dresses, suddenly changed their minds and stopped asking, deciding to emulate the frugality of their new idol, Lady Kalinska. The story of her selling off her dresses had a huge impact on her favorability with the people.

Things were looking up, Craig decided.
 

To Anastasia, these were heady times, each day filled with purpose and meaning. Morning PT, breakfast, learning from Sir Matthew, lunch, a walk through the town, then handling some administrative stuff regarding the household troops and getting supplies to repair the Valkyrie. When she had time, she would visit the mech bay and start to organise the mess left behind, cataloguing the items and making an inventory of the available supplies. Then dinner, followed by a holovid or two.

In her own room, nobody could stop her from watching the shows she preferred.

The workstations in the mech bay did contain information on the Valkyrie and her grandaunt Maria Kalinska. Sergeant Maria Kalinska was a member of the First Robinson Rangers, and fought in the pivotal battles on Mallory’s World, where so much history was made. She remembered how her blood raced with excitement when she watched a documentary about the legendary mechwarriors involved in those climatic battles.

First Prince Ian Davion. Tai-sa Yorinaga Kurita. Colonel Morgan Kell. She remembered hearing from some of the older Smoke Jaguar warriors about their involvement in the Battle of Luthien, where they faced Morgan Kell and his Kell Hounds, and it seemed like a missing link to her own identity as Avryl Showers.

Oh, how she wished she had the chance to measure her skills against such worthy opponents!

During the final conflict on Mallory’s World, the First Robinson Rangers battled the Ninth Benjamin Regulars on the plains just outside the city of Harrison’s Ferry. Sergeant Maria Kalinska bled out from wounds sustained in combat when she refused to retreat, and her Valkyrie, Surefire Strike, was returned to House Kalinski on Altoona, still damaged. The Kalinskis never repaired it and left it to languish in the mech bay for years.

Anastasia seethed with anger at the Valkyrie’s condition, as well as how the Kalinskis treated Maria’s memory. She was barely mentioned in the family histories, with only one single measly line stating she was a mechwarrior with the Rangers, then nothing else, as though she never existed. That was not right at all. Sure, they didn’t have any equivalent to the clans’ Remembrance, their epic historical poem, but Maria should warrant several paragraphs at least!

The money raised from selling off her dresses and the other stuff the Baron bought for her was substantial, even after discounts due to their second-hand nature. It was more than enough to replace or repair the household troops’ equipment, and there was even a substantial amount left that she could think about using it to purchase supplies to repair the Valkyrie. Thankfully, the mech bay seemed to have most of the supplies stockpiled, although she would still need to buy fresh myomer fibre and ammunition for the Valkyrie’s LRM launcher, since she did not trust the missiles that had been stored there since before the end of the Third Succession War.

She would be able to start repairing the Valkyrie, once the myomer was shipped from Delacambre after they placed an order. Unfortunately, without a HPG, they had to rely on the Yolander to relay messages to Delacambre and place the order there, and then rely on the Yolander again to deliver the myomer to Altoona. This would likely take several weeks.

In the meantime, her physical training had finally reached a certain level of progress, and she was happy with her efforts. Even with the thinner atmosphere and lower oxygen content in the air, she was now capable of continuously running a four hundred metre lap in less than four minutes at a slow jog, which was something the original Anastasia would probably never conceive of.

Speaking of which, the thinner atmosphere and low oxygen content presented specific challenges to the people of Altoona. In order to ensure viable pregnancies, the women and livestock often slept in covered tents amidst the agricultural fields covered in thin plastic domes, or in the case of those who stay in more urban areas, equipped their rooms with special oxygen-enriching devices.

She was lost in her grandiose plans of organising specialised anti-mech training for her troops when an unusual request came in one day.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Altoona Information

System Information
Coordinates 550.569 : -4.176
Stellar Class M7V
Recharge times 209 hours
Recharge stations None

Geophysical
System Position 1st (Gas giant)
Jump Point distance 2.22 days
Moons None
Surface gravity 1.02
Atmospheric pressure Low (0.8 atm, O2 partial pressure 0.17 atm)
Equatorial temperature 14 0C (Boreal)
Surface water 40%
Highest native life Insects

Infrastructure
Capital Altuni City
Population 29,000,000
Socio-economic levels D-D-A-C-D
HPG (representative) None

Geography
Cold and largely barren, Altoona could barely support agriculture, requiring significant terraforming by the Star League’s Department of Mega-Engineering to even make it viable for habitation. It was extremely rich in rare metals and gems, and exports them in exchange for food and civilian goods. In many ways, it is a less extreme example of Mars. Fossil fuels panels were sufficient to sustain the current population and industrial activity, but strikingly lacking in comparison to the availability of ores. Energy needs are supplemented by extensive solar panels.

Altoona is tidally locked with Red Eagle, the gas giant it orbits - the same side always faces the gas giant. The side facing Red Eagle is called Redward by the natives, while the outside facing side is called Outward. Altoona takes 12.4 standard days hours to orbit Red Eagle - that is also the length of one full ‘day’ (rotational period). Red Eagle’s high axial tilt, Altoona’s own orbital inclination and axial tilt, also means that certain Outward areas are bathed in perpetual sunlight (more or less).

All of Altoona’s agriculture sector is located within these areas of perpetual sunlight, resulting in rapid crop growth limited only by the availability of micronutrients and water. The areas not utilised for agriculture are mainly covered in savannah / grasslands due to the lack of water. Extensive solar collection panels cover these areas as well, providing energy for their industries.

For certain Redward areas, because they are always facing the gas giant, and never the primary, they could be in perpetual darkness, or have some sunlight at particular angles, or when Altoona is in between the primary and Red Eagle, the reflection of the primary off Red Eagle provides significant illumination compared to Terra’s moon, with some heat reflected and also from Red Eagle itself, but not enough to sustain photosynthesis and agriculture. The natives call this Half-light.

The high carbon dioxide concentration on Altoona (originally 30%) was lowered via extensive use of photosynthesizing algae, which also had the side effect of increasing the oxygen levels. However, the axial tilt of the planet meant that a significant proportion of the planet would never receive sufficient sunlight to sustain plant life, and hence instead of the maximum coverage of the planet by plantlife (as on Terra), only a portion of the surface is exposed to sufficient sunlight to support plant life.

DoME never got around to introducing special genetically engineered plants which would still photosynthesise in Half-light conditions, which would reduce the carbon dioxide levels further and boost the oxygen partial pressure.

Due to the massive temperature differential between the Redward and Outward regions, strong winds constantly batter the buffer transition zones between the regions. Some wind traps were set up to take advantage of the winds, but high maintenance costs phased them out after the fall of the Star League.

Note: You can think of Altoona as a cross between Mars and Titan, with the size and gravity of Earth. Atmosphere and soil conditions are inspired by Mars, but generally not so extreme.

Socio-Economics
Altoona is a mining world, with a substantial number of the population involved in the mining and refinement industry. The rest of the population supported their efforts with agriculture and light manufacturing.

Due to local conditions, the amount of food grown is barely sufficient, mostly barley, winter wheat, rye, and quillar. The meat produced locally is mainly chicken, with some fish, introduced into the planet’s seas by DoME. Non-chicken meats are mostly imported from Inman, and regarded as rare treats.

Some manufacturing exists on the planet, mainly to support the miners and their families. Technology levels are similar to early to mid twentieth-century Earth, with a smattering of advanced tech items such as high-end electronics imported from Delacambre.

Ruled by Viscount Strong, he has about a dozen subordinate Barons and knights to help him govern the world. Many of the baronies and fiefs are centred around the garrison forts built by the 225th Mechanised Infantry Division, which located its HQ on Altoona during the Star League era.

Due to the low oxygen partial pressure and temperature fluctuations, pregnant women and livestock are usually required to sleep in tents in the agricultural areas bathed in perpetual sunlight and covered in thin plastic domes, because the oxygen levels are higher there. Another way is to provide oxygen enriching machines in rooms, which is more expensive and only limited to wealthier commoners and nobles

Altoona exports significant quantities of key rare elements, especially germanium, most of which is transported to Galax and Delavan for jumpship production. Much of the rest goes to Delacambre for use in advanced technology.

To the Federated Commonwealth, these exports from Altoona are the Trivet’s strategic contribution to the realm.

House Kalinski and Fort Lambourne
House Kalinski is an old but undistinguished noble house of the Trivet. During the First Succession War, the Reformation years, First Prince Paul Davion rewarded AFFS officer Captain Oleg Kalinski for his service with a barony on Altoona, focused on mining activities. Oleg Kalinski renovated Fort Lambourne to serve as his administrative centre. His mech was a Valkyrie he named Surefire Strike , and it managed to remain in the family’s hands throughout the Succession Wars.

The fort itself was named for AFFS Major General Erik Lambourne, who was a key commander at the Taurian front during the Reunification War. It now serves as the administrative centre for House Kalinski’s demesne, and the seat of their (limited) power.

Originally built and manned by units from the 225th Mechanised Infantry Division, which located its HQ on Altoona during the Star League era, the fort could support a combined-arms battalion, including enough mech bays for a company of mechs, although only one mech now occupies it - the Kalinski heirloom Valkyrie , the Surefire Strike.

For military defence, the Kalinskis only employ a company of motorised infantry, recruited from locals and poorly trained, led by a few officers and NCOs retired from the regular army for cushy garrison / cadre training jobs. However, they don’t take their training seriously and the troops are very poorly trained with low motivation.

Fort Lambourne is surrounded by a civilian town, which concentrates a lot of the economic activity of their demesne. The idyllic, bucolic town supplies advanced goods and services to the rest of the population, and in turn serves as a collection and distribution centre for food. The most important installation in town is the germanium refinery on the outskirts, which processes the ores and extracts highly purified germanium, which is then stored in the fort.

The advanced technology of the refinery is maintained by parts from Delacambre, while manpower is provided by locals who pass on their knowledge through apprenticeships rather than formal education. As a result, much of the theory behind the various processes have been lost and the locals simply follow the procedures without a clear understanding of why they are done that way.

For the Really Crunchy Data...
Star                                                units
Star Type                                   M7V   
Transit Time (from star)           2.22   Days
Recharge time                           208   hours
Safe Jump distance                   90,202,821   km
Stellar mass                           0.1   Sol
Luminosity                           0.003690   Sol
Inner Habitable Zone (from star)   4,373,667   km
Outer habitable Zone (from star)   8,929,569   km
        
Planetary data (Red Eagle)       
System position                                   1 (gas giant)   
Distance from star                           6,900,000   km
Distance to Transit point                   90,466,341   km
Time to Transit Point                           53.350   hours
Time for orbital period (1 orbit)           273.81   hours
Rotational period                           0.5   days
Number of moons                           8 major moons   
Planetary diameter                           150,000   km
Orbital Inclination (to sun equator)   12   degrees
Axial tilt to orbit                                   35   degrees
        
Moon data (Altoona)       
Distance from Red Eagle                            680,000   km
Orbital Inclination (to Red Eagle equator)   -15   degrees
Axial tilt to orbit                                           10   degrees
Rotational period (around Red Eagle)           12.4   days
Planetary diameter                                   10,200   km
Planetary density                                    7   g/cm3
Surface gravity   1.016   G
        
Theoretical day surface temperature           335.08   kelvins
Theoretical night surface temperature           235.08   kelvins
Theoretical average surface temperature   285.08   kelvins
Equatorial temperature (Outward day)           14   celsius
Equatorial temperature (Outward night)   -8   celsius
Equatorial temperature (Redward day)           10   celsius
Equatorial temperature (Redward night)   -5   celsius

[Cavgunner]

Storydump! What a great after-Christmas present.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Rason Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
18th March, 3061
0600 hrs (1800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“You look pretty bored, Finn.”

Finn frowned at Raymond. “I’m not bored. You’re the one who’s bored, leaving the palace to come here and pester me.”

Raymond brandished a book at Finn. The book, which was dyed purple, was written, “Violets Blooming at the Training Ground.” It was obvious that it was a romance novel, and Raymond looked absolutely gleeful.

“This is the best-selling novel on Inman these days. There’s also the electronic version, but nothing beats the feel of the paper as you turn them page by page.”

“What kind of flower would even bloom at the training ground? It’s going to wither away or get crushed by marching feet. Mech training grounds are all muddy as heck, what could grow there?” Finn grumbled while looking through some documents on the upcoming budgetary meetings. He knew Raymond’s bookworm persona was just an act, hiding the scheming mastermind that was his true self. If everybody knew what he really was like, they would have avoided him like the plague.

“Uh-huh. So cold and heartless! How can you say that? Don’t you have a smidgen of romance in your soul at all? And you haven’t even tried it! Come on, just read a few pages, I guarantee you’ll be hooked!” He started to shove the book into Finn’s face.

Angered, Finn just grabbed the book and tossed it violently to one corner of the room. Raymond screamed, and ran over to the corner to pick it up, acting aggrieved at Finn’s callous violence.

“Finn, why are you so mean? I thought I’d bring some things you’d enjoy…”

“Can you drop the act? Even if I’m bored, I would never relieve it by spending time with you.”

“But you prefer to spend it with Lady Kalinska?” Raymond asked slyly.

Finn flinched. The barb struck home, and they both knew it.

“I don’t know why you have to mention Lady Kalinska.”

“You’re too sensitive, Finn.”

“Shut up. You brought her up for a reason. Get to the point.”

Raymond laughed at Finn’s reaction. He took off his glasses and said, “Yes, I’m actually very curious about Lady Kalinska. What happened to her? Why did she change so much in the span of a few days? Don’t you think it was strange?”

He continued, “I kept thinking about how strange it was. I was very careful to hide my martial background.”

Finn grunted, “Maybe you were just careless.”

Raymond scoffed, “But that was the very first time we had a proper conversation. Only you and my closest attendants know that I learned how to pilot a mech from your father. I know my people are loyal to me, and they wouldn’t have any reason to leak to Lady Kalinska in the first place. So how did she find out?”

Finn stared at him, wondering if he wanted to know the answer at all.

Raymond grinned, “I think I figured it out.” He raised his hand. “It was my hand.”

Finn looked sceptical.

“I once placed my bare hand on top of hers. She must have realised when she felt my calluses.” The calluses that every mechwarrior has, due to prolonged hours of gripping, twisting, and pushing the control sticks of their mechs.

Raynond concluded, “That is the most likely possibility.” He paused, “So Finn, what do you think?”

Finn glared at him. “So, why was there a situation in which you would have touched Lady Kalinska’s hand? How come I didn’t know of it?”

Raymond chuckled, then burst into outright laughter. “Ah, Finn! Finn! That was what you were concerned about? You’re so funny when you are jealous!”

“……”

“We were just trying to pick up a fallen book at the same time, and my hand happened to fall on top of hers! It wasn’t on purpose.”

Finn just glowered at his explanation. “I suggest that you stop paying attention to Lady Kalinska. You… and your ****** of a brother.”

Raymond smirked, “Speaking of my brother, Renard just received a confinement order from my father. Did you have anything to do with that?”

Finn shrugged, “I snitched on him. About his abuse of the maids, to the Count.” He narrowed his eyes. “Don’t act dumb, you already knew this.”

“Sure, I guessed he was taking it out on women who look similar to Lady Kalinska, but I didn’t expect you to resolve it. He must have a reason to be so vindictive though.” He swivelled his head towards Finn. “Do you know of anything that could have happened between him and Lady Kalinska to make him behave like that?”

Finn maintained his silence, not wanting to give anything away unnecessarily.

But Raymond knew him too well. “It seems you have an idea, but you’re not going to tell me. That’s okay. But still, how could Renard lay a hand on a noble’s daughter, the heir, no less?”

That caught Finn’s attention. “What do you mean, lay a hand?

“I got some intel on Spencer Larouche’s whereabouts. He got on a jumpship to Thibodaux, and there he somehow managed to get in contact with a bunch of freelancers.”

“Mercs?”

“Freelancers.” Raymond stressed. “Not quite mercs, not quite pirates. Maybe about a lance? There’s no review board to arbitrate, everything is just verbal. I have an agent over there, he managed to get a HPG message out here for me. The freelancers are on the move. Guess where they are headed?”

Finn stood up, his body tense.

“You understand what’s going on now?”

Finn did not even reply, but dashed out of his office.

Raymond sighed. “Oh my, and in his haste he left his guest all alone.” He looked out the window. “Renard tries to act smart, but he’s not. He lacks discernment and he is greedy. If he really was smart, he would not be wasting time trying to mess with a Baron’s daughter. He should be trying to get rid of me.”

He smiled, wondering what opportunities would reveal themselves to him.

 

“Send a priority comms to the zenith jump point. Tell the Blocky Road to prepare for jump operations ASAP.” Finn ordered Eric in the small room that served as their secure command post. “Get the Jurano,” their Leopard class dropship ready at the drop port, “and my command lance ready to lift. We’re using the Blocky Road to deploy to Altoona via the L1 pirate point.”

Eric was already busy typing in the instructions, but that didn’t stop him from asking, “Huh, what for?”

“I have ample reason to suspect an imminent pirate raid on Altoona. The Yolander can’t get here in time, it is still charging at Delacambre, but Blocky Road is the Trivet’s QRF jumpship, it should be fully charged. Delacambre cannot spare any troops, and they can’t get to Altoona in time anyway. It’d be just us.”

The Scout jumpship Blocky Road was the QRF jumpship when the Yolander was around, and the backup jumpship to take over critical trade when the Yolander was away for repairs. Since Scout jumpships did not have grav decks, its crew was usually stationed on the Attica station, and constant crew rotations with the Yolander ensured the crews had ample rest, shore leave on planet, and downtime.

Finn paused, gathering his thoughts. “Besides, it’s time I took a look at Altoona and its defences. Furthermore, a surprise drill is good for keeping all of us on our toes. If the intel doesn’t pan out, fine. It was just a drill. But if it does…” his voice trailed off.

Eric gulped. He had not anticipated that he might find himself in the line of fire, but he was no warrior, just a REMF.

Finn gave more instructions. “Inform the Count. Tell him only that we are conducting a surprise drill involving deployment to Altoona, and I’ll also take the opportunity to inspect the troops there.”

“Yes sir!”

 
Fort Lambourne, Altoona
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
19th March, 3061
1000 hrs

A Scout jumpship just entered the system at the nadir jump point. It obviously was not the Yolander, which had just jumped out a couple of days before and was still charging at Delacambre. It detached a Manatee, ubiquitous throughout the Inner Sphere as a cargo transport, and would be arriving in two days time.

Matthew explained, “Those ships belong to Harold’s Holdings Private Limited. They’re a trading company specialising in rare earth elements and gems. They are a semi-regular customer, coming back once in a while to collect from us and the other landholds on Altoona, so we usually have a stockpile built up just for them.”

“Okay.”

Matthew had informed her that the mining trade was not her concern, and beyond her authority. Then he confused her with his next statement.

“They said they want to meet you.”

“Why me?”

“My lady, since you’re finally here on Altoona, they would like to hold a meeting with you. It’s a chance to show your sincerity and build rapport with our customers.”

Anastasia frowned slightly. That was not a very convincing reason. Matthew was the liaison, and meeting Anastasia would not affect the deal in any way.

“If I meet them, I don’t have the authority to decide anything, do I?”

“My lady, I’ll negotiate on behalf of the House. I’m sorry, but your opinion doesn’t count.”

“Then why does it have to involve me? Just because they would be nice to me, or me being nice to them does not affect the negotiations. Or would my presence make the negotiations proceed more smoothly?”

Matthew shook his head. “I think it’s because of the rumours.”

“The ones that say I’m crazy?” She should not be surprised the rumours about her have even spread outside the Trivet.

“My lady!” said Luisa indignantly while combing her long hair. Anastasia knew her maid was trying to remind her to watch her language.

This felt like a bit of a dilemma though. It seemed like a waste of time, but if she didn’t go, the rumours might gain credence.

Anastasia sighed. “If I don’t show up, the rumours will only get worse. All right, I’ll meet them.”

 

Twin Mountains, Altoona
21st March, 3061
1000 hrs

The distance to the Twin Mountains was shorter than expected. Anastasia looked forward to it, thinking of the fresh mountain air.

When they arrived, Matthew brought her around on an impromptu inspection and explanation of the mining activities. The massive mine portals in the side of the mountain showed her just how large their operations are, and stacks of ores piled up on flatbeds, ready for transport to the mineral processing plants near Lambourne.

The sky itself was slowly brightening, the long ‘night’ portion of the cycle gradually giving way to day. But due to Altoona and Red Eagle’s axial tilts, plus the position of House Kalinski’s landhold, true night only lasted for a relatively short time before the sun popped up on the horizon again.

“What about the gems?” Anastasia asked, curious. The Kalinski heraldry was a hand holding a sapphire, after all, and she realised the name of the Valkyrie, Surefire Strike, was a pun, since ‘Surefire’ and ‘Sapphire’ sound very similar. So she decided she should show some interest in them.

He led her around to a field, where she saw villagers squatting down to pick up stones from a field.

She was puzzled. “Why aren’t they digging? Where are the mineshafts?”

“Oh, that’s the other mine on the other mountain. But the ones here can be just picked off the ground.”

Anastasia was bewildered. Matthew led her to a basket of stones. He picked one up.

“Ah, here, if you break this white stone, you can get a nice ruby out of it. Look closely at this here.” He held it up for her inspection.

Anastasia frowned, focused, and saw something reddish attached to the white stone.

“This is a gemstone? This bean-sized thing is a gemstone?”

Matthew nodded. “Haha, the people who come here always expect something grand. The sapphires are collected over there in the exact same way.” He pointed to another field in the distance.

“……”

“We know there are actually larger deposits below the ground here, but there’s not much point in digging them up because it’ll lead to oversupply and just depress the prices. We export to nobles in the Draconis and the Crucis Marches, where the small gemstones can be used for clothing and other accessories. After all, breaking up a larger gem just to make smaller ones seems such a waste.”

“And the other mine?”

“It produces bigger gems, but the Baron sells them sparingly. So it’s often not in operation anyway. We only open it up a few times in a year to maintain our own stockpile, and then seal it up when it’s not needed.”

“And all these small stones earned enough money for that lavish mansion on Inman?”

“It was also the germanium, my lady. But germanium mining is much less exciting and involves a lot of processing to extract the germanium.”

After barely getting over her shock at how the gems were collected, Anastasia and Matthew made their way to the meeting place. They did not have to wait long before the traders arrived.

“It’s an honour to meet you, my lady. I am Derrick Lagos.” the leader of the traders bowed politely to her. He wore a standard business suit, but she could make out the bulge of a gun under his suit.

Not for the first time, she cursed inwardly for not arguing harder for herself to be armed with a gun. All she had was a stiletto she had convinced Matthew to get for her, now strapped comfortably along her left forearm, where she could easily draw with her right.

Matthew stepped forward. “Nice to meet you, Mister Lagos. What happened to Mister Simon, the gentleman who usually oversees these transactions?”

“Mister Simon has been assigned to other roles in our organisation, so I’ll be in charge from now on.” Derrick smiled and held out a verigraph out to Matthew. “My credentials?”

Matthew put his finger on the scanner attached to the verigraph, confirming his identity and releasing its contents for him to read. Matthew looked at it carefully and nodded. There seemed to be no problem.

“Everything seems to be correct. I apologise for our rudeness. I hope you understand our need for caution.”

Derrick’s smile grew wider. “I understand completely. When it comes to business, trust is most important.”

Despite his words, Anastasia could not help but feel suspicious. She observed the traders carefully.

Some of the traders were dressed in expensive suits like Derrick, obviously the management. The others just seemed like bodyguards and porters. Out of habit, Anastasia found herself mentally counting the number of escorts the traders brought. One, five, ten… twenty two! I only have a squad of seven soldiers as escorts, is this right?

She shook herself mentally. Maybe they just needed the extra hands for the gems.

Matthew said, “Now then, let’s talk about the deal…”

Derrick held up a hand, “Wait. Can we discuss this in Lambourne?”

Matthew looked confused.

Derrick explained, “For this quality, we will usually just buy everything you have on offer. But our craftsman and appraiser are still on the dropship due to some delays. My people also want to enjoy their shore time, so we’re headed there anyway. How about proceeding when we are all in the town?”

“Didn’t you say that deals are usually made here?”

Matthew answered Anastasia’s question.

“If there is a large volume traded, sometimes we negotiate in the city. If we can sell more, there’s no harm in acceding to some of their requests.”

Anastasia, who didn’t know much about business, nodded at Matthew’s words. She had made up her mind to see the mines anyway, so there was no real loss to her.

“Oh, no!”

“What’s wrong?”

The jeep driver pointed to the jeep’s wheel. The tire was clearly punctured and flat. “I don’t have the tools to inflate the spare tire at the back. Oh my lady. I’m sorry.” The driver lowered his head in dismay.

Derrick clicked his tongue and said. “My lady, why don’t you take my car?”

Anastasia shook her head firmly after thinking about what that would be like.

“I can’t trouble you like that.” She looked around. “I’ll ride that scooter with Sir Matthew.” She pointed to a somewhat old scooter with a sidecar.

Derrick seemed worried on her behalf. “My lady, don’t do that, wouldn’t it be better to ride in a car?”

Matthew also objected, “My lady, I think it would be better to ride in Mister Lagos’ car. Riding a motorcycle on mountain roads can be very uncomfortable.”

Anastasia felt annoyed by Matthew’s lack of caution, but she controlled her expression and insisted, “It’s only two hours away anyway. I can ride a scooter.” She allowed a bit of her annoyance to leak through in her tone.

Matthew sighed, and nodded his head.

Anastasia steered the scooter easily, revelling in the freedom of being able to control a vehicle under her own hands for the first time in months. Thankfully, it was a scooter, so the skirt of her formal dress did not get in the way. Matthew rode in the side car, but obviously concerned about her condition.

I am not made of glass, so stop looking at me like that! Furthermore, her gut instinct told her something was very wrong, and she definitely did not want to be in the same space as Derrick Lagos. Sitting in his car feels like walking into an enemy base without any escorts. Maybe that is because I am still thinking like Avryl, but…

The squad of motorised infantry rode around and behind her, followed by the vehicles of the villagers transporting the gemstones that were going to be traded. The traders brought up the rear, silent throughout the journey.

“My lady, are you tired?” Matthew asked concernedly. “Maybe you can change to riding in the car.”

She retorted, “I’m fine. How can I ride in the same car as somebody I just met today? Sir Matthew, I think you are letting down your guard too easily.”

She glanced back at the traders, and saw the glint of metal. Her blood froze for an instant, before she screamed, “Everybody, duck and scatter for cover! NOW!”

Anastasia pressed on the accelerator, pushing the scooter to its maximum speed.

“My lady!”

”What’s going on?”

Before they could figure out what was going on, gunfire erupted from the traders’ vehicles, scything through the civilians and soldiers alike and dropping them to the ground.

Anastasia ignored the bullets flying past and leaned down to make herself a smaller target, cursing at the fake traders.

They were actually bandits. No wonder she felt uncomfortable, Anastasia gritted her teeth. She had always trusted her intuition. It had gotten her out of difficult situations time and again. Even when Pence shot her in the back, she had never fully trusted him.

“My lady!”

Matthew cried out from the sidecar, but she did not care. She felt sorry for the soldiers since they were under her charge, but there was nothing she could do for them, not in this impossible situation. If she turned back for them, she would only die, or become a captive.

Anastasia chanced a glance behind her. The bandits were still chasing her, their motorcycles gaining slowly but surely. But they had stopped firing. She realised these freebirths were not just robbers looking for a mere jewel heist. They were aiming for her.

What should I do? They are going to catch up with us, since my scooter is not very fast… She spied a narrow trail through thick bushes. Let’s give them something to think about.

“Sir Matthew, hang on!”

She drove onto the narrow path, trusting the speed of the scooter to bash through the bushes, gambling that there were branches thick enough to push her off or trip up the scooter. She kept her eyes forward, twisting the scooter and its sidecar from side to side to avoid the thicker bushes.

A shout from behind her and the fading engine sounds told her that her ploy worked, one of their pursuers had tripped.

But they were not in the clear yet.

She rode the scooter for a little while longer until they came to a clear path. She braked the scooter to a stop, then dismounted, gesturing for Matthew to do the same. She then took out her handkerchief and tied it around the accelerator button, sending the scooter careening down the path.

“They will be waiting for us down the mountain. You know that, don’t you?”

“……”

Matthew remained silent.

Anastasia could already feel aches and pains all over her body, but she knew she could not afford to collapse. She was also grateful for her physical training for the past week, which gave her the stamina and strength to push on.

Matthew exhaled, “It’s fortunate you didn’t get into their car!”

“Yes, if I did so I might already be dead or kidnapped.”

“Ahh, how do you figure that?”

“If they were just after the jewels, they would have stopped after killing the civilians and the escort squad. But since they continued to chase me, that means I’m their target. The fact they came in under the guise of one of our customers means that they are thorough and well-prepared. The more thorough they are, the more tenacious they will be. These are not mere underequipped bandits.”

Matthew looked at her in amazement. These words were not those of a delicate nobleborn lady, but the cold calculated analysis of a trained soldier.

“Then what are we going to do?” He had never been in this sort of situation before, and he was close to panicking.

“We’ll need to play hide-and-seek until our own soldiers arrive. If we’re not back by a certain time, they would know something went wrong and send out search parties. The bodies and blood on the road are impossible to miss. All we need to do is to survive until we get picked up.” She hoped the bandits were only infantry. If they had heavier equipment… “Will the household troops be able to move quickly?”

Matthew did not look too hopeful. Most of Craig Wurtz’s soldiers were green and untested. Was it possible for them to sense the danger and come to their rescue?  It was difficult to believe that the soldiers would be able to arrive quickly when every minute was urgent.

Then, they heard voices of menacing men. Anastasia put her index finger to her mouth. Their pursuers were approaching.

In the dark mountains, trusting in their numbers, the bandits were overconfident. What they failed to account for, what was impossible to factor in, was that there was Avryl Showers in Anastasia, who had gone through many such scenarios when training as a cadet in the sibko.

Anastasia smiled grimly. “Now, let’s play hide-and-seek.”

 

Anastasia and Matthew headed towards the more isolated mountain with the occasionally activated mines, muffling the sound of their footsteps. The bandits would surely be crawling all over the most likely paths down the mountains to Lambourne.

She was glad she insisted on comfortable boots because she hated high-heels. Otherwise, she would have to walk barefoot on the rocky trails.

They came across a particularly thick section of bushes, with the barest of openings for a person to squeeze through. Anastasia cursed. “I’m the only one who can squeeze through.”

The opening was too narrow for Matthew, a man, to enter.

She shook her head, “Let’s turn around and find another place.”

“My lady.”

She sighed. She understood what Matthew wanted, but Anastasia did not want to do that. She had already abandoned the escorting infantry soldiers and the civilians. She could not do that to Matthew, who had treated her well and taught her so much.

“Sir Matthew, it’s an order, so follow me.”

“I will follow you later. So….”

“Hey, I’ve found them!” A bandit appeared behind them. “Here!”

Matthew quickly pushed Anastasia through the opening.

“My lady, you must run away!”

“What? No!”

“Hurry up!”

“…” As she shook her head desperately, Matthew shouted sternly.

“Come on! How can Baron Kalinski live without you? It was all my fault for being overconfident. I’ll take responsibility for my mistakes, but you must survive!”

Anastasia bit her lip, well aware that there was nothing she could do..

“I will remember you.” The only thing Anastasia could do for him, in the end, was not to forget his sacrifice.

Anastasia squeezed through the bushes, and it seemed like a wood-and-leaves tunnel made by wild animals through the bushes. It went on for a very long distance, such that she completely lost track of her direction. She was relatively assured, though, that the bandits would not be able to follow her.

She emerged into a small clearing next to the mountain, panting hard from the effort of squeezing through the tunnel. She turned back to the tunnel when two hands suddenly grabbed her from behind, trapping her arms in their grasp. She gasped in shock, and twisted, trying to break free.

“Lady Kalinska, it’s me.”

“……?”

The familiar voice gave her goosebumps. As Anastasia looked back and opened her mouth, the palm immediately covered her mouth.

“Shh, be quiet. You’ll give away our position.”

Anastasia looked back and saw a familiar face. His oily smirk was missing, and his eyes were entirely serious now, belying the gravity of their situation.

It was Pence Lamongue.

[vianca]

That shifted rather adruptly.
Have I mist a chapter or so?

Still good, though.
Say, how old is the Clanner SI her new body, right now?

I can see her wanting some mech production capabilities, if only for creating spareparts, if nothing else.
Big name mechs are out.
Too bad that the New Dallas datacore is still atleast ten years away from this date.
Would make something like the Sarissa would make a good local product.
I also am wondering if the Phoenix if done as a Royal or Clan mech, would be able to carry more weapons, without it's problems, in terms of weight.
Now, the Omega Superheavy Mech is a bit out of reach, especially from a starter up, but it does show some interesting things.
Oversized Actuators, was the too weak actuator not the problem with TSM & MASC?
Hybrid Myomer, bet it's a fusion of TSM & MASC myomer bundels.
Larger myomer fiber bundels, would primitive myomer fiber bundels not do that from the get go?
Endo-steel frame, larger & bulkier, primitive larger & bulkier or more?

It seems to me that C3 could actually do with the Fury computer added to it, if only for the secondary datalink ability it gives, Nova CEWS[/url would be better, though even that one is ten to fiveteen years away, right now.

Now the Fury, production date is weird, 3064, factory vault with all the technical data found in 3068, still before the New Dallas find, but still...
Comstar?
WoB?
Only thing I can think off, there.

Now back to current, her Valkyrie.
Was said to be a Wholesale copy of the Wasp LAM, but if so, where is the transformation gear?
Clearly the DC being the DC, in order to frustrate the FS, even during the time of the SLDF.
Yet, how much truth is there in it?
It does look like the Wasp, so can Wasp parts be used, if needed?
Because that could give her a wider source of spareparts, if needed in a pince.
Could even be handy with upgrading it.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Oops! Looks like I made a mistake and missed a chapter! I've pushed the previous one down here and edited the previous post.

Twin Mountains, Altoona,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st March, 3061
1600 hrs

“I hope you remember me. We met at the drop-port. I’m Spencer Larouche.”

“……”

“I’m going to release you slowly. Don’t scream.”

She nodded. He slowly released his grip, enough for her to pull away. She spun around to face him.

“I’m impressed you managed to survive this far, my lady.”

She glared at him, not trusting her own voice for the moment.

“We need to get moving. I found a safe way down the mountain, and I have hidden a car down there, since the terrain up here is too rocky for it. I can get you away from the pirates.” He started to walk down a path.

Following, she managed to retort, “I am well aware of our situation, Captain Larouche. No need to explain it to me.”

“Interesting. You were pretty rude to me previously. So why the courtesy now?”

“Is that what you are concerned about right now? I was not aware you cared. From what I heard, you were only able to serve under Count Haynes because you didn’t care about formalities.”

The pretentious geniality on Pence’s face disappeared at Anastasia’s contemptuous words.

He frowned. “I am trying to save your life right now, so it would be wise for you to stay quiet.”

“I should thank Baron Haynes then? Wasn’t he the one who got both of us stuck in this mess?”

Pence’s cold eyes turned to Anastasia at the words. Anastasia was not afraid of him at all.

Anastasia smirked. “Didn’t you wonder why I didn’t ask you why you were here? Oh, maybe you are treating me like a fool again? No matter how I see it, this whole situation is the doing of Baron Haynes, so no wonder that I find his favourite ass-wiper here, doing his bidding.”

She had learned from Matthew, and pored over news articles pertaining to ‘Spencer Larouche’. She had a rough idea of how Pence Lamongue became Spencer Larouche, though obviously she still missed many pieces of the puzzle.

He was called the dog of House Haynes, but to be precise, he was Renard Haynes’ ass-wiper. The man who stuck to the heir and took on all kinds of dirty work to enjoy the wealth and glory promised by Baron Haynes.

His tone was cold. “I’ll be very careful of what I would say next if I were you, my lady.”

“You’re not even trying to deny it? Let me guess, you got the bandits to come here and kidnap me, with the gems thrown in as a bonus. They double-crossed you and decided to cut you off, so that they could ransom me off for a larger sum than what you promised them, or to extort you for more. In any case, they win.”

She smiled sardonically, “Am I correct? Such a hard time kidnapping just one girl. It seems your honour and competency are worth shit these days… ugh!”

Anastasia frowned as he clutched her neck and forced her up against a tree. Pence looked at her menacingly.

“I wasn’t aware that a mere noblewoman would know anything about honour. It’s not something that should be taken lightly.”

Anastasia gritted her teeth. She refused to be afraid of him, refused to be intimidated.

“So… is this… what you call honour? You enjoy it… don’t you? Killing somebody weaker than you… Come on… Finish me! Or did Renard told you… to leave my body intact?”

Her eyes glared at Pence.

Pence suddenly released her. She dropped to the ground, coughing. Her vision was blurred and tears flowed through her eyes due to her body’s natural reaction to being strangled.

“You trash bastard.” She very nearly said ‘trash-born’, but that would have been a dead giveaway.

When Anastasia finished coughing and regained her breath, Pence’s eyes suddenly grew cold again.

“Shut up before I decide to leave you to the bandits. We still have a long way to go.”

“Why should I follow you? You might just be bringing me back to Renard, and I can guess what he has in store for me.”

He sneered. “You’d rather take your chances with the bandits?”

At that moment, they both felt it. A very slight tremor through the ground.

They froze. They both knew what it was.

A mech.

 

“It looks like a Harvester. But no civilian equipment on its arms, and they put hands on it.” Easier to grab and smash, I guess. Anastasia thought. Smart of them.

They laid down on their stomachs on a ledge, taking turns to look through Pence’s monocular.

“It is a Harvester, heavily modified.” Pence confirmed. “They got it from some workshop in the Periphery specialising in converting industrial mechs into viable combat units.”

She cursed. As all-terrain units, mechs were effective in mountainous regions, with their sensors and ability to navigate over most obstacles. Even a modified industrialmech had huge advantages over most vehicles.

Pence continued, “That’s not the only mech they have. They also have three more, all real battlemechs instead of this piece of trash. They were their plan B in case their subterfuge failed. They’re not much, but without a mech, we have no chance. Better to find a hiding spot and hope the mechs don’t find us.”

She pointed, “Not really. Look at the cockpit.” She handed the monocular back to him.

The bandit mechwarrior was exiting his mech! Without his neurohelmet!

They looked at each other.

Moments later, they were barely metres away from where the mechwarrior was, puffing away happily on his vape.

“You distract him, I get to the mech.” Pence had told her, and she could not argue otherwise. Not when she did not even know if she had the right neurological profile for piloting a mech, and besides, Lady Anastasia Kalinska was supposed to be a pampered spoiled lady, how could she know how to pilot a mech at all?

They had debated over whether they should get rid of the mechwarrior first, but agreed their priority was to secure the mech. There were bandit infantry prowling the area, they had to move fast the moment they initiated their plan.

Anastasia stepped out into the mechwarrior’s view.

The bandit nearly choked on his e-cigarette upon seeing her, then fumbled for his pistol, “Stop right there!”

“I’m not going anywhere,” she said wryly, holding up her hands in a show of surrender.

She could see Pence already scrambling up the rope ladder of the mech. But something in her eye must have given them away, because the bandit mechwarrior spun around, his pistol already in motion.

“Hey, get off my mech!” He snapped off a few shots from his pistol, and she saw Pence tumble desperately into the cockpit.

With one swift motion, she drew the stiletto from her left forearm with her right hand, and stabbed it into the unsuspecting bandit’s neck from the back, killing him almost instantly. Blood gushed from the wound in his neck and splattered onto her.

The commotion drew the attention of some bandit infantry nearby, and they ran in their direction, aiming their weapons at her.

Anastasia threw herself onto the ground behind a rock as cover, and the Harvester started moving, its cockpit still slightly open. The rope ladder on the mech swung wildly as it walked with menace towards the bandit infantry, who started running in the other direction.

“Shit, they killed Yanis and took his mech!”

It did not take long for the bandit infantry to run away. Confident that the bandits would not be returning soon, Anastasia called out once the mech stopped chasing them, “Captain Larouche, get over here so I can climb up into the cockpit!”

There was no reply, and the Harvester remained still.

Maybe he did not hear me? She jogged tiredly up to the Harvester. “You hear me now, Captain Larouche? I’m coming up!”

Still no reply nor reaction from the mech, standing silently.

Her blood ran cold. She clambered up the rope ladder, and managed to squeeze her way into the cockpit through the opening.

Pence Lamongue laid on the command chair, barely conscious, above a small puddle of blood slowly draining out on the floor of the cockpit. There was a bleeding hole in the side of his chest at the ribcage, where one of the bullets had punched in. It was obvious he did not even have time nor strength to put on the neurohelmet, which laid ironically on top of the small compartment with the medical kit.

Anastasia cursed. She thought about just tossing his body out of the cockpit and leaving him to die, but she doubted she had the strength to do so. Furthermore…

If he was to die, it would be at her hands, in honourable battle. She would let him know her real identity and relish his dismay as she claimed his life. That would be her perfect revenge.

Not like this.

This was also why she had been so disappointed with herself when she thought briefly about manipulating Finn. It simply was not right.

Finally, if she just abandoned him to die, he would have been regarded as a hero, a mechwarrior who sacrificed himself to save a weak noblewoman. When he was anything but a hero, just a traitorous Burrock who had hoodwinked everybody.

That thought made her sick.

“I will keep you alive, so that I can kill you properly later.” Anastasia muttered quietly as she took out the medical kit. She checked it, and cursed when she saw there were no bandages, the bandits skimped on supplies. There was a bottle of just expired iodine and scissors though, plus some medical tape.

She took the scissors and used it to cut strips of cloth from her petticoat. It was made of white cotton, so it would help stop the bleeding. The garment was also still quite clean because it was an inner skirt, and the material was also perfect for encouraging the blood to clot and stop bleeding. It could be used as a bandage if it was long enough.

She took off Pence’s jacket and blood-soaked shirt. She looked around the cockpit and spied the small water tank at the back, along with a bottle. She used the bottle to collect some water and drank some water herself since she was thirsty.

She then poured the remaining water onto the makeshift bandages, soaking it and wiped the bullet entry wound clean. There were no tweezers in the medical kit to extract the bullet, and she dared not waste too much time on treating his injuries. Anyway, he probably would not die once the bleeding was stopped. She applied the iodine liberally to another cloth and wiped it again to disinfect the wound, not caring if he felt extreme pain from the effect of the antiseptic. She folded some of the cloth into a makeshift pad and placed it on the bullet wound, then wrapped the bandages around his body to secure the pad and stop the bleeding, fixing the whole assembly in place with liberal amounts of medical tape.

Then she felt Pence’s body twitch. Anastasia looked at Pence as he groaned in pain.

“How long have I been unconscious?” He asked.

“Not long. Maybe ten minutes? Fifteen at most.” The bandit infantry must have called in, the enemy mechs would be arriving soon. They had to start moving.

“I see.” He noticed the bandages around his torso. “These don’t seem like normal bandages.” He glanced down, and he grimaced when he realised the bandages were from Anastasia’s petticoat.

Anastasia said, “You’re in no shape to pilot a mech now.”

“And you know how to?” He coughed, then winced at the pain. “We’re going to die here.”

“Not if I can help it.” she snarled. “There’s a small foldout seat behind, you get on it. I’ll take the command seat.”

He glared at her weakly.

Anastasia narrowed her eyes. “I played some mechwarrior games before,” that was an outright lie, as a proper lady the original Anastasia had probably never played any of those games, and clan warriors did not need to play mere computer games when they trained using simulators or real mechs, “And I may not be as good as you, but I’m still going to be a better bet than somebody who might pass out from blood loss any moment! So just get off and let me take the con!”

He stumbled over to the small foldout seat, and she helped to strap him in. He seemed to lose focus though, and was unconscious again soon after. With his wounds settled, she did not have to worry about hygiene too much and quickly relieved herself with the foldout commode in the back.

After she sealed the cockpit canopy completely, Anastasia put on the old-style neurohelmet, making sure it was still connected to the NCCI and seated snugly against her head, ensuring physical contact with her scalp so the sensors could pick up her brain activity. She was grateful the mech was already running and she did not need to get past the security protocols, which would have been impossible.

She took one look at the cockpit setup, and was assured it was a fairly standard layout, familiar to any mechwarrior. The bandits had outfitted the Harvester with a standard battlemech cockpit, instead of just retrofitting an advanced fire control system over the civilian systems.

She twisted a knob on the console to open the feedback test circuit, and winced a bit with the wash of vertigo as circuits tuned to unfamiliar brainwave patterns fed dissonant patterns back to her brain. She adjusted the vernier knobs that controlled the helmet's tuning, working them back and forth as the dizziness ebbed. Out-of-step traceries on an oscilloscope display on the neurohelmet HUD screen resolved into a single standing wave.

The neurohelmet was now set to her brainwave patterns, though she knew that it was only a very rough calibration, and she would likely suffer from nagging headaches for a few days after this. Besides, she did not even know if her brainwave patterns were suitable for mech piloting at all. Maybe the mech’s Diagnostic Interpretation Computer (DIC) might not even understand the signals from her brain centres, severely limiting the manoeuvring options available to the mech.

“Only one way to find out.” She grabbed the throttle with her left hand, and the main control stick with her right. Both feet on the pedals, between the straps so they could follow her feet along other axes for expanded movement options besides just turning. Again, she was glad she did not wear high heels, and her boots fit snugly into the pedal straps.

She thought about climbing down to take the dead bandit’s cooling vest, but decided not to. They needed to be off and away as soon as possible. A little bit of heat in the cool Altoona air should be manageable. She noted that the mech had very limited cooling, and she could not afford to keep it running at maximum speed while firing its weapons; the mech would overheat within minutes.

She also checked the mech’s armament. Only a single eighty-millimetre autocannon, with a partial load of ammunition for slightly more than two minutes of continuous firing, if she read the numbers correctly. It was her only ranged weapon. It would have to be good enough.

Anastasia pushed the throttle forward, and the Harvester started moving. She would have been more excited about finally piloting a mech again, if not for the dire circumstances.

She punched up a map of the area on the HUD, mentally gauging distances and the safest route back to Fort Lambourne.

Can’t do a direct line, it’d be too obvious. Would need to cross a river here… Rocky terrain there. It would have to do. With the throttle set, her left hand flipped a switch to activate the secondary control stick on her left, allowing her to control the left arm of the mech separately. She raised the left arm of the Harvester up to the cockpit level, and directed her thoughts towards manipulating its fingers.

The left hand of the mech formed a fist, but with the middle finger stuck out for the universal insult.

“Yes!” Anastasia exulted in glee. She would have preferred to do this in a proper controlled setting, but in any case, she was glad to have confirmation. The DIC was able to read her brainwaves, which meant that Anastasia’s body had the right neurological profile for mech piloting!

“Where… are we now?” Pence seemed to have woken up from the mech’s movement.

“On the way to Fort Lambourne. You can forget about taking me back to Baron Haynes.” She said with more confidence than she felt.

“Why didn’t you let me die?”

“What?”

“If I were you, I would have left myself behind.”

Anastasia flinched, and her mind went blank for a moment. She focused her attention back on piloting the mech.

Pence continued. “You are very clever, my lady. Everything you told me earlier is true. Baron Haynes ordered me to kidnap you in secret and bring you back to Inman. What did you do to get on his bad side?”

“Kidnap me?” She scoffed, “He’s even more petty than I thought. But why are you telling me all this now? What’s with the sudden burst of honesty?”

“Well… because I think we’ll probably be dead soon. They have three other mechs. I don’t know how you managed to move the Harvester, but you will not be able to escape three battlemechs.”

She gritted her teeth. “Tell me.”

“Thorn, Urbanmech, Hatchetman.” He listed. “Do you even know what these are, my lady, or how overmatched this Harvester is?”

She did not bother to reply. Of course she knew. One modified industrial mech with a measly autocannon versus three battlemechs? She was badly outclassed, outnumbered, and outmatched. But if she could get to Fort Lambourne… Craig Wurtz’s company of motorised infantry might not be able to stand up to mechs in an open field battle, but with the fixed defences of the Fort, they might have a chance.

The sensors display on her HUD flashed, enemy mech detected at two kilometres away.

The radar display showed its approximate location, right in her projected path northwards back to Fort Lambourne. The bandits could read maps too.

The comms crackled in her neurohelmet, “Give it up Larouche! You’re outnumbered and outgunned. Let us have the girl, return us the mech, and we’ll let you live.”

Oh, so they thought it was Pence piloting the mech? It was a reasonable assumption. She refused to respond, not wanting to give away anything, and focused on the enemy mech’s location.

It was moving slowly, so slowly it was the Urbanmech, or one of the other mechs trying to lure her into its interception radius.

She was not going to fall for that, but it was also likely they would have deployed their other mechs in a spread formation to catch her. She could only make her best guess and try to slip past them. Engaging with the autocannon was her last resort.

She angled the Harvester northwest to circle further around the enemy mech, praying hard she had guessed right. If the bandits were competent, they would have deployed their other two mechs to the west and east of the likely Urbanmech, and the Hatchetman and Thorn were definitely capable of chasing down the Harvester in this terrain.

Another mech popped up on the sensors, this time moving significantly faster, and closing in quickly. Anastasia gauged its speed on the radar display. Moving faster than sixty kph… it must be the Thorn.

There was no way she could outrun it, but all things considered, it was the most optimal target.

She angled even further west. She did not know how much armour the Harvester carried, but it was probably not enough to stand up against the firepower of a Thorn at close range, even if it was only a twenty ton light mech. Her best bet to take on the Thorn was to keep the range open and whittle it down with the autocannon.

The terrain was uneven even while it sloped downwards, with precipitous cliffs that could severely damage the Harvester’s legs if she was not careful and it fell off.

The Thorn was already in visual range. One kilometre away. Eight hundred metres.

She gripped the main control stick firmly, her right palm already starting to bleed a bit from the friction of controlling the stick. All mechwarriors developed calluses on their hands due to long hours holding their control sticks, but Anastasia’s body was not adapted to this. She thought about gloves for an instant, but dismissed the idea immediately because it would reduce her feel on the stick and also made her hands feel hotter in combat, a big no-no when many mechwarriors stripped down to the bare essentials in the cockpit due to the heat from weapons fire.

Six hundred metres. The Thorn was only a light mech, but she never felt it more menacing. If she had been in her Saber Knight, she would have chewed and spat out Thorns by the dozen.

A warning tone wailed, telling her the Thorn was trying to lock on her with its weapons systems. She gritted her teeth and rocked the Harvester from side to side, trying to shake off the target lock from the Thorn as it launched a flight of long range missiles.

The missiles blasted around the Harvester, shaking them up a bit, but none connected.

My turn, she thought as she twisted the Harvester’s torso to the right and shifted her targeting reticle over the Thorn. She caressed the trigger once the Thorn was within range of the autocannon, sending a steady stream of autocannon shells towards it, her hand trying to keep the reticle over the target even as the Harvester shook with the recoil of the autocannon.

The slugs exploded across the right leg of the Thorn, shaving off armour.

“Not bad,” commented Pence, but it was clear he was drifting in and out of consciousness.

The Thorn got a bit closer, but Anastasia worked the pedals furiously, moving her feet for finer control over the Harvester as it traversed the difficult terrain to keep the range open, her own brain feeding instructions to the DIC to maintain the mech’s balance even with the advanced footwork. She was pushing the Harvester at its maximum speed now, and coupled with the heat from firing the autocannon, the temperature in the cockpit rose noticeably.

The next several rounds of fire exchange had mixed results. She missed most of her shots, but one rolling burst connected with the Thorn’s left torso, leaving a set of craters across its armour, while it managed to slam a salvo of LRMs to the Harvester’s left arm, stripping off all the armour. The next shot would go internal on that limb. Thankfully, there was nothing important there. The really important components were the autocannon and the ammunition, all on the right arm.

Anastasia gritted her teeth and focused hard. For some reason, the Thorn was content to stay at a distance, content to shave away her armour instead of closing and utilising its superior firepower at close range.

It was the age old dilemma faced by many mechwarriors, maximise damage output or minimise damage taken? Obviously her opponent chose the latter.

Nevertheless, the Thorn was still working its way in, would get into medium laser range soon, and then she would be at a severe disadvantage. The Harvester was already slowing down with heat. If she continued to move it at its maximum speed while firing the autocannon, the heat buildup would soon start to degrade the mech’s myomer systems and affect its ability to target enemies.

Three hundred metres separated them now. She triggered off another rolling burst, and this time she got lucky, the rounds splattering against the right leg of the Thorn, even as it belched another salvo of missiles at her.

The light mech staggered with obvious actuator damage, but she had no time to revel in her minor victory because the flight of missiles slammed straight into the Harvester’s head. Anastasia hissed in pain as shards of shattered plexiglass flew through the cockpit, inflicting minor cuts on her despite her thick dress. Her face was thankfully spared with the neurohelmet and its thick visor.

A corner of her mind that sounded suspiciously like Luisa screamed at the condition of her expensive dress. Between the rough travel, the blood, the shrapnel, and the heat slowly frying her in the cockpit, it was going to be fit only for rags now.

She chanced a quick look at Pence. He was unconscious, and the shrapnel did not seem to have hit him.

The Thorn limped heavily, and she could see there was critical damage to the hip actuator, reducing its speed to slower than that of her Harvester.

Her own heat levels were rising, and she was now panting for breath in the sweltering cockpit, sweat pouring off her skin.

Time to finish this, she thought.

She circled the Harvester to the right of the Thorn, letting it close the range to two hundred metres. Laser blasts streaked through the air, barely missing her, followed by another flight of missiles that claimed all the armour from the Harvester’s right torso.

She took her time to place her shot, slowing the Harvester to a full stop, then gently pressed the trigger, her hand making minute corrections with the control stick. The long volley started tracking just short of the Thorn’s right foot, then traced up along the entire right leg in a series of explosions, blasting through the vulnerable myomer and internal structure already exposed with the loss of the protective armour.

The Thorn collapsed to the ground, the leg destroyed. It scrambled in the dirt, obviously trying to get up, but Anastasia had other ideas.

She backed the Harvester away, and marched off as quickly as she dared at an angle that avoided a free backshot from the Thorn. The Thorn was not the only enemy mech on the field, and the other two were surely closing in. The Harvester was also overheating, and she could not keep firing the autocannon. Better to run away and cool down.

Since she stopped firing, the mech’s limited heat exchanger system was able to vent the heat, bringing the cockpit temperature down to more bearable levels. She also opened up the canopy to allow in some cool air, and trusted the mech’s sensors to warn her of approaching enemy units.

Pence was still unconscious, knocked out by his blood loss. She could see the slight rise and fall of his chest, so he was still alive.

Then the Hatchetman appeared on their tail.

Anastasia cursed. She had not gotten as far away as she thought. The Hatchetman had jump jets, which allowed it to better navigate difficult ground by just jumping right over them, so it would only be a matter of time before it caught them. To make matters worse, any hit from its heavy autocannon would shred through the Harvester‘s paltry armour, while she was down to just a few more salvos from her autocannon.

She pushed the Harvester to its limit, the ground churning under its running legs as she sought to stay away from the Hatchetman. The distance closed little by little, the Hatchetman catching up on slopes and rough terrain because it could just jump right over them.

The mechwarrior in the Hatchetman called out over the open comms, “I’m going to catch you, Larouche, and I’m gonna make you pay!” It was a female voice.

Oh well, being a mechwarrior was an equal opportunity occupation, after all. So was banditry.

The Harvester finally hit the base of the Twin Mountains, and Anastasia could see the dirt road that her entourage had taken earlier in the day.

The Hatchetman was only seven hundred metres behind them, and closing steadily.

She ran the Harvester down the road, waiting for the range to tick down sufficiently that she could start firing at the Hatchetman. She relied on the compressed display on her neurohelmet HUD, which compressed the three-sixty view into just one-sixty degrees.

The distance tracker ticked down to five-fifty.

Anastasia twisted the Harvester’s torso to its right, and when she turned the targeting reticle further to the right, the one-sixty HUD view veered further even though she could not turn her head with the neurohelmet fixed on her shoulders. She placed the targeting reticle over the charging Hatchetman, and triggered a long burst from her autocannon. It passed over the Hatchetman's head.

She was very tired, the physical and mental exertions of the day catching up to her. Her next volley also missed wide, and her right hand on the control stick shook with exhaustion and strain, not helped by the blood from her lacerated fingers.

Preceded by the warning tone of a lock-on, the Hatchetman fired off a burst from its own autocannon at long range. Anastasia grimaced as the barrage tore through the Harvester's left leg, punching through the armour and almost taking it off in a single salvo. The mech stumbled, and she was just barely able to keep it standing.

Betty was certainly bitching now. "Critical hit, foot actuator. Critical hit…"

Her left hand flipped a switch to shut Betty up. The Harvester was down to a limping shuffle, an easy target.

She was almost out of ammunition for her autocannon. She managed to place several rounds right in the centre of the Hatchetman, but they barely slowed it down.

The Hatchetman's next shot missed, the barrage passing wide left of her mech.

Anastasia decided to go down fighting. She aimed the autocannon again, and triggered her last salvo. The ammunition counter ticked down to zero and she could hear the last shell clunking into the feed.

Then her ammunition was all gone, and she knew that she would only hear a mocking click if she pressed the weapons trigger. The last barrage missed cleanly despite her best efforts.

The Hatchetman was well within range of its autocannon now, and Anastasia weaved her Harvester desperately to throw off its aim, but hobbled by the actuator damage, it was a futile effort. The lock-on tone seemed to become even more insistent, as though telling her they were going to die soon.

She could see the Hatchetman’s autocannon line up, its barrel pointed straight at her. It fired, and the Harvester tumbled to the ground as its left leg was shattered by the autocannon fire. Anastasia rode out the fall gamely, angling the mech in such a way that the fall would be as gentle as possible, but the impact still flung her hard against the straps, and she knew she would have bruises along her shoulders if she survived. She could see Pence still strapped in the backseat, but he was awake now, a sardonic smile on his face.

It seemed he knew the game was up too.

She checked the sensors. The Hatchetman was closing in to finish them off. She was still lucky, they probably wanted to cripple the mech and capture them. They would probably hold her for ransom. Whether they would extend that courtesy to him was another matter.

Then the Hatchetman was suddenly engulfed in a series of explosions, tossed around like a ragdoll as it was almost swept off its feet by the sheer volume of fire concentrated on it.

“What…” Anastasia looked up and saw through her canopy window the unknown mech she had seen before with House Rason’s heraldry, its deadly array of autocannons glowing from sustained fire as it marched in from the west. A Dervish, a Javelin, and a Wasp followed behind, the Dervish obviously having contributed with its own long range missile racks, smoking from the discharge of its deadly missile load.

Finn Rason, her fiance, was here.

—----------------------------------------

The reason why they could get so close was thanks to the Javelin’s ECM (it's the 11B variant. I noticed the AFFS seemed woefully short of recon designs with ECM/Beagle, maybe because vehicles would usually conduct them). And Finn’s Templar was in the ‘Tancred’ configuration - 2 RAC/5s tied to a targeting computer are NASTY.

Here are the stats for the Harvester.

[The Wobbly Guy]

That shifted rather adruptly.
Have I mist a chapter or so?

Yup, my bad, fixed!

Still good, though.
Say, how old is the Clanner SI her new body, right now?

Anastasia Kalinska is just past 20 years old. Her B-day's in August. So Avryl gained about 7 years.

I can see her wanting some mech production capabilities, if only for creating spareparts, if nothing else.

Nah, mech production is out of the question, and I thought better of turning this into one of those fics.

The only place in the Trivet capable of even thinking about mech production is Delacambre with its higher tech base. But even there, there are issues. Remember they are only working up to fission engines, and Finn refused to fund them. Industrial mech production might actually be possible, but it'll require a massive infusion of skilled manpower and expertise that is simply not available at the moment. As a character who would be introduced about ten chapters later would say, it's hard when the natives can't even do the foundational mathematics.

Now back to current, her Valkyrie.
Was said to be a Wholesale copy of the Wasp LAM, but if so, where is the transformation gear?
Clearly the DC being the DC, in order to frustrate the FS, even during the time of the SLDF.
Yet, how much truth is there in it?
It does look like the Wasp, so can Wasp parts be used, if needed?
Because that could give her a wider source of spareparts, if needed in a pince.
Could even be handy with upgrading it.

Nah, it's just a bog-standard SW-era Valkyrie. The mech bay actually has many of the parts available, it's just that nobody bothered as the Kalinskis had given up on their martial identity. They are missing key members of a landhold: senior tech, weapons master (ref Time of War Companion pg 250).

Anastasia would seek to reverse that though, and her choice of Weapons Master would be a doozy, and actually required since her household would soon have substantial military capacity: the Valkyrie , Harvester, some APCs, plus the original company of motorised infantry.

Ana would also move up to a better mech only in the last Act when it's all guns blazing and the FCCW is in full swing.

[vianca]

Nah, mech production is out of the question, and I thought better of turning this into one of those fics.

Pure mech, I get it.
Still, with Germanium & gem mining,I would have thought some effort for at least spareparts production, would been have invested in, if only to keep that familiy mech running.
Keep it in mind, I can see her wanting some local production, even if it's hand crafted.

The only place in the Trivet capable of even thinking about mech production is Delacambre with its higher tech base. But even there, there are issues. Remember they are only working up to fission engines, and Finn refused to fund them. Industrial mech production might actually be possible, but it'll require a massive infusion of skilled manpower and expertise that is simply not available at the moment. As a character who would be introduced about ten chapters later would say, it's hard when the natives can't even do the foundational mathematics.

That must be irritating, even if she had the money & connections, to start a local spareparts factory, of some sort, the needed skills ain't there, so even the no school, you do ghis to get that way, is out.
That would take time to fix, even Hanse Davion didn't manage that one.

Nah, it's just a bog-standard SW-era Valkyrie. The mech bay actually has many of the parts available, it's just that nobody bothered as the Kalinskis had given up on their martial identity. They are missing key members of a landhold: senior tech, weapons master (ref Time of War Companion pg 250).

Ana would also move up to a better mech only in the last Act when it's all guns blazing and the FCCW is in full swing.

Was saying that IF the Valkyrie WAS a internal Wasp copy and externally a Wasp LAM copy....
It might offer her a source of spareparts, that must be around quite a bit.
Figure this being the FS Outback, 50/50 on getting parts for a Valkyrie or Wasp.
At least it gives her better changes to keep her mech running, if that old Court Case was true, right?

I always find the Mercury & Dragoon, their modularity, interesting.
And now I think about it, the reason behind if, would make the Valkyrie, not a straight Wasp copy, right?
Still, such modularity must weight something, maybe not much per system, but over the whole mech???
0.5 a ton, I would expect, easily.
How many differen lasers will she collect, as part of her spareparts pile?
And will there be any interesting ones in them, that combined, give better cooling, longer range and more punch?
I know that besides fittings, not all the lasers where made the same, some had their own slight plusses.
But yeah, that would need a tech that knows what he is doing, at least.

As for her getting a new mech later on, near the end...
Part of why I brought up the Sarissa, you know.
If wanted, Primitive mechs could let you cheat, in regards to getting a Royal mech.
Just swap the primitive material for Royal or Clan materials, no calculation needed, just getting a stronger frame & thicker armor, then actually needed.
That it could be produced on lines not mend to produce mechs...
Now that's a bonus, right there.

There is also that I don't know how long you would want to let this story run, either.
The above, would easily take fiveteen years, if not twenty.
So yeah.

O right, the Liao created CW, still think he used his mother & sister to replace Katerine & Nondi, via operation double mkII, they acted waaay too nuts.
Two components poison exist, and Hanse Davion died on a suspected moment, I must say.
Add in that Katerine was a daddies girl, he would be the one that would have the most changes to detect if Katerine was Katerine. (Or why her Clan made child, needed Victor his DNA, that screams imposter, trying to claim the throne)
Then Melisa was killed, the only other person close enough, to be able to tell this fact.
Nondi, act the General, worse, look up her seventh daughter.
Way easier to replace her and get away with it.

Yeah, that really is a case, where you as writer, can jump many ways.
Victor Steiner Davion, almost had things alligned for the creation of the Federated Combinned Commenwealth.
Funny that, right?
I find that those canon writers, handeled that period, stupid.
They could have used the creation of the FCC, to create that CW and turn it into one with three parties, thus turning said civil war, that much more problematic.

edit:
That period is the start where things get weird, I feel, though fun in terms of tech potential.
Lots of weird happenings, which really brings out the tin foil hats & thoughts and that's canon timeline.
If it was 40k, I would get it, that hat, it might actually work.
At least beefing the actuator, on a 30 tonner, is easy, used use those from a heavier mech, thatshould allow TMS and/or MASC, speed is live on those light mechs.
On that, will she start to resink it to double or tripple sinks?
With that I mean Royal Freezers or Clan Freezers.
I do get, with it being the Outback, it might be more costly then the normal single sink.
And a cooling suit would probably be worth even more, even if it's not lostech anymore.
Heh, almost a shame she couldn't get some LAM gear, you know, but that would eat up the tonage(?), even if it would be fun to create a Valkyrie LAM.
On the other hand, producing LAM components, would give them some stuff to sell, even if it means hand crafted copies.
And since the last LAM factory is gone and that world in Clan hands..., who is going to complain?
It's mostly, straight up metal copy work, that should be possible, right?
SLDF neurohelmets would also be fun, but would a cooling suit maybe not be easier for her people to make?
Now that I think about it, that might actually be the better option to go for, in terms of future industry, cooling suits.
It's the one think her dress makers, plumbers and doctors, should be able to get.
Lets just hope it doesn't require the crystal stuff from a Freezer, in order to move the heat away and that it are just Myomer cooling tubes.
Mmm, yeah, that might also require a mech-tech as well.

Wait, how many of her people, even know how to read?
Because that would be the biggest problem, from the get go.
Still makes the cooling suit the one item that might be closest for her to produce, of all the high tech items, which is actually quite funny.
The tech still exist, in mechs & artificial limbs, maybe even some of the fancier dresses, their skirts and corsets as well.
If nothing else, look up the Space Suit and see if that might hold even a temporary solution or not.
In sunlight, it gets quite hot and in the dark of space, it gets quite cold, so it might offer a stopgap solution, if the helmet problem can be fixed.
The Asuncion Escape Suit proofs that the normal space suit has a temperature regulation system.
Same for the Hostile Enviroment Suit and thus raises the quistion of how far things have been backsliding all this time and if some of them are easier to get for a Backwater World, then a Cooling Suit.
Heck, even the Light Environment Suit might be a option, since you would be filling it with cool air from the pilot helmet support air supply system.
And I'm overthinking things, plus it's a Outback backwater world, so what options are even there?
Checks armory and finds a forgotten SLDF Tanker Uniform, joking, joking, I'm sure it's dust & garbage, considering those rusted rifles.
Might be easier to modify the Mech Seat to include that cooling jacket stuff as upholstery & seating material or going full head ejection cockpit and applying the weapons heat isolator option, to said cockpit, while also adding in a re-entry shield to this thing.
That should make cockpit heat easier to handle, even if the mech still needs better sinks.
But that mech is waaay to light, with it's 30 tons, to make that a easy to do option, something would have to give, like armor or weaponry and that's a no-no.

And everything is just now coming back into production, so no way a Outback Backwater that had quite a mismanagement happen to it, would ever have any of it.
Back to squire one, lol.
So how much of the old Myomer System of her Family Valkyrie, might she be able to re-use for other things?
Essay: Battlemech Technology Collecting Heat
:edit ends

But she is in the FS Outback, so canon CW happenings should not effect her, that much, right?
No, I don't think so, but the WoB tantrum caused by it, might, what with nuking Germanium deposits that are quite big.
O well, can only wait and see what you will do.
How much in the thick of things, she will end up being, for one.
Or how heavy her upgrade will be, for the other.

Anastasia would seek to reverse that though, and her choice of Weapons Master would be a doozy, and actually required since her household would soon have substantial military capacity: the Valkyrie , Harvester, some APCs, plus the original company of motorised infantry.

I don't get the Harvester, it would wreck what you are trying to harvest, if only because the tools needed for this, are so weird and out off place.
Plus the feets their location in the path you want to harvest, trampling everything.
Something like the Scorpion, looks way more in place as a harvesting mech, since you could use a tool arm on the front middle end, while having space for storing the harvest, in a big bucket on top.
It would make more sence, including it not needing a neuro-helmet and make it complementary to the Harvester Ant
Like a combine and a tractor, I guess.
O well, weirdness of Battletech, I guess.

Edit:
Happy Newyear, folks.

[Cavgunner]

Looking forward to the next one.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Twin Mountains, Altoona,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
21st March, 3061
2000 hrs

“Stand down or die, bandit.” Finn said over the open comms. “If you surrender now, we might still let you live.” It would probably be a life of breaking rocks on Delacambre or Altoona, but Anastasia had no sympathy for them, not after what they did.

The Hatchetman did not get up, but it did power down, its mechwarrior crawling out of the cockpit, her hands up.

A group of infantry on bikes rode up and took her prisoner. Anastasia was surprised to see Captain Craig Wurtz leading them in his command jeep.

She disengaged the straps holding her in the command seat and took off the neurohelmet, sighing in relief from not having the neurohelmet's heavy weight resting on her shoulders.

Then she opened the cockpit canopy and crawled out. She could hear Pence doing the same, groaning from the pain of his injuries. Thankfully, the Harvester had fallen in such a way that it was easy for them to get out, and Pence should be grateful he did not need to climb down a ladder in his condition.

After getting out from the cockpit, she raised herself tiredly to her feet, absent-mindedly brushing off the dirt from the skirt of her tattered dress, and stared up at Finn’s mech. The cockpit opened up, and he quickly slid down the chain ladder, clad in his cooling vest. He wore his usual grumpy expression.

Nevertheless, Anastasia looked at him intently.

His eyes were also directed straight at her.

“Ah…” She suddenly did not know what to say, and she felt more curious than relieved. Wasn’t he supposed to be on Inman? What was he doing here? Did he come to Altoona specifically to save her?

“Viscount Rason, it has been a while.” greeted Pence with a grunt of pain. She saw Finn’s eyes narrow with suspicion and loathing. It seemed she was not the only one who hated Pence. And if Finn hated Pence, then maybe…

Her tired mind just could not finish that thought.

Finn gestured to several of her household infantry. “Assist Captain Larouche.” Several men came up with a stretcher, and Pence literally collapsed on it, while a medic talked to him. They would probably start on removing the bullet once they reached the clinic at Lambourne.

He walked up to her and gave her a quick once over. Anastasia stood blankly under his gaze, tired and still mentally adjusting.

“You have a scar on your face.” One finger caressed her cheek. She had a strange feeling. Finn Rason seemed to be worried about her. “You had a hard time in the mountains.”

“…yes.” That simple response got her mind working just a bit again. “How are you here? Not that I’m complaining…” Somehow, his right hand had caught her left hand in a firm grip. The warmth of his hand made her feel strangely relieved.

What did I just feel? Relief? I felt relieved holding his hand? What is wrong with me? She wanted to slap herself awake. She tried to pull her hand away from him, but Finn tightened his grip. She wanted to protest, to say more, but he started walking, and she just followed him, her mind just not working at the moment.

Her legs hurt, and despite the sunlight she shivered a bit. After the intense heat from combat, the cool Altoona air was a shock to her already exhausted body. Finn seemed to know this, and covered her shoulders with a blanket he produced out of nowhere.

The observing soldiers from the Kalinski household rolled their eyes and exchanged glances. As they guessed from his sudden visit to Altoona, Viscount Rason seemed to be in love with the beautiful heiress. The two of them together looked absolutely picturesque, the decorated soldier and his fiancee.

Captain Wurtz walked up to them and saluted Finn smartly before bowing to her.

“I’m so glad you’re safe my lady.”

Anastasia nodded and asked grimly. “Did you find Sir Matthew’s body?”

He smiled gently, “Sir Matthew is still alive. We found him when we went to the meeting place first, then the other mountain, before we headed here. Viscount Rason’s lance only just got here in time.”

“Really?” Anastasia’s pale face smiled brightly. She laid her hand on her chest and breathed a sigh of relief. “Is he seriously hurt? He must have been attacked?”

“Although he was shot, they said he will make a complete recovery with proper care and treatment.”

“I am really relieved.” Somehow that made her body release all the built up tension, and she slumped a bit, causing the blanket to slide off. “What about the other men?”

Craig’s face was grim. “There were few survivors from the ambush. We’ll round up the bandits, and they’ll work the rest of their lives to pay off the families of the dead.” He chanced a look at Finn. “The mechs alone should fetch a good price.”

“Oh, I’m sorry.” She seemed to realise belatedly that the blanket had slipped off and Finn had crouched down to pick it up. “Are you alright?” She asked when he did not rise immediately.

“I’m fine.” Finn straightened up and placed the blanket back on her, “Enough of this. You should rest your feet. You can’t even walk properly right now.”

Anastasia frowned back. “It’s strange.”

“What’s strange?”

Anastasia said, “You talk as if you’re worried about me. So you do care about me?”

Craig had moved off to one side, but close enough so that he could receive orders from Finn if necessary, so he could not help but overhear their argument, which frankly baffled him.

How could he not worry! Why else would he activate the Inman QRF units, including the jumpship,  and come to Altoona for her, if not for concern?

“You can take it that way if you wish.” Finn’s answer was surprisingly ambiguous.

Craig suppressed a sigh, being a happily married man with significant experience in relationships. Can take it that way if you wish? Are these two even communicating properly? If it’s right to worry, shouldn’t you say it’s right?

“If you can’t walk, tell me.”

“Why? Are you going to carry me?”

“Yes.”

Craig could not tolerate the underlying tension anymore, and moved away to quickly check on the transport for the lady. If the Viscount needed him, he would call for him. Otherwise, Lady Kalinska’s safety was assured with the Viscount.

Meanwhile, Anastasia was determined not to admit that she was so tired she could barely walk, even if she had to crawl on all fours. But as soon as she took one step, she almost tripped over the uneven ground. If not for Finn’s hand supporting her, she would have fallen over.

Then Craig approached them. “The car is ready.”

She quickly replied. “A car? No, better for Captain Larouche to take it. He is wounded, after all, and he saved my life.” She would make certain Pence would not die here. She would make sure he recovered, then kill him herself.

With his injuries, the car was the most suitable for him to lie down in. But that also meant there would not be any space for her in the car, not with a medic to monitor him in the shotgun seat, along with a driver. More importantly, there were etiquette considerations.

“But the car was prepared for you, my lady.”

“If Captain Larouche is in the car, then I can’t take it.” As for why, she did not say, since it should be obvious to these etiquette obsessed Spheroids.

Craig blinked, clearly understanding the issue. “Then how will you get back to Lambourne, my lady? You’re too tired to even drive anything, and we don’t have any other vehicle for you.”

She looked at Finn, “I thought I can ride in your mech?”

“What?”

“Then what else am I going to ride?”

At those words, Finn’s eyes widened. Then he made a perplexed face. Confusion pervaded the air.

Craig felt like banging his head hard on a nearby tree at the obliviousness of the couple, but he could only grimace and look on quietly.

Anastasia was dumbfounded. When she decided Pence should take the car, she had already intended to ride Finn’s mech. And maybe find out what design it was. Since it was also obvious that she could not ride alone, and for etiquette purposes, she could not ride the car with another man over her fiancé. She thought Finn was stupid. As usual.

“Oh.” Finn looked chagrined.

She guessed he really didn’t think of that. Anastasia shook her head, inwardly cursing his stupidity.

Finn sighed, then led her over to the chain ladder on his mech. She was so tired that he needed to push up with his shoulder against her butt to support her ascent up the ladder. It was not very dignified, but they had no choice. As it was, his mech was already kneeling, so the distance she needed to climb was shorter.

In the roomy cockpit, he strapped her into the back seat, which was also significantly larger and more comfortable than the one in the Harvester, since it was clear his mech was an assault class, with space to spare.

“I’ll be moving off soon.” He put on his neurohelmet, a newer model based on Star League technology, more compact and enabling him to turn his head instead of the older coffin-like models.

Anastasia nodded her head.

“Why didn’t you take the car?” He asked as he got his Templar to its feet and started it on the journey to Lambourne. He didn’t like her to be in the same car with Spencer Larouche, but it really would have been more comfortable.

“I’m fine with this,” she insisted.

“If you find it too uncomfortable at any point, I’ll put you in the car.”

Anastasia nodded weakly. Finn thought of pushing the Templar at its fastest speed to Lambourne, but he thought it would also be very uncomfortable for her, so he kept the speed of the mech at a steady forty klicks per hour.

He thought about the events that had led to this.

Getting the QRF lance and their Leopard dropship Jurano ready had taken some time, but the transit to the Blocky Road and the jump to Red Eagle’s stable L1 pirate point had proceeded smoothly, exactly as they had drilled for it. The burn for Altoona in the Jurano had taken another six hours at a faster burn than usual, and he had alerted the Kalinski garrison the moment they jumped in-system, which was how they managed to find the Kalinski household stewart Sir Matthew, but with explicit orders not to engage the bandits.

Motorised infantry against mechs would have been an outright slaughter.

Instead, Captain Wurtz’s infantry carefully shadowed the enemy forces and fed the data to his lance. His Javelin, a 11B recon model, provided ECM cover for his lance while they charged at the unsuspecting pirates, taking out the Hatchetman when it was focused on the Harvester. If he had been a fraction slower…

He did not want to think about that.

Speaking of her survival…

The infantry squad guarding her was killed, but she managed to escape into the mountains. Somehow, she even managed to hijack a mech and took down a Thorn with it! It could not have been Pence, not with the wound in his torso and his condition when they were found.

Combined with her taking down the other Harvester that day during the protests, he wondered if it was mere coincidence, or perhaps she really knew what she was doing.

He chanced a glance back at her. She raised her chin defiantly, tilted her head back, and looked at him squarely, every inch a Trivet noblewoman. Although her dress was in a mess, her face and her eyes seemed to sparkle.

He felt strangely itchy. Something was tickling deep inside him. He had never felt this way for other women before. He wondered if a relationship between a man and a woman was really that simple. Meeting and parting by necessity and desire.

He had never paid much attention to his own feelings about relationships, treating these matters as mundane and a waste of time. The only thing that he felt was a little exciting was the sexual tension he sometimes felt with women.

But this feeling towards Anastasia Kalinska… It wasn’t just sexual. There were other feelings mixed in. Admiration for how she managed to survive? Amusement at her brazenness and gumption? He was unfamiliar with these feelings. But he frowned at a sudden thought.

She might not feel the same way. For some reason, this made his heart ache a bit.

“There was one more mech.” She said after a while.

“I know. My other mechs are chasing it down now. Your troops are providing rear security and sweeping the areas for more bandits.” From the comms in his neurohelmet, the rest of his lance were already engaging the Urbanmech, and after that, the plan was for them to march on the bandits’ Manatee dropship and force them to surrender. However, there was a high chance the Manatee would just lift off and flee to the Scout jumpship at the nadir jump point.

“I see.” Anastasia blinked her eyes slowly. Fatigue clung to her eyes. She wondered idly what the mechwarrior in the Urbanmech was feeling, now that the tables were well and truly turned.

“You don’t have to worry.” Finn said flatly. Her eyebrows frowned at the word ‘worried’.

“Did you think I was worried?” A smile crept across Anastasia’s red lips.

“What do you mean?”

“Now that you are here, why should I be worried?” He felt she was teasing him again. “This is an assault mech and you’re a good mechwarrior, right?”

Finn gave her an incredulous look. What stood in her eyes was solid confidence and trust.

Finn thought Anastasia didn’t like him very much. Perhaps the feeling was even mutual. Nevertheless, despite her feelings, she believed in him. It felt better than ten words of praise.

Although Finn was confident in his skills and abilities, his weird fiancée’s belief in him somehow made him feel even taller.

“I suppose so.” Finn tried not to raise the corners of his mouth and answered, pretending to be calm. Who is this lady? Why does she only do what she wants or say what she likes?

Their many arguments had long since faded from Finn’s mind. Even her straightforward manner of speech had somehow become normal to him.

Barely five minutes later, she had fallen asleep, lulled by the steady movement of his mech as it travelled to Lambourne.

Fort Lambourne,
24th March, 3061
0600 hrs

Completely exhausted, Anastasia slept for three days straight. The maids changed and cleaned her on her bed while she was asleep. Some of them cried at the state of their beloved mistress and the danger she had been in.

She woke up in a semi-conscious state a few times, mainly to relieve herself, or to drink soup spooned into her mouth by her maids, and she was somewhat aware that Finn visited a few times, but she could not remember what he said or did.

She was now finally rested enough that she knew she had to start discharging her duties as mistress of Fort Lambourne, especially since Matthew was still recovering.

Anastasia chose the dark green dress she had borrowed from her mother before. Rather than dressing up with colourful hairpins, her hair was braided and tied down with a ribbon to match the colour of her dress.

Looking in the mirror, she could see a slimmer face compared to a few days before.

I need to put on more weight. If she was to improve her physical strength and stamina, she would need to eat more. The battle of a few days ago had pushed her to her limits, but she also felt mentally stronger for the experience, not least because she proved to herself that she was still a mechwarrior. The slight headache from the hastily adjusted neurohelmet was another reminder of the experience, that it was not just a dream.

Looking in the mirror, she did not feel strange about seeing Anastasia’s face anymore. Perhaps she was getting used to it?

She turned to Luisa, who was attending to her. The young maid seemed determined to fulfil all her requests and orders.

“How is Viscount Rason? Is he still here?”

“Oh, he was travelling all over for the past few days to inspect the various household garrisons, but he always made sure to come back here to Fort Lambourne and check in on you.” Luisa sounded so excited about it that Anastasia thought she would squeal with joy if she could.

“Where is he now?”

“He’s in the dining room.”

Anastasia nodded. “What about Captain Larouche?”

“He’s in a room in the corner of the fort.” The maid looked hesitant to say anything more.

“If he dies here, it’ll be my fault, right?”

The maid was shocked, “What are you talking about?”

“Nothing.” Anastasia thought of Finn in the dining room, and decided to head there. It was time she started handling the situation in the fort instead of leaving it to outsiders.

When she entered the dining room, Finn was already seated and having his breakfast.

Anastasia sat at the end of the table, in the hostess’s seat.

Finn stood up politely as Anastasia entered, only sitting down after she was seated. She picked up a fork, and eyed the sausages and egg on her plate speculatively.

“Good morning, my lady. I hope you have rested well. It’s been three days since you were up and about.” He greeted her.

“Yes, I have. Thank you for your concern. Also thanks to you, it’s only three days and not forever.” She replied, already a bit annoyed with the usual vacant pleasantries when there were more crucial matters to attend to.

He smirked, raising a piece of food to his mouth.  “That’s right.”

“Where is Captain Larouche?”

Finn’s eyebrows furrowed slightly. “Oh, he’s recuperating in his room. I’ve placed him under confinement.”

Anastasia raised an eyebrow.

“Really? Why?” Not that she really minded. If it was solely up to her, she would have placed Pence in a prison cell instead of a cushy room, and thrown away the key. But the political ramifications… Maybe her time as Anastasia was really changing her. And besides, she admitted to herself that without him she would not be able to hijack the Harvester.

“It’s suspicious. Captain Larouche came here without a clear reason, and your life was endangered.”

Finn’s guess was not wrong. Even the confinement was justified.

“His injuries?”

“A doctor already removed the bullet, so he should be fine.” Finn said dismissively. “He’s a tough bastard, he won’t die so easily.”

She found herself nodding in agreement. “He did save my life. I will see him after breakfast.”

Finn placed his fork on the table, and clenched his fist. “No. You cannot see him.”

The atmosphere had suddenly turned tense. The butler started to sweat when he noticed that Anastasia and Finn were quarrelling again.

“Why can’t I see a person who is staying here?”

“You should understand that his confinement was to ensure your safety.”

“I don’t think I ever told you to put him in confinement.”

The maids and butler looked at each other, sensing the deteriorating mood. The butler gave a tilt of his head as a signal, and the maids quickly left the dining hall. The butler went out last, saying to call him if they needed something.

“If he hadn’t saved your life, I would have put him in a prison cell rather than just confinement in a room.”

He wasn’t exactly wrong, but who put him in charge? Worse yet, it might undermine her authority and disrupt the organisational hierarchy of the Kalinski household. And if they ever got married… would he usurp her authority over the Kalinski demesne completely? Stravag, she was starting to think like an Inner Sphere aristocrat!

“What gave you the right to do that? I never gave you permission to make decisions and act on your own like this!”

Finn did not reply immediately, but his head was down and his voice sounded contemplative. “You were unconscious. Sir Matthew was severely injured. There was nobody else to take charge, so I made the best decisions I thought necessary. And now you’re asking me who gave me the right?”

Anastasia could feel his tone was filled with disappointment, but she could not figure out whether it was directed at her, himself, or the situation in general. It flustered her, since it was the first time she had seen Finn this way.

When she was Avryl, she had always thought Finn was a jerk, and when she was Anastasia, he was still a jerk. But she never thought he could get into such a mood. She had been too harsh on him. In any case, Finn did rush from Inman to save her, so she should be grateful.

“That… It’s not that I’m not grateful, I really appreciate everything you did for me.” Anastasia’s tone softened again.

However, Finn’s expression did not change. “You must really want to please Baron Haynes, right?”

“What?” Anastasia was stunned by his sudden assertion that appeared out of nowhere. What did Baron Haynes had to do with the current situation?

“You must’ve known who Larouche answers to, yet you are still defending him. Isn’t it obvious?”

“That’s not it, I….”

“If you want to fake your feelings, you should be more thorough. This is the second time that you’ve fooled me.”

“No, I…” Anastasia wanted to speak her piece, but Finn did not seem ready to let her interject. Her anger started to rise again. Finn, you idiot! Give people a chance to speak and explain themselves before you make a judgement!

“You probably don’t know that Renard Haynes planned it, right? Don’t you know why Larouche is here? It’s something Renard planned.” Finn’s eyes turned to Anastasia’s face. Her lack of surprise was telling. “You already knew it, but you don’t seem to have a problem with it.”

If it had just been a false alarm, Finn could have played it off as just a drill and used the opportunity to inspect Altoona’s defences. But he did save her, and despite her thanks, she didn’t seem grateful enough, and even let that trash-born bastard take the car he had specifically prepared for her. Then in the aftermath, he had to settle matters at the fort because most of the people who could make decisions were incapacitated or recovering.

In the face of Anastasia’s displeasure, Finn wondered if he did the right thing. He was already being nice to Larouche by not dumping him in the brig. But for Anastasia to be defending that bastard… he just couldn’t stand it. He should have known that Anastasia couldn’t forget Renard or give up her love.

Anastasia rolled her eyes and barely opened her mouth, about to protest, “No, that….”

“I want you to know that I am not a substitute for Baron Haynes, my lady.”

Anastasia blinked, digesting what he had just said. Substitute for Renard? Seriously? All her gratitude disappeared, drowned by anger she could not hold back any longer. She shouted, “Are you out of your mind? Do you think I’m some sort of a lovesick fool?”

Finn leaned back in his chair, startled by her outburst. Her reply threw him into confusion again.

She continued to rant, “I thought I already made myself perfectly clear!” She stomped around the table, completely unladylike. “I do not have any feelings towards him!” She poked him in the chest with a finger. “Have you forgotten already?”

He clenched a fist, “Then why did you go berserk in the Haynes manor guest lounge the other day? Isn’t it because of the crown prince?”

“Huh.” So that was it. She was beginning to understand what stupid Finn was thinking. She paused, trying to gather her thoughts and explain it in such a way that even a dense idiot like him could accept.

“Let me ask you. What does that have anything to do with Renard?”

“What?”

“Maybe something on the holovid angered me? Maybe I really went crazy? There could be many other reasons for what I did. Why does it have to be related to that ******?”

Finn was left speechless, staring blankly at her. “It really wasn’t because you still had lingering feelings for him?”

Her expression was adamant.

“Then why did you do it?”

She sighed. “It’s personal.” She said with a frown. “I know I did a lot of stupid things, but why do you keep bringing him into all this? It should not be that important, so why do you care so much?”

“Tha-that’s… well, because I’m your fiance, of course I care.” He suddenly felt very hesitant. “I mean… shouldn’t I?” He trailed off anxiously.

“Fine, you are right.” She flounced back to her seat, and sat down in a single smooth motion. “Now that we have cleared up this misunderstanding, let us finish our meal.”

It did not take them long. He noticed she made a conscious effort to eat more, which was very different from the other young ladies of the Trivet, who were always careful with their waistlines and watched their calories intake religiously.

“Where is Captain Larouche staying?”

Finn did not want to answer, but the glare she shot him made him say, “East wing, second room of the third floor.”

“Thanks.” She stood up.

Finn found himself standing up to block her path. “Why are you going to see him? Do you really have to?”

“I told you already. He got injured while trying to save me.” Her glare was in full force now, forcing him into glum silence. She stepped around him lightly with a smoothness to her movements he had never seen before.

She opened the door and stepped through. “Satisfied? Now you know exactly why I am going to see him.” The door closed with a bang.

Finn slumped against the wall, suddenly questioning himself. What is this feeling? What did Raymond say about one of the characters from his books? A pathetic guy who couldn’t trust his lover, and always doubted her? Am I turning into THAT pathetic guy?

The thought made him shudder. He always thought he was a rational thinker, but Anastasia was making him doubt his self-assessment. And when she admitted he was right to be concerned about her…

For some reason, it made him very happy.

These conflicting feelings plagued him for the rest of the day.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Fort Lambourne,,Altoona,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
24th March, 3061
0700 hrs

When Anastasia went to see Pence, he was doing what he always did when he was bored - cleaning his weapons. His set of throwing knives were on the table, neatly laid out on a piece of cloth, while he wiped them one after the other with another cloth. His laser pistol was still in a holster on another table.

She noted with disgust it was the same laser pistol he had used to kill her back on Garstedt. And the throwing knives were apparently isorla from bandits he had killed years ago, and he kept them ever since. They were obsidian black, and so well crafted they could be pieces of art. She could understand why he wanted to keep them.

He raised his head when she entered his room. Their eyes met, and she could only feel disgust and anger for what he had done and become.

“Greetings, my lady.”

Her voice was cold as she said, “I came by to check the state of your injury.”

He gave her that oily smirk she hated so much, and shrugged, “It still hurts a bit, but I can move about now. It wasn’t a serious wound.”

Pence put down the knife he was polishing, “I hoped you would drop by sooner. It was really boring to be locked up like this.”

“I just woke up.”

“I see. Since you’re here, that must mean you’ve fully recovered.”

“It seems you wanted to see me.”

“Yes, in fact I do. I was very impressed with how you handled the Harvester. Where did you learn to pilot a mech like that?”

She had been anticipating this question since she woke up, so it was easy to lie outright. “My fiance is a mechwarrior, and I played some mechwarrior games when I was a child. Recently, I watched holovids on how they operate, so I could understand his profession better. It just came in handy that day.” She shrugged in the end, playing it off as mere coincidence.

His eyes narrowed. She knew it was an entirely plausible explanation, but it was also full of holes that could be easily pried apart.

“I’m just a little curious. You managed to survive all that. I’m impressed.” His expression turned serious, “But I still need an explanation for Baron Haynes.”

She snarled, “That is your problem. You collaborated with bandits to kidnap me, and now you want me to help you get out of trouble with Renard?” She laughed mockingly. “Do you take me for a fool?”

He glared at her.

Anastasia continued. “What did he promise you for your loyalty? Is it worth serving such a man capable of planning these crimes?” It was all rhetorical, of course. If Pence could shoot her in the back, then he was capable of a lot of things. “Where’s your honour as a warrior?”

Her questions were meant to ferret out the reasons for his actions. She needed a better understanding of his motives.

Pence shook his head. “You keep saying a lot of funny things, Lady Kalinska. Honour here, honour there, honour for honour’s sake, with a side of honour, in your honour.” He laughed scornfully, “There are few things more foolish than this stupid concept of ‘honour’.” He spat the word out like a curse.

“…”

“Oh yeah, it sounds noble and good, but in the end, it’s just an easy way to get warriors to commit their lives to a cause, living as tools and dying like fools for their betters.” He had the gall to actually smile at her. “I’m not going to live like that.”

Anastasia could not reply, shocked by his easy dismissal of the concept of honour. As clan warriors, was it not supposed to be ingrained into their very hearts and souls? To turn his back on it with such ease…

She wanted to shout into his face. Where was the honour you were raised with, where did it go? Would the Founders be proud of what you have become? Was it worth abandoning the bloodname you fought so hard to earn? For money and wealth?

Anastasia had a chilling realisation. Pence Lamongue’s bloodline was already assured, in the possession of the Star Adders, and there might already be decanted sibkos from his genetic legacy. And it wasn’t as if she could just send a HPG to the Star Adders, inform them of his perfidy, and get them to wipe out his progeny.

Most importantly, they were innocent of his crimes.

If nothing else, her time in the Inner Sphere, as both Avryl and Anastasia, had taught her that.

The Star Adders had absorbed the Burrocks for their collusion with the Dark Caste, and the fact he seemed to have liaised so easily with the bandits who infiltrated Altoona…

He must have been one of the Burrock collaborators. And the Watch missed it entirely!

Her gaze sharpened, and she retorted, “Well, you’re still Renard’s tool, so it’s not like you are in a better position. Was it worth giving up whatever you had been? Or maybe you were always a slimeball anyway.”

She knew she was finally seeing the real Pence Lamongue. When she was his superior officer, she knew he presented a facade to the world, and tolerated it for the sake of the clan, but even she did not realise how thoroughly he had fooled everybody.

He returned her glare. “You think you, a spoiled pampered lady who never had to fight for anything in her life, have any grounds to lecture me? Oh wait. You did fight for something, Renard's love. And how did that turn out?" He sneered at her, thinking his barb had sting to it.

If he intended to incite her anger with that barb, it failed.

She replied breezily, "Renard? What makes you think I care about that ****** anymore?”

Without waiting for a reply, she continued, “Since you saved my life,” in a way, he did, “I will release you from your confinement, so I hope this will alleviate your boredom. However, I would like to avoid seeing your face as much as possible. And I suggest you had better be on the next jump back to Inman.”

Anastasia turned her back on him and walked out of the room.

 

Having heard that Pence was free from his confinement, Finn decided he should avoid the former clanner and headed to the training ground with some of his soldiers to get in some PT time.

To his surprise, he saw Anastasia in a tracksuit and pants, already panting as she ran hard for about fifty metres, then stopped to walk slowly to recover her breath.

He walked up beside her. “What are you doing?” What she was doing didn’t seem very effective.

“I’m doing physical training.” She gasped for air. “It should be obvious even to you!”

“Oh.” He thought about what to say. “That’s an admirable pursuit. But why do this in the first place? Do you find your soldiers unreliable?”

When she just glared at him and did not answer, he continued obliviously, “It’s true they failed to protect you once already, so I understand why you might doubt their abilities… considering that, it’s a good idea for you to learn to defend yourself.”

He said, “When your stamina is good enough, how about I teach you how to pilot a mech for real, instead of whatever you were doing the other day? You seem to have a knack for it.”

He managed to get a short verbal report from Spencer Larouche on their escape attempt, as well as a longer report from Eric from the recovered BattleROMs. He knew it was an incredible feat for her to score a mobility kill on the Thorn for her very first time in a mech, even if it was largely beginner’s luck. Maybe he could impress her with his skills, and by teaching her, they could also spend more time together…

She suddenly blew up at him, “Yes, oh great Viscount Rason! You’re a high and mighty mechwarrior and you can teach others too! Good for you!” Her eyes blazed with anger.

“Uh, Lady Kalinska…”

“Stop talking to me!” She shouted at him as she broke into a jog again, this time away from the training ground.

“Where are you going?” He called out after her.

“Anywhere! As long as I don’t have to see your stupid face!”

Finn stared at her back, wondering what he had done wrong this time.

He saw the Kalinski household troops observing their exchange with interest, though they quickly looked away to focus on their own training the moment he glared at them. He noted the condition of their body armour and rifles, which seemed a bit better than the ones he had inspected over the past few days at other household garrisons.

Feeling rather embarrassed, Finn frowned. “What did I do wrong?”

“My lord, I don’t know either,”  replied Eric, who stood slightly behind him.

Why did she suddenly get so angry when he tried to show some concern for her? Finn’s mood darkened.

“Is she upset because I offered to teach her how to pilot a mech?”

Eric shrugged, “I don’t think so. After all, Lady Kalinska isn’t a mechwarrior.” His aide paused, then said, “Maybe you can try showing her that you’ll be a supportive fiance?”

Bereft of ideas for the time being, Finn took  a closer look at the Kalinski troops. Much of their equipment seemed to be new, or at least in good condition. He suppressed an internal sigh at the condition of the equipment of most of the Altoona household garrisons he had inspected. Many of them trained hard, but with little in the way of material support from their feudal lords, there was only so much they could do.

Maybe the recent bandit attack would provide them with some impetus to put a bit more money into their garrisons.

He walked towards a pair of soldiers who were slumped against a wall taking a break after the drills in their body armour.

When they saw him, they quickly stood to attention, saluting him. “My lord!”

He nodded. “Your equipment is pretty good. The Baron must have spent quite a bit to make sure you were properly outfitted.”

One of them said proudly, “Actually, it’s all thanks to Lady Kalinska! She sold her dresses and stuff to buy us new equip… mmmhhh!” His buddy clamped a hand over his mouth, muttered a quick apology to Finn, and dragged his friend away.

Finn blinked, considering what he just learned. He never knew Anastasia was so concerned about the state of her household’s troops, and to the extent of selling her belongings for them! No wonder she was furious. For him to offer to teach her how to pilot a mech, she probably regarded it as an insult to her soldiers, and by extension, an insult to her as well.

He was still a bit puzzled though. He had always thought Anastasia Kalinska was a vain girl who was only interested in looking glamorous and had expensive tastes. Maybe she had given up those interests?

Finn smiled. Maybe this was an opportunity to show how supportive he could be.

“Eric, I have some instructions for you.”

“Yes sir!”

 

25th March, 3061
1000 hrs

“My lady, come and see!” Luisa called brightly as she pulled a reluctant Anastasia towards the dressing room.

“What’s the matter, Luisa? What’s going on?” asked Anastasia, mystified by her maid’s enthusiasm.

“Come and see for yourself!” Lusia grinned and opened the door of the room.

The dressing room was glittering again with an overflowing number of expensive dresses.

“This… how did…” Anastasia was flabbergasted. Did they not sell off most of the dresses already? “I was sure we sold… we got rid of them, right?” She looked around, as though trying to deny what she was seeing.

Luisa giggled as she said, “Viscount Rason bought them for you!” She sounded very pleased.

“What?” Anastasia ground out.

“You don’t like them?” Finn walked up behind them.

“My lord!” Luisa exclaimed, then quickly withdrew, leaving the two of them to talk in private.

Anastasia glared at him. “I don’t like them? Why did you buy them at all?”

Finn sighed, “I guess this means you’re still angry.”

“Angry?” Now she was confused.

“I apologise. I didn’t know you took the honour and reputation of your household garrison troops so seriously.”

“What do you…”

“I really didn’t know. It was very admirable of you to sell off your belongings in order to equip the garrison. No noble lady I had ever known had done this.”

“Huh?” Her confusion grew.

He continued, “It wasn’t right for me to disparage the capabilities of your soldiers. I was arrogant and rude.”

She blinked. “Why are you saying all this?”

“Weren’t you angry because I commented on the quality of your household’s soldiers?”

“No, I wasn’t?”

They stared at each other in dawning realisation.

“So you are saying you're giving me all these as an apology?”

"Uhh… yes. But if that wasn't the reason, then why were you angry at me?"

"Oh…" She saw Finn's confused frown. Yes, I thought he was a jerk, but that look on his face… "That is…"

She struggled to find a plausible excuse. Of course, she could not admit he hurt her pride when he offered to teach her how to pilot a mech; she could do that pretty well already. She could not say that to him, and she realised he was looking at her face so intently that it was clear he was trying to decipher her expressions!

He had this sort of cute side to him? She could not help but chuckle a bit. “I’m sorry, I did not think you would be so concerned about my anger. I didn’t mean to be angry with you.” Well, actually she did, but somehow that anger faded away after his botched apology. “I sold the dresses because I wanted to, I have no interest in them anymore.”

“But still, to care so much about a fiancee you’re going to divorce shortly after marrying her,” she grinned, “makes me think you’re not such a bad guy after all.”

He still looked puzzled, but he was not angry anymore. “My lady, I really don’t understand you.” he sighed in relief. “But, I’m glad that we’ve come to some sort of an understanding, at least.” His tone turned serious, “I wanted to resolve this before I leave to inspect some of the garrisons further away from Fort Lambourne, and after that, I’ll need to return to Inman.”

She nodded in understanding. His jumpship had arrived by pirate point, but still required recharging with its solar sail. Despite the closer distance to the primary, it was still a M7V star and hence required relatively long recharge times. And he still had work to do on Altoona.

Anatasia smiled apologetically at Finn. “It seems all your hard work for me was in vain. I’m so sorry about that.”

He smiled ruefully at his own silliness. “All right, I consider a lesson well learned. But is there anything you really want?”

Let us see. Vengeance on Pence? Neg, I have to get it myself. Parts for my mech? Ahah! “Actually, I do. Did you get any salvage from the bandits?”

He looked surprised at her question. “Yeah, we recovered a lot from their camp. We even managed to seize the Manatee, which held more loot. We’ll probably auction off the dropship once I get word to Inman. Some of the auction proceeds would be used to recompense the families of the slain.”

She nodded somberly in agreement, “How about the parts? Can you spare me some of the equipment and ammunition?”

He blinked. “What do you need them for?”

“My family has an old Valkyrie. I want to try fixing it up.”

“Oh.” He thought about it for a while, then decided to humour her. If she wanted to try her hand at being a mechwarrior, why not? He wanted to be a supportive fiance, right? Besides, she probably was not aware of the specialised skills to repair and maintain the mechs, he’ll just leave her to puzzle it out on her own, and this should either get her running to him for help, or keep her out of trouble in the meantime. Win-win for him.

“Since you took down the Thorn, strictly speaking, you should get some shares in the loot. In fact,” he paused, “how do you feel about taking back that modified Harvester? Since you were using it, it can be considered yours by deed and salvage. I’ve asked around, nobody else wants it, not even for free.”

Anastasia eagerly replied, “Of course I don’t mind.” She was already calculating just how much more effective the local defences would be with two functional mechs in the garrison. And given she had used the Harvester to take down some of the bandits, she had a soft spot for it, despite being a piece of Periphery junk that no clan warrior would probably even look at.

“Good. You can liaise with my secretary Eric for the details. Don’t worry about the cost, I’ll make up for any difference.”

She smirked at him, “I will hold you to that, Viscount Rason.”

He bowed slightly to her. “By your leave, my lady.”

For the first time since meeting Finn, she curtseyed formally to him, “Please, my lord.”

He smiled at her and walked away. He seemed to be in a much better mood.

Anastasia leaned back against a wall, thinking hard. She heard that Finn would be taking Pence into custody and back to Inman to face some sort of inquiry by their peers. She was certain, however, that Renard Haynes would be able to wriggle Pence out of trouble, and that served her purposes just fine, because she needed to take her vengeance on Pence personally.

She would do it the right way. Not by manipulating and seducing Finn, but with honour and her own strength and skills. Qualities that Pence had abandoned. She would remind him of what he had discarded, forcefully, before she stomped him into a red splotch under her feet.

She was a mechwarrior again, and she needed time to fix up her Valkyrie and now the Harvester too. But to take down Pence, she would probably need a better mech if he was still driving his clan-spec Banshee. She would need a plan and political power or allies, at the very least.

Bit by bit, step by step, she was getting closer to her ultimate objective: avenging her death at Pence’s hands.
-----------------------------
Note: Finn actually messed up. By getting Eric, who is NOT a mechwarrior, to review the BattleROMs, Eric only saw the obvious stuff and wrote his report still prejudiced by the Trivet’s attitudes towards women in combat. If Finn or one of his mechwarriors had looked at the BattleROMs, they would have noted all the nuances Anastasia used to try to enhance her odds in combat, e.g. using the pedals in ‘free’ mode to manoeuvre better on rocky slopes, the neurohelmet control responses, using the compressed neurohelmet view, torso twisting with the arm arc to fire to the rear while dealing with the HUD view, and ‘walking’ her shots to ‘leg’ the Thorn. All these would have tipped off the fact that this was not a mere rookie in their first mech combat.

Just for fun, what do you think are Anastasia/Avryl’s Special Pilot Abilities?

[Cavgunner]

At first glance, I would say:

Combat Intuition
Lucky (after all, she somehow avoided being killed)
Maneuvering Ace

[The Wobbly Guy]

Fort Lambourne, Altoona,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
25th March, 3061
1000 hrs

The mood of the gathered crowd was solemn as a priest led the small procession down the central boulevard of Lambourne. Many of the mourners were still weeping as they paid their last respects to their loved ones, the people slain by the bandits at the Twin Mountains.

The wake had taken place the night before in a large tent; Anastasia had made a point of attending and talked to the families of the dead soldiers and civilians. She still did not know what exactly to do, since offering comfort was not something the clans were ever concerned with, but it seemed a listening ear was enough for many of the bereaved. Luisa had to drag her away near midnight to get her to sleep so she would have enough energy for the requiem mass.

Soldiers and colleagues of the dead carried their caskets to the assembly area in front of a small makeshift altar. Anastasia stood stiffly with Finn and other ranking members of the landhold to one side. Even Sir Matthew was there in a wheelchair to pay his respects and condolences.

Although Matthew insisted it was his fault, Anastasia and Finn both exonerated him. The verigraph had been too convincing, and Finn suspected the previous agent Simon had just sold them out. Without a HPG on hand, they simply had no way to check. It was likely Simon had already disappeared with whatever the bandits had paid him.

All they could do was to deal with the aftermath.

To maintain public order, Anastasia and Finn kept silent about Spencer and Renard’s involvement. Besides, there was no definite proof, other than what Spencer had admitted, and he could easily deny it all again. Such matters would be left to Count Haynes to decide, though Anastasia already had an inkling that it would just be a metaphorical slap on the wrist for Renard.

Since the people were all members of the New Avalon Catholic Church, it was only natural to get the local priesthood to administer the rites, and to do it together in a single Mass as a show of unity.

The rest of the funeral mass passed by in a blur. Anastasia cursed inwardly for not paying just a bit more attention when Erlin talked about the differences in funeral rites between the various religions. As a member of the Dharmo cloister, he was of course familiar with Buddhist customs, but probably had some idea of the others. Which was a lot better than what she currently knew, which was practically zero.

So she stood when the others stood, knelt when the others knelt, pretended to sing when they sang, and generally tried to mimic their actions as closely as possible.

When it came to something they called ‘Communion’, Luisa guided Anastasia to the priest. Being the ranking local noble, of course she had to go first. Having been briefed specifically for this segment of the Mass, Anastasia bowed to the priest first. He held up a piece of bread, and intoned, “The Body of Christ.”

“Amen.” Even as she said that, opened her mouth and extended her tongue, Anastasia wondered how a piece of bread could symbolise a person’s body. Oh well, it was just one of the weird religious customs of the Inner Sphere.

The priest placed the bread on her tongue, and she quickly swallowed it, then stepped aside to allow the next person to receive communion.

“Well done, my lady.” Luisa said afterwards.

Anastasia rolled her eyes. It was times like these that she felt conflicted over her cover of amnesia. She did feel a pang of guilt though for receiving the communion. Even if the original Anastasia was able to receive Communion, she had been raised with the knowledge of the church’s rites from a young age, while Avryl was obviously a non-Catholic.

If one subscribed to the concept of a soul, and she had no reason to doubt that the soul and the body are separate, since she was living proof of it, then strictly speaking, she should not receive Communion because the current Anastasia was not a Catholic.

She had tried to wriggle out of it, but Luisa had insisted, since it would have seemed weird to the people of demesne if she had not participated, and the diminutive maid argued that she had only lost her amnesia, that she was still the same person and hence eligible for Communion. In the end, unable to refute, Anastasia had given in.

After the Mass was over, the caskets were delivered to a nearby crematorium, according to local tradition. The ashes would be stored in urns and kept by the families of the dead. It was, she heard, a difference from the usual custom of burial in a grave.

She did not need to attend that part of the ceremony. Finn walked up to her.

“My lady.”

“My lord.”

He looked at her face, as though searching for something. “I’ll be leaving now for the inspection of the other demesnes. I’ll do my best to see you one last time before we lift for the jump point.”

Not knowing how to react, Anastasia just nodded.

“I’ll take my leave now. Remember to take care of yourself.” He gestured with a tilt of his head to the people of her demesne. “Because you’ll need to take care of them too.”

The Kalinski demesne had a population of about one million people. For the first time in both her lives, she felt the crushing weight of responsibility. It had been easy enough to command a binary of warriors and their attached transport and support staff. But one million people? She was no military governor, she had not been trained for this.

But she would put her best foot forward. “I will do my best.”

Finn nodded at her respectfully. “I expect you will.”

 
28th March
2000 hrs

Anastasia knew her sense of fashion was non-existent. There were even some teasing remarks from Camille on the rare occasions they ventured out to the shops and malls in the Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone. At the time, she thought nothing of it. As a Smoke Jaguar warrior, she had no need for dresses.

Even after wearing almost nothing but dresses since waking up in Anastasia’s body, she still thought they all looked more or less the same. The placement of the ribbons, the frill design, it all went over her head. She did not like admitting to being an idiot, but when it came to fashion, she really was one. It took her a while before she could even distinguish between a western dress and a kimono!

So she just trusted the advice of her maids when it came to picking out a suitable dress to wear for Viscount Rason’s departure from Altoona, one of the new dresses he had bought for her from the boutiques of Altuni City, Altoona’s capital. All she could see of the dress was a pink floral design with lots of frills and lacing, and it did not seem anything special. But the maids insisted, so she just acquiesced to them.

They were supposed to have dinner together, but delays here and there meant that he would just drop by Fort Lambourne to pick up Pence, then leave for his Leopard dropship Jurano, which was already loaded with the mechs and salvage from the bandits.

Finn arrived on the Jetta Coruna aircraft reserved for his use on Altoona, the plane landing at the small landing strip near Fort Lambourne. The plane actually belonged to the ruler of Altoona, Viscount Alan Strong, but as Finn was there in his capacity as commander of Trivet military forces, it was loaned to him so that he could carry out his duties effectively.

Pence was there too, flanked by members of her household troops. He was clad in the uniform of the Haynes household guards, but that only got him glares from her soldiers. Even if she had not told them of what Pence did, they had their suspicions, and some of them would have loved to get some measure of revenge on him for the deaths of their comrades and fellow folk.

As it was a flash drill and impromptu inspection of Altoona’s defences, Finn actually did not have a lot of leeway in terms of the time he had to spend off Inman, not having specifically sought the Count’s authorisation beforehand. Hence, he had to return as quickly as possible.

A HPG message also arrived two days ago, with the Count demanding Spencer Larouche to be brought back as soon as possible so that he could be questioned on his involvement. It seemed that even without the information of what happened on Altoona, Count Haynes had somehow already ferreted out something.

With the jumpship at the Lagrange One pirate point, it would still take the dropship several hours to get there. While there was no real rush, Anastasia sensed from the tone of his HPG message that the Count was angry, and wanted both Finn and Pence back on Inman to explain the situation.

In addition, her father had also sent a message authorising the release of a small amount of emergency funds to bolster their military defences. It was too little and too late, but still, it was better than nothing. He also said he would be travelling to Altoona as soon as possible, probably on the Yolander when it returned to Inman.

The Yolander travelled the Trivet worlds in two directions, alternating every time. When she travelled from Inman to Altoona, the Yolander would go on to Delacambre, then back to Inman. From Inman, it would then travel to Delacambre, then to Altoona, then back to Inman. This ensured that all three worlds were able to transport necessary goods to one another. Each round of the circuit would take about twenty-four standard days.

Anastasia calculated her father would be arriving on Altoona in about thirteen more days. The Yolander was probably at Inman charging from the Attica station now, and would be jumping for Delacambre soon after Finn arrived back at Inman.

Like ships passing in the night.

Finn stepped down from the plane quickly, and stared at her wordlessly. His eyes were wide, and he seemed as though he wanted to say something, but could not trust his mouth to do so. Instead, he quickly looked at Pence, and ordered, “In the plane, Larouche.”

Pence smirked, and walked up beside Finn, where two of Finn’s own soldiers escorted him into the plane.

Finn looked at Anastasia, looked as though he wanted to say something, but nothing came out of his mouth.

Before she could talk, he just smiled gently at her, turned around, and boarded the plane.

As the plane flew off, Anastasia ranted mentally. What? I am wearing one of the dresses he bought for me, so why did he leave without a word? Did I wear the wrong dress? Or did the maids suggest the wrong one? Arrrgh, this is so frustrating! Why do I even care about that stupid freebirth Finn thinks anyway!

 
Leopard Dropship Jurano
29th March
0200 hrs

Finn glared at Pence Lamongue. The two of them were both seated in the small cabin reserved for officers and nobles. Finn realised it was probably the first time the two of them were in the same compartment for an extended period of time.

They were already outbound from Altoona for the Blocky Road at the pirate point. Finn still felt too keyed up to want to sleep, while Pence looked unreasonably well rested.

Finn had wanted to catch up on the latest news from Inman, and he had the bad luck to run into Pence, who was also using the cabin.

“Buying all those dresses from Altuni City was a surprise, Viscount Rason.” Pence smirked at him. “You seem to cherish Lady Kalinska a lot.”

“She’s my fiance. Of course I cherish her.”

“Even though it’s actually a political arrangement, due to your father’s will?” Pence just knew which buttons to press.

“You dare to insult my fiance?”

“On the contrary, I’m impressed with what she did.” Pence admitted. “Patching me up, driving that Harvester to a victory over a real battlemech, those are unusual feats for a noblewoman who has probably never even held a gun before.”

“And a backstabbing bastard like you would know?” Finn let his anger over Avryl’s death leak out in his tone.

Pence feigned surprise. “You are still not over that, quiaff?”

Finn noted he had reverted to clan speech patterns. “I thought you clanners were all about honour.”

“Oh please, there is no honour in dying for stupid causes, especially for doomed and stupid causes. We were outnumbered by massive margins, what did you expect us to do?”

“Maybe surrender? Trial of Possession like what happened to the Sixth Jaguar Dragoons, then become bondsmen and abtakha? Still a lot better than outright betrayal.”

“You think Avryl Showers would ever surrender? She would have died fighting.”

“From what I knew, she probably would have,” admitted Finn. “But I also believe she would not have condemned her soldiers and support staff to death, and it would have been with honour. Far better than being shot in the back!”

Pence flinched a bit, and Finn knew his point had struck home. Avryl cared for her warriors, something he noticed from the BattleROMs when she was often the last one covering the rear or the retreat while the rest of her unit escaped during their raids. Finn appreciated that, not least because his middle name was for the man who died doing exactly that, enabling his father and the rest of the Fourth Davion Guards to escape Yorinaga Kurita and his Second Sword of Light.

And if she was a typical clan gloryhound obsessed with dying in battle regardless of circumstances, she would never have accepted his offer of hegira, or to work together that one time against the pirate Helmar Valasek.

“Well, dead is dead, despite whatever led to that end,” said Pence dismissively. “We are alive, and that is all that matters.”

“Tsk, selfish bastard.”

“Take some free advice from me, Viscount Rason. We clanners are all selfish bastards, and do not be fooled by those who claim otherwise.” Pence sneered, “if it ended up benefitting the clan, it is a nice outcome, but at the end of the day, might makes right, and my might makes mine right is what it really is.”

Finn huffed, but held his tongue, knowing that any more verbal sparring was useless. Instead, his thoughts ran to Anastasia and her dress when she sent him off. She was wearing the dress he thought suited her best. The sight of her in the dress was so breath-taking that he literally couldn’t say anything, so he didn’t. Why didn’t I say anything to her? And why am I thinking of that right now?

An insistent beeping drew both their attention to the comm system. “My lords, this is Captain Grike,” Petyr Grike was the captain of the Jurano, “A priority HPG transmission, video format, came from Inman just now, and it’s something I think you should see.”

Finn exchanged glances with Pence, who shrugged, indicating that he had no idea what it was about either. “Put it up, Captain.”

The small viewscreen started playing the video.

Victor Steiner-Davion and the rest of the Inner Sphere forces that had gone to the clan homeworlds had returned to Luthien to a heroes’ welcome.

The clan invasion was over.

 
Fort Lambourne, Altoona,
29th March, 3061
0800 hrs

The video was nostalgic for the Combine architecture in the background, and the confirmation hurt, but Anastasia had not expected anything else after learning of the Annihilation of the Smoke Jaguars. She was only surprised that their return took so long.

She had no time to dwell on her losses, and she felt she had finally managed to somewhat move past the destruction of her clan. She simply had too much on her plate right now!

*Music Start: Taylor Swift - Shake It Off*

I stay out too late
Got nothin' in my brain

Wake up at six hundred hours by her maids. Quick clean up, get dressed for PT in thirty minutes. Train for about an hour until half past seven. Keep one eye on the household garrison and ensure they were keeping up with their training regimen.

That's what people say, mm-mm
That's what people say, mm-mm

Breakfast in her exercise attire while cooling down, catch up on latest developments on the viewscreen while eating, plus a few reminders on her schedule by the butler.

I go on too many dates
But I can't make 'em stay

Washup and get dressed, be prepared for her administrative work by nine sharp. Anastasia now had a real office, and she despaired of ever completely clearing the mountain of paperwork on the desk. Then meeting after meeting with this or that local representative or member of her small governing bureaucracy, all looking just as overworked as she felt. Maintaining the infrastructure of the demesne was no easy task. The maintenance costs for the solar panels alone were staggering, and they needed those desperately given the relative lack of fossil fuels on Altoona and not having fusion engines around.

She had a growing checklist on her noteputer, including asking Finn for discounts on solar panel parts from Delacambre. She hated having to ask for such favours for him, but since it was on behalf of her people, she just told herself to swallow her pride and do it.

At least that's what people say, mm-mm
That's what people say, mm-mm

She often ended up resting her head on her desk, overwhelmed by the amount of information she needed to absorb to even begin to make a decision, any decision. Was this how the Star Colonels and Galaxy Commanders felt when dealing with the logistical and strategic issues? If so, then she will just stick to command of a Binary, thank you very much.

But I keep cruisin'
Can't stop, won't stop movin'

Another quick lunch at about twelve. To save money and time, she had ordered the cooks to just stick to a few simple dishes she liked, which usually revolved around grains, chicken or duck, and cheese, with a side of salad and fruit. While eating, more catching up on developments, discussion with her advisors.

It's like I got this music
In my mind sayin', "It's gonna be alright"

A short nap after lunch on the insistence of the servants who were worried she was working too hard, and Anastasia knew she had to be careful with making sure she got enough rest.

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate

The best part of every day came after the nap - working with the mechs!

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)

She started off carrying out detailed diagnostics on both mechs. The Valkyrie was surprisingly intact in its internal ‘bone’ structure, with the notable exception of its head, while the Harvester obviously needed new limb replacements.

Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake

She was surprised to find out that the Harvester used a fuel-cell engine. It gave her the shivers when she realised that if the Hatchetman had hit the engine, it would likely have exploded, probably killing her in the process.

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)

She focused on the Valkyrie first, since it was a real battlemech and had less damage compared to the Harvester. The mech bay had the full suite of repair tools, from lifters to pulleys to cherry pickers to mechanical arms that can lift or insert any component into place, and despite years of disuse, it did not take long to get them back into working condition.

I never miss a beat
I'm lightnin' on my feet

Despite having to do everything on her own, Anastasia made steady progress. She was glad that in preparation for their raids into the Draconis Combine, her Binary had undergone rigorous training to ensure that they would be able to adapt to any circumstances that arose, including repairing their own mechs in the absence of their support staff.

And that's what they don't see, mm-mm
That's what they don't see, mm-mm

She looked on keenly while she manipulated the mechanical arms to twist the myomer bundle into the specific configuration required for the Valkyrie’s arms.

I'm dancin' on my own (dancin' on my own)
I'll make the moves up as I go (moves up as I go)

She ran the scanner over the Valkyrie’s armour plates, replacing them wherever she detected damage.

And that's what they don't know, mm-mm
That's what they don't know, mm-mm

The cockpit required the most work. Figuring what needed replacing and connecting the new components to the older parts took a lot of time. Thankfully, the parts were all compatible.

But I keep cruisin'
Can't stop, won't stop groovin'

She tested out the fixed cockpit repeatedly, and soon tuned the neurohelmet to her brainwaves and set up the security system. She made a few microchip copies of her neural patterns too, just in case the chance ever came to hijack another mech, though she sincerely doubted it.

It's like I got this music
In my mind sayin', "It's gonna be alright"

She stared up at the repaired Valkyrie, wondering why it felt weird. Then she realised it was missing a proper paint job.

'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate

The heraldry of House Kalinski was a must, of course. She thought about painting a black lotus as well, but decided not to. Ditto for a Smoke Jaguar, or anything to do with her past life as Avryl Showers. Since she did not belong to any unit at the moment, she decided to paint the rest of the Valkyrie in the colours of her house, beige with stripes of sapphire blue. It seemed the Trivet forces did not have a standardised paint scheme either. The name ‘Surefire Strike’, was also painted in sapphire blue on the right torso.

Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)

Just in case, she loaded the Valkyrie’s missile racks with fresh missiles taken from the bandits, meant for the Thorn. She felt a strong sense of satisfaction at the completion of the Valkyrie’s repairs.

Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break, break, break
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)

The Harvester was both more and less challenging. It needed an entire left leg, and thankfully there was a small depot on Altoona selling Harvester mech parts to the few operators on Altoona, and they had spare limbs available. Her requests to Finn’s secretary Eric bore fruit, the leg was delivered after just a few days, along with the industrial grade armour from the bandits’ stores.

Hey, hey, hey
Just think, while you've been gettin' down and out
About the liars and the dirty, dirty cheats of the world
You could've been gettin' down to this sick beat
My ex-man brought his new girlfriend
She's like, "Oh my God, " but I'm just gonna shake
And to the fella over there with the hella good hair
Won't you come on over, baby? We can shake, shake, shake

It took a while, but she figured out why the ammunition for the Harvester’s autocannon was only partially loaded. A full load would have jammed the autocannon, due to faulty parts in the feed mechanism. Figuring it out took some work, but she finally managed to fix the problem.

Yeah, oh
'Cause the players gonna play, play, play, play, play
And the haters gonna hate, hate, hate, hate, hate (haters gonna hate)
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)

She also finally decided on a name for the Harvester. Since it was such a flimsy design, it was named ‘Mr Mook’, as a warning to any pilots using it. The name was painted in red using an urban scrawl style on a shoulder.

Heartbreakers gonna break, break, break, break, break (mm-mm)
And the fakers gonna fake, fake, fake, fake, fake (and fake, and fake, and fake)
Baby, I'm just gonna shake, shake, shake, shake, shake
I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off (ooh-ooh-ooh)
Shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off
(You got to) shake it off, I shake it off
I, I, I shake it off, I shake it off

After days of work, she smiled at the two mechs side by side in the mech bays in front of her, fully fixed up and painted in the colours of House Kalinski, along with full loads of ammunition and ready for action. They would not look like much to the average clan warrior, just a couple of thirty ton light mechs, but one had a storied past, while the other saved her life.

One day, you will face battle again. This I swear! Her eyes gleamed with determination.

She was sorely tempted to take the Valkyrie out for a spin, and probably give Captain Wurtz and his men the fright of their lives, but she held back. Hiding her skills as a mechwarrior rankled, but she had a feeling that it would be a very useful advantage when others did not expect it. What was that idiom? Ace up the sleeve?

So Anastasia kept quiet about her skills, and blatantly lied that she only fixed up the mech exteriors and prettified them, admitting she did not know how to actually repair a mech. Nobody would know better anyway, thinking she was just another foolish girl with pretensions of grandeur, and she hoped matters would stay that way.

The next standard day, Baron Kalinski finally arrived at Fort Lambourne.
-----------------------------------------------------
One problem with some of these otome isekai works is that sometimes when people die, they are largely tossed to one side and just forgotten, and the original web novel was especially egregious with this. There were several instances of people dying and then just promptly forgotten.

So part of this chapter was dealing with the aftermath for the slain soldiers and civilians. Even in a feudal system, perhaps especially in a ‘modern feudal’ system, the ties between lord and his ‘serfs’, for lack of a better word, are critical. Given the fact they can always just pack up and leave for another demesne, each lord has to be careful in ensuring he holds onto his pool of skilled workers.

Honestly, there weren’t many honourable ways out for the Smoke Jaguars caught up in Bulldog. Withdrawing only delays the inevitable end on Huntress, and the fighting there was beyond brutal for the Task Force Serpent units and the Smoke Jaguar remnants. Fighting to the death was also one possibility, and her troops would have followed Avryl to such an end if she had allowed it.

It’s possible she would have chosen Logan Moon’s option to duel in zellbrigen until her mech fell, in order to spare her troops, particularly if she felt the opponents were honourable foes. Note that it wasn’t just the Wolves who honoured their opponents’ requests to duel - Shin Yodama and his Izanagi Warriors did the same to Galaxy Commander Mikhail Ward on Outer Volta.

Finn’s middle name is Ian, named for Ian Davion. His father was a member of the 4th Davion Guards and managed to escape with his Rifleman only because of Ian Davion’s rearguard action on Mallory’s World. Of course, the more serious Btech fans know that Yorinaga Kurita then killed Ian Davion in a climatic duel.

For the mech repair section, think of it as a video montage with Swift singing in the background.

[vianca]

Would find it funny if her next mechs are a Wasp, Wasp LAM and a Raven.
Though the changes on that, would probably be low, unless she managed to beat another pirate gang or two, that is.

Too bad the VRPP and Nova CEWS are out.
But the Full Head Ejection Cockpit, Automatic Cockpit Breach System and the Small Cockpit, might just be possible for her to get.
But would it be worth it?
Heat-Dissipating Armor does not yet exist, Fire-Resistant Armor & Laser Insulator should and could help with seperating the head in the full head ejection system, from the mech body, allowing a general cooler cockpit setup.
But that would require a very good technician/engineer, to pull off.
To be honest, repairing that wrecked cockpit, was the most perfect time for such a modification, though I don't think such parts are easily gotten where this story plays out, for relative good prices, if at all.

Would she be able to get & use a Engineer's Portable Console for her mech upkeep and so on?
Add a Noteputer to it and...
It would help her, the next time she has to travel and if done right, they could be mounted in the same book like holder.
It's that or one on each hip.
It would let her check blueprints & readouts, at the same time, so might be worth it to invest some money in.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Fort Lambourne, Altoona,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
10th April, 3061
2200 hours

“My lord,” the servants greeted Baron Kalinski respectfully as he stepped out frantically from his jeep. He ignored them, and headed straight for Anastasia, engulfing her in a hug immediately.

He wept, “Ana! I’m so glad you are safe! It could have been terrible!”

“I am fine, father.”

He asked through sniffles, still hugging her tightly, as though afraid he would disappear on him. “Were you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I wasn’t. I’m really fine, father.” She paused for a moment, then patted him on his back to reassure him. Ironic, that she was the one who actually experienced the ordeal, but ended up having to console somebody else.

He finally released her from his embrace. “It’s all my fault. I should have put more money into our defences and recruited better men to protect you.”

She tried not to roll her eyes. “Thank you father, that might have helped.” That was also a complete lie. She knew that not much would have helped except perhaps a local military presence so strong that it could deter a pirate mech lance. Still, it would not hurt to increase the funds available. Some APCs would definitely help expand the effective defensive radius of the local garrison.

She gave herself a mental shake for trying to think so politically nowadays. All the meetings must be getting to her.

The butler said softly, “My lord, it’s getting late. Why don’t both of you rest early, and you can have a long chat tomorrow morning after breakfast?”

Her father agreed. “Yes, we’ll do that. Thank you.”

He turned to her. “Ana, I’m sure you have a lot of things to tell me. I will hear them all from you tomorrow.”

“Yes, father.”

11th April
0800 hours

In the end, she did not have to volunteer to tell him much. Instead, he deluged her with questions, with the recovering Sir Matthew, the butler, and even Luisa and some of the servants, chipping in with their comments and observations.

Even Captain Wurtz was present, looking uncomfortable at being in the presence of his actual employer and lord for the first time. Nevertheless, he also had his say.

Anastasia tried hard to control her blushes with the praise they lavished on her. Sir Mattthew assured Baron Kalinski that the demesne would be in good hands when it passed to her, with her sound management and willingness to learn and engage with the many issues that needed dealing with. The butler and servants talked about her frugality and discipline, ingrained in her as a Smoke Jaguar warrior. Captain Wurtz tried hard not to blame the Baron for the lack of funds for the garrison, but instead focused on Anastasia’s willingness to sell off her belongings to make sure they were adequately equipped.

Being praised like this was a new experience for her. Even back when she was Avryl, successful Trials would simply be acknowledged by her superiors, and they would move on to the next task. In the military, there was a saying, ‘You are only as good as your last battle’, so any praise was usually reserved and conditional.

Baron Kalinski looked both pleased and shocked. “Ana! You have grown so much!” Seated next to her, he patted her hand gently. “I was so worried when you came here, that you won’t be able to adapt, but I’m glad to see my fears were unfounded.”

Were you not the one who sent me here in the first place? Her mental complaint held no heat though, since the events at Altoona had allowed her to discover herself.

She deflected the praise, “It was all thanks to Sir Matthew and the staff here that I was able to be comfortable.”

He continued, “I must also thank Viscount Rason and Captain Larouche personally for saving you. Who knows what could have happened to you if they were not around?”

She could barely suppress a sneer as she said, “Yes, we should be very grateful to Viscount Rason, but father, did you ever consider why Captain Larouche would even be here on Altoona? He did not come over on the Yolander!”

“Oh.” Her father suddenly looked pale. “I… I’ll take it up with Count Haynes…”

She said furiously, “More than ten of our people were killed. We should not let this go so easily.”

He seemed meek even in front of her. “I understand, Ana.” He sighed. “To see you with such energy and passion makes my old heart very glad.”

She understood he was uncomfortable and trying to change the subject, so she simply nodded. “Just try your best, father.”

After breakfast, they stood in one of the fort’s observation towers, overseeing the town. Anastasia pointed out places she had visited and what she knew of the people who worked or lived there. The Baron looked at her in amazement, as though he did not expect her to know all that.

He was quiet for a long time, then said, “Ana, you really are an adult now.”

She stayed silent for a while. The original Anastasia never had a chance to grow up, mired in the intrigues and games of Inman, but could not stay on Altoona either with the trauma from her mother’s death, even though Altoona would actually have given her a better chance.

“Father…” she looked at him. “May I return to Inman?”

“Inman?”

“Yes. As you can see, I’m much better now. We can go back together on the Yolander.” I can’t proceed with my revenge on Altoona. It’s on Inman where I can find allies and opportunities.

While fixing up the mechs, she had thought about her revenge. She briefly entertained the idea of turning mercenary and building up a sufficient force to take Pence down, but realised she just could not bear the idea of fighting for money. Besides, she was certain Finn would hunt her down. She also had no means at the moment to get any transportation for her mechs.

Furthermore, Sir Matthew had recovered sufficiently to resume his duties, so she could hand back the administrative work with a clear conscience.

The Baron smiled ruefully at her. “Yes, Ana. Whatever you want.”

As he patted her head, she smiled. I still do not know how exactly I am going to do it, but I have to move forward.
 
Innerman City, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
23rd April
0300 hours (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

The rumours in the capital went into overdrive when Anastasia returned to Inman with her father. Coupled with the earlier return of Viscount Rason and Captain Larouche, and the inevitable leaks from the militia staff and the dropship crews, the gossip mills were working harder than ever before.

It even eclipsed the stunning news of Victor Steiner-Davion’s de facto abdication of his throne to his sister Katrina, which was no small feat.

“Have you heard the news? Apparently Lady Kalinska has returned to Inman!”

“Oh really?”

“If she has gone mad, she should have been confined to Altoona. How can she bear to show her face after such indecent behaviour?”

“My thoughts exactly.”

“Jumping into the manor lake, that incident at the protests, then the guest lounge. What will she do next?”

“Speaking of Anastasia Kalinska, she’s also known as the White Lotus of Altoona.”

Snigger. “Really? Whoever thought up such a childish nickname? Did they even know what it implies?”

“Somebody who acts all innocent, but actually lies and slings mud at others? Sounds exactly like her!” Some of them giggled.

“Boys will be boys, I guess.”

“Well, you know…” A refined voice cut in, claiming the attention of the gathered ladies at the table. “It was Count Haynes who gave her that nickname.”

The ladies fell silent. That voice belonged to Lady Venice Codina, unofficially acknowledged as the foremost lady of the younger generation. Her impeccable manners and striking beauty combined to place her high in the ranks of the nobility within the capital of the Trivet.

Venice placed down her cup of tea with just the gentlest clink on the porcelain saucer. “Lady Seydoux, I think it would be wise for you to be more careful with your remarks in the future. We wouldn’t want anything scandalous to happen now, would we?”

“Oh!” Lady Selina Seydoux blushed and covered her mouth.

Venice smiled to lessen the sting of her words, “Let’s keep this conversation amongst ourselves. You all understand, right?”

The response from the other ladies was immediate. “Of course!”

“As expected, Lady Codina is as wise as she is beautiful.”

“She’s the complete opposite of Anastasia Kalinska.”

“That’s right,” another lady agreed quickly.

“Oh my, you flatter me.” Venice continued to smile gently. However, she sighed internally. It seemed that the ladies of the aristocracy still could not refrain from speaking ill of others. You all haven’t changed at all, you’re still dim-witted fools.

And all they were always concerned about were the scurrilous rumours of this or that, or the pecking order amongst the aristocracy, or the latest fashion trends and toys.

Not that she was not interested in some of these things herself, but there were other much more important matters. For example, the tensions running throughout the Federated Commonwealth following Victor Steiner-Davion’s speech. She doubted the bickering between the pro-Victor and pro-Katrina factions would subside so easily.

Even in the relatively isolated Trivet, the political fault lines have already formed around the issue. While Count Haynes remained solidly neutral, his heir Renard and his supporters had publicly backed Katrina as the rightful Archon-Princess, while the pro-Victor nobles had yet to form a solid political bloc, but could still pose significant problems on their own as individuals. The Count’s second son Raymond did not even seem to be a factor, his nose still stuck firmly in his books.

As for Anastasia Kalinska… Venice still remembered the first day she saw her, and how the rumours had swirled around her as well. The death of the Baron’s wife, her low-born origins as a commoner from Rasalhague, the supposed affair she had with the previous Viscount Rason.

Everything that happened on that fateful day still appeared clearly in her mind’s eye, when she visited the Haynes palatial manor for the first time. She would never forget how all the nobles and servants seemed to hold their breath when the young Lady Kalinska appeared, and how Count Haynes had personally bestowed on her the nickname ‘White Lotus of Altoona’.

And what was said about her back then, were still being said now. Venice found it deplorable.

“I was thinking… how about inviting Lady Kalinska to our tea party in three days?”

“What?” The other ladies were shocked at her sudden proposal.

Venice smiled and explained patiently. “She’s to be a future Viscountess anyway, and she’ll need help if she’s going to continue residing here on Inman.” She took a sip of tea, as though gathering her thoughts. “My family’s garden is beautiful and would provide a nice atmosphere for the party.”


Rason Estate

The holovid played.

"As I am certain all of you know by now, the Federated Commonwealth has undergone a change in leadership during the time of our battles against the Clans. My sister, Katherine, was invited to assume control of the Federated Commonwealth for the good of the citizenry. This she did in December of last year and does not seemed inclined to relinquish her position. In fact, the same message of greeting you all got from her here on Luthien also came to me, but it came attached to many of my personal belongings. Apparently she is renting out my rooms on New Avalon, so if any of you need a place to stay, the view is wonderful…" Laughter filtered through the audience, and Victor Steiner-Davion flashed a smile at his joke.

He let the laughter die, then continued. "In the past two weeks I have heard from many of you…" He hesitated for a moment. "Both from Federated Commonwealth units and others, saying you would be ready to fight alongside me to depose her. Your willingness to step back into the hell we have all returned from on my behalf touches me more deeply than you will ever know. That you would again trust me with your lives is the highest praise I can imagine. I had thought there was no way I could be more proud of you, and I am happily proved wrong."

He lifted his chin. "I consider your trust in me to be sacred, and it forces me to make a difficult decision. That decision is simply this: do I have a right to bring war to the Inner Sphere, to involve you and your loved ones and the citizens of countless worlds in a blood orgy that will return me to the leadership of a shattered realm? The answer is clear: I have no such right.

"Some will argue that I have a duty to do that, but I would disagree. My duty, our duty, is to keep people safe. This was the reason that we fought the Clans, and our commitment to that duty was why we defeated the Clans. To go to war with my sister now would be to mock everything we have done to secure peace for the Inner Sphere. I will not do that to you or to the memories of those we love who have died in this cause."

The former First Prince pulled a water glass from a shelf in the podium and took a sip. "My mandate to lead you ended once we again reached the Inner Sphere. I know you will all soon be receiving orders to return to your homes, to see your families and friends, and I am very glad you have that opportunity. I know some of you are thinking it's a pity I've been robbed of that same joy, but I haven't, really. For the past two years, you have been my family. Knowing you are back where you want to be means I recover the joy of a homecoming from each and every one of you. My personal pain will dissolve in the ocean of your happiness."

He stared straight into the holocamera, his eyes intense. "Because our mission is at an end, I have tendered my resignation to the First Lord. I have done this in part because I am tired of war, but more I do this because of all of you. A soldier could never hope to have a greater collection of brave men and women in his command. It has been my distinct honour and a sincere privilege to serve with you. I wish you all peace and godspeed and safe journeys home. You are the heroes of the Clan war, never forget that, no matter what. You won a future for the Inner Sphere. Now that future is yours to shape and live. Go, live it, be happy. That is my final order to you all, and one I expect you to carry out."

Applause erupted from the audience. Victor stepped away from the podium, and saluted crisply to the gathered soldiers. The applause died in an instant as the audience saluted him back as one.

The holovid stopped, Finn’s finger on the remote’s pause button. He was so caught up in the speech he had almost saluted to the holovid screen himself, but that would have been silly.

“He really decided to walk away.” Finn breathed out in amazement. Most of the discussion amongst the soldiers of the Trivet of the past few days were on whether Victor would decide to reclaim his throne and plunge the former realms of the Federated Commonwealth into outright civil war, while the affair on Altoona had been shunted quietly off to be handled by Count Haynes.

Public opinion had been split, with the oddsmakers offering even odds on Victor opting to fight within the next month. Finn, however, had been through some of the most hellish combat on the clan border, and had no wish to see that repeated, so he understood why Victor made his decision. War is hell, and woe to anybody who claims otherwise.

He leaned back in his seat, and asked, “Eric, opinions?”

His secretary cleared his throat. “My lord, this breaks with all the traditions of the Federated Suns. The First Prince must have served five years with the armed forces. Katrina Steiner-Davion simply doesn’t have that. There’ll be a lot of unrest in the AFFC for that reason alone, they won’t see her as legitimate.”

“Traditions can always change. Unrest is definite, the question is, will it escalate to open conflict?”

“Nobody knows, my lord. With the Truce of Tukayyid expiring in a few years’ time, originally everybody would have been focused on that. But now that the Clan War is over with whatever they did in the clan homeworlds,” Finn’s mind automatically supplied the term Trial of Refusal, “it’ll be a lot easier to give into temptation and just beat up your opponents, foreign or domestic.”

War is hell. Civil war is worse. Finn agreed with Victor, but he also knew that events could easily spin out of control.

“The Archon-Princess has been giving us support, right? The financial support for a bit more defence.”

“Yes, my lord. And apparently some discretionary funds to those nobles who supported her, like Renard Haynes. Supposedly to be used for the welfare of the Trivet citizens, but I think it’ll just disappear into their private coffers.”

“Tsk.” Finn didn’t like it, but it was hard to say anything when a lot of his own family’s fortunes were gotten when his ancestors used such underhanded means. House Rason did provide significant support to the Delacambre Institute of Technology, but he was always looking for better uses of his excess funds.

He changed tack. “What of the other matter I asked you to investigate?”

“About House Kalinski? It took some digging, but it was as you suspected - Baron Kalinski is making more money than he reported.”

Finn nodded. “The more secluded side of the Twin Mountains… It held the finest jewels. He deliberately downplayed that side of the mountain to minimise the chances of anybody discovering it.” If the blanket had not slipped off Lady Kalinska, and if he had not leaned down, he would not have seen the gem and palmed it off the ground.

He held up a roughly spherical ruby the size of a golf ball, the colour a brilliant red. “Pigeon’s blood. One gem like this could sell for half a million C-Bills, easy. He’s selling them off slowly to avoid saturating the market and maximise his returns. The question is, where is that money going?”

Eric frowned, “Probably not to Baron Renard Haynes, or we would have caught wind of it. And if it isn’t going to him, then he probably doesn’t know either. He, and the rest of the nobles in his group, aren’t the type to pass up such wealth.”

Finn mused, “So Baron Kalinski is playing a deep game? Or is he just hoarding wealth for himself?”

“We can’t be sure, my lord. But I did find out some other interesting information, particularly about the time when Baron Kalinski’s wife died.”

Finn narrowed his eyes.

Eric gulped visibly, then continued in a hurry. “Baron Boris Kalinski tried to kill himself after his wife died.”

“What?”

“It’s true. It’s one of the worst kept secrets in the Trivet actually, all the older folks knew about it. He loved his wife so much he wanted to follow her into death.”

Finn frowned. “But didn’t he think of his daughter at all? She was… how old?”

Eric took a look at his noteputer. “She was only eight years old.”

“My god. Abandoning his child and taking his own life… “ Was it so easy to abandon one’s own child? Did the Baron only see her as a tool? Although their family held a mere barony and didn’t have much power, it was said that Anastasia Kalinska was a formidable woman in the right dress, able to manipulate men into indulging her wishes. It was just that Renard Haynes was seemingly immune to her charms and manipulated her instead.

It made a certain sort of twisted sense. Boris Kalinski thought the only way to deal with his sense of impotence was to run away. Rather than caring for his child as a parent, he treated it more like fulfilling the obligations of an aristocrat. In such a twisted and loveless relationship, Lady Kalinska must have become so disillusioned with the relationship that she thought it truly didn’t matter if she lived or died.

Finn nodded grimly and slammed a fist on his desk in frustration. “Yes, that must be it! Her reckless behaviour just became a way of life to her, which was why she seemed to throw it away so easily!”

He continued to mumble to himself, “She must have been so hurt, yet she managed to overcome it all on her own.”

Throughout it all, Eric tried hard not to show his confusion on his face, unable to follow Finn’s convoluted thought processes.

 
Haynes Palatial Manor

“You idiot!” roared Count Haynes. “Do you know how serious your crime is?”

Within the Count’s office, Renard knelt on one knee, trying to placate his furious father. “Father, please forgive me! I was just trying to scare her a little! I didn’t know it would go that far!”

“Scare her?”

“Yes, father! That’s why I sent Captain Larouche…”

Count Haynes slammed a hand against the top of his desk, breathing hard. “Shut your mouth, you insolent fool! You shouldn’t have done any of that in the first place!” He gasped. “That’s why you sent Captain Larouche? What nonsense are you talking about!”

“Father, you don’t understand!” Renard persisted, his voice shaking with fear. “Ana… Lady Kalinska, she attacked me! I’m telling the truth! It was at the Feast of Bounty banquet, she cursed at me and kicked me! She dared to attack a member of the ruling family… but I didn’t take issue with it and just endured it!”

The Count stared at Renard. “Why should I believe you?”

“You can ask Lady Kalinska! I just thought I had to remind her of the need to respect the dignity of House Haynes! I didn’t want to make a big deal out of it, so I handled it on my own!”

Count Haynes sighed. “Even so, I cannot condone your actions, Renard.”

“I will apologise to Baron Kalinski myself!” Renard spun around to face Baron Kalinski, who had been watching silently to one side. “Please, I beg your forgiveness!”

Baron Kalinski looked flustered, “Ah no… it’s alright…”

Renard knelt then went down on all fours, bowing in front of him. “Uncle! I was a fool to have let this happen! But please believe me, I didn’t really expect them to kill those civilians and soldiers!”

“My lord!”

“It truly wasn’t my intention!”

“Pl… please… don’t do this!” The Baron looked pale and stricken. “It’s alright. Ana is safe…”

Baron Kalinski looked anxiously at the Count, “My lord, please tell Baron Haynes to stop!”

Count Haynes did not reply immediately, but waited for a moment, before he said, “Stand up, Renard.”

Renard, still facing Baron Kalinski and away from his father, smirked smugly as he stood to his feet.

The Count sighed again. “I’m not going to make a big deal about what I’ve heard today.”

Baron Kalinski hastily agreed. “That’s a very reasonable judgement, my lord.”

“But… my own son has indeed committed a grave sin against your daughter. It could have been much worse, and Lady Kalinska might have been seriously injured.”

“But thankfully Viscount Rason arrived in the nick of time, and furthermore, he is her fiance, so it should put him even more in her good graces. Since it turned out well, let’s just let the matter rest for now.”

Baron Kalinski kept his head bowed meekly.

“Return to your home and inform Lady Kalinska.” The Count dismissed him. The Baron quickly walked out of the office.

Once the two of them were alone, the Count let out a breath and said, “Renard, do you know what sin you have committed?”

Renard’s smirk was gone, and he was a bit tense as he replied, “Well, it is unwise for us to lay a hand on any member of the nobility. If that were to happen, it could sow distrust against us among the aristocracy and could lead to internal conflict.” He concluded, “That is my sin.”

The Count shook his head, while one hand kneaded his forehead to rid himself of a headache. “Is that what you think?”

“Pardon?”

“That is not your sin.”

“Then… what is it that I’ve done wrong?”

“During Captain Larouche’s inquiry, wasn’t it true that everybody claimed a member of our family was the one responsible for giving the order to engage the freelancers? Your great sin is that you weren’t even capable of covering our own tracks.”

“What? That’s…”

The older man continued, “I am well aware of the fact that Baron Kalinski is one of your supporters, but you very nearly turned him into your enemy.”

Renard smiled weakly, trying to reassure his father. “Baron Kalinski? He’s of the same bloodline as my mother and my relatives, why would I ever consider him an enemy, and even if he is angry, why should I be scared of that?”

The Count snarled. “Fool! Just because you’re of the same bloodline does not mean they won’t turn on you! Just look at the Mariks, or even Victor and Katrina Steiner-Davion!”

He leaned back in his seat, anger spent. “Renard, as of today, I want you to stop the work I have entrusted you with.”

“Father!”

“Apologising doesn’t relieve you of responsibility for the incident. You are to help compensate the families of the slain. And if anything should befall Lady Kalinska after today, I will personally hold you responsible.” The Count’s words held a strong tone of finality.

“But…”

“Have I made myself clear?”

The Count may be old, but his eyes were still sharp, and Renard felt trapped under the weight of his father’s gaze. He could only nod in reluctant agreement.

“Don’t worry, Renard. I haven’t removed you as heir yet. You will still have chances to prove yourself.”

 
Kalinski Estates

Anastasia was not surprised when she heard the news that the Count declined to punish Renard. It was just another sign of the degeneracy of the nobles of the Inner Sphere. She hoped she would never stoop to such appallingly low standards of behaviour.

She tapped the letter of invitation to the tea party organised by Lady Venice Codina. She tried to rummage through what memories she retained from the original Anastasia on who she was, but came up with nothing substantial, except for a vague sense of jealousy from the original Anastasia.

Her mind was also quite preoccupied with what she had found out about the most recent news sweeping the Inner Sphere. That Victor Steiner-Davion would not use his victories over the Clans as a springboard to reclaim his rulership over the Federated Commonwealth… it just baffled her.

On an academic level, she understood why he did not wish to fight any more. But to effectively surrender to a non-warrior who had somehow schemed her way to the top, it just offended her clan sensibilities!

Furthermore, when she watched the holovids related to his return to the Inner Sphere, something else piqued her attention.

That something else was a giant brown-skinned woman always lurking within his vicinity, obviously his bodyguard, also obviously an elemental. And Anastasia, or rather Avryl Showers, knew her.

Tiaret Nevvarsan was still alive. Tiaret was her friend when they were young warriors in the 144th Garrison Cluster, starting their careers in the clan touman. They were both Star Commanders back then, but Tiaret had been younger than her, as she had graduated early from her sibko in an accelerated program due to her exemplary performance. Of course, they were not just friends, as a team they pulled some memorable pranks on the more oblivious members of the cluster, and even the resultant lecture sessions by Star Colonel Pellen Wirth were remembered fondly.

Anastasia trusted Tiaret’s judgement completely, and if she had willingly become abtakha to Victor, to the extent she was willing to lower herself to be a mere bodyguard for him, then the man himself had to be a warrior worthy of respect. And if he ever wanted to get his throne back… well, she would not support a scheming non-warrior like Katrina, that was for certain!

It was a moot point. Anastasia wondered if there was some way she could get word to Tiaret, tell her she was somehow still alive. But in the Trivet, the fastest way to get messages out would be by HPG, and it would be strange for Lady Anastasia Kalinska to send any messages via Comstar out of the Trivet, to somebody she should not know or care for.

No, she would have to somehow build a power base of her own first. How she was going to do that, she was not sure, but already she felt there were servants and maids in the Kalinski household she could trust to be loyal to her. Even the household guards had fallen in line, and they promised to keep up their efforts even after she left Altoona.

Which brought her mind back to the invitation to the tea party. Should she go?

She knew her current position in high society was precarious, to say the least. The other noble ladies ostracised the original Anastasia, and they probably still thought she was crazy.

But to bring down Pence, she needed political allies. And she would not be able to make any if she was cooped up forever in the Kalinski estate or on Altoona. That was why she had returned to Inman. Somehow she had to find connections amongst the aristocracy, and find reliable allies. How she would win them over she had no idea, but the only way to start a journey was to take the first step.

She took a deep breath and held the letter out to Luisa. “Luisa, inform the other maids I will be attending this tea party, and make the necessary arrangements.”

“Yes, my lady!”

--------------------------------
Victor’s speech was completely copied and pasted from ‘Prince of Havoc’. As we all know, shit’s going to go down regardless of what he wanted, but that’s still some time away. It provides the political backdrop to this story, and I’d keep dripping stuff here and there as they happen, which would have a delayed effect due to the fact they’re a backwater region.

I also wanted to say something about Tiaret Nevvarsan. For her to be just twenty three years old in 3060 with a bloodname is a bit ridiculous (frankly speaking, many of the Btech canon writers just don’t seem to think carefully enough about timelines and such). For this reason, I’m pulling out the early sibko graduation card, which I had postulated for another fic I’m planning to write, since that was the only way to explain the ages of some of the clan warriors in combat during Operation Revival (e.g. look at Dawn Moffat's age during Revival).

Before anybody brings in Phelan, please note he got into the Trial of Bloodright so quickly because he was sponsored by Ulric Kerensky and Cyrilla Ward, and was an active combatant in the Clan Invasion. Tiaret probably had no such opportunity, and what information existed for her strongly suggested she was not in the Occupation Zones.

She probably graduated in her Trial of Position (three kills to get Star Commander for an elemental) at sixteen or seventeen in 3053/3054, served in a Garrison Cluster for a time as a young officer learning to lead and earn enough merits to earn herself a sponsor for the Trial of Bloodright, then won her bloodname in the homeworlds in maybe 3058 or early 3059 (at the age of twenty one!) before Bulldog and Serpent. Winning a bloodname in the later half of 3059 or the whole of 3060 was simply not possible with the Jaguars already fighting for survival and HPG orders probably percolated rapidly back to the homeworlds on the severity of the situation in the OZ.

In the fic’s timeline, Tiaret and Avryl were both members of the 144th Garrison Cluster from 3053 to 3056, until Avryl earned her bloodname in late 3055 and a posting to the Inner Sphere frontlines in 3056.

There was another reason why I brought up Tiaret in this chapter, since it represents a nice contrast to the Avryl / Anastasia dichotomy. Tiaret was Avryl’s best friend in the homeworlds. Anastasia’s soon-to-be best friend was in this chapter too.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Codina Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
27th April, 3061
1800 hours (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Lady Kalinska, welcome to the estate of Viscount Codina.” The maid bowed to her respectfully, her tone solemn. “I am Ginny, it is my pleasure to serve you. I will escort you to the tea party.”

The maid led her to an expansive garden, contained within a massive glass structure, keeping the plants warm even in Inman’s cold climate. Plants and flowers were all planted tastefully at various spots, creating an extremely pleasing aesthetic effect even to Anastasia’s untrained eye.

To say it was impressive was an understatement. Anastasia recalled that House Codina was one of the richest Viscounties on Inman, which explained why they were able to build and maintain such an extravagant garden. Even during a cold spell of weather, the flowers were still able to bloom, helped along by carefully located heat sources that provide warmth for the delicate plants.

“Oh, is that Lady Kalinska?”

Her attention was drawn to the sound of her name, a table of four ladies, with space enough around the table for a few more. The ladies seemed to be sniggering at her.

“What are you doing here? Don’t tell me you’ve been invited?”

Another lady exclaimed behind a fan. “My goodness! That can’t be. Everybody knows that you and Lady Codina are not close by any means. A lady such as yourself would never be invited here.”

Round and round they went, giggling as they talked. “You’re not a child, so you wouldn’t come here unless you were lost. You must have an ulterior motive for coming here.”

“That’s right, because this event is accessible by invitation only.”

Anastasia smirked. “It’s just as you said. I was indeed invited here by Lady Codina.” She plastered on a pleasant smile.

“What?” said the lady who had exchanged words with her at the Feast of Bounty banquet. “But it looks like there isn’t a seat for you at the table.”

“That’s right. The only empty seat here is for Lady Codina. Don’t try to force yourself in, Lady Kalinska.” The ladies continued giggling.

Anastasia put on an exhausted smile. She did not even feel angry at their antics, since it was like trying to argue with a bunch of children.

It’s just as Madame Iris said. They would try to demoralise me first, then they will band together and insist I was never invited or won’t provide a seat. And even though it was obvious I was invited, they would try to put me in an awkward position.

She sighed. She also told me to give up trying to make friends.

But she had a purpose for coming here, and she was determined to stick it out.

“Well, that’s a bit strange,” she placed her letter of invitation on the table. “I received an invitation but it seems that a seat wasn’t prepared for me. There’s no way Lady Codina would do that on purpose.”

The ladies suddenly switched to soft whispers. “The seal of the Viscount…”

Anastasia pressed on blithely. “Anyway, it seems as though you ladies must be mistaken.”

“Oh my.” Somebody spoke behind her, along with the clacking of heels on the marble floor. “I’ve made a huge mistake. I should have prepared everything for you before you arrived.”

Anastasia turned around to see the blond woman that she had previously identified as the ringleader of this group of cackling noblewomen.

The woman, obviously Lady Codina, said, “You see, I noticed a crack in your chair so I asked for a new one to be brought in. Since this was your first time here, I wanted to create a pleasant experience for you. Please forgive my rudeness.”

Lady Codina curtseyed to her. “I am Lady Venice Codina. Thank you for accepting my invitation.”

So this is Venice Codina. Anastasia thought, if Lady Codina was the one who instigated the incident during the banquet, then why did she invite me here and treat me with such courtesy?

“Please have a seat, Lady Kalinska.” Lady Codina sat down on her chair with a grace Anastasia did not think she could emulate even with ten years of practice. “Now that everybody’s gathered here, I’ll prepare the tea.”

Huh? Anastasia noticed she ended up sitting next to Lady Codina, and the other ladies were whispering.

“They’re sitting next to each other…”

“Lady Codina must have something else up her sleeve…”

Anastasia realised her chair was of the same design as Lady Codina’s, and clearly different from the other ladies. What is she trying to do? According to Madame Iris, she wouldn’t like me. Simply because Count Haynes bestowed the nickname of ‘White Lotus’ upon Anastasia even though she was only a Baron’s daughter, Anastasia became the target of jealous ladies of the aristocracy and often attacked by vicious rumours.

She looked at Lady Codina, who glanced back at her and smiled very sincerely.

All right, she is very beautiful too, Anastasia conceded. How can somebody who smiles like that to me hate me? She felt so out of her depth in the social world of the noblewomen. Can’t women just let go of their jealousy? What do they get out of it anyway? Back in the clans, they would just have it out in an informal Trial of Grievance, and settle it then, with little of this persistent sniping.

The attentive maids poured tea for the ladies, while the conversations started in earnest.

“It’s so nice to have a dress designer from Robinson these days.”

“Your earrings are so pretty. Where did you buy them?”

Ahh… it is starting now… Anastasia decided to just focus on drinking her tea and staying quiet. They will be bragging about themselves while trying to please one another. Madame Iris, you were right again. Such inane conversation… She took a sip of her tea and set down her teacup, just remembering to use her pinky finger to help cushion the teacup as she placed it on the saucer to minimise the clanking sound.

The conversation stopped for the barest of moments as the ladies stared at her. Then they were talking again.

“This tea is delicious!”

Giggle.

“It’s nice to enjoy it with flowers in a garden.”

Chatter.

Hmmm? Anastasia knew something just happened. Did they all look at me just now?

“I can tell you have great appreciation for tea, Lady Codina.” One of the ladies was obviously trying to gain Lady Codina’s favour with flattery.

“You’re too kind.”

Did I just imagine it? Anastasia thought to herself. The ladies, though devious, were not so wicked as to poison her tea. Although she did notice that they were all just holding their tea cups, not a single one had taken a sip yet, despite saying it was delicious and nice.

Let us see… Anastasia raised her tea cup slowly, and took another sip, this time taking note of what it tasted like. It was bitter, and Anastasia recognised the flavour. Karna Leaf Tea, at least something she was used to.

Her nonchalance sparked a visible reaction among the ladies, now whispering even more loudly and obviously.

“Oh my, how could she…!”

“Did she really drink it?”

“How can she…?”

What’s wrong with them? Did I do something wrong or rude? Anastasia was puzzled.

“Ginny, pour me some of that tea.” It seemed that Lady Codina had noticed the confusion.

“Yes, my lady!” Ginny seemed a bit afraid, her hands trembled a bit as she poured the tea into Lady Codina’s teacup.

Anastasia tried to puzzle it out. Why is she asking the maid waiting on me? Is this some new form of harassment? Is she trying to expose my lack of knowledge about tea or something like that?

Lady Codina took a sip of the tea and choked on it almost immediately. She held one hand to her mouth, desperately trying to keep that small sip in without spitting it out or letting it dribble down to her fine dress. The maids immediately clustered around her in alarm. “My lady!”

Anastasia almost stood up from her chair. Is it poisoned?

Lady Codina choked and coughed for a few more moments, while the maids tried to attend to her. Meanwhile the ladies around the table fretted, and Anastasia could see guilt in their eyes.

So they did do something. But what?

“Please excuse me, that must have been a very unique kind of tea,” said Lady Codina after recovering her composure.

“No, it’s quite all right. It cannot be bad since it was tea you prepared especially for me.” Anastasia did notice Ginny trembling in a corner.

“Thank you for being so understanding.” Lady Codina gave a sideways glare at Ginny, leaving no doubt that there would be an investigation into the matter. “I’ll prepare some new tea for you right away.”

Anastasia looked down at her tea. So this tea was prepared to humiliate me somehow. And it seems they left Lady Codina in the dark as well. Was it supposed to be too disgusting to drink? It is just Karna Leaf Tea!

Then she felt like slapping herself. Karna Leaf Tea was a tea specifically brewed using the leaves of the Karna tree on Huntress. It was bitter, but could be very fragrant and delicious when certain insects, such as berry ants, were added. Not at all suited to the delicate palates of these noble ladies, and they would be horrified by the thought of adding insects to their tea. How did they get their hands on it?

She wouldn’t have minded drinking it. After all, she used to drink it often to keep herself awake when poring over paperwork for her Binary. But she could not be known as a lady with a strange mind and a strange sense of taste, her reputation was already controversial enough.

The incident was soon forgotten and the ladies went back to gossiping.

“Have you heard about Baron Haynes?”

“Oh, you mean that? Count Haynes suspended him from his duties and confined him to the manor!”

“I heard it’s already been a few days. Isn’t this the first time that His Excellency has impeded Baron Haynes’ work?”

“You’re right. I wonder how long it will last…”

He suspended and confined Renard Haynes? So… he did get some stick after all. But even then, that is just the most minor of punishments!

“My lady, are the desserts to your liking?” She was shaken out of her thoughts when Lady Codina spoke to her.

“Oh yes. Thank you for your concern.” Come to think of it, she was the only one eating with full bites. The other ladies only nibbled here and there at the food, obviously watching their caloric intake and its effect on their waistlines.

Yay to me for my intense workouts! Thought Anastasia smugly. Her appetite had grown, and her servants seemed happier about it compared to before, when they had worried about the original Anastasia’s weak constitution and lack of appetite.

Lady Codina continued to talk to her. “I’m sure His Excellency’s anger will subside soon. Isn’t that right?”

“Yes, that’s right.” Anastasia nodded in agreement. Although she was sorely tempted to say otherwise, but doing so would have put off the whole flow of the conversation, and even she knew better. She noticed that Lady Codina kept bringing her back into the conversation, so that she never felt left out. And she could not figure out why.

Why did you invite me here? What is your motive? Anastasia could not help but feel suspicious.

Lady Codina asked her, “The capital is a place where false rumours are easily spread, don’t you think?”

“Yes, there will always be rumours and talk whenever lots of people gather.”

Despite her fears, the tea party seemed to be going smoothly.

I wasn’t expecting to hear news of Renard Haynes here, although I am sure the comment about him was intended for me to hear. Anastasia considered the situation carefully. I think now I understand why noble ladies value these kinds of social gatherings. A noblewoman would be able to get more accurate information than from just the news if she stayed at home. By meeting like this, they are all able to exchange information.

Because for them, information is both an opportunity and a weapon.

A maid suddenly rushed up. “Lady Codina, I have something to tell you.” She whispered in Lady Codina’s ear. Anastasia noted the frown on Lady Codina’s face, it did not seem to be any good news.

“Everybody, I must beg your pardon.”

“What the matter?” asked the noblewoman who had talked to Anastasia at the Feast of Bounty banquet. Anastasia had found out her name was Selina Seydoux, the daughter of a landholding knight on Inman.

“My elder brother has just arrived with a guest. They both wish to come and give their greetings. Is that acceptable to all of you?”

“Oh my! Of course that’s okay!”

“I’m so excited to meet Sir Codina!”

The ladies started preening.

“Do I look good?”

“Is my bow straight?”

Anastasia kept an eye on Lady Codina though, and she did not look pleased at all, just sat there quietly in her seat, and Anastasia thought she might have been fuming with anger.

“I wonder who his guest is?”

“I can’t wait!”

“It’s sure to be somebody important!”

Anastasia could not help but notice Lady Codina’s hands squeezing the fabric of her dress.

As it turned out, Lady Codina’s elder brother Vince Codina was just a braggart, boasting of his exploits maintaining order in Innerman City. He was dressed in the uniform of the Trivet militia, but his rank and service tabs only meant he was a mere Leftenant in the infantry. It seemed the ignorant ladies were not aware of that though, and seemed easily impressed by his exploits.

“So anyway, thanks to my actions, the thief fell off the wall, and I smashed his head against it! He’s now working in the penal mines on Delacambre.”

“Oh, that’s terrible!”

Anastasia wondered if he had the guts to take on a Harvester unaugmented like she did. She was so bored by his bragging that she imagined him trying and getting squashed.

She was even more irritated by Pence Lamongue’s presence at the table. Who knew he was the guest? As he took a cultured sip of his tea, Anastasia seethed. When did he manage to be so comfortable with this sort of situation? What kind of coincidence is this?

Vince was still bragging, “Thanks to my vigilance, we captured the guy right away! Because you see, the stolen necklace was a family heirloom belonging to Sir Deschamps. It was a historical item gifted to his family by the First Prince in recognition of their military service…”

They said they were just stopping by to say hello. How long is this Sir Codina going to talk? She flicked her fork around a piece of cake before cutting a portion off, and looked at Lady Codina. It’s just pointless talk of his past exploits anyway… Besides, Lady Codina has barely said a word since they arrived.

The noblewoman was proactively leading the conversation before their arrival, but now she just sat there quietly sipping at her tea. As the host, it felt strange for her to take such a subdued role…

Lady Codina happened to glance in Anastasia’s direction, then turned away with a frustrated expression.

What’s going on? What has gotten into her all of a sudden? Anastasia was confused again while she stabbed the portion of cake with her fork. I guess she is done with the pretty smiles now. I really cannot figure her out.

Anastasia sighed as she opened her mouth to eat the piece of cake. She noted Pence was paying special attention to the other ladies around the table, looking at them appraisingly, even as he stayed quiet while Vince yammered on.

He did occasionally direct a sneer in her direction.

“Come to think of it, Sir Larouche also served on the front lines, right?” Lady Codina finally interjected gently, her question directed at Pence.

“Yes, I was involved in Operation Bulldog.”

Anastasia suppressed an unladylike snort. That was a clever way of putting it.

“What was it like, fighting the Smoke Jaguars?”

“Oh,” he smiled, “they were a bunch of fools. They had no concept of subtlety, all they knew was to charge forward and smash ahead. Taking care of them was a piece of cake like this one.” He used a fork to point to the cake on a plate in front of his seat to emphasise his point.

“Ahem!” Vince Codina cut in, “More importantly… if we return to my story about…”

“Sir Larouche, I have a question for you.” One of the ladies spoke up. Vince Codina looked chagrined that he was no longer the centre of attention.

Pence smiled obligingly. “Please go ahead, Lady Garcia.”

Jenia Garcia literally sparkled as she asked, “Did you bring back any souvenirs from the front?”

Lady Seydoux added, just as brightly, “That’s right! I heard you brought back a mech!”

It was at this moment that Anastasia felt like kicking herself for not noticing the obvious. These ladies were all daughters and not the first in line to inherit their family demesnes. As a result, it was part of their jobs to find a suitable partner who could strengthen their own house in the network of alliances that made up the nobility.

She supposed Pence was good looking enough, and young enough. He was decanted in 3024, so he was still only thirty-six years old, while the ladies in their group were all around twenty. A sixteen year age gap might have been too much in certain cultures, but Hanse Davion had a twenty-seven year age gap with his wife Melissa Steiner-Davion and nobody dared to say anything.

Pence also owned his own battlemech and was a landholding knight. As marriage prospects went, he was a catch, not a miss.

Nevertheless, she could not help but feel disgusted. Despite their attempted pranks on her earlier, she felt none of the young ladies deserved to be married to a traitorous scumbag like Pence Lamongue.

“In fairness, I brought back two mechs, not one.”

“Wow! That is so impressive!” The ladies literally squealed with excitement. Anastasia tried hard not to roll her eyes.

“Yes, one of the mechs is my own personal Banshee . I brought it with me from the frontlines.”

She already guessed from news reports that he used the same mech from when he was in the Jaguar’s Mists. His modified Banshee was a fearsome configuration that was equally adept in long range sniping or close combat.

“The other mech was taken from the Smoke Jaguars. And it’s pretty special. It was a gift to Count Haynes.”

“What’s so special about it?” One of the ladies asked.

“It was a Black Knight with clan technology. As far as I know, it’s the only one of its kind in the Inner Sphere.”

They tittered curiously, “Where is it now? Is it with you?”

“It was a gift to Count Haynes. If you ladies would like, I can get permission for you to view it at the palatial manor one day.”

Anastasia’s blood ran cold. Her Spirit Walker , ‘Saber Knight’! She had won possession of that mech from the Coyotes. She had fought a victorious Trial of Possession for the cache it was found in. That victory netted the clan several much needed omnimechs, and also earned her a nomination for the Trial of Bloodright. How did it end up being given to Count Haynes?

The ladies were excited, and chattering away merrily.

“I’m so happy!”

“Did we really just receive an invitation from Sir Larouche to the palatial manor?”

Pence smiled charmingly. “Beautiful ladies such as yourselves are always welcome.”

The ladies practically swooned at his honeyed words.

“We really didn’t expect an invitation since you rarely turn up at gatherings.”

“Haha,” he laughed, “I simply didn’t think I deserved to attend such events, considering my commoner background.”

“Oh my goodness, please don’t say such things. You’re nobility now!”

“That’s right, it doesn’t matter that you were a commoner once, or that you were a Lyran. Isn’t that right, Sir Codina?”

“That’s right. Sir Spencer Larouche is one of us now. The Count himself enfeoffed you.”

Pence smiled deprecatingly, “That means a lot. I’m so touched. I guess I didn’t have to make things so difficult for myself after all.”

Lady Seydoux said, “Yes, of course! By the way, who did that mech belong to?”

Anastasia’s blood ran even colder.

“Oh, just another foolish Smoke Jaguar.” Pence sounded almost dismissive. “But I don’t mind telling you more.”

“Please do!”

“It belonged to a female mechwarrior.” He revealed to gasps of surprise. “Her name was Avryl Showers, she was a Star Captain, if you can even believe it.” He shook his head mockingly.

“Oh, she had a bit of a reputation along the border.” He smirked at Anastasia. “The DCMS troopers called her ‘Black Lotus’. Sort of like you, Lady Kalinska.”

Anastasia raged inwardly, but plastered on a smile. “She was a clan mechwarrior. Hardly fair to compare us, Sir Larouche.”

Oblivious, he nodded, “Of course. My apologies. Anyway, she fought, she died, and that was it.”

The ladies in attendance nodded. “That’s why women shouldn’t meddle in things better left to men.”

“A female mechwarrior? How preposterous!”

Pence grinned, “In all fairness, my ladies, she was not the only one. Female mechwarriors are common outside of Inman, and some of them were legendary. We’ve all heard of the Black Widow Natasha Kerensky, and I’m sure there are many famous ones out there, like the fighters on Solaris.”

He added, “But I have to admit, it does seem better if women did as you all, living beautiful, delicate lives that are befitting of ladies such as yourselves.”

“You’re one to talk, Sir Larouche.” Anastasia could not take it any more, and decided to go on the attack. “Maybe you can share with us some of the details of your exploits in Operation Bulldog.“

“Oh, they’re not worth mentioning.” He parried deftly.

“Really? We can be the judge of that. Clan Smoke Jaguar could not have gone down so easily, not if the might of all the Successor States were needed. You must have some great stories to tell.” She smiled sweetly, but she knew he was not fooled in the least.

“True, it required the might of the new Star League, but the Smoke Jaguars folded faster than anybody thought. Paper Jaguar, would be a better term for them.”

“Then what about Avryl Showers? Did you fight against her?” Anastasia knew that he did not, but she was waiting for him to make a mistake.

“Oh no, not personally, I didn’t.” No, he only shot her in the back. “I do know some did. Viscount Rason crossed paths with her several times, in fact.”

That got a round of surprise from the ladies.

“He did?”

Another mused thoughtfully. “Viscount Rason never talked about his experiences in the war. Even though he was a war hero.”

Ignoring the byplay, Anastasia pressed on. “But for her to get a nickname like that… she must have some skills, right?”

“Well, truthfully she was quite formidable as a mechwarrior.” Pence looked a bit pained at that admission. “But as blinkered as the rest of her clan.”

“What do you mean?” asked Lady Codina.

“In short they were stupid. Fighting to restore the Star League? It always sounded silly to me. As though taking Terra itself means anything. Would the House Lords just buckle under and say, ‘Oh, you got Terra, so we’ll obey you’?” He shrugged. “And the Smoke Jaguars couldn’t even administer their territories competently. They spent so many resources trying to clamp on rebellions that their occupation was a net negative. And if they got even more worlds?”

Pence laughed. “They would have crumbled even faster.” He grinned mirthlessly, “The saddest part about it all was that many of their warriors still thought they were in the right, and Showers was one of the worst amongst them. Sure, she wasn’t involved in the slaughter of civilians, but she blindly trusted her leaders, and in the end she couldn’t even defend her own clan. Probably right up to the moment she died, she was in denial and still thought they could win.”

I could not defend my clan because you shot me in the back! Anastasia narrowed her eyes. “Isn’t the role of soldiers to fight to their last breath for their nation and their cause? If the Federated Commonwealth is near defeat against another foe, will you also turn around and betray it? Go back to the Lyran Alliance where you came from?”

The ladies gasped in shock.

“Oh my goodness!”

“Lady Kalinska! How can you speak like that about the future of the Federated Commonwealth?”

“I knew you had no manners, but I didn’t expect you to go this far!”

“Apologise immediately!”

Pence glowered at her. He knew she was probably still miffed about the incident on Altoona, but he would not know she actually knew about his sordid past. “Rest assured, the sun of the Federated Commonwealth will never set.”

Anastasia rebutted. “I’m sure Avryl Showers thought the same way about her clan. It goes without saying that every warrior and soldier swears service to their faction.” Except for those who hold to clan traditions and are taken as bondsmen, then adopted as abtakha , of course, though both herself and Pence were not supposed to know that. “Is any warrior a fool just because their cause is doomed? Don’t be so quick to insult their judgement and honour!”

Pence scoffed. “Lady Kalinska, do you know how many warriors on both sides died because of her stubbornness? If she had given up sooner, less lives would have been lost.”

Of course she knew. On Tanh Linh alone, her Binary slaughtered more than a regiment of conventional forces over a week of relentless, remorseless combat. She did not even want to think about the number of infantry she killed in her Spirit Walker, configured for anti-infantry work. Then there were the brutal battles on Caripare, Yamarovka…

Pence concluded firmly. “Avryl Showers should never have become a mechwarrior.”

“Sir Larouche!” interjected Vince Codina. “What do ladies know of such matters? Let’s put aside these old stories about a dead clan and move on to other things…”

“It seems you have no sense of honour, Sir Larouche.” Finn spoke up suddenly from his position behind Anastasia’s chair, shocking her with his presence.

“Co… Commander!” stammered Vince, springing to his feet.

Finn said, “The one you should be worried about greeting is behind me.”

“Greetings everybody!” Raymond Haynes popped up behind Finn, unbearably perky.

“Oh, Sir Haynes! What brings you here?” asked Jenia Garcia.

Raymond answered brightly, “Why, for a book, of course! There’s a book that you can only find in hardcover in the Viscount’s library, ‘Passion of a Rose’, so I have to find it! At first glance, it might seem to be just another romance novel, but really it’s a novel that…”

As he rambled on, seemingly oblivious, the ladies whispered amongst themselves.

Selina Seydoux commented softly, “They say Sir Haynes is quite the bookworm.”

“Yes, so I’ve heard. They say he only comes out when he’s looking for rare books… I guess the rumours were true.”

What is going on? Anastasia looked up at Finn, who was smiling slightly at her. Exactly why is Finn here? Is he smiling to just pretend for the sake of our engagement?

And there was one treacherous thought that almost short circuited her brain. And why do I feel so relieved?

[The Wobbly Guy]

Author's notes:
I have a series of short notes regarding the battles between Avryl’s Jaguar’s Mists and Finn’s War Pigs. Maybe I’ll even turn it into something like the Fist and Falcon / Wolf and Blake / Sword and Dragon starterbooks. I have pilot profiles on Avryl’s Command Star and Pence Lamongue.

The Inner Sphere units on Tanh Linh all proceeded to Kanowit in Wave 1 during Operation Bulldog, which presumably meant there was no mech garrison left behind. Avryl and her Jaguar’s Mists coincidentally hit Tanh Linh at the exact right timing to inflict horrendous casualties on the defenders before Finn arrived to chase them off.

Why Finn and his company? Because his unit took so much damage on Bicester fighting off the Jaguar’s Mists raiding/spoiling attack before Bulldog they couldn’t accompany the rest of the 1st Davion Guards during the assault on Port Arthur. So Finn’s company was conveniently left behind on Bicester within two jumps of Tanh Linh to react. Afterwards his unit (the War Pigs) was specifically assigned to hunt down the Jaguar’s Mists, with battles on Caripare and Yamarovka.

Sources: The Dragon Roars scenario pack

Karna Leaf Tea appeared in the novel Freebirth, where many characters enjoyed it, some more than others (Horse was one of the few who hated it). As to how it got to Inman… the Smoke Jaguars in the OZ brought some of the native flora from Huntress to transplant in the Inner Sphere (everybody likes a small taste of home), so they have some supply. The enclave that moved to Delacambre hence had some, which they unwittingly sold to the naughty ladies, who bought it to play a prank on Anastasia, not knowing she actually liked it.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Codina Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
27th April, 3061
1600 hours (0800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

A few hours earlier, Finn had met Raymond in the palatial manor.

“Raymond, you owe me, right?” Finn leaned over Raymond’s desk, his posture threatening.

“Yeah, I owe you quite a bit. It’s thanks to you and Lady Kalinska that my brother has been withdrawn from the affairs of the Trivet.”

Raymond continued, “Of course, you only did it for Lady Kalinska. So,” he smirked, “how should I repay you?”

“Viscount Codina has an extensive garden greenhouse. His daughter is hosting a tea party, and I need to go get Lady Kalinska, but I don’t have any connections to the Viscount.”

“Oh I see. So, you want me to visit the Viscount’s estate because you’re worried about her, is that it?”

“...”

“No problem! I assume that could make us even?”

 

“And anybody who reads it would agree that it’s the romance of the century! The millennium, even! So anyway, I came here to look for the rare hardcover edition. At the risk of appearing rude, I took the liberty of asking Viscount Rason and some of his men to escort me here. But who would have guessed!”

The rambling Raymond sneaked a glance at Anastasia and Finn. “That Viscount Rason’s fiancee, Lady Kalinska, would also be here. So now, how could I separate these two who would be married soon just because I’m on a mission of my own?”

Anastasia just felt more and more confused as Raymond talked, wondering why he was doing this.

Raymond smiled stupidly at her. “You’re welcome! No need to thank me. And so, this is how I came to visit this beautiful garden.” Then, as though realising something, he added, “Ah, please pardon me! I didn’t expect there to be so many people here, and it seems, in my excitement, my greetings have gone on for quite some time.”

He turned to Finn. “Please continue what you were saying, Viscount Rason.”

Finn faced Pence squarely. “What you just said was ridiculous. Are you trying to insult a warrior’s honour?”

Pence asked calmly. “What do you mean, Viscount Rason?”

“What you suggest is unacceptable for any warrior.” He turned to the others. “Did you all know how Avryl Showers died? She didn’t die in honourable battle.” He paused for effect. “She was murdered in cold blood by one of her subordinates! That traitor is a loathsome being who has no business speaking about honour.” He glared at Pence.

The people around the table gasped in surprise. Anastasia, who knew all this already, realised Finn knew, but for some reason, could not name Pence directly. And she could not say anything either, since Anastasia Kalinska was not supposed to know.

Pence raised an eyebrow. “Oh my. What you’re saying is quite dangerous, Viscount Rason. Conceding to the victor when defeat is all but assured is simply common sense. That traitor helped the Inner Sphere defeat the clans. And besides, it was another traitor who gave away the secrets of the Exodus Road… his name was Trent, I believe.”

Finn frowned. “Regardless of the circumstances, betraying a rightful commander and abandoning loyalty is not something a warrior should ever do. Trent paid for his betrayal with his life in the Great Refusal, and nobody can ever say he was a coward who would shoot an unprepared foe in the back.” Unlike you, was the unstated addition that probably only Anastasia and Pence picked up on. “For you to denigrate somebody’s sacrifices and courage just makes me sick.”

Before Pence could respond, Finn continued, “A warrior should never betray their nation, but instead defend it against all threats.” He turned to Vince, “Isn’t that right, Leftenant Codina?”

Vince Codina looked embarrassed as he nodded. “Oh uh, yes, that’s right.”

Pence asked, “Even if they’re in the wrong?”

Finn replied, “Do you not understand, or just pretending not to?”

“Then, Viscount Rason, let me ask you. Would you still do what you do if it meant all your soldiers losing their lives?”

Anastasia felt the icy grip around her heart. It was a question that had plagued her since her initial Trial of Position where she achieved the rank of Star Commander. Despite all the harsh sibko training, there was still a corner of her mind that could not help but quail at the thought of just tossing her troops into a meat grinder like what happened during Bulldog. There is no such war that does not require the sacrifice of soldiers, quiaff?

“Enough with your pathetic excuses, Sir Larouche. If their lives were really important, an officer would have found an honourable way to preserve their lives, like what Star Colonel Logan Moon did for the Sixth Jaguar Dragoons. And these soldiers would also have made their choices. At the very least, Star Captain Avryl Showers did her duty as a mechwarrior of her clan. There is no need for cause or justification.”

His gaze was piercing and fierce. “If I was the traitor who killed Avryl Showers, not even her name would have ever crossed my lips again. No matter how ashamed I would be of my own cowardice.”

Anastasia stared at Finn. Why is he…?

Pence sat silently in the face of Finn’s harsh rebuke.

Finn snarled. “Looks like you’re run out of excuses. What you suggested was not just betrayal, but abandoning the very ethos of a warrior. It doesn’t matter who holds the gun, or pilots the mech. All that matters is whether you live or die the right way.”

Why? Anastasia thought. Why is he saying what I wanted to say? Why did it have to be Finn, my most tenacious enemy in my previous life?

“Hahaha!” Pence broke the tension with laughter. “Viscount Finn, you are truly an exemplary warrior.”

Finn continued to glare. “And you bring shame on our profession. I’m not surprised that you can laugh in a situation like this. It seems that you’ve been able to escape criticism by silencing other people like this every time.” He concluded, his tone hard. “I think you are the one who never should have become a mechwarrior.”

The mirth in Pence’s eyes disappeared, replaced by a baleful glare. Of course questioning his status as a warrior would strike hard at his ego. No matter what, Pence was a trueborn mechwarrior of the clans, being a mechwarrior was ingrained in his very bones.

“Viscount Rason.” Pence pushed his chair back and stood to his feet. “I stand by the fact that Avryl Shower’s death was necessary to reduce the number of lives lost in the war. Even if it took a traitor to accomplish that. You cannot deny that fact.”

Finn replied, “Do you think you can still justify your way of thinking with such excuses?”

“Excuses? I know you won’t believe me, no matter what I do, but I’ll say one more thing. If I ever show any signs of betrayal, you can just kill me.”

That statement shocked everybody at the table.

Pence continued to smile. “You have the authority to do that, right?”

“I’ll be sure to do so.” Finn promised grimly, his gaze still full of anger.

Nobody present had ever seen young Viscount Rason showing such hostility before. Yes, he usually exhibited a sharp chillness, but to show almost open enmity… At that point, it was also clear to everybody that the tea party would end soon.

Pence sighed. “It seems I have ruined the mood. I just wanted to chat, but I think I’ve overstayed my welcome.”

“Oh, not at all, Sir Larouche.” One of the ladies tried to reassure him.

Pence bowed politely to Lady Codina. “Thank you for inviting me here, Lady Codina. I enjoyed spending time with you.”

“Oh,” she smiled, though even Anastasia thought it seemed just a bit forced. “Not at all. It was an honour to meet you, Sir Larouche.”

Just like that, the tea party dissipated into the air like mist in bright sunlight.

 

“Is it okay? You followed me out as soon as we left.” Anastasia looked out the window of her hoverlimo, Finn sitting opposite her. “Can we leave just like this? I thought you were responsible for escorting Sir Haynes…”

“There’s no need to worry,” he reassured her. “I just brought him along with me as an excuse to get you out of there.”

“What? You did that to Sir Haynes because of me? Is that even allowed?” Anastasia felt flustered. “I mean, why did you have to…?”

Finn huffed a bit. “That’s because I knew the ladies at that tea party held no goodwill towards you. Besides, I don’t like it when my fiancee is in trouble.”

“Huh?” Anastasia could see some clarity in the situation now. “Hold on! In other words, you were worried about me?”

Finn avoided her gaze. “You’re always asking that.”

Anastasia felt like pressing further for answers, but there was a part of her that told her she might not like his answers, so she relented. Still, she had other things to ask about. “There is something else I’d like to ask you.” Her hands squeezed the fabric of her dress.

He did look at her this time. “Hmmm? What is it?”

“At the tea party… did you speak so harshly to Captain Larouche? To side with me since I’m your fiancee?”

Finn was silent for a moment, before he replied. “Not really.” He folded his arms across his chest. “That’s just what I personally thought.”

This surprised Anastasia.

“I am furious with him.”

“Furious?”

Finn’s face showed extreme disgust. “Maybe I never told you because I didn’t even want to mention it, but I despise that man.” She could see him grinding his teeth in an attempt to control his anger. “I hate his guts.”

“Why? Why do you hate him so much? Is it because he was a Lyran?” She just remembered that the man who killed her was now supposedly Spencer Larouche, an officer from the Lyran Alliance, and not Pence Lamongue, former Smoke Jaguar abtakha.

He shook his head. “That’s not it.” His gaze was fierce, then the anger seeped away slightly. “It’s because of the warrior mentioned at the tea party, Avryl Showers. I met her during the war. Fought her several times too.”

Anastasia just managed to mask her surprise. Why did my name suddenly come up?

“What about that woman?” She felt a bit strange, talking about herself in the third person.

“Not ‘that woman’.” He frowned, as though chiding her gently.

“What?”

“But… ‘that mechwarrior’. Avryl was an exemplary mechwarrior, regardless of gender or allegiance. She was someone I deeply respected.”

Anastasia was speechless. In her battles with Finn, he had never shown anything of this!

He continued, “Her only misfortune was that she was born a Smoke Jaguar. Ah no,” he seemed to arrive at a new conclusion. “Come to think of it, it was because she was a Smoke Jaguar that she was able to become such an outstanding mechwarrior. And to be honest, it wouldn’t have happened here in the Trivet, or maybe even in the rest of the Federated Commonwealth.”

He looked out the window of the hoverlimo, at the trees lining the road. “I used to think that she was just an unusual woman, but she proved that to be untrue.”

“What do you mean?”

He seemed to be lost in his memories as he talked. “As I said, Avryl Showers was an amazing mechwarrior. She was the Black Lotus, feared across the entire border for her daring and skill. However, she was killed by a traitor within her own unit. On that day, I went into their base on Garstedt and saw her dead body with my own eyes. I felt so sorry for her.”

“To be killed by a traitor, denied the chance to die honourably in battle, and then to be insulted like that? I just couldn’t take it.” He clenched his hands into fists on his lap. “She shouldn’t have died like that… That shit bastard…” He shifted his gaze to Anastasia, and stopped mid-sentence.

Tears streamed down Anastasia’s cheeks, dripping onto her expensive dress.

Startled, Finn quickly crouched in front of Anastasia. “I’m sorry! I wasn’t considerate of your feelings and behaved rashly!”

Not noticing the confusion on her face, he said, “I couldn’t control my emotions and scared you!”

“Huh?”

“No, what I mean is… I had no intention of getting angry at you or hurting you. Maybe we should stop the limo and let you get some fresh air outside! I’m so sorry, my lady.”

She looked down at his anxious face, while her wet tears dripped down to her hands. Somehow, the juxtaposition of the two seemed to settle her a bit.

“What’s with that face…” she mumbled. Who knew the fierce and uncompromising Warhog Finn Rason could make this kind of expression? She used the long sleeves of her dress to wipe off her tears, while a smirk grew on her face. “I see.”

“My lady?”

I became a mechwarrior for my clan to restore the Star League. In the end, all that is left are insults against a foolish woman who refused to admit her cause was lost… but this man was angry for me on my behalf.

She slumped down from her seat to join Finn on the small floor space between the seats.

This mechwarrior on the other side, who I fought so hard against during the war… she rested her head against his chest. …thought I was worthy.

“Thank you…”

Finn now looked confused. “Huh? For what?”

Anastasia replied, “I mean it, I’m so grateful…”

They stayed there for long moments, before Anastasia asked, “Don’t you find me strange?” She sighed. “Even I know my behaviour isn’t normal.”

“Yes, you are.” He smirked. “But I don’t know what you’ve been through… or all the details of the situation you’re in. If a person is hurt, it’s hard to pretend nothing’s wrong and carry on as usual. So don’t worry, it’s not like I can’t handle it.”

He continued, “But more than that, I’m just happy that we share the same thoughts on some things. I even feel we’re starting to understand each other better.”

He smiled at her. “You’re always doing the things I’ve only ever thought about. Don’t worry, I’ll always have your back.”

 

In Venice Codina’s room, Selina Seydoux wrung her hands nervously.

“Lady Seydoux,” said Venice, “Just what kind of person do you take me for? Not only did you pull that stunt with the chair, but you even involved one of my maids in your schemes!”

“No… that’s…” Lady Seydoux looked away timidly, trying to find words  to explain herself.

“Did I ask you to do so? I’m very curious to know from where you got this confidence to behave this way.”

Lady Seydoux finally mustered the words, “It’s just a misunderstanding, Lady Codina! What I mean is… at the Feast of Bounty banquet… I remember you saying that Lady Kalinska needed to be put in her place! So I…”

“Ahh…” Venice stared coldly at Lady Seydoux. “That explains your actions at the banquet. And because you carelessly let slip information about the investigation you heard from my brother, you put me and him in an awkward position.”

Lady Seydoux replied anxiously, “That’s only Lady Kalinska says whatever she pleases! Don’t you see? I did it for you!” She continued, “It was the same today. She showed such disrespect to Captain Sir Spencer Larouche! She got all worked up over that clan mechwarrior and completely ruined the mood! Maybe she felt a sense of unity with her since they’re both nicknamed ‘Lotus’... I wouldn’t be surprised, after all, Lady Kalinska is always strange and eccentric!”

Seeing that Venice did not interject, Lady Seydoux pressed on, “You must have thought so too, right? You invited her to the tea party to crush her, isn’t it? I knew what you wanted and just did the dirty work for you.”

Venice trembled and mumbled, “Stop it…”

“Isn’t that what you wanted? You should be thanking me…”

“Be quiet!” Venice finally burst out. “It was supposed to be just a normal tea party! Drinking tea and chatting like always!” She trembled as she spoke, too distraught to control her anger and frustration.

“Lady Codina?”

“That’s all it was… And it was ruined!”

“Both Viscount Rason and Sir Larouche came as well. Even Sir Raymond Haynes made an appearance! Wouldn’t that be considered a success?”

“No, you don’t understand!” Venice thought angrily. That wasn’t the purpose of the tea party! The attendees’ popularity or status aren’t important! What was important was to hold the metaphoric high ground, trusted to organise such events, in effect controlling the flow of information and rumours, along the capability to influence events.

But then, Lady Kalinska was attacked with petty tricks right from the start. And while that was settled and she didn’t seem to take visible offence, the arrival of unexpected guests like her bumbling fool of a brother and Sir Spencer Larouche quickly caused things to devolve into chaos. Then Viscount Rason’s visit must have been a warning not to trouble Lady Kalinska in the future, along with the presence of Raymond Haynes to back him up.

Venice sighed. It’ll be difficult to try and invite Lady Kalinska again… This is so unfair…

She suddenly felt something was off and strode over to the doors of her bedroom, startling Lady Seydoux. Venice flung them open and looked out along the hallway in both directions. Was I imagining things? I felt like somebody was just here.

“Is there something wrong, my lady?” Lady Seydoux asked timidly.

Venice turned back to her. “No, it’s nothing. In any case, from now on you must be careful when you take such things to heart and think about the consequences of your actions.”

 

A few metres away, in a side alcove, Raymond Haynes sighed in relief, and murmured to himself, “She is too sensitive.”

I’m not surprised, she would be a worthy opponent. He pondered Lady Venice Codina. Even at an early age, she had established herself as someone highly positioned in the Trivet’s social hierarchy on skill alone.

She’s similar to himself, mused Raymond as he carefully stepped away cheerfully. Considering what he had just heard, it seemed Lady Codina had no intentions of harming Lady Kalinska. Instead, she was upset that her tea party was ruined by the unexpected guests.

He froze in his steps with a sudden realisation. That Lady Codina was actually capable of such anger… he chuckled to himself, thinking of how her public persona had always been so calm and composed.

There’s still one more thing, he thought. Lady Kalinska’s behaviour was certainly strange. What reason would a noblewoman of the Trivet possibly have to get so upset over a story of a mere Smoke Jaguar mechwarrior? Could it be because she didn’t like to see women demeaned in any way?

He shook his head. That didn’t seem to be the reason. Perhaps like Finn, she was disgusted hearing how Larouche tried to justify betrayal. Raymond tsked to himself, chiding himself for not paying more attention to Anastasia Kalinska.

He also noted that it was unusual for Finn to get so worked up, and the way he had talked to Larouche… what exactly did Finn know about Spencer Larouche? Raymond had some intelligence sources, and they were adamant on one thing - there had been no mechwarrior named Spencer Larouche in the Lyran Alliance Armed Forces.

Come to think of it… it wasn’t the first time Lady Kalinska had displayed hostile behaviour towards Spencer Larouche. There was that incident in the guest lounge, then when they met her at the drop-port. Both times, she displayed nothing but hostility towards Larouche.

It couldn’t be because of the bandit attack on Altoona, that came later. But that had to have some effect. Spencer Larouche had been notorious amongst the nobles for being aloof and rarely participating in high society events, but this time he had even proactively invited himself to a tea party for ladies. Raymond had heard from his sources that the events on Altoona had reminded Larouche of his mortality and he was now hunting for a consort. It was only unfortunate that his nemesis Lady Kalinska was also invited.

Come on, Raymond, think. He toted up the data points he had from the conversation during the tea party.

A mechwarrior’s loyalty. The clan war. Betrayal. Avryl Showers, a Smoke Jaguar mechwarrior. What was the link? Raymond knew Finn probably knew more than he was letting on, especially with regards to the mysterious identity of Spencer Larouche, and Finn was also, in some mysterious way, close to Star Captain Avryl Showers.

When Finn had just returned to the Trivet, Raymond had roped him into an extended drinking session where Finn had drunkenly lamented her death. If he didn’t know better, he would have thought Finn had a crush on his rival.

There’s a connection there somewhere, Raymond was sure of it. He had always loved a good mystery, and this seemed to be a classic right out of the detective novels or political thrillers.

And if the secrets revealed could benefit his plans, all the better.

-------------------------------------
The participants of the tea party:

Venice Codina (host), Anastasia Kalinska, Selina Seydoux, Jenia Garcia, Emilie Estarra, Axelle Aimee

The party crashers: Vince Codina, Spencer Larouche, Raymond Haynes, Finn Rason

[The Wobbly Guy]

Kalinski Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
28th April, 3061
2200 hours (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Anastasia shook her head vigorously, trying to dislodge the memory of a laughing Finn from her mind.

Even if he was her fiance, she felt she could not keep owing him… Even at the tea party, if Finn had not been there, would she be able to keep her composure in front of Pence the whole time? She cannot always just rely on him, nor did she want to. Considering I have gotten into so many sticky situations recently, it will be impossible to try to do everything on my own. I am no longer a Star Captain. But I will be in trouble if I am not careful. What I really need are information and opportunity.

But the information she could get from the maids and servants alone was limited to trivial affairs, and lacked specifics. She could not rely on her father either. Then the only other source would be other noblewomen, as much as she disliked it.

There is no other way for a flouncy dress-wearing aristocrat to gather intel, she mused ruefully. Making friends with the other ladies would have opened up a whole wealth of information.

By some miracle, she had gotten that invitation from Lady Codina, but… Anastasia almost slammed her hands onto the table with frustration. Considering her behaviour at the party, she might as well have torn it up with her own two hands. And she could not even blame it on the original Anastasia’s reputation!

Even more vexing was that Venice Codina fulfilled all her criteria, was the one person with influence among the nobles and was aware of everything that happened on Inman, and did not show outright hostility to her.

But she had to wreck that gathering!

Anastasia groaned in silent frustration. Lady Codina was perfect! Exactly who I needed! What have I done? I would not be invited to another tea party ever again! She shook her head and frowned. Instead of making a good impression, I just dampened the mood!

How was she going to approach Lady Codina, who had seemed the most useful by far…

“My lady.” Madame Iris reminded her that she had been consulting with the older woman for advice. “What were you so deep in thought about? I would have told you that such indecent behaviour belittles the dignity of your House.”

“I’m sorry.”

“If you’re going to just keep worrying about it, then why not send out letters? That you will be hosting a tea party?”

“A tea party hosted by me?” Anastasia perked up, suddenly enthused. “That’s a great idea! I don’t really know anything about tea, so should I serve them a similarly expensive one? The purple coloured tea I had the other day that turned pink when a bit of lime was added was so amazing!” A corner of her mind that belonged to the hardened clan mechwarrior was shocked at her own enthusiasm.

“It’s called blue mellow,” replied Madame Iris. “A favoured drink for nobles in the Draconis March.”

Anastasia was impressed. “Even the name sounds fancy. Anyway,” her eyes narrowed, her caution coming back to the fore, “you were just teasing me about hosting a tea party myself, right?”

Madame Iris shrugged, “I was half serious, but I concede your point. Nobody might even turn up.”

That was a definite downer, but Anastasia understood. At least you are honest with me. And it’s not really friends I need, it is information!

“You received an invitation before, didn’t you? If luck is on your side, you may still receive another invitation from the Codinas, so don’t worry.”

Anastasia grimaced. “What? There’s no way that’ll happen again.”

“To be honest, you’re probably right.”

“Ahh, you’ve hit the nail on the head again, Madame Iris.”

The doors to the room suddenly opened, and an excited Luisa burst through. “My lady!”

The maid brandished a letter proudly. “It seems Lady Codina enjoyed your company at the last tea party! As expected of our lady!”

Anastasia blinked. “Luisa, what are you talking about?”

Lusia placed the letter on the table. “Look! It’s another invitation from House Codina!”

Moments later, Anastasia placed the two invitation letters she had received side by side, comparing the seals. “It’s the same House Codina seal that was on the invitation I received before. What is going on here, Madame Iris?”

“I’m not sure.”

Anastasia grinned. “I guess I’m lucky this time.”

Madame Iris frowned sternly. “Even if Lady Codina seemed harmless enough at the last tea party, that too may be an intentional calculated move. So you mustn’t let your guard down.”

Anastasis nodded in agreement. She is right. It may have been out of curiosity at first, but there must be some motive behind this second invitation. But even if I do not know her motives, I cannot pass by this second chance!

 

Codina Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
3rd May
1300 hours (0900 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

It was two days after Labour Day when Anastasia stepped carefully into the Codina mansion and was led to a waiting room by a maid. To prepare herself mentally, she arrived a bit earlier than the stipulated timing, thinking she could use the time to figure out what was going on.

The maid bowed to her. “My lady, if you would please remain in the room and wait a moment. Our young master had just arrived from the palatial manor and is meeting with Lady Codina.”

“Oh, that’s fine. Don’t worry about me. I’m a bit early, after all.”

Anastasia sat down on one of the comfortable sofas, and could not help but fiddle with the invitation letter. Madame Iris had warned her to be careful and not let her guard down, but she really could not think there was anything to be careful about in her situation. The letter had even stated that Lady Codina had wanted to talk to her first.

How could I refuse? Anastasia took a deep breath, and balled her hands into fists in determination. I’ll definitely make a good impression this time! I can do this!

She was still waiting twenty minutes later in the quiet guest lounge, and yawned in boredom. Their conversation is taking longer than I thought… in the end, it did not matter how early I was. Do not tell me that same braggart left the palatial manor just to come here? Do the soldiers here have nothing better to do?

Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a shout.

“How dare you try to deceive me?” It was Vince Codina’s voice, if she was not mistaken. “Why you little…!” There was a sound of something shattering, jolting Anastasia from her malaise.

“Do you think you can fool me because I’m more outspoken than other girls?” That was Venice Codina.

Anastasia sprung to her feet. What is going on?

She walked over carefully to the adjoining hallway, opening the door.

“Vince, stop!”

“Let go!” More crashing sounds, of things being flung to the floor and shattering. “I said let go! I want to see her myself!”

Vince Codina started to rant, “It’s all because of that blasted Viscount Rason! That smooth-talking rich kid bastard! What makes him so special, huh?”

He is your superior officer, Anastasia thought, and he has fought enemies you could never have dreamed of. Well, maybe she was giving herself too much credit, but Finn Rason was definitely the much better man, even if he was an idiot.

“My lady, if you will just follow me to the parlour…” A maid said anxiously, obviously trying to head her off.

“I’m the one who invited Lady Kalinska here!” That was Venice Codina now. “So why do you insist on meeting my guest?”

Vince retorted, “Do you think you could hide her from me? Besides, I only want to see her for a moment, why are you making such a fuss? And her fiance says she’s being harassed? What is that about?”

“Please, Vince, stop! I can’t believe you are saying such things! You’re not thinking clearly!”

“Thinking clearly? Huh?” Out of Anastasia’s sight, Vince Codina’s hands trembled as he reached for his sister. “Oh Venice… how dare you. Are you afraid I’m gonna do something to her?”

Anastasia had ignored the servant’s plea, and stood outside the room where the siblings were confronting each other, listening quietly to the argument with her back to the wall next to the open door. The servant had run off, presumably to get help to hide their household’s dirty laundry. She sighed, why are the men here all such dezgra ******?

Vince continued to rant, “If you want to get along with that amazing fiance of hers, you’ll keep your mouth shut!”

“Stop saying such foolish things!”

SLAP!

“Ahhh!” The sound of somebody falling to the floor.

Shocked, Anastasia spun around to the open door.

“Venice, since when did you start disobeying me?”

She saw Vince reaching with his right hand for the pistol at his belt, while Lady Codina cried out, trying to make her brother pause in whatever he was going to do, “Vince! Wait…! I haven’t finished…”

Anastasia could not take it any more, and she stepped in. With his back towards her, she had the advantage of surprise over Vince. She grabbed his right arm, wrenching it behind his back, while her left leg swept his right leg, causing him to tumble off balance to the ground. She followed him down, maintaining her hold on his arm, then exerting pressure on him by placing her body weight on his back. Any movement he made could be countered by wrenching his arm harder, and she also had control over his hand, so it would be easy to break his fingers if necessary.

In all fairness, with his strength he could probably break out of her hold if he knew the correct techniques, but it seemed he did not. Maybe he should spend more time training than boasting of his unimpressive deeds.

“Arrrgggh!” He groaned in pain.

“Well, isn’t this interesting! Pulling a gun on your sister to relieve your anger… How dishonourable.”

“Lady Kalinska?” A confused Lady Codina stared up at her.

Vince roared angrily, “Lady Kalinska, what the hell do you think you’re…!”

Anastasia sighed, then exerted pressure again, wrenching another groan from Vince. “Sir Codina, I hope this will not escalate into an issue between our families. I heard very clearly what you just said.” She smirked. “If you want to get along with that amazing fiance of mine, you’ll keep your mouth shut, right? She placed more pressure, and his groans became louder, but he nodded to indicate his understanding.

She released the armlock, but before one final painful wrench that inflicted excruciating pain on his shoulder joint, just short of dislocating it completely, eliciting another loud groan. “Sir Codina, your actions here were quite shameful. It would be a scandal if anybody were to know of this. I do hope you will keep it quiet.”

She walked up to Venice Codina. “Are you all right? Can you stand?” She offered a helping hand.

“Huh? Yes…” Lady Codina took her hand.

“Can you take me back to the drawing room? I seem to have lost my way.”

They left Vince Codina lying on the floor, clutching his shoulder, groaning in pain and stewing in frustration.

 

In the drawing room, Anastasia looked over Lady Codina with concern. The noblewoman was still shaking.

She asked, “Should I ask for some cool water or tea? Or a cold towel for your cheek?”

Lady Codina stayed silent, her head down, her hair obscuring her face. She has been like that for a while now. What should I do?

“My lady?” Anastasia reached out with one hand to pat Lady Codina to provide some assurance.

The moment her hand made contact, Lady Codina shouted, “Don’t touch me!”

Anastasia withdrew her hand in surprise.

“You really are the absolute worst! Why couldn’t you just turn a blind eye, like everybody else does? Were you hoping to start a rumour?” Lady Codina said angrily to her. “Why did you interfere back there? Were you hoping I’d be embarrassed and ashamed?”

“What… What are you talking about?” Anastais blinked in confusion. I really cannot figure out what these nobles are thinking. “Your brother is the one who’s at fault here, so why should you feel ashamed?”

Venice Codina still seemed peeved.

Anastasia tried to mollify her. “Oh! If you care about this kind of stuff, you don’t need to worry. I won’t tell anyone. I didn’t mean to see it at all, so stop your cry…”

“No!”

“Huh?”

Lady Codina shouted, “Why would I care about that? I just hate that you were there!” She covered her face with her hands. “It’s so awful.”

Anastasia was thoroughly confused now, but realisation slowly gnawed at her. “Lady Codina, did I do something wrong?” Her tone turned colder. “I said, did I do something wrong?”

“What have I done to make you so angry? I only interfered because I was afraid something bad might happen to you. Is that so wrong?”

Venice Codina replied softly, “No one else stopped it from happening. Not a single person in the entire estate! So doesn’t that mean that everybody was okay with it? Even though they knew what was happening? Not just me, but anyone else who might have been in my place.” Lady Codina seemed almost resigned.

“Well, I won’t say anything about it if that’s what you want…”

She was cut off by a scoff from Lady Codina. “Lady Kalinska, you know that I hate you, right?”

Wow, she said it so easily… “What?” I just saved her, so what is with the attitude? It seemed that Madame Iris was right after all. Still, Anastasia could not help but ask, “Why is that? Are you upset because Count Haynes took such an interest in me that day?” That was a vague memory she had from the original Anastasia.

Lady Codina flinched a bit.

Anastasia continued, “You’re a beautiful woman with a noble background. What reason do you have to be jealous of me?”

“What? What are you talking about?” Lady Codina seemed outraged at her question. Enough to finally look up straight at Anastasia. Her left cheek was slightly reddened from her brother’s slap.

“Think about it, even if you didn’t thank me, I at least thought you’d have enough manners not to say ‘I hate you’ to my face. You have no reason to hate me unless it’s because you’re jealous. Isn’t that why you lost your temper and insist on this argument with me right now?” A bit parched from talking, Anastasia took a long sip of her tea.

“Lady Kalinska! That’s not true! Why would I be jealous of you?”

“I see you’re still denying it.”

Lady Codina seemed even more incensed now. “I’m aware that you think very highly of yourself, but how can you just live like this?”

“Huh?” Her confusion was back.

“It’s like you said, my family’s status is higher than yours and I am considered a great beauty!” Lady Codina really seemed furious now. “So why would I ever be jealous of you! You’re saying I’m jealous of that thing?”

Anastasia got the distinct feeling they were talking past each other. “Hey wait… what do you mean by ‘that thing’? And no, that’s probably not what I meant.” She sighed. “Anyway, you don’t even have to say anything for me to know that you hate me. You and your friends made that quite clear during the Feast of Bounty banquet.”

Lady Codina arched an elegant eyebrow. “Who said they were my friends? Seriously you still don’t get it, do you?”

Anastasia just felt more and more annoyed. “Ugh, whatever! I have no idea what you mean, and stop talking in circles!”

“I wasn’t jealous of you, I was trying to help you! Really!”

Anastasia felt well and truly flabbergasted. “Am I misunderstanding something? How is that trying to help me? It doesn’t make any sense!” She added, “You’ll have to come up with a better excuse than that.”

Lady Codina sighed. “Isn’t it funny? It’s so easy for people to accuse women of jealousy.” She chuckled lightly. “Why does the reason I hate you have to be because of jealousy?”

“Oh, well…” Anastasia could not refute her. That is true. She is right. Why did I think it was jealousy? I simply assumed she was jealous based on what I heard from others. Because… I always thought women in the Inner Sphere were easily jealous of others.

But jealousy wasn’t the sole domain of women. Men could be jealous too, based on what she saw of Vince Codina’s behaviour.

Anastasia sighed. She had been thinking too simply about other people’s intentions because of her own biases. It took only a direct refutation by Lady Codina to teach her that. But even so… she was sure Lady Codina still hated her, which did not align with her claim that she wanted to help her.

Anastasia really wanted to clear things up.

“So then, why do you hate me? If you don’t like me, why try to help me? If I’ve wronged you in some way, then I will apologise. Just try to help me understand.”

Lady Codina sighed. “It’s a bit of a long story…”

 

It turned out that years ago, Anastasia had saved Lady Codina from a difficult situation with her brother at the Haynes palatial manor. Venice Codina had wanted to make friends with the young Lady Kalinska, but Anastasia was extremely standoffish and never mingled with the other noble ladies of the aristocracy, and as a result had no friends and no allies.

Throughout the years, Venice Codina saw how this led to Anastasia being isolated and ostracised by the majority of the noblewomen, not helped by the intense jealousy directed at her as a result of the ‘White Lotus’ nickname bestowed upon her by Count Haynes. Having no power back then, Venice could only fall in line with the others until she could carve out a more powerful social status for herself.

The worst offender was Lady Richelle Aubert, the daughter and heir of Viscount Aubert. She led a pack of ladies who delighted in selecting ‘targets’ for bullying during banquets and gatherings, and even Venice had to tread carefully lest she offended them and became a target herself. They often spread nasty rumours about people Richelle disliked, and Anastasia was one of their favourite targets due to her social isolation and lack of allies.

Two years ago, Anastasia announced she was in a relationship with Baron Renard Haynes, and all the bullying stopped. Although Renard was already known for his short temper and ill-treatment of women, Venice had thought Anastasia had finally found a way to establish and protect herself.

But… that turned out to be a ruse by Renard. Venice choked when she recounted how she was a witness when Anastasia threw herself into the manor lake. How she had to scream for the servants to save Anastasia, and how Renard had laughed at the drama he had created. When it had been clear to everybody that Anastasia had truly loved Renard.

By the time they carried Anastasia’s unmoving body from the cold lake, Venice was utterly dismayed at the cruelty of it all.

“I don’t even know why I’m so angry, but I felt that you aren’t somebody who should ever be treated like this. You were called the ‘White Lotus’, and rejected society’s pretences of what a noblewoman should be. I just wanted that image of you to last forever…” Lady Codina sighed. “When you jumped into the manor lake, it was the most foolish version of you I’d ever seen, betraying what I thought was your truest self.”

Anastasia asked, “So you actually saw it happen?”

Lady Codina nodded. “I guess you really don’t remember after all.”

Anastasia fidgeted uncomfortably for a while, trying to digest all the new information. Then she asked, “Then why did you try to pick a fight with me?”

Lady Codina looked confused. “When did I ever do that?”

“Don’t even try to deny it. Are you saying that it wasn’t your fault that Lady Seydoux tried to shame me during the banquet?”

“Oh, that?” Lady Codina explained, “It was to give you a good reason to leave the ballroom. You showed up before all the rumours had subsided, so it was obvious what the outcome would have been. I couldn’t help you outright though, so I had to use Lady Seydoux as my cat’s paw.”

“But,” Lady Codina smiled at her, “strangely enough, for the first time you looked me right in the eye and acknowledged me. Until then, we had only just ignored each other.”

“So the tea party…?”

Lady Codina’s smile grew wider. “When you finally acknowledged me, I felt the time was right.” She extended a hand towards Anastasia. “I want you on my side.”

Anastasia blinked.

“Let me explain. Your return to Inman tells me that you’re not planning on running away again, and that you’ll continue to participate in social activities as a lady here. I can help you.”

Lady Codina gestured to herself. “It’s not like how it used to be. I’m no longer someone who can be ignored in high society anymore.”

“Oh.” Anastasia was elated and wary. It was something she had been hoping for, and Venice Codina now offers it up to her on a silver platter? It was definitely to her advantage, but…

“I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t have any social standing at all, let alone connections. You won’t gain anything by helping me, and you might even get hurt in the process. So… why help me?”

Lady Codina just blushed red.

“Huh?”

“How can I answer that? I don’t know, so don’t ask me any more.” She turned a bit away from Anastasia, who was left speechless at the reply. “It’s not like I have a crush on you or anything, so don’t take this the wrong way!”

Somehow, I understand what she means. Sometimes, regardless of the circumstances, you feel a strange and subtle affection for the other person, beyond all logic and reason, and they keep catching your attention. Finn’s visage appeared in her mind.

“It’s normal for attraction to exist between two people, so don’t worry about it.”

Lady Codina glared at her. “We’re talking about you right now! And can you please stop talking like that?”

Anastasia smiled sheepishly, “Yes, you are right…” Lady Codina did try to help her via various means, such as inviting her to that tea party, or trying to keep her brother away from her even though she was afraid of his wrath. She felt Lady Codina deserved some measure of trust from her.

“To tell you the truth… I’ve actually lost my memory.” Well, not the whole truth, because who would believe her?

“Whaaat?” Lady Codina gasped. “You lost your memories? Because of the incident at the lake?”

“I’m not really sure. I remember bits and pieces,” thanks to Anastasia’s residual memories that she had some access to, “but not everything. I want to be honest with you because you were honest with me.”

Anastasia grimaced. “I forgot things like etiquette and the local political situation. I only remember a little bit.”

“Oh my! No wonder your manner of speaking became so strange…”

Urgh, I’m still too direct in my speech! “That’s why my tone is sometimes strange… my apologies, Lady Codina.” Anastasia giggled nervously.

Thankfully, Venice seemed to consider it seriously. “As expected, people can change. You seem like a completely different person, Lady Kalinska.”

Anastasia mentally gulped. Venice Codina was very clever and caught on fast. She would need to be careful.

“However…” Venice smiled, “I think it’s better for us to speak more casually to each other. Trying to force yourself to be something you’re not, won’t work.”

Anastasia coughed self-consciously. “Anyways, Lady Codina, I fully understand that my previous behaviour was foolish and I will be more mindful in the future.”

“Why this sudden change? From what I know, even if people lose their memories, their behaviour doesn’t change so easily. Besides, you said you didn’t lose all of your memories, right?”

That was correct. Behavioural changes are often triggered. To convince her, rather than hiding and avoiding it, Anastasia decided to be honest again… to a certain extent. “Lady Codina, I must admit I have a motive.”

“Motive?”

“It might sound strange, but honestly, I don’t know anything about what I should do or even how to start. But I should get used to living as a lady of the aristocracy.” So that I can get my revenge on Pence. “I thought it best for me to get close to you. I thought it was the only way for me right now.”

Lady Codina stayed silent, so Anatasia continued, “I guess you could see it as me trying to use you. That’s how it must seem. Because of that, my intentions seemed to lack sincerity. And you have already tried to help me.”

Anastasia concluded, “Anyways, that’s the truth of it. I completely understand if you feel upset and wish to keep your distance from me.”

Lady Codina was silent again for a moment, then she rose to her feet abruptly. Anastasia was slightly taken aback. Is she angry? Of course, since I hurt her feelings, no one likes to feel they’ve been used…

“Pffft!” Lady Codina chuckled. “Come on, Lady Kalinska! Don’t be silly. I’ve been trying to show you that I can be useful to you.” She looked extremely pleased with herself, a far cry from the frightened woman from a while ago.

“Wait… what?”

Lady Codina reached for Anastasia’s hands. “You see, I’ve long wanted to be friends with you. And I wanted to show you how I can help you. So I invited you to the tea party and you finally realised how useful I can be! So where’s the problem?” She squeezed Anastasia’s hands.

“Oh, I’m so happy! The tea party was a success after all! How can we judge each other before properly getting to know one another? So I think we should try to become better acquainted from now on.” She smiled brightly. “Knowing everything about everybody is one of my many skills. I’m happy that you can see that now too!”

Woah, she is even more beautiful when she smiles… Anastasia wondered, if she had met Venice Codina as Avryl Showers, would they have been friends too? Even if she was not a warrior, even though she wore a dress instead of a cooling vest… they could still have been friends. Maybe she had been more close minded than she thought.

Of course, the whole chain of events stemmed from the fact that the original Anastasia saved Venice from Vince when they were young. In some ways, despite her capriciousness, Anastasia was not evil and did try to help in her own way. It was just that the death of her mother, her own self-imposed isolation, her mental issues, and the social hierarchy she was trapped in, all prevented her from ever growing past her issues.

“Well, it seems like I still have a lot to learn.” Anastasia laughed, finally relieved of the tension between them.

“That’s right, you do.” said Venice bluntly, giggling gently. “Speaking of which, let’s start with this big leaf pendant you’re wearing!”

“Huh?”

“It’s super tacky! People might assume it’s a primitive trinket from the stone age.”

“What do you mean ‘stone age’!”

--------------------------------------------------------------------
In my headcanon, many clan warriors would choose specialisations in various forms of combat after they had mastered the basics. For Avryl Showers, her unarmed combat style was essentially grappling and BJJ techniques learned alongside Tiaret.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Rason Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
17th May, 3061
1400 hours (1000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“I guess I don’t know anything about other people’s relationships. Apparently Lady Kalinska has been spending a lot of time with Lady Venice Codina these days.” With a finger, Finn flipped the cover of the small jewellery box up and down, a sign of his agitation. “How did these two become friends?”

He looked up at Eric, who was standing with his noteputer. “Isn’t it more plausible that Lady Codina is just using Lady Kalinska?”

Eric responded nervously, “I don’t think that’s the case.”

Finn glared. “Then?”

“Lady Codina appeared to be nagging Lady Kalinska while following her around. That’s not typical behaviour of someone trying to take advantage of another person.” Eric felt compelled to point out.

“What do you mean by ‘nagging’? About what, specifically?”

Eric looked clearly flustered as he peered carefully at the report on his noteputer. “Uhm, ‘please don’t just choose the ugly ones’ was what she said.” His eyes shifted down. “‘Lady Kalinska, not another weird one! Put that down this instant!’” Eric looked really uncomfortable.

His aide continued, “And not too long ago, Lady Kalinska seemed to favour a cat motif for her jewellery, but Lady Codina said ‘Isn’t it time you developed an aesthetic sense? It’s a shame to see you wearing such tacky things!’”

“What…”

“Asking if she wanted to become a jungle cat…” Eric sighed.

Finn did not look too comfortable himself. “So uhhhh…”

Eric glanced down for an instant to the jewellery box on Finn’s table, “Which brings us to the necklace you bought for Lady Kalinska.”

Finn had noted Anastasia’s tastes, so he had bought a cat motif design. But if her tastes had changed due to Lady Codina, then…

“My lord?”

Finn seethed quietly. Damn it! Now I have no reason to visit the Kalinski estate to see her!

For the umpteenth time, Eric wondered if he was being abused at work. Viscount Rason had loaded him with another pile of electronic documents to look through and summarise. He could only say, “Yes my lord,” and do overtime. At least there was some OT compensation.

“Come to think of it, how are the preparations for the Day of Honour?” asked Finn suddenly. “I know it’s still some time away, but I haven’t received any updates.”

Eric tapped his noteputer screen a few times, then said, “Viscount Aubert seems on top of things. He’s got the usual hoverbike manufacturers lined up with their latest models, both for the race and for the ladies.”

Finn asked, “What about us?” It was clear he was referring to the Delacambre delegation.

Eric nodded. “The usual four teams to represent Delacambre, my lord. But the uh, expats, are also sending a team. Apparently they have their pride too, and they want to showcase their technology and skill.”

“They are?” Finn was surprised. “And nobody told me?”

Eric replied, “Strictly speaking, participation in the hoverbike race is purely voluntary and does not require the permission of any lord.”

Finn smiled. “Well, that would certainly liven this year’s race. This year’s event is shaping up to be quite the affair. All the nobility should be there, so… that means Lady Kalinska should also be attending right?”

“Uhm, actually…”

Finn went back to reading the documents on his screen, resigned. “Forget I asked. Of course she won’t be there. Lady Kalinska had never enjoyed this sort of thing.”

Innerman City,
17th May
1800 hours (1400 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“A hoverbike race?” asked Anastasia, intrigued.

“Yes, there’s a hoverbike race on the annual Day of Honour organised for our soldiers. It’s a local custom that somehow became a tradition over the years,” explained Venice. “Now stop fidgeting and let me compare these brooches!”

Venice hmphed and hummed while holding the brooches in each of her hands against Anastasia’s dress, before putting them down on the counter. “Give me a brooch in a darker colour.” She pointed, “Give me that one too.”

“Right away, my lady.”

Venice noted Anastasia’s bored expression. “Ana, you need to pay more attention to your clothing. Fashion trends change so quickly you’ll be left behind if you don’t pay close attention.”

Anastasia lamented, “All this sparkly stuff looks the same to me!”

Venice shot her a look. “How can you know less than me when your House owns gem mines? This is why you were wearing those hideous jewellery last time!”

“Pfft!” The shop attendant actually had to suppress his laughter.

Anastasia ignored him. “I… didn’t think it was that bad?”

“It was the worst brooch I had ever seen in my whole life” Venice sighed, shaking her head in clear disapproval. “I’m serious.”

“Come, try this on.” Venice handed her a ruby earring.

“Hmmm…” Venice nodded. “I think this sort of gemstone suits you most.”

Anastasia said unabashedly, “Well, it is me after all. Everything looks good on me!”

“You’re shameless!” laughed Venice. “ But you’re also right. Your honesty is what I like about you. It’s so boring to have to pretend to be humble.”

After looking at jewellery, they left the shop. “Whew, we have seen enough accessories. Say, who gets to go for the hoverbike race?” Their heels clacked on the cement pavement as they walked down one of the most luxurious shopping streets in Innerman City.

“What do you mean you’ve seen enough? Ana, we’re going to a bookstore next.” Venice did not answer her question.

“A bookstore?” The bells on the door jingled pleasantly as they opened it.

Venice explained, “There’s a new book on poetry I’ve been wanting to buy for myself.”

Anastasia sighed tiredly. “First dresses. Next shoes. Then accessories. Now poetry. Being a lady is hard work.” She felt like wilting already.

Being a warrior was a lot less work. Show up for drills, training, give full effort for those few hours, then the rest of the day could be spent doing their own stuff. Sure, she was an officer, and also had plenty of paperwork to clear. But she still felt that was preferable to the constant need to follow fashion, high culture, attend the right parties and gatherings.

Venice chided her gently. “You need to get used to it. You’re now a lady, after all.”

Anastasia looked around. The bookstore was piled up high with books. Even with the availability of electronic books, traditional physical copies were still very much in demand. “This place is so different from the last shop we were at.”

“This store has the most books. It’s also the only place I can find the poetry books I’m looking for.” Venice looked around for a while, then said, “Ana, I need to go upstairs to speak to the store owner. Why don’t you look around for a little while? You need to find something else to read after Shakespeare.”

“All right.” Anastasia was not very enthused at the idea, though she knew she should heed Venice’s advice. I would never have come in here when I was Avryl. Never had much of a connection with books. Who reads all these anyway? I do not even like reading in the first place. I cannot believe I am trying to read books in my spare time. I guess I am bettering myself in some ways that I would not have back in the Clan.

As part of her education to become a proper lady, Venice had assigned her to read through the collected works of Shakespeare, and while deciphering the archaic English was difficult, the stories themselves were entertaining enough, so Anastasia did not think they were too much of a chore.

She walked past the rows of bookshelves, to the non-fiction section, and her fingers suddenly paused.

There was a shelf with books on the Clans. One title caught her eye. Clan Smoke Jaguar: A Trial of Annihilation.

Her hands trembled slightly as she took the book out and flipped through its pages. The clan she could not protect, she would now read about only in a book. How was it they managed to get enough information in such a short time to write a book on it anyway?

Even the most cursory glance through the book was enough for her to identify the many mistakes in the book regarding Clan Smoke Jaguar’s culture and traditions, so she figured it was published quickly to capitalise on the Spheroids’ curiosity about the clans, nevermind the shoddy research. She turned to the page on notable leaders, and was surprised to see a photo of herself as Avryl Showers.

“Hmm… Avryl Showers huh? You seem really interested in a dead clan.” The voice behind her was a shock, and she spun around.

“Who…!”

Raymond Haynes placed a finger against his lips. “Shhh… please be quiet. I’m trying to avoid being found.”

Anastasia could not help but feel annoyed. Why does this guy keep showing up all the time? What does he want? And he’s getting into my personal space!

Meanwhile, Raymond was leaning over her and looking through the titles on the shelf. With her back against the shelf, Anastasia could only hold the book protectively in front of her body.

“Ah, here it is. Judging by the title, the book you’re holding isn’t exactly very good. It was written by an AFFC officer, so it focused too much on the military aspects.” He seemed to point at something. “If you want to learn more about the clans, this one from the Diamond Sharks is much easier to understand.”

She squeezed the book against her own body. “I don’t know, I just picked this book up at random.”

Raymond turned to look at her, a sinister grin on his face. “Come on now, there’s no need to lie, Lady Kalinska. I’m already aware of your interest in the clans, especially the Smoke Jaguars. You admitted as much back at the tea party the other day, didn’t you?”

Anastasia replied, “What are you talking about? I never…”

“Smoke Jaguar’s Black Lotus, Avryl Showers! You admire her, don’t you? You respect her for being a mechwarrior of some repute, despite being a woman, don’t you? You don’t have to hide it from me.”

She could not help but flinch a bit when he mentioned her name. But still, she could not understand what he was saying. And the various run-ins they had happened far too often to be mere coincidence. He was probably doing it on purpose!

It’s too dangerous to stay around him, Anastasia decided. “My friend is waiting for me upstairs, so I think I should get going, Sir Haynes.”

“Oh, are you referring to Lady Codina?”

“What?” He had backed off a bit, enough for her to regain her personal space.

“I heard you two are pretty close these days.”

“Oh, it seems that you are very interested in me, my lord.”

“Of course I am.” He reached out with a hand, tapping her on one shoulder. “I’m very interested in you, Lady Kalinska.” He squeezed her shoulder gently.

Anastasia stepped back again to put her back against the shelves.

His eyes seemed to gleam with hidden intent. “Much more than you think.”

Raymond recalled the events of the morning, when his father had called him for a private meeting. For the first time ever, his father had outright considered him for the Countship. Raymond had not been prepared for the conversation, so he had just maintained the foppish act he had put up the past few years.

The window of opportunity is starting to open. And I have Lady Kalinska to thank for prying it open for me. Many of Renard’s misdeeds only came to light after her attempted suicide, and he didn’t help his case with the abuse of the maids, and sending Spencer Larouche to Altoona. All these must have gotten his father to start considering alternatives.

And on top of it, was the ongoing unrest in the former Federated Commonwealth. The lines were being drawn between pro-Victor and pro-Katrina forces, and his father must have picked up on it. It was clear to everybody that Renard had already chosen Katrina, so his supporters had all followed suit. On the other hand, few nobles professed their support for Victor. Even Finn had demurred, stating that he intended to honour Victor’s wishes and stay out of it, essentially claiming neutrality.

There were still a lot of undeclared neutrals around though, and matters could swing either way.

All these were opportunities, and Raymond was determined to seize them. Timing is important…

A heavy book crashed into his left foot. He crouched down immediately in pain.

“My goodness, what should I do? That must have been painful!” He glanced up to see Anastasia with a look of fake concern. She must have pulled a book out to drop on me!

Anastasia continued, “Forgive me, my lord, my arms are so weak that I couldn’t carry the weight any longer. That book was so heavy! I was just so startled when you appeared before me so suddenly!”

Despite the pain, he smirked. “Hah… I know you dropped it on purpose. So you can drop the act, my lady.”

“My goodness, my lord leaned in close to me and told me you’re interested in me,” she smiled wickedly, “I’m sure my fiance will be quite shocked.” She took a vicious stomp forward, her heels just missing his injured foot as he quickly pulled it back with a wince.

“Oh no! It looks like my foot got caught on my skirt and I slipped. Forgive me, my lord!” The ensuing giggle belied the sincerity of her words.

He slowly stood up, using a table as support. “This side of you is quite attractive, my lady.” His foot was still hurting, but at least the pain was wearing off.

“Oh?” She seemed to be enjoying his distress. “I guess you have a unique standard for what you find attractive.” She took a menacing step forward. “Would you like me to show you just how attractive I can be?”

He smiled nervously. “I never said I wanted to know.”

“Ana!” Venice came down the staircase with a book in her hands. Anastasia turned to her friend, allowing Raymond a reprieve.

“Greetings, my lord.” Venice, ever the proper lady, curtseyed to Raymond.

“I am honoured to have met Lady Codina in a place like this.” Raymond returned the greeting smoothly.

“The honour is all mine, my lord.” Venice then asked, “What book are you looking for, my lord?”

Raymond laughed nervously. “I didn’t come for a book. It was just… my father said something unnerving today, so I ran away.”

Ran away? Sounds suspicious. Also, can his words be even trusted? Anastasia thought to herself.

Venice expressed the right amount of curiosity. “Oh, Count Haynes did?”

“Ah well,” Raymond seemed quite anxious. “He asked me if I had any intention of inheriting the Countship.”

“Oh my.”

Now that was a surprise to Anastasia. From what she remembered, everybody had taken Renard’s ascension to the Countship as a done deal. For the Count to start asking such questions, it seemed that was no longer the case.

Raymond continued, smiling sheepishly, “He said so suddenly that my heart almost burst out of my chest.”

Venice offered, “If Count Haynes said so, then I’m sure there’s a valid reason.”

“Haha,” Raymond shook his head self-deprecatingly, “I’m just a simple booklover…” His eyes settled on the book in Venice’s hands. “Speaking of which… is this the new Luskin Redford book you’re holding?” His eyes sparkled in delight.

“Oh,” Venice seemed happy for the change of subject. “Yes, he’s one of my favourite authors.”

“How interesting that you would enjoy this poet’s works! I had heard women usually prefer romantic poems over serious ones.”

At that statement, Venice looked up, her face blank. “No! There is no difference between men and women when it comes to beautiful poetry. It’s not just me, but Lady Seydoux enjoys his works as well.” She smiled, but it was clear that she was trying to mask the tension that had appeared.

Raymond realised his faux pas, and quickly replied, “Oh! Uhm, my lady, please forgive me if I’ve offended you. That wasn’t my intention.”

“No offence was taken, my lord.” Venice’s smile turned genuine, and the tension disappeared, replaced by something else. Anastasia could not explain how, but she knew something happened to change the mood between the two. She suddenly felt out of place.

“My lord, where are you?” There were shouts outside.

Raymond spun around. “Oops, looks like I’ve been found out! I must bid you ladies farewell! It was so nice to meet you!” He rushed off, out the door of the bookstore.

Venice was silent for a while, then said, “It’s not easy to understand him. I thought he was just eccentric, but now I can see that’s not the case.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“As a member of House Haynes, he has to have some political instincts… we can’t let our guard down.” said Venice sternly.

Let our guard down? Venice knows something? Anastasia herself was already wary of Raymond Haynes. Is she also aware of his true nature? “How did you know that?”

“Sir Haynes said so himself, didn’t he? He said Count Haynes asked him if he had any intention of inheriting the Countship.”

“But then he said he ran away. So why is that so important?”

Venice smiled. “Ana, you need to understand this situation is different. What this means is, the Count may give his second son the same opportunity as his first son. Which means Baron Haynes isn’t necessarily the one who will inherit the Countship.”

Anastasia nodded. “Yes, I understood that much.”

“But actually, that’s not the biggest issue here. Sir Haynes has revealed that he is interested in inheriting the Countship.”

“What?” Anastasia was confused now. “But did he not run away from the manor?”

“Don’t you think that’s even more suspicious? If he really hated the idea, then why did he waste no time in telling somebody about it?”

Realization dawned on Anastasia.

Venice continued, “Especially, if somebody was from a powerful family like mine… almost as if he wanted us to know about it. I’m sure we won’t be the only ones to hear of this by the next cycle.”

“But my father supports Renard,” replied Anastasia. “Why would he mention that in front of me? What if I went and told my father of this?”

“Remember Renard is on probation because of you?” Venice pointed out. “If that’s the case, then I’m sure he’d be more than willing to accept your support.”

This Raymond Haynes can think on so many levels, thought Anastasia. He is definitely a political schemer. Exactly what I hate most! But to have such a person as an ally… Anastasia grudgingly admitted it would be highly beneficial, since she knew her political skills were non-existent.

“Well, I suppose there’s always the possibility that he is indeed a fool though,” mused Venice speculatively.

“No, I think you’re right.”

“About him being a fool?”

“No, not that!”

Venice glanced at her sideways, a suspicious look in her eyes. “Ana, earlier you said, ‘How did you know that?’ Does that mean you already knew about this?”

Stravag, Anastasia shivered slightly. Venice is really sharp! “Well, he behaves like a mechwarrior…” As she spoke, she knew she already said the wrong thing. “So you see, what I meant was…”

“Sir Haynes is a mechwarrior? I heard he knew nothing about being a warrior?”

Arrrghhhh… Anastasia mentally grasped for any straw she could find. “What I mean is, when he touched my hand, I could tell that he had experience with mechs…”

Venice arched an eyebrow in surprise. “Oh! So you’re saying that you have held hands with Sir Haynes before?”

“No, no!” Anastasia knew she was digging herself deeper into a hole, but she could not just let the misunderstanding remain just like that. “It only happened because a book fell and we both reached for it…”

At Venice’s sceptical face, a flustered Anastasia shook her hands desperately, “Wait! Don’t misunderstand! What I mean is… Argh… It’s hard to explain!”

Anastasia persisted anyway. “When I first met him, he was carrying a lot of books! That’s when our hands briefly touched! Also, the way he walks is quite unique! And also… uhm…”

Venice sighed. “Although you have little knowledge about being a lady, it seems your expertise lies somewhere else. I realise that now.”

The statement stabbed right through Anastasia. Nothing gets past her!

“Ah, these books are new.” Venice had crouched down to pick up some of the books on the floor.

How much effort did Venice had to put into becoming like this? Ever vigilant in any and all circumstances? In comparison, being a clan warrior seemed more… straightforward.

“Oh right, you asked about the hoverbike race,” recalled Venice. “Do you want to go?”

Anastasia was relieved at the change of subject, since it was probably more interesting than clothes, accessories, and books. “Of course. Why don’t we go together? Do we need an invitation?”

Venice said, “The hoverbike race is traditionally organised by House Aubert, since it is held on their Viscounty. It’s one of the few occasions where us ladies can go out in public without dresses and nobody will say anything. The invitation is merely a formality, almost any noble can get it.”

“Why? What’s so special about this event?”

“Other than the hoverbike race, where teams from all over the Trivet will participate, there’s also the ladies’ event. The manufacturers will trot out their trendiest hoverbikes for us to ride. And of course, we can’t ride the hoverbikes in dresses, so we’ll have to wear pants. Tight-fitting ones too.”

“Wait,” Anastasia said sceptically, “that sounds as though it was set up specifically for men to ogle the ladies!”

“Yes,” Venice smiled bitterly. “It’s not just about riding hoverbikes and providing free advertising. It’s also a chance for nobles to find partners. In other words, it’s a glorified matchmaking session.”

“Ridiculous! And women are fine with this arrangement?”

Anastasia could not believe it. It was yet another sign of the degeneracy of the Inner Sphere. The sheer contrivance of essentially forcing ladies into dresses for most of the time, then an event just for them to show off their legs? Clan culture was far more direct and made much more sense.

Venice laughed, “Oh yes, the ladies do turn up! Because it benefits them too, in finding suitable marriage partners. More importantly, Ana…” Her tone turned serious, “House Aubert… the heir is Richelle. You know that, right?”

“Richelle? Who’s that?”

Venice nodded somberly. “I had a feeling you’d say that. Remember what I told you before? You used to suffer a lot of social ridicule? Out of those who bullied you, Richelle was the worst.”

Anastasia was quiet as she searched through what memories she had from the original. There were no clear memories, but there was a sense of anxiety. Which meant that the original Anastasia did know Richelle Aubert.

The unpleasant feelings kept bubbling up inside her. Anastasia knew that the original was a victim of bullying, but she didn’t want to worry about it so she had just ignored those feelings, but there was no avoiding them this time.

Why does just thinking of the name make my heart tremble like this? Anastasia gritted her teeth. She would face down this fear. Besides, she had Venice by her side now.

Delacambre

The hoverbike slid to a stop. The air fans stopped humming and it sank down to the ground. Its rider engaged the stands to park it, and hopped off.

“All good, Chief!” Jamco gave a thumbs up with one hand while the other pulled off her helmet, revealing her larger-than-normal eyes and slightly oversized head.

Technician Hawise nodded in acknowledgement. “The front stabiliser is fixed, quiaff?”

“Aff, no problems now. It is as ready as it could ever be.”

“Looking forward to the trip?” Hawise grinned.

Jamco scoffed, “Looking forward to some thrills for once. Flying cargo planes all the time is so boring. Racing against these Spheroids is a somewhat acceptable substitute.”

Hawise understood. For former warriors who had tested down, civilian life offered none of the excitement they had gotten used to. She was a former mechwarrior herself, a Nova Cat who tested down voluntarily to the technician caste and raised a family.

She had relocated with her family to Teniente, but a Smoke Jaguar Trial of Possession for human resources saw her entire family taken as isorla and transferred to Schuyler. Due to her background as a Warden, her age, and her second pregnancy, they did not even bother to offer her a Trial of Position to regain her warrior status.

Which was just as well, given the shitshow that was Operation Bulldog.

After the Combine had reclaimed its worlds, something had to be done about the Smoke Jaguar civilians left behind in the Occupation Zone, and the traditional animosity between the Nova Cats and the Smoke Jaguars made it difficult for the Jaguar civilians to integrate into the Nova Cat enclaves. Finn Rason had been one of those who offered, so Hawise and a fair number of former Smoke Jaguars had taken him up and travelled to his demesne in the Federated Commonwealth to carve out new lives for themselves.

Jamco was a Smoke Jaguar former aerospace pilot who had tested down after she reached solahma age and decided to continue flying as a civilian pilot rather than serve as ground fodder, but from what Hawise saw, her reflexes seemed completely fine. Her small size, fast reflexes, tolerance for G forces, and all the genetically engineered advantages the scientists had built into the aerospace phenotype made her an excellent hoverbike racer.

“I wonder if Finn is really serious about starting up that reservist program for us,” Jamco mused. “I heard he took some choice isorla from Altoona. Whole mechs! And he has no mechwarriors for them.”

Hawise suppressed the twinge of temptation at the mention of mechs. She had seen the local Delacambre garrison, and she was quite sure she could still outmove and outshoot the lot of them. It was not that they were bad, but she was just better. She had been through the furnace of Operation Revival, the initial clan assault that had overwhelmed the Inner Sphere. She had fought and survived Luthien and Tukayyid, a feat not many warriors could claim.

In fact, her garrison cluster commander had pleaded with Hawise to serve another year instead of voluntarily changing caste, since she was assumed to have automatically passed her annual Trial of Position with that successful defence against the Smoke Jaguars on Hoard.

The dangling pack of tarot cards in the card holder on her hip told her to do otherwise though. Hawise always listened to what her cards had to say.

“That is Viscount Rason to you.” corrected Hawise. Sticking to their own insistence of avoiding Spheroid titles and surnames would not help them fit in. “As for the mechs, I certainly would not mind, but he will probably want full timers instead of weekend warriors.”

Jamco scoffed. “Maybe you can test back up to full combat status? At least you have a chance. I would need a fighter, and unless the locals manage to get their conventional fighter program off the ground, I might never get a chance to fly combat aircraft again.”

As the other members of their racing crew moved in to check the hoverbike, they walked to the garage. Hawise offered, “You could always sign up as a test pilot for the program.”

“I do not think they trust us that much yet.” Jamco noted. Indeed, there were some locals around the test track who gave them the stink eye as they walked past.

“We will prove our loyalty and our worth. It will take time, but I am confident.”

“Seyla,” Jamco agreed.
------------------------------
Nobody actually transfers physical books from planet to planet. What happens is that an electronic soft copy is transmitted, and the local publishers print the books. While readers could just as easily subscribe to a service and download the books onto their electronic devices, as Raymond commented before, nothing beats the feel of holding a physical book and turning the paper pages.

And finally, some departure from the original work, in both the type of event, and introducing new characters because there were certain plot points in the original web novel I couldn’t put in unless I reworked it significantly. Hawise has an interesting past - I got tired of all the constant sad trueborn warrior test-downs who just go ‘boo-hoo, I am not a warrior anymore, my life sucks’. Hawise chose to test down. And her tarot cards are pretty powerful…

[The Wobbly Guy]

Aubert Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
19th May, 3061
0200 hours (1800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Do you remember that wallflower?”

“With her shitty personality, she went around not knowing her place and now it seems she has ended up all alone.”

The ladies sipped their drinks as they chattered amongst themselves.

“Well, that’s the only logical outcome. Who would want to be around somebody like that? Wouldn’t you agree?”

“I see Lady Kalinska hasn’t changed at all.” Richelle Aubert smirked as she swirled her wineglass gently, before taking a sip.

“Yes, I heard she was involved in some sort of scandal.”

“Oh, you mean at Lady Codina’s tea party, right? I heard about that too. Apparently she created quite the commotion.”

“Oh really? Why would she do something like that? Maybe she’s really crazy?”

Another lady demurred, “Maybe not, but I have a guess. Maybe she was so embarrassed that she purposely ruined the mood at the party.”

“Lady Codina must have been so upset that her tea party was ruined.”

Another said, “I don’t think she was, because apparently Viscount Rason and Sir Raymond Haynes also attended. I’m sure she was ecstatic that so many important people turned up.”

“Oh my. It’s a shame I wasn’t invited. I would have loved to meet Sir Haynes.”

“Me too.”

“Well, I’m not surprised Lady Kalinska was invited. She’s the fiancee of a Viscount, after all.”

“My lady!” The other ladies were shocked, and the speaker realised her mistake with a gasp, held a hand to her mouth.

She quickly tried to recover, “An… anyway, there’s no point in wasting our breath discussing Lady Kalinska any longer. She’s just a pathetic and foolish woman.”

“You’re right! I can’t even stand the thought of her!”

Richelle continued to smile serenely. That’s right. Keep it up. You fools just keep trying to appease me on this stage that I control. Her gaze turned cold. Anatasia Kalinska… I will enjoy every moment of your pain for what you did to me, until you disappear from my sight!

 
Kalinski Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
4th June
0000 hours (0800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Avryl was in a jungle, armed only with her sidearm. She ran for what seemed to be forever towards the faroff base that seemed to promise safety, but it never got closer. A heavy oppressive feeling pursued her incessantly, but it seemed so nebulous, formless, that she could not fight nor avoid it.

Exhausted, she turned around, her weapon out, ready for a last stand against whatever it was, just to bring it all to an end.

The oppressive feeling disappeared, leaving only a chill that froze her very spine.

She spun around, seeking it out, wondering where it had gone.

A hand clamped over her neck from behind, and suddenly she was not Avryl, but Anastasia. I can’t escape! What is this oppressive feeling? Anastasia, if you’re suffering this much, tell me something! Anastasia!

She woke up in her bed, sweating from the nightmare.

 

“What do you mean, there’s no invitation?” Anastasia asked her father in surprise. They were having breakfast together, before he had to go for another meeting at the palatial manor.

Baron Kalinski looked embarrassed as he admitted, “You’ve never shown interest in the event, so I told Viscount Aubert there was no need for an invite.” He asked sheepishly, “Did I make a mistake?”

Anastasia groaned inwardly. While a hoverbike race was no mech duel, it was better than the tedium of being a lady almost every day. She loved her time with Venice dearly, but her life could do with some excitement! And the chance to ride a hoverbike for once instead of being chauffeured everywhere she went was really tempting.

“Father, I would have liked to have a chance to ride a hoverbike.” She admitted.

“Uhm…” Baron Kalinski sighed. “I’m sorry. I should have asked.”

“No, it’s actually my fault.” Anastasia insisted. “I should have checked with you instead of assuming.” She pursed her lips. “But what can we do now?”

She knew that to get her father to ask Viscount Aubert about a change of mind would be a tremendous loss of face, and something that would further erode her father’s already weak position in the social hierarchy of the Trivet. So getting Viscount Aubert to issue an invite was out of the question.

“You could go with Viscount Rason.” Her father offered. “He’s your fiance, after all, and going with him in public is only appropriate.”

She shot him a look of disdain, but conceded, “I will think about it.”

After breakfast, she made a video call to Venice. Although they were not going to meet up today, it never hurt to get a second opinion.

“Ask Viscount Rason? Of course you should,” Venice told her. “He’s on okay terms with Viscount Aubert, so it won’t be a problem if he took you as his partner for the event.”

Urgh, I guess he is my only shot… why do I keep finding situations where I would need his help? Anastasia grumbled mentally.

Her expression must have been obvious, since Venice giggled, “Ana, you look so scary.”

Anastasia asked, “Venice, why would he even take me? He must be busy with his own duties, and he doesn’t seem to be the sort to attend events like this.”

“Well, these events are all opportunities for nobles to interact and network. Even if it’s just to keep up appearances, some nobles will have to attend. As the local commander of the Trivet forces, Viscount Rason must appear at this event since it’s in honour of the contributions of the military veterans. Besides, he’s a veteran too, so it’s doubly important that he attends. And most of all…”

“Most of all?” Anatasia echoed.

“Because you want to go.” Venice beamed at her.

“Huh?” Anastasia felt confused as Venice ended the call.

Finn’s face was grumpy when she video called him.

“I want to say no. If you’re in a position to make such a request, the very least you could do is show your sincerity by asking me in person instead of a video call.”

Anastasia was surprised. Venice, you said he would take me if I asked!

She griped, “How can you be so aggravating? If you want to say no, then just say no.” It was a waste of my energy to even start warming up to him a little.

He grimaced. “That’s not it. I really…”

She did not wait for him to finish talking, then barked, “I wouldn’t ask you ever again even if my life depended on it!” Then she punched the button on the videophone angrily to close the call.

She flounced off to a nearby table, where Luisa was preparing tea for her. The maid asked, “My lady?”

Anastasia replied, “He told me to meet and ask in person.”

Lusia brightened up, “Oh my lady! Do you know what this means? He must have really missed you a lot!”

“What? It’s obvious he’s just trying to spite me! How can you interpret his actions in any positive way?”

“My lady…”

“I’m not going to ask him again! If it means sitting out the event, then so be it!” Anastasia huffed angrily.
 

Innerman City
6th July
1700 hours (0900 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Crechies, stay close to me and your father,” Hawise warned her children as they toddled next to her and her partner as they exited their cheap hostel onto the street pavement. She could tell they were eager to run off though, with the boundless energy that kids their age would have. Ava nodded, while swinging her arm vigorously hand in hand with her little brother Paul. The weather was not very cold, but Hawise had bundled them up in thick jackets anyway.

“I really think we should have brought the arm leashes,” commented Winston. He was a member of the scientist caste, specialising in KF drive research, and apparently good enough to have earned the labname Dirac from his peers, which still rankled her a bit since she did not manage to win a Bloodname in her original caste.

She met Winston while on the Exodus Road to the Inner Sphere to support Clan Nova Cat’s efforts to integrate into their occupied worlds. Her taroy deck had turned up The Lovers, so she took the hint and got to know him better. Not a month later after landing on Teniente, she had requested the eugenics section for him to be assigned to her as her mate.

He was patient and kind, although prone to distraction with the equations always floating in his head, and his own mind floating off to another dimension, which was why he had not gotten attached earlier. Hawise was just thankful he had fallen right into her lap. Besides, former warriors like her usually had their pairing requests approved quickly after a quick check by the scientists to ensure no inbreeding.

“We do not want to look too out of place,” she reminded him. “And this is a nice opportunity for us to see how these Spheroids live.”

He looked around the street. “Comfortable, but not very advanced.” He nodded his head at a car parked nearby. “ICE powered vehicles, not a lot of street lighting.” He could pay attention when he had to.

“Well, Viscount Rason did tell us these worlds were not the most developed when he offered to take us in.”

“This is a very nice world though. Shame about their development.”

“Which is why he wanted us here, for our technological expertise. Delacambre, then the rest of the Trivet worlds. Viscount Rason is playing the long game.” They could hear the sound of children laughing from the small park and playground they were heading to.

“I do not know. All I am doing so far is teaching the basics of the fusion engineering equations, and many of the students lack the foundational mathematics. I cannot even think of touching the Kearny-Fuchida equations yet. It would be a very long game indeed.” They had reached the playground, with a number of children running around with shrieks of delight. Ava and Paul were already pulling at her hands, obviously wanting to play.

“Okay crechies, you can go play for an hour. And be careful.” The kids ran off so quickly Hawise wondered when she had installed MASC in their legs. She exchanged nods of greeting with the other parents in attendance, and felt a warm sense of solidarity as they watched over the children playing.

“Oh, your kids are so cute!” said a mother slightly older than Hawise as she stepped next to them.

Not quite knowing how to react, Hawise replied, “Thank you.”

The woman gestured to Winston, who was looking distracted, probably staring at numbers in his brain. “Your husband?”

Hawise nodded. While the institution of marriage did not exist in the clans, when they moved to Delacambre, one of the adjustments they had to make was to formalise the pairings, since there were apparently legal consequences. So Hawise and Winston were registered as a married couple in the Trivet.

The woman continued, “Hi, I’m Leanne. I haven’t seen you guys around before.” She extended a hand.

Hawise smiled as she shook it, “Oh, we are visiting from Delacambre. We are staying in a hostel nearby.”

Leanne gasped softly, “Oh! Are you here for the Day of Honour celebrations?”

Hawise said proudly, “We are part of the hoverbike teams.”

The other woman grinned, “And what a spectacle it will be! My own kids love watching the races, even if it’s just on the TV. Which team are you part of?”

“I am with the Furious Felines.”

Leanne looked puzzled. “There’s never been a team with that name.” Apparently, the various teams participating in the hoverbike race had been established for decades with very little change, and always sponsored by the same companies as well.

“We are a new team. We have some experimental tech we wish to display.”

“Oh,” Leanne looked impressed. “We haven’t had a lot of advanced technology in these parts for a long time.” She sounded wistful, then she perked up again. “Mind telling me where you got them? From a Star League cache?”

“Neg, we are actually expatriates from the Clans, invited by Viscount Rason to settle on Delacambre.” Hawise wondered if it was all right to reveal their presence. After all, when they settled on Delacambre, it was no secret that they were once clan, and surely some of the news should have leaked to the rest of the Trivet by now?

“Wow!” exclaimed Leanne. Hawise had half-suspected her to run off screaming and asking the other parents to stay away as well, but she seemed more curious and fascinated than frightened.

Then Leanne actually dug out a notepad with a pen from her bag, and said, “I’m actually also a journalist with the Inman News Network, mind telling me more?”

 
Rason Estate
7th July
2300 hrs (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“There’s only ten days left til the Day of Honour, right?” asked Finn nervously, one finger tapping the top of his desk. “And yet she hasn’t gotten in touch with me.”

Eric nodded, “That’s right, sir. Ten days left, and the preparations are near complete.”

It had been a month since the abortive video call when she asked him to take her to the hoverbike race. Finn was starting to second-guess himself on his decisions.

“That’s strange. It seemed like she wanted to go.”

Eric had noticed his boss tended to tap his fingers when he was nervous or anxious. I should try to leave if he’s going to be like this.

Finn suddenly growled, “‘I wouldn’t ask you ever again even if my life depended on it!’ was what she said. What did I say that she would react this way?”

Please, how many times are you going to keep going over this? Eric suppressed a groan. “My lord?”

“Eric, do you think my response was so harsh as to deserve her scorn?” Finn sighed, then put his face in one hand.

“Uhm…” Eric did not know how to reply.

Finn groaned. “She’s never video called me before and it’s been so long since we last contacted each other! And not only that… it was only one measly request!” He continued to mumble to himself. “Come to think of it, Lady Kalinska has never approached me first. I’ve always been the one to make the first move.” He shot Eric a glance. “Eric, am I unattractive?”

Not this again! Eric broke out in a cold sweat. I don’t want to discuss this sort of thing! “Oh…”

Before Eric could formulate any reply, Finn went on, mumbling, “I’ve tried to take it easy and give her space. I wanted to be considerate since I know she had a lot of trauma to work through… But when she finally approached me for once, I coldly pushed her away…” Sigh. “It wasn’t enough just keeping her from being lonely and helping her re-enter aristocratic society! It’s too late for me to change that now… No, should I just ask her to go with me anyways?”

Eric looked on in paralysed horror, wondering if his prickly boss had finally lost his senses.

“Sigh, I’ll…”

There were a few knocks on the office door. The door opened, and the estate head butler poked his head in.

“Is anything the matter?” Finn asked, emotionally exhausted. “If it’s not urgent, I’ll deal with it later…”

“My lord, Lady Kalinska is here to see you.”

Surprised, Finn sprang to his feet. “Quickly, show her to the parlour.” He reached for his jacket. This is my chance to make up for my mistake!

“It’s a pleasure to see you, my lord.” Anastasia was dressed in an elegant dress and coat, and it really appeared her aesthetic sense had improved since the last time he saw her. She curtseyed gracefully, and Finn couldn’t quite place it exactly, but she really seemed more like a proper lady now.

She held out a box. “Please, my lord, take this. It’s a gift.”

“Huh?” What’s going on? Did I hear her right? He blinked. You’re not sick, are you? I can’t think of any other reason for you to speak to me so formally…

They stared at each other. What does she mean by ‘gift’? She’s never been the type to give presents in the first place. Don’t tell me it’s full of strange medicinal herbs, leaves and stones… His imagination was starting to go haywire, while his heart was starting to beat furiously from anxiety.

She seemed to read his mind, and opened the box, revealing an assortment of beautifully crafted chocolates. They looked expensive.

“Chocolates?”

“This is the first time I’m visiting your estate.” She explained. “I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I just bought the ones that looked the best. Is there something wrong?”

He suddenly exuded a tense aura. “Lady Kalinska, be honest with me. What is your real reason for doing this?” Is she trying to say we should keep our distance from now on? And this is a ‘fare thee well’ gift?

His reaction startled Anastasia, who had not expected him to get straight to the point. But since he had… Well then, I have nothing else to say but to ask directly. “My lord, please bring me along for the hoverbike race.”

At first she had been adamant about staying away from the event, but the news of the expatriate clan team from Delacambre had piqued her interest. She had not even known Finn had taken in former clan civilians, and it was an opportunity to try to make connections. Maybe there were even familiar faces she might know!

Finn looked smugly at her, her desire to go for the hoverbike race now written all over her face. He decided to tease her a little bit. “No, I’d rather not.”

“What?”

“Your gift was insincere and your request was unpleasant since it was so obvious.” He flicked the box with a finger.

“You do not like the gift?”

“I don’t really like sweet things very much. Don’t you know anything about your fiance’s eating habits?”

What? I could say the same about you! You don’t know anything about MY eating habits! She wanted to retort back, but decorum forced her to say instead, “It’s not that sweet, it’s dark chocolate, eighty percent.”

She could not imagine ever saying such a thing when she was Avryl Showers, but she had learned a lot since then. Stravag, the only chocolate she had back in the clans was the much sought after ‘Nickolate’ dessert candy in the military ration packs, with impromptu Trials of Possession sometimes fought over it. But chocolate of all varieties was widely available here in the Inner Sphere! Maybe decadence was not so bad after all…

He scoffed, prompting her to continue. “All right, I’ll admit I could have tried harder.” He looked startled at her admission. “And I apologise for being rude. Now that I thought about it, I did take it too far.”

Finn considered her words, and her demure expression as she apologised to him. This is certainly surprising. Has she always been this naive? Well, I guess it just shows how much she wanted to go. But it was obvious what she was trying to get at. Let me test her a bit further.

“Tell me, what kind of effort will you make as my fiancee? Because the truth is, to everybody else from the outside looking in, it seems like we have a very cold relationship.” They did not even meet up regularly for dates like other couples! Which Finn found himself suddenly regretting. Maybe I should be more proactive myself instead of just giving her space? Maybe a promise to hold hands in public or more frequent calls to each other… that’d be enough.

Her expression was downcast, and she sighed. Wait a minute, did I go too far? Her reaction earlier was funny, but maybe I should stop now… “Lady Kalinska, I…”

With a swish of her skirts, she stepped forward and planted a soft kiss on his cheek.

Finn thought he heard wedding bells and shouts of ‘Halleluia!’ in the background. Wasn’t this what he had wanted from her? But the suddenness of it left him speechless.

“If keeping up appearances is that important to you, I’m willing to do this much.” She stared resolutely at him.

Even that much… he smirked. She looks like she’s asking if that’s enough. A chuckle escaped him, and he only managed to say, “Ah, forgive me.”

That was the exact wrong reaction apparently, because her face suddenly blushed tomato red, and she shouted, “I cannot do this anymore!” It was obvious she felt he was laughing at her.

Which was not entirely untrue.

“Are you done with your acting now?” He chuckled again.

“YES, I AM DONE! I WOULD RATHER DIE THAN GO ANYWHERE WITH SOMEBODY LIKE YOU!” She stomped away angrily.

“Again with the insults…” Finn sighed as he gave chase. “Lady Kalinska!”

I should not have come! Anastasia gritted her teeth. It is just some stupid event. I cannot give him any more than this! I would not!

It was Venice who had advised her to visit in person, and to tone down her usual blunt mannerisms when talking to Finn.

“After all,” Venice had reasoned, “he’s your fiance. Furthermore, just making a video call, and not even bothering to ask face-to-face, anybody would have refused, because it would lack sincerity.”

Venice had smiled at her. “So what you need to do, is to show him your sincerity.”

As she stomped away, Anastasia thought. So I came all this way to sincerely apologise, and this is how he reacts?

She felt more than a twinge of regret. If I had never entered Anastasia’s body, her relationship with Finn…would not have become as twisted as it has now. That is why I just decided to give him a chance. But whatever, it doesn’t matter anymore! I will ignore him and all these stupid rituals!

She descended a flight of stairs in fury, ignoring Finn’s cries of “Lady Kalinska, wait!”

She could not care anymore, not after he had laughed in her face. She would rely on herself only, and she resolved to be completely free of any entanglements with Finn once she left his stuffy old estate. Even their engagement… well, she could always approach Count Haynes…

Finn was surprised he had to put in some effort to chase her. When did she become so fast?

She was on the stairs when her heels suddenly lost traction on one of the steps, and she stumbled in the middle of the stairs. She braced herself for a painful impact with the floor at the bottom of the steps. Damn these high heels!

Except her fall was arrested by a strong arm. She looked up to see Finn holding her in one arm, while his other arm held onto one of the stair handrail supports. He was panting slightly from exertion.

They were very aware of their proximity to each other. Anastasia could feel his breath on her, even while her own traitorous heart thumped loudly at his closeness.

“...it’s always something with you.” Finn huffed.

“What?” she protested indignantly.

“Lady Kalinska, while it’s good you’re trying to build up your physical strength, you should also try to get used to moving about in high heels before you try running in them.”

That made her even angrier. “Quit telling me what to do, seriously! Now I have to listen to you criticise what I do with my time too?”

He flinched a bit, while she continued. “Just because you’re a man with power and influence doesn’t mean you can boss me around!”

He sighed, then lifted her up back on her feet. “Let’s go together.”

“Huh?”

“I apologise for my rude behaviour. It’s not because I’m angry at you or anything… but I was just being childish.”

She snorted in an unladylike manner. “At your age, even? But you were saying about going together…?”

“Yes, on one condition.”

“Yes?”

“I’d like it if you’d speak more casually to me when we’re together. Save the formality for official occasions only. Your formality towards me was sometimes painful to listen to.”

“Really?” She looked at him sceptically. “Was it really that bad? Funny, Venice said the same thing, hmm…”

Venice? Finn thought, I didn’t realise they were already on a first name basis. That’s unfair.

“And another thing,” he quickly added. “Enough with the ‘my lord’ nonsense, just call me by my name from now on. I do have a name, you know.”

She stared at him for a while, before replying, “No.”

He was taken aback from the bluntness of her reply. So she’ll call Lady Codina by her name but not even her own fiance’s?

Anastasia explained, “Think about it. Your name is just way too long. How do you expect me to call you Finnickerhet every time I talk to you?”

“That’s easy. Just call me Finn. Everybody does that.”

“All right, I’ll call you that from now on.” She smiled. “Finn.”

He didn’t know why, but that was a distinct sense of deja vu, as though she had called him that before. But he was dead certain she had never called him ‘Finn’ before, so why did he have this feeling?

She added, “You can call me Ana too, since my name is also a handful. That’s settled then.” She started walking down the steps of the stairs again. “See you later!”

He blinked. “Huh? W… wait a second!”

She did not seem to pay any heed to him, and just waved a hand. “Thanks Finn!”

He found himself staring at her back as she walked out of his house. Then he looked down at the box of chocolates in his hand. “Well, she’s always been like that. Since she came here to get me to take her to the hoverbike race, it’s only natural that she left after succeeding in her objective. So yeah, of course she’d leave.”

“Sigh. Our time together was too short,” he sat down on the stairs and popped a piece of chocolate into his mouth, before continuing his monologue while chewing the treat. “No, no! You should just be thankful that she doesn’t think you’re a dirty bastard anymore.”

He looked at the box in surprise at the rich flavours coating his tongue. “Hey, this doesn’t taste so bad after all.” It was definitely dark chocolate which suited his taste buds.

He sat there for the next few minutes, enjoying the chocolates and wondering how to further his relationship with Anastasia Kalinska.
----------------------------------------
Actually, Ana doesn’t think of Finn as a dirty bastard…

She just thinks he’s an idiot freebirth. Very different meanings, lol.

I was pretty proud of myself for that little quip with MASC, but it came to mind when my own kids zipped to the playground a few months ago.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Aubert Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
8th July, 3061
0100 hours (1300 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Richelle Aubert seethed. “So that bitch is coming to the race after all.”

Her personal maid Karla commented, “So what? It’s only natural for Lady Kalinska to accompany Viscount Rason as his partner, since she’s his fiancee after all.”

“I know, but why?”

“Isn’t it obvious? I guess Viscount Rason just couldn’t help falling for Lady Kalinska’s charms. Her beauty is renowned, isn’t it?”

Richelle snorted in derision. Lady Kalinska had never attended the races before, and now she was attending with Viscount Rason? Was she coming to gloat that she was now engaged to a Viscount?

The noblewoman trembled with anger as she crumpled up the paper report informing her of the attendance list. “I can’t let it go.”

“My lady,” interjected Karla, “I have an idea on how to possibly deal with Lady Kalinska.”

Richelle startled, and looked at her maid, “You don’t mean…”

“Things happen when ladies unused to hoverbikes ride them.” Karla shrugged. “It’s been known to occur.”

“Won’t it be a problem if Viscount Rason finds out?”

“It’ll be fine. We just have to make it seem like an honest mistake.”

 
Kalinski Estate
18th July
0800 hours (0800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Finn!” Anastasia called out to him as she walked towards his waiting hovercar. “What are you doing here so early? I thought we planned to meet later in the day?”

Finn stared at her, his expression stern. Damn it! Why was she dressed like this?

His fiancee wore long, form-hugging pants that emphasised the curves of her legs and her rear. Her top, too, clinched tight around her thin waist, while light makeup further enhanced her beauty.

The thought of other men having the chance to ogle her incensed him. The primitive part of his brain was roaring, Mine, all mine!

The worst part of it was that her attire was not even that provocative and by the standards of mechwarriors, who wore much less to battle, even conservative.

Anastasia noticed his dour expression, wondering why he looked so grumpy. Maybe it was too much of a hassle to pick her up? But he offered in the first place!

I’ll never understand him. She walked right up to him, their faces only a mere handwidth apart. “Finn?”

“Oh!” He flinched. “Uhhh, yes, it suits you better than I expected.”

“Huh?”

“Oh, nothing.” He turned away with a cough, as though embarrassed. He smoothly opened the car door next. “Shall we?”

She smiled and sat on the passenger seat easily without having to deal with a cumbersome dress. Finn quickly circled round to take the driver’s seat.

As they moved off, Anastasia commented happily, “This is exactly why pants are so convenient! No need to worry about the skirt or the dress catching on something, or to need a hand here and there.”

“Yeah, that’s true.” Finn nodded, his eyes firmly on the road as they moved into the highway. “I spent so much time away from the Trivet that I forgot how attitudes towards women here are like. But the Trivet is so isolated that very old social conventions came back in once we started regressing.” There was a social anthropology course at Kilbourne that discussed how the loss of advanced technology and tools led to something like Victorian age social sensibilities in the roles of each gender in the Outback.

With each precious mech lost in the Succession Wars, replacements were usually issued to the richer parts of the realm, rarely to the Outback. Hence noble families in the Outback slowly lost their martial inclinations, and what combat technology remained was usually inherited by men instead of women as men had the advantages of testosterone and upper body strength to back up their developing skills, particularly in the apprentice stage. Few women had the gumption to subject themselves to such harsh training, so a slow weeding out process eventually resulted in nobleborn women staying out of military matters, and this process had solidified by the end of the thirtieth century.

In fact, Anastasia’s grandaunt Maria Kalinska was one of the few women who rebelled against the social conventions by going to Kilbourne Academy to become a mechwarrior, and was hence labelled a black sheep by her family. Finn wondered if Ana even knew about this, and what it meant for her ambitions to become a mechwarrior herself, even if she had not admitted it to him.

Anastasia nodded, “Yeah, the servants did not even seem to like it when I wore exercise clothes. And I couldn’t buy any female exercise clothes, there weren’t any in the shops, so I had to resort to buying boy’s sizes!” She seethed.

“Oh…” Finn did not dare reply to that.

She continued on her rant, “Why are pants so discouraged? No need to worry about wrinkling your clothes when you sit. My body feels so much lighter since I’m not weighed down by all the skirt layers I normally have to wear. Really, our movements are so restricted by what we have to wear.”

She glared at him. “Don’t you agree?”

At this moment, Finn realised he could simply do what men throughout history have done, using a simple ‘Yes dear’ to signify assent that would have placated their female partners. But he really had more to add.

“I agree completely. It’s not just about dresses and pants, which are symptoms. Local attitudes have really restricted our women, not just the noblewomen. That’s why you hardly see any women in the local garrisons, but when I was at Kilbourne and in the AFFC, there was no such disparity.”

He sighed, “There’re probably a lot of people with talent out here who would never discover what they could be good at, because of our stifling social conventions and the lack of opportunity. It’s just such a shame.”

Anastasia tried hard not to stare at him, while similar thoughts ran in her head. Indeed, there could be many talented mechwarriors who could not discover their aptitude because of circumstances or social conventions. Even in the clans, freeborns were derided and often denigrated, when some of them could be just as skillful as any trueborn.

The very fact they shared similar thoughts was a major source of aggravation. She caught him smiling gently at her as he drove the car, and grumbled mentally to herself. Why is he smiling like that? So cheesy… And he was so grumpy earlier on, and now he’s like this? Well, he’s an idiot, even if he’s quite handsome when he smiles…

She gave herself a mental shake. What was she thinking? He was her enemy… they were still enemies, right? Even if they were now on closer terms than ever before. It was only natural she would see him in a better light after knowing he had some redeeming qualities.

“Why did you want to go to the race anyway? You’ve never gone before.”

She shrugged. “I hoped to have the chance to ride my own hoverbike. Maybe if I do well, I can convince my father to let me ride and travel on my own in the future.”

“Hmmm…” He considered. “You did ride that scooter away from the bandits at Altoona, right? When did you learn to ride?”

She tried to stay calm, knowing that most noble ladies relied on drivers and chauffeurs for transportation. “Uhhh… I learned on Altoona when I was there. It was quite easy too.” Come to think of it, Baron Kalinski had been quite disbelieving of her riding skills, and had tried to dissuade her from attending the event. She had flatly refused his offer to buy her more dresses and jewellery instead.

Thankfully, Finn seemed to accept it at face value. “In that case, maybe I can pull some strings and get you something to your liking.”

She smiled genuinely at him. “Thank you, Finn.”

Her smile made his heart stop. It was the second time she had thanked him, but he knew he had angered her at least as many times. But at least he could feel the distance between them lessen.

“I really can’t wait to ride my own hoverbike.” She mused, lost in her daydreams. “Enjoy the speed, wind in my hair.”

Despite having attended the race before and finding it a bore, he found himself caught up in her enthusiasm. Yeah, he was a little excited too.

 

They arrived after slightly more than an hour of travelling at extremely high speeds, thanks to both Finn’s hovercar and the old but well-maintained highway. Anastasia had checked a map beforehand, and knew the race would be held on Viscount Aubert’s demesne, which was a distance away from the capital city. It was located on the southern tip of the peninsula leading away from Innerman City, and the region was said to be a prolific producer of seafood.

The area for the race was a vast expanse of flat grassland, occasionally interspersed with trees. There was an artificial bay on one side, bounded from the sea by a long and thin rock bund, further adding to the idyllic scenery. Nobles were starting to arrive, and they walked along the waterfront in pairs or small groups, enjoying the landscape.

“The view is amazing, right?”

Not him again. Anastasia rolled her eyes, then turned to see Raymond Haynes, her perpetual bugbear, behind them.

“Fancy meeting you two here!” Raymond greeted cheerfully. “Viscount Rason, Lady Kalinska! It’s been too long!”

Not long enough, Anastasia griped mentally. Why does he always have to show up?

“Greetings, my lord,” Finn greeted coldly. “What are you doing here?”

“Oh, the usual. It’s almost mandatory for us to attend, right?” Raymond deflected. “By the way, these riding clothes suit you very well, Lady Kalinska.”

Huh? She did not know whether she should be offended by his remarks.

“All those curves that are normally hidden beneath the fabric of a dress really are quite beautiful!” He continued, seemingly oblivious to the dark looks on Anastasia and Finn. “I’ve read about it, but seeing it is a very different! Viscount Rason must be very proud of your beauty.. He turned to Finn, “Don’t you agree?”

What the hell is he talking about? Anastasia fumed inwardly. Yes, she was used to direct and blunt comments when she was Avryl back in the clans. In fact, when members of the clan wanted to have sex, they just went right up to their intended partner or partners and asked straight up, with none of the posturing and ambiguity that characterised Spheroid mating dances. But somehow in this setting, she knew Raymond’s comments were not exactly appropriate.

She decided to channel some of her clanbred bluntness. “Oh, but the clothes you’re wearing are even more beautiful!”

“Uhhh… pardon me?” He suddenly looked confused at her sudden remark.

She counterattacked viciously. “Don’t you think so? Now that you’re not wearing a cravat, your chest muscles are more easily appreciated.” Her eyes held a wicked gleam. “And you’ve always had such nice slender legs, but now I can see that they’re so tight and toned. I’m sure your future wife will be so proud of your beauty.” Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Finn grinning as she essentially took Raymond’s comments and turned them back on him.

Anastasia decided to twist the knife in. “In fact, I think you should wear such revealing clothes more often, my lord. What do you think?”

Unable to formulate a response, Raymond could only stutter, “My goodness… you… you flatter me, my lady…”

“Ana!” Venice walked up to them, offering a reprieve for the tongue-tied Raymond. “Greetings, my lords.” She curtseyed elegantly, even though she was wearing similar riding clothes as Anastasia.

“Lady Codina also looks quite nice in…” Raymond started, then decided he dared not get on Anastasia’s barbed tongue again, and shut up.

Finn sighed as he said, “It’s good to see you again, Lady Codina.”

“Yes, how have you been, Viscount Rason?” Her eyes sparkled mischievously. “I wasn’t even sure you would come with Ana. You seem to be very busy.”

Finn subtly shifted his standing position, forcing Anastasia, who was holding onto his arm, to move closer. “Well, what can I say? My fiancee wanted to come.” He gently patted Anastasia’s shoulder with one hand.

Ehhhh? What’s going on now? She could feel the tension somehow rising even though there didn’t seem to be any immediate threats.

“You two must get along so well.” Venice smiled sweetly at Finn.

“Is there any reason why we shouldn’t?” Finn replied back just as politely. The air between the two seemed to crackle with tension.

What’s going on with the two of them? Anastasia wondered.

Venice said, “Ana. the area for the ladies are over there. We should go there.”

Finn interjected. “As her fiance, I must accompany her. I don’t know if she’s allowed to go over there since she wasn’t technically invited.”

“But Lady Aubert knows she’s here, right? And besides, I’ll be with her.”

“Come, Lady Kalinska, you said you wanted to ride a hoverbike, right?” cajoled Finn, as one arm tugged lightly on Anastasia’s arm.

Meanwhile, Venice had somehow grabbed hold of her other arm and started tugging in the other direction. “Ana, let’s greet our hosts first. Come on, let’s go.”

What’s going on now? Anastasia felt so very tired. Why are these two bickering? She glared at Raymond, who was trying to control his laughter, and why is he laughing at all?

Deciding that she had to make a decision, Anastasia lightly tapped Finn’s hand on her shoulder. “I think I should greet the Auberts first. It’s only polite, since I wasn’t invited, right?”

“What?”

“We can ride the hoverbikes later, okay?”

Finn nodded in acceptance. “If that’s what you think is best.” He removed his hand from her shoulder. “Then, I shall see you later, my ladies.”

Raymond put one arm over Finn’s shoulder, and started dragging him off, “Have a good time! Don’t worry about Viscount Rason, I’ll take good care of him!”

Anastasia walked off with Venice towards a nearby building. As they passed by the artificial bay, Anastasia commented, “You’re in a good mood today.”

Venice laughed, “Of course. It’s been a while since I’ve come out to the countryside. And such nice scenery too!” She pointed to the bay. “The water here is so clear.”

“Oh, this is an artificial bay.”

“How do you know?”

“Firstly, the water is very shallow. And the depth is constant, which doesn’t happen naturally.” Anastasia furrowed her brows. “The bottom looks muddy, it might be dangerous to go into the bay. And lastly, there’s the rock bund to separate it from the sea.” But to dredge one out in the first place… it must cost a lot of money. The Auberts must be loaded.

Richelle Aubert was the presumed heiress, since she had no other siblings to vie with her. She thought. Anastasia absolutely hated her. And those feelings even outweighed her love for Baron Haynes. But why? Because Richelle bullied and harassed Anastasia and never gave her a moment of respite? Because she turned Anastasia into a wallflower and then teased her for it?

A memory popped into her mind, of a young Anastasia screaming at Richelle, screaming that she did not want Richelle to talk to her, and that the other girl disgusted her. It seemed Richelle didn’t dislike Anastasia in the beginning, and was actually quite polite at first. She was mystified - why was Anastasia so angry at Richelle Aubert?

In her mind’s eye, the original Anastasia was sitting down by the water of the artificial bay, wearing the same elegant clothes she had when she jumped into the lake. Avryl felt compelled to ask, “Is this really where it all started?” She found herself in her original body while wearing her current attire, and she crouched down beside the other girl. “You ended up all alone. I can think of no good reason for you to have shown me this.”

Anastasia remained silent. Avryl tried again. “If you have a reason, then tell me! That way…”

Anastasia’s cold glare cut her off. Avryl sighed. “I see, it seems as though I haven’t thought about your relationship with Richelle seriously enough.” She knew Anastasia had a hard time, but it also felt like a problem that belonged solely to her, and not to Avryl, an interloper who had taken over her body.

Avryl was concerned. If their emotions run this deep, then Richelle must really have hated Anastasia. Much more so than the other ladies at the tea party so many months ago… Perhaps it was a mistake to attend the race.

“Ana! Get up, Lady Aubert is here.” Venice’s insistent whisper broke her out of her thoughts.

“Oh! Right…” Anastasia quickly hurried to join the other ladies.

Richelle was a pretty woman with black hair, and was dressed just like the rest of the gathered ladies, in clothes suitable for riding hoverbikes.

She stood before the assemblage and started talking, “Welcome! I am so happy to see so many people attending today’s festivities. However, it seems as though we have some uninvited guests.”

Anastasia stiffened. How should I respond? This feud between Richelle and Anastasia is such a bother, and Richelle isn’t helping with her behaviour.

Richelle clapped her hands, “All right, everybody! Even though we have an unexpected guest, the racing teams and my staff have put in a lot of effort into this so let’s just try and enjoy the event.”

The ladies quickly formed up into their small cliques, chattering away. Anastasia looked on, mildly impressed by Richelle’s brazenness. Wow, she mentioned it again. That just shows how much she hates having me here.

Richelle announced, “We’ve prepared only the smoothest hoverbikes for you today. I assure you that you’ll have a great time riding the bikes.” Praise flowed in from the gathered ladies, while Richelle made sure to make eye contact with every lady except Anastasia.

Anastasia expected it, so it wasn’t surprising to her. It would make sense that Richelle would only continue the social ostracism as she had done before.

Richelle continued to talk. “Let’s head to the refreshments pavilion while they finish setting up the hoverbikes. I’ve prepared a special tea for you all today.” She started to lead the whole group to one of the tents nearby.

Anastasia grinned ruefully. Even if Richelle hated her, it did not mean anything to her. Besides…

“If it was me, I would launched a full-on attack before the event even began.” Venice remarked in a whisper. “This kind of petty fighting looks very childish from the outside, doesn’t it?” She added with a giggle.

Anastasia shrugged, “That’s to be expected, I guess.” After the bloodsoaked killing fields of the Clan Occupation Zone, not much should faze her any more.

“But don’t worry. The last time she bullied you, you didn’t have anybody on your side. But now you have me.” She smiled confidently.

Anastasia nodded and smiled back. “That’s reassuring.” Inwardly, she also tried to reassure the Anastasia within. There’s no need to be nervous, Anastasia, you’re not alone anymore.

 

“Are all the desserts to your liking? You look even more beautiful than the last time I saw you, Lady Codina.” Richelle said to Venice as they enjoyed the refreshments.

“It’s been too long, Lady Aubert. You seem even more sophisticated now that you’re almost ready to take over the Viscounty,” Venice smiled and returned the compliment.

“Please, you’re being too kind.”

Venice replied, “I’m embarrassed to even stand next to you for fear of being compared.”

“I’m flattered to hear you say that, Lady Codina.”

As the two went on and on, Anastasia looked on, trying very hard not to roll her eyes at the sheer inanity of it all. It was also obvious that Lady Aubert was ignoring her. Oh well, I’ll greet her when the timing is right and I can go find Finn.

“Anyway, I’ve been worried about you,” somehow, Lady Aubert had grasped Venice’s hands. “Are you sure there’s nothing going on?” She faked a look of concern, and looked over at Anastasia, as though she was causing Venice trouble.

“What do you mean?” Venice feigned ignorance.

“I heard that Viscount Rason is very busy, so your brother is having a hard time, isn’t he? Is that why you’re associating yourself with those you normally wouldn’t?” There was a sly smirk on Lady Aubert’s face. “Do you want me to mention it to my father? Please don’t hesitate to ask if you ever need anything.”

Anastasia sighed. Again with the innuendo. And she had completely forgotten about Venice’s shitty brother. And the intention behind her words were clear - that Venice had befriended her only because she wanted to make a good impression on Finn for her brother’s sake.

Anastasia glowered at Richelle Aubert. She’s making it seem as though Venice is forcing herself to be friends with me.

Venice mused, “Hmmm… I don’t know… I think you know it better than me, that Viscount Rason has nothing to do with such things.”

“What?” Only the slightest twitch of Richelle’s eyebrows betrayed her unease.

“My brother currently has absolutely nothing to complain about. In fact, he’s constantly bragging that fact to anybody who will listen.”

Anastasia though uncharitably, that’s one way to look at it.

Venice continued, “The closer you get, the more you can discover good things you can’t see from further away. Isn’t that right, my lady?”

Richelle tried to rally. “Yes, I’m sure you’re right, but…”

Venice pressed on. “More than anything, those who are close to me are all good people.”

Wow, Anastasia was impressed. Venice really knows how to protect those around her. Richelle’s words could be seen as belittling Vince, and she would usually have let it slide under normal circumstances. But with just a few words, she not only stood up for her family, but for me as well… because I’m her friend.

Somehow, that made her feel a strong sense of security, that she only ever felt when she was with her Command Star.

Richelle sighed, then smirked. “Lady Codina, sometimes, it’s important not to miss the forests for the trees.” She let go of Venice’s hands. “You’ve always been so clever, so I’m sure you understand what I mean.” Viscount Aubert was a strong supporter of Baron Haynes, so it was clearly a warning for Venice to look away until he became the Count.

“You’d do well to listen to me.” Lady Aubert smirked, a smug warning behind her eyes.

Venice replied, with just a touch of steel in her tone, “Of course, I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

They stared at each other for a few seconds, before Richelle turned away. “Please excuse me.” She walked over to the seated Anastasia, casting a shadow over her. “I’m sorry for the delay. Thank you for coming, Lady Kalinska.

I’ve been waiting for you. Anastasia knew what Richelle was doing. She couldn’t get Venice to fall in line, so now she’s changed targets. Venice had taught her that the number one rule in the social world was to never make enemies, at least not overtly.

She stood from her seat. “Oh no, I’d like to thank you for your warm welcome to my unexpected visit.”

Richelle gestured to the tea spread on the table, “It was nothing. We’ve prepared so much for today’s event, I hope you take the time to enjoy yourself.”

“You’re too kind…”

Richelle cut her off, “Oh my…” One hand reached for a corner of her scarf tied around her neck “You have a loose thread.” Richelle smirked. “Even in a place like this, it’s possible for things to come undone… ahhh!”

She groaned in pain. Anastasia had nonchalantly grabbed Richlle’s wrist, holding it in place.

“Strange, isn’t it? I had my maids thoroughly inspect my clothes before coming, so it’s impossible for even a thread to be out of place.” She applied a bit more strength, and was gratified to see tears forming in Richelle’s eyes.

I may not be as strong as when I was Avryl, but I still know where it hurts the most on a person’s wrist. And my physical training has also paid off, so that counts for something too! Anastasia beamed genially, as though nothing was wrong.

Richelle gritted out, “I… I guess I was mistaken. You seem to have come prepared even though it’s been a while since you’ve come out. I sincerely hope that nothing bad will happen to your clothes by accident.”

Letting go of the wrist, Anastasia pretended to look puzzled. “By accident?”

Richelle tried to massage her bruised wrist without making it too obvious, smiling all the while. “You know, what if the accident at the palatial manor’s lake happened again? Baron Haynes would be devastated.” Anastasia could hear snickers from behind her, as the onlookers observed the exchange.

“Oh no, have I upset you? I’m sorry, I only brought it up out of concern for you.” Richelle acted contrite, but Anastasia knew better. It was a childish method of attack, and it was obvious that Richelle’s feigned concern was really just to agitate her. And to say that Baron Haynes would be upset? That really was ridiculous.

Anastasia continued smiling. “Thank you, Lady Aubert.”

Richelle blinked. “What?”

“You don’t have to worry about such accidents ever happening again. And besides, I am with Viscount Rason now.” While he’s an idiot, at least he’s not a piece of trash like Renard Haynes.

Richelle twitched again in confusion.

She must be shocked. If I was really the original Anastasia, she would have reacted emotionally and gotten hostile with her. Do you not agree? She directed that last question at the silent Anastasia within.

She looked confidently at Richelle. Making a scene is what Richelle Aubert wants the most. Strictly speaking, as Avryl, I have nothing to do with her. But I cannot just stand by and watch Anastasia suffer. I am going to show you that you are not someone to be despised and bullied. So Anastasia, I want you to trust me and come to me in your own time…

Anastasia smirked at a fuming Richelle Aubert. Because I have no intention of losing.
------------------------
The way these ladies play politics is vicious as hell… No safe spaces, no sirree!

[The Wobbly Guy]

Aubert Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
18th July, 3061
1100 hours (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Just what are you plotting this time?” Finn eyed Raymond suspiciously as they walked across the green along the racetrack.

“What do you mean?” protested Raymond innocently. “Finn, you’ll hurt my feelings, saying stuff like that. You mustn’t take your anger over losing Lady Kalinska out on me. I’m just here to attend the race…”

Finn spun around. “Quit playing dumb. I know you met her in Innerman City before, but I was willing to let that slide.”

Raymond grinned, “So you knew about that, huh? But Finn, does that mean you were having Lady Kalinska followed? That’s a bit much, don’t you think?”

Finn replied grimly. “It wasn’t that long ago that Renard sent men to harm her. Did you expect me to leave her defenceless?”

“Of course not.” Raymond shrugged. “There’s no way you would just sit around and watch if she was in danger.” His eyes gleamed with eager anticipation. “If you did, you wouldn’t be the Viscount I know you to be.”

He walked up to Finn. “You know, Finn,, I quite like Lady Kalinska. But what she said back there about me? I was a little taken aback.”

“What?”

“It seemed like a compliment, but I knew she was actually insulting me. Should I punish her for that?”

Finn growled in warning, “Punished? Are you serious?”

Raymond smirked, “Just joking. You’re always so serious! Lighten up a bit.” He looked up at the sky. “To be honest, I am interested in Lady Kalinska. Before you misunderstand me, I don’t mean in any romantic way…”

“Raymond, I don’t care if your interest in her is romantic or not,” Finn’s voice was icy cold. “Stay away from Lady Kalinska.”

“Hey,” Raymond protested, “What’s this, a monopoly on Lady Kalinska? The unshakeable Finn Rason? I can’t believe it!” His smirk widened. “You’ve really fallen for her, haven’t you? Wow…”

Raymond half-expected Finn to deny it, but when Finn just glowered at him. Then, he is really…

That glower made him quickly add, “Finn, are you afraid I’m going to harm her in some way? I’m not like my brother.”

Finn finally replied, “That’s right. You’re not like Renard. You’re worse than him.” Finn went up to Raymond, staring him straight in the eyes. “If I’m your target, why not just focus on me? If you keep approaching Lady Kalinska like this… even though it’s not what you want, I might become your enemy.”

Raymond shrugged. “Well, this does seem to be a problem.” Then he chuckled. “I can’t believe my once rational friend is now threatening me so cruelly! Maybe I should arrest you instead of Lady Kalinska!”

“Raymond, shut up.” Finn groused as he started to walk off.

“Finn, are you telling me to shut up already?” Raymond whined.

“Enough with the word games and let’s go.” Finn widened his stride, forcing Raymond to catch up.

“Hey, wait for me! We’re supposed to stick together! Finn!”

Raymond enthused inwardly. Just as I expected, romance is the most fun!

 

Anastasia rolled her eyes as she walked across the open field. The giggling voices of nobleborn ladies were starting to grate on her ears.

The pavilion with the tea refreshments was sited near the hoverbikes reserved for the ladies, while a short distance away, the hoverbike teams were making their last adjustments to the hoverbikes participating in the race.

It was apparent that the hoverbikes for the ladies were extremely limited versions, only capable of moving at thirty kilometres an hour by her estimation. Anastasia guessed the organisers had placed limiters on the engines, reducing their speed to far below what they are actually capable of. Since the purpose of the event was for the young ladies to catch the eye of the noblemen, having the bikes travel at slow speeds also helped them showcase their charms.

She thought she had expected it, but the reality was even worse than she could imagine. The organisers had set up a facsimile of a small town for the ladies to ride around, but just going at such slow speeds? Absolutely boring.

“Oh, here’s your bike, Lady Kalinska,” a helpful attendant guided her to the hoverbike assigned to her. “I am here to assist you.”

Anastasia stared at her hoverbike, admittedly painted a very pretty mix of colours, then at the ladies already riding around the town mockup. “No thanks. You can let somebody else ride it.”

“Oh, let me then!” Selina Seydoux had been in the queue with her, and was eager for her turn to ride. Without waiting for the attendant, she quickly mounted the bike and moved off tentatively, almost losing balance before she got it under control.

Anastasia winced, but decided she would rather not ride such slow hoverbikes. She looked over the hoverbike teams, and her vision narrowed to the displayed banner of a leaping cat, which was obviously a close copy of the Smoke Jaguar insignia.

Finn walked up next to her, and asked, “Why aren’t you on a bike? I thought you were looking towards it?”

Anastasia gestured with a hand at the ladies riding on the hoverbikes. “This is boring. Too slow. I thought they would go faster than this.”

“Oh…” He looked around, “Then what do you suggest?”

“The racing teams have spares, right?” She said brightly, then started walking towards the racing teams.

“Wait, are you serious?” Finn followed closely behind her. “Lady Kalinska, these are not toys!”

“I know, which is why I prefer them.” She walked over to the area assigned to the Furious Felines, observing the team members intently as she stopped outside the bounded area, just next to the gap allowing entry. They moved with the speed and efficiency of typical clanspeople, barking short, clipped commands to one another, interspersed with quiaffs and quinegs as they hustled to get ready.

These were her people. Annihilated clan or not, these were people of Clan Smoke Jaguar. In some way, the clan still lived. Tears threatened to well up in her eyes, but Anastasia was just able to control her emotions. It would not do to spill any tears in front of Finn.

Finn started to speak, “Lady Kalinska, I really don’t think…”

Without letting him complete his sentence, she mustered up her courage, and stepped into the enclosure.

“Who are you, and what are you doing here?” barked a brown-haired woman almost immediately as she stepped in front of Anastasia. She was clad in a technician’s coveralls, a pair of goggles on her face. Anastasia thought she looked kind of familiar, as though they had met before.

The woman’s eyes flicked over to Finn, and she nodded at him. “My lord, sorry for being rude, but you should not be here.”

“My apologies,” Anastasia curtseyed politely, drawing a scoff from the woman. Well, she had to keep up appearances. “I am Anastasia Kalinska. I was curious about your team, so I thought about coming here to take a closer look. Viscount Rason was kind enough to escort me.”

Finn backed her up, “Sorry for intruding, but I’m really here to escort her. I’m not here to coerce you into doing anything for her. If it’s too much trouble, we’ll leave you to prepare for the race.”

“Another high and mighty spheroid noble…” commented another woman with disproportionately large eyes, obviously of the pilot phenotype. She was clad in a racing suit, pads around her elbows and knees.

“Let us not be rude, Jamco,” said the technician. “And besides, she is Viscount Rason’s fiancee. We want to be accommodating, quiaff?” She turned back to the couple.

Anastasia smiled, “Yes, I would be most grateful.”

The tech sighed, “Well, how close of a look do you want?”

Anastasia tilted her head back at the fake town with the gaggle of giggling noblewomen. “Maybe not a closer look, but a faster one?”

The two clanners blinked. “You want to try one of our bikes, without a speed limiter?”

“Can I?”

Finn protested, “Lady Kalinska, these racing models can go very fast. I don’t think you can handle their speed.”

“Don’t worry, I’ll not go too fast. Just fast enough to feel a bit of speed.” Anastasia tried to reassure him. “I know how to ride a bike. I did so back on Altoona, remember?”

Jamco turned to the other woman. “Your call, Chief Tech.”

“Sure, why not? Anything within reason for Viscount Rason’s fiancee.” The tech sounded dubious though, and Anastasia could not blame her. “Follow me.”

She led them to several hoverbikes. “These are our spares. You know how to ride one?” She took a riding helmet off a rack and handed it to Anastasia.

“Of course.” Avryl Showers learned back in the sibko, and had ridden them plenty since then. She put on the helmet and easily climbed up on a bike, without waiting for Finn to help her on.

“Hold up, let me ride behind for a while,” said the tech. “Not that we distrust you, but…”

“I understand, you don’t want me to damage your machine.”

The tech sighed, “Aff, that is correct. More importantly, we do not want you to be hurt.” She glanced at Finn. “Viscount Rason would also be very upset with us if that happened.”

He nodded in agreement.

The tech put on a helmet herself, and climbed on behind Anastasia while the engine gauges on the hoverbike’s dashboard lit up when she pressed the start button. Fuel-cell engine, a corner of Anastasia’s mind whispered to her. As it was a chemically driven reaction and the redox reaction itself was soundless, a fuel cell engine did not produce any sound.

“Engaging the air cushion,” Anastasia warned as she activated the air thrusters, a humming sound finally produced by the hoverbike. The hoverbike floated into the air.

Finn asked, “Do you need me to accompany you?”

She smiled brightly at him and shook her head slightly, “You know I’ll be fine.” She gestured to the tech riding behind her. “Won’t be too long before I can ride on my own too.”

He nodded in reluctant acceptance. “I look forward to seeing you ride the hoverbike then.”

She laughed, “Try not to fall too hard for me at the sight!” She twisted gently on the accelerator, and the hoverbike started moving out of the enclosure, towards one of the wide areas marked out for the racing teams to test their hoverbikes.

 

Finn watched Anastasia carefully as she drove off, trying to hide his concern for her under a mask of complete confidence in her abilities. He walked over to a tent overlooking the preparation area, where some of the men had gathered, especially the married or attached ones.

Raymond was already there, probably trying to engage the other noblemen in his usual inane conversation about this book or another. His eyes flicked over to Finn, “Ahh, here comes the happily attached Viscount Rason!”

Finn tried to suppress his annoyance. “What is it this time, Sir Haynes?”

“Oh, I was just telling the others about your close relationship with Lady Kalinska. That makes some of us rather jealous!” Raymond pointed at the area. “In fact, here she comes.”

They could see Anastasia riding her hoverbike at a steady seventy kilometres per hour through the area, effortlessly turning round the curves of the practice track. Even at a distance, her grace and elegance were displayed prominently. And since the race was still some time away, none of the racing team hoverbikes were using the track, leaving it all to Anastasia. The tech seated behind her seemed kind of bored though.

“Isn’t she beautiful, Viscount Rason?” said Raymond. “Like something out of one of my novels.”

Although her head was obscured by the riding helmet, Finn could feel Anastasia was really enjoying herself. I’m glad I came with her.

“Wahhh!” Raymond continued his hyperbole, further annoying Finn. “You haven’t been able to tear your gaze away from Lady Kalinska even for a second!” He continued to yammer on. “Isn’t this like something out of a romance novel? It would be even more romantic if the two of you could ride together. Perhaps I should ask my father to find me a fiancee too…”

A high pitched scream burst from the fake town.

Finn looked up to see the hoverbike originally assigned to Anastasia Kalinska accelerating to the bike’s maximum speed, while Lady Selina Seydoux clung to it desperately as it flew away from the fake town towards the artificial bay.

Finn had a sudden sinking feeling in his stomach, and he chanced a glance at the area where Anastasia was.

He should have expected it. Anastasia had opened up her own throttle, her hoverbike bursting out of the practice track area, chasing after Lady Seydoux.

He sprang to his feet, “Lady Kalinska!”

 

“Stravag!” Hawise cursed, hanging on tightly as Anastasia Kalinska pushed the hoverbike to its maximum acceleration. “You are crazy, quiaff?”

“Neg! Nobody else can catch her!”

Hawise knew she was right. The racing hoverbikes were still being prepped, and even getting one of the spares up and running would take precious time, time that would mean they could not possibly catch up to the runaway hoverbike. Obviously, the ladies’ hoverbikes were all fitted with limiters, and it was not something they would normally dare to do anyway.

But apparently, this Lady Anastasia Kalinska was brave and crazy enough to do so.

“But what are you going to do once you catch her?” Hawise shouted in her ear over the wind as their bike approached its top speed, gradually catching up to the runaway. It was gratifying to know their bikes were significantly faster than the Spheroids’, due to the lower mass of the fuel-cell engines, enabling them to pack a slightly higher rating into the chassis.

The lady on the runaway bike screamed again. Hawise guessed the accelerator was stuck, the limiter had obviously failed, and the brakes were not working. Clearly foul play, but why?

Kalinska chanced a quick glance at her with a turn of her head, then looked to the front again. “I will match speeds, get side by side. Then one of us will jump across and take control.”

A simple but dangerous plan. Something any warrior could think up and get behind. Hawise asked, “Why not just let her ditch in the water? The water impact might hurt, but it would not be too bad.”

“Neg, the depth is shallow and the bottom is muddy. The mud will pull her under and she will drown. This is the only option, quiaff?”

In the back of her mind, Hawise wondered why Lady Kalinska was talking like a trueborn Clan officer, all proper quiaffs and negs with an edge of command. “Aff, I will do as you say.”

The runaway wobbled dangerously as it zoomed past the trees on tiny islets of the artificial bay, veering dangerously left and right, the rider clearly not capable of handling its speed. Nevertheless, she did not fall off the bike either. The screams continued.

“I hate to sound like an Ice Hellion, but can you get any more speed out of this?” asked Anastasia as they continued the chase, slowly closing the distance. “We need to catch up with her before she runs out of space.”

Hawise raised an eyebrow. “Hold on.” She reached down with her right hand, opening up a panel near the engine. On pure memory, she recalled the settings, and adjusted them with a few button clicks. The new settings would grant an even higher top speed, but at the expense of long term engine damage and higher fuel consumption.

But right now, they needed speed. The hoverbike surged forward, closing the gap even more quickly. To her credit, Anastasia Kalinska controlled the hoverbike very well, smoothly adjusting their direction of travel to narrow the gap.

“Chief tech,” the communicator in her ear squawked. “They’re asking you to stop and come back. Leave the runaway. It is too dangerous.”

Hawise grinned. And miss out on the most exciting thing to involve her in months? Not happening.

“Neg. I doubt my driver wants to give up either.” Lady Kalinska turned to look at her, seemed to understand what was going on, and gave her a firm nod before turning her head back to the front. That short glance was enough for Hawise to see the fiery determination in the other woman’s eyes.

They were the eyes of a warrior.

“So who will jump across?”

Hawise replied, “Too difficult for me to reach around and take control of this bike if you jump. It is easier for me to jump. I can do it.”

“Aff, got it. We are almost there.” Only twenty metres separated them, with the spray from the hoverbike almost going to soak them, before Lady Kalinska smoothly dodged it.

And then they were almost side by side with the runaway over the bay’s waters, but maintaining a separation gap of a few metres while matching speeds at the moment. The rider was in tears, just barely hanging onto the handlebars. “Help me!” cried the noblewoman. She was just barely in control, enough to keep the hoverbike from smashing into the thin bund that separated the bay from the sea. But they were charging down the length of the bay at tremendous speeds, and they were running out of space.

“Lady Seydoux!” Kalinska shouted. “My passenger will jump over to help you, but you’ve got to hold your bike straight for five seconds!”

Now that was interesting. Apparently Lady Kalinska trusted her own skills sufficiently to close in five seconds and get her to jump. Nevertheless, Hawise was already shifting her weight and getting ready for the move.

She knew how dangerous it was. If she missed the jump, she would go into the water herself, and while she was a strong swimmer, if the mud pulled her under then she would still drown.

“I’ll try!” Lady Seydoux cried out. Her arms trembled as she fought to keep the hoverbike straight.

In a flash, Anastasia moved their bike next to the runaway, almost touching each other, matching speeds. Hawise jumped over without prompting, her right hand quickly gripping the passenger’s handle on the side of the passenger seat, her left hand immediately coming up to help Lady Seydoux stabilise the bike from the impact of her jump and landing.

Anastasia veered away to a safer distance, while Hawise took control of the bike from behind Lady Seydoux, directing it back towards the shore.

Hawise knew Lady Kalinska shadowed them as they zoomed back to land, and she had already identified the emergency fuel dump button, located under a panel. The accelerator was obviously stuck, while the airbrakes were not working. Since she was not familiar with the settings of this particular bike, the safest option was to just dump the fuel.

Once they hit land, Hawise triggered the fuel dump, spilling iso-octane behind them. The runaway hoverbike finally glided to a stop as its fuel ran out. Lady Seydoux stumbled off the bike, desperate to get away from the frightening machine as quickly as possible.

Anastasia stopped right beside them, quickly hopping off to catch Lady Seydoux in an embrace as the other woman wailed loudly, releasing all her pent up fear and terror.

Hawise looked at Lady Kalinska appraisingly, one hand absently tapping the cover of her tarot card holder. Her cards had suggested something significant would happen today, and indeed it had. Fates, what do you have in store for me next? Who is this noblewoman, all elegance and beauty, but with such hidden strength?
----------------------------
Obviously, Anastasia gave away too much during the chase to the worst (best?) possible person. The Nova Cats have a cultural tendency to make intuitive leaps (guesses?) that enable them to see hidden truths. Other examples: Santin West in Impetus of War, Zane in Path of Glory.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Aubert Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
18th July, 3061
1200 hours (1200 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Anastasia hugged the terrified Lady Seydoux tightly, one hand rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. She could see Finn and the emergency staff rushing up towards them, mounted on hoverbikes and wheeled jeeps.

“Lady Kalinska!” Finn reached her first, jumping off his hoverbike and dashing up to her. She held up a hand to stop him, shaking her head slightly. Lady Seydoux was still sobbing into her shoulder, but the cries were finally subsiding.

A medic came up to them, and Anastasia released Lady Seydoux. “Get yourself checked for injuries,” she whispered softly. The other woman whimpered at the separation, but nodded, somewhat regaining control over herself.

She turned to her fiance. “Hey Finn, did you miss me already…”

He drew her into a sudden embrace. “Finn?”

Wait, he’s shaking! For the second time in as many minutes, the person she was embracing was trembling. Why?

“I’m so glad,” murmured Finn as he hugged her tightly, “I’m so glad you’re safe.”

“I’m all right, Finn,” she patted his back, trying to reassure him. She had absolutely no idea that Finn would be so concerned for her safety.

He finally let go of the embrace, and held her at arm’s length, observing her intently. “Were you hurt anywhere?”

“Oh, I wasn’t. I’m perfectly fine!” Better than that, actually. She could still feel the adrenaline high from the chase.

“What made you decide to give chase? It should be left to the rescue crews!” His tone was chiding.

She shrugged. “There was no time to lose. Nothing else could have chased Lady Seydoux down in time, and each additional moment she spent on that bike meant another moment of danger.”

Finn sighed. “I’m just glad nobody was seriously hurt.” He turned towards the tech. “Thank you so much for helping, Chief Tech… uh…”

The tech removed her helmet. “Hawise, my lord. I am Chief Tech Hawise.”

The name struck Anastasia like a thunderbolt. She realised she knew this woman, why she had seemed familiar. When she was just a fresh Star Commander out of the sibko, Avryl fought and lost against a Nova Cat garrison unit on Hoard, more than a thousand light years away. Hawise was the commander then. What was she doing here, now, of all places?

But dealing with the current situation was the most important.

“By the way, Finn, I was really impressed with these two hoverbikes.” She went into what Venice called the ‘airhead’ mode, which was useful when feigning ignorance.

To his credit, Finn seemed to realise her intentions, offering her a sly smile. “Did you like riding them? I can buy them for you.”

“Of course! They were so fast! I don’t know why there was no limiter on Lady Seydoux’s ride, but it could go really fast! And the one from the Furious Felines was so responsive, I really like it!”

“Don’t worry, I’d buy both of them right away.”

The leader of the staff responsible for the bikes flinched, and exclaimed, “My lord, please wait a moment. I’m flattered that you would want to buy one of our hoverbikes, but it might not be ready…”

Finn loomed over the poor man. “Are you telling me that you let these ladies on hoverbikes that weren’t ready for use?”

“Oh, of course not.” The stricken man sweated profusely, quailing under Finn’s harsh glare.. “Uhhh, sure, the hoverbike is yours.”

“And we have no qualms about selling our bike to Viscount Rason,” Hawise added with a grin. “Just be sure to mention how fast and responsive it was, Lady Kalinska!” She winked at Anastasia.

Despite herself, Anastasia winked back. She would settle Hawise, another ghost from her past, later.

Finn is pretty dumb, but he caught on quickly back there, Anastasia mused as she took a still trembling Lady Seydoux back to the pavilion with the refreshments. With the incident, all the ladies had stopped riding their hoverbikes and were waiting anxiously for news. Finn is settling the purchases of the bikes, so all that is left is…

There was a palpable release of tension when the gathered ladies saw her and Lady Seydoux walk in, hand in hand, because Anastasia knew just how scared Selina Seydoux still was. Venice ran up to them, almost in tears as she hugged Lady Seydoux, and then turned to her, taking up her hands and squeezing them, as though to assure herself that Anastasia was actually there and not a figment of her imagination.

“Ana, are you all right?” Venice sniffled a bit.

“Yes, I’m fine.” Anastasia gestured to herself, “See, nothing wrong.”

Venice sighed in relief, “You could have been seriously hurt! I was so scared!”

“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” I certainly hope so. Because we need to deal with Richelle next. She directed a pointed look at Lady Aubert, one that all the ladies present could not possibly miss.

Richelle smiled brittlely, and said, “To think such an incident would occur at this event… I thought this event was perfectly safe.”

“You’re right,” replied Anastasia. “A hoverbike moving at such fast speeds could cause its rider to fall into the ground or the water, just like what happened to me before. It seems your words should have been heeded by everybody here.” She glanced at Lady Seydoux, who was being comforted by Venice.

Her words sparked a round of murmurs amongst the gathered ladies.

“My goodness, Lady Aubert did say something to that effect earlier.”

“Indeed, and she brought up that incident at the palatial manor lake.”

“Did she really have nothing to do with that hoverbike? Obviously somebody tampered with the settings!”

Richelle seemed to sense the tide turning against her. “There was nothing wrong with the hoverbike when we checked it. It must have been a freak mechanical failure! What are you trying to imply here, Lady Kalinska?”

“What? Imply?” Anastasia tried to look utterly innocent. “I don’t know what you are talking about? I certainly enjoyed my hoverbike ride.” The ‘airhead’ mode was certainly formidable in the right setting. It would not work in the military, of course, but in the social world, it was a powerful tool. “I was just trying to tell you how impressed I was with a hoverbike’s full speed. Why would you say such a thing?”

Anastasia smirked, then continued, “It was certainly exciting. I enjoyed it so much that I don’t think I would mind riding your hoverbikes for a change.” Then, just to twist the knife in, she added, “But maybe Lady Seydoux has a different opinion.”

Richelle grimaced. “You seem very confident, Lady Kalinska.”

“Lady Aubert,” said Venice sternly. “The very first thing you said, was neither an inquiry to how Lady Seydoux was nor an apology. Instead, you made excuses in an attempt to avoid being held responsible.”

Venice directed a fierce glare at Richelle Aubert. “In the past, I held Lady Aubert in high regard, but I must say I’m quite disappointed in the way she handled this situation.”

Lady Seydoux finally spoke up as well, “Yes, she did not seem to be concerned with my well being, nor that of Lady Kalinska’s. It almost appeared as though she wanted us to be hurt.”

Venice put a hand on Lady Seydoux’s arm. “Lady Seydoux, please refrain from making such careless remarks.” Even if it is true, was the unspoken truth that all the gathered ladies knew.

Lady Seydoux looked at Anastasia, “I am so grateful to Lady Kalinska for coming to my rescue, even though I took the hoverbike meant for her. I am forever in your debt, my lady.”

A deafening silence fell in the pavilion, with all the gathered ladies looking at Richelle for some sort of an explanation they could accept. They might be brought up in privilege, but they were not stupid. All the details pointed to a deliberate sabotage aimed at Anastasia, but it was actually Selina Seydoux who suffered the brunt of it.

If it really had been Anastasia who had suffered the sabotage, maybe they would have let it slide, such was her poor reputation amongst the social circles of the Trivet. But Selina Seydoux, though low ranking, was nevertheless quite popular and friends with many of the ladies, and her distress had caused them real fear and no small amount of consternation. And to botch such a plan… it was also, in some way, an indictment on Richelle’s capabilities if she could not even get this frivolous act of petty sabotage right.

One lady declared loudly, “Well, I never! I thought this event was going to be a civilised affair, but it seems I was wrong!”

Another lady replied, “Exactly! How can one be expected to attend when their safety isn’t guaranteed?”

“I’m not staying here. The air here isn’t nice.”

“That’s right, let’s go over to the race stands instead.”

Slowly the ladies streamed out, showing their displeasure at how Richelle had conducted the event. They headed to the stands overlooking the impending race, over the wide grounds, anywhere but the pavilion with the refreshments.

All that was left were Anastasia and Richelle, staring at one another in the empty pavilion.

“I suppose I shall get going too. The race should be starting soon, and I intend to talk to one of the teams.” Anastasia beamed brightly, as though nothing was wrong. “I think I’ll feel more at ease with the clanners.” Which was actually true.

Now it’s your turn to see what it feels like to be invisible, to be ostracised by others. She noticed Richelle clenching her fists in fury, but there was nothing the other woman could do.

Anastasia walked off smugly. How was that, Anastasia? Will you be satisfied now?

She caught up with Venice, who was headed to the stands. “Where is Lady Seydoux?”

“Oh, she still felt unwell, so she’s heading back early. One of the staff is escorting her home.” Venice eyed her. “How about you? Weren’t you frightened as well?”

Anastasia shook her head vigorously. “I’m perfectly fine! By the way, you were amazing earlier. Did you use some kind of enchantment?”

“What?”

“With just a few words from you, the women who would have usually stayed silent actually spoke up against Richelle!”

Venice smiled, “Ana, you give me too much credit.”

Anastasia shrugged. “What’s wrong with giving credit where credit is due?”

“Ana, you gave yourself too little credit,” chided Venice gently..

“”What do you mean by that?”

“What I mean, Ana, is that you’re the one who enchanted them. Not me.” Venice grinned. “And you know what? You’re making me revise my expectations of you. From now on, you need to be a little more aware of the effect you have on other people.”

Stunned by Venice’s words, Anastasia stopped walking.

Venice turned back to look at her, “Ana, why are you dawdling? Come on!”

“Coming!”

 

After the excitement of rescuing Lady Seydoux, the actual race itself almost seemed anti-climatic. Held as part of the local traditions for the Day of Honour, to recognise the sacrifices of the veterans of the military, the origins of the race was obscured in antiquity. After each race, the participating hoverbikes were often given away in a special lottery for the veterans, while others received small tokens of appreciation for their services.

Anastasia could see the rows of gathered military personnel in specially allocated stands offering the best view of the race, many dressed in their uniforms. There were white haired elderly who had fought in the Third Succession War, men barely older than Finn, and everything in between. They all seemed proud of their service, and Anastasia figured they had reason to be.

Before the race, Finn gave a short speech as he was the highest ranking serving military officer present, and he emphasised the importance of the military veterans and their service. Although Anastasia still felt like a Smoke Jaguar, her own responsibilities as heir to the Kalinski Barony and her experiences at the demesne drove home the importance of defending the livelihoods of the common folk, so she found it hard to denigrate the service of these soldiers, even if it was in a different cause from hers.

When Finn talked about the Star League, she felt conflicted. It was something the Smoke Jaguars had fought so hard for, but in the end it was formed without the clans leading it. She supposed she should be outraged, but she only felt a weird sense of obligation to the people who made up the Star League, even if she still felt the Second Star League itself was a sham.

The race itself took place shortly after. Anatasia cheered loudly for the Furious Felines, and their racer Jamco demonstrated a significant superiority in her reflexes compared to the other racers, navigating the turns with absurd ease. Coupled with a hoverbike powered by superior clan engine technology, she opened up a historic gap and won the race handily.

As an advertisement for their products, the clan expatriates could not have asked for a better result. Anastasia wanted to approach them again, but their victory brought a mass of reporters and nobles eager to ingratiate themselves with the winners. In the end, with Finn’s help she managed to come away with some of their contacts and their current place of residence on Inman.

After saying her farewells to Venice and Raymond Haynes, Finn drove her back to the Kalinski estate.

“So much happened today, but I still had a lot of fun.” Anastasia commented as she climbed out of the car. “Thank you Finn.”

She continued, “Oh, and I’ll entrust any further investigation on the sabotaged hoverbike to you. Since my father is one of Renard Haynes’ supporters, and in the same camp as Viscount Aubert, it would be troublesome for him if I got him involved.”

Finn became very silent, his face grim.

“Finn?”

He raised his head and looked at her, “Ana, if it’s okay with you, there’s something I’d like us to discuss.”

They were soon seated in the estate’s tea room, light refreshments on the table, hastily laid out by Anastasia’s servants.

“...you think Venice was involved?” said Anastasia in disbelief.

“I cannot rule her out,” replied Finn. “She knew you wanted to ride the hoverbikes.”

“But we don’t know for sure she intended to cause me harm. And besides, when did she get the opportunity to sabotage the hoverbike?”

“Payoffs to the staff, for one. It’s quite simple.” He sighed. “My lady, I know you’ve suffered from a lack of friends until very recently. And she’s the first real friend you’ve ever had. I know how valuable your friendship with her is to you.”

He continued, “But when it comes to political matters, anybody can wear a mask to disguise their true intent. I just want you to be careful.”

“Finn, I appreciate your concern,” Anastasia sighed. “But Venice isn’t that sort of person.”

“But you can’t know that for certain. I’ve seen too many people suffer a terrible betrayal after placing their trust in another person! Like that mechwarrior I mentioned before.”

Anastasia paused, her teaspoon in the midst of stirring her tea.

“Avryl Showers was shot in the back by her subordinate.” His tone was bitter. “The… the truth is… she died in vain, foolishly believing in her soldiers to the very end.”

Actually, I did not trust Pence all that much, but yes, you are still quite right, thought Anastasia. “Nevertheless, she managed to rise to the rank of Star Captain. You should know better than anybody how difficult of a position it is to maintain without somebody to trust.”

“That’s not…”

“Finn,” she looked at him firmly, “I think people should trust other people.” And besides, you also still believe in Avryl, even after my death, even though there is absolutely no reason for you to.

He stared at her in consternation, then seemed to accept her decision with a nod. He got up from his chair. “If that’s what you think, I’ll respect your decision.” He walked over to her and went down on a knee beside her. “But you won’t have to bear that burden on your own any longer.” He gently took her hand.

“What?” Anastasia flinched, not knowing how she should react to this new development.

“It’s a warrior’s duty to protect his lady.” He then leaned down and kissed her hand he was holding.

Anastasia stared at him in surprise, utterly flabbergasted.

Two knocks on the door, followed by Baron Kalinski entering the room. Finn stood up, releasing Anastasia’s hand.

“I heard Viscount Rason was here.” The Baron smiled weakly. “My lord, may I have a word with you in private?”

Finn nodded to him, then turned to Anastasia. “My lady, you must be tired after such an eventful day. Please rest well.”

She smiled at him, “Yes, I will. Thank you for your concern.”

After the two left, she remained alone in the room, her tea cooling in front of her on the tea table. She squeezed her hands, staring at her reflection in a nearby mirror. She thought she could see herself in the reflection as Avryl, but dressed in the stylish clothes she now wore as Anastasia.

“It’s a warrior’s duty to protect his lady…” She sighed in exasperation. “What did he mean by that?”

Haynes Palatial Manor
23rd July
1200 hours (2000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Any news concerning what happened at the hoverbike event for the ladies?” Raymond asked as he flipped through a book absentmindedly.

His aide Glenn replied, “Baron Kalinski doesn’t seem to want to make a big fuss over it. He has just informed Count Haynes that he will not be filing a complaint against Viscount Aubert, which means there won’t be a trial. As for Sir Seydoux, he’s too low ranking to matter at all, despite his daughter being caught up in all this.”

Raymond smirked, “Just as I thought. Things are turning out rather well, aren’t they? It’s exactly what I expected to happen. I saw Finn with a murderous look on his face the other day. That must be why.”

Glenn nodded, “Yes, it seemed that he got into a heated argument with Baron Kalinski.”

“Really? Argument? Finn?” Raymond looked up and laughed loudly. “He’s totally smitten with Lady Kalinska, isn’t he?”

Raymond’s eyes gleamed behind his spectacles as he continued, “Still, if they had requested a formal trial, they would have been able to find the culprits behind the sabotaged hoverbike. Too bad for them all, it wasn’t Lady Kalinska on that hoverbike. Given what she did, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could handle the situation on her own. And at the end of the day, Baron Kalinski obviously felt his own political standing was more precious to him than his daughter, given that he doesn’t even want to pursue the matter further.”

“Yes, my lord.”

“Hmmm… I also noticed there seem to be a lot of rumours surrounding Lady Kalinska lately.”

“Well, it’s because of her actions during the hoverbike event. Getting a hoverbike directly from one of the racing teams, chasing down and rescuing Lady Seydoux… nobody expected it. She was just a typical noblewoman.” Soft and weak, was the implied unsaid.

“Yes, that’s fair to say,” Raymond agreed, one hand under his chin in thought. “Hmmm… Glenn, I want you to start investigating Lady Kalinska. When did her personality change? What sorts of incidents has she been involved in? Things of that nature. Don’t leave anything out.”

“Yes, my lord!” Glenn quickly left to fulfil his instructions.

Raymond stared out the window at the night sky. “Who are you, Anastasia Kalinska? An opportunity, or a threat? Either way, I intend to find out.”

 

Finn was in a foul mood, pacing the floor of his office with pent up frustration. “Nothing’s going to be done in the end.”

“That’s expected, my lord.” Eric winced when Finn shot him a glare. “Viscount Aubert, Baron Kalinski… they’re all Baron Haynes’ supporters. They’re not going to succumb to infighting so easily.”

“Renard Hayne’s faction, huh.” Finn’s own father, the previous Viscount Rason, was of the firm opinion that Renard should not inherit the Countship. It was for that reason that he secretly ensured Raymond was trained in the martial disciplines, and as a mechwarrior, because few things confer more legitimacy in the feudal structure of the Successor States than the ability to pilot a battlemech..

The other day, when Baron Kalinski had talked to him in private, the older man said, “I heard about the events at the Day of Honour hoverbike race. But if you’re going to use my daughter’s safety for political gain, I must ask you to stop.”

Finn groused. Tsk, Baron Kalinski thought I am against Renard, given recent events. Not entirely wrong, but I’ve also firmly declared my neutrality in both matters of succession, for the Trivet and the Federated Commonwealth. And no matter what, I can’t believe he thinks I’d put Ana in danger like that.

To make matters worse, Anastasia, the one who was at the centre of all the intrigues and the person most at risk, could not say a thing. All decisions will be made for her by Baron Kalinski as the head of their family.

“The sooner we’re married, the better!” concluded Finn. He was really beginning to regret the agreement with Anastasia to delay the wedding during their first meeting.

[Wrangler]

Nice exciting entry. I do wonder if the Tarot Cards will point out who she is to our exNova Cats.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Rwabdogo’s Valley, Hoard
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Space
17th January, 3053
1500 hours

Star Commander Avryl cursed as her light autocannons’ shells raked ineffectively over the thick hide of the Phoenix Hawk IIC, followed by a flight of LRMs that narrowly missed the assault mech. It would take forever for her weapons to shave enough armour off, even while the enemy Star of mostly heavy and assault mechs was eagerly beating down the other half of the Binary she belonged to.

Her light mechs were still trudging desperately through the pools, streams, and muddy ground that had formed in the wake of the flash flood the Nova Cats had unleashed upon the floor of the formerly dry valley. Avryl had no idea how the Nova Cats did it, except that they did, and changing the conditions within the Circle of Equals was not exactly prohibited by the laws of the Clans.

The Smoke Jaguars could only blame themselves for not foreseeing this possibility. Heads from the Watch were going to roll for this.

The batchall had been straightforward. Star Captain Tikern would lead a second-line Smoke Jaguar Binary of medium and light mechs against the Nova Cats in a Trial of Possession to contest several warehouses containing supplies, supplies that their clan desperately needed to rebuild after the horrendous losses on Luthien and Tukayyid.

For this Trial, the Nova Cat officer, a Star Commander named Hawise, underbid with her makeshift Nova of five mechs and a star of elementals, apparently all she had available. To even call it a Nova was laughable, since her second-line battlemechs could not transport battlearmor, unlike omnimechs. Furthermore, Avryl read from her codex that this Star Commander Hawise had failed in her two previous bids for a Bloodname, and was also a participant in the lost battles of Luthien and Tukayyid.

In other words, Hawise was simply a loser, a defective product of the clan eugenic breeding system and on her way to irrelevance.

Avryl only realised she had been overly dismissive of Hawise after the Nova Cats sprang surprise after surprise on the Smoke Jaguars. They had lured her light Star to check out readings that she thought were the elementals, only to find mere elemental-shaped lumps of metal with the bare minimum of circuitry to fool their sensors. Meanwhile, the real elementals entered the field via some crazy glider-like things that enabled them to drop right on top of Tikern’s Command Star, while Hawise’s star of mechs smashed in at the same time, throwing zellbrigen out of the airlock.

Then to slow down Avryl’s light but fast mechs, the Nova Cats flooded the valley with water from somewhere, neatly taking advantage of the fact that none of her mechs had jump jets and relied on pure ground speed, which was partly why their Binary was assigned to this target in the first place! Enabling the Nova Cats to defeat the Smoke Jaguars in detail.

Tikern’s Hunchback IIC exploded spectacularly, both torsos blowing up as its ammunition stores were hit by the seemingly endless barrages from the Nova Cats. Vret’s Clint IIC was pummelled into a twisted wreck by two heavy mechs. Karia’s Glass Spider fell to the ground, missing a head after the elementals decapitated it.

All the while, Avryl fired at the Nova Cats, trying to draw their attention while advancing slowly across the flooded terrain, peppering their flanks with autocannon and LRM fire from her Great Wyrm, but they resolutely ignored her. Her light Star was finally getting into range, but it was too little, too late.

Huyten’s Howler was the only other mech with any long range weapons, and it was also launching LRMs ineffectively at their opponents. Her Commando IIC, Snow Fox, and Locust IIC were just stuck trying to get into range, wading through the water and muddy ground.

Olina’s Corvis went down next, followed soon after by Buono’s Thresher. Both mechwarriors ejected, so they should survive, but it was small comfort to Avryl, who realised she now faced an entire heavy star of Nova Cats, of which any three mechs outweighed her entire Star. The Nova Cats might be damaged, but more than capable of fending her off.

The Trial, for all intents and purposes, was lost. Avryl gritted her teeth, and prepared for a final charge to the death, when her comms suddenly beeped, indicating a message from Star Commander Hawise. She punched a button, and Star Commander Hawise appeared on her HUD.

“Star Commander Avryl, this Trial is over. I offer you hegira.” There was no smugness or gloating in Hawise’s tone, just a statement of facts. “Any further battle would be simply a waste of resources, resources both our clans will need in the dark days ahead.”

Avryl tried to summon up some bravado, glaring at the image of the Nova Cat. “Are you afraid we will defeat you? Are the Nova Cats so afraid of the Jaguars that they would offer hegira than suffer more damage?”

“Neg. Should you really wish to die, we can certainly oblige you, quiaff?” replied Hawise with some sarcasm.

Avryl stayed silent.

“Seems like you do not wish to die after all.” Hawise barked harsh laughter over the channel. “You are young, you will get more chances at glory. But only if you are alive, quiaff?”

“Aff.” Avryl nodded reluctantly. “I accept your offer of hegira.” It was galling, but Hawise was right.

“Bargained well and done.” The enemy Warhammer IIC raised its tube-like arms in a salute. “You may recover your mechs and your dead,” Avryl raised an eyebrow, that was beyond generous. “I was instructed to do so by my superiors, no need to credit me for it.”

The Nova Cat mechs began withdrawing from the field of battle, while Avryl called down her dropship for pickup and to recover the fallen mechs and warriors. Still feeling stung by the defeat, Avryl could not help but declare to Hawise, “I shall meet you again one day, and I will avenge this defeat.”

“Who knows, under what circumstances?” replied Hawise cryptically. “Until we meet again, Star Commander.”

 
Kalinski Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
24th July, 3061
0700 hours (1100 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“These rich Spheroid nobles are really something,” whistled Hawise in envy as her family was escorted through the corridors of the Kalinski mansion. “Crechies, follow the nice lady and do not run about.”

The maid, who introduced herself as Luisa, turned around and beamed at the two children. “Your kids are so cute!”

A few days ago, a letter arrived at the hostel where the clan expatriates were camped out, inviting Hawise and her family to Lady Kalinska’s estate for a small celebratory meal as thanks for her assistance in the incident at the hoverbike race.

It was truly extravagant. A hoverlimo came to pick them up from the hostel, and her children were excitedly jumping all over the interior furnishings until Hawise strapped them in to force them to sit relatively still.

The maid Luisa greeted them when they reached the mansion, and her entire family was struck dumb by the sheer opulence of the entire place.

They were dressed in their finest clothes, but those were the only slightly more upscale civilian attire that they owned. Hawise could not help but still feel out of place. Even during the initial clan invasion, Operation Revival, she did not have a chance to visit any of the holdings owned by Inner Sphere nobles.

The unit she had been assigned to, the 274th Battle Cluster, was included in the final bid for Luthien, but was so heavily damaged by the end of the battle that its survivors were cannibalised by other units to bring them up to strength for Tukayyid. Hawise had been one of those survivors of Luthien, and then transferred to Beta Galaxy for that climatic battle. She often quipped, to anybody who asked, that she was one of those few clan warriors who lost but survived every battle in the Inner Sphere.

When they reached the dining hall, Lady Anastasia Kalinska greeted them with a graceful curtsy that Hawise did not think she could achieve even with years of practice.

Anastasia smiled gently, “My esteemed guests, welcome to the Kalinski mansion. I am so glad to meet you all. I am Anastasia Kalinska, heir to the Kalinski barony.”

“Uh, greetings, I am Hawise, chief tech.” She pointed to Winston. “My husband Winston, he is a scientist. And these two kits are Ava and Paul, my children.”

Somewhat to her surprise, the lady shook Winston’s hand, and actually crouched down to greet her children, treating them like adults. Ava looked absolutely enchanted, and returned the lady’s curtsey with a clumsy one of her own, while little Paul simply looked awestruck while she shook his tiny hand.

“I humbly apologise for the buffet spread,” explained Lady Kalinska. “This was arranged on rather short notice, so we were not able to procure some of Inman’s signature dishes. But I trust there is enough variety to satisfy you, since I was not sure what your preferred dishes were?”

There is need for an apology? Hawise stared at the food on the table in front of them, laden with labelled delicacies and dishes that, frankly speaking, she could not have eaten even when she was a fully fledged warrior of the clans. Since arriving on Delacambre, they had access to a bit more variety, of course, but nowhere on this level. The nobles really lived differently from the rest.

“There are both cold and hot desserts available from the kitchen when you wish for them. Just ask the servants,” Lady Kalinska informed them. “I recommend the chocolate sorbet ice cream. It’s one of my guilty pleasures.”

Hawise grinned, “Thank you for the tip. We will keep it in mind.” She picked up a plate and started taking food from the table, Winston following suit. The maid Luisa followed her kids around, asking them what they liked and piling their choices onto two cute-looking plastic plates on her tray.

After taking her own food, Lady Kalinska sat down next to her and said, “Chief Tech Hawise, I’d like to thank you again for your assistance the other day. If you hadn’t been riding behind me, Lady Seydoux could have been hurt really badly.”

Hawise shrugged. She had heard rumours about the politics of the incident, that the runaway hoverbike was originally meant for Lady Kalinska and to humiliate her. “I am just glad we were in a position to help.” She stared at Lady Kalinska. “I do not know why, but have we met before?”

Lady Kalinska actually flinched a bit. “Maybe I remind you of somebody. I’ve never even left the Trivet in my whole life. Have you come to Inman previously?”

Hawise chewed on a piece of rare steak speculatively, thinking hard even while enjoying the morsel as it almost melted in her mouth. “Neg, never even set foot on Inman until a few weeks ago, And I think I would have remembered meeting a noble.” And now you’re talking like a Spheroid, when during that rescue, you sounded like a proper warrior of the clans. You even mentioned the Ice Hellions! And why do I get the feeling you will deny it if I asked? What are you hiding, young lady?

Hawise had done a bit of research on Anastasia Kalinska, and some of the information she found was shocking. A love affair with the Count’s heir, rumored suicide attempt, almost kidnapped during a bandit raid on Altoona. Scandals seemed to follow her around, painting the picture of a wanton, spoiled noblewoman who had little regard for anything.

But Hawise had seen for herself that Anastasia was a brave and decisive woman, well-mannered and kind. Completely at odds with what the rumours said. So who was the real Anastasia Kalinska?

Lady Kalinska asked, “How did you come to Delacambre? I mean, I know Viscount Rason invited you, but not the details.”

“Oh, that.” Hawise paused. She bit off a piece of fried scallop, savouring the crispiness before swallowing it. She idly wondered what a scallop was, since that was the name of the dish printed on a label next to it.

Then she returned to the topic of the conversation and explained, “After the Smoke Jaguars were driven out of the occupation zone, us civilian castes were left behind. The vengeful Kuritans would probably have put us into concentration camps, so Anastasius Focht and Victor Steiner-Davion called for members of the liberating forces who were also nobles to offer us places in their landholdings. We were grouped together mostly by our enclaves, but where each enclave went was determined by a lottery.”

She grinned. “Just so happened that Viscount Rason got us from Schuyler.”

“If I may ask, how was life in the clans? How did you become a chief tech?”

“Oh, I did not start out as a chief tech.” She observed Lady Kalinska carefully. “I was actually a mechwarrior.”

“Oh, how unexpected!” Anastasia gasped, but her gasp of surprise was so immediate and fake that Hawise could pick up on it. Hmmm… she already knew I was a mechwarrior. And she wanted me to think otherwise. She could have asked the other clanners, it is not exactly a secret. So why pretend at all?

It just did not make sense to Hawise. She continued to talk. “Aff, I was a mechwarrior of the Nova Cats. I tested down from the warrior caste, and was reassigned to be an engine technician, specialising in fuel cell and ICE engines. I supposed I was good at it, which was how I became a chief tech.”

To add to her suspicions, while other Spheroids would have asked about what ‘tested down’ meant, Lady Kalinska did not. “The Nova Cats? Then how did you end up with the Smoke Jaguars?”

“My family and some others were taken as isorla from a Smoke Jaguar raid in the Occupation Zone. The Nova Cats were already shifting significant numbers of their civilians to the Inner Sphere, and I was a part of that.” That elicited a small gasp from Anastasia. Well, that was not commonly known outside the Nova Cats.

Anastasia asked, “Do you ever think of becoming a mechwarrior again?”

Hawise replied wistfully, “To have a mech under my controls again? That would be nice.” She smiled ruefully. “After the Smoke Jaguars took us, I was actually interviewed by one of their officers to assess my suitability to test back in.”

“So why not?”

Hawise held up three fingers and ticked them off, “First, by clan standards I am already solahma.” One finger came down. “Next, I am a Warden. Still am, in fact.” The second finger. “And finally, I was pregnant with Paul.” The last finger came down, and she beamed at the sight of her youngest devouring the pasta on his plate.

“Oh.” Lady Kalinska actually looked somewhat ill when the word ‘pregnant’ was used, which was another interesting data point. It was the usual reaction of most canister-born trueborns, but Lady Kalinska herself was a freeborn of the Inner Sphere, and a woman on top of it. Few other Spheroid women she had encountered so far had ever expressed such obvious revulsion at the idea of pregnancy, Lady Kalinska was one of the few.

“That said,” Hawise decided to probe a bit, “How is it you understood all the clan terms I was using? Test down, isorla, solahma, warden… these are not things generally known in the Inner Sphere.”

Lady Kalinska’s poker face was terrible. She paled, then quickly stammered, “Uhm… there… there were, I mean, we… we have some books on the Clans, and I tried to prepare for this meeting by reading them, which was why I had some knowledge of the terms you used.” She smiled, obviously hoping the explanation would satisfy Hawise.

It did not, not in the least. Hawise felt even more suspicious now. After this meal, I will talk to her privately. For some reason, the pack of tarot cards in her card holder felt heavier than usual. Hawise thought about her dreams the previous night, and her morning card reading.

Her vision was of a smoke jaguar trapped within a sapphire gem, snarling fiercely. When her family arrived at the mansion, she saw the adorning banners showing a hand holding a sapphire in its palm. Luisa had told her it was the heraldry of House Kalinski.

There was a connection, Hawise was sure of it. And her cards… the card shown that morning was Justice, reversed.

A higher power was at work, beyond the laws of nature and rationality.

 

“I’m so full,” declared little Ava as she hugged Anastasia. “And the food was so yummy! Thank you, pretty lady!”

“Ava, behave yourself!” chided Hawise.

Despite herself, Anastasia could not help but laugh a bit. “It’s all right. I’m glad you enjoyed the food.” She noted the kids seemed a bit drowsy. “The children may be getting tired.”

“Uh-oh, food coma is kicking in.” Winston observed. “They are going to need a nap soon.”

“No problem,” Anastasia gestured to Luisa. “As my guests, we have prepared rooms for you to rest. Maybe the kids can watch some shows, play some toys, and then nap?” She turned to Hawise. “I would like to talk to the Chief Tech privately.”

“Sure,” Hawise agreed. “Go ahead with the crechies, Winston. I have some things I want to discuss with Lady Kalinska myself.”

With Luisa’s aid, Winston trooped off with the children. Anastasia was glad she had consulted Luisa and the other maids on what she could do for a guest family, and hence they were well-prepared. There were even some toys the maids had dug out of the storage rooms, in case the children wanted to play a bit while she talked with Hawise.

Anastasia still was not sure herself why she had wanted so much to talk to the former Nova Cat. Was it nostalgia? A yearning for a simpler time when she was just a mechwarrior in the clans? To be reminded of the mechwarrior she once had been, and maybe could be once more?

They sat down in the tea room, while a maid prepared blue mellow in the teapot, along with a small pot of lime juice to add to the tea for taste and the colour change. As she stirred her own tea, Anastasia felt a bit lost, wondering how she should start the conversation.

After the maid left, Hawise spoke first. “Lady Kalinska, thanks so much for hosting my family today. I’ve never felt so pampered.”

“It’s the least I could do.” Anastasia smiled sincerely.

“But there is something else, right?” asked Hawise. “How much do you know about the Nova Cats?”

That they are a bunch of superstitious mystics so dependent on their visions that they lose sight of reality? Anastasia bit back the automatic insult the Smoke Jaguars had against the Nova Cats, and said instead, “Oh, I don’t know much, the books I read only talked about the general features of the clans.”

“The Nova Cats believed in using visions to guide our decisions. As for myself, I never had much luck with visions for many years, so I used this instead.” Hawise placed a weathered but elaborately patterned leather card holder on the table. She unbuttoned the flap, pulling it off the velcro to reveal a set of laminated cards with strange drawings. “Tarot cards.”

“Tarot cards?” echoed Anastasia.

“It is an ancient tradition. A bit of a fraud in the beginning, admittedly.” Hawise started to shuffle the cards, her hands moving with practised ease. “But belief, even false belief, can evolve. When people start believing in something, they can make it real.”

At Anastasia’s sceptical frown, she added, “Think about the Star League, both versions. It existed only because people believed it existed. There is power in belief. Even the Goliath Scorpions and their necrosia, the Coyotes and their rituals, the Cloud Cobras and their Ways.”

“A bunch of Warden nonsense,” blurted Anastasia, then she realised her mistake.

Hawise smirked, “And I thought you knew nothing of each of the clans?”

Anastasia stayed silent.

Hawise held out the stack of cards. “Cut it. If you do not mind.”

She did so, taking roughly half the deck while Hawise turned her own deck the other way, then riffled the two halves together.

“I will now continue to shuffle until you tell me to stop.”

Anastasia waited for two beats, then said, “Stop.”

Hawise stopped shuffling, and dealt the top three cards in order in front of Anastasia.

“The cards are usually used as a tool for reflection, but on occasion they can predict the past, present, and or the future. Turn them over.”

Anastasia opened the cards as instructed. She read the titles. The Fool, Death, and Judgement.

“All upright, major cards,” Hawise murmured. Her eyes shot up to meet Anastasia’s, a knowing look on her face. Her eyes gleamed, as though she had discovered a great truth.

“I think these cards tell a story. Do you wish to hear it?”

Anastasia stiffened, then forced herself to relax and act unconcerned, just curious. She could not possibly know, could she? “Sure, why not?”

Hawise tapped the Fool card with a finger. “Once, there was this person. Naive, ignorant, but with the potential to grow, to be greater.”

Her finger moved to the next card. “Death. A great change occurred. Could be death for real, who knows?” Her eyes stayed on Anastasia.

Tap. Judgement. “Reincarnation. A new life. The person lives a new life, but is also changed. New perspectives are gained. What happens next?” She smiled at Anastasia. “That is up to you, quiaff?”

“Why does it have to concern me?”

“I get it, it is hard to believe.” Hawise was clearly probing, testing her, “You do not believe this, quineg?”

“No, I don’t.” It took every bit of her willpower not to say ‘neg’.

“Well, I can tell you there was one time when the cards came in handy… it was my last battle on Hoard, defending a cache of parts from some Smoke Jaguars.” Anastasia stiffened, but Hawise went on.

“They told me a fool led the Jaguars, so I had confidence in bidding quite a bit under, while relying on my traps to even the odds.” She grinned. “And his subordinate was just as much of a fool for not realising mech sensors could be tricked.”

Anastasia tried to suppress her anger, and forced out a slight laugh. “I’m sorry, I have no idea what you’re talking about?”

“No? Star Commander Avryl of the Smoke Jaguars was too eager for glory in her very first battle, so she led her Star to abandon the rest of her Binary in an attempt to win glory by killing my elementals first. Too bad the readings were just decoys. And the flooding of the valley, glider deployment of my elemental Star…”

Anastasia finally snapped, scowling as she slammed one fist on the table, rattling the tea cups. “The Watch intel was poor, how were we supposed to know the valley could be flooded! Any warrior would have done the same!” The loss still rankled even after so long.

Anastasia’s eyes grew wide as she realised what she just said. She closed her eyes for an instant, before opening them to glare at Hawise in defiance, daring her to state the truth outright.

“Your eyes may be new, but the glare is not.” Hawise smirked. “There are more things in Heaven and Earth, Horatio, than are dreamt of in your philosophy.”

“I know that quote,” grumbled Anastasia, “Hamlet, Shakespeare. I was forced to read it as part of being a lady.”

Hawise laughed. “All right, all right! I will stop teasing you.”

“So what are you going to do about this?” asked Anastasia, her tone suspicious.

“Absolutely nothing.” Hawise shrugged. “You think anybody would believe me? They would lock me up in a mental institution.”

Anastasia breathed in relief. “You are the first to discover my secret. How you figured it out…” she stared at the cards, “I cannot quite believe it myself.”

“That’s because these cards appeared to me before. The Fool card on the day of the battle on Hoard, the Death card on the same day as Avryl Shower’s death on Garstedt, and the Judgement card on the same day you, Anastasia Kalinska, woke up from your coma. I very rarely have major cards turn up, so I had been pondering the significance of these cards since then.” Hawise paused, then added, “And, I had a vision which helped to lead me to this conclusion.”

Anastasia said acidly, “Forgive me if I still cannot bring myself to have any belief in your visions and your cards.”

“Are they any less believable than you waking up in a new body?” asked Hawise rhetorically.

Anastasia had no answer to that.

“What happened to the original Anastasia Kalinska then?” asked Hawise.

“I still get these… echoes… for lack of a better word,” replied Anastasia. “I can sense her feelings when they are very strong, for example when confronting Richelle Aubert.”

“That surat who sabotaged the hoverbike?”

“Aff. Anastasia hated and feared her. On a few occasions, she would also take over our body for short spurts. So I do not think she is dead, just dormant.”

“Very interesting…” Hawise mused. “The Cloud Cobras would have a field day debating philosophy of the soul if they knew of your… condition. Any idea how this happened?”

“None at all. Why I have been given this second reprieve at life, I have no idea.”

“The Powers do as they will.” Hawise murmured. “We are but pawns in their grand design.”

Anastasia grimaced. “I refuse to believe that. Our fates are ours to shape, not at their whims.”

“Maybe, maybe.” Hawise conceded. “But this really makes you think about what possibilities are out there, quiaff?”

They sat in companionable silence for a while.

Anastasia broke the silence, her decision made. “I have a proposition for you.”

“Hmmm?” Hawise looked intrigued.

“The barony on Altoona I am going to inherit… the household infantry garrison is in bad shape. They’re slightly better now in terms of their morale, discipline, and equipment, but they still lack the proper training. I intend to train them up for combined arms operations, and that is where I need your help.”

“My help? What can I help with?”

“You were stationed with a garrison cluster for a time, right? And I remember vaguely from your records that you worked with battle armour, conventional infantry, and combat vehicles in garrison. You’re probably one of the few people in the entire Trivet who knows how to meld different combat arms into a coherent whole.” Of course, Finn knew it too, but she could not ask him.

“That is high praise, but if what you’re saying is true, then all you have is infantry. I do not see the ‘combined’ part of it.”

“I have two light mechs. Well, one real battlemech, a Valkyrie, and one modified industrial mech somewhat close to being a battlemech.” Anastasia clenched her fists. “I know they’re not much, but you’ll be a mechwarrior again. A mech is better than none, quiaff?”

“Aff, that is true.” Hawise conceded. “Then what?”

Anastasia explained, “You will be my household’s Weapons Master, in charge of the military defences and training, and the position is currently empty. On paper you answer to me, of course, but in reality we’ll probably work together on decisions. In addition to the company of motorised infantry and my two mechs, my father the Baron has released sufficient funds for me to purchase two heavy tracked APCs, second hand, to extend the range of the infantry. Altogether, they should be a potent force to deter any potential attack.”

Hawise raised an eyebrow, interested now. “Your offer is tempting. But I am still solahma…”

Anastasia scoffed. “Right here, right now, nobody cares about that. For any number of reasons, you’re my best choice. Your family will come along, of course, and your children will be raised within the household.”

“Will that be a problem? I mean…”

Anastasia smiled, “The household at Altoona actually has a fair number of children belonging to the staff with a dedicated childcare centre… I mean creche. There are tutors provided for them, though from what I see, the standard seems quite rudimentary. In fact,” she mused, “I might bring in better tutors from outside the Trivet. Like what Finn did with the Smoke Jaguar civilians, just on a smaller scale.”

“I admit, I am very tempted, but I need to discuss it with Winston.” Hawise answered. “We are an equal partnership.”

Anastasia sighed. “How did you do… all this? Just stepping down from being a mechwarrior so easily? Having a family?”

“It actually was not difficult,” Hawise shrugged her shoulders, “Truthfully, my Star Colonel wanted me to stay on after the Trial on Hoard sufficed to requalify me. But I had been a mechwarrior for almost fifteen years, with not much to show for it except scars, broken bones, and the memories of too many fallen comrades and lost battles. There is more to life than being a mechwarrior, and I wanted to see it, experience it, for myself.” She smiled wistfully. “Now, I would not give up my family for anything.”

Anastasia frowned, “Not for anything? Not even a Bloodname?”

“Not for even the Rosse Bloodname.” Hawise asserted resolutely. “We crippled ourselves, Av… Lady Kalinska. Lost a vital part of our humanity. Most of us thought the lesser of ourselves every step of the way when we failed to match up to what our culture demanded of us. Not good enough, not strong enough. Blah blah blah.” She stared at Anastasia. “And where did it bring the clans? The ilKhan’s death at Radstadt was only the beginning. It led to Luthien, then Tukayyid. All the way to the Great Refusal. So many could not let go, to change.”

Hawise tapped her deck of tarot cards. “Say what you want about my cards, or the visions of the Nova Cats. They are a reminder that change is inevitable, that we must adapt to it.” Her eyes met Anastasia’s squarely. “If we do not change, then that would be the true tragedy.”

Anastasia admitted. “I will be honest with you. I do not intend to just stay like… well, this for the rest of my life.”

“Then you also recognise the need for change. Even if there are many worse fates than being a spoiled aristocrat,” Hawise commented. “But it is hard to overcome our upbringing.”

“It is not just that. The traitor who killed Avryl Showers on Garstedt… he is still alive, and here on Inman.” Anastasia revealed, her gaze cold and hard. “Pence Lamongue was abtakha from the Burrocks, and I have reason to believe he was one of those working with the Dark Caste. He changed his name, so now he’s Spencer Larouche, a transplanted noble working for the ruling family here.”

“You want revenge.”

“Aff. The two light mechs I have are no match for his upgraded Banshee. I am trying to gain allies and opportunities, to work towards my vengeance.”

Hawise looked puzzled, “Why not tell Viscount Rason?”

Anastasia shook her head slowly. “Neg, why would he believe me? More importantly, there is no honour in manipulating my fiance for that, when honour dictates I get my revenge myself.”

“A Trial of Grievance. Or something close to it.” Hawise surmised correctly.

“Aff. I’ll need a heavy mech at least to match his Banshee. And the right conditions that would allow me to fight him… I am still not sure how to achieve all that, but having you on board could only help.”

Hawise stayed silent for a while, before speaking. “I will keep what was revealed here confidential, of course. As for my decision… Give me about a week to consider. We are not leaving Inman any time soon anyway.”

Anastasia shook hands with Hawise. “Bargained well and done.”
---------------------------
Ana finally gets an ally in the know.

[Wrangler]

That's a twist. I do find it amazing someone could accept that someone was reborn in someone else body, and maybe co-inhabiting it!

[The Wobbly Guy]

De Gaulle Opera Theater, Innerman City, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
30th July, 3061
1200 hours (2000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Seriously, what is this nonsense?” Anastasia almost shouted in annoyance.

“Ana!” Venice chided. “Shhh, quiet!”

“Come on, this is ridiculous.” Anastasia slouched into her seat, fuming. “This guy should be confessing his love right now!”

On Venice’s other side, Selina Seydoux was largely succeeding in holding in her laughter at Anastasia’s scathing live commentary. Since the Day of Honour, she had quickly recovered from the fright of that day, helped along by the mental resilience of youth and the support of her friends. She had also thawed towards Anastasia, and now hung out quite frequently with the other two ladies, and they were often joined by the other ladies who were at the tea party, members of what Anastasia internally had categorised as ‘Venice’s Clique’.

Anastasia continued to rant, “Why doesn’t he summon up the courage to say how he feels? He’s just hiding and watching her! What is wrong with him?”

“Ana, pipe down!”

The performers on stage were moving around, the female lead singing while the male lead peaked out from behind a curtain, but in a manner obvious to the audience.

“When is he going to stop hiding how he really feels about her? And why is he peeping at her from behind? So creepy!”

“Pffft!” Selina could not hold it in anymore, and burst into audible giggles.

“Lady Seydoux, not you too!” Venice lamented. She quickly turned to Anastasia. “Ana, this is a performance of one of the most famous and popular operas ever.”

“Urrgh, I seriously can’t stand it. Even shopping for jewellery would be less painful than this.”

“You really hate it that much,” Venice coaxed her gently. “At least try to focus on the plot, the story is reaching its climax soon.”

“Urgh…” Anastasia groaned, trying to clamp down her irritation. She should have thought twice before joining Venice for the opera. But she had never been to one, so no harm trying it, quiaff?

It was some inane love story about an unfortunate man who fell in love with a female noble, set against the Davion Civil War, before even the Star League was formed. Judging by the packed house and that many in the audience had already seen it before, according to Venice, it was very popular.

Anastasia just could not understand exactly why it was popular. If this was the sort of pap served up to Spheroids, it was a miracle they were not more addle-headed than they already are!

Both leads were on stage now, singing their hearts out, the female main character still oblivious to the male character’s feelings, while the male character bemoaned his fate, to fall in love with the woman he had grown up with, who just viewed him as a sibling instead of a romantic partner.

The man tried to embrace his love, but she soon pulled away because she did not understand his feelings. As she turned away, he drew his gun to shoot her in the back, crying that he wished their embrace had lasted forever.

Incensed, Anastasia could not stand it anymore, “You dirty st…”

“Ana!” The rest of her clan epithet was thankfully cut off by Venice’s desperately stretched hand grabbing her mouth.

After the show was over, Anastasia was still fuming, pacing the hallway as the ladies stood around chatting with one another.

Venice sighed. “Was it really so bad you had to start cursing in the midst of the performance?”

“It was absolutely trash,” Anastasia griped, “If this is how operas are, I’m never watching one ever again.”

“But Ana!”

“Oh no no no!” A man’s voice called out to them. “Not all operas are like this one!”

That voice… The ladies turned to see Raymond Haynes strut up to them.

“There’re operas about lots of different stuff. There are the traditional Italian ones, of course. Then the more contemporary ones after humanity’s exodus from Terra, like the one you just watched. Their plots can be very diverse!”

Venice, polite as ever, curtseyed to him, quickly followed by the other ladies as they took her lead. “What brings you here, my lord?”

“Ahh, I snuck out of the palace in secret to watch the opera, of course! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to focus on it since listening to Lady Kalinska’s running commentary was too entertaining!”

That annoyed Anastasia, and she glared at him in response.

“You seem to be in a bad mood. Perhaps because the ending was so tragic?” Raymond smirked, “I can empathise. I also tend to feel a bit out of sorts after seeing a tragedy. But there’s nothing wrong with occasionally using sadness as a form of entertainment, don’t you think?”

He continued, “Couldn’t such a heartrending love-hate relationship also be seen as a beautiful tragedy?”

Anastasia clenched her fists, trying to clamp down on her anger. “I don’t know… can tragedy ever be considered beautiful?” These Spheroids were so addled by their weird notions that they could not even think properly!

“Pardon?” Raymond blinked.

“It’s the story of a pathetic man who chose to murder a woman who’s too good for him because he felt inadequate in comparison to his romantic rival.” She ground out. “It’s not a tragedy caused by one’s family or by duty to one’s country, but rather a tragedy of his own making.”

A chill ran through the gathered nobles at Anastasia’s assertion.

“Well, you’re not wrong,” conceded Raymond. “But my lady, don’t you think that man also had his reasons? One often tends to become a coward with things they hold dear.”

“What?” Anastasia was getting really annoyed with these Spheroids and their twisted logic. She recognised her own upbringing in the Clans as being very different, since people of the Clans tended to be direct in their affections, and the very idea of being cowards with things they treasure was alien to their culture. That said… “So you think he was justified in killing someone that dear to him?”

“Death…” Raymond tried to explain, “...is the most powerful expression of resentment. Both in fiction and real life.”

“Meanwhile,” Anastasia countered firmly, “that poor woman was deprived of her life and her future simply because he wanted to express his resentment. How does that even make sense?”

“Oh…” Raymond blinked. “When you look at it that way, he did create the tragedy himself. I’ve never thought of it like that before. Interesting… this was a very enlightening conversation.”

“Goodness, I’ve never considered it from that angle either,” said Venice, deep in thought. “Come to think of it, Luskin Redford spoke about something similar in one of his poems.”

Raymond’s eyes lit up. “Are you referring to his new book? The one you purchased at the bookstore the other day?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

The conversation thankfully veered away from the opera to discussion of literature Raymond and Venice both enjoyed.

Anastasia still could not let go of the torrid emotions flooding her though. It was just an opera, but the story of a man who loved a woman yet was not able to confess his love, and then he had the temerity to resent and then kill her for his own failings? That was all kinds of messed up.

And of course, the reason why it resonated with her was the manner of the woman’s death - shot in the back. Just like the last moments of Avryl Showers.

Sigh… I am exhausted from all this thinking and reminiscing. All I want to do is go home and rest. She could feel a throbbing headache coming on.

“Ana!” Somebody called out.

She turned and was surprised to see Finn walking up to her. For once, he was not dressed in the dress uniform of the military, but rather a nondescript jacket.

“There you are,” he smiled at her.

“What’s this?” She felt a twinge of suspicion. “Have you been stalking me?”

“Woah!” He held up both hands, “Didn’t you message me a few days ago that you would be attending the opera with Lady Codina?”

“Oh…” Aff, she did. But then again, how did he know which opera she would be watching? There were a number of other shows at the same time… She failed to notice the looks of amusement on Raymond and Venice’s faces.

“Ahem,” Finn harumphed to get her attention. “If you don’t mind, my lady, would you like to stroll for a bit with me?” He extended a hand to her.

“Huh?” Anastasia did not quite understand what he was implying.

“Oh goodness me!” Raymond exclaimed. “It seems I’ve been interrupting this lovely couple’s precious time together.” Finn flinched a bit. “Lady Codina, I think it’d be best for us to make ourselves scarce.”

“Oh my,” Venice replied, almost in sync with Raymond, “You’re quite right. I feel terrible about nearly disrupting Viscount Rason’s plans!”

“Rest assured, my lady,” Raymond grinned, “Viscount Rason is not so narrow minded as that.”

Venice smiled back, almost as sincerely. “Indeed, his actions are simply a sign of the sheer depth of his affections. I know that all too well.”

Raymond offered Venice his hand, “Given the late hour, please allow me to walk you to your vehicle.”

Anastasia was puzzled at their behaviour. What is with these two? She did not notice Finn’s frown at how they were subtly making fun of him.

 

Venice and Raymond walked down the hallway leading to the vehicle pickup point.

Venice thought, I thought he’d engage me in conversation about all kinds of things along the way, but he’s being surprisingly quiet…

“Lady Kalinska has sure changed a lot, hasn’t she?” Raymond finally broke the silence, offering her a smile.

“Pardon?” She looked up at him.

“I was wondering if anything significant might have happened to cause such a drastic change in her.”

Venice replied, “Well, consider just how much she has suffered. Even her life had been threatened on more than one occasion. After all that, is it so surprising that she should change so much?”

She offered him a sly grin, “And as I’m sure you know, the rumours, her position, and everything else about Lady Kalinska is now changing.”

“Ahhh, I see. In that case, of course she’s bound to change, isn’t that so?” The lens of Raymond’s spectacles glinted sinister with moonlight. “By the way, I’m curious as to why a person who’s stayed on the sidelines up to this point is now trying to get close to Lady Kalinska. Perhaps you’re trying to win the favour of the future Viscountess Rason?”

Venice paused, gathering her thoughts before replying. “Speaking of which… I’m also rather curious. Why are you so interested in Lady Kalinska, Sir Haynes?” She turned to him with a bright smile, “Oh! Is it possible that you…”

Raymond startled, “My lady, please don’t misunderstand! I’d rather give up on love entirely than go after Vscount Rason’s fiancee. As you know, he’s very possessive and scary!”

“Of course.” Venice beamed. “Please forgive me, my lord. It seems I’ve read too many novels recently and let my imagination get the better of me.”

He smiled at her. “Oh dear. It sounds like a thinly veiled criticism of me for having an overactive imagination.”

“My word! I would never dream of criticising you, my lord!” She maintained her smile. It was clear to her that Raymond Haynes and herself were cut from the same cloth, keeping their true intentions veiled under various guises. In her case, it was the noble lady’s mask, while for him, it was the awkward bookworm. And he has realised it as well. All the supposedly coincidental encounters were actually intentional. Does he actually have feelings for Anastasia?

“We’ve reached the vehicles, my lord.” Venice said. The waiting vehicles with their chauffeurs moved up to the pickup point, while the waiting valets smoothly opened the doors for the nobles to enter.

“That’s a shame,” Raymond remarked as he led her to her waiting vehicle. “I wish I could’ve had a chance to spend some more time with you, my lady.”

“Oh! I had no idea my lord regarded me so favourably.”

He smirked at her in response, stepping back as the valets closed the door. House Codina, a Viscount holding, was a powerful and politically neutral family that had not publicly supported Renard yet… A lady I would like to make my own.

Raymond stared at Venice’s vehicle as it drove off, plans slowly coming into shape in his mind.

 

There was a park near the opera theatre, softly illuminated by fluorescent lamps. Finn slowly led Anastasia through the park.

He asked, “You looked rather upset earlier. Did something happen?”

“Huh?” A thought occurred to Anastasia. Come to think of it, I started feeling better ever since Finn showed up… I wonder why?

She explained, “I was just upset about the plot of the show.”

He nodded. “”Agreed. The story is so idiotic. I found it a struggle to stay seated and watch it all the way through.”

She looked at him in surprise.

“My father forced me to watch it just before I went off to Kilbourne. If I recall correctly, it was the story of a pathetic man who never gathered up his courage to confess to the woman he loves and instead ends up killing her.” He looked at her. “Is it different from how I remember it?”

She shook her head. “No! You’re completely correct. Those were exactly my thoughts. It’s just… I find it detestable.”

“Is that right?”

“To me, it is merely a sordid tale of a pathetic man who, too cowardly to confront his romantic rival directly, torments the female lead instead. Did you think so too?”

“I did!” He grinned. “And I couldn’t understand how the woman could ever love a pitiful man like him. Did you think the same?”

She pointed a finger at him in affirmation. “Exactly!”

He continued, “It isn’t a tragedy, but a retelling of the pitiful life of a spineless fool. You probably considered it a grievous waste of time.” He barked a burst of laughter.

“That’s right!” She laughed along in response.

Finn suddenly had an epiphany, and sobered up from his mirth, looking at her seriously. “Still, now that I think about it, I suppose I can understand to some extent why the man couldn’t say anything to her.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Not only does confessing your love reveal what’s in your heart. But by doing so, you may also unwittingly impose your feelings on the object of your affections.” His tone was solemn. “And that can be a heavy burden for them to bear.”

She stared at him in surprise.

“Do you understand what I am saying?”

“Uh… I think you’re overthinking things, “ she frowned at him, “if you like someone, either admit your feelings to them or give up on them. And if they reject you, just try to persuade them with your charisma until they do end up returning your affections.” At least, that was how it was in the clans. “And if that doesn’t work, you’ll simply have to find somebody else.”

Her reply seemed to stun Finn, who stared wordlessly at her.

“Hmph…” Anastasia turned away from him. “I don’t understand how anyone would constantly hang around the person they care about without ever saying a word about how they feel.”

Finn looked at her wordlessly for a while, then said, “I thought you had been in love before, with Renard Haynes. So why does it seem as though you are even more inept than me when it comes to matters of the heart?”

How can he make such a rude comment with complete nonchalance? The audacity of this idiot… Flustered, Anastasia replied, “Hmmm… I’m not sure. But like you said, I understand that it’s impossible to shed your feelings so easily.” She faced him squarely. “But not confessing to the object of your affections, simply because you have a lot to lose, ultimately means you’re just afraid of the responsibility you may have to bear as a result of your words.” In the clans, if they felt somebody was attractive, they would just go straight up and ask to couple, with none of this dancing around that the Spheroids seem to be so fond of, especially with their emphasis on romance and love.

She continued, “If you’re unwilling to shoulder that responsibility, you shouldn’t linger around the person in question. Rather, better to let them go. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“Then…” Finn tensed up a bit, “what would you do if somebody you didn’t love confessed to you?”

“Huh?” She looked puzzled. “I would just tell them I didn’t feel the same way. What’s the problem?”

He pressed further. “But what if they continued to stay close to you afterwards?”

She shrugged. “Then I’d just cut them out of my life. It’d be irritating to have to keep dealing with them.”

He gulped. “You mean, as you did with Renard Haynes?”

She raised an eyebrow at him. “Yeah, I guess so. Why?”

He did not reply, deep in thought. It’s not unexpected, but she truly is the uncompromising sort. Whether it’s an engagement or a marriage, if it is something she does not desire, she clearly won’t hesitate to break it off.

“Finn?”

Should I be content with having her as my fiancee? He sighed, then said, “Ana, there’s something important I need to tell you.”

“What is it?” She looked concerned.

He gritted his teeth. “Well… you said you’d leave the investigation of the hoverbike incident to me, but… I’m sorry.”

“Nothing came out of it, right?” She said knowingly.

He clenched his fists. “Yes. Nobody was brought to account or to take responsibility for the incident.”

Anastasia let out a puff of air, “Oh, is that all you were trying to say? There’s no need to worry about that anymore.”

“Huh?”

“That was according to my father’s wishes, right?” She moved her hands up in a ‘what can you do’ gesture. “That’s probably what my father wanted. Like I said, I’m well aware that my father is a member of the faction that supports Renard, same as the Auberts. Besides, Lady Aubert has already paid the price… in a way. That’s good enough for me.”

He looked at her glumly, trying to control his distress. How much did she endure to become like this? Why would someone who pretended to be fine, even in a situation like this, attempt to take her own life?

Dammit! Finn cursed inwardly. “Lady Kalinska, if this is all too much for you to handle, we could rush our…”

Before he could complete his sentence, she cut him off. “By the way, what happened to the hoverbikes?”

He blinked, thrown off by her question. “The hoverbikes?” He quickly regained his equilibrium. “The sabotaged hoverbike has been fixed. As for the one you actually used, I got the engine replaced after you almost wrecked the old one by overboosting it. If you liked it so much, I can gift you the hoverbike…”

“Really?” her eyes sparkled with delight. “After that incident with the hoverbike showed off my skill, my father has finally agreed to let me ride on my own!”

Finn flinched from her sheer happiness, and as he stared at her lips, he was suddenly reminded of the cheesy lines from Raymond’s romance novels, describing a passionate kiss. Have I finally gone off the deep end? Get hold of yourself, Finn Rason! Confessing your feelings now is NOT an option!

Before he could react, he felt her cool hand on his forehead, bringing him back to the present.

“I’ve been calling you for a while now, but you seem out of it. Are you feeling unwell?” Her hand was on his forehead, and she had stepped up right in front of him, standing so close.

“Oh, uhm,” he quickly thought up an excuse, “I had to stay up all night yesterday because of work.”

She nodded, as though understanding what he was talking about. “Staying up all night with no sleep? Being a Viscount and commanding the Trivet’s defences is a lot of administrative work.” She withdrew her hand slowly.

He decided to take advantage of the situation. “Yeah, I’m so tired it’s hard to even stand.” He leaned down against her, resting his chin on one of her shoulders, eliciting a puzzled “Huh?” from her.

“Please excuse me for a moment.” His arms wrapped around her thin waist, and squeezed lightly. He relished the sensation, the feeling of closeness with her.

“You’re pretty weak for a mechwarrior,” she commented, drawing another flinch out of him. “I don’t think you have a fever though.”

“Uh huh.”

“All right, fine. Even warriors can get sick from time to time,” she patted him on his back, while he breathed in her scent, a mix of floral spiciness that she seemed to have made her own.

They stood there for long moments, the wind rustling through the garden, bathed in the soft glow of the lamps.

Finn finally raised his head, then tilted it to look at Anastasia.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s nothing.” His arms reluctantly slid away from her.

“Finn, you’re acting so strange today,” she chided him gently.

Didn’t she feel anything from the close physical contact? Does she feel anything for me at all? He wondered. I keep wanting more and more with her.

He had realised one thing. That to care for someone and give their heart to that person, but knowing those feelings were not reciprocated would make them feel lonely. If Anastasia Kalinska would love another person other than him… would he still be able to end things with her and divorce her like they had originally planned?

His heart fluttered when he looked at her. He now attached meaning to every little thing she did, and he felt incredibly jealous of everybody else she interacted with. If anybody had asked him if it was possible for him to let go of her now… he would not be able to do it.

Many people had been driven to the brink by jealousy, and there were many who made foolish and terrible mistakes, committing selfish and violent acts, in the name of love. He hoped he wouldn’t go the same way.

“Are you sure you’re fine?” She asked tentatively.

He managed a smirk. “Are you worried about me?”

She nodded, “Well, yes.”

That brought him some clarity. Not only am I fearing things that haven’t happened yet, but I’m making Ana worry. And she does worry about me!

That realisation made him chuckle slightly. “I’d like to keep strolling for a little while longer, if that’s alright with you?” He extended a hand to her.

“Do you need me or something?” She smirked. “You’re not going to collapse, are you?”

“If that should happen, I would be honoured if you’d lend me the use of your shoulder once again.”

She laughed. “Okay! But it’ll cost you. Hoverbikes might not be enough! I might ask for a mech instead!”

“Definitely not an assault, but maybe a light instead?” He joked back as she took his hand in her own. Nothing has happened yet. For now, at least.

 

Anastasia felt strangely disappointed on the way back home, though she could not exactly pinpoint why she felt that way. It started the moment she separated from Finn, and she found it really inexplicable.

It was pretty late, almost 2600 hrs on the local cycle, when most people were already at home getting ready to sleep.

She stared out the windows of the hoverlimo as it sped down the highway back to the Kalinski estate.

Her mobile phone rang, and she picked it up. Who could be calling so late?

“Hello, this is Anastasia Kalinska. Who is this?”

“Hawise here. We are all in.”

Anastasia smiled.

----------------------------
Naughty Finn! Naughty, naughty Finn! The chinese have a colloquialism for this - eating tofu (吃豆腐).

And of course, as a former officer herself, Anastasia knows all about the burdens of paperwork.

Most of this chapter was copied from the original webtoon, with slight modifications. These chapters are generally the easiest to write, adapt a bit here and there.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Codina Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
2nd August, 3061
2000 hours (1600 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Ah choo!” Venice sneezed daintily, the sound muffled by the handkerchief she hurriedly raised to her face. “I get like this when there are too many flowers around,” she sighed to Anastasia.

She even sounds congested, Anastasia thought as she looked over her friend in concern. Meanwhile, the Codina estate’s servants bustled around, getting everything in place for the celebratory banquet.

“But I can’t bring myself to get rid of all the flowers. It’s really quite the dilemma.” Venice patted her nose, trying to maintain the decorum of a lady.

Anastasia smiled gently at her friend, understanding the predicament somewhat. Allergies… I know the feeling. It used to be a frequent concern for me whenever I had to go outfield to places with lots of pollen, and I had to take those fexofenadine tablets to get it under control. Sigh, one of the few problems the scientists could not remove from the Showers bloodline. One of the good things about this new body is that pollen no longer affects me.

From what she found out, Inman had a very limited pharmaceutical industry, only producing the most common drugs for consumption. The more specialised drugs were produced on Delacambre, but even then fexofenadine was too low on the priority list for production.

“More importantly,” she said to Venice, “if you’re not careful, you’ll wipe your makeup off with all that sneezing.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, because whenever you sneeze, you keep having to cover your face with a handkerchief.” Venice was staring at her intently, so Anastasia did not know what to make of her expression.

“No,” Venice finally beamed, “I understand exactly what you mean. I’m simply impressed you said something very ladylike just now.”

“Oh, really?” Anastasia laughed weakly, chagrined and wondering if she should be flattered or insulted by that remark. “By the way,” she gestured to the lavishly decorated ballroom and the busy servants in an attempt to change the subject, “you said this was all for your eldest brother’s birthday celebration? I didn’t realise there were so many things that went into organising a birthday party.”

Venice brandished a noteputer showing a long and detailed checklist scrolling across the screen, “Indeed, I invited you over here so you could see the preparations firsthand.”

“So what you’re saying is… that I need to be able to prepare something like this too?”

“Of course,” Venice chuckled, “and let’s not forget, your own birthday is coming up soon. You need to start on the preparations yourself, since you don’t have a sibling to do it for you.”

Anastasia sighed. Ughhh… Even thinking about it gives me a headache. And I thought the logistics for organising a deep raid into the Draconis Combine was bad. This is worse!

“Ana, what’s the matter?” asked Venice.

“It’s just… I feel like all I’ve been doing is playing at being a lady.” Anastasia shuffled her feet, feeling uncertain. It was times like this that drove home the point that she was simply playing a role she had been thrust into, and it still felt so unnatural to her.

“What? I don’t think that’s true at all,” countered Venice. “Think about it. You’ve been trying your best to live as a lady all this time. You went out every day to look at dresses and jewellery in order to develop your own personal style. You frequently attend tea parties and socialise with others. And not too long ago, you started expanding your cultural knowledge by reading literature and attending performances.” She grinned and added, “Even if you complain as to how you can’t stand them.”

“Oh, that.” Anastasia glimpsed a reflection of herself in a nearby glass panel, “I suppose you’re right, but…” She fingered one of the jewels on the necklace around her neck. When will I finally be able to reach Pence? She sighed.

Venice asked, “That sigh… is that because of the goals we talked about before? You said you wanted to really live as a lady of the aristocracy, but you didn’t explain why. I figured you would tell me eventually.”

“Huh? Well, I’m sorry I can’t tell you yet…” Anastasia felt very apologetic, but it was also for Venice’s own safety. Besides, if she revealed her need to seek vengeance on Pence, then it would open up the can of worms of why she had to do so.

Venice simply nodded. “I understand there must be some things you find it hard to reveal. If you ever need to, you know you can rely on me, and maybe even the other ladies too.”

They stood in comfortable silence for a while. Anastasia then asked, “Hey Venice, what does a woman need to do to have power over a man?”

“Hmmm…” pondered Venice. “Generally, she should marry a man with a higher social status than her target. A woman’s power is generally determined by the family to which she belongs. There are exceptions though, like the women who will inherit their titles. Like Richelle Aubert, or even yourself. But Richelle will be a Viscountess, while you’re only a Barony.”

Anastasia already figured as much, but it was frustrating to have it confirmed by Venice. “So no matter how talented a woman is, there’s nothing she can do to accomplish anything on her own?” Are we back to the Medieval Ages?

“Actually… how many people do you think are able to accomplish anything solely by their own power?” Venice smiled weakly. “And ultimately, that power is just power delegated to us by the consent and will of the people, based on the Six Liberties.”

Anastasia blinked. The Six Liberties were something unique to the Federated Suns, and even today, the basis for the Federated Commonwealth: the rights to personal liberty, to own property, to own weapons, to expect fair treatment, to privacy, and to participate in planetary government.

“But of course, with enough force, it’s possible to wield power over others by the most primitive method of all… violence. I’ve heard it said that the battlemech is the modern expression of that ancient latin phrase - ultima ratio regum - the last argument of kings.” She sighed. “But that avenue is closed to us.”

Anastasia thought there were some holes in Venice’s logic, since she was a qualified mechwarrior herself, even if nobody else other than Hawise knew it.

“Oh!” Venice’s eyes lit up in intrigued interest, “Could it be that you’re trying to seek revenge on Renard Haynes?”

“What?” Anastasia flinched. “No! I don’t want to have anything to do with him anymore!”

“Do you truly have no feelings left for Baron Haynes?” Venice grinned.

“I told you,” grimaced Anastasia in disgust, “I feel absolutely nothing for him at all.”

“Then I’m curious… exactly who is it that you wish to wield power over?” Venice gasped. “Don’t tell me… Viscount Rason?”

“What are you talking about?” Anastasia startled again. “It’s not like that!” This is not some engagement revenge drama or anything like that! Absolutely not!

“Then,” Venice said slowly, “isn’t Viscount Rason exactly the kind of person you need?”

“What do you mean?”

“What I mean is…” Venice explained carefully, “Ana, just how many other nobles in the Trivet do you think are comparable to Viscount Rason?”

“Oh.” Anastasia nodded in understanding. She is right, but… to accept my fate as a mere lady, to accept that the only thing I can do is to study and be a good wife for Finn… I knew all this already, but still… how disheartening. It was sheer anathema to her own upbringing as a clan mechwarrior, but her choices felt so limited.

“So if I marry Finn, will he do what I ask of him?”

Venice smiled, “Of course he would! It’s what his wife wants.”

His… wife? For some reason, that title really struck Anastasia for the first time. She knew Finn was not a bad person, as honourable as Spheroids go. He would listen to her and try to honour her wishes. If she asked him to kill Pence, he would probably try to do so, even if she could not explain her reasons for why she wanted Pence dead

But true honour demanded that she obtain her vengeance by her own hands, not through a proxy.

If I told him that I was Avryl… would he believe me? What kind of expression would I see on his face? How would he react? And if he found out I had deceived him all this time, will we face off again on the battlefield, like we used to? For some reason, that last thought was so distressing she did not want to think about it anymore.

“Come to think of it,” Venice’s voice interrupted her thoughts, “you said Viscount Rason would also be attending today’s event, didn’t you?”

“Yes…?” Anastasia had sent a message to check with him the day before, and he had confirmed his attendance then.

“Oh dear,” Venice winced, looking worried. “This is bad.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, Sir Spencer Larouche is also expected to attend.”

Anastasia frowned despite herself. Pence is coming here?

“Things between the two of you must be a bit awkward after what happened at that tea party. I’ll set up a private lounge you can escape to after you’ve said your greetings. I’ll get Viscount Rason to do the same when he arrives.”

“I’m sorry,” Anastasia sighed, “You expressly invited me so that I could observe how to properly host an event like this, but now…”

Venice smiled, “There’s nothing to be sorry about. Rather, I want you to take notice of how your social standing has changed since what happened on the Day of Honour.” Her smile widened. “That’s more than enough for me.”

“Huh?” Anastasia blinked in confusion.

 

“Lady Kalinska, how lovely to see you.”

“Oh my! Those jewels you’re wearing suit you so well.”

“You’re an absolute vision today.”

“I’m so glad about having the opportunity to talk more with you. I’ve regretted the fact that we hadn’t really been able to before.”

“Indeed, I must confess, we did find it a bit difficult at first to approach you, Lady Kalinska.”

Why are all these ladies suddenly acting so friendly? Unexpectedly the centre of attention, Anastasia tried to respond as graciously as she could remember to each lady who greeted her, engaging in inane small talk, returning their compliments by praising their clothes, their hairstyles, their perfumes, her mind scrambling to recall all the little details that Venice had told her before about each lady. This is exhausting! Is this what Venice meant? I do not hate it exactly, but… this is really tough!

Engaging so many ladies in small talk, one after the other, Anastasia could literally feel her old self wilting away, in a situation Avryl was never suited for. It is difficult to keep giving the correct responses with so many eyes on me!

“Lady Kalinska,” Selina interjected gently, “while it’s good to socialise, let’s say hello to Sir Codina first? At this rate, you won’t even get to see the man of the hour before the party’s over.”

“Oh, you’re right. Please excuse me, ladies.” Grateful for the reprieve, Anastasia allowed Selina to pull her away from the thing of ladies. She whispered, “Thank you for saving me, Lady Seydoux.”

Selina whispered back, “Greetings may be basic etiquette, but it’s also important to know how to extract yourself from a conversation gracefully. Didn’t you know that?”

“Hehe,” Anastasia giggled weakly, “I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you.” She was glad Selina Seydoux was now firmly in her corner. Many good things had come out of Richelle’s botched sabotage attempt.

“It looks like the Viscount is almost finished giving his greetings. Come on, Lady Kalinska!” urged Selina.

Anastasia looked up to see Viscount Drake greeting Sir Virgil Codina, Venice’s eldest brother. The Viscount said, “I have no doubt that House Codina will blossom into a magnificent flower garden of the Federated Commonwealth. May God’s glory and honour always be with you and your family.”

His greetings given, the Viscount started to turn away for the next person in line. “If you’ll excuse me…” And then he simply walked past her as though she was invisible.

Hmm… even though I am his niece, he did not bother taking the time to greet me, since my father is not with me. It was as though she did not exist in his eyes at all.

An unpleasant sensation swept through her, similar to how the original Anastasia had felt about Richelle. A warning of sorts?

She walked towards Virgil Codina, but in her mind she was trying to communicate with Anastasia. You know, Anastasia, since you would not answer me, all I can do is make my best guesses based on your feelings. But as long as I am in your body, if I have to keep going through things like this…

She curtseyed gracefully to Sir Virgil. I will no longer be simply swept away by your feelings.

Then Anastasia smiled brightly, “Happy birthday, Sir Virgil Codina.”

“Thank you.” Sir Virgil was pleasant enough in his looks, blond like the rest of his siblings, and looked significantly more mature than his younger brother Vince. From what Venice told her, Virgil was a senior official in the local department of home affairs, and influential within the government. Anastasia could sense the slightest tinge of danger rolling off him. This man could be dangerous, but he has no reason to be hostile. Let us not give him one.

He continued smoothly, “This is the first time I’ve ever had the pleasure of receiving birthday greetings from you, Lady Kalinska.”

Anastasia replied just as smoothly, “Oh my, I will be sure to deliver them every year from now on.”

“Really?” He grinned. “I’m already looking forward to it. It seems you are all everybody’s talking about these days.”

“Is that so?” She tried to look innocent and demure.

“Of course. I’ve also heard about what happened at the Day of Honour. I’m just sorry I wasn’t there to see your daring rescue.”

Anastasia laughed weakly in response. So a woman in danger is just entertainment to you? I have no idea what anybody at this party is thinking. Do they have screws loose or something?

All this was far more tiring than mech combat. She really felt mentally drained. She curtseyed to him again, “Then, I shall take my leave and go find your sister.”

He smiled, “Certainly. I suppose I should attend to my other guests. Thank you for your birthday wishes.”

Anastasia felt a bit better, since she had successfully navigated the party and given her greetings to the birthday celebrant. She thought she should head to the private lounge reserved for her before she ran into Pence.

Exchanging soft greetings and small talk with ladies she encountered on the way, she spotted Venice, who was standing near a corner. There was a figure next to Venice, mostly hidden behind the wall. Wait… I recognise that unsettling silhouette! Raymond Haynes again? What is he doing here? I feel like I see him more often than Finn these days…

But if Raymond Haynes was here, then presumably… She turned around, hoping to catch a glimpse of Finn’s red hair. The two men often appeared together. Despite Finn’s protests and constant griping about Raymond, she was sure they were friends despite it all.

So why is Finn not here yet? He usually tends to show up on time, or he would even be early if he felt it necessary. He is always around when I needed him… Wait a minute, why am I… still standing around, waiting for him? When did I get so used to having him around? The realisation was disconcerting.

She heard approaching footsteps behind her, and she spun around with a smile, “Finn, what took you so long…”

Her voice trailed off when she saw a glaring Pence Lamongue.

“My lady,” he sneered, “So pleasant to see you again.”

She stepped back from him. “How can I help you, Sir Larouche?”

He glowered at her for a moment, before he schooled his features into a neutral expression. “There’s something I would like to speak to you about. The last time we met, we had quite the disagreement. I thought you might feel uncomfortable seeing me again, so I wanted to put your mind to ease.”

She raised an eyebrow, surprised. “Are you sure? Even though I insulted you in such a manner?”

“Yes, I am certain. I have nothing to gain with this misunderstanding, and your…” he paused for a while, as though searching for the correct word, “...newfound popularity may yet affect me. So I simply wish to make this issue go away.”

Anastasia understood. Venice and Madame Iris had drummed into her the cardinal of high society - never make any enemies, not to display one’s true emotions, but hide them deep down, and always arm oneself with a smile.

“How kind and forgiving of you, my lord,” she replied with a smile. But we both know this is a load of surat shit. But appearances have to be maintained, so I will play along for now.

“Kind? Not at all.” He returned her smile. “It is simply because you weren’t entirely wrong. So, shall we put that unpleasantness behind us?”

“Yes, of course.” She tried not to tense up too much. Pence, easy for you to say all this. She needed to leave. “I think I’d be going then. My friend is waiting for me.”

Pence stepped towards her. “But I’d like it very much if we could talk a bit longer.” He took another step. “You see, I’d like us to become a lot closer.” He leaned forward into her personal space.

Anastasia stepped back, trying not to glare at him.

“Are you sure you’re not still avoiding me?” He taunted her.

She felt trapped. Why is he so pushy? How do I extract myself from this situation? Stravag, this must be his way of taking revenge on me!

“Long time no see, Lady Kalinska!” Raymond suddenly called out as he walked up to them. “Oh, Sir Larouche is here too!”

“Greetings, my lord,” said Pence to Raymond.

Raymond winked surreptitiously at Anastasia. She tried not to snort. What’s with that wink? Did he come here on purpose? Although his arrival did help her extricate herself from Pence’s looming presence.

Raymond remarked, “In the past, you don’t usually come to events like this. But now you seem to be attending quite a few these days.”

“I could say the same for you, my lord.” Pence smiled, though the smile did not reach his eyes. “There are many rumours abound…it is rather fortunate for you that Baron Haynes has been confined to the manor, is it not?”

“I simply wish to see in real life the scenes depicted in the books I’ve read.” Raymond shrugged. “And today, I’m here because I received an invitation from Lady Codina, of course.” Venice seemed to appear out of nowhere to stand next to him.

Raymond’s spectacles seemed to gleam with sinister intent. “Come to think of it, we were all gathered together in this estate not too long ago.” He smirked. “If only Viscount Rason was here as well…”

“I apologise for interrupting this pleasant conversation,” said Venice, “but Ana, didn’t you say you were feeling quite tired? Why don’t you go rest in the lounge?”

Raymond nodded. “That sounds good. Since Viscount Rason isn’t here, let me escort you there in his stead.”

“Huh?” Anastasia smiled blankly for a moment, before she understood their intent. “Oh, sure!”

In the private lounge, Anastasia could finally relax a smidgen, since it was so quiet that she could not even hear the music from the party. Thanks to Venice, I was able to escape from Pence… but what is Raymond still doing here?

She had thought he would have returned to the party immediately after escorting her, but he stood by the door, as though waiting for something.

Anastasia decided to take the initiative. “Is there something you would like to say to me, my lord? Because it certainly seems that way.”

He smiled. “Lady Kalinska… I never made a move without having solid evidence.” He stepped away from the door towards her. “I want you to know that. But even in the absence of hard evidence, there are times at which one becomes quite certain of something.” He sat down on a nearby chair. “Like right now.”

She looked at him warily. His demeanour had changed, just like before. Instead of the vapid bookworm he usually portrayed to the world, this was definitely closer to his true self, the scheming planner who hid his own martial skills.

“It can sometimes pay off to go with your instincts.” He stared at her.

“Your instincts?”

“Honestly, I still don’t have a solid lead on this. But it’s hard to get over the feeling that you don’t belong here.”

She stiffened a bit. Does he suspect the truth? It was already a shock to have Hawise guessing her real identity, but Hawise had supernatural aid, plus she had actually met Avryl before. For Raymond to guess… it should have been impossible.

“I’ve watched you ever since you started dating my brother. However, the Lady Kalinska I knew then was completely different from who you are today.” His stare narrowed in focus. “That’s when I first became suspicious.”

He continued, “Also, you suddenly began showing hostility to Spencer Larouche, even though, according to my investigations, there hadn’t been any prior contact between the two of you. Plus…” He smiled, “You recently hired a former clan warrior to be your household Weapons Master. Furthermore, there was that book about the clans in the bookstore.”

“So what is it you’re trying to say, my lord?”

“The clans. All this is somehow related to the clans and Spencer Larouche.”

She tried to stay relaxed. There was no way Raymond could have found out. Besides, if he had, he would be more specific. The hoverbike event, or the fact that she discovered he was a mechwarrior. There was simply nothing to really tie her to the clans, and even her animosity to Pence could be explained by his almost kidnapping of her on Altoona.

“You better not lie to me.” Raymond stared at her intently. “You admire the clan way of life and seek to incorporate them into your own holdings, isn’t it?”

What? She tried to keep her surprise off her face. “Uhm…” Well, he was somewhat on the right track, but his conclusion was wrong. Stop nodding like that, all self-satisfied, because you’re wrong! Oh well, if you really want to think that, I am not going to say otherwise!

“By the way, my investigation showed that your father has been diverting large amounts of money to Kilbourne. Any idea why?”

She shook her head.

“That made me wonder what he was planning. And to be honest, I’m not sure how he even got his hands on that kind of money.”

She stared at Raymond, feeling wholly out of her depth. All these were why she hated politics  and preferred to focus on battle. But like it or not, she was mired in it now.

“And…” he smiled craftily, “you admired Avryl Showers greatly, didn’t you? That’s why you were so interested in the clans. And also because she was your fiance’s rival, and could-have-been love interest. A pair of star-crossed lovers, how romantic.”

Whaaaat?!? Screamed Anastasia internally. Finn was actually interested in Avryl? Seriously? Or was it just Raymond’s way of fishing for additional information?

“So that’s why you learned things like piloting a mech and identifying mechwarriors, because you wanted to be like her.” He concluded with a smirk.

She replied, her face expressionless, “My lord, I really have no idea what you’re talking about. It would make more sense for you to ask my father about what those funds are being used for, not me.”

Raymond chuckled. “Just as I expected.”

“Pardon me?”

“If I’m asking you to come clean, I guess it’s only fair that I do the same.”

Anastasia tensed in anticipation. Could this be it?

“To put it very simply, I want to claim the Countship for myself.” He clenched his right fist in front of her, finally revealing outright his ambitions. “The Trivet will not prosper under Renard. You should know that.”

He continued, “I heard that after you nearly died, you lost your memories for a while before regaining them. You must have had a lot of regrets about how you had lived your life, and about your relationship with my brother, which was why you’ve gone through such a drastic change in personality.”

He looked so smug and self-satisfied that Anastasia felt like shoving her fist through his face and correcting all his misconceptions. Stop looking so pleased with yourself. It is almost comical how wrong you are about all of this. I will also need to crack down on any potential leaks in information once I get home. Hawise should be able to help me there.

Apparently, her newly appointed Weapons Master had decided that the security around the Kalinski estate was lacking, and was putting the security force through a brutal training regimen to toughen them up. Anastasia saw them in the morning doing a ‘Fun Run’ right after breakfast, and some of the guards were looking quite green around the gills.

“Why are you telling me all of this, my lord?”

“I trust, Lady Kalinska, that you won’t repeat this to anybody. And because,” his smirk disappeared and his tone became deadly serious, “in order to claim the Countship, I’ll need your help.”

Anastasia was perplexed. “My help? What can I…”

He cut in, “If you can do that for me, I will grant you whatever you ask as long as it is within my power to do so.”

A Trial of Grievance in a Circle of Equals against Pence, in equally matched mechs! That thought appeared in her mind, but another part advised caution.

She was pensive as she asked, “How can I help?

He answered, “My mother’s House is relatively powerless compared to the Drakes or Auberts who support Renard. I only have the support of minor nobles and some of the businesses in the Trivet.”

“I see.” She understood the strategic situation. “So you’re at a disadvantage.”

He smirked, “Don’t underestimate the power of words though. Katrina Steiner-Davion proved that, didn’t she?” He then conceded, “However, there is some truth in what you’ve said. I’m indeed at a disadvantage. Which is why I need the support of the next most powerful noble family in the Trivet.”

Criteria flitted through Anastasia’s mind as Raymond listed them. “A family with an outstanding reputation, wealthy, strong military power.”

She knew exactly which family he was referring to.

“I need the support of House Rason.” He placed his hands on the table and leaned forward. “I’d like you to persuade Finn. That’s how you can help me. Because Finn values you dearer than anybody else.”

She tried not to dwell on the implications of his words. “But why House Rason?”

“The late Viscount Rason supported me. Because he unofficially backed my claim, I was able and willing to take part in this political battle.” He sighed. “I’m sure you know this already, but Finn and I are friends. We grew up together as mechwarrior apprentices, learning the art of war from his father.”

Anastasia felt even more confused. “Then why not just ask him yourself for his support?”

“I know him very well. That’s why I also know how much he detests all this political manoeuvring. This is the one thing I would not be able to persuade him on.”

She countered, “Do you truly think I am capable of achieving something that even you cannot, my lord?”

“You’ll have to,” he nodded, “after all, you’re his fiancee. Make it so that his heart completely belongs to you…” he extended a hand, “...then bring him into this fight.” He closed his hand into a fist.

“And what if I decided I don’t want to help you?”

Raymond chuckled, “It’s not difficult to conduct a detailed audit of House Kalinski’s finances. All those irregularities would need to be justified to my father, Renard, and Viscounts Drake and Aubert. How do you think those greedy nobles will react?”

He waved a hand dismissively. “I’m well aware that such threats do not work on individuals such as yourself. You’re the type of person who has to make these kinds of decisions on your own. From this moment on, I won’t do a thing. Feel free to speak to your father about this if you wish. Of course, if Baron Kalinski were to take any action against me, I would retaliate.”

He is essentially saying I can’t tell my father about this… such a cunning freebirth. She glared at his smug visage.

Raymond was serious again. “You know well as I do, that Renard is in no way fit to inherit the Countship. I simply ask that you observe how I proceed. Judge for yourself, and make your decision. You can give me your answer then.”

I hold the key that will determine the winner of this fight. The realisation was chilling to Anastasia. And it had nothing to do with her skill in a mech, or her abilities in war. It was simply because of her position as Finn’s fiancee. In my current position, all I can do is sit here quietly and talk. That was completely at odds with her own upbringing as a clan mechwarrior.

She tried to protest, “But the struggle for the Countship has yet to begin. What exactly are you asking me to see?”

“No,” he refuted her firmly. “The struggle has already begun. Because of you, in fact.”

She looked at him in surprise.

“After my brother was confined and temporarily relieved of his duties, Viscounts Drake and Aubert began to be a lot more conscious of my father and his decisions. Can you believe that all of this happened as a result of your actions?”

“It’s not because of anything that I did, but because he tried to attack me.” She grimaced. “Anyway, I will give this matter some thought.”

“I recommend you not take too long to come to a decision. Time is finite, after all.”

“But I don’t have to give you an answer today, so I won’t.” She sighed. “I need some time to quietly organise my thoughts. Excuse me, my lord, but I think I’d like to be alone now.”

He smiled amicably. “I look forward to a favourable answer from you.”

[The Wobbly Guy]

After Raymond left, Anastasia looked out the window at the darkening skies. Does it really have to be this way? No matter what happens, there is no way for me to distance myself from Finn while in the body of a lady. Everybody keeps telling me to use Finn.

She felt sad. The reason why Finn always seemed guarded must be because this is the environment he grew up in. Because of his status and power, everybody was constantly trying to take advantage of him. The way he acts…it is all from experience. In contrast, the Finn she saw on the frontlines of Operation Bulldog seemed more carefree, less burdened.

Being a powerful noble was not always a good thing, she surmised. She slumped forward, putting her face into her hands. Things were becoming too complicated for her to deal with.

Yes, she still had her skills as a mechwarrior. But she needed a better mech and the right conditions to force Pence into battle. If only she had those, then she would have been able to exact her revenge on Pence without worrying about anything else.

This is unbearable… nothing seems clear to me anymore. What is it I really want to do? The more I think about it, the more confused I become… She tried to focus. But one thing still remains the same… my revenge against Pence, everything I do must be directed towards achieving that.

There were several knocks against the door of the private lounge. She thought it could be Venice, but if so, she would have just entered the room without dithering.

“Come in,” said Anastasia.

“I’m sorry for being late,” said Finn as he opened the door and entered the lounge.

Despite herself, she felt a bit cross with him. “Why are you so late?”

“What, were you waiting for me?”

She replied sullenly, “Yeah, a little bit.”

“Really?” He chuckled, then he took a closer look at her. “Hmmm… did something happen? You seem a bit out of sorts.”

She flinched. How could he tell? “Oh, no, it’s nothing.”

He looked dubious. “Are you sure?”

Her heartbeat sounded very loud in her chest. I was that obvious? She patted the seat next to her, trying to change the subject of the conversation. “By the way, are you going to keep standing there like that?”

Finn frowned. “I just came by to see you. I need to leave again shortly.”

“You’re leaving so quickly? What’s going on?”

“Clifton’s Rangers on Abbeville got solid intel on some pirate locations in the Periphery, but they need somebody to cover for them while they go pirate-hunting, so AFFC command is scraping up whatever is within the region. I have to take our QRF and get there as soon as I can.”

“Pirates?” Anastasia was startled. “That’s serious business! Then you should have headed straight there instead of coming here first! Why did you even come here?”

“To see you, of course.” He leaned forward, one hand brushing across the top of one of her forearms. If I said I’d come but then never showed up, you would’ve been left waiting for me.” He gently squeezed her hand.

She protested, “I wasn’t particularly waiting for…”

“Plus, I don’t think I’ll be able to see you for a while. And I’ll miss your birthday.”

“Oh.” If he is going to the near Periphery, it’ll take some time, about two months, maybe more. And depending on how fast the pirates can be cleared out, he could be away for even longer. And when is Anastasia’s birthday exactly? It seems like everybody knows except me!

Finn looked sad as Raymond’s words echoed in her head. I’d like you to persuade Finn. Make it so that his heart completely belongs to you… then bring him into this fight.

Even though he’s in a hurry, he came all the way here to tell me this in case I was waiting for him. And I am supposed to manipulate him to get my revenge? One fist clenched in anger. That would be a complete betrayal of his trust.

Yes, Finn could have just sent a text message, but she had since learned that these messages often did not convey sufficient sincerity. And she thought Finn had another reason to see her in person… her mind refused to let her finish that line of thought.

“Ana, are you sure there’s nothing the matter?”

She gritted her teeth. “Finn, there’s something I need to tell you.”

After explaining what she could of Raymond’s offer to her, Finn said, “So what you’re saying is, Raymond said I’d side with him in the fight for the Countship, if you asked me to?”

She nodded. “Yes.”

“All right, but why are you telling me all this?”

“Because I don’t want to betray your trust.” She declared adamantly. “If you found out I was asked to do something like this behind your back, then I…” she suddenly realised she could not finish her sentence. What am I even trying to say right now?

“You thought I’d be disappointed in you?” He smiled, as though he knew he was right on target.

She frantically replied, one hand springing up as if to refute him. “No, I just didn’t want you to misunderstand!”

“Misunderstand? How?”

Her hand faltered. “Uhm… If I’d chosen to keep quiet about it, you wouldn’t ever be able to trust me again, even if I treated you with sincerity.” She knew she was rambling, but she could not help it. “The idea that the person closest to you might be using you… it’s horrid!”

“Anyway…” she shouted, “I really detest that kind of dishonourable behaviour!”

He just grinned in response. “Yes, I understand what you mean.”

She mentally cringed. Argh! What am I even saying right now?

He continued, “I understand you’re saying all this because you’re being considerate of me.”

“Yes, exactly! Because I’m your fiancee!”

“Of course,” he nodded, “I know you’re not the type of person to make rash decisions. But I have no intention of being involved in any political struggle, whether it’s for the Countship of the Trivet or the Federated Commonwealth… regardless of who asks or how they ask.”

She shrugged. “I know.”

“You know? Is that it?”

“What do you mean?”

“Didn’t what I just said bother you at all? I’m effectively saying that I would refuse even if you asked.”

She tilted her head in confusion. “I’d be asking you to risk your House and your life for me. Why would I be upset about you rejecting such a preposterous request?” Besides, the Way of the Clans, the Honour Road, practically mandated that she should also put her own life on the line in such matters, and to be honest in her dealings. Asking Finn to fight on her behalf was simply wrong.

His eyes were fond as he said, “Well, I always knew you were made of sterner stuff. So what did Raymond offer in exchange for your cooperation?”

She started. “Huh?”

He clarified. “The offer he made you? Raymond wouldn’t make an ask like that without offering something in return.”

“Oh…” My revenge on Pence… But how can I tell him that?

“Is it something I can grant?”

“If I tell you what it is, will you make it happen?”

“If it is within my power, of course.”

She smiled, “That makes me happy.”

“So, what is it?”

“Huh?” She tried to act dumb.

He pressed. “I need to know what it is if I’m to help you. So?”

She glanced right, then left, then at him again, smiling all the while.

He grinned. “Smiling in lieu of answering a question… did Lady Codina teach you that?”

She spun away from him. “Well, sort of. Why? Is it strange?”

“Well, no…”

“Besides, you did the exact same thing. You showed up late and simply flashed a smile by way of apology.”

His eyes widened. “What?”

Anastasia seized on her momentary advantage. “Hmmph! You’re also taking advantage of your good looks and flashing a smile to get yourself out of trouble. Also, what is that face you’re making?”

Finn smirked. “Okay, okay! I won’t pry any further into Raymond’s offer or your wish. Still, I should actually say thank you for ensuring that I keep my faith in you, instead of just flashing a smile.” He reached out with a hand to lightly caress her head.

Before Anastasia knew it, he had drawn her into his arms in an embrace.

“Thank you for telling me. I’m sorry you had to go through that.” Finn’s voice was low and calm. “I can always tell that bastard to stop pestering you, but if I did, he might make your life even more difficult, so I won’t do anything about it now.” He squeezed her gently.

“I know, I can take care of myself.” She could not move, and for some reason, her own body did not seem like it wanted to move either.

“Even so, tell me if he threatens you again. I’ll do what I can to end it.” He sighed. “I can’t believe I have to leave after all this… my feet don’t seem to want to move.”

Anastasia blinked in confusion. What is going on? We are not in a romantic relationship or anything, and since nobody else is here, there is no need for him to play the part of the doting fiance. So why is he making such a big deal about this? Is he hugging me to reassure himself just before a combat deployment?

“Take care of yourself and come back safely.” Her hands patted his back while he was still hugging her. “Don’t die pathetically at the hands of pirates, you hear me?” Yes, Finn was an idiot, but he was still more than a match for ramshackle pirates from the Periphery, right?

“It was definitely worth coming here to see you.” He chuckled and released her. “I’ll try to send HPG messages to you, so that you’re not waiting all by your lonesome. And since I won’t be around then, happy birthday in advance.” He leaned down and kissed her lightly on her forehead.

Anastasia found herself blushing from head to toe.

Leopard Dropship Jurano
3rd August, 3061
0400 hours

They were outbound from Inman to the zenith jump point at a strained 1.5 Gees, to make up for the time lost when Viscount Rason delayed their departure so that he could visit his fiance.

Eric groaned as he stretched his body behind the desk he was using to do paperwork, while his boss was still energetically checking over the logistics for their jaunt to Abbeville.

As he cleared his own administrative tasks, Finn thought about his conversation with his fiancee.

It wasn’t that he didn’t expect Raymond to approach him. He knew just how much Raymond desired the Countship, but Raymond was more persistent than even he had anticipated. Nobles were often only spurred into action when they stood to gain or lose something. Friends, lovers, even their own family…

Since using and taking advantage of one another was always a given, even love and affection between nobles was never without shrewd calculation, and often resembled transactional exchanges instead of genuine love.

I suspected a day like this would come, but I am happy to see that I chose the right person. To think that Anastasia would come clean and tell me everything, especially since I doubt Raymond would lie to her, and he would have undoubtedly made her a tempting offer. And yet, Anastasia still chose to stand with Finn and House Rason. Of course, if it was all part of her plan to seduce Finn, that would be incredibly crafty of her.

Even if Lady Kalinska had approached him with ulterior motives, he would have been happy to do whatever she asked of him, with two exceptions - getting involved in the struggle for the Countship of the Trivet or the dynastic struggle for rule of the Federated Commonwealth. Those were the two exceptions…

Finn knew that desperately wanting something was one of the biggest weaknesses a person could ever have. Just as Raymond’s desperation for the Countship had rendered himself his own weakness, Anastasia was Finn’s biggest weakness.

He smiled grimly as he continued ploughing through his paperwork, while Eric wondered why his boss seemed so happy even as they laboured under the strain of 1.5 Gees acceleration.


Haynes Palatial Manor
4th August, 3061
2000 hours (0800 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

Renard stood before his father in the Count’s office, wondering what had happened.

Strange. He glanced at his father. For the longest time, my father wouldn’t even grant me an audience. What could he possibly want with me all of a sudden?

“My lord…?”

Count Haynes looked at his son. He had not accomplished much during his rule of the Trivet, spending most of his time enjoying the power and wealth his position brought him. Yet even his time was coming to an end. His health was ailing, the doctors recommended that he step down soon and retire from the Countship in order to reduce the stress on himself.

“Have you reflected on your actions?” he asked Renard, his tone grim.

“Yes, my lord!” Renard grinned, realising this was his chance to regain his position and power. “I am sorry for what I did! While confined to the manor, I had the opportunity to reflect on all my past shortcomings. I now have a clear understanding of what you’d criticised about me, my lord.”

“Oh?” Count Haynes arched an eyebrow. “And what might that be?”

Renard tried to look contrite. “I failed to realise that I need to be perfect. A ruler must be perfect.” He looked at his father with conviction. “He must eliminate all who may one day stand in his way.”

“I see.” The Count nodded. “If that is the answer you’ve found, then I suppose that too may be the correct answer. Renard, as of today, the confinement order placed on you is lifted. You are now free to resume your work.”

Renard beamed with joy. “Thank you, my lord!”

“And one more thing.” Count Haynes’ eyes turned shrewd. “What do you think of your brother?”

Renard froze. “What do you mean, what do I think of my brother?”

“It is exactly as I said. I never had a chance to hear your thoughts on Raymond.”

“He’s a disgrace.” Renard just barely stopped himself from sneering. “He whiles his days away reading books. He’s a coward who can’t even look me in the eye.”

“Is that so? Hmm…”

“Why do you ask, my lord?”

Count Haynes explained, “You said but a moment ago that you must eliminate all who may one day stand in your way. In that case, wouldn’t you need to eliminate Raymond as well?”

Renard flinched a bit. “He’s not even worth killing. Even if I keep him alive, he won’t be able to do anything to me. As he poses no threat to me, alive or dead, there is no need for me to go to the trouble of killing him.” Renard gulped. Is this the answer Father wants to hear? Everybody knew that Father framed and murdered his own brother in order to ascend to the Countship… but killing his own son is an entirely different matter.

“Still, you are far too cold and unfeeling towards your one and only brother.” Count Haynes stated. “I am deeply concerned about your lack of affection for your own blood relations.”

Those words jolted Renard into attention. Dammit! Is he trying to trick me or something? What exactly does this old man want from me? And isn’t he being hypocritical? Cold and uncaring? Lack of affection? Hell, he practically destroyed his own brother to become Count!

“I… I don’t really mean that, Father. My brother and I have grown up together since childhood! How could I ever raise a weapon at him? Earlier, I was simply being rational and describing how he would need to be dealt with as a member of House Haynes. I do love him like a brother.” He raised his hands, as if imploring the Count to believe him.

“I see…”

Did he buy that? Renard tried to keep his breathing calm.

“One more thing, Renard,” said the Count, “You have received a proposal of marriage.” He pushed an envelope across his desk to Renard.

“What?” Renard blinked in surprise. Marriage? Which House could have sent the proposal? If it’s from a small insignificant family, I’ll refuse. But if it’s with a daughter of a powerful noble House, I’ll take her as my wife and keep a few mistresses on the side! He took the envelope and opened it, then read the letter inside. His eyes widened in surprise.

Renard looked up at the Count. “This marriage proposal… is this real?”

“Yes, it is. You are, of course, free to refuse it.”

Renard immediately replied, “How could I possibly refuse? An offer from this family is more than I deserve!”

The Count nodded. “As it has not yet been officially announced, you are to stay silent on the subject for the time being.”

Renard grinned. “Yes, my lord. As you command!”

--------------------------

Next few chapters are mostly political stuff, following the same trajectory as the original webcomic it was based on.

Since this is a long chapter, I might also take a break next week, whew. It's been a tough few weeks so far.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Kalinski Estate, Inman,
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area,
28th August, 3061
0900 hours (1300 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)

“Stretch your arm out, my lady!” Lusia instructed.

“Like this?” Anastasia did as she was told.

“Yes, this is perfect!” Lusia held up different fabrics and ornaments, holding them up against Anastasia’s arm.

“Just as I thought!” the maid chirped, full of enthusiasm, “Rather than adding lace to the sleeves, we should keep the design simple and pair the dress with a ruby bracelet instead!”

“If you say so.” Anastasia suppressed a sigh. No matter how many times she had gone through fitting sessions, she still could not get completely used to it.

Seeming to sense her mistress’s mood, Luisa said, “Let’s take a break, my lady. I’ll prepare some tea for you while you rest.”

“Alright then.” Anastasia agreed. Before leaving the dressing room, she did take a good look at the unfinished dress she was going to wear on Kentares Day on the 4th of October.

Anastasia’s 21st birthday on the 13th of August had come and gone. She had opted for a small and intimate party involving just her immediate household and her closest friends, especially those from Venice’s clique. She found herself inexplicably missing Finn, but he had apparently made arrangements because a beautiful bouquet of roses with inlaid chocolates was delivered to her, much to the envy of the other ladies.

Surprisingly, Raymond Haynes did not turn up, which relieved her greatly.

She had been a bit worried about the optics of keeping the party small, but thankfully Venice had come to her rescue by spreading rumours that she had not been feeling too well due to her sudden forced separation from Viscount Rason, which prompted a flurry of sympathetic well-wishes from the rest of the ladies. Anastasia did not really like this solution or what it implied, but since it got her off the hook, she guessed she could not complain too much about it.

She made up for the small scale by organising games for the ladies she did invite, instead of just the usual tea and chatter. They played cards and charades. There was also a video gamebox that Hawise had brought from Delacambre for her children, but Anastasia borrowed it for the ladies’ entertainment.

It even included a mechwarrior simulator that could be played on several screens at once, and Anastasia had to intentionally hold back on her skills while Hawise grinned knowingly from the sidelines. The ladies squealed and cheered with glee as they struggled with the control keypads while playing the once verboten games, safe in the Kalinski estate where there would not be anybody to snitch on them for their unladylike activities, since Anastasia and Hawise had impressed upon the staff the need to safeguard the privacy of the ladies.

The event had gone off so well that the ladies were eager to visit her estate again for such activities. This indicated to Anastasia that despite all the efforts to tamp down on the ambitions of the women of the Trivet, there was still a yearning to break free from the confines of the social strata imposed upon them.

Then there was the Assumption Day festivities on 15th August, which started with a service Mass, then followed by processions, street fairs, dances, capped off by a grand feast to end the day. Anastasia initially felt sad that Finn was not able to attend, and then angry at herself for even feeling sad in the first place.

A few days ago, they also received the invitation to visit the Haynes palatial manor for the observance ceremony for Kentares Day, which included unveiling some of the new additions to the military might of the Trivet. Anastasia wondered what these additions were. Virtually every aristocrat on Inman would be attending. Her father had declined to attend, citing his exhaustion and need to rest, so she had decided to bring Hawise along in his place, since two pairs of eyes would be far better than just her one.

Hence her servants’ insistence on a new gown, despite her own protests that she did not need a new one. But while she could command them in almost everything else, Luisa and the other maids were adamant that she had to be dressed as fashionably and lavishly as possible. Anything less would reflect poorly on the household and on them. Anastasia had finally given in reluctantly.

Come to think of it, I have not heard from Finn yet, thought Anastasia, seated at her table while Luisa poured tea for her. He said he would send messages, I should have received at least one by now? She found herself fuming for seemingly no reason.

No, maybe she was just being selfish. He could be in a situation that made it difficult to send any messages out. Besides, there were not a lot of HPG stations near the Periphery, so perhaps there was no way for him to send any messages at all.

A thought occurred to her, causing her to freeze with her teacup on the saucer. What if something terrible has happened to him?

“You’re thinking about Viscount Rason now, aren’t you?” Luisa blurted brightly, causing Anastasia to start a bit, tea spilling out of her cup onto the saucer.

“N… no I wasn’t!” Anastasia denied vehemently.

“Oh, come on,” teased Luisa, “did you really think you could hide it from me?” The maid went on reassuringly, “It’s only been three weeks since he left. I’m sure he’ll write to you as soon as things have settled down where he is.”

“I told you I’m not thinking about him!” Anastasia lied unconvincingly.

Luisa chuckled knowingly, “I’m sure Viscount Rason misses you terribly too. Why don’t you think of things you can do together once he gets back?”

“Luisa,” Anastasia decided to distract her maid, “shouldn’t you be checking on the dresses?”

“Oops! My lady, I’ll be back in just a moment!” Luisa dashed off, leaving Anastasia to sigh in relief at the reprieve from her maid’s teasing.

She stared out of the window at the reddish sky. This is an unfamiliar feeling… waiting for someone… and spending the whole day thinking about them. So strange… I have never felt this before with any of the other warriors of the clan.

She cursed softly under her breath. It was all Finn’s fault for not being able to send a message to her!

Trying to shift her thoughts away from him, she realised that Venice was also late. Her friend should have arrived by then, it was well past their agreed upon time. There were no messages on her handphone either.

It is not like Venice to be late. What is going on? How unusual of her. Anastasia took another sip of her tea.

Codina Estate

“It’s not true, is it?” Venice asked desperately. “Please, tell me it isn’t true, father.” Her voice was almost breaking. “You say I’m to be married, but that doesn’t make any sense.”

Viscount Codina’s reply was cold. “What about that doesn’t make sense to you? You are of marriageable age, and we cannot postpone your marriage any longer.”

“But you’ve never said a word about it to me before today.” She tried to reason with him. “And now, you’re simply notifying me about it? Don’t I get a say in the matter?”

He sighed, “Why are you making such a fuss over this? It’s all for the good of our family.” He pinched his forehead with his fingers. “This is a great honour for the Codina family, and you should consider it as such.”

Venice cried, “What about what I want?”

“Venice! You’re a woman who’s to be married. It won’t do for you to raise your voice like this. It appears you require further education.”

Venice turned to her mother. “Mother, please say something. I do not wish to marry Renard Haynes!”

Her mother sighed identically to her father. “Venice, my child, haven’t I always told you that you need to learn to be patient… in case you end up marrying a man who’s quick to anger?”

Venice flinched. Her hands squeezed her dress. “Don’t tell me…” her voice quavered, “This has been your plan for me all along? So…” she followed the chain of logic, “so that’s why you never stopped Vince from doing what he’s done to me since I was a child?”

She spun to an inscrutable Vince Codina, standing quietly in a corner. “Because Father allowed you to…” then she turned to Virgil, who was seated at a corner of the table, “and Father ordered you to stay out of it, and you would never go against Father’s orders!”

Virgil Codina was silent for a moment, before he sighed, “Stop acting like a child, Venice. Father only has your best interests at heart.”

“My best interests at heart? I’ve seen for myself what an odious man he is! How could you expect me to marry someone like him?” Her voice choked with frustration. “Virgil, put yourself in my shoes. Could you bring yourself to marry a man like him? Besides, he was to be…”

Virgil cut her off, “We are all duty-bound to act in our House’s best interest. If you wanted to do whatever you wanted with your life, you should have refused the protections provided by the confines of our family.” His voice was as cold as her father’s. “You know very well how all this works. It’s only thanks to our family that we only enjoy these privileges. None of us can live the way we want. Neither me, who isn’t the head of our House, nor you, my father’s only daughter.”

Virgil sighed again, but his sigh this time was filled with disappointment. “Venice, I thought you were different from Vince, but it seems you’re exactly the same.” His eyes were cold and judging. “But until the day of the wedding, you’re free to do whatever you please. That’s the best we can offer you.” He walked away with a chilling finality. Her parents and Vince followed after, leaving her alone in the cold, dark discussion room.

Venice mumbled under her breath, “The best… you can offer…” She was utterly dejected.

She didn’t know how long she stayed alone in the room, but the door creaked open. The clacking of heels on the marble floor echoed through the empty room.

 

“Venice, it’s me, I’m coming in.” Anastasia called out. “You never showed up, so I decided to come over and see for myself. I couldn’t just sit around and wait… I was worried that your brother might have hurt you like he did last time.”

“And look!” Anastasia held up a box proudly. “I bought a cake from that dessert place we’ve been wanting to visit.” She looked around. “Anyway, what’s with the gloomy atmosphere? Even your butler seemed a bit down when he showed me in…”

Venice did not turn around throughout Anastasia’s entire monologue, so Anastasia gently tapped her friend on the shoulder, trying to get some response out of her.

Venice turned around slowly, revealing a face streaked with tears, her eyes swollen. “An… Ana!”

Anastasia was shocked. “What happened? What’s going on? Who made you cry?”

Venice reached out with a trembling hand, sniffling with fear. “Ana…” Anastasia clasped her hands with her own, trying to calm her down. “You have to know that I didn’t mean for any of this to happen.”

“What? What are you talking about? Calm down and tell me what happened,” said Anastasia calmly. She was tempted to raise her own voice in alarm, but she knew that trying to stay calm herself was the better choice at the moment.

Venice continued to sniffle as she said, “It’s… what you’ve wanted for so long, Ana.” Sob. “And I’ve gone and stolen it from you.”

“Huh?” Anastasia felt confused. “Venice, calm down, I’m not angry with you, nor will I be. Tell me what happened.”

“I’m to be married to Renard Haynes!” cried Venice. “Ana, I don’t want to marry him.” The chair slid out behind her, and she collapsed into Anastasia’s arms. “I truly don’t, Anastasia.”

She continued to explain between sniffles and sobs. “My father, my brothers, even my mother… they said I should be happy about becoming the most esteemed, powerful woman in the Trivet… but what’s there to be happy about?”

She squeezed Anastasia’s hands. “I’m not happy at all!” Tears trickled down her cheeks. “Besides, you and Baron Haynes were…”

Anastasia thought that aff, it was true that it was the marriage that the real Anastasia wanted. So much so that she was even willing to sacrifice her own life to get it.

But she was not that Anastasia.

“Venice, first of all, calm down.” She handed her friend a handkerchief. “How many times do I have to tell you? I lost my memories.” There was the usual slight pang of guilt behind that lie, but she pressed on. “Even if I got my memories back, I wouldn’t care. I’m not hurt, so please stop crying.”

Venice continued to weep, so she tried to cajole her a bit. “Come on, Venice, it’s okay.”

“Ana, I don’t want to marry him.” Venice sobbed. “You see… well…”

Anastasia understood all too well. “I know. You don’t actually want to marry that… ****** either, do you?” She remembered in time to use the correct Spheroid insult, sighing internally in relief at using the correct term.

Venice started a bit, then replied, “You’re right. I… have no desire to be the wife of the future Count.” Sniffle. “I thought I could stay like this for just a little longer.” Sob. “I thought my father would at least try to arrange a marriage that would make me happy.” Sniffle. “But I know better than he does just exactly what a foul man Renard really is.”

“He did such a terrible thing to you… and was laughing in your face!” Venice bowed her head in despair. “He’s the type of person who takes pleasure in hurting and bullying those who are weaker than him!” Venice blurted out, “I don’t want to be like Janet Solway!”

It took Anastasia a moment to recall the name from her lessons on Davion history - the wife of one of the earliest Davions, a political match who was abused by her husband. It was a dirty not-so-secret known to all the nobles in the realm, but never fully divulged to outsiders. In the Trivet, she was used as a warning of sorts for wives who were unable to bear and raise children for their husbands.

“And I still can’t believe my own parents are the ones pushing me into this marriage.” Sob. “I don’t know what to do…”

Anastasia looked at Venice in understanding. It was a marriage, not just an engagement, which meant Count Haynes had already approved of it. It was also kind of expected since Venice was considered the foremost lady of her generation in the Trivet, with the right looks, family background, and bearing. Anastasia cursed the social order which expected most ladies to nurture their physical beauty and cultural refinement in order to be sold to the highest bidder, so that she might land the best possible husband and essentially become a broodmare for him.

I too was arranged to be married to Finn, she thought. Of course, when we met, I made it clear that we would eventually be divorced. But do I even have the right to refuse if Finn had insisted on us staying married? What rights do I actually have as a noble lady? Even Venice, who was brave enough to stand up to Richelle Aubert at the Day of Honour, was completely helpless in this situation.

Her friend continued to sob, “There’s no one who can help me now…” Hiccup. “No one!”

Anastasia looked on sadly. “Venice, no. You don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.” She gave her friend’s hands a gentle squeeze.

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“The best person who can help you… is you.” Venice flinched. “Venice, you are one of the smartest and most capable people I have ever met.”

“But that won’t be of any use…”

Anastasia continued, “Since it’s to be a grand affair, I’m sure there is still quite a bit of time left until the actual wedding date, right?” She kept her tone calm and determined. “Until that day comes, let’s work together to find a way to get you out of this.”

Venice stared at her, tears still streaming down her cheeks. Her eyes were still full of disbelief and fear.

Anastasis pressed on. “I know we can do it, I’ll help you anyway I can.”

“But…” Venice said weakly, “we can’t stop the wedding from happening… it would bring great shame to my family and my House.”

“Your father, your family is forcing you into this marriage. So don’t worry about their reputation. If you continue to put their interests first, you’ll never be able to come up with a way out of this!”

“But!”

Anastasia squeezed her hands again, trying to give her friend strength. “Your family chose to throw you to the wolves,” she made a mental apology to Clan Wolf. They might be cunning fleabags, but at least they still had some smidgen of honour. “You don’t owe them a thing.”

“Ana…” The tears were still trickling down, but they were starting to subside just a bit.

“If you can’t see another way out, just say you’ve fallen ill. It might hurt your family’s reputation, sure, but who cares about that? It’s still better than marrying Renard!” Anastasia stated adamantly. “You are more important than your family’s honour! Don’t ever forget that.”

It was strange to say that, when the Honour Road of the clans ingrained in her emphasised the importance of honour at each level - foremost the honour of the clan, followed by honour of the caste, unit, or Bloodhouse, then finally that of the individual. However, at least in the clans, there were always avenues available to seek recourse, Trials of Refusal or Grievance. Here in the Inner Sphere, Venice had no such recourse.

She added, “Or you could always run away!”

Venice shook her head vehemently. “Ana, that’s a dangerous suggestion!

“I’ll take care of you! You could live quietly with me on Altoona!” I could also hire a dropship and make off with my mechs and volunteers from the household guards to form a new merc unit, Venice can come along. Bringing the Valkyrie here to squash Renard would also be satisfying if I knew I had a chance.

Venice chuckled through her tears. “Ana, that almost sounds like you’re proposing to me.”

Anastasia frowned slightly and released Venice’s hands. If I were the old Avryl, I would have thought her a pathetic whiner who was not putting any real effort into extricating herself from her admittedly unfortunate circumstances. Back in the clans, I was also a woman, but I had the skill and the means to effect some change, and the clans had always been egalitarian regarding the genders anyway. I would have accused her of simply being unwilling to give up the privileges she was entitled to as a noble lady.

But she could understand what Venice was going through now. These ladies were raised almost solely with the sole intent to benefit their Houses, indoctrinated their whole lives to believe that their worth laid in securing alliances and legacies for their Houses. How could they ever be able to escape that mindset?

Just as she was trained as a mechwarrior and believed that her purpose was to restore the Star League with her clan, the purpose for these ladies of noble birth was to protect and raise the honour and prestige of their families.

“Venice, I don’t think there’s anything more I can say that will comfort you right now. But there’s no need to push yourself like that.” Anastasia knelt down in front of her friend, “I’ll be by your side, no matter what choice you make. So don’t blame yourself for any of this.” You are an incredibly confident, delicate woman, and a thoughtful, intelligent friend. You shattered my preconceived notions of what it meant to be a lady. You are so dear to me, and there is still so much I could learn from you.

The cries had subsided, and Venice had calmed down noticeably. She forced a smile through her swollen face, “All right, I promise I won’t give up. Even if nothing else works and I have to resort to feigning illness.”

“Great!” Anastasia agreed brightly. And I had better get started on the paperwork, just in case!
----------------------------------------------
Notes:
Politically, it makes more sense for Renard’s supporters to get House Codina on their side rather than have him marry somebody like Richelle, since it gets them another House on their side. But in this case, it was Viscounts Drake and Aubert doing the pressure play on House Codina, and Viscount Codina was already inclined towards putting his chips (ie Venice) on what was deemed the winning side.

Let’s see what Raymond has to say about this though. Venice, of course, will also realise she still has options.

Janet Solway was the estranged wife of James Davion (2457 - 2467), 10th in the ruling line after Simon Davion. I embellished the history a bit, but here’s what is written down in ‘House Davion’ sourcebook, which, of course, is also debatable since it was written from the perspective of a Comstar researcher, who might not be privy to all the facts, and probably had a word count to worry about as well.

Though James Davion won the High Council’s approval to inherit the Crucis March Principality, he was not what he appeared to be. James had always been unhappy in his marriage to Janet Solway, daughter of the Marquess of Glenmora, which Simon had arranged to suit his political needs. Though the match had produced a son, the child died in infancy. After that, the last tenuous thread holding the marriage together snapped. James and Janet were never divorced, but James became a husband in name only-and then only when the two were in the public eye. He began a series of secret extramarital liaisons, which he flaunted more and more openly, after his accession believing himself above the laws of either planet or federation.

It’s not too difficult to surmise that James Davion probably wasn’t the most loving of husbands.

Again, this chapter was cribbed from the original work, so the structure’s largely the same.