Act 2 - Bargaining[]
With A Bared Sword[]
Chapter 15[]
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The Triad, Tharkad
Donegal March, Federated Commonwealth
31 July 3055
The Archon’s office hadn’t changed substantially since his grandmother’s day, with the long drapes and furnishings that almost but did not quite match the craftsmanship of the huge wooden desk that Victor’s maternal grandfather had made for his wife. While the Archon-Prince had never met his grandfather (in fact, nor had his mother, since Arthur Luvon had passed away while Katrina Steiner was carrying their only child), one of his fondest memories of his grandmother was of being allowed to sit on her lap and listen to her stories after she had finished work for the evenings.
This was where she had issued her Peace Proposal, where she had governed through the Fourth Succession War and there were still marks on the wall (if you knew where to look) that were the result of a barely foiled assassination attempt by Free Skye shortly before Victor was born.
And now it was where he was receiving reports from the frontlines. “They got her?” he demanded as Galen Cox handed over a data chip.
“They did,” Galen agreed. “It seems that Arc-Royal was too tempting a target once we leaked out that the Kell Hounds would have both regiments away hunting for her.”
Victor punched the air triumphantly and thrust the data chip into the console resting on his desk. Files sprang on the screen - full after action reports, along with analysis. More than he could take time to read now, but he would find the time soon. “Do we have any idea who was behind her?”
Galen perched on the side of the desk. “Not yet. We had to lie to everyone about the Kell Hounds to pull this off, so we’re no nearer to finding out the source of the leak that was feeding her data. But it’s clear that there was someone, and there was something interesting in the interview of one of her prisoners. Nelson Geist - an ex-AFFC Kommandant she was treating more like a bondsman than anything else.”
Victor’s eyebrows went up. “Really?”
“To the point of having him in the cockpit of her Battlemaster for some of the raids,” the Kommandant confirmed. “Twisted.” He shook his head. “Anyway, he believes that at least some of her equipment was given to her by one of the Clans, not the result of raiding.”
“We suspected that.” The Archon-Prince leant back in his chair and contemplated the idea for a moment. “And Phelan’s opinion?” His cousin had lost his mother to the same blast that had slain Melissa Steiner-Davion, and his father had lost his right arm in the same moment.
Clan medical technology might be able to make good the loss, and Victor suspected that besides attending Salome Ward’s funeral, Phelan might plan to convince his father to see if Clan Wolf could offer better reconstruction than the Commonwealth could. As their Khan it would be within his power to order that, but the politics would be complicated.
At the end of the day, it was something Victor would be happy to live with.
Galen folded his arms. “He wondered if this might be action by the Diamond Sharks or even the Clan’s own criminal element. Of course, it’s news to me that they even have one.”
“The more I learn about the Clans, the more they seem like us but at right angles,” Victor observed. “Clan Diamond Shark though… I didn’t think they had any presence in the Inner Sphere after Tukayyid. They don’t occupy any worlds I’m aware of?” he added questioningly.
“They had a world in the near Periphery according to Phelan but the Ghost Bears took it from them after Tukayyid. There were suspicions they had traded supplies to insurgents, he admits that may just be mud-slinging, it was before he had joined the Wolves fully.”
“It certainly muddies the water.” A chime from the clock told Victor that time for discussing this was over. His next appointment would be arriving soon. “I have to get ready, but I did have an offer for you, Galen.”
Galen rose to his feet. “If this is your sister’s hand in marriage,” he joked, “I will have to recuse myself.”
“Yvonne is too young for you anyway,” Victor deadpanned. “No, but I do have to choose someone to take over from me with the Tenth Lyran Guards. I’m already head of the Royal Guards on paper as well. I can’t justify keeping the Tenth with me as well. How do you feel about having your own regiment?”
“Now that’s a sudden offer,” the kommandant said in surprise. “I’m not even the senior battalion commander.”
“No, but you’re the one who I have the most confidence in.”
“In honesty, I have probably also been neglecting the role to serve as your aide,” Galen told him seriously. “I figured I’d have to choose whether to stay with you or with the regiment sooner or later.”
“It’s a tough choice,” Victor admitted sympathetically.
“Not really. Keeping you from doing anything stupid is clearly my duty. I followed you into the Tenth Guards, remember. I never really expected a posting with such a prestigious unit to begin with.” The older man drew himself up. “Respectfully, your highness, I would prefer to remain as your aide over taking command of the Tenth.”
Trying to hide the warm feeling he felt at those words, Victor toyed with a stylus. “I suppose that I will need to find another battalion commander as well, before I hand them off.”
“I thought Sabine was coming along well,” his friend offered. “She’s about ready for a battalion.”
“Yes, but she has one. Didn’t you hear?” He’d thought that Galen and his cousin were getting on quite well.
Galen spread his hands. “I’ve been a bit too busy to socialize lately.”
“Ah. Well, she got offered a transfer over to the Twenty-Fourth Lyran Guards to command one of their battalions,” Victor explained. “We’re getting another distant cousin of mine to replace her in Baker Company - Caesar Steiner’s son Reinhart. He was in the same class as Peter.”
That got a grimace. “And he has a company already? I can’t see that being welcome news with your brother.”
Victor said nothing. Peter had been quite unhappy to find his petitions to be sent somewhere more active than Tharkad met with a transfer to the March Militia on Skye. It was a politically sensitive area, and if Ryan Steiner ever made a move then Peter would find himself on the frontlines of an insurrection. Of course, from that perspective, it also warned Free Skye that if they went beyond mere talk, Victor would have every reason to hammer them unmercifully.
“Do you want me to draw up a list of candidates?” asked Galen.
“That would be helpful,” he agreed. “I won’t ask you to sit in on the next meeting. I’m sure you’ve met Sabine’s grandmother already.”
“Field Marshal Steiner is a legend in the service,” the kommandant said stiffly, before adding: “And I’m as scared of her as everyone else is.”
“Well if you and Sabine keeping hitting it off, you might be her in-law one day.”
“Stop trying to meddle in my love life, Victor. I can’t tell if you’re trying to help or hinder.”
Victor chuckled and waved him out before contacting his current secretary. “If Field Marshal Steiner hasn’t arrived yet, send her right in when she gets here.”
“I’ve been waiting,” his great-aunt said gruffly, pushing in through the door before Galen could exit. She gave the man a nod when he held the door. “Kommandant Cox.”
“Field Marshal.” He let her pass and closed the door behind himself.
Nondi Steiner took a seat facing Victor without asking. “Good man there.”
“Yes,” he agreed. “I offered him the Tenth, but he turned it down to stay my aide.”
That got an approving nod. “Sabine speaks well of him. You would have won either way, but you should get him a promotion. You know the social-generals will look down on him for being a mere field officer.”
“It’s in the works.” The bureaucracy of the AFFC could sometimes run slowly, even for the man who was its supreme commander. Victor closed down the console and dropped the datachip on the Red Corsair’s final battle into a desk drawer. “I’m more than happy to see you, but you didn’t say why you wanted a meeting?”
His great-aunt opened the valise case she was carrying and produced an envelope, placing it on the desk. “I offered this to your mother… and before that, to my sister.”
Victor gave her a startled look and then lifted the envelope, which wasn’t sealed. The contents were not unexpected, but not something he’d hoped to see. “Resignation.”
“The Clans are my fourth war,” she reminded him. “Realistically, the only way for me to move up would be to replace Morgan Hasek-Davion as Marshal of Armies, and he’s younger than I am.” Then she looked down at the desk surface. “And I’m tired, Victor.”
“You’ve never done less than your duty,” he acknowledged and slid the letter of resignation back into its envelope. “If that’s your intention, all I can ask is that you wait until I have my feet under me and find a suitable officer to step in.”
“Of course,” she told him matter-of-factly. “I hadn’t meant I would leave today.”
Victor rose from behind the desk and offered her his hand. The old general took it and pulled him into a rough hug. “You’re so damn young to be behind that desk,” she said. “Melissa and Katrina had at least time to grow up.”
“I’m twenty-five,” he reminded her, not refusing the embrace.
“Practically an infant.” Nondi said with a sniff.