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Beyond Hope
- Chapter 34 - Dragging them along kicking and screaming[]
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Confiding about a One Night Stand[]
Inbound for the Jump Point
Terra, ComStar Space
Late 3059
"Seether, a Moment?" Helena inquired after she finished her call, catching up with Sithers near a working passage in the dropship.
"Mum?"
"When were you going to tell me about Black August?"
Seether winced. "That old business."
"Yes, that old business." Helena scolded.
"I was raised to believe it was an early flex by Amaris, over your brother." Seether said, "It never came up because the government that might've carried it out is extinct, and you have enough on your mind without adding Richard's crimes."
“You should have told me anyway. They may be Richard’s crimes but I’m the only Cameron left that can possibly make them right. And it has to be a Cameron.”
Seether met Helena's eyes, "Lady Helena, if you weren't making it right every day, every day, knowing it or not? I would've gotten off the boat a long time before now and you'd never have seen me again. You make it right without being told." Seether's voice shook a bit, as if this were from deeper inside, "You make it right, which is why I'll follow you down the paths of Perdition and you don't have to tell me to do it."
“I don’t deserve you Seethers.” Helena hugged Sithers.
Seether hugged her back. "Victor called, the meeting's on for tonight…and you'll be my first lord regardless of what they say."
“This should be fun now that the news has gotten out among the House Lords.”
“Oh one more item. Jane sent this.” Seethers handed over a screen.
On it was Jane and her adopted children with the caption “You have some catching up to do.”
“Jane…” Helena realized Jane was right.
She still wanted to do this the right way, later.
For now though…
"Y'know, Helena?" Sithers spoke. "Jakob loves you, and he's not a bad choice…though I admit to taking him for a test drive or two before I realized I could NOT compete."
“That would be a mistake. I don’t doubt you but he’s been my bodyguard for so long… “
"Means he's seen you at your worst, your lowest, and he still loves you." Seether noted, "that's damned rare, my moms and Dad couldn't hack it when it came to the shove, they broke apart because of it…something to think about, neh?"
“I just have this image in my head that he’s married to the job and in love with the idea of me, not the real me.”
"Considering YOU are the job? And he sees you when nobody else does, and still loves you?"
“I’m in denial aren’t I?”
"A part of you will always be back in the 2780s, it's the thirty first century, but you'll always have your youth influences."
“And despite what my last name is, what is expected of me, it is my choice.”
"Yep…and let's face it, you've met the local noble stock from this era-they don't measure up, do they? But he does."
“I’ll admit Victor isn’t so bad to look at. And if Liz could share I’d even consider Arthur but that’s because we both love dorks.”
"Secret? Girl secret, between us." Sithers said in a mock whisper. "all guys are dorks inside. Even the mechjocks-have you ever looked at what's in Jakob's locker sometime?"
“Tell me it’s not what I think it is.” Helena chuckled.
"The complete Star Rider collection." she confided, "including the special edition nobody can get anymore. With the spacebikes and the dimensional squid monster."
“Okay Sithers. Maybe it’s my wild out of control pregnancy hormones combining with my meds but I’m sold and I’ll even give him permission to share his love with others. Can’t leave you out to dry. Unless Moshe’s more your speed.”
Seether laughed, as they reached the ladder to the lower deck airlock.
"Moshe's my speed period, we're probably going to contract for at least two kids and a burrow…someday." Sithers told her, "We keep it casual and we keep it on the down-low so that things don't get drama-filled."
“Good. Jane will be disappointed if she hasn’t already figured it out but she’s a big girl and I think she’s finally starting to settle down. You did know she was carrying a torch for you right?”
"Eh, I figured that would happen when she started spending evenings with Vu Dao exclusively."
“Yeah. She still has her fantasies about having a harem of lovely ladies but she’s really starting to come into her own and finding her path too.”
"That's all any of us can do..watch your step…"
They were in the offload bay and the rest of Helena's escort team were already in their parade kit, ready to go.
"Work to be done, Mum."
“Mini vacation over and Jakob. You, me, dinner. We have a lot to talk about.”
Fevered Dream[]
“I do apologize for my absence as of late. I may as well confirm it. I snapped, went and did something many of you would consider totally aghast for a woman of my station and my contraceptive implant failed, so now I’m pregnant. Which means I do need to warn you all that as my medications are adjusted for my new condition my symptoms and side effects include sudden and extreme mood changes, nausea, vomiting, high blood pressure, dizziness, headaches, and that’s just the new stuff.”
“Lady Cameron…” Theodore started.
“No. We’re getting this done today, because I have a lot to do.” Helena held up her hand.
Helena waited a moment to be sure she had their attention.
“I may not have been in this room with all of you but I’ve been reading the minutes. I’ve also read your latest proposals. Honestly I think you almost finished everything we need without my input. Which is good. Because I need to be replaceable.”
“In waiting for you this morning we resolved all but one outstanding issue.” Victor said after a moment.
“Great.” Helena smiled.
“Indeed we have discussed at great length who we should vote for as First Lord and have come to a conclusion.” Theodore added.
“There is only one person we could all agree upon.” Sun Tzu continued.
“As Archon-Prince I am releasing you from your oath of fealty. Let all here be witnesses to this so that there be no doubt.” Victor picked up.
“Nonononono…” Helena felt her anxiety spike.
“Yes. We know it’s a lot, especially with what you just revealed but you’re the only person we could all agree on for the first term.” Thomas Marik said. “Even with all your failings and psychological issues.”
“Indeed. You represent a stabilizing influence, a buffer, against the reactionary elements of each of our realms. They will still balk but unlike the alternatives you have the distinction of being from the First Star League. Instead of a competitor or enemy, you will just be an outsider to them.” Theodore admitted.
Helena woke up in a cold sweat.
“It was just a nightmare.” Helena hugged herself.
Then she noticed the clock.
“Four hours. I managed a full four hours before the nightmares woke me up.” Helena smiled despite the horror of her dream.
Helena grabbed her journal and began writing down what she could remember about the nightmare of being elected First Lord of the Second Star League.
“Nope, definitely not mentally stable enough for that yet.” Helena said to herself.
The Vote[]
Unity City
Terra, ComStar Space
Late 3059
Politics, thankfully, ends up working in ways nobody expected.
"The nominations have been made. As moderator, it is now my job to call the vote."
"For First Lord of the restored Star League for the term 3059 through 3064, there were three nominations." the younger Acolyte who was given this all-important task, tugged at her hair. "Thomas Marik, our fourth candidate, dropped out of the running to throw his favor to another candidate…the vote is in."
She opened an envelope. "Per secret ballot as proposed by Sun-Tzu Liao, by simple majority, congratulations to Coordinator of Worlds Theodore Kurita, you have been elected First Lord of the Star League for the next five years. Our runners up: Sun Tzu Liao, and Victor Ian Steiner-Davion, each with one vote." "Who voted for me?" Victor scoffed, making several of the other Lords chuckle, but he was serious, "No, I mean it, I voted for Theodore!"
"That news will enrage your Hasek cousins, Victor. I can't wait to spread it around." Sun Tzu said with dry humor. "They won't believe it of course…"
"That would be me." Anastasius Focht commented, "Victor, It was a hard choice and one I would make again, but Theodore will certainly serve quite well in the role…if you'll accept it?"
Theodore joined the chuckling, nodded, "Five years? Five years is more than sufficient time to be saddled with organizing the rest of you. The limitation on the term makes it a tasking instead of a Privilege and I accept that tasking in hopes of reaching a conclusion for the main task ahead of us."
Theodore brought out a sheaf. "We will begin, with assignment of officers for the continuing war against the Clans, as well as deciding strategy for how to bring this extraordinary trial to a workable ending. Comstar, has the largest fleet, but the Lyrans have the most experienced commanders and are building a fleet, this creates something of a question for the naval and transport command roles, as logistics will decide the outcome of this war. For the Council's consideration, I propose the following…Anastasius, you recommended an officer for the forward Naval Command of Operation:Serpent, an…" he checked his notes, "Alain Beresick?"
"He's an able commander and familiar with the tactics of the Star League." Focht said stiffly.
"How many fleet actions has he fought in his career, because we will be encountering those?" Kurita asked.
Focht winced. "None."
"I Propose, then, that the Naval component be commanded by someone who has fought Fleet Actions before. Helena Cameron, nee Drillson, of the Federated Commonwealth." Theodore pronounced, "Has an established record and familiarity with most of your Equipment and how to use, maintain, and employ it, and likely knows the naval doctrine the Clans will be using better than they do. I'll recommend to you, Precentor Martial, that you assign Beresick as her direct Deputy in an advisory and executive role. Does the Council concur?"
Thomas Marik spoke up, "House Marik has no objections, First Lord."
"I have an objection, and it's a really good one this time." Sun Tzu spoke up.
"Let's hear it."
"Helena Cameron is medically unfit to command in the field, she is pregnant." Sun Tzu enunciated. "She has organizational skills, exceptional ability, and a name that remains honored and prominent, but she is in no condition to lead from a headquarters on an offensive of eighteen months…and it would be potentially catastrophic for her offspring."
And thus, the debate really began.
Fetching the unwanted[]
Kowloon System, Federated Commonwealth
Late 3059
True to their word, the Jade Falcons sent someone to take charge of the POW's under terms of the current truce.
"They're really here under truce?" Liz was dubious.
"It would appear so." Arthur said.
<<"JFS Roc's Egg to Kowloon control, we have come to retrieve the…Steel Viper personnel in your custody.">>
"It's going to take you guys three weeks each way to reach us, are you really going to keep a Carrack Transport idle that long?" Liz asked.
<<"You say that like we have a choice!">>
"You do." she said, "Three, actually-you can make a slowboat approach from the Zenith Station, or you can wait ONE week, charge your drive, we'll loan you a local navigator and tide tables, and turn six weeks into two weeks, eight hours total travel time-but Our guy comes back to us before you leave the system."
>>"An in-system jump? Are you insane?">>
"Hey, our ferry service makes that run twice a day, if you just wanted to park there, and take a dropship, we can have you on approach to the island by this afternoon, and back to the jump point by tomorrow, day after at the latest once you've loaded up. File on the Service is on subchannel three, if you've got a standard SL-DOS reader with PDF-"
<<"I am reading it now…you made some very…interesting infrastructure investments in your star system…">>
"Efficient transport enhances economic excellence." Liz quipped, "which boosts efficient use of limited resources. I'd offer to sell your merchies a prospectus, but I think we'll be fighting a war again soon and it's never a good idea to interrupt an opponent when they're intent on making mistakes."
<<"We will use this…'Ferry system', then.">>
Liz smiled, and nodded to Wells, who passed along the order to Ferry 11, a Merchant class JumpShip captured from Henrik Grimm's pirates back at the turn of the century.
Ferry 12 would be the return leg.
Merchant Factor Khaz was more than a little shocked at just how much traffic was over Kowloon. Sudeten hadn't been this busy.
The ostentatious display of wealth included networks of weather and comm sats, including 'satellites' holding a stationary position over each hemisphere of the main planet through the use of lavish solar arrays feeding electric-ion thrusters.
"If there were less, this would be like the Homeworlds." Star Captain Jessica, in charge of the military portion of the mission, looked enviously at the sheer development on display. "No wonder the Steel Vipers lost…though some of it is disturbingly primitive."
"OvKhan?"
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Type 51 Class Gunship (Primitive Combat Jumpship)
"That, the ship holding position along our route? That is a Type 51 gunboat, a pre-dreadnought vessel." Jessica identified. "Think a 'lesser corvette' with low-tech weapons such as missile emplacements and a pair of 4.5 centimeter Naval Lasers. Something like an evolutionary step between the Aquila or Conestoga transports and the very earliest warships. Even the weakest fleet units in the touman could destroy it with ease, and many assault dropships would give it a decent fight. Even the Taurians stopped using it before the Reunification War."
"Oh, so a poor show of force."
Jessica had become a Jade falcon in a harvest trial with Clan Snow Raven. "Neg…a show of resolve." she stated, "Also bait. The Steel Vipers lost quite a few warships here, and not very long ago. The true fleet units remain in concealment."
"But why?"
"The Intelser file the Watch gave me indicates that the Duchess of Kowloon views the Clans of Kerensky as untrustworthy." Jessica said, "...not merely the Jade Falcons, but all of us. She went so far as to send a letter address to the Estates General arguing against accepting the traitor wolves in their application for Asylum. Her husband, the brother of Victor, is no doubt the true force behind her accepting this mission."
"What coil of madness could drive such hate?" Khaz asked.
Jessica shrugged, "it is not envy." she said, "The Watch speculates it may have historical grounding-Kowloon sent large numbers of ralliers to fight alongside The Great Father in his war against Amaris, but none of them came with Exodus."
"None? How is that even possible?" Khaz asked.
Jessica shrugged, "I have no idea…but see the roundel on the fore-quarter of that gunboat?"
"Aff…it is some kind of fish?"
Kowloon Coast Guard insignia
"Killer Whale, mortal enemies of sharks in the oceans of Holy Terra." She explained, "The Shark was the chosen symbol of the Rim Worlds Republic, and when Kowloon escaped them, they adopted the Killer Whale, and a truly legendary grudge."
"How do you know so much?"
"When I was tapped with this mission, I studied everything about the target." Jessica said, "Including trialing with Diamond Sharks for data on Kowloon, their history and how they might have defeated the Steel Vipers so thoroughly."
'Your result?"
"I told you we would accept their ferry service hospitality. We are going to spend the minimum amount of time necessary to complete this recovery mission, and get out of here." Jessica said bluntly. "These are people who took shit equipment into battle over Coventry, and did things with it that would get an instructor pilot fired…out an airlock, without a suit. Mach two attack runs at less than one hundred meters AGL, in fighters with tissue paper for plate. Some of their pilots made passes at Ground forces at speeds you normally only see munitions moving."
Visiting Brother-in-Law[]
Kowloon System, Federated Commonwealth
Late 3059
"Victor knows about doorway, Liz." Arthur told her, "Yvonne let me know that DMI's been nosing around the outer system."
"Shit, that means the Terrans know about it." Liz scowled, "How much do they know, that's the real question."
"The Snark IV construction, mostly." he told her.
"Well, that's not catastrophic." Liz mused. The Jade Falcon dropship was coming down on a column of flame at Camranh, a coastal city closest to the Island where the Steel Viper prisoners were living. "I haven't gotten a cease order from Peter's office."
She turned as the Falcon transport's personnel door, cooled by the sprayers arrayed along the ferrocrete crater of Camranh's Aerospace port, opened.
The Clanner officers who came out were in their Marik Opera uniform finery. "Let's do this thing." she said, and gave her military aides a nod, before walking across the tarmac from the line building.
Providing Her Worth[]
Tharkad System, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State Capital)
Late 3059
“I really messed things up didn’t I?” Helena Cameron said after the meeting broke for the day.
“Being brutally honest, what you have done is proven we dodged a bullet.” Victor answered. “Imagine how much worse it would have been if you’d had a mental break during the campaign?”
“My little escapade, well it’s certainly helped me be more honest and self aware, but I’m definitely not cured. So yeah I can see how that’d be a problem. Which brings me to something I wanted to ask.”
“You want to go back to Kowloon.” Victor assessed.
“Yes. I can organize logistics from just about anywhere and I can still do that.” Helena nodded.
“There’s one other thing you can do too. Teach.” Victor looked Helena in the eyes with a sudden intensity.
“Yeah I can do that too. I assume there’s a list of people the other House Lords want taught.”
“Yes.” Victor slid over an offprint. “Logistics, SLDF Doctrine, how to beat SLDF doctrine, and yes even how to build a Navy.”
“Liz is going to have an interesting reaction to this list.” Helena raised a concerned eye.
"She'll have to learn to deal with the ramifications then." Victor said it, but his tone showed he, too, felt some trepidation. "I let her keep the gunboats, Helena. That might help."
“If there’s one thing I know I can do, it’s to throw myself into my work. I’ll manage.”
“It’s still a lot to ask of you. And if you fail…”
“I know, Victor. I’ll have help and if any of the knuckleheads on this list fail to understand that their teacher is pregnant and still dealing with some past traumas I’ll make them run laps around the Spider Moon outdoor track until they do.”
“Please tell me it has a dome despite being ‘outdoors’.” Victor looked at Helena suspiciously.
“10 kilometers in a space suit should get the message across don’t you think?” Helena answered.
“Please don’t.”
"If you think that's bad, consider that this is going to be to SLDF Standards, Victor." Helena said, "five percent casualty rates are considered acceptable losses under those standards. The training MUST be hard, because the job is dangerous."
“All right Helena, but keep in mind some of the names on that list are meant to be staffers not boot sailors.”
"If we're going to worry about someone's noble pedigree, transfer them to ground forces." She said tartly, "space doesn't care what your bloodline is, it doesn't care at all, and someone getting the job by their name recognition who can't hack it, will get not only themselves killed, but potentially their entire crew and ship."
“You’re right. I have to let you do this your way. Without interference. Just make sure your second is someone who will actually call you out when your pregnancy hormones are getting the better of you.”
“Yeah those are a bitch. Especially with my meds needing to be shifted. Still balancing that out.”
"Do you have someone in mind for that executive job?" Victor pressed.
“If you don’t poach her for Operation Serpent, Sithers.”
"So I can keep Li then?" he asked.
“Yeah she gets my vote of confidence. She just might be better at the actual fighting part than I am and she understands the rest well enough that you won’t have too many problems.”
Proving Flaw in Clan Thinking[]
Kadetleutnant Nicole Martins watched the Jade Falcon transport through a telescopic imager as the last Dropship full of Steel Viper personnel docked. Well, really several hours after the last dropship docked, given where she was standing.
"Describe the mistakes." Instructor Liam Deen ordered.
"Their CAP was sloppy." she said, "the focus on a directional, as opposed to omnidirectoinal surveillance, their pilots burned fuel when they don't have to, most of that patrol could've been done engines cold on thrusters, but they kept having to burn to change vector and position, which they did too early, or too late. The dropship dock was smooth, but they wasted time because the deck gangs weren't pre-positioned….and they puffed atmo every time the fighters went in to dock, meaning they're wasting gasses keeping those fighter bays pressurized when they should be able to do most of the refuel and crew changeovers in hard vac."
"Speculate." Deen ordered, "WHY were they doing it that way?"
"The rest of the ship is kept at twenty five ambient, one atmo, the crew aren't used to working in hard vacuum, the captain of that boat is there because they're trained in navigation, maybe even engineering, but their real job is, or was, somewhere with shirt-sleeves standard environment, at the bottom of the well." She said, "Confidence against breaches suggests some improved hull-sealant tech, so they don't have to hedge against meteor impacts or other disruptions due to damage to sealing or loss of pressure under normal operations…and they must be hauling extra pressure bottles."
“Now you may speak Kadetensign Janet.” Deen said.
“Kadetleutnant Minh is mostly correct. In Clan society Mechwarriors are considered supreme above all others. While the Captain of that Vessel is likely an Aerospace phenotype he runs his ship in a way to accommodate Mechwarriors. Our hargel technology seals hull breaches very quickly.”
"Keeps the fire in." Nicole muttered.
"What was that?"
"I said, 'it keeps the fire in'. A disruption to the electrical grid can cause metal heating and with it, combustion of insulators, spall lining materials, and wiring. One of the fastest ways to stop an outbreak f fire, is to vent atmosphere."
“Clan vessels are able to purge the atmosphere in specific compartments. Fire is rarely a danger for more than a moment, possibly two because of that.” Janet offered.
Nicole sat back from the telescope display, and mused aloud. "Imagine you're on a ship, and you're used to working shirtsleeves." she began, "SO…you're in a critical area, and there's a malfunction, accident, or god help us, the enemy hits it hard enough to breach the hull and trigger your harjel. Now, you're in a fire." she turned to Janet, "How fast can you get suited up in a chaotic environment, and how long do you have to wait to get air press back up after the fire snuffs it?"
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Janet Steel Viper, former Clan Steel Viper MechWarrior
“That is why I am here. There is a flaw in Clan thinking. I learned this the hard way. It was humiliating. I wish to learn the superior method.”
Instructor Deen spoke. "Ladies and gentlemen, those of you observing, anyway..what Cadets Nicole and Janet are discussing, is a fundamental philosophical difference in approaches." This was, after all, for a training video to be distributed to the forming SLDF training command scheduled for assembly on Boojum's second moon.
"Janet, you were a Steel Viper aeropilot, yes?"
"Neg, no sir. Mechwarrior. I know I have much to overcome.”
"Even better." Deen said, "And Nicole, where were you raised?"
"Metis Belt and the Sol Kuiper regions." Nicole admitted it these days, "Martinside burrow and the attendant sub-divisions mostly, though I spent some time in my early life on the Congress Station until I could be safely handed over to my father's kin for my early childhood training."
"So, you were raised as a Spacer." Deen said.
"Yes, sir."
"When was the first time you visited a Habitable world?" he asked.
"Winter." she said, "My…background. Winter was the first time I'd been at the bottom of the well without a roof, sir."
"Your concerns then, are informed by your history, raising, and background?"
"Yes sir. I learned how to patch a breach or suit up before I learned how to walk, sir…and I only learned how to ride a bicycle after attending surface Classes at Giap Island."
"Your mentality then, is a spacer's mentality-you see Cadet Janet's description of Clan advantages, and instead of being impressed, you're concerned about the flaws. Would that be a fair assessment?"
"Fast sealing is great-it should be used in areas you can't afford to lose, such as sick bays or Medical units where personnel can't be suited up and ready for depressurized environments, sir. Anything closer to the external hull should be kept on minimum as much as possible, especially in a situation where we're trying to punch combustible holes in each other's pressure envelope. That limits or eliminates shock transfer from impacts to the surface impacted, which extends structural integrity, prevents fire from expanding, spreading, or in some cases breaking out, and facilitates rapid repair by crewmen nearby."
Janet was giving Minh her undivided attention, it was almost visible how much she was taking in this information.
"Damage control, Cadet Janet, how is damage control managed on Clan vessels in your experience?"
"We have highly trained technician specialists whose sole job is maintenance and controlling damage." She said proudly.
"Cadet Minh, how were you raised to handle damage control?"
"First in, sir, whoever is there and capable gets on it immediately. Like I said, I knew how to fix a meteor strike before I learned how to walk in one gravity. I even had my own tools by the time I was eight, because you can't wait for help, when help is half an AU or more away."
“Our training for Warriors is not extensive for emergency battlefield repairs.” Janet admitted as she looked at her hands.
Nicole shrugged, "You're innahs, of course you aren't." she said, "I told you, I was learning to repair and maintain before I learned how to stay upright in gravity-that was age nine when I learned how to walk during a trade visit to Ganymede...but by then, I knew how to estimate a burn on a broomstick and could pilot a gig or skiff without adult supervision."
Janet’s expression was one of frustration but she said nothing.
"Worlds are different," Deen began, "Nicole is a spacer learning to be an officer, Janet, is an Officer who is learning to become a Spacer."
"That's who the vids are for, isn't it? Officers who are learning how to survive in the Black?" Nicole asked.
"Yes. The contrast in this section of the introduction video is about establishing that difference in order to facilitate training space officers who aren't from a background like yours, or mine." Deen explained. "They need to understand things that their entire lifetime's experience has denied them."
“I am ready sir. I want to learn.” Janet declared.
"THAT, Janet, is why you're going to do well." Deen told her, "Both of you. You want to learn."
He made a motion and the indicator on the recording cameras flicked from green to red.
"Good job you two, I believe that take will make the cut."
"Thank you, sir."
“Aff, yes. Thank you sir.”
Nicole gave Janet a grin, "Race you to the shack?"
“Aff, er yes. I have many habits to unlearn.” Janet nodded.
"Hey, you helped me learn to master a Bicycle, so you're already ahead of me, you just don't know it yet." Nicole teased.
“I can teach you many other things too.” Janet smiled.
"Janet, Janet, Janet," Nicole shook her head, "You already tried to tell me what boys like, and you regularly kick my ass in sparring, so you've got LOTS of secrets I don't have…but if we're going to get you through Hyperspace Calculus with Nghien-Cartwright, we aren't going to have much time for anything else. We've still got to get you through Chapters twenty one through twenty eight, and by Friday!"
“I will consider it, what was the term, ah yes, an ‘I.O.U.’ if you help me pass that class.” Janet nodded. “Then I will teach you just how much fun a Trueborn Mechwarrior can be.”
"Janet, you do know I tested zero on the Kinsey scale, don't you?" Nicole said, "You don't have the right plumbing for that, not with me…now, I understand Clara Bekler's been soaking her sheets fantasizing about just that very thing…"
“Then we will share Kadetensign Hekkler. He is interested in you and he is not objectionable to me.” Janet countered.
"Chad could be fun…" Nicole admitted, "Focus, Janet, we've got a lot of books to hit between today and Friday's midterms."
“Aff, that is for later. I have much to do first and I am old and trained in the wrong things to truly excel in the time permitted.” Janet nodded.
“Old? You don’t look much older than me.”
“I am 22 without a bloodname. If I had stayed with the Clan I would either have to earn my bloodname or be under constant challenge for my position. There is a reason we are excellent warriors. We are under constant pressure to prove our worth.”
"And yet, you have leaders who don't bother to learn about critical things like survival in the main environment every military has to traverse." Nicole observed, "I think there may be some issues with how that 'worthiness' is being tested and proven."
“Aff, yes. My skills were rendered meaningless by what were relics, supposedly inferior war machines, and by people I was taught were inferior to me. The lesson has been both humiliating and humbling but also enlightening too.” Janet looked Nicole straight in the eyes. “So much was wrong. I see that now. Yet I am still a Warrior. So I will learn your ways so that the very fabric of who and what I am can be reconciled with this new reality I find myself in. And I owe no small part of that to your tutelage. Thank you.”