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Chapter 20[]
Dead Man's Hand: Family Values[]
Archon's Private Office
The Triad, Tharkad
District of Donegal
Lyran Alliance
21st March, 3058
"...she's my guest, as are her unit." the image of Duchess Ngo filled the display on the desk that had once belonged to Katherine Steiner-Davion's mother and grandmother. It was clear that, as hard as she was trying to hide it, her illness was taking a greater toll on her.
'With any luck, she'll drop dead sooner rather than later the self-styled Archon-Princess scowled inwardly, while carefully maintaining her pleasant outwards demeanor, 'then I can appoint a regent who'll do as their damn well told!
"And you yet again refuse a reasonable request!" Katherine pointed out.
"Reasonable is where you're standing, Highness." Liz countered, "I'll remind you how many weeks in transit stand between Kowloon and the Capital. You demanded a time limit that is logistically impossible, even if I had a command circuit, the travel time and the condition of the realm argue against arriving on the date your staffers set. Bringing a Mercenary along without a contract?" she shook her head, "Not do-able. Besides, between your keen interest in my welfare, and the welfare of the nation, I have to argue that the nation's welfare comes first. My corporate fleet is busy carrying supplies to LCAF units along the Clan border, the ships that aren't involved in that, are carrying critical supplies to national contractors to fill orders, what remains beyond that, are working in support of anti-piracy operations days away at best, months away on average, I won't be able to reach Tharkad without a ride, and those assets are better spent supporting the defense of the nation."
"I KNOW you have a Shipyard." Katherine allowed just a little anger to slip into her voice, "One you've worked very hard to keep from being nationalized, despite the ongoing emergency..."
"A shipyard does not mean having completed with mission ready vessels, Your Highness. I've got a yard and it's backlogged ten years' worth to customers throughout the nation. Should I tell the Bradfords that Defiance is going to have to wait? Or Coventry metal works? how about the LCN itself? Who do I stiff, Highness? My facilities are in USE, and the bulk of my customers happen to also be your supporters. Who do I stiff so you can look me in the eye in the Triad and get me to re-speak the same Oath I already took?"
"We are no longer part of the 'Federated Commonwealth!" the anger was now genuine.
"Yeah, and a quick review of the recording shows I didn't swear fealty to the Federated Commonwealth, Highness. I swore it to the Lyran Commonwealth, which is the political entity that my world joined in 2789. I have never had any use for foreign rulers, this your intelligence people ought to have told you, Now, if you feel insecure, I suggest you have your legal team review the Treaty of Annexation, specifically parts nineteen, twenty four, and Thirty-two. Specifically the 'duties and privileges' clauses. I've fulfilled my explicit Feudal duties, a public, in-person swearing in is defined as a Courtesy, it is not a requirement, and I am not in good health. The tax and tithe are being paid on schedule, I am supporting the economy and military of the Lyran Commonwealth as required under the treaty, and that should be good enough."
Katherine cut the link without bothering to respond.
She was Archon-Princess of the Lyran Alliance, rightful heir to the thrones of two interstellar nations, and the Star League itself. She did not have to justify her self to some half-dead, half-breed slut from a world that would be utterly inconsequential if not for a handful of factories that had managed to survive the Succession Wars relatively intact! The audacity of the woman! To deny her, granddaughter of Katarina Stiener, the loyalty and obedience that was her very birthright!
Oh, by the time she was done with the little bitch. She'd be begging to face Stage Three of Cholmann's. Not that Katherine had any intention of letting her off that easy.
All this trouble over some inconsequential mercenaries who weren't even Dragoon rated? Yet, according to her LIC analysts, they'd started popping up in an increasingly significant amount of chatter between people Katherine knew better than not to keep her eye on. Such has her traitorous cousin, Morgan Kell, who hadn't had the good grace to die in the bombing that she had arranged to remove her mother. No, for some reason, this woman, this... Joker? What in of name was that for a grown woman anyway? Well, whoever she was, her name was being spoken of by powerful and influential people on Arc-Royal, Outreach, and even a far as New Avalon. Anyone who could go from unknown zero to that kind of attention was with knowing everything about.
If only Elizabeth Ngo had been a good little vassal, and brought her to Tharkad like she was asked. Then she could have been disappeared into whatever dark, bottomless pit LIC had for such people and 'persuaded' to talk. But no, they were going to have to do things the hard way, which meant activating the only LOKI cell on Kowloon. They would get to the bottom of everything, while also sending a message to remind Elizabeth Ngo of her place in the grand order at things.
- Note from Author: Credit due to Cannonshop for, well, almost all the spoken dialogue in this scene.