ADO Chpt 35

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==Nautilus ExpeditionChapter 35 - Aurigan Dreams (BattleTech CYOA)==
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===Visiting the family with a Guest===
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Moana’s new place in Samuvau is the old residence of the city’s previous rulers before they died off. Which explains the rich and cultured mansion along the seafront of the city, raised on a hill so it overlooks the rest of Samuvau. Moana’s practical nature means that I couldn’t see her deliberately choosing somewhere as grand as this to live, but at the same time, her practical nature means that she won’t pass up on a perfectly fine home that’s fit for her new station.
When Kamea and I decide to pay her and the rest of my family a visit, the Arano heiress ends up driving as I still haven’t learnt how to drive ground vehicles. Given all that I have on my plate, I haven’t had the time to learn how to drive and given my wealth and status, I can afford to have a personal driver if needed. But for now, Kamea will suffice and she is more than willing to be the driver for today.
Not having to worry about being in charge of the vehicle gives me time to view the city of Samuvau as we travel through it. It doesn’t look that different from Cordia City with the biggest differences being the smaller size and the lack of grandiose structures that have sprung up in the capital over the centuries.
I wonder how Moana is doing as the new baroness? Hopefully she is settling in well.
“I’m looking forward to meeting your family.” says Kamea once the guard has let us past the perimeter of the mansion, “I mean I know Vance and Vanessa and met Moana once, but I don’t know the people who raised you. It would be nice to see where you came from.”
“Well, you won’t see all of it here.” I reply as I look around at the grandiose building, “I grew up in an ordinary house back in Cordia City not here. Huh, I wonder if my parents kept the house or sold it.”
“You’ll just have to ask them.” replies Kamea cheerfully, “Are you sure that they’ll all be here? We will only get one chance to surprise them with this.”
“They’ll be here.” I answer with certainty, “I told them that I would be coming today and my busy schedule means that they’ll make time for me.”
We make it to the front doors and it is doors as rather than have a single door, the mansion has a double doorway. I should be used to that by now, but I guess I haven’t adjusted to the idea of associating family with such grandness. It occurs to me that it might not even be family who opens the door as Moana almost certainly has a staff now and it could be one of them who greets us.
So when Moana does open the door, I am a little surprised to see her.
“Mo!” I exclaim as I step forward and embrace with a hug, “It is so good to see you again. How has life been treating you?”
“Busy.” replies Moana as she returns my hug, “Between settling in as baroness and learning to be a mechjock, I haven’t had much free time.”
“Sounds relaxing.” I say back, “Just imagine having to learn how to run your mercenary regiment and going on interstellar missions on top of that.”
“I guess I have no right to complain about being busy next to you.” says Moana, “Still it is partially your own-Liz, is that who I think it is.”
Ah, my sister has finally realized who my guest is.
“Hi, I’m Kamea.” says the Arano heiress as Moana lets go of me, “I believe that Liz mentioned that I would be coming?”
“She said that she would be bringing a friend.” says Moana, sounding scandalous before turning on me, “You should have mentioned that the heir to the Aurigan Coalition was coming!”
“You would have freaked out and gotten all stuffy about it.” I defend myself.
“Better that than this!” exclaims Moana, “I’m wearing a tube top and bearing a midriff in front of Kamea Arano.”
“It looks nice on you.” offers Kamea, “Shows off your abs and arm muscles.”
Moana just glares at me and I sigh.
“Mo, look, Kamea is here and she is here as my friend, not the heir to House Arano.” I tell my sister, “Besides you’ve met each other before. Can we come in? I would like to see everyone else since it has been months since I last saw them.”
“That’s your own fault Liz for being so busy all the time.” grumbles Moana, but she acquiesces to my request.
“Don’t worry, Moana.” says Kamea as we follow Moana inside, “I’m just here as Liz’s friend to meet her family. I’m here for casualness not formality.”
“Is everything okay, Moana?” asks Mum as we approach the family room, “I heard shouting.”
“It’s just Liz and her friend.” replies Moana in a dry tone, “Whose identity she neglected to inform me of until she showed up at the door.”
“She didn’t bring a boyfriend, did she?” asks Mum as we enter the family room.
“Nope, just Kamea Arano of all people.” says Moana.
Everyone else is there. Mum, Dad, Malia, and Melika. Mum has gotten up to greet us while Dad is working on a noteputer and my youngest sisters are playing some sort of ‘Mech themed game on the television. There are also some people in the kitchen and judging by their uniforms, they must be part of Moana’s staff.
Wait, do I have a staff? Kamea is my personal assistant at least until the end of the new year and I have an admin staff to help with the Rimward Sentinels, but I don’t have a catering staff or anyone to help me with my landholdings. Or do I? Something to ask Kamea because I haven’t paid much attention to my holdings so far and I’m fairly certain that I haven’t even visited them, at least not intentionally.
“Is that Kamea Arano!” yelps Dad as he looks up and realises who is with me, startling everyone else in the room.
“Hi Dad, nice to see you too.” I say, unable to help the sarcastic remark.
“See Liz, this is why you don’t surprise people with the heir to the Aurigan Coalition.” says Moana as she walks towards the kitchen.
“Your sister has a point, Liz.” says Mum, “Most people prefer to have some warning when they meet with royalty.”
“I’m not actually royalty.” protests Kamea, “House Arano is just one of the seven noble houses that make up the Founding Council, admittedly with a first amongst equals status.”
“Dear, your father rules the nation and you’ll be his successor.” replies Mum, “That makes you royalty in my eyes and those of any normal person. Nonetheless, welcome. I knew that Liz would be bringing a friend with her, but I wasn’t expecting it to be you of all people.”
“I don’t see why not.” I grumble, “You keep telling me to make friends my age and I’ve been spending a lot of time with Kamea these days.”
“Most people don’t expect their children to go and befriend royalty when told to make some friends.” says Mum.
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To my relief, Kamea gets on well with my family, especially with Malia and Melika. It reminding me that for all of her maturity, Kamea is still only a teenager. I forget it most of the time, all of my sisters are closer to her in age than I am and it shows as Kamea joins my two sisters in their BattleMech simulator game. It is more academy than realistic, but my sisters enjoy it and so does Kamea despite knowing what it really feels like to pilot a ‘Mech.
While my parents are discussing something and I am watching the younger girls play. Moana taps me on the shoulder to get my attention.
“Yes?” I inquire.
“Could we step out onto the patio for a quick talk?” asks Moana, “I have some things I would like to ask you away from the others.”
“Of course.” I reply and I follow her outside to a part of the decking that is visible from the family room windows.
“How do you handle all of this?” asks Moana quickly, “Being a noble, I mean. I know you got made a baroness at the same time I was, but you had a lesser title before that.”
As I open my mouth to answer, I pause as I realize that I don’t know how to answer that. The truth isn’t the answer that Moana is looking for, but I can’t think of a better one.
“To be honest, I haven’t been handling it.” I confess, “I haven’t gone to my landholdings yet and I’ve been fobbing off the paperwork to others. I’ve made up with important people and socialized with them, but that has more to do with the Rimward Sentinels than my nobility.”
“So you’re basically not doing the job?” says Moana, sounding as if she wants to be outraged, but coming off more as just shocked.
“I have other people doing it.”, I tell her before something occurs to me, “I wonder if that is why I have the countryside and you have the city. Because the countryside can run itself, but Samuvau needs more involvement.”
“Maybe.” mutters Moana as she gives me the stink eye, “So you’re basically telling me that you let someone else run your landholdings for you.”
“Yeah, Kamea.” I answer, nodding towards the girl, whom we can see through the window, “I’m not sure how much she is doing, but if you want the details, ask her. I just get summaries via Kamea and my cut of the C-Bills, but beyond that I don’t really know what is going on in my landholdings like that.”
“I have constant meetings whenever I am not doing my duties with the ACM.”, says Moana indignantly, “The rich and influential people of the city always want to speak with me and there are constant requests for my approval that it feels like half the city can’t function without me giving it the go ahead.”
“Maybe it is a rural vs urban thing?” I suggest, “You have a city full of people while I only rule over the countryside.”
“Perhaps.” grumbles Moana, still looking and sounding disgruntled.
“So how has the family been settling into their new roles?” I ask, deciding to change the subject.
“Mum and Dad have both quit their old jobs and taken up positions in my household.” answers Moana, “Dad is helping me sort out the administrative work of House Kalani and Mum is my senior MechTech and in charge of keeping my Grasshopper running. Melika has started at a new local school this year and so far she seems to be doing well. She misses seeing her old friends at school, but she has been keeping in touch with them and making new ones.”
“And Malia is focused on becoming a MechWarrior?” I inquire.
“You guessed it.” confirms Moana, “She has finished schooling and is neurohelmet compatible so she wants to become a MechWarrior, never mind that we don’t have a spare ‘Mech for her to use.”
“Well, I am a woman of some means these days,” I say, “and I have just come into a surplus of ‘Mechs. I’m going to be going recruiting and reorganising the Rimward Sentinels so it wouldn’t be too hard to get Malia a slot as one of our new MechWarriors. I wouldn’t be able to teach her myself, but I can provide her with a ride and find someone else to teach her.”
“Oh, she would love that.” says Moana, “The chance to be a MechWarrior and be part of your mercenary unit. When do you plan to extend the offer?”
“After dinner.” I answer, “I wouldn’t want to ruin her appetite with excitement.”
“It would be a waste of some good food.” agrees Moana before my sister gets a smile on her face as something occurs to her, “I guess it is only fair that you get someone from the family given that I’ve snatched up both of our parents. No hard feelings about that, right?”
“Nope.” I answer, “Mum and Dad are settled down here on Coromodir. They don’t have the desire to go scooting about the Periphery like I do and I wouldn’t force it upon them. You can provide them with a home and life here, something I can’t do. Not with everything I’ve got going on. I don’t even have a proper home set up. I mean I might have gotten a residence or two with my titles, but if I have, I haven’t been using them. I’ve basically been living aboard one of my DropShips since all of this started.”
“Wait a moment.” says Moana as she looks at me, “Are you telling me that you’ve been staying in a DropShip bunk since you basically moved out?”
“Well, I’ve stayed in the Arano Palace a couple of times, but yeah, pretty much.” I reply with a shrug, “I keep going off-world and I just haven't had the time to settle down and sort out a home for myself. I’ve had other things on my plate and my DropShip cabin has sufficed just as well on the planet as off it.”
“So let me get this straight.” says Moana as she narrows her eyes, “You are going to head back to sleep in a DropShip bunk once you are done here tonight?”
“Well, yes.” I answer.
“That’s not happening, Liz.” declares Moana, “I have some guest rooms free so you can spend the night here in a proper bed in a proper home.”
“Mo, that’s not necessary.” I start to protest, but Moana is already heading back inside.
“Hey, Lady Arano.” calls Moana as soon as she steps back into the family room, “Change of plans. I’ve got a couple of spare guest rooms so you and Liz are staying the night.”
“Mo!” I protest, “We didn’t bring any sleepwear with us or any spare clothing for the morning.”
“You’re the same size as me so you can borrow something from my wardrobe.” says Moana as she gets a gleam in her eye, “And I can order something for Lady Arano and have it delivered before it is time for bed.”
“I would be honoured to stay the night.” says Kamea before I can reply to Moana, giving me a sly smirk, “And Lady Kalani, just call me Kamea.”
“Right, Kamea.” says Moana.
“What brought this on?” asks Mum as she looks between myself and Moana.
“Liz has been sleeping in a DropShip cabin since she moved out.” answers Moana as she jerk a thumb over her shoulder at me, “Since she was planning on doing that again tonight, I decided that she would be spending the night here instead.”
“You don’t have the authority to make that decision.”, I point out.
“Are you going to ignore it?” shoots back Moana.
“She can’t.” adds Kamea, “I’m her driver and since she can’t drive and I’m staying, she has no way to get back.”
“Wait, you still don’t know how to drive?” inquires Dad and I just sigh.
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The End
==Chapter Notes==
;Word from the Author: A more social-focused update this time around, which will be the case for the rest of this arc. I have a followup morning where Elizabeth discusses some things with her family. After that, it will be Elizabeth and Kamea going to visit the latter’s family, which will include the former’s first meeting with Victoria Espinosa. That should take another update or two depending on how long it drags out.
;Word from the Wiki Editor: The author had pause the story for number months to focus on other stories. Having learned new things of the system that he used to generate this story, he revised it and rebooted it in Aurigan Sentinels (BattleTech CYOA).
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