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The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/KamchatkasRevenge on 2025-10-13 21:19:08+00:00.

Jerry

The chambers of the Council of Matriarchs are quite a bit like the Council of Patriarchs back on Coburnia’s Rest in design and construction. Just bigger. A lot bigger - a full-on amphitheater with two galleries.

The first is for non-voting members of the council, who can watch, and have their own speaker to raise issues on their behalf ‘on the floor’; the second is a space for guests, from foreign dignitaries to visitors like school groups observing Cannidor governance at work, and is surrounded with an axiom shield that lets those within listen, but not speak.

The second gallery is where the bulk of the Undaunted personnel present are today. Diana is leading the intelligence side of the mission from orbit; she’s in no condition for field work. Besides, she has Clarke Sterling, Jake Forsythe and Michael Hawthorne for that, and thanks to concealed cameras she can see just as well as they can. The rest of the Undaunted delegation includes officers, bodyguards, and, of course, the actual diplomats who will take over the hard part after Jerry wins them a few planets.

The separation from his team is fine. Jerry has other ways to communicate with his support staff, and Jaruna, Nezbet and Vera are serving as his escorts so as to not offend some of the more traditionalist… or more pointedly, gravidist, khans who might take exception to an unaccompanied man in the chambers of power.

Never mind that Jerry has every legal right to be here, even as a khan of a ‘mere’ nomadic warrior clan.

While the day hadn’t been full-on excruciating, it had been a long one. Cannidor debates are rather interesting: a lot like a military career in many ways. Long hours of boredom and procedure punctuated by moments of intense violence as a vote comes down to a duel, or some other grievance is quickly and brutally dealt with in the Cannidor fashion.

Credit where it’s due, though. The occasional brawl does quite a bit to liven up the discussion of tax reforms in the colony worlds.

The Council also takes fairly frequent breaks of a reasonable duration, with Jerry and some of the Undaunted diplomats getting a chance to linger and chat with some of the councilors… leading to Jerry being underestimated seven times, and matronized twice, with one woman threatening to adopt him till she got a proper look at the evil eye he’d been giving her.

That had changed her tune.

Granted, her new tune is trying to get him to come meet some of her daughters and nieces, but it beats the alternative.

This is where Clarke and Jake really earn their keep. One is constantly by Jerry’s side, acting as an attendant and bodyguard: both proof of the Undaunted’s claims about Humans at least being half male, because how else would a man be in such a role? And a minor distraction. Both men had settled on a full on English butler routine they’d learned somewhere and have been making the best of it.

While the one’s at Jerry’s side, the other roams… and, at all times, both men have been spreading rumors and dropping casual little hints. All sorts of things, just for fun and flavor, with one important one: the upcoming Undaunted war game with the Charocan.

It‘s a marvelous little bit of social engineering that the whole Undaunted party and their allies, Khan Charocan herself included, have contributed to, and by the mid-day meal a decent amount of the dignitaries present are discussing the war game like a major sporting event. It even had sporting event stakes, thanks to Babydoll casually setting up a few galaxy net betting pages via an online gambling business that Admiral Cistern had bought a majority share in.

When outright asked what he thinks his own odds are, unprompted, by another Khan, Jerry was certain the bait had been properly laid. He’s feeling pretty good as they’re summoned back to the chambers to resume for the afternoon, per the usual schedule.

This particular council meeting is a bit different than business as usual, though. Namely, the Golden Khan was in attendance, fulfilling a role normally ceremonially handled for her by a functionary. And it isn’t just her; also present are a number of senior khans who normally send representatives, chief among them Charocan and Kopekin.

Jerry figures most folks know that these important people are all waiting for one very specific subject.

After a few topics come and go, the Golden Khan at last opens the floor to new business… and Komugai, Jaruna’s mother, stands and walks to the center of the amphitheater cum dueling pit. She offers the Golden Khan a salute with a sharp rap of her knuckles against her breast plate as she stands tall and proud before the assembled political and military might of the Cannidor Confederation of Khannates.

“Golden Khan. I have business for the council.”

“Speak then, Komugai of Karchara, for you are known among us.”

“In the name of alliance with a powerful new military and clan, I wish to cede one of my systems to them, that they may come to live among us, and be of us. The Undaunted. The Humans. Clan Bridger. These are mighty allies to all of our kind. Honored recently with a triumph by your own hand for their mighty victory over the foul creature known as the Hag. Let this be a further reward to them, that Cannidor and Human might grow together and become stronger. We were both born of death worlds, and have the evolutionary scars to prove it. We dominated our worlds, shaped them as we will… and made it to space on the strength of our wills alone. Few can claim this singular honor. It is only right and just that the conquerors of such challenges come together!”

The last sentence is directed more to the room than the Golden Khan, and a response of chunks of armor banging together echoes across the room in a cacophony of metal. It’s a strong show of support. Stronger than Jerry had been hoping for, in point of fact.

The Golden Khan waits patiently for the noise to die down before speaking.

“Khan Karchara, we find your proposal intriguing and we know well the services of the Undaunted and Khan Bridger. To have them among us would be a boon for both our kinds. Do any then challenge the ceding of these worlds to Humanity and the Undaunted that we may both grow stronger?”

Jerry lets a half breath out. This is it. This is where the challenge would come in if there is one and- Sure enough, a Cannidor woman Jerry doesn’t even slightly recognize stands up. As the woman casually walks down the stairs Diana’s voice comes over the comm net.

“Alright, people, look sharp. We’ve got a live one here. Khan Halgret Murakana is a suspected Black Khans’ associate. A full-on sponsor, if not a member herself. She has a domain of around a half dozen star systems and twenty planets and planetoids on the far side of Cannidor Corporate Space. Her territory has wild rumors of all kinds of nonsense going on in it. Mostly unsubstantiated, mind you, but CanSec definitely has her on their shit list.”

Jerry resists responding, even via text or sub vocalization. He needs to stay entirely in the zone.

“My Golden Khan, I must object to this outrageous plan of Khan Karchara’s!”

The Golden Khan arches an eyebrow and gestures with the war hammer she was using as a badge of office.

“We recognize you, Khan Halgret. Air your grievance.”

“Simply put, the Humans and Undaunted cannot be said to make us stronger when they do not practice our ways. They just make one of our systems weaker for their presence.”

Komugai snarls. “So easily you forget the war the Undaunted just concluded on our behalf in space very near to our borders.”

Halgret snorts. “Good against pirates is one thing. Good against true warriors is another. If this is to pass then I demand a trial by combat, and not for the Cannidor the Humans have seduced. Human versus Cannidor! I believe Khan Charocan and her warriors are holding a match against some of the Undaunted in the near future. Let us make the stakes of the match Komugai’s star system that she clearly doesn’t care for.”

Khan Charocan stands up from her chair to the right of the Golden Khan’s, executioner’s belt gleaming in the light.

“The Charocan accept these terms, if they suit the Undaunted and Khan Bridger.”

Jerry resists grinning. Right on script. Halgret had taken the bait, hook, line and sinker. Now to make her choke on it.

He stands and clicks his heels walking into thin air and joining the women at the bottom of the amphitheater.

“The Undaunted accept. Since I believe I have the right to name terms, I stipulate the Khans of each group must take the field. Victory will be decided on capture or the ‘death’ of the opposing leader. Further, I shall only bring Human soldiers as Khan Halgret has demanded… and my warriors will seize victory without using power armor.”

That gets some whispers going throughout the room. No power armor? How do the Humans intend to fight Cannidor shock troopers, from the Charocan of all clans, without power armor of their own? It’s too much for Khan Halgret, despite this being more or less what she wanted. Or so she’d thought.

“How dare you spit in our faces like this?”

Jerry ignores her, and walks over to Khan Charocan, giving the giant woman as firm a handshake as he can at their size difference, making sure everyone can hear them;

"I’m sorry my men won’t be able to face your warriors, Khan Charocan, but if Khan Halgret insists then I shall look forward to meeting her and her…

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