TBntG-2 Chpt 32

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 32 - Book II - The Ninety-five Theses==
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
-----
==Cracks in the Foundation==
----
===Rise of a new Primus===
Hilton's Head - Terra, Comstar
----	 															
On June 1st. 3033, Julian Tiepolo slipped into a coma and died just before midnight. Comstar directed thirty days of mourning to be observed at all stations.
Beyond the speeches, cracks in the facade were showing. Precentor Taurus argued for a quiet policy, leveraging Comstar's impressive economic and social strength. He did not officially proclaim his intentions, but many believed he was either angling to become Primus or control who did. His support was found in many of the B and more rural A Class HPG stations and their leaders. But his position on Taurus put him at a disadvantage, leaving it seeming like Will was at the periphery of the Order.
 
Myndo Waterly was not a perfect candidate. Even to her supporters, but she maintained support from much of the Sol System order. As well as some of the Hidden Worlds, populations established from refugees taken from New Dallas, Lonestar, and the other murdered worlds of the Hegemony. To her supporters, Myndo argued that the Order was in danger, and it was time to secure their leadership.
 
"The House Lords have been given the treasures of knowledge that the Blessed Blake granted us to preserve, and they will, as they have in the past, destroy it, unless our Order takes action." Her private speeches to the ROM factions that adhered to her were even more extreme, arguing that the time had come for Comstar to take an active role. 
 
She had also asked the ComGuards to remember their role in Blake's Will.
 
Will had done the same, suggesting that they wait to see who the new Primus would be. 
 
For the rest of the Inner Sphere it was just another change of power. 
 
After all, Comstar was important, but it wasn't like a house lord had died.
 
Something had to give.
-----
===Escaping an Assasination===
-----
Will got into the limo and frowned. It had been a typical speech at one of the new colleges that were springing up like weeds, or flowers, depending on your position. He'd given his normal speech, talking about the days he'd spent training at the hostile environment center on New Dallas (which was publicly known, unlike the ROM annex) and audibly wondered how the last families, the ones to miss the Dropships felt as the world died around them. 
 
Then he'd finished it up with reminding the students that no engineer could get away with "I just built them, I didn't use them" not when they died and the time came to stand before eternity. That had been a question Blake had to answer, after all, when every house lord was offering him the world to shut down the HPG network in their enemy's nation.
 
I did not use to ache this much. Will would prefer some compromise candidate come to the fore, but everyone else was staying quiet. The same went for most of Comstar. For every adept loudly talking about the new era, where were five who developed sudden speaking problems when asked about political issues.
 
Which says how ugly this can be. You didn't refuse to share an opinion if you were confident the other side was going to be gracious in victory.
 
"In fact—" 
Will fell silent. The limo had just turned down another street paralleling one of the streams that ran through Samantha. The wrong street. He glanced at the partition. The person up there was indistinct, just driving. 
 
People who didn't know the city didn't get to drive the Precentor around. 
 
Well, hell. 
 
It had been nearly thirty years since Will had been active ROM, but the old rules came back. If someone was kidnapping you covertly, don't let them know you knew. Not at least until you were ready to do something about it.
 
Will leaned back, consulting his notes, while he dropped his hand to his robes pulling the little hold out piece.
 
Problem. This limo is armored to stop a bomb. Shooting the doors is an exercise in "I watch too much holodramas." 
 
Will smirked. Solution. The doors aren't what I have to shoot.
 
The limo was armored, but there was only so much you could do with armor, unless you wanted to destroy the road. So it was armored against threats from outside, and that armor was also wrapped around the drive train. 
 
Will stretched and checked his com.
 
No signal. And that was very much not what was supposed to happen.
 
Will checked the pistols load. It was Star League tech and packed quite a wallop for its size. Some Precentors didn't carry, but well, ROM had a word for people who assumed nobody would ever get to them.
 
Dead.
 
But he didn't point it at the door or the driver, but down.
 
Because the armored shell of the limo was external, protecting both the occupants and the battery powered drive, which meant the that battery wasn't protected. 
 
But one chance. Will took several deep breaths, then spoke on the intercom. "Driver, is this an assassination or kidnapping?"
 
No answer but a his. 
Someone had read his ROM manuals. Probably not something that worked by skin contact—contrary to every holodrama ever, that kind of toxin tended to kill a bit more than was comfortable if you wanted a prisoner, and you didn't go to these lengths for a corpse. So Will closed his mouth and fired down into the bottom of the floor.
 
By the third shot there were bright flashes and a smell of ozone as the superconductor systems shorted and arced over. Will pulled his feet to the side as the driver lost control of the vehicle, whether from losing power, or noticing the small lightning storm behind him. 
 
It was getting hard to hold his breath, but Will slammed against the door, and the emergency locks that the driver had secured came loose, because "There's a fire" trumped the driver's locking controls, at least not without the kind of work that the motorpool would notice. 
 
Will went tumbling out onto the ground and something gave. 
 
Dammit! He bit his lip, rolling into the brush as the car went over the ornamental fence and into the stream, sinking underneath it. His broken arm was screaming, but at least he could breathe now. Will stayed to the little line of trees, most of the lovers and late evening joggers running over to the place where the car had gone in. There was a siren now, several of them, and all getting closer. Will waited a few moments, but there was no sign his driver/kidnapper was coming up for air. 
 
Good. That makes things simpler.
 
Will turned and walked away, taking advantage that the people weren't paying any attention to him, doffing the ornate cowl and outerwear, leaving him in the nicely comfortable under suit that looked a big like a jogging suit. Better hurry, this arm hurts like a bastard.
 
He had to get to a phone.
-----
===An Urgent Phone Call===
Office of the Protector, City of Samantha - Taurus, Taurian Concordat
-----
Edward was working late when his phone rang. The private one. 
He blinked. Who could that be?
 
He picked it up, and blinked at the voice. 
 
"Hello, Edward."
 
"Precentor… Taurus. I was not aware you had this number."
 
"I should hope not. I spent enough money on the intelligence boys getting it. I'm going to ask for a favor."
 
"And that would be?"
 
"Someone just tried to kidnap or kill me, and it didn't work, but I'd take it as a personal favor if you'd talk about my unfortunate death and send someone… reliable to get me. Have 'em bring a medikit. My arm's busted all to hell."
 
"Why not go to the HPG station?"
 
"I think you know. I wouldn't be doing this if it was just a normal situation. Don't send or talk to Jacob Green."
"Are you saying my Chief of Staff is corrupt?"
 
"No, I'm saying his daughter wanted to keep her messages to her current boyfriend secret, so she used his secure terminal to call to an unsecure terminal. His office is compromised all to hell." 
 
"I see." Jacob, I'm going to have a talk with you about your over protective father stunts.
 
"If you should want to talk to me…" The man paused, evidently thinking hard. "My opposite number does not have much friendship for what you've done. We should talk about that, and to whet your appetite, have you ever heard about Operation Holy Shroud?"
 
"No."
 
"Well, then, we'll have a lot to talk about, won't we?"
----
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
Book 2 - 32