ASO Chpt 21

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==Chapter 21 - Political Games - Aurigan Sentinels (BattleTech CYOA)==
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===Explaining future's past===
Tuamata Estate, Coromodir
Aurigan Reach, Aurigan Coalition
28th April, 3021
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"It is a planet, a particularly valuable one," I answer, "To give some background, Regis Corporation is a privately-owned Taurian corporation. A few decades ago, it found a resource rich and habitable world, which is secretly colonized to mine for resources to sell on the Concordat markets. While my vision didn't tell me its precise location, it gave me enough information that I was able to narrow down its location using the Star League era map on the Argo."
 
"So you found a secret colony that is also rich and valuable," says Moana slowly as she eyes me up, "What exactly is your plan to take advantage of that knowledge, Liz?"
 
"My plan is to discover Regis Roost by jumping into the system with a JumpShip whose crew is trustworthy and reliable," I reply, "After that, I can bring the information to High Lord Arano for him to make a decision on what to do with that information. Ideally, we can entice Regis Corporation and Regis Roost into the Aurigan Coalition. Blake knows that we can offer a better deal than what the Taurians offered them in-in the other timeline."
 
"And what was that?" inquires Moana.
 
"Regis Roost get found by some explorers in the thirties after the Fourth Succession War," I say, straining my memory to remember what I can about how things went for Regis Roost in canon, "In response, Regis Corporation applies for legal ownership of the colony in the Taurian Concordat or something like that, but because the government wants planetary resources, Regis gets told that because they haven't done enough to develop the surface as a result of them focusing on the orbitals, they don't get colony rights.
 
"So the Concordat government brings a bunch of settlers in, seizes the spaceport and farms that supplied foodstuff from the surface to the Regis workers in orbit and the Regis leader, Neville Regis suffers an 'accident' whilst negotiation with government representatives and then the original colonists lose their political power because they get outvoted by all of the new settlers brought in. Things come ahead when the president elected by the surface attempts to genocide the original colonists and they fight back by killing the police sent to take care of them.
 
"After that, there was a bunch of fighting until the original settlers in orbit and the new settlers on the surface came to an uneasy peace lest the Taurian proper gets brought in. I can't remember much after that except when the Taurian Concordat basically collapses in the sixties, the non-Calderon Protector commits a bunch of war crimes against them in the name of keeping peace and manages to unite both sides against him."
 
"Alright, that's a lot to unpack there because geez, Liz..." says Moana as she slumps back, "Like what do you mean after the Fourth Succession War and how the hell is that in the next decade? We're still in the Third Succession War for Gods' sake."
 
"Next year, the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns sign the Federated Commonwealth Accords and then some point in the following couple of years, the other three Scavenger Lords signed the Concord of Kapteyn as a counter alliance to the FedCom alliance. That was generally considered to be the end of the Third Succession War. 
 
"The Fourth Succession War begins in thirty-twenty-eight when Hanse Davion marries Melissa Steiner to form a personal union between the FedSuns and the Lyrans. He does this epic scene where he gives the Capellan Confederation to Melissa Steiner as a wedding gift. At the same time, the AFFS is invading the Confederation and while the Combine is being invaded by the LCAF. CapCon loses the Terran Corridor while Saint Ives declares independence. The League is split between going after the Cappies and the Lyrans and ends up losing several worlds to the Commonwealth. The Kuritans lose a bunch of worlds to the Lyrans, but take a few Davion worlds in exchange. Once the peace is brokered, that's considered the end of the Fourth Succession War."
 
"And that all happens later this decade." Moana said.
 
"Yup."
 
"Does it involve us?" Moana asked
 
"In that timeline, I'm not sure if the Coalition is still around at the end of the decade."
 
"Ah."
 
There are a few moments of silence as neither of us has anything else to add. 
 
"Were the Taurians really that brutal?" asks Moana, breaking the lull in the conversation, "It seems out of character for them to be so brutal."
 
"All nations are capable of great cruelty if the wrong people get into power," I answer, thinking about the things I have heard about in both of my life experiences, "My vision showed me the Taurians committing terrible deeds on Regis Roost, in the Arano Restoration and beyond because the wrong people got into power. My vision also showed me individuals from the Concordat trying to stop the misdeeds and attempt to do the right thing. And as I said, it wasn't just the Taurians who did great evils in my vision. Our own people were no stranger to atrocities because the wrong people got into power. The Aurigan Directorate was the Reach at its worst and I shall not let that future come to pass."
 
"Is House Espinosa really that bad?" inquires Moana, "I haven't dealt with her father much, but Victoria has already struck me as a reasonable person."
 
Ah, this is one of those complicated subjects. If this was just politics, I would almost certainly mess this up, but this isn't politics. This is my sister and if I can't trust her, then I can't trust anyone. And I've already trusted Mo with some of my greatest secrets.
 
"Victoria is a follower to her father for good or ill." I answer, "As long as she can justify it to herself, she will do whatever she deems necessary even if what is necessary is an unforgivable evil. And unlike us, Victoria was raised to be totally obedient and to not to think for herself. As for Lord Espinosa, he will also do whatever he deems necessary for the good of the Reach. He just has a fixation on military power and has control issues. He sees the prosperity and strength of the Coalition being the same thing as its military might and martial glory. He needs to be in control and if he loses control, Lord Espinosa will do what is needed to get back into control."
 
"You make him sound like a bad man." says Moana, "Ah, I mean-"
 
"I know what you mean," I say as I stare out of the window, taking in the coastline as evening begins to approach, "Lord Espinosa is a complicated man. Though I believe he is genuinely trying his best with her, he is something of an abusive father to Victoria given how strict he is with her. And he has very few limits on what depths he is willing to sink to if sufficiently motivated. At the same time, he is currently a loyal and steadfast supporter of House Arano and a useful ally. So like I said, it is complicated."
 
"Yes, that is all rather complicated," agrees Moana, "So Lord Espinosa is an ally, but may turn on us without hesitation if the circumstances change in the right way. And he treats Victoria poorly."
 
"He tries his best, but his best still isn't good enough and has left its scars on her," I say, "Blake's blood, I am not looking forward to dealing with more politics. I've had enough of it as things are."
 
"Speaking of politics, what is your game plan?" inquires Moana, "You should have an idea of what you want before you go in. Figuring out what you want as you go, it isn't impossible, but it is highly inadvisable."
 
"I want to secure support for the Aurigan Sentinels and Nora Engineering," I answer, "I want the Aurigan Coalition to prosper, but not at the expense of its people. I believe that we need a single person calling the shots on foreign matters like military deployment and diplomacy. I support democracy and I don't want to see it quashed or corrupted within the Coalition."
 
"Getting support for your organization is simple enough, just be careful about what you promise people," says Moana, "As for prospering, it isn't my area of expertise, but perhaps do what you do when you look for reliable business partners? I would advise caution on any pushes for centralization. If you want my advice, I say focus on convincing the Aranos and Espinosas of that behind closed doors and then letting them take the lead." Moana worked it out.
 
"Yeah, I could think that out on my own." I agree.
 
"I recommend speaking with Kamea," suggests Moana, "She is trained for politics like this and not only does she know what she is doing, but she is good at it. And perhaps most importantly of all, we can trust her. Something which cannot be said of Lord Espinosa."
 
"I'm also not sure it can be said of Victoria or Kamea's father," I add, "It would take a lot for Victoria to break with her father and as for High Lord Arano, well, it wouldn't be polite to call him a puppet of Santiago Espinosa, but it wouldn't be inaccurate either."
 
"And we aren't close to any of the other Founding Houses," says Moana, "Which leaves us with Kamea as someone we can trust and Sanitago Espinosa as someone we need to work with. Gods, does this feel borderline treasonous to you too?"
 
"No more than any other big name political players." I answer, "We aren't lowly subjects anymore, we're part of the big boys club now. Or should that be big girls?"
 
"We certainly do have big girls." says Moana suggestively and I toss a pillow at her.
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===Unexpected announcement===
"Jenelle is going to be visiting tonight." says Moana over dinner and I almost choke on my food.
 
"W-what?" I exclaim, coughing a little to clear my airways.
 
"Jenelle is recovered enough to leave the infirmary and she wanted to speak with you about matters," says Moana with a gleam in her eyes, "Since you were over here, Kamea asked if she could take a ride over and I said you were fine with it. Because I would be surprised if you weren't."
 
"Of course, I'm fine with-" I start to reply before pausing as I remember just what I am wearing, "Damn it, Mo, was this before or after you got me into this get up?"
 
"Does it matter?" replies Moana with a smirk on her face once she knows I have realized what she has done, "You look great in that. It shows off the nice human side of you rather than the serious, focused Elizabeth Nora that everyone else gets to see."
 
"I'll get you back for this, Mo." I said/
 
"Just keep it within sisterly bounds, Liz. No exploiting your status as my commanding officer or anything like that." Moana advised with smile.
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==Author's Chapter Commentary==
; A Word from the Author: A bit of a shorter update, but I feel this was a good point to story the chapter rather than start Jenelle's scene and then split it in two. As a result, the next update will be Elizabeth meeting with Jenelle and having a little chat with her before then moving ahead to her return to Cordia City. Which is when the politics will begin in earnest.Anyway, Elizabeth has a somewhat low opinion of the Taurians. Between what Ostergard did in the Arano Restoration and what happens under Grover Shraplen, she is unsurprised by the idea of the Bulls being evil and committing war crimes. It doesn't help that her memory is imperfect and while she has notes to remember the important things like Helm accurately, other things will get blurred or even forgotten. 
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