WoWS3 Chpt 37

<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 37 - ==
----
===Typical teenager trouble===
Port Orphan, Periphery
6th November, 3144
"So, who wants to see a Mystery?" Perfidy asked, "Alice?"
Alice Yeh looked up, "What kind?"
Perfidy handed her an offprint. "HPG transmission, no codes, received on most of the stations still knocked off the net and a few that are on it." Her eyes twinkled. "Can you guess?"
“The experiment, it has met with at least partial success. Interesting.”
“It’s okay to show more excitement, Alice. Yeesh.” Minea grumped.
“Hey, that’s plenty of excitement!” Thadeus defended Alice.
“So Kolossus has something for us wunderkids to do eh?” Iason reasoned.
"Something like that, actually, come to think of it." Perfidy agreed. "The question being, if I give you the experiment, can you replicate the results? And by 'you' I mean you, and anyone you recruit who can help you."
“A challenge? I accept.” Alice nodded.
Perfidy gave them a datachit storage device. "This is the extracts and the experiment as is being run, it is complete enough. To replicate the results, if they're good results."
“Hmmm… Who are we going to get a core forge from, or time on one for this…” Elka said as she wasted no time bringing up the data on her portable noteputer.
"Erin is supposed to be returning soon." Perfidy suggested, "She and Esme might help you."
“Excellent. I’ll start drafting the proposal. Iason you’re our presenter. Elka, Micheal, Thadeus, and Minea will get the rest ready.” Alice doled out assignments.
The sheer excitement from a bunch of teenagers about doing homework would be off putting to most people but Perfidy knew them well enough to understand this is their kind of fun.
Scrambling to workspaces, the teenagers began chattering amongst themselves. Going over ideas of how to build it, who to approach, how to get the financing, and most importantly where to build it.
“Kind of scary aren’t they?” Billie asked Perfidy.
“I think I know what you mean. As much as I understand them, part of me still thinks they should be out getting into typical teenager trouble, dating, and doing all the things normal kids their age are supposed to do but this is really just how they are.”
“Indeed. Though they are raising good points about how teenagers are supposed to raise the funds for this.” Billie nodded at Thadeus in particular.
“You’re saying you’re tapped aren’t you?”
“Reactivating and supporting the fleet does not leave a lot of slack in the budget.”
“My share of my parent’s JumpShip. I’ll stake that against a loan.” Minea offered a solution to the financial question.
“Minea, are you sure?” Thadeus asked.
“Yeah. If this works we’ll get that money back ten fold, easy. If not, well it is just money. I can always earn more.” Minea answered.
“Okay, then where should we stake out for where to build this?” Iason asked.
“Needs to be someplace secure but preferably farther away from Kolossus. Port Roberts at Northsun?” Alice pondered for a moment.
“Yeah. That should work. Which gives us our first candidate to recruit, someone who has some pull with the Northsuns Militia.”
-----
Luther Bedwyr looked at the motley group of teenagers, then the offprint in his hand.
“You know I don’t understand half of this right?” Luther said flatly.
“That’s okay. We only really need you to understand it is important and help us get permission to build it in the Northsun system.”
“Okay. I’ll help. But you’ll need to show you’ve got the financing and manufacturing ready to go. That will help a lot.”
“Thanks Mister Bedwyr.” Alice bowed slightly.
“Yeah. You crazy kids go on.” Luther shook his head.
“He’s right, we’re running late for our meeting with the Sea Fox Banker!” Minea squeaked.
With that the pack ran off.
-----
===A Risky Loan===
Sea Fox Enclave, Port Orphan
-----
“You understand this is quite the risk you’re asking?” The Sea Fox Merchant Factor said as he looked over the proposal.
“Yes, but we have good reason to believe it will work. Other preliminary attempts have shown promise. So we know the principle is sound, we just need some backing to help prove that it is repeatable.” Minea smiled.
“Your collateral is sizable. Very well. I am prepared to commit the funds you are asking for, but the terms for repayment will be steep.” The Merchant Factor nodded.
“How steep?”
“Half the transmission service royalties.”
“That won’t leave you hardly anything, Minea.” Thadeus warned.
“If this works I’ll make it up in volume!” Minea smiled.
“She is technically a minor. I’ll need your approval, Miss Cossack, is it?”
“Yes, just Cossack. It is what she wants to do and she is right, if this works her share of the royalties if this design works will more than make her rich in time.”
----
===Additional Help Required===
Docking Area - Port Orphan Station
Port Orphan (System), Periphery
10th November, 3144
Esme was surprised at the reception she got at the docks.
“Not who I was expecting to greet me when I came back. What brings you kids out to meet me?” Esme looked over the odd group of teenagers.
“We need your help, Erin’s too. We’re trying to help fix the HPG problem. Kolossus gave us a preliminary design. We need help building it. Here’s our proposal.” Alice handed a thick folder to Esme.
“Very thorough. You’ve made adjustments to the design Kolossus supplied you.”
“Just the bare minimum so we could patent the design for royalties to pay back the loans.”
“I see, and yes, there’s your budget proposal. I have engineers three times your age I wish would put together proposals this comprehensive.”
“So will you help us?” Thadeus asked.
“Let me give this to Erin. In meanwhile, get a hot meal in me, a shower, and then we’ll see.” Esme answered.
----
===Power of the Written Word===
Gieneh, Wolf Empire
"Show me." Alaric commanded.
Dr. Morris bowed a little and a tech opened the shutters on the isolation room.
The man on the other side of the one-way ferroglas mirror was an Elemental breed, young, what would be 'prime career' aged.
He was doing something…
"Is he reading?"
"Aff."
"Books."
"Aff."
The Khan crossed his arms, "Okay, so what is the problem-I see an Elemental, reading books. How is this a problem?"
The door inside the chamber opened, and a Mechwarrior officer walked in. The Elemental ignored the higher ranked warrior until the man was practically in his face, shouting.
At which point, the larger man finally looked up, and said, audibly, "Go away, you are bothering me."
A slap, was followed by the kind of violence one rarely sees outside of a trial of grievance for something heinous.
After finishing off the MechWarrior, leaving that man groaning on the floor, the Elemental calmly sat back down, picked up his book, and continued from where he left off.
"And the problem?" Alaric asked. "Why is this an issue?"
The reading man paused, looked straight at the monitoring glass, and said, clearly, "Send a Medical Tech, Point Commander Evan is bleeding on my floor…and a mop and bucket."
“Explain. Now.” Alaric was clearly losing his patience.
"The fix works in unexpected ways. Six months ago, before he was infected with the retroviral treatment obtained from the Snow Raven data, Point Three Jackson there, was under report for brutality against civilians. The brutality remains, but his target and focus is…different……and he has taken to reading, studying, digging for knowledge where before. He trained relentlessly to be a better killer, My Khan."
“I see.” Alaric said simply.
On the one hand this makes the Mongol Falcons less of a liability, on the other this domestication is repulsive. I am not sure which is worse.
"The other test subjects?" Alaric asked.
"Four suicides, two are unable to maintain…decorum, breaking out into uncontrolled weeping and showing extreme signs of guilt and remorse." the Doctor explained, "Most bewailing their deeds as Mongols. THIS is as close as we have come to a 'success' and he is uninterested in anything, but his educational pursuits. To the point of violence when those pursuits are interrupted."
“Stravag. This is no fix then. I need them to remain warriors, not unconscionable whelps or overly dedicated scholars.”
A Junior officer from the Khan's staff spoke up. "My Khan? Did you bother to look at what he is reading?"
“What book is it?” Alaric demanded.
"Anastasius Focht's book on strategy and strategic warfare. I can see, through this window, a number of texts from the gray list on subjects of combat psychology, military strategy, and operations. This is including texts reserved for senior Star Colonels…and there are a few titles I am only passingly familiar with. Von Clauswicz and something written in Chinese…", Scientist told Alaric
“Hmmm…. Then there may be hope yet for this one. I will speak with this…test subject, personally. Now."
"But My Khan…" 
"If I can not hold my own in that room with a warrior? Then we have all made a grave mistake." Alaric stated, "Open the door."
Alaric walked in unescorted.
"So…what are you reading today?" Alaric asked them warrior.
"Focht, My Khan." the big man rumbled, "I find his insights into the Tukayyid campaign and operations Bulldog and Serpent…interesting, particularly how he made use of each opponent's particular blind spots and proclivities to defeat them by leading them to defeat themselves.", the Elemental Jackson told Alaric 
“And what conclusions of your own have you drawn from the campaign?”, Alaric asked.
"Focht's ComGuards fought as Soldiers, the Clans who lost? Fought as Warriors.", Finally the large man looked up, "They were defeated by a combination of organization, discipline, and ruthlessness only matched by Ulric's Wolves, and only because the Wardens did not want to be there-they fought to win because they did not desire the fight. The others craved the fight so much they lost sight of victory. Like the damned fool on the floor by your feet, My Khan." answered Jackson 
“We have mere months left on our truce with the Republic, the Remnant, and the Star League.” Alaric noted.
"Three opponents, who can unify to create a three front war, My Khan. That is a recipe for defeat." the big man didn't parse his words, "Unless you have a secret building program to give us the ability to fight a three front war." 
“Bolan and Dieron have indeed been boons to our industrial base but aff, we are at a disadvantage. Who would you eliminate first?” Alaric asked
The big man put Focht aside, and stood, selecting another book from the shelf. "That is a serious question, one that I have been seeking the answer to since my…mind cleared…" he extended the volume to Alaric, "I have no answers yet, but…this may provide some insight into which opponent must cease to be an opponent."
The book was pre-spaceflight. Sea Power by Alfred Thayer Mahan.
“Then I will offer these insights. Redburn has insufficient industrial capacity of his own, but has the loyalty of his troops and populace. Levin is an isolationist. This Star League is certainly formidable and growing more so each day, but they are also proving to be soft.” observed Alaric
"Every stellar body, nation or Clan, is an archipelago of islands, My Khan. Each isolated from the others by an immense distance. What holds nations together? The Wolf Fleet must become the strongest, or victory against any of those three is simply the prelude to an endless combative stalemate." said Jackson
“With the addition of most of the Falcon fleet, only the Snow Ravens and this Star League could even consider posing any challenge.” Alaric commented
"My Khan, please understand, since my mind has cleared, I find I am no longer so interested in challenge as I am in Victory. To win, and accomplish the restoration of the TRUE Star League, under the IlKhan of the ilClan, you need to make Helena Cameron's Star League either an aspect of your victory, or structurally, and functionally irrelevant. That is the conclusion I have drawn thus far, and I believe it is supported by facts and experience." the warrior told Alaric
“Aff. I will never bend the knee to her and as soft as she seems to be she will never bend the knee to me.” Alaric said
"Perhaps you can win her to your side on her feet, then." the Elemental noted, "Perhaps you can seek a Perfect Victory."
“Accept her as an equal… It would be difficult to convince her but there is more than one form of combat after all…” Alaric commented
"Or win the war before the fighting begins. Either way, if you do NOT deal with her, winning the other two fronts is going to lead to defeat in the longer term." said Alaric
“Aff. I will either win her to my side or I shall make her irrelevant. We know her navy is highly reliant on CASPARs. We need to look into the ancient records for the jamming devices developed by our ancestors. Those proved highly capable at evening the odds.”, the Elemental commented
"IF they truly existed." the Elemental said quietly, "I suspect, along with mis-attributing historical quotes, some of those claims were…exaggerated, or they would be standard technology NOW."
“No power had CASPARs in sufficient number to warrant continuing deployment of such technology. It is conceivable it became another lost technology.”
"The same could be said of SLDF royal technologies, yet the Inner Sphere powers were producing them in 3050. One of the principles in these books that comes up again and again, is that if one power or group does something and it works, the others will do so eventually regardless of barriers. No technology, once it is proven possible, remains exclusive forever." explained Jackson
“But we do have plenty of evidence to suggest that the CASPAR technology was too limited to provide demand for its counter post-coup.” Alaric noted.
"The old records insist the CASPARS were non-sapient. This has been proven false, My Khan, by experience." answered Jackson
“Has it? If that were true I would expect CASPARs to have chosen paths other than remaining hidden.” Alaric told big man.
"Sapient Warships, the rogue AI 'Kolossus' and the..treatment that gave me back my mind. All are, according to old records, Impossible...until now they are not." said Jackson
“If nothing else we must disrupt the main advantage of CASPARs. Their ATACs networks. Those truly provide decisive advantage.”
"Aff. If you would allow me access to the knowledge, perhaps fresh eyes could see through the generations of obfuscation to find a means to do so, quiaff? At least it would be better than living in a box beating up noisy intruders." said Jackson
“Aff. You have earned your release from this experiment and I will allow you access to our records.” Alaric told enlightened Elemental
-----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
37