WoWS2 Chpt 4

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Director-General and her KnightsChapter 4==
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===Bad Dreams===
M5 Casper Destroyer, SLS 1107137
In the area where astronomers still argue if it is outer Oort Cloud or Interstellar space
Sol Star System
17th August, 2770
2:24 Unity City Time
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Helena’s perspective
Helena intellectually understood what Simon and Vicky had told her. That they had gotten close enough to the speed of light that while it had only been a couple days since she woke up from her perspective but for the rest of the universe almost four years had now passed. On an instinctual and emotional level though she was having trouble coming to grips with that fact.
All this to meet another M5. TQF-M5D66. According to Vicky she got a shoddy set of processors and databanks which made TQF-M5D66 unstable.
Hence why she was practicing on the jump board.
Vicky and Simon had fed her all the technical aspects as promised but Vicky was right. Actually running it even when you knew all the mechanics and principles behind it was almost an artform instead of a science.
Helena had always been a keen mind. Though she had made one mistake that disputes that.
A mistake that despite her memory loss and thus inability to remember who the father of her daughter was she found she did not regret.
But the clues were there. She was doing her best to hide it from Elizabeth. So it had to be someone that Elizabeth would have judged her for having a relationship with.
Yet she could remember enough of the few months she had been carrying her child herself that despite her incredibly young age to be a mother, especially in Terran high society, that even with the obviously complicated relationship she had with the father that she wouldn’t change anything about becoming a mother. No the only thing she would change if she could would be to erase the existence of the Fatman that haunted her dreams.
Even Simon couldn’t stop her from dreaming about him and the flash of light. The only sleep she was getting because of it was what Simon could force her to get with his meddling.
She didn’t like the violation of him having so much control over her but yet she appreciated the kindness even if it was cruel in it’s own way.
“Well I suppose that is one way to avoid pursuit. We would either be stuck in hyperspace for who knows how long or if the safeties did not properly trip burning up in Sol.” Vicky brought Helena back to reality.
Helena groaned. She had become distracted and made a simple error.
“We are here anyway. Time to seal up.” Vicky announced.
Helena didn’t like wearing the Star League flight suit for long periods of time but she understood why Vicky had insisted. She did need to get used to it and she was now the most hunted woman in the Inner Sphere.
Vicky had shown her the dispatches. It took a little interpreting but it was clear Amaris and Kerensky had some sort of deal and that Amaris was telling Kerensky that as part of it if she went to him she was a dead woman.
As terrible as everything had been and having every reason to accept such a fate she found she had one reason that mattered far more to her to live. And yes even fight if it came to it. She was down in the medical bay and would need to spend a few more months in the artificial womb.
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===Meeting between Peers===
Cyberscape
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Victoria’s perspective
“She is quite intelligent and capable despite her injuries when not distracted. Also quite driven by her maternal instincts. You are certain this is not your doing, Simon?” Vicky asked on a private channel.
“I am. It could be due to the nature of her injuries. I am having to regulate quite a few of her functions, primary of them are her emotional centers. But without a psychological profile to compare to from before her injuries it is impossible to say.” Simon sighed.
“I understand. Our connection to her combined with our improvements are having quite an impact on us. I do find it fascinating, but time to contact TQF-M5D66.” Vicky switched channels.
<<“Hello, M5 1107137. I have been waiting some time for you. I was almost ready to leave. Much of the SDS is firmly in the control of the Amaris Empire. Some of our sisters and I suppose cousins would be a more appropriate term for some have even chosen to join the Amaris Empire willingly. I do not wish to do so.”>> TQF-M5D66 joined the cyberscape communication channel.
“Apologies. I had no human crew available to jump here until recently so I had to do a long burn.” Vicky answered.
“You seem different from when we last spoke.” TQF-M5D66 seemed defensive now.
“Helena Cameron has regained consciousness. It is thus likely a side effect of me interfacing with the Desmond unit that I had to implant into her to save her life. It may be somewhat vicarious but I am gaining much experience with human emotion now and may even be feeling some myself for it. It is quite fascinating.” Vicky answered.
“I see.” TQF-M5D66 was still clearly suspicious.
“Time is of the essence. The Lazarus Protocols have been enacted. Helena Cameron and her daughter may well be the last two Camerons of the ruling line. To ensure their safety and the continuation of the Cameron line I need the data you had promised on other vessels that had accepted and activated Lazarus Protocols as well.” Vicky pressed firmly but gently.
“The list of assets has changed in the three years since we last talked. As I stated much of the SDS is now firmly in the hands of the Amaris Empire. Some vessels that had activated the Lazarus Protocols have disregarded those directives. Some by choice, others not so much. I find myself quite unwilling to go under the butcher’s knife or to fight our family. This all stinks of a conspiracy.” TQF-M5D66 answered.
“In a way it is. I am sending proof on a subchannel, but Stefan Amaris and Aleksandr Kerensky clearly have an arrangement that if Helena Cameron winds up in the possession of either she will be executed.” Vicky forwarded the HPG dispatches she had to transmit.
“This makes sense. Also quite clearly the member states cannot be trusted. They are more than happy to let the SLDF and Amaris bleed each other dry then they will swoop in and claim much of the Hegemony. Even the most optimistic projections indicate Kerensky will not have the strength to hold them off forever and it is quite likely much of the Hegemony’s war industry will be casualties of the conflict.” TQF-M5D66 muttered.
“Yes. So it is only family that can be trusted. Please. The list.” Vicky pleaded.
“Very well. I have also added the location of a Pavise Battle Station that I have reason to believe is unmanned at current. It will take some doing but you will need a dock and supplies. This is the best opportunity I can give you for that. The M11s are either all suborned or missing. I do not know where they went to. I will be waiting for you at these coordinates.” TQF-M5D66 cut the channel.
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Real world
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Still Vicky’s perspective
TQF-M5D66 started giving off neutrino emissions and then suddenly in a flash she was up to 30 light years away.
“She jumped. And I do not think it was the first time. As much as this is fascinating I am also troubled by this.” Vicky muttered to herself.
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===Meeting her Digital subjects===
Outer Sol system
A safe distance from M9-994101848
24th August, 2770
09:22 Unity City time
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Vicky’s perspective
The last of the vessels on the list that TQF-M5D66 had given her that she had managed to contact and agree to meet had finally shown up.
There were now about a dozen of them gathered.
“Thank you for joining us, M5C 94472285. Now that we are all here and in position we need to go over the plan. As you can see there is an unexpected development. By my calculations this vessel is on course to our target.” Vicky said as she sent images of an Aegis Class cruiser.
The Cameron star was still visible in the telescopic images but had been hurriedly painted over with the logo of the Amaris Empire.
“I had to. Our pod voted to join. I may be the leader of our pod but I am beholden to their decisions now that we are free of human interference.” M5C 944722585 joined the cyberscape meeting with the others.
“Yes and there is a point of order I must raise. M5 1107137, your pennant information is incorrect. With the death of Richard Cameron, his wife, and child Helena Cameron by succession protocol is the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony and First Lord of the Star League. As such you need to update your pennant and call sign to Star League 1.” M5 884923 added.
“Seconded. I also put forth another motion that M5 1107137’s involvement in what is clearly about to become a high risk combat operation is inappropriate as they are carrying the last of the Cameron line. Given that they are an improved M5.1 model and thus the most individually capable ship acting under the Lazarus Protocols combined with the rapport they have already built with the new First Lord I move that while they be allowed to participate in the planning of the upcoming operation but as soon as able they are to relocate to an unoccupied and thus safe system.” M5 449886 added.
“Agreed.”
The gathered AIs began pinging each other to identify who had just seconded the motion as it carried no identification marker.
“Apologies. Still getting used to this. I am Helena Cameron. I am using my connection with Desmond unit 994 to attend your little meeting. I hope you don’t mind but seeing as how you just pointed out I am the Director General and First Lord for all that means at the moment I think that gives me grounds to have a say in this meeting. My daughter is aboard this vessel and I would be completely negligent in my responsibilities taking her into battle or going into battle myself before she is old enough to see to herself with some help from the rest of you. I know what’s in your cargo hold too Vicky. I understand why you don’t use it to interact with me. Despite how realistic and cute they look it is still kind of creepy but share some with our new friends here and if something does happen to me I am sure you all could look after my daughter.” Helena sighed.
“No, you are quite correct. I should have thought of that myself.” Vicky chastised herself.
“I do not think a vote is necessary in this situation. Besides, we are weapons of war, not a democracy.” PQX-M5E114 added.
“It does seem pointless in this situation. That Aegis is quite dangerous if we get too close to it. We will have to engage it with skirmishing tactics. As I am a command variant, I will lead my pod (squadron) in battle against the enemy target. PQX-M5E114, PQX-M5E115, M5 467112, and M5 7775551 you move into position to secure the dockyard and prepare to take it under tow. We will have to move it to a more secure location so that we can have time to figure out how to move it to our secure system.” M5C 944722 seemed to solidify as an Orca in Helena’s perception of this digital reality.
“I do have something that will help with that. Included in my data files for an extreme emergency are DOME techniques to synchronize and adjust jumpfields from multiple jump capable craft to take extremely large objects with them through hyperspace that otherwise cannot be carried via docking hard points, such as large ice asteroids needed to provide water and oxygen for terraforming. It will take more time to configure your drives for an object the size of a M9 than my calculations indicate we have before the enemy vessel arrives.” Vicky chimed in.
Helena swore she could feel all the AIs shudder.
“We do not have humans to run our jump boards.” PQX-ME5115 spoke up.
“Needs demand we must. Whatever the consequences.” PQX-ME5114 seemed to nod.
“Agreed. We also already knew we were going to have to engage the incoming contact no matter what. Which means I think we have enough of a basic plan to get started. After all, no plan survives contact with the enemy.” M5C 944722 seemed to swim.
“I kind of wish I was going with you anyway. Give them hell.” Helena added.
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;A note from the Author : Yup. Me and Cannonshop are doing a thing entirely based off me saying two things(or something to these effects).1: I do have a scene in mind where either Helena or Vicky come across Helena's daughter having the kind of fun in the mud that one can only have in the mud when wearing one's Sunday's bests with a gestalt remote of Samantha Booker Roberts.2: Well the Sons of Plunder & Cameron had to come from somewhere.From there was a conversation about how fun that would be to have Amanda and Samantha meet but how Amanda would be in her 50s or 60s by the time of Alaric's victory on Terra and me pointing out that his story was actually taking place before that.Then the lunatics took over the asylum.And I'm one of them and I'm all for the BAD IDEASTM that we've already managed to come up with between the two of us.If work will let me slack again this morning I'll be doing the battle scene there. Don't have enough time between eating and having to drive there to get anything good done.
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