19.2

Chapter 19.2 Sometimes. You have to put your cards on the table.

3028

Terra

Hilton Head

Everything was going okay. I had calmed down after my failure to convince Janos. I was starting to relax to think that I could just enjoy this whole situation as it comes as a wedding. I mean I was actually looking forward to Wolf showing up just to insult the Coordinator.

But thinking of the Combine group had me turn to them, and I noticed something that had me nearly crush my glass in my fist.

I was on my feet before I could even think about what I was about to do. Because there, next to Takashi, and Yorinaga Kurita, was a younger man.

Wearing one of my kids' armor! They had even repainted it in Combine colors, but I recognized the armor and equipment, I had fucking made that!

I had only gotten about half way there, when Carl, and Erica joined my side. My stare had obviously clued them into what I saw, and they weren't there to stop me.

Although Nondi was. "Commander, stop. I don't know wha-"

"Sorry General, give me a minute would you. I have to have a conversation about theft with someone." I nearly growled teeth grinding.

"No you don't." Nondi stepped directly in front of me, halting me cold. "I don't know what you are about to do, but this isn't a place for grudges Commander. This is Melissa's Wedding."

I took a deep breath. Pushed my first instinct of bull rushing the woman away, and then let it out.

Fine.

"Fine. I'm still going over there. But I won't cause a fight. A scene? Maybe. But not a fight."

The older blonde sighed, rubbing the bridge of her nose as she obviously tried to come to some way to keep me from going over and causing an international incident.

"Fine. No trouble Victoria. I mean it."

I bit back my instant heated denial, swallowing it. "Don't call me that. Nondi. I like you, you can call me Vicky, but don't call me Victoria." I must have been more irritable than I thought I was getting snappish about stupid things.

"Very well. Vicky."

"Sorry. That's… Katrina gets special dispensation. Maybe if we hang out more I'll consider it." I joke but my smile turns flinty. "Now excuse me."

I took a deep breath and moved past. As I approached, it wasn't long until I was noticed. The two older men both turned to look at me, although both dismissed me as they turned away, although I knew both were going to try and speak to me.

It was a common trick. 'Oh you are so unimportant, I wouldn't even notice you walk up to me, but I will deign to talk to you.' The sort of nonsense people with over inflated self worth tended to get up to.

But jokes on them.

I was stopped by a guard in Combine colors, but after a moment he allowed me to pass, although he did take up a presence on my side.

As I approached the men all gathering around their Coordinator. A few of the stragglers took notice, and their scowl was quite amusing.

It was about to get a lot deeper. Finally the Coordinator seemed to break away from his conversation with Yorinaga. He opened his mouth to speak to me, but I had the opportunity that I wasn't about to let go.

The Coordinator was sitting at a table, set up like a conference room, with everyone semi turned to the Coordinator, and I was on the 'outside' of the table. Almost like the man was sitting at a desk, and I was a noble coming to beg for his attention.

To my utter and forever amusement. The look on the mans face when I simply walked right past him to stare into the eyes of the boy wearing my armor would live with me forever.

"That armor doesn't belong to you." My words weren't harsh. Simply a statement of fact. The silence of the room around me meant that everyone heard though.

The narrowing eyes of the Coordinator at being ignored? Priceless.

The younger man, I couldn't really call him a boy, I mean he looked like he was probably older than I was. Turned to face me fully, and I looked over the armor, unfortunately, they had taken off any of the identifying marks of who it belonged to. Something I had started adding in after the first batch of armor so I wouldn't have to deal with 'That is my pauldron! Get your own!' ever again.

But there would still be markings inside, each piece was marked after all, and I could easily figure out who it belonged to.

The silence stretched out, but I wasn't one to care about that after all.

"I suppose it would be a little rude to demand you strip now, so I suppose I'll have to accept you wearing armor that you don't deserve for a little longer. If it's returned to me, I'll even ignore how you came to own it, and not hold you responsible for its theft."

"You are Commander Eisen-Blume." The man said looking me over for a moment. "You are not what I expected."

"What, did you expect someone taller?" I mocked. The fact I was actually a good bit taller than the man made my joke a bit cruel.

"No. I simply heard you were a woman much like Katrina Steiner, aiming for peace. I am Theodore Kurita."

"Peace can not be gained by throwing down swords, especially not when you have a spear at your throat." My words struck out fast, without me thinking as I looked into the face of the next Heir of the Chrysanthemum throne.

He took that with a smile. "An interesting metaphor. Perhaps use a dragons claws next time?"

"Why? I don't think house Kurita has represented anything resembling a dragon in centuries. Dragons have Honor."

The small not smile the man had across his lips thinned for the first time at that. "You speak harshly. Almost as if you are looking for a fight." He looked around the room, drawing my eyes to the different groups. "Is this really a place for conflict?"

"No, it's not. But neither is the Inner Sphere. You would think after three hundred years that the Great houses would be sick of it."

"We are." He surprised me by saying. "When the war is over. A time of peace will finally descend upon the Inner Sphere."

"Let me guess. Only if House Kurita is in charge?"

"That is the fate of humanity."

The worst part? I was actually pretty sure he believed that. Theodore was the smarter, more willing to change and adapt leader of house Kurita.

"When you say things like that. It makes me think there will be no peace in the Inner Sphere, as long as House Kurita exists." I mentioned tiredly. "I wonder, Theodore. You see more than most of your family. Do you realize that your path only has two endings? You win. Or you lose."

"Then we will win Commander." The man stated strongly a confidence that I wanted to scoff at.

I look at him. At this younger man. Who saved his house in another life. His changes made sure that the Combine didn't fall even against the Fed-Com. Could I do it? Could I murder this man for caring for his people? For doing too good a job working for the bad guys?

"Theodore. I've already spoken with the Captain-General tonight. I wonder. If I asked you for peace, right now. Just an agreement between you and the Commonwealth, and the Federated suns to stop fighting. Not to win, not to lose. Just an agreement for the wars to end. Would you accept? "

My question seemed to confuse the man, and he hesitated. I could tell, as I watched, the answer wasn't hard for him to come to, but he used the time. Simply wondering why I had asked. He was trying to figure out if I had a 'right' answer for him to give, rather than his answer.

He was probably wondering if the Captain-General had said yes to such an offer, but I could see it on his blank face, as his eyes shifted when he realized it didn't matter. That he would answer for himself and nothing else.

"No. The Succession war will not end, not until the Coordinator is proclaimed First Lord."

I nodded slowly. So this was my enemy. A man that was good to his people. But refused to stop until his goal was done. A goal anathema to my own. The heir to the Dragon huh?

"First Lord? House Kurita?" I shook my head. "Over my dead body. Keep the Armor. I'll bury you in it, with honors." I walked away. I had always had a faint hope that maybe peace would prevail, that old idiots in families more powerful than reasonable could be convinced that peace would make them more powerful than war.

But House Kurita had built itself on war. They were good at it. Good enough they grew arrogant, comfortable with the wins and losses. The Coordinator, Takashi, would never surrender. And now I knew his son would never surrender either.

So being able to face my enemy. Speak to them, and internalize that. It led me to only one fact. The ISDF were going to have to get off their ass and go to war. The Combine needed to be rescued from themselves. And I suppose I should talk to Katrina, and Hanse. They should probably know I was going to join in on the clusterfuck coming.

Damnit. Why does everyone want to fight? After three hundred years… haven't they fought enough?

—--

A different perspective

Theodore Kurita

Theodore looked at the back of the blonde woman. His mind awhirl. As Yorinaga would often say, watch a warrior's Ki, and you will know the warrior's intent. But Theodore didn't often believe in his teacher's words. Or his fathers.

But there had been something. When the woman had declared his family would attain their goal only over her body… He had heard the remark before. Soldiers of the Federation, or the Commonwealth had spoken words similar enough to him before. Perhaps it was because this time he wasn't about to kill them?

"Your thoughts are flowing." His father surprisingly spoke, almost startling him.

"Yes Father." Theo eventually admitted. The relationship of father and son had been strained for the last few years. But Theo wouldn't insult his father here by denying him. Not with the eyes of the leaders of the Great houses watching.

And they were being watched. Many nobles great and small had an eye on the Commander and her actions as she approached.

"Let the words of your enemy flow over you. Inspect them. Acknowledge them, and put them aside. If you spend too long contemplating the words of enemies, that is all you will do."

He nodded. Accepting his fathers words, even if he wasn't sure he would take them to heart. So much recently had made him look at his teachings with judging eyes.

"She will be a thorn in our side." He finally spoke, admitting a truth he knew. The girl would be the Combines enemy.

"She is already our enemy." His father stated plainly, but just in that Theo knew his father wasn't taking the woman seriously. Her Warship yes, but not her. Not the threat the person represents. Something Theo had learned, a man that could drag the sort of following the young Commander was capable of should not be ignored.

But the Dragon had enemies in every corner. Theo knew that they couldn't focus on all of them at once.

"She challenged you, Theodore. Will you accept?" Yorinaga eventually added into the quiet between father and son. Theo noticed even his father seemed interested in his answer.

He considered, and realized the truth.

He was the only one that could. His Legion could move in ways the Swords of Light could not. Only the Genyosha was close enough, but Theodore already knew that Yorinaga would accept no task that was not towards his enemy the Kell Hounds.

"For the Honor of the Dragon." he eventually said. An acceptance without the words themselves. The ISDF was the sort of threat that was hard to pin down. He would have to draw them in. To create a target that they couldn't resist.

—--

A different perspective

Jaime Wolf

Rage was a funny thing. It went hot and cold. And both were dangerous. Jaime was glad Wolfnet was on his side, otherwise he never would have managed to smuggle Tetsuhara's swords onto Terra, much less in Hilton Head. ComStar security was… Active.

But that didn' matter to him.

So much death. And yet, it was the dishonorable death of Tetsuhara that infuriated him most of all.

He knew the Spheroids wouldn't get it as much. Natasha understood though. To see a strong warrior. A true warrior forced to die due to the words of a man so full of dishonor? He had nearly yelled at her, in his rage, trying to understand how this could happen.

But Natasha, as offended as she was by the Combine's actions, had shrugged.

"They aren't Clan. Of course they have no honor."

It was always easier for Natasha. As much as she had adapted to the Inner Sphere, she was also still the most Clanner of them all. She took the enjoyment of the battles, the losses and wins, and although she had her grudges, she retained the Clan mindset more than any other.

Although he knew she too had learned much from her time here.

But as Jaime turned his back on the 'Coordinator' his Batchall, thrown down as blatantly, and loudly as possible he strode away from the man with all the dignity he could muster. He had done it. The Combine wouldn't accept such an insult, and they would come.

And the Wolfs would feast.

"You talk a lot of shit for someone who lost most of their hardware recently. Again." The voice startled him as he realized as he was leaving the room a second pair of footsteps joined him. He slowed, he had wanted to leave the room entirely, but at least he was far enough from the Combine group that he wasn't likely to be assassinated. Yet.

The woman was unknown to him, but her armor wasn't.

Jaime had a headache of a week as Wolfnet went frantic at the oddity that was the ISDF to determine if they were a second Clan insertion, or just something odd.

Eventually determining they were just odd, Jaime had put them out of his mind. Too busy fighting for the Combine at the time.

"I'm afraid you have me at a disadvantage?"

"Commander Victoria Eisen-Blume, ISDF." She introduced herself, and Jaime nodded. So this was the 'Commander.' He hadn't heard much about her directly. He wasn't usually that interested in random commanders around the Inner Sphere.

But even he had heard about the Warship.

So this was the only woman in the Inner Sphere with a working Warship.

"Colonel Jaime Wolf. Wolf's Dragoons."

She chuckled at that. "I know who you are, Wolf." And despite being assured that this woman definitely wasn't a Clanner. Or at least Wolfnet was 90% sure, despite her actions, the way she spoke that made him second guess himself.

"Can I do something for you Commander? I'm not really in the mood for any further politics tonight."

"Are any of us? The normal people? What I wouldn't give to not have to deal with nobles you know?" She grouched before standing upright, and Jaime realized the woman was surprisingly tall. As she looked into his eyes. "You have something I want. And I have something you need. But let me be frank. I have mechs."

That caused Jaimes eyebrow to quirk. The Dragoons hadn't exactly been doing well since Misery. If the Commander was offering what he thought she was? "What would you want in exchange?" He finally asked. His voice colored by his interest despite himself.

"Three things. First I want you to use them against the Combine. I'm well aware you will probably take a contract against them soon. That's good."

"Yes." He had already had a few messages passed through the Federated Suns, Hanse had offered him a substantial contract, to do just that. "What else?"

"I want access to your Marauder II design. Yes I'm aware the dragoons have last say in who gets them. Preferably I want a production right."

That caused Jaime to blink in surprise. She wanted to build mechs? "Do you even have-no. That question doesn't matter. I don't think there will be too much trouble with that, as long as you agree to only sell them out of your company to approved buyers."

"I have no intention of selling them to anyone. Marauders deserve to be used to protect the Inner Sphere, not destroy it." She offered and that was a weird way of saying it. Spheroids always destroyed themselves. It was something Jaime had long come to accept.

"Alright… Last requirement?"

"I want you to-"

"There you are." The voice interrupted was silky smooth, Jaime recognized it, despite the years between them and he immediately put her in his sights.

Romano Liao, was a snake, of the worst sort.

The Commander blinked, looking a little bewildered by Romano's appearance. Romano's guards were facing the man that Victoria had brought with, the man had done a good job staying far enough away from the conversation, while still keeping watch that his approach to stand at his Commanders side, was the first Jaime had taken note of him.

"I'm sorry. I don't believe we have met?" The Commander asked as she looked from the woman to her guards.

"Of course not! You keep playing around with the Lyrans, and now the Suns! I would almost think you are avoiding me, but that would be impossible!" Romano crowed, looking more pleased than Jaime had ever seen her.

The Commander was looking around, trying to figure out who she was interacting with obviously. Jaime figured he might as well help.

The woman had promised him mechs.

"Lady Romano Liao. You are looking… well."

"Huh? Oh. Wolf. Ugh, have you finally come to your senses and are ready to return to service to my father? No I can already tell you aren't. Foolish. But you are not the one I am speaking to. Commander, I have sought out communication with you for quite some time. You are a… Difficult woman to reach."

"Ah. Lady Liao. Apologies, I wasn't aware of your communiques."

"Obviously! You wouldn't ignore me! Some fool in ComStar probably, attempting to keep our destined meeting from happening! Hah! Look at them now, ComStar watches from afar, unable to stop our unification!"

Jaime couldn't help but look on as a trainwreck happened, because whatever Romano was thinking the Commander definitely didn't share her outlook. Romanos… Flirtation? Jaime wasn't sure if it was that, or just odd word choice.

With Romano it was impossible to predict. She was as crazy as a… Well a Liao.

"Right. I didn't know we were being kept separate… But I am in the middle of something, Lady Liao. If you could excuse us for a-"

"Nonsense! The Wolf can wait. Our meeting is far too important! Surely you must know that? It is time Commander! Father is here, on Terra itself! Ready to accept your fealty, come, kneel before him, proclaim the return of the SLDF. Working once more with the Chancellor we will reignite the Star League! With My Father as First Lord and you The Last Cameron fighting together as it should be! So Come Victoria Cameron! Take your place at my fathers side!"

"What?" The Commander uttered dully, voice flat.

Jaime felt himself blink in shock. When the crazy woman had brought up the SLDF he had almost flinched, but then…

Last Cameron?

He looked and the Commander. She looked more blank than confused.

"Hmm! It is no longer time to hide! Join us, proclaim your true name! Your ISDF no longer needs to hide among the lesser houses."

"Last Cameron?" Jaime found himself saying, his surprise actually cutting through his usual self control.

"Silence Wolf! This is a meeting more important than any other! The unification of both the SLDF, House Cameron, and the Star League under its rightful ruler is happening in front of you! A common Mercenary has no voice here!"

"Proclaim my true name?" Jaime jerked his eyes away from the crazy that was Romano.

Because he realized he might not have just one crazy woman to deal with.

The blank words of the Commander came off more threatening than accepting as the crazy Liao nodded.

"Of course! The SLDF, your ISDF" And she laughed as if they were just pretending. "They are destined to reunite with the confederation, to bring the rightful First Lord to the throne on Terra! You, as the Last Cameron speaking for my father and house will solidify the argument in the minds of the lesser houses. The traitors will finally kneel!"

"You want the ISDF to help you conquer the Inner Sphere?"

"What? Of course! To bring the traitor houses to heel! The SLDF returning will finally bring order once more to the Confederation and the Inner Sphere!"

"I'm sorry Romano, this is taking me a minute to wrap my head around. If I'm the Last Cameron… Why would I proclaim the house of Liao as the First Lord and not take the throne for myself?" The woman asked, an actually reasonable question in Jaimes thoughts, although he knew Romano.

Reasonable wasn't going to work.

"Foolish nonsense! The House of Liao is obviously the true First Lords! The failure of House Cameron should make it obvious that we are now the destined leaders of humanity!"

The armored woman sighed, a hand coming up to rub her face. And Jaime could have sworn he heard something about "Urbanmech jesus?"

"Romano. I'm sorry but you are massively mistaken. The ISDF isn't the SLDF, in any way."

"Hmph! If you wish to carry on with your deception, Commander do as you like, but I know!" Romano argued as if everything the Commander had just said, didn't even matter. Yep. That was Romano alright.

"Right. Listen Romano." The Commander took a deep breath, as she seemed to try and gather herself. "Let me ask you something, if Hanse Davion came and asked you for peace right now. A true lasting peace between you and the Federated Suns, would you accept?"

The Crazy Liao seemed utterly confused by the question, almost as much as the Commander had been by Romanos statement. Although Jaime was still simply wondering about the whole Cameron thing.

"No of course not! They are the ones keeping my father from the Throne of the First Lord! I would never make peace with them!"

"Yeah. That's what I thought you would say." The Commander turned to him suddenly, Jaime once more part of the conversation. "Let's call it here for now. We can hash out the rest of the deal… At a more private moment?"

Jaime hesitated. So much of what just happened, had every inch of him wondering what he was getting into.

But to get back at the Coordinator, Jaime would make a deal with a devil, or a Cameron even. "Agreed. Till later Commander."

"Great. Now Romano. I'm sorry I can't be your SLDF. I am going to have to re-affirm myself to the Commonwealth. Katrina Steiner is the only one of the great houses that is actually interested in peace. So unfortunately for you, and the Confederation. I think we are going to be enemies Lady Liao."

Jaime made a hasty retreat, the sounds of Romanos delusions shattering around her sounded a lot like screaming death threats from a grown woman having a hissy fit.

—-

I watched waiting. So much had happened in the last few hours. So many weird questions from people, and odd conversations. Even the ComStar Primus, had mingled with me as the wedding went on, asking me odd questions.

Seriously guys, Romano was crazy. My last name was Eisen-Blume!

But here we were. The day after Jaime Wolf's insult to the Coordinator, to Romano Liaos meltdown as I refused to 'kneel' to her father.

Hanse and Melissa were getting married. And Hanse was cutting the cake. Preparing for his grand reveal.

"Wife, in honor of our marriage, in addition to this morsel I give you a vast prize. My Love, I give you the Capellan Confederation!" Hanse proclaimed.

I ducked down in my seat as Mad Max threw a fit rivaling his daughter.

"And so begins the Succession War has." I muttered. But this time? This time I would need to act. I needed to be the stone in the stream that shifted the path. I would need to bring out a force that makes the Inner Sphere quake. Because there would be no better time. No greater moment to finally end this fighting than now.

If we could end the Succession wars now. Give the Inner Sphere a few decades for the Clans? Maybe. Just maybe I could bring humanity together.

I sighed, tipping over my glass of wine that Hanse had passed out for his toast. I hated the idea of war. Of helping in this mess, but I couldn't see a better path. I wasn't a genius. I could only do what I could think of.

So with my spilled wine soaking the plate that had an image of a Capellan world painted onto it. A joke from Hanse, I could only think that more than just this tiny plate would soon be soaked red.

How many of my kids' hands would come away just as red in the next few years?

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