BeyHop Chpt 9

==Beyond Hope- Chapter 9 - ==
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===Meeting Ms. Doons===
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Donegal, Federated Commonwealth
January 11th, 3054
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A diplomatic route meant reception by honor guard.
Helena Cameron had prepared for this as best she could.
Lyran blues, not Star League grays. See? They’re keeping their distance. I’m fine.
Helena was repeating variations of this mantra as they walked down the ramp and through the secure zone.
Elizabeth Ngo hobbled, (step-tic-step-tic) with her hair pulled back from her face, and her black 'walking suit' she looked like a miniature-like a teen playing business boss, right down to the cane, a black composite thing capped with a steel handle in the style that some Terran Nobles, long ago, thought looked distinguished.
The Girl's natural pace was never going to be met-somehow she hobbled as fast as the two taller women with her.
"You okay, Hel?" Liz half-whispered as the Lyran troopers raised their sabers to form an arch for the party to pass through.
“Yeah. I’m okay.” Helena nodded to Evelynn and the two with practiced precision adjusted their positions to block the photographer’s best shots of Elizabeth.
"Should've brought you a mobility scooter, Lil'bit." Evelynn muttered. "I can hear you huffing from here."
"Spent too much time in Lowgee." Liz noted, "I gotta do something to get better communications in the system…"
They reached the end of the column of troops right as the 'outside' gained a decorative ferrocrete wall where private vehicles sat.
Duchess Margaret Doons was resplendent, even in mourning clothes, a hard-eyed, gray-haired woman who exuded both 'Lady' and 'Authority' without moving a muscle.
"Elizabeth Ngo!" the older woman barked, which made Liz freeze for just a moment, before Maggie Doons softened her tone and smiled "It's good to see you girl, Miss Whyte hardly says anything in her missives…"
The head of Nashan Industries glided with a walk of such pure authority and grace she could be a Ballerina.
"Evelynn, Elizabeth, you said you would try to help your sister-in-law!!"
"It's hard to find the experts, and I'm not going to let Lizzy drag me off to the Magistracy with our world in crisis!" Evelynn, despite her earlier warnings was unhesitating in her response, adding belatedly, "Your grace."
"Well…I understand that…and who is this?"
"Helena Drillson, Ma'am, I sponsored her to take over some of my Belt holdings since I have to do the Ducal duties." Elizabeth answered, "She's a fantastic administrator and a personal friend…I hope you don't mind?"
"I am pleased you've made more friends than enemies, Elizabeth." Maggie stated, "There was some doubt after your 'debut' last year. Many in the peerage are calling you 'duchess headshot' in polite company and grimmer, darker things privately."
"Her Majesty the Archon endorsed it after the fact." Liz commented, "I have the letter sent via courier from Tharkad…"
"Yes, which is set to make things slightly more difficult for you in December, when you must present yourself to the Archon for swearing in." Maggie Doons warned, "I should have taken you in after your mother's…death…"
"Too close." Elizabeth said, "You told me and Penny at the hospital, that we could be friends but my firm's position plus yours, would trigger a cascade of corporate and business attacks from anyone who might imagine getting hurt by Ngo-Nashan juggernaut, including most of my other clients."
"So I did." Maggie said. "Her majesty, however, made the call in a private meeting between myself, Ms. Whyte, and Her Majesty-I was not to sever ties, but you would not be fostered on Donegal while your homeworld and system collapsed."
"We're not collapsing anymore." Liz observed.
"So it would seem…good, Lizzie…She was injecting in her inner thigh! How did we miss it?" By now, they were in the back of a limousine-conversion Personnel carrier with armed guards riding along-side, leaving the port. Eveylnn
"Who was her hook-up?" Elizabeth asked, "Your guys at least found that, didn't they?"
"The supplier of the drugs has been identified, yes, and his over-boss in the Malthus syndicate. Lohengrin is balking. The drugs trace back to an LIC operation and some of the involved are 'critical assets' for intelligence in the occupied areas. I was told to 'drop the matter'." Maggie explained.
"By the Archon?"
"Not directly."
"So…someone close?"
"No."
Elizabeth fidgeted, fist clenching. "So…?"
"Accidents will be unavoidable." Maggie stated. "I am sure of two things: Melissa is unaware that elements of LIC are moving drugs into our cities to fund operations in the Clan held territories, and using criminals as assets…and, I am certain that this…incident…has more to do with distracting me during the negotiations with GM over the 'Omni-mech' programme."
"So is the guy who ordered it outside our border, or inside?" Elizabeth asked.
"Still undefined, Elizabeth." Maggie commented
"Hmmm… You're telling me this for a reason."
"Your corporate security is good, Lizzie, but you don't have the resources to cover up a street war and you lack the grace and position to wage one without losing your Titles. I am warning you off of trying to get 'payback' for Penelope directly. So let me handle it."
Helena found herself deep in thought, looking out the window.
If this were 2780 still I could help them both, uncover the truth. But it’s not and I’m effectively a nobody. For now the only power I have is by riding on Elizabeth’s coattails.
Before either Elizabeth could react Maggie Doons stretched out a hand and made contact with Helena’s shoulder.
Helena, caught off guard as she was, recoiled from the sudden contact.
“Apologies, you seemed rather distracted, I merely meant to get your attention.” Maggie Doons offered.
“No, I apologize, Duchess Doons. I was being a poor guest.” Helena offered.
I nearly punched her in the face… Nearly. How ****** up is it that this is a good sign? Helena smiled.
“Let’s just agree we both made a mistake and accepted each other’s apology.” Maggie smiled.
“Yes. That would be acceptable, Duchess Doons.” Helena put on her best diplomatic smile.
I’ll need to talk to this one privately, away from her companions. But that will have to be later. Maggie returned the smile.
The vehicle kept going for what seemed like hours, and Helena noticed that the buildings grew more…separated, smaller, until fields began to replace structures.
Helena felt the tension melt away with the city. It wasn’t Unity City but it was enough she had been on edge.
"Penny talked about a horse-farm…" Elizabeth said idly.
"Yes. She loved it there…until the cravings got too strong." Maggie said.
"So the innovative treatment didn't work."
"Not really. I've dismissed Mister Hallowell, he is not to be harmed for being a quack, the destruction of his reputation, and career are sufficiently in hand." Maggie said darkly. "If there were ever any sign he was anything but wrong, if there were any possible malice, he would be fed to the stone-crabs a piece at a time…but he was just wrong, and too stubborn-stupid to realize it."
"I understand. 'Save vengeance for those who deserve it'." Elizabeth recited it like a memory, "Was there anything good from what he sold you?"
"You're interested in a quack? I thought you swore you would never let yourself end up like your Great Uncle!"
"If I can extend my due-date even a few days, Maggie." Liz said, "A few days of clarity before I have to go, a few hours even? It might make a difference, so I'm obliged to at least try."
"I'll hold off on ruining him and let you have access then." Maggie allowed.
"Wait, you know??" Helena asked.
"Yes." Maggie Doons said, "I also knew her Great Uncle. Brilliant man, Dinh was too, but Truk was outright gifted, the best engineer I've ever met."
“Of course you know. You’ve known Elizabeth longer than I have.” Helena shook her head.
"We keep it quiet, even Penny wasn't told, and so far, Daphne hasn't figured it out." Liz stated, "i…didn't want Daffy to go into one of her crusade-fugues trying to cure the incurable, not with her family problems and her career aspirations."
"How is it that YOU know then?" Evelynn asked.
"Because I have a friend in AFFC personnel, who saw Elizabeth's test scores for pre-academy, got excited, had her physical done, and it tripped red flags-what Lizzie has, is a bar to enlistment in every single Great House and most of the Periphery, and everyone still tests for it."
"Money keeps it from being Public." Liz said, "because nothing is worse than being pitied by everyone who sees you."
"There's worse." Evelynn pointed out, "but not MUCH worse."
“And we’ll help keep it quiet here.” Helena declared.
Another piece slid in, "You let the Papos gossip about your drug addict past, because it distracts!!"
"Yep." Elizabeth nodded, "I've even paid to plant rumours that I'm on the strong stuff."
"WHY??" Evelynn exclaimed.
"People are more comfortable thinking a young noble is a waste of skin who indulges too much, than they are with the idea that their particular noble is dying of an incurable hell-disease." Elizabeth pointed out. "So we manage it, I go out and do things like swinging wildly at a papo with my cane and fall on my ass, it reinforces the idea that I'm just a druggie who's going to have to clean up, a noble 'wild child' who's no threat to anyone."
“Crash courses in being a noble and managing optics.” Helena said sagely.
Maggie snorted, "It also helps you be underestimated."
"Given I'm eighteen on the nineteenth of February, that's not a bad thing-I know I'm not ready for the big game, but I'm still on the field…and I have to play, because lives and livelihoods depend on it."
Helena smiled slightly but remained silent.
Maggie Doons did not react but she noticed the knowing smile.
"Sports metaphors, Elizabeth?" Maggie asked, "remember when you are at Court on Tharkad, the social generals will adore talking about Solaris games, or cunning business deals, but if you let slip you're a Rugby fan in some areas of the Triad, they'll peg you for a brute."
"I watch Futbol too!!"
"A sport favored by enlisted and lower class commoners, Lizzie, how is your chess game these days?"
"Ahm…can't tell, Helena or her sister are the only ones who can give me a decent match, and I think Helena lets me win sometimes."
“Polo and Lacrosse would be good too.” Helena offered.
"Very true! Penelope adored Polo…" Maggie said, and Helena saw Elizabeth slip back into her personal 'mask'-that blank expression of hiding whatever feelings she was actually feeling.
Helena looked at Elizabeth. “I’m sorry for bringing up a bad memory.”
"No, it's fine." Elizabeth said, and offered a weak smile, "I visited Penny when…before the shooting, she tried to teach me to ride, it didn't go well."
"It went hilariously!" Maggie, too was trying for that false cheer. "I have a selection of embarrassing pictures of Lady Ngo falling off of riding horses! The docile ones!!"
“So Equestrian would be a painful experience. But I could try teaching you. I learned when I was younger.” Helena smiled.
"I'm just not good with animals." Elizabeth commented.
"Hah! Not good with animals?? Helena, when Lil'bit here was five, her Grandfather and my dad were discussing business in the main house at my family's place near The Folly, I was supposed to be babysitting her, she got away while Pat and I were…in the barn, making out. I went to find her for lunch, she was sitting on her five year old ass playing with a fursnakes by one of the tower-coolers we use for livestock! She had the Mother wrapped 'round her shoulders like a stole and the young cuddling on her legs!! They were purring!"
"Um, 'fursnake'?"
"Venomous, one bite you'll die in seconds having the best day of your life. Mammalian marsupials, legless, social."
“That’s right, you were telling me about them before we left.” Helena nodded.
"Slinky was my friend…" Elizabeth argued, "Grandpapa even let me have a keeper's outfit and yard after that!!"
"Point being, Lizzie is good with some animals…she just has too much predator smell for the horses." Evelynn concluded, "she also spooks the sheep."
“Well that would explain a lot.” Helena chuckled.
"Dinh let you keep venomous animals at five?" Maggie asked curiously, "That's…mildly more progressive than the man I remember."
"Yeah, but he made me release the whole family in the southeast part of the Folly my last winter before Mom and Dad dragged me off to live in dependent's housing." Elizabeth sighed, "can't take them off world no matter HOW many experts say they've been domesticated. The Vanhs took them, and I guess they're part of the wildlife control on Janey Vanh's south forty now…"
"Because Fursnakes can hunt and kill Browardbeast young before they get too big." Evelynn explained to Maggie. "The Vanhs are good people…Chuck came back from the war missing an arm, Liz."
"Oooh…ouch. Why hasn't he come by to see me?"
"He's got reasons. His wife's been doing a lot with the Granges these days, she isn't running for the rep but…I'm trying to encourage her to do that."
Helena said nothing.
The car's attitude shifted as it left the macadam of the provincial highway and slid gracefully along a tall stone fence bordered by manicured trees to a wrought iron gate ten meters tall and topped with "Nashan Retreat" in faux iron letters.
A man in a long-tailed jacket and tall hat opened the gates with a nod to the drivers, and a non-salute attention as the motorcade passed his position.
Helena had a brief memory of visiting the Drillsons as a little girl, Seth Drillson, her mother's brother, insisted that all his staff wear nothing military, and that nothing military looking be brought to the estate in Kentucky where she'd learned to ride horses.
Helena let herself smile, a truly happy smile.
Uncle Seth had almost won the struggle with Uncle Alyks for custody…and he doted on the girls as much as their guardian doted on Richard.
The motorcade stopped at a single-story house with vaulted roofs, solar panels glittering in the setting sun, near a corral full of Horses, and staff in long-tailed formal costumes handling them.
"Welcome to Penny's favorite place in the universe…or it was, anyway…once upon a time." Maggie said sadly. "We'll be staying the week in the main house, when the other guests have arrived, they can use the guest houses."
“Thank you for sharing this with us.” Helena nodded.
"I prefer Penny's friends, and their guests, to my son and his concubines." Maggie said, "Dexter can stay in a guesthouse."
Helena just nodded slowly.
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===Nightly Chat===
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Doon Residence
Coventry System, Federated Commonwealth
3054
Helena found herself alone in the kitchen. She shrugged as she grabbed some sliced bread.
"Can't sleep?" Maggie asked from the doorway, dressed in a rather frumpy flannel nightgown that was the platonic opposite of her public persona.
“Getting used to the day night cycle still I guess.” Helena lied.
"I would imagine so…would you care for some chamomile? It always helps me adjust to Jump-Lag."
“Sounds lovely.” Helena put some bread in the toaster.
The head of Nashan Enterprises proceeded to demonstrate kitchen skills that would outdo some professionals in the hospitality industry. 
"You're in your thirties." Maggie began, "Clearly not Kowloon native, how did you come to be one of Elizabeth's closest friends?"
“Yes. Short version is my ship misjumped. There were some complications that meant I had nowhere to go so she was kind enough to take me in.”
"I imagine so, you have a Terran accent. Helena, thicker than Dow's, and he's nearly unintelligible."
“Yeah. I grew up there.”
Maggie winced, and fished a pot of reddish honey from a cupboard, adding a dollop to the tea, and to a piece of toasted bread. "That's…so when did you decide to run away from Comstar? What did they do? Do you have enemies my-that is, that Elizabeth should know about in their dirty-tricks division? Who's looking for you?"
“To be honest I’m not entirely sure how to answer that. Brain is a little scrambled from the misjump.” Helena lied again.
"I imagine it is…if you're in hiding, then…I will help you, but if you're a spy looking for an advantage, I'll warn you now-Heimdall is watching, and they've beaten Comstar's intelligence people before, in the war of '39."
“No, there’s one thing I know about myself for sure. I like Elizabeth. I want to help her, not hurt her.”
"You'll need to work on your accent, or avoid speaking in english." Maggie explained, "Terran accents in English are distinctive, and Comstar goes after runaways."
“Ich spreche Deutsch.” Helena smiled.
"Yo Habla Espaniol?" Maggie countered, <Your German accent is terrible, and will be caught instantly, can you speak in Spanish? It's the Commonwealth's third language, better yet, have you picked up any Kowloonese Viet??>
<”Yeah. I learned some.”> Helena answered in her best Viet Pidgin.
<"Stick with rare languages for now, it will cover your stumbling in German."> Maggie advised, "Very few Lyrans, never mind anyone else, can speak Viet with any proficiency, never mind catching the different accents and dialects, having her elevate a Rokkajakkah to the peerage would be on-brand for the Ngos, and having 'stumbling' german can give you some advantages against manipulators if you're aware enough to use them."
<”I will. You care a lot about Elizabeth. You’re wanting to scope me out. That’s fair.”> Helena answered. <”I’ve shared a lot of what I remember about myself with Elizabeth. No offens,e but I don’t know you well enough yet to share with you yet.”>
“You’re a good liar. You’re slipping in just enough truth to make it tough for me. But I do believe you when you say you don’t want to hurt Elizabeth.”
“But you still think that I might, not because I want to but because I’d be forced to. Spies can be like that I admit. It is no lie when I say I honestly do not know if anyone is looking for me. I don’t think they are.”
“Your choice of name, I know it’s an assumed name.”
“Elizabeth’s idea actually.”
“Hmmm. Just tell me one thing. Do you love her?”
“We’re definitely close but, no. I’m not interested in that sort of relationship one way or the other.”
“You did admit you remember more than you have told me and have told it to Elizabeth. There’s something in that history isn’t there?”
“Yes. And I think we’re starting to understand each other.”
“Here’s what I know, you’re high society. You have too many tells. And the way you jumped when I touched you, that means you’ve got some baggage. So yes. I think we are and I don’t need to worry about you. I’ll eventually get your real story though.”
“Well here’s a hint. Because it is time for some of my meds too, especially since I’m eating.” Helena pulled out her pill organizer.
“Anti-depressant, anti-anxiety, and an antacid.”
“And this is a good day so only half dose for the anti-anxiety meds.”
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===Coping Grief===
Despite grim warnings, the guest list wasn't particularly long, and the grave site was well away from the public, sited on the crest of a rolling hill overlooking the horse farm.
A short list, and not everyone on it, came. 
"Danny Brewer can't come, but they weren't really close." Lizzie noted, "I didn't expect him…" her fist clenched. Unconsciously. 
“We’ll find a way to let him know there are still certain obligations.” Helena nodded.
"Danny really was never a problem there, Helena." Liz said, "Like I said, I half expected he'd duck this. But Daphne..."
“You’re still angry and he could have at least sent a letter. It would be the least expected of a noble.” Helena was laser focused.
"Elizabeth!" Maggie snapped, "Stop it. Daphne Rowe has a reasonable reason not to be here!!"
"She could get leave from Sanglamore." Liz grumped. "It's not like they're short of mechwarrior candidates who can take her-"
Helena understood, it was someone else that should have at least sent a letter.
Lady Doons laid a hand on the angry girl's shoulder, "This is neither the time, nor the place, Elizabeth!"
"Yes'm." The girl sulked and fumed as the horse-drawn cart brought up Penelope's casket.
Helena tried to keep it circumspect when she reached for Elizabeth’s hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
Liz tippie-toed up and whispered "Penny loved Daphne best." It was a child's secret, and the younger girl's irrational anger finally had a context.
<”Then we’ll have to send her a letter ourselves. Later.”> Helena whispered back in her best Kowloon Viet Pidgin.
The weather at the grave site didn't cooperate. Instead of being drizzly and overcast, the sun burned bright over head, with a pleasant breeze as a Lutheran Priest spoke the ritual in german.
Helena held the oversized umbrella for the both of them so that Elizabeth could support herself on her cane properly.
Penny's 'father' and his current tabloid bait-nearly the same age as the daughter he was burying, were impassive, the man's 'guest' looking genuinely confused at the whole proceeding.
"Who's that?" 
"Tridee star and model of some sort." Evelynn muttered, "I've seen her before in adverts."
Penny's biological mother, on the other hand, showed that mix of grief and irritation Helena had seen on distant relatives when her uncle died-the grief-for-the-cameras, and the irritation of being thwarted in some fashion. 
The actual servants showed more genuine emotion at the burial and the loss, than either of the people whose biology created the girl in the coffin.
Elizabeth was given a few words to say at the loss of her friend, she said them, and tossed the first bit of dirt on the coffin on Magaret's behalf.
Then the staff went to work filling the hole.
Helena found herself staring at the emotionless parents the entire time. She wanted to do something but she knew she shouldn’t cause a scene.
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===Discussions of politics and slightly hyper friend===
"You're late. We already buried her." Elizabeth Ngo stood in front of a tall, walnut-skinned 'boy-man' with curly, long hair in a modified mechwarrior dreadlocks style.
"I'm sorry, Liz." Daniel opologies 
"She did like you, y'know, just not that way." Elizabeth continued. "You came, and Daffy didn't."
Daniel winced. "I think that has more to do with Rowe-McClaren's director, Liz. Her father wasn't shy about thinking the two of you were a bad influence on Daphne. He almost convinced my parents to-"
"Yeah. You made it to the wake at least. Come on, I want you to meet a friend of mine."
Helena was making herself a small plate of things to nibble on from the available foods at the bar before returning to a table where she had a nice herbal tea waiting.
“Daniel Brewer, this is my friend, Helena Drillson.”
“Hello.” Daniel smiled.
“Lyran blues.” Helena said louder than she intended.
“What was that?” Daniel asked.
<”Sorry, I meant to say ‘hello’.”> Helena smiled.
“Okay where’d you find this one, Lizzie? She speaks almost like a native but she looks all wrong.” Daniel raised an eyebrow.
“Found her on the float. She’s a quick study. Maybe smarter than I am even.” Elizabeth said with a smile.
Daniel Brewer is a handsome young man, two years older than Elizabeth, at twenty he's just started filling into his frame, he took a knee and said, in french, "Madame, vous êtes aussi mystérieuse que belle."
"Danny!"
"The buyer from AFFC said it was just a greeting..?" he said impishly.
"Only if you watch Feddie 'adult products' holos! Besides, in those, doing it right wouldn't you be trying to kiss her hand?"
He shook his head, "Belter manners-she's avoiding being touched, it would be tres rude-even I know that!"
Which made him twenty again.
"Have you started actually doing your job yet?" Elizabeth demanded of him.
He stood back up, met her eyes, and sighed. "I'm not ready."
Elizabeth got up to her tippie-toes and jammed a finger into his chest, "Bullshit, Danny. Absolute bullshit, you ascended two years ahead of me, so we both took our inheritance at the same age, and you need to be doing your job. are you still dinking around trying to become an Immortal Warrior contestant?"
"Lizzie, unlike you, I have a good Regent to handle things! General Gareth's not a crook, he's helping me-"
"He's using you, Danny." she scolded, "That's what you get with appointed regents, people don't get those jobs because they're 'good', they get those jobs because they're 'good for someone else's pocketbook', usually at your expense! The only way to be safe is to be in charge!!"
"I don't want to end up being-"
"Being Duchess Headshot? Don't worry, Danny, boys get a pass on that stuff!! it's expected for a man to take the charge and pull the trigger! You could line up a dozen crooked cronies like I did, bang-bang-bang and people would just call you strong, not psycho! But you don't have to kill anybody, all you have to do, is tell them who's boss and threaten to fire a few people! Or threaten to give them bigger bonuses! You can be a 'mechwarrior and still be the Duke you're supposed to be!"
"Why do you care, Lizzie?" he asked.
"Because Penny liked you and Dapnhe had a crush on you, you're one of us, Danny, okay? I care because you're one of ours, one of us. Marsden Clinic Class of '48…are you still clean?"
"Every day. You?"
"I've wavered." she said, "but I've held on for now, press notwithstanding. You, me, Daffy, we have to prove it, because we ****** up before, remember?"
He looked ashamed, "Yeah…"
"Come on, let's go get some snacks." she said, taking his arm "I want to hear all about your latest adventures in 'mechwarrior training."
"It bores you."
"Yeah, but it didn't bore Penny and we're here for her, not me." She led him away.
"Unspoken." Maggie said from Helena's side in sotto-voce.
"What?"
"Daniel Brewer was sent there because his parents thought he had a problem, he never used anything more potent than sports drinks and aspirin. Thus he was out of there ahead of the girls."
"What she said about his regent?"
"Free Skye ties, and more than a little bit of stealing from the coffers, but mostly because Brendal Gareth helped Krupp rook a sixty seven billion Kroner upgrade contract out from under Ngo Industries…only to have the entire upgrade package delayed repeatedly over the last four years. Daniel wasn't involved in the negotiations, Elizabeth takes some of that personally. She doesn't know about the Embezzlement or the ties to domestic terror groups…and she won't, as long as we keep our mouths shut and keep letting the Archon give them rope."
"Rope?"
"With which, Brendal will predictably hang himself after revealing his contacts and co-conspirators…or so Lohengrin's domestic people think."
"You don't agree."
"I don't agree, Helena." Maggie stated, "I really don't agree."
"Which part do you think offends her more?" Helena asked cautiously, "About the contract…?"
"She's publicly offended that her family's firm lost the contract, but, knowing her as I do?" Maggie smiled, "She's more offended that Krupp didn't deliver on time, and that Def"Hes is using a foreign supplier instead of Lyrans. It's her grandfather's influence on her thinking. She won't do business in the 'federated' side of the Federated Commonwealth at all-she funnels equipment through Coventry Metal Works or another subcontractor instead, and refuses to do warranty work outside the nation…which I admit, has given Nashan Enterprises a wonderful in as proxies, but she's skipping over good money as a matter of principle. This will hurt her firm's standing."
"You don't approve." Helena commented
"I don't approve, I really don't." Maggie agreed. "Let me tell you a secret, Helena…Ngo Industries sells 'repaired salvage'...so much of it, that the salvage would have to weigh in at more machine tooling than was produced prior to the second succession war. Her people are making the products they sell…and lying about it."
"Assume I'm not going to storm off in offense at the implication, why?"
"To avoid having their facilities reach ten thousand degrees in under a second, the way most of the companies that existed before them in the business of manufacturing tooling did." Maggie said, "So keep it under your hat until you're alone with her, but let her know, people are figuring it out."
"No deceptions last…" Helena put it together. "...who suspects?"
"Melissa Steiner-Davion for one, and I suspect her Husband Hanse Davion has spies that are telling him the same thing one of my brain-trusts worked out…Which means she's going to be facing increased demands at the Archon's Ball. In the traditional closed-door meeting, because the realm needs the expansion and she refuses to sell outside the Commonwealth….and we are at war with an invader."
“And you need the ally, so selling directly would help solidify that.” Helena figured.
"Ja, you get it, I'll ask you to make sure she gets it, from me, it would sound self-serving even when it's in her best interests." Maggie asserted, "the business mind must be suspicious, Helena, and she has a very sharp Business mind. Inexperienced, but sharp."
“I’ve noticed. She thinks she needs me, but really she doesn’t. Still so she doesn’t have to burn the candle at both ends I still do what I can.”
"If she thinks she needs you, it's probably real, but not in a way you might expect." Maggie commented.
“You’re probably right, she needs me in the way I need her. Not to do a job, but to be a friend.”
"It is VERY hard, at our level, to truly keep friends. Treasure it, Helena."
“I think you already know I understand that better than you can imagine.”
"If I could ask of you one other, small favor? I can't eject my son if he doesn't cause a scene…I don't suppose you could…influence the event, ever so slightly, now that he's drunk enough of my booze?"
“There is something I’ve been wanting to say to him…” Helena nodded. “Be back shortly.”
Helena stood up and marched over to Alfred Doons.
“Es insulsa carnis humanae vastitas, ostendens funus filiae tuae sine lachrymis.” Helena broke out her seldom used latin.
“What?” Alfred said drunkenly.
“Uneducated and drunk. I said you are a tasteless waste of human flesh, showing up to your daughter's funeral without shedding a tear. Which is wrong now I see, I should have said useless instead of tasteless.”
Alfred stood there befuddled for a moment as his intoxicated brain took entirely too long to register the insult.
“How dare you…” Alfred slurred.
“No. How dare you. This is your daughter’s funeral and it’s just an excuse for you to get drunk. You’re not in mourning. With all the vocabulary in all the languages I possess I see now that there is no word sufficient to describe your lack of worth.”
Alfred got red in the face and threw his glass at Helena.
Helena easily dodged the drunkenly tossed glass.
“That should do.” Helena nodded.
He stepped forward suddenly, and lashed out with his back-hand, only to have it stopped with a crack.
Alfred Doons yowled, and bent, gripping his forearm in pain, as Elizabeth Ngo brought her cane up between his legs with a vicious snarl, then down on his shoulder, driving him to the floor. "Iss es! Iss den Dreck!! Iss es! Du widerwärtiger kleiner Mann!!" the girl dropped to a knee, using the cane as leverage to hold him to the floor by his neck. "You…broke..guestrite Alfred!! You offered violence to your Mother's guest, in her home!!"
The girl's tone sounded like she was condemning him for incestuous cannibalism or something equally horrid.
"Elizabeth? I can take this from here…Daniel, would you help her to her feet please?"
"Yes Your Grace." Daniel Brewer came over from the punch bowl, and helped Lizzie to stand and get her feet under her. Liz turned her eye to Helena, "You're alright? He didn't actually touch you, did he?"
“Yeah, he didn’t even come close.” Helena nodded with genuine relief.
"You ****** up, Alfred, she's a Belta, a Spacer, if I decided, she could demand your life for this." Maggie scolded, "I will, instead, grant her your absence. You're cut off, have what you can carry out of the condo by tomorrow, and where you go I do not care, but get you from my sight until you can remember how to be a Gentleman!! I'll leave you only what you've earned on your own from the interest on what you've been taking from the Trust."
“Thanks Elizabeth. I wasn’t sure how I’d actually react but I was prepared to let him hit me there for you and Maggie.” Helena said at almost a whisper to Elizabeth.
"Well I didn't want to find out what you'd do either." Liz confirmed sotto-voce, "we'll call this even for now, and a favor owed by Maggie-she's been wanting to get Al off the apron strings for longer than I've been alive."
“I gathered as much. I’m glad I could do that for her and for you. So deal.” Helena smiled.
"Uhm, Liz? You're not that strong how-?" Daniel asked.
Elizabeth showed him her cane, "Powered." she said, "Shocks like a stun-wand, only has a few charges in it. A girl can't be too careful."
"Sweet." he approved.
“Never know when trouble might find you.” Helena found herself mentally checking for her self defense items she had hidden on her person.
"The only problem is, I may have canceled any further grandkids…" Liz said mock-sadly.
"I'll deal." Maggie told her, "Maybe I'll just adopt next time."
“Something tells me if you had your way you’d already have your candidate.” Helena smiled.
"Yes." Maggie said, "but sometimes, I cannot have my way, a lesson that was hard to learn when I was younger."
“Indeed, that is a tough lesson to learn. My brother never really learned it.” Helena let slip.
Lizzy jumped in, "He destroyed her family's firm by being demanding AND incompetent, it cost him everything including, rumour has it, his life when his partners turned on him."
"Ah…a classic story." Maggie nodded sagely.
“Well now that the drama is over I believe I was eating lunch. Excuse me.” Helena smiled as she returned to her table.
“You two need to work on your cover stories better.” Maggie said sagely.
Elizabeth checked the room, then said, "i'll tell you later, the truth is infinitely less believable than the cover, but only if Helena agrees."
“Fair enough.” Maggie nodded. “Now I best make the rounds with my other guests to smooth over the drama.”
One by one Maggie went to the handful of other guests who all politely excused themselves.
Elizabeth and Daniel joined Helena at the table.
“Daniel, why don’t you get us some real drinks. I think we all need a little something to sooth our nerves after that.” Elizabeth created some privacy.
Helena nibbled on a sandwich.
"So…some unbelievable truth?" Maggie asked.
"Can I tell her, Helena?" Liz asked.
“Yeah. I think she’s already picked apart our cover story.”
Elizabeth got to her feet, and hobbled over to a desktop terminal, "First, some context." she said, then muttered "history class…"
The display lit with the logo of UW Donegal's history department.
Search Term: House Cameron, Circa 2765
Subset: Images
The Royal Family of the Star League appeared, as they had appeared the year before the Amaris Coup.
"This is necessary to put things into context…" Elizabeth narrowed that window, and brought up visual imagery of the Caspar M-5.
Then, she narrowed that window, and brought up a link to the Physics department, and from there, to the elementary KF theory classes run by the UW Donegal.
"Okay…so…about a year ago, right after I executed Jim Condit and put down most of his confederates…in the outer system of Kowloon…" she expanded the image of the M-5, "one of these popped into existence. It had passengers."
Margaret gasped, "You didn't report it."
"There are complicated reasons for that." Elizabeth said, "Family history reasons, even…one of those passengers…" she reduced the window, and brought up the Cameron Family Portrait, then outlined pre-Amaris Helena's face, expanded it to half a wall size, "was Helena Cameron. I had a means to confirm it, that was in only one record nobody else keeps…and now, she's sitting at a table in your house, and it's because…" she flipped to the Kearney Fuchida equations, and highlighted one that was incomplete, "of something to do with Kearney's 19th theorem. The one Gerhardt Brimes was claiming might be tied to how inertia and time are impacted by the Jump Core's field-his lost papers after his accidental death in the 2950s."
“Surprise.” Helena said with a half hearted chuckle.
Maggie studied the image, then Helena. "You're almost thirty now…and the girl in that image is sixteen…but…"
“My sister saved me and got me off Terra. Kerensky sheltered me. Looking back, yeah I see how I became a rumor or chalked up to a propaganda piece. A story to keep the troop’s morale up in a difficult time. So I became dismissed by the official histories. But I was there.” Helena said softly.
"Your proof, Elizabeth?"
Liz dug into her jacket and produced a worn, ancient diary. "Tranh Truk Ngo's diary, from Elbar." she said, "She knew something that was kept from everyone else…details of it even."
"That… is a hell of a secret, Lil'bit." Maggie said, using the girl's pet-name. "One hell of a secret, no wonder you concocted such a story to hide it…you're getting subtlety!!"
“I honestly don’t know if Comstar even knows I exist or what they’d do with me if they did. I just know I have a lot of baggage when it comes to Terra and I’m not ready to go back there yet anyway.”
"Backing." Maggie asserted, "you're a woman out of time, and your existence challenges a lot of established ideas, you alone in Comstar's hands? Probably would end up vanished into a gilded cage without backing. WITH backing, that's still a risk."
“I know.”
"Who else knows?" Maggie asked, "The fewer who know, the easier it is to keep a secret."
"The contact team, Alicia Li, Evelynn…"
“Three can keep a secret if two are dead.” Helena found herself saying.
Maggie nodded, "yes, it will get out then. So …we need to prepare for the revelation, if the word on the Clan Invaders is true, you're going to be important whether or not you wish it, Helena, if they find out, they will come looking for you as well."
“I just hope they can be reasoned with.”
"DUDE, Elizabeth?" Daniel Brewer hadn't been as distracted by the distraction as they'd hoped, he was standing in the doorway.
"Danny, come in, sit down, close your mouth and listen." Maggie ordered him in a tone somewhere between "mother" and "Drill Instructor".
He complied.
"Elizabeth, go back to the start, use small words, Daniel is only a man, after all."
Liz nodded, and began again.
----
===Revelation===
"...you’ve been sheltering the last heir of the Star League, Lizzie!" he said after being caught up. "That's HUGE."
"It's huge, and it's dangerous, Danny." Liz told him. "Hell, I might've signed all our death warrants letting this out."
Daniel nodded slowly, "Shit…"
"You still need to get your house in order, Danny." Liz continued, "I don't trust your Regent and he's in bed with Comstar, whom you know my family never trusted."
“Focht is cleaning house and airing a lot of Comstar’s dirty laundry.” Dan noted.
"Focht is one man, and…" she hesitated, "...and he can be disappeared or die tomorrow too, or worse, he might be just…I don't know." she shook her head in frustration, "He's a foreigner! I don't trust him!!"
Helena spoke, "Elizabeth…so am I." softly
"You're different!" Liz insisted. "Not the same thing at all!"
“Am I really? His German accent is way better than mine I’ll admit but he strikes me as a man who is dedicated to his cause. It’s how I’m even functional.”
"We need to choose when to reveal." Daniel said, "And where. It's too big to keep it a secret and it's going to be found out, Lizzie. Maggie's never wrong about that stuff."
“Your swearing in. I think that is our deadline whether we like it or not.” Helena surmised.
"Is the warship fully functional?" Daniel Brewer asked.
"She's fully functional." Helena commented.
"She might look good painted up in the right livery, and it would definitely draw attention if you showed up with such a vessel." Brewer continued, "You know, to underline things when you make the reveal."
“We’ll still have to have safeguards in place so it isn’t so easy for the Archon or her husband to just demand the Warship.”
"You're doing tooling for Alarion, Liz, for the new RX-78 program…" he speculated, "Also, aren't you in the running for the update bid at Lockheed, for the rumoured Cruiser-size program?"
“That might be our best play. Maggie suggested I try and bring you around to the idea of selling directly to the Federated Suns. If you make yourself indispensable by dealing with them directly it’ll give you political leverage.” Helena offered.
Elizabeth winced as if in actual pain at the idea. "You know, if you weren't my friend, Helena, I'd tell you to go ****** yourself…fine. We'll deal with Federated Boeing..." she said the words like she was spitting out something particularly vile, "and with General Motors… but only because Jane can't be stashed in orbit with just a caretaker crew forever, and it will give you gravitas with Her Majesty and the Estates General."
Helena recognized that kind of hate. “Thank you, Elizabeth. I may not know why you hate the Federated Suns so much, but I recognize that pain in your heart.”
"I don't hate them, god I'm not a bigot...it's just…I don't want to deal with them, but I will..and I'll deal fairly…I promise."
“No one’s asking you to be a pushover, Elizabeth. So give them hell and rake them over the coals but in the end make the deals.” Helena smiled.
This got a smile from Liz, "If I didn't, I wouldn't be a proper Lyran, now would I?"
Which made Maggie Doons giggle a bit.
----
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