personal6

18

February 17, 2995

Periphery

Gregoria

Nilhorn

Governor's palace

It had taken a few days to get the surrounding buildings clear of sniper nests, some of which had stayed quiet the entire firefight intent on hitting some valuable target later. Those didn't have missiles, but laser rifles calibrated for low level long range firing. The kind of which could have shot someone in an open palace window without trouble. And while it was impossible to prevent new snipers from coming in later without blocking off all the windows on the surrounding buildings, the palace had reinforced windows anyway, so there was simply a ground rule established that they were never to be opened.

Vander didn't let Stephan in until day 3, for they'd been worried about riots and endless hit and run attacks by Red Baron infantry…but to his surprise the populace was actually helping to rat out where the zealots were hiding as his mechs were out smashing more of the enforcer stations. With the media censorship now gone…for some of the Colonel's men had already visited their various headquarters…word of what was going on in Jedsen was working its way through to the people of Nilhorn, and every time one of the enforcer buildings were taken down large crowds would come out and cheer them on now that they no longer feared them, or at least no longer feared that it was impossible to oppose them and win.

Taking over the palace had made a big difference, as well as the news that the pretender had fled it weeks ago in secret.

As for the other two pretenders, Stephan made contact with them as soon as he got set up in the palace, and they were much more respectful this time. He also had them both in the same 3-way comm call.

"We had nothing to do with that attack," Zen Dilger said. "We are neutral parties in this. Dagger died, and rightly so, when he wrongly attacked you. You can't hold us responsible for his actions."

"I don't," Stephan said amicably. "But I am taking his possessions, and that means this entire planet. He didn't share anything with you, so I don't see how you're claiming to own anything?"

"Right of inheritance," Bob Vitti said from the other major city on the planet, called Menshi.

"You cannot inherit what I rightly claim," Stephan noted. "Nor can you take it by force. It simply comes down to this. I'm going to have full control of this planet eventually, and if I have to take it the hard way you're not going to profit from it. Cutting a deal is your only option."

"And we're willing to," Dilger said emphatically.

"You're not keeping control of Dhegan."

"Then what is there to negotiate? You're claiming everything the Red Baron had. Why shouldn't we make you work for it?"

"Maybe because you want to keep on breathing," Stephan said, irritably. Talking to these two was like playing a game of back and forth between reasonable and irrational. Maybe he had to act a little more pirate to get his point across. "Give me a reason I should allow either of you to live if you fight me tooth and nail to claim this entire planet?"

"What of the other planets?" Vitti deflected. "Are you claiming all of them?"

"None are nearly this size," Stephan said, noting some of the information he'd received on the Red Baron's full territory…except he wasn't sure if he'd gotten all of it or just pieces. But these two should know if they were highly enough placed in the organization. "And while I'll never condone bad behavior…such as killing and abusing civilians…I'm willing to split the others with you in exchange for your cooperation."

Both their eyes perked up. "And what about Kline?"

"He's nowhere to be found so he's irrelevant. Unless you know where he is?"

"If I ever see him I'll put a laser shot in his eye," Vitti said angrily. "I was third in line of succession, which means I would inherit everything after both of those ahead of me died in the assault on Drymo. These two are usurpers."

Dilger sneered at the comment but didn't respond, sensing an opportunity to be rid of him with a potential split.

"Can you absorb what's left of his networks here?" Stephan asked. "I don't want his people taking potshots at mine. I'd prefer to just get them all off the planet."

"Some will respond, especially if we tell everyone he's dead," Dilger said with a smirk. "And if he pokes his head out to say otherwise we, or you, can nail him. He's got no play anymore without the palace. He's irrelevant now. How would you like to split the organization?"

"Or would you like to take over as the new Red Baron?" Vitti floated. "I could agree to that."

Stephan shook his head. "The Red Baron organization has to come to an end…everywhere. But if you two wish to start your own…and make them respectable…then there's no reason for us to be enemies. If you continue to prey on the weak, I'll have to deal with you eventually, but I'm going to be so busy incorporating this planet into our holdings I won't be able to chase you guys down for some time even if you choose to remain bandits and thugs. I obviously want some of the other world holdings, but not all. Which ones do you want, and which ones are you willing to cede to me?"

After that the discussion changed into a business meeting, with them divulging 17 different planets…all of whom were not on the Inner Sphere map…with at least some cities or outposts under the Red Baron flag. Two were the size of Cholis, but most had less than 70,000 people on each. It seemed colonies out here usually didn't get much larger than that unless they were a success, but the lure of freedom and making your own little empire held enough sway that many tried regardless of the difficulties. A lot died out, others limped on in small numbers, while a good number just stabilized as towns and outposts, finding at least one product of value to trade with others.

The two larger planets went to each of the other men, while Stephan claimed 5 of the smaller outposts. That left 6 apiece for his counterparts after some arguing between the two of them that Stephan eventually settled by picking for them the last 4 that were in dispute.

"And you promise to leave us alone?" Dilger pressed. "No retaliation?"

"I promised no retaliation for previous actions," Stephan said carefully. "If you do things in the future that I find distasteful, I will probably have to take some sort of action. If you mind your own business, take care of the worlds under your protection, and become a respectable governor…then I won't have any cause to invade. I can respect a governor as a neighbor, but not a pirate, bandit, or other form of thugs. Is that clear enough?"

"Crystal clear, Lord Morten," Dilger said, his tone immediately changing. "We'll give you no reason to even notice us."

"I notice starving populations," he added. "Better not have any of those."

"I'm a good manager," Dilger said with a look of mild disgust. "I wouldn't have risen as far as I have if I wasn't."

"I hope so. How long before you can clear out all your men?"

"As soon as you can clear our dropships to land," he said, referencing the now 4 jumpships sitting around the star waiting to figure out who was going to lead the Red Barons. Rather than seize them…which he couldn't really do with no dropships nearby, for they'd just jump out when they saw them approach…he'd decided to split those up as well as the other planets, including the dropships that were attached to them and those few sitting at the spaceports of the other two major cities.

"I'll send word immediately acknowledging your command, but I'll need you to follow it up so they know it's legit. Better not tell them the organization is dead though. At least not until you're onboard. And you better pick new names for each of your new holdings. No more Red Barons. It would be too confusing."

"Yes it would," Vitti said, almost growling. "What about our money?"

Stephan frowned. "What money?"

"In the banks," he said as if the First Lord was stupid. "Are we splitting it?"

"Whatever banks on your worlds are your business. The banks here are mine. If you have a personal account here I'll respect it, but those belonging to the original Red Baron and his organization I'm keeping for myself."

"That's fair," Dilger said, wanting to get this over and out of here as fast as possible before the Mortens changed their mind and simply sent their mechs to dig him out.

"Take all your organization with you that wants to go. No moles or spies left behind. I want every trace of the Red Baron's organization to be a distant memory."

"My men obey me now. It won't be a problem. If you'll send that message promptly, Lord Morten, I will promptly leave your planet."

"I'll send it within the hour."

Dilger nodded with an overly fake smile. "Good day then," he said, with his part of the transmission ending.

"Will he honor the deal?" Stephan asked the less than happy Vitti.

"He won't stay here, that's for sure. He's scared and wanting to find any hole he can to hide in. You gave him too much."

"And you too little?"

"I have seniority."

"Had," Stephan emphasized. "The Red Baron organization is now officially dead. All claims to it are dead. Your organization is brand new. Make of it what you honorably can."

"I don't like you," the man said with a sneer. "But I can't begrudge you payback after what happened. Most men would have taken it all and ground us into dust with the forces you've got. Why are you being so generous?"

"I want a smooth transition. Now both of you have something to lose if you don't deliver it. Before, you had nothing to leverage."

"And why do you care about a smooth transition? You'll get the planet either way in the end."

"Let's just say I believe in giving people second chances. This is yours. I suggest you take it and run before lower level members of the Red Barons get ideas of claiming your planets for their own."

"I see," he said slowly. "Our business is concluded then?"

"It is."

Vitti cut the comm without another word.

And within two days all of Dilger's people were out of Dhegan. Vitti's took longer, having to bring in some dropships to pick up his and all the other Red Barons left across the planet, but 13 days after they cut their deal, Gregoria was now theirs and uncontested, without a single act by an assassin, rebel, or saboteur to follow.

Stephan waited a few more days, then made his two public proclamations. One, was that the planet of Gregoria was to be renamed Foniss, which would be an indicator to all that a new era in the planet's history was about to unfold and the scourge of the Red Baron would never return.

The second proclamation was to appoint Leonard Morten as Viceroy of the planet along with Chris Morten as Arka, second in command to the Viceroy, each of which would typically serve 10 year terms, but since this was just starting out, Leonard was going to serve the critical first 5 then pass it over to Chris, whence a new Arka would come in to start their 10 years and end up as Viceroy after the first 5.

House Morten had decided that the leader of a planet or moon responsible only for that world was to be a Count, with a Viscount as their second. But when one was responsible for the security of the entire star system, including the jump points, Viceroy and Arka would be the designations.

Stephan, Paul, and Vander were going to be staying a while more as well, but eventually they'd all leave with several other Mortens coming in as Barons to assist the Viceroy and Arka, and who'd return back 'home' after two year terms.

Foniss wasn't going to become the Morten Protectorate capitol, and for the time being the embassy on Cholis was still their home. Stephan was going to wait until he found the perfect world for them, and while Foniss had great potential to grow beyond its current size, it didn't feel right, so he'd keep looking via scouting missions once he released the jumpships from troop courier duty on this mission, with more still needed to come in and help stabilize the planet in the form of police and security.

For while the Red Baron organization had folded, they never knew how few troops House Morten actually had at their disposal. If they'd known, they might have tried to hold out longer. That was Stephan's one bluff in this operation, and it had paid off. He needed to give Zephram time to train a proper army, and as it worked out, this should give him a small cadre with field experience…though there hadn't been any big firefights. Just smaller ones that had resulted in some injuries, but no deaths, thankfully.

Now Stephan had a planet with a population of 17.4 million people and an economy that badly needed work, but one that was already functioning and could be used to rework the planet using local tax money rather than pulling from their war chest…though slowly. Doing things fast would take a lot of money that Foniss didn't have, and Stephan had told Leonard to work with what he had here and take his time…which the old Logistics Lord took as an even bigger challenge of his skills.

His wife was going to be flown in to join him, but his kids were all well grown by this point. So he'd have a cadre of about half a dozen Morten family members living in the palace with him until they got around to building a new headquarters in a new city carved out of the wilderness in a different location. That way they could design everything they wanted there, and build it slowly, without having to waste valuable buildings here through demolitions.

As for the mech factory, production had never halted. Not for a day. While the fate of the planet was in question they kept right on working producing more Wasps and Wasp components, with their buyers waiting for things to calm down before coming in to collect their purchases.

And that factory now belonged to House Morten, along with many other businesses on the planet that the Red Baron had stolen from the previous owners. A few of them would be returned if the individuals or their families still lived, but the bloody takeover had left very few inheritors behind, so without having to steal any of them, the net worth of House Morten increased by an estimated 440 billion C-bills, which was more than four times what they had left in their war chest. Though most of this was not liquidated, so they couldn't just cash in a factory for the money without a seller willing to purchase it, but as of right now House Morten was more wealthy than they'd ever been on Nuebenn, for nearly all that wealthy had belonged to the duchy and was not part of the family's personal holdings.

"To the victor go the spoils," Stephan said months later when he returned to Cholis and walked into Carroll Davion's office and handed her a stack of old school paper folders with information on Foniss as well as Drymo, Polvice, and Turnix.

She eyed him curiously and pulled the top one off and flipped through it for a few seconds before looking back at him with a raised eyebrow. "What's with the paper?"

"Your eyes only," he said, sitting down in the guest's chair opposite her. "Report what you think is prudent back to Andrew, but the less that is known back there the better. I do, however, need to request an extension of the trade route," he said, reaching down to a specific folder and pulling out a map. "Four jumps. Two to Polvice, and another two to Foniss, where I've acquired a population of 17 million that includes a mech factory that's been producing Wasps for generations."

"Mech factory?" she said, sitting up slightly. "Unlicensed, I assume?"

"I wasn't going to check and announce it's existence to the Federated Suns legal system. We're outside their jurisdiction anyway. I was going through our list of buyers and some of them will not be getting future orders. They're the unsavory sort. Not all of them, just some. And while I do not want any Wasps in my own mech army…"

"Why not?"

"The Phoenix Hawk is all around superior, and we're looking into converting part of the factory to produce them eventually…"

"With a license?"

Stephan looked at her curiously. "Do you even know what was in the tech files Andrew gave me?"

"Not specifically."

"It's blueprints to everything the Federated Suns has, including almost every mech in existence. I've already got the blueprints for the Phoenix Hawk. Why would I bother trying to acquire a license to produce them?"

"So you could sell to the larger buyers that require it."

"Apparently there are a lot more buyers on the black market than you'd believe. What I wanted to ask is if I could get permission…underhanded as it might be…to sell some to your backwater planets if they want them. They can claim they were recovered as salvage from bandit raids on the paperwork and nobody will care. But I'd like to help strengthen some of my neighbors out here if I can. The legit ones, anyway."

"Which would also ingratiate them to you for the sales, if not the replacement parts," she said, her voice warning of danger.

"I'm not making a move to acquire any Federated Suns worlds," Stephan said firmly. "I shouldn't have to tell you that by this point."

"I know you better than my uncle does, though it's more his advisors that concern me. I'd suggest you arrange to sell the mechs through a third party. That way they still get there, but publicly you're not involved."

"And your people wouldn't notice?" he asked skeptically.

"What we know and what the populace of those planets know is a very different thing. You can ingratiate yourselves with their Dukes all you want, but if you start performing for their people it creates the potential for an uprising, as well as denigrates the Federated Suns."

"By pointing out how House Morten cares more about their safety than New Avalon does?" he said pointedly, knowing Carroll preferred such blunt honesty.

"Ruling hundreds of star systems full of billions of people is far harder than a few million on a world or two. We've got enough problems as it is."

"Which is why I want to help strengthen some of these worlds against bandit attack and prop up their Dukes…the ones I like anyway. And for the record, I now have 4 worlds," he said, tapping the stack of paper files.

"Are you going to give them a discount?"

"You should see the black market prices. I could charge them double the production costs and still have it be considered base value. I'll get Wasps and replacement parts into their hands at a cheaper price than they can buy new equipment from the legitimate sellers and transport it all the way out here. Plus, there's a long line for those new mechs, and the Dukes out here virtually never have a shot of acquiring anything new. They're lucky if they can afford used mechs, and I know some go to the black market when nothing else is available. I can help stabilize things a little bit while continuing to sell to the Periphery."

"Who have you been selling to out there?"

Stephan smiled. "I'm afraid that's confidential information."

"Anyone we need to worry about?"

"Those that are worrisome will not be allowed to place future orders. But when it comes to mercenaries, you never know if you'll be hiring them to attack your neighbors, or your neighbors will be hiring them to attack you. I'm only banning sales to the really nasty groups."

"Now you've got me curious of how much is really out there."

"A lot more than even I realized. I've included a partial map, but after taking Foniss I got a much wider one. Humanity has spread in bits and pieces everywhere while the major planets in the Inner Sphere ignore what's right next to them, let alone the Periphery. I shouldn't be so surprised, but I am. There's a lot more people out there than I thought. They're just not clustered together that much."

"Well, it looks like I've got some reading to do," she said, glancing at the files. "I'll be brief in my report, though, but it looks like you've obtained your first significant world. You're back in the game now."

"I came out here to leave the game behind," he reminded her.

She shook her head. "No, you came out here so you could play the game by your own rules."

"Did your uncle tell you that?"

"He did. And I haven't seen anything to prove him wrong. You're just not playing the game with the same objectives. Everyone else wants to dominate the Inner Sphere by claiming worlds. You want to claim worlds to protect civilization and Humanity, and you don't care whether that's in the Inner Sphere or not. You also know that if you go back in there, you're going to get burned by much larger players in the game. Do you mind if I give you some friendly advice?"

"Please do," he said sarcastically, but there was an element of friendship there rather than pure rivalry between their Houses.

"Never go back. I've seen what it's done to my House. We can never get ahead, and every victory we make is just enough to keep our head above water. We can't grow, we can't prosper, and we definitely cannot thrive. You're thriving out here, even when your power is so small. Stay out here and grow it, not so you can someday come back and make a difference in the Inner Sphere. Not so you can some day help out my House. Stay out here and make it your own, but never go back. It's a trap, Stephan. And it always will be, no matter how tempting it is to come in and save people. Don't leave for a while. Leave for good, and make sure your descendants understand that as well. Make an order of it, if you can."

He stared at her for a long moment before responding.

"I'd come to that conclusion already, but it's very odd to hear a Davion saying it. You live and breathe your quest to remake the Star League under your control."

"A pointless dream," she scoffed. "If it would have worked, the Star League never would have been torn apart in the first place. We're fighting to keep the Federated Suns intact, despite what others may think, and despite what we may say publicly. If we see an opportunity to go for it, sure, we will, but it's a quagmire and it's sucking the life out of my House. We spend as much time worrying about an uprising within the Federated Suns as we do an invasion. There are always rivals seeking to take your place."

"You almost sound jealous?"

"I am," she admitted. "You have a chance to leave it all behind and start fresh. Please don't throw that away by entertaining notions of going back to Neubenn or one day having your family take our place on New Avalon. It is a trap that nearly every noble family falls into. That's the game we play. You're playing another game. Don't get sucked back into the old one."

"I have no intention to. But that doesn't mean we can't help our neighbors short of conquering them. I won't allow my House to become apathetic to people sitting across an imaginary line in the stars."

"That compassion may come back to bite you some day. Use a third party for the mech sales, and it shouldn't be a problem. I'll explain it to my uncle, and he'll recognize it as part of his investment already paying off."

"And his advisors?"

"Are nothing more than conquest hungry hounds without even that much of a brain," she said angrily.

"And they don't like you?"

"Very few people in the inner circle like me. My uncle found a use that got me out of the way and helped him. I like the work, so it's win win, but I don't have more pull on him than they do. It's your deal you brokered with him that he cares about. I'm little more than a watchman."

"About to be replaced?" Stephan asked.

"No, thankfully. But others would if it was up to them. I don't play the inner House game very well."

"Neither do they," Stephan said, coming to her defense. "I've dealt with those type of people before, and they're almost always fakes. They trick you into thinking they're the ones who know how to play the game, but they don't. That's why they're so unstable and dishonorable that they usually bring down their own Houses eventually. Don't let them convince you that sanity is a vice."

"Sanity a vice. I like that. And sadly that's pretty much what they infer. Are you going to be able to start making replacement parts for other mechs?"

"Down the road, yes."

"Good."

Stephan frowned at her. "What's going on?"

"Just a feeling that this operation of yours is getting more unpopular back there. The less you rely on our supply lines the better. I won't say more than that."

"How can you know the scuttlebutt back there if you're here?"

"I had a friend come and visit while you were gone. She filled me in on a lot of things."

"Friend or superior?"

"In this position only my uncle is my superior, and that is not sitting well with others either. My cousin came, bringing a message from my mother on personal issues. But the scuttlebutt came here with her."

"You think they're going to break the deal?"

"Andrew won't," she said flatly, leaving the rest unsaid.

Stephan nodded. "But Andrew won't always be the First Prince."

"Must you be as blunt as me? You're making it hard to practice my subtlety."

"You don't need any in this job, because the job is to liaise with me."

She tapped on her desk a moment, as if making a decision, then committed to it.

"Andrew informed his heir, Ian, about this operation and it's importance. I'm told Ian didn't take to the idea very well. That might mean trouble. Ian is an up and coming mechwarrior and has no head for statecraft despite his many tutors."

"So we're on the clock?"

"Maybe, maybe not. He may honor his father's wishes and standing orders…or he may decide to go a different way when it's his time to rule. I hope he does the former."

"Hope is not a defense…but this isn't news to me," he said, drawing a surprised look from Carroll. "Andrew said he couldn't rule from the grave, and while I expect the deal to be honored, I don't expect it to be honored. We're on our own out here and have been from day one. Any help we've gotten from you I've counted as a bonus."

"Some days I hate being a Davion," she said, essentially admitting to treason with the way noble family politics held, "and there are days like today when I'm proud of it. My family sent you out here to do something grand. I hope we don't renege on it, but if we do, I want you to know I'm rooting for you."

"Thank you," he said, standing up slowly. "And if it ever comes to it, and you fall out of favor with the other Davions, you can find a place in the Morten Protectorate. We take in all kinds of strays."

"So I've begun to notice. Thanks all the same."

"I mean it," he said, walking toward the door. "If you stick up for us too much they'll run a sword through you. I've still got the hole in me to prove it…"