Chapter Seven
Gray Death Legion Headquarters, Sudeten
Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth
25 December 3050
Only a few hours before, the men and women in the command centre had been celebrating peace and goodwill to all men. Even the non-Christians among them found the concept appealing given the events of the year.
Now as they watched, the largest screen available displayed a swarm of green icons spreading out from one of the in-system pirate points towards the glowing golden dot that marked the world they stood on.
"Two warships, fifteen jumpships and more than fifty dropships," summed up Grayson Death Carlyle. The infamous mercenary colonel scowled at the display which fuzzed and then lost detail. "Another satellite gone?"
"Yes, sir. It looked like an aerospace fighter spotted it."
"You've faced the Clans before." Carlyle's wife and second-in-command looked over at General Kimmel. "What does this look like to you?"
"It looks like someone's making a major push, Lori. We didn't see that much shipping inbound on Zoetermeer." Sarah Steiner – a distant relative of the royal line – had been wounded before the Tenth Donegal Guards were pulled back to refit and her arm was still in a sling.
Alvin Kimmel nodded gravely. "It's more than we saw on Baker 3 too – I think we're looking at more than a Galaxy of their troops heading in. Hopefully they won't bid their full forces."
"From your lips to God's ears. We're not exactly as well situated as we were on either of those worlds – no offense to your troops, Carlyle."
"No offense taken." Carlyle was cycling through data-streams on one of the smaller monitors. "Check me on this," he asked one of the staff officers already working on the data. "I'm not seeing a match with anything."
"No sir. These aren't ships on the database from previous encounters."
"There are rumours that another Clan could be involving itself in the invasion," murmured Sarah Steiner.
"The Apolakkia report? That's not that far from here. Even if it isn't another Clan, there's a good chance we're looking at fresh troops."
Carlyle turned away from the screens. "All the reports suggest that an individual Cluster is about the equal of a single combat command, or perhaps half a regular RCT. From what we're seeing, we're going to be badly outnumbered."
"Should we hold or pull back? Olivetti are almost done loading their final shipment of tooling. Once that's gone, Sudeten has limited strategic value."
"My contract from the Archon is to defend Sudeten." Carlyle set his jaw stubbornly. "The status of the factories isn't a factor one way or another."
"It's a contract not a suicide pact," pointed out Kimmel.
Steiner touched the cast around her forearm. "At the same time, Defence Line Delta isn't fully active here. If we don't stop the Clans here they could hit it before the units behind us are dug in. On the other hand, if we can tie the Clans up here... they don't know the factories are empty. Fix them here and Field Marshal Franks would have the chance to move in reinforcements."
"It's possible... You'd want your dependants out of the way though, Carlyle."
"Can they be bargained with?" The mercenary looked over at his wife. "If we can negotiate free passage for a commercial convoy to leave then our families can leave along with the last Olivetti shipment."
"It depends on their commander. Their word is generally good when they give it, but they've been burned by making deals before – the Albiero business, for example. So they might simply not be interested."
"We'll have a better idea once they -"
"Transmission from the incoming ships, sir."
Steiner looked at Kimmel. "Batchall?"
"Sounds like it."
"Put them on the main screen," ordered Carlyle.
The display lit up and revealed a bearded face beneath a shaven scalp marked by what appeared to be angular tattoos. Beneath the face was a simple grey jumpsuit and the snake's head on the breast made it clear that this was no Jade Falcon.
"I am Perigard Zalman, Khan of the Steel Vipers. This world now lies within the coils of Sanra Mercer's Clan. Lay down your arms and surrender or declare what forces stand in defiance of our claims."
"Damn," muttered Kimmel.
"Steel Vipers, what do we know about them?"
"Most of our sources don't reflect any fondness for them." Kimmel pointed at the screen. "And you see those markings on his head? He's had neural interfacing fitted – it's supposed to improve control of a 'Mech but it runs a risk of brain damage during the surgery or even afterwards. Even most Clans think it's going a bit too far. If the Steel Vipers elect someone with that as a Khan they're likely to be quite extreme."
"I suppose we can try." Carlyle tapped a control. "Khan Zalman, this is Colonel Carlyle. I am preparing my forces to defend Sudeten. Do you object if I remove elements of my command not committed to the defence from the star system?" He adjusted the controls again. "Okay, send that on the same frequency they used."
Kimmel moved over to another console. "I'll have the Tenth... my Tenth, the Lyran Guards, take up defensive positions around the Olivetti complex. I suggest you do the same with Trellshire Heavy Industries, Sarah. Both sites are fortified and with the Gray Death here, the Vipers will have to divide their forces to deal with three different strongpoints."
The Steel Viper reply was uncompromising. "Neg, Colonel Carlyle. I will permit your lucrewarriors to surrender your weapons and enter the civilian castes but I will not permit you to slip away to continue your banditry. You have your choices, now make your decision."
Carlyle looked over at the two Generals. "If they enforce a blockade with their warships then we don't stand a chance of slipping dropships past them."
"Then let's not give him any more information than we have to. Tell him we'll fight him with all the available forces of the AFFC." Steiner tugged at her sling. "I'm going to see if I can get anyone to take this off. I'll need both arms if I'm going to pilot my 'Mech."
.o0o.
ComStar Compound, Hilton Head Island
North America, Terra
29 December 3050
Charles Seneca was increasingly wary when giving his reports to the Primus. He had won his place at the head of ComStar's intelligence apparatus by delivering results in the shadowy conflict between ROM on one hand and MIIO and LIC on the other.
Now it appeared the two intelligence agencies had been successfully diverting his attention away from the more critical secrets held by the Ministry of Intelligence that had eventually absorbed them both. It wasn't a fact calculated to inspire confidence in Seneca's abilities and those who did not have the Primus' confidence were unlikely to hold onto positions of authority within ComStar.
"As Precentor Martial Focht has suggested, there is no love lost between the Jade Falcons and the Steel Vipers," he reported. "Rather than breaking the deadlock between the Jade Falcons and the AFFC directly, the Vipers have elected to bypass the affected worlds. Graus and Dompaire have both fallen already, with only Sudeten holding out at this time. Previous data on the rate of Clan advances may not hold true, but if it does then we can expect a further wave of attacks by the Vipers before the end of next month."
"Clan Wolf is expected to advance as well – for the moment they are concentrating their efforts on the remaining worlds of the Free Rasalhague Republic but they'll shortly run out of Republican worlds to target. The provisional Rasalhague government on Skandia is already exploring options to relocate into the Federated Commonwealth as a government-in-exile."
"So much for the Free Rasalhague Republic," Myndo Waterly commented harshly. Having invested considerable political capital in leveraging its creation in 3030s she was now left with the appearance of having propped up a strawman, which had blown away in the first strong wind.
"Quite. At that point, Clan Wolf will have essentially bypassed both the existing Defensive line around Tamar and the new one being established around Benfled. It seems unlikely that Hanse Davion will assign more regiments to create a third line of defence in the Utrecht pocket when it would simply be bypassed. Our analysts suggest he will instead create an angled line of defence and hope to encourage the Wolves to focus on sweeping through less defended worlds and into the Combine. Such an advance into Buckminster and then the core-ward prefectures of Dieron District would be in line with their previous axis of advance."
"An axis of advance that would eventually bring the Clans to Terra." Waterly folded her arms. "While I have no objections to the Clans humbling the Federated Commonwealth, that would be a step too far, Precentor ROM."
"For now, the AFFC has been the primary obstacle to the Clans," Seneca admitted. "There seems to be no immediate prospect of the Jade Falcons resuming their advance. Losses are heavy on both sides but Hanse Davion has a reserve of regiments and the Falcons don't appear to."
"In fact, our last report from Focht indicates that the Jade Falcons have additional units, between a fifty and seventy percent increase in their strength, en route from their home worlds."
Seneca nodded, avoiding any obvious chagrin at the Primus having this information before him. "I look forward to seeing the Precentor Martial's report, Primus. His insight is a unique advantage."
"Yes, as I recall from when he had oversight of both the ComGuards and ROM." Waterly's eyes were hawk-like. "So much for the Clans' progress against the Commonwealth. What have you found out about Davion's hidden weapons programme?"
Clearing the previous data from his handheld terminal, Seneca called up the necessary files. "We have eliminated two of the six potential shipyard sites from consideration – the Gibbs Shipyards have had no serious investment prior to mid-3049 and the new developments at Shipil's yards on Skye are exclusively in the surface-based facilities where they are constructing new Overlord-class dropships."
"I was hoping you could locate where the shipyards are, not where they aren't."
"We do have a promising new lead on that matter. Several reports indicate that the armament of the dropships isn't constructed on site but instead shipped from Defiance. The prevailing assumption was that this meant Defiance Industries on Hesperus II, which certainly constructs such components for their own use. However, we've now confirmed that no such shipments have been made from Hesperus II to Skye."
Seneca brought up a star chart. "Defiance, in this case, is a fairly minor world deep in the Crucis March of the Federated Suns – a world that has seen a significant upturn in its interstellar trade since the mid-3040s and this trend has only increased over the last year. While it's hardly the only source of advanced weapons in the Federated Commonwealth, it appears to be the only one that doesn't have its own assembly plant, instead supplying components to other locations."
"And you believe that this is supplying components to the warships being refitted?"
"It seems probable. Of the other four potential shipyard sites, only Alarion is located in the Lyran Commonwealth so a site in the Federated Suns would make sense. In addition, Defiance has been importing materials that have historically been used in the construction of naval gauss rifles. While these are expensive to manufacture, their ammunition can be constructed on almost any world, unlike the shells for naval autocannon. This would make it much easier for the AFFC to hide the stockpiling of ammunition to support a warship fleet."
"What impact would replacing autocannon with gauss rifles have on the performance of the ships?"
"It would be difficult to replace them on a one to one basis due to the much larger size. However, according to the ComGuards naval arm, the refitted ships could have a significantly increased range, letting them engage other warships and even dropships from beyond the effective range of other armament choices."
"Can we refit our own warships in the same way?"
"That would be outside my field," Seneca replied. "I would expect it to take several years however and the more diverse armament employed on SLDF warships and the vessels we have assembled apparently has its own benefits in close range engagements. I've taken the liberty of sharing the possibility with our warship commanders so they can consider the tactical implications."
"Very well." Waterly turned around and walked to the window. Interpreting this as dismissal, Seneca bowed and backed towards the door. Before he could reach it, the Primus spoke. "Charles, there are presumably substantial shipments from this Defiance site to the regiments fighting the Clans."
"Now that we know where to look, we've identified convoys of dropships being moved through the Terran corridor for that purpose, Primus."
"And you could reasonably predict their routes and timing in the future?"
"Yes, Primus. With most of the AFFC's warships being used to move troops, they are utilising civilian shipping for secondary priorities such as this one."
"Good. Put together a data package with that information and keep it current. I'm sure that such a shipment would be useful to Theodore Kurita in arming his troops to fight the Smoke Jaguars. And, of course, Thomas Marik would want samples to reverse-engineer so that his own regiments are not left behind in this new arms race."
"In the latter case, the Captain-General might be open to a degree of cooperation with our own specialists," suggested Seneca. "The ComGuards' prestige rests to some degree on their advanced equipment so it would be undesirable for them to find that the House Lords are better armed than they are."
"That would violate our neutrality, Charles. Quite unacceptable. Although I will expect ROM to obtain access to the results of such efforts. Monitoring the scientific research of the Successor States is your primary responsibility, after all. And I am sure the First Circuit will have little patience with further failures..."
.o0o.
Trellheim, Sudeten
Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth
9 January 3051
The distinctive T-shapes of Visigoth OmniFighters slashed down out of the sky towards the highway and Kai snapped the arms of Legendkiller up, checking the air-speed indicator his targeting computer had calculated and leading the spiky nose of the leading OmniFighter.
At other points along the road, Rifleman, Blackjack and JagerMech BattleMechs stepped out of the traffic but there weren't many of them left in the Donegal Guards and Kai's was the only air defence design in his company.
The Visigoths opened fire a fraction of a second before Kai positioned his crosshairs where he wanted them. They were carrying pulse lasers and laser fire raked along the column of trucks and combat vehicles.
Kai's lasers scored precisely where he intended – right where the forward canards met, at the cockpit. The autocannon rounds were slightly off-placed – one burst missed entirely and the second bit into the wing.
It didn't matter for this one – the Visigoth wheeled over into a dive and he saw the glow of fire in the cockpit before it was past him. Swivelling Legendkiller at the hips he tracked the other half of the Point and managed to tag its rear with one of the lasers before it was out of his range.
The other Steel Viper fighters were also withdrawing, but without air cover to deter them, Kai knew that they'd get themselves turned around and return for another pass.
He scanned the column. A Blackjack had fallen and he could see a second 'Mech in the Donegal Guards had also fallen although it wasn't clear from what he could see – just the legs – which one.
Two Patton tanks were smoking wrecks and so was an ambulance that had the bad luck to be between them during the strafing run. Diana was piloting the Hatchetman Kai had used on Baker 3 these days and as he watched she crouched the 'Mech, seized the front corner of one of the wrecked tanks and lifted it.
Seeing what she was doing, Kai walked Legendkiller up and kicked the rear corner of the elevated side. With both 'Mechs forcing it, the Patton rolled over and out of the way.
The second Patton was removed just as easily and the Manticore tank that had been blocked in by them simply ploughed the ambulance out of the way as soon as it was confirmed there were no survivors.
So this is what defeat looks like, Kai thought.
When the Tenth Donegal Guards broke out of the Trellshire Heavy Industries compound to make this run, they'd left their heaviest tanks and a regiment of infantry behind to cover their retreat – not to mention almost half a Regimental Combat Team of dead.
"This is Hauptmann Allard, Joker Company" Kai reported on what he hoped was still a secure channel. "We need air support or we're going to be cut apart out here."
"There are two squadrons launching now. ETA five minutes. Just keep moving."
Kai almost laughed. What else could he do? Instead he cut the channel with a curt "Out." and ran Legendkiller down onto the parallel side road. When the Steel Vipers returned it would probably be from that direction. He found the road was already being used by a secondary column of hover tanks but they roared swiftly past and left room for him to follow after the last .
The radar mount above his cockpit fed an update into his tactical display.
"Joker One, all Donegal Guards. Incoming enemy fighters from the north."
"Is there any other kind?" came a bitter joke from an unfamiliar voice.
Kai checked the radar. "Yes, but they're coming in from the east." Transponders ticked and now he had ID on them - "Donegal Guard Hellcats and Eagles, they won't get here before the next pass but this should be the last one."
The first Visigoth came into view and Kai stepped out onto a north-south running street, letting them see him but also opening up his own field of vision.
As expected, one fighter couldn't resist the target presented by a lone Rifleman. Kai held his fire as they dropped into range of his arm mounted lasers, let the pulse lasers track across him, carving into Legendkiller's armour but failing to penetrate. When the fighter was less than four hundred metres up he fired everything, including the chest-mounted medium lasers.
Caught in the barrage, the Visigoth pilot had to fight to maintain control. For a moment it looked as if he'd make it but he was too low and Kai's cluster rounds had damaged the control surfaces in the wings. An ejection seat rocketed up and out of the cockpit only seconds before the sixty-ton aerospace fighter sliced into the top floor of an office building and blew up, scattering metal, glass and concrete in all directions.
Another Visigoth pulled up into a loop that looked as if it might bring it down upon Kai but it had to twist away as AFFC fighters entered the fight. The Visigoths had an advantage in agility over the Hellcats and Eagles but the Donegal Guards pilots knew it and they weren't going to get sucked into a turning fight, instead slashing in with their extended range lasers and then dropping into ground cover to turn and single out targets for repeated closing attacks.
"Okay, we have air cover. Move it, people!"
The column was stretched out over several kilometres and Kai held his company at the edge of Trellheim, assembling them one at a time as they trickled out of the town, until he was sure that all the Donegal Guards were out and then moved after them as a rear-guard.
"It's another fifty klicks to Olivetti," Helen reminded him. "That's an hour at least, the Vipers are going to be crawling down our backs before we're halfway."
"It's a lovely image, Double-O, and that's why we're acting as a rear-guard. We're fresher than they are."
"Now that's a scary thought." Mackensen's Zeus was still soldiering on, lacking the upgrades that most of the company had received so far. "Because I don't recall seeing anyone as worn down as we are until I saw this lot – not even back in the Fourth Succession War."
"Put a cap on that, Stabsfeldwebel." It was true, but it wasn't helping morale.
Both factories were positioned on the same coastal plain with the road between them crossing intervening rivers at bridges that were invariably marked by towns. It wasn't the best of cover, but the rivers were natural barriers so the chase would almost certainly follow them across the same bridges. That meant the column flanks were probably safe enough.
"'Mechs to the rear," Diana reported quietly. "It's a mixed medium-star."
Kai looked around. The road was cutting through fields that were evidently planted with something. Not the best ground but there wasn't likely to be much else if they kept going – the Steel Vipers could almost certainly catch them before the next town. "Spread out, there won't be just one Star."
There were three Stars – fifteen 'Mechs – against the fourteen he could field, having built up to more than nominal strength after absorbing survivors of Charlie Company a week ago. Only the five Battle Cobras were humanoid in layout, with the others all more bird-like: three Stormcrows, three Shadow Cats and four Kit Foxes.
"Who seeks to deny the warriors of Clan Steel Viper their prey?" The transmission came from one of the Shadow Cats and Kai decided that was probably the Star Captain. Fortunately there didn't seem to be Elementals attached to this Trinary.
Every delay bought the column time to get closer to the fortifications around Olivetti Weaponry.
"I am Hauptmann Kai Allard-Liao," he declared. "My ancestor's name stands on the Star League Accords and I bear the legacy of Legendkiller. Who are you that challenges for right to pass this way?"
"I am Star Captain Justin Running-Elk. I have won Trials against Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Burrock. Since coming to this world I have slain four warriors of the Federated Commonwealth. I will be pleased if a descendant of House Liao can prove to be more of a challenge. What do you bid to bar our way?"
Kai highlighted the three Stormcrows as the primary targets – the largest and most heavily armed of the trinary. "I cannot deny any of my warriors the opportunity to battle. We shall all do battle."
"Very well." The Vipers fanned out into a line approximating that of Kai's own formation, one star focusing on each of the three lances. Since Kai's lance was only four 'Mechs strong, one of the Battle Cobras facing them stepped back, evidently expecting the Lyran Guards to engage one on one with this 'Mech to step in if one of the Vipers was defeated.
That wasn't the plan though and the Stormcrows were divided, one to a Star, which made it all the more convenient. "Fire!" Kai ordered and followed his own command.
The Stormcrow facing him staggered as lasers and autocannon tore into it. The temperature inside Kai's cockpit soared and his Rifleman surged forwards as the Lyrans charged into point-blank range.
Diana's Hatchetman was a hair faster off the mark and her autocannon barked again, tearing through one damaged flank of the Stormcrow.
The 'Mech toppled and Kai smashed Legendkiller's heavy foot into the opposite side of its chest. The Stormcrow struggled to rise but both arms – and most of its weapons – were clearly out of action.
A gauss rifle slug crashed against the armour of one of Legendkiller's arms, the hammer blow shattering most of the protection. "You honourless cur!" screamed Running-Elk. "I thought I was facing a true warrior."
"You're facing a soldier, and a damn fine one." Kevin Mackensen cut into the channel and then fire from his Zeus tore into the Star Captain's rear. The older weapons were more anaemic (although it felt slightly odd to say this of weapons that would have torn most buildings apart with little difficulty) than those on the Steel Viper 'Mech and at this range the veteran Stabsfeldwebel couldn't expect his LRMs to have armed, but against the rear armour of a much smaller 'Mech he still had enough firepower to rip deep into the internals.
The Star's two Battle Cobras rushed in but they instinctively divided their fire between Kai and Diana while Running Elk turned his own guns on Mackensen's Zeus. That left the one Kit Fox facing Helen's Hunchback, which wouldn't have been a great match-up even before she had her autocannon replaced with a modern assault-grade weapon.
Even with the numbers evened, the Lyran Guards weren't going to fight on the Steel Viper's terms and as Running Elk faced back against Mackensen – whose Zeus had more than enough armour to take the punishment – he had exposed his ruptured rear armour. Kai spared himself some of the heat in the cockpit and took one of his large lasers out of the firing circuit. The other lasers still carved deeply but it was the cluster rounds in his autocannon that were the killers, sub munitions from both guns penetrating deep into the torso and detonating inside where they shredded the gyro and the shielding around the Shadow Cat's fusion reactor.
As Running Elk's 'Mech fell, Kai checked and saw that the Kit Fox was trying to retreat – it had clearly been fitted out with anti-infantry weapons and electronics to aid in hunting down the fleeing Donegal Guards. Helen's barrage had smashed the left arm which had held a large laser and at least two machineguns, leaving it almost defenceless.
"Diana, take the Kit Fox." Kai wheeled Legendkiller towards the Battle Cobras. The one that had been firing on him had scoured away much of his already damaged armour. "And don't forget you have an axe!"
"Aff, Kai!" With the advanced myomers active, Diana's Hatchetman was fast enough to run down the light 'Mech.
The Battle Cobras were also trying to retreat but under the concentrated fire of Kai, Helen and Kevin first one and then the second 'Mech collapsed, the lack of cover working for the Guards this time. Kai saw Kevin deliberately kick at the cockpit of the fallen Shadow Cat.
Looking around, Kai saw that while the left flank was doing well, two of his company had fallen on the right – Oscar DuPree's Commando and Geraldine Jones' Centurion. "Support Second Lance," he ordered and braced his weapons. One autocannon failed to fire and he saw that the ammunition feed from the chest was damaged – he was lucky the ammunition bin hadn't taken a hit. Both lasers lashed and caught a Shadow Cat as it bounded backwards on its jump-jets. The agile 'Mech was already dripping coolant from existing damage and its IR temperature surged as it landed – engine damage. Limping it tried to continue to flee but LRMs from Ben Riley's Dervish finished it off.
The little battlefield went silent, except for the crackle of ammunition popping off and the flames that were slowly spreading across the crop. Kai absently moved Legendkiller to crush out a firebreak with his feet. "Roll call."
"DuPree took a cockpit hit," reported Ben Riley. "Geraldine's Centurion is a write-off but she punched out. Lucky shot to her ammo bins." The older Centurions still had badly placed LRM storage although at least moving the autocannon ammunition to the arms had halved the problem.
"No losses, one of the Battle Cobras made it out of range." Joie Shepherd said tersely. "Sorry, chief. It's missing both arms so we were focused on the others."
"I can catch it."
"No Diana. We're done here." Kai looked at his own lance. "We got lucky – they were dumb and overconfident. If we hang around then someone with more brains could catch up. Grab what you can for salvage and slag what you can't."
"What about survivors?" asked Riley. "They may not play nice as bondsmen – you know they won't call this an honourable defeat."
"We don't have time to deal with prisoners. Leave them."
"Sir…"
Kai switched Kevin across to a private channel. "I saw that cockpit kick, Kevin. Don't do it again." Then he flipped back to the company push. "They're a long way on foot from the nearest town and there are a lot of farms around here with locals who aren't going to be friendly towards them. Any of them who manage to get back to their base will have a first-hand look at how unwelcome they are here."
.o0o.
Wolf Hunters Headquarters, Engadin
Wolf Occupation Zone
3 February 3051
Vlad looked up from the datapad he was working on and rose sharply to his feet as he saw who had entered. "Khan Ulric. I was unaware you would be arriving."
"Good. That may mean that the local insurgents are also unaware." Kerensky waved for the younger man to take his seat. "My congratulations on reaching the final round of your Trial of Bloodright. It's unfortunate that our operational tempo has deferred completion of the Trials."
"The Clan comes first," Vlad replied, hiding his irritation at that fact.
Kerensky's slight smile suggested that he might have seen through the façade. "Khan Dinour has almost completely dealt with the remaining forces of the Free Rasalhague Republic. The Ghost Bears have bargained for the right to take Halesowen and Maule, but once Delta Galaxy finishes the capture of the temporary capital on Skandia we will be free to devote our Clan's resources to other matters. Some of them more pressing than your Trial, although that is certainly one of them."
Vlad nodded his understanding. "The contested worlds."
"Precisely." Ulric steepled his fingers. "I've spoken to the individual commanders of our operations on all five worlds, but your Wolf Hunters have fought on four of them so you may have a better overview of the situation. We have been engaged in operations for months, how much do you believe that this has weakened the defenders?"
"Very little," Vlad admitted grudgingly. "They have well-prepared fortifications and stockpiles of munitions to support operations and since we have not entirely cut them off from off world contact, they can still bring in more material if needed. With a closer blockade we might be able to take those worlds but it will cost us, considerably."
"Ultimately, the continued fighting on the worlds is already placing constant pressure on our supplies. Fortunately the relaxation of bidding late last year freed our hand to some respect." The Khan grimaced. "Theta and Iota Galaxy can take over the garrison responsibilities that have absorbed Beta Galaxy's efforts for the last few months and they are escorting a large shipment of supplies we obtained from the Ice Hellions."
"What did the surats bargain for in exchange?"
Ulric raised one eyebrow. "In exchange? The so-called Hellion's Fury campaign may have impressed some of the Home Clans but it left their touman over-extended. Shistu Sradac took advantage of this and blooded the warriors of both Galaxies by striking at Londerholm and declaring a Trial of Possession for Ice Hellion shipping and their munitions stockpiles there."
Vlad laughed at the other Clan's misfortune. "With the warriors responsible out of the Home Worlds and their own strength already depleted with their recent temper tantrum, that should keep the Hellions busy - not to mention that the other Home Clans may find prizes more easily obtained than by sending detachments after our occupation zone. I have much to learn from the master, my Khan."
"The split between Warden and Crusader became obsolete the moment Operation Revival was launched." Kerensky's face was sombre. "I regret the outcome but no Khan - or Clan - prospers by ignoring such changes. And while no Smoke Jaguar, ilKhan or not, is ever likely to be an ally of our Clan, for the moment they have interests they share with us. The Ghost Bears' bargain with the Home Clans won the Jaguars almost nothing since their second round bid was so low, and it exposes them to attack both here and in the Home Worlds. Somehow I doubt the ilKhan was much moved by Khan Taney's outrage."
"In a more recent development, Khan Chistu has found a way to free up the troops to turn the tide on two of their own contested worlds."
Vlad frowned. "That suggests that the Falcons may be ready to resume their own operations once their reinforcements arrive."
"Potentially," conceded Ulric. "However, to concentrate the necessary forces he elected to withdraw the Clusters engaged on Dell."
"Perhaps he took advice from one of his Clan's bankers."
"Possibly. Although the presence of a regiment of the Wolf Dragoons may have turned the tide. Jade Falcon losses have still been considerable and even with the ability to draw on the Clusters assigned to Vulcan and Zoetermeer, it may take them some time to secure similar advantage on Parakoila and Baker 3."
Vlad spread the map of the invasion zones before him in his mind's eye. "Dell is adjacent to our own invasion corridor. In principle there is nothing to prevent us from launching our own Trial of Possession for Dell."
"Do you recommend that?"
Reluctantly he shook his head. "As much as it would be satisfying to seize one of the Jade Falcon's prizes, the world likely remains well defended. We would have to defer operations here in order to take Dell away from the Federated Commonwealth."
"That is my own conclusion." The Khan shrugged. "I have invited the Precentor Martial to let us know if the AFFC removes their garrison now that Dell is under no immediate threat and worlds nearer to Terra are under threat. If they do, then a swift redeployment of your Wolf Hunters might net us a prize and embarrass Elias Crichell."
"I take it that the end of the Warden-Crusader division has not made us allies to the Falcons, then?"
"Ah, Vlad. That feud goes back to well before the matter was even thought of by our ancestors. It would take more forgiving Khans than I or Elias Crichell to try to end that."
"I do not think I have ever encountered a forgiving Khan."
"Nor I. I do not think it is a trait that makes a warrior well suited to leadership." Ulric looked at the data pad that Vlad had been working on. "I take it you have no logistical complaints besides those you have already brought to my attention, quineg?"
"Neg. I would have hoped for more OmniMechs but Tamar showed that we can mix less specialised BattleMechs into our Stars without weakening our combat power. And given recent losses..."
"Aff." Ulric frowned. "I hope you will not be in the position of destroying twenty of our own BattleMechs again. Even with the Ice Hellion supplies, there are limits to the equipment losses we can sustain."
"I can only go where the assignments my Khan gives me take me." And if we had failed, we would have lost slightly more 'Mechs – and paid the bloodprice of the Dragoons' betrayal for you. "Besides, it is the fault of the Federated Commonwealth for not stationing a 'Mech transport at the drop port for Ranna to take possession of."
Ulric nodded. "A fair point. In any case, your next assignment should not involve departing so hastily from a world."
"Where do we strike for?"
"Radstadt."
Vlad's face must have betrayed some disappointment, for Ulric added: "You may have your chance to fight the Black Widow in time but for now I have decided to start at this end of the contested worlds and work our way past Tamar. While you and the 352nd Assault Cluster support an offensive on Radstadt, the rest of Beta Galaxy will be deployed to do the same on Stanzach. Once we have secured them we will do the same on Kandis and eventually Skokie and Moritz."
"And then Tamar, quiaff?"
"Neg." Ulric's voice was flat. "Your capture of Marshal Richard Steiner has given us access to some of the thinking behind the Federated Commonwealth's strategy. While details may change, regiments retreating from our Clusters are expected to fall back to Tamar – which is well fortified as you yourself found. Adding in additional regiments, however depleted, could make Tamar a target we would bleed our touman out to capture."
"While they retain it, Tamar is a base the AFFC can use to strike back at us from."
"It will also tie down at least four of their best regiments without costing us a single warrior or OmniMech. No, we may tighten the noose around Tamar to remind them of the threat we pose to the world – and the Jade Falcons and the Steel Vipers will play their own part in that whether they wish to or not - but once we have secured the contested worlds we will resume our advance on Terra."
.o0o.
Olivetti Weaponry, Sudeten
Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth
19 February 3051
Kai stepped Legendkiller back behind cover as the rest of his lance combined fire upon the incoming Steel Viper heavy 'Mechs. It stung him to have to let them fight without him but the loss of the primary air defence radar a week before had made his own array one of the very few available to the Tenth Lyran Guards, feeding targeting data not only to his own guns but also those of a battery of Partisan heavy tanks that were using their quad-mounted autocannon to keep the west side of the factory complex from becoming an open target to Steel Viper aerospace fighters.
"Heavy push, heavy push!"
Kevin's voice cut off sharply and Kai's jaw tightened as telemetry from the Stabsfeldwebel's Zeus cut off.
A moment later, Helen's voice clarified. "Joker One, this is Joker Trey. We have heavy and assault OmniMechs with Alpha Galaxy markings coming in behind these clowns from Zeta."
"Message received, Trey. Get behind cover." He switched to the regimental net, already alive with reports of heavy fighting on three sides of the complex. "HQ, Joker One. We have Alpha Galaxy heavies and assaults moving on our position. They used their secondline clusters as cover for their own advance."
"Understood, Joker-One. Stand-by."
"Stand-by for what? We need the reserves," Kai half-shouted, realising he was losing his temper. "We're down to one company out here!"
"Kai." It took a moment for Kai to recognise Caradoc Trevana's voice – the Kommandant had broken his leg ejecting during the first real push on their position. "The reserve is already committed to the south flank. I'm cutting you priority for what's left of our artillery, but that's all we have for you."
He took a deep breath. This was it then. "Understood, Doc. I'm going to need to use our Partisans to prop-up the line so air defence is going to be..."
"Do what you need to."
Kai switched channels to one that everyone on the west side of the factory should be listening to. "All units, mount up. The Clans are going to breach the perimeter in the next few minutes. When they get through, we're going to focus everything we have on them as they try to punch through the breaches. All infantry, break out the infernos. Anyone with a working TAG, punch your data straight through to RCT artillery reserve, we have priority."
There was an expectant silence.
What do they want me to do, to make some inspiring speech out of the movies?
Helen's voice broke across the channel. "Hauptmann, permission to sing."
"I didn't know you could."
"Just this one. I learned it from a Northwind Highlander."
As the Partisans crawled into covered pits, exposing only their turrets to the Steel Vipers, Kai saw what was left of Joker Company forming up inside the complex walls, joined by a trickle of tanks and personnel carriers, infantry hanging off the sides.
Recorded bagpipes keened across the radio.
"Oh god, not this one," complained Kevin Mackensen.
"With all due respect, shut up, Stabsfeldwebel." Helen raised her voice. "~Axes flash, broadsword swing,~"
Rather than waiting for the wall to be breached, a pair of Shadow Cats soared over it on jump-jets. Kai shifted his crosshairs over the one on the left and triggered the lasers and autocannon. At least for now, the Partisans followed his lead and almost twenty medium autocannon pounded the medium 'Mech, tearing through its armour.
The 'Mech cartwheeled forwards and crashed cockpit first into the ground. The second Shadow Cat landed safely and fired its gauss rifle and both lasers into Diana's Hatchetman. Conserving ammunition, the former Jade Falcon fired only the Hatchetman's lasers as she counter-charged it. The Gauss Rifle barrel was visibly bent out of line with the rest of the weapon after she brought the hatchet down on the weapon.
"~ Shining armour's piercing ring.~"
Kai was fairly sure that he recognised the song from his youth – two regiments of the Northwind Highlanders had been stationed in the St Ives Compact when he was a boy and their officers had made appearances at the ducal court, bringing with them their customs that had once been an exotic delight at the Capellan court, his mother had told him. He could only remember one line of the song though.
The compound wall shook under the pounding of Steel Viper weapons. Then artillery missiles arched inwards from what must be batteries located somewhere outside the factory. "Do the Steel Vipers even use artillery?" asked Ben Riley in surprise.
"Evidently." The explosions tore into concrete and then another impact shook one of the weak-spots that had been created.
"~Horses run with polished shield,~"
With a crash, the wall collapsed and the Steel Viper assault 'Mech that had shoulder charged it stumbled through the breach, trying to get its footing on the debris.
The layout of the 'Mech was very much that of a Phoenix Hawk, but far too large. Rather than firing weapons from its arms, the 'Mech unfolded autocannon from pods either side of the hips and blazed away at the concealed Partisans.
It was doing damage but nothing critical – the tanks could take some pounding in their position. The pair of Warhawks that strode through after it were another matter though. Helen and Kai opened fire at almost the same moment that infantry rose up from foxholes and fired a rough volley of SRMs.
"~Fight those bastards 'til they yield.~"
The Phoenix Hawk-like 'Mech – the warbook insisted on tagging it with that designation despite a mass that must be over seventy tons – stepped into the SRMs and fire wreathed it as the napalm warheads struck its thick armour.
The Lyran artillery fired a salvo but it struck further south where a second breach was being responded to by Kai's third lance and the available light tanks – which were far from ideal for this sort of slugging match but what else was there to do?
"~Midnight mare and blood-red roan,~"
One of the Warhawks turned in Kai's direction and he saw that like his Rifleman, each arm ended in a pair of muzzles. Unlike his own armament though, all four guns were extended-range PPCs. The Steel Viper MechWarrior used them judiciously, firing one from each pair and then waiting a few seconds for the 'Mech to cool before using the other weapon in each arm.
The shots hammered into Legendkiller like the wrath of an angry god. Without the repeated upgrades, he'd have been unable to withstand it. As it was he concentrated his own fire below the slab of dorsal armour that characterised the Warhawk's profile. If he could rattle the pilot with cockpit hits...
"~Fight to keep this land your own.~"
Helen charged into the Warhawk, assault autocannon firing into its side. Diana joined her, the two medium 'Mechs vastly outweighed but the point-blank savagery of their autocannon enough to stagger even the mighty assault 'Mech.
There was a second Warhawk though and it was fitted with a more diverse weapon payload. Diana's Hatchetman staggered under lasers, autocannon fire, SRMs and LRMs. The right arm, with its deadly hatchet, dropped to the ground.
"~Sound the horn and call the cry,~"
The first Warhawk dropped the muzzles of one arm's PPCs against the chest of the Hatchetman and when it fired the two particle beams blew through the armour and even punched out of the rear of the 'Mech.
Kai screamed the one line of the March of Cambreadth he could remember: "~HOW MANY OF THEM CAN WE MAKE DIE!~" and charged Legendkiller forward into the Warhawk. Extending the muzzles of the 'Mech's right arm like a lance he drove them forward to spear into the cockpit canopy of the Steel Viper 'Mech and then triggered the autocannon, gutting whatever might have survived the impact with a long burst of shells.
The Warhawk fell back and Kai stood in the breach for a moment, smoke clearing to reveal a full binary of Clan OmniMechs formed up to follow the assault 'Mechs through the wall.
Every one of them could see Legendkiller. He hurled the Rifleman aside before a massive volley could obliterate it. As it was, the shots carried away what was left of his 'Mech's right arm.
The other Warhawk turned and he saw Helen's Hunchback fall, both legs severed as the Steel Viper poured fire into the much smaller 'Mech.
The Partisans were still firing into the enemy Phoenix Hawk, but nothing – not the autocannon or the flames that still outlined it like some ancient pagan god – seemed to be able to stop it.
Kai swept his crosshairs across the Warhawk and then kept turning so he could empty all remaining weapons into the Phoenix Hawk's rear armour. Explosions lit it up again but when they cleared he saw that the shots had only smashed the jump jets mounted along the rear like an infantry jump-pack.
The Warhawk fired again and Kai's damage display monitor went red as armour was pulverised under the barrage. He was still upright, somehow.
A Crossbow and Mad Dog entered the breach, the Mad Dog stalking on after the Phoenix Hawk, shoulder-mounted launchers salvoing SRMs into the Partisans. The Crossbow turned and raised both arms to unleash its own missiles into Legendkiller.
Then a Cataphract landed on it.
Kai blinked. No... that had really happened.
The Cataphract, painted in the colours of Ishara's Grenadiers, fell to its knees beside the breach before struggling upright again. The Crossbow tried to do the same but the Capellan MechWarrior stamped one foot down on the slightly smaller 'Mech's head.
More 'Mechs were raining down, all in the same colours, weapons firing as they softened their landings with either integral jump-jets or jump-packs they jettisoned as soon as their feet were on the ground.
Apparently as surprised as Kai was, the Steel Vipers hesitated.
Then a Centurion ripple-fired LRMs into the Phoenix Hawk, getting its attention, and then unleashed the assault-grade autocannon built into the right arm dead centre into the larger 'Mech's chest, knocking it off its feet.
The Phoenix Hawk staggered up but the Centurion lashed out with its left arm and three fingers of its hand were capped by long talons which drove into the rent in the chest and emerged along with about half the gyro.
"Cassandra?"
The Centurion dropped the gyro parts and threw a jaunty salute at Kai. "Hi, looks like we got here in just the nick of time."
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, I'm attached to Ishara's Grenadiers now." His sister waved Yen-lo-Wang's one hand, somehow managing to encompass the entire situation. "We're your reinforcements. Kamakura's Hussars are here too, but they're going to be supporting the Grey Death Legion."
Kai winced. Well, any port in a storm, even if neither regiment – and certainly not one of his sisters – would have been his first choice of reinforcements.
Then he raised Legendkiller's remaining arm and fired into the Warhawk drawing a bead on Yen-lo-Wang. "Welcome to Sudeten," he said grimly.
Cassandra turned her 'Mech and the two siblings combined their fire on the Steel Viper 'Mech, joined a moment later by the Cataphract.
.o0o.
Asgard, Tharkad
Donegal March, Lyran Commonwealth
10 March 3051
"I think we have to assume that Defence Line Gamma is no longer a practical barrier to the Clans," Nondi Steiner said formally to Ardan Sortek.
The Marshal of the Armies of the Federated Commonwealth rubbed his head and wondered how much of his hair he'd have left by the time this was done. It wasn't as if he hadn't already accrued a considerable bald patch by the end of the last war. "I'm inclined to agree. Fortunately, the Steel Vipers aren't displaying many signs of learning from the mistakes of the Jade Falcons so they're bogging down on Line Delta, but at the current rate, the Wolves and Jade Falcons will have finished taking the worlds they bogged down on by the end of spring."
"Of course, that raises the question of what we should do about that."
The two Marshals studied the map in front of them, the golden territory of the Federated Commonwealth eaten away by the efforts of the Clans. Worlds currently contested glowed with the orange of fire. "Defence Line Delta is already compromised by the collapse of Rasalhague resistance," Nondi concluded. "Something like three regiments of the Kungsarme have broken free but they aren't really combat-worthy even if we could count on them to take our orders."
"Provisionally we can station them at Kelenfold," Ardan proposed. "That's our principal command and supply centre behind Delta so we can at least feed them for now. If the politics work out we can move them forwards once they're reorganised or if the Clans try to hit Kelenfold I suppose they'll stop a PPC as well as any other 'Mech regiments."
"Do we just pull our own regiments off the line now?" he asked. "If we move now, Cynthia Franks could pull all the defenders off Parakoila, Baker 3, Skokie, Moritz and Kandis before the Clans reinforce their forces there."
"I don't want to give them up easily, but we can start preparations by having non-critical supplies and personnel withdrawn. Along with positioning dropships for an evacuation of frontline units when the time comes."
"It's going to be messy. I don't think we can count on even the Jade Falcons to offer hegira after six months of fighting."
Nondi shook her head. "No, I wouldn't count on it. Do we commit assault dropships to cover evacuations?"
"No, I think we still need to hold them back. We're probably not going to have any significant warships to engage the Clans when we're ready to counter-attack so we'll need as many assault dropships as we can field. But authorise nukes for use if they try to interdict the evacuations with warships."
"I'll want Melissa to confirm that, Sortek. I know what she said earlier but the Estates-General will fret and it'll be easier to manage them if we have this spelled out."
"Do you want to contact her directly or shall I request specific authority from her when I send the next update?"
"I'm fine with you getting that."
"Thank you." Ardan made a note. "Now, we talked about withdrawing to Tamar but with the Steel Vipers cutting into us that's turning into a salient. I think we want the regiments fighting the Jade Falcons to regroup on Morges rather than trying to ship them past Sudeten."
"That... makes sense. But you're still happy with the regiments on the other three worlds using Tamar as their fall back point?"
"Yes – although depending on the situation, we might then pull at least one more regiment to Laurent. With the way the pocket is forming, we may need to secure it as a supply base."
"Shall we leave that to Franks?"
"She's doing a good job so far, I think we can trust her judgement. Speaking of which, it's probably time to consider whether she should move her command post back off Tamar."
"Unfortunately that's politically unacceptable. I'd be happier with it myself, but Selwin Kelswa would consider it a prelude to evacuating Tamar and he was bad enough before the Wolves raided." In order to rebuild the Kelswa Guards, the Duke had gone so far as to commission a quillar farmer called Cox to head a battalion of armed AgroMechs. The only good thing about it was that 'Kommandant' Cox had a brain and was listening to 'advice' from Field Marshal Franks as much or more than than he did to 'orders' from Duke Kelswa.
"Wouldn't it be nice if we could fight a war without our supposed allies hindering us?"
The Steiner laughed derisively. "Shall we look out for unicorns and gryphons while we're at it? Such creatures are no less fantastical than a war without politics getting in the way."
"Fine. Franks remains on Tamar for now but if they get landed on we have to worry about ComStar cutting off communications – or at least bumping up their rates for traffic to and from there, the way they did on Sudeten. After all, military communications aren't exactly neutral material. Pain in the ass that we lost control of the town around the HPG station."
"We could deal with that. But yes, it's a card we don't want to play yet. And while I'm thinking of that, do we put Sudeten in the same position for withdrawing? It seems stable enough now that the Capellans have landed."
"That does seem to have taken the wind out of their offensive, even though those regiments only have four battalions between them." Ardan scratched his bare scalp again and then yanked his hand away again once he realised what he was doing. "There was an interesting analysis on that – the presence of Capellan troops fighting to defend a Lyran world may have impacted the Clans' morale disproportionately. They'd had time to adjust for AFFS units being deployed out here, but adding the Capellans to the Federated Commonwealth may be giving this more of the appearance of a united front forming against them."
"Appearances can be deceiving. If Thomas Marik would just stop shuffling regiments along our border I could free up at least forty jumpships for our logistics." She sighed. "And yes, I certainly don't think we should send more reinforcements. The repercussions of losing the ones we already have there would be bad enough. I'll send Grayson Carlyle a personal message telling him that preserving his troops and the other units deployed is more important than trying for a last-stand if the Steel Vipers launch another major offensive against his positions."
"I'll have Justin pass on a similar message to his children. The Capellans are twitchy enough without the succession being disputed."
Nondi looked at the display again. "You mentioned launching a counter-attack earlier – how serious are you about that?"
"We're not getting any more ready and signs are that the Clans have brought in at least some level of reinforcements. I've mentioned it to Hanse in principle and he's of the opinion that a concerted push against one Clan to force them out of the Inner Sphere could break the momentum of the invasion as a whole."
"Unless you're planning to campaign as far as Rasalhague, that would rule out the Wolves as a target and the Ghost Bears or Smoke Jaguars would be even more difficult from a logistical perspective."
Ardan nodded. "Absolutely, it would have to be the Jade Falcons or the Steel Vipers. They both seem to have comparable military forces available, the key issue is that the Vipers have their forces concentrated on only a few worlds while completely shattering the Jade Falcons would mean fighting on more than thirty worlds."
His companion nodded. "I don't like the potential casualties of hitting the Steel Vipers head on, but with a significant number of regiments already committed against the on Dustball, Benfled and Sudeten the logistics would be much simpler. There are probably enough regiments in the reserve that we've built up in the Donegal March but the shipping would be a nightmare. Something like five multi-regiment task forces to transport through their occupied worlds, not to mention we would need to pin their frontline Clusters in place or we could wind up fighting for the same worlds over and over again."
"I agree the Steel Vipers look like the best prospect right now. We'll need to see how they employ the reinforcements arriving, but all indications are that they couldn't expect significant support if things turn against them. So let's have our staffs start looking at the possibilities. If they keep feeding their forces into Defence Line Delta then we might be able to pin their best troops in place while we swing in and liberate the worlds to their rear, then overwhelm them on the ground by reinforcing the Defence Line."
"It's at least worth considering," agreed Nondi thoughtfully. "It would also reduce the pressure on Tamar if it's no longer at the end of a narrow salient."
.o0o.
Forbidden City, Sian
Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation
18 March 3051
Sun-Tzu Liao had been woken by gunfire in the halls of the Forbidden City before. At least this time he wasn't being evacuated by someone of questionable loyalty.
By the time anyone tried his door, he was behind the heavy wooden desk on one side of his apartment and strapping a ballistic vest on over his dressing gown. He crouched, holding the submachine gun that he'd kept in the same drawer as the vest. "Who is it?"
"Your sister sent us, Prince Sun-Tzu."
He nodded in understanding and switched the selector switch of his gun to fully automatic. The gun was shockingly loud without ear-protection but he raked short bursts through the door and then through the wall to either side at around torso-height. Neither the wooden door nor the lathe and plaster walls would stop the armour-piercing ammunition he'd obtained. Hopefully, nor would whatever body armour the men outside were wearing.
Without waiting for any response, he headed for the window. If his sister's agents were alive, the walls would be no more protection for him than they would be for the attackers.
Three paces before he reached the window, a shotgun blew the lock out of the door. In an Immortal Warrior action movie, Sun-Tzu would have simply dived through the glass of the window. However, unlike the interior walls of the palace, the window was made of the same advanced materials used in the canopy of 'Mech cockpits. If he tried anything so foolish, all he'd do was concuss himself.
Instead he pulled the lever to open the window and then lifted the pane out of the window, having removed the corner pegs that should have prevented this.
The two Death Commandos who entered the room, prepared to execute Chancellor Kali Liao's treacherous brother, were greeted by an incendiary grenade and Sun-Tzu curled in a ball behind the window pane.
The window pane protected the young Liao from white phosphorus that the grenade scattered across his sitting room. Body armour that had absorbed even armour-piercing small arms fire was much less effective against burning metal.
Without looking back, Sun-Tzu pushed the window pane over and scrambled over the window ledge. Fortunately, the building had a pagoda-style roof so he was able to roll down the angle of the roof without simply tumbling off the edge as there was a slight lip at the bottom.
Panting, Sun-Tzu looked around as he reloaded his gun – only one spare clip, what had he been thinking? – and saw shadowy giants moving through the Palace Complex. BattleMechs and he could not assume that they were friendly.
A rational coup d'état would centre upon the security barracks, the communications centre and the Chancellor's apartments. Since Kali was involved, the throne room would also be secured even though it would inevitably fall into the hands of whoever came out of the power struggle on top. Where to go, where to go?
Movement in the gallery on the other side of this garden caught his eye and he saw two figures running through it. It was too far to make out who they were but the party that burst into sight pursuing them wore turbans… His mother's Thuggee cult, almost certainly part of Kali's faction.
Sun-Tzu aimed the submachine gun carefully and then raked the Thuggees with more short bursts. The recoil was hurting his wrists – probably the awkward angle, he hadn't had this problem on the shooting range. Shooting from the shadows, his targets probably didn't even see him before they fell.
The two who were fleeing were also out of sight – shot? Perhaps, or simply taking cover. In any case, if they were Kali's enemies they might be allies of convenience. And he had just expended his ammunition so he needed a reload or at least a replacement weapon.
The young man rolled off the edge of the roof, catching hold with his hands for a moment to swing down and dangle before letting go and landing in the flowerbed below.
He could also do with some boots in the place of these slippers, he noted as he stood and then ran across the garden, crossing the ornamental pond by deftly using the stones that crossed it as footholds, just as he had as a boy.
Most of the Thuggees were dead and Sun-Tzu lifted the sidearm their leader had been holding to complete the job. One lesson his mother had taught him that served well: don't leave a living foe behind you. Then again, wasn't that her mistake with Candace? Well it wasn't for want of trying.
"Cousin?"
He snatched up a carbine from where it had fallen and turned to see Kuan-Yin peering out of an open door. Like him, she wore a light robe over her nightclothes.
"Sun-Tzu?" A second face popped into view – Victor Steiner-Davion, a small pistol in one hand and wearing MechWarrior shorts and boots. Well, at least they were intended for use in combat.
"Indeed." Sun-Tzu bowed slightly and lowered the carbine. He noted that the Steiner-Davion did not lower his own weapon. Well, perhaps tonight was teaching him a valuable lesson in caution. "If you plan to shoot me, Prince Davion, please get on with it. Otherwise I will be seeing if one of these men has boots my size."
"Victor," hissed Kuan-Yin.
"I don't recall having an itemised list of who is on whose side here. We know his sister is part of this but…"
"My dear sister doubtless deems me a traitor and an unnatural son of our mother for visiting New Avalon and coming to terms with your father." Hasty comparison of feet turned up two probabilities and Sun-Tzu pulled the boots off the first candidate. "Besides which, only one of us could sit on the Chancellor's throne and she never likes leaving loose ends."
There was a sigh. "Okay, point there. Keep your head down though. Someone fired from across the garden and -"
"Yes, that was me." He frowned, testing the fit of the boots. "I know the guest quarters are on this side of the palace, but how did you get over here from your own rooms so quickly, cousin?"
There was no reply but Kuan-Yin's cheeks were flushed when he looked up.
"Ah." He had to fight down the instinct to turn the carbine back on the Davion. If nothing else, it wasn't like the man was a polished seducer. Too much the bluff soldier, or at least that was what he wanted to be. "There are 'Mechs on the grounds – probably from the Death Commandos' secondary cache. I recognised one of the men in my own rooms."
"Then we need our own 'Mechs."
"I was thinking more of a discreet exit," Sun-Tzu suggested diplomatically.
"Are you absolutely sure that you know one your sister doesn't? She must know at least one that Candace didn't to get her forces into the palace"
"A good point. And with 'Mechs?"
"The best counter to subtlety is direct action – do you think the Red Lancers can be counted on?"
Kuan-Yin nodded. "It seems likely, they were entirely compliant once House Imarra switched sides to mother. And if they have not, we have both Imarra and the First St Ives Lancers stationed nearby."
"Then let's get ourselves inside some ferrofibrous armour."
"Very well." Sun-Tzu pointed to the end of the corridor. "There's a short-cut to the 'Mech hangers this way. I'm sure Kali knows of it, but whether it's guarded…"
Victor shoved his pistol into the waistband of his shorts and then picked up a rifle from the floor. "And one for the lady?"
"Yes." Kuan-Yin was careful not to stand in any of the blood pooling the floor. "The flechette gun there, please."
As it happened, the route wasn't guarded – Kali must have some limit on how many men she had been able to bring into the palace – and Sun-Tzu slid a water-colour to one side, finding the control that opened a hidden panel in the wall. It was only waist high but none of them was excessively tall. Behind the panel was a stairwell.
"This opens at the back of a maintenance cabinet," Sun-Tzu warned as he closed up the panel. "Be careful opening it – it'd be easy to knock over tools and draw attention."
He followed them down. Hmm. Both ahead of him, moving side by side. It would be easy… but then he'd be alone against Kali and besides, Candace had three other children. No, eliminating them now would be completely unproductive.
At the bottom, Victor opened the hidden door with surprising deftness, reaching past it to secure the tools leaning against what seemed simply to be the back wall of the closet-sized space.
As he stacked them carefully out of the way, Kuan-Yin slipped gracefully past him and listened at the door before opening it a crack. Then she pushed it closed. "Three guards here – none in 'Mechs. And the hatches for our Victors are still secured."
"I'm not sure what you're set up with…"
Sun-Tzu shook his head at Victor's implied question. "I don't have the passphrases for any 'Mechs stored here. Candace was understandably cautious about that. In any case, my MechWarrior training is fairly basic. Whoever my sister has in her 'Mechs will be Death Commandos, the Confederation's elite."
"Great." Victor took a deep breath. "Okay, one step at a time. There are three of us and three of them. Kuan-Yin, where are the guards once we're through the door?"
"One at the main entrance from the palace, one covering him on the gantries above and the third is nearest, right at the controls for the 'Mech doors." She raised the flechette gun. "I should deal with that one, this doesn't have much range."
The two men nodded understanding. "Then the gantry one is mine," Victor decided. "No offense, Sun-Tzu, but this has most reach."
"But less punch." Sun-Tzu tapped the laser carbine he held. "Shooting from below this would be better – you deal with the one at the palace entrance."
The Davion considered and then shrugged. "You know this place best, we'll do it your way. You'll need to go out first though to get any sort of angle."
"Another argument in my favour since I'm wearing body armour." He bared his teeth slightly. "You must learn to dress for the occasion, Prince Victor."
"When we get out of this, you can give me some tips. Okay, on three." Victor took the door handle.
"On three or after three?"
He glared slightly. "On. One, two…" Victor yanked the door open. "Three."
Sun-Tzu ran out the door, raising the carbine. Main entrance there, best covering position on the gantry was…
There was the crack-hiss of a flechette gun.
There! Sun-Tzu fired, dropped to a crouch behind a stanchion, aimed and then fired again as Victor's rifle filled the chamber with the smell of cordite and the rattle of automatic fire. The guard on the gantry was flat against the grille floor after the second shot but Sun-Tzu fired again, aiming for the throat, just in case.
"Dammit!"
He looked around, seeing both the other targets were down.
Victor dropped the rifle. "I think he might have reached the alarm panel."
Useless. "Well, you were last out of the door." Sun-Tzu started unstrapping his vest as he went for the steps that would take them up to the cockpits. "Too late to worry about anything now."
"Wait." Kuan-Yin joined them, having pulled three cooling vests out of a cabinet next to the one they had entered through. "You'll need this even in the back-seat."
"Thank you, cousin."
Up on the gantry, Sun-Tzu considered which 'Mech to ride in. Kuan-Yin's grey-green colour scheme would draw less fire but Davion evidently needed more supervision.
"Come on," Victor caught his elbow and pulled him towards his 'Mech.
Well, decision made. "Don't touch me." He threw his vest over the edge of the gantry, peeled off the dressing gown and paused at the hatch to push his arms into the cooling vest. The heavy kevlar and plastic was uncomfortable but being broiled alive inside the 'Mech would be much worse.
Victor entered the hatch first and started the process of activating the 'Mech while Sun-Tzu climbed in after him and managed to cram himself into the folding seat behind the Prince. The view was terrible, his knees were crammed up and the safety harness was considerably less useful than that Prince Victor was buckling around himself. Still, as the hatch closed and the interior of the cockpit built up a slight over-pressure (making his ears pop), Sun-Tzu realised he was safer than he had been since he was woken less than an hour ago.