FSRB Chpt 250

==The Federated Suns Reborn - Chapter 250==
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March 3072Interlude: A Warning
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Office of the Regent (General of the Armies)
Asgard, Mount Wotan 
Tharkad, Donegal Province 
Lyran Alliance 
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As the two older men were led into his office the Regent of the Lyran Alliance stood up with genuine respect, particularly for the man on the right. He had to almost visibly stop himself saluting the one armed man who hadn't bothered to wear his prosthetic to the meeting. After the last "calibration" at least standing wasn't causing him quite so much pain and he managed to avoid any grimacing as he forced his shattered body to stand for the two men. "Grand Duke Kell, Duke Bradford, welcome... Please have a seat, my aide can get you anything you wish, coffee, tea, something stronger? No... As you wish..."
When both men sat in front of him the Regent sat himself and waved his aide from the room. Taking the bull by the horns Adam Steiner inclined his head towards the older men. "I know why you are here, gentlemen. Firstly can I say before we start that I have nothing but the deepest respect for both of you, but I have made my position very clear." 
"Then change your damn position." Kell made little effort to soften his tone. He was angry and in no mood to pretend he wasn't. Bradford just nodded along with his allies statement.
Holding up both his real and cybernetic hand in a gesture of conciliation Adam shook his head. "I can't your graces, not even for you both." 
"You mean you won't." Bradford snapped. "Because you damn well could if you wanted too!" 
"I mean I can't." Adam resisted the urge to snap back. "No matter how much I might wish it, the legal process must be followed..."
Morgan Kell leaned forward slightly in his chair. "That's my grand-nephew you have under house arrest, Regent Steiner..." 
"I understand that, Sir. As I understand that Duke Bradford is likewise unhappy about the arrest of his representative to the Estates General..." Adam spoke quickly. "I assure you as soon as the legal process is followed should they be found innocent of all charges as I sincerely hope they will be released!"
"Charges?!" Morgan growled. "What EXACTLY has my nephew been charged with?" 
"I cannot discuss ongoing legal cases... You must understand..." Adam began. 
Before he could understand, Kell interrupted. "The hell I have to understand this, Lord Regent. I have seen every press release and the video footage of your own instructions to arrest the representatives... And I am here to tell you that David was only following my orders in every single thing he did while acting as my world's delegate to the Estates General."
"As did my own representative." Bradford added. "He followed MY instructions to the letter."
Morgan Kell smiled without a trace of humor in his eyes. "So... On that basis you better arrest us, Lord Regent. As anything that our kinsmen may have done that warrants arrest they did under our instructions..."
Regent Adam Steiner sat back, glancing first at the one armed Grand Duke and then his ally the Duke of Coventry. For a half second he was tempted to call Kell's bluff. Until he met the old man's gaze and realized that the old warhound wasn't bluffing. He was quite prepared to be marched off under arrest to make his point. Even if the sheer respect he held for the heroic Morgan Kell would have let him give that order Adam Steiner wasn't foolish enough to even consider it - he'd have riots within hours and mutinies within days. Within the week the entire Wolves-in-Exile and Kell Hounds would be marching on Tharkad. Probably with other units falling in to support them. The Coventry CPM for certainty. No. That wasn't even an option. He shook his head at them. "You know I won't do that your graces..."
"Then let David and the others go!" Kell barked. "God man! You are turning allies into enemies with this heavy handed approach!" 
Bradford nodded. "We were all prepared to standby your appointment as Regent for young Hanse... Hell Victor was..."
The Duke of Coventry trailed off as he saw the Regent's face go hard at his misstep. Kell winced internally. Clearly the two men had underestimated how pissed off Adam was with the First Prince. Adam jerked a nod at Bradford and Kell both. "Yes... I'm sure you both were in full contact with Victor over this and other issues... That is the problem your graces! A foreign head of state has FAR too much influence over the Alliance. You are not the only ones who check with Victor Davion before moving. I would estimate fully a third of the nobles of the Alliance look to New Avalon before they act. That is not something that I as Regent can tolerate. We must show that we are not the Davion's lapdogs..."
"Be careful who you call a lapdog Adam..." Kell warned with a new chill in his voice. "A Hound or a Wolf is no lapdog." 
Adam forced himself to apologize sensing he had went too far. "My apologies Grand Duke Kell... I misspoke." 
"Accepted." Kell stood up. "Look, tempers are rising. We are all old soldiers here and before someone says something that they can't take back... I think we should finish for today. But I strongly suggest you consider changing your mind on this point, Lord Regent. Your position might appear to be one of strength from where you are sitting, but it is undermining your authority with those most disposed to support you. Thomas and I will come and see you again and again if we have too."
Realizing that Kell was right to end the meeting here before tempers frayed further Steiner nodded and stood offering his real hand to both men and shaking hands firmly. "You will always find my door open... I promise you that at least." 
As they turned to leave, Morgan Kell paused and looked at Adam Steiner and spoke softly enough that Thomas Bradford could pretend not too hear. "Genuinely Adam... Think this over. You are dangerously close to my friends intervening. None of us want that."
For a split second Adam thought he meant the Wolves-in-Exile but then he realized that Kell was talking about Heimdall. Keeping his gaze steady until the two men had been ushered out he sat down with a grunt of pain that had little to do with his injuries. Heimdall. 
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