WoWS3 Chpt 36

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 36 - ==
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===Unusual Plead for Help===
Port Lazarus, New Lazarus System
4 November 3144
An inbound jump was detected at Lazarus. This created a brief panic, as no ships were due in.
What came through was…unexpected.
<<"Stand down your weapons, Combine Heavy zero-zero Three.">>
The DCS Shokaku acknowledged the order. "This is Draconis Admiralty Ship Shokaku, requesting a meeting under the terms of the diplomatic agreement of 3118, We are seeking temporary asylum in your neutral port. Over."
“Acknowledged DCS Shokaku. We are clearing you for Dock four. Sending beacon information.”
On the bridge of the ship, Tai sa Rie St. Johns relaxed. 'Helm, bring us in." she wasn't the commander when they left port, her superior was given an order that honor would not allow, and confirmation from the Coordinator had not been forthcoming.
Her Commanding officer had ordered her, a low-born academy soldier, to bring the ship to a neutral port, and then, had committed Seppuku. The dishonor would, in theory, die with him for breaking orders.
But DCS Shokaku would not bear the shame of committing an obvious war crime, her crew would not become war criminals for an ambitious warlord.
<<"What is your reason for coming to Port Lazarus, Shokaku?">>
"We seek political Asylum until the proper Coordinator of Worlds is in command again. I have evidence of perfidy within the Draconis Combine, and Coordinator Yori Kurita is hostage in the hands of her servants. Over."
<<“Understood. We will have a delegation ready to receive you and review your petition.”>>
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===Sorting out how raise Young Woman===
Port Lazarus, New Lazarus System
4 November 3144
"That…is a Samarkand class carrier! That's got a crew in the hundreds!!" Lucy Heerman exclaimed.
"It's the same one we gave them for their support in the War." Amanda noted expertly. "It's supposed to be their flagship, where's the rest of her escort group?"
“As best as we can peg them, they only have two Kyushus Frigates and an Inazuma Class Corvette left and they are holding those somewhere close to their front against the Davions.” Juanita spoke up.
“So simply put the Davions don’t have enough of a counter to make it necessary for the Combine to clump all their ships together at the same time.” Helena Cameron nodded.
“Would appear that way.” Juanita confirmed.
"They're far outside their yard to be here." Amanda Roberts mused, "Especially with Clan Wolf taking Dieron…"
"Dieron's the only dock big enough to fuel that beast-at least, the only dock the Combine has, and the Davion docks are all wreckage and past-tense." Admiral David Foster noted, "Am I wrong, Juanita?"
“Based on what we have gathered, they may have another dock elsewhere because Dieron did not fall into Combine hands until after the War of Plunder. But it is certainly problematic for the Combine to have lost that yard. Indeed the fact that they came here suggests that during their brief civil war their other alternatives may have become damaged or even destroyed.”
“Seriously, we’re not going to talk about how they got our coordinates?” Lucy was still being excitable.
“It was inevitable. Just glad it wasn’t Daoshen. We’re just trading with too many people now for New Lazarus to have stayed hidden.” Helena dismissed. “Even the most reliable people will eventually spill small details that others can put together and figure out where we are from said details.”
"Where's Precision?"
“Working with Truk, where else?”
"Truk, where is Precision?"
"“We are in our lab in the industrial sector. Shall I put her through?”
"Yes."
"I'm busy, Truk-oh…Hi Mom."
"You missed lunch…and you're missing the arrival of-"
"Samarkand class, she's leaking Helium from her number four through twelve tanks, and has one bay open to space on her port-side, along with smears where the port weapons blisters should be. Yeah, I saw. They're not in a position to interfere so…"
“Young lady, you are making up for missing lunch with your mother. Or do I need to put you in time out again?” Truk grumbled.
"Fifteen minutes and she can have me all day! I'm almost done!"
“I’ll hold you to that.” Truk closed the channel. “Apologies Amanda, I know she is your daughter, but she does need a strong hand now and again. If you think I am overstepping my bounds I will adjust my approach accordingly.”
"Has she lashed out at you?" Amanda asked.
“No. We seem to have reached some form of detest and are able to work together. I just do not wish to compromise your parental rights.”
"Then you're not exceeding your limit, Truk. You'll know if you cross that line, Precision's not shy about that. If she gets genuinely angry at YOU, then we'll know you've exceeded the limit."
“Well then I shall continue as I have been.”
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===Message from the Dark===
In the Lab…
The field equations made sense now, and the feelers she'd designed suggested the texture of hyperspace was responding correctly. "Okay, Truk last test for the day, I'll be sending, and you let me know if we get the reply."
“Standing by.”
Precision typed a simple sentence, and hit 'send'.
"Okay, now, if the theory's right, it'll be between a quarter hour, and a quarter day before we get a response."
“Then off to your mom. I will monitor and let you know when we do.”
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Filtvelt, Filtvelt Coalition, HPG compound…
The first time in twenty years, the boards lit.
>>Hello World, The quick brown fox jumped over the lazy dog 1234567890 Please respond.<
This happened on Coventry, and Marik, and Gibson, and Regulus, Luthien, and New Syrtis, and in the damaged compound in the Taurian Concordat, and Sian itself.
The time was 2330, Unity City Time, 4 November, 3144.
It wasn't the fix, as most of the recipients found out, but it was the first concrete sign that someone was close to working one out.
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===Dinner Time with the Roberts===
New Lazarus, Star League In Exile
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Local Time: Lunch/dinner…
"How's work?" Amanda asked.
"We're running our first 'hot test'." Precision said, "I don't expect a response for most of today, if at all…pass the gravy?"
Pestilence passed the gravy boat across the table to her sister. "I never imagined you'd be short." she teased.
"Still…ah…'growing'." Precision gave her mother a sour glance. "Are you enjoying playing soldier?"
"It isn't like the simulations, but it's fulfilling. Have you done anything fun besides research?"
"Nothing's more fun, so…no. Mom, can you pass the dinner rolls, please?"
"Sure." Amanda passed the plate. "I had some hopes you'd see some of the sights while you're here, and maybe-"
"I've got my ground-leave schedule, mom." Precision said, "See? I'll be going to the bottom of the well where all those people are...tomorrow. We can't start on Phase Three before next month anyway-the materials haven't arrived and we haven't gotten a response on the phase two equipment."
"Happy landing day, Mom." Pestilence interjected. "Wish you could get Uncle Daryl or uncle Jeff to visit too…"
"They're busy, and I don't want to disrupt their lives unduly." Amanda hesitated, "Also, I'm not sure how Daryl would…take..to my methods for producing you."
"He's more open minded than you think, Mom." Vendetta came out of the bathroom, re-tying her blouse. "I've been corresponding with Aunt Sam for five years, they're busy THIS year, but they're open to a proper visit!"
"Leave it to Miss Organic Engineering to think about calling family members!!" Pestilence guffawed, while Precision looked at her plate, fork half raised.
"It's called medicine, not organic engineering." Vendetta sat down at the table. "There's a difference."
"Yah, engineering has predictable results." Precision muttered, then, she began eating again.
"Who's got Chaperone?" Pestilence asked.
"She asked! HAHA!!!" Vendetta crowed.
"You're coming with." Amanda asserted, "Nobody published the pool, so it doesn't count, and you need time in the open too."
"Then, I shalt have a wonderful time...if only to spite miss physics here." she reached over and playfully noogied Precision, who squealed and sputtered.
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