STEEL WOLF

Chapter 5: A Reckless Bet

Mech Bay 01, Vargas Estate, Korla,

Lyran Alliance,

July 7, 3075

"What? Do you guys mean to tell me that no one is available to help me with my project?"

Cassandra Goyua stomped one booted foot in frustration on the cluttered metal floor of the 'mech bay, the other Vargas Estate technicians going about their work. Over two dozen partly-repaired Battlemechs stood against the walls, most of them missing their armor plating while techs worked on their inner parts, sparks from welding tools flying through the air. One of the technicians, a man with short brown hair and one skull-shaped earring, shrugged helplessly. "What can I say, senorita Goyua? Like I told you, between the arena Battlemechs and the damaged 'mechs from the front lines, there is no one who can help with your side projects." He winced and briefly looked around before adding, "Some of us would like to help, but..."

"I just thought I'd get some helping hands," Cassandra added, trying not to let disappointment color her voice. "Lyla and I can only do so much together, and my friend Bellany Murcha is back home several systems away working at a Mechwarrior academy."

The technician tilted his head. "Senorita, how far into this project are you, anyway?"

Cassandra gave him a quick smile. "Come over here and see what I've got." She led the tech over to her work station, where several metal tables bore countless blueprints, tools, and mechanical odds and ends. Lyla Lister worked diligently nearby, the petite, dark-haired young woman tinkering with a large rocket booster prototype designed for Aerospace fighters. Cassandra led the tech to her table, where she picked up two particular blueprints with Battlemech designs on them. She offered them, and the tech looked them over.

"Brand... new Battlemechs?" the tech summarized with awe and excitement. "You and this Bellany Murcha designed these by yourselves? Estoy impresionado!"

"Well, these designs aren't fully ready yet. There's some kinks that need smoothing out, and there's no physical prototype to work on yet," Cassandra said earnestly. "For all I know, these 'mechs could be a total bust! I need physical copies to work with, and Korla is a great place to start. That's one reason I came here with the Arctic Wolves. My brother Kyle Goyua made sure I could get passage here."

The tech scratched the stubble on his jaw as he handed the blueprints back. "Well, you have no official ties to the Arctic Wolves and are therefore not sworn to Alfonso Vargas. If you want, you could take these designs to a neighboring nation as long as you promise Alfonso that these prototypes will not be used against him."

Cassandra hummed a little to herself as she reviewed her designs. The first 'mech was a small chicken-walker modeled after the Clan Uller 'mech. Each of the 'mech's shoulders had a metal fin sporting one ER small pulse laser and an ER medium pulse laser, four lasers total. The arms ended in one SRM 4 launcher pod each, and the 'mech's squat body housed jump jets for better mobility. The tentative name was Tomahawk, abbreviated TMK.

The other 'mech was a sturdy man walker called the Jouster, or JST, a 70-ton Omnimech that used one ER PPC on each forearm for long-range hitting power, as well as a Clan-tech LRM 15 on the left torso for backup. Each wrist sported two ER medium lasers and the right torso had a Clan-tech SRM 6 for close-range foes. By Cassandra's reckoning, this 'mech was intended to fight at long range, then quickly charge the enemy and finish it off with short-range firepower, much like a jouster charging in for the final strike.

"Those two 'mechs look great, I'll say that much," the technician said tentatively, "but they will be expensive to make and Clan weapons aren't all that common, even here on Korla. Double heat sinks and ER lasers are fairly common, though. Are you sure you can do this?"

"Just watch." With a sudden jolt of confidence, Cassandra tossed her blueprints onto the table and tossed a lock of her brown hair, trotting to the center of the 'mech bay. She clapped her hands together twice sharply. The sound echoed through the 'mech bay and everyone paused their work, all eyes on Cassandra.

"I have a bet to make with all of you!" she announced. "Listen up: if Carlos Vargas wins this year's battle tournament, everyone here will devote as much of their spare time as they possibly can in order to build Tomahawk and Jouster prototypes. Only the duty of repairing 'mechs from the front lines will interfere with this work. And," she took a breath, "if I lose this wager, I'll personally give everyone here 500 C-Bills each from my personal bank account!"

There were a few seconds of silence, and then one tech peeked around from the damaged foot of a Catapult and declared, "You're on!" Other techs voiced their agreement, excited by the prospect. Cassandra smiled, pleased at the result.

"Are you sure about this?" Alphonse cautioned her, walking over from a missile-ravaged large laser sitting on a scaffold. His overalls were spotted with gear oil and lubricant. "There are other worlds where you can get this kind of work done for your prototypes, or even just the other nations' industry. This seems kind of reckless."

"Oh, have some fun already," Cassandra laughed, clapping a hand to Al's shoulder. "Carlos is a good fighter. I have confidence in him! Besides, it's best to stay here in the Vargas Estate to get my work done."

"I suppose," Alphonse said slowly. "Carlos did win his difficult first match, after all..."

"He's feeling pretty good about the rest of this tournament," Cassandra added. "He keeps telling me about how proud this will make his father. He also told me about the celebrations he has planned if he wins."

"If there's a party, will I be invited?" Al asked with a slight grin.

"I'm sure," Cassandra assured him. "Now, let's get back to work. Do you need any help with that laser over there? It looks pretty banged up..."

"Yeah, actually," Al admitted, leading Cassandra over to the waiting large laser. "I can't work out how to reconfigure the energy dampener coils."

Cassandra picked up a few tools and approached the large laser. "Watch carefully, my apprentice..."

*o*o*o*o*

Private office, Family Mansion, Vargas Estate, Korla,

Lyran Alliance,

July 12, 3075

"I presume, Mr. Vargas, that you have brought me here for a good reason?" asked Star Captain Abby, her voice slightly cold as she walked briskly into Alfonso Vargas' spacious office. She gently closed the polished oak double doors behind her, clicking the door latch into place and turning to face her war partner. The rotund but energetic Alfonso paced behind his desk, letting bright sunlight from the wide back window splash across his gray suit.

"Feel free to call me senor, Abby. It's a local custom," Mr. Vargas offered, but after seeing the impatient look on Abby's face, he gave up the idea. He clasped his hands behind his back. "It seems that you're getting rather friendly with my officers and support staff, more than you need to be."

"Meaning?" Abby asked, wondering if she was about to be threatened. What does this greedy blob of a man want from me?

Mr. Vargas walked over to a side table that bore a glass container of whiskey, bringing it to his desk. He motioned, and Abby approached him. "You're going out of your way to make sure that every one of my subordinates feels compelled to follow your every command, even my non-military personnel."

"Well," Abby said with a falsely innocent smile, "Being on friendly terms with your men will facilitate better relations and trust between them and me, will it not? They are still getting used to my high position of authority despite the fact that I have worked for you much shorter a time than them. I do not want them to resent me."

"A fair point," Mr. Vargas conceded, but he didn't sound entirely convinced. Still, he seemed relaxed as he retrieved two short drinking glasses, filling both with dark, amber-colored liquid. He offered one to Abby, who hesitated for a second before accepting the glass.

"Then there is no issue?" Abby asked, then took a cautious sip of the whiskey. It burned in her throat and she fought not to cough. Stravag! What sort of drink is this?

Mr. Vargas sighed heavily. "There is another issue: the Bhujorba Protectorate, which surrendered to us in May, is teeming with rebellion. The President of the Protectorate promised a peaceful surrender, but rebellious groups have formed and have obtained military-grade weapons, causing serious trouble for my men who are maintaining the Bhujorba Protectorate. Such dissent is slowing down my plans to unite the nations, so I took the necessary action."

Abby narrowed her eyes, setting her whiskey glass on a side table. "What do you mean?"

As an answer, Mr. Vargas sat in his desk's swivel chair, unfolding one of several screen panels and turning it on. "Watch," he said simply. Abby stood over his shoulder, watching a news report of Vargas Estate troops and vehicles violently putting down a rebel force in Bhujorba City. According to the newscast, hundreds of people were killed and many more injured, inflaming anti-Vargas Estate sentiments even more within the Protectorate.

"My Battlemechs might have to move in if this issue gets any worse," Alfonso Vargas stated, folding down the screen. "Thought you ought to know."

Abby stiffened. "I ought to more than just know. We agreed that my job is to lead your army and handle all military affairs! That was the deal: I lead your army to victory for you, and you give me the authority and command in your new world order that I have always wanted. But you took this police action without my knowledge."

"You had more pressing issues," Mr. Vargas pointed out. "The Alvarez County's forces and the Laurent Commonwealth's forces are becoming more aggressive, you know, and I need you to defend my cities, supply lines, and factories from their raids and assaults. The Bhujorba Protectorate was not your area of expertise."

"Mr. Vargas, I am the new military might of the Vargas Estate," Abby declared indignantly. "If I am not capable of dealing with petty rebels, as you suggest, then..."

Alfonso motioned with his hands. "I meant to insinuate no such thing."

"Fine." Abby clenched her fists. "But all the same, you are the economic and political might of the Estate while I am your sword and shield. Together we are a two-headed giant that will tame all of Korla, but how far will we go if one side does not fully trust and respect the other?"

Alfonso sighed. "If you wish to have the additional duty of policing conquered nations, then I will relegate that duty to you. If you so desire control and influence to this extent, Abby, I can accommodate. Know this, however: this is the Vargas Estate. No authority may come before mine, and I expect appropriate behavior from you and all my officers."

Abby dipped her head, although inside she raged against being treated like a war hound. "I understand. I will do nothing more to upset you or the status quo. I will do all I can to help you unite Korla under the Vargas banner."

Alfonso broke into a smile and downed the last of the whiskey in his glass, pouring himself some more. "Muy bueno. I look forward to seeing what else you can do, Abby. Good day."

Without another word, Abby stalked out of the office, securely closing the door behind her. She stood with her back to the door in the hallway, her heart hammering with anxiety. This indulgent Alfonso Vargas is not tit to rule this world, but I am. He nearly caught me cultivating the favor of all of his men! I have to do this more carefully from now on. I need all of his subordinates loyal to me by the time I am ready to shift all the power to myself and my Trinary. She realized something else that brought a smile to her lips. I give myself too little credit. The other nations allied with the Vargas Estate do not know that my fellow Trinary warriors and I are formerly of the Wolf Clan! They think we are mercenaries, and this proves that I can handle other people on this world just fine. I must be careful that my secret is not revealed, however. Only Alfonso and his men can be trusted with my secret.

Abby recalled the face of Darien Kerensky, her sibkin who had shattered her ambitions of greatness in the Wolf Clan by flaunting his endless superiority to her. Darien, wherever you may be now, I hope you see this on the news sometime. I will be the queen of this world and become more than you could ever dare to be!

She retired to her personal chambers in a very good mood.

*o*o*o*o*

Guest Hall, Palais du Soleil, Laurent Commonwealth, Korla,

Lyran Alliance,

July 14, 3075

Adjusting the rectangular glasses on his face, 23-year-old Leonardo Alvarez narrowed his eyes at the computer screen before him, the screen's tactical data reflecting off the lenses. His ear-length black hair fell in a tangle, still damp from a recent bath. His soft, dark gray robe felt good on his skin, but he ignored that comfort as something came to mind. "Hey, Miguel. Come look at this," he called out. From the other side of the luxurious room, his fraternal twin brother Miguel Alvarez hurried over this brother, still chewing on an expensive cherry tart.

"Wha ish ith?" Miguel asked curiously, his sharp eyes on the screen.

Leonardo made a face. "You've been eating those all night... and you've had massages and expensive wine all day..."

Miguel swallowed. "Well, Monsieur and Madame Laurent are happy to indulge us in their stuff, so why not? It would be rude to refuse their hospitality..."

Leonardo eased a small grin onto his face. "And if we keep that up, we'll grow fat and lazy like rich kids or something."

In fact, Miguel had a point: their room in the Laurent family's capital hall was lavish, with two large beds with soft silk sheets, a chandelier, a bathroom the size of small apartment rooms, a host of waiters at the brother's beck and call, and a wide range of windows that gave them a good view of the night terrain outside. Korla's large, pale moon hung in the inky sky, shining its light on the rippling dunes and crags beyond the mansion's grounds.

"Well, I guess," Miguel joked. "Still, what have you got?"

Typing a few buttons onto the keyboard, Leonardo showed an overhead view of the Vargas Estate, with every road, town, mine, and supply depot labeled. Miguel gave the screen a closer look. "Hey, it looks like the Vargas Estate city of Heldav is a little vulnerable."

"Right," Leonardo nodded, pointing out troop movement charts on the map. "See how our raid on that Vargas supply point drew away reinforcements? That was a good idea on your part, Miguel. That let our strike forces take this garrison, capturing enough supplies and personnel to recoup for losses back in March."

"And what's more," Miguel continued his brother's line of thought, "Without those reinforcements for the Vargas troops, our raids on Heldav's outer limits will do more permanent damage."

"And as long as we can take out the spotters for their Long Toms and Arrow IV's, our own artillery will soften up Heldav's defenses and we can split up the Vargas forces like this," Leonardo continued, showing predicted troop movements on the map. "Letting us launch repeated hit-and-runs, staying out of the range of Vargas Battlemechs and vehicles."

Miguel nodded. "And then the city is ours, once we add our Aerospace assets from that skirmish to the north. Over there."

"Yeah, I see them," Leonardo agreed. "Capturing Heldav will force Alfonso Vargas to move many more troops to retake the city at once, because losing that city means disrupted troop movement and supply lines that would cause his front line to crumble."

"And while he's busy taking back the city," Miguel added, "We pull out all troops in the city to prevent casualties on our part, then use our troops to capture several important mines and supply depots in the Vargas Estate. We'll really soften up Alfonso's army after that, and once we convince one or two more nations to join our cause..."

Leonardo reclined in his seat. "We capture the Vargas Estate and demand that we get our home back. The Alvarez County could finally belong to use again. Mom and dad would like that."

"Yeah." Miguel thought back on his and Leonardo's parents, the kind and forward-thinking rulers of the Alvarez County. Until Alfonso Vargas had decided that he owned all of Korla and invaded the County with his army, led by a capable but unseen commander. Now the orphan brothers became the rulers of the displaced Alvarez family. "Oh, and that reminds me of more good news. Something we really need."

Leonardo blinked. "What is it?"

A slow, sly grin crossed Miguel's face. "I finally cracked the secret behind the unseen commander leading the Vargas Estate forces! Can you believe it?"

Intrigued, Leonardo got to his feet. "What did your spies find?"

"There is a woman with Alfonso Vargas, and she ain't a concubine. Get this: she is an ex-Clanner! From the Wolf Clan, in fact. Her only given name is Abby."

Leonardo took a step back, amazed by his brother's intelligence network. "I hope you didn't lose too many men finding that out?"

"Not too many," Miguel said somewhat heavily, then brightened again. "They caught enough transmissions to piece together that this Abby woman arrived here before the Vargas Estate ever started conquering anybody. It might even have been her idea to start gobbling up all the nations surrounding the Vargas Estate. She's got some Clanner buddies with her, but I don't know how many or what kind of vehicles they have. As far as I can tell by Alfonso's communications, the small nations allied with him don't know about Abby's true nature. She made herself look like a regular mercenary group to those other nations when she arrived on Korla, but probably confided her Clanner heritage to Alfonso once they became allies."

Leonardo drew a deep breath. "This really must have taken some time to work out."

"It did." Still, Miguel couldn't contain his excitement. "If we reveal this, the other nations could be better convinced to join our cause. Anti-Clan sentiment is strong in this neck of the Lyran Alliance. We both know that."

"Just a second." Holding up a hand to halt his brother, Leonardo took a second to work something out. "This is a big thing for Alfonso to hide from his allies. If the nations allied with the Vargas Estate found out, they'd turn against the Estate because of strong anti-Clanner sentiment in this part of the Lyran Alliance."

"Right, so we reveal it to them discreetly," Miguel encouraged Leonardo.

Shaking his head, Leonardo said, "The time isn't quite right. Our gambit to conquer Heldav as a ruse is a little risky and if done wrong, even revealing Abby's true nature won't help us against the Vargas Estate. I want to hang on to this info a little while longer and wait for a better time. Maybe after we've secured help from more nations, so the Vargas Estate has its allies turned against it when Abby's true nature is revealed. Then we could strike a decisive blow."

"Hmmmm. I guess so," Miguel conceded, rubbing his chin. "That just leaves the issue with all these skilled mercenaries Alfonso is hiring. Those guys are good, and we can't fully predict what they will do."

"Which merc gangs have joined up now?" Miguel asked.

"Recently, the Red Vikings have landed," Leonardo mentioned. "Plus the Screaming Skulls, Morgan's Marauders, and the Arctic Wolves. Yeah, it's them."

Leonardo clenched his fists. "The Arctic Wolves... Morgan's Marauders... those two gangs helped Alfonso conquer our realm, paving the way for acts of brutality to finalize the victory. I don't even want to think about how many of our countrymen died because the Arctic Wolves and Morgan's Marauders helped the Estate forces conquer our nation."

Miguel pursed his lips. "Those merc gangs didn't attack our civilians, but they might as well have. They helped Alfonso destroy our nation, and Alfonso's forces tore our country apart. And now they're back on Korla, fighting again."

"In that case, our next priority is clear," Leonardo declared. "Our plans for Heldav are already in motion. But after that, those Arctic Wolves and the Marauders will know what it feels like to be cornered and helpless."