Chapter five first impressions

When it comes to humans, we Titans are unable to do anything RIGHT.  We are seemingly unable to do what's right for our cousins.  If we had a perfect map, flawless directions, as much time and practice as we need we would still mess things up.  Maybe that will change, we have to hope it will, cause we have hurt them for far too long as it is, I don't want to hurt another human  for as long as I live.-Aertimus Bass

CDR Lin Daphne is the commander ISS Jev Croumanea was a Tradition supporter and hoped Forna Qorni would maintain her position as Floor leader.  He was sending his soldiers all five of them to secure the hive ship from Task Force Bulldog.  The Soldiers leave in a shuttle as he calls Floor leader Qorni.

The regiments left to hold the hive ship are ready, their ammo has been switched out for ether powder as five 130 foot tall soldiers enter. 

Detachment Leader "you will surrender this ship to the Empire pets!",  

Major General Terrell Chevalier "we fought for this, we bleed for this and we defeated the insectoids for this, just try and take it" as the video is broadcasted to both fleets.

Victor, Hohiro, Kai, Shin, Galen, and Renny arrive on the ISS Gyfjon, Omi is there with Gwenn, Sorcha, Aertimus, Tam, Naskia, Loona, Niall, and Izzy.  The Inner Sphere delegation is in their duty uniforms with cooling vests still on while the Titan welcoming committee is either in high-end civilian attire (Loona, Naskia, Niall) or dress uniform, the one exception is Omi whom all know will always be dressed to the 9s as required as the keeper of House Kurita's honor.

Some in the Titan delegation (most particularly Tamm) are put off by the casual dress of the Innersphere.  Victor just smiles and throws out a small cube, the Titans doubt it's a weapon and before they can become nervous they see a hologram of the hive ship's insides.  Five Titans are firing on a couple dozen tanks.  The Tanks are behind enough cover that they haven't damaged them. 

Victor "we fought your foe, we defeated them and now you want to steal what we have captured?"

Navarchos Bass and his wife Eryn facepalm simultaneously, Loona looks down at her feet, Naskia and Niall look at each other like who are those idiots while Tamm and Gwenn just shake their heads.  Loona goes to a comm station and puts in a call to the capital while Navarchos Bass calls the Soldiers involved and orders them off the ship. 

Eryn is really starting to hate being an ambassador not because of whom she is speaking to, but because the race she is representing "ah Archon-Prince, Coordinator Designate, Lord Apparent of St. Ives, we apologize for this one of our commanders got over eager and took a bit too much initiative", 

Sorcha laughs "that never happens when a Titan is anywhere near a human", 

Naskia "Baby, Be Quiet! you are not helping matters!", 

Sorcha nods "but they have the right to know that most Titans are virtually blind to how smart and capable humans are", 

Eryn "that is slowly changing Sorcha, I know your highnesses are in your right to use whatever force is necessary to expel our Soldiers from your captured ship, please be merciful and let them live, they will be court martailed and any infraction will be punished."  

Victor shakes his head "you can't stop seeing us as a less then you can you?  Would you do to that to a larger race?  One that didn't look so much like you?" 

We didn't come in dress uniform cause you would only see us as pets being spruced up!  It is likely if things do not change we will come to blows after we handle your insectoid problem.  When we do will you attempt to put us into cages?"

Loona and Forna Qorni have been speaking and ordering CDR Lin Daphne to remove his troops, he has been told he will be court-martialed by both, he doesn't quite believe them, he believes he's doing his job.  As the discussion continues the LRM Carriers fire 120 LRMs into the five Soldiers, exploding well before they do harm, but place a thick mist of something around them.  The five Soldiers fall, the Titans look in shock as Medical personnel from Task Force Bulldog in protective masks ensure they are ok.

Navarchos Bass pulls up the ISS Jev Croumanea health monitor for the five Soldiers, it shows they are asleep as Soldiers begin to secure them.  The entire Gyfjon crew breaths a sigh of relief, if there had been lethal fire returned...  Though all know Bulldog troops were under legal terms able to use lethal force doing so would have been very painful politically.

Loona displays the FedCom General Chevalier ensuring they are secured and that no one has died or been injured.  Forna knows a quarter of her caucus would be up in arms over how the humans were "treating" the soldiers, but 3/4 of them would wonder why they were there in the first place and what idiot ordered them there.  

She puts Loona on hold "CDR Lin Daphne you are RELIEVED of command and demoted to jr. crewman 3rd class, XO you are now in charge, DO NOT do anything without Navarchos Bass's approval" she gulps and nods as Daphne is hauled away.  

She switches back "Loona we are holding a vote on national status for humans within the empire can you get Earth into an alliance and keep this task force at least neutral?"  

Loona "a lot of our leverage with earth went out the window with Bulldog, they may only stay long enough to deal with the Insectoids, but again that was our leverage, if we want alliance we are going to have to have you and the emperor apologize for all the crap we've put them through since we discovered them on Earth, we are going to have to give them every super-mu in our territory and every one we discover, follow on techs for space and power generation sectors as well as a trade packet that makes the one that just passed look small"  

Forna "the apology... it is what it is, won't having everything laid out make things worse?", 

Loona smiles a sad smile "it couldn't be much worse then the 'faces of death' video, we need to be making thousands of years of wrongs right, we need human citizenship if not today soon!"  

Forna that's the one road she doesn't want to travel, it is far too soon for that, she knows which two votes changed at the end and they will not get the numbers they are looking for.  a close vote is just as bad as a failed vote, even 60% to 40% is going to show 40% of Titans with all this proof aren't willing to allow humans citizenship and with the Federation already 'nullifying' it before it starts they would upset the apple cart for nothing "Loona it can't be done there is at least 40% of the population and representatives who don't believe it", 

Loona "well if it passes..." 

Forna shakes her head "it's gone past that, it needs to be an overwhelming margin of at least 70% to 30% to mean anything to the outside universe", 

Loona "but it will mean so much to humans of the empire", 

Forna "yes it would, but down the road, now with national status, the right to work and the right to own property we get almost as much as citizenship but without the close margin, on a bad day this will pass 80% to 20% and will have a better impact on the universe at large".  

Loona "so after apologizing and giving them 60% of personhood, we're going to tell them see you in a couple generations?".  

Forna nods "yes and you can bring down the government but you still won't get the votes to make it meaningful, you will still have more resistance then just the dead-enders, National plus gets humans so they can defend themselves, make money for themselves and own things for themselves the rest will flow from there.  It's the only way for a massive pro-human vote for things that will have a real impact on their lives, even if citizenship passes it will be years Titan years before it is implemented and decades Titan decades before it is accepted.  Take the half-loaf and you can get some more crumbs and chunks of bread later."  

Loona wants to throw it in her face, wants to demand a citizenship vote, but Forna is right anything less then massive support would be detrimental to the views of humans outside the empire and would cause resentment amongst a large minority of Titans within the empire.  They are at war, it can be revisited after the war with the contributions humans made in saving the empire.   Loona "I am going to amend it so that crimes against humans receive the same penalty as any other class one species, that humans are a class one species baring a long list of provable items within the empire within 20 years, and that they can sit on juries and be witnesses when deciding crimes against one of there species.  

Forna fumes a bit "bit more then I would like, but if we do it right we can still get 800 to 850 votes for it".  

Loona hates herself for this, but it is roughly 65% to 70% of citizenship and it is the best she can do now "I will be heading back after this to vote and I will try to have the UN delegation come and we can negotiate an 'alliance'"  

Forna "Good thinking, have them a bit out their element and give them most of what they want up front and we can preserve some advantage for later dealings".  Loona just nods cuts off the comm station and smacks her hand to forehead and thinks 'as bad off as we are, and all that we've done to them and she's still trying to preserve some advantages...'

Forna is in her office, it will be hard to apologize, she's certain they have done wrong, but it wasn't intentional, she does have enough awareness to know how she would feel it that was done to Titans like herself, but considering the 'protection' they have provided, well it isn't easy to say your sorry.  She calls in  Ammer Smit to help her write it...

Emperor Tiernan and his wife the Empress Rajenlif weren't expecting Loona's senior aide to call, but after speaking with Mr. Smit they were fully ready for the family to speak out on this.  The emperor and empress had been hoping for something like this since their conversation with Priece and  Rhionne.  They had been planning for this opportunity to lead, that their son was returning to report on the battle and his impressions of this 'task force Bulldog' would only make their statement resonate louder.

Back on the ISS Gyfjon Navarchos Aertimus Bass was a bit flustered as was Eryn, the three princes Davion, Kurita and Allard-Liao were not backing down like Ridgemont had (and had to).  They demanded full citizenship for humans in the Empire.  Earth to have free reign of the stars and to choose what they wanted to do as well as full and equal enforcement of the law once equality was set and they had until Bulldog finished off the Insectoids.  The Bass(s) really wished that could be done, but for it to be accomplished, they had to give a little, just a bit more time.  Unlike Earth, they couldn't 'suggest' that protecting bulldog was tiring and have the humans provide them with just enough room to maneuver to get to something that both sides could agree to.  No, already 25 scout and invader class jump ships had set out on recon/spec ops against the insectoids.  

Bulldog would not wait, which worried every titan in the fleet, they knew how slow their people moved.  It was even worse because Earth though rapidly advancing they at current couldn't defend themselves from Titans or Insectoids allowing the Titans whenever they messed up a bit of safe space, we consider you pets, but we defend you, we f'd up your progress and culture, but we protect you.  Eryn knew that the trump card was dead they couldn't push humans on earth into a corner then when face had been saved or circumstances allowed then give them 60% to 80% of what she wanted to give them.  No, it was the Titans that had to be careful now or a field army of inner sphere Soldiers would engage them in a war that the Titans were unlikely to win.  She wished she had done her job better, she wished her people's biases would have faded more, she just wished her species would have treated humanity like her human mother and father treated her...

Victor "we apologize that this is one ultimatum after another", Sorcha caughts his gray-blue eyes both pause for the briefest of moments "I, I have no doubt you are all good, honorable and decent people, but too long has humanity been told 'we are working on it' or 'we will fix it', 'or give us time' you have held our kin in bondage for too long if it is not rectified by the time we have beaten the Insectoids we may be facing off against each other..."  

Eryn "we understand Archon Prince, but the time provided, it's likely not enough," she says pleading letting everyone know that she would have fixed long ago is she had the power.  

Victor doesn't doubt that she would, but they've had decades, centuries to make it right, at least do what he did at the Nagelring pull an all-nighter and get the DAMN PROJECT DONE!

Victor "you've had time, generations have died in servitude and you studied, more generations expired and you conducted research that was far from honest, that only confirmed your biases.  Now at the 11th hour after all that has past you have the AUDACITY to as for MORE time!  My father who founded and funded our primer university in the Innersphere has a saying 'paralysis by analysis' there is a point where studying, debating, consulting and experimenting are only holding you back.  That either you do not wish to do something, or you don't know how and either way you need to take GOD DAMN ACTION!  From my understanding more than a few Titans have been willing to take unconsidered action when angry or upset to the detriment to humans, in fact, I bet it happens all the time.  Why not do the same for their freedom?"

The Titans shuffle and guilt fulls them, Naskia looks as if she's been slapped, those two instances she wasn't being a careful Titan, she took rapid, decisive action to harm humans, she thinks when has she taken such action for their freedom?  Eryn remembers her courtroom outburst as her head lowers.  Aertimus remembers all his issues in first contact if he had just started out where he finished it might have gone better as he shakes his head.  Loona knows she should have gone for new elections after Zeramblin Act failed instead of being too clever by half and letting Forna run things.  There were lots of things they could of done and asked for forgiveness later, why when it hurt those they purported to care (something as simple as placing a human in a pocket and closing the zipper to get a moment's peace to almost killing a future husband) they act swiftly without thought and when they could help Victor was right they frequently if not almost always delayed until it was almost pointless for the sake of 'planning', if humans hadn't of pushed and pushed... well they would be a lot further away today, and they weren't that close now.

Victor felt a twinge of regret he hadn't just hurt them he had wounded them.  Naskia was crying, Eryn wasn't far behind, Aertimus can't look a human in the eyes right now and Loona can't focus on any human.  

Victor knowing he has inflicted pain attempts some healing "Passively you've done all you can, supported Dr. Freeman, maybe freed one or two other humans, but it's been at your time and in most instances for your benefit.  Having studied while fighting in this universe for nearly two weeks I have seen instances like Tribe Maris farms in which it is definitely good that happens, but you can't say the sisters didn't benefit as much or more than the humans.  Felltree claims to be for human rights, but rather than fight fair against Marionette she uses his 24-hour sleep pattern against him for what a larger platform to push human rights by taking down a human that was the perfect symbol for those same rights?  Seems to me regardless of her personal beliefs she benefited herself and those who stood against what she stated she believed and how she did it by waring him down only accented the argument that humans are too weak.  Though she did redeem herself, when her best friend died she made an opportunity to do what was right for him and his species.  Does it take the death of a loved one for all of you to make opportunities for them and their Kin?"

Victor faces down and continues "I've learned as a military commander yes to plan, but in planning you are only providing information and knowledge to your subordinate commanders, preparing and training you assets and giving them a general idea of what's important, it is on the most junior Soldier to make sure they stay alive and their comrade to the left and right does as well, it is on the squad leader to find them good terrain and get the supplies so that they can do so, the company commander to ensure his flanks and rear are secure and supported so that he can find the weak point and punch through, the Battalion and Regimental commanders to ensure logistics are secure, that their units can maneuver and operations can be successful, it is on ALL Soldiers to MAKE an opportunity so that they can survive and win, rather than wait for a weak point, find one, rather then find one, distract and create one, You have done well waiting for weak points, you've likely made a couple once it is clear you are involved."

"Eryn, have you used your official capacity as ambassador to try to make real changes to the government?  Loona as a politician I would gather you are a skilled knife fighter and am sure you have been trying to set things up down the road have you gone into the lions den and listen to why the older generation is opposed, it might be that showing human grandchildren with their grandparents might loosen up a few votes? it did with my GrandMa Katrina.  Aertimus you should know as well as any military officer that 'he who dares wins' and that 'fortune favors the bold' why didn't you use your ship and it's sensors for the exploration it was meant for?  a Terran century ago it was clear to anyone that earth was borderline class one, why didn't you and your brother-in-law find neutral students and professors to look at Earth from the Gyfjon, have your crew input, even leak some of the more salacious stuff?" 

Victor was considering asking Naskia why she didn't support or suggest the same thing but the poor girl was devastated.  Sorcha was soothing her mother, look at him in pity and then with some contempt and then back to pity.  Niall was trying to calm her down, let her know he loves her and still stare daggers at Victor.  Victor walks slowly towards her, he can feel their anger, one wrong foot placement and he's a smear.  He has walked down the valley of death to many times to be intimidated.  

Niall screams "get away from her!",  

Naskia gently picks her husband up and smiles through her tears "it's ok dear, he's right I am a monster...", 

Victor gently touches her ankle "whatever you have done, to whomever you have done it to has been forgiven" as he looks at Niall and provides a nod to him, Victor continues "it was not my intention to wound you so, merely shake you from your apathy.  That defense never wins wars, that merely taking the opportunities provided will not win."  He speaks to them all "the opportunities you've had to advance, they were all, or mostly due to an enemies overreach weren't they?"

Niall and Naskia, Naskia losing herself to rage the two times, which cemented her feelings to Niall and humans, through her failings and guilt.  Niall pushing her buttons too hard and finally realize after she almost killed him that he needed her and loves her.  Loona winning her seat with her opponent sounding like a bigot, Eryn getting Darren back in her life, through numerous overreaches to include Aisell blackmailing Lyroo over her father's overreach.  Aertimus had Solis push too far.  They had all won because in some large part their opposition failed.  if they hadn't Naskia would have been in jail for animal cruelty, Niall would be dead or a broken test subject to Kiri, Loona would still be writing news stories with limited impact, and Aertimus, as well as everyone who counted on him, would be died.  It was crystalizing that they had been on the defensive and they only attacked when their foes severely screwed up.  If they hadn't things would be much worse and to depend on that might lose them all they have gained.

Victor gently strokes Naskia's ankle joint "I who have wounded you wish you to heal, I now know your guilt and shame.  From the looks of your family, they don't feel you should be burdened with it anymore.  I can not judge this, but keep only that would prevent you from doing it again and shed the rest so that you can help those who need it."  

Naskia kisses her husband "thank you Sweetie" and looks down at Victor with a bit of anger "so we've been passive?", 

Victor nods, She continues "what have you done?", Victor smirks which is causing all the Titans fits, no human is this calm around them.  

Victor then answers "I and my troops saved the God Damn Day, that's what we did", Kai, Galen and Renny chuckle, Hohiro looks a bit perplexed, Galen whispers it is a Paraphrase from a lot of movies but I think Victor was going for 'Conair'" 

Hohiro "you mean with that horrid Cage actor", all of them nod.  

Niall and Sorcha chuckle as Naskia places her hand beside Victor "get on shortcake", 

Victor does and asks "shortcake?", 

Naskia beams "yes shortcake" as she takes him and hugs him "Niall do you want to adopt a prince?", 

Naill "he is better mannered the Sorcha, but he still does those stinging remarks", Victor chuckles as Naskia places her other hand down, while Victor is getting his bearings 

Sorcha chuckles "he would be a cute younger brother, maybe we could hook him with..."  

Victor is lovingly attacked by...

Omiko Kurita smiles up to Naskia, she and Naskia have chatted a bit, Naskia knows how she feels and has gotten a good view of the woman Omi is.  They have no problem conspiring to have Omi 'attack' Victor.  Though Naskia does see what's in her Tuppy's eyes and once Omi is in her right hand kissing and hugging the shorter Victor, her left hugs and strokes Sorcha.

Omi "Victor my love, you must be a touch more diplomatic", 

Victor between kisses "like you" he smirks, Omi mubbles between kisses "well I was shocked and dismayed, I didn't know the caliber of our current hosts and hostess". 

Naskia slowly lowers her right hand, smiling at the cute couple as everyone stifles an aaawww as much as they can. Omi and Victor slowly disengage and leave, 

Victor "Naskia, sorry if I was a bit brusque in my statements",  

Naskia smiles down on him "it's ok Shortcake, you were right about quite a lot" she pauses and looks at Omi "He's a good one like my Niall, but he's too much a Soldier, keep civilizing him", 

Omi bows "Thank you, I will ensure his sword like wit is properly sheathed unless needed", Naskia, Eryn, Sorcha, and Omi laugh as the men look around a bit lost.

Omi links up with her brother, Victor, Kai, Galen, and Renny "thank you for the hospitality" she bows "both of our peoples have much to do, but I would say the burden is more on you.  Please do all you can so that you are no longer weighed down by it."  

Eryn nods "Lady Omi, Prince Victor, you have our word we will do everything we can to make this happen even if we have to be a bit bolder then we usually are".  

Omi "that is well, I leave for Diona in the morning." 

All have a funny feeling that this trip is a bit more dangerous then it seems.  Though none speak of it now as the inner sphere delegates board their two dropships.  

After they've left Eryn whispers to her husband "why do I fear we won't see her alive again", 

Aertimus pulls her tight "she intends to prove herself worthy of Victor, she knows at one level he already feels she is, but she feels her family has wronged his so she must pay", 

Eryn rests her head on his chest "The star-crossed lovers never get a happy ending do they?", 

Aertimus "maybe this time, my love maybe this time"

Two months later on Diona

Omi and the protesters from the Aenur Foundation set up in the capital of Diona, Anola.  It was like any provincial city Omi had seen before, a bit more educated and 'progressive' then the rest of the Federation they were still backward enough that they made certain parts of her very conservative culture appear liberal.  Omi loved that she could make an impact, most Titans like most humans aren't out to kill those that disagree with them so when she said she was from a universe without Titans and they had done just fine, the responses were diverse and interesting.  It wasn't until her fiance and her brother had shown the Insectoids how war was to be engaged in did they start to listen.  That they began to respect at least some humans, that some dialogue was entered into.  

That Omi sat with poor human nationals, barely more than pets, with Titans of good character such as Aezhay Maris, Gae Neutha and Palsa Temis actually brought her comfort, she felt like she was finally doing what she was meant to do.  To help free those enslaved and to help those in need of forgiveness find it.

The park they protested and organized in was pleasant enough, huge trees, grass nearly 1/3 her height, titan children 18 times her height playing (very cute in its own manner yet remarkably disconcerting...).  The lodgings well she teased Victor that she was getting a better understanding of what he had to endure riding Prometheus for weeks at a time.  Victor smiled and indulged her, though 3-star hotels were not the norm for a princess such as her, she also was carrying precious cargo and that allowed him to forgive her gripping and moaning.  She had made many friends both human and titan, she hoped that her actions would help and strengthen them, that they could live together in harmony, respect, and equality.  Omi smiles as one of her new friends April a former pet approaches.

April "lady Omi, lady Omi", Omi "yes", April "can you watch our children", 

Omi smiles "certainly" as the march doesn't start for an hour or so, 

April "thank you" as she and three other moms run to get food before the event start