CYTM24

=Chapter 24=
==Can you tell me where can we start over?==
Board meeting 
Ngo Industries, Vin Drin Lap
Kowloon, Lyran Commonwealth
3054
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"Build it." Her Grace the Duchess sat at the table with a group of people she barely remembered from childhood.  "I'll back the financing, we'll run a marketing campaign, but build it."
"Your grace, we talked about this years ago, the problems with implementation haven't gone away." 
Elizabeth sighed, and tapped the table, causing a hidden emitter to light up.
"See this?" she asked, "It's a map of the Inner Sphere, which is where we are.  See this line here, in red? That's the truce line, rimward of that line. The Clans can't attack until 3067 on their honor, you know, the year I turn thirty...guess where we are."
Alicia Li, who had Sithers-Deen's spot on the board, squinted, "About...here." she said, "Above the truce line."
"Bingo, winner, chicken dinner."  Elizabeth stated, "We are exposed on multiple fronts.  Kowloon is above the truce line, which means the Clans have leave to attack us.  We are also on the ass end of the Commonwealth, right next to nobody aka the Periphery. Which is home to large numbers of people who don't want to be bothered. A large numbers of Pirates and Bandits who would like very much to steal everything we have including our people.  It's a huge volume to patrol and police and the Lyran government can't police or control most of it.  Half those bandits used to be mercenaries hired to provide security out here."
She left the holographic projection going, "We need to be able to provide our own security, because we can't count on anyone else being able to provide it for us...so build it. I've got ideas on how to pay for it.  We need it."
"It'll ruffle some feathers." Rabbi Levi noted, "Building up a force the size you're proposing, Your Grace."
"So we'll ruffle some feathers? So what?" Elizabeth countered, "Look, there are two ways to do things-the way that leaves us vulnerable, but makes the politicians comfortable back on New Avalon...and then, there is the way that leaves us slightly less vulnerable.  Either way, as long as we're not tearing off to blow up the neighbors, I doubt anyone will care. We meet contract, we supply the goods our customers ask for, they won't ask us what we're doing with the profits or investment."
"What about the purchases to feed this proposal? Won't they notice that?"
"We'll build the gear too." Elizabeth said, "Through second-tier suppliers and subsidized contracts with independents here in the system-we just won't piss off our customers by trying to compete with them on the outside...besides, nobody is building everything we need anyway and some of it doesn't compete with anyone."
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