To the Wild Frontier 02
Fort Bradley
Colchester
Federated Suns
Date unknown
The three Battalion Commanders of the 71st White Horse stood at attention while their Regimental Commander seemed to be studiously ignoring them.
11th Recon Battalion, "Alley Cats", cool and considerate, Major Steve Gray.
17th Recon Battalion, "Screaming Eagles", stern and aristocratic, Major Jim McCracken.
82nd Heavy Cavalry Battalion, "Kerensky's Favorite", huge and imposing, Major George Thomas.
Colonel William Petersen turned around briefly. "What do you prefer? Scotch? Brandy? Gin? Perhaps vodka?"
"Sir?"
Petersen turned to shove three small glasses across the desk. "At ease. This isn't the sort of talk we can have without something to lubricate our thinking."
Major Gray spoke "With all respect, sir - I don't understand. We are not supposed to drink on duty."
"And that is why I am ordering you to have the rest of the day off after this." He poured himself a shot and put the glass down in front of his place on the desk in his office. "You are here to complain. I understand that. I will hear you out. I have already spoken about your concerns to Eridani High Command."
Major Thomas brightened up. "In that case, sir - hang on. This feels like bad news. I guess I will take that brandy, then."
"None for me, thank you," said Major McCracken.
"You will take iced water," ordered Petersen.
"I… will take iced water, thank you sir," McCracken said, as Colonel Petersen poured out into each glass.
"Vodka please," said Major Gray.
Colonel Petersen sat down, and looked into the amber liquid in his glass. He swirled the surface around until it no longer showed his tired reflection. The three battalion commanders had already followed suit.
After a while he said "I understand your concerns. Removing troops from your battalions to form a new training battalion sounds like a unjust orders, more of a punishment after having done your duties to the best of your abilities at the front line. But after knowing High Command's reasons for this - I can say to you right now, this is possibly the most important action we can do for the Light Horse as a whole.
"More important than defeating more enemy regiments. More important than fighting House Kurita. It will be a long and frustratingly boring assignment - but it is in the Outback where the Eridani Light Horse will live or die. These immediate months will mean all the difference if the Eridani Light Horse are worthy of the name or if we are just delusional trash of the Inner Sphere."
"Sir?"
"There are things I cannot tell you due to operational security, but Hanse Davion has given the Eridani Light Horse the open authority to recruit as many people as we want from the Davion Outback."
"Sir. That is good, but that is the sort of thing that does not require dispersing a battalion though?" asked Gray. "It is not particularly difficult, send some support teams out with at most a lance for showpiece demonstrations."
Colonel Petersen gave a small smirk.
He put down the glass and said simply "The Eridani Light Horse has the authority to recruit citizens of the Federated Suns under the Star League banner. As of this moment, every piece of ground the Eridani Light Horse occupies, *counts as a consulate*."
"Sir! Are you saying what I think you're saying?!"
"Are you worthy?" Colonel Petersen asked instead, but gently. "Are you just children wearing the coats of their fathers to make yourselves feel important?" He then raised his glass high, in a salute to the departed. "Or are you ready to give everything you have to the ideas you claim to uphold?"
"We are all willing to die for- ah. I see." Major McCracken started nodding. "Everything we have doesn't just mean our lives in death. But also our lives in *time*."
"House Davion recognizes the Eridani Light Horse as representatives of *the Star League*," Gray breathed. "Something has happened to make House Davion treat us as the SLDF, and so we must behave *as* the SLDF."
"This sounds like the start to something big, sir. Something really, really big. And something that big is sure to have even bigger fights."
Each of the Battalion commanders down their drinks. McCracken truly regretted just then that he was stuck with cold water.
Major George Thomas, normally the most bullish and belligerent among the commanders in the regiment, said "If you think about it, the one thing the SLDF is known for other than fighting is just digging and squirreling things all over the place. Hundreds of years later, people can still hope of finding some secret SLDF cache and being rich as sin. Being teachers instead of soldiers… yeah, I can see how that's part of the same work."
Steve Gray raised a palm up and said "Sir, unfortunately I must mention that our troops are good, but they are not exactly… the most academically-inclined, I would say."
"Is this educational assignment not actually for the benefit of the Outback but as a way to surreptitiously train certain commanders in independent strategy?" McCracken mused.
Petersen sighed.
"Hearts and minds, people. Hearts and minds," he said. "Don't forget that this is as much about being at just as good at peace as we would be at waging war."
Gray nodded. "Understood sir. The SLDF was both carrot and stick. We get that."
McCracken added "It's just that being away from the rest of the unit knowing they are in danger and we are unable to help will be more dangerous to morale than the boredom of being away from the action. Simulators can only do so much, I think." He looked to the distance and stroked his goatee. "Spending most of a year out of contact, even if it is easier to try out maneuvers in the wilderness of unobserved podunk worlds, it will be difficult for the men to keep their skills sharp."
George Thomas only crossed his arms. It was left unsaid that those people sent out there would need to be even more disciplined than the norm. And the 71st White Horse had the worst discipline problems in the RCT.
Specifically, his Battalion. Send the 11th Recon, 17th Recon, and the 82nd Heavy Cav out there? The 82nd used to piloting Assault and Heavy Mechs and Heavy Tanks into the thickest of brawls would go insane from the boredom and probably spend most of their time in space jail.
Colonel Petersen responded "Every new ELH ship has a mobile HPG station on board. We have our own HPG network now. We will never be out of contact again. Our learning computers are busy assimilating Natasha Kerensky's combat data. Those simulators will be able to keep updated with regimental scale information and refight battles experienced by the front line."
"Our own HPG Network what-" McCracken hiccuped.
"Sir! The only ones who could ever give that are-!" Gray gasped.
Petersen interrupted with "- are not relevant. There is no other representative of the SLDF to the Inner Sphere than us. If Kerensky's SLDF-in-Exile ever showed up, we should be willing to fight them too. They surrendered their right to speak about the Inner Sphere when they abandoned it and left the Terran Hegemony to be cut apart like lions tearing into carrion."
Gray sagged back into his seat, temporarily nerveless. To even repudiate Kerensky!
The Eridani Light Horse held Kerensky in the highest esteem. This almost felt like sacrilege or blasphemy. The only higher authority with the ability to grace the Eridani Light Horse would be -
"Sir. Sir… do we…" the words choked and refused to come out, the thought was too unreasonable. "Do we have-"
Again Petersen spoke before they could finish completing their thoughts. "There are matters that High Command knows about that cannot be said due to operational security. Things only five people alive should know."
Five? Ah, right. The Light Horse had four regiments now. Plus the Brevet General. The three Majors nodded in assent.
"I withdraw my objections," said Major Gray.
McCracken said next "We will calm the troops, sir. But it just occurred to me that if we are supposed to give everything we have, then someone should be in command out there. It would be a meaningful sacrifice, but it would still be a serious morale issue."
Major George Thomas said "If ordered, sir, I will obey. But please don't choose me sir."
Colonel Petersen waved with his left hand. "It is a fourth battalion composed of elements from your three battalions. Run it like a miniature version of the Light Horse."
Gray brightened. "Indeed a fascinating idea, sir! Captains electing a Brevet Major."
McCracked added "If it is meant to be the Regiments in miniature, then they should be combined arms companies."
"All Light Horse Battalions are already combined arms in the first place," was Gray's response.
Major Thomas grumbled lightly. "Mmhrm. Losing three Assault/Heavy lances would be pain, but it can be endured."
Here Colonel Petersen chuckled. The Majors turned from their discussion to look quizzically at him. He smirked again with his lips hidden behind the rim of the glass. "What do we look like, an RCT with too few Urbanmechs? You will take your Assault-weight Urbanmechs, and you will *like it*."
...
... The three commanders stared back at Petersen's somewhat sadistic grin.
"... I don't understand anything anymore," said Steve Gray.
Petersen waved it away. "High Command will be sending formal directives. But work out the assignments among yourselves."
"Sir, yes sir!"
Before they were dismissed, Petersen looked down at his drink again. Almost empty. He swirled the liquid in the glass. "Who do you think is kin to boar?" asked Petersen softly.
"House Calderon, maybe? No, those are bulls."
"There has to be some lesser noble house out there with a pig on their heraldry. Is this something we should research, sir?"
"Can it rob?" Petersen murmured further.
A kin to a boar that is a robber? Was this some sort of code? Or someone that was involved in a robbery? Maybe it was a clue to yet another hidden SLDF cache.
Kin to boar.
Kanitrob.
Kabitron.
Cameron?
He sighed softly.
Colonel Petersen looked up. "The Second Star League begins and ends with us. Never doubt this. Not until your last dying breath. This is our responsibility and we will see it done."
He slammed the glass down on the desk like a judge's gavel. "Dismissed."
-.
Later, with 17th Recon Battalion "Screaming Eagles":
"If you will not follow orders, then you can just leave. The Third RCT does not need officers that put their own desires over the long-term objectives of the unit. Go out and become your own boss if you feel that strongly about this."
The company commanders stared askance at their commanding officer. Just yesterday Major McCracken had been telling them that he was ready to fight for as long as it takes to keep them together and get back into doing something more useful.
"Sir, that seems far too escalatory," said one of the Captains with a betrayed tone.
McCracken slammed his palms down onto the table, then curled his fingers back like talons. He hurled back firmly "You will comport yourselves as *true* officers and soldiers of the SLDF! This is our time!"
Those words rang like a bell through the room and seeped into their bones. That cold hawk-like gaze had no hesitation whatsoever. Everybody in that room, no matter their history together, no matter how much they had bled and laughed and fought together - he was ready to sign their papers if they still objected.
Their blood started to thunder.
Even if the Light Horse lacked manpower -
There was only one reason to be so willing to discard the disobedient!
Those- who lacked faith!
"Sir!" Everyone stood up, punched their own chests hard to the point of bruising, and bowed their heads. Just as it would have hurt to know that Amaris had taken Terra, but Kerensky still ordered them to wait and prepare. "Apologies, sir! We hear and obey!"
-.
With the 11th Recon Battalion, "Alley Cats":
"Sir! Just recruiting from the Davion Outback isn't enough! We should take all from over the Inner Sphere! I'm sure there are enough orphans out there to build whole Divisions!"
"After all this time together, I did not realize this. Are you all drongos?" groaned Major Gray.
-.
With the 82nd Heavy Cavalry Battalion, "Kerensky's Favorite":
"Greatness demands sacrifice. The difference is that Kurita chooses to have other people sacrifice for theirs!" Major George Thomas roared. "IF YOU HAVE PROBLEMS WITH THIS, FIGHT MEEE!"
And the cool and completely unintimidated response "Sir, we are the battalion 'Kerensky's Favorite' and we saw you get your ass beat by Natasha Kerensky. Please do not take your romantic rejection out on us please."
"YOU PIECES OF SHIIIT. GO TO THE PERIPHERY!"
-.
-.
Fort Bradley Training Base Adjunct
Colchester
Federated Suns
Date unknown
Meanwhile, with the new recruits:
Of the sixteen that were identified and put into a special company, only three quit from the insult. Another two more quit when they were ordered to put aside their mechs and start training with industrialmechs and agromechs. They came to the storied Light Horse to be soldiers, not laborers. The pay scale wasn't all that interesting anyway.
They were all obviously ringers meant to be found and distract from the other real spies inserted into more mundane jobs like technical crew and civilian support staff.
Rocco Ali was starting to get a feel for how the Eridani Light Horse operated. They were a crisp and professional military unit, and the way they moved without an ounce of waste reminded him of what he had observed from Comstar's own ComGuards. The defenders of Terra had almost never needed to fight, and so for all their tech and numbers were as green as green could be. Even random pirates with real battle experience could give them trouble. But they just drilled and operated on base so exceedingly well.
The Light Horse had that flair of a well-oiled military machine that maintained both institutional order and the vitality of unique individual effort.
They were so respectable and rational that one could get caught up in their flow when suddenly the Light Horse would say something that was just absolute nonsense and blithely move on as if expecting you to just go along with it.
"Psst. Hey!" the dark-skinned man to the left of Rocco Ali whispered, hiding his mouth with his palm. "So, Steiner boy, what are you in for? I'll tell you right now if you tell me yours. I'm an agent from the Magistracy of Canopus."
Rocco stared dully at him from the side.
"Yeah, I know what you're thinking. It's the Magistracy. Why don't they send some va-voom bombshell, eh? But that's why this isn't a honeypot recruiting operation, you know?"
"Calling everyone in this room spies was obviously just psy ops designed to turn participants against each other to test teamwork," Rocco Ali said simply before turning back to his work.
"Sure, sure, if you say so." The man grinned. Two of his upper teeth were gold. "So the question is… are you low key?"
I will not break cover and punch a jackass in the face. I will not break cover and punch a jackass in the face.
Rocco gestured over to the tall statuesque blonde at the front seats. "Shouldn't you try asking her that?"
William Launder turned towards the woman in question, then leered. "She would break me over her knee for that and I would enjoy it too much."
"I am done with this." Rocco looked back down to his noteputer, and furrowed his brows.
-.
Topic: The Return of the Star League. Who is it Good For?
-.
What the hell, Eridani Light Horse.
What the hell.
-.
"I came here to be a mechwarrior, not to go back to college!" one of the men screamed and tossed away his noteputer. "Why must I write an esssaaayyy?! "
"Yes my brother! Testify!" another recruit beside him raised both fists. "This is cruel! This is unjust! A thousand words of fuck you!"
'Are these people actually spies?' thought Jadwiga Winter. 'Or just morons?'
She returned to her noteputer and seriously considered her homework.
This was not something all that complicated. Everyone had thought about something like this at some point, dreaming of a return to a golden age, but not quite being able to imagine the necessary conditions for the Inner Sphere's spiral of degradation to reverse itself.
Some houses probably benefited more than the others. House Liao probably would like a freeze on their borders and losing worlds. House Kurita's military ambitions would need to be broken first. Ironically, perhaps Davion would benefit the least from the return of the Star League and would be better off trying to remain independent. Marik and Steiner enjoyed having more worlds than what they had during the Star League. And of course, everyone would rather retain control over the highly productive worlds they had seized from the Terran Hegemony.
Her introduction started:
The Inner Sphere should dread the return of the SLDF. Because at the minimum,
it would require in them a willingness and a capacity to fight everybody
everywhere all at once at the same time and still have the confidence for
victory.