Tukayyid
Deep in the heart of a mountain range, buried beneath megatons of rock and stone, the Star League had built a wonder. Tukayyid had eventually been intended to serve a larger strategic purpose, but the Amaris Coup had cut those plans short. The Computer core that would have eventually controlled a Castle Brian complex that served as a lynchpin in the Steiner/Kurita border had gone to sleep, and Henry was working on coaxing that sleeping giant back to life.
He pinched the bridge of his nose and rubbed his eyes again. The tiny torch lit the cigarette hanging off his lip and he stared at the noteputer again.
“Hey Boss, you have a phone call.” Sarah said with a smile.
“Who is it?”
“The Frost Giant.” She answered with a roll of her eyes. She hadn’t been exactly happy with the revelation of who Henry actually worked for, but she hadn’t done anything rash in the months since.
“Interesting, maybe he can help us out.”
Henry tabbed the receiver and chuckled as he saw Ivan’s face flash across the screen.
“Ivan, is there anything you need to tell me?” He said with a slow smile.
“I do not know what you could mean, Precentor.” Ivan said flatly.
“You sure you don’t have anything you need to tell me about where you are from?”
“As much as i enjoy these games, i will pass on playing them. You know exactly where i am from, though i would be amused to hear how you got confirmation of that fact.”
“Well, you are going to love this. There i am sitting in a meeting with my boss and these invading bastards from beyond the periphery and guess who’s sitting at that meeting?”
“Leo Showers?”
“Nikolai ‘I’m a giant weird space russian’ Sokolov.”
“The Frost Giant.” She answered with a roll of her eyes. She hadn’t been exactly happy with the revelation of who Henry actually worked for, but she hadn’t done anything rash in the months since.
“Interesting, maybe he can help us out.”
Henry tabbed the receiver and chuckled as he saw Ivan’s face flash across the screen.
“Ivan, is there anything you need to tell me?” He said with a slow smile.
“I do not know what you could mean, Precentor.” Ivan said flatly.
“You sure you don’t have anything you need to tell me about where you are from?”
“As much as i enjoy these games, i will pass on playing them. You know exactly where i am from, though i would be amused to hear how you got confirmation of that fact.”
“Well, you are going to love this. There i am sitting in a meeting with my boss and these invading bastards from beyond the periphery and guess who’s sitting at that meeting?”
“Leo Showers?”
“Nikolai ‘I’m a giant weird space russian’ Sokolov.”
“That is a nicer thing than you said about him the last time we talked.”
“He still owes me a hundred C-Bills on the Solaris VII championship from 3042.”
“I will transfer the money in the morning.”
“It’s the principle, Ivan.”
“How is your progress going with the computer core?”
“Slowly, would you happen to know any descendants of the Star League banging around out there that might have a working schematic for this computer core?”
“Check your inbox, Thank you for providing the spares to Geri for her project.”
“Building a drone battlemech? That sounds like science fiction.”
“He still owes me a hundred C-Bills on the Solaris VII championship from 3042.”
“I will transfer the money in the morning.”
“It’s the principle, Ivan.”
“How is your progress going with the computer core?”
“Slowly, would you happen to know any descendants of the Star League banging around out there that might have a working schematic for this computer core?”
“Check your inbox, Thank you for providing the spares to Geri for her project.”
“Building a drone battlemech? That sounds like science fiction.”
“Your daughter is doing well, she’s aced her first year of classes at the Nagelring. I wanted to know if you wanted to provide the Terra world sash for her, or if you want her to use the Zathran one?”
“I imagine the one for Zathras has a boot stepping on the neck of some hapless peasant. Terra represented.”
“Good, i will put the paperwork through in the morning.”
“You want to tell me about this Trial of Position?”
“Is the new redhead in the school administration the ROM agent or is it the head of the Motor Pool.”
“Good, i will put the paperwork through in the morning.”
“You want to tell me about this Trial of Position?”
“Is the new redhead in the school administration the ROM agent or is it the head of the Motor Pool.”
“Both, but that’s not everyone.”
“Good to know. I asked her if she wanted to go with me on my return trip, she said she wanted to go. In order to do so, i had to conduct a clan ritual to give her the freedom to explore our society. I hope she can learn from this experience and someday can teach others about my people.”
“You are one strange bird.”
“We are going to be at war for the foreseeable future, i want to save as many lives as possible.”
“How is your daughter?”
“Vara is good, she is growing and healthy.”
“Are we going to end up shooting at each other during this?” Henry asked him slowly.
“I am not a member of any of the Invading clans, and I hold to the Warden philosophy. I want to protect the Inner Sphere, not conquer it.”
“That is not necessarily an answer.”
“I desperately hope we do not end up on opposite sides of this conflict. You are a friend i consider a kindred spirit. If you had been born one of us, you and i would have spent our days exploring the ruins of the Star League. You are a Seeker in spirit, if not in name.”
“Good to know. I asked her if she wanted to go with me on my return trip, she said she wanted to go. In order to do so, i had to conduct a clan ritual to give her the freedom to explore our society. I hope she can learn from this experience and someday can teach others about my people.”
“You are one strange bird.”
“We are going to be at war for the foreseeable future, i want to save as many lives as possible.”
“How is your daughter?”
“Vara is good, she is growing and healthy.”
“Are we going to end up shooting at each other during this?” Henry asked him slowly.
“I am not a member of any of the Invading clans, and I hold to the Warden philosophy. I want to protect the Inner Sphere, not conquer it.”
“That is not necessarily an answer.”
“I desperately hope we do not end up on opposite sides of this conflict. You are a friend i consider a kindred spirit. If you had been born one of us, you and i would have spent our days exploring the ruins of the Star League. You are a Seeker in spirit, if not in name.”
“Stop, you’re going to make me blush.”
“Deflect all you like, but if you are planning on Tukayyid being the conflict site, you are going to need all the help you can get.”
“Oh, that reminds me, my boss would like to have a ‘chat’ with you about Clan tactics and strategies.”
“Is this a voluntary chat?”
“You are still on Tharkad, aren’t you?”
“I have not had quite as much fun as the last time a ROM team tried to kidnap me. "
“Deflect all you like, but if you are planning on Tukayyid being the conflict site, you are going to need all the help you can get.”
“Oh, that reminds me, my boss would like to have a ‘chat’ with you about Clan tactics and strategies.”
“Is this a voluntary chat?”
“You are still on Tharkad, aren’t you?”
“I have not had quite as much fun as the last time a ROM team tried to kidnap me. "
“Not intending this as a threat, but now you have a wife and a child, and all those kids from Zathras to worry about. If Focht wanted to have a conversation with you under hostile circumstances, i think you would be in a black site somewhere.”
“I think Focht would be dead very shortly after that conversation.”
“That’s probably true, he’s a little on the old side and you’re taller with a longer reach.”
“I hope that helps you get the computer core up and running and you can lay in provisions for the hard times to come.”
“We’ll get it done, now if something happens to my daughter, i will track your ass all the way to the Homeworlds to put bullets in it.”
“She is a big girl, and she is turning out to be quite the competent Mechwarrior. She must take after her mother.”
Both men laughed and the call ended. Henry opened up the inbox and started downloading the schematics that Ivan provided. Tukayyid would be ready, or else.
“I think Focht would be dead very shortly after that conversation.”
“That’s probably true, he’s a little on the old side and you’re taller with a longer reach.”
“I hope that helps you get the computer core up and running and you can lay in provisions for the hard times to come.”
“We’ll get it done, now if something happens to my daughter, i will track your ass all the way to the Homeworlds to put bullets in it.”
“She is a big girl, and she is turning out to be quite the competent Mechwarrior. She must take after her mother.”
Both men laughed and the call ended. Henry opened up the inbox and started downloading the schematics that Ivan provided. Tukayyid would be ready, or else.
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