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Beyond Hope
- Chapter 39 - Operation: Crimson Shadow[]
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Origins of a City[]
City of Ia Drang - Kowloon, Federated Commonwealth
3060
"It's fine, Jane." Arthur Steiner-Davion said as they waited for the delegates to clear the transit tram. Ia Drang's ferroglass streets above them, and below them, on sub-level two and four, were lightly traveled as the electric monorail station's dampening suppressed vibration.
“It’s part of my job to worry. Not only is Helena about to be put in potentially a very difficult and stressful position, I also have to worry about how many factions have their senior leadership here. It would be one hell of an opportunity for a massive decapitation strike.” Jane Cameron explained
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Jane "Elizabeth" Drillson (Cameron)
Arthur chuckled, "Yeah, it would, and we spent the last two weeks with six advance teams from four realms, two Clans, and Comstar to make sure nothing short of an orbital strike or nukes could be considered 'a real threat'. In both those cases, well…that's why you're in close orbit, isn't it now?"
“It is.”
At street level, the special security measure made for a sapphire sheen. The systems were a copy of something used on Solaris VII. "See? We're fine. Just remember to put that smile on when they come off the tram."
“I’ll relax when this is over.”
"You sound like my wife." Arthur chuckled, "I think I can thank god Hannah had the croup last week or Liz wouldn't have let herself pass out enough to have slept this morning."
“Indeed. Helena’s also started finally sleeping more than a couple hours at a time before she has some sort of nightmare that wakes her up. So she is making progress.”
"You know you're going to have to pick up some of that load too, Jane. Helena and Jakob are both active professionals, and while nobles often hire nannies, it's better to keep it in the family." Guinevere (Wendy) Vanh, the wife of Elizabeth's elected 'first minister' Charles, mentioned.
“I will absolutely spoil the shit out of my niece or nephew.”
"Don't forget the golden rule." Wendy pointed out, "Children are savages, part of turning them into civilized adults, is to civilize them. That does, at times, require punishments and discipline, the line between abuse and raising is flexible but it IS there. I've raised three sons and two daughters not including kids we've adopted over the years. Don't spoil them too much."
“I know. I have five of my own that have been the greatest challenge and reward I could ever ask for.”
There was one thing left unspoken by Madame Vanh. Danny Vanh, the oldest, died at Coventry. Thomas was currently in physical therapy and would likely never walk again after being shot down on the Smoke Jaguar front, and Edward, who just graduated high school last year, was somewhere in the deep periphery as a Marine scout-sniper with the advance group. Jane knew Marjery refused to discuss her sons entry into the Volunteer corps except that they're 'doing their duty'.
“So you and Vu Dao going to make it official?” Arthur picked up on the subtle shift of the mood and tried to redirect the conversation.
Wendy snorted, "You ought to at least do that much." she muttered disapprovingly, "that woman has spent far too long single."
"Is that…disapproval I hear?" Arthur teased.
"Please, everyone who served in the Militia when Bianh Vu Dao was Cartwright's number three knows that woman will never tolerate a man-it's not in her nature, but there's much to be said about having someone who will wait for you, care for you when you're old, and be there when it all comes apart!"
“We only have one last item to discuss before we tie the knot. If Vu Dao wants any more children, especially one of her own.”
Wendy actually laughed for a moment, "You mean, she hasn't been shopping for a suitable donor yet?"
“The conversation is turning surprisingly complicated.”
"Those relations always are, especially for Rockjacks from Saint families." Wendy asserted, "lots of discussion of resources, and duties, who provides what…you've met her parents, haven't you?"
“We’ve also been talking about if we should ask Helena for a favor since it is possible to borrow an ovum from her and resequence it into paternal DNA so the child is as close to biologically ours as possible given my current state.”
"Ew." Wendy shook her head, "We do that with cattle Jane! Not people. Sequencing is for adapting animals to live on world! You lose the wild strain vitality when you tailor human beings!"
“Hence why it has become a complicated topic.”
Wendy sighed, "Take it from an old farm-wife, Jane, find a nice big man who will donate a sample and go to a good clinic, you'll be happier if the child has a mixture of traits, and the child will be healthier for it. Eugenics is for suckers. It leads to inbreeding and bad traits."
"Can it really be that bad?" Jane asked, more for conversational measuring than anything else.
"You know that syndrome that's plagued the Ngos for generations? Cholmann's syndrome? It originated two generations after the People's Genetic Engineering Project in Hanoi, on Old Earth, released a 'cure for Huntington's disease', Epilepsy, and a host of other inheritable diseases that plague modern man to this day. First generation worked out okay-so the doctors got a nice Nobel Prize for Medicine, but then their patients had grandkids…and the defect was traced to the rewriting done by the treatments. Thankfully for everyone, the original process was too expensive so the defect is rare and recessive, but it's why you don't see anyone outside agriculture or UKNT digging into recombination DNA therapy as a go-to…well, OUR university, and NAIS, anyway. Doing that sort of work has consequences."
“I see.”
"Jesus, Wendy, now you're making me want to investigate Genetic Medicine just to prove you wrong…" Arthur complained.
"As if you weren't already investing in it to do that very thing, Lord Arthur?" Wendy prodded, "I know, I've seen the funding outlines working with Charles. If it were not for the success treating Her Grace, I'd call it several unprintable names, but as it is, I'll call it 'optimistic and risky".
“All we’d really be looking to do is to trick either Vu Dao’s ovum into becoming sperm or Helena’s.” Jane offered.
"I'd suggest examining a little process we used to boost the whale populations after the Amaris War." Wendy said, "it's called 'parthenogenesis' and it's why eight out of ten of our Orca population are female. If you want, I can get you in contact with some conservationists who've got labs on the Phuket Coast."
“I think that will solve our last problem nicely. Thank you.”
"Happy to help, concerned you might be risking getting really picky, but happy to help a friend of the family." Wendy said, "Not so happy I'd use MY stuff-ours hasn't been needed since we started diversifying the herds with import breeds…"
The Monorail arrived, and opened, releasing the first group of visitors.
"Damn, Arthur, you got tall." Morgan Kell said, stepping off ahead of his son, Phelan.
"Good nutrition and I get to play with high-energy physics when I'm not teaching classes." Arthur said, "Jane Drillson, this is Morgan Kell and his son Phelan, Phelan is the elected Khan of half the Wolf Clan…I don't know these other important people."
"The Blue-shield dome upstairs is your work, Quiaff?" Santin West, Khan of Clan Nova Cat said.
"Some of it is, the array on Solaris VII provided most of the inspiration, the rest of it was good engineering work by my staff." Arthur said evenly.
"It is…impressive." the Clanner admitted.
"That would be the point. Normally we run it in layers through the paving on the upper levels now, but we're still working on a means to make it…well… portable."
"How are you sinking the waste heat?"
"The river, and a couple series of reservoirs as part of the drinking water treatment for the city. It's also used as a source for steam-heat during hard winter seasons on the surface levels."
"Fascinating….so it contributes to the city's defense as well?"
"Things with multiple uses tend to be used for multiple things." Arthur shrugged, "the system generates a lot of waste heat energy, so converting it to other uses and incorporating those uses into utilities just makes sense, I'm sure your homeworlds have similar arrangements." He smiled, knowing full well that the Clan homeworlds did no such thing.
"Like the armored ferroglas streets?" Khan West asked, "I would ask the utility…"
"Light for the lower levels of the city, mostly. Ia Drang started as a set of cliff-and-cave redoubts during the first invasion wars-the 'age of war' era conquest of Kowloon, lots of people ran to the canyon for safety from bombardments and invaders, and stayed here after the fall of Dinh Diep, form there the city just kind of…grew. It didn't really take off until the Rimworlds was past-tense. We drew in a lot of refugees during the First and Second Succession Wars, mostly from urban environments, which let us develop lots of construction. The Rockjack communities contributed materials and expertise over the generations. Quartz Crystal and Sapphire initially, it wasn't until we could export materials to Langenecker in the 29th century that artificial crystals were replaced by Ferroglass production, which was cheaper in bulk thanks to a ready market offworld."
“And the ferroglass has greater resiliency, hence why it is used in cockpit glass to this day.”
"How is this not your Capital?"
"Too crowded." Arthur mused, "Really, Ia Drang's upper levels are a working city, not the kind of site you want to put planetary administrations that draw bombs and orbital bombardments. My wife's people learned from what happened to their first Capital city, after all."
“An interesting philosophical thought.” Theodore Kurita added.
He led them out to the Balcony as they conversed. Ferroglas panels to the side revealed the interior of the Canyon, with its multiple layers and the huge 'drainage' sector bridged periodically by skybridges down here.
"How big is this city?"
"Oh, about six million people live here full time. When you count the suburbs on the surface, it's closer to ten." Arthur mused, "Probably the most developed real-estate planet-wide except for Hue down there-at the bottom of the Highway One Bridge."
Santin West’s attention was elsewhere now and this caught Arthur’s eye.
“Something amiss Khan West?”
“Aff. I just realized your companion here, she is not breathing and is showing other small signs she is not human.”
"Jane's…a shut in, she uses the remote to socialize. An absolutely titanic social anxiety issue."
“I see. While I am familiar with the reputation of Dustball and its infamous export product, this one seems a finer quality.”
"Star league grade tech." Arthur tried to dismiss, "Very expensive, we're not likely to see its like again for generations."
“Yes, I seem to recall the rumors that the Dustball robots were originally based on Star League projects along similar lines but for a more… tasteful purpose.” Khan West seemed to let the topic go.
Double-doors opened ahead of them, in a puff of pressurized steam that also cleared the edge of the walkway outside.
The rumble of the Falls, merely 50 meters below, was strong enough to be felt in the air.
Helena stood at a set of tables, with the Duchess of Kowloon nearby.
“Lady Cameron, a pleasure. Every Clan Khan receives a file on you upon ascension. Both as a last hope that somehow you would be found again and failing that as a lesson.” Khan Santin West bowed slightly. “Some pay attention to the file more than the others. I am the former.”
Jane frowned, "So you know."
"I knew before I mentioned it-I wanted to see what sort of cover story your companions would concoct." West acknowledged.
Phelan Kell spread his hands, "I didn't know, but my 'ascension' was kind of abrupt, maybe my copy got lost in the mail, or maybe Vlad has it."
“Considering the unorthodox situation you and your Clan are in, that is not surprising.” Santin West nodded.
Morgan Kell frowned, and said, "Is someone going to tell me what the hell we're talking about, or do I need to get a summary?"
"Open secret." Liz said from the side, as a steward brought a glass bottle with an array of cut crystal tumblers and set it down. "Helena Drillsion, Baroness Spider Moon, is also Helena Cameron, heir to the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony and last living heir to Simon Cameron, the last real First Lord of the Star League. Richard shouldn't have inherited either position, see, they used TANISTRY until Simon's death, it was the Council that insisted on using Primogeniture.."
“Extraordinary…” Phelan Kell nodded. “I heard the rumors, I never really thought it was true. But seeing who is here in attendance. It has to be true. No one else could gather so many people.”
"Huh, I would have pegged you as figuring it out first." Liz mused, "I mean, come on, does anybody really think some teenage duchess in the outer rim of the Commonwealth could manage the juice to salvage a Lola Two, never mind a CASPAR? I know some of my peers are that dumb, but…really?" Liz shook her head, "I would've thought your father would've set you straight, now that you're living on Arc Royal again."
Phelan grimaced, then, said, "Largest toolmaker in the Commonwealth...I assumed you had it built."
"Damn, talk about magic reputations…" Liz shook her head, "Helena, help me out here, do I own a single shipyard, or are those yours?"
"You own two." Helena reminded her, "I own the rest."
"Oh, right…the new ones…."
"Where you and Arthur run your experiments? Yeah. I swear, Liz, you're getting forgetful." Helena teased.
“Not all of us are gifted with your amazing memory.” Liz teased back.
“Gentlemen, and ladies. Please take your seats. We’re getting off track but I understand that we now have a difficult but potentially greatly rewarding series of meetings in front of us.” Helena took a more serious tone.
The gathered delegates took their seats.
“We’ve gathered here because it seems a certain can of worms no longer be kicked down the road and in the interests of establishing lasting peace we need to settle this and the conflicting desires some of you have in relation to it. That can of worms is who I really am. And now that it has been opened for real the worms are coming out.” Helena began.
She gave the assembled delegates a moment to digest what she said before continuing.
“Some of you have an advantage in that you already knew, didn’t care, or didn’t believe. But I can see for some of you the doubt has vanished. It was my name, the name of Helena Cameron that brought you here. It may have been given through Victor Steiner Davion but that is what brought you all here.” Helena continued then again gave them a moment.
“So that means for some of you that I am something to be rejoiced, others may find my mere existence a complication, or worse. But now we have to answer one fundamental question. What do we want? I want a lasting peace. To never see another grand war in my lifetime. What do you all want and what can we do to come to an understanding? I know these are simple questions but ones that will take time to answer and deliberate. Ones that will prompt you to ask others, both of me and the rest of us gathered here. Shall we start then?”
"Phase one is code-named Crimson Shadow and we've been running it since the last Smoke Jaguar transport left the territory of the Draconis Combine." Helena began, this caught some of the visitors by surprise. "Crimson Shadow is, for lack of a better descriptor, 'building a road', and for the details…Liz?"
"One hundred ninety seven billion Kroner so far." Elizabeth Ngo stated, "in addition, we're also spending Eight Hundred Billion Combine Yen. The Confederation has pledged another fifty billion Yuan. What you're getting for it, are Charging stations, Jumpships, storage facilities and communications links. While it's going to take more than eighteen months for the lead elements of the SLDF joint task force Serpent to reach the Clan Homeworlds, you can carve that down from months, to days for the follow-on forces, or to return casualties for evacuation once it's completed, and for the return of spare parts, ammunition, and supplies from the Inner Sphere." She tapped the table with her cane, and a holographic map-marked boldly 'not to scale' appeared. "Proper scaling would make this map cover the valley below us. The distances involved are properly expressed in scientific notation. What you're getting for your money, which is going to be annual, and probably go up, is the longest Command Circuit in history. Dropships and their crew are going to be relayed up the route with a pause in mere hours between jumps, this is going to be highly stressful. The additional facilities we're putting up along the route are there because it is highly stressful on personnel and equipment."
“This will give the ships and crews much needed chances to recover and if need be, adjustments made at the same time as each stop in the chain will have service facilities and spin gravity stations.” Helena added.
"Um, why didn't the Clans do something similar?"
"Because they don't have the population, never mind the trained population." Elizabeth answered. "By the time Crimson Shadow is complete, there will be eleven million spacers operating between the Inner Sphere and the Clan Homeworlds-just on Crimson Shadow…to put this into perspective, the pre-First Succession War armed forces of the Federated Suns was only two million and change, the Draconis Combine's entire DCMS was only seven million, the SLDF that left with Kerensky were less than ten million."
“The best part is unlike most military infrastructure, this chain will have positive post-conflict benefits in securing trade, communication, and even diplomacy. In other words if all goes well it will eventually pay for itself.”
"But it's going to cost a lot more." Liz said, "expect draws on commitment to double by May of next year, when the route will be at halfway point alpha, draws on population are already pretty high and it's going to get higher."
"How much higher?"
"I have half a billion Rockjacks-that's native spacers, we're supplying a huge portion of the raw grunt labor and technical personnel for Crimson Shadow, sir." Liz stated, "right now, we're still using volunteers. If I can't get you Lords to chip in bodies, I'll have to institute a draft by June."
“Why let all of this out in the open in front of us?” Marthe projected.
"There are ten million total Jade Falcons, am I right?" Liz asked, "that's what LIC intercepted from your Loremaster in his communications. Ten million of you, half a billion of my people are specialists and I've got a billion more, and Kowloon is one planet. Do you know the story of the spearchucker and the Tank? Your mission is to restore The Star League, Revival was a play at the game of conquest, I can bury your whole clan in so many bodies you'll run out of ammunition before we kill you off, or, you can do the smart thing, complete your mission successfully, and join the Star League Defense Force, uphold the Star League, participate in the Star League Council, and help us prevent another Amaris. It's up to you."
“And Lady Cameron’s role in this Star League? What is it to be?” Marthe continued.
Liz glanced at Helena, and then, she committed. "I don't know, that's between Director General Helena Cameron and the rest of the Star League Council, I'm just a planetary leader, and the accountant."
“Hence our initial reservation remains. This body still reeks of an alliance of convenience. If you wish to seriously get us to participate it needs to show more.”
Elizabeth's face dropped into that emotionless mask Helena had almost forgotten-the mask she wore when she pronounced sentence and proceeded to kill a dozen men with her own hands. "Khan Pyde, you're from a conservative, traditional, honorable Clan-by the way your people measure honour, correct?"
“That would be accurate, yes.” Marthe admitted.
Elizabeth reached into her valise, "please examine this directive signed by Commanding General Aleksandr Kerensky, co-signed by Chief of Staff Aaron DeChevalier. It relates to specific terms agreed to by the Star League Defense Force during the Amaris Crisis. There's a reason Helena came to us, before she met with the other House Lords." she laid the document on the table before the Falcon Khan, "Don't feel bad about mangling it, I've got two other copies in storage-originals. If the Star League 'breaks up', Kowloon will remain in the Star League, alone if necessary. We kept the faith, this document…" she reached in and produced a second, "Is the Treaty of Annexation. You have my word, that if this Star League fails, my people will secede from the Lyran Commonwealth to uphold some bastion of it…and guess who's supplying most of the FedCom Navy, including the bulk of personnel on the Crimson Shadow route? We are. Helena Cameron has our backing whatever she chooses to do, the Terran Hegemony never got to vote to dissolve, Marthe…" Elizabeth's eyes swept the other Khans, "...There was still a Member State of the Star League, when your ancestors Abandoned us!"
For his part, Victor looked stunned at how much venom came out in that simple condemnation.
“There is our first new question already. Will the Clans uphold their oaths after all this time or will they continue to prove their detractors correct? That they are no more than bandit inheritors practicing slavery.” Helena added. “And our second. Does the Federated Commonwealth also hold to its proposed ideals? Or is it too just another opportunistic alliance bent on nothing more than conquest?”
“Elizabeth, Helena…” Victor was still clearly recovering from the shock.
//"Ich rufe dich heraus. Versprechen gebrochen Eid aufgegeben Ich rufe dich heraus. Willst du das Wort ehren, das gebrochene Versprechen? Wirst du?\\
//I call you out. Promise broken oath abandoned I call you out. Will you honor the Word, the Promise Broken? will you?\\
A trillion lives were silenced by that old perfidy. Eine Billion Menschenleben wurden durch dieses gebrochene Versprechen zum Schweigen gebracht.
Will you honor the word, or are you just pretenders in your father's clothes?" she sat back down expression a storm-cloud.
Who is to Lead[]
“Now the Federated Commonwealth I do grant was a first step at trying something new. When Hanse Davion was the only one to say yes to Katrina’s proposal it created a new balance of power in the Inner Sphere. Something I have only read about in books but one that many of you have actually lived with. Can we take that next step? The Star League wasn’t perfect and there is an argument to be made that the Terran Hegemony no longer exists. But I’m here anyway.” Helena addressed Victor directly at first then turned to the others one by one as she spoke.
The Duchess cradled her cane, the bluish-green wood of it and the silver catching and reflecting. "We're building a future. If there is one place that is still the Star League, it has not fallen. I know of at least three…including NIOPS."
“For some of us the Star League is still a sore topic. One we’re not sure we wish to have any part of.” Avellar spoke.
Elizabeth Ngo laughed in a tone like frozen nitrogen. "My people joined Kerensky to kill Rim Worlders. It was Helena who convinced them to stop hating the Star League. She met Avellar's eyes, "You had Forlough for a decade, we had the boot of Amaris on our necks for Centuries, and most of that time, he used the Star League to keep it there. Look south and west, past the far end of the balcony, you can see part of The Scar…but it's possible to forgive, if restitution is at least attempted."
“My work since arriving in this time has been focused on correcting many great tragedies, preventable ones. I still have much to do in that regard. These people, they help me. Because I ask, not demand, and thus they give generously. I don’t know for sure where we will end up at the end of the conference but my efforts will be directed towards securing lasting peace and sharing the prosperity and knowledge that I can.”
Marthe looked a little repulsed at the word 'peace'.
Elizabeth spoke up, "Peace, is not the absence of conflict, Khan Pryde, it is, as the ancient said, the presence of Justice. There is no peace in a graveyard or a slave collar. You're being offered the chance to help make justice real."
“I have no illusion that the nations in this room will eventually find themselves at war with one another, I do not know in what combinations or when but I know it will be when not if.”
"The first fracture will happen when the war is ended." Liz predicted, "Now, whether that leads to shattering, or to a lesson? That's what's being decided here, today. Whether we can hold civilization together, or fall back into the darkness. There will always be those who would upend the peace for their own gain, it's what the rest of us do, or don't do, that will be the decider."
“This is most… interesting. Lady Cameron, you say you wish to share knowledge as well?” Precentor St. Jamais asked.
"As Elizabeth is wont to say, 'there is no dangerous knowledge, only dangerous ignorance...and dangerous people will be dangerous regardless of what they know or don't." Helena quipped. “Which brings us to another party that we hope to bring into the fold.”
“The Word of Blake is simply doing what it must under adverse conditions.” Precenter St. Jamais stated.
"Competition in any market spurs innovation and improves product quality…except when the competitors are throwing bombs at each other. We'd like to see both halves of the former Terran Communications ministry settle their differences without bloodshed, and compete as proper services for the loyalty and cash of the customer base." Liz smirked, "you can do that, right? Not kill each other or blow each other's stuff up? Maybe prove your philosophy is superior by out performing one another?"
St. Jamais sat quietly with a look of frustration on his face that was undeniable.
“I’ve read what was done via Holy Shroud, how the Mother Doctrine was perverted. As far as I’m concerned both halves have lots of blood on their hands and it needs to stop.” Helena looked at Focht then St. Jamais. “Who is to say that humanity hasn’t already had its dark period and that this is the fulfillment of Blake’s prophecy? What we build and create, here and now.”
Marthe Pryde studied the documents Elizabeth had given her, then, she said, "I will take this before my Clan Council. A move this significant must be approved…but provisionally, Clan Jade Falcon will take no action impeding Operation Serpent or the Crimson Road project, provided we are not attacked by members of this…alliance." she looked up, "I can not offer more at this time. I pledge my Clan will take no actions against the other Clans present, who might wish to offer…more support."
It was as close to an endorsement as the Falcons could manage without a vote of their own internal Council, and Helena, at least, understood it.
“Clan Ghost Bear would like to know what those documents contain. May we examine them as well?”
"Yes." Liz said, "I brought copies for everyone once I knew who were on the guest list." she began handing them out, one to Santin West, one to Khan Jorgensson, and one to both Victor, and a copy each to Comstar and Word of Blake, then to each of the other House Lords.
“This is…” Khan Jorgensson started.
"I promised Melissa Steiner that I wasn’t looking to carve out a new Terran Hegemony from the Federated Commonwealth. I would like to keep that promise.”
"How do you think I feel? I spent my life as a Lyran patriot, and I just handed out documents that are grounds for rebellion and treason." Liz groused, "Against my husband's family no less!!"
"You're not actually going to secede, are you?" Victor asked.
"You'll uphold the Star League? If that's so, Victor, we won't secede." Liz stated, "but article 32 in the annexation treaty was there for a reason, I just don't want to be the one who carries it out..but this is big enough, I'll have to if the Commonwealth leaves the Star League."
“That’s a hell of a thing, Elizabeth. This then prompts my question, are you making a power play with this, Helena?”
“Oh god no!" Helena said, "I know, that's exactly what someone making a power play would say, but no…"
"Maybe you should." Victor Steiner-Davion commented, "I…I don't want this role, Helena."
"You think I do? I don't." Helena stated.
"We don't have a lot of other options." Victor told them. "Theodore's aged visibly in handling the role and that's with limited powers and influence."
"Someone has to do it." Liz said, "I know I don't qualify. The revised Star League treaty limits some of the damage by setting a term, and forbidding consecutive terms in the job of First Lord, That was a sanity move, who came up with it?"
"Theodore." Victor said, "He felt that the First Lord's role should not become a life-devouring nightmare for a House Lord put in the role."
"He's right." Elizabeth stated, "limiting the power also limits the strain-there's always someone to pick up the pieces if a policy fails. Who's stuck with it in '64?"
“We haven’t really decided yet but that is something we all know we need to before this conference is over. Who joins, who’s next, and what does the Star League focus on next. Because the Jags will not take forever to deal with one way or the other.” Theodore said.
"Well…Helena, Victor, I think you've got the meeting in hand, and I need to go spend time with the kids before they forget who I am. I've presented the plan and the papers, it's up to you grown-us now, I've got my own duties to attend to. If this is all?"
"Go ahead, Liz, I've got this." Helena confirmed.
“It’s fine, Elizabeth. You’re right, this is something we have to hash out for ourselves.” Victor nodded.
Elizabeth left after exchanging a few light pleasantries.
"You do know, the role of First Lord doesn't actually require being a House Lord." Sun-Tzu observed after she left. He smirked at Helena, "After all, we've already got the Nova Cats to sign on, the Ghost Bears appear to be wavering, and you may have to 'recognize' the Jade Falcons holdings as a member state, if Marthe gets her Clan Council to buy off on joining THIS side." His smirk was irritating, "all it takes, is a majority vote of seated members of the council and a named candidate."
“So then shall we name valid candidates so we can proceed to voting?” Santin West nodded. “Or is there any other business we need to discuss further?”
"Ordinarily, I would advance myself as Theodore's likely best successor…but Helena Cameron is certainly an attractive candidate, lots of tradition there…but I think…" his smirk slipped, "Tom Marik. That will bring in the Word of Blake faster than your protege's diatribe, Helena, and he gets along with everyone."
“The important part is we get the Word and Comstar to talk and settle their dispute, not just the Clans. If he can do that, I have no issue supporting him.” Helena nodded.
"I don't know, I think a minority voice might be a good choice." Avellar said, "wouldn't you agree, Grover?"
Grover Schraplen humphed a bit, then, "Yes. Someone untarnished by the feuds of the past…though I have to say, it should be a figure with more involvement in the current conflict, which eliminates most of the people in this room. "
“Mannsdottir. He is involved and would not be objectionable if properly supported.” Khan Jorgennsen added.
"The Concordat would support Mannsdottir, his nation is relatively new, and lacks the grim history of oppression some of the rest of you are carrying." Schraplen leveled a hard look at Victor when he said it. “The Taurian Concordat seconds Christian Mannsdottir for First Lord for the 3062 through 3067 term."
Santin West looked at the documents in his hand, then at the others. "My candidate just walked out the door." he said, "but Mannsdottir has dealt fairly with Clan and Spheroid alike. Nova Cat will support that appointment."
“Mannsdottir only has a nation because of Comstar. This means he is too unduly influenced for our tastes.” St. Jamais countered.
"That is a significant problem." Theodore agreed, "Khan Jorgennson, how are talks going regarding a merger with the Rasalhague Republic these days?"
“Slowly. The added complication of potential involvement with the Star League has added a great deal to the topics we need to finalize.”
“Let us also keep in mind Lady Cameron may have used an assumed name at the time but she did swear fealty, publicly, to the Federated Commonwealth.” St. Jamais spoke again.
"A Star League without a Cameron involved is not going to be acceptable to my Clan's council." Marthe delivered flatly. "She does not have to be First Lord, but she must be part of it, or we walk, Duchess Headshot's warnings notwithstanding."
“So far her oath to the Federated Commonwealth has not interfered with her duties as chief Naval Advisor to the Star League.” Victor tried to offer.
Sun-Tzu stifled a chuckle.
"What?"
"Baroness Spider Moon. Most of Crimson Shadow is running out of this star system, Khan Marthe, she's involved whether she wants to be or not. As it ramps up, more traffic will pass through this system from all member states...as for ties? We all have them. Your concern, St. Jamais, is equally applicable to ME, after all, my nation is a long-time enemy of pretty much everyone in this room, even the Mariks, and I nominated the head of the Free Worlds League, with whom my people have a grudge almost as deep and long as our hostile relations with the Federated Suns."
"Term's only five years." Victor noted. "Non-consecutive terms too. We can afford it-nobody gets a platform that can do too much long-term damage."
Santin West looked at Helena. “You promised Kowloon prosperity, protection, recognition, and respect. It thus occurs to me your promises are good. Consider that my fellows. We are surrounded by that evidence. Independence was also a guarantee.”
“You have an idea, Khan West.”
“Instead of Kowloon threatening independence, grant it. There is precedence for such things. It would solve the matter of her oath and as a Star League world in good standing it would not be a new Terran Hegemony and with how much they are contributing already…” Khan West suggested.
“Oh god. All those contracts I’d have to re-negotiate…” Helena buried her face in her hands.
"It occurs to me that it's Liz who'd have to renegotiate most of that." Victor said humourously, "Arthur, how would you like to be the husband of an independent ruler?"
"Liz will hate this idea." Arthur noted, "She'd do it, but she's going to hate it…but less than she hates the idea she might have to exercise part 32 of the annexation treaty."
“Just remind her that through you there will always be a bridge and thus we can continue good relations.” Victor nodded.
"I'll talk her into it, if that's what you want, Vic…this is going to make family gatherings extra complicated." Arthur noted.
“This is a big decision, so I’d like to think it through.” Victor nodded. “But I think none of us would object to a provision of Helena being given a full time advisory role to the First Lord directly in the meantime.”
"And backup position." Mitchell Avellar piped up, "We have to consider the stability of the realm, between elections, someone has to fill the role if something happens to the elected First Lord. without a set chain of custody, the risk of five claimants or more…"
“This would be acceptable to the Concordat as well.” Sharplen nodded.
“What do you say, Lady Cameron?” St. Jamais asked.
“That it sounds like I’ll become the bad guy if I don’t agree to what seems to be a popular compromise. So I’ll accept the expanded role.” Helena nodded.
“Good. You’re still nominated, there is also a nomination for Elizabeth Ngo, Christian Mannsdottir, and Thomas Marik. Five candidates. But until Victor settles his matter I think it fair we postpone voting on our next First Lord.” Theodore smiled. “Which seems now would be a good time to break for the day.”
"Seconded." Schraplen spoke up, "we have two more years, it makes sense to wait the vote until things are…clearer."
With that the dignitaries began milling around and eventually filtering out of the conference room.