BeyHop Chpt 12

==Beyond Hope- Chapter 12 - The Big Show==
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===Unpleasant Discovery===
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SLS Elizabeth Cameron- Wardroom 
Arluna, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State)
3054
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thumb|300px|M5 Casper Class Destroyer, SLS Elizabeth Cameron 
“I am curious, the stories vary on just how intelligent the Caspars were. Where do they rate?” George McClaren said as he strapped into the chair.
<“Not sure if it’s damage we can’t repair or if it is because they were never really fully sapient but as long as we treat it with respect the core does as we ask but doesn’t seem truly sapient.”> Helena Cameron told another practiced lie.
“Well, you’ve certainly gotten my attention. But our financing on the scale you’re asking for is a bit tied up at the moment. Still though I’m prepared to offer shares instead of direct financing on our current project.” George nodded.
<”I’ll need to see details.”> Helena countered.
“As you should.” George opened his briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers, handing them to Helena.
Helena started going through them, handing them to Jane as she finished.
<“Certainly interesting.”> Helena said.
“That’s just what we’ve uncovered so far.”
“Fuuuuuuuuuuuu…. Mister McClaren you need to contact your teams now and tell them to stop what they are doing.” Jane Cameron said after a few moments.
“I’m not sure…”
“NOW!” Jane put the stack of papers on the table pointing to a particular entry.
The screens in the wardroom came on, showing information about a certain Star League weapon.
<”Jane?”> Helena looked at her sister.
“What is…”
“You’ve uncovered a level zero bioweapon of mass destruction. One with the potential to wipe out humanity.” Jane finally explained.
“How can you know?” George asks
“This ship contains files, including for contingency plans for a last final doomsday solution.”
George looked at the displays.
“I need to borrow a priority channel then…” George understood one thing at that moment, he couldn’t afford to doubt them.
It's truly shocking how close you can get to doomsday. How close? Half the twist-lock fasteners in the warhead section had been undone by RMC engineers, the rest would've been by lunchtime, if work hadn't gotten stopped using terms like 'immediate termination' and 'loss of all benefits, plus a lawsuit'. In other words, the direst threats a corporate overlord can sling to make a curious engineering student stop poking at the supremely dangerous relic.
What quickly followed were debates about immediately destroying the bioweapon and a desire to study it to develop a counter.
Rachel came up with the compromise that settled most of the debate. "Put it in a burrow on a parabolic orbit, if it slips control there, it'll infect the waldoes before the sun burns it up."
"Where we gonna find a burrow?" Liz asked crossly.
Rachel brought up the system's map from a historical record, matched it to what RADAR and LIDAR showed of the debris field, "Here. It was an observation station for the Rim Worlds Repubic, probably still has pressure, definitely doesn't have residents. Push it with a dropper or small-craft or even a satellite grade ion engine into this orbit…"
"And they can remote-dismantle it with open cage animal testing." Helena identified. "If the animals get sick, you just let it fall into the sun."
“We should still study it, we got lucky this time. But what if there is more somewhere else and we’re not there to stop it in time?” Majery objected.
Elizabeth cleared her throat. "Majery, how many qualified microbiologists do you think we've got? Whole Commonwealth, mind you, qualified in handling something as nasty as a level zero contagion?"
“At least as many as the Combine and they nearly handled the Double Cobra outbreak. Going so far as to develop a vaccine in the early 2900’s.”
"Three. Hundred. Forty. Five." Elizabeth enunciated, "Out of a population of trillions. I can give you their names."
"WHat? HOW??"
"We have forgotten so much we don't even have names for what's been lost." Elizabeth Ngo told her, "Engineering, Medicine, Science? We have 'doctors' who can dig through libraries of old knowledge, but they're like cooks, following recipes, and when something critical breaks, or they run out of something critical, most of them don't know how to repair or replace it."
“Then make peace with your neighbors. In a time before the recovery of Helm they beat something that could have easily turned out to be a level zero plague.”
Liz looked at Helena, "Does it say 'archon' anywhere on my jacket? Just checking, Helena…"
"No…your university…"
"Yeah, shit like this is why, but we don't have much more in terms of knowing the basics, not enough to formulate something the Old Star League couldn't figure out a cure or vaccine for. Doctor, " she turned to Marjery, "If I could study it, by god I would. we don't have the ability anymore."
Helena could see…it was finally sinking in how far everyone had fallen…
“Then I should.” Majery declared.
"You'd do more good teaching." Elizabeth told her, "Teaching, so that if something goes wrong, what knowledge you've still got? Isn't lost like the rest of it."
“She’s right. In this case we have to roll the dice that there isn’t more. About the best we can do is put out warnings of what to look for. Hedge our bets at least.” Helena nodded.
“I still don’t like it. We’re taking an awful chance.”
"Mister McClaren, where, pray tell, did you find that missile?"
"One of our salvage teams rimward of Apollo found an SLDF transport ship that had misjumped, she had the missiles in storage, marked for delivery to a joint missile base at Herbania, a logistics point used by House Amaris for domestic suppression, the dates on board said sometime in 2728 when they misjumped. The orders were from the Diplomatic office. Most of the rest were ordinary nukes."
"2728?" Liz asked curiously. 
"Yes." 
"Not 2729?"
"Late '28 when the order was released from Dietrich Brian Fortress."
The young woman muttered something obscene in at least three different languages.
“Jane, that date does sound familiar.” Helena prompted.
"Vice Admiral John Chvington was conducting joint exercises in the Arluna system when he was ordered to Kowloon to relieve the Rim World Garrison there after an uprising in 2729." Jane said clearly, "His flagship, SLS Belleau Wood and elements of the 317th Royal Cavaliers were deployed to Kowloon itself, officially what happened after, was a mistake. Dinh Diep, Helena. An SLDF Royal unit bombarded the Kowloonese capital city of Dinh Diep, one of the shots hit the municipal power-plant, a fission breeder reactor. The subsequent dirty bomb explosion wiped out a city of fifteen million civilians and poisoned nearly two hundred million in the fallout zone."
"We call it the Scar." Liz said, "The Star League troops were supporting a loyal vassal against a restive population that were beating the hell out of them so badly there was a very real chance we'd have had independence forty years before the Amaris Coup…or at least, we'd have had the Amaris boot off our necks while the Star League investigated, but Chivington blew up Dinh Diep, with it whatever it was that made the leaders of the Rising think they could actually win…including all the mechwarriors we had at the time. After that, the Republic got the League to stop direct recruiting from the Kowloonese minority-the leaders of the rising were all exSLDF vets, including the president-pro-tem Li Hong Trac, who was exHegemony Marines and wasn't even native born, the guy was born in Hanoi on Terra."
"Daphne mentioned you had an interest in History, Elizabeth." Mr. McClaren said, "I didn't realize it was so in-depth."
"It's a hobby I can do without breaking something." Liz said offhandedly. "The end of the story is that Chivington kept his rank and retired to somewhere in the south of France of Terra, where he died of complications from aging. He'd cut his teeth as Forlough's bus-driver in the Reunification War and lived to well over one hundred seventy five…"
"Kerensky tried to reopen it as an atrocity investigation, Liz." Helena pointed out, "He tried to…it went nowhere." she finally confessed. "Chivington died before he could be brought in front of a tribunal."
"Yup…I imagine it did. We're in agreement though-this nasty bug, this '21b virus' goes into the sun?"
"How can you be so casual, Liz?" Jakob asked.
"Dead people can't be held accountable for their sins, not by us. I imagine everyone involved in the Dinh Diep situation has had to explain themselves to god." Elizabeth explained, "We gotta live with the people who are alive, and who will be when we're gone, and dropping that load of invisible death into the sun? Sounds like a good way to make sure I don't have to account for more deaths when it's time for me to go." then she looked at Majery, "of course, it would be a kindness if I could talk you into a classroom on Kowloon, maybe get you to write some basic textbooks and a syllabus to teach the teachers."
McClaren was surprised, "You want to start a school?"
"A school, a University-where classes are free, but the certifications cost money." Elizabeth clarified, "Where the library will let you take copies of anything you want home, because they print more from masters, and designed to spread knowledge and methods to get us out of this darkness we're living in…yeah. Maybe it's that I've got something that medically disqualifies me from every regular university and academy in the Commonwealth and most of the ones outside the border, or maybe it's because I have a listing, of thinkers, and researchers who've died and their works died with them, and I want to make that not so anymore. A place where the son of a dirt farmer can get every bit the education that I might have gotten if I didn't have what's killing me…" 
"Even the Kleinevolk?" he asked
"Especially them. Rising tides lift all boats. How much more can a noble's scion accomplish, if he or she doesn't have to explain the basic details to his or her workmen? How much better can everyone's lives be, if technology and knowledge aren't confined to the tip of the pyramid? It's all relative, so why are we shuddering down into ignorance and darkness when we can be rising into enlightenment and progress?"
"You're an idealist. Next you'll extol the virtues of Democracy."
"No." Liz shook her head, "see, Democracy has a problem. I prefer something more akin to the rule of Law, where the people may know that whatever rules they live under, so do those above them. I want stability, Herr McClaren. I want peasants to have a path to prosperity and incompetents to fall into poverty on their own, because they will anyway. I'm after the three P's."
"Three P's?"
"Progress, Prosperity, and Profit." Liz enunciated, "The Profit part is better, if it's on a higher baseline, if it represents MORE Prosperity than it has for more people, a rising tide lifting everyone from the snack-bottle raft to the advanced Yacht. What good is winning, if you lose more than you would gain by not playing?"
McClaren showed interest, "Tell me more…how would it work?"
"Classes are free, books? Free. I'll print anything anyone gives me to print. I want us to have a couple of Journals that will print any paper that's submitted, and any reviewer can, free of charge, read it, review it, try out the experiment, and publish their results there…for free. NO classifications, no oversight. Classes in Technology, science, mathematics, economics and business, we have thousands of military academies in the Inner Sphere, we don't need another one, we need somewhere where the knowledge is free for the asking, and advancement is unfettered by restrictions."
"No restrictions?"
"None." she asserted. "Naturally, such a place cannot, by definition, be a State institution, Governments always have secrets and always try to keep them secret."
“And nutjobs will have difficulty exploiting it because despite common misconception the truly dangerous stuff is already highly regulated and controlled, at least as far as the physical materials.” Helena nodded.
"Better still, by giving them a place they can reveal themselves, they can let everyone else know how insane their ideas really are." Liz contributed, "evil thrives when it seems 'forbidden', when they can claim to be suppressed, they gain converts because it makes them feel 'special', I intend my school to be a place where fools out themselves as fools, because no inquiry is forbidden."
"That…is actually quite appealing, Duchess, where is it to be?"
"I'm converting the old Ducal residence in Nha Tranh, that old fortress is too much for a lone girl to live in and it's a bomb magnet if it's used as a fortress…but it's durable enough, and spacious enough, to house quite a large number of students instead of soldiers. I'm moving the Ducal residence to a different site, and we're using the Sports Arena as the House of Government because Rugby and Futbol are better played on grass, under the sky, and whatever weather happens on by."
He began to chuckle, then…"I would like to invest when you're ready to seek financial backers for this."
"Got old books?" she asked, "anything, really, old books, papers, documents…"
"Melissa's going to love her meeting with you." he told her. "Daphne will also be there, this Christmas."
"Good." Liz said, "I would like to catch up with her now that she's an adult and her parents can't tell her 'no'."
That Evening, a cargo of death was dropped into Arluna's sun.
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===Walking Legal Tightrope===
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“I think we got lucky there. I nearly blew our cover story.” Jane Cameron lamented.
"We did, but we almost got unlucky because the knowledge of what it was, was hidden." Liz noted.
“Well you did fine, Sis. I’m the one who should be worried.” Jane admitted.
"I'm on a Tear, Jane, I know at least SOME of my ideas are unreasonable, but I don't care-right now. I'll care later, when I have to figure out the means to get to my ends before my end makes me end."
"Side effects?" Jane asked.
Liz Ngo nodded, "Yeah, manic periods, I'm aware that I'm only making sense like one word out of three, and that I'm high as a kite. The Doc and the Corpsman are going to have to figure out the adjust that lets me be completely rational...I'm sorry about that, at least, the reasonable part of me is."
“Which is part of why you’re having me take up more of the lead in our negotiations.” Helena nodded.
"Right you are…okay, lemme see, our next stop…no business to do there. Li already did it while we were away. They're getting one of the prototype charging stations in June." Liz recounted.
“Good. A nice quiet week sounds nice.” Helena sighed.
“Jinx!” Jane chuckled.
“Oh no, I did, didn’t I? I jinxed us!” Helena laughed.
"What could Possibly go wrong?" Liz dared finagle and happenstance.
“We’re nearly charged so we’ll find out soon enough.” Jane smiled.
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===Breaking the Rules, Saving Lives===
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What could possibly go wrong manifested in a system alert that Jane picked up as soon as the fog of Jump had cleared.
A bandit group was burning from the main planet here, to their Jumpship, situated near an L1 point in the system.
"Jane, do you have an LF battery?" Elizabeth asked quietly, as she watched the chase of Militia starting to flag behind the fleeing bandit dropship several AU distant.
“No. Caspars were never equipped with them and I was never refitted with one.”
"They're going to get away." Liz said quietly, "because we don't have the ability to intercept them before their jumpship leaves. This offends me. What can we do instead?" her voice was liquid nitrogen.
“Hmmm…. Can’t quick charge in time even. 3gs won’t get us there in time either. I’m sorry but I don’t think there is anything we can do beyond add their sensor signatures and hull markings to our warbooks.” Jane said sadly.
Helena frowned, "In the days of the Star League, we could report them to every neighboring systems using the HPG."
“I would assume the planet is already doing that themselves. If not, their leadership needs a good talking to.”
"Would they HAVE the sensor data?" Elizabeth asked. Her question had weight, a reminder that much of the technology that Helena and Jane had grown up with as common, was long extinct.
“I’ll forward what I have. Maybe it will have something useful for the neighboring systems that the militia didn’t record themselves.” Jane nodded.
"This is deep." Liz said, "deeper than raiders should be comfortable going."
“The double edged sword of the Clans. As much as they’ve raised military readiness of everyone, they also represent such a threat that standard anti-piracy patrols have been allowed to grow slack.” Helena understood immediately.
 
Elizabeth leaned back in her acceleration couch, brought up a window on her terminal, and began writing a Ducal Order.
"What are you doing?"
"I'm ordering the Coast Guard to step up anti-piracy patrols." she said, "it won't help MUCH, but if they're reaching this deep, every pair of eyes counts. We can put fifteen Merchant class Jumpship with Dropships in the field. It's not enough, but it's more than zero."
“Here.” Helena typed up a duty rotation to allow for rest, refit, training, resupply, and maximizing patrol times. “Least I can contribute.”
"I'll have to explain it to Her Majesty, I just broke like half a dozen laws by letting anyone know how many ships and fighters we've got. The Militias act of 3010 limits how many man-at-arms a planetary or system noble can mobilize, and this is a mobilization order for something like ten to twenty times that."
“Water can’t get much hotter than we already knew it would be.” Helena tried to reassure Elizabeth.
Helena appended her edits to Elizabeth's ducal order, and included Jane's detailed sensor survey of the raiding force before forwarding it to Jane to send to Kowloon by HPG.
"Well…at least a life sentence won't be that long." Lizzie joked, "They can't keep me longer than twenty years!"
"I think we'll be able to get you a waiver." Helena stated. "Of some kind. This is what a Noble is supposed to do if they're loyal."
“Just be sure to watch yourself too Helena. By doing what you did there you could be charged as a co-conspirator, or worse since you’re technically a foreign national.” Jane warned.
“You too. Even just sending this message could be enough.” Helena countered.
Jane’s remote visibly shuddered at the prospect of a life in prison.
“Maybe we could at least have adjoining cells.” Helena chuckled weakly.
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===Invitation to Supper===
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The trip became a bit of a repetitive duldrum in a way. By Windsor the jump point controllers no longer seemed alarmed at the appearance of a Warship on its way to Tharkad.
But that had a side effect.
“The Archon seems to have decided we need an escort.” Jane watched the flotilla of ships jump in.
“Only surprised it took this long really. We’ve been making a lot of noise and causing a fair bit of disruption just showing up unannounced with a Warship.” Elizabeth said flatly.
“We’re being hailed.” Samantha announced.
“Put them through.” Helena sighed.
<<”Hello, Elizabeth. Nice ship you have there.”>> Duke Diego’s voice was recognizable.
<”Greetings Duke Diego. Seems you have been misinformed. This vessel belongs to me, Helena Drillson. I am merely offering Duchess Ngo a ride to her swearing in.”> Helena answered.
<<”Ah, the new Baroness Spider Moon I have heard about. I am pleased to meet you. Perhaps we should talk in person. May I send over a small delegation?”>>
<”One moment.”> Helena muted the channel.
“Okay am I the only one who does not like the tone of his request?” Helena asked.
“No. But I’m not sure it is actually a request.” Jane shook her head.
“What are you thinking, Helena?” Elizabeth asked.
“He doesn’t like you either right? So maybe it wasn’t so much the Archon that arranged this escort. Maybe he did and he’s now looking for a way to steal your thunder. Maybe even worse. What would ingratiate him more to the Archon than bringing in a rogue noble and their Warship and offering both as gifts?” Helena proved just how quick of a study she could be.
“So how do we get out of this without a fight?” Elizabeth prodded.
“He has to have been quick charging his ships to catch up.” Jane said.
“Right. So we play nice on the surface. Invite him onboard. Give him enough rope to hang himself with and ditch his flotilla by quick charging ourselves.” Helena nodded.
“I’ll ready a proper reception, your Majesty.” Jacob smiled.
<”Apologies for the delay, Duke Diego, I just wanted to make ready for your arrival. How many place mats should I set out for supper?”> Helena asked.
<<”Oh just one for me, but I will have an entourage. They can see to themselves.”>>
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===Hostile negotiations ===
M5 Casper Class Destroyer, KCGS Elizabeth Cameron
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Jane’s remote stood on the other side of the airlock watching Duke Diego’s shuttle dock.
Out came a dozen marine equipped troops followed by what was obviously the Duke himself, then a dozen more marines.
“Welcome aboard the KCGS Elizabeth Cameron. This way please.” Jane said as they came through the airlock.
“I will admit this is an impressive ship.” Diego noted
“We are all quite fond of it. The owner hoped to do business with you, but you were away from Arluna.”
“Yes. Training and even hunting down some bandits, but luckily we caught up with you.”
“My sister is in here. She would like to speak with you privately. May I show your men to the crew lounge?”
“I think a full tour would be more in order. Perhaps starting with CiC.” Duke Diego smiled.
“Oh that would be my pleasure.” Jane smiled as she led the marines further down the corridor.
“My. You are certainly an interesting one, Baroness Drillson.” Diego said as he shut the hatch behind him.
<”How so?”>
“You’re good but I’ve dealt with Kowloon enough to recognize when someone is speaking their trash language as a second tongue. You may as well drop it and speak a proper language.”
<”Is this better?”> Helena broke out her Latin.
“I’m not sure what game you’re playing. But I have come to put a stop to it.”
“Okay you want me to shoot straight, I’ll shoot straight. You’re making a bad play right now.” Helena said.
“How so? I know how many people are in your crew thanks to loose tongues from all the people you’ve brought on board and the fact that this is sporting Coast Guard colors means I have your Duchess on violation of Militia Act provisions.” Diego stated.
“So you intend to seize my vessel and imprison the Duchess of Kowloon?”
“Yes.”
“Then I pronounce you guilty of piracy and abuse of authority. This vessel is mine not Elizabeth’s. It is merely registered with the Coast Guard as a formality. If you had not overstepped we would have gladly explained everything to the Archon. Including that this is actually a Star League Defense Force vessel, under the command of a Star League Defense Force officer. If your men are smart they should be having a nice relaxing cup of tea in the crew lounge about now.”
“Preposterous! You have no authority over me! You’re just a Baroness!” Duke Diego shouted
“Oh that’s actually a lesser title to make introductions easier. My real titles by right and tradition are First Lady of the Star League and Director-General of the Terran Hegemony. My real name is Helena Cameron.”
“Impossible!” Diego disagreed
“Moshe? Don’t be too rough on him, he hasn’t been too bad of a boy yet.” Helena smiled.
Diego turned his head, and realized his bodyguard had been replaced by someone else.
"HOW-?" Diego questioned in surprised
"It was really pretty easy, the first five guys? They were kinda hard." Moshe smirked, "Don't go for the side-howitzer, your grace, it won't end well for you."
"Jane, where are the rest of the duke's party?"
"My sick-bay is getting pretty crowded. Jacob has the rest in the crew lounge."
The hatch opened.
"Diego! What a delightful surprise...Moshe, if you would do the honors? I'm sure he won't need that sidearm, or the one by his ankle, we are, after all, guests, Diego and I…" Elizabeth Ngo stayed strapped in her seat. "I'd get up and curtsy, but you know, null-gee and bad knees."
"Tell them to back off!!" he snarled.
"Can't. Not my boat, not my house, not my guards or my personnel. I don't even have them under mercenary contract." Elizabeth said, "i'm a guest, and so are you…until you do something that makes you no longer welcome."
“By your own admission you intended to seize this vessel. Now so far it has just been words, and misunderstandings. Nothing has transpired so far that cannot be overlooked. So I’m going to offer you a chance Diego. You and your men can be returned safely to your ship or I can haul your ass in front of the Archon with a recording of you threatening to seize the private property of another individual. It might not hold up but just the accusation will be painful.”
"For personal gain." Liz chirped. "Gotta remember that moral high ground the Estates are all about."
“You win this round, Ngo.” Diego snarled.
"I wasn't aware I was playing, Herr Diego." Liz said smoothly, "If I were, I'd have brought more toys."
“I think it’s still not sunk in that I am telling the truth about who I am.”
"Yeah…Grandfather always thought he was a little dense, like his old man, but without the subtlety." Liz noted
“Oh. I will be telling the Archon about how you quick charged your flotilla out there. I’m sure she’ll be pleased by your thoughtfulness.” Helena smiled.
"Hey, we gots us an honor guard." Liz suggested, "I mean, since we're all going to see Her Majesty the Archon anyway, Right Diego? Not stopping off to visit with 'friends'?"
“Right…” Diego recognized defeat.
Elizabeth unbuckled, "See? We're all getting along splendidly now!" her eyes were snake's eyes, "We should talk business, since we're getting along so very well, Si?"
“Yes…” Diego sat back down.
"How would you like to get incredibly rich, Diego, I'm not talking 'can rent a battalion of Mercs to buff up your vassals' rich. I'm talking wealthy enough that Bradford anticipates your calls rich." she paused, before adding, "Instead of pawning you off on a servant."
“What is the catch?” Diego questioned.
"That's Helena's call, I expect to make a pretty bundle off this deal, but only she can set the terms, since it's her deal."
“I’m feeling mighty generous. So I’ll just take some outer system mineral and mining rights.” 
"But…those are worthless, you can't guard them!" he scoffed.
"Some of us can't." Jane chirped. "Some of us can."
“Of course. This is a Warship!” Diego laughed hysterically.
"Yes, yes she is." Liz said cryptically, "and the fueling and service contracts will need suppliers from the ground, merchant businesses, something more than annual tourist Kroner, something you can bank on."
“And even better, I’ll be giving priority to those, what do you call them? Oh yes ‘hill folk’. Should ease some of your domestic issues if I put them to work.” Helena smiled.
“Why? Why all this?” Duke Diego asked.
“Because like I said I’m feeling generous and maybe just maybe you’ll look back on this when you get a moment to yourself and realize just what you could have gotten if you were not so short sighted and self absorbed. Then again... ”
Liz reclined slightly, "Look, Diego, you put yourself in a position where you can be in, or you can be out, but we're going to take the mining rights and outer system from you regardless. If you're in, then you profit, if you're out, you get to watch someone else make all the money you didn't. Helena's offering to buy it, If you don't deal, then I'll speak with Her Majesty the Archon, and she'll give it to me and cut you out. All it will take, is consenting to provide sales and service to the Federated Suns member state." she leaned forward, "Do you know why I can do this? Because Maggie Doons, Bradford, Brewer, and Haranshire anticipate my calls and don't fob me off on lackeys. If I ask Dan Brewer or Cecil Bradford to cut you out, you'll have a hell of a time keeping your 'mechs running, the parts will be late, or not at all, due to 'national emergencies'. Get it? Your thirty-six classic Star League era Battlemechs will be museum quality statues...and you'll have a hell of time getting Urbanmechs or watchmen to replace them. If I call George McClaren? There goes your finances to hire more. I can own you, Diego, and I don't even need a bullet, but…Helena is a nice lady with a deep history and an affection for the Star League that I don't have...and you are a descendant of SLDF veterans from the last war the SLDF fought, so there's some good feeling there in her heart, that I don't feel, she's holding MY chain on this, if you piss her off, I get to play and I think you know how that game ends."
Diego's eyes widened a bit, then, "McClaren?"
"We dumped a bioweapon into the sun on my last visit. Nasty one, level zero hell-weapon from the Star League's collection of absolute nightmares. I stopped him from killing a world." Liz explained, "He owes me for that, and he doesn't really like you very much. YOU owe him your family's life for doing that, so it would be…ungrateful of you to harass someone he's in business with that isn't me...to wit, Helena here, who's into him for one point six Trillion in assets-which is a much bigger amount, than the two point five billion you've got with his firm."
“I do take a dim view on people using their station to make off with SLDF property, but I’m willing to grant that this has all been a misunderstanding. Partly of our making since we didn’t call ahead and make proper arrangements. So what will it be Diego? If you’re smart you’ll take this chance and make all your people prosperous.” Helena smiled.
Diego simply nodded.
“Good boy.”
Elizabeth leaned back in her couch, pulled up her noteputer, and started humming a song as Helena's aide brought hardcopy for the contracts from elsewhere in the ship.
The Duke of Arluna's eyes widened as he saw who else was in the partnership.
"Now, they'll have a reason to answer your calls." Helena told him as he signed his portion.
The letterhead said "Cameron LLC", and had the Cameron Star as a corporate logo.
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