Strat-2 Chpt-13

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==Strategos (A Great Captain Roberts Tale!!) - Part 2Chapter 13 - Cognates==
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===Revelation of Liberation===
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"Eighteen thousand...
…I'm hearing that right?" President Mitchell Avellar asked.
"Aff, you are." Acton Howe sat, looking pleased. "Eighteen thousand civilians born into slavery, freed by Operation Cartagena and the Privateer Task Force… under Kappa Galaxy's watch, naturally."
"Naturally. That's the line we're using?"
"Well, that depends on you, Mister President. It would be good politics with the Clans if this were seen as a Clan operation," Howe explained. "but I understand if the OMC or Outworlds Intelligence would prefer to take the credit, and with it, the burden of rehabilitating all those people."
Avellar considered, then grinned, "You really think I'm going to freeze you out? Look, Acton, you know, and I know that most of the actual ground troops who fought there were at least tangentially Snow Raven. I'm not going to screw up a good thing, not when it means both kicking monstrous slavers in the teeth, and saving people from them by the thousands."
"So we will be using the press release developed by my staff, quiaff?"
"Yes.""There is the matter of the bases…"
"Obviously, Clan Snow Raven needs forward bases," Mitchell stated. "so we can probably make use of additional forward bases and ports for the OMC as well."
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===When exPirate Meets Khans of Clans===
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Director Amanda Roberts looked…
…absurd. That was the impression she gave, as the VIPs arrived on Michtal.
Absolute absurdity. From her three-cornered hat to her long jacket. Like a child playing at costumes.
Khan Elsa Ward of the Wolves had to stifle a giggle when the girl dropped off the back of a Prime Mover.
"You really let her dress that way, quineg?" the Wolf Khan asked once she'd gotten control of the giggle-fit.
"Aff, I really do." Alberto Crowe stated. "She is effective."
David Foster was far less foppish, his military-cut, non-military 'privateer' service uniform was more dignified, highlighting the neatness of his gray hair.
The two Privateer officers entered the prefab, and notably, Amanda took her hat off upon coming in, revealing to all the fresh bandage and seeping wound under it.
"Khan Alberto Crowe." David said.
"We met," the girl said distractedly. "Not sure about these other important people."
"Do your best." Alberto urged.
"Khan Elsa Ward, Clan Wolf," Amanda said. "Long way from Tamar. And let's see… a Khan of Clan Jade Falcon? Huh… and Ghost Bear. Do we have decent relations with them?" She looked a little bit befuddled as she asked the obvious question, before answering herself. "Yes…Bekker, right? saKhan?”
"Aff… I find it a bit amusing you had to ask."
The girl gestured at her bandaged head, "Not all here, ma'am, crazy, don't you know? I took a star of protomechs, ten tanks and fifty men in PAL suits and took down a half battalion of heavy 'mechs with tank support on the ground, with the help of around thirty aerospace fighters. Not a smart move, therefore not sane… you arrived with our backup, and that explains why."
The Falcon scowled, "You do not know me?"
"You're foreign?" Amanda said, "Green uniform, says you're Jade Falcon, rank says Khan or SaKhan, but I got nothin'."
"Ruel Chistu," Khan Crowe said.
"Still got nothing, I didn't get those files," Amanda said. "Not close enough to be worth telling me." She seemed to gaze into the distance for a moment, then, "So either your being here is why we got the backup, or it’s why the backup was late enough we had to go with Cartegena Bravo and Charlie versions."
"The delay was in part to allow the inspection to arrive while you were still present, Director," Khan Crowe stated. 
"Mmh," Amanda frowned, and the stiffened flesh around her left eye torqued it a bit, emphasizing that the eyeball was a prosthetic. "Eighteen thousand civilians liberated, we took the ground station and the orbital surrendered. Fifteen hundred prisoners taken total, when you count the stationers. Khan Crowe, you can get the rest of my report from the President's office. I already sent it, though I expect Loremaster Howe has already given you the summary."
"You seem distracted." Ruel managed to salvage some of his dignity. "Why?"
"Told you, crazy. Voices in my head, imaginary friends," Amanda stated. "We still have two more operations this year before Bannerhoft to roll up the Sons of Plunder, so I'm also distracted going over the admin details here, you know, instead of at a proper desk with a holotable."
"You do not understand why you are required in this room," Bekker realized.
"No. This is Clan business. I work for the Outworlds Alliance, we’re not at war, so I am the least qualified human being possible to be in the same prefab with three foreign Khans and Khan Crowe-this is Foreign Ministry stuff, and I'm a walking international incident waiting to happen."
For some reason, this made Ruel Chistu chuckle.
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2-13