WoWS3 Chpt 43

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 43 - ==
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===Personal struggles===
Port Lazarus Station
December, 3144
"Trinh, your friend is a menace." Olivia Hazard Perry scolded.
"Fu…ow…" Trinh rolled to her feet. "What time is..it?"
"Zero nine forty." Olivia said, "I brought you home to your quarters at zero four, you have an appointment at ten."
"What about Annie?"
"She's sleeping it off in the medbay." Olivia said quietly. “You know some of the drugs you’re on to keep you functional do not mix well with alcohol. You got lucky.”
"Annie's in MEDBAY?"
"Alcohol poisoning. If she ever had a tolerance, she lacks it now. They had to use a stomach pump and she's on IV support. Fortunately we found her in time too."
"What??" Trinh astonishingly replied
“She stumbled through half the civilian sector of the station before she caused enough of a ruckus to get station security involved. There won’t be any charges but she’s clearly going through some major psychological issues and we recommend she stay under medical observation for a few days.” Olivia told her
"Station…security? Alcohol poisoning? HOW much did we drink??"
"I think it was when she got into a drinking contest with Amanda Roberts at two. Also…" Olivia held up a mostly-empty bottle, "What is this?"
"Ijero Brandy if the cherry-cinnamon smell is right…she had some?" Trinh asked.
"It was full at two AM and she was hauling it around when she was found…the chemistry is, I'm told, 'interesting'."
"Yeah, well, it's booze from a plant that doesn't exist anymore..christ…" Trinh replied.
“I see. Wel, Trinh, there is unfortunately a lot of precedent for this sort of trauma. The Succession Wars produced a lot of psychological literature about how people react when surviving the loss of their homes.”
Trinh's eyes focused on Olivia. "I knew that already. Nicotine stains on her fingers, Olivia. She's been smoking regularly enough to stain her fingers and her teeth. It's why I tried to facilitate your agent's recruiting pitch."
“You think she could be an asset? It is true having a purpose could help her. Something to focus on besides the trauma.” Olivia said.
"I think she's an asset, if we can get her off the edge of the airlock, because she's about one step from the long fall. Let me clarify it for you, Livvie." Trinh managed to rise and start preparing for her bathing. "Terrans have Camerons. Clanners have Kerensky, you follow? Leaguers have Mariks and of course, Lyrans have Steiners…and Rockjacks have the Cu'ong branch of Sithers-Deen. Her ancestor started the Revolution of 2769 against the Rimjobs, they were the Coast Guards during the Amaris War, they held the Kowloon system together for centuries under the Ngos, and kept the faith when Kowloon fell." Trinh explained
“Alright, Trinh. I’ll stick my neck out for her. See if she can be salvaged. But a lot of this is going to have to be up to her and if she’s really ready to try a different path.”
"She had to sell Spider Moon, Olivia," Trinh said, "to cover the debt from the loss of so many spacers and ships. Our History, it's like admitting you had to pawn Unity City to pay for the Civil War. I know what she's feeling-she had to sell her SOUL and came up short."
“I somewhat understand. I doubt I can fully but at least partially. I was a Destroyer. And I spent a long time watching humanity burn. Enough I became suicidal myself. I engaged a Blakist Congress Frigate that found our first home. I nearly died for real there and it hurt losing my hull. Then I was put in that very Congress. It was weird to say the least. But I served. And when the War of Plunder was over Helena had to remove me and sell that Congress. I won’t lie I was glad to be out of the hull that nearly killed me. But I am a Warship AI. I am meant to be in a hull, but these last 20 years. I’ve changed.” Olivia explained
"Imagine this, Imagine how it would feel if you lost." Trinh urged, "imagine how it would feel, if you had to give everything up, and it still wasn't ever going to be enough." Trinh paused, "Debt, Olivia. It's like a cornerstone of our whole culture-you pay your debts, you honor your promises, she's inherited a debt she doesn't think she can ever pay."
“What is worse is it would actually reinforce her feelings of failure if we paid off her debts for her.” Olivia said
"She wouldn't want that, but if she sees a path to getting clear…she's a Cu'ong…I can't explain it better than that. You can make use of her and she'll be grateful."
“She’s your Helena Cameron.” Olivia nodded. “That seems clear to me. For that alone I will do what I can. But like I said she needs to be ready to accept the help or this is going to be meaningless.”
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===Day after Drinking===
Roberts Household 
New Lazarus, Star League in Exile
15th December, 3144
"You had fun last night…" Vendetta said.
Amanda Roberts winced in pain, "I don't know which is worse, the headache, or the burning in my throat…what the hell was that stuff?"
"Nasty enough to knock you down, and nutritionally balanced." Vendetta stated, "IF you had a severe vitamin deficiency…here, have some water mom.'
"Thanks…" Amanda drank it, then spun and vomited into a container. "Ah gawd it burns coming up too!!"
"Yeah. it does. Did you have fun?"
"I had a great time…I think?" She steadied, "Where's your sister?"
"Petra's got church this morning, she left for the Ranch early, Sisson's taking her."
"******, I was supposed to go…"
"Yes. Which is why you get to ride the hangover and I'm not going to do anything to help except keep you hydrated until you're clear enough to apologize."
“Why… I’m a bad mom, I keep ****** up and all of you keep paying for it. Why haven’t you given up on me yet?”
"Because you're a fine example to us all of what not to do, and you're our MOTHER, we love you anyway…and today, we're doing 'tough love'."
“Oh…” Amanda found the wastebasket in time as she vomited again. “Well at least I didn’t wake up with a stranger.”
"Nope, no strangers." Vendetta commented. 
"What do you mean?"
"You'll find out. Drink more water, you need to flush yourself clean."
“Just tell me my contraceptives are working as intended at least…”
"Lucky for you, someone's are." Vendetta told her, "Now drink up."
“Okay I guess I deserve a little torture.” Amanda sipped the water slowly.
“More than a little but babysteps and the day is long.” Vendetta smirked.
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===Unusual Request of Restraint===
Port Lazarus Station - Station Offices 
New Lazarus, Star League in Exile
Cimbral waited in a way that some of the Lazarusites found uncanny. Perfect stillness.
Patience.
"Miss Cimbral? Cimbral 1921?", the receptionist finally said, "The Station Manager will see you now."
"Thank you." She stood, and moved in that same illusion of stillness past the receptionist to the Station manager's office.
"This is unusual." the name on the desk said 'Truk', and Mister Truk…
"I see, you're the AI?" she asked.
“I am, you’d be surprised how rarely people mention that even when first meeting me. Welcome.”
"It's unusual I need to speak with someone in authority about a delicate matter, someone with significant authority, even arrest and commitment authority."
“I’d say I certainly qualify. So who do you need arrested and committed? And on what grounds?”
"My Captain, is unwell." she stated, "She has taken up smoking, and shown other signs of suicidal idealization and tendencies, and as her Executive Officer I am obligated by customs of the Pathfinder Service to place her into a position where she poses no threat to herself or others. I am doing this now." Cimbral held out a document, "It will require a Magistrate's review."
“Miss Cu’ong? I have received some troubling reports about her.” Truk told her.
"Yes. I believe you already have her in custody.", Cu’ong commented 
“We do.”, Truk acknowledged.
"As her Executive and holder of her living will, I am exercising that authority to request you immediately place Anh Lee Cu'ong 265 under enforced medical supervision, I have credit documents to pay, but it is my belief that my Captain is…in a compromised mental state, that she cannot execute the duties of either Captain, or owner, and that she requires immediate medical intervention…and i ask that the ship, MS Boojum Flyer be immediately impounded for the duration of her treatment under Terran Public Law 221178/.103 dated Twenty Three Fifty Three, and Star League Merchant Regulation 1981A, subsection ten, paragraph fourteen." requested Cu’ong.
"Why the impound?"
"I can't navigate." she said, "Not Hyperspace, anyway. We don't have a backup."
“Very well. I’ll make the time to go see her myself. If she is as you say I will sign the order. Though I think you should know there are people who are working on finding ways to help her while allowing her to retain her dignity already.” Truk told her.
"Thank you…and tell them thank you as well." Cu’ong told Truk
“Fortunately we recognize the power of names and as AI we can be quite charitable and compassionate. Your Captain has some supporters that have convinced us we need to act. You are one of them in your own way.”
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===Lost relic of a desperate age===
Shipyard, Port Lazarus Station
"This was expedited? What the hell did they do to their Jump Computer?" Forrest was one of Truk's 'human students', and well on his way to being an accomplished engineer.
"What do you mean?" Landa asked.
"Looks like they took half of it out with a hammer and a prybar, there's pieces missing from the pieces! How in the name of finagle did they manage even a normal jump like this??" Forrest asked
"Something to add to the fix?"
"Maybe. This was deliberate, we need to know why."
"Core looks funny too…it's too short, and it's braided like that HPG that Kolossus had built."
“Okay then we really need to talk to whoever runs the engineering department on this ship. I almost don’t want to touch anything else until we do.”
"Does that mean a stop-work? The Life support system looks pretty standard…"
"True, we need to keep going where we can."
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Truk's remote was talking to a spacer named Cimbral, but his mind is large enough to do many things at once.
The report from Forrest, including scans and imagery of the jumphip's core, drew a few extra cycles of attention.
It's like a poor-man's Tracker. he recognized the compact core for what it was-the process looked a little off, but the physics of the configuration were familiar enough to make comparative equivalencies.
Of course they had to alter the jump controller, that's a Sony 1815OP standard model, the safeties would trip if you even charged it…
Mentally, Truk's 'engineering' mind flowed through the scans of the tramp ship. The hull metal shows microfractures, it's very, very, very old.
Truk deployed a couple of service scanning remotes to examine the hull more closely, in spectra only a machine could manage.
Hull coating's deep, this ship's been repainted many, many times.
He calculated the surface wear under the layers of paint based on ionization trace and residual radioactives.
The result suggested the MS Boojum Flyer was older than some of the Caspars…and the architecture suggested she was never built in a Terran yard…This ship was newly built like this…on purpose…more than 400 years ago, and based on the weld patterning under the layers, it was built in a null-gee, open yard.
He paused one of the remotes, and examined the bounce back from deep penetration.
Star League Military codes? Added on after the second repaint…about 2770 to 2781? They painted over it.
Old. Old enough that it was serving the SLDF during the Amaris War.
It was an interesting diversion, but unimportant.
What was concerning was a ship that old, older than CASPARs, well there was only so much that could be replaced due to wear and tear before you had to start breaking up the ship so much you might as well be scrapping it. The scans showed it wasn’t quite there yet but it was getting there.
<Hey, Truk, you're looking at that Civilian Tramp, what's up?> Erinyes interrupted his musing.
<It’s an unusual design. Almost like a Tracker. And it’s old.>
<Huh…okay, lots of old ships->
<No, it's OLD> Truk shared his scans. <REALLY old.>
<It's been kept up?> Erinyes said
<You could say that.>
<Hmmm…is it safe?> she asked
<No. It's not. It's really, really not. My best guess it has about three years left before it suffers catastrophic core structural failure. But we both know what tends to happens to ships before then with the central supports that compromised.> Truk said.
<You can't let it leave the yard then, people would die. I guess it might be too much to find out if it's got some historical importance…?>
<It is confirmed to have taken part in the Sudeten operation and the analysis of the paintjobs says at one point it served with Kerensky’s liberation forces.>
<Saya Yeh would probably tell you it belongs in a museum collection then.> Erin suggested.
<Probably does. Trouble is the owner is so far in debt that what we’d have to pay to take it off her for such a purpose is far in excess of what would be considered sound fiscal spending.>
<Kick the problem up to Helena, she might have ideas.> Erin suggested. <but you can't let that hull leave the system with people on it. Not knowing what you know. It would be immoral.>
<Agreed.>
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===A Proposal to help someone in need===
Port Lazarus Station - Medical Bay 
New Lazarus, Star League in Exile
17th December, 3144
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“Well, Miss Cu’ong. Seems you’ve got some friends that are worried about you. Enough that they’ve kicked the situation up to my level.” Lady Helena Cameron sat at the foot of Annie’s bed as she was still fully waking up.
“Wha…The Ageless Spacer…I’d recognize you from the stories anywhere.” Annie sat up. “Seems I’m a bit tied up at the moment.”
“Your friends were quite concerned, enough so we were forced to take measures.”
“The old AI I talked to.”
“Yeah. Here’s the bad news. As wealthy as I am as an individual even I can’t cover all your debts and everyone tells me you’re the sort that wouldn’t take that kind of help well, if at all.”
“They’re right.” Annie said.
“The worse news. The Engineers are finding signs of fatigue on the inner core supports of your ship. The ones by the time we dug down to them we’d have torn the ship apart. Best case scenario according to reports is the ship has at most three years left before the fatigue means jumping would go badly for you.”
“So it can get worse.”
“Truk and Erin have suggested I authorize enough of the budget to turn your ship into a museum piece. Based on what we know your ship would certainly qualify.”
“I sense a "but" coming there.” Anne responded.
“I’d have to sell the expenditure to the budget committee because it doesn’t work as a museum piece if your creditors decide to come and repo it. Even then the best I would be able to do is take possession of the loans and not be able to cancel them outright.”
“So what’s the play?” Annie looked sullen.
“I believe this is where I come in.” Olivia Hazard Perry’s remote pushed Thomas Erik Mahan’s wheelchair into the room.
“You’re Golden Hind, I’ve heard of you too.” Annie said.
“Yes. To be honest I’m getting a little tired of our differences keeping us apart. Maybe I’m becoming a bit idealistic in my old age but I think it is time we tried mending some fences.” Thomas nodded. “The Clan caste system cannot handle our way of life. We have to be too many things just to survive for it to be able to. So we’ll always represent a problem that the Warriors only know one way to solve.”
“So what are you proposing, old man.” Annie eyed him.
“A shotgun wedding.” He chuckled.
“Not on your life old man, I’d rather die penniless and alone.” Annie responded.
“Oh no, not with me. I have someone else in mind for that part. My grandson is single and just recently had a bit of an, shall we say, eye opening lesson taught to him, and he’ll need someone in his life to remind him of his promise. But as is our way you’d be entitled to a dowry.” Thomas said.
“It can’t possibly be enough to pay off the debt I owe, so what are you talking old man?” Annie said cautiously.
“My share of the Star Lord Class MS Albion’s Resurrection.”
“And just how big is your share?” Annie asked.
“I own it outright.” Thomas said.
“What the hell, old man?” Annie said in shock.
“What can I say? When the family first followed Helena to Old Lazarus we got some good untapped claims. Then when we went to New Lazarus, even more. Enough that I actually have more shares in more ships than my son, his wife, and my grandson can possibly manage when they pass to them via inheritance. This way you and your crew can have a real working ship. One not about to fly apart at the seams. One that will let you work the lucrative routes and let you pay back the loans in a jiffy. We make a gesture that should help unite Golden Hind and Free Stars, at least a little.”
“Or you can sign up with me. I can’t outright give you a ship like Thomas can. But I have all sorts of jobs available that I think you’d be suited to. Same with your crew and I’d even do my best to make sure you all stay together. It won’t be as lucrative as being an independent merchant and it’ll take a lot longer to pay back the loans but there would be no shotgun wedding and while I can’t forgive the loans outright I can change the terms so they are more forgiving.”
"You might want a look at those ledgers, Sov Mahan." Anh said quietly. "Dad led a fleet to Sudeten, and we lost it all. A lot of that debt is blood debt."
"What about what you accomplished?" Thomas asked
"That…was too little." Anh responded
"I would disagree." Thomas told her. "So would the people your folks saved, I would warrant."
“I spent a long time among spacers. So let me give you a third option. A best of both worlds if you want. Money will never cover some of those blood debts. We all know and accept that. And I won’t lie with what your name means among the spacer community I hope you find someone and get along with them well enough to have some babies but I don’t want to force that.” Helena leaned in. “His Grandson could use a good Ex Oh. If you hit it off, so be it. You can still take Mahan’s offer AND mine. If not, well you’ll still get to meet people.”
"Can I think about this?" She asked.
“Sure, Annie. We know it’s a big decision and all the offers come with a hefty price tag. Take your time and we’re both willing to listen to counter proposals.”
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===Rescue Plot for ancient Relic===
"..see? It's like a poor man's Tracker. None of the advanced sensor suites, the capital weapons battery is a bunch of missiles that have to be hand-loaded onto the rails, the point defenses are relatively primitive, ammunition based systems." Forrest was explaining to a group. "This ship's even got a compact core and a maneuver drive-but the drive's tepid, it tops out at two gees going all-out."
"So what is it?"
"This, is what you get, when all you have is a civilian yard, a light military grade core forge,and you're up against people with Warships."
“So you’re asking us to pony up the money to preserve this relic, is that right?”
Forrest began to grin, "Yeah, and do you know why?"
“We appreciate the history of the ship and it is certainly unique, but we’re not exactly a tourist destination. So recouping the investment is not likely.”
Forrest chuckled, "The recoup on the investment is, it's got a pull with right around forty percent of the independent spacers in the Lyran Commonwealth." Forrest told them, "This was Anh Cu'ong's ship. It's fought from the Rim Worlds campaign through Elbar to the Liberation of Terra."
“Hmmm… We are becoming a more open system and a diplomatic gesture to one of our few allies and a large portion of their population does make more sense than a raw act of charity. All right. Since Helena is endorsing this as well the Finance Committee is willing to buy up the debt and pay what needs to be paid to preserve the ship and make it safe for visitation as a museum piece.”
Forrest beamed, as he passed the subscription documents around the Committee members.
"How ARE you planning to raise the funds?" someone asked.
"Lotteries." Forrest stated, "it's a time honored tradition going back to-"
"The Eighteenth Century." Amanda Roberts stepped up, "Sign me up for one thousand tickets, Mister Forrest….in the late eighteenth century, rebel colonists in North America used lotteries to fund the construction and purchase of a navy to challenge the British Crown, which was the strongest empire on old earth at the time."
“Hopefully, that will be enough that we don’t have to demand too high of an admission price to recoup the debt.”
"I'm sure we can find a few financial angels out there to throw a hand in." 
“Well, either way it seems we have some banks to contact and negotiate with to take ownership of the debts. I hope you won’t think us rude if we wish to depart and tend to that right away.”
“Honestly I didn’t think that would work.” Forrest said in light shock.
"Mister Forrest, never underestimate the influence a celebrity can have on gray-faced bureaucrats." Amanda told him, "The fact is, I'm not even the top one you could have trotted out if you'd thought of it yourself, but I have a couple advantages and they worked in your favor."
“Yeah. I guess that’s true. And with Helena already throwing in that certainly helped a lot too.”
"Yes, it did. When you print the tickets, half of mine are earmarked for Kolossus, who could not be here, but has a lot of the information you'll need to restore that vessel to what she was during the Amaris War, including historical records, recordings, and Documents."
“Sure. That’s something I should get started on. But…ah…why?"
"Because it'll be fantastic training for your crews in the fundamentals nobody teaches anymore because nobody thinks they're needed, of course."
“And if there’s one there could be more out there, we just haven’t seen them yet.”
"I doubt there are more of those. The Boojum Flyer was built with the very specific idea of fighting the Rim Worlds Republic by people intent on a very long guerilla war for independence, who happened to start their final war for independence by dropping rocks on their own world-to kill the invaders in their fortresses."
“Either way we’re going to need the skill set and Kolossus is generous but has limits to Kolossus’ charity.”
She nodded, "This, is also true...anyway, Truk says you're a good engineer, we're going to need more good engineers."
“An old saying. If you try to help everyone you end up helping no one and being destitute yourself.”
"Contribution is always better than Charity." she agreed.
“Thanks, Amanda. I better get these tickets printed, the Daffodil needs her number two engine replaced, and Truk has been pestering me to get to his number three reactor.”
"Then I'll leave you to it." she smiled and headed off.
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