FaRtaL Chpt 31

==From a Ristar to a Lady - Chapter 31 -==
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===The verbal Enchantress===
Aubert Estate, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area
18th July, 3061
1200 hours (1200 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)
Anastasia hugged the terrified Lady Seydoux tightly, one hand rubbing her back in an attempt to soothe her. She could see Finn and the emergency staff rushing up towards them, mounted on hoverbikes and wheeled jeeps.
“Lady Kalinska!” Finn reached her first, jumping off his hoverbike and dashing up to her. She held up a hand to stop him, shaking her head slightly. Lady Seydoux was still sobbing into her shoulder, but the cries were finally subsiding.
A medic came up to them, and Anastasia released Lady Seydoux. “Get yourself checked for injuries,” she whispered softly. The other woman whimpered at the separation, but nodded, somewhat regaining control over herself.
She turned to her fiance. “Hey Finn, did you miss me already…”
He drew her into a sudden embrace. “Finn?”
Wait, he’s shaking! For the second time in as many minutes, the person she was embracing was trembling. Why?
“I’m so glad,” murmured Finn as he hugged her tightly, “I’m so glad you’re safe.”
“I’m all right, Finn,” she patted his back, trying to reassure him. She had absolutely no idea that Finn would be so concerned for her safety.
He finally let go of the embrace, and held her at arm’s length, observing her intently. “Were you hurt anywhere?”
“Oh, I wasn’t. I’m perfectly fine!” Better than that, actually. She could still feel the adrenaline high from the chase.
“What made you decide to give chase? It should be left to the rescue crews!” His tone was chiding.
She shrugged. “There was no time to lose. Nothing else could have chased Lady Seydoux down in time, and each additional moment she spent on that bike meant another moment of danger.”
Finn sighed. “I’m just glad nobody was seriously hurt.” He turned towards the tech. “Thank you so much for helping, Chief Tech… uh…”
The tech removed her helmet. “Hawise, my lord. I am Chief Tech Hawise.”
The name struck Anastasia like a thunderbolt. She realised she knew this woman, why she had seemed familiar. When she was just a fresh Star Commander out of the sibko, Avryl fought and lost against a Nova Cat garrison unit on Hoard, more than a thousand light years away. Hawise was the commander then. What was she doing here, now, of all places?
But dealing with the current situation was the most important.
“By the way, Finn, I was really impressed with these two hoverbikes.” She went into what Venice called the ‘airhead’ mode, which was useful when feigning ignorance.
To his credit, Finn seemed to realize her intentions, offering her a sly smile. “Did you like riding them? I can buy them for you.”
“Of course! They were so fast! I don’t know why there was no limiter on Lady Seydoux’s ride, but it could go really fast! And the one from the Furious Felines was so responsive, I really like it!”
“Don’t worry, I’d buy both of them right away.”
The leader of the staff responsible for the bikes flinched, and exclaimed, “My lord, please wait a moment. I’m flattered that you would want to buy one of our hoverbikes, but it might not be ready…”
Finn loomed over the poor man. “Are you telling me that you let these ladies on hoverbikes that weren’t ready for use?”
“Oh, of course not.” The stricken man sweated profusely, quailing under Finn’s harsh glare.. “Uhhh, sure, the hoverbike is yours.”
“And we have no qualms about selling our bike to Viscount Rason,” Hawise added with a grin. “Just be sure to mention how fast and responsive it was, Lady Kalinska!” She winked at Anastasia.
Despite herself, Anastasia winked back. She would settle Hawise, another ghost from her past, later.
Finn is pretty dumb, but he caught on quickly back there, Anastasia mused as she took a still trembling Lady Seydoux back to the pavilion with the refreshments. With the incident, all the ladies had stopped riding their hoverbikes and were waiting anxiously for news. Finn is settling the purchases of the bikes, so all that is left is…
There was a palpable release of tension when the gathered ladies saw her and Lady Seydoux walk in, hand in hand, because Anastasia knew just how scared Selina Seydoux still was. Venice ran up to them, almost in tears as she hugged Lady Seydoux, and then turned to her, taking up her hands and squeezing them, as though to assure herself that Anastasia was actually there and not a figment of her imagination.
“Ana, are you all right?” Venice sniffled a bit.
“Yes, I’m fine.” Anastasia gestured to herself, “See, nothing wrong.”
Venice sighed in relief, “You could have been seriously hurt! I was so scared!”
“Don’t worry, I know what I’m doing.” I certainly hope so. Because we need to deal with Richelle next. She directed a pointed look at Lady Aubert, one that all the ladies present could not possibly miss.
Richelle smiled brittlely, and said, “To think such an incident would occur at this event… I thought this event was perfectly safe.”
“You’re right,” replied Anastasia. “A hoverbike moving at such fast speeds could cause its rider to fall into the ground or the water, just like what happened to me before. It seems your words should have been heeded by everybody here.” She glanced at Lady Seydoux, who was being comforted by Venice.
Her words sparked a round of murmurs amongst the gathered ladies.
“My goodness, Lady Aubert did say something to that effect earlier.”
“Indeed, and she brought up that incident at the palatial manor lake.”
“Did she really have nothing to do with that hoverbike? Obviously somebody tampered with the settings!”
Richelle seemed to sense the tide turning against her. “There was nothing wrong with the hoverbike when we checked it. It must have been a freak mechanical failure! What are you trying to imply here, Lady Kalinska?”
“What? Imply?” Anastasia tried to look utterly innocent. “I don’t know what you are talking about? I certainly enjoyed my hoverbike ride.” The ‘airhead’ mode was certainly formidable in the right setting. It would not work in the military, of course, but in the social world, it was a powerful tool. “I was just trying to tell you how impressed I was with a hoverbike’s full speed. Why would you say such a thing?”
Anastasia smirked, then continued, “It was certainly exciting. I enjoyed it so much that I don’t think I would mind riding your hoverbikes for a change.” Then, just to twist the knife in, she added, “But maybe Lady Seydoux has a different opinion.”
Richelle grimaced. “You seem very confident, Lady Kalinska.”
“Lady Aubert,” said Venice sternly. “The very first thing you said, was neither an inquiry to how Lady Seydoux was nor an apology. Instead, you made excuses in an attempt to avoid being held responsible.”
Venice directed a fierce glare at Richelle Aubert. “In the past, I held Lady Aubert in high regard, but I must say I’m quite disappointed in the way she handled this situation.”
Lady Seydoux finally spoke up as well, “Yes, she did not seem to be concerned with my well being, nor that of Lady Kalinska’s. It almost appeared as though she wanted us to be hurt.”
Venice put a hand on Lady Seydoux’s arm. “Lady Seydoux, please refrain from making such careless remarks.” Even if it is true, was the unspoken truth that all the gathered ladies knew.
Lady Seydoux looked at Anastasia, “I am so grateful to Lady Kalinska for coming to my rescue, even though I took the hoverbike meant for her. I am forever in your debt, my lady.”
A deafening silence fell in the pavilion, with all the gathered ladies looking at Richelle for some sort of an explanation they could accept. They might be brought up in privilege, but they were not stupid. All the details pointed to a deliberate sabotage aimed at Anastasia, but it was actually Selina Seydoux who suffered the brunt of it.
If it really had been Anastasia who had suffered the sabotage, maybe they would have let it slide, such was her poor reputation amongst the social circles of the Trivet. But Selina Seydoux, though low ranking, was nevertheless quite popular and friends with many of the ladies, and her distress had caused them real fear and no small amount of consternation. And to botch such a plan… it was also, in some way, an indictment on Richelle’s capabilities if she could not even get this frivolous act of petty sabotage right.
One lady declared loudly, “Well, I never! I thought this event was going to be a civilized affair, but it seems I was wrong!”
Another lady replied, “Exactly! How can one be expected to attend when their safety isn’t guaranteed?”
“I’m not staying here. The air here isn’t nice.”
“That’s right, let’s go over to the race stands instead.”
Slowly the ladies streamed out, showing their displeasure at how Richelle had conducted the event. They headed to the stands overlooking the impending race, over the wide grounds, anywhere but the pavilion with the refreshments.
All that was left were Anastasia and Richelle, staring at one another in the empty pavilion.
“I suppose I shall get going too. The race should be starting soon, and I intend to talk to one of the teams.” Anastasia beamed brightly, as though nothing was wrong. “I think I’ll feel more at ease with the clanners.” Which was actually true.
Now it’s your turn to see what it feels like to be invisible, to be ostracized by others. She noticed Richelle clenching her fists in fury, but there was nothing the other woman could do.
Anastasia walked off smugly. How was that, Anastasia? Will you be satisfied now?
She caught up with Venice, who was headed to the stands. “Where is Lady Seydoux?”
“Oh, she still felt unwell, so she’s heading back early. One of the staff is escorting her home.” Venice eyed her. “How about you? Weren’t you frightened as well?”
Anastasia shook her head vigorously. “I’m perfectly fine! By the way, you were amazing earlier. Did you use some kind of enchantment?”
“What?”
“With just a few words from you, the women who would have usually stayed silent actually spoke up against, Richelle!”
Venice smiled, “Ana, you give me too much credit.”
Anastasia shrugged. “What’s wrong with giving credit where credit is due?”
“Ana, you gave yourself too little credit,” chided Venice gently..
“”What do you mean by that?”
“What I mean, Ana, is that you’re the one who enchanted them. Not me.” Venice grinned. “And you know what? You’re making me revise my expectations of you. From now on, you need to be a little more aware of the effect you have on other people.”
Stunned by Venice’s words, Anastasia stopped walking.
Venice turned back to look at her, “Ana, why are you dawdling? Come on!”
“Coming!”
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===A Warrior's Duty===
After the excitement of rescuing Lady Seydoux, the actual race itself almost seemed anti-climatic. Held as part of the local traditions for the Day of Honor, to recognize the sacrifices of the veterans of the military, the origins of the race was obscured in antiquity. After each race, the participating hoverbikes were often given away in a special lottery for the veterans, while others received small tokens of appreciation for their services.
Anastasia could see the rows of gathered military personnel in specially allocated stands offering the best view of the race, many dressed in their uniforms. There were white haired elderly who had fought in the Third Succession War, men barely older than Finn, and everything in between. They all seemed proud of their service, and Anastasia figured they had reason to be.
Before the race, Finn gave a short speech as he was the highest ranking serving military officer present, and he emphasized the importance of the military veterans and their service. Although Anastasia still felt like a Smoke Jaguar, her own responsibilities as heir to the Kalinski Barony and her experiences at the demesne drove home the importance of defending the livelihoods of the common folk, so she found it hard to denigrate the service of these soldiers, even if it was in a different cause from hers.
When Finn talked about the Star League, she felt conflicted. It was something the Smoke Jaguars had fought so hard for, but in the end it was formed without the clans leading it. She supposed she should be outraged, but she only felt a weird sense of obligation to the people who made up the Star League, even if she still felt the Second Star League itself was a sham.
The race itself took place shortly after. Anatasia cheered loudly for the Furious Felines, and their racer Jamco demonstrated a significant superiority in her reflexes compared to the other racers, navigating the turns with absurd ease. Coupled with a hoverbike powered by superior clan engine technology, she opened up a historic gap and won the race handily.
As an advertisement for their products, the clan expatriates could not have asked for a better result. Anastasia wanted to approach them again, but their victory brought a mass of reporters and nobles eager to ingratiate themselves with the winners. In the end, with Finn’s help she managed to come away with some of their contacts and their current place of residence on Inman.
After saying her farewells to Venice and Raymond Haynes, Finn drove her back to the Kalinski estate.
“So much happened today, but I still had a lot of fun.” Anastasia commented as she climbed out of the car. “Thank you Finn.”
She continued, “Oh, and I’ll entrust any further investigation on the sabotaged hoverbike to you. Since my father is one of Renard Haynes’ supporters, and in the same camp as Viscount Aubert, it would be troublesome for him if I got him involved.”
Finn became very silent, his face grim.
“Finn?”
He raised his head and looked at her, “Ana, if it’s okay with you, there’s something I’d like us to discuss.”
They were soon seated in the estate’s tea room, light refreshments on the table, hastily laid out by Anastasia’s servants.
“...you think Venice was involved?” said Anastasia in disbelief.
“I cannot rule her out,” replied Finn. “She knew you wanted to ride the hoverbikes.”
“But we don’t know for sure she intended to cause me harm. And besides, when did she get the opportunity to sabotage the hoverbike?”
“Payoffs to the staff, for one. It’s quite simple.” He sighed. “My lady, I know you’ve suffered from a lack of friends until very recently. And she’s the first real friend you’ve ever had. I know how valuable your friendship with her is to you.”
He continued, “But when it comes to political matters, anybody can wear a mask to disguise their true intent. I just want you to be careful.”
“Finn, I appreciate your concern,” Anastasia sighed. “But Venice isn’t that sort of person.”
“But you can’t know that for certain. I’ve seen too many people suffer a terrible betrayal after placing their trust in another person! Like that mechwarrior I mentioned before.”
Anastasia paused, her teaspoon in the midst of stirring her tea.
“Avryl Showers was shot in the back by her subordinate.” His tone was bitter. “The… the truth is… she died in vain, foolishly believing in her soldiers to the very end.”
Actually, I did not trust Pence all that much, but yes, you are still quite right, thought Anastasia. “Nevertheless, she managed to rise to the rank of Star Captain. You should know better than anybody how difficult of a position it is to maintain without somebody to trust.”
“That’s not…”
“Finn,” she looked at him firmly, “I think people should trust other people.” And besides, you also still believe in Avryl, even after my death, even though there is absolutely no reason for you to.
He stared at her in consternation, then seemed to accept her decision with a nod. He got up from his chair. “If that’s what you think, I’ll respect your decision.” He walked over to her and went down on a knee beside her. “But you won’t have to bear that burden on your own any longer.” He gently took her hand.
“What?” Anastasia flinched, not knowing how she should react to this new development.
“It’s a warrior’s duty to protect his lady.” He then leaned down and kissed her hand he was holding.
Anastasia stared at him in surprise, utterly flabbergasted.
Two knocks on the door, followed by Baron Kalinski entering the room. Finn stood up, releasing Anastasia’s hand.
“I heard Viscount Rason was here.” The Baron smiled weakly. “My lord, may I have a word with you in private?”
Finn nodded to him, then turned to Anastasia. “My lady, you must be tired after such an eventful day. Please rest well.”
She smiled at him, “Yes, I will. Thank you for your concern.”
After the two left, she remained alone in the room, her tea cooling in front of her on the tea table. She squeezed her hands, staring at her reflection in a nearby mirror. She thought she could see herself in the reflection as Avryl, but dressed in the stylish clothes she now wore as Anastasia.
“It’s a warrior’s duty to protect his lady…” She sighed in exasperation. “What did he mean by that?”
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===The mystery of the lady grows..===
Haynes Palatial Manor, Inman
Milligan PDZ, Woodbine Operational Area
23rd July, 3061
1200 hours (2000 hrs on local 28 hr cycle)
“Any news concerning what happened at the hoverbike event for the ladies?” Raymond asked as he flipped through a book absentmindedly.
His aide Glenn replied, “Baron Kalinski doesn’t seem to want to make a big fuss over it. He has just informed Count Haynes that he will not be filing a complaint against Viscount Aubert, which means there won’t be a trial. As for Sir Seydoux, he’s too low ranking to matter at all, despite his daughter being caught up in all this.”
Raymond smirked, “Just as I thought. Things are turning out rather well, aren’t they? It’s exactly what I expected to happen. I saw Finn with a murderous look on his face the other day. That must be why.”
Glenn nodded, “Yes, it seemed that he got into a heated argument with Baron Kalinski.”
“Really? Argument? Finn?” Raymond looked up and laughed loudly. “He’s totally smitten with Lady Kalinska, isn’t he?”
Raymond’s eyes gleamed behind his spectacles as he continued, “Still, if they had requested a formal trial, they would have been able to find the culprits behind the sabotaged hoverbike. Too bad for them all, it wasn’t Lady Kalinska on that hoverbike. Given what she did, I wouldn’t be surprised if she could handle the situation on her own. And at the end of the day, Baron Kalinski obviously felt his own political standing was more precious to him than his daughter, given that he doesn’t even want to pursue the matter further.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Hmmm… I also noticed there seem to be a lot of rumours surrounding Lady Kalinska lately.”
“Well, it’s because of her actions during the hoverbike event. Getting a hoverbike directly from one of the racing teams, chasing down and rescuing Lady Seydoux… nobody expected it. She was just a typical noblewoman.” Soft and weak, was the implied unsaid.
“Yes, that’s fair to say,” Raymond agreed, one hand under his chin in thought. “Hmmm… Glenn, I want you to start investigating Lady Kalinska. When did her personality change? What sorts of incidents has she been involved in? Things of that nature. Don’t leave anything out.”
“Yes, my lord!” Glenn quickly left to fulfil his instructions.
Raymond stared out the window at the night sky. “Who are you, Anastasia Kalinska? An opportunity, or a threat? Either way, I intend to find out.”
===Frustrations continue===
Finn was in a foul mood, pacing the floor of his office with pent up frustration. “Nothing’s going to be done in the end.”
“That’s expected, my lord.” Eric winced when Finn shot him a glare. “Viscount Aubert, Baron Kalinski… they’re all Baron Haynes’ supporters. They’re not going to succumb to infighting so easily.”
“Renard Hayne’s faction, huh.” Finn’s own father, the previous Viscount Rason, was of the firm opinion that Renard should not inherit the Countship. It was for that reason that he secretly ensured Raymond was trained in the martial disciplines, and as a mechwarrior, because few things confer more legitimacy in the feudal structure of the Successor States than the ability to pilot a battlemech..
The other day, when Baron Kalinski had talked to him in private, the older man said, “I heard about the events at the Day of Honor hoverbike race. But if you’re going to use my daughter’s safety for political gain, I must ask you to stop.”
Finn groused. Tsk, Baron Kalinski thought I am against Renard, given recent events. Not entirely wrong, but I’ve also firmly declared my neutrality in both matters of succession, for the Trivet and the Federated Commonwealth. And no matter what, I can’t believe he thinks I’d put Ana in danger like that.
To make matters worse, Anastasia, the one who was at the centre of all the intrigues and the person most at risk, could not say a thing. All decisions will be made for her by Baron Kalinski as the head of their family.
“The sooner we’re married, the better!” concluded Finn. He was really beginning to regret the agreement with Anastasia to delay the wedding during their first meeting.
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Chapter 31