SotU Chpt 15

=Chapter 15=
==State of the Union==
Loknar DQ, Addicks
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
2 April 3063
----
Characteristically, Ardan Sortek hadn't taken over the penthouse of the hotel for his headquarters. Instead he was occupying a two bedroom suite that had probably been chosen for it's terrible view - there were very few possible sniping positions that could have someone putting shots in the windows. Peter thought that the only reason it was even a two bedroom suite was because Ardan had an aide to accommodate.
"I'm sorry I had to take precautions," his father's champion told them once they'd been admitted to the suite and taken seats on the couch. The aide, having offered drinks, delivered Catherine's flavored water (Peter had dismissed the idea) and then withdrew tactfully. "There have been a couple of imposters claiming to be you, Peter, even if they didn't make it past even basic identity checks. We couldn't risk this being a more professional attempt."
"There were?" Peter rubbed his chin.
"Some people like the idea of being royalty. One was granted a pardon on condition of therapy and the second one should get out of prison in a few more years." Ardan had two fingers of whisky in his glass as he sank into an armchair facing them. "Abbot Giles confirms your identity and we've done another blood test on Catherine."
"I take it that it confirmed her identity?" asked Peter
Ardan paused and then sipped from his glass. "It confirms your relationship, yes. Identity is something else."
"What else can it be?" Peter demanded. "Mother and father can hardly have hidden another daughter!"
"Your parents were very resourceful people. Admittedly I see no reason that they would have done such a thing, but there have been some very creative acts of espionage over the years." Ardan said to him.
"I am Catherine with a C," Peter's sister said firmly and then hesitated. "I don't know who is on the throne."
"No, and nor do we." Ardan confirmed smoothly. "We can hardly accuse her of being an imposter."
"Why not?" asked Peter. "Challenge her to take a blood test against... hmm."
"Yes, against whom? You, Yvonne and Victor all have an invested interest in discrediting her. Catherine is an unknown and, unfortunately, the explosion that killed Arthur left too little to use. She has every reason to deny such an allegation and unfortunately, Victor's credibility in presenting Catherine would be... lacking."
"Well why not?" demanded Peter and then the penny dropped. "Oh. Joshua Marik."
Ardan gave him a rueful smile. "Unfortunately, yes. I don't believe your brother had any intention of a long-term replacement of the Captain-General's heir with an imposter but presenting Catherine as the 'real' second child of Hanse and Melissa would seem suspicious to everyone - particularly when we don't know if Katherine - with a K -" he added as an aside to Cat, "- would pass the test. If she did then she'd gain credibility and Victor would lose it."
Peter leant back into the couch. "Alright. That makes sense... although I have to wonder where she came from."
"It's not impossible, if admittedly far-fetched to think that someone may have obtained genetic samples of your parents and created their own Steiner-Davion in a test-tube. The technology certainly exists - the Clans make widespread use of it."
"That would be kind of a lapse of security. Then again, if Katrina isn't my sister then I have to wonder how she got through security checks"
Ardan looked pained. "Unfortunately, such checks are inevitably controlled by people and she brought her own inner security from Tharkad."
"And no one noticed?" Peter asked
Catherine reached over and touched his sleeve. "The Captain-General rules the League based largely on House Marik vouching for his kinship to them after his time with ComStar."
"Well, yes. But he's a Marik." Peter saw a flicker of surprise on Ardan's face. "Isn't he?"
The older man shook his head slowly. "Now how did you know that, Catherine."
"Are you serious? Thomas Marik is an imposter? And we know about it?" He rose to his feet. "My God, Ardan!"
"Please sit down, Peter."
He obeyed slowly. "Why isn't Victor doing anything about it?"
Ardan steepled his hands. "Destabilizing the Free Worlds League isn't in our interests. Until relatively recently we were badly dependent on them for shipments of equipment to refit our armies to face the Clans and since then they've been one of the pillars of the Second Star League. Also, the Captain-General was supposedly tested intensively when he returned from ComStar in 3030."
Peter snapped his fingers. "But not in 3036 when he returned after apparently dying in that bombing."
"We assume that such checks as were carried out were subverted. How, I'm not sure."
"Paul Marik would do anything for his brother," Catherine told them. "As Intelligence Minister he has the power to control such checks."
"But would he prop up an imposter?" asked Ardan thoughtfully.
"If his real brother asked him to, yes. Duncan Marik was losing support and the League's parliament would not accept a cyborg as Captain-General."
Peter groaned. "Marik's a cyborg, now? This is like a cheap novel."
"If he was sufficiently injured then Thomas might well have needed prosthetics." Ardan lifted his glass. "You could be wrong, Catherine, but it's a plausible explanation. Although once again, you seem to have sources of information we don't."
"Do you have any bombs to drop about Sun-Tzu Liao?" Peter asked. "Or Theodore Kurita? Why not go for a full sweep of the Inner Sphere?"
She hesitated and then sipped on her water. "We have a nephew."
Ardan closed his eyes wearily and Peter rose explosively from the couch and stalked to the drinks cabinet, rifling through it for a bottle of brandy. Half-filling a tumbler, he took a gulp and let it burn its way down his throat. "Okay. Omi, I assume?"
Catherine nodded.
"Could be worse." said Peter
"The Draconis March will go insane." Ardan predicted gloomily. "They've already got regiments occupying prefectural capitals after the raids last years. Now the Kuritas have a half-Davion heir the way they did back in the 2720s."
"Oddly enough, I trust Omi." Peter told him. "I met her on Solaris and I think she genuinely cares for Victor. The kid's obviously being kept a secret and we can rely on her to do that."
"Until her gardener assassinates her." Catherine rose and tried to hand him her empty glass. "Can I have more. Peter? Peter?"
Peter was surprised his own glass didn't break when he set it down sharply. "Can I have a little more detail about this assassin, Cat."
"Katrina hired him to kill Omi." she said thoughtfully. "The same man she used to kill Me- Mo..." She sagged suddenly and her glass did shatter as it slipped out of her hand and hit the tiled floor. "Mother?"
Peter threw his arms around her before she fell. Tears were beginning to flow from her eyes. "It's okay, sis. It's okay, just sit down."
"It's not okay." She struggled and he had to hold tighter. "She killed my mother."
"My mother too." he reminded her quietly.
"Oh." The strength went out of her. "I'm sorry. So sorry."
"It's not your fault." He lifted her up and laid her out on the couch, then turned towards Ardan. "And you think we should let Katrina rule for a moment longer than we must."
"I've never thought that," Ardan told him levelly. "But I owe your father too much to take a risk like going for New Avalon now with a half-baked plan."
"Even if it kills your cousin?" asked Peter
The older man's eyes narrowed. "Do you think he's the only one at risk? My son Conner was with the assault on the DQ yesterday and barely escaped with his life. Did you think about that when you pushed us to assault the place?"
"Conner? Is he alright?"
''
"He punched out in time." Ardan pushed himself to his feet. "Get your head together, Peter. I'll send word to Luthien about this gardener. One thing that... Katrina is right about is that losing Omi would hurt your brother badly. We can't afford that."
Peter nodded slowly. "I'll speak to you again."
"When we're both calmer." Ardan rapped on the door and the aide opened it a moment later. "Prince Peter and his sister will remain here until she's ready to return to her suite," he informed the young officer. "I'll be in the comms center."
"Yes, sir. Should I join you there?"
"No, Captain." Ardan glanced at Peter. "I believe the Prince has a requisition for parts from the DQ to put together. Give him a hand with that. We're going to need all the operational 'Mechs we can get and if Clovis Holstein says that he can get them fixed up in a useful timespan then I believe him."
----
Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
Category:State of the Union Chapters