WoWS3 Chpt 33

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 33 - ==
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===Flawed Parenting===
Briefing Room - Star League in Exile HQ
New Lazarus, system
29th September, 3144
"...the device SEEMS to stabilize hyperspace in the bands used by HPG traffic, Precision's our expert, she spent nearly twenty years figuring it out and assisting Kolossus." Amanda Roberts was explaining to Helena's command staff.
"So…why is she presenting as a pubescent teen?" asked on of the staffer.
"The body that was available at the time wasn't finished going through growth phase, and I wanted her here to do the work….and she needs to learn some patience and humility." Amanda explained.
“Partnering her with Truk should help with that. It is his nature to look after others.” Helena Cameron nodded.
Admiral David Foster wasn't having it, "There's more to it than that." he observed, "Isn't there? What's your other game, Amanda?"
"I told you-", Amanda began.
"Yeah, and I remember you were not that much older the first time I met you, but you were older. I've seen Seron's reports, you're making her go through something you didn't entirely go through, aren't you?" Foster observed
"What-?" Amanda said in disblief.
"The Blakists did some other things to Amanda Roberts, one of those other things meant…Let's say it's easier to manage hormone balances with implants the girl at the station's worksite doesn't have."
"It shouldn't be a problem!" Amanda insisted.
"Really? I've supervised sibkos before, Amanda, your daughter is going through biological and chemical changes you managed to side-step, and I will bet a bottle of Old Connaught that nobody. I mean nobody has given her "the talk" you're not prepared to give her!"
Helena put it together, "You're serious?"
"I know my people." David said, "I'm not doing it, but that kid needs it."
“My AIs would make an absolute mess trying to have that talk. None of them have the contextual experience. Which means it has to be me. I’m the only one who is family, been through it, and even had the talk three times already.” Helena sighed.
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===Learning to be human woman===
Truk Anchorage (Station) - Admin’s Office
New Lazarus, system
1st October, 3144
“Better?” Helena asked as Precision was eating some chocolate ice cream.
“How does this work…” Precision furled her brow in concentration.
“Sometimes I think chocolate was created to tame us women as I have not met very many that can resist it nor those who fail to feel better after eating some while menstruating.”
“I hate this… This is all so frustrating.”, Precision vented.
“Growing up is never easy, but the rewards are there if you’re prepared to accept them.” Helena told teenage Envoy.
“But I’m a mess. One minute I’m depressed, the next I’m, well… aroused? Then I cry for no reason.” vented Precision.
“Yeah, it sucks at that age in particular. But as you get older and learn to adapt for your unique experience it’ll get easier. Hell, if for nothing else because it will be a bit more predictable.”
“Worst part. All the small little factors that can throw it off.” explained Precision.
“I’ve been human for almost four hundred years now. I’ve only had to deal with what you’re going through for about 25 of them, but honestly I wouldn’t trade it for anything. That's because it has also come with five wonderful children. I know motherhood is probably the furthest thing from your mind and really down on your list of priorities and I’m not suggesting you change that. Just saying there are upsides that do make it all worthwhile when you’re ready.”
“I still hate it. I’ll always hate it.” Precision stated heatively. 
“I know it seems cruel but no shortcuts or easy outs for you. You’re one of us now. So sit back, relax, and let’s watch Ian Hemsworth-Davion in my favorite movie of his.” Helena suggested
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===Caught between a date and bullets===
Streets of Tharkad City
Tharkad, Lyran Commonwealth
3rd October, 3144
The bodyguards were busy. "Come ON!" She tried again at the lock on the alley gate. The damned thing was blindly mechanical. "Hurry up, hurry up…"
Something hot buzzed past, as the padlock gave up and released.
She shoved through it, taking a moment to help her companion through.
"You're still with me?" Priss asked.
He winced in agony and nodded.
Up until the ambush, this had been a fun date.
"If they're moving on you, what's going on at the Palace?" she muttered, shoving the gate closed and helping him past the trash of one of Tharkad City's poorest areas.
Gunfire up ahead, and gunfire behind…
Dammit, this was supposed to be FUN!
A city police vehicle crossed the exit of the alley, only to stop, and burst into flames.
"Stay with me, Roddy…" she had to drag his semi-unconscious ass, as someone behind them grew a brain and started forcing the gate open.
THOOM, THOOM… 
A Hauptmann stepped into the gap, and turned, it raised one arm, and a storm of machine gun tracers passed over them with a ratcheting roar.
"GET A MEDIC!!" she screamed.
Troops from Trillian's personal unit appeared, some showing wounds, and a medic rushed forward. "He's alive, but he was hit BAD!!"
"We've got him, madam!" a trooper told her.
In the distance, the sound of 'mech scale weapons and combat wracked the city's darkness, illuminating it in flashes.
"Are you hurt, baroness?"
"Does it matter? Is the Archon still the Archon?" Priss demanded.
"Yes…now, are you….you are. Hold still…" 
Not dying from a wound? That's actually a new experience. Priss let them help her to a litter, as the field medic applied a tourniquet to her left leg, and started bandaging her back and shoulder.
<ALICE!!!>
<Busy, right now Priss…oh shit, you're hurt.> Alice observed.
<No shit. What the hell is happening?> Priss questioned
<Factions in the Estates and the Military are try-okay, have tried a violent coup…since one of the factions thought we’d be good leverage for future legitimacy we're helping mop it up. Is Roddy alive?> Alice questioned
<Yes.>
<That's good news. I'll tell Trillian, wait one.> Alice told her
<How's Lori?> she could feel her meat mind fading under drugs.
<Lori's fine.> Alice messaged
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Gray, then darkness…followed by a familiar sensation. Shit, I died again. she felt the sensation of the relay signal, and the familiar tang of circuitry.
Alice met her in cyberspace. "Wow, they ****** you up…"
"Where's the relay?" Priss asked.
"Relay's down, I managed to pierce their jamming." Alice said, "Don't worry, there's plenty of room in the core for now. What happened?"
"Ambush on the way back from dinner, they hit us hard, but they used infantry to try and make a grab. Roddy was hurt…how did they jam the link?"
"Not to be too fine about it, but they used the method Alaric told the Snow Ravens about, problem is this wasn't Wolf work or you'd be in a jar file. These guys got ahold of part of it, but not all of it, so I could penetrate the jamming and get you out before you ended up dead for real."
"My body?"
"THAT we can't fix. So the best I could do is offer a spare remote as a loner but pretty sure that won’t work for you."
"I can't do my job as a remote, Alice…******. I thought it was all too good to be true. Can you send me on to Kolossus?" Priss asked
"Not yet." Alice told her.
"Can you afford to keep me active in memory, or do you need to put me in…"
“Fortunately I have Billie’s ATAC system so I have plenty of spare memory and processing power.” Alice explained
"Okay, good, I hate dormancy, it isn't like you'd imagine-you feel every second like it's ten thousand years." Priss told her friend.
“I know a little something about that…” Alice said
"Can you track where my relay sat WAS?" questioned Priss.
"Yeah, I spotted the shot that killed it. Someone knew exactly where you put your escape hatch, and that's…gonna be troubling as hell."
"No shit. Someone knew exactly what I am, and how to go after me." Priss angerly replied/
“What’s really shocking is Tharkad Orbital Control had to actually do their job competently for a change. I’ve lost count of the near collisions I’ve avoided because they didn’t advise me until it was almost too late about orbital debris.”
"Must be nice having the armor…okay, I need to compose a report to Lori and another one to Her Majesty the Director-General…and to Kolossus…and mom's going to freak, I was trying to take care of that body."
“Clearing channels and your calendar two months from now.” Alice told her.
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===Vedet schemes afar from Tharkad===
Ducal Palace
Melissia, Vesper Marches
11th October, 3144
“How can this get any worse.”
Duke Vedet Brewer had found himself in charge of a small nine world alliance that had flocked to him readily enough from former Clan Jade Falcon controlled worlds that had little love for an Archon that allowed them to fall under Mongol Falcon rule. That would be fine but what troubled him was Alaric Ward was making a serious play for being Archon as well.
Vedet had managed to get the support of a small unit on Tharkad, one he hoped to use to leverage the Star League into providing him support and legitimacy by taking control of their embassy.
But Alaric found his own catspaw that had leveraged a larger unit’s displeasure at Trillian’s handling of Hesperus II and the large segments of the populace growing increasingly unhappy under her ineffectual rule.
Vedet cursed himself for not thinking of using Hesperus to find more supporters among the units stationed on Tharkad.
So what was supposed to be a simple affair became a complete debacle.
“But who… Who else has that much pull? They would need someone fairly high up in affairs. Someone enough of the troops respect…. There’s only one other person who has sufficient ambition and name recognition that could be persuaded. Reiner Hogarth. I would not be surprised if Trillian made the mistake of giving him Hesperus after my little stunt. If so I fully expect him to have stupidly sworn fealty to Alaric by now. He was always a little toady trading on name recognition and going which way the wind was blowing.” Vedet clenched his fist.
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