Main Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply"
Actions
Entire Work Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Hide Creator's Style Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Mature
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Fandoms:
幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil - Carlo Zen (Light Novels)Classic Battletech (Tabletop RPG)幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil (Anime)
Characters:
Hanse DavionVictor Steiner-DavionKai Allard-LiaoKatherineTanya von Degurechaff
Additional Tags:
Federated CommonwealthMelissa Steiner - FreeformCrossoverMechwarrior - FreeformUlric Kerensky - Freeform
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2025-01-17Updated:2026-05-04Words:522,061Chapters:96/?Comments:664Kudos:776Bookmarks:250Hits:67,705
A Young Woman's Defense of the Inner Sphere
Failninjaninja
Summary:
Tanya reincarnated into the BattleTech universe just in time to face the Clans! At least this time she gets to be tall...
Notes:
Special thank you to MARch_Of_Time for proofreading! Their knowledge of BattleTech is pretty much zilch, so any BT references misspelled is all on me!
Chapter 1
Chapter Text
Prologue
JumpShip Dire Wolf, Assault Orbit, Engadin VII
Radstadt Province, Free Rasalhague Republic
November 4th 3050
Ulric Kerensky, Khan of Clan Wolf, was not pleased with the state of the conflict with the Inner Sphere. He and the other Wardens within the Clans did not believe that this invasion was the correct course of action. However, after losing the Trial of Refusal, he decided that the best course of action was to win the race to Terra.
Unfortunately, an early failure had led him to be overly cautious. Despite that failure not being repeated since, he had slowed his assault to ensure victory. Had he known that one planet had been a fluke, the planet of Rasalhague would have been taken in the third wave instead of the fourth. Now, instead of leading from the front as he had initially hoped, he found himself on an even keel with the other Clans.
All that would change now that the fifth wave was about to commence. With the unique insights of Phelan Kell, he had a clearer understanding of the defenses the Inner Sphere could muster. Radstadt, Kandis, New Oslo, and another fifteen worlds were targeted to fall in a massive push that would put Clan Wolf unquestionably ahead of the other Clans. Eighteen worlds in a single wave was certain to draw the ire of the ilKhan.
Leo Showers will try to slow us, but nothing will stop our march.
Chapter 1
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
February 8th 3039
"I don't like it," Hanse Davion remarked to his wife.
Melissa Steiner, his wife and co-ruler of what everyone was now calling the Federated Commonwealth, stroked his cheek. "I'm sure it's just a phase. She's a curious thing."
They were conversing about their six-year-old daughter, who had decided to immerse herself in the culture of the Draconis Combine, their hated enemies. Bilingual in English and German, she was picking up Japanese at an even more absurd rate than she learned everything else. Their little prodigy was a source of pride, but her latest focus of attention bothered Hanse, especially as he was about to go to war with the Draconis Combine.
"We keep our children shielded from the media as best we can, but word always leaks. I'll have half the Draconis March enraged at the thought of Princess Katherine adopting Combine ways."
Melissa shook her head. "Hanse, she's not doing anything. She's learning the language, trying some of their food, and maybe wearing an occasional garment. It's nothing."
"Justin says she's conducting deep searches and asking her MIIO guards to look into an ancient form of picture books called 'manga.' When we were on Tharkad, she even asked the same of an undercover LIC agent, and Allard is still giving his counterpart grief over it."
Melissa laughed. "I'm sure it was a coincidence. What would you have us do? Forbid her from pursuing something she finds fascinating? She hasn't let any of her other studies slip. She's already surpassed Victor in her education."
Hanse sighed. "I would prefer she focus on the customs of our family, not those of our enemies. I don't want to stifle her curiosity about foreign ideas, but I'll insist she limit it to learning, not praxis."
His wife poked him in the chest. "I won't argue, but you'll have to be the one to talk to her."
The ruler of the most powerful nation-state in the galaxy made a face.
"Don't even try it! You're the one who takes issue with it, so you can resolve it."
He made a conscious effort to scrape together personal time for the children, but his days were so filled to the brim that he often felt as if he were speaking to strangers. He knew his wife had a closer relationship, and he could argue that it would come across better from her… but a wise strategist knew when it was best to retreat.
With a groan, he kissed her and headed for Katherine's rooms.
The guards at the door, as well as the ones in the hall, merely nodded as he passed. He had no desire for pomp and formalities in his daily life. He knocked on his daughter's door, and she answered it.
"Come in."
As Hanse entered, she put down her datapad. Her features were a mixture of his and Melissa's. Her golden blond hair framed a face that appeared deceptively adorable, and her blue eyes had already been admired by media outlets. They shimmered with an intellect that was difficult to fathom.
Her precocious nature had not revealed itself at first. Up until she was around three years old, they had been concerned. She would wail and cry seemingly at random times, have spurts of remarkable developmental progress, and then weeks of just staring at nothing. Naturally, they had the best medical doctors, neuroscientists, and child psychologists examine her. The New Avalon Institute of Science had the very best in the medical field, but despite numerous scans, they could not determine the cause of her strangeness.
And then it just stopped. No more crying, ever. Her progress in motor skills and language was no longer sporadic, but a continuous ramping up of her abilities. By four, she was perfectly proficient in English and German, and soon, she was reading at an adult level. It was breathtaking to witness.
It was decided to advance her schooling, but not beyond her brother, who was two years older and quite bright himself. Promisingly, young Victor began to improve his own already stellar academic performance.
"What can I do for you?" Katherine asked.
"I wanted to check in on you and talk about some of your recent interests."
She nodded. "I am doing quite well." She smiled, but it lacked warmth. It was the same type of smile Hanse himself used when speaking to members of the media. "I am also learning fascinating things about the Draconis Combine and its early history."
Hanse frowned. "That is my concern."
"Naturally, as you are quite busy running the Federated Commonwealth, you rarely check in on my interests. When you approached, you seemed on guard, so I put two and two together, and it became clear. I say this to preempt any awkwardness in addressing your concerns."
He sighed. "Katherine, I'm sorry for not having time…"
She held up a dainty hand. "Father, this was not an attempt to use guilt in a bid for your time. I understand the importance of your role."
The real problem Hanse had was that he didn't know how to talk to his own daughter. Victor and Peter were easy to talk to, and of course, Arthur, his fourth child, was too young to talk. She spoke like an overly formal adult at times. It was more than a little strange.
Well, if she wishes for a more formal and adult dialogue, let's try that.
"I'm glad you understand, but even if I cannot change the circumstance, my apology is still sincere. An apology is not always an admission of mistake or a suggestion that a change of course is needed. However, a change of course may be necessary regarding your interests."
She gave him a small smile and a nod. "Apology accepted. What must change?"
"Your interest in the Draconis Combine is unseemly. They are our enemies. They killed your uncle and remain a grave threat to our nation."
She shook her head. "The Draconis Combine is currently our enemy; its people need not be. Nor is their culture hegemonic or exclusive to the Combine. The roots of the Kurita family are based on the Japanese of Terra. Those same cultural touchpoints exist within the Federated Commonwealth," she gestured with her hand. "Exeter VII, for example, has a strong Japanese minority, and one can order typical foods that you would find in the Combine."
Hanse knew that during one of the early invasions of the First Successor War, when Kurita had plunged deep into the Federated Suns, they had left personnel and non-combatants on several worlds. He didn't care about ancestry and disliked blind discrimination based on ethnic heritage, but life was never that simple for a royal family.
"Yes, but you are my daughter, and the idea of you fawning over another culture instead of our own rich history will be used by my political enemies. Read as much as you like, but avoid speaking Japanese in public, and absolutely do not wear a kimono or prattle on about their insane bushido nonsense," Hanse commanded.
Katherine quirked an eyebrow. "Don't worry. If I fail a test, I promise I will not ask to commit seppuku."
Hanse blinked. Had she just made a joke? Katherine? He gave a small chuckle. "At least you understand how morbid and absurd their beliefs are."
She frowned. "Suicide is disgusting, but seeking an external way to cleanse shame from failure is not absurd. Father, I'm not some ninny who believes all cultural norms are equally beneficial, but there is value in it. Nonetheless, I will, of course, obey and avoid outward displays of fascination with the Combine culture."
Hanse smiled and then pulled her into a hug. She reciprocated, but to a lesser degree than most children would.
"Ah, my little genius, I knew you would understand why this is important."
"Of course, but when I do get older, I think we should consider developing further ties with our enemies over time. You and mother began the process of uniting the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns, and it was only possible because of shared values. By allowing cultural exchange and mutual understanding, you make long-term peace possible. And should we still desire to unite all the Successor States under one banner, good relations will make that more acceptable to the Combine population."
I must remember, she is intelligent and understands facts, but she does not yet have experience in the world. She has never felt the loss of a sibling to the snakes, never had to see a casualty report and recognize names, never witnessed innocent workers run through with a sword like...
He could feel his anger stir and he quashed it.
"When you are older, we can discuss it." Since he was there and had nothing pressing, he didn't leave right away. "What else have you been studying?"
"I am reading about past military campaigns. I especially enjoy ancient historical battles from Terra…"
Hanse, an accomplished warrior and MechWarrior pilot, listened and talked with his daughter for nearly an hour. Military history was an odd hobby for a six-year-old girl, but it made him wonder about her future. Would she follow in her grandmother's footsteps and become a MechWarrior?
She's far too young to start learning, but if I plant the seed now…
***
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
March 2nd 3039
Agent Patricia Ainsworth looked at her new charge as she ate expensive sushi. Patricia had been transferred due to some reshuffling in personnel to meet the requirements for the continuation of Operation FLUSH. The casualties had been heavy, and Ainsworth had already lost three good friends. Her move to serve as head of the protective detail for Princess Katherine Steiner-Davion felt like a demotion, even though it was a literal promotion. She wanted to be in the fight against ROM, not play babysitter.
Well, that isn't fair. The girl needs protection given her parents, but she hardly needs a babysitter.
Despite her tender age, Katherine was quite the capable child. She was respectful and cooperative, and had never caused a scene. She'd heard horror stories from her peers who had provided protective services for the children of political VIPs. One of the more humorous stories was now forever tainted, as the one who had told it was killed by a sniper's bullet seven months ago.
"Are you sure you don't wish to try any?"
"I'm on duty, Highness. Plus, you should eat up so you can grow big and strong."
Katherine muttered something to herself, and Ainsworth resumed scanning the diner. She had a driver with another agent outside, one guarding the back entrance, while a final agent had overwatch from half a mile away on the 30th floor of a hotel. The odds of ROM targeting the royal children were exceedingly unlikely, but they weren't the only threat.
Maskirovka is less effective than ComStar, but Liao is reckless and cruel enough to want to hurt Prince Hanse Davion by harming his children.
House Liao had been crippled by Hanse Davion, co-ruler of the so-called Federated Commonwealth, a name used by nearly everyone, though still technically unofficial. The two nations, each with hundreds of star systems under control, had come together via marriage. Justin Allard, now the head of MIIO, had been a double agent who had infiltrated Maskirovka and caused chaos for years, meaning Liao was still trying to recover and rebuild their intelligence and espionage organization. Regardless, Ainsworth was determined to provide the highest level of professionalism.
She tensed as someone walked in with their hands in their coat. Her hand was on her laser pistol, but the man was simply withdrawing some D-Bills to pay for his order. Ainsworth looked back at Katherine, who was using her chopsticks quite easily. The knife and fork next to her plate had gone unused for the sushi and the rice.
Few knew that the princess was at this diner. She wore a light disguise, which included a cap with her hair tucked underneath it. Her clothing was drab, and if anything gave away that she was a VIP, it was Ainsworth herself. They were in the heart of Avalon City, so that wasn't all that rare, given how many important nobles and military officers resided there.
A distant boom could be heard, and her communication device clicked on.
"Vehicular bomb triggered within a three-mile radius. Threat Assessment: Low. Your call, Grove."
Ainsworth sprang into action, grabbed Katherine firmly, and made for the back door.
"Arrow Protocol in effect, Overwatch; do you see anything worrisome?"
"No ma'am, all clear."
The car screeched as it braked suddenly, and the automatic door opened. Still holding Katherine in her arms, she dropped her inside and grabbed the door handle to close it. This wasn't the normal vehicle they drove; this one had reinforced ferrosteel, even better than some armored tanks. It could drive over an explosive device, and the occupants would be safe, though due to the potential for quick stops or heavy weapon strikes causing a crash, the seatbelt design was more harness-like.
She moved to secure the princess in her harness, but it was already done. Her sharp eyes noticed the knife next to Katherine. It was the same knife from the diner.
"Ice secure, move."
The car sped off and Ainsworth gestured toward the knife. "Why did you take that?"
A better question is how. I immediately grabbed her; when did she pocket it?
"When my bodyguard gets spooked and makes a run for the exit, it behooves me to arm myself in case of the worst," Katherine replied in the same unbothered tone she had when ordering her food.
"You should be careful; you could have hurt yourself when I picked you up suddenly. Please hand it over."
Katherine picked up the knife and rotated it to hand it over to Agent Ainsworth hilt first.
"As a weapon, it isn't all that useful and could be difficult to even cut with, given how dull it is. The purpose would be to strike into an assailant's eyes."
What is up with this kid?
She shook her head. "I know things like this can be scary, but you don't need to worry. I'll make sure any bad guys can't get you."
The princess let out a small sigh and opened her datapad and began reading.
I ought to distract her a bit so she doesn't dwell on this event.
"What are you reading?"
"I'm reviewing the performance specs of Mendham Electronics' latest targeting computers."
Ainsworth's brow furrowed and then a few things started to click together in her mind.
"We didn't start off on the right foot, did we?"
Katherine looked up. "Do not worry, your performance in your duties is adequate."
"Grove this is Bastion, all clear. No further hostilities, threat assessment reduced to Minimal."
"Confirmed, will be returning all the same."
She looked back at the princess.
"I apologize for interrupting your meal; however, it's better to be safe than sorry."
"Understood, I won't question a specialist. I can always have more delivered, but I do enjoy seeing the economy in action as opposed to just reviewing data."
"Is that part of your schooling?"
"Personal hobby."
"Personal hobby?" Ainsworth said with some dubiousness in her voice. It was one thing to be a genius intellect who could understand concepts that young adults thrice her age would find challenging in university schooling; it was another to enjoy reading up on them.
"Yes, the way markets operate is fascinating. Given the varied levels of curtailment of personal freedoms by the different Successor States, we can see the consequences. However, the core economic theory that was the foundation of economic thought begins to break down at the extremes, given the constraints of space travel. The concepts generally work, but given the inability of technology to challenge the vast asymmetry of information..." the princess trailed off, "regardless, theory is great, but experiencing something provides value that isn't always quantifiable."
Ainsworth understood most of that. She was a graduate of the New Avalon Institute of Science prior to joining the MIIO, or the Ministry of Information, Intelligence, and Operations to use its full name. She wasn't a graduate of the College of Finance, but the core curriculum included references to those subjects.
It wasn't a requirement for the protective detail to get along well with their charges. In fact, some preferred to maintain an arm's length distance, feeling they operated better that way. In other cases, the principal, like Prince Hanse, preferred an arm's length and limited interaction outside of professional duties.
"You were quick and sure with grabbing the knife, I didn't even see it. Have you had formal training?"
There was hesitation in Katherine's body language, and then she replied in a wry tone. "If you're asking if I've been certified for close combat with edged weapons, no.'"
"Well, we'll have to rectify that, and we'll get you certified in small arms as well."
Katherine cocked her head. "At my age?"
"Why not? Normally, this would be an issue, but you're not a normal child."
Katherine was still and silent for a few seconds and then nodded sharply.
"Yes, arrange it for me, please. I believe you already have my schedule."
Ainsworth congratulated herself; already her opinion on her given assignment was changing.
***
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
April 3rd 3039
Being X had screwed me once again; I just didn't know how yet. This life was simply too good to be true. Sure, I was once again in the body of a girl, but not an orphan this time; in fact, I was royalty! There was no hardship or deprivation. Why was I here? I had been certain some terrible fate or oblivion would be what I had to look forward to upon my death.
Dying had been unpleasant enough, and I had thought it but a prelude to what would occur next. Speaking of my death, it was a rather cruel irony.
I had no reason at all to fight so hard to protect the person I had been ordered to assassinate. The death of General Rudersdorf had been the entire purpose of me being with the convoy. It soured my stomach as I remembered how desperate I had been to make the defense look believable. The company I led had used our protective shells to literally body block the explosive formula and the shots fired at the plane. I had underestimated how many Albion elites had been part of the assault, and the wave of fire had torn apart my defenses. Had I been using my normal stratagems, I would have dodged. I should have dodged. But I didn't; instead, I let fear of my duplicitous mission being found out cause me to take a poor risk.
Occasionally I wonder if my heroics saved the very person I had been sent to kill. There was no way of knowing, as this was clearly a completely different world.
A universe where I was a princess in the lap of luxury. The daughter of Prince Hanse Davion and Archon Melissa Steiner. Only this time it was not an alternate universe where magic existed, but an alternative universe of science fiction, or possibly just my own universe from my first life, just far flung into the future.
My earliest years, I had little memory of; I suspect it was all in jumbles, from cramming two lifetimes of memories into a tiny, undeveloped brain. By three, everything I knew had returned to me, and I wondered greatly why Being X had stuck me here. The universe I lived in had advanced due to Faster-Than-Light technology, or FTL, that made use of jump drives to allow JumpShips to catapult from star system to star system.
The specifics of the technology and the Kearny-Fuchida Drive didn't make it possible to just zip around the Inner Sphere, as the locals called it, but it did make it possible for hundreds of star systems to be controlled by a ruling family. My family.
The history of this universe was fascinating. Nearly all of humanity had eventually gathered around the government known as the Star League, which had ruled for hundreds of years. As far as I could tell, the history of this universe was almost exactly like that of my first life. I was born in 3032, making it over 1,000 years in the future.
The Star League had formed in 2571, but by 2780 it had been broken apart, with various factions fighting to reunite it. Five Great Houses led the charge in what would be called the Succession Wars. Of course, the cultures, languages, and customs from Earth, now known as Terra, continued to exist, though with some significant blending and changes. Still, for a thousand years of history, they were quite recognizable!
The most recognizable one was my own Japanese heritage from my first life. It had found its home in the Draconis Combine, ruled by House Kurita. However, it was not like the modern Japanese culture I had come from; it was more... feudal. The Federated Suns, ruled by House Davion, was similar; instead of democracies, they too had a throwback to a more medieval period. Its culture was a mixture of English, French, and Spanish. The Lyran Commonwealth under House Steiner had a strong Germanic flavor, but like the Draconis Combine, that was due to the rulers at the top. It also had others, like Irish and Scottish cultural groups.
The Free Worlds League was literally a hodgepodge of a dozen different groups led by House Marik. The Capellan Confederation, under House Liao, had retained a Chinese-dominant culture. It really was fascinating; I wondered if the cultures remained as attached to their 20th-century counterparts as they were due to the relative lack of intermingling caused by being literally on separate planets without an easy way to travel. Just because JumpShips existed didn't mean the vast majority of the population ever traveled on one!
Unless you were in the military, were very wealthy, or worked in an industry that involved the transportation of goods off-world, you likely never left your home planet. The facilities to create JumpShips were extraordinarily rare, and there were never as many as nations and companies would prefer to have. That was the true bottleneck for the economies of the Inner Sphere. A JumpShip could traverse 30 light-years in an instant, but afterwards, it would take around seven days to recharge, depending on the type of star it had jumped to. Meanwhile, there were no space elevators; instead, DropShips were required to bring people and goods from the surface to the JumpShip or from the JumpShip to the surface.
The Five Successor States waged bloody warfare, but over time the political map would change. It was mostly due to my father, Hanse Davion, known as "The Fox" by friend and foe alike. As leader of the Federated Suns, he brokered an alliance with my grandmother and arranged a marriage between himself and her daughter, Melissa Steiner, my mother, thereby unifying two of the five Successor States. From then on, it was known as the Federated Commonwealth, even though technically that was not the official name, instead merely the proposed option for when the eventual merger of their realms took place. This would occur when my older brother, Victor, came of age and ruled both halves. Despite it lacking full legal authority, the two realms were already merging, with our own media services and even other nations already using Federated Commonwealth to describe the alliance.
Semantics aside, the Federated Commonwealth became the greatest economic and militarily powerful nation. Not that the union didn't have its detractors within it; many people still clung to the view that they were distinct nations. Especially the Lyrans on the Lyran Commonwealth side, which I think had much to do with the perception that Hanse Davion was at the helm. There was some truth to it, though my mother had put her foot down at times over certain decisions.
At the same time the two halves of the Federated Commonwealth had come together, the rest of the Successor States had become a bit more fractioned. The Draconis Combine had fought the Federated Commonwealth, and in the aftermath, a buffer state between the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine was created: the Free Rasalhague Republic. It was a stroke of political genius for House Kurita and had occurred when I was two years old. It allowed them to focus on the Federated Suns portion of their borders.
The Capellan Confederation has lost a tremendous number of worlds, with a full third of them either being conquered by the Federated Commonwealth or having broken away. The St. Ives Compact was formed when Candace Liao left the Capellan Confederation with her lover, who had been working as a deep undercover agent. Justin Allard was now the Intelligence Secretary and ran the spooks of the Federated Commonwealth. The St. Ives Compact was technically an independent nation, but a 17-system nation could not long survive if we didn't back its existence.
Perhaps the strangest thing about this new life was that warfare was conducted with BattleMechs, which were basically bipedal humanoid tanks ranging from 20 to 100 tons. They could only operate due to the fusion reactor within them that produced enormous amounts of electricity. The technology was fascinating, and since the reactor didn't release neutrons, the heart of a BattleMech doesn't become radioactive.
Weapon systems were mounted on these BattleMechs, or 'Mechs for shorthand. Lasers, missile systems, Particle Projector Cannons, and more were used for devastating effect. A battalion of BattleMechs was typically more than enough to crush any average sized Planetary Defense Force. Pound per pound they were better than any armored vehicle, and infantry were basically useless against them. Artillery could sometimes do the trick, but the BattleMechs had absurd levels of mobility for how heavy they were, and all those tons of armor allowed them to shrug off even swarms of missile strikes.
Of course, average does not mean all. Tanks could be massed into regiments themselves and they could pose a threat if you grouped enough of them together. In fact, our own military used combined force tactics rather effectively. While our Regimental Combat Teams, known as RCTs, had the core of their fighting strength in the typical mech regiment of 108 'Mechs, they also had versatile and powerful support units: three armored vehicle regiments, five regiments of infantry, two aerospace fighter wings, and a battalion of artillery.
Personally, if I were running the military, I would put a bigger emphasis on artillery. When properly deployed, they had been the true gods of the battlefield in my era during my second life. Technology had advanced, sometimes in rather odd ways, but given the specs of our Long Tom artillery pieces, I felt that our combat doctrines could use them more effectively. Given my age, I hadn't had an opportunity to affect change. But if I got the chance, I would take it.
My own father seemed to be steering me toward becoming a MechWarrior. I did not want to die fighting on the front lines; however, being a MechWarrior commanded much respect. In many ways, they were analogous to knights, and with the way the Inner Sphere had devolved, to varying degrees, away from free market ideals and democracies back into a form of quasi-feudalism, being a 'knight' had value.
Beyond just the desire to please my parents, as children should do, it was always better to have a skill and not need it, than not have the skill at all. This was doubly true for me personally, because the odds of Being X just allowing me to live my life out in peace were basically zero. Given my unique perspective on warfare, drawn from the rich history of my first life in which I had voraciously read, and my firsthand experience on a variety of fronts in my second life, I did feel qualified to make some adjustments to how we went about things. Sometimes it takes an outsider's perspective to find the optimal solution.
***
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
June 11th 3039
Victor Steiner-Davion, heir to the Federated Commonwealth, had been raised almost entirely on Tharkad. It was a cold planet, but he enjoyed playing in the ice and snow under the careful watch of men in suits. His father was often in the Federated Suns half of the Federated Commonwealth, but his mother spent a lot of time on Tharkad, so it wasn't so bad. His father was busy, especially now with having to fight against those snakes!
His mother was sad these days, and Victor was old enough to know why. His Oma, Katrina Steiner, the former Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth, was very sick with cancer. Victor was sad too, but he didn't like being sad, so he kept busy and tried not to think about it.
He liked it a lot when Katherine spent time with him on the planet. She was weird and tried to act like a grown-up, but girls were weird anyway. She was nice though and liked watching the videos of the fights on Solaris with him. Solaris was the Game World where MechWarriors would fight each other for honor, glory, and money. It was the best!
He knew he wouldn't ever get to fight there, but he would be a MechWarrior. His mother had told him he could start simulator training early, but only if he kept up with his academics. Which was easy, though when he learned Katherine was already pulling ahead of him, he demanded that he too do more advanced work. She was his younger sister; if she could do it, so could he.
"Look at that! Those missiles all hit on the right side of his 'Mech! See how he's turning to protect his internal structure? That's so smart, do you see?"
His sister gave him a stare. "I'm watching it with you. My datapad is even on the table over there."
"Yeah, yeah, but don't you think its great?"
"I do. I also like how he uses cover and retreats when his heat levels get too high. His 'Mech, the Orion, only has 10 heat sinks, so prolonged use of all weapon systems is detrimental."
Victor nodded excitingly. "Yeah! The Orion is a good one, but not as good as the Victor."
"You just like it because it matches your name, brother."
"No! Not true, it has the best weapon! And it can jump even though it is an Assault 'Mech!"
Katherine gave him another look. "The autocannon/20 is a fine weapon, but dependent on ammo and is short ranged. Also if it is damaged, it has comparatively very little offensive power in the rest of its kit. The Victor is a fine 'Mech but not the best."
"Name one better!" Victor challenged, defending the Victor.
"That depends on the role you wish for. In a direct one-on-one battle, the venerable Atlas will crush a Victor. However, for the same price as a Victor, you could purchase three Blackjacks and strip away a Victor's armor in minutes before it could close on any one of the Blackjacks. Spread them out in a way that forces the Victor to close on one, and its rear armor will get shredded," his sister replied.
"Yeah, but if any of them get too close, they are done for! With those jump jets the Victor can make himself a hard target for those autocannon/2s. When we're older I'll prove it to you in the simulators."
Victor was confident that his sister was wrong. The Victor was the best 'Mech and that was all there was to it.
Katherine chuckled, another weird thing. She laughed like an adult, instead of really laughing.
"If you say so, brother. I look forward to seeing how good you are after watching all these Solaris battles. No doubt, it will be fun."
***
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
October 20th 3039
The war against the Draconis Combine was progressing with far more difficulty than Hanse had anticipated. He admitted to himself that he had underestimated his enemy, but deep down, he sensed there were additional problems at play.
ComStar, they are doing what they did when I fought against Liao. Helping my enemies while they feign neutrality.
The conflict had started well; in little more than a month, he had captured 34 worlds of the Draconis Combine. He had been pleased not just with how his own Armed Forces of the Federated Suns had performed, but the AFFS was only one half of the equation. The military of the Lyran half of the Federated Commonwealth, his wife's realm, had proven effective as well. The Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces had pushed into the Combine with a fury that matched his own AFFS forces. The LCAF had succeeded in all their initial objectives handily.
Things began to take on a sour note when a Draconis Elite Strike Team (DEST) unit managed to infiltrate and severely wound General Nondi Steiner, killing several of her high-ranking subordinates. The unfortunate security failure threw the Lyran side of the conflict into disarray.
Then came the Kurita counterattack. Justin Allard, his right hand and head of the MIIO, had briefed him that the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine, the traditional and vicious, hidebound Takashi Kurita, was not the driving force behind the counterattack. Instead, it was his son, Theodore Kurita, the Gunji-no-Kanrei, who was responsible for the highly effective defense of the Combine.
The reprisal strikes on Federated Suns worlds have turned the public against the conflict.
He was the First Prince, the undisputed ruler, and in effect, the military dictator of his nation. However, he also knew that going against the will of the people for too long would have disastrous consequences for his reign, and for his children after him. Part of the reason he was on Tharkad was to speak with LCAF high command and to get some advice from his mother-in-law. While he was here, however, he would spend some time with Victor, Katherine, and Peter.
Victor was his normal, excited ball of energy when Hanse was around. Peter fed off of that as well, but at four, it wasn't as if he had much to contribute to any conversation. Katherine was well-mannered but borderline aloof.
"Father, the local news station is saying that Great-Aunt Nondi being so badly hurt is why we are losing. They say that she was the reason the first attacks went so well, that you and the AFFS were just following her lead, and that with her out of commission, we stand at the brink of disaster." Before Hanse could reply she continued. "Yet, at the same time, on New Avalon the media says it is Lyran incompetence that is dragging the war effort. Since I've not been given liberty to review intelligence on the conflict, I can only wonder if the true cause is lack of effective cooperation between the two halves of our realm. What are your thoughts?"
If MechWarrior training doesn't pan out for her, she could always become one of those circling sharks in the media.
"There's a grain of truth, but the situation is more complicated, Katherine," he replied.
His wife added in, "Katherine, your father has done nothing but meet with military leaders and discuss the war effort since he arrived; the last thing we need to do is discuss it now at our family dinner."
"But I want to hear about the battles," Victor pleaded.
"It is quite all right; we can change the subject. I have been meaning to ask both of you about how much autonomy I have with my name and image," Katherine replied.
"What do you mean?" Hanse asked, curious as to what his daughter was getting at.
"I am largely dependent on the largesse you provide. I have all my needs met, of course, but when I wish to spend Kroner or D-Bills on frivolous items, I feel a sort of guilt in doing so, especially during a war footing. However, I believe I can become sponsored by various corporations who could use my likeness for marketing their products in exchange for their products or simply for pay, which I can then use to purchase things."
Melissa frowned at her daughter. "If you would like something, we will just get it for you. The Federated Commonwealth is the wealthiest of nations."
"That may be true, but it would feel better if I was earning the money used to buy things."
Hanse knew deception when he saw it.
"We'll discuss it after dinner."
She nodded, and Victor tried to draw the conversation back toward the war with the Draconis Combine, but Melissa firmly put her foot down. After dinner, he reviewed the latest data that had come in via JumpShip. It matched what had been sent over by ComStar, but he always wished to double-check now. ComStar had a virtual monopoly on communication between the stars thanks to their iron-fisted control of the HPG-Network. He was convinced that their reversals were due to ComStar trickery. The Coordinator's son was forward-thinking and had proven capable, but the Federated Commonwealth had the numbers. They should not be having this much trouble.
The other way of communication was having reports and information come along with JumpShips. A final method was one of the most highly kept secrets in the Inner Sphere: the K-series transmitter, known as the "black box," and occasionally called a "fax machine," after the old tool from ancient Terra. It was nowhere near as instant as the HPG, taking days or weeks to travel the same distance as HPG transmissions. HPG transmissions were instant but could only travel so many light years, which required another HPG station to forward the message, and so on. At each step, ComStar knew exactly what was in those messages. The scientists and the NAIS were working hard to improve the black boxes, but for now, they would still be reliant on ComStar.
My enemy.
Turning away from work, he returned to his wife's side, and they summoned Katherine.
"All right, my little one," Melissa began, "tell me what you had in mind in more detail."
Katherine then explained a variety of ways her image could be marketed: toys for children, beverages, hair products, and clothing lines. She had an entire business plan all lined up, as well as ideas for oversight to ensure her likeness wasn't used in a way that would damage the family's image.
Melissa was nodding along and seemingly was already convinced, but Hanse wanted to push further.
"The truth now, Katherine, why do you want to do this? Why do you wish to obtain wealth independently? And why so many different ventures, what exactly do you wish to purchase?"
Katherine looked from him to her mother and then back to him.
"I dislike being dependent on others; I want to be able to have some control over my life. Being able to control how my likeness is used, with reasonable oversight, gives me a measure of control that I crave. The funds, which I believe will sum up to potentially millions of C-Bills, would be used to invest in well-run companies that will allow me to increase my capital."
"You want money in order to make more money?" Melissa asked.
"Yes. Money represents freedom. Perhaps I wish to donate a sum to a charity that I find valuable; I do not wish to have to beg for the state to provide it. Perhaps if I become a MechWarrior, I would like to purchase an upgraded targeting system for my issued 'Mech."
Hanse felt a smile come to his features.
So my talk did convince her. It is always difficult to read her, but that is good to hear.
"Katherine, we would never give you anything less than the best if you become a MechWarrior."
"Still, my point remains, and so long as suitable controls are in place, I don't understand why you would disallow me."
Hanse looked over to his wife. "Her birthday is coming up."
Melissa nodded. "Yes, it is, I think we can allow it, but I'd like final say on each of the ads and companies she works with."
"Happy early birthday, Katherine. In addition – when you get back to New Avalon, I'll give you a million D-Bills and have a graduate student at the NAIS work on setting up a portfolio for you."
A grin, almost predatory, appeared on her visage.
"Thank you so much! This is the best birthday gift I could have imagined; I love you both."
They hugged their daughter, and the moment of beautiful family tranquility was over. He had a war to salvage; it would likely be months before he would be able to have another family dinner, like the one they had enjoyed today.
Actions
↑ Top Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (18)
Kudos
NavisX, GamagrimMX, PHXFlyte, ninguem248, Lamalama23, Justapassionatebookworm, Loukane, MagnusD, Skaag, ETHobby, esperstrazza, GoblinThatMeat, bullpen, TerribleVices, Grendel12000, MarquessKhepri, Zetor_Khan, MightyShadow, CF_Azaka, LoveSnaibsel, 3Fallin, MasterXIX, Simpleminds, Ysmir1999, rondal_laquin, tekknotrain, Riverl, smeierkraft, RedRiverScholar, Lerchenlied, Cheshire_777, Folketime, Kravisoas, Chaos341, Dmitry, Elkaziel, allenismo, Deadbeat1050, lasalle1alpha, jng2058, Vat0nage, IntoTheIcySky, RandomFire0, Sif_K, MordredEmiya, IndifferentDreamer, Megaman1311, Claudius_47, Firefocus1410, NickNameNick, and 320 more users as well as 406 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Donate or Volunteer
Development
otwarchive v1.8.0.3
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTWMain Content
Archive of Our OwnArchive of Our OwnHi, TheBrimmedHat!PostLog Out
FandomsBrowseSearchAboutWork Search
tip: buffy gen teen AND "no archive warnings apply"
Actions
Entire Work ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Chapter Index Bookmark Mark for Later Comments Hide Creator's Style Share Download
Work Header
Rating:
Mature
Archive Warnings:
Graphic Depictions Of ViolenceMajor Character Death
Fandoms:
幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil - Carlo Zen (Light Novels)Classic Battletech (Tabletop RPG)幼女戦記 | Youjo Senki | Saga of Tanya the Evil (Anime)
Characters:
Hanse DavionVictor Steiner-DavionKai Allard-LiaoKatherineTanya von Degurechaff
Additional Tags:
Federated CommonwealthMelissa Steiner - FreeformCrossoverMechwarrior - FreeformUlric Kerensky - Freeform
Language:
English
Stats:
Published:2025-01-17Updated:2026-05-04Words:522,061Chapters:96/?Comments:664Kudos:776Bookmarks:250Hits:67,705
A Young Woman's Defense of the Inner Sphere
Failninjaninja
Chapter 2
Notes:
A BIG THANK YOU TO MARch_Of_Time who I am overworking. Be sure to thank the editor!!
Chapter Text
Chapter 2
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
January 11th 3040
The Federated Commonwealth had suffered a serious setback. We were, in essence, two realms, each purported to be an equal match for the Draconis Combine, yet the conflict had ground to a bloody draw. I was eager to get my hands on the actual combat data, to analyze the mistakes and uncover the truth beneath the headlines. But that was a distant hope. My parents, indulgent as they were, had their limits, and state secrets entrusted to a now seven-year-old were a line even I dared not cross. All these thoughts and more remained on my mind as the family gathered to mourn the death of my mother's mother.
I was extremely giddy with the leeway they had already given me. A million D-Bills? That was absurdly generous. The D-Bill – officially known as the Pound – fluctuated against the universal currency, the C-Bill, typically within 5-10% in either direction. There had been exceptions, of course, such as during the Fourth Succession War, when the D-Bill plummeted in value due to ComStar's Interdiction. Fortunately, the drop had been short-lived, stabilizing quickly once the war ended.
To put it in perspective, this was more money than a skilled middle-class worker would earn in a lifetime. It was just shy of the purchase price of a 'Mech – granted, only a 20-ton model – but still! The economy operated on a scale of trillions of C-Bills, as did the yearly budget, but for me, this was an incredible windfall. And the best part? I could earn even more through my gig work as a child actor.
I planned to kill two birds with one stone in that regard. My strategy was simple: invest in companies I intended to push marketing campaigns on later. The laws on insider trading were laughably lax, and if anything ever came of it, I could always plead childish ignorance. Not that I expected trouble. I had already made arrangements with Agent Ainsworth and Evelyn – a NAIS finance grad student – to create a fictitious identity for my equities trading. MIIO's fictitious identities held up under any scrutiny, and, of course, I had the added layer of being the child of the two rulers of the Federated Commonwealth. Few securities were as ironclad as that.
In a bizarre fashion, the market was illiquid and primitive compared to that of the 20th century. The bid-ask spread to buy shares could be enormous, and financial instruments lacked complexity. This made sense, given the significant lag in transmitting information and the absence of a true Inner Sphere-wide stock market. Most planets operated their own markets, catering exclusively to companies based on their world.
The funeral for my Oma was a somber affair. Victor was the one most impacted, as he spent nearly all his time on Tharkad, while I was shuttled between the two capitals. Typically, I traveled when other important individuals were on a Command Circuit of JumpShips as well, such as my father, mother, prominent Marshals, Generals, or high-ranking Ministers.
Command Circuits were becoming more commonly used, especially now that nearly half of the Inner Sphere was under the same banner. A Command Circuit was a series of JumpShips that were already charged and ready to jump. One JumpShip would enter a system, release its DropShip, and fire its thrust toward the awaiting second JumpShip. That JumpShip would immediately jump to the next system, where another fully charged JumpShip would be waiting. Instead of being stuck in a single system for seven days at a time, you could jump in and out of a system on the same day. The only time consumed was the travel time for the DropShip to move from JumpShip to JumpShip within the system.
JumpShips were the bottleneck for all economic and military movement. Having JumpShips used solely for a Command Circuit was horrifically inefficient and could delay factories from being productive for months if necessary components couldn't be shipped in. They couldn't be used arbitrarily and had to be planned in advance. Using them for military purposes, as my father had tried to do during the recent conflict, also wreaked havoc on the economy, likely contributing to some of the unrest and the push to end the hostilities.
If only more JumpShips could be produced, but alas, the few factories that build them don't fully understand the technology behind their construction. The NAIS has been researching it for decades to no avail.
As I spent more time around my siblings, their personalities and quirks started to become more apparent. Victor was eager to prove himself and fully engaged in everything he attempted. Half-measures were not his thing. Peter was less intense, but that might just be his age. He was likable enough, at least for a small child. Arthur was two, and Yvonne was still a baby, so neither of them had much of a personality yet.
With the signing of the Exeter Accords, I decided to push forward with another of my efforts: peace through rational dialogue. Ideally, even if I became a MechWarrior, there would be peace, prosperity, and no wasteful conflicts. To that end, I wanted to see if it was possible to befriend the future leaders of the Inner Sphere through extended communication.
Going in order from easiest to most difficult, the natural place to begin would be the St. Ives Compact. While unimportant on the larger geopolitical scale, they would also be the easiest due to the nature of their relationship with the Federated Commonwealth. The husband of their ruler is literally the head of MIIO for my father – joined at the hip would be putting it mildly.
Candace Liao had three children around my age. Kai Allard-Liao, heir to the St. Ives Compact, was around Victor's age, making him nine – an excellent age to begin corresponding via letters sent through the gulf of space. I've probably been in the same room with him when I was younger, too.
She also had twin daughters who were my age, Cassandra and Kuan-Yin. At that age, it may be too early, but it couldn't hurt to try. The next easiest realm would be the Free Rasalhague Republic. The young heir was Ragnar Magnusson; unfortunately, he was two years younger than me. Still, it wouldn't hurt to feel out the waters. There was tension between the Lyrans and the FRR, but not significant tension. While it had helped the Draconis Combine to have that buffer state in place, many Lyran worlds were quite happy not being on the Combine's doorstep and instead next to one of the weaker powers of the Inner Sphere.
After that, it got tricky. Marik was technically allied with Liao and the Draconis Combine, but theirs was a weak alliance, created only due to the fear of the union of the Federated Commonwealth. Isis Marik was also five, like Ragnar, so again, not much hope for intelligent correspondence, but the seeds could be sown for future ones now.
It was a toss-up for what was the more difficult challenge: House Liao or House Kurita. We had just fought a war with House Kurita, but it was well known that Romano Liao was a nutcase. She also had an intense hatred for her sister and House Davion. Getting her to agree to correspondence from the Fox's scion with her children was unlikely. Kurita could be even worse, given that we had literally just gone to war with them. And while my father had drummed up a sufficiently believable casus belli to appease the Federated Commonwealth citizenry, it was in fact a war of aggression against the Draconis Combine. They would have no reason to play nice with me.
I'd review my plan with my parents, marshal my arguments, and see if I could help kick off an era of much-needed stability!
***
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
February 27th 3040
Agent Ainsworth had been impressed by how quickly Katherine had taken to unarmed training. Her reflexes were incredibly sharp, and she was already able to execute quick strikes with power behind them. Well, relatively speaking, of course; no matter how well thrown, a punch from a seven-year-old was never going to be deadly.
She won't always be this young.
She had a bit of a harder time, but only in comparison, with the other sections of training in martial arts. Katherine's instincts were always to attack. Any sort of defense was only temporary for her to land a hit on an opponent's vital areas. The hand-to-hand training she was putting the princess through was a modified version of a MIIO field training, less extreme given her age. Parts of it combined traditional boxing, judo, and evasive techniques. Drills where she only had to put up a defense in the boxing section were clear irritants for her.
"Patricia, I'm never going to have the mass or strength to block shots by putting my arms up. I should focus on ducking or weaving instead."
"Highness, this is part of passing your certification in unarmed combat. If you wish to fail, that's not a problem – you are still young, after all."
The princess gave her a harsh glare. "You aren't slick, Agent Patricia. That was an obvious ploy to get me to shut up and get with the program."
"You dislike failure, and not demonstrating proficiency in the core underlying styles of combat would flunk you out of MIIO unarmed combat training."
Ainsworth was still figuring out what motivated the young princess, but some things did clearly seem to work, even if her ploy was transparent to the disturbingly perceptive royal. After they finished the training, it was time for a brief lunch, during which Katherine spent her time reading on her datapad.
"This is Bastion to Grove, checking in."
"All clear, Ice is heading to range in twenty. Has live weaponry been removed?"
"Nest has confirmed."
Despite the safety precautions at any live-fire training range, Ainsworth thought it best to add extra measures. Upon arrival at the empty range, she handed Katherine a low-powered training laser pistol. This could create enough heat for the computer sensor to pick up where the shots struck the target, but not enough to cause more than mild irritation to the skin.
The pistol's size was standard, though it appeared large in Katherine's hands. Ainsworth explained the safety instructions and demonstrated its functions. There was a safety to prevent accidental discharges, and she showed Katherine how to turn it off and on.
"I've set the target at the 7-meter mark. Go ahead and fire ten shots. You won't see where your hits strike until they appear on the HUD to your right."
Laser pistol in hand, Katherine oddly put her second hand up under her trigger hand.
Is the weapon too heavy for her?
She fired twice, paused, then fired eight more times. Ainsworth looked at the display.
What? Did she snow me over? Has someone else had her trained?
The first two shots were slightly off target, but the last eight were perfectly on the bullseye. Seven meters was a short distance, and any MIIO firearm-certified agent could do the same, but she was only seven!
I need to see for sure.
"Not terrible for your first time. That grip is odd, though – maybe that's why you missed twice. Let's see how you do at fifteen meters."
She saw Katherine tense a bit and felt a bit bad for her deceit.
The targets were pulled back and she told Katherine to begin.
Unbelievable.
Every shot hit dead center. There wasn't even a plausible lie she could say about that performance.
"Better, has someone already taken you to the range?"
"No one has," Katherine replied solemnly.
"All right, this range extends to 25 meters, so we'll see how you do at that distance. To make it more interesting, the target will move. You have twenty seconds to fire your ten shots."
"Understood."
Ainsworth struggled to keep her jaw from dropping. Nine out of ten perfect shots, with one narrowly missing the bullseye and hitting the inner ring. That was as score even field agents would be proud of at that range and with a moving target?
"Hmm, I expected at least some recoil, but there is absolutely none. Is this because it's a training pistol?"
"Huh? Oh, uh, no, it's a laser-based weapon. Lasers don't use propellant," Ainsworth answered, still trying to wrap her head around what she was seeing.
"Ah, that makes sense. I really should have realized that. That was foolish of me. I know how lasers work," Katherine said, clearly irritated with herself.
"Katherine, that shooting was nearly flawless. I'm impressed. You might even want to consider competitive shooting tournaments when you're older, if sporting events interest you."
"Hmm, no need for flattery. You're already my favorite by a large margin. I've also shared my positive thoughts on your professionalism and interpersonal skills with both Justin Allard and my parents."
Feeling both satisfied and disturbed, Ainsworth realized that even if no actual threat ever made an attempt on Katherine's life, this would still be the most interesting role she had ever played in the MIIO.
***
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
June 2nd 3040
Victor didn't often get the chance to play with other children – mostly just the offspring of various Dukes and other important figures. He found those kids annoying for the most part, always formal and nervous. So when the Kells came to visit Tharkad, he was genuinely excited; he knew a Kell wouldn't be boring.
The Kell Hounds were a mercenary unit and one of Victor's favorites. They weren't as large as Wolf's Dragoons, but they were far more loyal. The Kell Hounds didn't work for just anyone; they always fought on the side of the good guys. They had always worked nearly exclusively for House Steiner, and more recently also House Davion.
Morgan Kell was incredibly famous. His Archer 'Mech had battled the snakes and even pursued some of their greatest warriors deep into the Draconis Combine. He was also related somehow to Victor's family. Morgan's son was about Victor's age, and this was their first real chance to play together. With Katherine and Peter also staying on Tharkad for the next month, life was looking pretty great for Victor.
The first chance they got, Victor eagerly suggested a snowball fight. Katherine declined but promised to watch – though Victor noticed her datapad was already out. His weird sister carried that thing everywhere, always engrossed in whatever she was reading or doing. She sometimes even had it out while she was walking!
Phelan was game, and soon he and Victor were hurling chunks of snow and ice at each other with wild enthusiasm. Peter joined in as well, though his throws barely went a few feet. Still, he seemed to be having fun running around, getting pelted, and then flopping over into the snow. With the many layers of clothing he was bundled in, Peter's tumbles couldn't have hurt, even when he landed somewhere other than the snow.
Victor got hit with one in the face and then threw a snowball of his own back at Phelan. Mother said Phelan was younger, but he was already taller than Victor. The snowball didn't quite reach him as Victor had misjudged the distance. Phelan laughed. "A little short there, Victor."
Victor felt something switch inside of him.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I knew it! You're mad you haven't grown. The 'little prince' is such a proper name for you."
Victor had almost never been insulted like that before – maybe even never. The one other kid his age who was actually fun to play with was mocking him. The sting of it made his anger flare, and without thinking, he rushed at Phelan.
"You take it back, now!" Victor demanded.
"Or what?" Phelan smirked at him.
Victor threw a punch at Phelan, but the taller boy easily dodged it and shoved him into the snow. Victor came up sputtering, the cold biting at his face, and swung again. Phelan laughed, clearly enjoying himself, and moved to shove Victor once more. This time, however, Victor was ready. He grabbed Phelan's arm, intending to hurl him to the ground. But before he could, Phelan twisted his hands in some practiced motion, and suddenly it was Victor's arm that was seized. He hit the snow again, frustration and embarrassment mounting.
"You done, little prince?"
Victor fumbled through the snow, his fingers brushing against a small rock, which he swiftly threw at Phelan. The younger boy blocked the impact with his arm but cried out, surprised by the unexpected hardness of the snow. Victor closed the distance, tackling Phelan to the ground. He landed one solid punch before the larger boy managed to shift their positions, landing a couple of blows in return.
Victor heard someone shout, and before he could fully react, Phelan was off him. Through his watery eyes, he saw the boy attacking his sister! Struggling to rise, he noticed that the men and women in suits had swiftly stepped in – one helping him to his feet while others pulled them apart.
"You arschloch! Try to touch my sister again and I'll knock your head off!"
Phelan just laughed. "You just lost against me, save your words."
Victor felt awful, it was true, he had been losing badly to a younger kid. He wasn't going to lie. Further conversation was cut off as the LIC agents bustled him away.
"My apologies for not intervening earlier, Highness, we thought you two were just roughhousing."
"Its fine," Victor muttered, "not your fault."
"You don't look hurt badly, but you might get a blackeye."
"I said it's fine. Is my sister okay?"
"Yes, she's fine."
Good. His screwup hadn't caused anyone harm. He'd gladly accept that silver lining to his humiliation over the alternative any day.
***
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Commonwealth
June 2nd 3040
It was truly amusing how colloquial sayings from my first life were still around a thousand years later. The phrase 'boys will be boys' was something I heard the LIC agent say to another as they listened to Phelan insult Victor. I watched as the fight broke out, noticing little Peter standing nearby.
I sighed, thinking I'd better make sure he didn't get too close as it looked to get physical. I put my datapad down and moved forward and beckoned Peter to come over, but he just ran in the other direction.
Children.
I chased after and saw Phelan flip Victor over and land a well-struck punch. Always conscious of the dangers of things like childhood concussions, I moved in, grabbed Phelan's jacket, and pulled. He immediately spun, sending a backfist toward my head. I ducked and whirled around, putting my arms up, just like Agent Ainsworth had trained me to do.
Muscle memory kicked in, and I guess Kell thought it was a challenge as he sent another punch flying toward my face. I dipped under the blow and slipped to the side. Phelan matched my moves and snapped a front kick at my body. I blocked it, the impact dulled by the fact that a kid, no matter how skilled, was only nine, and I was wearing a thick jacket. Before it could go any further, Ainsworth and her LIC counterparts got between us.
Victor and Phelan continued gabbing at each other and I went back to my datapad.
"I thought you were going to get Peter?" Ainsworth asked, a strange mixed tenor to her typical voice.
"I was, but I saw the hit to Victor's face. Phelan knows how to throw a punch, and an early childhood concussion can lead to lifelong impacts."
Ainsworth looked a bit puzzled, "You think a punch could impact his mind?"
"Yes, of course. While the odds of a childhood brawl leading to any lasting damage are quite unlikely, my brother stands to inherit rulership over hundreds of billions of people. There's no sense in letting even a remote chance that a too-strong punch from someone with training could diminish his capacity in any way."
My bodyguard didn't look quite convinced but then said, "Well, you handled yourself well. I'm glad to see your training is paying off."
We went back inside and I was later brought to my mother and saw Morgan Kell and Phelan Kell waiting there. Morgan was in his 50s and wore the red and black uniform of the Kell Hounds. He carried an aura of strength that reminded me a bit of General Rudersdorf.
"Are you all right, Katherine?" Mother asked, though I'm sure she already received the report that I was completely fine.
"Yes, mother."
The elder Kell cleared his throat. "I'd like to apologize on behalf of my son, before he apologizes as well. Phelan ought to know better than trying to hit a girl, especially one younger than him. Not as an excuse, mind you, but as an explanation, I wanted to let you know that he spent many years growing up on Outreach."
My mother frowned. "How does that explain why your son thought he could try to give my seven-year-old daughter a beating?
"On Outreach, they let children tussle and fight with each other, and they don't segregate those fights by gender. Phelan was just raised differently, and when he saw her put up a guard, he didn't think there was anything wrong with a spar. He now knows better."
"I accept your apology, Colonel Kell. You and my grandfather were cousins, so we are kin. I could point to several times in your history where you and your Kell Hounds were responsible for me even being born." I told him.
Which was quite true, the Kell family had saved my grandfather, my grandmother, and my mother at various times from different threats.
Morgan bowed. "You know your family history. Thank you for your graciousness." He straightened and put his hand on Phelan's shoulder.
"I apologize, Princess Katherine. I realize it was inappropriate to attack you in that manner, and it will not happen again," he said solemnly. "Although…" Phelan's visage took on a mischievous glint. "If you did want to spar, I would be honored to face you in the circle."
"Morgan!" Melissa addressed Phelan's father.
Morgan chuckled. "No, we won't be having any sparring. Thank you for your time, Archon. We'll be heading out of system soon enough."
Melissa gave the older man a hug. "Be well, Morgan."
***
Avalon City, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
March 24th 3041
I liked my parents; they had learned well from the War of 3039. They realized that having two separate militaries was not ideal. To that end, they had created a High Command consisting of the top brass from both the AFFS and the LCAF, with an eye toward uniting both militaries. The new combined military would be called the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth, or simply the AFFC.
This had not gone over well on the Lyran side. In particular, the Duke of Porrima, one Ryan Steiner, had loudly denounced the move that would degrade the militaries of both nations. One memorable line that resonated with me was, "How can there be an Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth when a Federated Commonwealth does not yet exist?" The dragging of feet in forming the new nation was strange to me.
My parents believed that my brother Victor, with his claim to both the Steiner name and the Davion name, would be the best solution to quell the nationalists who did not want the realms merged. He would be the first-ever Archon-Prince. It was a decent enough plan, but with these things, I felt it was better just to pull the Band-Aid off. People would get over it already; almost everyone was already calling it the Federated Commonwealth, or FedCom, these days anyway.
One interesting trend I noticed was that my investments among companies always experienced much higher bumps for equity value in Lyran space than elsewhere, specifically any time I joined a marketing campaign with my likeness or with an ad that could be played via holovid. They seemed to love seeing my likeness in ads and responded with a significant increase in product purchases. This was an oddity – was it because I was female? The last two Archons had been women: my mother and grandmother. Did they associate me with the Archonship because I was a girl?
Either way, it told me where I needed to concentrate my marketing efforts. I'd already tripled my original investment just from company value appreciation and from salary for the commercials. I resolved that with the next big company I worked with, instead of a flat fee, I'd be looking at a tiny sliver of royalty for every future product sold. In the short term, it would bring in less revenue, but since I was only eight, in the long run, it would easily be more advantageous.
They weren't just combining the military, but also the intelligence and spy agencies – MIIO and LIC – into the Federated Commonwealth Intelligence Secretariat, or simply FCIS. Justin Allard would be heading up the new organization, another pain point for the Lyran nationalists. From their perspective, everything was being run by the Davion side of the partnership.
I would have liked to preempt problems that could lead to an ugly civil war, but my options were really limited. As it was, I felt stymied by the fact that my letter-writing attempts were rather lackluster. I wasn't even allowed to try with Liao or Kurita. I was ignored by Marik. I did see some success with the Allard-Liaos, but their father was regularly in the company of my father, so it didn't change anything at all. Still, I did correspond – just because we were already political allies didn't mean that tie couldn't be strengthened and become personal allies in the future. Ragnar of the Free Rasalhague Republic sent a reply, but it was bland and clearly written by a diplomat.
I had tried a few times to see if any form of magic or sign that my magical circuit still existed in this body could be found, but sadly, there wasn't even a hint of it being there. The only residual benefit of having been an Imperial Mage in terms of this body was that my mind was far quicker than in my first life. My soul and my biological mind interfaced together, and my instinctive reaction times, from being used to calculating and fighting in a fast-paced combat environment, had carried over. I wasn't superhuman or anything, but my reflexes and speed of thought were certainly in the 1% of the 1% of humanity.
While my parents were keeping me only two years ahead of the typical childhood education curriculum, I was already learning far more in topics that would not be addressed by said curriculum. Military history was a passion of mine, but I was also branching out into learning the ins and outs of the technology of this time. I had begun accessing academic papers from the College of Engineering and College of Chemistry at NAIS. Evelyn Durand had graduated and taken on an adjunct professorship, so gaining backdoor access was easy.
Not that I probably couldn't have just asked my MIIO minders, or even simply my father, but I liked to do things on my own. To that end, I'd also started sending a small amount of money to other accounts in false names that I had created. The Lyran Commonwealth had some planets that didn't report census data to Tharkad, meaning false identity paperwork with an origin from those planets had no cross-reference risk.
Things were progressing nicely on multiple fronts, which always made me nervous. I knew Being X had some sinister agenda. There was no way he had me reincarnated into a life as wonderful and interesting as this, without any strings attached. So I would wait, be watchful, and prepare.
Actions
↑ Top ← Previous Chapter Next Chapter → Bookmark Comments (3)
Kudos
NavisX, GamagrimMX, PHXFlyte, ninguem248, Lamalama23, Justapassionatebookworm, Loukane, MagnusD, Skaag, ETHobby, esperstrazza, GoblinThatMeat, bullpen, TerribleVices, Grendel12000, MarquessKhepri, Zetor_Khan, MightyShadow, CF_Azaka, LoveSnaibsel, 3Fallin, MasterXIX, Simpleminds, Ysmir1999, rondal_laquin, tekknotrain, Riverl, smeierkraft, RedRiverScholar, Lerchenlied, Cheshire_777, Folketime, Kravisoas, Chaos341, Dmitry, Elkaziel, allenismo, Deadbeat1050, lasalle1alpha, jng2058, Vat0nage, IntoTheIcySky, RandomFire0, Sif_K, MordredEmiya, IndifferentDreamer, Megaman1311, Claudius_47, Firefocus1410, NickNameNick, and 320 more users as well as 406 guests left kudos on this work!
Comments
Post Comment
Comment as TheBrimmedHat
Plain text with limited HTML ?
Comment
10000 characters left
Footer
Customize
Default
Low Vision Default
Reversi
Snow Blue
About the Archive
Site Map
Diversity Statement
Terms of Service
Content Policy
Privacy Policy
DMCA & TIDA Policies
Site Status
Contact Us
Policy Questions & Abuse Reports
Technical Support & Feedback
Donate or Volunteer
Development
otwarchive v1.8.0.3
Known Issues
GPL-2.0-or-later by the OTW