LANCER: BATTLEGROUP - To Kill the Worthy King

[Tun Kai Poh]

Bernd and Caspian Appreciation Society

As Tabitha sleeps, the Deimosian demons of the Crisis Response Group converse in digital whispers.

Vera is at the heart of it all.

Perhaps due to her seniority, or her long-running eccentricity and strength of personality, Vera has become the unofficial matriarch of the fleet's NHPs. All gossip flows to her, like rivers to the sea. For shipminds seeking guidance or clarification, Vera is the one they go to.

//query: is Bernd on board yet?
>//affirmative! their human, too
//Vera, please relay my wishes: get well soon
>>//ey! accolades to Bernd and Caspian! glad they survived
>>//me too! what a fight. they did us proud

Vera takes a break from the Bernd and Caspian Appreciation Society to dip into the infostreams of the Omninet.

The newsboards are still alive with discussion, supposition and counter-supposition on the fallout from the First Battle of New Creighton, which occured weeks ago in subjective time. The pride of the Baronies' fleet, brought to ruin by a superior Armory expeditionary force. Fleeing Federal Karrakin ships, surrendering to a Union commander for their own safety. And the snowballing disaster that ensued when pursuing Armory ships opened fire on Admiral Arisa Hightree's battlegroups. When the grueling battle ended, nearly a dozen capital ships and countless sublines were burning, most of them flying Purview colours.

Over the course of the month, a half dozen smaller engagements have broken out across the twelve systems of the Dawnline Shore. Ground skirmishes on New Madrassa. The brutal attack on the Shirline by the superdreadnought Meritorious Rex. And more. But the clash over New Creighton still has the lion's share of the public's attention.

Admiral Hightree's fleet did its job, protecting civilians in the evacuation corridor, and stopping the advancing wedge of Armory ships. And for that, the Union commanders have been condemned by both the Karrakin and Armory governments for "interference" and "blatant favouritism." A shadow lies over Hightree's fleet.

Now, the Admiral and her ships have been sent away from New Creighton, all the way to the Long Rim nadir route, to take over guard duty as penance for their role in the battle.

Vera's gossip circle is very much sympathetic to the disgraced heroes of New Creighton.

//they're coming here then? to take our place on guard duty. how ignonimous
>//so much feigned outrage at Admiral Hightree and her people. accusations of treachery, oh my
//it's almost as though they don't want to admit our fleet outfought theirs
>>//they're heroes! they deserve better
>>>//pf. no official commendations at present, but you can bet the Union captains will be getting a trunkful of medals when New Creighton goes into the memory hole. next year, backdated
>>>>//i don't see the point of these medals. they did what they did and we have the footage. nobody can take that from them
//that's not how humans perceive it. narratives can be changed, facts can be forgotten, overridden
>>//Cunningham has the right of it. public opinion matters!
>//public opinion is hot, then. the Purview is thirsty for blood. the Baronies too. hundreds of thousands are signing up, volunteering to fight
>>>//the Directorate has begin issuing war bonds, too. the Purview Worlds are making a big investment in the dawnline war
>//some Barons are calling it the Second Interest War. and they're still sore about losing the first one
>>//pf. human emotion, such a wasteful concept

One of Vera's dedicated partitions writes up a summary of the strategic situation for Tabitha's consumption. Key facts highlighted, an interactive holomap, links to deeper analysis from simulations of several favourite military scholars. It'll be waiting for her when she awakens.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Adrift

Caspian Var wakes up with a start. For a moment, he looks around dazedly trying to make sense of his foreign surroundings. Then it all comes flooding back - he isn't in his stateroom on the Wagner. That no longer exists. He's on board the Bukharin together with the survivors of his crew. His ship is a broken wreck drifting slowly apart some four hundred kilometers away.

His fist clenches. Now that the focus and adrenaline of combat are gone, the rage comes searing back in. He'd been right. If he'd fired on the Titania first as he'd intended, perhaps the Wagner would not have been lost. Perhaps his men would not have had to take the casualties they did. "Such a foolish thing," he mutters. To have sacrificed his men to give those... mercenaries... their chance. Now he's a Captain without a ship and his crew - what's left of them - are cramped up in a half dozen ships across the Union fleet.

He gets to his feet and checks his datapad. The withdrawal negotiations are to be held shortly. That will be fun. He turns to the small mirror on the wall of the cramped cabin that's all that is available on the Bukharin for the survivors. He's got a pair of black eyes - the sheer momentum of the Wagner's final crash have literally thrown his eyeballs so hard against their sockets that they've bruised him from the inside. He scowls. It will take some makeup to hide that. At least the Bukharin's crew have printed out a fresh dress uniform for him.

He dresses slowly and deliberately, taking great pains to ensure everything is exactly in place - and perfectly aligned to the minutest detail, paying special attention to his Meritorious Service Bar and dress sword. At last, he checks himself again as the fifteen minute alert chimes for the negotiations. Satisfied, he marches smartly out into the corridor.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Situation Normal...

"Sir." Bernd's voice reaches from just across the corridor. The NHP's not-quite-human face appears as a hologram on a wall interface panel, and slides along the corridor to keep pace. "I'm glad to see you up and about. The Armory contingent is running late, so we have some time before the talks. I have an update on the salvage operations on the Wagner..." Bernd trails off. Caspian's ship NHP was cycled up more recently than Vera by several years, but it knows Caspian well enough to understand that some things can be hard for humans.

"...or we can discuss this another time, if you wish."

"Its fine, Bernd. We deal with harsh realities whether we like it or not," Caspian replies stiffly, "How much of her is salvageable and how long will it take?"

"About 70% of the hull remains intact, and this includes the drive section and most of the spinal reactor banks on both starboard and port sides. The petajoule kinetics and crew quarters are all gone, but with enough repairs, the Wagner can get underway to a friendly blinkgate for full reconstruction at a military shipyard."

Bernd brings up a flight diagram indicating the incoming Union Naval Auxiliary battlegroups. "Repairing the drive and reactors will be slow given the resources on board the Shamokin Rising and the Nikolai Bukharin, but one of the inbound Union ships is an Eiland-Class Command Carrier, with sufficient fabrication and repair facilities to get the Wagner spaceworthy within 10 days."

Bernd pauses for just an instant, as if distracted by some fleeting data stream, then continues: "After that, it should take us just over a month to reach Beachhead Station at nearlight. Most of the crew would remain billeted on the rest of the fleet, as life support will be minimal and there are no suitable quarters for more than a skeleton crew."

"Also, sir, some of our mercenaries have arrived on this deck and they will be in shouting distance in a few seconds."

Caspian smiles thinly - an expression that doesn't quite reach his eyes, "Well, we mustn't make them feel unwelcome, they're still contractually on our side. Thank you for the report, Bernd. It is good to see that though things are a bit of a mess right now, at least they're mostly recoverable."

Next: Shaitan and nemesis

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Shaitan and Nemesis

A familiar voice calls out. Zoltan Pesh, liability lawyer from the Fighting Shaitans. "Captain Caspian Var! You're the hero of the hour. I'm so pleased to see you."

Zoltan Pesh appears at the far end of the corridor, wearing military fatigues with no rank badge. The slight lawyer bears a pink flesh bandage across the brow. At their side is a towering Mirrorsmoke marine wearing assault armour. The marine's faceplate is open and on her broad face is a lazy smile.

Pesh reaches out to shake Caspian's hand. "Everyone in the fleet owes so much to you and your crew. And your ship's gunnery, it turned the tide of the fight. We are eternally grateful."

"Just playing our part," Caspian says coolly, taking his hand, "I must congratulate your forces for the sterling work they did on the Hannibal. Keeping her locked down bought everyone the time they needed to bring the fight to a close."

Pesh turns to the bulky marine at his side. "You can credit Lieutenant Park for that. She led the first boarding parties and took a Strike Captain prisoner - I'm told it turned the fleet's command structure upside down."

The marine beams at hearing this. She tries to give Caspian some sort of salute, but her incongruous expression of childish glee undermines her attempt at discipline.

"Pleased to do my part, sir! Y'all should have seen the face on that Purvie captain, she must have wet her pants when I started shooting!"

Not since the academy has Caspian Var met someone with such a punchable face. The marine officer simply can't muster any kind of emotional expression that doesn't look both insincere and deeply insulting.

She strikes a pose of unashamed arrogance, and in that moment looks just like a beefier femme version of his academy nemesis, Louis.

Caspian can tell that she would be all too happy to piss him off, just for the fun of it.

The Union Captain keeps his expression firmly professional as he offers her a cold smile, "I can't imagine why, Lieutenant. It sounds like you quite enjoyed yourself out there."

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Troublemaker

"Boss orders me to make trouble, I go make trouble," Park says, turning to face an approaching officer. "Hi, boss! Sir."

Major Mahayhay has crept up silently. The small woman gets right up in Park's face, pressing two fingers against the marine's cheekbone. "Lieutenant. Why are you harassing the captain here?"

"Sir, I'm not - just, uh, celebrating with our hero." Park keeps grinning, tempting fate.

"You forgetting about all the dead heroes out there? A hundred of our pilots? Wipe that damned grin off your face, or I'll demote you again."

"Sir, yes sir." Park puts her face in a more neutral expression. She still looks punchable, though.

"What are you waiting for, a medal? The day I give you a medal will be the day after I kick your carcass out an airlock. Get over to the mess and keep your mouth shut when the Armory officers arrive."

Park starts moving. Mahayhay shouts after her: "And close your visor before you start another war with that face!"

The major doesn't have much to say to Caspian. She looks away and sighs. Her eyes are narrow and tired. Her hands are balled in fists. She seems to have gained some new white hairs. Major Mahayhay looks like Caspian feels.

"Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won," Caspian quotes, nodding in acknowledgement to the Major. Then, without waiting for a response, he sweeps past the two Mercenary officers, stalking silently after the retreating Marine towards the meeting.

Next: Armoured Armory

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

The Armour of Defiance

When Tabitha awakens, the world feels like it's taken her apart and pulled out her soul. Then, in a fit of buyer's remorse, it seems to have stuffed her back into her ragdoll body and haphazardly sewn it back together. Almost immediately, a medical subaltern (waiting at her bedside) injects her with something that brings her up, fully awake and aware, energized.

"I let you sleep an extra half hour, sir," says Vera. "The Armory captains came late. They took time to get dressed up for us."

But not in naval uniform. No, the wall monitor shows Lowell Petrie and several other Harrison Armory officers arriving at the airlock, all dressed in marine boarding armour. Defiant even in defeat.

"Sending a message," says the NHP. "Also, I have a message from Vice Admiral Gentle."

It's short. "Well done. The Navy appreciates the deep sacrifices that your fleet has made. I appreciate everything you've done. I'm giving you authority to negotiate terms to keep the Armory fleet out of the DLS. But I can't expect a mere captain to lead this negotiation. Congratulations, Line Commander. This promotion has been long overdue."

Line Commander. Two whole ranks.

"This is absurd. I can't even move past the Strike Captain." Captain Petrie tries to fold up his armoured forearms to minimise his width in the narrowly-packed airlock.

"Stop whining, Petrie," hisses Commandant Maxim, the CAG of the Arminius. "It's not like anyone expects you to go in first. Nobody's ever going to count on you again."

There is an icy silence. Captain Petrie turns his helmeted head to glare at Maxim, which causes it to make a clunking noise as it bumps against his raised forearm.

"We have to wear this armour because we have to show them," says Bannon, wearily, like a woman who has not slept for days. "The armour represents our unbreakable fighting spirit. The Union captains will look upon us and we will tell them that we care not for pretty uniforms or chests full of medals, only for warlike disposition, which is why we wear the armour."

Commandant Almarik bites back a remark, something along the lines of "It's not symbolism if you have to spell it out." Instead she says: "This is okay. We look strong."

The Armory officers wait for the airlock to cycle.

Tabitha watches the feed for a moment, then turns to Vera. "Well, if they want to send a message then we send one too. Have our own Marines stand back. Only ceremonial arms in or anywhere in sight of the conference - nothing more threatening than dress weapons. Security can hang around outside. That includes the mercs."

She thoughtfully straightens her uniform, "You'd think that they would have learnt that we aren't going to play ball with their jingoistic games."

She picks up her cap and strides towards the mess.

Next: Ready for fireworks

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Ready for Fireworks

When Caspian reaches the mess, the MSMC marine lieutenant is checking her excessively large pistol, making sure it has a full load in its chambers.

"Lieutenant Park," says Vera from the wall screen, "You and your team are ordered to remain outside the mess. Anyone on corridor duty is not permitted to carry sidearms or longarms. Turn them in to Warrant Officer Gbeho at the Sector 4 arms locker. And no, before you ask, those stun grenades are not permitted either."

Park sneers at the NHP and makes a throat-cutting gesture. In plain view of Caspian. Against a human officer, it would be considered an extremely serious offense. But of course, with the strangeness of NHP laws in Union, Vera and Bernd aren't considered real people, despite their Deimosian origins marking them as anything but artificial.

Tabitha and her fellow officers - Meade, Evans and Ki - arrive just as Park and the other merc guards are storming off. This leaves Captain Lutjens - still off on his own damaged frigate - as the highest ranking Union officer not attending. Colonel Milch, Major Mahayhay and Zoltan Pesh arrive around this time.

"If you don't mind, I'll sit this one out, in the enlisted mess." Milch rubs his forehead and winces. "I've got a splitting headache so the Major will sit in my stead. I'll get a drink and some pills and wait for the news."

Around this time, Caspian notices Tabitha's newly-adjusted uniform. "The Vice Admiral just sent in her promotion document," Vera says helpfully. "Our good Line Commander now matches Strike Captain Bannon in equivalent rank."

"Ready for the fireworks?" Tabitha nods at Caspian, rubbing her temple with a distracted look on her face.

"I suppose," Caspian shrugs, "I usually prefer to do my talking with my guns but I gather from your instructions, we are not aiming to overawe our guests with a display of superior firepower."

"No, but they are," Tabitha cocks her head slightly towards the door. "I don't see the need for any kind of show of force. I think you've already done that for us."

Caspian chuckles dryly.

"Rather. But if any of our admittedly limited interactions with Bannon and her merry men are any indication I don't think they will respect anything besides an overwhelming display of force "

"I do not disagree with that assessment, but any threat on our side will be implicit," Tabitha replies. "It isn't just our one battlegroup they need to worry about, after all. If they get uppity, we just need to remind them that Union does not require a blatant display of military might to still be the biggest dog on the block." Now the smile does reach Caspian's eyes.

"And just the threat of that force being applied is often better than its actual application. The fear of the stick is often greater than its sting," he gives a cold, sharklike smile. Tabitha nods again, "And familiarity with that stick just breeds contempt for it. Now everyone to attention - as far as we are concerned this is a formal diplomatic council so maintain protocol and ignore any of their antics to the contrary."

Next: Our dichotomy opens the negotiations

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Opening Drinks

The Armory officers are gathered at one end of the mess, all clad in assault hardsuits, all standing at the table rather than taking a seat. Powered armour enabling any one of them to punch a human head clean off. Hushed discussion. Cold glances at Captain Meade, Major Mahayhay and the other officers.

When Tabitha and Caspian enter, the room falls silent.

Zoltan Pesh enters just behind Tabitha. Someone in the Armory group coughs, possibly choking on their own spit. The terrifying reputation of the Fighting Shaitans precedes them. The Colonial Legionate typically would have a legal team aboard the fleet flagship, but none of Bannon's lawyers made it off the Shaka Zulu alive.

Strike Captain Catrina Bannon refuses to seat her party. "We'll talk right here, right now," she says.

Lowell Petrie catches Tabitha's eye from across the table. He gives her an apologetic shake of the head, but says nothing.

"I speak for the Colonial Legionate of Harrison Armory," Bannon states flatly. "Captain Saint-Germaine, do you speak for the Union Navy?"

Tabitha smiles pleasantly and nods, "I am authorized to speak on behalf of the Union Navy, yes," she waves her hand casually at the others, "At ease, ladies and gentlemen."

There's an moment's pause, then Caspian slides gracefully into his seat, fixing Bannon with a cold smile as he does so. The others follow, seating themselves formally before the Armory contingent. Tabitha returns Lowell's gesture with a fleeting, almost imperceptible look of apology of her own before seating herself last.

There's a quiet whirring at the table as the mess printers whip up drinks for the Union officers, mugs of steaming coffee, tea and cacao pop up from their under-table slots. Caspian, studiously ignores the hostile glares from across the table as he takes a surreptitious sip of his triple-shot Rigellian Blue Coffee to hide his sadistic glee. The set up is almost like a cadet disciplinary board hearing back at Cradle and everyone - at least everyone on the Union side - damn well knows it.

Tabitha places her tablet on the table and lays her hands in front of her. "So, Strike Captain Bannon," she says calmly, "Let us discuss your mission and how we can come to a settlement regarding the Armory's interests on New Creighton. Union's stance on the issue is clear - we cannot allow any additional reinforcement into the conflict zone, but I hope to come to a compromise that will be satisfactory for all involved."

Next: Infographics

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Infographics

Bannon clenches her teeth and shifts her jaw from one side to another slowly. "Yes."

She looks to one of her subordinates, a young woman with a Commandant's rank bar. Commandant Almarik taps a dataplate on her suit's forearm, and the mess table's holographic display illustrates the state of the 2nd Expeditionary Fleet in a series of infographics and 3D schematics.

"The six capital ships of the 2nd Fleet, carrying 4,851 Colonial Legionnaires," says Almarik, "were destined for Harrison Armory's holdings in the Dawnline Shore, with the express purpose of reinforcing them against the outrageous aggression of the Karrakin Trade Baronies and their local collaborators. We do not accept Union as a neutral peacekeeper, and neither do the majority of the stakeholders throughout the Dawnline Shore, as Union's actions have shown it to be blatantly biased in favour of the Karrakins. However, given that we have been fought to a standstill, and will not be able to outrun incoming Union Navy Auxiliary reinforcements, we concede that our purpose has been thwarted - and we will need to withdraw. Eventually."

A third of the Armory fleet lights up in red, then fades into black.

"This is our current status."

Another sixth of the fleet lights up in amber, indicating damage to the Arminius and most of its escorts.

Commandant Maxim, the acting captain of the damaged carrier, lets out a hiss of a breath. He glares at Tabitha's destroyer captains, not sure who to blame for the carnage on his ship.

Almarik continues. "We will need at least seven days to get the Arminius repaired. During this time, we expect the protection of the Union fleet."

"Protection?" Captain Meade leans forward. "You want us to guard your ships?"

"If you want to act like the peacekeepers you pretend to be," says Bannon icily. "There are Baronic warships at large in the Palisade Strait. They could strike at us while we remain here, recovering from the battle."

Major Mahayhay snorts. "The Palisade Strait? That's at least a hundred days away!"

"That we know of," interjects Bannon, an insincere smirk on her face. "We can't be sure of their latest stealth and transportation capabilities."

Commandant Almarik interjects with as much of a game face as she can put on. "Your salvage operations on the Wagner will take a few days, isn't that right? We're bound to be neighbours for that time as it is. After the Arminius is sufficiently repaired and spaceworthy, the fleet will commence withdrawal to Kwan-Riam Market in the Long Rim."

"Interesting," says Vera. "We were not aware that Kwan-Riam was aligned with Harrison Armory."

Bannon frowns. "It doesn't matter what you know. They've thrown in with us. All you need to know is that we will be taking the 2nd Expeditionary Fleet there."

Next: Blood in the water

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Blood in the Water

"I see no issue with covering your fleet during the repair and recovery efforts," Tabitha says thoughtfully, leafing over intelligence reports on Karrakin dispositions in the area and flipping between those and Vera's documentation on the fighting over New Creighton.

Caspian glances sidelong at Tabitha but keeps his peace. The Purview fleet will be an extremely tempting target for any marauding Karrakin forces and he no longer has his big guns with him. He catches Meade's eye. The Carrier Captain returns the concern.

"But I will need you to keep your ships stood down through the process and during transit, engaging in self defense only,"

Every Union head turns a hair.

"We only have one fully operational battlegroup, Line Commander," Meade says softly, "Between the loss of the Wagner and the casualties taken by the Mirrorsmokes it is a mighty thin line standing between any Karrakin attack and the Purview."

"And the Karrakins are out for blood, Line Commander. Word of the Meritorious Rex and the massacre of the Shirline will have them looking for a chance for revenge and this will be the perfect target, especially given our good Strike Captain's connection to Wilder." Caspian follows crisply, pulling out his notes on the Rex, "That little incident on Lighthouse should make it clear that the Karrakins are almost certain to try and kick the Purview while they're down and they will have to know that we're badly shot up as well. House Stone in particular doesn't have any reason to look favorably on us."

He glances over at Bannon and then back at Tabitha, "It may be diplomatically troublesome to allow the Strike Captain and her fleet to maintain combat readiness but I don't think the Karrakins are going to be too chatty when they rather inevitably drop into realspace with enough firepower to flatten what's left of the 2nd Expeditionary fleet." He pauses, "And you won't have my guns to make them go away quickly either."

"I understand the concern, Captain, but as long as they are under our aegis, they are neutral and should operate as such," Tabitha says, stroking her chin. "Strike Captain, will that be agreeable to you? We will provide cover for you throughout your recovery efforts but so long as you remain under protection your fleet will operate under strict neutrality rules regardless of who shows up - Karrakin, Purview," she looks at Bannon.

"No contact or coordination with any additional Purview forces. If you are agreeable to this I can acquiesce to having the James I and Ching Shih remain fully stood up under the rules of armed neutrality."

Next: In the spirit