B18

Ella Grimm was a lithe redhead with pale skin who could have passed for a model if this was the Inner Sphere. However, as this was the Periphery, and her father was a literal Pirate King, Ella was no model. Instead, she was a fully Qualified Mechwarrior and not too shabby in the cockpit of an Aerospace Fighter to boot. I knew for a fact that she piloted an Ice Blue-painted Pheonix Hawk Medium Battlemech or a similarly-painted Gotha Medium Aerospace Fighter. Given how fond she was of the color red, often wearing it during public appearances to match her hair, I could only surmise she felt the paint scheme would throw off potential opponents. She also happened to carry a cutlass and laser pistol at her belt. I didn't recognize the model of Laser Pistol, but I recognized the brand as a Lushann Industries pistol.

"Baron Poniatowski." Nodded Ella Grimm as she reached my throne.

"Princess." I nodded back.

"My father sends his compliments for the takeover of Maria Morgraine's Valkyriate. Redjack Ryan isn't likely to take such a feat lying down. My father offers his hand in friendship and requests an alliance aimed at defeating Redjack Ryan." Began Ella Grimm.

"I'm more than capable of defeating Redjack Ryan on my own. Indeed, reclaiming Butte Hold has been on my mind for some time. I have no need of an alliance with your father at this time, though I wouldn't be opposed to trading spare parts and various other things with your father." I offered.

"I see. Well, my father is a rich man. I'm certain a trade agreement could be worked out, however more pressing is the issue of Sigurd." Continued Ella Grimm.

"What about it?" I questioned.

"The Jarnfolk have enacted a sort of economic blockade around the world. My father believes this is part of a strategy aimed at recouping losses from the loss of the monopoly on the Black Sand Trade. Already, Sigurd's population has begun to up stakes and leave, plus, with the economic blockade ensuring that no goods make it onto or off of Sigurd, the mines aren't producing ores." Informed Ella Grimm.

"I see. And what does Hendrik Grimm Propose?" I queried.

"Well, for starters, some of the ores produced on Sigurd can also be found on your worlds. He would like you to trade him those ores as a way to make up for lost output." Explained Ella Grimm.

"I'm sensing there's more he wants done, though, isn't there?" I pressed.

"Sigurd had a population of forty-thousand before the Jarnfolk enacted their blockade. It was populated enough for my father to extend Oberon's protection. In the last month, though, that has dropped by a third down to thirty-thousand. With the mines not exporting, my father has decided that the expense of protection isn't worth the benefits. He is on the verge of cutting Sigurd loose, though the onus is on him to arrange a suitable protector." Continued Ella Grimm.

"And he believes I will be able to break the Jarnfolk blockade to be that protector?" I questioned.

"Redjack Ryan only has one world and one fleet. You've already shown you have two fleets. It seemed reasonable." Shrugged Ella Grimm.

"And what is Hendrik Grimm asking for in return?" I queried.

"My father will sell you the rights to the planet in exchange for a one-time payment of goods or C-Bills equivalent to one-point-five-billion C-Bills. Plus you have to break the Jarnfolk blockade yourself and offer a reduced rate on Ores that normally would be provided by Sigurd." Offered Ella Grimm.

"Why does Hendrik Grimm not do this himself? Surely he has the fleet strength?" I prodded.

"That is a touchy subject, but the short answer is that our main offensive fleet is currently engaged." Admitted Ella Grimm.

"With who?" I frowned.

"Helamar Valasek recently took Santander's Killers to conquer Porthos. Porthos is a heavily populated, fairly industrialized world. My father believes that with Santander and Porthos under his boot, Helamar Valasek will turn toward Nyserta next. Nyserta is under my Father's Protection, and unlike the dwindling population of Sigurd, is still actively providing their tribute. All of the Elysian Fields are. The people there may not be suited to war, but they're nothing if not punctual in paying the people who are." Admitted Ella Grimm.

"In short, your father is too busy fighting a war with another Pirate King to take care of it, and he's offering Sigurd to me if I will?" I asked.

"Plus the payment, yes." Confirmed Ella Grimm.

"Well, if you want, you can take payment within the month." I offered, coming to a decision.

Sigurd may be underpopulated and its mines not producing thanks to the blockade, but that wouldn't last under my control. Besides, I was already building a third fleet of dropships and had enough Leopards in reserve to easily pay the price he asked. Granted, that would delay my attack on the Belter Pirates of Star's End by a few months until I could rebuild the dropships that had previously been earmarked for the Third Flotilla, but it was worth it. Besides, Hendrik Grimm would probably wind up wasting them against Helamar Valasek anyway, so the chances of this blowing back on me were small. Ella Grimm looked impressed.

"So soon?" She asked.

"Indeed. Speaking frankly, I had been acquiring a number of Leopard Dropships for a third Fleet to put on patrol duty. This seems like as good a use as that, at least." I answered.

"That would be extremely helpful. Admittedly, Helamar Valasek's aerospace forces outnumber our main offensive fleet by a sizable number. I would be happy to bring them back to Oberon Six in exchange for Sigurd." Agreed Ella Grimm.

"One more thing. The Price of a Leopard-class Dropship is enough that I will need to send you with seven to meet your father's quota, but in doing so will be about one-hundred-eighty-million C-Bills over the quota. I assume you will factor that into the price of ores?" I prompted.

"I believe I can get that approved yes." Confirmed Ella Grimm.

"Then I believe we have an accord." I agreed.

General Jorgensen might complain about the lack of a patrol fleet and the pushing back of timetables for the attack on Star's End, but he didn't have the final say, I did. Six months to rebuild ships for the third fleet would not meaningfully affect the ultimate outcome anyway. It wouldn't even jeopardize things with the Lyrans, since they'd given us five years in which to attack. It'd just push the attack on the Belter Pirates to thirty-twenty-three instead of Thirty-Twenty-Two. With the treaty of Sigurd negotiated and signed, however, Ella Grimm retired to the ambassadorial quarters she'd been given as I sent the order to Iron Land to begin transferring the Leopards via Jumpship, first to New New Ålborg and then transfer them to Oberon Confederation Jumpships. Six Leopard-class Dropships would cut the fledgling third fleet down to one Leopard-class ship and three Leopard CV-class ships, but again, it was worth it. Then I had the guards send in Ivy Upsalom.

Ivy Upsalom turned out to be a dark-haired, olive-skinned, woman with one eye covered by an Eyepatch. Normally, that would have disqualified her from being a Mechwarrior, but Ivy was one of the select few Mechwarriors who was elite enough to compensate without having a cybernetic eye installed. She wore a uniform from the Mercenary Unit she'd been a part of before joining up with Redjack Ryan's outfit after said mercenary unit had been annihilated in one of the many battles of the latest round of Succession Wars. From the insignia on her uniform, I was going to guess that the unit had been founded in Lyran Space. No one else really used the Death's Head Skull Motif. Hell, even the Lyrans didn't use it these days. Interestingly, she had a needler pistol at her belt. A common enough weapon out here in the Periphery, but one that tended to be outlawed in the Inner Sphere, even by the Dracs. She stopped in front of my throne and nodded.

"I understand Redjack Ryan has an Ultimatum for me?" I questioned her, not even inclining my head back in the least.

"He wants you to return the planets you stole from Maria Morgraine to his control so their daughter can have them when she comes of age. He also wants one billion C-Bills in reparations and for you to pay him the homage your father did." Recited Ivy Upsalom.

"Or else what?" I asked.

"Or else you get to see exactly why you shouldn't have made an enemy of him. Ryan's rebels will come down on you like the hammer of Thor and there won't be a damn thing you and your troops can do about it." Scowled Ivy Upsalom.

"Is that so? I wonder exactly what he thinks he can do where Maria Morgraine failed?" I pressed.

In response, Ivy Upsalom pulled out a detonator. She gave a savage grin and said, "Well for starters, I've had some of my men infiltrate one of your factories here and plant a nuclear device. And that's just for starters."

I nodded. I'd known about her attempt, Minister Simowitz had informed me that his men had caught a team of saboteurs trying to plant a suitcase nuke in one of my Ferro-Fibrous Armor plants last night and had dealt with them and the team trying to smuggle data and samples of Ferro-Aluminium Armor out of another plant. The poor bastards hadn't even realized they'd been made. The suitcase nuke had been thoroughly disarmed and was currently doing duty as an interesting paperweight on Minister Simowitz's desk, no longer capable of detonating. I motioned with my hand and several guards brought in a pair of roughed-up, bloodied, bound Pirates. The leaders of both teams. That caused Ivy Upsalom's smile to turn into shock, then into anger.

"We already captured your agents last night. Both teams were taken into custody by the Ministry of the Interior where they were happy to divulge the all clear codes. That detonator right now will do nothing, as we've completely disarmed the device you tried to smuggle in. By the way, that's an act of war, which means your diplomatic standing no longer applies." I nodded.

With a snarl, Ivy Upsalom dropped the useless detonator, pulled her needler pistol, and pointed it at me. "You die first!" She snarled.

"I think not." Came a voice from behind her. Out of seemingly thin air, Minister Simowitz appeared, clad in a Sneaksuit, one of the first batches we'd managed to produce after a full year of trying, in fact. Ivy turned around to try and shoot Minister Simowitz, only for one of the guards to dart her in the neck with a tranquilizer gun. Ivy Upsalom's eyes rolled up in her head and she collapsed to the floor without firing a single shot.

"She may have been an elite Mechwarrior, but it appears that out of the cockpit, her skills were. . .less than impressive." Snorted Minister Simowitz.

"Find out what she knows about the state of Redjack Ryan's forces and Butte Hold's defenses if anything. Tomorrow, I'm calling a full council meeting." I ordered.

"It will be done." Agreed Minister Simowitz as two, uniformed, Ministry of the Interior agents came in, saluting before asking for orders.

"Take her to the Lubyanka for interrogation. We will see just how much this Redjack Ryan tells his Elites." Relayed Minister Simowitz.

I nodded as the guards took away all three of Ryan's Rebels under the supervision of the Ministry of the Interior Agents. This was sloppy, extremely so. What if something with the Nuke had gone wrong while the Dracs or Lyrans had been on-world? What would Redjack Ryan have done then? This screamed of a man so pissed off about his Lover's death that he was lashing out as best he could, ordering a nuke smuggled onto New New Ålborg in the heat of passion. He'd probably calmed down some since then, but there was no way I was about to let this slide. I nodded grimly at the outcome of events, satisfied that I'd done the best I could with each ambassador. To be fair, things with the Lyrans, Oberon Confederation, and Dracs had gone well, or as well as they could have in the case of the Dracs. Redjack Ryan, though? Well, if Redjack Ryan wanted a war, he's got one.

Now it's time to wipe him off the map. . .

XXXX

AN: So yeah the results of the various embassies are good results with the Lyrans and Oberon Confederation, neutral results with the Dracs, and War with Redjack Ryan. Ryan wasn't his usual self when he ordered the Ultimatum or it wouldn't have gone down like that. He was full of anger at Maria Morgraine's death and wanted to hurt Jozef. That's why his initial plan was to give unacceptable terms, then set off a nuke as a pre-emptive strike, giving him time to Mobilize a large enough invasion to finish the job. Any tech the second team stole would have been a bonus on top of that.

As for Hendrik Grimm, he's currently too busy fighting Helamar Valasek to be bothered breaking a Jarnfolk Blockade of Sigurd. He's willing to get rid of Sigurd to solve the problem so he can continue his war with Helamar Valasek. He'll gladly take six Leopard-class Dropships in exchange, as long as he can still get the ores he needs at reasonable rates. Helamar Valasek mostly keeps a large Aerospace Force and a smaller, more elite ground force. Basically, because Santander's world used to be his only world, he focused on a setup that would let him raid multiple worlds at once over one that would be geared for planetary conquest. Hendrik Grimm needs those Leopards if he wants to have any hope of landing troops on Santander's World.

At any rate, the next chapter will be another Council Meeting as War Preparations are discussed.

Stay tuned. . .