Chapter Ten Final Preparations four weeks before we 'negotiate' it, two weeks more and it will be negotiated then we'll have a stable empire, Your Earth Republic will develop all the Super-Mus around and the tech windfall from Bulldog will keep everyone but particularly the Freemans busy for nearly one of your centuries.-Floor leader Qorni in conversation with Sectary General Ridgemount
Two hours later
Alesia picks up her pad "Sorcha! how are you doing?"
Sorcha smiles "fairly well liaison with a prince and all", both chuckle "how are you, the Baby and Moze?"
Alesia "fine except he wants me to get married and stay home, which is damn close to what I am doing now!!!"
Sorcha "why you are one of the best educators in the Empire",
Alesia snorts "yeah I am still considered a 'Pet' to Loona, and the "wild" humans of earth have used that to put their people in place, I still have a job and I will be honest a great paycheck, but I will either have to give it to Loona or become a 'wild' human myself."
Sorcha "I have been so busy dealing with Bulldog, Federation, and FEDCOM politics haven't stayed current with empire politics..."
Alesia smirks "oh Forna gave Loona her half a loaf, human national status, funding for training, ability to hold jobs, it's just it was a bit seedier then sold..."
Sorcha turns a bit red "the jobs allowed were...",
Alesia smirks "yes, menial or hyper-technical, if I was on the Maris farm picking glow barries I could earn a paycheck, if I was fixing cables or warp drives for a business or the imperial navy I could receive fair pay, that I am a highly trained educator, well that wasn't covered, Loona apologized but the conservatives want to have a crack at human votes so the only ones holding the keys to the higher-paying, better-skilled jobs will be Forna's bunch, not that they aren't doing a good job, the eagerness and the human ability to learn has converted anyone with an inch worth of fairness, or even a glimmer of an open mind. I am willing to bet even Forna knows we are the Titans intellectual equals, or she wouldn't have offered the UN five billion credits to buy out our contracts, make us nice new happy citizens of Earth and not have to worry about us voting or keeping the ignorant masses as liberal block voters. Hey if you can oppress a people for six thousand years, give them a couple of decent crumbs then have them vote for you, now that Karmic Jujutsu."
Sorcha "that is smart, do you think the majority of the 300 million humans will buy it?"
Alesia "they are just getting through their heads they are nationals, that they could be free and they need to have jobs soon, Forna is many things but stupid is not one of them. She's the one who is seen as educating them, finding them jobs, and will once they are ready to give them the vote. She can delay full suffrage for up to ten years and look like a hero to both her extremist branch and most humans. She can say over and over "I think they need a chance to get on their feet and find the spark that is in their inner sphere cousins and earth siblings. Let them have a belly full of food, a job, and an education, once that's achieved we can allow the poor dears the franchise."
Sorcha "she's outflanked Loona."
Alesia "and how most of the Avalonians have taken good-paying jobs with the UN and are turning in their Empire national cards for Earth citizenship, I hate to say this but I think Ridgemont and Qorni worked something out, they may have had a conversation or three and found out they weren't so different..."
Sorcha "great, Ridgemount wants the skilled labor and to be seen as a liberator of oppressed humans, Qorni wants the liberals out and wants to be seen as the one who started the 'productive' humans on the path to freedom while maintaining Titan values. I can see them cut an add for the other's campaign, "Qorni/Ridgemont (their interchangeable) 'she was a tough negotiator for her country she had to she was dealing with me, we disagreed on a lot, but we both agreed humans in the empire needed a shot and by God/emperor we gave them one, If you are a human in the empire or on earth and have noted the jobs/money/education the humans have been getting you know whom you must vote for on... vote Conservative/Ridgemont.' It writes itself Alesia."
Alesia huffs "the two who got us into the most trouble are going to be reelected maybe with landslides. Well, I am sure you didn't call to get my blood boiling and upset my baby!"
Sorcha "no, not really I just need some eyes on the situation in the Federation..."
Alesia "you have Aezhay, Thurfrit, Gae, oh no, no..." Sorcha smiles weakly "I need eyes on the ground for another expectant mother",
Alesia "who?",
Sorcha "you don't know her...",
Alesia more insistently "Who?",
Sorcha "she's from the Innersphere",
Alesia "GOD DAMN IT, Sorcha, tell me WHO?",
Sorcha as sheepishly as a 142-foot tall woman can be "Omi Kurita-Davion, Well Omi Kurita now..."
Alesia shakes her head, and sarcastically smirks "you mean she and Victor",
Sorcha "yes, and"
Alesia "and from the news, we have on their stars, that she's going to have a child that could at best be described as a MAJOR headache for her line and both of Victor's",
Sorcha "from my time with Victor and studying their history, Kitsune, his son would be a major challenge for all the states involved to get over",
Alesia laughs "the child is already named, oh, that's good, and the only thing worse is that she's in the Federation where they may if they could kill her and that child",
Sorcha nods, Alesia "does the block know what they are doing to the Insectoids?",
Sorcha "Victor and his Regiment are clearing out the last defenses now as over 500 asteroids are heading for Hive 1,2 and 3, Hohiro and Kai are likely at the same points with the Remote Hive and Furthest Hive."
Alesia "yeah, I will go so that I don't see you and the other good giants/giantesses become beasts of burden. The only way you could unite Kurtia with Davion and Steiner would be to kill the unborn child and it doesn't help to have a highly popular princess-like Omi." Sorcha " Pryvani will have a shuttle ready for you, be careful."
Alesia "well Moze won't be happy, but at least I have a job..."
Sorcha downcast "I am sorry",
Alesia "don't be, I need a couple of impossible missions to get my confidence back after what Myrell did to me",
Sorcha a bit shocked "are you ok? I have been so busy...",
Alesia "getting their day by day, been talking to Alex about it, and getting some advice from Ryan and Thyilla, he says hi by the way",
Sorcha smiles "he was always a cute one, Thyilla doesn't want me killed for what I did?",
Alesia smirks "nope, she has her man, that you couldn't see what she saw, well she's very thankful to you, that's all," she says with a mean grin,
Sorcha "I guess I deserve that, in my defense, I was pissed off, couldn't see straight and was bad company to everyone!" she says with a lop-sided grin,
Alesia shrugs "you were always a good friend to me, your still my best friend, it's just you and men, you seeing anyone?",
Sorcha looks away guilty, Alesia covers her mouth and laughs "NO!", Sorcha looks down, Alesia "you want me to keep safe the woman you wished dead when you first meet Victor, the same man you are..."
Sorcha "be quiet, you," she says with guilt and sadness.
Alesia "oh Sorcha, I am sorry, when you pick a man, well Ryan, Odin, Joseph God rest him, and now..",
Sorcha "hush you," she says half laughing.
Alesia puts her hand on the pad "it will be ok, everyone who knows you loves you, and if you would avoid hitting them would love you more" as she kisses where her friend's forehead is on the pad.
Sorcha smiles "thank you Lessy!"
Alesia "no problem, now you owe me two", Sorcha, "I thought I was up to 13 again..."
Pryvani was going through her business data, everything was going well. Political not as well but it seems that the conservative block was trying to snatch up the human votes in a manner that would allow them to do so while promoting "Titan Values". Qorni finally started us her tactical and operational brilliance in a field where she could add votes to her coalition rather than fighting against the grain of history. Loona had been outflanked, liberals should be able to win seats lost by the Titan party, but Floor leader Qorni had good moderate Conservative candidates for 33 out of the 35, they were liberal enough to rebuke the treason of the Titan party, conservative enough not to upset local sensibilities. They would vote her way, that Pryvani was certain.
That and her covert alliance with Secretary-General Ridgemount, the way the other had spoken about the other just months ago, it would be assumed they hated each other. Not so much, both wanted more trade, both wanted humans out of Titan areas, and both wanted their economies to grow, most of all they both wanted more power. Qorni could with her programs in ten years get 40% of the new enfranchised humans, with Ridgemont maybe 65% to 70% that would give her 10 to 15 seats in Aspire and New Empire strongholds, and maybe another 10 or so in even more liberal areas where the vote was so badly splinted, she could get a 60 vote swing just from humans, Pryvani had learned that Qorni was careful vetting free-market, anti-tax, pro-military human candidates, not aligned with Loona's faction. Qorni had now found a wedge to splinter the South.
Pryvani knew the insectoid war was going well, she had smuggled more than a few 'friends' into the task force. She smirks at just how prepared and ruthless they are, however even with their war to the 'Knife' they have provided the Insectoids with plenty of opportunities to surrender. She wonders if they will take them up on it, 35 hours until the first asteroid hits, 168 until the last does, three hives of out five will soon be eliminated.
Finally, she answers Sorcha's email, yes she will send a shuttle for Alesia to get her to Diona, it worries Pryvani that Omi is there. She is a draw, she is remarkably charismatic and very intelligent but why isn't she with her fiance? Brinn has a sample of Kitsune's DNA, he is Victor's Child, and from Aezhay when not telling children tales of the Inner Sphere and worlds without titans (worlds she sometimes dreams of herself giggling) and how in two hundred years (35 Titan years) human, yes humans with mere Jumpships and drive settled more worlds then then all the powers in the Orion belt she's playing with them, even the huge titan children. Human and Titan children are in awe of her, and even the most bigotted Titan seems to listen and at least agrees to disagree with 'her'. It seems wrong to move her, but she is the one person that could start a war between Bulldog and Titans Pryvani thinks. Well in six human weeks Pryvani will invite her to meet the Emperor at a function she's sponsoring, a princess such as her must attend and then they will keep her out of the line of fire, her fiance and father of her child are in the line of fire enough for the both of them. Pryvani has just looked at the pirated battle ROMS, No one dead or injured, but the Insectoids are beginning to pull out all the stops.
Hive Prime final Redoubt
The Feld Grau of the 10th Lyran Guards blended eerily well with dark gray and black coloration of Hive Prime. Brevet-Kommandt Sanderlin in his Hunchback unloads 2nd Generation VX/mustard mix on a large contingent of soldiers and mantids. After 20 seconds over a hundred are twitching as they die. While Renny is looking for the next batch, Victor is using Prometheus's Left PPC to vaporize seven or eight Soldiers as Kommandt Cox's Devastator fires both of its PPCs to take down 20 or more. As the command lance of the Reverants Battalion draws in the vast majority of the bugs, 3rd Battalion with 5th Edasich Panzer Regiment working under Lieutenant General Jim Beerman pour fire into the tens of thousands of soldiers, Mantids, and workers.
Victor "all 10th Guards" as his cockpit get hit and chipped by a mantid, he takes it down with his right Large Pulse laser "Say again all 10th Guard, these guys are getting frisky, time for some air support" as a boulder thrown by a group of soldier hits his left arm, Galen and Renny join their firepower and drive the attack back as SGT Steiner-Smythe PPCs the lead group of the next wave.
Hauptman Gerald Cole "Your Highness 1st flight of the 35th Tharkan Attack Wing, inbound with two, say again two VX/Mustard daisies and two conventional daisies."
Victor nods "we'll keep them bottled you kill the SOBS, Roger?" Cole "Roger sire, reference four Thunderbirds inbound on bombing run"
As the bombing run begins 2nd Battalion with 78th Donegal Cavalry Regiment and 345th Donegal Mechanized Infantry with 974th F-C Battle Armor Battalion position themselves to cut of the retreat of the bugs. As of this moment, the combined formation is known as the 2nd BCT, or 2nd Battalion Combat Team.
As Cole's Flight drops their payloads (the Chemicals in the center the high-explosives in the middle front and middle rear) Reverent and 3rd Battalions with supporting conventional regiments of the 10th Lyran Guards open up driving the insectoids into a tighter group as the bombs go off precisely where they were aimed at. The high explosives from one fuel-air bomb are close enough to coat Renny and Galen's mechs in bug offale as the remaining mostly mindless creatures scurry spreading the nerve agent from those that have it to those that don't. Within two minutes over 90,000 of what was roughly 110,000 Insectoids are died or dying.
As Victor and his lance take potshots at the remainder the First Flight of the 35th Tharkan Attack Wing discharge a couple of generation three (experimental) chemical warheads from their LRM-20 launchers.
Galen "2nd BCT, 2nd BCT, you are hosing them guys, great placement, who put you all there, I thought you all should be a few klicks further north."
Victor Smiles "Go head Lieutenant General Yvgeniy Kotlyarenko",
Lieutenant General Kotlyarenko "I thought the same as you did Kommandt Cox, I was overridden by Archon-Prince Victor..." he says sheepishly.
Cox face palms and thinks I will never hear the end of this... Victor smiles "you both on the tactical, even operational viewpoint have a hell of a case to make for that placement, but the 2nd BCT would be so far out of position, that the roughly 10,000 bugs we have left would have escaped and likely another 20 to 30 thousand would have made it out of our trap."
Galen shakes his head "ok Vic," he says on the private line, Victor smiles triumphantly, "yes Galen",
Galen smirks and nods "let us mere mortals get a victory or two under our belt" Galen laughs, "but God it was a nice envelopment."
Victor smiles "my dad might have done better..."
Renny "WHEN would your dad have done better?" he says in shock,
Victor "well he, Focht, Cousin Morgan, and Theodore would have done something almost as well if not better."
Galen chuckles "two family members a soon to be in-law and some COMSTAR genius from God knows where and Victor acts like he's talking about your average Federated Commonwealth officers, all of them are geniuses and legends... I am DONE" he says with a smirk as he turns his Devastator that's coated in insectoid parts and blood, toward their dropship and starts walking Galen with a wistful smile "heading for the FCS Cincinnatus this fight is over..."
FCS Yggdrasil
FCS Cincinnatus docks, the 10th Lyran Guards had a bit of a fight, the Insectoids were getting desperate, their last defenses were held fiercely by all classes of insectoid. Hohiro on the DCS Shiro and Kai on the CSS Invisible Truth reported the same. Sorcha was a bit nervous, as she watches the Reverants Battalion dismount. Renny's mech is a bit hammered, Galen's doesn't have a spot on it that isn't covered in insectoid guts, Prometheus leaves, it's left arm just holding on, the cockpit a bit cracked. As she worries from her dropship office, the boys leave their cockpits and high five the others. Sorcha shakes her head, Eryn had told her while she was reading on diplomacy she discovered a quote from the English Ambassador regarding the American President Theodore Roosevelt but was applicable to all men. Sorcha states the quote as 'one must at all times remember he is a six-year-old boy', Sorcha smirks and agrees with Eryn's statement that this quote applies to all boys, even Archon-Princes, especially adorably cute Archon Princes...
As her thoughts begin to focus, she sees a number of medical techs, Pryvani had stated in her email that she was sending 'vaccination' teams through the task force. Sorcha wasn't sure, but Pryvani had strongly hinted she was sending human life-extension with the vaccinations, something like 'Darling we will ensure these humans are able to enjoy a disease-free life for decades', Pryvani doesn't use Terran timekeeping... She watches the 'tough' warriors wince in pain when they get their injections, Victor as much as anyone.
After rubbing the intramuscular injection site, Victor heads to debrief his liaison. When buzzes, Sorcha smiles, "come in Victor" her voice almost like honey, deep, thick, sweet, each day she seems to enjoy his company evermore. She is a bit angry with him, he's been on every combat drop the last couple of days. He says a prince should be leading his people, Sorcha agrees, but he doesn't have to be on all of them! He doesn't have to be on every high risk one, Renny and Galen take a pass from time to time. She's been watching his mother's lessons on his family dynamic, She has the beautiful same sandy blond hair as her son, same lovely gray-blue eyes, his ruddy complexion, and strong jaw come from his dad, but his patience, his patience is from Melissa...
Melissa Steiner-Davion, until her son assumed the throne co-ruler of the Federated Commonwealth. She has a grace and manner Sorcha would kill to have one quarter of. She frequently states to Victor that his father's and his last name doesn't mean Messiah. That lesson she thinks did not stick well. Victor Davion will be at the head and at the front of his troops to the most dangerous mission and when he's won, he will go to the next one and next one. He's getting slowly better, having Sorcha reinforce what his mother said has helped. He is such a good man, she worries about him, she wishes he could pull back a bit, he knows he's only an average mech pilot and above-average gunner, he should stay back where it is safe... She will try reason again, but he is a capable human and he can make his own choices.
Sorcha has been facing the Titan in her and working to diminish her over-protectiveness. She really hates his 'need' to be in combat, he takes no joy in killing if he did well he would at some level be like her, on more then a few occasions she actually enjoyed taking a Soldier Insectoid's life and after what Myrell had done to those poor humans, she felt a large feeling of grim satisfaction when she died. She did have guilt, guilt that she survived and so many didn't, even guilt about killing, but Sorcha admitted to herself that in the same situation she would do it over again and actually enjoy slaughtering the bugs and watching Victor take Myrell out... Did that make her a sick person, a warmonger (which she accused Victor of being), she guesses a bit of it is her Celtic heritage and some are her Titan need to protect being perverted again. That and she's a hypocrite for wanting to fight and defend while trying to put Victor into his nice, safe warm cage.
Sorcha winces at that, her mother told her to talk to that half of her, the Titan Sorcha is, in essence, a child, she understands the need to protect and like any five years old takes it too far. She is maturing and will learn discretion. It's always the same answer though, it hard to let those you care for exposing themselves to danger. She knows if she had Victor safe, she would worry (for him of course she grins), about Renny and Galen. If she was sufficiently large and powerful enough she would protect and smother the entire task force. The Sorcha's she's striving to be would be happy if Victor went on every third combat drop. As Victor enters she has a plate ready for him. Naskia does love her 'steak' as does Niall and of course, they passed it down to Sorcha. In their rations, she got a couple of 'ribeye' equivalents. Being her mass each weighs about 20 tons, the portion she attempted to save for Victor is scarpings for her but is enough to feed him for a week. Plus the storage root, a broccoli-like vegetable, and some salad.
Victor digs in as Sorcha rubs his back with her pinkie, as good as it feels to Victor, it feels great to Sorcha. She smiles at him as he details the fight and how Renny, Galen and the others had his back. Sorcha just nods and knows even if he is an average pilot and an above-average gunner he likely handled himself well. He isn't going against Kai, she shivers a bit, Kai is the most dangerous of the three princes in a mech. Victor is the most dangerous outside a mech, and if she could fully convince him of that maybe he will stay with her, ah, stay with the command team on the FCS Yggdrasil.
Victor finishes what he can, "thank you Sorcha that was very good",
Sorcha nods "I tried to trim from the best areas, I have to be careful," she says with a mischievous grin "I give you a full slice and you'll need the katana Theodore gave you to slice it since it would be feet thick."
Victor smirks as he turns and hugs her pinkie "we are quite tiny us humans, especially me." Sorcha nods trying to hold back the tears "how precious and beautiful" she mumbles as she uses her ring finger to gently muse his hair and caresses his back. Victor disengages and plays dodges her hand, it's as close as they get to Tupp and Shaar, she careful gets him between her two hands.
Sorcha "I have you, Prince!",
Victor gives up, he's exhausted, he just wanted to see her smile "I am done",
Sorcha "no fair you barely tried..."
Victor "I been fighting 30 hours straight, plus another 8 prep and planning, I just wanted to enjoy dinner, brief you, see if I could make you smile and then hit the rack for four hours."
Sorcha "that's just a full day for me, you act like your on a 24-hour cycle..." she giggles, Victor gives her a death stare and then breaks into a laugh.
Sorcha leans over to expose the top of her breasts, "so would you like to sleep here? save time, and of all of the beds available" she playfully caresses 'the girls' "these are quite warm and inviting", Victor gulps, Sorcha giggles, he's such a prude, it's adorable, Victor wants love not just fun and to Sorcha that is oh so sexy "well if you would have expanded the hallways I could walk you to your bed" she chuckles,
Victor "you are acting as if that wouldn't a major rebuild" he chuckles as well "let me rest here for a couple of minutes, I missed you."
Sorcha "aaawww",
Victor "so how was your day or half-day by your count"
she places her right palm beside him, he gets on, she closes her hands gently around him and brings him to her chest by her heart "well it was restful, except a good friend of mine keeps volunteering for nearly suicidal combat missions",
Victor half smirks "the guy must be an idiot" as he strokes her palm "not wanting to be comfortable near you".
Sorcha grins "Yeap, one really small idiot" as she counts to five and kisses his head and then pulls back, definitely a kiss a friend would give a friend she thinks "but he is cute, kind, and loves those he serves".
Victor lightly chuckling "so not a complete loser, that's good",
Sorcha continues to caress him gently "No not a loser at all",
Victor fades "well, that's good" yawning,
Sorcha nods "yes it is, Victor "well, night" as his exhaustion and Sorcha's ministrations put him to sleep.
Sorcha beams at him "night my sweet prince" as she places her hand like a blanket over him and sets him on her left breast where her heart is "you'll never know how special and precious you are to me" as she settles in for her own nights sleep "you'll never know..." as both sleep as peacefully as they ever have.
Diona six weeks after Misjump
Omi "ok, ok, little ones, I will tell you of Aleksandr Kerensky his noble and honorable attempt to save the Star League, and it's fall",
Aezhey and Thurfrit listen to the fall of Omi's universe's greatest experiment in government. Neither the Titaness or her husband could understand the vast waste and profligate killing that followed in the 1st Succession War. They were fighting over a dead throne, every great house mocked what the League had stood for, Davion and Steiner less than most, but still... what became all too clear is that when wars are unplanned they take on a life of their own. The Human first world war was like that, as was the 1st Succession War.
Titan young learned with human young as their parents protested. They all loved Omi, they notice her belly steadily getting larger. The toddlers of both sets of humanoids ask to touch the belly. Omi smiles, and allows the humans to do so with minimal supervision, the Titans had either Gae or Aezhey watch and 'help'.
Aezhey was getting worried about the number of Black Block protestors, they were keeping to themselves, but they were getting reinforced and likely they didn't care if they caused a massacre as long as they killed some humans or human loving titans. They had four weeks before Pryvani shoe-horned Omi to represent the Innersphere at an event with the emperor. The Block seemed intent on not allowing that time to pass without issues.
The good news was that Hive prime, Furtherest Hive, and Remote Hive had been destroyed, even now Hives 2274 and 7322 where being encircled and being made ready for orbital bombardment, three weeks from now all major insectoid worlds would be demolished, about another Terran month later the mopping up would be concluded.
Unfortunately, imperial troops weren't moving with such alacrity, the Federation still lingered on. Diona was reasonably safe and most of the pro-secessionist forces were tied up trying to guess where the imperial fleet and army would hit, Aezhay and Thurfrit were just hoping it would be started before a Titan year had passed.
FCS Yggdrasil 43 days after misjump
Victor is taking questions from Earth and titan press agencies, Sorcha is in hologram from behind and slightly to the left of Victor. Damn free market, Classic Liberal Royalist, she smirks to herself, she's young and her parents worked for the government, even as screwed up as they are with the human question she still trusts them a bit more then corporations, sorry Pryvani, though if all CEOs operated like her...
Victor "we have eliminated see the chart to my left", as he points to slide 47 destroyed Insectoid facilities.
Sorcha smiles simple provable facts, that's Victor, no grand statement, no promise of a radiant future, war is horrible, things die and we must be better prepared for the next time, and be better people as well. It frightens her how much she has fallen for him, not even 3 inches to her proportionally but she feels he could fill her heart beyond full with joy. He gives her a quick smile, damn him, it's so cute. No, he's a damn Empire party member (actually he quietly supports the Constitutional Federalists in the Federated Suns state command and the Constitutional Royalists in Lyran State command, both free-market, low tax, moderate local sovereignty parties),"Field Marshall Davion, Field Marshall Davion!!!", Acook Smidg 305 Titan News "what's your view of the genocide you are committing",
Sorcha drops her shoulders, somewhere the press decided once the bugs were getting squashed that they would condemn Victor and his forces for winning a war they could not.
Victor just takes the question "Mr. Smidg, we stated that this is a war to the Knife! No quarter asked for, none granted! We have made exceptions to that, no soldiers yet, but the Insectoid government has contacted us and we continue to get, give us the earth and we will stop. Asking for something while getting crushed in a war is odd, but the two remaining main hives think they can continue to fight, all I can say if they wish to surrender we have broadcasted what we need, they still don't respond to those demands. Next?" "Lisa Shepard-Colins Fox News," said the bubbly blonde "Field Marshal Davion, do you feel that you have been too restrained in taking the fight to the insectoids, also what about the oppressors to include your own liaison behind you?"
Sorcha shoots her a death glare,
Victor knows it's coming and blocks it with a facing motion "Ms. Shepard-Colins, no state of war at current stands between the nations of task force Bulldog and the Titan Empire. As for us not going hard enough, Ms. Shepard-Colins, you see the news people here, there all dang near communists!" Victor laughs, the entire press room does as well, "well that's my last answer for the day, let's do this again soon!"As Victor leaves the press room, Sorcha prepares her hand for him, she smirks "it's almost like you can nearly tolerate them."
Victor smirks "I am only baiting them in my dear, then all of my troops will coat them with crowd control foam." as he climbs on her hand.
Sorcha huge face twists in a smile and she shakes her hand hard enough to knock him a bit off-balance,
Victor chuckles "SORCHA!", Sorcha sticks out her tongue "what my prince!" Victor turns a bit serious "over these last weeks I never knew we would work so well together, if we get back to the FedCom you want to come with us, I am sure Galen or Renny well...",
Sorcha giggles "You have enough to handle with Omi and Kitsune, just a few more months and you will have two new titles, Father and Husband..."
Victor gets misty "yes, both a DAMN bit more important then Archon-Prince",
Sorcha's pinky scuffs his hair "let us go get some dinner",
Galen enters, "Boss Omi is on line one",
Sorcha smiles and kisses the top of his head, Jana and I will get dinner ready, we'll stop Renny and Galen from eating too much",
Galen "hey compared to you two..."
Jana "don't even if you still want pre-flight my engines from time to time." Sorcha's Titan pilot says roughly but playfully, Sorcha smirks pre-flight...Victor turns on his hologram "Omi!",
Omi smiles slightly and with all the love she has "Victor, Kitsune, Aezhay, Thurit, Gae and the protesters say hello!"
Victor "including the black block, they look rough Omi, be careful, I can send a regiment in a week or so, not even sure the Emperor or Forna would allow me to."
Omi "Victor my love you do many things you weren't allowed to, you captured the heart of your ancestorial foe's daughter, you have defended the lives and freedoms of billions, you allow all who are under your protection to thrive."
Victor nods "so hows Kitsune?"
Omi "he looks forward to the day you will welcome him to your world and train him to be a Great Christian Prince bringing peace to all."
Victor crying in Joy "I love you Omi",
Omi "I have loved you, Victor, since our souls were created" crying in joy as well.
Sorcha enters, "oppps, sorry you two, I hadn't heard anything for a minute or so",
Omi giggles "it's ok Sorcha, isn't it Victor",
Victor tries to dry his tears before Sorcha sees, Sorcha would normally mock him a bit for that (she is a Tom Boy and her father's daughter), but the love these two feel for the other, she's has nothing negative to say,
"well, we will keep dinner warm" as she moves to leave (dang ceiling is 50 feet to low she chuckles to herself),
Victor "thank you, Sorcha", Sorcha nods "I am famished, glad a couple of scraps are enough for you guys, so tiny, but so cute!!!"Victor and Omi go over everything, Omi is shocked at how much 'press' resistance to Victor's method of winning the war,
Victor "they look at me like I am nuts Omi, nuts" Omi giggles, Victor "when I said no quarter asked for or given, the idiots likely thought I was talking about American change denominations!!!!",
Omi "Victor my love, you should save some of these stories for Kitsune",
Victor "really?",
Omi smiles deviously "that way he can get used to his father's voice while not being bored of the content",
Victor "why you, I am attacking you when you get back",
Omi acts shocked "Why Victor my love when I attacked you this" she points to her womb "occurred",
Victor nods "so we'll have a large family",
Omi smiles gently her holographic arm stroking his face "if that is what God and fate desire Hai Victor!!!"
Aezhay "hey Prince boy, let her get her sleep, I had three gorom children it ain't easy", Omi looks back at her and sticks her tongue out at her,
Aezhay smirks "Princess it isn't wise to play with a being over 28 times your height" as she sticks her tongue out as well, "now both of you off the hologram, Sorcha needs to feed your cute little prince and you, your baby prince and the rest of us need to get some sleep."
Omi "I will call you again soon, Pryvani is demanding I attend a ceremony in Tuaut next month with the Emperor. Gae and Aezhay tell me I have to go."
Victor nods "it is their Emperor and your the only Princess not in a live combats zone, well you are but it's not, oh your in danger just not in active combat",
Omi shakes her head and chuckles "It will be alright my love, you are a worrier, it is a good trait but do not overdo it!"
Victor nods and smirks "I will call you once the last two hives are dealt with, then Doctors Banzai and the Freemans might be able to get us home."
Omi "HAI, that would be well, Kitsune and I will get some rest before Aezhay dose us with sleep aid."
Aezhay in the background laughing "and don't think I won't." The lines clicks off as Victor heads to get dinner.
Hives 2274 and 7322 44 days after misjump
Both task forces have asked for their surrender, the bugs still demand earth as a starting point. Asteroids are slowly put into place as the hours' tick down. it seems it will be no retreat no surrender.
just outside of sensor range a small Insectoid shuttle flees system 2274, a brief reading of three soldiers and a large egg-layer, only one egg seems to fertilized, pointless to chase down five bugs. The pickets let it through...
Diona seven weeks after misjump
They were getting closer, becoming more violent, they had wounded a titan and 20 humans. Thank the powers the Titan was there or the 20 would have been dead. Omi had the dream again, she stood in defiance of their overwhelming power, her and Kitsune held the line, buying time for most of the humans to evacuate, she herself had saved some, it didn't matter how many, it wasn't enough hundreds still died before the Titans on their side could get there, she was stomped and spat on as was her son. She sees Her mate in Rage and Grief demand an audience with the Emperor, during which he declares war, she sees the Inner sphere Warmachine gear up and with one voice rally to do what the Archon-Prince orders it, the battle cry they shout hurts her soul deeply "For Omi Kurita-Davion, For Kitsune Kurita-Davion, for the four hundred" as Titan ships, units and worlds are incapacitated, the cold vengeance of Victor has not yet killed anyone on either side" She awakes in a cold sweat, tears flowing "oh Victor please don't do this, please never take vengeance on innocents, don't use my sacrifice to justify it, please, please GOD send him someone to vouchsafe his conscience" as she rocks and gently strokes her womb, "Please my son pray for your father..."
Holosuites-New York and Tauat
Forna and Elaine were enjoying the cooldown, god they loved these holograms, each was supposed to be a nationalist upholding the traditional values of their worlds. What they had become was lovers, the attraction to power and how each wielded, so much alike, yet different enough to be 'exciting'. When the feeling first overtook them they were negotiating a trade deal. Each got heated, Forna said something about wanting to crush Elaine, Elaine saying she wish she would and in seconds their holograms were all over the other. As they understood more and more about the other they grew more and more in love and lust for the other. Both Conservative and honestly hard asses, something clicked, Forna's two husbands couldn't please her like Elaine, and Elaine thoroughly enjoyed her experimentation with Forna as they pondered their love life and their political alliance both were quite happy. Their friend's political party would be in power for at least another 20 titan years, for Forna up to 60 if she can pull Loona and her Aspire caucus in.Forna "so my dear what do you think of me pulling Loona in",
Elaine smiles as she kisses her hands "very good, your conservatives should have an outright majority after next election, if she wants to keep any power she needs to cut a deal and with what your offering, Human citizenship in two years after hostilities end, she'll bite, and bite hard",
Forna "bite, a fishing term?",
Elaine nods "as in taking the bait, imbedding the hook into the fish's mouth"
Forna "ah, so she brings in Aspire I make her floor leader in three months and my party has the majority for maybe sixty years!" Both look on their screens as some Federate Boeing techs from the FEDCOM start to assemble Earth's first two real shipyards.Elaine, "you have any issues with that construction Forna?"
Forna just giggles "no, and for puny humans, they are putting it up with great alacrity"
Elaine "we do accomplish things quickly",
Forna places her simulated head on her shoulder "you sure do... So the bugs will be done in two weeks, we'll pass human sufferage soon after, you will take roughly a third of the newly minted citizens",
Elaine "sure, we'll take half if you need",
Forna "about a year ago I would have said sure, but your species is quite talented. If we keep the best and they vote conservative we can swing up to 60 seats."
Eliane nods "unfortunately the ones we'll get will go socialist or communist the moment they get here, but they are our children and we must step up and help our allies"
Forna nods "yeap four weeks before we 'negotiate' it, two weeks more and it will be negotiated then we'll have a stable empire, Your Earth Republic will develop all the Super-Mus around and the tech windfall from Bulldog will keep everyone but particularly the Freemans busy for nearly one of your centuries. Good time to be alive and a good time for our parties."
Elaine nods "thankfully we had Aertimus and the rest during first contact."
Forna smirks "I wasn't all that convinced at that time, but with your peoples drive and our detail focus the Orion spur is just the beginning, Bulldog ends the war, we put everyone on a glide path to equality under the law a whole new era of expansion is just waiting for us."
Elaine "sounds great, when do you all start absorbing us into your empire," she says with a deadpan smirk,
Forna shakes her head "It won't be our empire, it will be yours, your population with life extension and super mus, Titans might be at top of the size chart but you will outnumber us in 120 years, yes Terran years, but as long as we shape the culture and ensure conservatives win it won't matter much if it's a human empire or titan, it will still be our Empire. Elaine takes her hologram hand and nods.
Tayas Mons, Avalon 50 days since misjump
Pryvani "So what do we have on Taskforce Bulldog?",
Zara "lots of movement from Earth-based pharmaceuticals to their ships, it's odd lots of older medicines like Ether and Enflurane. I would ask Sorcha to inquire about their better pain medicines, maybe they are more accustom to the older meds, or there more reliable???"
Taron "also there are little blips in our shuttles warping in and out, they seem to also be realigning their Germanium cores in line with the Freeman's theories."
Darren cuts through the crud "What your Titan advisors are telling you Provolina is that they are preparing for war against the Empire."
Pryvani considers it, and half nods "Titan tolerance for Ether, Enflurane and a number of other sedatives/muscle relaxers is much lower than human, or precursor. If they could saturate an atmosphere with sufficient quantities the planet would fall without a shot. a much kinder version of what Dr. Banzai is doing to the insectoids."
Lysis nods "their third generation chemical weapons are able to kill all but the largest insectoids with their smallest basic ammunition. I don't know if they can handle our warp fields yet, but if they can, well we might want to surrender before they get any momentum going."
Pryvani knows there are three basic groups amongst Bulldog, there is Victor's Federated Commonwealth, with St. Ives Compact along with the majority of Comstar divisions and Free World league units, they would hew to the Ares accords, hell they would go well above and beyond those accords to avoid harming innocents, the second is the Combine, they would do what Victor and Focht told them, but there would be no guarantee that they would go beyond the Ares Convention accords, and then there were the unknown factors, the Capallens, and mercs, Pryvani guesses they would hold to the minimum of Ares, but Soldiers from a totalitarian regime with soldiers who only fought for pay, that was the question mark.
"Pro'tellia," Darren says "that Banzai fellow and his NAIS comrades well there just the cat's meow, err Shaar's pur, whatever as far at finding weak points. That said just how sure are we that someone like Victor will go to war?"
Pryvani shrugs "from what I have seen of him he doesn't back down from a fight, he puts himself at great risk for his soldiers and people, if he thinks we have been playing games too long he will follow the conventions of diplomacy and declare war, he will not sneak attack us, but he will find a way to achieve surprise, even in his losses at Trell one and Aylinia he managed to bite the Falcons pretty hard."
Taron "so what should we do?"
Pryvani "all the things he would go to war for are justified, but even though we have screwed things up to the point he feels the need, I can't just let him roll through us. There is a point where patience becomes acceptance, have we reached it yet? Would we have Titans enslaved instead of humans? I know a number would see that as justice... However, can one wrong fix another? Regardless if we defend we must make sure that those of Bulldog are treated with honor and if we have victories or are victorious that they move humans toward emancipation."
Darren "Proentilla, that's a bit hard, isn't it? It seems you are more interested in protecting your kind."
The entire complex falls silent Thyllia begins "Darren, how dare..."
Pryvani cuts off her half-sister "Thyllia he has a point, we've been behind the scenes helpful, but what forces did we commit, at first contact I attempted to veto human participation, regardless of my intentions I am a Titan and humanity is still not free, why shouldn't they ask that we stand aside or help Bulldog in freeing their kin?"
Thyllia "it's not the same we, we" she looks at Ryan his face still healing and hugs him "are we that selfish..." as she kisses him.
Pryvani "it is the first time I am rightly terrified of humans, my skin craws as I seen their mechs and fighters deal with the insectoids in a walkover, I fear what happens if it's turned on us... That justice may be enforced by the gun of an invader... I hate to admit it, but if we don't fight will we be enslaved as we did to humans? I hold nothing against Victor, Hohiro, Kai but I can finally feel the terror humans have when we keep holding our protection over their heads."
Nick "we have to defend our homes of course, and let the Emperor know what we know."
Darren "do we?" again stunned looks "I mean all of the Titans here are good and decent and have done what you can, but what about the 80% who just ignored our plight? What about the 10% who enjoyed it and attempted to make it worse!!! then we save their bacon at Tau Ceti Loona, Aertimus, Naskia, everyone complains why didn't we let them know, hell because it would leak and those who wished to oppress us would have worked on countermeasures."
Pryvani tears up "it's not fair, and you keep being asked to hold out just a little longer, we'll make it fair, then something else delays it, something else is more important. Darren, Lysis, any other human, or group of humans if war comes and you wish to side with Bulldog all Titans are who serve me are now under orders to surrender to you, we won't fight you, just treat us as you wish to be treated. I have to defend my home, it's not about defending the system, but it can be seen as such, so if you wish to take out one of the key logistical sites just come to my room and I will surrender myself all my staff."
Zara "Pryvani, you can't we've done nothing wrong!"
Pryvani "we have benefited from a system that enslaves them, if the choices are honorable surrender or fighting to the death even tangentially defending that system I would rather surrender."
Brinn "so you are giving the humans veto over passing this information to the military?"
Pryvani nods "Darren can you and the Avalon council discuss it and get back with your decision, no information will flow until you have said so."
Darren "we'll get back to you in a day or so"
As the meeting breaks up, Thyllia is clearly tormented "oh Ryan I am sorry I really want to see it from your perspective, but...."
Ryan "it's ok, just remember I love you...",
Thyllia "but we're talking about your freedom and all I can see..."
Ryan "it's not your fault, don't worry about it until it happens."
Rixie "boss you want me to backchannel the information",
Pryvani gives her a dirty look "NO! just because Darren went behind us and for good reason you..."
Rixie "I understand, and his reasons were valid, but if the imperial military doesn't know what Bulldog is up to...."
Pryvani "they be caught as unawares as Earth would have been if Solis had his way..."
Rixie "it's not the same, we are trying, we just need a little more time isn't that right Alex."
Alex gives her a looks she hasn't seen since he faced down Trell, Rixie "Alex?", Alex "I know you all mean well, that you are trying, but 90% aren't should we take arms against our liberators? If they mean to enslave Titans you know all the humans here would fight them, how about for ONCE you wait and ENDURE! You get told just a little while MORE"
Pryvani "you see Rixie, we can't betray them anymore, the time has long since past when we can ask them to be patience when Darren deliberately confronted me I knew it had gone on for far too long. He was the one suggest to Eryn we use the insectoid threat to buy time with Earth. We're losing them, the humans we have fought for we are losing them because nothing happens to us when things go wrong." Pryvani cries "they are thrown into the garbage, placed into cages, tormented, what happens to us NOT A DAMN THING! Maybe, maybe losing a war and having fear finally reach us will finally change us."
Rixie to Alex and Pryvani frustrated and sad "but it isn't our fault...",
Alex strokes her thumb "no it isn't, but is it mine to want to be free? To be free by any means?"
Rixie begins to tear up "no, no it's not, I love you Alex, but I am afraid",
Alex "you've protected me I will protect you..."
Rixie hugs and kisses him "I trust you",
Thyllia "so we wait",
Pryvani "yes, I doubt Banzai, Victor, Hohiro or Kai will wait long, let us just hope the worst doesn't' occur..."
Ryan "the worst?",
Pryvani "Omi and her son gets killed by a Titan...",
Rixie "three more weeks till the event and Alesia is already there what more can we do?"
Pryvani "too much attention she becomes an even larger target, we are just going to have to wait it out and hope the block doesn't get too frisky, once she is off Donia we can keep her safe."