Tyria walks into the Trafalgar Medical Clinic, gear bag slung over her shoulder. The receptionist gives a knowing nod as this was not a first meeting for either of them. “You can go right in, he’s done for the day.” the woman behind the desk says, as she begins to shut down her console and pack her things.
Tyria crosses the room, and enters the office behind the desk. Beyond the door is a small office with a matching couch and chair, a desk with a chair on both sides, and a man standing at the window as debris floats by, in the distance a small white and blue ball hovers, New London. “You know, there are other places you could set up a practice? Rochester. Thunder Bay. Kreutzwald is nice and remote.” She said, breaking the silence of the room.
He shakes his head. “I’m too old to start something new. Better the devil you know, Terre. And from what you tell me about Liberty Space, I’ll die happy if I never meet that one.” He turns to greet her with a smile. They were the only two of their family here, on this side of the war. “What brings you here?” he asks, “You just got your tetanus booster last month, didn’t you?”
“Actually, you could say I’m here to give you something of a booster,” she replies setting the bag at her feet. She joins him at the window. “I have an idea, and I’m going to need your help, a lot of it, if this idea is going to materialize correctly.”
“This isn’t something to do with that Congress, is it?” His face contorts, “I can’t believe you joined up with them. They have forsaken everything that came before them, and neglect to see the damage they cause at present.” She stops him before he goes any further, “No, this is my idea. And I’ll see it through to the end myself if need be. But, in my short time with the Congress, I have found a few individuals who have integrity and ideals, people who I can call friends.”
She grabs his arm urging him to leave. “Come with me, Uncle, I have dinner reservations for us on that new place that opened atop Waterloo. We'll talk more in my shuttle.”
"Terre, you can't be serious." Jasper Pennyworth says, after his hour long silence, the shock finally wearing off. Tyria had ordered his meal, after the waiter had asked for his choice several times. He grabs her arm and whispers forcefully into her ear. "I'm the administrator of Trafalgar only because no one else would do it, and because the Government doesn't care who is in charge. To get this off the ground, I'd have to meet with them. In person! They'd run all manner of background checks on me. If the Bretonian's knew about my past, they'd hang me. I can't be the face of this idea of yours. " Tyria stops and calmly turns, "You're right, that's why we're going to tell them." Jasper's face goes blank as the shock of her statement takes hold of him once again. She grabs his hand and tows him back to her shuttle where they can talk in private.
"She's gone mad. She's gone mad." As a very cautious individual, Jasper has never taken too well to surprises. "I'm so very sorry, Nigel, your daughter is insane. I don't know where I went wrong raising her." He's sitting in the main room of Tyria's Armored Transport, living quarters she had put in at the sacrifice of cargo hold, in his hands is a framed picture of his twin brother, Nigel Brossard. She enters the room from the command deck and takes a seat. "Will you put my father down, please? He's no use to us here and now. It's just us, and the people that we've come to know."
"How can you be obsessed with that planet?" He asks without thinking, "I agree with the Bretonians, Leeds is a blight, the entire system is polluted beyond comprehension." He sets the picture down on the table, facing the two of them as if still a part of the conversation. "Because it's my home. It's where you raised me."
Inside Tyria's Train, .:j:.Terra.Incognita, cruising through the debris of the Hudson Jumpgate....
A small, yet distinct sound brings Tyria back from the focus of space. Cutting the engines, she parks inside the broken, sparking mechanism to stay hidden from pirates and the law. With a melancholy sigh, Tyria changes seats. Moving from pilot to communications she stretches her arms up high, tapping a low hanging panel and yawns . Tyria loves her 'Pitbull' very much. Though meant for a crew of at least three, with a little automation for the short range comm channels and no weapons to speak of, it is easily handled by one person.
The sound repeats itself before Tyria begins using the console.
Quote:
Ms Regalia,
I am glad you share my wish for an end to this bloody war. I hope you also share my wish for a return to normality, not with either house gaining ground on anybody. I also have a strong distaste for the way the Gallic Royalists treat our people.. but perhaps this is a rant for another day.
As a senior member of the Bretonian War Cabinet, and her representative here, I will grant your request to an audience. You are to meet with me personally, and you will be given a chance to say your piece. Head to the Battleship Suffolk, they will prepare for your arrival.
On behalf of Her Majesty the Queen, and her People in the Realm of Bretonia,
Fleet Admiral Michelle O'Brian Commander of Her Majesty's Armed Forces
Bretonian Command
Excellent. I'll send word to Jasper and have him free up some time from the clinic. He's going to be a wreck, I better make sure he has a couple drinks before we see her. She thinks to herself with a smile. Well, maybe more than a couple.
One day later...
Trafalgar Base, Administration Level....
Tyria steps out of the lift and makes her way down the hall. Stepping into the reception area, she finds the room empty. Understandable. She thinks, Probably didn't want Margaret overhearing him talk to himself. She knocks on the door, but doesn't wait for a response. She swings the door open, and finds him seemingly lucid. "Ahh, Terre, I was just, uh, collecting my things. I told the facility that I will be stepping down as administrator, though still remaining as the primary physician, on call of course." With a box in hand, he comes toward her. "Shame, really. I rather liked this office, the doctor's office is a bloody broom closet by comparison. But, I can't do the job right, if I'm helping you. 'Ere, what are you dressed up for? I figured you'd be going to this meeting covered in grease 'n soot." In all the time he'd known her, she'd never cared what others thought of her appearance or her actions. She only did what she wanted, what she was comfortable with. Glad to see I'm not the only one who's nervous. He thinks, suppressing a grin. She looks down at herself, a little embarrassed. "I'm trying to change the way people view us, Uncle, not perpetuate the negative view they already hold. I figured something more akin to a uniform would keep them from looking at me as a scrap harvester, with nothing more to offer than garbage."
"Battleship Suffolk, this is Tyria Regalia on approach. I'm requesting permission to dock. I'm declaring two people on board, myself and Jasper Pennyworth, former administrator of Trafalgar. I have no cargo, apart from personal effects. We..., well, I have a meeting with Fleet Admiral O'Brian. I was rather hoping she wouldn't mind if I added a plus one to my invitation."
The comms crackled into life, a Templar wing changing it's course to fly behind their ship
Ms Regalia, this is Suffolk docking control. Please slow your approach and hold for further instruction
The line went dead for what should feel like an eternity, before springing back into life
The Fleet Admiral has approved your requested guest. You are to head to mooring point 6, starboard side. Major Thompson will give a quick search before taking you, under escort, to the Admirals office.
The cockpit seemed to update with the location of the mooring clamp, and then, in what sounded like a smirk
Tyria turned to Jasper, "Well, that sounded ominous. Regretting agreeing to this yet? I'm starting to think they might hang you. And me, just for good measure." Tyria hit the transmit key. "Copy that, Suffolk Control, proceeding as instructed. Thank you for having us."
Tyria followed her instructions to the letter. After docking at mooring point six, she and Jasper disembarked the Pelican. Major Thompson and company met them at the airlock. "Bonjour, I'm Tyria Regalia, this is Jasper Pennyworth." She declared, pointing at herself, then her uncle. "You must be Major Thompson." She said, recognizing his rank insignia. She raised her arms, then nodded to Jasper to do the same. "Go ahead, Major, we're not enemies of Bretonia."
The Major didn't say much. He picked out two officers, a woman for Regalia, and a larger man for Pennyworth. They patted the two down, checking for weapons or anything that might bring harm. As they began, Thompson spoke
We'll be the judge of that.
And then, upon completing the task
Follow us.
Thompson lead them through the Dunkirk, a couple soldiers following behind. It was only a short walk to Michelle's office, and they arrived in good time. Thompson stepped through the door, saluting before stepping aside to allow the two guests in. As they entered, Michelle could be seen at her desk, facing the door. Two chairs had been placed opposite her, clearly for Regalia and Pennyworth. She indicated they take a seat before speaking
I'm sure you can appreciate that I am a busy woman. I approved your request because I was curious. I said I'd give you a chance, so here it is. Ten minutes to explain whatever you have to tell me.
“I… well… Hmm.” Tyria began, noticeably flustered by O’Brian’s terse attitude. “Well, I’ll start at the beginning, and hopefully when you call for the firing squad, I’ll get a few more minutes to talk then.” Tyria stood and pushed the chair toward the desk, she needed movement, action, energy. Not to be seated like some student being disciplined. Jasper’s eyes went wide with her opening statement, but remained silent otherwise.
Tyria began to pace the office as she talked. “I’m sure that you’ve had myself, and likely Jasper researched before you even agreed to this meeting. I’ll tell you what you found. Jasper Pennyworth, left the IMG at the age of 22 and immigrated into the Kingdom of Bretonia. He studied medicine at Cambridge, and then moved to Leeds to set up his own practice. At age 42, he adopts a young orphan girl, Tyria Regalia, age 11. Jasper never marries, and he raises the girl on Leeds until the Invasion from Gallia. They resurface after escaping Leeds in a Junker Salvage Frigate. Jasper becomes the resident physician on Trafalgar, and with Gallia bearing down on New London, soon adopts the position of Administrator after the previous one fled. Tyria,” she indicated herself, “soon after began work as a Junker, flying the lanes of Bretonia. She eventually found work supplying the Junkyard in Inverness, where she was then noticed by members of the Junker Congress and enlisted into their ranks.” She paused to look at the clock. “Seven minutes left?” Tyria shrugged, answering her own question. “Okay, you already know not all of that is true. You know that I’m from Gallia, and being in your position you are more than smart enough to realize that Jasper is too.”
She came up behind Jasper, and put her hands on his shoulders. “Jasper Reglia was a spy, working for Gallia, he was sent to the Houses of Sirius to investigate technology and medicine to further research back home or so he was told. My father, his brother Nigel Reglia, was his contact back on the other side of the minefields. He would report the findings to the Royal Navy. When the Council forces began to gain strength, my father thought it was too dangerous for me to remain in Gallia amidst a civil war. As Junkers we were already disliked by most, and he feared that in the chaos some of our old enemies would take advantage of the opportunity." She released her grip. "So, I was handed off to Jasper, leaving everything I knew behind. Jasper then ceased his mission and any communication with our home, for my safety.”
“That’s the subtext, maybe you have discovered this information already, I’ve met some BIS agents, it wouldn’t surprise me. They were very keen.”
“I was raised on Leeds, Admiral, it is my home. I have friends that have died there, I have friends that I’m hopeful are still alive there. I fought with the resistance groups on the surface, and Jasper kept us alive. Needless to say, I wasn’t any good at it. We found that Frigate in the rubble of a building. A few of us repaired it, and took off in search of help.” Tyria looked at the Admiral, her tone changed, harshly. “What we found was very little hope. Leeds had been all but abandoned by Bretonia, the Armed Forces instead held New London like a child clutching a favorite toy. I remember the sneers I’d hear before all this happened. ‘Nothing good comes from Leeds.’ ‘They’re nothing but a drain on our society.’ ‘The entire system is a blight upon our good name.’”
“I will not abandon those left behind. I hear whispers of plans, and I’ve seen the news of small operations trying to push back into the system. But, Admiral, I remember when Leeds fell to Gallia. When the Orkney fell from the sky, yes all hands on board were lost, but that was a fraction compared to the amount of people who died on the ground. Should a Valor fall from the sky, it’ll kill thousands more. If anymore operations are to be attempted, the people must be evacuated!" She stopped pacing. But who’d be crazy enough to do that? Bowex? Gateway? There’s no money in it for a corporation, only risk. This is why I’ve come to you today.”
She pulled back the chair and sat once more. Her demeanor changed again, it softened a bit. “Some of us are not warriors or fighter pilots, Admiral. Some of us just know how to get things from one place to another, sometimes quietly. With friends that I’ve cultivated in my short time outside that war, I’ve constructed a station, floating in the filth that you people hate so much. Its purpose is to assist in an evacuation of Leeds. I’ve found people who share my passion for such a goal, people like Frank Tanner, CLO of Universal Shipping, he's already set things in motion to have Deep Space Engineering construct a small fleet of shuttles to begin flying people off Leeds. And others, like those who operate Tinker's Haven in Liberty. I've taken part in some relief efforts, led by those Freelancers and Junkers."
"I didn’t come here today to ask for your permission to proceed with my plans, Admiral, I've already built the thing, but keeping it secret, that required coming to talk to you. If one of your patrols came across it and broadcast its location, it's all over. Also, I came here to see if you have any assistance to offer in these plans. Are the people of Leeds worth anything to Bretonia, Admiral? Or is it merely that volume of empty space you wish to recover?”
She unclipped the holster at her waist, pulling the pistol and allowing to drop to the desk with a dull thud.
Staying seated is probably a good option.
She tapped away at a datapad for a moment, taking her time to exercise her control over the situation, remind them who's territory it was, much like an animal leaving it's scent. She finally placed it down in front of her, next to the pistol. Outside the guards can be heard shuffling away
Well. You had my attention. Now you have my curiosity. You should give the boys in Intelligence more credit. I can't say they picked up everything, but they certainly knew that the "official" story was a fake.. Seems you didn't cover that trail as well as you hoped.
She looks puzzled for a second, pondering on her next point.
I'm not sure where you picked up this view on Leeds, because it just isn't true. Need proof? I just picked up Admiral Charles Davis, who almost gave his life to buy time for the evacuation effort right before the Gauls laid their claim. It's a miracle he's alive quite frankly. He's only just come back to command and he's already badgering me to lead the offensive to recapture Leeds. At this time he's not up to speed on our plans and the overall situation, and neither are you. You speak of abandonment, which once more is not true! I admit we have focused on bolstering our fleets, and this is mainly so that we may prepare to strike hard and act swiftly, however we have been deploying small battle groups and our new carriers to hit hard against the Gaul forces in the Leeds system. Every strike against them, every loss they face, they will feel it in the long run. It's not ideal, but it carries the least casualties, for us.
She paused, sighing
No-one sneered. Not at Leeds, not at it's people. Leeds has always been important to the crown, to it's people, to it's armed forces. I'm afraid this was hostility towards you. Many Bretonian people do not trust the Gallics, including the Council, one of our great allies. I'm sorry for this.
I can assure you no-one is being left behind, however I'm taking no risks here. The people left on Leeds either choose to be there to fight alongside Major General Williams, our Command officer on the ground, and the sole survivor of the Leeds based army command staff, or are trapped within prisoner camps. We actively work to extract those who wish to be away from it all, and I cannot force anyone to remain down there. I can assure you however, that I am currently having both the 51st Infantry Brigade and the 2nd Battalion The Parachute Regiment prepped with some new gear to be deployed to aid the good General.
Your intentions are true Ms Regalia, however I cannot order my forces to stand down when it comes to your installation. The law is the law. I am not above that. If my forces discover your installation, then I must follow the proper procedure. I'm sorry.
She takes the pistol, placing it back into it's holster
Is there anything else you would like to comment on? To discuss whilst we are both here. I must say, you are welcome to drop in. I assume you do not agree with the Gallic war, hence your being here? If so, then perhaps I can make use of someone with your particular...
Tyria sits stunned for a moment, realizing this, Jasper gives her a quick tap with his shoe. Tyria unconsciously looks around the Admiral's wall, before focusing back on the Admiral herself."Yes, well, of course I wouldn't expect you to be above the law, Admiral. However, this installation could serve the Armed Forces in their efforts to retake the planet Leeds." Tyria leans forward, a bit of a tell in terms of her guilt. "I trust you won't slight me for this point, but I myself have delivered arms and ammunition to resistance groups on the surface, and taken away any civilians incapable of fighting. Had I known the Armed Forces already had people in place, I would have sought them out and offered my assistance to them."
Tyria straightens herself in the chair, "Admiral, my installation could serve as a staging ground for any supplies or troops you need to get to the surface. I don't mean to sound impertinent, but it sounds like you might be looking for the services of someone who can move things, unseen that is."