SotU Chpt 36

=Chapter 36=
==State of the Union==
Castle Davion, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Commonwealth
5 September 3063
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Peter was gone and Tancred was to have a ringside seat as Catherine Steiner-Davion had the first major challenge of her vice-regency. He'd arrived at the appointed meeting room and found that it was, as he'd anticipated, one of those looking out over the Royal Court and Peace Park towards NAIS.
At other times such a view would have been a statement of the power of the Federated Commonwealth, but work crews were everywhere and the scars of battle were still very visible.
Roger Sato, the ambassador of the Draconis Combine, was ushered into the room at the precise hour appointed for the meeting. He was of Theodore Kurita's generation, perhaps a few years younger than the Coordinator and rather than traditional Japanese clothes or a military uniform he wore a black business suit of fashionable cut. In the subtle codes of Combine deportment this indicate his primary bureaucratic affiliation was with the Bureau of Development and Treaty Brothers, a subdivision of what (stripped of the usual excessive verbiage) amounted to the Combine's Ministry of the Treasury.
Punctiliously, Sato bowed to a precisely appropriate degree once the doors had closed behind him. "Lady Steiner-Davion. Lord Sandoval. Lord DuVall."
Catherine hadn't risen from her seat at the table. She made a fractional gesture to beckon Sato to take his own seat and he obeyed, straightening his double-breasted jacket with its silver buttons before withdrawing a pair of reading glasses from a pocket.
"Mr Sato." Horatio DuVall was Count of Dundee, a relatively minor title in the peerage, but DuValls had been part of the upper crust of New Avalon and the Federated Suns for even longer than the Sandovals. It was the alliance between Adam Davion and Nathan DuVall that had ended the First Families War in 2255 and both of their sons had served as New Avalon’s Prime Minister before the Davions finally cemented their dominance. The modern head of the family wielded more influence than direct power, heading the High Council, but that influence was very real. "Your lord's realm and my own lord's appear to be in a state of war."
"An unfortunate appearance, and entirely misleading." Sato did not look aside from where Catherine sat between DuVall and Tancred. "Both realms are part of the Star League, and my own lord serves as a First Lord. For us to be at war would be unthinkable."
"Assaults upon Markab, on Donevall II, on Robinson itself... these occasions suggest otherwise."
The Combine ambassador smiled thinly. "Should I take it that the presence of the Armed Forces of the Federated Suns upon Proserpina, Al Na'ir, Markab and An Ting to be declarations of war against the Dragon?"
Tancred glanced aside at Catherine, who did not seem inclined to respond. "Those operations did not have the approval of Prince Victor."
Sato nodded. "Nor were the earlier attacks the will of the Coordinator."
"..and yet they have all taken place." When Catherine spoke at last she did so quietly.
"A most unfortunate happenstance." the Combine Ambassador acknowledged
"The previous government of the Federated Commonwealth denounced both attacks, but did not in fact restrain Duke Sandoval." DuVall produced three documents and slid them across the table. "Lady Steiner-Davion's orders to the Duke, his response and the orders issued to his forces."
Tancred felt his face tighten. He hadn't heard about this.
Sato's expression didn't shift as he read the documents. "A defensive position is admirable, one would hope that it presages a withdrawal of those forces occupying Combine worlds."
"The First Lord is of course concerned by the fighting against the Clans," Catherine murmured. "It is regrettable that his control over other borders has been less rigorous. Naturally, as his allies, we offer our assistance."
That veiled insult wasn't missed by Sato and Tancred saw the man's self-control waver, but only for an instant. "How very generous. May ask what form this assistance will take?"
"Now that the First Lord can be assured that none of the worlds we have placed forces upon are being used to base these... rebellious elements," declared Catherine, "I am sure he will be able to focus in upon them." She smiled coldly. "And once we have assurance that his control is once again firm... well, matters may then be brought to a satisfactory conclusion."
"Your soldier's presence may be provocative." the ambassador warned.
DuVall smiled warmly. Deceptively so. "Much has been made of the abject submission and total obedience of the Combine's people to their Coordinator. Since we have assurance that Theodore Kurita means no threat to our people, we will hold any attacks upon him to be rebellious in nature - a sign his authority has not yet been fully restored."
"And an absence of such activity..." Catherine tilted her head to one side a fraction. "That, of course, would presage a return to... normality. Such as it is."
Sato's mask of urbanity had been reformed and he bowed his head to the same degree as before. "I shall communicate your desire for a peaceful resolution of this matter to the First Lord. I am sure that he will hasten to ensure peacekeepers are placed along our border. Perhaps the SLDF will be of assistance."
"We shall have to see if such forces are available."
Tancred contemplated that awful possibility for a moment and then realized that without either the Federated Commonwealth or Lyran Alliance providing forces, Theodore would have to look to the Capellans which were busy trying to pacify the reconquered St Ives and Sarna worlds or Free Worlds League. ComStar and the Free Rasalhague Republic would hardly involve themselves in this matter, the former because they had just been burned by troops taking sides in the Civil War and the latter because they, like the Combine, had a border with the Clans to tend to.
The Free Worlds League was quite a distance away. By the time troops reached the Combine's worlds, the entire situation would likely have changed. In short, the threat was empty.
"Please be sure to let me know the Coordinator's thoughts on the matter." Catherine said in dismissal.
All of them stood politely as Sato left the room and then Catherine sank back into her chair with relief. "God, what if I'd lost it there?"
"That could have been unfortunate, but you handled it smoothly." DuVall assured him. He looked past her to Tancred less sympathetically. "Bringing up Prince Victor was ill-done, Lord Sandoval. The appearance of further division within the royal family is concerning."
Catherine ran her fingers through her hair. "It's alright, Count DuVall. Lord Sandoval's frankness is welcome given some of the flatters who have already returned to court. And his reminder that Victor looks favorably upon House Kurita allowed me to be harsher than I might otherwise have been, since they will assume Victor might rein me in."
"How very adroit of you." Tancred pushed his chair back. "It seems you have some skills on par with your counterpart."
He saw Catherine flinch. "That frankness is... less welcome, but not less valuable I suppose."
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