Morning Warfare

[Mieri]

"Mr. Radiman? Your seven thirty is here."
"Send her in, Charles."
Henry Radiman rose as the young woman entered his office smiling politely at, Charles,
his aide as he closed the door. She was dressed in a long black dress that showed her ample
figure well. Even figuring for the high heels she wore, Radiman was struck once more by how
tall she was. Her hand shake was firm and cool and her easy smile did little to hide the
calculation behind her eyes. "Ms. Fecat, it's been to long. Won't you sit down? Can I have
Charles bring you something?"
"Mr. President, it's an honor to see you again. And I'm fine, thank you."
"My name is Henry. And this early I'll be needing some coffee. It's Blue Mountain,
from Earth. Are you sure you won't have some?"
"Mieri. And how can I refuse such an offer?"
As Radiman stood and crossed to the silver cafe' service he asked, "Cream? Sugar?"
"Yes please."
Henry was aware of her cat-like eyes on his back as he selected the china from a
cabinet and poured carefully. He was thankful that the rumours of Optiflexes having the
ability to smell fear and lies were just that. She bore enough feline resemblence as it was.
"I trust your journey from West Athen was pleasant and uneventful?"
"Simplicity itself. Just a quick jump through the grid. I find it's too crowded around
the Boom Tubes for effective travel. Too many people trying to sell things."
"I beg your pardon? 'Boom Tube?'"
"Sorry. My pet name for the Particle Transport Conduit. I never cared for their more
popular name."
"The Whampa? Ah yes, that does have a somewhat less than dignified air to it, doesn't it?
Here you are." From the corner of his eyes, Henry watched Mieri watch him cross back behind his
desk and sit from over her cup. <i>It's probably a subconscience reflex,</i> thought the Council
President as he took a cautious sip of his coffee and met her disturbingly unblinking gaze. Henry
couldn't help but discretely sweep her form for concealed weapons. Nothing about her curves appeared
unnatural. "So, Ms. Fecat, what can I do for you this morning?"
"Queens bishop takes Kings Bishop pawn, check," she said, not taking her eyes from his.
"You play chess?"
"I believe it was Von Clauswitz who called chess war's little brother."
Radiman found himself unable to meet her endlessly open eyes, so he stood and took his coffee
to the chess board he'd set up for his games with Chairman Ross. As he took in the posiblities of
the move she offered he said as casually as he could, "Von Clauswitz also felt that war was just
a natural extension of diplomacy. That's a rather extreme view don't you think?"
"What is diplomacy except getting what one wants from someone else? Weither it is of
the touchy feely version where everyone leaves the table thinking they've won, or the more
direct version where one player doesn't leave the table, the end is the same. Some one gets
what they want. Someone doesn't."
"By taking the Kings Bishop pawn, you endanger the Queens Bishop to attack by the Kings
Knight."
"Some times some pieces must be sacrificed for the greater goal to be achieved, Mr. President.
And now the Queens bishop pawn can capture the Kings Knight."
Radiman removed the pieces and survayed what that did to the board. "And whom gets to
choose who gets to be sacrificed and whom is spared, Ms. Fecat?"
"That's the beauty of chess, Mr. President. The pieces on the board are so oblidging and
offer themselves up as ordered."
"But we're not talking about chess, are we Ms. Fecat? I've had your grid usages pulled for the
past month. You've spent quite a bit of time in Omni Entertainment. Anything interesting playing?"
"I've seen <i>Cats</i> three times. I'm a sucker for a good love story."
"Queens bishop pawn takes Kings Rook pawn. And your clans overtures to the Hellfire Legion were
less than entertaining?"
"Some stories have happy endings, some don't. It all depends on what the playwright has in
store. Kings rook takes Queens bishop pawn."
"You represent the Freedom Fighters. You espouce open conflict, but you don't align your
clan with Portman and Red Freedom. Castle to Queens Rook."
"Portman is in jail and Red Freedom are a group of children playing an adults game. Queen takes
Kings Rook."
Henry considered the veiled conversation they were having as he complied with her move. He fought
the urge to turn and look at her, knowing he would find her staring at him. Like a giant cat sizing up
a mouse. She was playing with him and he knew it. "So you're looking for a group of adults to play
with, Mieri? Whom did you have in mind? Queen takes queen, check."
"I'm just here to do my part. We both want the same thing, to live free. We just have
different views on how that should occur. You can't keep the Council of Truth your own private club,
Henry. The other clans won't have it and without the backing of the other clans under at the least
your titular leadership, neither Ross nor the ICC will take you seriously. And that will put a damper
on your ability to buy such splendid coffee. Kings Rook takes Queen, check."
"I'm glad you can enjoy my hospitality. But that doesn't change the fact that you advocate
a war we cannot win for a goal that without diplomacy we cannot achieve. King to B3."
"What I know is that the clans are not happy with your disreguarding their advice for armed
resistence to Omni-Tek and they're becoming <i>very</i> upset that you and Chairman Ross are becoming
so friendly. There are nasty rumors floating about, and nasty people acting on them. Charles seems
to have made a full recovery though, for which I'm glad to see."
"I've already thanked you for your information on that reguard. Although I would not have
thought that a self professed adventurer would become such an information broker. It's still your
move."
"Life is a journey of small and large surprises. Call it a talent. Being able to see things
for what they are and what they look like. Your granddaughter running guns certainly doesn't look
good. If it were to become public knoweledge that you considered putting a hit on her..."
"I did no such thing!" shouted Radiman. After a moment to collect himself he continued.
"I am never ceased to be amazed by your ability to discover hiden things, Ms. Fecat, but in this your
source is mistaken. I did not order anyone to "hit" as you say, Eleena Oak."
"Now, Henry, no one can be perfect all the time. But even you can admit how, now what's the
word I want? <i>Incriminating</i> that it! How incriminating that would look in a 40 pica headline
across the <i>Voice of Freedom</i>? Or worse, the <i>Times</i>? Kings Bishop to D5, check"
Henry sighed, feeling more than a little traped as he took in the marching pieces on the
chess board before him. "What is it <i>exactly</i> that you want from me, Mieri?"
"I want an annoucement that the Council of Truth will be admitting at least the larger clans
to the Council, with complete voting powers. Before the New Year is getting old, Henry."
"And how do you define larger clans, Mieri? Queens pawn takes Kings Bishop."
"However you would like them defined, Henry. It's your Council after all. Just as long as
the Freedom Fighters are on it. Kings bishop pawn to E7."
"Ah, the truth of things comes out. Are you trying to destroy everything I've worked so hard
to build on the Council, Ms. Fecat? Do you know what the consiquences of putting 20 or 30 new voices
on the Council will do to it's unity?"
"I know what not doing it will do, Henry. You and the Council are two steps away from being
tossed aside in this war. And if you can't maintain at least the symbolance of control over the Clans
then Chairman Ross has no reason to take you seriously. And if that happens, you might as well count
on everything that you've built here being destroyed. Is that what you want, Henry?"
Henry sighed for a moment, then turned to face her. As he'd expected, her eyes were exactly on
the nape of his neck, though they rose to meet his gaze, the slightest of a smile tugging at the corner
of her lips. "Of course not. And what I don't want is the Council to have a quick padding of hawks
derailing the peace process I've started. Queens knight takes kings knight pawn. Check."
"And I'm not advocating that. There is always a process to any Bureaucracy, you know that, Henry.
Let the system keep the hawks caged. How many of them really understand things like Roberts Rules of
Order? And after the first few meetings, how many will come back?"
"Exactly how does that affect the changes you keep saying are so neccessary?"
"By showing to the other clans this isn't a one man show. Some will recruit to get enough
people to qualify by what ever limits you place. The trouble makers will either stop showing or be
so busy trying to build a consensious they won't be underminding your policy. Either way, all the
clans feel like they're a part of the solution, wheither they are or not. And you keep buying this
excellent coffee."
A chuckle escaped Henry as he considered the logic of her arguement. "You have given me quite
a bit to think about, Mieri. So, tell me, what is your next move?"
The optiflex stood and carefully placed her cup on his desk. "I really should be going. I
wouldn't want to take up your whole day on my theories of government and ancient history philosophy."
"And what of my chess precidiment?"
"Goodness, Henry, it's your game. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Tell me how it ends, won't
you? Have a good morning."
And with a blown kiss, she breased from the office leaving a dumbfounded Radiman. The roar of his
laughter filled the office for some time after she was gone...

[Hejiro]

Wow! That's really good prose. I don't know who the "cat woman" is, but she sounds like a pretty neat chess player