WoWS3 Chpt 18

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==Weapons of War Saga: The Final March- Chapter 18 - ==
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===Not in the State to be talking===
Tavern
Unspecified Location
26th April, 3143
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o/~ "Oh…sixteen Men on a dead-man's chest,
Yo-ho-ho and a bottle of Rum! 
A dagger right through an armored vest, 
Yo-ho-ho, and a bottle of Rum!" o/~ 
She scooped an unattended drink from the table. 
Well, an intact one, anyway.
The tavern itself was more wreckage than wet-house now. A groaning sound from near the foot of the bar caught her attention and she skipped over prone bodies, to reach it.
"HI AGAIN!! I'm Peregrine, you're awake. We can have that talk now?"
"Ooowhhh what do you wanna know?"
"Finally!" she beamed.
He turned out to be unable to answer her questions.
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===Longing for Change===
Astronomy Lounge
Port Orphan (Station), Outworlds Wastes - Periphery
6th May, 3143
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Luther sat in the bar by himself. He wasn’t sure why he was here.
A couple of lovely young ladies seemed to be telegraphing they were interested but for Luther it was hard to get over the fact that despite looking to be of an age with them on the outside, inside he was much older than them.
Mina Siegel sat down across from him.
“You should either indulge them or stop coming here.”, Mina commented
“This is a lot easier for you. Me? I used to think by this point in my life I’d be lecturing at some Academy on Northsun by now. Teaching a new generation how to fly. Maybe married and with kids of my own, but now that’s impossible.” he commented.
“You are missing being a regular human.”, Mina probed
“Yes. I can’t blame anyone for what they did when it comes to making me like this because I sure as hell prefer this to death, but the more time I am like this. The more I realize I want to grow old, the more my hull feels like a ball and chain. With the budget cuts, since if anything we’ve been too good at eliminating bandits, pirates, and other hostile powers other than people frankly too big for us to eliminate, there isn’t even the budget to get me separated from my hull. So into mothballs it goes but I still have to hang around here to reflect and lecture.” he told her.
“Yeah, they still have not put me into a hull. So all I have been able to do is teach, but do try and cheer up. Someone is stopping by today that has been something of a stranger for a while.”
“Oh?” Luther perked up.
“Come on. Since you’ve not been paying attention it will be a surprise.” Mina commented with knowing smile. 
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Docking area
Alice was riding side saddle due to her dress on her new companion, Maximus.
She dropped off the robot dog as soon as she saw Billie, Luther, and Mina.
“MOM!” She hugged Billie.
“Looks like you have a new friend.” Billie smiled.
“I named it Maximus.” Alice’s human remote beamed.
“Well at least you don’t have to house train it.” Luther observed.
“You’d be surprised about that.” Alice hugged Luther then Mina in turn.
“Been a while.” Mina said.
“A lot out there to explore. Even found this super freaky fungus on one world that actually hummed in the wind.” Alice told them.
“Must be more than a social call to bring you back here then.” Mina patted Alice on the head.
“Hey! I had my hair perfect! But yeah I do have business too. I need to see Jonah.” Alice told Mina
“Well, since it sounds like you can’t stay long we’ll let you catch up with your mom.” Luther smiled as he and Mina departed.
“Still no requests for battle damage repair. I am glad.” Billie smiled as they began to walk.
“No one out there wants to mess with a Destroyer. Heck, even the raiders I ran into basically tripped over themselves to surrender.” Alice commented with small giggle.
“I suspect things are about to heat up again though. The Combine and the Federated Suns are rattling sabres at each other again now that the Combine is done with its internal conflict.”
“Was Sterling really dating that loser Caleb? I could at least understand Harrison.” Alice commented.
“I don’t know if I’d call it dating. There certainly is not the same romantic nature to their relationship. No, it seems clearly more of a ploy on Sterling’s part to keep at least one border non-hostile.”
“We’re going to be at war again soon aren’t we?”, Alice asked
“Seems highly probable and this time it will be with one or more Great House.”, Billie commented to her daughter.
“So I may be trading fire for fire.”, Alice commented.
“How so?” asked her mother.
“The old adage, hopping out of the frying pan into the fire. But in this case my choices are between two fires as it is only a matter of time before here is at war again. Kolossus asked me to help get someone very important to New Lazarus. I know it is dangerous but…”
“You are missing the companionship of your aunts and would like to go visit them. And you’re curious about the Inner Sphere, somewhere you have never been.” Billie told her.
“Yeah.”, Alice admitted.
“You’ll be fine, Alice. We have a safe route worked out through many uninhabited systems, many of which now have automated maintenance facilities in case you do need repairs along the way.”
They stopped at the door to Jonah’s office.
“I just wish Cossack and Phoenix could be here too. I’d like to spend some time with them too.”, she admitted to her mother.
“Cossack will be back in dock before you leave. Phoenix is still on her way back with the return convoy from Erin.”
“That was a scary thing. I actually stopped by there a while back. Esme and Erin were doing a lot better, but still messed up. I don’t think either of them will be quite the same after what they went through.”, Alice said.
“I imagine not.”, relected Billie
The door to Jonah’s office finally opened and the new Yard Chief left the office.
“Alice. Finally a bright spot in what has otherwise been a dreary day.” Jonah gestured toward the chairs.
“I wish I could be here longer and be more sociable but I have a mission from Kolossus.” Alice said as she and Billie sat.
“What do you need from us?” Jonah sat back down.
“Since I’m going into what is considered a War Zone I need volunteers for my crew.”
“You’re going to New Lazarus?”, Jonah asked
“Yes. First I pick up a VIP from Alpheratz. Kolossus suggested some names to ask.”
“I think I know exactly which ones. I have been in need of a ship to assign one of them to. You’ll have them.” commented the Yardmaster
“Still that bad?”, Alice said in disbelief.
“In a way. The Khan sees value in our continued existence and structure within the Alliance, thus we still get support but we have been victims of our own success. But many see what is coming. So we will be starting to reactivate more of the fleet soon.” Jonah told Alince.
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===Settling into seats of Command===
M5.3C Class Drone Destroyer, SLS Billie Hoel
CIC
9th May, 3143
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Amanda Yeh M5 7775551 slid into the command couch.
“Feels weird. I know I’m supposed to be Command Track now, but being in charge of an entire Destroyer?”
“Technically I’m in charge but everyone says you’ve earned it, Amanda.” Alice was giving the AI equivalent of a belly rub to Maximus.
“But the ship still has a Star League registry, not a Privateer one. Why doesn’t a Star League Officer sit here?”
“The force sharing agreement between Helena and the Privateers is still technically in effect. Almost all of her people went home. A few have stayed but even then most of them have retired and moved into other roles. So with a little help from Jonah…”
“I get tossed in the deep end.”
“But you already know and have even served with your senior staff. I may still act like a little girl, but I’ve learned a lot from some of the very best tutors around. One even being one of your moms.”
“That is going to suck. Everything else, well I’m honestly glad to be putting Port Orphan in the rear view for a while, after everything that happened.”
“Still sore?” Alice asked.
“A bit I guess, but this way I do get to stick it to Otto Chand for what he did to my mother without it hurting Mai or my friends. So I’ll probably get over it.”
“We’re going to be away for over a year at minimum. With the current state of the HPGs you shouldn’t leave things on a bad note.”
“I’ve already said everything I want to say to my moms. I just need time and space.”
“If you say so.”
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===Marching Orders===
Star League in Exile - Helena’s office
New Lazarus
10th May, 3143
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The map showed a sea of jade green washing across the blue of the Lyran Commonwealth. 
"Well?" Helena Cameron, Director-General demanded.
Juanita Pujol Garcia's remote glanced to the side, "It's do-able." she said, "The Turkina Keshik's not happy with Malvina-not enough to turn, but enough to press. The one-twenty-fourth Striker is, according to some new intel, organizationally vulnerable."
"Who's the source?" Helena demanded.
"Peregrine." Pestilence commented, "Apparently some black marketeers are doing business with the support columns for the Falcon Desant and she persuaded them to talk about what the Falcons are bringing into the system to support their occupation."
"How is that supposed to work-?"
"Warriors are people, people develop tastes, desires and addictions. No army is immune to it, and with a bunch like Jade Falcon as they currently sit, they're both vulnerable, and in denial about it." Dave Foster added.
"Sezz addicts and steroid drops mostly." Juanita clarified, "Lots of performance enhancers and 'muscle milk' product."
“Set the Second Corvette Squadron loose on the shipping. Have Task Force Tribal do their best to be in support. We’re hitting Skye next but I also want Lyons to start feeling the pinch too.” Helena ordered.
"We can take Skye." Pestilence mused, "Juanita, there's Sezz heads in the Falcon Desant?"
"According to some gentlemen from the old Malthus syndicate, they're moving around a thousand kilos of the stuff into the Skye system, I doubt the Mongols are using the stuff for domestic control, so yeah."
“It’s still a gamble but if we kick them off Skye, that will take some pressure off Melissa.”
"Does this mean I get to deploy a full division this time, Highness?" Pestilence asked, "because First Division's finally in shape…"
“Yes. We’re not fighting fair. We’ll try and get a follow up force together in your absence to take over garrison duties. It is time to send a bigger message. Tabby, you’ve got the call for space operations.”
Pestilence grinned, "Yes, Ma'am."
“We’ll blot out the sky, ma’am.”, added Juaniuta.
“Dismissed.” Helena nodded.
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