BeyHop Chpt 30

==Beyond Hope- Chapter 30 - In the land of the Blind==
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"You have to understand even after the Clans basically confirmed her as Helena Cameron a lot of people still didn’t really believe it. But once they started actually coming to the peace table and talking? Like adults? That is when people really truly started to believe. Even more realized it didn’t matter. That it was something that could bring the Inner Sphere together in a way it hadn’t been in centuries. That last bit was joyous for some and ruinous for others. Those that saw it as ruinous made their sentiments known after a while. In the end though we did come together anyway. And now the Inner Sphere is going to be different forever because of it."Excerpt from an interview with Hauptman Sean MacIntyre-CarlyleDonegal BroadcastingFirst aired in 3084
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=== An Appointment with the Archon ===
Royal Palace - The TriadTharkad System, Federated Commonwealth (Lyran State)3059
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With the dust settling at Kowloon it was now time for Helena to return to Tharkad.
Helena, Moshe, Jakob, and even Muhammed had managed to hop the supply convoys going to and from the front which allowed her to turn a multi-month journey into one of three weeks.
“Lady Cameron.” Peter Steiner-Davion had greeted her himself. “I appreciate your prompt return. I trust all is well.”
“I saw my friend become the happiest I’ve seen her in a long time but until we can get the lasting peace Victor wants there is work that needs to be done.”
“Mother would also like a word if you have the time to spare.”
“Of course.” Helena nodded.
“Come, let’s talk some place more private.” Peter gestured to a waiting ground car.
Helena entered and sat facing Peter Steiner-Davion.
“Operation Bulldog?” Helena asked.
“Going as well as can be expected. Last report is Victor is alive and well.” Peter answered.
“But that’s not why I’ve been recalled to Tharkad.” Helena said flatly.
“Our new Star League. It’s coming along but quite simply put, you’re still the elephant in the room so to speak.”
“I know. I’ll never shake the legacy of my name. So I’ll help as best I can.” Helena had acknowledged.
“Good. We’ll need it if we’re really going to make a go of it. Which is my first order of business with you. Believe it or not Marthe Pryde is making calls. Nothing substantial yet but I’d like you to talk to her. See if we can’t at least get in a room together instead of trading HPG messages. The HPG bill is getting crazy enough that the Estates General is starting to notice.”
“I can do that.” Helena nodded.
"When the time comes, then, I'll count on it. How's my little brother doing out there? He writes, but Arthur's idea of 'personal correspondence' usually looks like a thesis proposal from NAIS. is he getting along with his wife?"
“Considering you’ll be an uncle in a few months time, I’d say so.” Helena nodded.
"Damn, that's good news…which offsets the bad news we've been getting from the Combine front." Peter noted.
“I thought Bulldog was going ‘as well as could be expected’. So what is the catch?” Helena asked.
"It's going better than expected, but we're still getting casualty reports from the fighting, and those are always bad news when they aren't worse news." Peter commented. 
“I see. If I need to drum up reinforcements I know a few places we can call.” Helena’s face was a mix of concern and confidence.
Peter showed her the real progress reports, not the ones approved for Comstar release to the public.
“Why am I only seeing these just now?” Helena studied the reports.
"Mostly, because of 'operational security' issues. They’re about to hit the final phase line six months early, and the plan's changed. Seems there is an intel source that has the route data for the Clan Homeworlds, and Victor's talking about taking the fight straight to them."
“We should. I’ll start working up the logistics plan. I just need to know how many, how far, and how long.” Helena said flatly.
"How long may be indefinite. How far? Eighteen months in a straight line, more or less, and the word from Victor is 'more'."
“He wants this to be the first operation of the new Star League.” Helena understood the implication.
"Yeah, which means all that 'making regular' and clarifying you did for the AFFC is about to be kicked back to 3025's mish-mash of unit types and redundant designs that don't cross-over in the supply chain." Peter said, "Somehow, we've got to make that work out anyway."
“Good thing the SLDF was begging, borrowing, buying, and stealing from all five member states and I already had to deal with this nightmare scenario once before.” Helena smiled slightly to reassure Peter.
“I know you’ll do your best. And there’s a lot of work ahead of us. But the biggest challenges are still ahead of us. To make this Star League official we need to meet and Comstar’s offered to host. I know how you feel about Terra. We’d still like you to go. But if you can’t…” Peter led unfinished sentence go.
Helena thought about how Elizabeth would react. She'd say 'we need this' and argue with me until I agreed…and she'd be right. For all of us. I can do this for all of us. "I need to think about it very carefully, Highness."
“We have time. Until then, let’s get you settled. I expect my next conversation with Marthe to be soon. So I’ll need you rested and ready to go.”
That was when it dawned on Helena she was being taken to the Palace, not the Kowloon annex.
“I understand. You need me close then.”
“I do. So you’ll be my guest. And I mean guest. I know I need to make that clear. So I’ll understand if you do not wish to join me for dinner.”
“I’ll be there.” Helena nodded.
“Excellent. I’ve also made arrangements for your personal security detail.” Peter told her
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=== Catching up with an important friend ===
Helena sat in the cozy ‘sunroom’ across from Archon Melissa Steiner-Davion.
“Thank you for agreeing to see me. Really, I appreciate it. With one son intent on throwing himself into constant danger, a daughter who is also in the service, and Arthur being Arthur I just wanted to spend some time with someone who’ll give it to me straight for my children I do not get to see enough of now.” Melissa told her guest with a smile.
“Katherine has come a long way. She’s really come into her own. I think she just needed the challenge.”
“Good. I hear Arthur is already working on making me a grandmother.” Melissa commented.
“Yes. The pregnancy has been confirmed now. Liz will be giving birth in a few more months.” Helena said with a smile.
“Warn her that I intend to spoil my grandbaby with all sorts of sweets and goodies. Keep them nice and hyper so she never gets any sleep.” Melissa smiled. “But what about you though? I know we’ve been asking an awful lot of you lately.”
“Doctor Huyn says I’m finally starting to make real progress. I’m hiding behind masks less and less. Which lets me be more honest about that with people around me. But that means I’m also feeling more. I know I’ll be challenged in the coming months. Especially with this new Star League. I have to admit; Clan Steel Viper’s incursion at Kowloon helped me realize I need to face this trauma of mine more directly. I’ll probably still break down into tears and have terrible nightmares for a long time yet but I’m needing my masks less and less to be functional.” Helena really meant it.
“Good. I am happy that you’re at least at the ‘work in progress’ stage. For that, as soon as possible I’ll do what I can to get you some well deserved time off. Maybe even talk to Victor about letting you off the hook so you can pursue your own goals.” Melissa noted.
“Thank you, Melissa.” Helena smiled.
Helena proceeded to tell stories of Arthur and Katherine at the wedding reception and even her own of the little girl who decided she could help Helena. And more until the sun set.
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===Discussion of Naval Development===
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"...reviewed the combat imagery, and came up with something that might work as an improvement." Arthur sat with his wife while the Cameron Corporation's engineer made his presentation.
"Jane, didn't they try that back in the 24th or 25th century?" Arthur asked, "I seem to remember reading an article about it in the 'Boy's guide to the Star League Navy' when I was..what, six? Seven?"
"Yes, there were severe power distribution and cooling issues with the concept. The Terran Hegemony didn't even bother with a prototype installation when the initial turret designs were static-tested." Jane replied. "What makes this one different, Mister Honbakker?"
"We're not going to try to mount energy weapons." Len Honbakker, the lead engineer, said. "When the first attempts were tried, Naval weapons were Naval Autocannons, large scale energy systems, or missiles-our proposal is to use these…"
"That looks like a baby version of a mass-driver, so a light naval gauss rifle?" Jane asked.
"Power requirement can be served by integrating the weapon's powerplant into the turret structure itself, and cooling isn't really an issue with gauss weapons." Arthur observed, "That's also going to be hella modular if these drawing layouts are what they look like, easier to pull and replace than a standard bay installation, since so much is self-contained…but it's going to be prone to traverse jams and vulnerable to that kind of damage. I'm not convinced."
"Better talk fast, if Arthur's got doubts, I'm inclined not to approve funding." Liz stated. "What's the actual advantage that makes up for the added fragility and maintenance cost?"
“Well for one, a turret system like this can replace multiple bays while maintaining the same field of fire. All while also improving z axis coverage.”
“Oh that would be nice. I won’t say how big my blind spot really is if someone managed to come straight for my dorsal or ventral central section but it’s uncomfortable.” Jane chirped.
"How long will it take to build the prototype?" Liz asked, "Ballpark me, is it going to be ready in time? How many other projects could use the added talent?"
"We're about the limit on the Mako variants. Lockheed has the Fox contract sewn up in the Lyran Member state, and Ioto's progress on the Mjolnir program is running into the usual non-engineering issues of too many subcontractors who don't talk to each other."
"So Cameron Corporation has the engineering talent sitting idle?" Liz asked.
"In a word? Yeah. we got beat out by Boeing and Lockheed for the updates to the Fox chassis, and Ioto's specifically focused on keeping their engineering in-house, while the Feddies are just as focused on in-house engineering on the RX-80 prototype and not inclined to offer subcontracts for the engineering phase-we got our asses kicked in the negotiation by Knight-Lenovo out of Cambiano."
Liz winced visibly, "I should've been available for those negotiations, I'm sorry."
“You have the best excuse.” Arthur said as he rubbed Liz’s pregnant belly and kissed her on the cheek.
"Can we at least try a prototype? We can use Core Forge fourteen, and line Four's going to be idle unless or until the AFFC issues a request for an additional line for the Fox class…"
"Keep it under one hundred twenty billion." Liz told the engineer, "Jane, could you help lay out a set of practical requirements if the turrets turn out to be a boondoggle?"
“I know the consequences. We’ll get it working. You’ll see.”
"Ngo Industries is partially funding this, get with Ms. Whyte-the current one, and establish the tooling requirements with our engineers-if it works, we'll want the production line ready, and working." Liz said, "Talk to Admiral Wells about getting a prototype team to facilitate laying out the program's needs and trials requirements. If the AFFC doesn't want to buy it and the prototypes end up Orphaned, we'll still need heavy cutters for the Theater's militia, I expect to get my money's worth. Make sure you use as many existing standard parts as you can find-we have to do this on the cheap."
“Yes, your Grace. We won’t let you down.”
Jane frowned, then, "What role do you expect to see this in?" she asked.
"Prototypes are by definition prototypes, but I'm thinking of a duration-patrol ship with heavy firepower, maybe for exploration or rapid response, secondary roles as an escort ship…if it works." Liz said, "if it doesn't, we'll have to figure out something it can do, that's a lot of money on a 'maybe', and the main guns are going to be prototypes, in prototype mounts. So at worst, we get a technology testbed that costs more than it should."
“Well if it does fail, debt is an inheritable asset. So I’ll be sure that even if it takes generations the money will eventually be paid back.” Jane smiled.
The meeting ended, Arthur escorted his wife from the meeting to a waiting car. "You know, Liz, we could move to the country house…"
"I work full time, Arthur, so do you." she said, "it's rough enough commuting from the suburbs to the Government complex. Could you imagine having to do it for two or three hours a day? We'd never get time to ourselves!"
“Maybe I should design some sort of maglev train system, so we can at least get out of the traffic a bit.” Arthur quipped.
She chuckled and nestled against him as the driver crawled through downtown traffic at ten kilometers (at best) per hour. "Then I'd have to share the time." she said, "not sure I want to share with a crowd of strangers."
“Then I’ll make a special one, just for us. So we can be all by ourselves.”
"If we do that, we might as well just stick with the car, or take a chopper everywhere." she said, "I rode public transport when I was a teen to prove it was safe and reliable, doing it for the rest of my life feels a bit like the first breath of never smelling fresh air again."
“Well I’ll think of something so we have more time to ourselves. But for now I suppose you’re right. We have the back seat of this car and a discreet driver.”
“Cool your jets, rocket boy. As tempting as that is, it could be a bad idea.” Liz told him.
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