BeyHop Chpt 26

Beyond Hope

- Chapter 26 - A Pause for Breath

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"The Whitting Conference was convened shortly after the Jade Falcon withdrawal from their Coventry campaign. Victor wasn't the core driver of this-that job, fell on his mother, Melissa, drawn out of her retirement to serve as the 'face and voice' calling for a unified, united Star League response…"

-Ngo, Elizabeth Anne,
Diplomacy, Economics and Government, a Challenge to the Nobility Kowloon University Nha Tranh, 2nd printing, 3060 (reprinted with permission)

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Hope for the Broken

City of Hue
Kowloon, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State)
October, 3058

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"I, Arthur Steiner Davion, do promise to Love, Honor and Cherish you, come life or death, sickness or health, poverty or wealth, for the rest of my life and beyond."

Helena watched him slide the ring on the finger of Duchess Elizabeth Ngo.

Elizabeth Ann Ngo

Lizzie was in white, a stark contrast from her habitual blacks, and someone had actually done her hair.

Helena Cameron’s hand was wrapped around Jane’s remote’s hand like an iron vise. A human would be howling in pain. But Jane just sat there smiling.

Helena Cameron

"I, Elizabeth Anne Ngo, do promise to Love, Honor and Cherish you, Arthur, come life or death, sickness or health, poverty or wealth, for the rest of my life and beyond."

Lizzie slid a ring onto his finger.

The magistrate said, "I pronounce this union forged, let none divide it…you may kiss now?"

The girl kissed the boy, and the witnesses cheered.

"Okay!!" Liz announced after they spent far too long exchanging spit, "Reception's in Peace Park, bring your appetites, the food's already there!!" It lacked the pomp of a Royal Wedding as Helena remembered it, and while there WERE security agents, they were well out of sight.

But then, this wasn't Tharkad or New Avalon…or Unity City a cold voice whispered in her mind. For one thing, there were enough weapons in the crowd of witnesses to give a Black Watch fits.

Spring time in Hue, and the ceremony had been kept small, no doubt recordings would be sliced apart by Media who were quite deliberately not told in time to actually get more than a few stringers into the system.

Helena was picking through the bar for her favorite traditional Kowloon delicacies. As she finished loading her plate she walked with Jane to their assigned table.

Katherine, in her Commander's mess dress uniform, was conversing with one of Elizabeth's senior officers by the second roasting spit. It was a little strange-Arthur had taken the reserve commission and gotten put on inactive to teach at the University, while Katherine had charged headlong into a Naval Regular's position.

“I sense some light nepotism.” Evelynn chidded as they sat.

"She's got some chops." Helena stated, "Commerce raiding in the Falcon rear during Coventry, and she's kept it up. So maybe some nepotism but she's got the chops to back up the rank."

“You know I meant letting Arthur reserve his commission like that.” Evelynn chuckled.

"Do we really NEED an engineering officer, or do we need a professor of advanced physics?" Helena asked, "if we're going to be more than grubbing at scraps, as Liz puts it, we need him in the professor slot, not fixing the core of a raiding ship."

“Geez, okay I give up trying to get you to not be so dour. It’s supposed to be a party.” Evelenn frowned.

“Sorry Evvie. I know you’re trying. I really am happy for my friend. I promise.” Helena sighed.

“Don’t worry I talked Liz out of the traditional bouquet toss.” Evelynn smiled.

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Helena smiled.

“Still you’re doing great. You’re not breaking out in hives, not running off somewhere to hide, nor puking your guts out.” Evelynn reassured Helena.

“It’s easier since so many people here are now people I’ve gotten to know and that I’m here for my friend.” Helena nodded.

“Speaking of.” Evvie warned.

“Helena, do me a solid. Since we’re not doing a bouquet toss hang on to these for a minute.” Elizabeth lightly tossed the flowers at Helena.

Helena caught them by reflex.

“Totally counts.” Elizabeth chuckled. “Now I’m going to dance with my husband. Go mingle, maybe find someone to dance with.”

“Not sorry. Now that my face is not a complete horror show I’m going to go find myself my own dance partner.” Evelynn walked off.

“Traitor!” Helena mocked anger as she smelled the flowers.

Helena realized her mistake a little too late.

“Give them over and let’s get you somewhere private.” Jane picked up immediately. Jane found a vase for the flowers on their way to a small office.

“You’re thinking of Richard’s wedding aren’t you?” Jane asked.

“I liked her. She was getting Richard away from Amaris. And now I’m thinking about how I was an Aunt despite everything else that was going on.” Helena nodded.

She could be honest with Jane in a way she couldn’t be honest with anyone else, not even Elizabeth or Doctor Huyn.

“Go ahead. You know you need to.” Jane nodded.

“I’m not sure I can. I had to turn that part of me off to do the job. I don’t know if I’ll ever be able to cry again. Because if I do I might not be able to stop.”

“You can. You’re not a victim anymore nor are you a monster. So go ahead and cry.” Jane countered.

Helena nodded as tears began to form in her eyes.

Jane stood watch at the door for the next half hour.

A slight touch up to Helena’s make up and they were able to rejoin the party.

“I’m still not dancing with anyone.” Helena said quietly.

"That's fine." Jane said.

Outside, however, just past the windows, they could see, and through their bones and the floor, they could hear the dancing.

It wasn't ballroom style dancing, this was far more energetic in the reddish light of the second sun, a crowd that seemed to be growing, thanks to the public nature of Peace Park.

But Jane and Helena were in the cooled, air conditioned hall, with those who weren't interested or participants in the ritualized revelry going on outside.

Evelynn wasn't dancing, she was currently half-crouched, facing a girl who was maybe eight at the oldest, one of Elizabeth's flower-girls.

They were conversing in sign-language, and the conversation was fast.

“You catch that, Jane.”

“Of course but it would be rude to repeat what they said without permission.”

"So private then…"

"The girl misses her parents." Jane broke her self-described confidentiality, "The father died during the landings. I don't know what happened to the mother, she calls Evelynn 'Auntie Evelynn'."

“I…Oh no. You really shouldn’t have broken your own rule Jane.”

"The fact you're focusing on that, and not on your self-destructive guilt is proof you're healing." Jane stated. Evelynn straightened and the little red-haired girl took her hand, and led her to the shelter building.

“But I am feeling even guiltier now. My orders, my victims. She’s one of my victims now.”

"Your heroes." Jane said.

Helena felt that in-the-headlights panic as the silent girl walked arrow straight to where she and Jane were standing.

"I'm sorry Lady Helena, Phoebe can be very insistent!"

“It’s okay. What do you want to say to me Phoebe?”

The flower girl, Phoebe, signed something with an insistence, then pointed at the vase, then at Helena. She crossed her arms like a scolding teacher.

“I’m sorry I never learned sign language.”

Phoebe was reading her lips?

The girl signed to Jane.

Twice, then made the same gestures.

"You're supposed to keep one to wear, for luck. She wants to know what's wrong with the flowers she helped…grow? I don't know that word." Jane admitted.

“I’m sorry. I got distracted.” Helena was fighting the need to cry again.

Phoebe sighed, strode fussily over to the vase, collected it, and brought it over.

"She wants you to choose one." Jane said.

Helena carefully pulled one of the flowers out.

Phoebe put the vase down, and grabbed Helena's hand, with the practiced ease of childhood games, she wrapped and tied the stem to Helena's wrist.

“Thank you.” Helena smiled.

The girl had seen her face, and brightened. Then she tugged, signing something one-handed, followed by a beckoning gesture.

Helena let the little girl lead her wherever she wanted.

They went past the celebrations, down to the river-side, where a booth stood, next to a vending stand.

"Oh. Yeah. She would think of that…" Evelynn dug into her handbag, and produced three Kroner coins, for the vendor.

"What?"

"Darts or hatchets?" Jane translated as the girl fed coins into the machine.

"What?"

"She wants to know if you want to throw the darts, or the hatchets. Phoebe-" Evvie signed something.

The girl adamantly shook her head, and made an insistent gesture.

"She says you lost your family, she thinks you'll feel better. It's an old game-usually popular during Freedom days, but this one's open all year." Evelynn explained, "you get three tries with hatchets or darts, to kill Amaris again."

“Oh. I’m sorry Phoebe. I’ve been incredibly dense. Thank you. Last time I did this was some time ago but it was with hatchets.” Helena smiled again.

Helena’s dress made her throwing motion somewhat awkward but all three hatchets went into Amaris’ face.

The girl was delighted a raspy sound that wasn't quite a voice issued from her as she clapped and stomped her feet with the biggest, brightest smile as the modular dummy of Stephan Amaris fountained red-colored fake blood and shook down into the reset position.

Then it was Phoebe's turn, her darts weren't as precise, and from where she stood, Helena could see why.

The girl's joints were slightly deformed, and she was visibly underweight…and just as delighted to hit the target at all as she'd been at Helena's gruesomely lethal strikes.

Jane caught the voice coming from the direction of the party. "...have you seen this girl?"

She spotted a muscular girl who was as broad as Phoebe was narrow, and nearly as brutishly ugly as the deaf girl was achingly pretty. "Over by the water? Thanks."

Evelynn tapped Phoebe's shoulder, and pointed.

Phoebe waved frantically and gestured 'come'.

The bigger girl hurried without looking hurried.

"I'm sorry Your Grace, Phoebe…" The girls went into a rapid fire sign-language conversation. "...You're supposed to Ask."

"Who's this?"

"Lenora O'Malley, Phoebe's twin-they're fraternal." Jane recalled it from the database without thinking about it.

"You're twins?"

"Mom had problems while we were in utero. Radiation and chemical exposures." Lenora said, "Phoebe, I'm sure Lady Cameron has more important things to do- what do you mean? Slow down! I can't keep up!" There was genuine confusion on that brutish, almost neanderthal face.

"Okay, I'll ask…but don't be a brat if she says no. she's a Proper Lady, she's busy and important…" she looked up, "...she wants to know if you'll join us at dinner, with the other kids from The Home. She thinks it's important, but my sister gets funny ideas sometimes and I get it if you don't-Stop!" Phoebe's fist pulled back from her sister's side, "You can't hit hard enough to hurt me, but you might hurt yourself, Phoebe!" Lenora waited as her sister signed very slowly, a clear emphasis and insistence. "She really thinks you should eat with us, Milady." Lenora said, "She's gonna be a…fine. FINE…" Lenora inclined her head toward Helena, "please?"

“How can I say no?” Helena smiled.

I’ll wear whatever mask she needs me to, I owe her that.

There was a confidence in Phoebe's expression, not just a victory there, and her heavier, bulkier, clearly vastly stronger sister had a resigned sort of confusion. Along with resignation. "When you figure out how to say no to my sister, can you tell me how?" Lenora asked.

“Sure, but I suspect that will be quite difficult to do.” Helena nodded.

"I'll tag along." Evelynn said, "that way someone can talk to Dietrich when the time comes."

"Dietrich?"

"Child Services." Evelynn said, "we've got forty kids here tonight, tough placements. I've already contracted for as many as I can handle at the Ranch…but there are things on the ranch too dangerous for a deaf girl who can't scream for help, and those two are a package deal."

“I see.” Helena nodded.

"Are they all war orphans?" Jane asked.

"Nope. People have accidents, or they get sick, or crimes happen. We don't have the BEST social services there ever was-several of the kids we've got, have living parents who maybe ought to have been put down by the courts-kids with traumas and losses and damage."

“I can make some calls. Find some other planets that might be able to take in some of them.”

"Helena, we take care of our own as best we can." Evelynn said, "Lenny and Phoebe's mom was an outer-belt Rockjack who married a shuttle pilot from Ia Drang. She…couldn't adapt to life down here and she went hard and slow. Their father wasn't just on the landings, he was crew on one of the supply drops that the Falcons intercepted-a Civilian Contractor, not Coast Guard."

THAT wasn't Helena’s fault, she'd had the officer who set it up cashiered for his negligence.

But not before two shuttles and a dropship's worth of civilian contractors bringing relief supplies to the refugee camps had been shot down with no survivors. She'd almost had to have the military police detachment stop the lynching party from the Coasties over it.

“You’re right, Evelynn. Tell me how I can help. Any resources you need. I can work my magic on bringing in anything we currently lack.”

"Well, tonight, we'll sit at the kiddie table, tomorrow we can look at solving all the problems in the world." Evvie said, "Might watch yourself, some of these kids are a handful, and some of them will hit you with studied adorableness-Kara in particular, it's a coping mechanism she developed to deal with the abuse by her brother and father."

“Sadly there is a steel cage around my heart. But I’ll help as much as I can.” Helena nodded.

"That's all anyone can dare ask." Evelynn said.

The omniscience of Jane's data access let her see the forty or so 'kids'. Most were older-between eight and thirteen, had some form of learning disability or medical history, and a shocking number of them were in 'court's care' due to abusive family situations.

A few of which, were almost line-for-line what Richard had done to Helena repeatedly while they were growing up.

"You're reading the files, Jane?" Evelynn asked sotto-voce.

"Yes."

"There are thousands of them." Evvie said, "We try and get free as many as we can, and we try like hell to place them in better situations, tonight's group are some of the harder cases. Lizzie doesn't understand, not really."

“Helena does. She’s conflicted though. Part of her is quite willing to adopt some of them herself but she’s also afraid she’ll turn them into herself.” Jane almost whispered back.

Phoebe tapped her sister, in that special language siblings sometimes develop, and Lennie picked her up and put her on her shoulders with barely a grunt.

"Look at us." Lennie joked, "Now we're one whole person-brains AND brawn!"

Jane caught the file reference instantly. Lenora was big, and strong and not unintelligent, but she had a string of learning disabilities-ADHD, Disnumeria, Dyslexia…while the deaf girl's tested IQ was well into the upper range for human potential at their shared age of thirteen.

Helena chuckled lightly at the display.

“Them becoming like Helena doesn’t seem such a bad thing to me.” Evelynn commented.

“Helena might get angry with me for sharing this but she wears masks for you, Elizabeth, and most everyone else.”

"Jane? Look at me." Evelynn said, "the only reason I don't wear masks for other people, is that I've been given a permanent one, that never comes off."

“Yes. But with Helena, she’s using them to keep from properly facing her trauma. You’ve faced yours.” Jane nodded.

"Who would we be without our traumas, Jane? I grew up knowing about kids like these, and sighing and pretending I cared-then…" Evelynn gestured at her face, "...then I got to find out what life is like on the other side of things. That's trauma, you learn from it, by learning how to cope with it. Your sister's still learning, so theirs still hope."

“Yes, slowly and surely. But she is in danger of becoming a sociopath if we don’t take great care. Some of her masks have been demanding she shut down parts of herself. You have to have noticed it by now Evelynn. She has trouble saying no to people even when it would be reasonable to do so, she shows you the approximation of whatever emotion she thinks is appropriate for the situation. Quite simply put she is faking being functional and overcoming her trauma, because that is what is expected of her. She’s bad enough that if Victor or Elizabeth asked her to, she would marry whoever they matched her with, even have their child. All despite how much it would make her uncomfortable and likely lead to her completely shutting down.”

“But you keep letting her go on doing this.” Evelynn countered.

“Yes. Because look at her. You’re right that there is hope still. But before that we have to help her realize her current path is unsustainable, which I think is starting to sink in ever so slightly. We can help nudge and hint, but in the end she needs to be the one who actually comes to that conclusion.” Jane nodded at Helena who was laughing with the girls and completely distracted from their conversation.

---

Lively Reception

"I was asked, 'why is the university free of charge, yet the degree program is so costly' recently. I believe it was My younger sister-in law Yvonne who asked."

Liz was in full-blown 'Lizzie Ngo' mode tonight. "What is a degree, or a certification? It's proof you can take the tests, write the dissertation, that you can obey The Rules, I'll point out my juvenile record for an example of someone who found few, if any, rules she would willingly obey."

This brought some laughs.

"Even when they made sense." she added. "But ignorance is dangerous. George McClellan, the banker, corporate head of Rowe-McClellan's Coventry operations, almost had a horrible accident, due to ignorance. He was lucky enough to cross the path of Lady Helena over there-" she raised her glass, "Who stopped him from accidentally releasing one of those classic nightmares…because knowledge of it, was hidden once, forbidden, concealed. There are those in the DME, that's 'department of Military Education' who will tell you some knowledge must be hidden away, that some science, some basic understandings of the universe, must be concealed, for the public good. If he'd met one of those people, instead of our Lady Helena? Well…billions would have died-because they would no more know what his people had stumbled across, than he did, since they'd hidden it so very, very well-even from one another."

She set her stem-glass aside, "not finished yet." she said. "This morning, as we were coming here, to the City of Hue, Kowloon's oldest remaining city, in beautiful Hue County at the feet of the Ia Drang Plateau, word arrived. A scientist in the Duchy of Andurien has replicated my husband, Arthur's, experiment exactly as published in our University Magazine. This is confirmation of Arthur's Conjecture, we have a new Hypothesis!"

Arthur half-stood, "it's not Nobel prize material yet, Liz."

"It's more than we've had for three hundred years, my dearest love!" she smiled at him like a cheerleader, "Far more is yet to come…which goes to the reason I chose the funding structure and tuition design for Kowloon's first non-military studies university. The open spread of Knowledge is the only protection humanity has, from the encroaching darkness of ignorance! As the Rockjacks say, 'Knowledge isn't dangerous-only Ignorance is dangerous'-and they would know, ignorance is lethal in space!"

She's drunk. actually occurred to Jane. Elizabeth Ngo-Steiner-Davion was hammered.

“Conundrum Evvie, Liz is drunk but so far she hasn’t actually embarrassed herself yet. Should we launch a rescue operation?”

"Wait to see if it's funny." Evelynn suggested, "She's apparently a happy drunk, which is a stark contrast to her mother, who turned poison-mean when she licked the bottom of a bottle."

“Well I suppose that is an improvement for sure.”

"Hey! Hey I was…Oh yah, TOAST!! To Janey, Helena's very best girl!! An' Helena!..kay I'll sit down now…"

Helena’s face turned red unexpectedly.

“You two…” Evelynn started.

“No. We never crossed that line but Liz’s joke did remind her of some of those discussions. Because they did come up. Inevitable really.” Jane shook her head.

Arthur stood next. "My brother, Peter, can't be here tonight. My oldest brother, Victor, was also unable to come-Which is what happens when you get stuck with Dad and Mom's job. My older sister, Katherine, Lieutenant Commander, Naval Officer, decorated, respected, honored, blew her entire leave accrual just to attend. Kate, we love you. You know that right? All of us, even Victor. And Dad would be proud as hell of what you've accomplished! I know I am!! A round of applause for my big sister!! Raise the Glass, may she have Fair Winds and good sailing!"

Obligatory glasses were raised, including Elizabeth's.

"Now, My wife and I will be taking some days off, so for god's sake, don't burn the planet down while we're away!"

---

Revelation

Undisclosed Location within Clan Occupation Zones

"This is a Humiliation!!" Perigard Zalman thundered, "Your Clan is-"

"Clan Jade Falcon is the rightful heir to the Star League Defense Force. You would be too, if you bothered to step up when it wasn't to your own selfish gain!!" Marthe Pryde thundered back across the ad-hoc Hall of Khans.

"Diplomacy??" Zalman spat. "You're talking to them??"

"We are not the only ones, and it bears finding out things." Marthe stated, "I was told by a captured enemy something we all should have known immediately after the Reconnaissance Force made their report!" she stood firm, angry, "We came as invaders."

She strode around the room, "We came as attackers...we came, as enemies...and brought war to people who would have welcomed us, listened to us, had we come not as invaders, and not as enemies or conquerors, but as what we all style ourselves to be-the Star League Defense Force Returned!"

She paused, "Not all of them, of course, but enough. Far more than we have gained in support by coming under cover of darkness with weapons bared seeking to wage war on them. The Crusade has made a misstep, and endangered our very reason for existing!! That reason? To rekindle the light of civilization and restore the Star League!!"

“There is an important question we need to resolve as well.” The Khan of the Cloud Cobras spoke. “Are we still the rightful heirs? Or more precisely because the Traitor Lords did vote to disband the Star League are we still truly bound by those oaths?”

"One vote was not cast." a Goliath Scorpion said. "So long as the Star League had a single member, it still existed, and one member-state did not vote to disband the League…also they voted to dissolve the council, not the League, every single traitor lord has, and continues to have. The appellation 'True First Lord of the Star League' attached to their titles…well, until recently, anyway. They dissolved the Council, not the League…that is two ongoing myths I can disprove using the historical documents. There is a league, but the government is fractured and at war with itself."

Khan Lincoln Osis looked like he was about to say something, then, it was as if a lightbulb lit behind his eyes. "There is a League, and the government of the League, is engaged in civil war!" he began to smile as the realization sank in. "Marthe, are you saying that you intend to pick up that ancient duty, to restore order in a time of civil strife?"

"It would fit, with our claimed identity, for the Star League's Defense Forces to put down a rebellion and restore order. Which also fits with the stated goals of the Great Crusade." Marthe enunciated. "Naturally, of course, this would require us to Be and Behave as Liberators, not oppressors, to move in the Open, instead of relying on a corrupt ministry of communications that turned into a cult... and, there is something else-something that might bring a Warden Clan, such as the Goliath Scorpions, over to the Crusader cause…The Steiner-Davions no longer claim to be the rightful First Lords, because they have…A Cameron. Time-lost, Helena shelters among the Lyrans. The last scion, my Fellow Khans, and I think those of you with a working imagination can imagine how she may even now need to hear the other side of things-our side, before she is irrevocably poisoned against the Clans as a whole."

"You can confirm this, quineg?" The Coyote Khan asked.

"We have confirmation. And an address, which is why it should be Clan Jade Falcon who makes the first contact on behalf of the Clans of Kerensky. Perigard, her hosts shot down your warship at Newtown Square-the world of Kowloon."

Zalman's fist clenched, his lips pulled back in a sneer, "NO, We will go fetch her from the barbarians!"

Marthe inclined her head, and said, "If the Grand Council chooses, Clan Jade Falcon will not contest your right to try...but since they have defeated your warriors without help? You must also achieve victory…without help from any of the rest of the Grand Council. That is our condition for acquiescing to your request."

Vlad Ward stood, "Clan Wolf supports the Jade Falcon motion, let the Steel Vipers seek the Glory of recovering this…'Helena Cameron', alone, the glory, or the failure, will be entirely theirs."

"Clan Smoke Jaguar would contest this, if we were not…occupied far away, so I will likewise pass my support for the motion. Let the Steel Vipers prove their worth by returning the Cameron Bloodline to the Star League!"

"Clan Ghost bear objects to this mission, but supports the stipulation that if this mission IS to be done. It must be done by only a single Clan, without aid from the rest…whichever Clan claims that Dubious Honor."

“Clan Ghost Bear does offer an observation. All evidence is that Helena Cameron is not a prisoner and could easily have come to us willingly. There is certainly a reason.”

Three Homeworld Clans, sitting more than a year and a half from the Inner Sphere, contested, bid, and lost the Viper claim.

The vote for the mission itself was largely passed by way of Moderate clans eschewing the vote, including the Diamond Sharks.

The majority vote held. Clan Steel Viper was given six months to take the Kowloon system, and with it, Helena Cameron.

An accompanying vote, this time barely passing and only because the Burrocks opposed it, (thus, shaking the Blood Spirits out of their silent fuming) authorized Clans Wolf, Jade Falcon, Ghost Bear, and paradoxically, Smoke Jaguar to front a diplomatic effort aimed at establishing rules of conduct for the end of the Tukayyid truce, with a secondary, but possibly achievable mission, of reducing the opposition to a drive on Terra once the Truce expired.

The proposal, being that the House Lords of the Draconis Combine, Lyran Commonwealth, remains of the Free Rasalhague government, should be offered the chance to stand aside and let the Clans contest with Comstar..or Word of Blake, directly in the Sol system.

Things would get complicated before then however.

---

Military Operation without you

“We’re doing it Helena, we’re putting together a new Star League.” Victor Steiner-Davion’s image on the holoprojector flickered slightly.

Victor Steiner-Davion (young)

"I guessed that was possible, Victor, has there been an agreement on…?"

"Comstar's on board, you can say it here, Helena. Operation Bulldog is a go, we're planning to take it to the Smoke Jaguars, their ilKhan's Clan, they're the weakest, we have a lot of the necessary staging already in place."

“After what happened at Turtle Bay, good.” Helena nodded.

"Helena, I know you wanted in on this, but…" Victor hesitated.

“I’m compromised. I know it.” Helena said quietly.

"You're working on that, but this could go very badly in a hurry, so stay safe." Victor urged, "We'll see you when I get back. In the meantime, try to get along with Peter, he's not me, he's a little stiff, and socially not as smooth as Kate, but I need Kate running a Cruiser for Second Fleet."

“I’ll do my best, Majesty. I know we’ll have a lot to discuss about this Second Star League and who is going to be the First Lord.”

"We're thinking of an elected position, with time limits, and term limits." Victor told her, "The Liaos and the Mariks won't be on board if we don't...hell, some of the Lyrans wouldn't be on board with the new League if we didn't have those."

“As good of an idea as any other.” Helena commented.

"Just keep in mind, Helena, I'm still going to hit you up for advice when I get back, to prevent some of the factors that led to the collapse of the original."

“Of course Majesty, I did promise I’d help. Stay Safe, Majesty.” Helena bowed.

---

Fear of What could Happen

"HE WHAT??" Elizabeth almost threw her coffee at the wall, "What the ****** over?? Victor should be On Tharkad!! NOT haring off to fight in an invasion, he's the everloving Archon-Prince in the name of god whatthehellwhydidn'tanyoneargue aboutthis!!??"

"Honey, he's not just the Archon, he's the First Prince.." Arthur told her.

Liz scowled as she vented her frustration, "and what happened to your Uncle Ian again?? Am I the only person in the Nobility who understands that a ruler is not a grunt soldier? that the job is to make strategy and policy??"

“Counterpoint. He’s able to do this and he doesn’t want to be the kind of leader that doesn’t do themselves what they expect of others. A little something I believe you have some familiarity with.”

She looked at her hands, and Arthur recognized that look. "Christ, you're right." she said.

“If I was a bit rough in how I worded it…” Arthur embraced Liz.

"No." she shook her head, "You did fine, Arthur…it's just… we need him on the throne here, not fighting in some foreign war…and I'm scared. Scared of what happens if your brother doesn't come back, what it means if his strategy fails…"

“They’ve got a lot of the best of the best with them. As many experienced Clan front veterans as they can without putting the realm in a bad spot. Everything that could be done is done. The rest is up to god.”

She clung to her husband, until first sun set.

She already knew what was going to come down.

She would be meeting boxes at the spaceport again.

It might be a bad idea and despite how horrible the timing is, it is now or never. Elizabeth felt nervous.

“Arthur…”

“I know. I knew you stopped taking them a while ago.”

“Tonight’s the night if we’re going to do this. But if…”

“I love you and despite everything I couldn’t be happier.” Arthur kissed his wife.

---

Working Vacation

Despite being 'on Leave of absence', Helena found that the demands of the job were still here-albeit, in a much muted form.

Rear Admiral Wells greeted her at the AFFCN center on Spider Moon with a briefing report on the performance of the Mako III Prototype (Surprise, you don't want to put a gun that big on a ship that small after all).

There were also her duties as Baroness Spider Moon and owner of productive farmland that had items that needed her personal attention. Her Farm managers met her with a new variety of vine-grown oranges developed off an aside comment, and the representatives from the Co-ops each had 'welcome home' gifts practically piled against her door…and a list of requests that needed, in their opinion, to be pushed with the Duchess.

Helena dutifully sorted the requests into piles, ones to be ignored, ones to deny, ones she could handle, ones that really required Elizabeth. The last stack she made sure took their time being forwarded to give her and Arthur as much time to enjoy themselves that she could grant them.

"There's one more."

“There's always one more.” Helena countered. “Out with it.”

"Dr. Huyn has requested you schedule an update appointment to go over your progress."

“Let’s see…” Helena checked her calendar. “Tuesday, next week. I have an opening there.”

"That takes care of your official duties…except…there's always one more isn't there?" Jane offered, "Helena, when was the last time I wanted something from you for myself?"

“It’s been a while I admit. What do you want Jane?”

Jane's remote touched a display, and then sat back. "That's what I want. Technically, I have to ask your permission, and it's going to be complex getting through the paperwork, but sis? I never said I didn't want more, and it's not like I'll be getting pregnant."

“I know and you deserve something for you. I’ll take care of it. I know you’ll make a great mom.”

"Just so you understand, this means I can't go gallivanting across the Inner Sphere as your bodyguard anymore…at least, most of the time. I'll have children on my decks and those kind of places are not for children."

“I know sis. I know I promised we’d never be separated again but look at how often we’ve been apart and it worked out fine. I don’t even have panic attacks about it anymore. So I understand.” Helena smiled.

"Do you? Or is this the mask again?" Jane demanded.

“You know I don’t use my masks with you. It’ll suck for me still, yeah, but because I know it’s by choice not because someone has forced us apart, I think I can honestly handle it.”

"I will expect a great many noisy toys, Helena." Jane said, "Unlike others, I don't require sleep."

“And you can turn down your audio receptors too. I only regret you’re tied to that core. I wish it were more mobile.”

“I knew you were thinking about it at the reception.” Jane smiled. “You thought about adopting too. That is huge progress. Even if you don’t do it right away.”

“I’ll admit something stirred deep in my soul that hasn’t stirred in a long time. But the thing that would scare me..does scare me, Jane-I'm afraid I'd do it the WRONG way."

“A fear we all have. There are no promises, anyone who says there are guides are idiots, and really the only thing required is that you listen and love.”

“I still don’t know if I’m ready for that or if I ever will be. I have a lot of damage Jane. I don’t want it to affect them.”

"You think I don't have a lot of damage, sis? Remember, Richard didn't target you, until I was big enough to be out of reach and inconvenient." Jane confessed, "I should have done more, maybe that would have stopped him? Or maybe I should've stopped him?"

“You did as much as anyone could expect. You weren’t that much older than me and it was really Amaris that made him worse. Only she seemed to get through to Richard about that fact.”

Jane was silent, then, "We don't know that, either. She may have been simply his next victim."

“Amaris had us under his thumb pretty solidly by then either way. Even if it was by Richard’s invitation.”

“Still you’re doing better than you give yourself credit for. I do understand that you’ll come out on your own path eventually. Anyone who tries to force you into their preconceived notion of normal is an idiot. So try and let yourself show more, okay?”

“Yeah. I need to let someone else in. To see the real me. She’s earned it. I’ll call it a wedding gift.” Helena slid over her diary. “I’ll trust you with when to give that to Elizabeth. She’s seen enough cracks anyway she might as well get the full view.”

---

Incoming Intruders

Static-positioned detectors using position-keeping electric-ion thrusters picked up the emergence waves first. The former Rim Worlds colony of Herbania had become a 'watch station' and refueling point for 7th AFFC Fleet (Periphery), a big name for a collection of a dozen or so Merchant class JumpShips and a bare handful of Corvettes (less than five, but more than two) tasked with the seemingly impossible job of commerce protection along the Commonwealth's anti-spinward border.

“They’re not being subtle.” Helena looked at the flash alert. “What do we know about this force?”

Right now, the LCS Jeri Cogswell, was relaying imagery from the Herbania system from a position laying doggo in that dead place's outer system.

"We know that Melissa was about four years late on the response she expected after Newtown Square." Elizabeth said in a tone slightly warmer than liquid nitrogen. "I count more warships than we've got ships, Helena. We're screwed. Even if I issued a Margrave's order and drew off every system in sixty light years…"

“In a stand-up fight, absolutely. So we need to be sneaky as all hell.”

Arthur studied the imagery. "You know, Liz, this could be an opportunity to do some Empirical Research."

“What you got Arthur?” Helena asked before Liz had a chance to speak.

"No magic cure, but I've been playing with some engineering simulations, a compact LF capacitor system we can refit those junker Type 51's currently too limited for nationalization-and that pair of Aquilas currently waiting to be broken up by the Snark yards." he said, "Lizzie's loaned me enough of her industrial engineers we can rush the fabrication and installation, and a few…tricks. Stuff that's in theory, but nobody's done it in a while, give me four weeks with the gunboats, that could give us at least something resembling a squadron."

"They'll be here before that." Liz noted, "We've got two Mako II in the yard, both with engines installed, but they're waiting on final fit-outs and they're customer birds for the AFFC's Navy, I can't release them early." she looked at Helena, "and we've got that huge wedding-cake Cruiser core you approved, we have maneuver drives for it, but…I think the parts for that ship might be better used finishing the Makos."

“I’m reasonably certain Victor won’t mind if we borrow the ships and do a little horse trading given the circumstances. Still first things first, let’s get everything moved to the outer system we can. Clans are not good at thinking about anything other than the primary, so let’s use that as best we can.”

Admiral Wells clasped her hands, behind her back, "Duchess Ngo? Lady Helena? I've lived here for four years now. Would you claim I've gone native?"

"What kind of question is that?"

"Civil Defense Plan Emerald, version two." Wells said, "It'll slow metals production two years from now, but I'm thinking we may want to get the Co-ops to start assembling missiles with the Rock-Hammers I didn't confiscate…and most of the ones I did."

"That plan involves drawing them into Kowloon orbit and hitting them from behind." Liz said with a scowl, "It also assumes the Wet-navy's systems will actually work-we've never live fired those submarine launched ballistic missiles with live warheads."

“It’s a bit of a gamble but we’ve trained for it.” Wells countered. “Besides, what are our other realistic options?”

Elizabeth was silent for a moment. This very morning, she'd seen Evelynn off with the full complement of the 171st, they were bound for the staging grounds for Bulldog, and had most of the experienced officers from the MTM, along with the Coast Guards who'd participated in Coventry.

"Helena, you're the Naval Minister for the Federated Commonwealth, that means you outrank me on military matters." Liz finally said, "I'm JUST the Mainstreet Theater Margrave. It's on you, what's the plan?"

“Make ready for War Plan Emerald version 2. Just in case they don’t take the bait, fallback option two. We’ll make them bleed as much as we can before they scrag the yards that way.” Helena nodded.

Elizabeth kissed Arthur, "Be safe in the outer system, Honey…I get to spend the next few months in a submarine…Christ, I'll be cargo. I haven't kept up my dive certifications since I got HOME…"

“What if you’re already, you know… Will they even let you on those nuke boats?”

"We have better shielding than they did in the 21st century, as long as we don't crash-dive to negative two thousand meters I should be fine." Liz said with a confidence she clearly didn't feel. "At least, according to the engineering boffins."

“Helena, maybe you should…” Arthur stopped himself.

“She’ll be safer in the sub than on Jane. Especially if she’s already pregnant. What you really think I wouldn’t figure out what you were dancing around? Congrats if it’s true.” Helena smiled.

Liz blushed, "We've been trying. My medical says there's a good chance this try succeeded."

“Makes me want to stuff you in a bunker instead but we both know that would be torture and a target that could be hit.”

"Bunkers are a testimony to the optimism of fools." Elizabeth quoted her ancestor, "in this modern age…or that one, anyway. If I'm mobile, there's a CHANCE not to be penned in and burned."

“I’ll be sure to give them an earful. Hell, maybe they’ll be stupid enough to follow their silly honor rules once they hear who they’re facing. Then I’ll really ram something uncomfortable up their asses.” Helena smiled.

"Just make them get off my lawn." Liz said, "I don't need the neighborhood going to hell, I've got children on the way. I'd as soon they didn't grow up in a state of fascist poverty…or socialist poverty for that matter."

“Now who’ll let me kiss them for luck?” Jane asked.

"We'll take any luck we can get, Jane, warm up those lips, that's a mess coming down our throats and our best men are already far away." Arthur said, "No offense, Wells, but…"

"None taken, I spent most of my career as a staff puke." Wells said, "I never expected to fight a desperate defense out here."

“So did I really. But look at us now.” Helena nodded.

“I could almost go bi for you, Arthur, so you’ll do.” Jane’s remote pecked Arthur on the cheek.

“Okay now that the rituals are taken care of, time for us to all get where we belong.” Helena smiled.

---

Call to Arms

In mid-summer, December of 3058, the call went across the Kowloon system, Raise the Ban, Raise the Arriere-Ban.

Stockpiles were opened, caches unburied, and forces began to mobilize.

Helena also took no chances, arranging for copies of everything that could be copied in time to be moved to other systems so the archives and university would not disappear completely if the worst were to happen.

Some legacy of Kowloon would always live on.

Helena was with Jane for this fight.

By the time the Clan Steel Viper force appeared in system the SAF of the Taurian Defense Force from the Reunification War would give grudging respect to the Kowloon defenders and everything they had managed to get ready in the limited time they had.

---

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