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Chapter 19 - Best Served Cold[]
Castle Brian, Codename "Tiki"
Cabanatuan, Clan Wolverine Staging Area
August 7th, 3052
"Mommy!"
Grinning from ear to ear, Lilly slipped her bag from her shoulder and knelt to catch her daughter in her arms. Alexia had grown so much in the years apart, Lilly could scarcely believe it.
Rising, cuddling not-so-little Alexia close, she leaned in to kiss Andrei on the cheek. "I am glad you made it."
"It was a long trip, but we are glad to be here." Andrei said
"I can see that." Lilly replied, nuzzling her daughter's cute little nose.
Andrei moved to pry Alexia from Lilly's arms, something the MechWarrior resisted. "The Khan permitted us to greet you only if I passed on the message that, before you can begin your leave, she must meet with you."
Lilly snarled. "I'll make it as quick as I can."
Andrei smiled, finally wresting the pouting Alexia from her mother's grasp. "I have no doubt."
Ten Minutes Later
"You asked to see me, my Khan?" Lilly asked.
"I did. I first want to congratulate you again for your behavior before the Clan Grand Council. You certainly gave them something to think about."
"Were they prone to thinking, I would agree."
Jennifer McEvedy smiled. "True. In your absence, there has been much interest directed our way. See for yourself." The Khan cued up the holodisc player, tilting the screen toward Lilly.
A tall, slender man, aged with long white hair, an eyepatch over his right eye and dressed in flowing white robes appeared. "I am Precentor Martial Anastasius Focht of ComStar. I extend greetings to the warriors known as Clan Wolverine. It has come to my attention that you have persecuted your own private war against the Clans during their invasion. I hereby invite your leader, or such delegates as you see fit, to visit Terra under my personal pledge of safe conduct, there to discuss with myself and the new Primus potential alliance and response to Clan aggression, now and in the future. Should you not wish to travel so far, I am prepared to meet with you personally on any world you care to name. I eagerly await your reply."
The message ended and another began, this one featuring a young man whose uniform, proud military bearing, and short blonde hair made him look as though he could be Lilly's younger brother if she had one. "Hello, I am Prince Victor Steiner-Davion sending this message on behalf of Archon-Princess Melissa Steiner of the Federated Commonwealth. I understand I was mistaken to believe only I had the boldness to take the fight to the Clans. I would very much like to discuss tactics, strategy, logistics, and equipment with your forces in preparation for renewed hostilities with the Clans. Working together, we can safeguard not just the Federated Commonwealth, but the whole of the Inner Sphere."
Another message, this one from a severe but serene-looking Japanese man. "Greetings. I am Theodore Kurita, gunji-no-kanrei of the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. It has come to my attention that you have attacked Smoke Jaguar targets on worlds they have taken from the Combine. This pleases me. I should like to meet with you to discuss the terms by which I shall permit you to move freely through Combine space to continue your raids, as well as joint operations against the Smoke Jaguars on worlds formerly belonging to the Combine. Sumimasen."
Yet another, now from a young Chinese man. "I am Sun-Tzu Liao, and I bring greetings from the Celestial Throne of the Capellan Confederation. Pay no mind to any rumors you may have heard of me or my realm; the Confederation remains strong, willing and able to defend itself. I believe there is much we can offer each other through trade of information and technology. We have much in common, I think, upon which to build a true and lasting friendship in these uncertain times. Should we become such friends, I assure you, any gains for the Capellan Confederation would be gains for Clan Wolverine."
When no new message appeared, Lilly raised her eyebrows. "Three. . . well, technically four heads of Successor States, plus the man who personally embarrassed the Clans off Tukayyid. What did we do to get so popular?"
The Khan shrugged. "We are a wild card, which makes us the most valuable one in a deck everyone knows by heart. The question is, how shall we respond?"
Lilly kept her promise to keep the meeting as short as possible, which meant it was late the next day before she saw her little girl again.