Flight of the Claymore -chapter 8

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Chapter 8
Battle Platform, Ryuk, somewhere in the Hades System
Maiha stood looking out across the system that had become her home for the last thirty years. “Ryuk you got a minute old boy?”

“Always for you my Empress. What has you up at this hour of the night?”

“Ryuk, how many times do I have to tell you just to call me Maiha?” Maiha grunted.

“Until the day you are no longer among us Maiha.” The ancient AI replied with a chuckle. “Now what has you walking the corridors of my bulk at this ungodly hour?”

“The situation in the New Confederate System old friend. I just cannot figure out what the Amazons are up to?” Maiha admitted.

The ancient battle AI took a few seconds before answering. “Maiha, I have spent the last twenty-one seconds analyzing the data coming out of that system.”

The fact that Ryuk took a full twenty-one seconds to analyze something floored Maiha. She knew that the ancient AI was not as fast as the newer battle AIs but he had centuries of experience to draw on. So he was able to compare the past with the future at phenomenal and formidable rates. “What have you come up with old man?”

“At this rate the populations for the planets of New Texas and New Carolina will be in open rebellion against the Amazon High Council and Grand Council shortly.”

“Have you been able to pinpoint the boiling point?”

“Sadly, it will be the final judgement in the Hall of Justice. The Amazon Miners Guild have the financial backing to drag the rightful landowners down. When this happens, those proud people will rise up in defiance refusing to just give up the land they have worked so hard for. They will not step aside and let the miners or the Amazon High Council push them off their land.”

“How bad will it get Ryuk?” Maiha asked in disbelief.

“Remember Sherwood and the Battle for Kelly’s Crossroads? Or the Neo French Cambodia Wars just over ninety years ago? That is how bad it’s going to get Maiha.”

Maiha could not believe her ears. The two most hated times in her life revolved around those two wars and those battles. The fact that Ryuk would even suggest a war of those scales sent chills through her. “Are you sure about that Ryuk?”

“Maiha, in the thirty years plus years we have known each other, I have never lied to you. I may have pulled your leg every now and then, but I have never lied to you on matters of State or Warfare. No matter how it gets sliced this is one shit pie that we are all going to have to take a bite out of.”

“Damn it! Why have the Amazons pushed it to this point? Can’t they see the swamp they’re dragging the Empire into? The blood that will be spilled on both sides is the blood of the Empire.” Maiha was pissed. “How many divisions are in the New Confederate System? Not just Death Dealers but all Empyreal Military.”

“Not counting the one regiment of Death Dealers and one regiment of standard support troops that are currently assigned to the research center we have a total of three Death Dealer Divisions and seven Standard Empyreal Military Divisions in system.”

Maiha thought long and hard about what Ryuk just told her. Ten divisions of Empyreal troops in the New Confederate System. Of those ten, half were support divisions. If things went the way Ryuk predicted, then it would be about an even fight. “And the Amazons’ forces. What are they at?”

“The Amazon Collective has been funneling in more troops secretly over the past several months. The evaluation of their troop strength that your son James gave was woefully under estimated. I would place the Amazon forces closer to ten full combat divisions with full air support.”

“Any idea of where the Amazon Carrier has been hiding or what size?” Maiha asked.

“I have run the calculations a few times Maiha and they all come up the same. There has to be two Super Carrier Class dropships with their battlegroups in that system.”

“What are our assets when it comes to aerial support for the ground troops Ryuk?” This was Maiha’s only real concern in the NCS.

“Nowhere near what the Amazon Collective has Maiha. In truth the aerospace fighter and bomber units on those two planets are woefully inadequate. There is only one Fighter Regiment and one Bomber Regiment. Before you ask there are no truly dedicated Ground Attack Craft. The biggest airborne asset those divisions have is their attack helos and Fire Support APS units.”

“What of the R-n-D center at White Sands? How about those assets?” Maiha asked as she reached into the pocket of her robe. Pulling out a pack of Empire Gold Cigarettes Maiha pulled one out and lit up. Now it was the concern of a mother that filled Maiha’s voice, not that of an Empress.

“Maiha you know that Princess Alison will be pissed off at your smoking in the observatory again.”

“I know, I know. Now tell me what the status is of those two Regiments at the R-n-D center old friend.” Maiha just drew in the rich flavor of the Empire Gold. These and a good bottle of Scotch is her only indulgence.

“Of the two Regiments only, the Death Dealer Regiment is a combat Regiment. As for the Regular Empyreal Military Regiment it is your standard Combat Support Regiment. Maiha those two Regiments would be hard pressed to hold that base if they were attacked. Even with the experimental aerospace fighters that base will be overrun in a matter of hours, Maiha.”

Maiha took a deep drag off her cigarette as she took in this information. Looking out the crystalline dome Maiha knew that Ryuk was most likely correct. A Light Regiment was no match against an attack by Armored Power Suits without some kind of fortifications. That was where the Support Regiment could very well turn the tide. Well dug entrenchments, hardened bunkers, with fortified gun batteries, could turn a simple attack into a bloodbath. For the attackers.

“Do you think James will figure that out in time, Ryuk?”

“Of all your children Maiha, James is the most like yourself. He is just as much a military genius and tactician as you. He is still young this is true. I would give you even odds that he has already spotted the weaknesses surrounding that base. The question is will he have the time to correct the situation.”

Maiha stood there silently smoking her cigarette going over what Ryuk had said about James. All of what he said was true. Of the five children she and Alice shared, James was the most like her. Her twin daughters Ahmie and Ohmie were very much like their aunt Fuyuko. They were in many ways the perfect planetary managers. Jerry was so much like their grandmother Dai Etsu that he joined the family temple. Only her youngest son Richard was like James. While Richard wasn’t the tactical genius that James was, he was by far the better APS pilot.

“Tell me something Ryuk. Those new Strike Eagles are they as good as the research team claims them to be?” Maiha asked between lighting her second cigarette and putting out the first one.

“In the hands of most pilots they are as deadly as advertised. The current test pilot has already made suggestions that have improved their performance immensely.”

Maiha chuckled. “I take it that Flight Lieutenant First Class Cole has pushed the few she has flown beyond their breaking points.”

The rich chuckle of Ryuk’s laughter filled the room. “Maiha that young woman is no mere test pilot. If I didn’t know better, I would swear she was trying to kill herself in her test flights.”

“I know what you mean old boy. If she is anything like her older brother and sister, then she’ll fly every aerospace fighter she is given to its limits. Then beyond. The problem will be finding a fighter that will not fail her skills.” Maiha drew in deeply on her cigarette. As she exhaled Maiha let a small smile play at her lips. “Did you know before her sudden transformation he was already an accomplished pilot at the academy. One so good that her Instructors were pushing to get her a waver for an Omega Class A.I. upgrade.”

“That would explain all the exceptional EVALs in her file. As for finding a fighter that can handle her skills that could be a problem. I have run two-thousand-nine-hundred-eighty-eight simulations for all of the current aerospace fighters in the inventory with Lieutenant Cole as the pilot. All have ended up with the young woman flying the fighter past its flight envelope. I am currently going over multiple configurations of various fighters to find something that will compensate for the exceptional skills of the young woman. So far I have yet to find one that works.”

“Damn. James said that there wasn’t a fighter out there that she couldn’t fly to the breaking point and back.” Maiha had to admire the young Lieutenant’s ability. With real sadness in her voice Maiha returned to the troubles with the Amazons. “Ryuk I know you have analyzed the political and strategic actions of the Amazon Collective over the last thirty years. Why would they push so hard now? Why deviate from what has been for them a proven method of nonviolent conquest? It just doesn’t make any sense. They don’t have to push like this. It’s almost as if they’re trying to force the Empire into a military solution.”

“Maiha, I believe I know what they are trying to do. Only it will not work for them. They do want the Empyreal Military to intervene. Their hope is to draw our Military into a very long and protected war. One that will become extremely unpopular very quickly. That war will allow the Amazon Politicians push for cuts in the Empyreal Military and a return to pre-succession war policies.”

Maiha took a heavy drag off her cigarette while thinking about what that would mean for the Military. Before the last war of succession the majority of the military force was in the hands of the High Families. House Units made up the majority of Planetary Defense Forces and mercenary units were often the preferred military force. The Empyreal Military under Maiha’s guidance was now the primary defense for the Human Empire. That includes the Empyreal Navy, Army, and Marines with the Death Dealers remaining the premier Military Unit.

It had been her reforms that had forced the High Families to reduce their standing forces. For the first ten years of her reign Maiha had been able to bring a peace between the many factions within the High Families. If it had not been for the continued actives of pirates she would have been able to consolidate all the military under Empyreal control. It was those same damned pirates that had allowed the High Families to rebuild their private military forces to include navies. Thanks in part to the Antipiracy Laws passed in Parliament.

Then Ryuk let the other shoe drop. “If my calculations are correct Maiha, the war will also be a three-prong war. Amazons one-side, the citizens of the NCS on the second, and the Empyreal Military stuck in the middle.”

“Can those civilians even mount a defense against the Amazons?”

“Not only can they, but they have the will to do so for far longer than the Amazon Collective believes. These are not your average colonist Maiha. A great many of them trace their ancestry clear back to the American Civil War Confederate States.”

“OH SHIT!” Maiha exclaimed. “You have got to be kidding me?! An enter system of diehard Confederate descendants. Just what I need on my hands. This is going to make Sherwood, and Neo French Cambodia look like a damned beach party!”

“I’m afraid I don’t understand Maiha.”

Maiha sighed. “Between April eighteen-sixty-one and April eighteen-sixty-five the United States of America fought what has to be the bloodiest Civil War in human history for one nation. More than a million and a half men, from both sides, died during those four years. The sad part is the war may have ended after four years, the animosity between the two sides went on for generations.”

“Now I understand why this situation has you so upset. I doubt the idea of there being several former aerospace fighter pilots on those worlds would be of a comfort then.”

“How many former pilots are you talking about, and how many of them are Aces?” Maiha was praying the number was only a handful.

“Between New Texas, and New Carolina, there are eighteen former Empyreal Military Aerospace Fighter Pilots. All are Aces, but only four multiple Aces. Of those four only one is of note. A certain Lieutenant Colonel C.Y. Jäger of the triple six fighter squadron.”

“I wondered where Chuck and his band of misfits went to.” Taking a draw off her cigarette Maiha smirked. “The Unlucky Devils. Some of the meanest and hottest pilots on the stick to ever overfly a battlefield.”

“You know these pilots Maiha?”

“Yeah I know them Ryuk. And they are all crazier than a shithouse rat set on fire. Damn fine bunch of pilots, but a rowdier bunch you’ll be hard to find.” Maiha just chuckled over the last part. Thinking about that group of pilots Maiha extinguished her cigarette. “Ryuk I need to send a message off the books.”

“Ready for dictation Empress. I’ll send it out on the next batch report cycle.”

The ancient AI understood what Maiha needed the moment she said off the books. The message that would be delivered could not be tracked back to her or him. Not even the persons the message was intended for would know who sent it. After five minutes Ryuk compiled the message into a code that only the receiving end would know the answer. Maiha had called in the Right Hand of the Empress.

Terresa Cole’s private quarters, WSRDC, New Texas.

I cannot believe the hangover I have this morning. I reach for the automatic coffee pot and the sweet nectar of the gods it holds. As I make my first cup of the morning I try to recount what I did last night. “Shit what a headache. I only had four beers and two shots last night. When did I become such a light weight?”

Terresa, I hate to tell you this. No, I don’t, because you deserve this hangover. You became such a light weight when you underwent the Secondary-Configuration. You’re not the 180lbs, 6ft, strapping young man you were a month ago.’ I really want to pound Lilly just then. The only problem was she was right. This was my fault. I have no one else to blame.

Lilly, I don’t remember a whole lot from last night. Did I do anything to embarrass myself? You know something I might have to apologize for?’

You just kissed Chief Daily goodnight on the cheek, as you were escorted out of the club by Prince James and your older brother Sylvester. Oh, and you tried to drag the Prince into your room and bed for sex.’

My eyes bulged out of my head hearing this last part and spit coffee across the room at the last comment. I get ready to deny everything Lilly just said until I hear the infernal AI giggling. ‘Damn it Lilly I don’t need this shit!’

Yes, you do, Terresa. Besides it’s fun to twist your tit once in a while.’

Oh, shut up!’ I stager into the bathroom and strip down. After taking care of bodily needs and a hot shower I head back out to get dressed for the day. I double check my duty schedule and frown. I notice that I got the Charge of Quarters today. “Oh great, just great. Thirty hours of bullshit. Why couldn’t I have a training flight schedule for today. At least then, I would be able to take out my anger on a few ground targets. Oh well nothing for it I guess.”

I also notice that I couldn’t wear my flight suit. The duty uniform for CQ at this base was Class Bs, dress blacks. For the first time I would have to wear the skirt that went with my new dress uniform. In truth it would be the first time since my transformation that I would have to dress as my new sex for real. With some trepidation I slowly dressed for duty. Once dressed I head out for the chow hall to get something to eat and more coffee.

As I cross the officer’s area into the common quad I notice for the first time the feel of air rushing across my nylon encased legs. I have to stop and catch my breath the first time this happens. This simple act has forced me to accept the fact that I am no longer male. “Hell, as far as the rest of the human race is concerned I’m no longer even fracking human. Let alone male.”

Terresa calm down. How many times do we have to have this discussion? You’re still very much a human. You’re just a female now. You have to stop fighting with yourself over this fact. Once you do that you can move forward.

‘Lilly, I know this already! And I have accepted the fact that I’m a woman now. I just a little concerned right now. I don’t remember too much from last night. I’m afraid of what someone might say or have reported about my conduct. If I did something stupid it could get me grounded. Do you understand?

‘Yes, Terresa I do. As for my comments earlier, you did nothing out of the ordinary. You were a well behaved if more than slightly drunken young officer.’

Thank you, Lilly. That puts my mind at ease. Now let’s go get something to eat and more coffee. Maybe a cigarette or two while we’re at it.’ I continued across the quad to the chow hall. As I entered the hall I found a line to sign in and took my place at the end behind a private from one of the support units. The young man turned and looked at me then my rank.

“Step aside, Officer in the line.” He called out then moved to stand next the wall. “Good morning ma’am, after you.”

“Thank you Private.” As I walked pass him and the others to the Headcount I could tell that to these men and women I was nothing more than a pretty female officer. For some reason this made me feel better about myself and my situation. “Have a good day yourself. At ease everyone.”

At the Headcount Desk I signed in and paid my surcharge. The Corporal on duty smiled said ‘good morning, ma’am’ and called down further down the line. “Duty Officer in the line. Make a hole.”

I gave the young woman a smile as I headed towards the actual serving line. Once I had secured my tray I made my way down the line. I was surprised by the selection offered by the cooks. Three egg omelets, eggs over-easy, fried eggs, eggs cooked in every manner possible, fresh bacon, ham steaks, country fried chicken, biscuits and sausage gravy, and the fresh fruit selection was just as amazing. After getting two eggs over-easy, three sausage links, fried apples, and toast, I headed for the drink section. There I was able to fill up on a large glass of orange juice and large coffee. It didn’t take me long to find a table once I had my meal.

When I first sat down to eat I was alone, which was fine by me. That didn’t remain the situation for long. I looked up as a shadow fell across the table to see Captain Heartlow, my immediate superior. “May I join you Lieutenant Cole?”

“Please feel free sir.” I knew that the request was more of a suggestion. I watched as he set his tray down then took the seat across from me. I could tell that something was on the man’s mind by the way he moved and the tone in his voice. “So what can I do for you sir? I know that you rarely eat with the junior pilots?”

“I like that Cole, straight to the point.” He took a drink of his coffee. After setting the cup down he gave a hard look. “I want to know what you were doing palling it up with the Commanding Officer for the Security Force, Major Sylvester Cole. I know for a fact that he has only one sister, and Sylvia is a good friend of mine. Are you his wife?”

I almost spit coffee on the man at hearing this. Thankfully, I’d just swallowed and was able to giggle instead. At the look of displeasure on my CO’s face I knew that I had to explain fast. “Sorry, sir. But your information on the Cole family is severely out of date. I happen to be the Cole twins’ younger sibling. Both Sylvester and Sylvia are my family. I just happened to be the only Claymore in the batch.”

“Sorry, Lieutenant I know for a fact that Sylvester and Sylvia Cole only have a younger brother. A fine young pilot that just last month graduated flight school. Care to try that again?” I sighed as I could tell that Heartlow wasn’t going to accept the truth. He was sure that is was Sylvester’s wife.

“I was their baby brother until my Emergence sir. I went in the tank as Jason Cole and came out Terresa Cole. Before you ask I was finally granted my Second-Gen upgrade shortly after graduation and underwent it before leaving the Academy.” That was the cover story my family General Davenport, and the Prince had come up with.

As I took a bite of my eggs I waited and watched Heartlow. “I see. Thank you, Lieutenant. You have put my mind at ease. You understand the problems that arise when spouses are stationed together.”

That’s when it hit me. The man wasn’t worried about inappropriate behavior between officers, but if I was married to Sylvester. “Well you can put that worry out of your mind sir. I do love my brother and sister, but not in that way. Anything else?”

“No Lieutenant, that was all. When I heard that you were drinking with the Commander for the Security Detachment last night I became concerned that is all.”

I had to give it the man. He was slick. I could tell that he wanted to get to know me better, but not in a way that I cared for. I decided to shut this line of questioning down before it got started. “I can understand your concern sir. You can rest assured that I have no interest in my fellow officers of either sex. I just want to do my duty and be left alone. I’m not looking for a life partner, sir.”

I watched as his face fell at the sound of this. I was right in my assumption about his attentions towards me. I smiled as he realized that he had no chance at getting in my panties anytime soon. “Then I hope you can continue with that wish Lieutenant.”

“I can assure you sir. I will.” I left the warning tone out of my voice, but I could tell that he got the message. His actions proved this.

Standing up he gathered up his tray, coffee mug, pushed in his chair. “Well, then, I hope you have a good day Lieutenant. Oh, by the way sorry for the short notice for CQ Duty. Hanse was supposed to have it, but he plowed in yesterday evening on runway two. The main struts on the nose gear snapped. You were right about the stress points. I just wish that you weren’t. Hanse is going to be laid up for a couple of weeks. I only have one question. How did you know the struts and breaks would fail once they overheated like that?”

I sighed before looked up answering him. “I ran ten simulations along those very lines sir. I knew that sooner or later a dead stick landing would be tested. I didn’t want to be the one to crash nose first into the runway. I still haven’t figured out how to keep that from happening. It has to be something in either the materials or design, sir.”

Heartlow just chuckled. “You know that you don’t get paid to solve the problems we find Lieutenant. That’s what the Brainiac’s are for.”

“That maybe true sir, but it’s my ass on the line when they screw the pooch.” Then I smiled at the man. “And you have to admit that it is a cute ass, sir.”

Heartlow busted out laughing as he knew he had been busted but that I wasn’t going to hold it against him. Holding his tray in one hand Heartlow made a hashmark in the air. “Point to you Lieutenant Cole. Try to enjoy your duty.”

With that he walked off leaving me to finish my breakfast in peace and quiet. After I finished my breakfast I bused my tray and headed for the Charge of Quarters desk. As I stepped outside I lit a cigarette and smoked on my way to duty. I knew that the next thirty-hours was going to be a waste of time. With this mind I decided to relieve the current officer on duty before running back to grab my tablet. I figured I could make a few design changes to my pet project while just sitting around all day at the CQ desk. It didn’t take long to take over for the outgoing duty officer.

After making sure that my Runner had his orders and signing for the Quarters I ran up to my room. There I grabbed my tablet and a notebook to write out my thoughts. After returning to the CQ Desk I sat down and opened the file that Lilly had placed there on the XF-11. For the next four hours I worked on the design with Lilly. When time for lunch rolled around I sent my Runner to chow first. He returned a half hour later with his own tablet. I closed my tablet down and secured it in the desk bottom draw then went to chow.

When I returned I found my Runner missing and an Officer from the JAG Office waiting at the CQ Desk. “Can I help you Captain?”

“Your Runner has already taken care of me, Lieutenant.” I could tell the Judge Advocate General's officer really didn’t want to deal with me. I knew then and there something fishy was going on.

“Sorry sir. But I’m the Charge of Quarters for the day. So, you will answer my questions according to the UCMJ Article seventeen, subsection B, paragraph two. Who are you here to see, and do you have an order from the Base Commanding Provost Marshal?” I knew that the jackass didn’t have the last one, but the first one was more important in my mind.

The Captain sighed and handed over the two very much demanded pieces of paperwork. “I’m here to see Chief Warrant Officer three, Catherine Bellows of the Second of the Seventy-Second armored battalion, Lieutenant. As for the reasons those are on page two of the DD-one-eighteen.”

I flipped to the second page and read. When I saw what the Captain was there for I smiled. This time in relief. They weren’t here to cause problems for me or the personnel in the Quarters but to deliver some good news. “I’m sorry if I have caused you any problems Ma’am.”

This time it was the Captain who sighed then smiled. “No need to apologize Lieutenant. In fact, I wish more of your fellow officers took this duty as serious as you have. I’m just surprised that you knew which article to use. Are you due to report in to the JAG office soon?”

I really smiled at hearing this. “No ma’am. I’m a test pilot here. I just made sure that I knew what regs cover my Duties for the day this morning.”

The Captain chuckled at this admission on my part. “Well done Lieutenant.” He then looked up as Chief Warrant Officer Bellows came down the stairs. “Ah here is the lucky lady now. Chief Bellows it is my proud honor to notify you of your winning of the Galactic Lottery. As of this moment you are eighty-four-million gold credits richer. Congratulations Chief Bellows.”

The woman in question stopped dead in her tracks. The look of disbelief filled her face. “This is some kind of joke right ma’am?”

“I am afraid not Chief. You won the Lottery jackpot. I hope you got your retirement plans figured out.” The Captain was smiling at being able to give good news for a change to someone. The fact that it was the notification for winning the Golden Lottery was a bonus.

Like most soldiers I had dreamed of winning the big Lottery and made dream plans for that highly unlikely event. I watched as the Chief first read the announcement, then the orders that would discharge her from service. Sadly, there was a regulation that prohibited the winners of the Lottery, sudden inheritors of massive fortunes, from serving in the enlisted ranks of the military. I knew that there were some rich assholes among the Officer’s Crops, most of them High Families, or Royalty but not among the enlisted. I watched as the Chief’s shoulders slumped.

“Well shit! I got seven months to go until I reach my twenty. Can I at least finish off my tour?” She asked the Captain.

“You’ll have to take that up with your Commander, Chief. Though I doubt that will be a problem as you are so close to full retirement. Here’s my card if you have any questions or problems with your CO. Have a good day, Chief.” The JAG Captain smiled then left my building. I looked over at Chief Bellows, she turned and walked back upstairs to her room. I could tell that she really didn’t want to leave the service by the way she held her shoulders.

“Damn that has to suck.” I comment out load.

“What do you mean ma’am? I mean wouldn’t you want to win the big one like Chief Bellows, ma’am? To be able to just tell the military to kiss off like that?”

“Private Cutter, there are two types in the service. There are short timers like yourself who are in for the educational and other benefits for starters. By that I mean you’ve spent all morning working on your college courses at no cost to yourself. As far as the military is concerned you’re working towards promotion points. Then there’s the lifers like the Chief there. To them they play the lottery as a joke, never really expecting to win. To them the service is their home. To her leaving the service is going to be hard to take.” I told him honestly.

“What about you ma’am? You a life or short timer?” He asked me.

“That, Private Cutter, is a question yet to be determined.” I chuckled then pointed at his table. “Now what are you studying?”

The town of Nowhere, New Texas frontier. The Black Star Bar and Grill.

The heavy-lift cargo hauler rolled to a stop in front of the local bar. The two-man driver crew stepped down out of the cab. As the two men went inside a second two-man crew climbed into the cab and drove off. The bartender looked at the two that had come inside. “Have a seat, boys. Bobby and Jimmy will have your rig back in an hour. Can I get you anything while you wait?”

The older of the two men smiled. “Two Super Stars. Draft if you got it?”

The old bartender poured the requested beers from the tap. As the bartender was serving the drivers, a woman in her mid to late forties walked through the door. She looked over at the bartender. “Yeah, Mac was that the Richards delivery I just heard roll through town?”

“Yep, sure was Marry. These two boys are the drive-team for the rig.” Mac said as he set the beers in from of the crew.

“Thank god they got through. Old man Richards has been needing that equipment for a month now.” Marry said as she sat down next to the two men holding up her finger to the bartender signaling for a beer. “My usual Mac.”

“Coming right up Marry.” As Mac got the requested beer the older driver turned to Marry.

“Excuse me ma’am but what did you mean by that comment? Is there something you think we need to know about that road we came in on?” The driver asked.

Marry took a drink of her beer before answering. “Nine heavy loads have been highjacked between here and Port Huston. That is in the last seven weeks.”

“May I know how you come by that information ma’am?” The driver asked.

“Marry here is the local Sheriff, boys. If anyone knows about what is going down on that road its her.” Mac told the two men.

“Sorry if I said something wrong Sheriff. I just need to know if going back the way we came is safe. We’re supposed to be carrying a load of cattle for someone by the name of Bancroft. Know where we can find them?”

“Don’t worry about that boys. Bobby and Jim will pickup your next load for you. One of the nice things about having designated local drivers. You get a break while someone else gets you unloaded and reloaded for your return trip.” Marry told them with smile that never really reached her eyes.

The farm of Tom Richards

The heavy hauler pulled through the doors of the super barn and stopped. Even before the two young men could climb down from the cab a team of men were swarming the trailer. Even before their feet touch the ground tiedown chains were already disconnected. By the time they had turned to the owner of the farm heavy lift loaders were taking down the massive containers that were the transports load. The old man walked up to the young men.

“Did they have any idea of what they’re really hauling boys?”

“We doubled checked the rig uncle Tom. I doubt that they do. We didn’t have time to run the scanners over the containers though.” The younger of the two answered.

“Damn it Bobby. We got too much riding on these loads.” Tom Richards turned to the crew unloading the transport. “Double check the containers gents.”

That one command stopped all activity. Ten men ran and pulled out portable scanners. In five minutes work resumed as a tracking device was handed over to Tom. “We caught this in the anti-tank rifle’s container. It is definitely Empyreal. How do you want to take care of it?”

Tom just smirked as he took it from the man. Walking outside to his one of his ranch hands. “Joey, time to give the Empire a Mississippi Boat Ride. Use the Little Catfish River over on the back forty. That should take them about nine to ten hours before they figure out they lost the load.”

“Yes sir.” Was all the ranch hand said as he took off on his speeder. In thirty minutes the tracker would be slowly drifting down the Little Catfish River heading for the Gulf of Auston.

With the ranch hand taking care of the tracker Tim turned to the problem of the two drivers back at the Black Star. Pulling out his portable communicator Tom placed a call to the bar. He waited for Mac to answer. When after the third ring Mac answered Tom just spoke two words and the hung up. “Hot load.”

The Black Star Bar and Grill

Mac looked over at the ringing communicator for the bar and sighed. If Tom was calling this soon it could only mean one thing, trouble. “Black Star, Mac speaking.”

Hearing the code phrase for a tracked load Mac sighed and hung up the phone. “Marry that was the station calling. They need you back there now.”

“Thanks Tom.” Marry stood up and placed a tenner on the countertop. “That should cover my tab Mac. See you later.”

The two drivers never spotted the subtle cues between the old bartender and sheriff. The old bartender moved towards the end of the bar drawing the two men’s attention. While the sheriff pulled her sidearm and stepped up behind them. With two quick shots to the backs of their heads the men died. Mac stepped around the bar to let in six men through the backdoor. With an ease that came from practice the six men cleaned up the two dead bodies and blood faster than expected. The sheriff looked down at her watch and sighed.

“Damn they’re getting faster at that shit, Jerry. Have they been practicing?”

Jerry McGregor owner of the Black Star Bar and Grill shook his head no. “Nope. They haven’t done anything like that Samantha. The only practice they get is from when you put someone down like that.”

Sheriff Samantha Price looked over at Jerry. “I wish I didn’t have to Jerry. You know that I would love to just let those cowboys go rolling out of here.”

“I know Sam, I know. They’re just too much a security risk any more. The last two were outright Amazon spies. I doubt that those two were spies but they saw how we handle cargo that comes into town. That load of weapons is just too damned important to risk. You know that if I hadn’t done what I did Tom would have had his boys do it. The difference would be that Tom’s boys would stake the bodies out for the Empire or Amazons to find along the road. You know what that would mean for us. We’re not ready yet to take on those mercs. Especially those damned Quinsbee Jayhawkers.” Both looked down the road toward the next town that was the current head quarters for the mentioned mercenary unit.

Of all the mercenary units on New Texas the most hated and blood thirsty were the Quinsbee Jayhawkers. In the last six months they had burned out or evicted eighteen families from their farms. The last one came down to a standoff that last for ten days before the Jayhawkers use short range missiles to firebomb the ranch. The problem was bringing charges against the unit. The way the law was written so long as the Jayhawkers were working for the banks, Samantha and the other sheriffs couldn’t bring them up on criminal charges.

It was the actions of units like the Jayhawkers and a few others, that was the driving force behind the arming of civilians. If it had not been for those actions Samantha Price would never condone handing out military grade weapons to civilians. “Right now, Jerry, I’m just glad that we’re not dealing with a unit that has APS support. We may be arming, but Light Infantry weapons aren’t going to stop Armored Power Suits on a tear.”

“You know that, I know that, the only ones that don’t know that are those fools getting ready to go to war with the Amazon Military. This is going to be worse than the War of Northern Aggression in the eighteen-hundreds. Frack, Sam, we’re in the same damn situation. An agricultural based society taking on a manufacturing powerhouse. We have to be out of our damned minds.” Jerry spat out in anger.

Samantha just took a pinch of snuff from the tin in her hand. After working it between cheek and gum Sam spit the first traces of juice into the bar’s spittoon. “I just hope we don’t go down as hard as your ancestors did, Jerry.”

Jerry looked over at the sheriff for their small town and smiled. Most people would never know that hiding under the bright smile, and unassuming size was a retired combat veteran from the last Succession War. With a sweep of her hand Samantha moved the hair from over her ears to reveal her true race. Very few people in the town of Nowhere knew that Samantha was a Wood Elf. And even fewer still knew that she was a Second-Gen Death Dealer. Jerry McGregor was one of the very few true friends Samantha shared her past with.

“I hope like hell you’re right Samantha. But you and I both know that won’t be the case. The moment those jackasses push too hard old man Richards is going to fight back with everything he has. When the banks try to foreclose on just one ranch around here the shit is going to hit the fan.” Jerry sighed and looked around the town sadly. “Right here will be our Fort Summer, and the start of the next bloody Civil War of Northern Aggression.”

The Offices of Still Unlimited Shipping.

Lisa Stills sat back in her chair and stretched. “God what a day. I could really use a stiff drink about now. That and a good smoke.”

“Mommy, you promised me that you would give those up.” Lisa had to smile at her young son sitting just a few feet away. At ten years old the boy was the spitting image of his father. Even after ten years Lisa still found it hard to believe that she was now a mother. Retiring after twenty years of service to the Empress Maiha, Lady Lisa Stills took the buyout as a vet and invested it into a small shipping firm. That was twelve years ago. That firm now had twenty of the newest and fastest Clipper Class dropships and was a growing concern. It was a night of world wind sex with one of her Captains, Lisa showed up pregnant with her son.

That night was ten years ago, and the boy looked a lot like his father. of the many things she had done her life having her little boy was the best thing in her eyes. She may have raised the boy on her own, but that had been her choice. She wasn’t going to make the mistakes her family had. In fact, since she had entered the service of the Empress, Lisa Stills had had no contact with her family. In her eyes that was for the best. “I know I promised to quit Jimmy. And I have. That was just wishful thinking on my part. These quarterly reports are a royal pain in the ass.”

“Well you would know a royal pain if anyone did mommy.” Jimmy smirked up at his mother as he looked over at the pictures on the wall. The ones that were of Lisa and the current Royal Family. Lisa had to chuckle at her son’s play on words.

The sound of an incoming trans-system message brought them both up short. Lisa opened her communication station and found the message. It took her a few seconds to recognize the header codes. It had been over twelve years since anyone had sent her a message with that header coding. Her son Jimmy looked over her shoulder at the message. “Whose it from mom?”

Gone was the playful attitude of a ten-year-old boy. In it’s place was that of a young man ready to face the Fires of Hell with nothing more than a toy water pistol. A lot like some women that Lisa greatly admired. Who were more like sisters to Lisa than her own family. “An old friend Jimmy. Someone I greatly respect and admire.”

Jimmy Stills had always known his mother was once a member of the Royal Guards. In fact, at one time she had been one of the Captains for the Royal Guard and a close personal friend of Empress Maiha. He often dreamed of earning the right to wear the Red Triangle of the Hell Hounds, the Personal Body Guards of the Royal couple. He watched as his mother entered a series of numbers and letters before the message decoded itself on her screen. What he read there made him gasp in surprise.

Hearing her son’s sudden intake of breath Lisa had to hide her smile. With a cough Lisa turned to her son. “Feel like taking a little trip on the Cutty Sark Jimmy?”

“Where are we going mom?” The boy asked in hopes of already knowing the answer to that question.

“To Hades.”

-----tbc-----

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Cutty Sark

So this clipper called the Cutty Sark, is it the fastest and one of the most famous in the galaxy?

For those who don't know what I'm talking about, the Cutty Sark is a famous tea clipper built in 1869 to transport tea from China to England. There were yearly "races" by the tea clippers to be the first into port and the Cutty Sark was one of the fastest in that fleet

Something's Cooking

My5InchFMHeels's picture

Have a feeling the Empress is cooking up something good, and Terresa Cole is bound to taste it's sweetness. Maybe Ryuk and Lt. Cole can figure something out together... that'd be sweet for certain.

claymore

will teresa have here new plane ready by the fighting starts.

Ms. Wolfe Jess

This is another great verse in your DD Universe... Please contine an as always I find it very profound all of the historical people and events that you bring back to life. Your talent is without question. Please continue and as always I wish you and your family the best of health and success...

SDom

Men should be Men and the rest should be as feminine as they can be

Wonder if Maiha will have

tmf's picture

Wonder if Maiha will have Ryuk work tandem with the Four Winds APC AI, and Flight Lieutenant First Class Cole into designing a new frame and avionic system...?

Peace and Love tmf

Another great chapter!!

I am thinking back to a previous series in which some seriously good and potent atmospheric flyers could be put to good usage... Yet the Sky Dancers haven't seen any recorded conflicts..!....??

alissa

Sky Dancers

My5InchFMHeels's picture

I believe the Sky Dancers are all on New Holland. As long as the Amazons stay out of New Holland, I think Jordan is fine with letting them be... However it would be nice to see Jordan appropriate some Thunderhawks to the Empyreal Military for use in such situations.

Cool! This story just gets more and more awesome.

WillowD's picture

I am glad to see that Mahai and many other characters are going to be more than just historical background figures in this awesome new story.

Thank you so much for writing this.

I'll admit to being confused

I'll admit to being confused about the reasons behind the takeovers, and the lack of thought of people trying to stop it.

Banks foreclosing on property for a slow takeover by the 'Amazon' group. Okay, I can somewhat see that.

Maiha has several options that she can take. She's the Empress, after all.

1) Imperial Edict. Simply order the groups to cease and desist, and declare their military as terrorists. They've already attacked Imperial military assets, so that makes them already at war. If nothing else, she could move one of the battle platforms into the system, even if not Ryuk himself. As I recall, they -were- going to start building new ones thirty years ago, and the production wasn't going to take that long.

2) Order the banks to cease their behavior. They have to be under the control of a central bank authority of some sort. Heck, just some hellacious audits would cause many of the banks to back down.

3) Simply buy out the mortgages. Once the excuse has been removed, the Amazons are forced to come out into the open. She might not be able to stop everything, but a bank refusing to accept a buyout for a mortgage would be in for being shut down.

None of these have even been discussed. Instead, there's a bunch of dancing around the issues, and it doesn't make sense against the other options - especially since Maiha is NOT a subtlety kind of person. It sounds like they've been doing the speak softly for the last few years, and it's time for the Big Stick to come out.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

historical

Jessie is huge on historical allegories and connections to the past. I think that Jessie is using the Lincoln County War down in New Mexico and the Johnson County War up in Wyoming as possible templates for the Amazonian issues, then the political issues are based on Shays' Rebellion and/or the Whiskey Rebellion of the 1780s and 1790s.

It's dirty, it's underhanded, and it's all perfectly legal in the eyes of the court...until they get caught. Which may be what Lisa is about to find out.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Give that reader a Cigar!

wolfjess7's picture

Congratulations efin! You spotted four of the six historical easter eggs. I will give you one hint for the other two. They both revolve around one the Old West's greatest blood feuds in the Colorado and Nevada territories. Think hard as it involves the Rail Roads.

May the peace and happiness of the Goddess keep and protect you
as always your humble outlaw
Jessie Wolf

I think I figured out one of The Easter eggs

The Royal gorge war of Colorado featuring bat Masterson wink wink nudge nudge
I can’t figure out anything about the Nevada feud though unless it’s the Nevada railroad war of 1903

Given the sheriffs are openly

Given the sheriffs are openly allowing clandestine illegal activities it might be the Placer County Railroad War...some of the legal action in favor of of the railroad involved is similar to the weasley ways

The funny thing about all of the railroad wars? The Union Pacific Railroad is tied to all of them. Thanks to mergers, buyouts, and bankruptcy acquisitions they have taken over most of the companies that were involved in those wars even if the company itself wasn't operating anywhere near the area during the era.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Hmmm

Sammi's picture

The Union Pacific Railroad, sound like the Amazons of the railroads.
It leads to the question of- Those mergers, buyouts, and bankruptcy acquisitions were any due to underhanded practices.


"REMEMBER, No matter where you go, There you are."

Sammi xxx

Nothing nefarious, just

Nothing nefarious, just business. They have survived a long time due to expanding a lot over 150 years and having deep pockets during the heyday of western railroad expansion in the 1800s. The 20th century mergers and acquisitions were mostly done to acquire shorter, easier routings, newer locomotives, and additional contracts that the failing railroads couldn't maintain any longer.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Or Lisa

Sammi's picture

Might be going to find that out, after the trip to Hades, which if memory serves is the new home of the 2nd gen DD training facilities, and of course the Knights of the Ida Ten.

“Of all your children Maiha, James is the most like yourself. He is just as much a military genius and tactician as you. He is still young this is true. I would give you even odds that he has already spotted the weaknesses surrounding that base. The question is will he have the time to correct the situation.”


"REMEMBER, No matter where you go, There you are."

Sammi xxx

That's the point. It's

That's the point. It's already been 'caught', and this isn't a democracy. It's a constitutional monarchy, with the powers being tilted in the direction of the Imperial Throne, rather than the full aristocracy. That's why I'm baffled. It's been listed that there's a problem, where it's coming from, she's the monarch, and the people involved have already performed actions putting them as enemies of the Throne. Jess hadn't shown Maiha as an idiot before, so why now?

As I said - those potential actions haven't even been mentioned, let alone given reasons why they won't work. Instead, it's like Maiha has taken stupid pills. :)


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Comment Hope I'm Right

I don't believe Jess is showing Mahia as an idiot. The way it was explained during the original series was the Mahia wanted the people to have more input in the government and Mahia to have less. The way I see it is it would be similar to the way England is governed as the queen doesn't have very much power, all the power is with the PM and Parliment. The PM and Parliment would be the ones to declair war on someone. Sure there may be a few things not right about having mercs putting people off their land by any means possible but she did explain it that it was within the law. This is still a story of fiction unless Jess has seen the future.

Known Amazon troops attack

Known Amazon troops attack Imperial military assets on an Imperial Military booked vessel, and then attack Imperial Military troops. That's a casus belli, at least in that system, and would require no parliamentary intervention. I have grave doubts that Maiha would ever give up the right to control troops and respond to aggression.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

You missed a huge plot twist

You missed a huge plot twist about the Singapore: it was carrying weapons. The ship was attacked to prevent the weapons from reaching the planet, not because of empyrial forces being onboard. Just because they were passengers does not mean they were the target. Their deaths are meaningless, the destruction or capture of the weapons not so much.

The actual attack on the base itself would be that, but it hasn't happened yet. The attack against the base is the catalyst to get empyrial forces involved in the fight but with the way things are going in the story depending on who actually attacks it could be what is needed to force the Amazons out into the open and show their true intentions for all to see or force the public to see just how nasty the high families really are and how little they care about people "beneath them".

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

I didn't miss it - that's

I didn't miss it - that's part of the point. They attacked a Imperial transport carrying Imperial troops, Imperial weapons, and Imperial research. (edit - any other cargo is immaterial) When an Imperial fighter left the ship and flew against them, that was their choice point. If they'd broken off the fight right then and surrendered, or at least fled, then that would have been one thing. Instead, they _actively continued the fight_. That meant that they knew what they were attacking, and didn't care. Casus Belli. I wasn't even including the later flight with additional Imperial forces that they carried on.

Think of it as being like a Somali vessel attacking a US flagged vessel. That's bad enough, but it wouldn't get governments involved heavily. Now, if that US flagged vessel was carrying US naval personnel, including a gunship (helicopter), that's another. Continuing to attack would mean that they _know_ that it's a US military presence, and they don't care. That gets missiles fired against their parent country - even if they aren't technically under the 'authority' of the country. It's happened several times. "Keep control of your people, or we'll hold you responsible for their actions." Libya got this in the teeth at least once.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

It's not an empyrial vessel

It's not an empyrial vessel though. It was a civilian vessel, one that they were attacking due to the smuggling. You are thinking that just because they are on the vessel it's an empyrial vessel, it isn't. It's no different than military personnel flying on Delta or United between posts, the military paid for their tickets but other than their occupation they are treated as any other passengers. It's not what you are thinking it is, this is more like a carjacking and hijacking and given how things have been going on it might fall into the hands of the planetary defense force or the mercenary groups hired to protect the vessels rather than the military- in fact that's actually what Ryuk alluded to happening already.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

An Imperial flagged vessel

An Imperial flagged vessel _is_ an imperial vessel. If you attacked a ship flying a British flag, for example, the British went after you like gangbusters. Civilian or not, they had no authority to attack the vessel. Even if you claim that they had the 'right' to attack in a system under Imperial control, they lost that right when the vessel in question was defended by Imperial fighter(s). That would be like the US using a jet strike against pirates, and you claim that the pirates still have the right to continue attacking the vessel they're trying to hijack.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Ii give up, you missed the

Ii give up, you missed the entire meaning of my point and are trying to push what you think instead of reading

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Flagged carriers (freight and/or passenger)

U.S. Flagged carriers (freight and/or passenger) are RESERVE U.S. military transports. In return they enjoy U.S. protection and more so when military personel are present.

In this story they knew what and who was aboard. They could have demanded a confiscation of the smuggled weapons. Instead they attacked, TWICE.

Sorry but

wolfjess7's picture

jkoc, you are one of my more loyal followers. Normally you would be considered right on this matter. The problem that you are not seeing is that not all ships or planes are U.S. Flag Carriers yet are registered to the U.S. Contrary to belief not all cargo or passenger ships/planes Reserve transports. That is why there are only a select few carriers that our military will reimburse our troops for traveling on these select few carriers. Even then there some of these carriers that they can only travel in civilian clothing. Oh and by the way, this is not the U.S. this is a work of fiction where in we have Human Empire.

May the peace and happiness of the Goddess keep and protect you
as always your humble outlaw
Jessie Wolf

The Amazon long game

Left unsaid in Ryuk's assessment of the Amazon long game is the destruction of the Empire and the enslavement/ genocide of humanity- one or two planetary systems at a time. Unfortunately for the Amazons, they never learned the lessons about attempting to take over the world taught in Pinkie And The Brain...

Maiha is going to do her damnedest to ensure that the ensuing war isn't a three way war of attrition that drains the Empyrial Forces. Until it comes to outright war with the Amazon Collective, I believe she will, through Lisa Styles and others, bend neutrality much in the way FDR bent neutrality with Germany before Pearl Harbor.

The problem in coming up with a fighter craft that can perform at Tessa's level is an interesting one. If her capabilities can be measured- or at least projected- one would want a craft that could withstand fatigue at 120% of her capabilities. The engines and weaponry must be able to dissipate the heat generated by her performance levels as well. That will take a lot of materials analysis and engineering including a lot of modeling and simulation. Perhaps as interim- albeit expensive solution- a single use fighter craft could be designed. One designed to handle her capabilities for a single sortie before being scrapped. Tessa would be able to fight at peak performance, return to base and get another craft for the next fight.

As always WolfJess, another great chapter with lots of detail and nuance.

Thanks.

I have always

felt the confederate side was in the wrong. Trying to uphold the status quo that included slavery was morally bankrupt

The problem was that the

The problem was that the Constitution stated straight out that all states would honor the status quo. The Northern states decided that the Constitution didn't apply to them - and they've never been held accountable for breaking it. That's completely ignoring the rest of the economic warfare going on between the North and South. (or more specifically, by the North on the South)

If you want to discuss morally bankrupt, you need to look at Sherman, and his starving non-combatants, women, children, slaves, and everyone else in his goal to make the South surrender. The southern armies limited themselves to military and governmental targets. (A gross summary, of course. There were atrocities on both sides, as there are in all wars)

I consider slavery to be an abysmally stupid idea, and it would have died on its own within another 20 years as mechanization replaced the need for large groups of people year-round on plantations and large farms. That doesn't excuse the Northern states and their greed.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

That wasn't the problem

The Northern states didn't do anything illegal or unconstitutional to cause the Southern states to secede. The states that seceded were on the wrong side of an election result that imperiled the expansion of slavery into new territories. From 1852 until the election of Lincoln the Presidency and Congress was controlled by the Democratic Party; with the Republican sweep, the Southern Democrats lost the power to create new slave states.

As far as issues of slavery are concerned, per Article I Section 9, the importation of slaves could not be prohibited until 1808. Congress in 1807 enacted a law prohibiting importation in 1807 to take effect on January 1, 1808; more than a few Southern congressmen voted for it because at the time there was a slave population of about 4 million people in the United States.

In the matter of admitting states as slave or free goes, Article IV Section 3 gives Congress authority over the legal affairs of territories and the forming and joining of states, so it was within Congressional power to decide, in consultation with the territories, whether or not new states were to allow slavery.

The Federal government did nothing illegal or unconstitutional to foment secession by the states that seceded from the Union and fomented the Civil War. The Republicans hadn't even taken control of the government when secession began. Lincoln was elected President in November of 1860 and in the elections for the 35th Congress, the Republicans took control of the House and Senate. The Democrats lost control of the Presidency for the first time since 1852 and they lost control of the House and Senate. Even though Lincoln wasn't inaugurated until March 4, 1861, South Carolina seceded from the Union on December 20, 1860- three and a half months before the inauguration- with the rest of what became the Confederacy following suit; Texas was the last state to secede on February 20, 1861.

Demographic trends and the availability of natural resources that supported industrialization were against the South and the Southern politicians knew it. The North was growing economically and in population. The gains meant that ongoing census based reapportionment of the House would favor the North and that Presidential elections would trend that way as well. The Northern states had stronger industrial economies and would want trade and tariff policies that favored industry over agriculture. The likelihood of new slave states being admitted was nil since in the West, California and Utah had become free states and New Mexico was a free territory. Since the Southern economy was largely based on slave labor in agriculture, the future didn't look good. Once the Southern states lost the ability to control the country, they wanted out. They couldn't face a future in which slavery wasn't a viable institution so they characterized themselves as defenders of their rights to own (human) property fighting against a government that wanted to unjustly take away their (human) chattel.

Read the articles of secession of the Southern states. They aare defenses of slavery; nothing more.

it's actually pretty simple.

it's actually pretty simple.

United States Constitution. Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3. This was repeatedly violated by many northern states, who actively aided and abetted the Underground Railroad.

Whether or not you think Slavery is good, bad, or indifferent doesn't matter. The point is that the Northern states agreed to the same things that the other states did. Respect the Constitution and respect other state's sovereignty within their borders. Instead, they decided that anti-slavery was more important than the Constitution itself.

As for the rest - the North repeatedly blocked the purchase of industrial infrastructure, because then the south could process their own agricultural bulk goods into the higher profit finished goods for direct trade with England (and other countries). The largest example, of course, is cotton. Raw cotton was shipped to the northeast, where it was processed (including the dyes that the South couldn't make) into cloth, and then resold on to England/France, and back to the South.

The war wasn't over slavery. The _war_ was a war over the Northern industrialists and powermongers wanting to continue having control over the Southern states. The secession was over Constitutional violations. Read the actual documents sent from the various states to Congress.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

Read the secession documents

Your excuses for secession don't hold up. If slavery wasn't the issue, why was it overtly mentioned in many of the secession declarations. That and the South didn't like Lincoln.

The underground railroad was just that, an underground network of INDIVIDUALS who were abolitionist and helped escaped slaves. The underground railroad was not an instrument of any state government. Did you ever hear of the Fugitive Slave Act? Escaped slaves who were caught were supposed to be brought before a court and then sent back; in the last iteration of the Act, accused couldn't testify that they were, in fact free blacks, and not slaves. I say supposed to be brought before a court because in many cases, blacks were captured, free or escaped slave, and just abducted and taken to their supposed owners.

The North didn't block the sale of any infrastructure to the South, businessmen didn't want to sell their technology to businesses that would compete with slave labor. You know who blocked the export of their technology? Great Britain- one of the many causes of the American Revolution. As far as the sale of manufactured goods to England, Great Britain SUPPORTED the Confederacy. Before and during the Civil War they were purchasing raw cotton for their mills; they didn't want finished American goods- they wanted raw materials.

Revisionist excuses don't stand up to historical fact and the WORDS of the secession ordinances make it clear that the Southern states were seceding over slavery.

Dropping off thread. If

Dropping off thread. If "Guest Reader" wants to try to justify violating the Constitution as well as wholesale slaughter on the part of the Northern states and Federal Government, he or she can send me a PM while _not_ hiding. I'm going to stop answering to people that hide themselves.


I'll get a life when it's proven and substantiated to be better than what I'm currently experiencing.

You say there is a violation

You say there is a violation yet you have yet to show it. Seriously, what was it because the only violation that could even come close was one that the states had to enforce due to federal law: the fugitive slave act. And even then, it was refused in places because of the rampant abuse that freemen were facing as they were kidnapped by racists trying to get rid of "problems" and using any means to get rid of law abiding citizens even if they were not in any way slaves let alone runaways.

You have made a lot of proclamations yet you have not backed it up one bit by actual facts. You claim one thing, but Guest Reader brought the biggest guns in the form of the exact complaints in the articles of secession which you have not even attempted to refute with your own facts. You are either unaware of the facts or choose to selectively choose what you want to believe and ignoring what isn't convenient to yourself. Frankly, I believe it's the latter as Guest Reader's claims could be easily refuted by reading the actual versions written online.

And yes, you are hiding. You have resorted to complaining about others when you have no supporting evidence.

I'm told STFU more times in a day than most people get told in a lifetime

Liquid form running down hill

Jamie Lee's picture

Amazon is following the law in the courts but skirting it in forcing legal landowners off their land by using the mercs. It the law says the landowners have "x" amount of days to respond if notes are called in, and the banks aren't abiding by that provision, then the banks are in fact breaking the law.

What hasn'T been made clear is why this planet, why the banks are hot and heavy to get their hands on this particular planet in a rush. It's already been said Amazon wants every human to be gene selected, thus gene programmed, but that only happens from the beginning of life. How do they expect to control those of unfettered human gene stock? Economically? Physically? Or outright slaughter to rid themselves of what they consider a problem?

Amazon has not looked very far down the road with their gene interference. They don't realize that at some point their program will fall in on it self do to stagnation, the repetitive use of the same old method will eventually produce no new innovations. People will be genetically programmed to do one thing and one thing only, and it won't be thinking outside the box.

Right now two major events are taking place: Terresa is trying to find a frame that can exceed the stresses she will put it through in flight. And have the fire power to kick ass. The other is the secret arming of those the banks are after. That Emily is pissed is a side leg of Terresa's story, giving rise to a showdown like the gunfight at the OK corral.

Maia knows her hands are tied unless, and until, it's proven the banks are breaking the law. But because the law sides more with the banks, neither she nor the landowners can openly prepare for the fight many know is coming.

When the brown liquid slowing flowing down the hill finally reaches the drop off, all hell will break loose. It is at that time Terresa better have the ride she needs and someone better have evidence that the banks have done more than stepped over the line.

Others have feelings too.