The countess leaned forward and poured wine into Elinor's glass and then filled her own, "I'm sorry, but that doesn't begin to answer my question."
Elinor nodded, "When ye practice keeping secrets, it makes it hard to be direct." She sipped the wine. "Have ye ever heard of Heimdall?"
The countess shook her head.
"Do ye know of Loki?"
The countess nodded, "I've heard of some atrocities that the Lyran Government had done to its own people. That was several years ago, and I was told that Loki was a national security or law enforcement agency that was known for being overly aggressive. I was also told that as House Davion and House Steiner were being united that their excesses would be reigned in."
Elinor nodded, "Loki tends to get 'reigned in' from time, but they are a nasty lot, and somethin' that my nation would be better served to be rid of."
Kelly poured himself more whiskey, "The truth of Loki is that they are neither law enforcement nor do they do much for national security. Generally speaking, they are a tool of the government to silence opponents, punish dissidents, and keep anyone else too scared to step out o' line."
The countess set her wine glass down, "They sound like terrorists"
"Oh I think ye have the right of it, and I'm sure you remember a few years back when Alessandro Steiner used them to try and murder Katrina Steiner." Elinor added.
The countess nodded, "I recall that incident. I cringed as I thought that's not what free societies look like."
"Nay, it is not" Kelly agreed, "but that is where Heimdall comes in. We watch Loki and prevent their atrocities."
"So Loki is not reigned in?" The countess said.
"Oh they are, but mostly by us." Elinor said, "Though I'll confess it's a bit of a long game. The highest leadership in Heimdall believes the best way to marginalize Loki is to starve them. Loki is a government agency, and government agencies that appear ineffective or inefficient will eventually be underfunded. So we use methods to try and look like they are just incompetent, or prone to inexplicable bad luck."
"That makes sense," Anastasia said, "When I was at NAIS the different R&D programs would get increasingly desperate and acrimonious toward each other when it came to budget reviews. One time a member of Team Banzai used a prototype hatchetman to "accidentally" cut into another program's experimental myomer system." As Anastasia spoke she made a hatchet chopping motions with her hand.
The countess signaled for Anastasia to stop. "This 'long game' approach implies your leadership is influential politicians or council members that control budgets. Do they use your operations as an excuse to deny Loki's budget requests?"
Elinor gave a slight shrug, "I could never say. Much of what we do to sabotage Loki is done through dispersed cells, often we're told to go to a place and do a simple thing."
"What sort of 'simple things'?"
"Oh ye'd be surprised, replacing explosives with inert training materials at a military depot. Or exchanging the toxic chemicals they were going to use on a cities water supply with some salt and sugar." Kelly said.
Elinor nodded, "One of the more inspired things I heard was a Heimdall cell located a Loki safe house and called Child Protective Services and reported that they were abusin' children and added they had seen the family brandishing weapons. The social worker showed up with police. The more the operatives tried to keep them out, the more belligerent the social worker became. Once the police got in and did a thorough search of the premises they found no children, but half a dozen desperate men with enough firepower to take down a mech lance. I don't need to tell you how embarrassing and difficult that was to explain."
"There was also that time when the Archon was visitin' Drosendorf." Kelly said, "Before her speech there was an accident and several hundred pigs got released on the highway an hour. It took another six hours to round up all the little piggys runnin' amok up and I've heard tell that there was a high paid marksmen assassin that found himself stuck in that traffic."
"Amok, amok, amok" Anastasia said as she poured wine into her glass and the bottle glugged.
The countess took a sip of her wine, gave her daughter a sideways glance, and thought for a moment, "So you protect the Archon and defend the freedoms of the commonwealth with petty acts of vandalism, theft, and taking advantage of social conventions, and hoping that is sufficient to mitigate the effectiveness of a determined government agency, or expecting them to be under funded due to incompetence? This doesn't exactly explain why you have swords under a ball gown."
"As ye say there are some 'determined' members of Loki, some that don't accept a simple act of vandalism or let social conventions stop them from hurting people or threatening the Archon." Elinor's voice became hard as she said, "They require a significantly more hands-on and usually permanent intervention on our part, sometimes we have to grievously wound them, or worse."
Kelly sipped his whiskey, "In addition to ensuring Loki has some of the worst luck in the business Heimdall has done some audacious things to neutralize or, to be clear, execute some of their worst members. Between that the general improbable work of usin' well planned 'vandalism, theft and social conventions' it's given Heimdall near mythical status. About the time someone starts to think that Loki just had a brush of bad luck suddenly they find a capable assassin killed with his own weapons, or a cell of their agents just mysteriously disappears."
"Honestly if not for what I saw tonight, I would be skeptical of your claims. Though I must confess I know little of the intelligence community aside what is said in the papers, and what periodically comes my way in an intelligence report, but that is rare.
"Mother only gets intelligence when MIIO or DMI think Kurita might consider a deep raid, or when there are reports that the Outworld Alliance have managed to stop rioting and found a star map that has Hazelhurst on it." Anastasia said before finishing her wine.
"Are you drunk?" Hap asked
"Clearly, but she's not wrong either." The countess said. Anastasia reached for the port bottle but the Countess grabbed it first. "So how does the 'mech company fit into all this?" The Anastasia gave the countess an annoyed look as she emptied the wine bottle into her own glass.
"Oh, that's the funny thing about Heimdall, your day job may not have anything about what they need from you. Usually when they need somethin' of me, it's because I have this dropship that can pick up people and take them where they need to go. It's this hellraiser" Kelly nodded toward Elinor, "that is probably more what you're thinking of when it comes to your idea of a spy or operative."
"There are a few other members of the company that help me, including Tatyana." Elinor said, "Travelin' with a mercenary company allows us to move freely. We have some family on Donegal so periodically I take a few members when I visit home, sometimes we do a little work along the way."
"It sounds like Heimdall is chartered to protect the Lyran Commonwealth from her own domestic threats and protect the Archon. However, it also sounds like Heimdall has unparalleled expertise in stopping other intelligence or counterintelligence organizations and their operations."
"Aye." Kelly answered as he poured more whiskey into his glass.
"It would seem my daughter has ran afoul of ROM, and they seem dedicated to having her murdered. I have personal wealth, the resources of a planet, and political capital within the Federated Suns, how can I hire the services of you and your Heimdall associates to stop this, or at the least stop this?"
"Aye, while I'm a mercenary, Heimdall's a little more…ideological as it were and they…well they don't stray too far from that ideology. Now I have tried to use Heimdall's reputation to see if that would be sufficient to make ComStar, uh, reconsider…Ye should also understand ComStar is big. We can hide your daughter, but compelling ComStar to give up, that's hard. Ultimately yer daughter may be safer at NAIS."
"My lady," Elinor said, "while Heimdall has very specific aims, part of being a good Heimdall member is the maintenance of our skills and arms. We can reach out to a few other cells and see if they can assist us. I think I have a lead on who is directing this mischief against you and yer family."
"And what would I owe you for this?"
"Again most of the members are ideological and wouldn't taint the virtue of our cause by taken' money, but we, McFinnigan and Son's, have been personally insulted and threatened, and so that makes things a little more compelling to us, and we have other friends. I'll see who will help, but Kelly is right, eventually if ComStar wants to kill her there maybe little we can do."
The countess nodded, "I understand. You show Anastasia and me great kindness, thank you."
"Heimdall may also ask a 'kindness' of you someday. It may be in the realm of what ye offered in terms of money, resources or political capital, or it may jest be simply going to a place and doing a thing." Elinor said. "Also we're fond of yer daughter, and we do consider every member of the company as family, If you'll pardon the familiarity, she's like a daughter to us."
The countess smiled, "Thank you again."
Anastasia picked up the empty port bottle and frowned. She spied a glass cabinet with a few bottles across the room. She nudged Hap with her shoulder, "Would you go check that cabinet for wine."
Kelly looked over his shoulder, "Oh I think you might find something dry and red in that cabinet."
Anastasia pressed herself into Hap and whispered, "I would thank you for the great kindness of getting me more wine."
Hap started to get up as the Countess put her hand on his shoulder, "I think she's had enough wine."
"Don't let her push you around just because she's a countess." Anastasia told him as she pushed on Hap to get up again.
"She's also your mother." Hap said.
"Yes, and after tomorrow I'll be your wife, so you should listen to me." Anastasia said as she tried again to push him off the couch.
"I can stop your marriage from happening." The Countess asserted.
"I've heard forbidden passion is the most exciting." Anastasia said to Hap.
"Alright, that's enough." The countess gracefully stood up, and reached for Anastasia, "Anastasia, it is time we retire." The countess pulled Anastasia to her feet. "Commander, Elinor, thank you again for everything. This evening was not what I had expected, but I appreciate everything you've done for us."
The countess started to leave, but Anastasia paused, "I think I'd prefer to stay with Harold."
"It is the evening before your wedding, and his friends have likely planned a Bachelor party." The countess said. "And you need to be sober and rested for the wedding."
"Mother, his friends are the mechwarriors, and they're not really planners nor are they patient. If they did plan any sort of party for him they likely started it already." Anastasia said.
"Aye, the lads do tend be an impulsive and impatient lot." Kelly chuckled
Elinor looked at Anastasia, "Yer a feisty little thing when ye've been your cups."
Kelly laughed, "Oh ye should have seen her during her interview."
"You were drunk when you interviewed for the company?" The countess asked Anastasia
"The interview was actually a card game and Commander McFinnigan insisted we drink. He said it was part of how he got to know us."
"Aye, I like to see how my new hires handle themselves, their liquor and how well they can bluff." Kelly explained, "It may seem a little strange, but a bit o' druken gamblin' can tell you how people act when they're ahead, or when they're disadvantaged and cornered. It may not be combat, but it's still telling."
The countess nodded, "I won't question your methods Commander. Anastasia has mentioned that you have many eclectic managerial approaches. She wasn't sure of the efficiency of how you run your company, but she did speak highly of the results."
Kelly bowed, "Thank you, my lady."
"So I already know how she handles her drink," The countess gave Anastasia a critical look, "And how well did she bluff?"
"Well, my lady, yer lovely daughter uses a different strategy than most. She doesn't bluff persee, but tends to calculate her likelihood of winning, and uses that knowledge to her advantage. I dare say it was more effective than you may imagine."
"No, that sounds like her father. I suspect it was effective until you figured out what she was doing."
Kelly laughed, "even knowin' what she was doin' it was still effective."
"I think I heard something about that evening." Elinor said, then gave her husband a suspicious look.
"What have ye-" Kelly looked confused for a moment and he remembered the night, "Oh aye." Kelly clapped his hands, "Alright, My lady, as ye said, it's a big day tomorrow what with the Weddin' and all. Hauptman Hap- er-uh Calahad, perhaps I can help ye find yer mates, and see about that party-"
The countess looked from Elinor back to Kelly. "Commander, you generally revel in telling stories, I'm surprised that you are quick to change the subject on this matter."
"Oh there is usually a reason when Kelly Christian McFinnigan doesn't want to indulge friends and family in his God given silver tongue gift of tellin' fanciful tales of daring exploits and amusing anecdotes." Elinor said, "and that reason is usually because he's tryin to keep me from findin' the truth."
"Well it was several months back, and I, uh, as the lass said, we had been drinkin'." Kelly looked at both Hap and Anastasia, "I believe I also retired before the game had ended."
Hap nodded, "I do remember the commander saying he needed to attend church the next morning."
"He calls his ramshackle makeshift pub of a galley a church." Elinor snapped.
Anastasia nodded, "I recall that too, but I would also like to add I was quite drunk. I don't remember much, but I feel that is an important fact."
The countess looked hard at Anastasia, then to Hap. "So it sounds like you're the only one who should be able to remember clearly what happened. Perhaps you should enlighten us Harold."
"And don't try to leave out the part about the wager with the ladies undergarments."
"You were gambling with your undergarments." The countess looked shocked as she turned to Kelly, "Commander! You had my daughter playing strip poker!"
"My lady, now, no. See, it was never meant to be, and I tried-"
"Oh ye tried." Elinor clucked.
"Je'ann, ma'am, It wasn't like that, My lady." Hap said, "Anastasia removed her bra under her coveralls. She maintained her modesty at all time, I assure you. It wasn't as-".
"tawdry" Anastasia interjected.
"As it sounds." Hap finished.
"I should hope not." The countess looked slightly relieved, "Why was it necessary to use your bra as a wager in game of chance?"
"First, it was one round. Second, I had a hand that couldn't be beaten, so it was not a game of chance. Third, I had a call sign that I absolutely loathed and wanted desperately to be rid of, and I had to raise the stakes to get a certain someone to wager that he would stop calling me 'Princess'."
The countess looked unimpressed, but nodded, "I knew of your dislike for being called 'princess', but I never considered the lengths you'd go to in order to have your peers give you a different moniker. Have they given you a new call sign now?"
"They tend to refer to me as "Professor", which I know I tend to be an insufferable know-it-all so I feel I at least earned that name, and it better suits me."
"Very good." The countess said in a tone that implied she was still unhappy, "Anastasia, I'm disappointed, do better. Harold, I'm charging you not to let anything remotely like this happen again, ensure she protects her modesty and the name of our family. I'll not have my daughter doing things that would make the cover of some tabloid."
"I'm not certain that I can stop Anastasia from much, but I will try my lady." Hap said.
"See to it." The countess reiterated. "Now, with Elinor's permission I'd prefer to speak no more of this."
Elinor smiled, "Oh yes, my lady, we needn't speak of it anymore, but Kelly and I will have some words later."
"Let this be a lesson to ye lad, there are two women ye can never really deceive. Yer wife, and her mother." Kelly moaned.
"As the saying goes Commander, truer words have never been spoken." The countess said.