Chapter Twelve
Asgard, Tharkad
Donegal March, Lyran Commonwealth
26 December 3051
The Packrat armoured car skidded from side to side as Justin jerked the wheel to avoid incoming fire. The missiles of the pursuing Excalibur BattleMech plastered the tarmac beside them, which left Melissa more than willing to overlook the way she'd bounced off one side of the passenger compartment as a result.
Then a gauss rifle slug flickered within centimetres of the roof.
"This is not my idea of a Christmas celebration!" the Archon shouted, picking up the reload she'd dropped when she fell. The missile slotted into place at last and she handed the loaded weapon up to her bodyguard.
"Who doesn't like Christmas fireworks?" the LIC agent asked blandly and pushed his head, shoulders and the missile launcher up out of the Packrat's upper hatch.
A short-range missile slashed back down the mountain road faster than Melissa recalled being able to fire an SRM launcher back in her own infantry training.
The first missile missed and the igniter didn't trigger the oily contents of the warhead, which spread across the icy road. That was intentional – Melissa had detached the igniter.
The Excalibur reached the patch of freezing petroleum gel and one heavy foot slipped out from under it. The ComGuards MechWarrior didn't manage to recover the seventy-ton machine and it crashed down onto the road.
That was when Curaitis fired the second missile in his launcher. This one hadn't been tampered with and it doused the upper surface of the Excalibur with fire. Enough dripped down onto the patch below that the 'Mech was quickly blazing all over.
"Agent, you are an artist," Justin called back.
Discarding the launcher, Curaitis dropped back through the hatch and pulled it short. "It won't buy us long. I didn't get the missile rack and I don't think that thing runs warm enough to be badly impaired."
"We don't need all that much longer." Melissa checked the mountain ridges. "Justin, there's a trail coming up on the right. Take it!"
Justin dragged on the wheel once more and the Packrat bounced as it crossed the verge and hit what could charitably be called a side-trail. "I thought we were heading for Asgard!"
"This is a short cut."
"Are you sure?"
"Do you have any idea how much time I spent riding and skiing in these mountains when I was a teenager? Trust me."
"Well, it's just that a lance of the Second Royal Guards should have been only two klicks from us on the main road."
"Are you willing to bet that the ComGuards didn't pick up that transmission?"
"Point."
There was a whine from above and Justin turned the Packrat into a skidding turn that took it below tree-branches only a moment before a v-formation of aerospace fighters zoomed overhead – all with white armour and showing the eight-pointed rising star of ComStar on their wings.
"Good point," Justin conceded again and put the armoured car into motion again, the wheels kicking up dirt as he pushed it as hard as he dared. "Where are we going now?"
"There's a secondary entrance in a ravine south of here. It looks bad but it should actually be wide enough for us to drive there."
She was right and the two men disembarked to cover the Archon as she activated the hidden controls that pulled a sizeable boulder out and up to reveal a hollow perhaps as wide as a small garage and leading deep into the mountain.
"Who goes there!" came a challenge.
"Archon Steiner," she responded tersely. "Today's code is Alpha-Romeo-Victor One-Seven-Nine."
"Advance and be recognised."
She obeyed and a battle-dress clad guard stepped out, an automatic shotgun in one fist and a torch in the other. He illuminated her face and then stepped back. "Sorry, your highness. Regulations…"
"They exist for a reason, Gefriter. I have two companions and a vehicle. We need to get to the command centre – the vehicle can stay."
Justin discreetly put the fingers on his artificial hand into a more conventional arrangement, safing the laser built into it.
Up two flights of stairs and through three airlock-like security doors they finally reached an underground monorail. "Just how much of the mountain is hollow?" Justin asked.
"I could ask the same of Mount Davion." Melissa took a seat in the carriage waiting for them – barely larger than a small van – and gestured for them to sit. "Back around 3037 when we were digging out a new level, we found an entire complex that someone had poured full of concrete. No one can find a shred of documentation about it but the working theory is that it was established in the early twenty-fourth century after the capital moved here from Arcturus and filled in later by Robert Steiner after he overthrew Margaret Olson."
"Secrets of the past," mused Justin.
"Burying military facilities underground goes back well before humanity left Terra."
The car slowed to a halt – it had been moving at tremendous speed for their short journey, safer than a commercial subway would have been since there wasn't going to be much, if any, other traffic to worry about – and stopped at another ante-chamber.
They only had to pass two more armed checkpoints before entering the command centre.
"Melissa!" called out Nondi in relief, striding up from the main floor and seizing her niece in a hearty embrace with no regard for decorum. "We thought – I feared the worst when the news came that the Triad had fallen."
"It couldn't have been a great deal closer," Melissa confirmed, returning the hug. "It wasn't entirely a military strike, ROM agents had infiltrated some of the outer security and it let the ComGuards get closer than they should have before the Royals were alerted."
"And how did they manage to assemble an entire Division on planet – those troops should be scattered across a dozen worlds?" asked Nondi with a suspicious look at Justin.
"There's clearly been a failure by my Ministry, I agree," he admitted. "I – or my successor, if it pleases the Archon to dismiss me – will have to answer some hard questions."
"This isn't the time. I need two briefings, Aunt Nondi. Local and the full Federated Commonwealth status. How bad is it?"
Ardan, who had been waiting quietly below, found it a suitable moment to join them. "Why don't I start with the big picture while Marshal Steiner brings herself current on the last half-hour or so? She's been wearing a hole in the carpet worrying about what condition you'd arrive in," he added with an avuncular air.
Nondi huffed and turned away to check the latest reports being displayed.
"Good news first," Ardan advised. "Our own HPG chain between here and New Avalon hasn't been cut. Skye and Tikonov were hit, but they're holding firm. The ComGuards didn't commit enough forces to take those worlds and we've sent out the word for relief forces."
"New Avalon?"
"They haven't been hit yet, but the jumpship traffic we know about suggests ComStar are assembling a large force."
"Is that the bad news?"
"No." Ardan folded his arms. "The bad news is that we haven't heard much from the rest of the Federated Commonwealth. Black box signals are getting through but it can take days for the signals to reach worlds that are part of our HPG network." He sighed. "We do knew they hit Outreach though – an entire squadron of warships and at least as many Divisions as they have here."
"They're going for the Dragoons."
He nodded. "That's going to be ugly. Epsilon Regiment are good and they have the Home Guard force but…"
"But all our warships are elsewhere, which means that even if they just blockade the planet, they have the Dragoons' dependents trapped. Natasha will hit the roof."
"Nothing from the Clan front either. I think we have to assume they'll press the advantage though."
"Myndo Waterly has a lot to answer for. And yes, easier said than done."
Nondi returned. "Are you done, Ardan?"
"Not much detail to work with. How about you?"
The Marshal grimaced. "Tharkad City is in ComGuard hands. Things are too disorganised to try to take it back at this point and the First Royal Guards severely underperformed. We're going to need to take them in hand when we get the chance. Second have more than done their share though – in addition to covering your escape, Melissa, they've repelled two attempts to take the TharHes factories."
"Mid-battle isn't the best time to review the Royals performance, but it's going on the list of things to do," the Archon agreed. "Are we still dealing with just one Division?"
"Yes, the 282nd. There are reinforcements on their way in but someone seems to have screwed up their timing and the first division of their reinforcements ran head on into FCS Enterprise." Nondi gave a cool and approving nod. "I wasn't a supporter of the warship programme, but I know when I'm wrong. That one ship tore every single transport apart before they could get close enough to drop troops, much less land them."
"No warships here?"
"Unfortunately yes. More transports, probably an additional two divisions, are at a proximity point deep in-system and they're escorted by two battlecruisers. Commodore Derwent aboard the Adventure advises that he isn't confident our two warships can successfully defeat that escort. For now I've ordered him to regroup with Enterprise and prepare to fight for the orbitals. If we back them with surface-based fighters… well, it'll be close."
Melissa nodded and looked at the main displays. "And it would take, a week at best, just to notify our other warships of the problem, much less bring them here."
"We do have a squadron of heavy assault dropships available at Donegal," Ardan advised. "I've sent them orders and we should be able to get them here."
The Archon nodded. "Good thinking. Alright. There's nothing we can do about the larger situation except trust our commanders on site. At least locally, however, we need to get the First Royal Guards back in the fight. Let's see if I can get some steel into Mellandra's spine."
"And if you can't?"
"Then I'll have Agent Curaitis put a steel blade through her spine and put one of you two in charge of the Guards. I'm fairly sure you both recall how to run an RCT and with limited communications, one of you can be spared."
.o0o.
Ducal Palace, St Ives
St Ives Compact
27 December 3051
"If you'll excuse me for saying this, I would really prefer not to be woken in the night for more emergencies like this," Sun-Tzu requested politely.
The man across from him chuckled. "I can't blame you. What is this, three times in the last two years?"
"Ask the gods to spare you the bother then, cousin." Kuan-Yin was at least properly dressed for the occasion, wearing formal robes as she sat at the conference table. "It is not given to a Minister, Marshal or Chancellor to dictate the course of all events, no matter what we may wish for."
"Okay, we're getting a picture of the situation now." Victor stopped chuckling and resumed the more serious demeanour Sun-Tzu had seen him display regularly since his abrupt elevation from junior Leutenant to de facto Field Marshal of the Confederation. "The on-planet elements of the 104th Division seized the spaceport and enabled a landing of the rest of their Division, backed up by the Fiftieth Division. So far that's all the troops they have, whatever they might be claiming."
"You're very confident of that."
"There are only so many people you can cram into dropships and we have good people watching the spaceport. The 104th is 'Mech heavy and the Fiftieth is about fifty percent infantry so they've a decent troop balance but that's still not a huge force. We have a numerical advantage if we can concentrate our forces to deal with them."
"That will take careful diplomacy," noted Sun-Tzu.
Besides the St Ives Academy training group, the available forces were the Red Lancers, who accompanied Kuan-Yin as the provisional Chancellor/Minister, and the Davion Assault Guards who were hardly likely to let the heir to the Federated Commonwealth out of their sight a second time after the events on St Ives. Both were old and proud regiments – and the last time they had both been on St Ives at the same time, the Guards had inflicted a crushing defeat on the Lancers, forcing a humiliating treaty on the then Chancellor Dainmar Liao.
"It'll be an exercise in co-operation," admitted Victor. "Perhaps we should thank ComStar for offering themselves as a target that they can both turn their attention to."
"I hardly think that we need to go that far. Also I'd prefer not to ride in the backseat of your 'Mech, if that's alright."
"It isn't very comfortable, I agree. On the other hand, you shouldn't stay here. In their place I'd certainly consider launching a commando raid on the palace under the cover of a more conventional assault. And, no offense, Sun-Tzu, but you're likely one of their targets."
"You would consider such a thing?"
"He didn't say he would actually order such a raid, cousin." Kuan-Yin watched fondly as colour rose in Victor's face. "Merely that he would consider it as a tactical option."
"Using a large and obvious operation to mask covert action is pretty basic."
"Yes, merely uncharacteristic of you." Sun-Tzu considered. "I believe that the Davion Assault Guards have a mobile headquarters vehicle. If you don't feel I would be in the way, perhaps I could act as a liaison there between the two regiments."
"I think that would help," agreed Victor. "And we should probably place the cadets under Colonel Elias' command as well."
"May I suggest instead that you take personal charge of the Training Group," proposed Sun-Tzu. "You are in overall command, after all, so it would be best if you and Kuan-Yin weren't on the frontlines. The cadets can act as a reserve force under your direction to shore up the situation as needed. I believe it would be good for morale."
"I'm not sure how the Lancers and Guards would feel about our last line of defence being cadets."
"Then they will have something in common to complain about – and of course, they will fight doubly hard to make sure that there is no need for the cadets to be committed."
Victor and Kuan-Yin exchanged glances and then Victor nodded. "Alright, we'll do it your way." He seemed to sense Sun-Tzu's surprise at the proposal being accepted so easily. "If you're willing to place your safety in the hands of my Assault Guards, the least I can do is listen your advice about my own security."
They parted ways, infantry escorts falling in around them as Victor went to the communications centre to give the necessary orders; Kuan-Yin went to her quarters, presumably to change into something more practical to riding a BattleMech – Victor was right, she would be safer in a 'Mech where ROM agents were less likely to be able to strike directly at her; and Sun-Tzu was whisked away to the entrance where a sleek hover car and escort were already preparing to take him to the headquarters of the Davion Assault Guards.
I must be out of my mind, Sun-Tzu thought. Putting my life in the hands of the Davions… but if ComStar wins and the messages I've been receiving are from them, the best I can hope for is to be their figurehead on Sian. But inside Prince Victor's inner circle I can wield real power and influence on behalf of the Capellan people.
Assuming I survive, of course.
Swift and efficient service delivered him to the Assault Guards' positions and after obtaining confirmation from the palace, he was admitted to the little bubble of privilege around the RCT's command vehicles.
There were turned heads and even one whispered 'What is he doing here?' as he entered. Drab AFFC field uniforms abounded and his plain black suit – a style he deliberately copied from Justin Allard – stood out.
"What brings you here, your excellency?" General Stephan Cooper was tall, barrel-chested and bluntly spoken – an occidental counterpart of the more eastern values of the Confederation. Sun-Tzu thought privately that the man bore more than a minor resemblance to the St Ives-built Emperor BattleMech he drove – something about the lack of neck.
"Officially I'm here as a liaison, General. Just to deal with any little cultural issues that may cause misunderstandings between you and the other regiments on world."
"We've been dealing with St Ives units for twenty years, I think we can manage."
"I doubt it was so smooth in the beginning – and the Red Lancers aren't a St Ives unit." Sun-Tzu smiled warmly. "Unofficially, I think Prince Victor may be showing off a little. I've grown up around the best Capellan regiments. I don't think it's unlikely that he wants to wow me a little with one of the best regiments in the Federated Commonwealth." The compliment was a little blatant for his tastes, but you have to speak to the audience you have, not the one you want to have.
"Well you've come to the right place." Cooper thumped Sun-Tzu on the shoulder. "Let me show you what we're going to do."
Sun-Tzu followed him to the map table, glad he hadn't had to bring out the other argument he could have proposed: that in being here he was a hostage against any misbehaviour by the Red Lancers. That would have worked in the short term, but the long term consequences would be troublesome.
.o0o.
Coventry
Donegal March, Lyran Commonwealth
28 December 3051
The ComGuards scout force was doomed almost the moment it came into view.
The Cyrano helicopter gunships at least got shots off with their lasers before they were brought down, but to do that they came into the range of defensive fire from Kai and from Helen, who had with undisguised regret had to hand over her Black Python for major repairs and was instead piloting an Ausf R Hunchback from reserve stores, one almost identical to the 'Mech she'd been assigned when they first met on Maxie's Planet.
Cluster ammunition was deadly against helicopters and the lightly armoured gunships probably wouldn't have survived hits even from conventional autocannon. As it was, they both lost their rotors and crashed to the ground as useless wrecks.
The ComGuards operated in six-strong combined arms units so it was no surprise to find a pair of BattleMechs also in the area, backed up by a pair of Beagle hover tanks. Knowing that friendly Beagle hover tanks were in the area, Kai ordered the 'Mechs be destroyed first.
Diana spotted and engaged the Hussar in the slim interval between it entering her LRM range and the 'Mech being able to engage with its extended range laser. If a scrap of armour survived anywhere on the light 'Mech, it must have been on the back – the salvo was shatteringly effective and blew off both arms and the laser. The MechWarrior somehow kept the light 'Mech upright but he had no offensive capability left and turned away at maximum speed.
The Talon was much less fortunate – Hasham's Phoenix Hawk was fast enough to keep pace with him and compared to the Nova Cats, the ComGuard pilot might as well have been reacting in slow motion. Unlike the Hussar, the Talon had the armour to take a few hits from the Phoenix Hawk… but not from one of the artillery missiles launched from well behind Kai's position. Hasham lit the enemy 'Mech up with his TAG system and more literally with his lasers. Thirty seconds after coming into view, the Talon found an Arrow IV missile zeroing in on the already damaged right side of its chest. The warhead blew half way through the 'Mech and took the side off the fusion reactor, with predictable results.
The hover tanks, seeing the carnage, tried to make a hasty retreat but as they retreated they found themselves confronted by two more Beagles – this time with sunburst-fists on their turrets. The new arrivals were just as fast as the ComGuard units and carried extended range lasers in their turrets that let them engage with relative impunity. The result was never really in doubt.
"Are the ComGuards placing sibkids in their war machines?" asked Diana. "That was too easy."
"Not many of the ComGuards have seen action since joining. We do seem to have encountered the shallow end of their experience pool though." Kai gestured towards the next ridge. "They must be scouting for someone, I want to see who it was."
There was no one behind the ridge, but Able Company's Recon and Fire lances pressed on and as Hasham's Phoenix Hawk poked its antenna over the crest of the hill after that he froze and then backed up, waving for them to withdraw as well.
"What did you see?" Kai asked, using a tightbeam microwave transmission that should be secure.
"It's an artillery park," the Leutenant reported eagerly. "I saw three Partisans on air defence and at least a dozen Marksman self-propelled guns!"
"Did you see any security escort?" Helen had turned her Hunchback to watch their rear area, but she wasn't going to stay out of the conversation.
Hasham's voice was sheepish. "I didn't see anything but I ducked away because I didn't want to be spotted. I could have missed something."
"Understandable." Kai considered for a moment. "It's too good a target to ignore, we'll have to take the risk. With the Partisans an airstrike would be a no-go but if we take them out first, we can call in our own fighters. Where are they located?"
"On the corners – it's a roughly square encampment so there may be a fourth." Hasham used the foot of his 'Mech to scrape a rough diagram of the deployments.
"Eight 'Mechs on what looks like most of a battalion?" asked Helen dubiously.
"We're not going to try to take them all out." Kai pointed with Legendkiller's arms at the corners. "Fire lance will cross the ridge and take out the nearest Partisan, then move along their left flank to engage the next corner. Recon lance goes for the right corner and checks for another Partisan on the far side. As soon as we've taken all four out, we get out and call in air strikes. You can take shots at the artillery if you don't have any other targets but don't stop moving or they'll drop their muzzles and just flatten us with direct fire."
"And if we don't have any friendly air cover in range?"
"Then we took out their air defences and someone else can call in a strike next time they're spotted – or they'll need to divert air defence units from elsewhere. Not quite as good, but I'll take that over leaving them there and unmolested."
"Fair point." Helen fell in at the rear of the Fire Lance.
"Okay. We move on three. One, two, three."
All eight 'Mechs crested the rise and while Kai was tracking Legendkiller's guns onto the nearest Partisan, he also scanned the encampment. Sixteen Marksman self-propelled guns, parked in neat four gun batteries and each covered by a Partisan. Very symmetrical… although…
He fired, lasers raking across and through the side armour of the Partisan. Diana unleashed a single precise missile barrage that was probably overkill. The Dervish following them over-shot, missiles landing around the tank while Helen decided that overkill was better than underkill and raked what was probably a wreck with her autocannon.
…ComGuards use multiples of six for their units. Where are the other four?
Kai was answered as a low-slung, turreted vehicle moved into view from amid the nearest Marksman tanks. "Alacorn!"
The assault tank brought its turret to bear and one at a time the three gauss rifles fired. The unlucky recipient was the Dervish in Kai's lance and two shots happened to strike the 'Mech in its right leg, shattering the limb.
"I have it! Press on!" shouted Hasham and on the far side of the camp, a Phoenix Hawk soared briefly into the sky.
Then there were three sharp cracks and the 'Mech tilted forwards and nose-dived into the valley floor.
Dammit. Dammit! "Evasive manoeuvres, finish the Partisans and get out!" snapped Kai. He wasn't quite in range yet for the next Partisan, which was bringing its turret around to aim at them as well, so he twisted sideways and let the Alacorn have the full force of his weapons, driving the heat inside his cockpit well up into the amber range.
The lasers dug into the massive tank's hull but they didn't penetrate and Kai's autocannon scraped away at it without managing anything more.
Diana's LRM barrage also seemed unable to stop the tank, although it was wreathed in explosions.
"This is how it's done," Helen counselled. She ducked her Hunchback to one side and raked the side of the Alacorn with her autocannon, cluster rounds spraying across the tracks in the gap between the ground and the side-armour. "That ought to keep it from following us," she explained.
Then she kept closing in, angling to stay just ahead of the three muzzles as the turret turned to track her Hunchback. Raising one foot high, Helen managed to scramble up behind the turret, inside the arc of the gauss rifles, and then kicked hard at the side of the turret.
With an audible crunch, the turret ceased to turn.
"How do you like that?" she declared out loud.
There was a thunderous crash as an artillery shell from one of the Marksmen slammed into the rear armour of Helen's Hunchback and sent it sprawling.
"Double-O!"
"Ow. Nothing hurt but my pride and my rear armour."
Kai fired into the rear of the second Partisan. "Can you move?"
"Yeah."
"Then get out of here, we'll finish up."
Diana unleashed not just her LRMs but also both the Archer's lasers into the Partisan. Smoke began to pour from the forward deck of the tank as one of her shots found the engine.
"That's it, we're done." Kai started backing towards the nearest cover. "Recon lance, did you get the second Partisan?"
"Yes sir. The Leutenant bought it though."
"We saw. Get clear and we'll regroup." He flipped the channel. "Air support, this is Kommandant Allard. ComGuard artillery force, four batteries, located this position. We've taken out their dedicated air defence but there are four heavy tanks on site."
There was nothing but an unwelcome static.
"Dammit, someone listen." He adjusted the frequency, wondering if the hills were interfering. Sometimes a very small shift in frequency could break through. "This is Kommandant Allard requesting an airstrike."
There was another crackle and then, just as he reached the wood line and paused to give covering fire, there was a reply. "Kommandant Allard, we have an airstrike in your general vicinity. Confirm target."
"ComGuard artillery park, one point five klicks east of my location."
"Confirmed, Kommandant. Passing you to air-strike commander."
Kai frowned. That wasn't the usual procedure.
"Kommandant." A vaguely familiar voice. "We have a smoke column in sight. Is that the target area, quiaff?"
"Star-Captain Leroux?"
"Aff. The ComGuards have engaged our forces also. Is the smoke source in the target area?"
"Ah, confirmed. Artillery is immediately eastwards. Good hunting. Allard out."
As he swung north with Diana and Helen to regroup with what remained of the Recon Lance, Kai's radar detected no less than twenty Nova Cat aerospace fighters descending upon the ComGuards artillery.
.o0o.
Fox's Den, New Avalon
Crucis March, Federated Suns
4 January 3052
"I was beginning to think that Waterly had forgotten about us," Hanse noted coolly as he watched the diagram of dropships moving in towards New Avalon.
"I suspect that they were waiting for warships to join them from Galax."
The First Prince looked over at Morgan. "And in their absence…?"
"They're coming anyway." The Marshal of the Federated Suns shrugged. "It isn't how I prefer to do business, but Waterly is used to having almost immediate access to her people wherever they are in the Inner Sphere. I doubt she encourages initiative and it doesn't seem to have occurred to her that with an interdiction in place there's no actual reason for us not to storm the HPG stations and cut off her own communications."
"It's a shame we don't have enough trained personnel to put them all back in service right away. That would be a slap in the face to her."
"Are you sure you want to slap her across the face? It's not very gentlemanly of you. After all, she did strip the ComGuard garrisons from most of our worlds, to the point that even planetary guard regiments can seize the stations."
Hanse considered that question for a minute. "Yes," he said firmly. "Given what happened on Outreach, I think it's merited."
"I can't argue with that." The Wolf Dragoons had put up a ferocious defence to buy time to evacuate the dependents of all five of their regiments, not to mention many retired veterans and sibkos created in the Clan style onto a flotilla of commandeered dropships only to see the ComGuards warships interdict almost all of them – and ComStar's militant arm were not taking prisoners.
Only three dropships managed to escape on a circuitous high-gravity course through the outer system that eventually let them reach a startled commercial jumpship whose crew were willing to risk ComStar's ire.
By that time, of course, Epsilon Regiment and the Home Guards were long dead – the survivors had thrown themselves at the four Divisions in a berserk fury when they realised what the warships were doing. Intelligence sources on Outreach were still sending reports in via Black Box and the ComGuards had lost almost all of the 111th and 386th Divisions to the Dragoons' last charge.
"We still don't know how bad the reports will be elsewhere," Morgan said steadily. "We have to assume that other worlds have fallen."
"New Avalon will not."
"No," Morgan agreed. The ComGuards invasion force was the same size as that sent to Outreach, four Division, and once again there were two regiments to receive them – but here the First Davion Guards and New Avalon March Militia were supported by warships and additional militia units were forming up to provide assistance for anything that reached the ground. "But what then? You know Terra's defences caused horrific casualties to the SLDF when they took it from Amaris. The AFFC wouldn't be prepared for that sort of operation even if we weren't fighting the Clans."
"I have an angle."
"You have… an angle?"
Hanse patted his nephew on the shoulder. "Oh yes. Trust me, Morgan. We're in touch with Tharkad now and Melissa has everything in hand there. You just concentrate on clearing the ComGuards off our worlds and I'll keep things moving on re-establishing HPG communications across the Federated Commonwealth. Terra is in hand."
"I'll take your word for that."
"So, Tikonov?"
"Yes." Morgan pulled up a map. "The Crucis Lancers took the world in 3028 and they still remember what a struggle it was. Now that the Second RCT are on the defensive side they've made use of that. Even with three Divisions on world they can hold out almost indefinitely. I've recalled Beowulf, Athena and Loyalty to regroup at Quentin where they'll be joined by the Seventh Lyran Regulars. They'll move on to Deneb Kaitos where the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry are waiting for them."
"That's a decent army group, with the Light Cavalry fully upgraded. So a warship-escorted group of reinforcements to take care of Tikonov. How long do you expect it to take?"
"The main limitation is that even with Lithium-Fusion Batteries, the warships won't reach Quentin until next month and it'll probably take another month for the task force to reach Tikonov."
"By then I'll be able to give you a better idea of where we stand with regard to the other worlds."
Both of them instinctively listed the worlds that mattered most to them, the worlds that must have also been targeted by the ComGuards.
Robinson, capital of the Draconis March, where James Sandoval was now off the leash when it came to handling the weakened Draconis Combine.
St Ives, capital of the new Confederation March. Home to Hanse's heir and daughter-in-law.
New Syrtis, capital of the Capellan March. Home to Morgan and where his wife and younger children were defended by exactly as many regiments as New Avalon was.
Exactly as many regiments as Outreach had been.
Morgan Hasek-Davion was not a fool and he had thought himself no stranger to fear. But now he considered himself very foolish indeed. And very very frightened.
"Kym is a very capable woman," Hanse assured him. "And George is with the Forty-Second Avalon Hussars, only a few jumps away. If New Syrtis is in trouble then he'll know about it by now."
"That's part of what bothers me. If New Syrtis is in danger then George might convince General Waters to do something reckless to try to relieve them. The only warships we have in the area are the Valiant and the Vincent Davion and they're just corvettes."
Hanse leant against his desk and looked sympathetically at his nephew. "I remember worrying about another young man I was sending out on his own and hoping he wouldn't overreach himself. We've raised good sons. Now we have to stand back and trust them to handle them right."
.o0o.
Reyhavik, Rasalhague
Wolf Occupation Zone
13 January 3052
Ulric Kerensky hadn't realised until he was reminded that it was more than forty-eight hours since he'd had the Precentor Martial detained. Then again, he had been very busy.
"You needn't concern yourself," Focht assured him, when the Khan summoned him to the command centre. "I've been catching up on my reading."
"Yes, well you may have other things to concern yourself with." Ulric folded his arms. "I have come to have considerable respect for your sagacity, Precentor Martial, so I am working on the basis that you have nothing to do with what your Primus calls 'Operation Revelation'."
"I don't believe that I'm familiar with anything going by that name," admitted Focht slowly.
"It is remarkable that she would embark on such a large scale military operation without consulting her senior military command."
The strategic display had been zoomed out to show the entire Inner Sphere and neighbouring Periphery Realms rather than just the Clan Invasion Corridors. The Khan indicated Coventry, right on the leading edge of the Nova Cat occupation zone. "Clan Nova Cat has been engaged by two divisions of the ComGuards. Khan Leroux has suggested that this may be an attempt to take advantage of the ilKhan's death."
"Two divisions isn't remotely enough to defeat the Nova Cat forces on Coventry."
Ulric nodded. "The Nova Cats do not appear to be having significant difficulty, particularly as the ComGuards are also engaging the Federated Commonwealth forces."
Focht's lips thinned. "Then those divisions will be destroyed," he said bleakly.
"Quite. Under the circumstances, those Clans who have not already expelled ComStar entirely are doing so." Ulric touched a control and the icons representing the ComStar HPG stations and their security were highlighted in red, all across the occupation zones, excepting those of the Smoke Jaguar and now Diamond Shark corridors from which they had already been expelled.
"Will you allow me to order an orderly withdrawal?"
"No." The Khan touched another control and the icons of the Wolves' frontline Clusters suddenly lunged back up their corridor. "You've trained excellent soldiers, Precentor-Martial. And since the Federated Commonwealth is under an Interdiction and quite unable to launch a counter attack, I intend to take those soldiers – and the technicians they are guarding - as our bondsmen."
"An interdiction? Why would Waterly... ah."
"Purportedly some incident on Blair Atholl. The Steel Vipers are unable to shed any light upon it, however your Primus has claimed it as justification to seize control of the Federated Commonwealth and restore what she calls 'responsible government'."
Focht gripped the rail overlooking the holo display. "She can't possibly succeed, not without months to shift forces and prepare."
"It seems unlikely." Ulric balled his fists. "That is not the immediate concern however. Removing ComStar from my Clan's worlds is."
The Precentor Martial got the message right before Ulric caught him by one shoulder and spun him around, driving his fist into him below the ribs. The older man doubled up, breath driven from his lungs, but he caught the rail behind him and jumped up, belying his age with a kick to Ulric's ribs.
Propelled by the kick, Focht crashed over the rail into the holo display and Ulric took two quick steps then hurdled the same rail to kick him with both feet.
Bright lights played over them as the holoprojectors tried to adjust their display despite the presence of two bodies in the middle of the projection.
The Khan seized hold of his opponent but released him as Focht lowered his head and butted him in the face, breaking Ulric's nose.
"Should we intervene?" asked one of the warriors at the consoles.
The Star-Captain on watch shook his head. "This is the Khan's fight. But shut down the projectors before they burn out."
The lights around the two brawling men died out as Ulric finally managed to pin the fiercely struggling Focht against the floor. In addition to the broken nose, the Khan was bleeding from an ear that the Precentor-Martial had got his teeth into. With a grunt, Ulric seized the other man's long white hair, dislodging the strap of his eye-patch and bounced his head off the ground.
It took three more impacts – and probably a concussion – before the Precentor Martial stopped fighting back.
Ulric took a deep breath and then pulled a bondcord out of his pocket, wrapping it around the other man's wrist. "Take him to the medical wing and ensure he is guarded. He may not accept his new status easily," he instructed.
The Star-Captain stepped in and hauled the old man out of the way. "I've called for a medic," she advised the Khan. "I recommend you have your own injuries tended before they become infected."
"That isn't precisely my first concern." He stepped clear and then looked back. "Bring up the display again."
The inner sphere winked back into life and Ulric shrank the view in until only Clan Wolf's domain and the worlds around it were displayed. Almost all of the worlds they had taken in the Periphery had been overrun, with two worlds still holding out near those the Star Adders and Fire Mandrills had seized and Star's End, much nearer to the former Free Rasalhague Republic, showing as strongly garrisoned.
"Overlay our troop movements."
The clusters of Alpha and Delta Galaxies moved back the occupation zone, clearing it of ComStar elements from Lothan and Ramsau to Memmingen and Radstadt. Meanwhile Beta and Gamma executed a sweeping movement up along the border with the Jade Falcons and then across the Occupation Zone to Rasalhague on the border with the Ghost Bears.
"Yes, that will do," Ulric confirmed. "Issue the orders to all Galaxy commanders. And inform Anton Fetladral that Paulus Prime and Gustrell are the only additional worlds I will accept being lost to the Adders and the Mandrills. He has worn them down to the point that if they try to reach further towards Terra I want them to be stopped dead."
"It will be done, Khan Kerensky."
Ulric accepted the offered antiseptic wipe from a medtech and wiped his ear briskly, ignoring the stinging sensation. While the tech bandaged his ear, the Khan more carefully cleaned the blood from his broken nose – it was significantly more tender.
"That will have to be set."
"Do it then."
He grimaced as the technician straightened his nose and then taped it into place. Yelling at the pain would be undignified for a Khan he thought and his lips curled at the nature of the thought. Worrying about appearances… how we have been changed by this matter.
"What is next on my schedule?" he asked.
The Star Captain checked her noteputer. "Ah… a meeting with civilian representatives from Verthandi."
Ulric took a deep breath. "Alright. Let them know I'm on my way." What impression he'd make turning up as if he'd just come out of a bar brawl he wasn't sure, but at least they could take comfort in not being faced by a Smoke Jaguar.
.o0o.
CSS Invisible Truth, Tharkad system
Donegal March, Federated Commonwealth
16 January 3052
Alain Beresick felt a chill down his spine as he saw the tactical display.
"Sir!"
"I see them." For a moment despair dug a tremendous gulf before him. The Primus would be very displeased with what he was about to do – but if he continued to obey her orders then his only immunity from her wrath would like in the fact he was unlikely to survive. "Condition Amber. Inform damage control that they have three hours to lock down anything they can't restore function to by then. And get me Precentor Mulvenna."
The communications adept turned to his console and spoke urgently into his headset while Beresick checked the latest status reports. They weren't terrible… but they weren't good enough.
"Sir." The adept swallowed. "Precentor Mulvenna is busy. I have her aide, Precentor Repanich on the line."
The naval officer closed his eyes for a moment. Blake give me strength.
"Put her on."
The face of Gwen Repanich appeared on the main display. Her own view of Beresick should show the tactical display although not in any great detail.
"What do you want, Beresick? Precentor Mulvenna is busy running the war. Tharkad is almost in our grasp – no thanks to you."
Whether or not the 379th Division, one of the two Divisions assigned to the operation from Mulvenna's Ninth Army, would have made a difference was entirely academic: more than 80% of them hadn't even reached orbit after FCS Enterprise made a high speed run through their formation, weapons firing. The battlecruisers Invisible Truth and Blake's Strength had absolutely gutted the destroyer but even in the brief time that took, the ship's weapons had reaped a brutal harvest of dropships.
"Well you'd better let go of Tharkad in a hurry. Tell her that she has three hours – make that two hours fifty minutes - to get her troops on dropships and lifting. The AFFC's reinforcements are coming and Aleksandr Kerensky himself couldn't stop them with what we have here."
"The entire point of you being here is to deal with that. You have two warships, Beresick. The Feddies tore our dropships apart, now grow a spine and do the same to them."
"There are four inbound warships, Precentor Repanich – three cruisers and a frigate. That isn't counting the Adventure which is vectoring to join forces with them well before we can possibly intercept them. My ships are bigger but not by enough. I won't waste two of the ComGuards' largest warships in a fight they can't win so in just under four hours we're boosting for a jump point. We'll escort any dropships that can join us but if you're not there I'll leave you behind."
"You wouldn't dare. The Primus would -"
"The Primus may or may not take action against me for withdrawing. But if I stay here then the Nova Cats will certainly kill me. That simplifies my position."
"The Nova Cats?" Repanich's brows furrowed. "You said they were AFFC reinforcements."
"Actually I said they were the AFFC's reinforcements." Beresick crossed his arms. "There are three Nova Cat warships escorting dropships that match our data on their Alpha Galaxy – and eleven AFFC dropships, a mix of troop transports and their new heavy assault ships."
"But they're supposed to be shooting at each other!"
"Tell them that. Assuming, you're not in orbit by the time we leave."
"I'll wake the Precentor!"
"Do that." Beresick made a cutting gesture and the screen went dead. "Right, get me in touch with Precentor Cody on the Blake's Strength."
.o0o.
The Triad, Tharkad
Donegal March, Lyran Commonwealth
21 January 3052
The fires of war had touched the heart of the Lyran government for the first time in living memory but nonetheless the Archon greeted the formal embassy of the Nova Cats in the towering royal halls. As had been the case for so long it was more tradition than practical security the stone throne of the Archon was flanked by a pair of BattleMechs in the colours of the Royal Guards.
If Biccon Winters noted that the 'Mechs, rather than being the customary Griffins from the First Royal Guards were Vulcans from the Second Royal Guards she made no mention of it as she waited along with her aides and Caradoc Trevana – her formal escort – for Kai and his father to exchange greetings.
Kai saw new lines on Justin's face and from the expression judged that his father found him just as changed. "It's good to see you," he said quietly. "Is there any news?"
"Cassandra is fine – she'll probably be mad that you got here before she managed it."
"It was my turn to play at being a heroic rescuer."
His father cupped the back of Kai's neck for a moment and then somehow seemed to shrink in on himself. "Anyway, Kuan-Yin is fine on St Ives – we don't have many details but the ComGuards got cut apart by the Red Lancers and the Assault Guards."
"Caught in the crossfire."
"As I said, not many details. And Kestrel wasn't attacked, so Quintus is fine too."
The Grand Marshal cleared his throat. "Gentlemen, may we proceed."
Justin fixed the man – some minor Steiner cousin holding the sinecure position on little more basis than having a clear voice and being moderately presentable – with a quizzical look. "I'm sorry, were you waiting for us?"
Stung, the man turned. "Oathmaster Biccon Winters of Clan Nova Cat."
Normally there would have been a crowd of courtiers observing, as well as supporters of whomever was being presented – and a holo-camera discreetly to one side so that the moment would be immortalised for posterity. The camera had been collateral damage when the fighting entered the Triad and replacing it wasn't a priority and so this meeting, significant as it was, would not be recorded.
Melissa did not rise as the Nova Cats approached the throne, instead fixing them with an icy stare that would have surprised many Lyran and Suns citizens who knew only her warm and approachable public persona. "Oathmaster."
Winters nodded respectfully. "Archon."
"I received a summary of your proposal – and I am not unaware that your presence and reputation has been of service to me in the matter of cleansing ComStar from my home. But I would hear this in greater detail from your own lips."
"You have undoubtedly heard much from Natasha Kerensky of the Clans," Winters said, showing no sign of discomfort at being left to stand and explain in front of the Archon's throne. "While I have never met her, I imagine she described my own clan as a pack of mystics and dreamers or in some similar terms."
"Largely, yes." Melissa tapped the arm of her throne. "This seat was once occupied by an Archon who put her faith in astrologers, soothsayers and the like. She was a disaster who had to be removed by force. It does not predispose us to appreciate such matters."
"That is not an unusual view, many of the other Clans feel likewise. The Nova Cats have followed the Way of Seeing for two hundred years and we remain among the most formidable of all the Clans – we feel this is more than sufficient reason to place weight on our visions. Yet other Clans are certainly our equals in prosperity and in strength, while following quite different paths. We take this to mean that for all its merits in our own eyes, the Way of Seeing is not for everyone."
"Practical of you."
"We try. Such visions hardly guide our every waking hour," Winters pointed out. "Wit and reason are of no less use to us than they are to anyone else. Still, on important decisions we do examine dreams and visions for guidance. Operation Revival was no different."
"To summarise considerable discussion, two key visions were identified. Our Khan dreamed that while the other Clans threw themselves into the teeth of the Inner Sphere's defences, the Nova Cats would follow a different path and that this would lead us to Terra while our cousins in the other Clans howl in envy and frustration. Secondly, my own dreams showed that a legend would be slain and that the killer would lead the Clan – or perhaps I myself – to the gates of Terra, which would be marked by an icy crown."
"And this is why you drove your own invasion towards Tharkad? You believe this is the icy crown?"
"If you will excuse me for saying so, your capital has something of a reputation for cold weather. The symbolism of a crown is obvious. And naturally from a military perspective, circumventing your primary lines of defence by striking at Tharkad and then through the Isle of Skye to Terra, seemed more promising than beating our heads against the fortified worlds that have stalled Clan Steel Viper for so long."
"Vision and reason."
"Exactly." Winters smiled slightly, as if to a promising student. "Of course, visions are open to interpretation. My own vision led us to believe that one of our warriors would kill some legendary figure within the Inner Sphere and that this warrior would lead us in the conquest of Terra. The notion played to our egos, I confess. And yet when a legendary figure did fall, it was our ilKhan and the legend killer is your Kommandant Liao. I arrived in time to witness the end of their duel. You have much to be proud of in this warrior."
"I had great respect for him long before that, as did his father. I think you may safely say that the deed does nothing to tarnish his reputation."
"You are well-spoken, Archon. I had heard that you were not a warrior, but you have the look of one who has trained as a warrior."
"My husband and my sons are MechWarriors, Oathmaster. My own military training was as a jaeger – our light infantry. And I have sent men and women to die in defence of our worlds. You may consider me a warrior."
"It is more than that. You have seen battle with your own eyes."
Melissa hesitated and then nodded. "Long ago, when I was younger than Kai."
Winters eyes went distant for a moment and then she shook her head. "A dying hound and a silver eagle," she murmured to her aide. "My apologies, Archon. Those of us who cultivate visions sometimes have moments of…
intuition, shall we say?"
"We've drifted somewhat from the point of this conversation. So the death of Leo Showers caused you to re-evaluate your visions?"
"It seemed to us that we had misinterpreted my vision. And ComStar's actions gave us more concrete reasons to believe our approach had been wrong. There is a sickness on Terra, Archon. A threat to your realm and to all of the Inner Sphere. The spark that ignited our invasion was the discovery of a ComStar jumpship in Clan space. Perhaps we should have taken that as our sign: that our enemy was not the Inner Sphere, but the rulers of Terra itself."
Winters took a deep breath. "It is never easy to admit to making a mistake, Archon. We have killed no small number of your warriors and now we have concluded that we were wrong to do so. We owe you a surkairede for this – but we must also fulfil our destiny and that takes us to Terra. If we must fight our way past you, we will do this – but as my Khan's vision suggests, perhaps there is another path."
Justin cleared his throat. "Are you sure you have the capacity to take Terra? Aleksandr Kerensky needed to deploy over a hundred and fifty SLDF divisions – more than forty-five thousand BattleMechs alone – to liberate it from Amaris."
"By the standards of those battles, no, we do not. My clan have the third largest warship fleet among the Clans, twenty-two ships, and ten Galaxies of ground forces, although our invasion force includes only around half of our strength. However, there is no evidence that ComStar possess the Caspar drone warships that Amaris used to devastate the SLDF invasion flotillas and the ComGuards, even before their losses attacking your worlds, are in no sense as formidable an army as the Rim Worlds Army was."
"Of course, that doesn't consider your losses if you have to fight your way through the AFFC just to reach Terra."
"If, of course, you decline our request that will be problematic." Winters bowed slightly to Justin and turned back to the Archon. "Archon, we request safcon through the Federated Commonwealth to Terra. With the forces available, we believe we can seize Mars, Venus and other facilities in Terra's star system, establishing a foothold there which can use to constrain ComStar's operations until the remainder of our warriors can join us and we can liberate Terra from the Primus and her ilk."
Melissa lowered her head in thought. "There are conditions," she said at last. "You may consider them your surkairede if you wish."
"Firstly, you will restore the worlds you have taken from the Federated Commonwealth. I have heard no reports that you have abused our citizens as certain other Clans have, but I will not yield their freedoms to you."
"Agreed. We have no cause to retain those worlds."
"Secondly, you will restore all prisoners taken from us in your campaigns so far."
Winters nodded. "That is acceptable. To be forthright, we also have one bondsman who we won from Clan Wolf that was once of the AFFC. Your cousin Richard has insight we find interesting. While we are willing to release him to you, we would ask permission that he remain as our guest – our honoured guest – at least until we have liberated Terra."
"My cousin is a Marshal of the AFFC." Melissa softened her voice. "If he chooses, then he may remain with you as a liaison officer. But if he wishes to come home to us, you will arrange it."
"That is entirely fair, Archon. Are we agreed?"
"There is one last condition. Clan Nova Cat will sign a treaty with the Federated Commonwealth, recognising our sovereign rule over the systems around Terra and recognising your Clan's rights and responsibilities over Terra – as its rulers and also as custodians of the legacy it remains for all humankind. My ancestors allowed Jerome Blake great latitude in these matters and his successors abused that. In generations to come I do not wish my heirs to look back on me as the architect of their troubles with an over-mighty Terra."
The Oathmaster bowed deeply to the throne. "You bargain shrewdly, Archon. Very well. Draw up such a treaty and I will take it before our Clan Council. They will confirm it as our law from this day forward."
"On those terms then, the Federated Commonwealth will provide you with safe conduct and such logistical support as we can spare, in bringing your forces – all of your forces – to the Terran system."
"Bargained well and done."
Biccon Winters stepped up onto the dais and offered her hand. Melissa rose to her own feet and the two women shook hands firmly.
"Is it the beginning of the end?" asked Kai softly.
"At the very least," his father replied, "The tide has turned."