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Beyond Hope
- Chapter 13 - The Big Show[]
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Journey is just beginning[]
Jump Point
SLS Elizabeth Cameron
Arluna, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State)
3054
"That went…well," Jane Cameron said, as Diego and his boarding party returned to their own vessels.
"Yes, yes it did." Elizabeth Ngo said. "Only seven more Nobles and we'll have the resources secured."
'Seven MORE?"
"Never go without a backup," Liz commented. "If you can't afford to lose it, you can't afford to use it. We can have enough yard to keep YOU running, but it's only one yard, and I want you to have lots of friends covering your back."
"What?" Helena said in surprised.
"Logistics," Liz said. "A fleet base isn't worth much without a fleet to station there, and a fleet on station isn't worth much if it doesn't have power projection capability. Less than that, and we're just a very easy target."
“Hehe. Yeah. I remember one of my first lessons in learning how to fight a war was logistics matter more than perhaps anything else. I guess I’m just adjusting to the fact I have friends again. Some of them even real ones, not just for the sake of politics or money.”
"Don't underestimate yourself, Jane," Liz told her. "Now, for our next few stops, we'll be changing up the act to get them in on this. By the time we reach Tharkad…"
“The Archon will either be on the list of people anticipating our calls or we’ll all be jailed for conspiracy to commit treason,” Helena chuckled.
Lizzie nodded, 'Yeah. Grandfather spent five years for that, before Katrina found out and had him freed." She looked at her watch.
"What now?"
"They're loading the components for the first High Road stations for shipment today," Elizabeth said. "By the time we're on the way back, they'll have Coventry's operational, along with Miquelon, Winter, Kowloon, and Jessenice. By the time we hit New Capetown on the return leg? Mandoaaru, Anembo, and Inarcs, and by the time we reach Arluna, theirs will be operational."
She sipped her tea. "And by this time next year, god willing, we'll be contracted for fast-charging as far out as Arc Royal in one direction, and Timbuktu in the other. You're going to be primary owner of the biggest public works package in three centuries… You might even end up being more critical to the economic life of the commonwealth than Ngo Industries… And I'll have time to work on my university."
"It might even be enough…" Helena said. "...To get you free of treason charges. It might be enough."
"We can pray," Liz said, "but the work must be done anyway."
Meeting old Acquaintance[]
Gibbs Shipyard
Gibbs, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State)
November 22, 3054
Gibbs. Not quite as busy as Alarion's yards, but the Gibbs system at least has shipyards, large ones.
Large yards that were getting new, replacement equipment to restore the vast, damaged docks.
Derek Mahan is the local Duke, and he's been a Duke for approximately six months.
"Lizzie Ngo!" he greeted her. "I haven't seen you since we were small!"
"Groningen," Elizabeth agreed. "This is Helena Drillson, she's an up-and-comer in the business world. She's got some interesting proposals you might be keen to get in on. I, of course, will supply the tooling if you two can come to an agreement."
"Liz, he's… your age, shouldn't I be-"
"My Regent is away, Aunt Mary thinks I need to learn to step into the boots, if you don't mind, Lady Drillson?" he said. "I promise, I'll try to keep up, but if you want to wait until after I've sworn in…"
"We're going to be swearing in at the same ceremony," Liz confided. "Derek's brothers were lost on the Clan front, and his parents a little before that."
Derek winced.
"Oh, shit, I'm sorry. It's been long enough I forget when it's still raw.” Liz apologized.
"I'm dealing with it," he said bravely. "I was politely excused to take up the role, so they cut my tour at Pandora short. I've been 'rewarded' with extension courses and had to hire tutors."
"Derek? Look at me?" Liz said almost-comfortingly. "You saw what I rode in on, right?"
"Yeah!! Lola Three Mark Two, with the enhanced electronic warfare suite and rumored to be a testbed for systems automation on front line Naval vessels!" his eyes gleamed. "The reference books insist it was only a design study! There were rumors Kerensky had one, but it was lost during the Liberation of Terra! I've seen holographic predictions of what one would have looked like!!"
"How would you like to tour the real thing?" Helena offered.
"Please and thank you Ma'am?" he perked up even more. "I was hoping to qualify for the new RX-78 class Foxes but…" he stopped himself from overrunning his words. "Liz, where did, I mean…that's a WarShip..."
"It's Helena's, not mine, but I plan to get a hand in building more of them," Liz said. "Enough that the Commonwealth will have a fleet again, something we can avenge your Brothers with."
"Where do I sign, and what do you want?" he asked.
Even Helena could see that if Elizabeth asked this boy to drink reactor-water, he'd have it half-choked down before the first thought of that being a bad idea entered his mind.
"Uhm…so how did you two meet again?"
"Grade three, Groningen Junior prep." Liz said, as the young Duke was out of the room getting something. "Play yard stuff."
“I see. He likes you. But I’m honestly not sure if I should encourage it. He might like you a little too much for his own good,” Helena chuckled.
"He'll grow out of it," Elizabeth dismissed. "Once he finds a girl who'll treat him like a person."
“That’s what worries me about him. He’s got a bad case of being a teenager and his blood going to the wrong organ,” Helena said, shaking her head.
"He's actually really smart, Helena, which is why Francois Galois was picking on him in the yard-Derek's never going to be a big guy. He wasn't back then, and he isn't anytime in the foreseeable future, but he tries."
“So are a lot of boys his age until they see a pretty girl that they like,” Helena smiled. “To him, I’m old but you’re about right.”
"He deserves someone who'll last," Liz said. "Some girl who won't leave him before he's middle aged-at least, the way I'm going to be leaving everyone."
“Despite the holodramas, all the songs, and all the poems, love isn’t forever. Maybe he’s just crushing on you and not truly in love, but you should let yourself love if you can.”
Lizzy shook her head and chuckled, "I love by taking care of my people, Helena. I'll help him meet someone who deserves him, don't fret that. But when I die, I won't be leaving someone with the memory of a feeling that strong. Grandfather didn't last two years after Grandmama passed."
“Maybe. Maybe that’s both our fates now. To be mourned by a people, but never a lover.”
Liz snorted and shook her head, "Helena, you're not terminal. Eventually through counseling and work, the traumas will fade. You can live a long, happy life. I get to die by middle age in agony. That's the end of my story, and I've known it since I was nine."
“I don’t know if that’s possible, Liz. I’ve been through so much. Sometimes it feels like that whole part of my being has been burned out of me for good.”
"The mind is its own place, and, in itself, can make a heaven of hell, or a hell of heaven." Elizabeth quoted.
“Break a mug. Assuming if you can even find all the pieces the cracks will still be there, no matter how good a job you do gluing it back together.”
"THAT depends on whether you're using glue, or fire," Liz told her. "We're not ceramics, and within ourselves, we’re only as fragile as we must be, until the fires burn out."
“Fire only works instead of glue if you’re adding new pieces, not using the old ones.”
"What do you think new experiences are? I’m alive, you're alive, being alive means growth. It's when we stop growing…" Lizzie tapped the side of her head. "...that we start dying."
“Either way, we have an eager young teenager who wants a tour and an Archon to go see,” Helena said, shaking her head.
"YES!" Liz nodded. "And Derek's had a rough two years, so it's worth it."
“Though we may have to watch Jane. She might want to adopt him.”
"I don't see how that could possibly go wrong."
“Sorry it took me so long guys. I can’t believe it still fits!” Derek was wearing his Star Cadet cosplay getup.
"DUDE…" for a second Elizabeth was just a slightly nerdy teen herself. "Kapitain Luus from the third book?"
"Ja," Derek nodded.
"I wish I had the height to be Callie," Liz confessed. "She was tall in the books, and I'm stuck at 'petite'."
Helena quietly laughed.
“I think you’d still make a great Callie,” Derek blushed.
Liz reached out and tapped his chin, "YOU are totally a Luus, right down to the romantic spirit. Let's go visit a starship, your people got your bags packed for Tharkad?"
He nodded.
"Coolness. You can tell me about all the ladies you've wooed since I saw you last."
“Uhhh….” Derek stammered.
"Role, Derek. Play it up no matter what. You're in costume, you're Kapitain Luus! And remember, half his conquests in the book were just stories he told to boost his image."
“And don’t worry about me. I’m a grown up. But if it’ll make you more comfortable, I’ll let you have your privacy with Liz so you can tell your stories without being embarrassed,” Helena giggled.
Derek seemed to get a hold of himself. "Yeah, it's…a fantasy," he said. "I mean, it's been years, Liz…I’ve had a date."
"Bonus points, was she hot?"
"She…ah…yeah," he nodded. "Hotter than I deserved, so it didn't last."
"Rivals, did you make any?" she questioned.
"I won a fight in year seven, does that count?" he asked.
"Yes," she nodded. "It counts. You don't let people bully you anymore do you? If you do I'll…"
"Nobody bullies the Duke," Derek said. "Which makes it harder, not easier."
She nodded agreement. "Yes it does make it harder. You have to be extra careful to know who your friends are when everyone acts like they're nice, even when they aren't."
“And tell you what. I’ll let you stay on the ship the whole trip so I can have some of the best tutors you can ask for teach you how to be a badass,” Helena smiled.
"You know that Francois guy? The one you made eat rocks?" Derek asked. "He wrote to me. The guy's doing a twelve step program now, and he said he was sorry."
"We were kids," Liz noted. "Must be something serious."
"Yeah. The Clan front really messed him up. AFFC bounced him on a psychiatric and he got into drugs, then started getting out again."
"Be glad they're not stuffing you into a uniform then," Liz asserted. "Means we have time to actually do something so that happens less."
"What was it like?" he asked, "when you had to… I mean, when you…"
"When I killed my regent? Horrible," she confessed. "I was right, it was the kind of job you don't ask someone else to do just because it's horrible…which is kinda horrible itself….it doesn't get easier. You don't have to do that do you?"
"No… but we did catch one of my in-laws trying to set up a backhander with the Ioto people. Frederich's wife's brother was trying to get bribes from them. I had to have him locked up, but what do I do when it's worse?"
"Your duty, however horrible it is, Derek," Liz said. "I hope you don't have to go as far as I did. It's what we have to be, for the people who look to us."
Helena found herself nodding, but she held her tongue.