Chapter Ninety-Three: Spoils of War
Kentares IV, March 4th, 3019
"Duke Hull," Mary called over the intercom. "Duke Sandoval is here to see you."
"Ahh, good." I told her, "He made good time then."
"Duke Sandoval," I stood up and shook his hand. "A pleasure to see you again."
"I saw the fleet you have now." Sandoval said, "Hard not to marvel at it at least a bit." He met my eyes with a slightly stern expression on his face. "And it seems that the Davions have strangely acquired two Yardships and an assorted fleet, as well as the Taurian's increasing their corvette count by two or three." He folded his arms over his chest. "One has to wonder if you were going to include your liege lord at all."
"That's actually why I asked for you to meet me here." I told him bluntly, hating this political game. "I have two more Aegis class cruisers that I have access to." I held up a hand to prevent him from interrupting me. "But, they are in need of repairs, now, I can promise you one of the Aegis cruisers assuming that I can repair it in a timely manner, and I will also service Jumpships at a reduced rate across the Draconis March for the next two years while I am making those repairs."
"Make it a reduced rate for five years." He responded.
"Two and a half." I responded, "And I'll train up some of your people as a crew for the Aegis when it is repaired."
"I'll do two years if you bump Robinson up the list of Sting procurement, and you train the crew." He haggled back.
"One and a half years of lower rates for Jumpship repairs, and I give you the first five Stings off of the new line on Layover that we're opening in June, and I'll still train your crew."
"Two years, of lower rates, and I'll take three of the Stings delivered to Robinson, with the other two being delivered to another world on the border." He grinned, "And I want you to support a push to take worlds along the border all of the way to Dieron." He held up his hand. "I know that we have more equipment and that we are in a rebuilding phase, I'm not arguing for us to launch a full offensive, just to push them back a little further, and if Ian or Hanse don't go for it, we can still do limited raids across the border."
"Fair." I stood up, "I'll have someone write up the contract." We shook hands on it.
"Now that that's done, I see your new Ducal Estate has been finished." He looked around at the hardwood paneled office. "It doesn't look as defensible as I imagined you would push for."
"Looks can be deceptive." I told him, "Now, Tell me about this offensive you want to push for."
March 6th, 3018
"You've met my daughter Katheryn before?" Sandoval said, bringing her forward at the small dinner party that I was putting on. "I believe you would make a good match."
"Yes, we met on Robinson previously." I said as I shook her hand politely. "Have I introduced my wife Natasha Kerensky?" I asked as I brought my wife around. "She's been with my group here for over a decade now."
Sandoval's eyes widened a bit as he realized his social faux pas. "It's a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Kerensky."
"No, the pleasure is all mine." Natasha smirked. "I heard that my Son was almost killed the last time he was on your world." Her smile turned wicked, "My husband is a kinder individual than I am, and while he did not take offense to your mishandling of the situation, I did."
"I believe it is time I retired to my quarters." Sandoval gave a small bow before making a hasty exit, accidentally leaving his daughter Katheryn behind.
"You okay there?" I asked Katheryn with a small smile. "Natasha and I aren't upset at you, just your father for trying that type of game with me."
"You are safe." Natasha nodded at Katheryn. "I will not be pursuing any quarrel with you, but you may wish to persuade your father to leave sooner rather than later, yes?"
"I believe this is where I apologize for my Father's mishandling of the situation attempt an explanation. He didn't believe that Kerensky was your wife anymore given that she was gone for four years. And Now would be the time of my hasty exit" Katheryn replied with a touch of sarcasm in her voice. "Now if you will excuse me, I believe my father may have need of my assistance."
"That was mean, Nat." I told her after we were alone again. "But incredibly funny to watch." I sighed. "We may have to tread carefully around Duke Sandoval for a while after that stunt though."
"Why would I tread carefully?" Natasha scoffed. "Is it not him who committed the breach of common courtesy here?" She asked. "Let him try to spin this, we always have cameras available to monitor this sort of situation and we will publish our view to the highest heavens should he attempt this again."
"Nat," I facepalmed. "We can't just bully my liege lord into doing our bidding."
"Why not?" She asked. "Should he try this again I will challenge him to single combat, let him try it then."
March 10th, 3019
"I thought you were supposed to be leaving with your father not staying behind." I told the young noblewoman sitting across the desk from me. "How did you convince Sheppard, and your father to accept you into the Marksman Military Academy?"
"By pointing out that it would be an effective way to extend an olive branch to you and Natasha after the dinner he screwed up so gracefully." She grinned and relaxed her posture. "And this gets me out from under his thumb and able to do what I want." She shrugged. "Let Jessica have all of the noble bullshit, she enjoys all of that." She waved her hand. "Besides, I put my application in months ago, it's just that I couldn't justify it to father beforehand, and now I can."
"Politics." I groaned. "Go report to the academy recruit, and try not to screw it up."
She got up and left my office. Smirking the entire way. "Mary, get me Sheppard on line one please."
"Sheppard here." I heard through my hardline. "What can I do for you Mark?"
"Well, for starters I want Katheryn put through the hardest classes you have." I told him, "I want to see if she'll quit or not."
"Mark, she already signed up for the hardest curriculum we have." He responded. "She's taking the infantry to 'Mech pilot track."
"Damn." I said. "Either she's got a chip on her shoulder, or she wants to prove that she can do this without her family's support."
"Well, when she applied, she did so with funds she had managed to raise on her own, so I'd assume she's been planning this for a while."
"When Dunham gets back, I'll have him give her a tail and Mathis will put a discrete bodyguard unit in her classes."
"I've got to get to a lecture hall," Sheppard told me. "But thanks for checking up on everything."
"See you at the monthly barbecue." I told him. "Have fun torturing your students."
"Mary," I paged my secretary. "I'm taking a break for the next half hour,"
I stood up to reheat my coffee and grabbed a copy of the local newspaper to leaf through the comic section. It was always particularly entertaining to read through them in my off time.
"Well, looks like they're back at it again." I said as I looked at the satirical cartoon emphasizing the new "harem" that Natasha had brought, with a small cartoon showing me hiding in a closet saying "I think I'm safe now." And then the closet door opening.
March 15th, 3019
"Well isn't that convenient." I muttered as the 2nd Marksman jumped into the Kentares system with two more Jumpships than they left with. "And there's Mathis and Dunham, right on time." The Age of Discovery was right behind.