IMP4

==Chapter 4 - Important People==
Headquarters - LCAF Naval Branch
New Triad, Tharkad
Tharkad System
Lyran Commonwealth
September 3097
''
"...so where did you send her?" General Rowe asked.
Admiral Kingfisher chuckled, "I sent her to Gagnon's." 
"You utter bastard!" Daphne Rowe accepted the glass of scotch, "I wanted to take her there! The poor girl's going to be corrupted in no time now!"
"I doubt that." he said, "It might get that stick out of her ass.  I swear, she practically vibrated at attention.  I've seen Clanners with more casual demeanor.  Put her on the crew in that state, and we'll be cleaning up the mess from the meltdown in no time at all."
"She came out of their little Coast Guard and her mother is Elizabeth? God only knows what her father must be like at home..." Daphne sighed, "You didn't warn her, did you?"
"I kept that to myself." Kingfisher said, swirling his scotch.  "I would have minded, if I thought it would be understood.  Poor thing's got no social graces, Daphne."
"Kowloonese." Daphne commented, "How did she look?"
"Like a taller version of her mother, but with green eyes." he said, "I think maybe a less essentially savage version, but they didn't spend much time civilizing that kid.  Your mentor would take one look at her and want to adopt, I think...why does Adam want her in 1st Squadron?"
"He doesn't tell me that." Daphne said quietly, "He did say he wants one of the pair here, and suggested transferring the daughter now that she is no longer listed as 'dead'.  You assigned her to the Fred?"
"Of course!" he said, "It keeps her assigned somewhere, and the ship's undergoing a five year refit. It won't be ready to sail for another twenty four months."
"You could've just had her put dirtside in a staffer outright, you know." Daphne told him.
"If she's like her mother, she'd find a way to get TDY to an active vessel or get disruptive in the bureau. Which admittedly might be very nice in the long term but, His Majesty wants her available for service at-will. That means keeping her handy.  I'm thinking the timing may be related to His Majesty's November Ball."
"She's almost thirty."
"Chronologically. She's missing a few years physically and mentally." Kingfisher reminded his guest.  "Adam Steiner never does anything without a reason or a plan."
"I hear that." she raised a glass.  "So, why the ball?"
"Oh, let's see...Elizabeth has been very good at keeping her children out of contact with their peers in the realm. and she insists on living in that ridiculous split-level suburban house. So royal visits are out of the question, He's trying like hell to knit the nobility into something coherent that isn't planning a coup, and he wants the reforms to stick."
"and my role in this is..?"
"You're our replacement for Maggie, Daphne." he said grimly, "A senior lady with influence to teach our young protege how not to piss on the carpet or chew up the furnishings."
"Do you really think His Majesty would care about that?" Daphne scoffed.
"If he doesn't, he should." Kingfisher said seriously.  "The Ngos have become one of the most essentially vital supporters of the realm but, they're socially isolated. That's a problem."
-----
Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter
Category:Works by CannonShop
Category:Important People Chapters