LUU Chpt 1-13

==Let Us Unite - Chapter 13 -==
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===Revelation===
"Do you still hold to your oaths?" Ezra finished. "Because the Terran Hegemony has not forgotten them."
 
Once he realized what the two meant, Clinton stumbled backward into a chair, his face white as a ghost.
 
"That's impossible," he gasped out. "All of them died in the Coup!"
 
Ezra and Elizabeth waited while Clinton composed himself and began to ask questions.
 
"If the Camerons are alive, then why did The General leave? Why'd he abandon his fucking post?!" Clinton snarled. "Leaving us to this endless war!"
 
The mercenary continued to rant angrily for a few more moments before he calmed down.
 
"I can not swear for all of us," Colonel Calvin Clinton knelt. "But I am sworn to uphold the ideals of the Star League. You have my sword, my 'Mech, and all that I possess," He locked eyes with Elizabeth. "But if your arm does not uphold those values, the sword will swing the other way."
 
"I am not my brother," the Director-General replied. "I accept your oaths and welcome you back into the fold."
 
Clinton stood and sat back in the chair while Bradley and Elizabeth found their own chairs.
 
"If you're here, that means there is some sort of plan," Clinton's fingers tapped on the table. "We're only a regiment, but I currently have all of my forces here. And we're not under contract."
 
"I'll get in touch," Colonel Hazen stepped out of the shadows. "We have plans for security, but I would appreciate more people available for defense."
 
"So this is something big?"
 
"Aye," Bradley nodded. "I'd tell you the full details, but I want to see your face regarding the reveal."
 
"Asshole," Clinton chuckled. "Alright, I'll start prepping my troops. I assume this is 'need-to-know?'"
 
"Very," Elizabeth replied. "I'll have Major Capell act as your liaison and minder."
 
"Yes, ma'am," Clinton replied. "Anything else you need from me?"
 
"Be at the peace conference in two days," Elizabeth smirked. "If things go according to plan, it will be a significant day in the Inner Sphere."
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===Declaration of that Peace Talks are Pointless===
The second day of the conference was when actual peace talks and discussions were held.
 
"In order for us to have peace, we will have to first establish the borders," Melissa Davion began the day. "As we all know, conquest is one of many ways to obtain lands and expand borders. It has been such since time immemorial. Do we honor the right of Conquest? Do we revoke it? Or do we merely settle for some middle ground? If we are ever to achieve peace here, that is what we must decide."
 
"There will be no peace here," Franklin Kurita scoffed, his arms folded across his formal Hakama. "For all that you preach of the Combine as barbaric, each of your nations has acted as us. You have all seized lands which belonged to others. The Coordinator has never hidden their agenda. One day, the Dragon will rule over all," he looked around at the other representatives. "We do not pretend to be something that we are not. Discuss your peace, but know this. I will bear witness to your failures and sins and be a monument to them all."
 
The conference sat in stunned silence before the discussion continued. But the conversation was muted. After all, they could not prove him wrong. His words rang with a truth that cut deep through the bone and shattered what hopes each of the representatives held.
 
The rest of the day went differently than planned, with minor concessions and attempts at a peace treaty being exchanged, only for them to settle on a temporary armistice to be discussed on day three in place of a proper peace treaty. Maybe one day it would be possible, but after Franklin Kurita's words, they could not find it within them to attempt more.
 
But it was on day three that everything changed…
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===Bitter attitudes among Leaders===
Date: January 8, 2859
Location: Northwind, Federated Suns
"I will now call the third day of this peace conference to order," Precentor Ford stood before the assembled representatives. But when he moved to continue speaking, another gray-robed figure stepped forward and began whispering in his ear.
 
"If you'll excuse me, there is an emergency at the HPG complex," he smiled. "Nothing too critical, but it does require me to sign off on several works. The burdens of leadership never seem to ease."
 
The robed figures departed among the murmurs and chuckles of the crowd before a few Tri-Vid screens flickered to life behind the podium.
 
A woman in the uniform of the Director-General of the Terran Hegemony stepped up to the podium; behind her, to the right and left, were two figures.
 
One of them was a regal and well-kept older man named Ezra Bradley, his collar now adorned with the Star of a General instead of the star and circle of a Colonel.
 
The woman was dressed in the black and gold uniform of the Royal Black Watch Regiment. A kilt adorned her hips, and a pistol was holstered at her side.
 
"I am Director-General Elizabeth Cameron, leader of the Terran Hegemony-in-exile. We have returned from exile and begun to reclaim our homes," she locked eyes with each of the representatives in turn, a fire behind her eyes. "We have endured and suffered. But now, we return stronger than before, a phoenix rising from the ashes. The Terran Hegemony is reborn. Let it never fall to such great depths again!"
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===Unexpected Homecoming===
One week before the conference…
It had been relatively bloodless. The Terrans had taken the Comstar and ComGuard entirely by surprise. Using pirate points long mapped out by Hegemony Intelligence and the old SLIC, they jumped into the system and launched the DropShips.
 
At approximately the same time, the HPG in Hilton Head went silent. The rebuilt SDS systems all began to shut down, and the DropShips descended onto the surface of the birthplace of Humanity.
 
The skies lit up with the glow of Fusion torches when the Terrans reached the atmosphere. A handful of fighters scrambled to face the invasion, but they were shortly eradicated by the skill of the veterans that escorted the Hegemony forces in.
 
But unlike the last two invasions of Terra, there was no significant conquest nor bloodbath as rookies were thrown into the fray to purchase time. Instead, there was silence as General Hanni Schmitt stood on the Bridge of the SLS Abyss. But silence didn't reign for very long.
 
"Override the news broadcasts and patch me through all of the radio networks." Schmitt commanded.
 
"Yes, ma'am!" a comms officer scrambled to fulfill the order. "Two minutes until connection."
 
It felt as though Terra was holding its breath. That maybe, just maybe, something good was going to happen after all these years.
 
"This is General Hanni Schmitt of the Terran Hegemony Armed Forces to all Comstar and ComGuards. Lay down your arms and surrender, and you will be treated well." She gazed into the camera. "I say to you, the citizens of Terra, our home. "Let us Unite!"
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Chapter 1-13