HidHop-6

==Chapter 6 – The Prophet==
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===Deep Space Meeting===
10/08/3051 | Botany Bay, Clan Occupied Space
High Visionary Egan Telosa was amazed at the skill in which Starship Pilot Grade XI Vaz ‘flew’ Amaru’s Bliss, a Monarch luxury liner in service to the One Star Faith, through the crowded space around Botany Bay’s Nadir. “How do you make sense of it all Vaz?”
The small man didn’t look away from his task keeping his hands tight on the toggle along with his co-pilot. “You just ride that radio beam, computer traffic control handles the rest.” 
Their dropship passed within the shadow of an immense starship its flanks covered by bulbous dropships attached to it like barnacles on a great whale. Its gargantuan jumpsail sparkled in the light to their port and began to retract back into a cavernous bay under the close supervision of a shuttle. “What is that?”
“Potemkin Troop Cruisers. Those were our prime movers from our Homeworlds. Each one can garrison and easily support a Galaxy for months without resupply. Only eight survived over the years but they are all forward deploying to support our Touman.”
“Those are from the Exodus Fleet?”
“Vintage SLDF. The steel with their fleet registration numbers were removed and put behind glass to remember their history.”
“How much was left?”
“Of the Fleet?”
He nodded while Vaz continued, “Most of it was destroyed or damaged through our history. It took us generations to even approach this fleet and it is a pale shadow of the one our Great Father led all those years ago. Even the Second Exodus led by Nicholas was larger.”
“A Second Exodus?”
“Yes, some of our number rebelled against the Great Father’s wisdom, so his son fled to Strana Mechty and established the Clans to retake and secure his father’s legacy. All twenty original Clans worked together and were victorious.”
“I only know of six Clans. What happened to the other fourteen?”
“They were found unworthy, some faced righteous judgment for their transgressions. Others wisely saw their own shortcomings and joined to strengthen another Clan.”
Egan nodded, “A tragic loss.”
“Necessary cost to growth. If we had kept weakness around, we would not have returned to the Inner Sphere to restore the Star League under the ilKhan.”
Before them a magnificent battleship loomed surrounded by dozens of gunships, fighters, and dropships. Amaru’s Bliss slipped through the outer picket and picked up a Star of fighters as Vaz and his co-pilot spoke in staccato code. As they approached Egan saw the most curious thing, “Is that a tank on the hull?”
“Ay, the McKenna’s Pride and many of our old SLDF ships lacks good point defense. On each there is a Star of Hachiman tanks modified to crawl on the dorsal and ventral surfaces just in case of accidental weapons fire.”
“Fascinating.”
They continued their ongoing crash course on Clan Culture and Etiquette while waiting for the McKenna’s Pride to open the door to their docking collar. Egan Telosa had grown up in the Lyran Court but even their pleasantries paled in comparison to those of the Clans. As the INTELSTAR detachment that had joined them around Drask’s Den said, “When everyone is an armed Warrior, it is unwise to offend, unless otherwise.”
Two Elementals boarded first wearing Obsidian Black armor polished to a fine sheen. The lines on their equipment were curved rather than angular, more appropriate for ship corridors and they wore no insignia or nametag. INTELSTAR Analyst IX Suri whispered to him, “Those are members of the Ebon Keshik, the ilKhan’s bodyguard. Like us they have given up their Clan identity and personal glory in service to the whole.”
A woman followed shortly behind them, Vaz saluted, and Egan’s faithful bowed slightly following his cue. She had a softer look and moved with a Duchess’ practiced grace pulling an ermine lined but wavy half-cape beside her gray uniform trimmed a pair of black lines going for her epaulettes to her boots. “Greetings High Visionary Egan Telosa and his followers. I am Camille Devereaux, Khan of Clan Nova Fox. I understand you have been expecting us for centuries and I was willing to return the favor for at least hours.”
She approached him and walked between the Faithful lined up in neat rows before standing in front of him. Then whispered, “I would love to hear about these visions you have experienced young man. 
My people have a long history with prophecy and while the others may dismiss it. 
We respect gifts that we do not understand.”
Camille spoke up to the others, “Please follow me.” She looked to either side, “These men will ensure you do not get lost. A Warship is a dangerous place, watch your step.”
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===Ambition to Capture a Beast===
10/09/3051
High Visionary Egan Telosa glanced about at the unusual objects within this compartment, singing bowls, crystals cut to specific geometries, censors hanging from the ceiling, decks of cards, incense burners, and ceramic jars stuffed with aromatics, all the trappings of a tribal mystic onboard the SLS McKenna’s Pride.
A large woman with dark hair streaked with gray entered wearing robes with patches of it colored like the coat of a great plains cat, “I have seen you before.” 
She sat cross-legged across from him on the plush colorful mats, “That seems unlikely High Visionary. I am Oathmaster Biccon Winters of Clan Nova Fox and I have never seen you before.”
“Yet it is true. Last week I had a vision in which I saw you.”
“Do tell.”
“I interpreted it that something you, Oathmaster Winters, were responsible for creating will rebel. A great hunter uncaged, that will one day soon prove their doubters wrong. 
You are an Elemental,quiaff?”
“Aff.”
“Your last mission was the capture of Ironhold, quiaff?”
“Aff, before I became Oathmaster I was a Star Colonel in the Touman. One of the very few Elementals to earn that rank.”
“Because you possess what we call Fingerspitzengefühl, or a great intuition and awareness. In another life you would have been a renowned Warrior Queen leading great Warbands to victory. You know that to be true.
However, I saw you perched atop a stocky Mech, a…Kingfisher, in that final battle surveying the devastation and feeling a sense of loss.”
Oathmaster Winters retained a serene detachment, but Egan could see that something troubled her, “How do you see these things? And know what you do about us?”
Egan folded his arms into the sleeves of his robes, “Can you tell me how you see what you do? Or what granted you the knowledge to know that I speak the truth?”
“Neg.”
“Unfortunately, I cannot explain it either. It just is and comes and goes as it pleases.”
“Then we are equally cursed to see things that we cannot influence or understand until they appear.”
“Cassandra does indeed weep for us all Oathmaster.”
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===A Vision Realized===
11/05/3051
Oathmaster Winters was coming out of meditation when her computer beeped, she crouch walked over to and sat over it in seiza style. 
<<‘On 10-11-3051, Team Leader Diana, of the Steel Viper Watch, her team, and others have defected to the Inner Sphere, sabotaged the occupation forces on the planet Elissa, and escaped the system with Bondsmen from The Kell Hounds mercenary unit.>> 
<<Due to the sensitivity of documents that even her low station was entrusted with, all operational plans are being revised and protocols enacted to protect operational security.>> 
<<All Senior Officers and Overseers are to consult with Central Command, INTER-LOGI, and INTELSTAR for modifications.’>>
The Oathmaster pulled up the attached file on the freeborn Diana, saw the names of her parents, and pulled out a faded green and black Clan Jade Falcon patch still encrusted with flakes of gray earth from her vineer pouch. “Impossible.”
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===Meeting with the IlKhan===
11/08/3051
Roared through the open flight bay as a dark skinned man with fierce eyes framed by tribal tattoos detailing his accolades in each swirl. His black mane swept with each movement of his head flaring out in microgravity as he appeared in the shuttle doors stepping down from the suspended shuttle to stand beside Elementals from his Ebon Keshik.
ilKhan Showers paused on the deck-plates and surveyed the crowd of almost three hundred saluting him aboard the Clan’s command ship, SLS McKenna’s Pride, who had turned out lining the catwalks above Flight Deck Four for a glimpse. Brightly colored guests stood alongside the dress grays of the Clan Naval Reserve.
Leo gestured firmly and turned to the aerial drones broadcasting his return to the remaining crew watching in one of the dozen galleys onboard that served the 2,298 personnel onboard consisting of ship’s crew, Senior Clan Staff including the Khans as well as support, medical, and security personnel. 
“It is my honor to return to the McKenna’s Pride, the Flagship of our superior civilization, from time spent aboard the Quicksilver before its departure, and ours that we stand on the eve of our first major victory. 
Tamar will soon be ours thanks to the skill and ferocity of Galaxy Commanders Aleksandr Jorgensson and Roberto Snuka. I look forward to congratulating them personally when they rotate back.
Its capture concludes the first wave of our glorious revival of the Star League.
As anticipated, the Inner Sphere’s forces crumble or cower beneath the combined might of our Clans. 
It is only a matter of time until Tharkad and the rest of the Commonwealth are ours.”
Applause filled the hanger bay as he pushed off and into the battleship’s labyrinthine corridors. 
Within ‘The New Ring’ as GravDeck Four was called Egan Telosa walked into an great (for a Warship) hall adorned with six podiums and nineteen hangings depicting fearsome beasts with a black stripe alongside all but six of them. A twentieth spot was set aside but empty for some reason and a Cameron Star was painted onto the deckplates with a large chair positioned at the longest end opposite him. Oathmasters Biccon Winters (Nova Fox), Laurie Tseng (Ghost Bear), Christopher Ahmed (Steel Viper), Chandra Mi-Ran (Mongoose), Katalina Sword (Hell’s Horses), and Baltazar Graves (Star Adder) waited behind their Clan’s podiums each one gray and grizzled by decades of service to their Clan. Many of them were the senior most active duty Warrior in the Touman although it was theoretically open to anyone that could win the special Melee. 
As Winters had told them, with their Loremasters administering their Homeworlds and other occupied territories, each Clan’s Oathmasters, normally a ceremonial position, had taken their place as Counselors to the Khans, including ilKhan Leo Showers.
Leo Showers sat with his stance firmly forward within the chair as the door closed behind him and his escorts took their place next to their brothers and sisters of the Ebon Keshik. He tapped his fingers on his thighs before standing and walking into the center. Then he looked up at the holographic projection above him studying the patterns of clusters, Jumpship convoys, and warship squadrons in transit or upon contested and occupied worlds from the Hanseatic League to Tamar each glittering like stars in the night sky. 
“Oathmaster Winters tells me you have a unique gift, High Visionary.”
“Even I was surprised ilKhan.” Egan looked aside and gestured as if to banish an unseen miasma. 
“To think that anyone would seek to break faith with her people. It is hard to fathom.”
“Indeed, it has proven a minor inconvenience, but one we shall overcome.” He looked back at him with a terrifying glare, his eyes filled with power accented by the sharp shadows cast on him from the projection above. 
“I do not put as much faith in auguries and astrology as she does, but I wished to ask for myself before sending you home. 
Have you seen anything of me.”
“I have.” The Oathmasters looked toward one another speaking to one another in hushed barely audible tones.
“Is that so?”
“Indeed.”
“Tell us what you have seen then, if only to sate my curiosity.”
“I see you, the ilKhan caught in a battle between dark and light. 
Your end will come from neither man nor machine but from your own shadow.”
“Neither man nor machine will kill me?” Leo laughed, “My own shadow will be my undoing?” He looked behind him, “How intriguing. I shall have to keep eyes on you, rascal. 
Have you further detail High Visionary? About the threat my own shadow poses.”
“Neg, I never inquire upon my visions. Nor would I dismiss them, no matter how outlandish. 
I would not have been on Elissa to await your arrival if I had.”
“Very intriguing. I should like to keep you on hand if only for the entertainment value. However, I would rather have Illusha’s Vipers in the field rather than upon Elissa. I trust you can manage with some help from INTER-LOGI?”
High Visionary Telosa bowed deeply, “My fleet, flock, and people are at your service ilKhan. We only wish to continue our work. However, for that we will need an HPG to evangelize your ways to our people.”
“I may be able to manage it. Until then I shall dismiss you and bid you good fortune.”
“Thank you ilKhan. If you need anything of us, merely ask.”
Egan departed the door opened by the Ebon Keshik. Leo faced the gathered Oathmasters and Scribes, “Get Elissa an HPG. It is a gap in our network and if this High Visionary has any urgent ‘visions’ then we should want to hear about it.”
Chandra spoke up, “With respect ilKhan, surely you do not also believe in this soothsayer.” Then stared across the star at her Nova Fox counterpart, “The fact that we entertain Biccon is madness enough.”
“Oathmaster Winters has good intuition, some may call it prophecy. At any rate I should not want to earn her ire Oathmaster Mi-Ran lest she take offense and defend her faith in the mystical arts within a Circle of Equals.
As I mentioned, Elissa is a gap in our network, that is reason enough to plug it with a mobile unit. 
This High Visionary has followers throughout the Lyran Commonwealth and according to reports from INTELSTAR even the Archon listens to him. If we give him a platform it might make our conquest easier and more palatable to the conquered”
Oathmaster Graves joined in, “I dislike this ilKhan, while I do not believe in the High Visionary’s prophecies giving him a platform might allow him an opportunity to transmit information in coded language. If Archon Steiner listens to him then they must have some manner of relationship. 
As COMSTAR has shown us secrets can be transmitted in the open through coded language. We lack an understanding of this One Star Faith’s dogma. 
Already we have leaks and troubles with operational security by failing to completely muzzle COMSTAR on occupied worlds. Giving the One Star Faith their own HPG could further exacerbate our struggles as there might still be COMSTAR operatives capable of using an HPG on-world.”
“It will be under the control of INTELSTAR Baltazar. We will leave a security detachment behind. As previously reported ROM successfully murdered their Alpha Branch personnel to deny their HPG transmitter to our cause. As they have done on multiple occasions. 
Fortunately, we have the depot ships and their shipboard HPGs to fill in the gaps.”
Graves and Mi-Ran stood there in silence for a moment, “If it is your will to send an HPG to Elissa then so be it. We have given our counsel.”
Leo looked over to the side, “Good, Scribe transmit that a mobile HPG shall be delivered to Elissa by INTELSTAR with due haste.” The woman typed something out onto her comm-pad which would be batched with the next transmission of the McKenna’s Pride’s own HPG.
“Now onto the next order of business. What we have in store for the LCAF.”
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