The Journal of Michael Bekker
by Ulquiorra9000
Entry 392: April 14, 3052
Journal, I had taken such comfort from the success of our invasion wave, how the Ghost Bear's claws tore through the worthy Draconis Combine between us and the coveted Terra. Gone are the initial days of the invasion, when ex-Khan Bourjon's foolishness had sabotaged our war machine. Only Clan Wolf has progressed further than my Clan toward Terra, and from my earlier entries, it is clear that I share the pride of my fellow warriors during this invasion wave. What could possibly stop us now?
High-level negotiations are what stopped us.
All of us were eager for a sixth invasion wave, and Candice, Thonn, Ursina, and I shared daydreams of which worlds we should attack next, what sort of warriors we would face, and how aggressively Star Colonel DelVillar would bid to get the 32nd Bears Assault Cluster on Kurita worlds. We went as far as bidding between ourselves for who would take the lead in such an attack, bidding away weapons on our 'Mechs or choosing to pilot smaller 'Mechs. Thonn usually won these bids, but Ursina taunted him more than once that he would surely be slain by DCMS soldiers if he piloted a Fire Moth armed with two ER small lasers, as was his last bid. Thonn is a fierce and capable warrior, as I have pointed out before, but he is clumsy and reckless in bidding. No dishonor against him, but I hope that he does not ever become an officer.
Indeed, we were in excellent spirits as of this morning, and I have never seen Ursina happier than this. She has lagged behind the rest of her Starmates in combat, and Star Captain Tseng certainly considers her the weakest link of our Trinary. As is the Ghost Bear way, we support our own and elevate the lowest warriors, but Thonn and Candace are determined to rise higher, spill more blood, face more enemies. Perhaps it will get them a higher rank. Perhaps it will get them an early grave. Candace is confident of the former, and I support her, of course, but that is not a guarantee of anything.
Now, back on topic. Word of an impending battle has trickled down from the top brass of each Clan, and now, the entire 32nd Assault Cluster is in a buzz over the news. Star Colonel DelVillar had explained the details to us in his usual quiet voice, but by now, I have long since learned to hear the anger, excitement, grief, or whatever emotion he was really feeling under that calm tone.
A proxy battle! For Terra! I could hardly believe it, and the whole room of warriors and officers babbled in mixed shock, anger, or glee until the Star Colonel finally raised his voice to a bear's roar to restore the quiet. It was around noon today; the Star Colonel had stood before a large screen in the conference room, and even though I had stood near the crowd's back, I was tall enough to see everything. And, of course, hear everything. Poor Ursina had to stand on her tip-toes the whole time to see the charts and maps on the screen.
ilKhan Ulric Kerensky had once again showed everyone his wily side. Those stravag Wolves are just as cunning and vicious in negotiations and the Grand Council as they are on the battlefield, so I hear, and this was no different. The ilKhan had met with Anastasius Focht of ComStar and bargained for a Trial of Possession for Terra itself, accelerating Operation REVIVAL to its climax. Of course, reaching Terra itself would take us weeks, and no Inner Sphere barbarian, ComStar or not, wanted such a massive battle to take place on humanity's homeworld! I sympathize with their view; there is much on Terra that would be obliterated in the Trial, including irreplaceable ancient ruins and natural ecosystems. Instead, we learned the name of the proxy world for Terra where we would fight ComStar's army.
Tukayyid.
I knew the name, based on tactical maps that Star Captain Tseng had showed my Trinary in anticipation for further conquest. Tukayyid is a rustic agricultural world, though it has mountains, hot springs, treacherous valleys, and more. It would seem that ComStar and the ilKhan are busy evacuating every civilian from Tukayyid and preparing the battlefields. An excellent move; my Crusader cause does not extend to butchering everyone in sight! This Trial is close to what I had hoped for, a quick and decisive end to Operation REVIVAL. I will miss the chance to keep testing myself against the DCMS, but it is not my place to object. Instead, I shall test myself against an unknown but apparently large enemy force.
There is already intense bidding underway among the Khans for our arrival on Tukayyid. Seven Clans are present in the Inner Sphere as I write this, and we all want the glory of arriving first and shedding first blood. I fervently hope that by the Founders' glory, Clan Ghost Bear will arrive planetside first and carve a bloody swath through ComStar's army to victory. The Wolves aim to be ilClan and plant their flag on Terra, but we have caught up to them. The Wolves are clever, but now is the time of the Bear, and our long howl has echoed throughout the Inner Sphere. Under the mighty bear's paw, the Inner Sphere will be cowed!
The news of this battle is sending adrenaline through my system, journal. Very soon, I shall join the great battle, and I am sure that visions of this event will fill my dreams. Candice, in particular, was practically hopping up and down with glee once we re-entered our communal bunk here aboard the Bear's Den, and I am sure that she needs to burn off this energy in a Circle of Equals. I will oblige her; I need the same thing, too.
This journal is about to become very interesting.
Entry 393: April 20, 3052
Preparation for the Battle of Tukayyid, as it is already called, is well underway. I will spare you the tedious details, journal, except that Clan Ghost Bear is falling behind in the inter-Clan bidding and will probably end up arriving third or fourth on the planet. I am disappointed, while Thonn was enraged by this and threatened to fight any other Clanner in a Trial of Grievance if Clan Ghost Bear is not first on Tukayyid. But there is something else happening in my Star.
Star Commander Quentin has delved deep into strategy, poring over every map and detail with Star Colonel DelVillar will allow him. He is showing his usual tactical acumen, to be sure, but it seems that the strain is catching up to him. He seems weary and distracted when not studying the maps, and when challenged to a Circle of Equals to clear his mind, he did not fight with his usual precision and discipline. He nearly resorted to dezgra tactics and was booed by the rest of our Trinary. After that, he retreated once again to the tactical maps.
Earlier this evening I tried to speak to him, but he would have none of it. "You must surely be at your limit," I had told him. "I saw you in the Circle. This is not you, Star Commander."
"Do not presume to lecture me, Michael," Quentin had snapped. He had stood and seized the collar of my uniform. His eyes were bloodshot, his hair unkempt. I can still see that look in my mind now, and I fear that my Star Commander is near some dreadful border in his mind. I could not talk him down, and I cut my losses and retreated to my bunk. Ursina had joined me.
"Did you speak to the Star Commander?" she had asked, sitting next to me. Her hands were held tightly in her lap, like they always are when she is nervous.
"Aff," I had told her. "He will not listen to me. He has a one-track mind."
"I could not reach him, either," Ursina had admitted to me. She went on to explain how she, despite having the least prestigious codex in our Trinary, had felt duty-bound to approach the Star Commander and help relieve him of the burden. Apparently, Star Commander Quentin had used her modest codex against her, saying that she was not fit to even try to question him. He had threatened a Trial of Grievance if she had spoken another word aloud, so she had fled the room, unwilling to tell any of us what had happened.
I then reassured her that the Star Commander meant no ill will to her, and that we will all prove ourselves on Tukayyid next month. But what if I am wrong? Suppose the Star Commander will push us in the wrong direction for his own personal gain on Tukayyid? He is still a ristar in our touman, but ristars have rfallen from grace before.
It does no good to worry about this right now. But it still weighs heavily on my mind, and I have replayed all these conversations in my mind, and I recall them with great clarity. Star Captain Tseng thinks nothing of it, and he has stated that he will rely on Star Commander Quentin's brilliance once we hit the ground on Tukayyid. I am sure, but not certain, that the Star Captain's faith is well-placed.
Until next time, journal.
