Opalescent Reflections

Full House

Chapter 13

Unity City, North America

Terra, Sol System

30 July 3058

"In conclusion, we believe that with the lack of any significant offensive action by the Clans, Task Force Emerald can reasonably be deployed to push back Clan Wolf and Clan Ghost Bear, allowing greater exploitation of Clan Smoke Jaguar's current weak position." Narimasa Asano closed his briefing folder and stepped back from the podium, giving the assembled officers a polite bow.

Victor's cousin stood from where he'd been seated, to the side of the podium. Morgan Hasek-Davion towered over the former Genyosha commander but there was a similarity to their manner - both expert soldiers and the leaders of such with decades of experience between them.

It was still strange to see the Marshal of Armies in SLDF olive rather than AFFC blues or the black of the Kathil Uhlans. Morgan rested one hand on either side of the podium. "The dispatch of part of Task Force Emerald to strike at Clan Wolf has been approved in principle by the Star League Council," he reminded the assembly of officers from all the new Star League's member-states. "Re-establishing the Free Rasalhague Republic in some form -" The proposal of the Republic starting under protectorate status of the Draconis Combine had been something of a bombshell in diplomatic circles. "- has been a goal of the Star League from the beginning. The news that part of the Wolf forces are diverted to deal with their own exiles is too good an opportunity to ignore. Discussion of how we do this is welcome, the matter of whether or not we do is closed. I trust you all understand."

The redhead looked around the room for a moment and nodded in satisfaction. "There has been another request for forces to be detached from Task Force Emerald, in this case from the Federated Commonwealth." He turned to where Victor was waiting off the side of the stage. "To present the proposal, Kommandant-General Steiner Davion."

Victor marched to the podium and in the interval, one of the staffers moved a small platform into place, to adjust to the difference in height between the two cousins. Looking out at the audience, Victor was tempted for a moment to request that they reconvene in the 'mech hangar. It would probably be less intimidating to be facing them if they were in 'mechs where he couldn't see their faces.

Brushing the impulse aside, he activated the display. "The fall of Inarcs means that so far as we are aware, Clan Steel Viper has no further outposts within the Inner Sphere. Given their past history we are not prepared to assert that they will not return, but confirmed salvage and casualties suggest a minimum of half and more probably three-quarters of their total forces available have been lost." The high estimates based on some claims were as high as nine galaxies, which was higher than most estimates of the Clan's total available strength in the Inner Sphere, so he chose not to mention that.

The display shifted from estimated Steel Vipers strength to that of Task Force Sapphire. "Our own losses have not been negligible. A quarter of the regiments committed are shattered or in need of extended recovery." The worst losses had been from ComStar's Ninth Division whose forces had started behind enemy lines, but there had been other reverses like the loss of the Fourth Deneb Light Cavalry's Third Battalion. "The remainder are currently making good their losses and we expect the last of them to be ready for action in September."

Victor leant forwards. "Some of those regiments will remain in place to maintain our hold on the former Steel Viper Occupation Zone. Others will be trading places with fresh regiments currently facing the Jade Falcons and Nova Cats. In a little more than two months, we will be ready to resume military operations with thirty commands of at least brigade-size. I am requesting reinforcement by a third of the strategic reserve with a goal of securing a line between Biuque and Benfled."

The display switched to outline current dispositions in the region. Biuque had been one of the more isolated Steel Viper worlds, near Tharkad. It had been a staging area for secondary attacks that had seized the Ludwigshafen-Mississauga-Blumenort pocket and was still strongly held. Benfled, on the other hand, was well behind enemy lines - currently in Jade Falcon hands and bordering the Wolf Occupation Zone.

"The potential gains are the liberation of twenty further worlds from the Clans, significantly increasing strategic depth around Tharkad." Victor indicated the map. "It would also position us to support operations against Clan Wolf, either covering the flank of the advance or at least presenting a potential threat that the Wolves must honor."

Asano, who had rejoined the audience, raised one hand politely for attention. "I would characterize that as a very aggressive approach, if it only involved striking at one Clan." He paused. "That is not disapproval, Kommandant-General, DCMS doctrine approves of such strategic boldness. However, the map is clear that that seven of the targeted worlds are in the hands of Clan Nova Cat, so this would require the reinforced Task Force Sapphire to fight two Clans. That strays from aggressive towards being optimistic."

There was never going to be a better opening, so Victor set aside his notes. "That is correct, General. A somewhat more conservative alternative would be to strike only at Clan Jade Falcon's worlds - eliminating the sizeable pocket of worlds that are for the most part separated from the rest of their Occupation Zone by Clan Nova Cat's current holdings." He raised his index finger. "However, we have an opportunity to neutralize Clan Nova Cat, which would allow us to secure those worlds."

"Neutralize an entire Clan?" a Capellan colonel asked, incredulously. "That seems easier said than done."

"It is an opportunity, not a certainty," Victor agreed. "Khan Sevren Leroux sent a message to my parents earlier this year, delivered by courier ship to Coventry given the interdiction. The creation of a new Star League has been of considerable interest to them."

"Are they trying to join?" asked the Capellan sarcastically.

Victor nodded. "That would not really work, of course."

Narimasa Asano was far too professional to swear but there was a dark look in his eyes as he saw the statement snare attention around the room. If Victor got the support he wanted, that would mean there were insufficient forces left in Task Force Emerald to back operations against both the Wolves and the Ghost Bears - and the Wolves had already been confirmed.

It was too bad for Minoru Kurita, but the AFFC had already sent forces to support him. The Ghost Bears were just going to have to wait a bit longer. Victor hoped Omi didn't take this badly, but it was his duty to represent the Federated Commonwealth and the chance to liberate these worlds was just too good to pass up.

"Negotiations have been protracted," he added. "The Nova Cats were asked to demonstrate good faith by assisting us indirectly, which they did by securing the Steel Viper enclave on Sargasso - something we would have found difficult to do without clashing with the Jade Falcons who hold half the world." The price for that had been orders for LIC teams inciting revolt on several worlds to go silent. Victor felt dirty doing that - it would leave several such movements bereft of support and leadership, but it wouldn't stop some people trying anyway - and most likely they would be butchered. The Nova Cats were more reasonable than some other Clans… but that didn't mean they would take active rebellion lightly.

"What sort of terms are they offering?" asked Asano in a voice that barely reached Victor's ears.

"At the moment, there are two offers on the table, one that favors the Federated Commonwealth and the other that is more to the Nova Cats' liking," Victor began. "Now that the truly unacceptable terms have been dismissed, agreement has been reached to settle the matter in the only way that would really be acceptable to the Clans: in battle." Victor clasped his hands in front of him. "At the same time as our first strikes against the Jade Falcons, I will be taking a task force to Clan Nova Cat's headquarters to fight a trial."

Out of the corner of his eyes, he saw Morgan Hasek-Davion's head whip around sharply. The decision of who would represent the Federated Commonwealth had not been easily made and thus far it had not been revealed even to the uniformed head of the AFFC.

"You will be doing this personally?" asked Anastasius Focht. "Placing one of the most well-informed of our officers in a position to be captured seems rash." The old general rarely spoke to the SLDF staff since he had stood down as commanding general, wishing to give space for Morgan to establish himself.

Victor shook his head. "It's necessary. Khan Leroux will command personally and we need to send someone who is equivalent in rank - someone from the higher echelons of the AFFC or a member of the royal family, preferably both."

"I am surprised Hanse Davion isn't taking the field himself. The Fox is -" The Capellan found himself staring into Victor's glare and shut up.

"My father has never faced the Clans in battle personally. This also eliminated several other candidates." One part truth to one part lie. Jackson Davion and Nondi Steiner had been disqualified for that reason, but it was not why Hanse Davion would not be leading the operation.

A certain light had gone out of the First Prince's eyes since he was informed that he was no longer medically fit to pilot a battlemech. He had probably never seriously considered going to the frontlines, but learning he could not command from the cockpit if the war came home to him had hit hard.

Morgan stepped forwards slightly. "I assume that this will be going ahead regardless of today's decision?"

"It will," Victor confirmed. "Depending on the outcome, and on the decision regarding Task Force Emerald, the scale of operations against the Jade Falcons will be affected but taking the Nova Cats out of play is too significant."

"What happens if you lose this trial?" inquired Asano. "What is the Nova Cats' goal here?"

"If I fail, we will cede control of much of their occupation zone to them," he admitted. "Some outlying and disjointed territories will be returned to the Federated Commonwealth, and a mutual defense treaty will be signed. In addition, we will be obligated not to vote against any application they make to join the Star League."

"I cannot imagine the Coordinator making such concessions."

"I do not intend to lose, General Asano. But the enemy gets a vote. If this goes against us then we will have a neutral covering part of our border with the Clans." Victor paused. "Not unlike the Free Rasalhague Republic's role in the past."

The Combine general tilted his head in acknowledgement. "And in the event that you triumph?"

"Then they will become part of the Star League, because they will become part of the Federated Commonwealth," Victor told him. "One of their first Khans was apparently a Rim Worlder who fought for Kerensky, and their occupation zone includes some worlds that were once part of the Rim Worlds Republic so they seem to see it as a return home… of a sort."

The Capellan colonel raised his hand. "What about those they have taken as bondsmen? I understand that neither Clan Smoke Jaguar nor Clan Steel Viper allow captives to serve them in a military capacity, but the same is not true of other Clans."

"If I win, Clan Nova Cat will release any bondsmen who wish to leave them. If not…" Victor grimaced. "Well, even if I survive I may find myself in their hands. Precautions are being taken." He chose to believe that those efforts would be to rescue him, but the prospect of being indoctrinated the way Phelan Kell and Ciro Ramirez apparently had been was horrifying. He hoped the Nova Cats would return his previous gesture of offering hegira, but there was no guarantee that they would.

"It has previously been agreed that those put to labor by the Clans are treated as prisoners of war once recovered," the colonel persisted. "But what of those who take up arms against you?"

Asano - whose realm took a rather different view of prisoners of war than the Federated Commonwealth, a point rather brushed over in the agreement - cleared his throat. "That is treason, colonel. And the reward for that is well known."

"If I win, then Nova Cat warriors who were once members of the AFFC will technically have returned to the service of the Federated Commonwealth," Victor observed. "Otherwise it will be the same as other Clans: they will be stripped of their citizenship and dishonorably discharged."

"Execution would be more appropriate," the colonel observed provocatively.

General Asano gave him a narrow look. "Some within the DCMS agree. However, that is the decision of each nation."

Morgan gestured for Victor to step aside - the younger man realized his knuckles were white from gripping the podium tightly in his anger. "That is off topic," the commanding general declared with complete assurance. "We have two proposals for the employment of Task Force Emerald. The final decision will fall to the Star League Council but it is our job to provide them with a proper analysis of the benefits and problems of each…"

Barrett, Milligan's World

Outworlds Alliance

4 August 3058

In theory, Milligan had been reclaimed for the Outworlds Alliance by the efforts of Task Force Opal. The fact that the Diamond Shark emissary only needed a VTOL to reach the meeting site rather than a dropship or at least a shuttle suggested that the Clan hadn't been driven as far as certain officers wanted to believe.

"Do you have any last minute suggestions for negotiating with the Clans?" the young president of the Outworlds Alliance asked quietly as the rotorwing settled down on the improvised helipad.

Wei covered her mouth and nose with her sleeve, which had enough material to keep the worst of the dust off at this distance from the landing. "Usually I provoke them via HPG. This is going to be a bit different."

The two of them did have guard details with them, and there were elements of three different armed forces within a few minutes' travel… but if the VTOL was carrying a team of Elementals or even just unarmored commandos, then there was a real risk to both herself and Mitchell Avellar.

The young head of state sighed slightly and then tensed as the door of the vehicle slid open. To run, not to fight - which was probably wise.

To both of their reliefs, only a small squad of Clan warriors dismounted and most of them fanned out to provide a small perimeter around their transportation. Only one of them walked towards the table and seats that had been set up, a lean man in a blue jumpsuit, hair covered by a ballcap.

"No swords," Mitchell noticed as he and Wei approached the table which was in the open between the landing site and their security details.

Wei shrugged her shoulders. "The movies no doubt exaggerate a lot. He's older than I expected." The appearance wasn't that different from what she had expected, but reports suggested that the infamous O-Same was between her age and Mitchell's. The Diamond Shark's face was lined and as they got closer it was clear that the hair under the cap was gray at the temples, something she hadn't expected.

The Diamond Shark reached the table first and sat down without waiting for them. "You are not in the robes, so I guess you are the President," he told Avellar. "She is easier on the eyes though."

"True, but not exactly relevant." Mitchell pulled a chair out for Wei before sitting down. "You are Galaxy Commander Enders?"

"Aff… though not the one you were expecting, quineg?" The Diamond Shark gave them a sly smile. "So far there are no movies about my exploits but I live in hope."

"There are two of you?" Wei murmured.

The smile spread even further. "I am empowered to accept your unconditional surrender. Also to negotiate, but I would gain much renown if you yielded these worlds back to the… Sharks do not have limbs, so I cannot say embrace… never mind, you get the idea."

Wei looked at the man's eyes and saw that he was playing the fool to disarm them. "And we stand ready to accept your surrender if you wish to offer it, Obviously you would have to surrender your weapons, but feeding and housing your warriors for the rest of your lives would be well within our resources."

"Ah, but can you offer me a seventeen movie deal?"

"How do you feel about adult entertainment?" Wei riposted. She could probably convince the First Circuit that she was doing him... doing it for the sake of peace.

Enders seemed considered that briefly. "As opposed to an animated show for children?"

Avellar folded his arms across his chest and cut off that line of conversation. "Are either of you taking this remotely seriously?"

"If we must," the Clanner allowed with a smirk. "So, if you do not want to surrender, what do you want?"

"I want your Clan to leave the Alliance's worlds," the president demanded.

Enders clicked his tongue. "And I would like your troops to leave the Clan's worlds, so it is likely that one of us will be disappointed.

"We control these worlds now and half your forces have been destroyed. I'm offering you the chance to leave without further bloodshed."

"That is something of a hard sell." The older man cupped his chin for a moment. "Our aerospace pilots are very excited, you see. They rarely encounter peer opponents - no offense, Primus but even over Camlann your forces were rather green. Our warriors do not see bloodshed as negatively as you do." Then he leant forward sharply. "And as long as we keep fighting, you do not control these worlds."

"Are you suggesting that you do?" asked Wei curiously, letting go of her brief daydream of Avellar not derailing the earlier line of conversation. Why did even the leader of a pacifist nation object to making love rather than war?

"Oh, it is contested." Enders allowed, leaning back in his chair in a relaxed pose. "But that is the point, you have not beaten us yet. Why should we give up - our losses are fewer than yours and we can spin this out for years."

"These are our worlds. You cannot maintain hiding places here for long before we find you and root them out," Avellar threatened.

"Long is somewhat inspecific," the old man warned cheerfully. "Another year. Two? And arguably we are no longer bound by the Primus' truce - would you like us to start raiding worlds like Quatre Bras or Alpheratz? I think that would cause you some logistical problems, quiaff?"

"You could raid us," the president conceded. "However, if the truce is no longer a factor then what would stop your Sharks from grasping more - slicing deeper into the Draconis Combine, for example. There has been no new offensive, so I think that your bargaining position is weaker than you claim."

Enders tilted his head slightly but he looked at Avellar with more respect than he had before. "Believe that if you wish, but our position is not so weak as to simply leave. After all, what would stop you from then following up into more worlds than those you are currently fighting for."

Avellar cupped his hands on the table. "My word."

"Your word?"

"Yes." The young man nodded seriously. "Leave the borders of the Outworlds Alliance, as they were before your Clan invaded us, and I will not allow the Outworlds to be used as a staging area for further attacks. Nor will my pilots be sent to aid on other fronts."

"Let us not go crazy here. Your pilots are worthy adversaries." But Enders was thinking - Wei could almost see the wheels turning behind those cynical eyes. "Where do you stand on this, Primus? You have enclaves on these worlds, which we have been careful not to invade… staging troops from them technically would not violate President Avellar's offer, but it would mean that it had no value to us."

"A number of members of the Star League Council object to the idea of making the concession in the first place," she observed. "However, if you are prepared to continue to respect our enclaves in your occupation zone, then I am willing to give the same assurance."

Enders drummed his fingers on the table. "Including for worlds outside of the Outworlds Alliance? You know that we cannot promise that other Clans will respect your enclaves, and many of them are on worlds that are currently being contested."

Oh yes. Wei was aware of every enclave that had been struck at by the Hells Horses, Ice Hellions and the Zeerga. "So long as it is only those Clans - and so long as it is understood that we may use the enclaves as bases against them… yes. We are willing to distinguish between individual Clans."

"And yet you interdicted all of us over the Steel Vipers' idiocy."

Wei felt her stomach plunge at being called on that. "It is sometimes hard to tell which Clan is holding the one brain cell that you collectively share."

There was a gulp from Mitchell Avellar's direction but Enders threw his head back and laughed. "Never the Steel Vipers and never the Smoke Jaguars," he answered after a moment. "And I think there may be as many as three brain cells - but sometimes they are in the homeworlds so I cannot blame you for being confused."

At least he had a sense of humor. And Wei knew that most of the Clans appreciated daring. "I am not willing to lift the interdict at this time," she warned.

"And I am not authorized to return the HPG stations that lacked a defensive perimeter," the man said. "Nor would I if I could - making ourselves vulnerable like that again would be stupid."

"So you do have one of the brain cells."

"Yes, but I will give it back soon." The Diamond Shark smirked. "And I understand that neither of you can keep the Draconis Combine from attacking us from their remaining worlds, so I will not ask that of you. Is there anything else?"

Mitchell leant forwards. "Prisoners of war."

Enders scratched his cheek. "We do not take them, in the sense of that term. You mean bondsmen, quaiff?"

"Yes. I want my soldiers released. That is your custom under hegira."

"This is not hegira, boy. This is bargaining. Learn the difference or you may not rule these worlds long." The galaxy commander glared at Avellar.

"Not all of those bondsmen will adapt to Clan ways, Galaxy Commander," Wei offered. "Why not give them the choice? If they wish to become Diamond Sharks - or Sea Foxes, depending on how your vote goes - then they can. The others would be a burden. And we do not take bondsmen as you do, so those of your warriors who we have captured may wish to rejoin your ranks."

The aged warriors considered that. "There is still little advantage in it," he said at last. "I will allow it, but I want something in return."

"I am listening," Mitchell said cautiously.

"We have begun infrastructure works on these worlds," the Diamond Shark advised him. "Have them completed: we will provide expertise if you need it, you provide the funds and labor."

The president winced. "I have some reports on what you had begun. We cannot afford it."

"You cannot afford not to," Enders said flatly. "We came here expecting worlds older and wealthier than ours. Sometimes we found them, but here in the Outworlds we found planets full of one-horse towns. If you leave that as it is then you will be a weak and unstable neighbor, one whose worlds will be used by bandits and pose a threat to us. And you know how we deal with threats."

"There are things I cannot promise. We both know a leader whose people turn on them will fall and their promises will be forgotten," Mitchell said in frustration.

The Diamond Shark shook his head. "You speak of the Omniss and their so-called pacifism. They also objected to the work we have begun."

"And what did you do to them?" asked Wei.

"We ignored them. They are loud, but they are a minority." Enders sneered. "Most of the people of these worlds welcomed the initiatives. You insist that we leave before our work is done? Then you will help us to complete it."

Tengoku, Irece

Diamond Shark Dominion

19 August 3058

Ace's 'mech burst from its cocoon over the mountain that looked down on Irece's capital city… and on the Lexatech factories that were the world's major claim to fame.

The terrain around the factory was rugged - long ridges both natural and man-made that could support defense of the facility. Much of the factory itself was dug into the ground, buried under layers of armor and earth. Housing for the workers was some distance away, linked by underground monorails that were also used to bring in some of the material and components that fed the production lines. (One less monorail than there had been in 3056, due to sabotage. It would be dug out again, the way they all had to be after the ISF tried to deny Lexatech to the Diamond Sharks).

Fifty 'mechs and three times that many elementals were dropping right into battle - below them, two exhausted galaxies were battering at each other, broken into little groups that stalked each other through the gullies and over the ridgelines. What was laid out for Ace like a tactical map was a mass of confusion for those in the midst of it.

Thirty aerospace fighters were escorting Ace's drop. Right now, their sensors were focused on intercepting the threat of Smoke Jaguar fighters to the vulnerable ground forces of the Ivory Skate, not on feeding data to the ground, but the snatches that they did provide were having a visible effect. Ace could see blue-green omnimechs pulling out of pincer movements by their gray-painted adversaries, or turning the same trick on the Jaguars.

That didn't change the fact that when the 'mechs met on at least roughly even terms, the Smoke Jaguars were winning more often than not. With all the valor in the world, Omega Galaxy was less well equipped than their enemies, more depleted by months of retreat and made up as much by warriors drafted from local garrisons as it was by the original members of its five Clusters. The other second-line galaxies were regrouping on Cyrenaica after fighting Tau Galaxy to a standstill in it's advance on Luthien.

There were exceptions and Ace saw a pair of Warhawks dueling between two of the ridges, the one in blue-green visibly tearing through its gray counterpart, holding the Smoke Jaguar back from following up on smaller Diamond Sharks 'mechs that were falling back to the next defensive line.

PPCs lashed out at the Diamond Shark, but the attacker's heat was soaring and it could only fire two of the heavy weapons. In reply, the other Warhawk opened up its rival with a battery of pulse lasers.

Epsilon Galaxy's commander knew only one mechwarrior who equipped his Warhawk with eight pulse lasers: Michel, the long absent member of his own command trinary. He also saw what the former Steel Viper could not: a full star of Smoke Jaguar assault 'mechs about to crest the rise overlooking Michel's position.

It would be a solid minute before Ace and his forces could get their boots dirty. "Michel!" he shouted into the command trinary's net, trusting that his one-time bondsman would still be monitoring it. "Jaguar Star north of you!"

And then, because the Smoke Jaguars must surely know by now, he hit the general broadcast. "Omega Galaxy, this is Galaxy Commander Ace Enders. Today's victory belongs to the Bloodscent -" the second-line galaxy's nickname "- but you do not stand alone!"

Below him, he saw Michel do the only thing that would give him a chance: too slow to evade the pursuit, the Warhawk charged up the slope, using its angle to screen him until they full crested the ridge and opening up on the first of them he saw.

The Kingfisher took a savaging from the pulse lasers and almost went over backwards, but the assault 'mech was impressively armored and the Smoke Jaguar clearly knew its characteristics well, keeping it upright and hitting back with his own pulse lasers and flights of missiles.

The rest of the Jaguar Star all turned towards Michel and for a moment Ace thought that the gambit would fail. But zellbrigen held and one 'mech gestured sharply, sending three of them forwards and after the rest of Michel's force. Only the Kingfisher and the Dire Wolf that had given the command remained, and the latter seemed content to wait.

Another exchange of shots saw the Kingfisher lose an arm but Michel's Warhawk was practically glowing with heat, probably meaning a reactor hit.

Ace marked the location on the tactical map. "Command star, that is where we are landing." Fortunately every 'mech in the star had jump jets so they weren't depending on clumsy jump packs with limited fuel. All five of them could adjust trajectory and the jump jets would generate new reaction mass from the air they were falling through.

There were just clicks on the comm to acknowledge the order and flares of jump jets from the other four 'mechs as they made the necessary corrections. Ace tapped his own jump jets the bare minimum to do this efficiently.

Down on the ground, the Kingfisher fell at last… and then the Dire Wolf opened up on the Warhawk's rear with its autocannon, its missiles and many of its own lasers.

Michel's assault 'mech was formidable, but rear armor was never as good as the front. The Warhawk staggered forwards and almost face-planted in the ridge that it had been climbing during the duel with the Kingfisher. Ace could practically see the dilemma: keep taking fire on the rear as Michel withdrew to cool at least briefly behind cover, or turn and fight, with frontal armor that was no better.

Both were near certain defeat, so Ace's comrade made the only decision that made any sense at all: he wheeled and hammered the Dire Wolf with everything he had, the shots concentrating on the blunt prow that contained the assault 'mech's cockpit.

With luck, the shots could have killed the mechwarrior inside - or rattled him enough for another salvo. But luck was not with Michel and the Dire Wolf fired again. Not with everything that it had - the massive firepower of a Dire Wolf generated far more heat than could be dissipated. But the four extended range lasers that had been held back from the earlier salvo were more than enough to slice through exposed joints like knives through butter.

The Warhawk fell, arms and legs nearly severed. Helpless prey, Michel hadn't even managed to eject.

Ace flared his jump jets again, just enough to stabilize himself, and his PPCs erupted as he dropped into effective range at last.

The Smoke Jaguar wasn't caught entirely off guard - the massive omnimech side-stepped and then raised its left arm at the last minute, the mechwarrior inside having correctly determined that Ace had predicted the attempt to dodge. Both bolts hammered into the upraised limb, blasting away layer after layer of protection.

But shots that would have cored out a smaller 'mech failed even to penetrate the armor of the Smoke JAguar Dire Wolf and as Ace prepared to land, it turned and opened fire on him with autocannon and missiles.

The timing was good, Ace needed to use his jump jets to slow his fall and dodging would compromise that. He diverted just enough to side-slip into one of the slopes of the gully and avoided the worst of the autocannon fire, leaving the LRMs to his anti-missile system. The Huntsman hit hard and it slid down the hill, Ace seeing warning lights from the legs as he let the slide absorb the force that he hadn't been able to entirely counter with his jump jets.

"Ace Enders!" a voice he had heard before - that every member of every Clan had probably heard at least once - greeted him as the Dire Wolf strode up onto the top of the ridge, looking down on the much smaller Huntsman. "Only you would be so bold!"

Ace flung his 'mech aside, firing back with one PPC as a hail of fire chased after him. "Khan Showers. Or have you been deposed by your Clan? News travels so slowly with most of the HPGs unavailable."

His shot smashed a divot into the armored cowl above the Dire Wolf's cockpit. Most of the former ilKhan's shots missed but half of his pulse lasers struck home and did about as much damage as Ace's shot. Of course, the Huntsman had far less armor - it could absorb the hits for now but not for anything like as long.

"The Smoke Jaguars are mine. When I reclaim my throne, they will be ilClan!"

A flare of jump-jets took Ace over most of Shower's next salvo, all but a large laser that carved heavily into the armor just below his cockpit. The khan might love the sound of his own voice, but he wasn't incompetent in the cockpit.

Ace answered with both his PPCs this time and the Khan blocked shots aimed for armor weakened by Michel's last volley with the Dire Wolf's right arm. Again, the armor took the punishment.

"Sir, orders?" called Thomas, as Ace saw the rest of the star moving in.

"Take out the rest of his Star!" Ace ordered. Three fresh assault 'mechs had a good chance of wrecking Omega's already damaged 'mechs but two Phoenix Hawks and two Vapor Eagles should be able to deal with them.

Leo Showers saw the star scattering and knew what it meant. He steadied himself for better aim and used just the left arm to fire on Ace.

Just one arm's weapons on a Dire Wolf was more firepower than most medium 'mechs. Two large lasers and two medium, carved slashes across the Huntsman's legs and perforated the armor below the right shoulder with laser pulses. The autocannon stream splattered high explosive rounds all across the front, coming dangerously close to the scar left by the previous laser shot.

Ace's return shot from his right arm PPC intersected with the exposed ammunition feeds for the autocannon. Rounds detonated as they were fed towards the firing chamber of the weapon, then sympathetic explosions ripped the limb back to the cylindrical bin that they had come from.

The arm was a useless wreck and Showers twisted to bring the other to bear, but the limb had no more armor than the other and Ace had reserved his left arm's PPC for this. His shot smashed into the inside of the shoulder before the weapons could come to bear and severed it.

More than twenty-five tons of weapons and support systems parted ways from the Dire Wolf and not even Leo Shower's skill could overcome that - the assault 'mech tipped left, drawn by the dead weight of its remaining arm, and hit the ground a moment after the severed limb did.

With deliberate malice, Ace strode the Huntsman up and delivered a kick to the shoulder-mounted missile launcher that was the Dire Wolf's last weapon system. The launcher crumpled and Showers's attempt to right his mech was foiled.

Ignoring the toothless cursing, Ace opened the command channel. "Galaxy Commander Nagasawa, this is Galaxy Commander Enders."

A face appeared on his comm screen, one well known to him. "Sir." Kevin Nagasawa had led a cluster in Alpha Galaxy before being promoted to replace Seth Margyar in command of Omega, so they were acquainted. "I relinquish command to you."

"Neg," Ace disagreed. He would have had that right even without Sennet's warrant to override the others, as the senior of the two. "Omega has held the line for months against two of the Smoke Jackals' best. This is your victory and I will not taint it. Today my command cluster will serve under yours."

There was relief on Nagasawa's face. "You do me honor. And the rest of your galaxy."

The rest of Epsilon Galaxy was maintaining the pretense that the Combine border was guarded by a pair of frontline galaxies, but this wasn't the time to explain that the rest of the dropships Ace had brought with him were carrying garrison warriors and raw cadets, equipped with whatever he could scrape up from the factories on New Samarkand and Luthien. Worse, they had never fought together before today so their cohesion would be terrible.

"The rest of my force will land in range of the Jaguar dropships. Your last report was that the remains of their Delta Galaxy was guarding the LZ?"

"Aff. Showers drew them down to replenish Beta for this attack."

"Replenishment for losses you and yours inflicted," Ace expanded. "I told you, this is the Bloodscent's victory. My warriors are clearing a perimeter around our drop zone and I await your command."

"Hold your position," the other galaxy commander ordered. "I will lead a counterattack: you play anvil while we provide the hammer."

Ace nodded, hoping the gesture was visible via the camera . "Bargained well and done, Kevin."

Then he turned his attention back to the Dire Wolf. "I confess, Showers, I do not understand your strategy. You must be aware that the Inner Sphere is pushing your warriors back towards Alshain, but you have been wasting troops here against us?"

The Khan's reply carried less of his earlier hubris. "Vinton is gone, Huntress will also fall soon. The factories here, on Luthien and on Pesht could supply my Clan. The equation is simple."

"I do not think much of your math," Ace admitted.

Showers snorted. "Your khan would understand. When you take her place, you will need to as well. As your bondsman, I can teach you how to be a Khan."

"I do not think much of that either." Ace backed up his Huntsman and fired his ER PPCs steadily into the torso until he had penetrated the thick armor and wrecked the gyro. Then he turned in the direction he had sent his star. "I do not want you as a bondsman. When this battle is over, if you are still alive, I will send you back to your Clan. I imagine that they will find some suitable way to reward you for this debacle."

"You cannot do this! I am Leo Showers!"

Ace nodded - only to himself. He did not care to share video communications with the fallen ilKhan. "Arrogance and stupidity. Truly you represent your Clan well."

Once the battle was won, and clean-up was begun, it proved unnecessary to go to the trouble of delivering Leo Showers back to the Smoke Jaguars. His clan would probably have little use for one more dead warrior, having something of surplus of them at the moment.