IMP62

==Chapter 62 - Important People==
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"...diplomacy is the art of saying nice doggie, until you can find a rock."
-Will Rogers, 20th century humorist''
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Somewhere in New York
North America, Terra
Sol Star System
Republic of the Sphere
January 15th, 3098
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"Talk to me, Ivan."  Exarch Devlin Stone was a busy man.   
"The Metis Congress is still refusing to sign on, Devlin.  If we go forward with Operation: Derbyshire, we're going to have to keep at least half the fleet behind in the Sol system just to patrol for any of those damn stealth corvettes the Lyrans have. We won't be getting help from the skinnies."  Ivan Roessler was the Republic's spokesman to the Belter communities still in the Republic. 
"I told you to get them on-side, Ivan. Are you telling me you can't do that?" 
"Yes." Ivan stated.  "I can't even certify that Ross 248 is going to support involvement.  This isn't like the Capellan conflict, sir, these people like the Lyrans, and they like them better than they like you." 
''
Stone swore creatively as he looked out the window at what had become the capital of the Republic because a Lyran had turned Earth's old capital into a shield volcano sitting in the middle of the Alps. 
"We'll have to get them on side, Ivan," Devlin said.  "Give me your best four scenarios for how to change their minds.  We need Belters, we need them to run the new ships, we need them to watch our backs.  Was there ANY traction with The Folk at your last meet?"
"No. In fact, when Miss Hanlon got pushy. The Guild rep threatened to put the word out to avoid Republic Space.  We need them too, and they're strictly neutral on this." Ivan told him. 
Devlin looked at his Economic Advisor, "Dave? Can they afford to do that?"
Dr. David Lear winced visibly.  "Yes" he said.  "And Yes, it'll hurt them, but until we finish with the restoration of shipyards and infrastructure for the civilian trade?  It's likely to hurt them a lot less than it hurts us." 
"Okay, find me options, guys. We need the Skye region in the Republic and the Lyrans signed onto the Treaties." He sighed heavily and said, "Christ, I shouldn't have moved that early should I?" 
"I think we were all riding a bit of a high after beating Sun Tzu's people, sir,"  Victor Ian Steiner-Davion commented.  "And I may have overestimated my support inside the Commonwealth state. It's my fault... it doesn't' help that my damn supporters tried to grab Hanse and botched it.  Andrew's statements to the Estates suggest he thinks we were trying to kill Peter's boy." 
"Can we back out of this?" Stone asked.  "I mean, do we have time?" 
"If it were just Andrew?  Maybe," Victor noted.  "I mean, I can talk to him... except..." the former Archon Prince drew in a breath and paused. 
"Except?" David Lear asked.
"Elizabeth Ngo.  I knew her before. We all got to know her a lot better during the war.  She's on your level, Dave-brilliant mind. She's ruthless-even if Andrew could be talked around, I'm afraid as long as he's listening to the Black Duchess of Kowloon?  He won't." 
"Can we de-escalate?" Belle Lee asked from her position near the bookshelf.  "I mean, clearly Cassius was a bust. They're going to have to settle domestic hash and we can maybe get some public relations traction by emphasizing news reports in the Skye region?" 
"Focht had a pretty good way to put it." Victor noted.  "Wars aren't won by armies in the field, battles are.  Wars are decided by public opinion..." 
"We do have a monopoly on communication through three fourths of the Inner Sphere, and even the Lyran nets carry some of our traffic." she pointed out.  "If nothing else, we can maybe get support from the Combine, Federated Suns, and the Leaguer factions, and it can't be that hard to get the Ghost Bears or the Exiles to move on our side if we've got a strong coalition." 
Stone noted, "Meanwhile it gets us time to finish any necessary buildups and getting the Republic Navy sorted out so we have a counter to the Lyran fleet if it DOES go to open war." 
Lear was taking notes, "So...we stall for time?" 
"We stall for time... and run deniable operations in the Commonwealth," Stone agreed.  "We need incidents and atrocities for the news to report, so that your belli has some casus." 
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