Kiribati island, Kowloon...
somewhere smack in the middle of the inland sea known as Golden Lake, is an island-well, more like a post-volcanic uprise made of basalt and granite, covered in sparse grass, with three light-houses and an airfield.
at least, on the surface. down on the coast, more than half submerged, is Kiribati Island Submarine pens. the site dates back to 'First independence' and was one of the few bases the original Kowloon Republic didn't lose to battlemechs of the Rim Worlds Republic, orbital bombardment, air strikes, or land invasion.
Kiribati Island was simply quietly shut down during the occupation, a site with no visible strategic value isolated from the mainland, home to a small group of maritime safety officers and a wildlife and fisheries monitoring station.
and the hiding place for much of the original settlers' remaining military hardware.
For a while, it served as a prisoner detention center under the Amaris regime. This was probably a mistake on par with locking a prisoner in an armory.
both the 2729 and 2769 revolutions were plotted here, planned here, and prepped for here, among the steamy warm waters of golden Lake.
Liz leaned on her cane, and watched as Raptors from the Galactica, the Zughoffer Weir and the Raptors bringing the Jade Falcons touched down.
"You know, this is probably the worst idea you've had yet, Your Grace." Nick said.
"I know." Liz answered. "I'm improvising."
"That's clear enough." Jack contributed. "They could take you prisoner."
"I have you guys, and at least two groups hate each other enough they'll end up fighting each other." she said, "As it is, it's going to be a bitch keeping them talking instead of fighting."
in the last few hours, the base's gym had been converted into a reception hall of sorts. She watched from the north lighthouse, as each group were led or directed there.
"How do I look, Daffy?" Liz asked.
Her friend, in full dress uniform, reached out and adjusted Elizabeth's tie. "Like an executive." she said.
"Good enough...let's do this thing."
they took the elevator to ground level, and a scooter-tram to the base gym.
Five minutes later...
The ride here had been fast. Henry sat just behind Star Colonel Roshak, at the table. There were refreshments, including food he'd once had dreams about-in another life, before he had become a Bondsman, before he had become a warrior.
"Your sister is...late." Nathan noted quietly. "dramatic."
"Making us all wait here across from each other?" Star Captain Harper observed. "She acts like she's a Khan."
That got a laugh from the Star Colonel.
across the gallery, were men and women in Star League uniforms, the patch of Clan wolverine worn openly, among them a man in dark blue, non-Star League dress uniform, similar to that worn by the 'Colonies of Kobol' delegation that formed the third facing.
Harper was seething at the presence of the Not-Named, but after seeing the 'cutter's interior, she was bottling it up well.
The north doors opened, and their host walked in.
More like a shuffle.
Elizabeth Ngo stepped in an off-time gait, step-tick-step-tic. Leaning on her cane, flanked by three meter tall armored shapes. up close, that wasn't battle-armor, and they moved with an unconscious grace that indicated the devices were not animatronics or remote controlled drones.
"I trust everyone is comfortable?" she asked, and her voice was amplified over the public address system.
a folding chair was produced by one of her hanger's on, and one of the robots helped her to sit. Nathan got his first in-person, unedited look at Elizabeth Ngo.
"my god..." henry breathed, his expression was a mix of emotions. among them, pity.
Her hair was, in this natural light, streaked in gray, the crease of worry and stress, hollow cheeks that suggested missed meals, a sallow tone that suggested other forms of self-abuse, the telltales of stim addiction.
Seventeen, going on forty.
Nathan noted the way she held her left arm, the hand not occupied with the cane. wounded. never healed properly The same could be said of her right leg, which had the telltale limp of improperly healed knee or ankle injuries.
One of the robots produced a folding table, and set it up for her.
"I am Elizabeth Anne Ngo, Duchess of Kowloon, for those of you who are new or recent visitors, this is Kiribati Island, there are no strategic targets or economically important facilities within two hundred kilometers of this meeting place. That means if the Warship in orbit opens fire, we're the only casualties. This does not mean we're the only ones who will know what happened. There are holocams observing and recording this meeting, and they are feeding into a very expensive direct line to the Comstar HPG facility, for simulcast to the rest of the Commonwealth. Say hello folks, if you're inclined, you're being watched on Tharkad, and unless I miss my guess, your home folks are going to get this meeting as soon as an HPG link is established with Clan capitals in the invasion corridor. Past that point, I haven't a clue who else is watching."
the Cylon who set up the table, lifted a briefcase, and began sorting flimsys, laying them out in front of her.
"our first order of business then." Liz said. "is to determine who has first rights on my time. While the Clan Wolverine vessel SLS Zughoffer Weir is in the best position to assassinate everyone in the room, they're not first-Clan Wolverine will have to wait. The Colonies of Kobol have, as I stated, a legitimate greivance with some of my citizens for acts committed before those citizens immigrated to Kowloon. I would appreciate it, Mister Adama, if you can be patient and allow less extensive issues to be aired and addressed first?"
"The Colonies will wait, Your Grace." the younger Colonial officer said, "our grievances, as you put it, aren't going to get worse with time, but we won't wait perpetually."
"I understand...that leaves the Clans of Kerensky, in particular, Star Colonel Roshak and his attacking forces." Liz said, "We're still recovering survivors from your offensive. Do you want to discuss POW repatriation, Graves Registration, terms of withdrawal, or another subject?"
"Repatriation, Duchess? I am not certain what you mean by that." Nathan said, though it was clear he did.
"Kowloon observes the Ares conventions as part of our membership in the Lyran Commonwealth. under Article three of the Ares Conventions, prisoners of war are ineligible to be put to work in war industries, nor can a POW be compelled to fight against his former comrades or home nation. There are also standards of treatment for prisoners of war, including but not limited to medical care and humane housing and treatment. Provision 33 of the Ares Conventions specifies that Prisoners may be repatriated without cessation of general hostilities at the discretion of the holding side, I'm offering you your men back."
"May I inquire why?"
"Because I don't like the idea of holding them until they qualify for citizenship." Liz stated. "The last thing I'm interested in, is having a Clanner-friendly voting block growing on my home soil. That may change with time, but I doubt I'll live long enough for it to be a concern assuming the front remains stable."
"you are not going to offer a surrender, obviously, Quineg?"
She snorted. "No. no surrenders." she said, "I am willing to discuss rules of engagement, diplomacy, seeing if you who claim the legacy of Kerensky will actually honor his commitments, sure."
"Um, Your Grace, I'm not sure what you meant there." Captain Martin Ferry spoke up. "his commitments?"
"Here's my dilemma." Liz said, "I have two groups claiming to be the inheritors of the Star League Defense Forces, Captain. Your group, Clan Wolverine, identified as the SLDF-in-Exile, you wear Star League pattern uniform, and you're not shooting at my people, but you've been gone for a very long time. and I have the Clans, who never bothered to update their IFF systems when they renamed SLDF ships, whom also claim inheritorship to that legacy...and what commitments?"
behind her, on the scoreboard, the image of the scoreboard changed from the pedestrial 'home/visitor' to a screen, to an order. The projection was so clear, the aging of the paper was visible.
"Chief of Staff, Aaron DeChevalier, in 2770, issued this order, which was countersigned by General Aleksandr Kerensky himself-that's his signature there." Liz explained, "SLDF forces were not to engage in hostile actions in the Kowloon system against the residents. Twice the Clans have violated this. You will note in page two-"
the document was shuffled on the projection.
"-the sovereignty of Kowloon and our system was to be guaranteed by the Star League Defense Forces, this has been violated three times."
"The Steel Viper incursion, OUrs and which time else?" Nathan asked.
"When your ancestors abandoned us." Elizabeth said. "Your ancestors abandoned us. Abandoned everyone, left us to chaos and war for three hundred years worth, we don't even have names for all the knowledge that was lost, all the progress, all the lives."
she paused, "Did you think, 'oh they forgot'? That nobody would remember, nobody would call that out? You are being witnessed. today is the day you make account for that, you explain, justify, whatever you wish. Your people abandoned mine and then, came on a carpet of blood and death, when you would have been welcomed if you had simply come back."
the image changed at a motion, and six meters tall, Melissa Steiner-Davion's face loomed, the camera panning to reveal Sun Tzu Liao, Thomas Marik, and Anastasius Focht.
"Are you recieving clearly?" Liz asked.
"Quite. You really have gotten yourself into a fix, Liz." Melissa's voice echoed.
"yeah. do you have the indicator tags on your end?" Liz asked.
"We do."
"Good." Liz lifted her head, "NOW we can begin, Star Colonel Roshak, Counselor Lee Adama, and Captain Martin Ferry, you will each have fifteen minutes to present your cases, five minutes each for rebuttal, and an open questions period, with that, we will collectively set the agenda for the rest of this conference. as you can each see, I have the confident backing of the reformed Star League, First Lord Theodore Kurita will be joining us as soon as technical problems in the Draconis Combine have been reso-"
the image split again, revealing Theodore Kurita. "Lovely...Hello!" he smiled, looking both younger than he is, and yet retaining the air of a fond elder relative.
"Mister First Lord, Welcome to the talks, is your connection clear?"
"As clear as Comstar can make it." he confirmed. "I will observe this meeting. I have my own concerns, but I wish to see how this goes before raising them."
"of course, sir." Elizabeth said.
