18.2

Chapter 18.1 Home on the Range.

3027

New Avalon

NAIS

A different perspective

Hanse Davion

Hanse was surprised at himself. Settled in the commissary of the NAIS for a brief lunch, Melissa sitting across from him in a cozy nook that the staff had set up for him. He found himself quite enjoying the sharp intellect of the girl that he would soon marry.

There wasn't a single thing he said or spoke of that she didn't pick up and follow along with, or in some cases to his shock, surpass him.

"I suppose I shouldn't be surprised. You did have the Memory Core longer than I have. Did you really study Endo-Steel construction?"

"Well I did go through quite a few of the SLDF courses instead of the standard Nagelring Courses. There was little point in studying science that was so far behind."

Hanse chuckled, nodding at that. Most of the NAIS courses had been instantly rewritten which had caused an absolute riot with the staff. But the new knowledge was too valuable not to start teaching it. "I've taken a few of the courses myself, but I suppose I will have to defer to your wisdom in the future regarding scientific advances. You have surpassed me."

"Hardly." She scoffed. "You run an entire state, and had time to go through the course on Hyperspace generation. I never bothered with that one. A bit too dense for my taste."

"Oh it was… and hardly useful. I still barely understand it. But to be the first person to touch on knowledge thought so long lost… I had to."

"I understand." She spoke after a moment, "I felt that way about some of the medical knowledge… The Cancer treatments. Well, mother and I both felt passionately about it."

Hanse nodded. Katrina's once husband had died from the disease. The fact was that for all the medical advances the Inner Sphere still had. Cancer was still something they struggled with.

"Well between the NAIS and wherever you have the cancer research started up, we should be quite prepared for the future." He offered with a smile that had her smile return.

"I think so too. So much more to relearn. To start spreading through our states again. It feels right that we are regaining so much."

"Hah, To going backwards, to move forward." He teased raising his drink which she smiled and tapped her own against it. "Speaking of, have you had a chance to speak with Commander Eisen-Blume?"

Melissa huffed her smile growing amused. "Oh sure. She dragged me out onto the training course in her Nightstar, to see how well we compare now. Annoyingly, she is better than I expected a few years of actual experience with her mech gave her the edge this time."

"Oh? I didn't know the two of you had a competition with mech piloting."

"She is the one that made me interested in piloting. It was a technical issue, apparently my brain is slightly a-typical, it means normal NeuroHelms don't quite connect right. The SLDF helms could bypass the issue. She gave me one when I was younger. Well, I suppose you could say the two of us running off to hit the mech course when we meet might be a new tradition. But you didn't want to hear about that. You want to know if I learned anything more about her Naval forces. No. She continues to be tight lipped."

Hanse smiled the young woman grumbled a little as she played with her drink. "Well thank you for trying."

"No it was for me too. I've been trying to get her to spill as well, but she isn't interested. The only thing I managed to squeeze out of her was the fact her next Warship is already spoken for. In her own words. 'I have plans for that one!' something like that." Melissa grumbled, Hanse chuckling as Melissa had spoken the Commanders words, in a voice eerily similar to the other blonde.

"I wish we had more information on her… benefactors." Melissa met his eyes, and he could see she agreed with him. There had been more than a few meetings over the last month about who it was, that had supplied the Commander with a Warship, Melissa was sure she didn't have the resources purely in manpower from the recruits she already had yet to do something like this. Especially since 99% of the ISDF were currently accounted for on Zaniah.

"I do too. But we can be sure they aren't any of the other great houses. It doesn't fit. If they had a Warship, they wouldn't have given it to Vicky."

Hanse nodded agreeing. It was one of the reasons he had taken it slow while putting down an agreement with the Commander. If he thought the Warship was actually under the command of Takashi, he would have already ordered the nukes broken out.

But that didn't fit. So instead he was stuck trying to make sense of an impossible.

How did a woman with no history pull a naval yard out of nothing. One that was capable of creating a Lyran Warship design, one which had already been confirmed to not be one of the original Tharkad runs.

The Stick, as she named it, was newly created, and not one the Commonwealth had built.

That fact alone had caused an uproar in the Commonwealth. Hanse was only getting minor details at this point in time, but he had a few messages from Katrina regarding the shock that had struck the Commonwealth.

Of course the ship's first act had been rescuing Melissa. It probably gained a lot of leeway with that one act.

But that came back to where the ship came from. And the rumors? The rumors had been exploding.

"I still have my five pound on her having a connection to the SLDF."

"You only say that because of the movie." Melissa grumbled, but it was all a joke to them at this point. They had made a game of going over the rumors that were spreading about just where the ship came from.

"Perhaps, but it does fit."

"No I think she just found a Naval yard, and managed to sneak people around to finish building a nearly completed Tharkad. It makes more sense, and doesn't bring ghosts into it."

"You don't think the SLDF are still out there?" He asked curiously, and she shook her head.

"No that's not what I mean, I think they still exist, but they are probably just as happy to ignore us as we are to not try and find them. At least they certainly haven't done much to reach out to us over the last three hundred years."

"What if they have. Or if they are now. Commander Eisen-Blume, certainly seems to pull equipment from no where."

"No we have information on where a lot of her equipment came from, and Vicky herself was in a Lyran orphanage for a long time. Of course LIC checked in on the orphanage once she came up. The Matron, and every person that worked there, confirmed that Vicky was a normal kid since she first was dropped off at four. So no strange connection to the SLDF there." Melissa mocked waving her finger at him.

"I have lost. It seems my bride to be, will certainly be able to handle me without issue." He teased back and that caused the young woman to blush as she actually looked her age for a moment before she regained her composure.

"Good. I would hate to have you believe this isn't a partnership." She offered and he couldn't help but smile at that. She was quite charming.

He wasn't sure he could ever truly give her his heart, but he felt at least he would enjoy her company.

"We got company." Morgans voice broke them from their quiet moment as they both blinked looking up. Melissa immediately started giggling as the one looking around the commissary with multiple guards all trying to hold her back and failing was none other than the Commander herself.

Of course the fact she was holding probably her body weight in bags made the entire scene comical rather than concerning.

"Mel! There you are, I've been looking everywhere. Oh hey Hanse, Old man. Still looking grumpy!" She teased Morgan, as the guards finally backed off as Hanse signaled them to let the Commander through.

He supposed this was his fault. He had given her a rather hefty access to the NAIS. It wasn't like 90% of the things they tried to keep secret here, hadn't come from her memory core to begin with.

"Vicky? What are you doing?" Melissa finally asked as the woman stomped over nearly teetering with how much she was carrying.

"Oh this! Did you know there are orphanages here in Avalon City? When I heard I went and grabbed a bunch of the ISDF Swag! Want to come help pass out toys to orphan kids?" Vicky asked standing tall before the two rulers seemingly unbothered by the massive pile of bags she was carrying, all of which Hanse noticed had the Eisen-Blume stamped atop them.

Melissa Hanse noticed, was waffling a bit, but Hanse was nothing if not a gentleman. Plus his schedule was completely open for at least another few hours. He had made sure he would have plenty of time to get to know Melissa. "I wouldn't mind coming along with Melissa if you don't mind the company Commander?"

"Not at all! The kids would love to see their Prince. Grumpy, you want to come too?"

Morgan Kell, Hanse noticed seemed to take the Commanders rudeness in stride. "I'm escorting Melissa, where she goes, I go." He shrugged and stood.

"Great! So… Can you take some of these? I can carry them, but my arms are getting a little tired." She begged holding out a massive stack of bags to Morgan who was already reaching out to take them from her, even as his eyes rolled.

"What even is all this?" Melissa asked as she took one of the bags from the Commander and opened them. A moment later she burst out laughing as she started pulling childrens toys out of the bags.

A stuffed Nightstar in the ISDF colors.

A small noteputer with an Eisen-Blume stamped across the back.

A small jacket, that was ISDF colored.

And tons of other bits and bobs that Melissa was laughing as she went through.

"Where did you even get all this?" Melissa asked as she was looking over the Nightstar toy.

"It's been in the works for a while. We passed this stuff out to the younger kids in the orphanage on Zaniah, and a few other worlds, but it's not like we talk about it much." The Commander shrugged shifting the bags still hanging off her.

"Oh is this a button on the Nightstar?" Melissa asked, as she was squeezing the toy.

"No! Don't pus-"

"I am the Phantom of the SLDF!" The little toy cried out unmistakably the Commanders voice, and to Hanses ear that sounded like a recording coming from a mech cockpit. The woman grew bright red as all the eyes in the room switched to her. Melissa, Hanse noticed, looked like someone had just fed the cat a canary.

"It's not my fault! Stupid Eldritch abomination! It was supposed to just say normal stuff! Someone is messing with me!"

"Vicky! I love it!"

"I hate it!"

"I think it's cute! Can I keep one?"

"Ugh!" The Commander responded as she turned and tried to waddle out of the room. "Well you old people coming? We can take my hovercar. It's a little messy though. I got even more bags filling the thing."

Melissa looked to Hanse amused as if the Prince of the Federated Suns would just take a normal Hovercar. But Hanse decided if only because this whole situation was so strange he would go along with it. Of course his protection detail would already be going over the car for bombs, and ensuring they had a safe path to the orphanage.

None of their group Hanse included, expected to walk out into the parking lot of the NAIS and find an absolute top of the line Hovercar waiting for them, with little Eisen-Blum flags on it.

"Vicky… If your car is full of more bags, And you were taking them to the orphanage, why did you carry so many into the NAIS with you?"

The blonde stalled for a moment, as she walked up to the drivers door and simply sighed. "Idiot sandwich." Was all Hanse managed to hear as she then simply ignored the question.

Interesting.

—-

A different perspective

Morgan Kell

Morgan Kell had plenty of experiences in his life. After Mallorys world, he was sure nothing could surprise him anymore.

But forty minutes after the group had stopped at the Avalon City Orphanage. Morgan was surprised.

Melissa was incredibly amused, and Hanse?

The man was practically pouting.

Sure when they first arrived he had been the most interesting thing in the orphanage. Every orphan had been incredibly excited to meet their prince.

Then Vicky had stolen the show. Not through the toys she passed out, she had given plenty to Hanse to hand over as well, but just…

She walked among them, as one of them. And the orphans reacted. She wasn't some untouchable leader.

She was their leader. And Morgan, who had been a leader of men all his life, both politically and militarily was suddenly drastically aware of just what a charismatic leader could do with enough people. Already Morgan was going to have to make a note of just how many orphans the ISDF had contact with. Because if his napkin math was correct.

The ISDF might just be a lot bigger than anyone realized.

Because there were hundreds of kids at this orphanage alone.

And Morgan would bet money that when they all got old enough, they would all be joining the ISDF.

Every last one of them.

It had started simply enough. The Orphanage matron had been absolutely shocked when Hanse Davion had walked into her orphanage, and had told her, they were here to hand out toys for the kids.

The poor woman had practically fainted, and had been obviously flustered as the Prince had put on his best charming persona.

Them meeting the kids had been loud, shouting and screams of surprise and excitement. Vicky had been completely unaffected. The woman simply striding in amongst the kids as if she wasn't twice most of their age, or wearing armor.

They hadn't taken long to simply accept her as being one of them.

Hanse and Melissa both received plenty of attention, although mostly Hanse. Morgan got a few of the older boys asked questions about mechs, but that was all the attention he got as he passed out bags of toys.

But soon attention slipped from Hanse and Melissa, as Vicky started talking. Telling stories, sharing tidbits.

Calling the orphans family. Each of them was called cousin by the blonde, and it was accepted without a ripple of contention.

Once the blonde was settled on an old couch, helping a smaller girl with a braid as she told stories about her assault on Ko.

Well the kids were far more interested in her and the ISDF than Hanse Davion.

The fact many recognized her from that movie she was in. Only made her even more interesting.

Morgan was actually surprised at how absolutely casual she was with the kids. She tweaked noses while talking, poked sides, lifted the smaller kids and acted as if they were the mechs she was talking about getting giggles and laughs.

And did it all with a casualness that made the First Prince of the Federated Suns, someone usually treated with almost mesianic respect by the citizens of the suns left quiet in a corner as she spoke.

Morgan chuckled as she told the story about her Hovercar. That had caused every person in the room to burst into laughter.

Even the First prince laughed at the plight of Draconis Governors when their prized Hovercar got stolen.

"So that's why I drive a really expensive piece of junk, but hey. It does have heated seats!" The girl ended her story to another barrage of laughter, "Ah before I forget! There is tons of Noteputers in the bags! They don't all have the same stuff, but they have SLDF courses! It's the same stuff I put in all of our libraries, just split between a bunch of different notputers for space. So pass them around and use them okay? Education is really important! And if you want to join the ISDF you will have to do them anyways! So if you can prove you did them before you get to the fun stuff like mech training faster okay?"

"YES!" The cries came back at her, and she laughed.

"Oh?" Hanse suddenly spoke up. "Is that what those noteputers are for? I hadn't considered something like that. It might be rather useful for the Vagabond Schools." He said while looking over one of the Noteputers from a bag he hadn't finished handing out.

"Vagabond School?" Vicky asked, but it was the way she spoke that made everyone look to her. The girls face was going through a small array of emotions, but seemed to settle on determination.

—-

A different perspective

Melissa Steiner

Melissa really shouldn't be surprised. I mean it was as surprising as anything Vicky did, so if the woman always surprised you, shouldn't you be more prepared to be surprised?

Well Vicky basically Vicky'ed the whole situation.

"What do you mean, you don't have schools on entire worlds!?" The girl demanded the whole room despite sitting on a couch covered in orphans that had moments before been hanging all over her.

Now they were looking at her in awe, as she quite abruptly was nearly yelling at the top of her lungs. At the First Prince of the Federated Suns.

The man who looked bewildered at this turn of events.

"The worlds in question, have schools. Simply not enough. It has been an active issue that my brother started trying to remedy with the Vagabond School program." Hanse replied, "The Vagabond school program has been active for almost twenty years now." He offered, trying to explain the situation.

Vicky though? She had a look on her face that was pure determination. Even Melissa felt like she was flowing in the womans wake.

"I understand. Things have been hard, but that means there are entire worlds of people that need help." She spoke firmly. A statement of fact. She turned to the kids dismissing Hanse as if he was just another person, and not the most powerful person in the room. "Sorry little Cousins. I have a job to do! But don't worry, Big Sis Vicky is pretty cool and will help out! Don't forget to do the lessons on the Noteputers if you ever want to be a cool awesome Mechwarrior, or Pilot, or Engineer, or even an awesome Warship captain!"

As Melissa watched, the kids didn't want her to leave, but Vicky handled it like she had a million times before now, patting heads, giving hugs, but always moving towards the door. "Hey you all coming?" She called out as she nearly got to the door, casually pulling off a young boy from around her leg and casually handing him to one of the older boys that looked just as about to grab her.

"Yes, I think we have stirred up enough trouble for the Matrons today." Melissa offered as she had noticed the women looking quite harried, but unwilling to actually do anything with their prince present.

The next few minutes were a blurr but soon the group was once more settled into Vickys car as the blonde instantly began grilling Hanse for more information about the Outback, and the problems there.

Melissa let out a sigh, she had been worried Vicky would go tearing off instantly, but it looks like instead the woman was plotting.

Melissa wasn't sure which would have been better.

—-

A different perspective

Hannah Hayha

Zaniah III

Red Base

Hanna jerked behind her controls, the Movement was ridiculous, she could hear her gyro screaming, but the movement was something she had been training for all week. A jerking side step that could be done at full speed. A motion designed even for assault mechs to try and dodge incoming fire.

The streak of the PPC buzzing past her mech told her that for the first time she had done it. Jerking back on her controls she had a moment of weightlessness just before the mechs weight fully shifted back. And in that moment.

"Hold your breath, aim what you can, and take the shot. You only have a half second. But if you can, it will be an unexpected shot." The words from her trainer.

She felt her mech stir and in a fury her ERPPC fired back. Shooting towards that damned Marauder. Her shot was perfect, which is why she was cursing when her shot not only missed. The fucker used the same move she had just used.

The return fire was too much, she couldn't push her Nightstar into a second dodge and the PPC splattered across her nose. The simulated weapon fire telling her she had lost.

Mech 'tag' was basically the name of the game. And she had just lost. Again.

"Fuck!" She cursed as she rested back, she had hoped she would get him with that. But it was still just beyond her.

"C'mon Darling! No need for that. You actually pulled it off this time you know? Another year or so of this, and you may actually count as an elite pilot." The voice over the comm tried to re-assure her.

At first it had been nothing but mocking, but over the past year of working with him his attitude had changed. Hanna still wasn't sure exactly why.

"Ugh. Thanks." She grumbled. "How is the rest of the Gunslingers doing Lawrence?" Hanna asked, the team had been split up amongst the elite mechwwarriors that had taken the lucrative contract from Vicky. Seriously, it was a hefty pay for basically training. Some had been kicked out when they had proven to be incompetent, or simply not willing to actually teach, but that still left a few elites that had happily accepted an easy job.

"Oh everyone is improving well. Mitchell likes the other one Lenden. I think he keeps grabbing him for training just because of how much the kid blows his top."

"Yeah Lenden is like that." She chuckled weakly. Lenden had been absolutely furious when Mitchell one of the elite pilots had started 'picking' on him. Oh man. It had been hilarious. Funnier was the fact Lenden was actually getting pretty good. He had a strong instinct now that someone was showing him how to really pilot.

Hanna's Comm buzzed after a moment. "Hanna. I need you inside, we just got a message from Vicky… You aren't going to believe this." Benny tells her with a sigh before cutting the comm.

"Sorry Lawrence. Something just came up!" She calls over her comms as she turns her Nightstar towards Redbase.

Benny only sounded that put out about Vicky when she did something stupid… Or crazy. Or stupid crazy… I mean it was Vicky.

By the time Hanna got her Nightstar locked down deep in the depths of the Castle Brian, she could tell something was going on. People were running all over getting ready. And if Hanna didn't miss her mark, she would bet it meant they would be leaving again soon.

She sighed. She had really hoped to get the time to finish her training first.

Walking into the Command room she knew she was right. She could see the captain of one of the Collosus, finishing a salute to Benny before passing by her his legs hurried back down the hall.

"What did she do this time? Decide to go to war with the Dragoons? Or maybe she figured taking over Terra was on the Docket?" Hanna asked as she walked up to Benny.

"Worse." He muttered with a tired sigh. "She 'found' a working Warship."

Hanna's joking smile stuttered.

"That fucking little Goblin!" Hanna hissed "A Warship!?"

"Yep."

Hanna was quiet letting that simply roll around her mind. "Well fuck."

"That was what I said." He grumbled.

"So where are we going?" She asked already thinking about the fights to come. Wondering if a Mech was even needed?

"Nowhere. Vicky is requesting a Library Crew and Colossus, they will carry some mechs and such, but Gunslingers are staying here to complete the training, and I am staying to keep RedBase going."

Hanna blinked. She wasn't going? "But what if Vicky gets in a fight!? She will need her Mechwarriors even with a Warship!"

"Oh it's worse Hanna. She isn't going to a fight. She heard about the FedSuns Outback… Apparently they have planets that are basically uneducated and illiterate."

"Oh god. She is going to conquer the Federated Suns." She muttered in horror.

"That's what I'm afraid of too." He mutters. "I've already ordered everyone to prepare for an expansion."

"Oh… That's a lot of orphans."

Benny looked haunted. Recruitment had been insane over the last year. After the Invasion of Ko, and the everything else the knowledge of the ISDF was growing to be something everyone at least knew about.

Orphans from all over were coming, or sending messages requesting to join. The libraries were working. Maybe too well. If you couldn't afford a message. The Libraries were paying for people that wanted to be recruited to get a message to Zaniah. Honestly Benny had spent so much time handling recruitment, that he had created an entire recruitment division.

"Wow. I'm really glad she didn't leave me in charge." Hanna muttered with a hint of schadenfreude. Bennys glare had her laugh as she closed in placing a kiss on his nose. "You know I'm your second, I'll always be here to help out." She tells him, and that settles him quite a bit. "Sub-Commander Benjamin Rommel is the rock of the ISDF."

He scoffs, but his spine straightens a bit and he looked more ready to deal with the mess Vicky left behind wherever she went.

"I can't believe she got a warship and didn't even bother to warn me. She knew what she was doing when she left." He grumbled. And Hanna laughed.

"What else do you expect from our Goblin? You do realize we are going to have to deal with so many spys now. Like a million more than we have already."

He sighs weakly. "I'm going to kill her."

All Hanna could do is chuckle and pat him on the back

—--

That next week was a rush of activity. HPG messages to Zaniah, Sandy screaming at being told the new plan, settling in the new FedSuns crew on board the Stick. Getting the deal between the FedSuns/Lyran Commonwealth, and the ISDF for Warship actions taken care of.

Anyway, we were readying fast and furious. I had told Sandy I wanted to be gone in a week, to meet up with the Library group on board WhiteBase.

Apparently Hanse had realized I was serious about leaving so soon and hadn't tried to slow me down, although I could tell he wanted me to not rush off. Probably full of questions he wanted answered.

But then if he didn't want me rushing off he never should have allowed part of his state to have illiterate planets! I had to take a deep breath and keep myself from exploding every time I thought about it. These worlds were his responsibility. People were barely able to survive, out there, and he ignored them.

Even if my mind understood he was limited on what he could do for every planet, my heart didn't care.

Still. There was no reason not to be civil. The Vagabond school was putting a bandaid on a gaping wound, and about as effective, but it was an attempt. It was fine. I would take care of the rest.

It was close to the final day and Hanse had invited me to a dinner, along with Melissa and Morgan, Ardan joined as well.

I had been given an amused look by Melissa when I once again showed up in my armor, instead of any fancy dinner attire, like the rest of them were wearing, but I shrugged at her idly tapping at the Eisen-Blume on my chest, to remind her, that I wasn't some weird noble.

I was a weird non-noble!

Sitting at a fancy table eating dinner with some powerful people wasn't new to me. I had done something similar on Tharkad. Yet still weird. Although at least this time they didn't give me tea! The new drink was some weird sparkly cider or something? Not sure. Tasty though.

"So Commander. I am curious." Ardan asked, breaking me out of my focus on stuffing my face. "What is it that prompted the creation of the ISDF?"

I was quiet for a moment. I could see Hanse perk up in interest as well, Melissa was looking over as well, their conversation dying out as I was put on the spot. The fact I could read Hanses interest so clearly, meant this was likely another little trap from the man.

Ah this was an interrogation… Well. Might as well.

—--

A different perspective

Hanse Davion

"Ardan. I expect the report from last night is complete?"

"Yes. We had some of our best go through the Commanders chatter." Ardan offers as he takes a seat across from Hanse dropping the report on the First Princes desk. The two were in his office, and he had purposefully ensured that Melissa would have time to see her friend off, as the Commander was leaving in a few hours.

Hanse decided there was no time like the present to go through the report. He skimmed bits and pieces to start. The obvious warning that nothing was guaranteed inside, but it was all estimates, and guesses.

"The Inner Sphere is a shithole. Huh?" He couldn't help but chuckle as he re-read the transcript.

"Yes I believe Victoria feels rather strongly about the state of the Inner Sphere." Ardan replied dryly, as he waited for his prince to continue reading.

"I mean you guys went from the most advanced state humanity has ever been in, and in three hundred years nearly knocked yourself back to the stone age! What kind of idiot does that! If you win a war to rule the kingdom, but you burned down everything that made the kingdom worth it, what's the point?"

Hanse read aloud, once more he felt that same twinge of irritation reading through the Commanders words. She spoke as if that was the plan. He had read the diaries of his ancestors the men and women in charge during the first and second succession wars.

What had happened, had been totally unexpected. It was thought impossible. But then before there had always been the SLDF to stop the war from growing.

Hanse skipped the next bit. Her biting commentary of the leaders of the Inner Sphere, and how they allowed worlds to basically fall to ruin on their watch wasn't something he needed.

"Ah here we are. The naval base and warships." He mutters reading through.

She had mentioned the Warship production, and naval base only once last night. Despite Ardans, efforts to focus her on it. The minor drug she had taken in her drink had made her more likely to spill, but it wasn't enough to really force it, and to his irritation, she had managed to sidestep the matter each time. Or simply saying nonsense.

"How many do I have? However many I want I guess?" He repeated her words.

"It is an entirely annoying statement." Ardan added after Hanse had finished re-reading it. For someone that should have been on enough truth serum to have difficulty actually lying. The fact she had offered complete nonsense was irritating.

"It doesn't look like our boys got more much than I did. She believes that statement as truth, but it's a vague statement to begin with. She could mean she has the ability to create as many as she likes, or she has access to enough ships as to not matter… So unfortunately we are back where we started. She either has a Naval yard, somehow able to create warships, or she has some connection to a faction that still has Warships."

"The SLDF is still the greatest bet." Ardan agreed. "Too many coincidences regarding Eisen-Blume and the SLDF. The Movie could have been chosen specifically to mock the idea of that being the truth. It's not like we haven't done something similar."

"Agreed, but the lack of surety means we are stymied on how to act. If she is on her own, and she found a naval base. Picking her up for a more thorough interrogation would be an option… But if she has connections to the SLDF. If the exodus troops are still alive and are checking in on us?"

"Touching her could create an enemy we aren't prepared for." Ardan agreed it wasn't the first time the two had gone around in circles about what to do. Unfortunately the Commander had done a good job. Her connections to Katrina, and Melissa, gave her a certain immunity to the normal snatch and interrogate that Hanse would have ordered.

Although the idea was still on the table, just collecting dust for now. In a few years when the Federated Commonwealth was more connected perhaps.

"Anything new about the Warship?"

"Nothing at this time my Prince. The security measures the 'Delta Ops' have laid down are quite stringent. And the few men that attempted to smuggle listening devices on board Were immediately discovered. Oddly the devices were forced to be handed over and destroyed, but the men were allowed to stay on the crew."

"The Commander is an odd woman."

"Indeed. Are we sure we shouldn't push for a deployment of the ship? She is planning on taking it to the Outback. It won't do much good out there."

"It will take at least a year or more before I would want to bring that ship anywhere near a front. Let her run out to the Outback if she wants to help my people. It will give the crew time to learn how to use the ship, even with our old warship training information it will take some time before I would have faith in the Warship being ready."

"It could still be used as a symbol… Or bait."

"That would be useful if we were more desperate, but we hold every advantage, and it's growing every year. Once the Federated Commonwealth is created, I would rather have the Warship under our control, than a single victory."

"Understood. And if we don't have control of the ship then?"

Hanse leaned back, running a hand over his chin. The entire situation was something that was rapidly turning into a problem. The ISDF moved in ways that Hanse didn't like. Katrina might have given them latitude to act because of their contributions, but Hanse saw it differently.

The Commander had spoken outright about her intentions.

"I worry about what they will become."

"I understand. They could very easily become a threat. Or even have the intention of becoming a threat in the future." Ardan offered frowning.

"Unfortunately, Katrina is protecting them, if she wasn't so fond of the Commander, we could get some real answers."

"Perhaps she knows something that we don't? We never considered the ISDF as something more than an odd mercenary company before now. Perhaps, Katrina knows something she didn't bother to inform us about?" Ardan offered with a shrug.

Hanse considered it. "I don't know. There is the rumor about them being related…"

"Unlikely. You are well aware of that." Ardan pestered him grumpily, Hanse smirked, he knew Ardan hated incorrect information.

"But, this is a good chance. I am guessing a DNA sample was gathered?"

"Of course. Standard procedure for anyone entering the palace."

"Start running some tests. I want to know if there is a familial link. If there is, it means any interaction we have with the Commander will have to take a soft touch from here on out."

"I will send the order to our lab." Ardan offered. Both men had known each other long enough to realize their meeting was done. Ardan stood and headed out.

"Oh and Ardan? Check it against the Cameron genome as well." Hanse finally spoke just as Ardan was about to leave. Hanse had done it on purpose, and Ardan would know.

He only sent a final task to Ardan when he didn't want to talk about it.

Hanse didn't expect it would impact much even if it was true. House Cameron was gone. They didn't have a single ounce of support left in the Inner Sphere.

At least. That is what he had thought.

Chapter 18.2 Home on the Range.

3027

Federated Suns Outback

Farnsworth

Lucas Dubois

"C'mon!" He roared, doing his best to urge the cattle up out of the flood plain. Lucas was desperately trying to save the cows. If they got washed away that would be it. Papa had said as much.

Without their few cows giving them some income the farm would fail.

That would be the end. Lucas had seen other families that had failed. Death.

Lucas was not going to allow it to happen. Even if the river was flooding, even if this flash flood was ripping their farmland into mud. Even if he had to spend the next month trying to get something out of the ground to feed his family.

He would.

But right now he was struggling to get his cows out of the damn flood basin, because they were all going to die if he didn't. Covered head to tow in mud, the only reason his eyes weren't coated in mud was because of the heavy rain. Lucas pushed the cow he was focused on, but it only mooed long and loud, and he realized it was stuck.

The damn mud. He huffed barely keeping his own legs from slipping down into the gunk. He looked around. He wasn't the only one desperately trying to save their livestock, or their family. Lucas huffed catching his breath for a moment as he looked through the torrential downpour. He could just see Old Milly being hauled around on the back of Francois.

Old Milly was Francois's grandmother. Or great Grandmother? No one was really sure. But for him to be hauling her out into this storm?

He cursed. That meant they had probably gotten an update on the flood. It meant it wasn't just the farm lands in danger now. Their homes were too.

He realized it was too late. They wouldn't recover from this. Losing the farmhouse meant losing their feed stock. Meant losing their everything.

Lucas did the one thing he could. For just a moment he closed his eyes. "Please God. Don't do this." He prayed for a moment, like Pastor Feller taught. Because Lucas wasn't sure he had the strength on his own.

But as usual Lucas heard nothing in return, only the sound of the storm roaring down on them, blocking all other sound.

So he opened his eyes, and got to work. If he could save even one of the cattle they might survive.

Even if they just had to butcher it after.

Struggling with mud and rain, and animals that were starting to freak out with everything that was happening Lucas dove into his task.

And then. He realized something was wrong. A light cutting through the rain, and a noise a roar that was definitely not the storm.

Looking up Lucas gasped, because what had just punched its way through the cloud cover was a massive dropship. The plume of fire cutting through the clouds like a knife as it slowly came down. Lucas stared, as did everyone else.

The fear of everyone in the Outback was here. A fact of life out here. Pirates meant death. It meant the years of work to build up their homes and town was about to end.

Lucas whined, "Really God? The storm wasn't enough?" He could see it. The way everyone was slowing for a moment before they simply started moving, trying to get away. Hopefully enough would escape from the reaving.

Slaves were probably the most valuable export on Farnsworth after all.

"Dammit!" He yelled as he started plodding through the mud desperately trying to find his family, his sisters needed to be rushed somewhere safe. Lucas was old enough now that he would probably be given a rifle.

The dropship came down as Lucas was running, close enough to the town, that the drive plume was sending warm air shooting over Lucas. He slowed slightly, trying to see through the storm as the massive bays on the dropship opened.

Depending on how many mechs came out Lucas would know how fucked they were.

And then he slowed and stopped. His feet catching in the mud because what stepped out was a monster.

A mech with a skull face. The largest mech Lucas had ever seen. And then another.

And another.

Hope curled up and died in his heart. Whoever these pirates were they were monsters.

He watched as the mechs stomped out, each one of them walking in lockstep. Carrying between them some monstrous hunk of metal thing.

Cages? He couldn't telll the rain was simply too much. What was worse? Behind the four monsters came more mechs. More and more poured out of the dropship. And they were moving. Quick and steady each mech moved as if they had a plan.

"LUCAS!" The call stirred him out of his daze and he looked to see Missy. His sister waving to him hurriedly. "LUCAS! MOVE!" She screamed and he did. There was no defense against that many mechs. No hope they could save their families with just a rifle. No the only hope was to run.

So he started tugging his feet out of the mud to hurry after. Of course he kept his eyes on the mechs. Whatever the pirates were doing would be a priority.

And the monsters moved as one, and slammed the massive slabs of metal, they were carrying into the riverbed. Lucas didn't slow but his confusion made it so he couldn't tear his eyes away as the monsters moved, and suddenly, he realized what they were doing.

They were literally plowing out runoffs for the River! He gasped as the massive mechs were used like, like livestock! "Lucas! Come on we have to get out before-"

He didn't argue. He wasn't sure what these pirates were doing, but getting away was more important. Especially since he was with Missy now. He had to protect her.

His sister tugged him along annoyingly, she was still bigger than he was, although only for now. He would definitely grow taller than her someday! He just had to grow a bit more first.

As the two raced through the streets away from the pirates, Lucas couldn't get the image out of his head about what he had seen. He had never seen mechs used as anything but a weapon before.

He wondered if he could get a mech and use it to help the farm?

"Oh no." Missy whispered which only barely reached Lucas's ears as she stopped suddenly. The road they were on led to one of the main thoroughfares in the town, but it was already flooded. And with how fast the debris atop the water was moving there was no way the two of them could cross here.

"We have to go around!" He called out tugging Missy to get her moving, this time he was tugging her. He knew a place they could cross. There was an old over the road crosswalk that had been built years and years ago back when the town had been growing into a city.

It was one of the last signs that the town had once been on its way up, back in the StarLeague.

The water kept rising though. And soon they were both holding onto the edges of the buildings along the road just to keep their feet.

This was bad. They were going to either get swept away, or stuck for the pirates at this rate!

"There!" He called out pointing to the walkway stairs they were finally there. He pulled Missy through the water and onto the ancient ferrocrete stairs gasping for breath when they finally climbed out of the water. Although now they were on a bridge over a road, and the water wasn't letting up.

"This is bad." He whispered finally managing to catch his breath he looked over and the water was rising still. Both sides of the pedestrian bridge were now covered in rushing frothing water.

"Maybe they won't see us up here?" He begged but that was instantly cut off, as the bridge shuddered. And a massive mech turned the corner.

He gasped and Missy screamed as they stared into the face of a mech that was on level with their walkway. The beast turned and seemed to instantly notice them, as it took a shuddering step forward. And then another until it was nose to nose with them.

And Lucas didn't even have a gun.

He did have his work knife still. And as he gripped it, he promised he would cut the throat of any pirate that dared to come after his sister.

And then to his surprise the cockpit of the mech opened, and Lucas felt his jaw drop.

The mechwarrior took one step out of her cockpit, one hand pulling off her NeuroHelm, releasing her short blonde hair to be blown around by the rain, and her other reaching out for them.

"Don't worry! Everything is going to be okay! Why? Because the ISDF is here!" She stated loud, a bright smile on her slightly scarred face. And Lucas couldn't help but be shocked because despite his fear and worry that she was a pirate. He really couldn't stop himself as he reached out and took her hand.

Laughing boisterously, the Blonde pulled him into the Cockpit of the mech, and then reached out for Missy, who seemed just as awed as he felt. A moment later both siblings were being settled into smaller seats behind the main chair. A towel dropped on their heads while the blonde chattered.

"Man! It's really coming down! My hair is already soaked! Good thing these things don't care about a little water huh?" She asked waving her neurohelm for a moment before throwing a hand through her hair which made Lucas swallow strongly before the woman slipped the helm back on her head.

And a moment later the noise of the rain cut off as the cockpit closed.

Lucas could see Missy looking around in awe at the cockpit of a mech. Neither kid ever hoped they could be in this position, but Lucas was a little too focused on the woman. He swallowed again trying to clear his dry throat. As the Mech started stomping down the road.

"I-I'm Lucas!" he only stuttered a little as he squeaked out his name, but the woman didn't seem to mind. She turned in her chair and flashed him a grin that made his stomach flip. "Vicky! Nice to meet you Lucas!"

"Missy! I'm Missy!" Lucas's older sister chirped out suddenly, "Where are we going?"

"Oh I'm heading to the gathering point! It took us a bit but we managed to convince your.. Mayor? I'm not sure what his position actually was, but he was the bossiest one so we spoke with him! He agreed to let us help. We've been bringing our rescues there." The woman spoke with a laugh. "I'm glad we caught your radio signal as we were coming in. That flash flood warning helped us show up on time!"

"On time? But the town… It got flooded."

"Yeah but just a little! The Scout group managed to divert the river enough that water flowed around a bit, but everything should be fixable! I already said it didn't I? Don't worry! The ISDF is here!"

Lucas took a moment, and the fourteen year old boy felt that maybe it was okay? Maybe. It was okay to hope that everything would be okay?

—--

"Well that was pretty good work!"

"Vicky. I am covered in mud. There is mud in every crevice of our mechs. I am pretty sure, Connor is going to mutiny and literally put all the mud they find in your bed." Erica tells me as the three weeks of working fixing the town on Farnsworth finally was falling behind us. Traveling back into space to meet up with the Stick. White Base was filled with tired but happy kids.

The work they had done had revitalized not just the town, but also a few other towns all over the planet. Although they had taken a longer time to ensure that the river wouldn't flood the town they had landed at again.

That and they had picked up a ton of new recruits. Plenty of families had kids that they had trouble feeding. Which had really pissed me off. But it did ensure that the ISDF had done ample recruiting. Even if we were Lyrans, that hadn't mattered, not after we had shown just what it was that we were on the planet for.

Sure a few grumbles had been concerned about us trying to steal kids into slavery or something, but when the libraries went up all over the planet. It had shut up just about any talk like that. That and the rental Noteputers that I had decided to add into every Library.

We had after all 'spent' hundreds of thousands of C-bills of equipment to help the planet. Enough to build libraries in multiple cities around the world. And had dropped off enough computers and Memory cores to keep the libraries running through another succession war.

The Noteputer had been a sudden inspiration when I realized on New Avalon that there wasn't really a good place to build a library right next to the orphanage. So why not give them access to the education courses at least?

Now they were standard in each library, Noteputers that could be given out like library books! I figure on worlds with low populations having a few hundred of each noteputer would give them the ability to spread the knowledge better!

"Connor complains too much. Gauge wouldn't have complained." I grump. Connor was the new head of Repair at least for Whitebase.

I missed Gauge.

"That's because Gauge just did whatever you said… And then he would hire other people to mess with you until he felt his revenge was met." Erica pointed out.

"What? Gauge never did that!"

"He totally did. I can neither confirm nor deny any particular instances, Commander. But trust me, he got you a few times."

I was gaping as Erica informed me my best friend had been pranking me! Me!

"When he gets back I am going to assign him to first month training PT. FOREVER. Erica Make a note."

With a laugh Erica pretended to do just that. "Sure Commander."

"Well I guess I'll be a good Commander and lend a hand. They usually chase me away from repairs, but I can handle a bucket of water, and a sponge."

Erica shakes her head. "You're the Commander." She teases, I laugh flashing her a grin.

"A Commanding officer that isn't willing to get their hands dirty has no right to Command. Actually that's a good line Erica write that down." I tease as I wander towards the mech bay. Hopefully I wouldn't end up with a muddy bed tonight.

Never noticing that Erica did in fact write that down.

Walking away I felt satisfied sure, it had taken a lot longer to get back too the Outback after I had basically traveled all the way back to the Commonwealth to pick up WhiteBase that was heading our way, and the second set of new crewmembers. The Lyran contingent had apparently just followed WhiteBase to meet us.

Katrina was way too sharp! I still shuddered whenever I imagine the Holo message she had force the highest ranking Lyran officer to hand deliver to me.

Thankfully saving Melissa's life had done enough that she had ended the message with an honest thank you.

That was nice.

"Well no time to wait around! Where are those buckets at?"

—--

A different perspective

Julian Tiepolo

Terra

The room was silent. Julian had been Primus for some time but never had the room been this still. The image of the ISDFS 'The Biggest Stick' was circling in a small Holovid. The First Circuit, the most powerful men and women potentially in all the Inner Sphere considering just how much ComStar kept secret were speechless.

"I want to know who failed this badly." Myndo growled out. The woman had been frothing mad when the Stick had been revealed months ago. Not only because it was a massive strike against ComStars ascendency, but also because it came out that she had been the mastermind behind the kidnapping of Melissa Steiner.

Although the trial afterwards for breaking the Non-intervention policy had deemed her exonerated for her actions as it hadn't blown back on ComStar. The fact was no one was happy at the actions that had been taken, and while Myndo was getting a lot of backing for her aggressive reaction to the war ships reveal.

It had also weakened her once ascending power. While it wasn't truly her fault, it had been her actions that had set up a scene where a Warship had appeared in the Inner Sphere, and if not for the rescue of Melissa Steiner, it is possible that the Federated Suns could have been guided into trying to take the ship by force.

Of course such an act would lead to a bomb going off after. But that had fallen through. Instead Commander Eisen-Blume who just a few years ago Julian had considered a girl with luck, but nothing else, had acted with such political acumen that she had actually reinforced the upcoming Federated Commonwealth.

Commonwealth, and Federated Suns officers serving together on board the only Warship in the Inner Sphere, besides those ComStar guarded?

Already the messages passing back from planets visited by the Stick carried mentions of its crews growing respect for eachother.

The girl. The Commander was too sharp by far.

ComStar had worked hard on ensuring that any attempts of the Commonwealth and Suns to train together ended in irritated feelings or strained relations.

But the complaints of men in mechs were drowned out by the letters home from men stationed on a Warship for the first time in centuries.

Steiner and Davion had even been politically smart enough to have some of the letters printed in newspapers spreading across each state. Funny excerpts of working together with men and women from the other state, and how together they were learning to use a machine thought lost.

Of course they were all heavily edited, and stylized. Julian had read the originals himself and there was plenty of arguments edited out.

But it didn't matter.

ComStar had been caught completely flat footed. The last year had every message, every spys report. Everything gone back through if it involved the ISDF.

The fact was. They had little. Only that even their new member. Mr… Blake. Hadn't known. They were sure of that. His reaction had been quite loud at the time.

"We didn't. Whatever game that is going on… It wasn't something we could have stopped. How could we? We didn't even know there was another player." Julian spoke out into the quiet room. "The ISDF have played us for fools, they pretended to be nothing, and yet. Looking back over their records it is obvious they are more than what they wanted us to believe."

"We should kill them. Now. The girl, Eisen-Blume. She is the lynchpin, kill her, and the whole thing falls apart. I am sure of it." Myndo offered "I can have it done. A virus, or just one of our briefcases in storage."

"No." The immediate response shut Myndo up, but it wasn't Julian who had spoken. It was Nicholas Cassnew. Precentor ROM. "You will do no such thing Myndo. You have already nearly broken our neutrality to the leaders of the Successor States once this year. Let's not go for another." He rose. "First Circuit. The ISDF is more dangerous than we understand."

"Nicholas? You know something we don't?" Julian asked, and the man nodded.

"I do. Are any of you aware of just what the ISDF is currently doing?"

There was a moment of silence before Myndo spoke. As always she was too eager. Too quick to speak when listening was needed. "They are wasting time using a Warship to build their little libraries across the Federated Suns Outback."

Nicholas sighs. Loudly. "All of you are playing directly into the Commanders trick. She is… Jingling a warship on a string and like fools everyone in the Inner Sphere, including the First Circuit is so focused on what that hand is doing, they don't notice the other."

"And you know what they are plotting? Just you? Not a single other person in the Inner Sphere?" Myndo mocked. "Please tell us then. Inform us of your wondrous insight."

"It is one of our greatest weaknesses that we pay too much attention to technology." He offered before pulling out a set of actual physical photographs which had Myndo scoff. Before he tossed them onto the table. "These photos were taken on Farnsworth. The images were fuzzy, whoever took them was obviously fighting the storm but the pictures were clear enough. Massive mechs Atlas literally holding a massive plot between them, as they fight rushing water.

"And this is what? Exactly?" Myndo argued scoffing. "Images of a few mechs?"

"Images that are spreading. This is the ISDF, using a Warship. A Colossus dropship, and enough mech hardware to conquer a planet. Stopping a river flood."

"Nicholas, why is this relevant?" Julian asked, Nicholas was a smart man, and if he saw something here, it was worth it to hear him out.

"It is relevant because scenes like that are what affects public perception. Perception that not even we at ComStar are immune to." He offers tapping his fingers on the pictures. "This is happening across the Inner sphere. Twelve new Libraries have been set up in the Free World League in the last year. Each one built completely at the direction of the ISDF. And every one of them free and open to every person that walks through the doors."

"I don't care about their libraries, Nicholas! It's a pointless vanity project. The power a Warship brings is the only relevant fact!" Myndo argued back heated. The woman was nearly standing despite everyone else at the table calm and collected.

The man across from Julian shakes his head. "Two hundred and fifty six messages from ComStar Adepts and Precentors across the Inner Sphere regarding the ISDF and what our role will be in assisting them… In the last six months."

That quieted Myndo completely. The woman's mouth falling open in utter shock. "Assisting them!? You must be joking!"

"I am not." Nicholas was looking directly into Julians eyes and now he understood.

"They are winning a war, we didn't even know we were fighting." Nicholas utters.

Julian had no choice but to scoff at his own foolishness. He hadn't even considered the effect this would have on ComStar whileit was indoctrinated out, there was a strong element in the newest members to try and improve the Inner Sphere. "How bad Nicholas? How far behind are we now?"

"It isn't insurmountable. But… The First Circuit needs to consider how far we are willing to go. We could tarnish the image the ISDF has created. But there is little doubt in my mind that our part will eventually come out in any lies we create. Eisen-Blume is… a difficult figure to tarnish."

"We can create a situation! Hold them responsible for some disaster. Or get someone on board their Warship to start an orbital attack. That would do everything we need!" Myndo was as always firm in simply removing the obstacle through force Julian sighed, he could already see how such an act would fail.

Julian spoke first. "She isn't in complete control of the ship. By crewing her Warship with members of the Suns and Commonwealth, she mitigates any action falling back directly on her. It would be easy to shift the blame onto the Great Houses. Which everyone will believe. They have done it before, why not again?" Nicholas nodded, agreeing.

"That was my understanding as well Primus. We stand in a situation unlike any ComStar has ever faced. A… Peer of sorts has risen. Not one of the Great houses, but a group that through their actions are changing the Inner Sphere for the better."

Myndo grimaced but while she was aggressive, she wasn't a fool.

"We can't let them keep acting. If they do, we may lose control." She spoke simply, and Julian nodded as well this time.

"Perhaps. Or perhaps, we have found a partner for our great work." Nicholas spoke and that caused a reaction.

"You can not be serious!" This time it wasn't Myndo, but another precentor but the words had escaped from multiple throats.

"I am." Nicholas pointed to the pictures. "ComStar has used our philanthropic acts as a way of recruiting and legitimacy for centuries, And now we have competition. One that we were not ready to react to. None of us expected to have a group in the Inner Sphere try to out philanthropy us. Yet the ISDF are doing just that. We can either try and fight against their ascension, or we can attach our reputation to their work. It would not be the first time we recruited. The SLDF remainders became our Comguard after all."

"Perhaps. But." Julian spoke and the room went silent. "We can not allow a new group, no matter their means, or intentions to stop us from our work." Julian hated to say this. He was a firm believer in cooperation in diplomacy. "We must act firmly to ensure that Warships are not in any hands but our own. We are the only ones trustworthy enough to guard them. Nicholas. Find a way to destroy the threat, or bring it to heel."

The man, whatever emotion he was feeling at having Julian deny his idea was non existent on his face. "Understood Primus."

Myndo smiled widely at getting her way. "Do everything possible, to ensure it does not come back on us. Blame a great house if needed. ComStar must remain clean from any association."

"I will make it happen, Primus."

Julian sighed. He always regretted ordering the death of so many people, but as Primus it was his duty to ensure that only ComStar could lead humanity into the future.

"On the matter of our people's interest in the ISDF. Ensure that word gets out that we are very concerned about the ISDF's connection and intentions. While we approve of the philanthropic work, we worry it is another Great House plot. Make sure our people know. I don't want any naive adepts seeking to help the ISDF harm our goals."

"Yes Primus."

—-

The next few months filled me a true sense of satisfaction. This is what I had wanted from the start. Moving planet to planet, and leaving knowledge, and hope in our wake. And our holds full of new recruits.

The fact they were all FedSuns Orphans, and not Lyrans was actually perfect! So many of them were hesitant at first, the ISDF was too Lyran still, but like all good forces in the Universe our actions spoke for themselves. And the more feddies we picked up the more the ISDF felt like a true neutral organization!

This was how you made a difference!

Never mind that I was spending the equivalent of millions of C-bills on the repairs and construction projects! As if the Fed Suns didn't have those millions! As if the Commonwealth the richest of all the factions of the Inner Sphere didn't have the money!

As if ComStar didn't have the money.

But that didn't matter because we would make a difference where others failed!

I had been getting looks of disgust from Erica and some of the others, the smirk on my face was a permanent feature!

"Commander! We just got a message. It's from ComStar. Priority Mail There is actually an adept outside."

"Huh? Is it Aunt Katrina!? If it is… I'm not here! We didn't get it!"

"Idiot Commander." Was whispered behind a hand earning a pout. "We won't know who it is unless you go outside and get the package!"

"Okay! Okay! I'm going no need to yell." I grumble waiting until they were out of sight before chuckling. It always did my kids good to banter a bit. Heading out of Whitebase I came across an interesting image. A man in ComStar robes carrying a very fancy box. Was surrounded by a few of my kids. One of them actually in their Nighthawk which the adept was eyeing up in wonder.

"Hiya. I'm Victoria Eisen-Blume, you have a package for me?" I ask as I pull the adept's eyes away from… Is that Mathias? I couldn't tell as he had the helmet on, but the way he kept playing with a sticker on his rifle made me think it was Mathias. I had to yell at him about leaving stickers on things before.

"Ah, yes Commander Eisen-Blume. Please press your thumbprint here, for verification. I am afraid it was requested by the sender."

Frowning a bit I shrugged, taking off my glove and pressing my finger against the Noteputer. It scanned me for a moment before beeping.

"Excellent everything is in order then. Here is the package straight from New Avalon."

"Oh It's probably Hanse and Melissa then." I mutter as I open the package and inside was what I figured it would be.

An invitation to a wedding on Terra.

The wedding between Melissa Steiner and Hanse Davion.

I was 'cordially' invited.

"Well I guess I have to go to Terra."

"Wha! Commander! We get to go to Terra!?" The voices picked up all around me, I looked up and rolled my eyes, of course a crowd of my kids had sneaked over when I opened the package to look over my shoulder as I read it.

"Hey! You bums! Reading the Commander's mail is illegal! One thousand laps! All of you!" I roar out as I started chasing down some of the nearest kids leading to a game of tag as everyone ran screaming from me as I threatened to make them run forever.

The invitation and box was thrust into one of the kids hands that weren't playing not long after. That could wait. My kids needed some surprise exercise!

Hah! Benny! Who's playing the joke on who now? My endurance was unbeatable! I ended up catching so many of my kids each one of them earning extra laps!

But all the while my mind was mostly on what came next.

The Fourth Succession War, and how I would react to it. Seriously Hanse. You stupid show off. Did you have to do this at a wedding!?

Wait. Does this mean I need to wear a dress?

—--

Last edited: 4/4/2022

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