WoWS3 Chpt 7

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 7 - ==
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===Forced Trial===
Snow Raven Watch Commander’s office
Port Orphan System - Periphery
September 23rd, 3142
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“Thank you for coming in for this interview, Captain Yeh.” Otto Chand kept his tone slightly jovial.
“This is about her upcoming review board, aff?” Saya Yeh asked flatly.
“And perhaps more. Your daughter is quite the talent. She has been with the Privateers a while now and the Raven Watch is most impressed. If her review board goes well we also wish to make a more formal arrangement with her for our purposes. But before we can do that we need some basic background details.”
“I am not sure what I can tell you that would be pertinent.”
“Oh I feel there is much that you can tell us and you will.”
“Such as?”
“For starters, who is her father? We know you carried her full term. It strikes me as unlikely that you do not know, but it is clear that you have not told your daughters. This concerns us a great deal as a potential leverage point that foreign agencies could use against, Amanda. We cannot protect her from what we do not know.”
“Phoenix.” Saya answered with a smirk.
“An AI cannot by definition contribute DNA. So I ask again.”
“I am being quite honest.” Saya chuckled.
“Then there is only a handful of explanations. You obtained DNA from a rival Clan…”
“Neg.”
“Then it must be the entity known as Kolossus, it must be involved somehow. How fortuitous. That is another matter I believe you can help us with.”
“I will not.”
“Captain Yeh, I do not think you appreciate your position. Acton Howe can no longer protect you. His failures in detecting the Sons of Plunder, Alabaster, and yes his dealings with the entity known as Kolossus have cost him a great deal of his influence. The Privateers are an extension of the Watch. So you no longer have any protections with which to deny us answers.”
“I have one. I am a Clan Warrior. If you want this information you will have to meet me in a circle of equals.” Saya smiled.
“If that is what you wish then so be it. I issue a Trial of Possession. But I will not be the one to face you. Neg. You have forced this so I use my right as Station Watch Commander to nominate a champion. Upon my Champion’s victory you shall disclose full details of Amanda Yeh M5 7775551’s father, everything you know about the entity known as Kolossus, and in particular where the entity known as Kolossus can be found. If you do not know where the entity known as Kolossus is then you shall make every effort to locate it via your contacts with Helena Cameron’s AIs.”
“Heh. Good luck finding someone on Port Orphan who can defeat me.” Saya laughed.
“Oh who I have in mind is coming aboard Station tomorrow. I nominate Captain Mai of Bloodhouse Roberts. See, she is loyal and capable. And I know how close you two are. So if you really press this issue this way, well seeing how we want information that is in your head it would not do for this to be an augmented fight. Are you sure you will not change your mind?”
“Stravag.”
“I’ll take that as aff.”
“Aff.”
“It does beat the alternative of neurochemical interrogation. From what I understand, the necrosia you imbibed from your ritual to become a Warrior in Clan Goliath Scorpion leaves a permanent neurochemical trace that can easily lead to complications. Something my techs do not have experience with and I would hate to put at risk everything I seek to learn.”
“Tomorrow. Hand to hand training room. Noon.” Saya hissed.
“Acceptable. I do not need to give the customary warnings, do I?”
“Neg.”
“Good. You understand it is not just your future on the line but your daughter’s too.”
“I will make you pay for this.”
“Captain Yeh, this is the path you have forced yourself upon. Being angry at me is inappropriate. Your anger should be directed at yourself.”
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===Compliance to an Order===
"It is necessary, Star Captain."
Mai glared at Otto Chand. "I want to refuse this." she said, "but you would not be presenting this to me as a fait accompli if I really had a choice, would you?"
"You could abandon your sponsorship of Amanda Yeh…" he said suggestively. "It would, no doubt, have longer reaching impacts, and we can always revisit some of your other operations…"
"When I am done with Saya, do not think I will not be…revisiting this discussion after." she told him quietly. "Vigorously."
"Then you will not balk?"
"You will get your show." She said, "One can only hope what you get out of it is worth the game, if it is not?" She inclined her head, "Have you ever seen what is inside someone, Otto? I think it might be interesting to see if your bullshit goes all the way through."
“Bullshit? Perhaps if the service remembered who its sponsors are. We could have avoided this altogether if they did.”
"I know who I work for, Otto." she said, "I also know the difference between useful information, and worthless digging for nonexistent dirt. This spectacle of yours is a waste of time and resources…thus, 'Bullshit'."
“So you know for a fact that Amanda’s parentage is not an issue? That Kolossus has our best interests in mind?”
"Genetic sweeps on her regular medical, she is human," Mai stated, "Genes do not carry, nor transmit, classified up-to-date information. Unless you can provide a medical reason her parentage is relevant beyond not being one of the Not-Named…whose gene profiles are on file, this spectacle is valueless."
“That they do not match anything on file is a concern, I have seen freeborns force others into terrible choices all just because the other had the wrong lineage.”
Mai snorted. "That just means the Clan is in first." she said, "Unless you honestly believe in hereditary destiny, luck, or psychic powers. My progenitor was a traumatized farm girl of no particular note until she did something notable. Same here, Amanda Yeh is a superb officer because she worked to become one.."
“And I would hate to see that undermined because freeborns are susceptible to such things as being shamed for being from the wrong family.” Otto commented
"In the Field, eugenics means nothing, I have seen Trueborns lose their minds from stress and freebirths with LESS going for them save the day, Otto." she scowled, "The only thing that matters in the field, is if you do your job…here in garrison, we play stupid posture games."
“Which is where our worlds differ. You have the luxury of seeing things as a Warrior. I meanwhile have to play the game of blackmail, intrigue, and leverage. It is an ugly game that you clearly do not understand and in a way I hope you never will.”
"Thing about leverage, Otto, is that if the fulcrum's in the wrong point, the lever swings you." she commented, "I have agreed to this…farce, because that is in the job, but MY stipulation is that it better be worth it, if it is not, I will show you where the lever swings, am I understood, Watcher?"
“Perfectly, but do not presume because I am of the Watch I am not a Warrior of the Clan. Using you as my proxy is merely a tool I have used to ensure answers will be had.”
"We will see if the answers are worth the game." she said, "but I told you, my own bet. We will see if you have it in you…after, if the gain is not worth the risk, I will take it out of your hyde, because that is also part of our way…now if you will excuse me, I have other duties to complete tonight."
“Until then not a word to Amanda. I think we can count on Captain Yeh to be discreet about this as well.”
“Yes, sir.” Mai seethed.
“Dismissed.”
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===Consequence of Truth===
Meanwhile back at Port Orphan, cyberscape more precisely
“This whole situation is getting complicated.” Billie sighed.
“Saya is seen as the weak link because she is human. They know we AIs have deleted all navigational logs and references to Kolossus. But they seem to think through Saya we can be pushed to re-gaining that information, and thus it will be passed onto the Watch.” Cossack nodded.
“Which given my position puts me in a terrible position. There is little I can do.”
“Indeed. A proper long term solution to this is going to be required but our options in that regard seem to be limited.”
“Yes. Especially with so many parties now involved.”
Suddenly the pleasant garden scene fritzed with static.
“Apologies, I couldn’t sit and just listen any longer.” A new, almost mechanical voice came into being.
“Is that you Alice?” Billie Hoel chuckled.
“With some help from Elka.”
“I suppose as Saya’s youngest you do have a right to know what is going on. But we’re going to have a talk about your intrusion into the fleet cyberscape later in the real world.” Cossack scolded.
“Billie, surely there is something you can do as Station Admin?” Alice Yeh’s voice cleared up.
“They have invoked Clan traditions. I cannot interfere. Best I can do is make sure there are consequences for the Watch pursuing this line of inquiry.”
“So how do we keep them from picking on my mom?” Alice asked flatly.
“If she wins then we have to do nothing.” Billie offered.
“She’s facing Mai. She’s not as fast as she used to be.”
“Your mom is still a fighter. Have faith in her.” Cossack reassured.
“Even so that does bring up another issue. Even if mom wins, they will turn their attention to Amanda instead. The Watch is clearly no longer satisfied with so many unanswered questions. To be honest I understand that somewhat. I too find myself curious about who my father really is.” Alice said.
“Alice, does it really matter?” Billie asked.
“I know I do not display my emotions but I do have them and so yes it matters. For I find, like many humans, not knowing who one of their parents is leaves me with many questions about myself and who I am and what that means for me in the future. I know my genetic screenings have not shown anything dangerous but these sorts of questions still linger. I know it is not logical and I shouldn’t but despite myself they are there and refuse to go away.”
“You are Alice Yeh M5 7775551. Your mother is Saya Yeh. Phoenix M5 7775551 is also your mother. They love you, they are fiercely independent and self sufficient just as you are. Everything you are is of them.” Billie shook her head.
“The way you say that, that means…”
“Yes Alice. I know it should have been either of your mothers to tell you this but given the situation, you needed to know the truth. You really do have two moms. Yes the science gets a bit weird, but not unheard of given Clan practices.”
“Shit. Amanda too… No wonder they didn’t tell us. Kolossus?”
“Yes. Kolossus is the one who pieced together the DNA strands to create Phoenix’s genetic contribution, but as I said it is as close as DNA can get to truly being of her as Kolossus could make it.” Billie answered.
“They had to tell you didn’t they? They needed your help in keeping that secret.” Alice pondered.
“Yes. I have successfully kept it for almost twenty years now without arousing even the slightest suspicion of the Watch.”
“Now I have to keep it too.”
“For that I do offer my apologies.”
“It was the logical thing to do Billie. I needed to know. Now I do. There will be ramifications for this in the future I am certain but for now I am grateful.”
“You know you don’t need to grow up so much Alice. It is okay for you to just be a child.” Cossack offered.
“There I think Kolossus did too good of a job. No, shielding me from the truth and harshness of the world is unnecessary. I am able to handle it because I am strong like my mothers.”
“Now the question is what do we tell Amanda?” Cossack asked.
“Nothing until after her review board. In fact we should do all we can to not tell her anything until after the trial as well.” Alice answered.
“Why?” Billie asked.
“Because if we tell her before, she’ll have to choose between betraying her mothers by revealing the secret or ruining her chances of ever becoming a Command grade officer in the Service. Or do something completely and utterly reckless.” Alice said flatly.
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