Opalescent Reflections

House of Cards

Chapter 6

Imperial City, Luthien

Clan Diamond Shark Occupation Zone

10 December 3050

"I am not saying it is beyond repair," Gideon told Ace firmly, "But for the time and parts needed, it is more efficient to strip it to repair other 'mechs." The technician was cleaning his hands with a rag. "You were hard on it."

"Most of that was the fault of the enemy," Ace pointed out defensively.

Gideon eyed him suspiciously. "So the enemy jumped and drove their cockpit directly into the foot? Because I do not recall that model of 'mech having jump jets."

"I said most of the fault, not all of the fault."

"I would need to strip one leg up to the knee to deal with the damage to the actuators," the aging technician told him. "And that is the good leg."

Ace raised his hands in surrender. "You are the expert, Gideon." Losing his 'mech was unfortunate but if it got other omnimechs back in service then he had no real grounds for complaint. Casualties - human and in terms of equipment - had been high across the board. Triage was sorting both to get as many as possible of both fit for use again, but the touman was in no state for another battle,

Whether there would be enough time to have them back in something resembling fighting trim by the time the next wave of attacks was due to begin was another question. Ace doubted that anyone knew yet - the technicians were still assessing the full impact.

"I appreciate all your hard work," Ace added. He had heard of Barbara Sennet's message to the technician caste and - perhaps inspired by it - the support staff had been putting every waking hour into making good damage taken. Without them, the battle might have turned out very differently.

The final numbers were in that they had faced the equivalent of twelve regiments of battlemechs, bringing the level of opposition to the point that Ace would have been tempted to abort. And the battle was not over - the majority of Luthien remained under the control of the Combine civil authorities and such forces as had managed to escape the fighting. Securing the planet would not be easy - there were literally billions of citizens to deal with.

Gideon reached up and massaged the side of his neck. "I would appreciate it if you could take better care of your next 'mech."

"I will do my best," Ace promised, although he knew it had much less weight than either would like. "Are the tech crews getting enough rest?"

"We are getting a staged twelve hours on and the same off since the city fell," the older Diamond Shark assured him. "It is slowing repairs, but not as much as the errors that sleep deprivation would cause."

Ace was about to discuss ordering warriors to help the techs where they were not already doing so - mechwarriors and elementals had to know some of the maintenance skills for their own weapons - but his comm buzzed. He stepped back apologetically, and tapped the device. "Ace Enders."

"Galaxy Commander, there are nine battlemechs approaching the base," Norman reported. He was covering command post duties until his own Gargoyle was repaired. Hopefully it was in a better state than Ace's Stormcrow.

"I understand. What do we have to intercept them?" Ace asked, turning and making long strides in the direction of the command post.

"Julian's Star is moving to intercept and another is getting mounted up," the mechwarrior replied. "But they don't seem to be moving in to attack."

To be fair, attacking the Twenty-First Assault Cluster with just nine battlemechs would be a rather rash decision. They had almost twenty battlemechs in fighting shape - if in need of further repair work when the opportunity arose, but able to fight. And it was unlikely that the approaching force were in much better state.

It didn't take long the reach the command post - the same prefab building that had been used on the march from the original landing site. Dropships had moved up now that there were no air defenses to worry about, but no one entirely trusted the DCMS facilities yet. There was probably nothing wrong with them, but one booby trap could wipe out a trinary if they had missed one.

Inside, Ace found Norman hunched over a console. "Sir, they are offering you a challenge." He held up a headset.

"Me?" Ace checked it was muted and then donned it. "By name?"

"They just asked for the commander." The mechwarrior lent forwards in his chair. "They claim to be Wolves."

"Well, Wolf Dragoons… you mean Clan Wolf? First generation Wolf Dragoons?"

"Aff."

Ace unmuted himself. "This is Galaxy Commander Ace Enders of Clan Diamond Shark."

"And I am Galaxy Commander Natasha Kerensky of Clan Wolf," a woman's voice replied. "I claim the use of a dropship and jumpship to take my binary to our Clan's invasion corridor. What do you bid in defense?"

Kerensky? Ace pulled himself over to one of the consoles and ran a check to see if he had a file on the original Wolf Dragoons membership. "Under the circumstances, I would have to verify your identity."

"I don't recall that being a requirement for a trial's bidding," she replied quickly. "Or did all the real warriors die fighting the snakes?"

"No, but you do not even sound like a Clan warrior," Ace pointed out. "And the Combine have tried to trick us with false identification before. What is a Wolf binary doing here?"

"We were with the Wolf Dragoons, obviously. But it's time to rejoin the Clan. If you don't have the guts to fight then you can just hand the ships and crews over, Galaxy Commander."

"I think not," Ace said crisply. He had found the file he wanted and sorted the list for bloodnamed personnel. There was indeed a Natasha Kerensky on the list. "If you want transport back to your Clan then we may be able to work something out, but I doubt they would thank me for sending a fake, so I want to meet you first to check your identity."

"...I'd say you were paranoid, but given the Combine, you may have a point," the woman conceded. "Alright, how do you want to play this?"

"Dismount and one of my mechwarriors will bring you to the command post." He looked over at Norman, muting his microphone. "Relay that to Julian."

"You're asking a lot of trust from me now," Natasha objected.

"What sort of Wolf lacks the courage to face those they challenge?" Ace asked her.

That got a laugh. "You have me there. Okay kid, but if this turns into a trap, I'll have my binary storm the camp and it'll take more than a couple of stars to stop us."

"Thank you for the warning," he answered and removed the headset.

"Julian will send her back," Norman told him. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

"Neg," Ace admitted. "But I am curious. And we can take reasonable precautions." He gave orders for two Elemental guards - and to prepare for potentially hosting a binary of visiting Clan Wolf warriors.

A few minutes later, a red-haired woman who looked as old as the late Coordinator walked in. Despite the lines on her face, she stood straight and moved confidently. "So which of you is Ace Enders?" she asked, looking around the room as if she was the one in charge.

"That would be me."

"Blake's blood, how old are you?"

"Twenty…" he recalled that his birthday had passed during the battle, "Four."

Natasha seemed bemused. "Did we kill the previous galaxy commander? I know attrition's been harsh but I was thirty before I won my rank."

Ace shook his head. "I was in command when we landed." He had checked the limited data available on Natasha Kerensky while he waited and her comment scratched off one of the questions he'd planned to ask her - that was the right year of rank.

The redhead shook her head. "It feels like I should be asking you to prove your identity, but since you say so…" She reversed one of the chairs and sat down straddling it. "How do you want to prove who I am? I doubt Clan Wolf has given blood samples out."

Ace checked his notes. "If you are who you say you are, you've fought our Clan before. What world was it?"

"...that was a long time ago." She closed her eyes for a moment. "Paxon, I think."

That was correct. "Which unit?"

"I was with the 328th Assault Cluster, I don't recall who we were against."

Ace nodded. She was right about her own unit, which was what he had meant. "Alright. And according to my information, only one other warrior graduated from your sibko. What was his name?"

"Ha. Nice try," she told him. "It was Rilla - Cyrilla Ward. How did you know that?"

Also correct. "We keep files on high ranking officers in other Clans. You're a footnote on hers."

The Wolf's eyes flashed. "Watch your mouth, punk."

"My nose gets in the way," he told her wryly and set the noteputer down. "Very well, I accept that you are who you say you are. Moving on to your challenge, I think it would be unfair to bid less than two binaries in defense of our dropship… given your greater age and experience." Then he spread his hands. "Or would you like to make a deal?"

"You surat," she growled. "It'd serve you right if I had the whole Black Widows turn up, then see how your two binaries managed."

"I was thinking we'd send them from the aerospace forces," Ace replied cheerfully. "Forty aerospace fighters should make mincemeat of your 'mechs. But I take it that you are interested in bargaining."

Natasha leant forwards on her chair. "You don't even look like a Diamond Shark," she complained. "Burrock descent - that's where the bloodname comes from, isn't it?" When he inclined his head, the aged woman continued: "But you do sound like a Shark. Alright, what are you wanting?"

"I would like a Clan Galaxy Commander's full debrief on everything she can remember about her experiences fighting in the Inner Sphere," Ace told her. "More than forty years of experience counts for a lot and since I arrived here, I have developed a suspicion that what got passed on was edited - the politics of the Grand Council can cause problems like that."

That surprised her and she leant back slightly. "I couldn't say," she admitted after a moment. "I am willing - but just a debriefing, I'm not agreeing to you wringing me dry with chemical interrogation and then handing me over to Clan Wolf in a year or two."

Ace pretended disappointment. "Oh well, if you want the express transport option then I'll have to ask you for a little more." He wasn't sure what to ask for a moment and then had a thought. "Perhaps frequency and encryption for a radio channel we can use to contact the Wolf Dragoons." It was possible that others might be induced to take the same sort of deal - he doubted that mercenaries would want to fight a long-running guerilla war on Luthien.

Natasha frowned. "I can give you one such channel," she conceded. "But I want your word that we'll be on the first shipment across to the Wolves. I know you've got to be trading supplies with everyone."

She would be wrong about that, Ace thought. "Not so much as you may think. But by all means - if there is nothing soon, then the next time the ilKhan calls for a Grand Kurultai, my Khan can take you to meet with the Wolf Khans. Until then you and your warriors will be extended our hospitality."

The woman nodded in agreement. "Bargained well and done." She offered her hand and Ace accepted, shaking hands. "I get the feeling I'll find out from someone here how you got to be a Galaxy Commander when you're barely old enough to shave," she added, releasing her grip on his hands.

"It is not a very long story," Ace said modestly.

"It hardly could be at your age."

He let her have the last word, turning and sending word to Julian that the 'mechs were to be allowed in and the mechwarriors made welcome. Hospitality would mean a tent and the same camp rations being issued at the moment, but if that wasn't to their taste that was just too bad.

Once Natasha was gone, he opened a channel to Gamma Galaxy headquarters. It only took a few moments for Barbara Sennet to be available. "I was meaning to contact you later today," she greeted him abruptly. "Is there a problem?"

"More of an opportunity," he replied and outlined what had happened.

There as a long moment of silence before she asked: "You believe her account will be that valuable?"

"All our information about the Inner Sphere comes from ComStar or from the Combine's own accounts which are obviously biased," Ace pointed out. "An independent viewpoint from a Clan warrior could help us to avoid future problems as we expand our own firsthand knowledge. And at the end of the day, one Union on a dropship collar next time you attend a Grand Kurultai is not going to eat into our shipping very much."

The Khan frowned. "We are more stretched than you may think. I have already decided that one Galaxy will be remaining on Luthien - we cannot afford to keep supplying four galaxies on the advance."

Ace nodded in understanding. "We will need forces here to pacify the planet, and I suppose it reduces pressure to bring Omega Galaxy up to strength quickly if they are based here."

"Those are valid points, but I do not plan to leave Omega Galaxy," Sennet told him. "We are better supplied with secondline equipment, and Luthien is valuable enough that there could be an attempt to liberate it, so I am leaving you here with Alpha Galaxy."

That wasn't a possibility Ace had considered. He opened his mouth to object and then paused, weighing the reasons.

"If you challenge me," the Khan warned him, "I will go out of my way to choose a means of combat I know you are not skilled in. This is not forever, and completing the conquest will add to your prestige more than taking other worlds that are of no real note."

"I would not say that our targets in the next wave are unimportant," Ace disagreed. "But I will not challenge the decision. There is enough sense to what you say that I would be putting my pride above my duty."

"Good. For what it is worth," she added, "You have proven your competence as a Galaxy Commander. I will have a posting for you when I take over Alpha Galaxy, but that will be put off again, obviously." She paused. "Now, what do you propose to do with the frequency for the Wolf Dragoons?"

"It seems to me that they would likely be unhappy about the prospect of fighting a guerilla war on Luthien," he explained. "The DCMS soldiers may attempt it but the mercenaries have other concerns. They might be willing to accept a batchall to come out and face us if we offer them free passage should they win."

"An interesting idea," Sennet allowed. "However, that would cost us more in troops and equipment, when we are already in need of more of both. There is another option. Open the channel now and I will offer them a bargain."

Ace glanced over at Norman and the two of them set up the transmission. "We will be live in three seconds, my Khan. Two, one…"

"Greetings to the Wolf Dragoons," Sennet declared formally. "I am Barbara Sennet, Khan of Clan Diamond Shark and victor on Luthien. I wish to speak to Jaime Wolf or one of his officers."

There was a long pause and Ace had almost come to the conclusion that they were being ignored when a man spoke. "I am Major Mackenzie Wolf, current commander of the Wolf Dragoons on Luthien. What do you want?"

Sennet seemed unfazed by the blunt reply. "I take it that you are familiar with Clan customs, Major?"

"I wasn't born in the homeworlds, but I know of them," he admitted.

"Very well. Out of respect to the valiance of your troops, I offer you hegira," the Khan told him. "If you accept, we will grant you safe passage to your dropships, release any of your captured warriors who wish to rejoin you and then permit them to travel to whichever jump point you find convenient. It will be up to you to arrange jumpships out of the system but I am sure ComStar will be cooperative."

"What is in it for you?" Wolf asked suspiciously. "Diamond Sharks have been pretty anal about trying not to let troops escape them up to now."

"That is true, Major. However, you are mercenaries - and moreover, you are a unit descended from Clan warriors. We have no real quarrel with you, and allowing you depart will let us focus on the DCMS forces - who I assume will not retreat no matter what you offer. If you prefer to remain here and fight us for however long it takes us to run you down, this is acceptable of course."

Wolf hesitated. "Since you said you have no quarrel, what about the Kell Hounds?"

"I have no contact information for them," Sennet admitted freely. "If you can relay the offer to them, the terms are the same and the offer is open for the next forty-eight hours. After that, your dropships will be considered valid targets."

Yamashiro, New Samarkand

Galedon Military District, Draconis Combine

5 January 3051

Previously Minoru had not entered the Black Chamber beneath the old palace. Even as the assumed heir, should the worst happen -

(Which had happened).

- he did not have the status to be seated at the high command of the DCMS, much less to lead the meetings. But today, after the rituals of purification and enthronement -

(Clad in the red and black haori that only his grandfather should be wearing).

- and ceremonies before the entire court, Minoru was Coordinator of the Draconis Combine and the room belonged to him. As he walked down the long staircase, broken by five landings that each had their own security requirements, he allowed himself to relax slightly. Even to pause and take time to try to center himself.

It would have been a dreadful day even if, partway through the preparations, Subdash Indrahar had not taken the liberty of interrupting him with an update of more bad news.

This was his life now.

Before he opened the door at the bottom of the stairs, Minoru checked himself in a small mirror there and took a deep breath. He was no longer a young chu-i, nor a mere grandson. He was the dragon and he must rule or he would be ruled over by the power brokers of the Draconis Combine - reduced to a puppet, as had once happened to the Emperors of Japan.

With his chi centred, Minoru opened the door and entered the chamber. Desultory conversion at the table ceased and four pairs of eyes went to him as he let the door close and crossed to his chair.

The room was not actually black, it was comfortably furnished and lit. But the space that he saw was barely a third the volume of the chamber. The rest was ancient machinery of Star League origins intended to keep every possible means of communication or intrusion from entering.

Here in the Black Chamber, the Coordinator and his warlords plotted the future of the Draconis Combine and of - eventually - all mankind. No security measure could be considered too extreme.

Sat at the head of the table, the Coordinator tipped his hand slightly to Subhash Indrahar. "Inform them."

His grandfather's old friend wasn't in one of the comfortable chairs, he preferred his own wheelchair. How the ISF chief got down the other staircase, Minoru had no idea. Possibly someone carried him to the threshold. Now he looked even more ancient than ever, hands almost trembling. "One of our agents on Luthien has reported on the status of other members of House Kurita," he informed the group. His usual smile was gone. "It is now almost certain that the Son of the Dragon perished upon the battlefield."

The Warlord of Dieron lowered his head. "You are sure?" he enquired solemnly. Michi Noketsuna was usually a cheerful and confident man - but he was also Theodore Kurita's trusted friend.

"Our agent has made contact with DCMS personnel being used as bondsmen," Indrahar said softly.

Boris Petroff almost spat. "Traitors. They should have ended their lives with honor, as Hohiro-sama… did…" He looked guiltily at Minoru.

The Coordinator did not respond to the Warlord of Benjamin's gaffe except to wait for Indrahar to continue.

"The soldiers in question have been asked to refrain from doing so, in order to gather further information on our behalf," the old man explained. "They are sacrificing their personal honor for the sake of the Combine, which is itself an act of honor."

Minoru hoped they would be rewarded in the next life, because there was damn all he could do for them at the moment.

"According to their reports, a command variant Hatamoto-chi has been recovered and both occupants had been killed after short-range missiles penetrated the cockpit," Indrahar continued. "It is not clear if the Diamond Sharks have managed identification, but we know that only one such battlemech was deployed, and we know that the Kanrei and his wife were using it. We must regrettably conclude that neither will be able to provide guidance to the Dragon in the future." Even if they had survived, Takashi's instructions for the succession had been specific: unless Theodore was free to confirm his ability to take control of the Combine by the new year, he was specifically removed from succession to clear Minoru's path. If his parents had escaped - something he had prayed for every day (almost every hour) until the quick briefing this morning - then Theodore would have found himself Kanrei for life, serving his own son.

(Minoru would have accepted that awkward position - being an unfilial son who took his father's office - gladly if it meant they were with him).

Li Dok To, Warlord of Galedon, leant forwards. "They will be avenged," he promised bluntly. The same four words he had uttered when he heard of Takashi Kurita's death. The veteran officer was not prone to flamboyant language, but he was loyal. Minoru's new capital lay within the warlord's district, which made the latter invaluable.

After uttering those words, Li turned towards Noketsuma. "I am given to understand that you have diverted shipping to transport the Wolf Dragoons and Kell Hounds back to the Federated Commonwealth - even after they fled Luthien."

The younger warlord smiled coldly. "Your understanding is not without basis."

"Since they are cowards who fled once the Diamond Sharks invited them to, you should have taken their 'mechs. Then it would take only one dropship to send them back and we could use the 'mechs."

Noketsuna tilted his head. "I will not speak of the Kell Hounds since I believe it is the Wolf Dragoons who bear your ire. It would ill-repay those who fought for no less coin than honor alone to steal from them."

Minoru knew that Li Dok To had served in Galedon District as far back as the disastrous scheming by Grieg Samsonov to force the Wolf Dragoons into disbanding and joining the DCMS, but he did not recall whether the old general had been part of that matter. Clearly Noketsuna did remember… and he had been aide to the famous Minobu Tetsuhara, who had died in the debacle.

"If the Dragon and the Wolf can forget their feud to fight as allies," he murmured, "Can their followers do less?"

Both warlords turned their heads and then bowed their heads slightly. "Christian Kell also evacuated surviving warriors of the Genyosha by claiming them as his own when their position was cut off," Noketsuna continued more moderately. "More than a dozen warriors with experience of surviving battles against the Clans - a scarce resource since the Sharks seem reluctant to allow escape from them."

"In addition to the information about your parents, Tono," Indrahar continued, "There is better news of your sister. As of forty-eight hours ago we know that she was alive and had avoided capture. The Order of Five Pillars are working to hide court officials and skilled workers from the Diamond Sharks. Lady Omi has taken a lead in these efforts."

"How long can they stay hidden?" the Coordinator asked seriously.

The old spymaster spread his hand. "That is an imponderable, Tono. Luthien's population is not small and this is to your sister's advantage, but the Diamond Sharks are not entirely inept in turning populations towards them."

"Including the yakuza," grumbled Petroff. "Can we even trust the Ghost Regiments when we hear about yakuza working with the Diamond Sharks on captured worlds? You know that their membership is mostly gangsters."

"The yakuza situation is complex," Indrahar observed. "True collaboration is rare and some are actively supporting efforts to destabilize the invader's rule. Unfortunately, the Sharks have shown more patience than most of the other Clans when it comes to such matters, while also being quite ruthless when they are able to tie such acts to the groups." He paused. "I suspect that some of their officers may have captured manuals for our own occupation practices on worlds taken under the Dragon's rule. There has been a significant upswing in the capability of their garrisons."

"'The most dangerous enemy is one who can learn'," the Coordinator quoted. He turned to Petroff. "What is the record of Ghost Regiments who have fought against the Clans?"

Evidently that information was not at the Warlord's fingertips as he had to open one of the consoles built into the table to find out. After a moment's typing, he reported: "Five of the Ghost Regiments have been committed to battle the Clans. The First and Fourth Regiments were destroyed by the Diamond Sharks' Alpha Galaxy on Cyrenaica, the Second at about the same time on Carpare. Previously, the Sixth and Eighth Regiments took heavy losses with the Eighth disbanded to bring the Sixth Regiment back up to strength. The Seventh Ghost Regiment is based on McAlister and has raided occupied worlds twice, with some small victories."

"Even small victories have been hard to come by, this last year," observed Li Dok To.

Petroff took a deep breath. "I confess, it is not a record that suggests disloyalty. If it were a more honored brigade, I would apologize to their standard in the hall of the Ministry." The Ghost Regiments did not currently have a banner among those displayed outside the Ministry of the Expansion of the Glories of the Draconis Combine - they remained somewhat covert in nature, having been kept a complete secret from the Federated Commonwealth until they were deployed in 3039 and were still not always recognised.

"Their losses reflect a greater problem," Li Dok To observed. "We have seen tremendous losses. Besides the Ghost Regiments and the loss of three-quarters of the Sword of Light on Luthien, three regiments of Galedon District Regulars have been lost already - the Pesht and Alshain brigades are all but extinct. Can we continue to throw regiments into the path of the Clans?"

"We have few options," Noketsuna answered. "If they were minor border worlds I would counsel to gather forces for a decisive strike but the simple fact is, they are assaulting some of the most valuable industrial worlds we have. Three Dieron Regular regiments are also gone, and the Forty-First may not survive the Smoke Jaguars' assault on Alshain. We cannot evacuate shipyards and factories in the time we have."

"Tono," Petroff said quietly. "The DCMS will die to the last to defend the Combine, but as matters stand that is a real possibility. Close to a third of our battlemech forces have been disbanded, destroyed or will need years to recover. Losses are proportionately lower for infantry and armor only because fewer have been redeployed to fight these battles. The loss of two Sun Zhang Cadres leaves us with a shortage of replacement mechwarriors for at least a year - and the First Cadre is on Alshain with Warlord Dieron's Forty-First Regiment. We need a new strategy."

The Coordinator did not disagree, "My ears are open," he said quietly.

"The costs of what I propose will be steep," the warlord continued firmly. "We must evacuate workers and information from the Clan's path, at least within my own District. Units deployed there will be fighting holding actions only, and additional aerospace assets provided so we have some chance to withdraw them. Refits and new production should be sent to regiments out of that path."

"Are you planning to effectively cede worlds between the Clans and Dieron?" asked Noketsuna. He kept his voice non-confrontational. "I ask this sincerely, not in criticism."

Petroff exhaled. "You cannot possibly hate the idea more than I. But the only solution I see is to establish a force of upgraded battlemechs and other equipment, which means we cannot expend such fighting in the near term. More worlds will fall in the time that takes - but once such a force exists, it can be used to retake Luthien and the worlds around it - severing the supply lines for the Diamond Sharks and Ghost Bears. The ISF's reports -" He bowed slightly to Indrahar "- suggest that the Smoke Jaguars will be unlikely to aid their fellow Clans."

Minoru hated the idea, viscerally. Giving up more worlds to the Clans? After so much already had been lost?

"Is that the beginning you want for the Coordinator's reign?" demanded Li Dok To, scowling across the table at Petroff.

"No. But I would like the Combine to survive so that our lord is not the last Coordinator, the end of all our history and traditions."

"Your concerns are noted," the Coordinator cut them off. He looked at each man in turn. "Begin evacuating workers, information and such tooling as possible. Li Dok To, your part is to provide secure sites to resume production as quickly as possible. Work with the Department of Procurement and spare no expense, not to just set up new factories but to have them building new technology."

Indrahar leant forwards slightly. "If I may offer counsel, not on behalf of the ISF but in my experience of the previous reign?"

Minoru simply looked at him.

"Luthien Armor Works and Alshain Weaponry had begun work on new factories on Tok Do, but with that world in the path of the Clans they are now going to have to move their efforts to somewhere in Galedon or Pesht District. Initial reports suggest that the rescue of the workers your sister is sheltering would contribute greatly," the old man said. "It would also bolster morale… if it is possible to find forces for such a raid."

Hilton Head, North America

Terra, Sol System

15 March 3051

Rather than the usual chamber, Wei had assembled the First Circuit in a large meeting room that had more amenities. Like chairs. She was fairly sure that one of the reasons that most meetings were held standing was to keep them from over-running, but right now she wanted the gathered Precentors to take their time and actually engage with each other.

Perhaps they could come up with options more palatable than those her staff and Focht's had presented to her.

Everyone settled down as Wei took the podium. "In the twelve months since the Clans returned, they have repeatedly proven to be a greater threat than anyone the Successor States have encountered until now," she said quietly but clearly. "More worlds have changed hands in less time than we saw in the Fourth Succession War - and we are also aware that due to logistical constraints, this is not their full strength. IlKhan Leo Showers has made no secret that their goal is to create a new Star League in their own image, destroying the Successor States in the process."

Wei paused to let that sink in. "Some of my more frustrated predecessors as Primus might have applauded. Unfortunately, the Clans have proven to be no better than the Successor Lords. The destruction of Reykjavik, which killed Thorne and millions of others is the most egregious of their actions, but reports from the occupation zones report actions that range from the pragmatic to the reprehensible. Their intention to impose their culture without regard to the societies they are now ruling is causing tragedies every day."

"Respectfully, Primus," Tiger Lily rose to her feet. "Our Blessed Order has seen such tragedies before, many times."

"That is entirely true, Precentor," Wei agreed, choosing not to make an issue of the interruption. "Nor is this the first time that we have had to fight to defend enclaves under our protection. However, it has been been over a century since our ability to defend our neutrality has been seriously challenged. At that time, the threat of military force was sufficient to force Coordinator Hugai Kurita to back down - and his actions were limited to a single abduction of a ComStar acolyte from one of our hospices." Wei folded her hands. "We now face the possibility of losing control of Terra and the factories that allow us to continue our operation of HPGs - and of leaving billions who live peacefully under our protection under Clan rule."

"Despite hopes that the fall of Luthien three months ago would exhaust the Clans' resources, this has not proven to be the case. A further wave of attacks has been completed and despite all the opposition they face, the Clans appear confident in launching an eighth wave within the next few weeks at best. Projections are that wave will wipe out what remains of the Free Rasalhague Republic and leave the Clans within six or seven jumps of Terra."

Wei looked at the First Circuit and more than a few had fear in their eyes. "There is currently no change in the expectation that our current immunity to attack will be overturned once the Clans' khans believe that they have a realistic chance of taking Terra."

"I thought the AFFC were mounting a counterattack," enquired Precentor Sian without standing.

Wei glanced over at Anastasius Focht. "I believe it would be appropriate to hand over to the Precentor Martial to address the current state of military affairs."

The white-haired officer rose from his seat at the side with other department heads and replaced Wei at the podium, waiting until she had taken her seat on the other side of the room where she could see both the podium and the First Circuit.

"The Federated Commonwealth has committed fourteen Regimental Combat Teams and six other commands, in order to keep four worlds attacked during the sixth and seventh waves contested," he reported. "Please note - this is not retaking the worlds, it is more accurate to say that Morges, Bountiful Harvest, New Exford and Kandersteg have not fallen. With each defended on the level of Pesht, this is tying up more than a galaxy from both Clan Jade Falcon and Clan Nova Cat - neither Clan seems willing to cut their losses and withdraw and nor do they seem willing to slow their advance into the Inner Sphere, leaving them with weaker forces."

He paused and brought up a map. "The current expectation is that Summit, Garrison and potentially Arcturus - given its historic importance - will be defended in the same way with forces continuing to arrive. It seems likely that both Clans will have to choose between either surrendering those worlds - which would free up the AFFC forces there for an actual counterattack - or ceasing their advance after the ninth or tenth wave. It seems reasonably unlikely that these two Clans pose an immediate risk to Terra."

Then he moved his pointer to the shrinking territory of the Free Rasalhague Republic. Only six worlds still glowed with the indigo hue that was used to indicate the state. "Clan Wolf faces no such challenge. Losses taken by the Kungsarme on Tukkayid have reduced them to seven effective commands, one of them - Tyr - having been recently formed out of militia and volunteers. They are currently refitting and reorganizing on Orestes -" The Precentor Martial indicated the world furthest from the Clans "- and Camlann." The second world was the crimson of the Draconis Combine.

"What does Minoru Kurita have to say about that?" asked Joseph Buckley.

Precentor Andrew Norris cleared his throat. "I haven't had the chance to speak to him, but Precentor New Samarkand assisted in negotiating the use of facilities there as the Kungsarme no longer have the bases needed to operate their full force from. The Kungsarme forces there will likely remain in place to defend Camlann from Clan Wolf or Clan Smoke Jaguar."

Focht nodded. "It is not currently clear if Clan Wolf's next wave will reach Orestes or Camlann, but it seems likely that every other world of the Republic as well as the Federated Commonwealth's worlds along that border will be targeted. Kelenfold, the local command center has been partly evacuated of support staff - so whether it's the Jade Falcons or the Wolves that secure the right to attack it, the world has almost certainly been written off. Clan Wolf is, at this stage, judged very likely to carry on and secure worlds in the Skye and Dieron regions that could be used to strike at Terra."

He moved the pointer to the next Clan. "The Smoke Jaguars similarly have no real concerns along their flanks. There are multiple single-world insurrections going on behind them, but for the most part they are keeping them isolated by cutting off access to our HPGs and moving a small number of garrison units to squash each rising one at a time." The one-eyed man lowered the pointer. "Their reprisals are brutal, but to be honest, they are not out of line with practices used by any of the Successor States historically. It's questionable how much of their corridor they will really control by the time they reach Terra, but that is a price they are willing to pay."

Wei pretended to study her display. She'd read the reports of some of those reprisals and regretted it. And as much as it had disturbed her sleep since, it had been far worse for those who experienced them first hand. Those who survived.

"The loss of Alshain has left the remains of that military district in a state of collapse and Xinyang Prefecture is also falling. There is scattered resistance, but our analysis is that it is mostly buying time for the evacuation of critical equipment and personnel." Focht shook his head, "There seems little doubt that Clan Smoke Jaguar and Clan Ghost Bear will push across Benjamin District by the summer. The latter, in particular, have comparatively low garrison needs and a large force, making them a major threat.

"That leaves the Diamond Sharks." He looked at Norris. "Since taking Luthien they have focused on industrial worlds near the capital such as Avon and Chatham, which has left them lagging behind the other Clans. Our intelligence suggests they intend to resume the advance, with a particular goal of taking Dover - a major industrial world that the Ghost Bears didn't quite reach in the last wave. From there, our expectation is that they will target the District capital of Benjamin. If the DCMS does intend to mount a defense of any world in the next few months, that will be where they make a stand. Losing another district capital after Luthien would underscore the new Coordinator's inability to defend his realm and the consequences for that are… hard to predict.

"In summary," Focht told the First Circuit. "At least three of the Clans are likely to pose a threat to Terra, a fourth may. Only two are unlikely - unless, of course, they resort to extreme measures. Pride can push people to take actions they otherwise might not."

"If we had our full warship fleet we wouldn't have to fear the Clans," snapped Newton Fawcett. The Precentor for Talitha was one of Buckley's cronies, when they weren't verbally jostling for dominance among the religious extreme of ComStar. "With Odessa as a base, they could sweep across the invasion and shatter it before the Clans came close to Terra."

"And if they had never returned in the first place, we wouldn't be having this conversation," Joe Murphy shot back. "We must deal with the situation as it is."

Fawcett came halfway to his feet. "We could have had the fleet if the Primus hadn't frittered the budget away on her pet projects!"

"Since you weren't part of that debate," Tiger Lily cut in, "You seem to be operating on incomplete information."

"Like what? You voted with her to cut the naval spending."

Wei stepped forwards to reclaim the podium. "Actually, Precentor Atreus voted for naval spending to increase." She nodded towards the woman in question. "Since we had comparatively little at the time. If you are referring to the original proposal to activate our entire warship fleet, the most optimistic estimate for doing so would have taken until 3053 - and the experience of the current fleet suggests strongly that that was too optimistic. The only way we would have had the entire warship fleet active by now would have been to start before I was Primus or to cut corners on the programme, and the costs would have been astronomical."

Fawcett sank back into his seat reluctantly.

Buckley tried to hide satisfaction. "I believe that continuing and expanding the warship fleet is justified once the current construction is completed?" he asked innocently. "It may not be available for our current crisis but now that the Clans are here with their fleets we need a more capable fleet."

"I must unfortunately agree," Wei admitted, letting her reluctance show. "Plans are underway to double production of Dante-class frigates and eleven additional ships - four Black Lion-class battlecruisers and seven Aegis-class cruisers - are being prepared for refit and reactivation. In addition, a new destroyer design is under development for production alongside the Dantes. Over the next five years we expect to bring the ComGuard fleet up to forty warships - although this does depend heavily on retaining control of the Titan shipyards and of Terra's industrial capacity."

It was going to involve some serious austerity measures and the only reasons she'd not cut the Venusian programme as well was that the solar shade would also serve as a training facility for the construction workers building and maintaining the warships. "I hope that this is satisfactory, Precentor Buckley."

He dipped his head slightly. "Once again, Primus, your foresight proves that Blake himself must have protected you from the terrible events five years ago."

Somehow, Wei doubted if Jerome Blake would have been caught dead where she'd been at the time. The man had apparently lived entirely for his beloved HPGs. Which was pitiful now that she thought about it.

"Moving back to our current situation," she said out loud, "We have a conundrum of our own. The consensus of suggestions made since I first raised the matter is that we have a limited number of options to deal with the Clans. There is no real doubt that as things stand, the Successor States will not be able to prevent them from reaching Terra or that they will try to seize this world once they have the chance. The proposals made by members of this body all fall into one of four options: firstly, surrender Terra…"

There was a rumble of discontent from around the room.

Wei raised her hand. "Even if it is to be rejected, we must consider all possibilities. Secondly, fight to defend Terra. Thirdly, indirectly assist the Successor States more than we currently are. Fourthly, directly confront the Clans before they advance significantly closer to Terra. Does anyone have any further suggestions that these do not cover?"

No one spoke up.

She nodded solemnly. "Precentor Martial, I understand that the ComGuards are preparing for the second and fourth options?"

"Yes, Primus." He drew himself up. "I must stress that a decision to commit to either will need to be made soon, in order to concentrate our field armies for operations. We have assembled twelve divisions at enclaves between Terra and Vega, but moving them into position for either of those options will take time that is increasingly short."

Tiger Lily spoke up: "How does that compare to the strength of the Clans?"

Focht didn't dissemble. "Approximately equivalent to fifty of their Clusters - about half the frontline strength of all six Clans in the Inner Sphere. It would be necessary to fight them under favorable circumstances to have a good chance of success."

"It seems to me that the ComGuards are insufficient unless we work with the Successor States," declared Rachel Orchard. "Is that our only option?"

"No." The Precentor Martial shook his head. "To some degree all of the Clans have divided their strength, and their custom of bidding means that they would reduce their forces to the minimum they believe necessary. Clever bidding to set the terms of the conflict will be a key part in preparing to face them."

Tiger Lily stood. "Any fight on Terra would incur damage to the homeworld," she announced. "And surrender is unthinkable. I favor any plan to halt the Clans short of Terra."

Wei sat back and let the Precentors express their own opinions, letting Focht field the technical questions of what was and was not possible. She would prefer to fight here, personally, adding the defenses of Terra to their strength and possibly picking off one Clan at a time as they raced to arrive - but Tiger Lily was once again rallying considerable support within the First Circuit…