Serpents and Snakes

Novella III of the Chronicles of the 69th VXF

By Michael Todd

Cover Design by Catalyst Game Labs

Cover Art by Florian SpOoKy777 Mellies.

Cover Alterations by Justin Kase

2015 Michael Todd.

All Rights Reserved. Classic BattleTech, BattleTech, Mech, BattleMech and
MechWarrior are copyright and/or registered trademarks of The Topps Company,
Inc in the United States and other countries. Catalyst Game Labs is a trademark of
InMediaRes Productions, LLC.

In case any of you missed it, this is a fan-made book and has no association or
approval, implied or otherwise, from Topps, InMediaRes or Catalyst Game
Labs. No challenge to their trademarks, copyrights or other intellectual property is
implied.

No part of this work may be altered or sold for profit, nor otherwise circulated in
any form other than that in which it is published.

Published by Michael Sigil Todd

Somewhere in the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia

Second Printing: 2016

 Dedication

I would like to thank each member of the BattleTech Fan Fiction

Forum who have taken the time to read the Chronicles of the 69th
Virginia Expeditionary Force, especially those of you who have
commented, pointed out inconsistencies and made suggestions. Your
enthusiasm is what kept this story going.

I would like to also thank my wife, Mariam, my five children,

Layla, Ahmad, Isha, Anousheh, and Jasper, who endured endless
hours of my chattering on about BattleTech.

Also, Captain Jochen Weddle for dragging me back into the

Battletech Universe in the first place.

To Colonel Jason Henley and Lt. Jeff Hamilton for their

inspiration and finally a shoutout to Michael Stackpole for his own
fiction work in the Universe which has served me as a guiding light.

Finally, my thanks to Justin Kase for his willingness to create

such an attractive cover for this work. As much as it pains me, I am
also guilty of judging a book by its cover and I can only hope my
story is as good as his cover.

Chapter 1
Galatea
3043
Lyran Commonwealth

The Colonel was back behind his gunmetal desk in his office on
Galatea. The 69th had just finished a four-month rest and
refit. Ultimately, hed decided to sell the 85-ton LGB-OW Longbow
theyd captured on Carbonis. It was a specialized Mech. Pure long-range
fire support, it was practically like a mobile artillery platform with its
ability to launch salvos of 50 LRMs at a time. The unit just wasnt large
enough to warrant such a specialized platform. That, and the offers had
just been too good to refuse.
Hed sold it for just over nine million C-bills, even in its slightly
damaged condition. It was a rare piece of tech after all. Originally
produced by Lockenburg-Holly Industries in the Free Worlds League, the
company had been absorbed by the massive StarCorps Industries even
before the formation of the Star League and it was still being produced in
small numbers at their facility on Crofton.
Hed replaced it with another StarCorps Industries design, the
Warhammer, a Mech manufactured throughout the Inner Sphere and one
with a reasonable supply of spare parts available as well. The WHM-6R
hed bought had been made by Olivetti Weaponry on Sudeten. An
intimidating machine, it was initially designed as an assault Mech and its
dual Donal PPCs were enough to make any enemy think twice before
taking it on. Hed also purchased a -6K refit kit for it as well. A simple
modification, it replaced the dual Sperry-Browning machines guns, along
with their attendant ammunition, with an additional two heat sinks, giving
it a total of twenty, just enough to dissipate the heat from its two massive
particle cannons.
Even after purchasing it new, he still had close to three million C-
bills left over from the sale of the Longbow. He gave Leutnant Sigil a
good third of that for the repair of his Clint. No doubt he was even now in
the Mech bay combing over it and hatching plans for possible
modifications. At least that ought to keep him out of trouble for a while.
Maybe. If he was lucky.
The repairs to his Battlemaster, the Griffin, and the Hatchetman
had all been completed. Shadowfax was parked at the StarPort, once again
fully functional and Dawg had already finished recruiting enough
replacements to return his anti-Mech infantry platoon to full strength.
The last thing hed done was to make arrangement to send
Leutnant Rachael Kitten Sachs to the Flight Academy of Thorin. Shed
made no secrets about her dream to become an aerospace pilot and the 69th
currently lacked any aerospace support at all. It was something hed been
stressed about before the Carbonis drop. Theyd gotten lucky that time,
the weather preventing the House Marik forces from launching their
fighters, but that kind of luck never lasts. The program would take a full
year, meaning the unit would be down their best medic and VTOL pilot
for a good while. Of course, he still had enough money in the units
ComStar bank account to easily maintain the 69th for a full year, probably
twice that if he was careful. Still, it was never too early to start looking
for the next contract. Shed be back soon enough.
All that was left was to do now was to hire a communications
specialist to ride shotgun in his Battlemaster. After the debacle on
Carbonis, there was no way he was ever going to allow Sigil back into his
cockpit. So what if it had cost him a million C-bills to get Sigil back into
his Clint. It was money well spent.
In the privacy of his own office, he chuckled to himself
remembering the salacious night before Kittens departure for the Flight
Academy. Ok, now that was money well spent.
---
Sigil snarled in frustration. Getting parts for his Clint was
practically an exercise in futility, especially the gyro. His search had led
him inevitably to the Capellan district, where all the best fixers were
located. Of course they charged outrageous prices, but so far hed turned
up nothing and he was out of other options.
Sigil entered the infantry barracks. Dawg and his men were
scattered about the place either cleaning their already immaculate weapons
or playing card games. He tried to keep his walk casual as he strode over
to where Dawg was sitting, gun oil in hand.
Dawg looked up. Hey Sig, lemme see that Sternsnacht I gave
you. I want to make sure youre taking proper care of it.
Oh, uh sure. Sigil reached down and unfastened the safety on
the holster. Withdrawing the heavy pistol, he set it down on the table with
a meaty thunk.
Dawg had it apart in seconds. He paid particular attention to the
barrel, eyeing it critically and then moving onto the receiver and
magazine. Still pretty clean. When was the last time you shot it? He
slid the pieces back over towards Sigil.
 Its uh been a while. Ive been busy trying to get my Clint
back online. Hasnt left much time for small arms practice, he shrugged.
Dawg frowned. Not enough time to practice a skill that could
save your life, huh? You must be busy. Thing is, Sig, a piece like this
needs to be fired and fired often. Otherwise, when you need it, shes just
not gonna be there for you. Remember when you used it in the arena it
was coming straight off my hip where I kept her plenty happy. Looks to
me like shes being neglected. Not a good thing. Think of her like your
Clint, except you get to carry her everywhere you go. Now, what brings
you here, anyway?
Oh, I was uhh going into Galatea City and thought you might
want to come along? Sigil shifted nervously then reached to pick up the
barrel and receiver.
Dawg eyed him critically. I seem to recall a similar request from
you last year. Drop the bullshit. Where exactly are you going and why.
Sigil fumbled, struggling to fit the pieces of the Sternsnacht back
together. Some guy named Fanhg Li. In the Capellan district. I cant
find all the parts I need to put my Clint back together. A few people
mentioned his name and Im out of options.
He looked hopefully at Dawg. I just, you know, would uhh
feel better if you were there.
Dawg considered him for a long moment. When are we leaving?
---
The first thing that struck Sigil about the Capellan District was its
mass of neon lights. It seemed as if the streets were lined with them, some
of them towering stories high, climbing up the sides of the tall metal
buildings which framed the streets. Their hovercar pulled over to the curb,
the gull-wing doors opening automatically. Sigil, Dawg, and two of
Dawgs men disembarked.
Sigil looked around trying to orient himself. The sidewalks were
thronged with people flowing up and down the street and into and out of
the various stores and shops. The overwhelming majority of them were of
Capellan decent, obvious from the vaguely almond shape of their eyes and
the complexion of their skin. Most of the signs were also in Capellan, the
ideograms complex and strange to his unaccustomed eyes.
Confused, Sigil walked into the nearest building. He couldnt read
the signs anyway, so what did it matter. The navigational system in the
hovercar had said this was the place. He pushed the heavily tinted door
open.
Immediately, he was startled as the booming of a hollow gong
announced their entrance. As his eyes adjusted to the dim interior, he was
astonished to find miniature trees lining a slate pathway which led further
into the building. To either side, past the cleverly manicured dwarf trees,
were small clusters of tables and chairs.
A young raven-haired woman materialized from behind one of the
nearby trees. Her sarong had a bamboo motif embroidered across it. She
approached the group, speaking in an unintelligible Capellan dialect.
Sigil shook his head. Uh Fanhg Li? Were here to see to
Fanhg Li? He started gesticulating with his arms, motioning down the
slate path. Is Fanhg Li down there? FA-AH-ANG LEE?
The young lady took in the group of four with a practiced glance
and motioned them to follow as she headed down the slate path. Before
long the sound of running water could be heard, growing louder as they
entered deeper into the building.
Ahead, a soaring stone waterfall had been constructed, water
cascaded down its carefully sculpted sides and filling a large pool at its
base. Numerous gold and silver carp glided gracefully between the water
lilies and lotus blossoms floating on its surface. A large bamboo grove
was off to their left and it was in that direction the young lady led them.
As they penetrated into the center of the dense bamboo grove, it
revealed a sizable clearing dominated by a single black lacquer table. A
painstaking replica of the waterfall they had just passed had been painted
onto its surface by an obviously talented artist. She motioned for them to
sit, disappearing almost instantaneously into the bamboo surrounding the
clearing.
Dawg shot Sigil a questioning look. Not exactly what I was
expecting when you said you were shopping for BattleMech parts, Sig.
Sigil tried his best to act nonchalant and as if he had some idea of
what was going on. Truthfully, he wasnt even sure if he was in the right
place, or for that matter, if that woman had even understood what he
said. Secretly, he was terrified theyd all be handed menus and the entire
thing would end up being a wild goose chase. But there was nothing to do
but wait.
As the minutes dragged by, Sigil began to wonder if theyd simply
been forgotten about, hidden away as they were in the grove of
bamboo. Just as he was about to get up, a petite man in a violently blue
velvet leisure suit appeared. He was Capellan for sure and the toes of his
alligator skin shoes were covered in gold scales. A chronometer sparkled
on his wrist and as a grin split his face, the golden caps of his teeth
scintillated. He sat down, speaking in a heavy accent. I am Fanhg
Li. What can I help you gentlemen with today?
Sigil stopped gawking and found his tongue. A uh gyro and
a umm replacement left arm. Both for a Clint.
Li turned his eyes from Dawg, appraising Sigil. I dont normally
deal in BattleMech parts, he chuckled, his eyes gleaming. But some
would, in fact, consider the Clint to be a rare antiquity. Tell me what your
interest in these parts is.
Sigil tried to conceal the desperation in his voice. My Clint got
all shot up in The Games last year. I need to get it back online before our
units next contract. Ive already looked everywhere else. A couple
people mentioned your name, said if anybody could get one, itd be you.
Did they now? And I wonder who exactly those people
were? No matter. He waved it off with a quick flicking motion of his
hand. Two and a half million C-bills, four to six weeks delivery
time. Unless, of course, you have some rare antiquities of your own which
may pique my interest.
Sigil couldnt hide his shock. Two and a half million C-bills!? I
could buy an entire Mech for that much! He started to get up when
Dawgs sturdy hand pushed him hard back down into his seat.
Fangh Lis eyes narrowed dangerously and what sounded like a
low hiss escaped his lips.
Sigil snapped his head around in surprise as Dawg suddenly began
speaking to Li in Capellan. Huh!? Wha?
Dawg fixed him with a deadly stare saying simply, Shut up before
you get us all killed. Not one more word. Then, he turned back to Fanhg
Li and continued talking.
Lis eyes turned away from Sigil as Dawg addressed him. The two
spoke at length for a number of minutes. Finally, Dawg took a datapad
out of his breast pocket, sliding it across the table towards Li, who
accepted it and then rose, disappearing into the bamboo.
Dawg spoke next. Ok. Lets go.
Once they were all in the hovercar and on their way back, Sigil
finally asked. So uh what was that all about anyway?
Dawg spoke to one of his men in the back. Rudolph, what did
you notice?
You mean like that entire bamboo grove was a cleverly concealed
glassteel safe room with enough interference to fry an egg on? Or the four
swarthy turbaned men with kinjals in there with us?
How about you, Adolphus? See anything else?
Fangh Li was giving hand signals to his men the entire time. I
noticed at least one micro video recorder and I suspect the table hid a few
surprises in it as well. Probably gas of some kind given how the room was
sealed. I thought I saw some kind of nose plugs, a respirator likely, on one
of the guards.
Dawg nodded approvingly. Good. At first, I thought it unusual
that they didnt bother to check our weapons, but that place was so tight
they didnt have to bother. We passed through at least four different full
body scanners on our way down the path. Concealed in the trees. Real
top notch work in there.
Sigil fidgeted in his seat. But, uhh what about the gyro?
Dawg fixed him with another dagger-like stare. The gyro? Were
lucky he let us walk out of there. You go into a mans home, sit at his
table and then insult him. Youre a real piece of work, Sig.
Dawg shook his head. You dont haggle over prices with a man
like Li, Sig. You dont even go to see a man like him unless you can
afford him. Frankly, I dont even know how you managed to get us in to
see him in the first place.
Sigil looked out of the window, frowning. So, that means no
gyro?
Dawg finally broke out in a grin. Nah, I didnt say that. It just so
happened I needed a few things as well. Your parts will be in sometime
next month, as will a few goodies of my own.

Chapter 2
Galatea
3043
Lyran Commonwealth

Sigil watched as Hamilton climbed down from the cockpit of his

new Warhammer. He shook his head, that thing practically still had the
shrink wrap on it.
Hamilton walked across the Mech bay towards him, thumbing his
hand over his shoulder. Ill be handling all the maintenance on that baby,
Sigil. Brand new, straight off the Olivetti Weaponry assembly lines. It
even smells new. Bet youve never smelled that new cockpit smell. I just
finished checking my work on the -6K refit. The new heat sinks work like
a charm. He chuckled as he looked past Sigil at the antique Clint still
hanging from chains.
Sigil scowled. Whatever, Hamilton. My Mechs electronics are
so advanced there isnt a factory in the entire Inner Sphere capable of
making them anymore!
Hamilton guffawed. More like when the factory was destroyed
no-one even noticed or bothered to rebuild it. The Hammer? To great of
a design to ever forget or allow to be lost. Must be at least four factories
still producing this baby to this very day.
Hamilton critically eyed the piles of rusty scrap heaped all around
what remained of Sigils Clint. Unlike some other people I know, I can
get parts too. Even factory new, he gloated.
Sigil waved him off. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Must be nice. He
grinned. Well, what is nice is knowing youve got my six covered with
that monster.
Hamilton nodded. As long as you dont use it as an excuse to do
something stupid
---
A select few MechWarriors achieve such fame that their Mechs
are forever associated with them. Jaime Wolfs Archer, Natasha
Kerenskys Warhammer, the Red Dukes Marauder, Grey Notons
Rifleman, and of course General Aleksandr Kerenskys Orion. Among
Clint pilots, however, there was only one who ever gained any significant
amount of notoriety, Janos Arthur Denton II. And honestly, outside of
Clint pilots, no one had really heard of him anyway.
A member of the House Steiners Arcturan Guards, he was more
famous for the modifications hed done to his Clint then for his actual
performance on the battlefield. He had pioneered the subsequently named
CLNT-2-3T Denton refit. The change was deceptively simple. Hed
replaced the Armstrong AC/5 with a Defiance B3L heavy laser and four
additional heat sinks.
Other Clint owners had since followed suit. While the change
sacrificed about 100m of range, it eliminated the liability of an
ammunition explosion. The loss of range was also partly offset by the
Clints excellent speed and jump capacity while the addition of four heat
sinks kept the additional heat from the laser manageable.
Sigil was going to do it one better. By switching over to the new
Freezers, he wouldnt need to add the additional four heat sinks and hed
still dissipate almost 50% more heat than the Denton. That would leave
him space enough to double the number of Martell mediums and at the
same time upgrade the armor to six and half tons of Durallex Medium.
He whistled to himself. A heavy laser, four mediums and the heat
sinks to use them This Clint would be a monster. Maybe someday
thered be a Sigil variant as well, he chuckled to himself.
---
Fangh Li was as good as his word. Whatever those words has
been, he had no idea. He didnt speak Capellan. Dawg had simply told
him hed get his parts and that he would make arrangements directly with
the Colonel regarding payment and Sigil didnt have to worry about it.
Come to think of it, he had no idea how much Dawg had even paid
for the parts. The only number he had heard was two and half million for
the gyro. He shuddered. Unbelievable that the man had the gall to ask for
such a ridiculous sum. But what did it matter now, he thought to himself
as he smiled fondly at the refurbished gyro, replacement left arm and jump
jet exhaust vents.
He had a lot of work to do.
---
Colonel Jason Henley was reviewing potential contracts for his
mercenary command, the 69th Virginia Expeditionary Force. It had been
almost five months since theyd returned from Carbonis and he had three
offers on the table already.
Pirate hunting for House Marik. Way out towards the Magistry of
Canopus. Find the pirates base of operations and destroy it. Marik was
offering a cash bounty for each pirate unit destroyed, in addition to the
base pay. Itd likely take extensive recon to find them and then there was
the matter of tracking them down. He had a couple of VTOLs but with the
exception of Sigils Clint, his unit wasnt exactly fast. And then there was
the real possibility they wouldnt be able to locate them at all in the first
place. He shook his head. It wasnt really a good fit.
House Steiner was hiring for an objective raid. They were after
replacement LAM parts. LexaTech Industries on Irece in the Draconis
Combine was the only place left in the Inner Sphere that still had an
operational LAM production line. No doubt it would be heavily defended,
likely with a front-line veteran unit. Plus, Steiner wasnt offering any
salvage rights, only a substantial bonus for the capture of an operational
STG-A5 Stinger LAM. The risk didnt seem to match the compensation.
That left the newly founded Free Rasalhague Republic. Six-month
planetary assault. The KungsArme Second Drakon was looking for
additional forces to bolster their numbers in preparation for the
campaign. Exchange rights on salvage, integrated command, battle loss
compensation, and a solid base pay.
Henley stroked his chin in thought as he absently flicked the ash
from the end of his cigar. A planetary assault would offer ample
opportunity for salvage, which could make the contract quite
lucrative. And theyd be going in as part of a much larger unit. The
Second Drakon was a full BattleMech regiment plus support. Of the three,
this one definitely seemed to offer the best prospects.
It would at least be worth his time to meet with the FRR liaison
officer to go over the fine print and maybe get a better read on the
situation. The Free Rasalhague Republic had been formed just over ten
short years ago in the aftermath of the Fourth Succession War. Both
ComStar and the Draconis Combine had quickly recognized Elected
Prince Haakon Magnussons proclamation of independence and it was
generally accepted the state had been formed to serve as a buffer between
the growing power of the Lyran Commonwealth and the Combine.
Then there was the matter of hiring a new communications
specialist. Henley turned his attention to the relatively small pile of
applications. Most of them were marginal. Except one. Thomas
Lagemann. Studied tactics and strategy at Nagelring. Ran mobile HQ
communications for the Second Donegal Guard during the War of
39. Saw action in the Kessel campaign. Completed two full tours of
duty. Mustered out as First Leutnant. He would be a solid hire.
And just in time too. He had the feeling the 69th would soon be
taking to the field again.

In transit to Rasalhague
3043
Free Rasalhague Republic

Colonel Jason Henley looked out over deep space from the
observation deck of the Golden Goose, the Merchant-class JumpShip
taking his unit to Rasalhague. There had already been a Union-class
DropShip docked with her when they had arrived in Shadowfax. A gold
rook on a circular field of blue had been painted on its hull. No doubt it
was a unit insignia but he couldnt quite place it.
His thoughts drifted back towards the upcoming campaign. The
objective raid for House Steiner hadnt really been satisfying. It didnt
seem to have really been all that important. In the great chess game
played by the five Great Houses, it was ultimately pretty meaningless.
Sure, the FWLM would be down a few BattleMech targeting and tracking
systems for a while, but it would just be fairly minor inconvenience in the
grand scheme of things.
The Succession Wars would drag on endlessly, humankind would
continue to suffer the atrocities of never ending conflict and more and
more precious technology would be lost to the voracious appetites of the
dogs of war. What difference could he really make?
Somewhere deep inside of himself, he had always held onto the
Star League as a bright, shining example of what could be. As an almost
sacred set of beliefs. That humanity could indeed live together in peace
and better the lives of everyone. That what was lost could be regained and
possibly even improved upon.
Perhaps that was what had attracted him to the planetary
assault. A chance, however small, of shifting the balance of power. With
the combining of House Davion and House Steiner into the nascent
Federated Commonwealth, there was for the first time a real chance that
one of the Houses could shatter the stalemate and unite humanity once
more under a single banner.
His woolgathering was broken as a brown haired woman in combat
fatigues came up next to him, her gaze also fixed on the tapestry of deep
space fluttering in the solar wind. She spoke without turning to face
him. I always wonder which one is my star.
Henley turned to look at her. She looked wistful and he briefly
wondered what he must appear like to her. Whittington. Thats my
star. One jump from Hesperus II. He frowned. I havent been back
since my tour with the Third Lyran ended back in 40. I guess its been
almost four years now since Ive seen my family. One of these days my
little sister will probably be getting married.
He sighed. It had been a long time since hed thought of Christina
back on the family estate. Hed cut his teeth piloting the family
agricultural Mech around the farm. It seemed like an entirely different
life, one that belonged to someone else.
She continued to stare out into deep space, her voice dropping to a
low whisper. I can never seem to find my star, no matter how hard or for
how long I look. I think its because I dont have one. I was born into the
mercenary life. My father, Owen, was killed in action against the Dragon
on Remus III. We went in with the Third Davion Guards and ran straight
into the Black Widow company of Wolfs Dragoons. He was killed by
Natasha Kerensky herself, a warriors death. I took command of what was
left of the unit afterwards.
Her face tightened. The Dragon has been coiled around my fate
since I was born. When I was just a kid, my dad was with Reilly's
Armored Cavalry under contract with House Kurita. His unit was sent to
assault Driscolls World back in 15. The reinforcements Kurita promised
never arrived. They were never supposed to arrive. The Armored Calvary
was just being used as a diversion while the Kurita troops took an entirely
different planet. Outnumbered three-to-one, the Calvary was cut to
shreds. My father escaped with about a dozen others and took refuge in
the Federated Suns. Thats where he founded Lindons
Company. Shortly after we were all resettled, I was old enough to put on
the neurohelment, and I did. Now its all mine.
 Henley saw her eyes beginning to water and turned back to the
observation window. He pointed off into deep space. Thats your star.
Terra. The birthplace of humanity. A reminder of how far weve come
and the promise of a new golden age yet to come. Its what we are all
fighting for really, if you can just stop and think about it.
She turned to face him now, the tears still evident in her
eyes. Thank you. She wiped her eyes on the sleeve of her fatigues as
she composed herself. Extending a hand, she introduced herself. Im
Colonel Sarah Lindon, CO of Lindons Company.
She managed a smile. Actually, were closer to a battalion now,
but the name just stuck.
Henley gave her hand a firm shake. Colonel Jason
Henley. Commanding Officer, 69th Virginia Expeditionary Force. Looks
like were both heading to the same place. You under contract with the
KungsArme as well?
She nodded. Couldnt pass up an opportunity to take it to the
Dragon. Ive got a few outstanding debts that are long overdue and its
time I collect.

Rasalhague
3043
Free Rasalhague Republic

Overste Anders Erling, commanding officer of the Second

Drakons, paced impatiently as the briefing room slowly filled up. All nine
of his company commanders were already there, as well as the CO of the
69th Expeditionary Force mercenary unit. Then, finally, Colonel Sarah
Lindon, of Lindons Company, another mercenary unit under contract to
the Free Rasalhague Republic, arrived.
Welcome everyone. For those of you who dont know me, Im
Overste Anders Erling, commander of the Second Drakon. The purpose
of this briefing is to provide you with an overall sense of the battle plan
for the planetary assault on Alshain.
Make no mistake. This is a major campaign. The KungsArme is
committing the entire Second Drakon Battlemech regiment, as well as an
equal number of support units, to this venture. Two mercenary units have
also been hired specifically to assist with the assault.
One Invader and two Merchant-class JumpShips will deliver Task
Force Fenrir to the nadir jump point of Alshain two weeks from
now. Once there, two Overlords, four Unions, and a Leopard-class
DropShip will begin the ten day burn to Alshain.
 As we make planetfall, three squadrons of aerospace fighters will
deploy, providing cover for the Mech drops. The Overste paused as
murmurs filled the room.
Thats right. Were dropping in. A holographic display of
Alshain rotating on its axis slowed and zoomed in to a large urban area.
We will establish a landing zone here, outside of the capital city
Silverdale. The Citadel reports the Sixth Alshain Regulars are defending
the planet. Expect a regiment of Mechs and again as many supporting
armor and infantry units.
Overste Erling grinned. Most of the Sixth Alshain Regulars are
made up of former Rasalhague Regulars troops. Their loyalty to the
Combine is questionable at best. Furthermore, there is already an active
resistance movement on planet called the Alshain People's Movement.
The overall battle plan is quite simple. Land close and hit
hard. The LZ is only ten klicks away from the capital Silverdale. Once
weve secured the landing site, well make contact with the local
resistance movement. Then, we will coordinate with them to determine
the timing of the strike on the city itself. The Alshain Peoples Movement
will launch a series of disruptive strikes on various command, control and
communications centers inside of the city at the same time we launch the
main ground assault.
The Sixth will collapse like a house of cards.
Overste Erling looked at each sub-commander in turn, as if daring
anyone to disagree with his assessment.
Two additional points I want to make clear. First, I expect the
Sixth Alshain to surrender. In fact, Im planning on it. You will extend
them every possible courtesy under the Ares Conventions. Make no
mistake, some of the Regulars are our people and you will treat them as
such. War is a nasty business but I dont want this operation to cause any
more destruction then absolutely necessary. Minimial collateral
damage. Remember, we are liberating this planet, not trashing it.
Second. Under no circumstances will you engage any ComGuard
unit nor enter the grounds of the HyperPulse Generator. Let me repeat
that. Do not engage any ComGuard unit, nor approach the HyperPulse
Generator. Period. No exceptions. If you believe you are taking fire from
a ComGuard unit, you will not return fire. You will disengage and report
the incident immediately up the chain of command.
On you way out, you will find a briefing memstick with detailed
unit level responsibilities and deployment maps. I will see everyone back
here a week from now. I expect a full unit readiness report at that time
and you will have an opportunity to ask questions as well. Dismissed.
 Chapter 3
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Captain Varuka Salt watched on the long-range scanners as the

Sixth Alshain Regulars aerospace fighters rose like a swarm of angry
hornets to meet their descending DropShips. Overste Erling had already
deployed the Second Drakons fighters to screen their decent. She
grimaced. It looked like a lot more than shed been led to expect from the
mission briefings. There were going to be leakers.
Weapons on standby. Prepare to engage at maximum range. I
dont care if you cant hit, fire anyway. Itll make them at least think
twice about their approach. Its going to be another bumpy ride,
boys. MechWarriors to the drop bays. Spanner to the engine room.
---
Hojitsu Nakamoto smiled as he fingered the black onyx dragon
figurine. Enter the Dragons Lair and youre going to get burned. The
Gunji-no-Kanrei had made his expectations clear. He wasnt anything like
his moribund father, the Coordinator. He was interested in success on the
battlefield, not the strict adherence to the traditional code of bushido that
had dominated the Mustered Soldiery for so long.
Theodore Kuritas military prowess had been proven time and
again during the War of 39. It was he who had established the Ghost
Regiments and manipulated the great Houses into accepting the formation
of the Free Rasalhague Republic as a buffer between the Draconis
Combine and the awesome might of the newly formed Federated
Commonwealth.
It was also he who had given him command of the Fifth
Ghost. Along with their sister unit, the Sixth Ghost, they had successfully
defended Biham from the Eighth Crucis Lancers and Laurel's Legion
during the last war. And he had every intention of delivering another
successful planetary defense to the Gunji-no-Kanrei, methods be damned.
The Fifth Ghost was mostly made up of cold-blooded cutthroats
and former yakuza gang members. The truth was, hed lost more
MechWarriors to inter-gang feuding than he had on the battlefield. Not to
mention the fact hed been forced to kill his past two executive
officers. The only thing the men and women under his nominal command
respected was someone more powerful and ruthless than themselves.
 And he was ruthless. Under his direction, the ISF had mercilessly
purged the Sixth Alshain Regulars of anyone even suspected of
sympathizing with the Free Rasalhague Republic. The Alshain Peoples
Movement had been crushed. Their leader, known as the Silver Fox
was even now undergoing interrogation by the ISF and no doubt spilling
his secrets as fast as his lips could move.
And best of all, the approaching Second Drakon had no idea he,
and his entire BattleMech regiment, were even on planet. In order to
better blend in to the populace and discourage any undue interest, he had
ordered almost all of the Fifth Ghost Mechs painted with the exact same
color scheme and insignia as the Sixth Alshain.
He chuckled to himself. His unit literally was a Ghost
Regiment. Even if the Second Drakon managed to descend through
twice the aerospace cover they were expecting, that was only the
beginning of the surprises he had in store for them. The FRR would learn
to respect the Dragons territory and he would be honored to be their
teacher.
---
Captain Varruka Salt watched as a squadron of Kurita Shilones and
Lucifers bulled their way through the Rasalhague aerospace cover. They
juked erratically as they approached Task Force Fenrir. Autocannons,
salvos after salvo of LRMs, particle cannons and heavy lasers belched
forth from the assembled DropShips as they sought to destroy the
approaching enemy fighters.
First a Shilone, and then one of the Lucifers, spiraled wildly off
into space as their control surfaces were destroyed by the incoming fire
but the remaining four vectored in on the Newfoundland, one of their
Union-class DropShips. Rising up from underneath it, they unleashed
their full complement of weapons, targeting the four main altitude
engines.
Salt winced. It was a well-known vulnerability of the erstwhile
design. Unlike the Overload-class with six engines, the Union had only
four. The loss of any one of them usually resulted in a catastrophic loss of
control, especially during atmospheric entry.
The four Kurita fighters barrel rolled as they flew directly between
the Rasalhauge DropShips, preventing them from firing on them for fear
of hitting their neighbors. It didnt matter. The damage had already been
done. Salt watched in horror as one of the Newfoundlands engines
flamed out, tilting the spheroid DropShip and slowly by surely sending it
into an uncontrolled descent. Then the Sixth Alshain fighters were clear,
circling back down to the vicious ongoing dogfight below. She watched
transfixed as the Newfoundland continued tumbling out of control, leaving
a trail of billowing smoke to mark its fall.
This is Thor. Prepare for Mech drops. After the drop, all ships
will return to waypoint Delta-Foxtrot. Repeat. After drop, all ships to
Delta-Foxtrot. Once the LZ is secure, well conduct landing ops. Out.
Salt blinked twice, forcing her attention away from the doomed
DropShip. Delta-Foxtrot? Werent they supposed to drop the Mechs
then land on planet? Now the Overste was calling for them to hold station
above planet. She glanced worriedly at the tactical display. The
Rasalhague fighters were already withdrawing having suffered heavy
losses. It was obvious already they the best they could hope for was a
stalemate in the air. Any hopes for air superiority had disappeared along
with at least two full squadrons of Second Drakon fighters.
Usurper! Things were going into hell in a hand basket already.
She hit her comlink. The Colonel had enough to worry about
already and she hated to be the bearer of bad news. Best to keep it short
and sweet. Standby to commence drop operations in T minus 120.
---
Even with the skies over Alshain heavily contested, the combat
drop itself had gone off without a hitch. Salt must be getting better at
keeping her hands steady, Sigil thought to himself. They had all landed in
their assigned quadrant and had moved to their pre-designated positions.
Alshain was a stark, bare unforgiving planet. The terrain was
dominated by wind scoured hills, deep sinkholes and sparse practically
non-existent vegetation. It was also well known for its ferocious flash
EMP storms. Regardless, it was still home to numerous heavy industries
that exploited its rich ore veins and large natural gas deposits. Alshain
Weaponry produced both the Panther and Locust on planet, along with
numerous combat vehicles. No doubt it would make a fine prize and it
was one of the few light Mech manufactures left in Combine controlled
space.
Sigil turned his attention away from the landscape and back to his
tactical display as four red triangles appeared at extreme range. He never
stopped being impressed by the scanning range of his Clints Sloane 220
Lockover. It was over four kilometers, while most systems were only
good out to about two and a half.
Meaning the other guys were almost certainly still unaware of him.
Ive got a medium lance of unidentifieds. Best guess is a Jenner,
Phoenix Hawk, Trebuchet, and a Dragon. Must be our friends from the
Sixth Alshain. Transmitting the map with coordinates and vector overlays
now. Im going to conceal myself in that sinkhole over there and go into
standby. I want to give that Jenner a special welcome, Sigil chuckled.
The Colonel had anchored himself in the center of the quadrant
Erling had assigned his unit. To his west was Lt. Hamilton in his new -6K
Warhammer. Lt. Weddle was off to his right in his Griffin. He had
deployed Sigil forward to take advantage of his Clints tracking system
and also because it was fast enough to get back quickly.
Negative, Lt. Sigil. Drop back to Epsilon, where we can cover
you. Acknowledge. Over.
The Colonel waited a few seconds. Lt. Sigil. Acknowledge.
From the command console above and behind him, Leutnant
Thomas Lagemann, his new communications officer, spoke. Sir, Ive got
the map. Lt. Sigil just disappeared from our scanners. Hes already gone
into low power mode, sir. I dont believe he is receiving our
transmissions.
The Colonels eyes narrowed as he shifted his attention to the
tactical display. That boy couldnt follow orders to save his life and one
day it was going to catch up with him. Lt. Hamilton, shift position to
Omicron. Lt. Weddle to Tango. See if you can drop that Hawk. Its the
only one with enough speed to break through our lines. Im moving up to
support Lt. Sigil.
As all three Mechs began moving to their new positions, the
Colonel growled. He had better make his shots count.
Sigil punched up the approaching Jenner on his magnetic
scanners. The Clint was running on essential power only to minimize any
telltale emissions. The Jenner was about 600m ahead of the three Kurita
Mechs following it.
The Draconis Combine made awful targeting and tracking
systems. The Jenners Bk-309 wasnt worth much past a paltry 500m, but
then again all of its weapon systems were short range anyway. Sigil
grinned as it closed in on his position. His guess had been pretty good. It
would pass within about 100m of his position.
Well, the fact that the Sloane had extrapolated its likely
path had helped as well, he reflected.

Chapter 4
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine
 Oblivious to his presence, the Jenner closed on Sigils concealed
Clint. As the nimble 35-ton Mech passed his position, Sigil popped up
from the sinkhole and fired a blistering salvo at the Jenners left side. His
heavy Defiance B3L laser drilled into the Jenners right arm, melting
armor like butter as it cored into the supporting structure. One of his four
Martells finished the work the heavy laser had begun, destroying the
stubby right arm and almost half of the enemys Mechs firepower at the
same time. A pair of his other mediums both savaged its left torso,
trashing a pair of jump jet exhaust ports and damaging its Thunderstroke
SRM-4 in the process. The fourth flew wide.
The Jenners torso tracked left as he closed the intervening
distance between them in a flash. His Clints right leg lashed out,
crushing through the thin armor of the Jenners left leg but miraculously
failing to damage any of the sensitive movement actuators. Then the
Jenner responded at point-blank range with its two remaining Argra 3L
mediums, scorching his right leg and left arm.
His missile lock indicator blared to life, warning him that the
Kurita Trebuchet had him in its crosshairs. Reflexively, he stomped on
the petals of his Andoran jump jets once again, rocketing backwards as a
flight of LRMs threw up gouts of dirt from the ground below him.
He snapped off another shot with his Definace. The heavy laser
bored into the already damaged left torso, cutting clear through it. With
nothing left to hold it in place, the remaining arm simply fell to the
ground.
Nice, hed completely disarmed the Jenner.
Then he disappeared back into the sinkhole.
---
Colonel Henley watched as Sigil engaged the lead Kurita
Mech. The cat was out of the bag now. The Sixth Alshain Dragon
turned towards his Battlemaster, accelerating to its maximum speed of 86
kph. The Trebuchet was keeping pace directly behind it providing fire
support. The Clint and Jenner exchanged fire, then Sigil disappeared back
down into the sinkhole. He just caught the Phoenix Hawk lifting off in
pursuit as his own missile lock indicator came alive.
The Dragon and the Battlemaster exchanged PPC fire first. His
Donal hit dead center on the Dragons thickly armored chest as it returned
the strike with is Lords Thunder particle cannon. With over two tons of
armor encasing each leg, his Mech easily absorbed the hit. The dual Zeus
LRM-15s from the Trebuchet were next. A dozen of the missiles cratered
his left arm and chest but they were like mosquitos bites to his thickly
armored hide. The second flight flew long landing well behind him.
 Weddle, move up and engage the Trebuchet. Hamilton, keep
sniping at that Phoenix Hawk. Sigil, your about to have a visitor in that
little hobbit hole your hiding in. Ill take down that Dragon. Out.
That Dragon pilot had stones, though, Henley thought as both
Mechs raced headlong towards each other. The Sixth Alshain were
supposedly a second line unit but this guy was acting more like some
Combine fanatic. Not even a hint of hesitation even though he was
charging down an assault class Mech.
The Dragon pilot triggered his Telos DecaCluster as they closed
with each other, eight of them all grouping against his left torso. But that
was they joy of the Battlemaster, armor to spare. Then they were trading
PPC shots again. His Donal evaporated two thirds of the armor on the
Dragons right PPC carrying arm. Its Lords Thunder bored into his right
torso as the Trebuchet unleashed another pair of salvoes with its dual Zeus
LRMs. His missile lock indicator was blaring continuously.
As another dozen missiles exploded against his chest, the Colonel
growled, Weddle, engage that Trebuchet. Im taking heavy fire.
Acknowledge.
---
Lt. Hamilton was stationary, just waiting for the perfect shot. It
was obvious the Phoenix Hawk was going to follow Sigil into the
sinkhole. It was the only jump capable Kurita Mech on the field. And
sure enough that was exactly what it did and his targeting reticle was
waiting. Twin azure bolts came streaking forth from the massive barrels
of the Hammers twin PPCs straight towards the jumping Kurita
Mech. The streams of charged particles slammed into the airborne
Mechs arms, laying them both bare right down to the structure. Then it
disappeared into the sinkhole. Sigil would have to finish it up from there.
He grinned. It was a good omen. The first shots with his new
Mech had both landed.
---
Sigil had cheated to the inside lip of the sinkhole, gambling the
Kurita pilot would expect him to have opened up as much distance as
possible. He had his back to the jagged wall of the sinkhole as he watched
the Phoenix Hawk sail into the hole after him, landing in front and below
him. It twisted hard to right as it landed, slewing its torso around even
further in an effort to target him.
One of the great things about the Sloane was that it was practically
impervious to heat. Which was a good thing. The excess heat from his
jump jets combined with all of his energy-based weaponry generated more
heat than even the Freezers could dissipate. Sigil shuddered to think of
what it would have been like in the cockpit if he had kept the original
singles.
Within the confines of the pit, the two Mechs unloaded on each
other. The Phoenix Hawks heavy Harmon spalled half a ton of armor
from his left leg, one of its mediums following in immediately behind
it. Left leg breached. Left leg critical. Upper Leg Actuator
damaged. Movement impaired. The second medium threw up a shower
of rocks behind him as the Hawks M100 machine guns chattered to life,
chipping away at the armor on his left arm.
His Defiance hit the Hawks undamaged left torso. Damn
it! Then he fired his four Martells. A pair of them mangled the exposed
structure of its right arm, destroying it and denying the Hawk its primary
weapon system in the process. One hit the left leg, the other burning even
more armor off the left torso but still failing to penetrate it.
Sigil circled left along the lip on the sinkhole forcing his damaged
left leg to work. Hed practically rebuilt the entire Clint. The leg would
hold. He knew it. The Hawk fired its Pitbans, leaping up onto the ledge
to meet him.
It was going to get physical.
He turned his Clint hard left, using the side of the sinkhole to
shield his damaged left leg as he swiveled his torso in the opposite
direction. At point-blank range, both Mechs unloaded at each other one
more time. The Hawks remaining medium laser struck his undamaged
right arm as its machine gun pockmarked his chest.
His quartet of Martells struck the approaching Hawk full in the
chest, sending molten rivers of Durallex Light pouring down in front. His
Defiance finally burned through the left torso, destroying a pair of Pitban
9000 exhaust ports and then, it was right in his face.
The Hawks leg lashed out, staving in the armor plates protecting
his right leg continuing on to damage the structure underneath. The
Sloane once again informed him of the damage, Right leg
breached. Recommend immediate withdraw. He lashed out with wildly
with his left arm causing his Clint to teeter precipitously on the edge of the
sinkhole. He failed to connect but at least be managed to bring his 40-ton
machine back under control.
It was time to go.
Hamilton! A little help please! Sigil screeched as he opened the
Andoran IIs wide, sending super-heated plasma spewing from his feet and
back. He rocketed up and out of the sinkhole sailing backwards towards
the Colonels lumbering assault Mech. Once again, the damaged upper
left leg actuator held as he gently landed his 40-ton machine.
 Smelling the kill, the damaged Sixth Alshain Hawk came sailing
out of the sinkhole as well in close pursuit. But the damage to its Pitbans
caused it land just short of the Clint, scant meters shy of physical combat
range.
The two Mechs traded fire yet again. The Hawks Harmon
medium pierced his left arm as a stream of lead from its machine gun
passed high over his shoulder. The Sloane was handling the play-by-
play. Left arm breached. Left arm critical. Shoulder actuator
destroyed. Upper arm actuator offline. Lower arm actuator offline. Hand
actuator offline. Limb impaired. Recommend immediate withdraw.
Sigil ground his teeth as he sent his lasers streaking towards the
tenacious Kurita Mech. He had to drop this Hawk now! His Defiance
heavy laser hit the already savaged left torso, blowing clear through
it. The Hawks remaining arm fell heavily to the ground in a shower of
sparks. Two of his Martells bored holes into its right leg, another hitting
its chest as the last flew wide.
Hed disarmed it!
Still the Kurita pilot came on, desperately hoping to close the
range. One kick from the 45-ton Mech to either of his damaged legs and
he would be the one lying on the ground.
Suddenly, a pair of azure bolts slammed into the Phoenix Hawks
chest causing it to stagger backwards, smoke pouring from two freshly
created holes in its chest before sending the armless Mech crashing
roughly to the ground.
Hamiltons cool voice came over the comlink. Hey Sig, you
called?
---
Weddle hit the Griffins Rawlings 55s, sending him arcing in the
sky to land atop a rocky crag. Below he could see the Colonels
Battlemaster facing off with the Sixth Alshain Dragon. The Trebuchet
was holding position well behind the two dueling Mechs providing fire
support and remaining just outside of his range.
Well, at least he had range to the Dragon. He triggered his Delta
Dart, sending a flight of 15 LRMs spiraling towards the heavy
Mech. Missiles exploded up and down the length of the Dragons right
arm, blasting away armor and structure. Telltale sparks flew from the
damaged arm as at least one of the actuators was impaired. Then there
was a brief blue flash, a sure sign the PPC coil had been damaged as
well. He smiled in satisfaction. A good shot.
---
The Dragon suddenly switched directions, furiously backpedaling
away from the Colonels Battlemaster as the LRMs from Weddles Griffin
savaged it right arm. He leveled his hand-held Donal at the now retreating
Dragon and thumbed the firing stub. Man-made lightning streaked
towards the Dragon hitting it once more and covering the chest of the
Mech with a spider web of electrical arcs.
His missile lock indicator was still blaring away as the Trebuchet
continued raining pain on his assault Mech. Missiles exploded against
the sides of his chest, the armor there finally beginning to thin as four
more hit his undamaged right leg.
Suddenly the Battlemaster was rocked by a concussive blast as
four more LRMs brutally impacted the Mechs head. Both Henley and
Lagemann were wrenched violently against the five-point harness that
strapped them into their command couches. The DecaCluster from the
retreating Dragon slammed into the beleaguered Mech, wreathing the
assault Mech in smoke as another eight missiles exploded against the
Mechs left side.
Henley fought with the control sticks to keep the 85-ton war
machine on its feet as the smoke cleared from his viewscreen revealing
that the enemy Mechs were withdrawing.
All units hold position. Let them go. Theyre not getting through
this way. The Colonel thumbed the regimental command
frequency. Quadrant 56 secure. Tally four Sixth Alshain BattleMechs.
Status as follows: Jenner disarmed and withdrew, Phoenix Hawk disabled
and salvageable, Trebuchet and Dragon in retreat. Our Clint has sustained
moderate damage. Over.
Then he addressed Lagemann behind him. Lagemann, sitrep.
Lagemann shook his head. Hed been monitoring the command frequency
since theyd landed. And while the situation in front of him was good, the
rest of news was grim. It was clear the Sixth Alshain was probing the
entire defensive perimeter of the LZ looking for a weakness to
exploit. And theyd found one. With the loss of the Newfoundland, the
Second Drakon was spread too thin and sure enough the Dragon had
found a hole.
He hadnt mentioned it to the Colonel yet. It was a balancing act
and being this close to the action he hadnt wanted to distract the Colonel
from battle. It was a different thing indeed to be handing C3 from inside
the cockpit of a BattleMech in the middle of a firefight. He was used to
the relatively safety of a mobile HQ behind the front lines.
The western defensive perimeter is collapsing. Second Drakon
units are falling back and trying to regroup and the Sixth Alshain is
moving into the hole. The Overste has dispatched the last of his tactical
reserve to try and re-establish the line. They are enroute. ETA three
minutes.
The Colonel scowled. How close are we to the breach?
Standby, incoming alpha priority from Thor.
The Overstes clearly angry voice came through the cockpit
speakers. Colonel Henley, make best possible speed to Quadrant 60 and
stabilize that goddamn line! Youre the closest available unit. Im
rerouting tactical reserve to take over your quad. The Sixth Alshain are
scattering like leaves in front me. I dont want to stop my advance on the
city because a few scrub Mech jocks broke into the LZ. Ive got an
opening here and I mean to take full advantage of it! Acknowledge.
Henley hit the command frequency. Acknowledged, Thor. On
the way to Quad 60. Out. Turning to Lagemann behind him, he asked,
Whats the real story, Lagemann?
Looks to me like the Overste is dangerously overextending
himself. The perimeter is dangerously warped. The lead elements of the
Second Drakon are racing ahead while the western front is all bowed
in. The entire line could collapse.
The Colonel throttled his Battlemaster into a thundering run. All
units, follow my lead. Looks like the fun is not over yet. Out.

Chapter 5
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Shujenka Taqi didnt believe in ranks. No one in the Fifth Ghost

did. In its simplest form, your standing was based on the prestige of the
Mech you piloted. And she piloted the biggest, baddest one ever
created. The awe inspiring 100-ton AS7-D Atlas, a mountain of heavy
armor bristling with devastating weaponry at every conceivable
range. From the Doombud LRM-20 down to the Deathgiver AC/20 she
could kill at any range and had, many, many times.
And not just enemies. Shed killed a fair number of Fifth Ghost
MechWarriors whod taken too keen an interest in her position as well.
She sneered. The current commander of the Fifth Ghost, Hojitsu
Nakamoto, piloted an 80-ton Hatamoto-Hi, an unmistakable machine with
its samurai-like visage. He could have his vanity, she was much more
interested in raw firepower. And while he had chosen to stay safe and dry
back at the HQ, she had taken to the field.
Her battalion would pop the Rasalhague defensive line like a
balloon and then wheel around and take their commander from the rear, all
while denying their DropShips a place to land. After that was
accomplished, she had a good mind to turn her Deathgiver on Hojitsu and
take command of the Fifth for herself.
A sinister smile crossed her lips as she watched the fleeing Second
Drakon Mechs. She triggered her comlink. All units. Maximum speed
pursuit. Maintain lance integrity. Its time for the Second Drakon to feel
the full force of the Dragons Wrath. Her units surged ahead like a steel
tsunami, soon disappearing from in front of her.
There was one drawback to the Atlas. It was slow.
---
The Colonel was studying the tactical display provided by his
Battlemasters Hartford XKZ 1 as the 69th headed towards its next
confrontation. He also had the patch from Sigils Sloane up on the
secondary. He had passed control of his Mech to Lt. Lagemann while
they were in route.
The Leutnant had put it mildly. The defensive perimeter around
the LZ had already been breached. At least a company worth of Sixth
Alshain Mechs were already inside the designated safe area. And more
were still coming. There was simply no way his lance of Mechs could
stem the tide of steel rushing in.
Lagemann. Patch me into tactical reserve.
With a deft flicker of his fingers, Lagemann responded. Online
with tactical. Go ahead, Colonel.
This Colonel Jason Henley. A company of enemy Mechs has
penetrated the safe zone. They are currently moving through Quad
67. Reroute to Quad 73. Quad 57 is secure. Acknowledge.
There was a short pause, then a womans voice filled this
cockpit. Acknowledged. Please transmit your IFF codes, command and
private frequencies.
A few seconds later, the same voice came over his personal
frequency. Jason, its Sarah! What the hell do you think youre
doing!? The Overste ordered me to 57! Besides, you cant take on that
many Mechs by yourself! Its suicidal!
As the highest ranking and best informed officer in the area, Im
taking tactical command of this sector. I want you to rally the remaining
Drakons and establish a defensive position at Quad 73. Im going to skirt
around the main body and then take down their command lance. Ill cut
the head off the snake if you promise to skin it, he chuckled, then
continued. Hopefully, that will buy us enough time for the Overste to
understand the gravity of the situation and react. If not, well
Colonel Sarah Lindon responded instantly. Fall back and make
your stand with me at 73! With our combined firepower we stand a good
chance of stopping their advance. No ones asking you to play hero. Not
to mention the fact that youre countermanding my orders from the
Overste and disobeying his direct order for you to proceed to quad 60!
Mark my words, it going to cause you some serious grief down the road!
Sarah, there isnt going to be any down the road if we dont stop
the Sixth here and now. If we lose the LZ, whats the best we can hope
for? A hundred klick hike through hostiles to the secondary landing site
harried the entire way, complete with an evac under fire at the
end? Thanks, Ill pass.
He could hear the resignation in her voice as she signed
off. Good luck, Colonel. Youre going to need it. Drinks on me if you
can manage to show up to claim them.
---
The Sloane announced its latest discovery, New unidentified
BattleMechs detected. Maximum number of simultaneous targets
exceeded. Recommend avoiding detection.
Sigil shrugged. The Sloane was quickly developing a tendency to
offer unwanted advice. He glanced over at his secondary display. The
screen was crawling with red triangles. Disable infrared, volley fire,
aerospace targeting and target damage display. Reroute all available
processors to multi-targeting. A few seconds later, even more red
triangles appeared at the far edges of his detection range.
Colonel, I think I just found what youre looking for. Ive got
preliminary ID on an Atlas, Archer, Dragon and Jaegermech. Theyre
moving in behind the main body. Its the only assault lance in the
group. Heavy EM emissions from the Atlas. Its likely the
commander. You still got the feed, right Lagemann?
Ok, boys, heres the plan, the Colonel began.
---
The Overstes ZEU-6T Zeus thundered across the rocky terrain on
Alshain. Hed just gotten one of the new left arm assemblies with the
Lightning Strike PPC in it just before hed departed from Rasalhague. It
made the 80-ton assault Mech an even more formidable machine and
provided an unwelcome surprise to his enemies. Like that Sixth Alshain
Dervish hed cored earlier. Or that Jenner hed legged.
Judging from the reports coming in, the entire Sixth Alshain must
have taken to the field in an attempt to prevent them from gaining a
foothold and landing their DropShips. Which meant, he paused savoring
the taste of opportunity, Silverdale, along with its Starport, was largely
undefended. Imagine! Landing his DropShips right in the middle of the
city!
He snapped another shot off at a retreating Whitworth. They were
on the run, hightailing it back to the dubious safety of the city. Hed
march his command right down main street and liberate this planet. He
could almost hear the cheering mobs and see the confetti raining down
from the rooftops. Establish contact with the Alshains People Movement
and coup d'tat fait accompli.
Of course, it galled him to have to rely on those money-grubbing
mercenaries to secure his flank. It was time they earned their
paycheck. Those cursed blood sucking mercs better manage to hold
it. Other than that, the way was clear. He thumbed his command
frequency.
This is Thor. All units maintain pursuit. This might be the
shortest planetary assault in history, he laughed.
---
Weddles Griffin was crouched down next to Sigils Clint at the
bottom of yet another sinkhole. He was running off backup battery
power. Both of their reactors were shutdown. He hated running blind like
this. Somewhere nearby the Kurita assault lance was advancing on their
position,but where and how fast was a mystery to him. Sigil had said
something about his Octagon Tartrac being almost as bad as an O/P 911,
whatever that meant.
The long and short of it was that Sigil was running his seismic
sensors in passive mode to monitor the progress of the Kuritans. Which
also meant the timing of their attack was in his hands. He sighed
loudly. Time seemed to drag by slower and slower as he waited for the
hand signal from Sigils Clint.
His Griffin was as yet untouched. But that wouldnt last long and
it was a brutal, inescapable fact that the only location on his Mech
capable of withstanding a direct hit from the Atlas Deathgiver was his
center torso. Everywhere else would be breached with a single shot and
an arm hit would practically destroy the entire limb.
Time was a funny thing. Waiting made it seemed like an eternity
but once it was over it seemed as if no time at all had passed before Sigils
Clint pointed up and out of the deep sinkhole they were concealed in.
Time to rock and roll.
With a deep breathe, Weddle started his Griffins reactor, seconds
later he was leaping on a pillar of flame onto a narrow ledge at the edge of
the sinkhole. Sigils damaged Clint followed moments later.
The monstrous 100-ton Atlas had passed their concealed location,
heading towards the Colonels Battlemaster and Hamiltons Warhammer
which were holding the high ground about a kilometer from the
sinkhole. The Kurita Jaegermech and Archer were forward of the Atlas
with the Dragon leading the charge.
Sigils estimate was spot on. Range to target was 150
meters. Weddle fired his Delta Dart and Sunglow heavy at the rear of the
imposing assault Mech. He cursed as his Sunglow tracked just to the
right of the relatively thin rear armor, scorching the arm instead. His
LRMs followed his laser, exploding against the thickly armored right arm,
a few of them exploding down low against its feet. Sigil didnt fare any
better, his Definace melting armor from one of the Atlas legs.
His paired mediums fared a little better, one hitting the leg for the
second time but the other managing to score a hit against the center rear
armor. Sigil added his quartet of Martells to the fire. They clustered on
the right side, two against the arm and one hitting the right rear torso. The
huge Mech stumbled for a moment under the wicked onslaught as it
began to turn but still it managed to complete its about face.
Dammit, Weddle cused. Theyd failed to penetrate its
rear. Looks like it was going to be Plan B.
Clearly theyd gotten its attention, however. As the Mech
ponderously finished turning, the Kurita Archer launched its LRMs
against the Colonels position and the Jaeger opened up with its long
range Mydron D light autocannons.
Hold position, Sig! We gotta reel him in, Weddle ordered as the
assault Mech began storming towards them. They opened fire on it again
with everything they had. Sigils lasers blackened armor across the chest
and right arm but now they were facing its incredibly thick frontal
armor. The Atlas was legendary for its ability to absorb immense amounts
of punishment.
Weddle fired his Sunglow again, melting even more armor from its
right arm but still failing to penetrate. Amazing! The right arm by itself
was protected by over two tons of Durallex Special Heavy. One of his
mediums hit the right torso, the other managing to land a lucky head hit
but the Mech seemed to just shrug it off and keep coming. Desperate
now, he triggered his LRMs, but at such close range they sailed over the
head of the towering Mech, exploding harmlessly behind it. Then he
braced for the return fire.
The Atlas opened with the Doombud. Long range missiles
exploded all across his chest and right arm, proving the Kurita pilot a
superior shot, even as it triggered its four Hellion-V medium lasers. A
spear of light drilled into his right torso, two into the right arm, the fourth
hitting the lip of the sinkhole. Alarm klaxons started blaring
immediately. His right arm was already breached and his upper arm
actuator destroyed. And somehow, one of the missiles had found a chink
in his armor and managed to damage the engine shielding and knock out
one of his jump jets. Its Thunderstroke SRM-6 was next. Short range
missiles detonated all across his chest, sending chunks of his armor
spinning away into the depths of the sinkhole behind him.
Then the Deathgiver spewed forth it deadly load.
Weddle fought valiantly to keep his Mech for slipping off the
ledge as his left arm was amputated by the huge autocannon, leaving
nothing but a ragged, sparking stump where once his arm had been
attached. Seconds before hed been undamaged, now hed lost an arm,
was critical on the other and had engine and jump jet damage. The sheer
firepower of the Atlas was stunning. There was no conceivable way hed
survive another salvo.
Plan B, Sig! My Rawlings hit! Youre gonna have to do it! Ill
keep his attention.
The mammoth war machine practically filled his entire view
screen now and there was practically no chance either of them would miss
with their next salvo. They both unleashed on each other simultaneously
filling the air with certain doom. Out of the corner of his eye, Weddle saw
Sigils Mech come roaring out of the sinkhole in a desperate gamble to
circle behind the armored titan.
Death offers a moment of sublime clarity before the Reaper takes
you. And it also gives a man an opportunity to consider just exactly what
the value of his soul is. And right now, it seemed trading his soul for the
enemy commanders Atlas was as good a deal as he was likely to get. He
briefly considered simply punching out but that would just force what was
left of the unit to face what he was facing right now.
He slapped the missile override, hot loading LRMs into his Delta
Dart which armed the warheads immediately. Then he dropped his reticle
directly under the feet of the Atlas. Now, Sig!
His Griffin shuddered as 15 LRMs took flight and he triggered his
full complement of lasers. Explosions rocked the ground beneath the 100-
ton goliath, sending huge clods of dirt and stone into the sky and then his
own Mech was rocked by the return fire of the assault Mech.
With a horrific tearing and rending of metal, the entire right side of
his Mech was shredded by the insatiable Deathgiver. Lasers and short
range missiles added to the carnage as his entire Mech began to come
apart around him.
Then, the side of the sinkhole gave way. A huge avalanche of dirt
and rock smashed into his already trashed Griffin, sweeping it over the
ledge and hurling it into the deep abyss behind him. He smiled in
satisfaction as he saw the enemy Atlas sliding uncontrollably into the
sinkhole as well.
Was that Sigils Clint falling in behind it? As he hit the bottom
everything went black and he knew no more.
---
LRMs were exploding everywhere as both the Dragon and Archer
began advancing on their defensive position. Luckily, most of them
exploded against the rocky outcropping they were hiding behind, sparing
them the worst of the damage. The Jaegers autocannons were chewing
up the ground directly in front of them, leaving long straight trails of dust
and smoke as the pilot walked his fire towards them. The range on the
Mydron Lights was incredible. At over 700m, they were the longest range
weapon a Mech could carry.
The Dragon was in the lead, zig-zagging across the rough terrain at
it sought to close on them. Focus fire on the lead Dragon, the Colonel
coolly ordered. It appeared the Kurita lance had already been in at least
one engagement. The Colonel could see battle damage on the Dragons
right arm and it looked like the left side of the Jaeger had already taken
some fire as well. Small comfort.
Hamiltons twin Donals belched forth man-made lightning. The
first one slammed into the Dragons already damaged right arm, the other
blasting armor off its left torso. His own handheld PPC hit center mass,
the most thickly armored section of any BattleMech. It was a habit with
him, targeting center mass, and he reflected for a moment that perhaps it
was time to break that habit.
LRMs and autocannon fire continued unabatedly pounding their
position. Detonations blossomed across both of his arms, his legs still
protected by the partial cover offered by the ridge. As the Kuritans closed,
the Dragon added its Lords Thunder PPC and the Jaeger its Mydron
medium autocannons. Apparently the Dragon pilot has the same habit,
Henley chuckled, as his thickly armored chest absorbed the blast from its
PPC. Autocannon slugs tore into his right arm as a second stream of lead
spent itself against his rocky cover.
Switch targets to the Jaeger. It just entered the range of our
Donals. We will make him pay for that mistake. The Jaeger was pure
long-range fire support with its complement of four autocannons. As
such, it was only protected by six tons of Kallon Royalstar. Even a 35-ton
Panther carried more armor. The pilot was gambling theyd go after the
larger threat. He grinned as his PPC spat forth man-made lightning at the
65-ton Mech. Next to him, Hamiltons Warhammer sent two more
streams of charged particles at the fire support Mech .
A trio of PPCs impaled the Jaeger and it was the Colonels that
presented the bill. Penetrating the already damaged left torso, the stream
of charged particles found their way to the Mydron medium autocannons
ammunition bin, detonating it. The Mech blew sky high, showering the
battlefield with metal fragments and Mech detritus. The Colonel nodded
in satisfaction. You only get to make one mistake in this game.
Then the Dragon was on them, its Lords Thunder tearing through
the remaining armor of his Battlemasters left torso. Alarms sounded as
one of his medium lasers went offline followed by one of his new
Freezers. The Dragons twin Victory 23R medium lasers further scorched
his right arm and torso but the armor there still held. Another flight of 30
LRMs targeted his damaged Mech, a number of them striking the now
exposed left torso, further savaging the structure. The Holly six rack
blinked offline followed by another of his medium lasers. One more hit,
and hed lose his arm. He slammed the emergency ammunition dump. It
was just a liability now with the six rack gone.
The Colonels PPC nailed the Dragons right leg but failed to
penetrate. His remaining four medium lasers spalled armor from across its
entire chest with one of them burning a hole into its right leg but it still
refused to be slowed down.
Then Hamiltons Warhammer unleashed an awe inspiring alpha
strike. The Colonel winced as he watched the 70-ton Mech unload with
everything. Hamilton was risking shutdown as his -6R still had the
original single heat sinks. The Dragon was entirely engulfed in laser, PPC
and missile fire. As the smoke cleared, what was left of it toppled to the
ground at their feet, its chest now just a gaping hole.
Whats next, Colonel? Hamilton asked.
Leutnant Lagemann interrupted them. Colonel, Weddle, Sigil and
the Kurita Atlas have all disappeared into the sinkhole. None of them is
responding and Im getting nothing on the scanners. The Sixth Alshain
Archer has powered down its weapon systems and appears to be
withdrawing. Colonel Lindon is requesting a sitrep.
No rest for the weary, the Colonel sighed. Keep an eye on that
Archer, alert me of any changes, otherwise we will let him go. Hes out of
range, anyway. Hamilton, head down to the sinkhole and report. Ill keep
an eye on things from up here. Lagemann, patch me in to Colonel
Lindon.
With a quick thumbs up, Lagemann dialed in Sarah Lindons private
frequency.
Colonel Lindon. This is Colonel Henley. Quad 67 is secure. The
Kurita command lance has been neutralized.
Colonels Lindons voice came back over the cockpit
speakers. You might want to skin out of there, Colonel. The Sixth
Alshain is pulling back. Youll probably get a few coming through
67. Recommend you relocate to 70 and then link up with my force at 73.
Negative, Colonel. Ive got two Mechs unresponsive down in a
sinkhole, pilot status unknown. Send me whatever tracking info youve
got on the retreating Kuritans and Ill make do.
You could hear the anger in her voice. Whats your combat
readiness, Colonel? Half your lance is down and the other half probably
isnt much better off! Dammit, Jason! Dont you know when to quit!?
Henley replied icily. I dont quit until all my men are accounted
for, Colonel. You do what you want. Out.
Lindon fired back, Dont you cut me off like that! Fine! Ill do
just what I want! The circuit went dead.
Lagemann spoke next. Hamilton just reported in. Check your
secondary for a live feed.
The Colonel shifted his attention to his secondary
display. Thankfully, the Warhammer was equipped with a powerful
spotlight which illuminated the depths of the hole.
He sucked in his breath. It looked like a scrap yard down
there. He could make out Sigils Clint, or what was left of it, spread-eagle
atop a mound of rubble and steel. It looked like the entire left side was
missing but the head still looked intact. The huge armored fist of the Atlas
and part of its skull-like head stuck out from the dirt giving the impression
of a zombie trying to claw out from its grave. The cylindrical Delta Dart
from Weddles Griffin lay crumpled like a tin can against the wall of the
pit. What could be one of its shoulder flanges poked out from among the
debris.
Solemnly, Hamilton whispered. I dont see any movement down
there, Colonel. And I dont detect any power sources...
Lagemann was next. Colonel Lindons unit is moving in support
of our position, Colonel. The Sixth Alshain units are now vectoring away
from our location. Overste Erling is requesting an update.
Give me Colonel Lindon, Lagemann.
Henleys voice was oddly detached. Since youre coming this
way, Colonel, I could use a couple jump capable Mechs with hand
actuators.
She responded instantly. Ill send my Stinger and Wolverine on
ahead ASAP to assist you with recovery. My ETA is approximately five
minutes.
Thank you, Colonel, and by the way, nice work skinning those
snakes. Out.
He turned around in his cockpit, taking a deep breath. Patch me
into Thor, Lagemann.
With a nod, Lagemann switched the COM 4000 over to the
regimental command net.
This is Colonel Henley. Western LZ perimeter is secure. Repeat.
Western LZ perimeter is secure. All Kurita units neutralized or
withdrawing.
Overste Erlings voice bellowed back. Who the hell do you think
you are, Colonel! the Overste sneered. You disobeyed my direct order
and countermanded my orders to tactical reserve! How do you expect me
to run this operation when the people under my command dont follow
orders! Apparently you dont understand what integrated command rights
mean, Colonel. I suggest you actually take the time to read the contract
before you sign it! Standby for further orders from Major Bjorn. Hes
handing the re-disposition of units for the LZ. Out.

Chapter 6
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Overste Anders Erling scowled at the skyline of Silverdale, the

planetary capital of Alshain, from the cockpit of his 80-ton Zeus. He was
so close. The Sixth Alshain had pulled back into the relative safety of the
city, forced there by his own First Battalions assault lances. His
executive officer, Overste-Lojtnant Gunnar Holdar stood next to him in
his battle scarred Victor.
Overste, my Pontiac is out of rounds and my SRMs are running
low. I recommend we consolidate our hold on the LZ and then commence
landing operations. Once the DropShips have landed we can repair and
reload.
The Overste growled back. Our DropShips should be descending
like a flight of vengeful Valkyries right into Silverdales StarPort. We
scattered the Sixth like chaff in the wind before us, Holdar, I cant
understand why the flanks had so much trouble holding them back. I
expect answers, not excuses, from the unit commanders when we
debrief. And Ive got a bone to pick with that insubordinate mercenary
commander.
Erling took one last look at Silverdale, then his Zeus slowly turned,
heading back towards the landing zone.
---
Colonel Jason Henley was in a foul mood. He was the first to
admit things could have been much worse, like they could all be dead for
instance. As it was, Weddle and Sigil were both in the medical bay aboard
Shadowfax. It was a small miracle they had survived the landslide, and as
it turned out, so had the Kurita commander. They had turned her over to
the Overstes intelligence officer shortly after the DropShips had landed.
Hed been forced to cannibalize the remains of Weddles Griffin in
order to repair his own Battlemaster. Not that there had been much left of
it but at least it still had the medium lasers and Freezers he needed. The
lower two-thirds of the Griffin had been pancaked by the falling Atlas,
utterly destroying both the engine and the gyro. It was just scrap now.
Sigils Clint was only marginally better. The left arm resembled a
strip of crispy bacon that had been left in the frying pan for too long and
the left leg had snapped off at the hip from the impact of the fall. The
remains of both limbs were laid out next the Clint, which was once again
hanging from chains in Shadowfaxs cramped Mech bays. Hamiltons
Warhammer had come through both engagements with nary a scratch on
its still pristine hide.
Hed turned in his after action report to the Overste explaining his
decisions and their outcomes. His lance had secured their assigned
quadrant and then proceeded to incapacitate the command lance of the
assaulting enemy Mechs. Under his orders, Colonel Lindon had reformed
the scattered survivors of the Second Drakons Third Battalion and
managed to turn back the attacking Kurita force, securing the western
flank of the landing zone in the process.
In the report, he claimed salvage rights to a Phoenix Hawk from
their first engagement and the enemy commanders Atlas from the
second. He also highlighted the fact that he had captured a high level
Kurita officer and turned him over for interrogation. His own personal
assessment was that his unit had performed in an exemplary fashion.
Now, the Overste had summoned him to the HQ for a meeting. If
Colonel Lindon was right, it was going to be one seriously ugly meeting.
---
 Overste Anders Erling was furious. As the self-styled Colonel
from the mercenary unit entered his stateroom aboard the Muspelheim, the
Overlord-class DropShip which served as his field headquarters, he fixed
him with an icy glare.
Sit down, Colonel, he sneered. Ive read this piece of garbage
you call an after-action report. He brushed it distastefully off his desk,
letting the papers fall into his waste basket. You have some nerve
claiming salvage rights after disobeying a direct order. When you decided
to violate the command rights agreement you forfeited your rights to
everything. Salvage, pay, battle loss compensation, transportation
remuneration, everything. Im tempted to kick your ass right out of Task
Force Fenrir and leave you for the snakes.
Anger flared in Henleys eyes but he somehow managed to hold
his tongue.
The Overste leaned over his desk, folding his hands
together. But Im going to give you one more chance. Your units
performance on the battlefield was notable. And your capture of the
Kurita Sho-sa as given us a valuable piece of much needed actionable
intelligence. And it just so happens your units capabilities are a perfect
match for the mission I have in mind.
The Overste paused, trying to read the expression on the
mercenary Colonels face but it was etched in ice. Furthermore, as a sign
of my goodwill, Im giving you the Sho-sas AS7-D as salvage. Youre
going to need it. Your orders. Dismissed.
The Overste slid a datapad across his desk and then turned back to
his data terminal.
---
Colonel Sarah Lindon stirred once more in her sleep, awakening
for the third time that night. Glancing at the nearby timepiece, she
thought, Whats the point? Even if I manage to sleep now, Ill just be up
again in two hours if Im lucky.
Shaking her head, see rose and strode out of her cramped
stateroom aboard the Palamino, her units Union-class DropShip.
Minutes later, illuminated by the moon and warmed by the hot,
arid breezes of Alshains climate, she strode aimlessly ahead, her mind
consumed with how the Second Drakons campaign was unfolding.
The sheer number of units the Sixth Alshain was fielding unnerved
her. The fact they had proved entirely loyal to the Coordinator terrified
her. Everything Overste Erling had told her to expect had ending up being
dead wrong.
Colonel Jason Henleys words haunted her every step. He's
planning on the local forces surrendering. It's foolish. Never assume
something like that. He's thinking it will be over quickly and mark my
words, it will not."
She grimaced. Shortly after hed said those fateful words, shed
laughed and responded, We can do this.
Blushing, she recalled how shed then kissed him, ultimately
ending up in his bed.
Startled by the sound of her boots clicking against metal, she re-
oriented herself only to find she was on the gangway leading into
Shadowfax, the home of Colonel Henleys 69th Virginia Expeditionary
Force.
It was true. Shed wanted to see Jason again since theyd first
gotten to know each other on the Jumpship to Rasalhague.
A lone Hatchetman stood sentinel in front of the Leopard. She
could see the glow from the cockpit and watched as its head tracked
slowly left to right and then back again, scanning the area for anything
potentially awry.
Two soldiers in heavy combat gear, their sub-machineguns at the
ready, stood immediately inside the gangway leading to the Dropships
interior. They shifted, blocking her path. Shed been on many Leopards
before and their interior layouts were all quite similar.
Weapons aimed, the one on the left spoke a single strong
word. Identification.
Her hand reflexively reached down and she was surprised to find
shed remembered to take her credentials with her. She held them out to
the guard.
Taking them, he ran them through a nearby scanner built into the
DropShips bulkhead and motioned her forward towards him even as the
other guard kept his machinegun trained on her.
Retina scan.
Colonel Lindon leaned in, a red laser passing first vertically and
then horizontally across her irises.
An electronic voice responded. Identification
confirmed. Colonel Sarah Lindon. Commanding Officer, Lindons
Company. Currently attached to Second Drakons, KungsArme.
The solider handed her credentials back to her as he casually
shrugged his weapon over his shoulder, even then his partner remained on
alert.
How may I assist you, Colonel?
Damn, Colonel Henley ran a tight ship. A Mech on patrol, armed
guards, credential checks and double retina verification. Youd think he
was expecting an attack at any second. She held that thought a
moment. Actually, it spoke volumes. Maybe he was.
Im here to see Colonel Henley. I can show myself the way.
The guard couldnt hide his sheepish grin, as he
responded. Sorry, Colonel. I cant let you into the Shadowfax without an
escort. Colonels orders. No exceptions.
The second guard stepped forward, cutting in front of the
first. Go on ahead, Colonel. Dont worry about it. Corporal Daniel here
is still a bit green. He doesnt exactly understand what Colonel Henleys
orders mean.
Corporal Daniel managed to get out, Whaaaaaa, before a
sharp elbow to his side suddenly cut him off.
Colonel Lindon looked the second soldier over, noting his rank and
name. Thank you, Sergeant Major Donegal. She disappeared quickly
into the dimly interior.
---
A soft knocking on the portal to his miniscule private quarters
awoke the Colonel.
Quickly rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he swung his bare feet
down onto the cool metal floor. He couldnt entirely hide the annoyance
in his voice. Enter.
The door swung open, silhouetting a trim feminine figure that
slipped quickly inside, gently closing the door behind her.
He recognized her voice instantly as she broke the
silence. Shhhh its me, Sarah.
With that she slid herself easily into his bed.
---
Afterwards, as she lay comfortably against his chest, she allowed
herself to speak.
Jason, this campaign isnt turning out anything like I
expected. You had the size of it even before we arrived on Alshain. I
remember your words before we left. Now here we are, outnumbered,
outgunned, trapped in a defensive posture and totally blind to boot. The
Overstes intel, and his plan, are complete garbage.
Jason reached his hand down gently stroking Sarahs hair, his face
unreadable in the near complete darkness as his mind raced through
endless possibilities.
Hearing his silence, Colonel Sarah Lindon continued on in a low,
soft voice. You know, we almost lost the LZ. The left flank was leaking
like a sieve. The Second Drakons entire Third battalion was routed. I
saw what was left of them streaming past my supporting position in full
flight. I had to mobilize my entire unit just to help hold the flank. Not to
mention getting them turned back around to face the enemy. Good thing
you took the situation in hand, otherwise, she trailed off.
She took a deep breathe. All the while the Overstes battalion
was racing ahead after the Sixth Alshain. They made him completely
overextended himself, leaving both flanks stretched way to thin, especially
after the loss of the Newfoundland. Then the Sixth hit the left flank like a
sledgehammer, their sheer numbers taking everyone completely by
surprise.
Her soft voice continued to fill the darkness. I was on Erlings
command frequency the whole time since I was assigned as tactical
reserve. I heard the whole thing unfold. A battalion of Sixth Alshain
BattleMechs punched through the left flank like a paper bag. The
perimeter crumbled in seconds and the Sixth just mushroomed out, ripping
into the defending units on either side. The Drakons began withdrawing,
faster and then faster. It wasnt long before their discipline completely
crumbled and they just ran.
Jason could feel her balling up her hands in frustration or, perhaps,
anger as she went on. I stepped into the gap and rallied what was left of
the retreating Drakons allowing them time enough to regroup behind me
and return to some semblance of fighting form. Theyd been expecting an
easy time of it and when things got tough, they crumbled like sand. The
Overste finally figured out what was going on. I heard him order your
unit to quad 60.
She unfurled her hands, twining her fingers through Jasons.
Youd already secured your quadrant and you were the only unit on the
western flank to even hold as it was. I knew the Sixth Alshain assault
lance was out there. Id heard about it from the survivors of Third
battalion. When I heard you report contact, I admit, I feared the
worst. When I saw an Atlas appear on my long range scanners in your
quad, my worst fears were confirmed.
Her fingers squeezed Jasons painfully hard. But you held. You
took down the commanders Atlas and routed his entire lance. I wanted
desperately to back you up but I already had my hands more than full
between reorganizing the remaining Second Drakon and the attacking
Sixth Alshain units. There was nothing I could do.
She lifted herself off his chest, her thick blond hair trailing up his
chest as she kissed him once again.
Promise me one thing, Jason.
Again she was met by his silence.
 Dont let me die alone.

Chapter 7
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Colonel Jason Henley tossed the datapad onto his desk, leaning
back in his chair. It was at least the third time hed read through the
mission orders the Overste had given him. Obviously, things were worse
then hed imagined. Rubbing his forehead, he picked the datapad up once
again to read through it one last time just to make sure he hadnt missed
anything.

KungsArme
Second Drakon
Mercenary Liason Office
Alshain, Draconis Combine
Colonel Jason Henley:
The leader of the Alshain Peoples Movement, hereby referred to
as the APM, code name Silver Fox, is being held in a fortified
interrogation facility on the secondary land mass of Alshain. The
hardened facility is built on the top of a mountain, directly above a geo-
thermal spring that powers the isolated installation.
Your unit will depart via DropShip as soon as possible to extract
Silver Fox, and any other friendly forces if possible, from the detention
facility. It is imperative Silver Fox is rescued. The APM will not mobilize
in support of the KungsArme without him. In addition, he possesses
critical intelligence on the defenses and disposition of forces within the
planetary capital, Silverdale. This intelligence is absolutely essential to
the planning of a successful assault.
There are four weapon turrets providing static defense of the
interrogation facility. Each turret is capable of full 360 degree movement
and is armed with a LRM-20, two medium lasers and a pair of anti-
infantry machine guns. The facility itself is capable of housing a full
company of mechanized combat infantry with supporting heavy armor. In
addition, the installation also houses a Mech bay capable of supporting
up to a company of BattleMechs.
Aerial photographs of the installation are appended to this
document to assist in your planning. Overste Anders Erling is attaching
Brevet Major OMara to your unit for this operation. Major Omaras
primary responsibility is the identification and rescue of Silver Fox. He
will also serve as your Executive Officer for the duration of this
assignment and in the event you become incapacitated, or are otherwise
unable to effectively command the unit, he will assume full operational
control of the 69th Virginia Expeditionary Force.
Likely opposition includes up to a company of mechanized infantry
supported by LRM and SRM carriers. LCT-1V Locusts and PNT-9R
Panthers, manufactured on planet, are also likely. Expect an additional
heavy lance of Sixth Alshain Regulars BattleMechs to defend as well.
Time is also a factor. Although the installation is relatively
isolated, additional DCMS forces, especially aerospace assets, will likely
be dispatched to reinforce the defenders. However, additional ground-
based reinforcements are considered highly unlikely within the estimated
time span of the extraction operation.

Captain Johan Svenson

Mercenary Liaison Office
KungsArme, Second Drakon
Alshain, Draconis Combine

Extraction raids were among the highest risk assignments a unit

could draw, second only to the infamous Diversionary Raid. What
worried him most of all was where the intelligence for this mission had
come from. If the past intel was anything to judge by this was, at best, a
guesstimate, at worst, complete fantasy.
At least the Overste had made good on the Atlas. With the loss of
the Weddles Griffin and the severe damage to Sigils Clint, he wouldnt
have been able to field even a complete lance without the addition of the
captured assault Mech. As it was, he was going to have to shift
personnel assignments.
It was time to run this by a few of his senior commanders. See
what they would make of it.
---
Captain Weddle, Dawg and Salt all crammed themselves into the
Colonels office. Hed given them all copies of the Overstes mission
orders to review prior to the conference.
The Colonel opened the meeting, looking each of them in the
eye. I want your frank assessment of the situation. Everything said in
this room stays in this room. Period. Understood?
 Each of the Captains nodded in acknowledgment. The silence
drew out as the meeting teetered on a precipice. It could go either way.
Outrage at a seemingly suicidal assignment or a hard-nosed how-are-we-
going-to-get-this-done attitude. His face set in stone, the Colonel waited it
out.
Dawg, the infantry captain, was the first to break the silence
. Ive been looking for a chance to check out the new toys I bought back
on Galatea before we left. He grinned widely. Looks like the perfect
opportunity to me.
The DropShip captain, Varukka Salt, turned giving Dawg an
appraising look. Then she addressed the Colonel. I want some aerospace
cover if Im flying off into the middle of nowhere. After watching what
happened to the Newfoundland, no way in hell Im taking Shadowfax
anywhere without proper aerial support. Forget it.
Weddle was next. No way the Clint can be repaired in
time. Corporal Southers will have to fill in for Sigil in his Hatchetman. If
I include the Atlas, that at least gives us a full lance. Doesnt look all that
different from the Carbonis run to me, really. He shrugged.
The Colonel was gratified. He couldnt ask for better people. No
gripping, bitching or complaining. Real professionals, each one. They
might come out of this yet. Strategy session at 18:00. Ill see what I can
do about aerospace support. If theres not anything else, dismissed.
Dawg stood up, There is one more thing, Colonel. The rest of
the assembly turned, looking at the tall, heavily muscled man. I want you
to assign Sigil to my squad. Hes basically dispossessed now and Ive got
a use for him.
Salt couldnt hide her surprise. What!? You want the tech to play
solider boy!? Are you crazy? Hed be lucky to last a minute out there
with you ground pounders! Hes bad enough when hes in a Mech for
Kerenskys sake!
Weddle couldnt help chuckling. I dont need him, Dawg. Fine
by me.
The Colonel was frowning. We need to talk about this in private,
Dawg. The rest of you are dismissed. See everyone back here at 18:00.
Weddle and Salt filed out, leaving the Colonel and Dawg alone in
the small conference room.
Before you go any further, Dawg, there is one thing you must
understand. I was best friends with Sigils brother, James when I was in
Sanglamore. Before he was KIA, he made me swear I would watch over
his little brother. If I assign him to your squad that oath will fall on you.
Dawg nodded solemnly.
 So what exactly do you have in mind, Dawg, the Colonel
skeptically inquired.
---
You cant do this me! Sigil screamed. Im a MechWarrior, not
some freakin grunt! I can fix it! I can fix it! I swear to Kerensky I can
get my Clint back up and running! I just need a little more time!
Sigil was hysterical. Alternating between despair, anger and
practically on the verge of tears, the Colonel looked at him flatly. There
isnt any more time. We leave at oh-dark-thirty. Report to Captain Dawg
for your new assignment. Dismissed.
No no, Sigil wailed, collapsing to his knees in the Colonels
office. Please! Please, dont do this! he begged. Im not a solider! I
flunked small arms! Im in terrible shape! I wont last a minute out
there! Its a death sentence! He finally broke into tears, his head shaking
back and forth as he stared at the plate steel decking.
It was just going to get worse from there the Colonel could already
tell.
Standing, Colonel Henley addressed him one final time. By
Kerensky, get your shit together and try to act like a man, Leutnant! You
have your orders. Dismissed. The Colonel walked past Sigils still
sobbing form, now curled in a fetal position, and left his own office,
closing the door behind him, shaking his head.
Sadly, it went just about how hed expected it to go.

Chapter 8
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine
Sigil was skulking around the Mech bay in the full combination
sneak suit Dawg had issued him along with all of the men under his
command. It was an impressive piece of tech. Featuring visual, infrared
and electromagnetic suppression, it made the wearer practically invisible.
He had long wondered just what Dawg had bought from Fangh Li
back on Galatea. Now the question was at least, in part, answered. The
Colonels plan to extract Silver Fox from the Kurita detention facility
called for Dawg and McMillians infantry squads to infiltrate the base
while the units BattleMechs drew the defenders attention.
Dawg had also provided him a sleek little microcomputer. Once
they located a suitable entry point, he was supposed to bypass the security
systems and open the door. From there the infantry would handle
things. The only weapon he carried was the Sternsnacht strapped to his
thigh. Another gift from Dawg. Dawg was just full of gifts.
He popped his full helmet off, tucking it under his arm. The
clicking of stiletto heels echoed across the Mech bay as Captain Salt
strolled across the steel floor in her skin tight red flight leathers.
She angled towards him. What do you think youre doing tech,
she sneered.
Uhh, Im just umm checking out the sneak suit Dawg gave
me.
She looked him slowly over. You can put lipstick on a pig but
its still a pig. So youre playing foot solider now, huh? PBI, She
grinned mischievously.
Salt lunged forward, grabbing his arm and flipping him around as
she twisted it painfully behind his back. Squeal like a pig for me, tech!
she laughed cruelly as his helm clattered to the ground.
OWWWWWWWW!
Salt twisted it further back, increasing the pressure. Im afraid
that doesnt sound like a pig, tech.
AHHHH! Sigil howled in pain. Oink oink, he muttered.
Not good enough. She wrenched his arm even further up his
back. Louder.
OOOOOIINK!!!! OIIIIIINNK!!!!!
OOOOOOIIIINNNNKKKK!!!!!!!!! Sigil snorted.
Salt snickered, hooking her leg in front of his and shoving him
away. Sigil face-planted onto the decking, moaning.
Thats better. She swaggered off.
As Sigil picked himself up off the floor he heard snickering
nearby. Turning, he saw Hamilton coming out from behind the thick leg
of the Atlas the Colonel had assigned him for the upcoming mission.
I think she likes you, Sig, he smirked.
---
Shadowfax was enroute to the target, if the Overste was to be
believed it was a detention facility holding the leader of the Alshain
Peoples Movement. She had her doubts but at the least the Colonel had
managed to get a flight of Corsairs to escort them. They both sported the
gold rook on a field of blue, the insignia of Lindons Company.
Captain Varukka Salt smiled. There were rumors going around
that the Colonel and the CO of Lindons Company had something going
on. It must be serious if shes loaning out a pair of aerospace fighters,
she chuckled to herself. Combat always made for strange
bedfellows. Still, it surprised her that the Colonel would involve himself
in that way, then again its not like Lindon was a subordinate. She ran her
own mercenary unit.
Her communications officer interrupted her. Captain Salt. Ive
got a pair of unidentified Shilones on long range. They appear to have
originated from the target area.
Sure enough, a pair of red triangles appeared on her primary.
Good thing Henley was such good friends with that Colonel, looks like the
Corsairs were going to see some action. Two Shilones inbound. Assume
hostile. Combat stations. Weapons check. Damage control teams on
standby. This is the fun part.
Sanchez, patch me into Romeo and Juliet. The two Lindons
Company aerospace fighter pilots were married to each other. Another
odd arrangement to her way of thinking. Shed never allow that kind of
relationship between crew members on her ship. When things get tight,
marriage tends to interfere with the kind of hard decisions required in
combat situations.
This is Captain Salt. Weve got a flight of Shilones inbound.
Over.
Acknowledged. Ive got them on radar. You want us to go say
hello? Over.
Negative. Maintain formation. Ive got a few things I want to
say to them myself. Recommend you adjust altitude to give my boys a
clear field of fire. Over.
Sure thing Captain. Ill go up, Juliet down, and you can anchor
the middle. Out.
Standing next to Captain Salt, Colonel Jason Henley
frowned. Aerospace fighters? Where had they launched from? The main
action was taking place on the other continent. This was supposedly a
remote outpost, a prison facility. His internal radar twitched. What didnt
he know?
Salt turned him. I suggest you buckle up, Colonel. Its going to
get a bit bumpy in a minute.
---
The two Kurita Shilones split apart, rapidly gaining altitude as they
approached the Shadowfax.
Salt was in command. Shadowfax here. Standby. Well eat the
first pass and then I want you up their tailpipes. Over.
Ten-four, Captain. But dont feel like you have to leave us
anything. Over. Romeo laughed.
The two Shilones came screaming down from above. Captain Salt
held Shadowfax steady, trusting its armor to do its work. Fire at will,
she said simply, her hands wrapped like a vise around the control sticks.
LRMs crisscrossed the sky as the Shilones and Shadowfax opened
fire on each other, followed by Shadowfaxs turret mounted PPCs and then
by the Shilones large lasers as the two aerospace fighters continued their
dive.
The DropShip shuddered as missiles exploded and lasers scorched
its armored surface but Salt held steady. Shed been under fire before and
instead of trying to evade, she trusted her gunners to do their
work. Besides, it wasnt exactly like the Shadowfax was maneuverable in
atmosphere, anyway. It was nicknamed The Brick for good reason.
Then the Shilones were past, the two Cosairs now in hot
pursuit. She checked her damage display. A few tons of armor had gone
missing but nothing serious. She allowed herself to relax just a bit.
Sanchez, get me Romeo and Juliet.
The communications officer nodded. Patched in, go ahead
Captain.
Dont you two go too far. There might be more where those came
from and Im getting used to having you around. Besides, Id hate for the
Colonel to have to be the bearer of bad news to your CO. Over.
This is Romeo. Acknowledged. We hit the control surface on
one of those Shilones. You sure you dont want us to finish the job,
Captain? Over.
Captain Salt paused, briefly considering. Negative. Return to
your stations. Well deal with them if and when they come back around.
Out.
Now to land this bucket. Sanchez, pull up that LZ, the Colonels
getting anxious.
Minutes later, Captain Salt brought the Shadowfax down in a
blissfully clear grass field. Reluctantly, shed been forced to let the two
Lindon Company aerospace fighters return to the Second Drakon LZ. Too
bad she hadnt thought to ask them to equip external fuel tanks. It seemed
they had regrettably short legs.
Standby on Mech bay doors. Its time to unload.
---
Sigil was sticking to Dawg like gum. Some forty plus soldiers, all
in full sneak suits like himself, were swiftly approaching the mountain top
detention facility. They had already mapped out their approach routes
using the satellite imagery the Overste had provided them. Sigil eagerly
scanned the rocky landscape for potential enemies.
Bingo! The infrared image enhancers made it all too easy to pick
out the lance of Kurita Mechs on station guarding the facility. They had
already given the patrol lance a wide berth and passed the information
onto the Colonel. A Locust, a Phoenix Hawk, and pair of Panthers.
He switched to low light mode, pushing the optical magnification
to the maximum, then engaged the digital zoom as he continued to
examine the Mechs on guard duty. Well, well, well. A Wolverine,
Blackjack and Cicada. All easy IDs, but the fourth what was it?
Wait a minute. Wasnt that a Maltex chassis? Something tickled
the back of his mind. Hed made it a point to study all the Mech
manufacturers that had been destroyed in the Succession Wars, orphaning
their designs. It was a strange obsession with him and one of the reasons
he was so thrilled to pilot the Clint. He winced, recalling how his Clint
was unceremoniously heaped up in cargo storage aboard the Shadowfax,
too badly damaged to be field repaired.
Andoran Industries, Stormvanger Assemblies, Kong Interstellar,
Whitworth Company, Lantren Corporation, he knew them all. And what
was that unit insignia? Wait a minute. Sigil froze. These werent Sixth
Alshain Regulars. His stomach dropped. Oh shit
He activated the built-in sub-vocal micro communicator built into
his suit. Uhh Dawg? Umm these arent Sixth Alshain
Regulars. Look at the unit insignia and paint job. This is one of the Ghost
Regiments. Im not sure which one, and uhh I cant ID one of their
Mechs. Im pretty sure its an old Star League model, he trailed off.
---
Colonel Henley was swearing inside the cockpit of his 85-ton
Battlemaster. A Ghost Regiment!? Here on Alshain!? Kerensky! But it
did explain a lot. Like the surprising number of Mechs the Sixth Alshain
had put into the field to try and deny them an LZ. Or the multiple wings
of aerospace fighters that had attacked them during planetfall and shot
down the Newfoundland. Or, for that matter, the dogged tenacity with
which the supposedly former Rasalhague Regulars MechWarriors had
fought with against them.
Major OMara, Henley called out to the man seated behind him
in the command console. Infantry reports the facility is defended by
Kurita Ghost Regiment Mechs, not, repeat not, Sixth Alshain units. You
might want to the give the Overste a heads-up. I think weve stumbled
across a little secret here.
Henley hit his command frequency. Were going to engage the
light patrol lance. I want to confirm the infantry report regarding the
presence of Ghost Regiment units. Dawg, hunker down and hold
position. Acknowledge.
 This is Dawg. Acknowledged. Well hole up until you give the
command to proceed. Out.

Chapter 9
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Leutnant Hamilton throttled up his 100-ton Atlas. It was time to

rock and roll. Their presence here was no longer a secret. His HUD
showed two full lances moving to engage. He chuckled, they were over-
confident moving out of the turrets LRM umbrella. Theyd learn their
mistake soon enough.
The Colonel confirmed it moments later. Looks like our friends
our organizing a welcoming party. All units prepare to engage. Weapons
free. Dawg, well keep them occupied, you are clear to proceed with the
extraction. Out.
As he watched the enemy Mechs advance, it suddenly struck
Henley that for the first time Leutnant Sigil was not in the lance. It took
only a split second longer for him to understand the tactical ramifications
of that. Diamond formation. Weddle, my right, Hamilton left, Southers
you keep the rear. Concentrate fire. Well take out the unidentified
Mech first. Maintain formation and current speed. Acknowledge.
As the lance shifted into the requested formation, a trio of
acknowledgements came back at him. Theyd punch through the Kurita
line and move on the target in short order. As they closed, the Kurita
Blackjack opened up first with its light Whirlwind autocannons just
seconds before Hamilton launched his Atlas Doombud LRM-20. The as
yet unidentified Mech added its own LRM-10 to the fire.
As the missiles arced overhead, a trio of particle cannons erupted
from his lines, two from Weddles Warhammer and one from his own
Battlemaster. The massive fusillade impaled the Star League Mech but it
proved to be a surprisingly resilient machine. It staggered under the
onslaught but still managed to return fire with its arm mounted heavy laser
as the two Panthers fired their own particle cannons. The Wolverines
autocannon unleased a stream of slugs as the nimble Phoenix Hawk broke
to the left, firing its own heavy Harmon heavy laser in the process.
In spite of the heavy return fire, the Colonels lance maintained
perfect formation even as tons of armor evaporated from its lead elements.
As the distance closed, both sides fired a second volley of their long range
weapons. Missiles, lasers and particle streams crisscrossed the rugged
terrain still separating the two forces as the Kurita Ghost Mechs sought to
stop their advance.
The Blackjack was holding position as it continuously fired its arm
mounted autocannons in support of its lance mates. The Hawk, along with
the Locust and Cicada were working their way around the left flank,
seeking a weakness in their formation but not yet finding one.
The combined firepower of his assault lance ripped once more into
the already damaged Star League Mech, this time savaging the machine
and sending it collapsing to the ground, but not before it managed to bring
its short range weapon into play. Six short range missiles along with its
heavy laser lanced out just before it fell. The Wolverine quickly took its
place in the vanguard adding its own six-rack and medium laser to the
fray.
Again the entire front line of the Colonels force was subjected to a
withering array of laser, autocannon and missile fire. Armor by the ton
melted or was blasted away by the attacking Kurita Mechs. Still, the
Colonel smiled. His force was built for assault, his Mechs all heavily
armored with the exception of the 45-ton Hatchetman in the rear.
Disregard the Wolverine. Target the Blackjack. Southers, keep
those flankers honest. Out.
The Blackjack pilot realized his mistake too late. Standing
stationary made him an all too easy target. Long range missiles fell like
rain on his 45-ton machine as three particle streams drilled into him,
sending him stumbling backwards. Still, the 8.5 tons of StarGuard II did
their job and his Mech survived the vicious initial attack.
Keep on that Blackjack, the Colonel growled even as the Ghost
Wolverine trundled into short range, firing everything it had. From behind
him, Southers Hatchetman fired a cluster round from its LB 10-X
autocannon, cratering the armor of the nimble 40-ton Cicada as it sought
now to work its way into their rear. Its partner, the Phoenix Hawk, scored
a hit along Southers right side as they worked together, the Locust also
trying to get into range. The pesky Panthers continued to snip from
behind the numerous boulders pock marking the ground, their particle
cannons exacting a heavy toll even on the units thickly armored hides.
Even as the Blackjack was recovering its footing, a second wave of
missiles and particle cannon fire slammed into it but this time it proved to
be too much. First the left arm was amputated by a particle beam,
followed by the corresponding leg. As the Mech crashed to the ground, it
was pelted with the high explosive warheads of the long range missiles,
opening hole after hole in its savaged chassis. As the smoke cleared, it lay
a shattered immobile wreck.
All units, maintain formation and engage targets of opportunity.
Out.
The Wolverine finding itself without fire support, suddenly found
itself the target of Hamiltons 100-ton Atlas. It ate a massive blast from
the Deathgiver AC/20 along with a stunning array of medium lasers and
short range missiles as the assault Mech unloaded on it at practically
point blank range. Both the Colonel and Weddle caught one of the Ghost
Panthers out in the open as it moved back, seeking another boulder for
cover. Transfixed by a trio of particle streams, the light Mech lost control
and slammed into the boulder it had intended to use as cover. Southers
anti-Mech shotgun sandblasted the Cicada once more even as he took
another strike from the persistent Phoenix Hawk.
OMara excitedly called out from behind him, interrupting the din
of battle. Their withdrawing! Their pulling back to the fort!
Sure enough, the Phoenix Hawk and Wolverine both lit up their
jump jets, dropping behind full cover as they withdrew from the attacking
69th Mechs, along with one of the Panthers. As the second Ghost
Panther struggled back to its feet, the Colonel and Weddle nailed it with
their combined PPCs, sending it back to ground except this time
permanently.
The speedy Locust also hightailed it away, but its partner, now
struggling with a damaged leg actuator was found once more by Southers
autocannon, ripping the leg clean off. Hamilton paused briefly, slewing
his torso over and unleashed his Doombud. Once the missiles landed, the
Cicada found itself disabled, now without both legs.
Triumphantly, the Colonel ordered, All units, advance on the
mountain.
As they penetrated the defensive perimeter, the four weapon turrets
began belching forth flight after flight of LRMs. Explosions erupted all
around them as salvos of 80 missiles saturated the area.
Dawg reported, Colonel, weve breached the facility. Proceeding
to the control center. No sign of prisoners. This does not, repeat not,
appear to be a detention facility. More likely a command center of some
kind. Sigil is now on eyes for you.
The Colonels Battlemaster was rocked yet again by another flight
of LRMs from the turrets. Dawg, neutralize those turrets ASAP!
Out. He sent his Donal PPC at the retreating Ghost Phoenix Hawk even
as Weddle added his dual PPCs to the mix. Transfixed in mid-air by a trio
of particles streams, it started coming apart even before it smashed into the
ground.
It is going to be long day, he snarled to himself. At least Sigil
wasnt out there disobeying orders and making a mockery out of his battle
plans. His Battlemaster was rocket yet again by another salvo of long
range missiles.
If he could just silence those damn turrets!
---
The fortified mountain suddenly shuddered, sending a shower of
dirt and rock cascading down its side as it revealed its horrific secret. As
the cloud of debris began to settle, the ancient eight-pointed insignia of the
Star League was seen splitting apart in the middle as a pair of huge blast
doors slid open.
Hamiltons AS7-D was already beat to hell. Between the constant
rain of LRMs from the hardened turrets ringing the mountaintop keep and
the Ghost Regiment Mechs defending it, he didnt think things could get
much worse.
The intel the Colonel had gotten from the Overste was obviously
wrong. This was no detention facility. The pair of heavy Shilone
aerospace fighters that had appeared from nowhere to attack the
Shadowfax was the first clue. The second was the presence of a ring of
weapon turrets surrounding the small complex crowning the
mountain. Any lingering doubt was now entirely dispelled by this latest
surprise.
Hamilton was jerked back to the present as a torrid particle cannon
blast ripped deep into his already ruined chest from a nearby Panther
partially concealed among the rocks. Hed started ignoring the constant
alarm klaxons what now seemed hours ago. 87% of his armor was gone,
right arm destroyed, the left legs upper and foot actuator non-functional,
gyro and engine damage.
What he had left were two shots for his Deathgiver
autocannon/20.
A LCT-1V Locust and a WVR-6K Wolverine raced past him as
they began circling around towards his left flank. He slewed the targeting
reticle over the Locust as it sought to speed past him. Six SRMs
corkscrewed towards the speedy little Mech followed by his remaining
forward facing Hellion-V medium laser, savaging its left side.
Then, the metallic buzzsaw of the Deathgiver ripped into the 20-
ton Mech. Even undamaged, the light Mech simply couldnt survive a
direct hit from the Deathgiver. The entire center of the Mech evaporated
under the seemingly endless river of high explosive rounds. By the time
Hamilton let up on the trigger, all that remained was the twitching left leg
of the 20-ton war machine.
One shot left.
Hamiltons eyes scanned the battlefield in seconds. By the
Usurper! What the hell is that! Emerging from the recently revealed blast
door in the side of the mountain, a pair of Mechs materialized into the
midst of the battlefield.
His comlink crackled to life. It was Weddle. Nice knowing you
boys! Its been a pleasure!
Hamilton glanced up and to the right of his viewscreen. The
Colonels Battlemaster, Weddles Warhammer and Southers Hatchetman
were all clustered together, their backs against the hardened walls of the
keep, blocking the line-of-sight of the remaining weapon turrets.
Amazingly, both the Colonel and Weddles Mechs were worse off
even than his own. The Colonel had shifted his Mechs detachable Donal
PPC to his left hand. The entire right arm and torso were gone. The
Hammers chest was all but nonexistent. The entire Mech looked ready
to simply collapse in on itself at the slightest touch. Goddammit, he
swore. Itd been factory new not six months ago! Hell if hed ever let
Weddle pilot his Mech again!
A damaged 80-ton HTM-27U Hatamoto-Hi and another of those
pesky Ghost Alley Cats were closing in for the kill.
Somehow, though, Southers has managed to keep his 45-ton
Hatchetman intact, although it was missing about two-thirds of its
armor. Sometimes its nice to be the little guy. People always seem to
aim for the biggest one first, Hamilton thought wryly.
Sigils voice filled his cockpit. Oh! I finally figured out what
that Mech was you scrapped on the way here. A Wyvern. Last one rolled
of the assembly line back in 2835! The Sigil started literally screaming,
By the Usurper! Either Ive died and gone to heaven or thats a GLT-3N
Guillotine sporting an SLDF Sixteenth Army paint job coming out of
those blast doors! See that bloody two-headed battleaxe!? Thats the
16th!
Hamiltons eyes snapped back to the pair of Mechs emerging
from the blast doors just over a hundred meters away from him.
Stephen Amaris! He blinked twice in rapid succession. The tell-
tale searchlight mounted directly above the head and the distinctive
shoulder flanges confirmed Sigils guess. Hed seen holovids of a
Guillotine before, but when was the last time someone had seen one in real
life?
Emerging immediately behind it was one of the new Kurita Grand
Dragons. Replacing the original Imperator-A autocannon with a Lords
Thunder PPC had considerably increased the Mechs firepower. This
particular one, however, was painted entirely flat black and to make
matters worse, it sported the stylized dragon insignia of the Draconis Elite
Strike Team, a branch of the Combines Internal Security Force.
OK, so they might all die after all. Hamilton grit his teeth.
---
The Colonel knew they had already passed the point of the no
return. He could have withdrawn in good order right after theyd
discovered the target wasnt the detention facility they had been led to
believe. But withdraw just wasnt in his vocabulary. The impossible had
become routine and his unit believed in his ability to turn even the most
desperate situation into victory. Vega, Carbonis and now Alshain. If he
were going to pull it off again, itd have to be right now. Or never.
Brevet Major OMara, KungsArme, screamed from the
Battlemasters command console directly behind him. The Overste has
assigned him a babysitter and hed decided to put him somewhere he
could keep a close eye on him. He wouldnt make that mistake again.
Colonel! Unidentified Mech! Heading 15, range approximately
650m! Its emerging from another one of these freakin concealed
tunnels! Scanners wont ID! Magscan shows assault class! No visual
ID! Ive never seen anything like it!
Colonel Jason Henleys eyes drifted across Hamiltons ravaged
Atlas and then to the two undamaged Kurita Mechs emerging from the
blast doors which lead into the mountainside. The fear of total failure
galvanized his mind and the spindly thread of a plan suddenly blossomed
in his now racing mind.
Storm the keep! All units converge on the blast doors and get
your ass inside ASAP! Once were in, well drop the blast doors and lock
those snakes right out of their own base!
Leutnant Weddle opened his comlink. My Hammers shot,
Colonel. Go. Ill cover you.
Southers didnt waste a second. Before Weddle even finished,
hed slammed on his jumpjets, sending his Hatchetman leaping into the
air, jets of fiery plasma streaming from its legs.
The Colonel rammed his throttle wide open but the 85-ton
behemoth struggling to get past 50 kph as it lopped downhill. The left
upper leg actuator was out causing the Colonel to fight every step of the
way to keep the damaged Mech upright.
Weddle turned the remains of his Warhammer towards the
Hatamoto-Hi, unleashing everything he had left as he staggered
forward. The remaining Donal PPC, a Holly SRM-4 and a pair of Martell
mediums lanced towards the damaged Kurita assault Mech.
The Hatamoto responded in kind with a quad of newtech Tronel
XII medium pulse lasers. As the Tronels coalesced on the Hammer, the
Mech simply came apart, the structural integrity of the entire chassis
destroyed. The Mech literally shredded apart, leaving nothing but an
unidentifiable smoking heap of scrap.
The last volley from the doomed Warhammer proved equally
deadly. The Donal PPC split open the chest of the Hatamoto, exposing
the engine and delicate gyro assembly to a bevy of short range
missiles. The first warheads exploded against the sensitive internals of the
80-ton assault Mech, sending the gyro out of balance and causing it to
grind itself into scrap against its own housing. Other warheads almost
entirely destroyed the engine shielding causing the automated safeguards
to instantaneously shut down the engine, preventing the possibility of a
catastrophic core meltdown.
The Hatamoto-Hi seized up, toppling stiffly to the ground with a
thunderous crash as it slid partway down the slope in a cloud of smoke and
dirt.
The Colonel fought to center his bouncing reticle on the back of
the Star League Guillotine he was essentially charging from behind. His
Mech too carried a Donal PPC, just like the Warhammer. The one big
difference, though, was that his was detachable and thank Kerensky for
that. When hed lost his right torso under withering LRM fire from the
weapon turrets earlier in the engagement, hed be able to retrieve the PPC
and shift it to his still intact left arm.
Brevet Major OMara started screaming once again from the back
of the cockpit. The Hammers down! The Hammers down! So is the
Hatamoto!
The Colonel gave silent thanks as OMaras squalling was
suddenly cut off by Leutnant Sigils voice. Colonel! I think I got an ID
on that last Mech! Its a DCMS-MX90 Daboku. The snakes rolled it out
during the War of 39. Its a new design. 90-tons, a pair of large lasers,
two LRM-10s and four AC/2s. Its a sniper, built for fire support. First
one Ive ever seen, but this day is shaping up to have a lot of firsts
The Colonel continued closing in on the blast doors. As he came
within 90m of the back of the GLT-3N, he unleashed what was left of his
weaponry. The Donal, four Martell mediums and a Holly 6-rack.
The pair of the Martells opened a hole in the right rear torso, the
other two failing to penetrate the rear armor of the vintage Mech. A trio
of short range missiles exploded across its back as well, one of them
finding the gap in the right torso. Sparks and coolant exploded out of the
breech as heat sinks and one of the ExoStar II medium lasers were
destroyed.
But it was the trusty Donal that did the real damage. The man-
made lightning struck the Guillotine directly in the back of the head
slagging armor and frying the sensitive targeting and tracking electronics
with a surge of raw electricity, effectively blinding the 70-ton Mech.
---
Leutnant Hamilton had never really appreciated just how much
damage the 100-ton Atlas could take, until now. The 19 tons of Durallex
Special Heavy armor just seemingly ate up particle cannon, ballistic,
energy and missile damage endlessly. Even where the armor had finally
been destroyed, the Mech was so massive the internal structure itself
could absorb considerable abuse before failing.
Hed not come all this way to fall now, just meters from the blast
door. One shot left with the Deathgiver AC/20. Perfect. The Colonel was
engaging the Guillotine, which left him the DEST Grand Dragon. One
shot, one target.
The monstrous war machine lumbered forward, its left leg
alternately jerking and dragging as it left a deep furrow in the earth behind
it.
Both the Guillotine and the Grand Dragon let fly with their full
arsenal of weapons. The Dragons particle cannon and medium lasers
jumped towards the approaching assault Mech, followed by the
Guillotines own heavy and medium lasers, plus its Conventry-6 missile
rack.
Hamilton just laughed manically. It seemed almost ludicrous at
this point to believe anything could bring the AS7-D down. It was an
invincible angel of retribution, and he, the undisputed king of the
battlefield. Any Mech who refused to acknowledge his superiority would
be eviscerated. He could hardly believe the two Kurita Mechs would
even dare shoot at him.
Time for them to pay homage to the king.
His reticle was centered on the black 60-ton Grand Dragon when
he pressed the trigger. The Thunderstroke belched forth another salvo of
six short range missiles as the remaining Hellion-V medium laser lanced
ahead. He paused for a fraction of a second to savor firing the final round
of the Deathgiver.
He fired the devastating autocannon at the same time as the enemy
return fire struck his Mech. The entire wire diagram of the AS7-D was
already red, except for the right arm, which was black. Laser fire
penetrated his Mech in multiple places as missile warheads exploded
across it. The Dragons particle cannon disappeared into his left torso,
trashing the Doombud LRM-20, which had long since run of out
ammunition anyway.
The Atlas was a beast. An unstoppable force of nature. He was a
tsunami, an earthquake, a tornado. How could anything stand against him,
he thought, as be pushed ahead directly towards the Grand Dragon.
The Deathgiver ripped mercilessly into the DRG-1Gs right leg,
stripping it entirely of armor with one single shocking strike and damaging
the supporting structure underneath.
Ironically, it was the single Hellion-V that made the
difference. Slipping between the armor plates protecting the Dragons left
torso, it ended its voyage at one of the two ammunition bins for the
Mechs Telos DecaCluster LRM-10.
The Grand Dragon shuddered briefly, the explosion first appearing
on the left side, then ripping right through the middle of the Mech before
finally exploding in a multi-million C-bill shower of metallic detritus.
The way into the mountain was clear.
---
Tai-sa Hero Nikajima finally stopped firing the quad Imperator
Smoothie-2 autocannons covering the chest of his assault Mech. With a
range of over 700m, it was the longest-range weapon a BattleMech could
carry. But it was too little too late.
He slammed his fists down on the control surface of his Daboku as
the huge bay doors of his now former headquarters slid closed behind the
enemy Atlas.
This is Tai-sa Hero Nikajima. I am assuming command of the
Fifth Ghost. Ryo, Shiro! Spread out and locate their DropShip! Emi,
Fumiko! Circle outwards. I must know if anymore DropShips are
inbound!
The Panther and damaged Wolverine began moving in separate
directions away from the mountainside fortress as the two heavy Shilone
aerospace fighters began spiraling outwards. The Tai-sa choked down his
humiliation as he flipped the Cipher Security II communications system
over to the command frequency.
The enemy has launched a surprise attack against our command,
control and communications center. The gaijin mercenaries have
temporarily gained access to the interior of the base. You have the honor
of cleansing the facility of the foreign vermin. Rendezvous as soon as
possible at coordinates 354.8 x 231.5.
Only scant seconds passed before he received his first response.
 This is Sho-sa Yuuki Shin. I declare katakiuchi against the
mercenary force known as the 69th Virginia Expeditionary Force. As
such, I claim the right to lead the initial assault against them by the rules
of kanrei. Loading operations will commence immediately. Estimate
arrival at 07:30 LST.
Tai-sa Nikajima paused. Obviously Shin was eager. He was
impressed at how quickly the officer had responded and the speed with
which he proposed to arrive.
Ah, yes, Shins superior officer had been defeated and captured by
the 69th. Nikajima narrowed his eyes. In fact, the Atlas he had been
firing on only moments before had been Shujenka Taqis former
Mech. It had been claimed as salvage by the invaders, repaired and sent
back out adding further insult to injury.
Shin had every reason for revenge. Very well, hell have his
chance to regain his lost honor and end his humiliation.
I grant your request, Sho-sa Shin, on one condition. Arrive by
7:30 LST or you forfeit your position to any unit who arrives before you.
Nikajima grinned. That ought to inspire his units to respond with
the utmost speed. Nothing like a little competition to keep a fine edge.
---
Got anything, Sanchez?
Nothing, Captain Salt. There is some kind of ECM field covering
the entire target area. Our sensors cant penetrate it. Its like they just
disappeared.
Sanchez pointed to huge black spherical area on Shadowfaxs long
range scanner. See? Nothing. Zip.
Captain Varruka Salt turned, barking out commands to the rest of
her crew. Get Ling out in the Swift Wind. Were a sitting duck. I need
to know what the hell is going on out there!
She turned back to Sanchez. Keep your eyes peeled. Those two
Shilones are still out there somewhere. We got a few shots in on them but
theyll be back. I guarantee it. Well just have to wait and see if Ling can
turn anything up.
Frustration was written all over her face. Spanner, keep those
weapon bays manned at all times.
---
Ling to Shadowfax. I cant get a read on the target area
either! The CeresCom can barely penetrate it! I got about 150m range at
best! Im about as blind as you are!
Salt slammed her fist on the back of Sanchezs chair. What about
visuals? Find some high ground! If the sensors wont work use your
goddamn eyes, Ling! Optical magnification should still work!
Suddenly Sanchez stiffened. Captain. Those two Shilones are
circling back. They just popped up on the scanners. Their outside the
ECM bubble. Looks like their conducting a sweep of the surrounding
area. Its just a matter of time until they spot us, Captain, he trailed off.
Wait Wait! Hang on! The ECM field is down! Lings
excited voice came bursting over the com speaker. Im sending the feed
now!
Sanchezs fingers flew over the console, routing the incoming data
feed from Lings Swift Wind Scout Car onto the main display.
The Colonels voice abruptly filled the bridge of the
DropShip. Storm the keep! All units converge on the blast doors and get
your ass inside ASAP! Once were in, well drop the blast doors and lock
those snakes right out of their own base!
Seconds later, Leutnants Weddles strangely calm voice followed,
My Hammers shot, Colonel. Go, Ill cover you.
All eyes turned anxiously to the scanner feed from the scout
car. The Colonels Battlemaster, Hamiltons Atlas, and Southers
Hatchetman all converging on same point as a Kurita Wolverine, Panther,
Dragon and three unidentified Mechs all moved to meet them. Weddles
Hammer was the only Mech not moving and one of the unidentified
Kurita Mechs was still a good half kilometer away.
The bridge went deathly silent as the eight points converged. The
silence was broken by Brevet Major OMaras voice from the command
console of the Colonels Battlemaster. The Hammers down! The
Hammers down! So is the Hatamoto! Two of the indicators blinked out
as the rest moved continued inexorably moving together.
Sigils excited voice broke in, interrupting OMaras and
continuing the macabre play-by-play of the desperate
struggle. Colonel! I think I got an ID on that last Mech! Its a DCMS-
MX90 Daboku. The snakes rolled it out during the War of 39. Its a new
design. 90-tons, a pair of large lasers, two LRM-10s and four AC/2s. Its
a sniper, built for fire support. First one Ive ever seen, but this day is
shaping up to have a lot of firsts
The audio was suddenly drown out by a series of deafening
explosions followed by an ominous silence and then only red enemy
indicators were left on the scanner. The Wolverine, Panther, and the now
identified Daboku were all that were left. The Battlemaster, Atlas and
Hatchetman had all disappeared.
Lings detached voice filled in the silence with two simple
words. Contact lost.
 Spanner reached up, putting his rough calloused hand on Salts
shoulder. I bet those tough sonuvabitches made it in and dropped those
doors.
Salt stiffened. Her voice calm and emotionless. Spanner, get
down to the engine room. Were finished here. Her voice rose as she
barked out her next orders.
Prepare for immediate departure! Ling, stay hidden out there.
Well maintain contact from the air. Keep us updated. Those Shilones are
out hunting and the only thing left on the field is us. Its time to go.
She whispered softly to herself. May Kerensky be with you,
Colonel. Im sorry.

Chapter 10
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

The control surface was smeared with the blood of the Ghost
Regiment officer who had operated the console only moments before. In
fact, most of the command center was splattered with blood. Here and
there sparks popped as smoke wisped out of damaged electronics. Chairs
were toppled and scattered about haphazardly and still slick, bloody trails
marked where bodies had been hurriedly dragged out.
The Colonel strode directly into charnel house barking out orders
non-stop. Sigil, I want to know everything about this facility ASAP.
Sally ports, defenses, communications, whatever you can dig up,
especially where those two Shilones launched from.
Hamilton, get back down to the Mech bays. Start slapping armor
back on the Hatchetman. Patch it up as best you can, I need at least one
functional Mech! The Battlemaster and Atlas are going to need
replacement actuators as well as gyro and engine repair kits. I saw parts
stockpiled in the bay when we passed through it. After youre done with
the Hatchetman, inventory the supplies. I need to know what weve got to
work with. Its only a matter of time before the Ghosts come back with a
vengeance. Probably only hours.
OMara, reorganize the infantry into five reinforced platoons. I
know there are at least three functional weapon turrets. I want a platoon
assigned to operate and defend each turret. Then I want you to personally
lead a platoon and go topside to search for Leutnant Weddle. I saw him
eject before his Warhammer went down. Leave the rest here to guard the
command center and take care of the wounded, especially Dawg.
McMillian, take a couple of men with you to where were holding
the Ghost command staff you captured. Interrogate them. I want to know
everything they know. Whatever means necessary. The Colonel looked
grim.
Sigil had just finished wiping the blood off the console when the
Colonel was over his shoulder. What have you got so far?
I just sat down and got the blood off, Colonel! By the Usurper,
can I have at least a couple minutes!?
Sigil could hear the Colonel grinding his teeth behind him and then
he turned swiftly away, addressing McMillian once again. Ernie, Ill go
down with you and help with the interrogation.
---
Sigils hands flew over the ancient Star League era control surface,
text, tables and graphs scrolling down the screen as fast as he could scan
through them. By Alexandr Kerensky himself, he muttered to himself
in disbelief. Bergan Industries!? The flow of data slowed as Sigil
began to read more closely. No way this can be right!
Bergan Industries was synonymous with the ubiquitous 20-ton
Locust. In fact, the LCT-1V Locust was still being produced by Bergan
right here on Alshain to this very day. Apparently, four hundred ago,
however, they used to be a major supplier to the Star League Defense
Force. And it had little to do with the well-known Locust either.
Sigil was examining the wire diagram of a 60-ton BattleMech
labeled as a CHP-1N Champion. It was rather squat and, lacking true
arms, it gave the vague impression of an aerospace fighter that couldnt fly
so someone had stuck a pair of legs on it. Actually, it looked more like the
big ugly cousin of the Locust. Now that he thought about it, the Locust
lacked arms too. What did Bergan have against arms anyway? He spun
the Mech around in three dimensions as the technical specifications of the
design scrolled down one side of the display.

Chassis: Bergan XI
Power Plant: Vlar 300
Maximum Speed: 86 kph
Armor: 2/Star Slab Ferro-Fibrous
Armament:
Lubalin Ballistics 10-X Autocannon
Harpoon-6 SRM Launcher
2 x Magna MkII Medium Lasers
 2 x Martell Small Lasers
Communications: Garret T-11C
Targeting and Tracking: Mercury-IV with Artemis IV FCS

The Locust used the Bergan VII Chassis. The Dragon, Marauder
and even the Atlas all used the Vlar 300 fusion engine. The Garret T-11A
was used by the Rifleman, the T-11B by the Wolverine and Crusader, but
hed never heard of a C series of the T-11 before. The Magna and
Martell lasers were staples. And again the Crusader and Wolverine both
used the Harpoon-6. That left the autocannon and T&T system. He
hadnt heard of either of them before and if there was one thing he knew,
it was military hardware.
Lostech. Just within the last twenty years or so the Inner Sphere
had finally begun to rediscover the military advances pioneered by the
fabled Star League. Even then most people credited the discovery of the
Helm Memory Core for that rather than any truly original research.
Mercury IV. Wonder what thats all about? Sigils hands began
dancing once again across the controls. New blocks of texts began sliding
down the screen followed by schematics and more technical
specifications. Meh. One primary, two secondary targets, no target or
damage identification not even a lock-on indicator. Ninety degree
scanning arc but at least it had all the scanning modes. Quite
unimpressive, really. It made the modern day TharHes T&T systems look
pretty good.
Thats interesting though, he thought as he read on. The Mercury
IV Fire Control System increases the accuracy of the Lubalin Ballisitics
10-X autocannon at every range as well as extends the maximum effective
range by a good 20%. The accuracy can be further increased by the use of
cluster-type munitions which spread damage across multiple locations.
Lubalin Ballistics. Of course, the LB 10-X autocannon! Lizzie
had one of those autocannons. The Mercury IV must have been integrated
into the autocannon itself at some later point. The Hatchetman had
originally used a TharHes Ares-8a targeting and tracking system, so what
happened to the Mercury-IV? Hed have to circle back around to this at
some later point.
Now what about this Artemis IV FCS? Again Sigils hands flew
over the control surface causing new pages of text to appear only to
disappear almost as quickly as he sifted through enormous amounts of
data. Ahh. The Artemis IV Fire Control System. There were tons and
tons of stuff about the Artemis online, way more than there had been on
the Champion or the Lubalin Ballistics autocannon. An intricate break out
diagram of a dome shaped piece of hardware materialized on the screen
along with detailed technical information.
A 35% increase in the accuracy of short and long range
missiles? He whistled, as he quickly read on. The Artemis IV FCS
illuminates targets with an infrared beam and then sends missiles in-flight
trajectory corrections via a tight-beam microwave communications
link. The missiles themselves are fitted with an enhanced guidance
package that allows bi-directional communication. Now thats impressive,
he whistled.
Numerous field-testing reports began filling the screen, sorted by
date. Testing had begun late in 2601 and continued right up until
2784. Sigil paused. That would have been 259 years ago. The testing
ended the same year as the Exodus, the fateful operation led by General
Aleksandr Kerensky himself. The Exodus took over 80% of the Star
League Defense Force out beyond the Periphery never to been seen or
heard from again and ultimately lead to the still ongoing series of wars,
known as the Succession Wars.
The Valkyrie, Panther, Assassin, Whitworth, Wyvern, Centurion,
Champion, Archer and the Crockett had all completed field-
testing. However, the last four lines had a different
status. Interesting. The Bombardier, Guillotine, Thug and the Highlander
were all listed as In Progress.
Sigil pulled up the field report on the BMB-12Db
Bombardier. SLDF Royal engineers had modified the base design by
pulling off the Arrowlite-4 SRM launcher, the Buzzsaw Anti-Missile
System and replaced the original Vox 325XL fusion engine with a Magna
260XL. With the weight savings, they added the Artemis IV FCS to the
two Delphinius-20 LRM launchers, doubled the ammunition capacity,
added a pair of Magna medium lasers and a pair of Defiance Streak-2
SRM Launchers.
The report was dated Jan. 3, 2784, only months before General
Kerensky would give his famous one word order, "Exodus."
Sigil continued scanning through the report on the
Bombardier. The accuracy of standard short and long range missiles are
enhanced by the Artemis IV FCS. Swarm type sub-munition based long
range missile accuracy is also increased by approximately 35%. However,
the additional increase in missile accuracy is lost for those missiles
missing their primary target and targeting an adjacent unit.
Regarding Thunder type sub-munition based long range missiles,
the Artemis IV FCS has no appreciable increase to its effectiveness. This
is due to the fact that Field Artillery Scatterable Mines target a static
physical location rather than an active enemy unit.
Swarm long range missiles? Sub-munitions? Scatterable
Mines? Thunder LRMs? Sigils mind swam with the possibilities. What
was this place, some kind of Star League proving grounds for new missile
technologies? And why hadnt anyone heard of it before? The questions
just kept piling on. And how did Overste Erling find out about it in the
first place?
He flipped back through the navigational menus. If I could find
the system access security logs maybe they might provide a
clue. Bingo. System maintenance logs. Columns of time stamped data
rolled down the screen. It took only a minute to find what he was looking
for, a huge gap in the timestamps.
The system had been shut down the morning of February 8, 2784,
only months before the Exodus. Incredible. Then he saw the answer on
the very next line. The system had finally been restarted 258 years later
on Oct. 19, 3042. Less than one year ago.
He paused, suddenly recalling the black Combine Internal Security
Force Dragon Hamilton had scrapped on the battlefield just two hours
ago. Then the Draconis Elite Strike Team Dawgs infantry ran smack into
when they first tried to take the command center. It had been the most
gruesome fight Sigil had ever witnessed. The DEST commandos were
both fanatical and suicidal. Sigil couldnt imagine a worse combination.
Capt. McMillian had blown the door with pentacycline and Dawg
had been the first man through. Right into a hail of fletchette, ballistic and
laser fire. The huge giant of a man had gone down hard, his sneak suit
riddled with holes but it had been enough. The rest of his men poured in
behind him, laying waste to just about everything in the center. The
console he was sitting at was one of the few pieces of gear left operable.
But the most shocking part had been when the DEST commandos
saw they wouldnt be able to hold the command center. They had actually
turned their weapons on their own fellow Combine officers. They killed
almost every Ghost officer in the center. Only two had survived and both
of them were badly wounded. They killed their own men even as Dawgs
infantry moved in to finish them off. No quarter, no surrender. Sigil
shuddered.
The ISF, DEST and the Ghost Regiment must have all been
dispatched, probably directly from Luthien, to assess this facility. Which
explained why no one had even the slightest idea a Ghost Regiment was
on planet when they landed. Totally secrecy. It still didnt explain how
Overste Erling had come by the coordinates for it, though.
Sigils eyes widened. The Guillotine. The SLDF paintjob. The
field report. His hands flew over the control surface, pulling up the field
tests of the GLT-3Nb Guillotine.
Again, the first thing that appeared was the SLDF Royal engineers
report. The original 22 single heat sinks had been replaced with 15 double
strength ones. A second Conventry-6 SRM had been added and both
launchers had been equipped with the Artemis IV Fire Control
System. The original Sunglow large laser had also been replaced with a
Tiegart Magnum Extended Range particle cannon.
He hurriedly read on. Ahh. The Pulsar Tri-X. The minimal
scanning arc of the Pulsar Tri-X targeting and tracking system coupled
with the absence of electromagnetic sensors had led to multiple instances
of the loss of communication between the Artemis IV Fire Control System
and the missiles guidance package. The problem is exacerbated in a
target rich environment. Increasing the scanning width of the Pulsar Tri-X
to 180 degrees only partially resolves the situation. The increased
scanning range and the interface to the Artemis IV FCS require almost all
of the available expansion ports in the Pulsar Tri-X. This upgrade, in turn,
has led to rare instances of the targeting and tracking system experiencing
periods of extremely high utilization during which the system is slow to
respond and again causing loss of communication between the on-board
missile guidance and the Artemis unit.
Sigil swiped backward on the control surface returning to the
extensive list of field reports. Wonder whats up with the Thug?
Sure enough, another SLDF Royal engineers report. Two heat
sinks have been removed to make space for the Artemis IV Fire Control
System now installed on both Bical-6 SRM Launchers. Both standard
Tiegart particle cannons have been upgraded to the Tiegart Magnum
Extended Range model. In addition, after extensive review of the
BattleMechs combat record, the need for additional short-range firepower
on the unit is apparent. The original 15.5 tons of Mitchell Argon armor
was reduced to 13.5 tons and a pair of Magna Mk. II medium lasers
installed in the center torso. Initial field testing indicates the significant
heat buildup caused by prolonged use of the Tiegart Magnum particle
cannon impairs combat efficiency during protracted battles. Given the
addition of the Magna Mk II. lasers, one possible solution is to return to
the original Tiegart particle cannon since the redesign has significantly
more short-range firepower.
That leaves the 90-ton Highlander, Sigil mused to himself. He still
remembered seeing Rhonda Snord cresting the hill back on Vega in her
HGN-732 Highlander. It was one of the most awe inspiring sights hed
ever seen. It was also the first time hed seen the devastating M-7 Gauss
Rifle. As he understood it, it used a series of capacitor-powered
electromagnets to propel solid nickel-iron slugs at incredible velocities. It
hit one and half times harder than a standard particle cannon and it had a
range greater than even that of long range missiles. A weapon to rule any
battlefield.
He pulled up the rendering of the HGN-732b. One of the largest
Mechs ever manufactured, it looked deadly, even more so then the
vaunted ASD-7 Atlas which had actually been designed to look fearsome
and outweighed it by a good 10 tons.
Once again the Royal engineers had been at work improving an
already well respected design. Two heat sinks had been removed to make
space to add the Artemis IV FCS to both the Holly-20 and Holly-6 missile
launchers. A ton of ammo for the Holly-6 had been swapped out for an
additional Harmon StarClass medium laser and the remaining ten heat
sinks all upgraded to double strength.
Then it got interesting.
After extensive battlefield analysis, the HGN-732 regularly
engages multiple targets simultaneously. This is primarily due to the
weapon loadout which features a series of optimal range points, beginning
at 630m and steadily decreasing to 180m, where it finally begins to
plateau. If physical damage potential is added, the resulting damage curve
is unique. The design is equally deadly in every range category and
matches or exceeds the curve of every existing BattleMech design in
production across the board.
To further enhance this characteristic, the Starlight LX-1 targeting
and tracking system has been replaced by the Army Comp Type 29K. The
Type 29K allows for up to four primary targets and a single secondary
target. In addition, it has twice the scanning width of the Starlight while
maintaining the same lock-on range. The Army Comp Type 29K is highly
expandable and even after adding the Artemis IV interface modules the
system maintains solid performance and acceptable utilization levels.
Leutnant Sigil! What in the hell are you doing! The Colonels
voice exploded from directly behind Sigils back causing him to jump up
awkwardly, hitting his thighs against the console and sending him
stumbling backwards into the Colonel. Slipping on the blood stained
floor, the Colonel and Sigil both tumbled to the ground.
Sigil clambered quickly back to his feet. Uh sorry
Colonel. You surprised me, he trailed off lamely as the Colonel
regained his feet, smoothing his uniform back out as he rose.
The Colonels eyes flared and bored into him, grim and
furious. Report, Lt. Sigil!
 Uh.., yes, sir. Colonel, sir. Report, sir, Sigil blinked back at the
Colonel.
The Colonels voice boomed through the command center,
reverberating off the walls. The few other troopers in the room turned
their eyes towards the Colonel, shifting uncomfortably and then looked
quickly away. HAVE YOU FOUND OUT ANYTHING
USEFUL?! COMMUNICATIONS!? DEFENSES!? ANYTHING AT
ALL!?
Then the Colonel hit his stride. Spittle flew from his lips and his
face purpled like an approaching thunderstorm as he raged on. Let me
remind you of the situation, Lt. Sigil. We are in possession of a highly
valuable enemy C3 facility. Lt. Hamilton is bolting armor onto a 45-ton
Mech so we can have at least ONE FUNCTIONAL MECH with which
to attempt some semblance of a defense with. Capt. Dawg is critically
injured, Lt. Weddle is MIA and his Warhammer is destroyed. My
Battlemaster and Lt. Hamiltons Atlas are basically scrap. We have a
reinforced squad of infantry scattered in small groups throughout this
installation. We have no communications capability with which to
attempt to contact friendly units. And the Ghost Tai-sa is no doubt, even
ask we speak, CALLING DOWN HOLY HELL UPON US from his 90-
ton Daboku, which might I remind you, is parked right outside. NOW,
DO YOU HAVING ANYTHING TO REPORT, LT. SIGIL!
Yes, sir. It appears this facility was an SLDF proving ground for
advanced fire control systems, in particular a missile based system
codenamed Artemis IV. Ive located block diagrams, wiring schematics
and manufacturing blueprints for it, as well as field testing reports for over
a dozen different models of Mechs. The SLDF sent Mechs here to be
retrofitted and tested with the Artemis IV system. Royal engineers would
modify the Mechs then conduct live fire tests of the upgraded units.
Sigil rattled on. Before the Succession Wars, Bergan Industries,
right here on Alshain, produced a 60-ton Mech called the Champion
which was equipped with the Artemis IV FCS. Apparently Bergan
pioneered the system for use on its Champion around 2600. It was the
first Mech designed from the ground up to use it. It turns out the
Champion also used the Lubalin Ballistics 10-X autocannon, which had its
own advanced fire control system, the Mercury-IV. The Artemis IV
increases missile accuracy by roughly 35%. The Mercury-IV increases
the accuracy and range of ballistic weapons by about 20%.
Sigil paused. For some reason the Colonel looked utterly
unimpressed.
The Colonel began responding in a dangerously low
voice. Thank you for that history lesson, Leutnant. Now would you
please explain HOW IN THE HELL THAT IS USEFUL TO US RIGHT
NOW!
The Colonel growled angrily. Leutnant. I will be back here in 5
minutes. If you dont have something useful to report by then, so help me
Kerensky, I will strip you naked and send you streaking out across the
battlefield as a diversionary tactic. IS THAT UNDERSTOOD!?
Sigil bolted upright, hastily snapping a lopsided salute. Yes,
sir! Understood, Sir! Five minutes, sir!
He turned back to the console just as OMara came sprinting back
into the command center, barely just skidding to a stop before the Colonel.
Breathless, he reported. Colonel! The Daboku! It just took out
turret #3! Those quad Imperator Smoothie-2 autocannons, sir, their range
is incredible! Longer than the LRMs! It was stationed over 700m away
and laid a stream of slugs on it that just ate right through the turret. There
wasnt anything we could do! The LRMs are only good out to a
maximum of 630m! We had to abandon the position, sir.
Sigil swiveled his chair around. Colonel, sir, about the
communications. It just occurred to me the Army Comm. Class 5 in
Hamiltons Atlas has limited ground to space communication
capability. Im pretty sure I saw an elevator in the Mech bay when we
passed through. If you could get it topside, I bet you could get a signal
out. All the com gear in here is shot up pretty bad and we took out the
transmitter during the assault to drop their ECM field. I dont think well
be able to get it back online any time soon, Colonel. The Atlas is your
best bet, at least in the near term. The HartfordCo Com 4000 in your
Battlemaster might work too in a pinch but it isnt nearly as powerful as
the Class 5.
The grim faced Colonel looked back at OMara. Brevet Major,
with me. Its time we have a few words with your boss, the Overste.

Chapter 11
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Once Capt. Salt had the Shadowfax airborne once again, she turned
it around, heading back towards the KungsArme headquarters.
Sanchez, open a comlink to the HQ. The Colonels gonna need
some backup, assuming hes still alive. Salt pursed her lips tightly.
He better still be alive. She had taken one look at the Overstes
orders and it had looked like a suicide mission to her. Assaulting a
heavily fortified defensive position guarded by a reinforced company of
Mechs with a single lance. It certainly wasnt her idea of a good time.
It was insanity. She could hardly believe the Colonel had even
agreed to go. Contract be damned, she wouldve been out of there. The
Overste obviously had no regard for the 69th. It was just another pawn to
be sacrificed on the field so his Second Drakon could advance.
KungsArme HQ on the line, Captain. Ljtnant Endre.
This is Captain Varruka Salt, 69th Virginia Expeditionary,
inbound. Tango Alpha Foxtrot. Transmitting IFF codes now.
There was a short pause.
Identity confirmed, Capt. Salt. You may continue on your current
heading. Weve got a CAP up. Once they have visual confirmation,
theyll escort you on in. Welcome back.
The disembodied voice on the other end chuckled. You just made
me a rich man, Captain Salt. The pool was 10-to-1 odds against your
return.
Dont count your winnings yet, Lt. The target had a huge ECM
field covering it. We deployed our Swift Wind but by the time the ECM
field went down, we only caught a few brief communiqus from the
Colonel before we lost contact. Then we were forced to take off by a pair
of Shilones and a lance of approaching hostile Mechs. Standby, were
transmitting the full report now.
---
Overste Anders Erling was in his stateroom aboard his Overlord-
class DropShip mulling over the report from Captain Salt and the recent
supposed sighting of a Kurita Ghost Regiment when his XO, Gunnar
Holdar, entered.
Overste. Colonel Jason Henley of the 69th Virginia
Expeditionary just made contact.
Erling stood up immediately, making his way the short distance to
the bridge, Holdar following in his wake. The Colonels grim face filled
one of the primary displays.
Colonel Henley. Report.
We are in possession of a DCMS command, control and
communications facility. The fortified facility is not, repeat not, a
detention facility. There is no sign of any prisoners, nor were we able to
locate Silver Fox. We believe the installation is a Star League Defense
Force advanced fire control system research facility. We encountered a
GLT-3N Guillotine in the olive drab of the SLDF bearing 16th Army
insignia. We engaged a reinforced company of Ghost Regiemnt Mechs,
including an ISF unit and encountered a DEST inside the facility itself.
Erling hid his surprise well. What is your combat readiness
status?
Lt. Weddles Hammer was destroyed in the assault and he is still
MIA. My Battlemaster and the Atlas are both crippled. Only Lt.
Southers Hatchetman is operational. The infantry have been reduced to
approximately a single squad. We have barricaded ourselves into the
facility itself. The presumed Ghost commander, piloting a 90-ton Daboku,
and at least two other Kurita Mechs are still outside. A pair of Shilones is
likely still out there somewhere as well. We request immediate relief
forces. We cant hold this facility with one Mech and a squad of infantry,
Overste. The Colonel face was etched with anger.
Erling took little notice of the Colonels short, clipped report and
continued on.
Colonel, I dont know anything about this supposed Ghost
Regiment. What I do know is that the Sixth Alshain are mobilizing and
withdrawing from their positions on our flanks. It now seems likely they
intend to retake your position. This represents the best chance Task Force
Fenrir is going to get to take Silverdale, our primary objective. You are to
hold the facility until you receive further orders. Your DropShip is
inbound to our LZ. Your request for additional forces is denied. All
available units will support the assault on the primary objective. Once
weve secured Silverdale, HQ will notify you and you can have your
DropShip extract your unit.
Brevet Major OMaras voice suddenly broke into the
conversation. Overste Erling! This facility is priceless! The data and
equipment housed here are invaluable! In addition, it offers a fortified
position, repair facilities, parts stockpiles, everything we need to secure a
strong foothold on planet! I recommend we reinforce this position as soon
as possible!
Overste Erling looked annoyed. Brevet Major, apparently I need
to remind you of the objective of this campaign. The Second Drakon is
here to take the planet, not some long deserted SLDF supply
dump. Positioning ourselves in a remote sector on the secondary landmass
does little to advance our real mission. Taking the capital city, the
StarPort and the HPG facility, however, does. You have your
orders. Now, I have an assault to prepare. Dismissed.
Overste Erling Anders motioned to the communications officer to
cut the comlink as he turned to his XO.
 Assemble all the unit commanders and notify me immediately
once theyre gathered. Ive got a plan. He smiled, a jump in his step, as
he returned to his stateroom.
---
Brevet Major OMara stared at the black screen where the Overste
had disappeared only seconds before. I cant believe it
Colonel Henley flipped the crippled Atlass Army Comm Class 5
off. The small satellite dish on the side of the Atlass head began
collapsing and folding in on itself before stowing itself away in an
armored compartment specially built to protect it.
Believe it, Major. Overste Ander Erlings is an idiot. He paused
for a long second. Sigil better have turned up something useful by now
or were all going to die.
Henley checked Atlass Type 26K scanners out of habit. Ive got
a reading on the motion sensors. Small, might just be an
anomaly. Punching it up on optical now.
Henley looked over at one of his secondary displays, punching up
the magnification. A haggard figure in a torn cooling vest stumbled out
from the behind the rubble of one of the destroyed turrets.
With a sharp intake of breathe, the Colonel recognized Lt. Jochen
Weddle from his shock of blond hair. Kerensky! Lt. Weddle made it
after all! Open the cockpit. We need to get him down to medical. He
looks rough.
A few minutes later, OMara was helping Weddle into the Atlass
now cramped cockpit.
Sorry, Colonel, Weddle began explaining, between the neural
feedback from the Hammer going up and the force of the ejection and
subsequent landing, I was knocked clean out. As it is, I feel like Ive been
ridden hard and hung up wet.
Have the medic give you a good once over. If were going to
survive the next 24 hours, were all going to be pushing our limits.
The Atlas slowly turned, limping back into the elevator for the ride
back down.
---
Overste Anders looked up as Colonel Sarah Lindon strode briskly
into his stateroom.
He tossed his data pad onto his desk. Thats right, Colonel
Lindon. Request denied.
Putting both hands on his desk, Lindon leaned over fixing him with
her flinty gaze. Thats bullshit, Colonel! You cant leave the 69th out
there like that!
 Overste Erling leaned forward, his face now only inches from
Lindons. Im going to speak frankly and off the record, Colonel
Lindon. I dont have to like every decision I make. But I still have to
make them. As a commanding officer I expect you to understand and
respect that. Were both well aware of our precarious position here. The
69th has given us a real opportunity to pull this rabbit out of the hat and I
mean to take it. And that means I need every available unit. Every last
one. All out on the field supporting the upcoming attack on
Silverdale. Then, maybe, just maybe, we stand a chance of pulling this
off.
Refusing to so much as twitch, Lindon rolled on. Youre holding
their DropShip hostage. Youre leaving them to die, Colonel
Erling. Youre sacrificing them.
Their eyes locked together as Erling spat out his response. This is
war, Colonel Lindon. People die. Its my duty to take this planet for the
Free Rasalhague Republic and to minimize my combat losses while
maximizing the losses of my enemy. Officer Candidate School Lesson
#1. Now, if youre done throwing your little tizzy fit, I suggest you return
to your unit and prepare them for the upcoming operation. Dismissed.
Damn you to hell, Anders. Ill never work for the KungsArme
again! Colonel Sarah Lindon turned suddenly, slamming the portal to his
office shut as she stormed out.
--
Ah, the rewards of a misspent youth. Any system is only as secure
as its weakest link. Sigil had learned that back in his days at
Sanglamore. The layout of any military facility was always a closely
guarded secret. But the maintenance techs still had to know where to go
to fix things when they broke or needed replacement.
And what is the one thing everybody needs? Air.
Sigil grinned as he pulled up the HVAC diagrams of the
installation. Ducting schematics, air handlers, vents, returns, heat
exchangers, it was practically the entire layout of the facility if you knew
how to read it. You could even guesstimate the rough dimensions of a
space by looking and the size and number of vents and returns. Cross-
reference that with the diameter of the ducting and the rate of flow,
compare that to standard turnover rates, and you get a pretty good idea of
its size.
And since the maintenance techs took care of the day-to-day, they
needed access to this kind of documentation. And it was a rare custodial
tech that had a decent security clearance. Apparently, some things hadnt
changed in the past 300 years and thank Kerensky for that, Sigil
laughed. Talk about irony.
It took only a cursory examination to locate the main Mech
bay. What he was really looking for were any hallways large enough to
accommodate the passage of a Mech. Mmmhmm. There, there, there
and more still. Wow, there was actually quite a few.
That must be the main set of doors where we entered. And this
one, one of the concealed passages the Daboku had sprung out of. And
that one looks like it heads towards turret #3. There must be another
hidden door somewhere near that turret.
All in all, he counted six different passages out of the
facility. Given what hed seen during the assault, you could bet they were
all cleverly camouflaged. No doubt the Colonel would appreciate
knowing about these.
Sigils mind returned to the SLDF Royal engineers reports hes
scanned earlier, specifically the one that showed that Guillotine was still
undergoing testing. His mind spun and twirled like an acrobat with
possibilities. If I was the Star League commander, where would I store
working prototypes? Id need them to be close to the main Mech hangar
and Id require a specially equipped laboratory for the outfitting, testing
and analysis. And Id have to strictly control access.
Sigil began to systematically spiral out from the Mech bay. Page
after page of detailed HVAC blueprints flashed by his screen. Suddenly
the screen flashed red and a system prompt appeared. Authorization
Required. Bingo! That had to be the Royal Engineers laboratory.
He spun his chair around, yelling. Hey, Ernie, grab some of you
men and follow me down to the hangar. I need you to check out
something for me.
---
Hamilton was busy with the thermal welder, cutting out plates
from slabs of armor when Sigil came up behind him. The armor looked
odd. It wasnt solid plating but looked to be three layers all sandwiched
together. Definitely thicker and bulker too.
Hey, Hamilton! What are you doing? Slapping industrial armor
on the Hatchetman!? Kerensky, are we that desperate!?
Hamilton flipped up his welding helmet, shrugging. To be
honest, Ive got no idea. It was labeled as Grumman-3. Its as close to
armor as I could find around here so how about you stop asking questions
and give me a hand instead. Get up and there and give me the dimensions
for the next plate. This stuff is a real pain in the ass to cut.
With that, Hamilton snapped his visor down and continued
working.
 Sigil looked around for Capt. McMillian. Hey Captain, Im
gonna give Hamilton a hand with the armor before he totally screws it
up. Go on ahead. Im sure well still be here when you get back.
McMillian turned, four of his men following behind him, and
disappeared into one of the many wide passageways leading out of the
hangar.
---
As McMillian led the way down one of the cavernous passageways
leading out of the hangar, he couldnt help but reflect on their current
situation. Hed been in a lot of tight spots during his time in the Infantry
Corps of the LCAF but this might arguably be the worst.
It was just a matter of time before the Dragon came back to
reclaim its lair. That they would, he had no doubt. That they would
succeed, he had no doubt either. The only question that remained is would
he survive its fiery return.
Hed been fighting a battle within himself about it. Smart money
would be to load up all the remaining 69th personnel, abandon the base
and make a dash for it. Of course that would mean leaving all the Mechs
behind and Mech jocks were real particular about their hardware.

Chapter 12
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Tai-sa Nikki Samoro smiled grimly in the cockpit of her 100-ton

KGC-0000 King Crab. She could hardly believe her luck. The foolish
Second Drakon commander was advancing on the city.
Hojitsu Nakamoto had ordered her entire company painted to
appear like units from the 312th ComGuard Division. Most of the other
units in the Fifth Ghost had been painted to match the Sixth Alshain
garrison forces. But not hers. She had an unusual number of Star League
Mechs, ironically provided by ComStar itself as part of deal arranged by
the Kanrei. Sure they didnt have the lostech but they were tough
machines and sure to throw the enemy into confusion.
All units, maintain formation and follow me. Complete radio
silence. Do not, repeat, do not, activate communications or fire until I
give the order.
---
 From the cockpit of his Zeus, Overste Anders Erling was looking
at the skyline of Silverdale for the second time. His XO, Overste-Lojtnant
Gunnar Holdar, stood next to him in his battle scarred Victor, the Pontiac
100 still smoking from the Crusader that had ventured a bit too close and
gone up like a roman candle. Bristling with missiles and machine guns,
the Crusader was like a 65-ton walking ammunition bin. And the Pontiac
could penetrate just about anything with a single shot.
Gunnar, fortune favors the bold, my friend. All units advance on
the city.
The Overste lived for battle. Like his Viking forbearers, he lived
for the glory of the battlefield, to cut down the enemy like wheat before a
scythe and take what they were too weak to hold. To kill, plunder and
revel in blood.
Between the Sixth Alshain losses at the LZ and the units that had
withdrawn to retake the command center taken by the mercenaries, there
couldnt be more than a battalion left to defend the city. It was ripe for the
plucking.
He throttled up his Zeus and entered the city proper.
Sixth Alshain Panthers sniped at his approaching unit as the
accompanying Jenners rocketed back from their rooftop positions,
disappearing into the urban landscape. They were falling back
already. He sent his Lightning Strike PPC and Thunderbolt large laser
streaking after one of the Drac Alley Cats. Sparks flew from the
machines left torso as it jumped down from its perch seeking cover.
Hed take the StarPort in no time.
---
Captain Ernie McMillian was stunned. And he couldnt remember
the last time that had happened. Not after everything hed done and been
through running Black Ops for the LIC. But this, this was unbelievable.
A huge cavernous chamber opened up before him. Even his
powerful search light couldnt penetrate the incredibly high ceiling. But
what it did illuminate was more than enough to take his breathe away.
The metallic skin of a small spheroid DropShip reflected his light
back at him. It bore the insignia and paint scheme of the long since
departed Star League Defense Force. McMillian gave a low whistle. A
concealed AeroDome.
His small force spread out behind him, their lights sending their
beams stabbing through the darkness, revealing treasure after
treasure. The towering forms of a Highlander, Thug, and a Bombardier
loomed near the open Mech bay doors of the DropShip. Only one of the
four doors did not have a sentinel standing guard by it.
 He shifted his spotlight to the floor. Heavy foot traffic was
obvious in the thick layer of dust that covered most of the floor. As he
walked, he could also see where a Mech had transversed the cavern floor.
The trail ended at the unguarded Mech bay door. Suddenly, he recalled
Sigil calling out hed spotted a Guillotine in SLDF colors during the battle
earlier that day. It must have come from here.
He activated his personal communicator. Colonel, McMillan
here. I think I just found us a way out. You wont believe what Im
looking at right now.
---
Kapten Christopher Peat blinked repeatedly in the cockpit of his
CPLT-C1 Catapult. The Overste had tasked what was left of his battalion
to defend the DropShips while the rest of the Second Drakon assaulted
Alshains capital, Silverdale. Major Dannock had been killed aboard the
Newfoundland, along with all aboard, when the Kurita aerospace fighters
had shot it down during landing operations and so the command of the
battalion had passed to him.
He screwed up his face in anger, remembering how poorly his
command had fared during the initial defense of the LZ. Theyd broken
and run only to be rallied by the mercenary commander of Lindons
Company. No doubt that was why the Overste had denied him a role in
the assault on the city and left him here to babysit the units DropShips. It
was akin to being told to feed and water the horses.
And now this. A dozen ComGuard Mechs were advancing on his
position. The Overste had been perfectly clear on this point. He still
recalled his exact words, Under no circumstances will you engage any
ComGuard unit nor enter the grounds of the HyperPulse Generator. Let
me repeat that. Do not engage any ComGuard unit, nor approach the
HyperPulse Generator. Period. No exceptions. If you believe you taking
fire from a ComGuard unit, you will not return fire. You will disengage
and report the incident immediately up the chain of command.
He shifted nervously in his command couch as the ComGuards
continued their advance. What were they doing out here,
anyway? Werent they stationed at the HyperPulse Generator?
It was like watching an old holovid about the Succession
Wars. The Mechs were all old Star League models, each one of them a
rarity on the modern battlefield. He knew them all by their reputation and
had seen a few of them in real life but never this close. They approached
in two groupings of six.
An enormous King Crab, flanked on either side by a Crockett,
Guillotine, Champion, Lancelot and a Kintaro made up the lead
element. Behind them, led by a Black Knight, were a Wyvern, Sentinel,
Hermes, Mongoose and a Thorn. But his eyes kept snapping back to the
dual Deathgiver AC/20s in the King Crabs thick arms. He shuddered
involuntarily. There was something about facing a Mech with two
AC/20s that was just utterly terrifying.
Ok, they had gotten close enough. He activated his
comlink. This is Kapten Christopher Peat, Second Drakon, KungsArme,
Free Rasalhague Republic. You are entering a restricted area. Please
identify yourself and state your intent.
The ComGuard units simply continued their advance. Kapten Peat
felt the first twinges of panic setting in. Hastily flipping his O/P COM-
211 to the command frequency, he sent out an alpha priority
communique. This is Kapten Christopher Peat. I have two level II
ComGuard formations advancing on my position. They are not
responding to calls. Please advise ASAP, over.
---
Overste Anders Erlings was screaming into his com. What do
you mean youve lost contact with Third Battalion!? ComGuards?! What
the hell are you talking about!? He snapped off a hasty shot with his
Lightning Strike PPC at another Sixth Alshain Dragon.
Suddenly, the city seemed to be crawling with Sixth Alshain
Mechs. They were boiling out of nowhere like ants from a nest. His
Zeus was rocked by another PPC bolt from one of the Panthers that
suddenly seemed to appear on every rooftop in the entire city. He sent his
Coventry Star Fire LRM arcing down towards it as it leapt nimbly over to
the next rooftop.
There were targets everywhere. A Kurita Wolverine appeared
from around the corner, sending its Whirlwind autocannon chewing away
at his quickly evaporating armor. He responded with his large laser as the
Kurita Mech quickly retreated back around the corner.
Gunnar Holdars calm voice broke into the din of battle. Overste,
we are in danger of being overrun or surrounded and cut off. We are
outnumbered and the landing zone has been compromised. I recommend
an immediate strategic withdraw.
The Overstes fist came crashing down against the control surface
of his Mech, the thought of retreat bringing the bitter taste of bile to his
mouth. One glance at his tracking system revealed the undeniable truth of
his XOs assessment of the situation. Their current position was
untenable. Theyd be reduced to razor blades if they continued their push
into Silverdale. As it was, getting back out would be challenge enough.
His com sprung to life again, this time on his private frequency, as
the bad news continued unabated. Overste, this is Major Dtalia. Kapten
Peats position has been overrun. Unconfirmed ComGuard units have
penetrated the landing zone. An unknown number of additional Sixth
Alshain forces are approaching the LZ from the west. Estimate strength at
two companies. Additional unconfirmed reports of units bearing the
insignia of the Fifth Ghost Regiment have been reported from the eastern
flank. Request additional support immediately.
The Overste growled into his comlink. This is Thor. All units
withdraw to the landing zone. Our work here is done. Deploy aerospace
assets. Prepare DropShips for immediate departure.
Damn this planet.

Chapter 13
Nadir Point
Alshain
3043
Draconis Combine

Overste Anders Erling entered Colonel Jason Henleys quarters

aboard Stonewall, the Star League Confederate-class DropShip the 69th
VXF had used to escape from the mini Castle Brian on Alshain. What
was left of Task Force Fenrir was preparing to make the first jump on their
way back to Rasalhague after failing to take Alshain from the Draconis
Combine.
The Colonels stateroom was unusually spacious for such a small
DropShip. In fact, the Overste found the facilities rivaled those found on
his own Overlord-class. A model of military efficiency, the Stonewall not
only offered extensive repair facilities, including cargo cranes, myomer
and electronics testing equipment, but also two multi-purpose bays
capable of carrying BattleMechs, Aerospace fighters, or just straight
cargo. As such, it could easily accommodate six BattleMechs and still
have space for additional armor and infantry. Armed exclusively with
energy weapons, it could sustain fire indefinitely. It was a fine example of
Star League engineering.
Colonel Henley motioned the Overste into a nearby chair and
waited.
Erling sat down, his eyes scanning the Colonels
stateroom. Spartan and impeccably clean. When had he found the time to
take the Stonewall out of mothballs? Only a slightly stale tinge to the air
belied the fact the Stonewall hadnt seen action for over 200 years. Unless
maybe the Dracs had cleaned up it already. They must have known it was
there, right? Hed made a mental note to double check with OMara on
that.
The Overstes steely gaze met the Colonels equally cold look as
he spoke. I know your type, Colonel. A young, cocky and brash hot-shot
still convinced of their own invincibility. Ready to take on the entire Inner
Sphere and win. Im going to let you in a little bit of wisdom,
Colonel. Men like you may win battles, but men like me win
campaigns. And let me tell you how I intend to win this one.
Overste Anders Erling waved his hand, motioning all around
him. This DropShip, the Highlander, Thug and the Bombardier, by the
book, its all salvage. Everything you took out of that SLDF base that you
didnt have when you went in, its salvage. And Im sure I dont need to
remind you that I hold exchange rights to all of it. Furthermore, Major
OMara provided me with a full inventory of everything you
took. Including the copies of the SLDF engineering reports.
Colonel Henleys eyes tightened.
Now before you start jumping to conclusions, Colonel. Im going
to tell you what Im going to do and how Im going to turn this entire
boondoggle into a rip-roaring success. And how you are going to help me
do it.
He paused, unflinchingly holding the Colonels flinty gaze as he
continued. When we arrive on Rasalhague, Im going to land in this
Confederate-class DropShip. Then, I will emerge from the bay doors in
that HGN-732b Highlander. I will be flanked by Major OMara in the
Thug, who, might I remind you, led the assault that the captured the SLDF
facility, and finally with my own XO piloting the Bombardier.
Anders grinned widely. One helluva photo-op dont you think,
Colonel? Itll look like the second goddamn coming of the Star League!
Next, I will announce the successful recovery of a cache of Star
League lostech from Alshain. From right under the noses of those snakes
no less. And then Ill present a copy of the memory core Major OMara
captured to the Command Council.
Erling leaned back with a smug smile. You see, Colonel, the
planetary assault was just a smoke screen. Masking the true nature of our
objective. The SLDF facility.
Erling held his hand up. I know what youre thinking,
Colonel. Whats in it for me? Im a reasonable man. Naturally, youll
receive full pay for your contract. In addition, your unit will receive a
commendation for its performance, including an honorary rank in the
KungsArme and the presentation of ceremonial swords and at an official
ceremony hosted at the Citadel on Rasalhague. All of this will be
reflected in your units official profile on file with the Mercenary Review
Board, significantly increasing your unit rating.
Now, as much as you may believe Im a heartless, cruel old
sonuvabitch, Im not. Regarding your exchange rights, Ill give you a
Union-class DropShip in exchange for your current Leopard-class along
with the Confederate-class you heisted from the base. Ill toss in twenty
million C-bills for two of the three SLDF Mechs you recovered and Ill
let you keep one, your pick. Youll be a wealthy man with the means to
expand your unit, and the transport capacity to carry them.
What do you say, Colonel?
---
Colonel Henleys eyes had not blinked, nor had they broken
contact with the Overstes gaze since he had sat down across from
him. He leaned slightly forward and with both hands he reached out to the
edge of the desk in front of him, grasping it firmly with the tips of his
fingers. His posture, and his uniform, was as impeccable as his newly
earned quarters. There was an uncomfortable silence as he weighed his
response. He could feel his blood-pressure rise as he processed the
Overstes proposition.
Men under his command had lost their lives during the assault on
Alshain and others were seriously injured, all because of the incompetence
of the man sitting in front of him. As if that wasnt enough, hed all but
abandoned the 69th VXF at the SLDF facility, including Major OMara a
member of the Overstes own staff, as at least a battalions worth of Kurita
BattleMechs marched to retake it.
For his own part, the 69th, comprised of just four Mechs and a
pair of infantry squads, had managed to take the Star League complex
from an entire company of Combine forces. The Overste had failed at
every step of this campaign, whether it was intel, planning, tactics, or,
honor.
With the tips of his fingers he pushed his chair back from the desk
and stood upright, as if he was inspecting troops. His movement was
slow, smooth and deliberate. The Overstes head tilted back so that he
could keep eye contact with the Colonels imposing gaze.
With both hands the Colonel tugged the bottom of his field jacket,
ensuring that it was perfectly flush against his chest and abdomen. He
then leaned forward and placed his hands on the desk between them. His
weight rested on the tips of his fingers as if he was preparing to vault
across the desk at the man in front of him. The Overstes eyes widened
just enough to indicate this conversation may not end the way he had
planned.
The Colonel paused again, his chest expanding as he took one last
breath and finally delivered his response.
Erling, before I respond to your offer, I will give you a little
insight about my type. It is common knowledge that the Lyrans have a
habit of awarding military commands to ill-prepared young nobles.
There was a brief pause before the Colonel pushed off the desk and
back into his inspection stance.
However, I am not one of those. During my time with the Third
Lyran Guard, because of the incompetence of my commanding officers, I
was afforded the opportunity to clean up their mistakes. You see, Erling,
my men, although cocky, are far from the young, brash, hot-shot type you
described. We have been cleaning up after your type for quite some
time.
The Overstes eyes narrowed, his years becoming more visible in
the lines crossing his face. He took a breath as if about to respond and
leaned forward in his chair.
However, the Colonel had other ideas.
Henley continued, ignoring Erlings apparent desire to respond to
the insult. I am not finished. His voice was noticeably louder.
Henleys hands snapped instinctively behind his back, as if he was
inspecting a group of young recruits. You have failed as a commander in
every aspect of this mission. Your quest to glorify yourself has resulted in
the loss of countless resources, a Star League research facility, an entire
planet and the lives of both your men and mine.
The Colonels voice had escalated from loud to what his men
referred to ass chewing mode. You have attempted to breach our
contract since the beginning of this mission, stole salvage from my unit
and worst of all, abandoned your own men, not to mention my unit!
Henleys face was now red, the veins in his temple pulsed with
each heartbeat. The Colonel took another breath, and like a switch,
returned to his calm demeanor. He slipped both of his thumbs behind his
belt, one on each side of his polished brass Third Lyran Guard belt buckle
that he still proudly wore even after his discharge from the LCAF.
Erlings gaze widened as he watched Henleys hands slide around
the circumference of his waist until his right hand came to rest on the
holster that contained his Sunbeam laser pistol.
Your actions on Alshain were reckless, beyond reckless,
bordering on stupidity. You fell into every trap the Dracs set, seeking
easy glory for your own gain, AND YOU THINK YOU CAN COME ON
MY SHIP AND ATTEMPT TO CONTINUE TO STEAL FROM ME
AND MY MEN WHAT WE HAVE PAID FOR IN BLOOD?! You,
Erling, are nothing more than a common pirate, unfit for any uniform
other than perhaps the orange jumpsuit of a petty criminal.
Henley could feel the weight of the laser pistol on his thigh,
perspiration beginning to build up behind his low-slung tactical holster. It
was as if his pistol was begging to be freed and used for its intended
purpose. Erling was speechless. For he knew every grievance spoken was
the truth and the man in front of him had the tactical advantage. At least
for the moment.
And just like that, the Colonel reverted to his previous cool and
calm demeanor and then reached back and pulled his chair back under
him. Henley calmly rolled back up to his desk, looked Erling in the eyes,
and gave his final statement.
I reject your offer for what it is. A desperate offer from an even
more desperate man.
Erling, seeing the opportunity to regain the advantage, quickly
regained his composure, preparing to turn the tables on the mercenary
Colonel.
In one abrupt movement, Erling sprung from his chair and drew his
own side arm and pointed it directly at the seated Colonel. Although he
did not flinch, Henley took note of the surprising speed of the man who
was well into his 60s.
Colonel, you dont get to be a man in my position unless you are
willing to seize the advantage, regardless of circumstances. When you
failed to located that Silver Fox fool, it was easy enough to blame your
unit for my lack of intelligence. Your unit, and that shit OMara, were
nothing more than fodder, anyway. Bait to distract the Combine forces so
I could take the city. I must admit, however, you surprised me with your
resilience. But there is one thing I have learned. Never leave loose
ends. When you requested reinforcements after somehow managing to
capture the Castle Brian, I figured the battalion of Ghost Mechs closing
on your position would tidy things up for me. Why couldnt you just die
like you were supposed to?
There was a pause and then Erling began to smile as he adjusted
his grip on his pistol.
Colonel, before I finish this, I want you to know what will be in
my report to the Citadel and to the Mercenary Review Board. You
directly disobeyed every order given to you during the course of this
campaign, beginning with you charging off at the landing zone. Then you
failed to extract the Silver Fox, which led directly to the loss of
Silverdale. And, finally, attempted to steal a priceless cache of Star
League tech and escape with it off planet. Of course, I am the one
responsible for preventing your theft of the Star League cache, which my
men, not yours, discovered in the Castle Brian. You, Colonel, will be
branded as a pirate, posthumously of course. You insubordinate little shit,
you should have taken my offer!
He grinned in satisfaction, reveling in his moment of victory.
As if on cue, the reinforced cabin doors emblazoned with the Star
of Cameron slid open with a hissing sound. On the other side of the door
were both his Executive Officer, Gunnar Holdar and the mercenary liaison
Brevet Major OMara. Erling had assigned OMara to the 69th, both to
keep tabs on the unit and to keep OMara out of his way.
Pistol drawn, OMara leveled his weapon at the back of Erlings
head. The look on OMaras face left no doubt that he had heard Erlings
entire rant. Colonel Henley could see the blood drain out of the Overstes
face as he realized everything he had just said had been broadcast to
Holdar and OMara. Walking lock-step behind them was the Colonels
commando, Ernie McMillian, with a recently captured Kurita Blazer also
leveled at the Overste.
Put down your weapon, Erling. NOW! OMara spoke with
conviction, leaving no doubt what the repercussions would be if Erling
failed to comply.
McMillian began to circle the Overste, side-stepping silently in a
continuous fluid motion, all the while keeping his Blazer perfectly level
and pointed center mass. Erling could not help but follow his movements,
the grace with which he moved revealed that this man was both a predator
and assassin of rare skill.
The crack of OMaras pistol butt against the back of Erlings head
broke the silence, followed by the metallic thunk of the Overstes pistol
bouncing across the steel floor as he crashed face first into the Colonels
desk and then onto the steel plating of the floor.
Thats for Dawg and my men, asshole, McMillian spoke calmly
as he shoved his knee roughly into the Overstes neck, pinning his head to
the floor. Erling grunted as McMillian slung his Blazer to one side, but no
amount of resistance could prevent his hands from being secured behind
his back in restraints.
Brevet Major OMara stepped forward. Erling, you are hereby
relieved of command. Colonel, if you would please have this man
delivered to the troops waiting outside of your ship, they will be happy to
take custody of him.
Erling, blood dripping from his nose, stared straight at OMara and
with a bloody snarl retorted You have over-stepped your authority for the
last time, OMara! Once my superiors hear of this, you will be hung for
treason!
OMara just grinned as he holstered his weapon.
Erling, arrangements for that have already been made. I am
taking you to Radstadt, where you will stand before General Mansdottor
and the Grand Council. While you are there, you can discuss with them
the charges of dereliction of duty, behavior unbefitting of an officer,
misappropriation of resources, and, of course, treason.
McMillian grabbed one of Erlings arms and led by Overste-
Lojtnant Gunnar Holdar, drug him away.
The reinforced doors hissed as they slid shut, leaving OMara and
the Colonel alone for the first time. Henley looked calmly down at bloody
spot on the floor that had broken the Overstes fall.
I just had this place cleaned, he sighed. Have a seat Major, let
us discuss where we go from here.
The Colonel sat back in his chair, pulled himself up to his desk and
produced two cigars from the top left drawer.
You know, Colonel, Erling did have one good idea. Rasalhague
does need a hero. How about
Hold that thought, Major. Henley clipped the ends of both
cigars, handing one to OMara. The Colonel leaned forward, lighting
OMaras cigar before doing the same to his own and then continued.
We land the Stonewall, painted with the Rasalhague shield and VXF
banner, on Rasalhague. You step out in the Highlander, flanked by my
men. Sigil has prepared a data core with all the recovered technology
specs that you can present to the Council. Rasalhague does need a hero,
and I think you will fill that role just fine.
OMara took a long drag from his cigar and slowly let the smoke
drift from his mouth before responding. I suppose you would like the
honorary commission?
For me and my men, yes. And that you honor our initial
contract. In exchange for the Thug and Bombardier, I want a TDR-5SE
Thunderbolt and an Archer. I also require fifty Freezers and one of those
new extended range large lasers. Im sure once you do the math, you will
find it quite fair. As for the Highlander, Hamilton may start a war if hes
forced to part with it so Sigil has will include its specs in the data core.
OMara took a long drag off of his cigar, Colonel, I think we have
a deal.
Chapter 14
Rasalhague
3043
Free Rasalhague Republic

Colonel Jason Henley was standing on the bridge of the

Stonewall. Captain Salt was at the helm, her chief engineer, Spanner,
standing next to her. They were about to make the final jump of their long
journey back to Rasalhague.
Task Force Fenrir was returning home. And while they hadnt
taken Alshain from the Draconis Combine, there was a silver lining. His
units occupation of the mini Castle Brian had allowed them to capture the
Star League equipment stockpiled there as well as to make a copy of the
facilitys memory core, which were fine compensation indeed. Especially
for the fledgling Free Rashalhague Republic defense industry. They
would now likely be able to produce lostech in-house.
The voice of the helmsman for the Invader they were docked with
came over the intercom. Standby for Jump. Engaging drive in
54321.
Henley involuntarily gripped the stainless steel handrail as his
insides felt like they were being inverted. Being sucked down the rabbit
hole and turned into the Mad Hatter was how he liked to think of it. And
just as he felt as if his sanity has been scattered into deep space, he was
suddenly reassembled and the bridge of the Stonewall came back into
focus. Jumping was something he would never quite get used to.
The helmsmans voice came over the speakers once
more. Arrival at the nadir point of Rasalhague confirmed. Welcome
home everybody.
As his stomach settled, his thoughts turned back to his unit. They
had performed well. Faced impossible odds again and again. He paused
for a moment. Not all of them had made it home. There had been losses.
Dawg and McMillian had both lost men under their command, and
Dawg himself would likely need serious physical rehabilitation before he
could return to active duty. He had been first into the command center of
the Combine stronghold and had taken more slugs than any man had a
right to survive. Dawg was still trying to hide his limp and the Colonel
could tell from the grimace that crossed his face when he thought no one
was looking, that there was other damage as well.
Hed see to it that Dawg received the finest medical services
available. And that the families of the men and women who hadnt made
it home would be taken care of as well. Ultimately, that was his
responsibility and he felt it keenly.
His thoughts were interrupted by the helmsmans voice once
again. The Svartelheim did not complete the jump. Repeat, the
Svartelheim is missing.
Colonel Henleys stomach dropped into freefall. The Svartelheim
was the Merchant-class JumpShip carrying the imprisoned former
Overste. And it had a pair of Union-class DropShips docked to it as well,
the Thrym and the Jotunheim.
His fist slammed against the handrail, his eyes tightening. By the
Usurper himself! That bastard had flown the coop. With the threat of
court martial and exile hanging over his head, Anders Erling had gone
rogue.
He knew it with a certainty that was frightening. There was no
way it was a misjump. He didnt even consider it for a moment. He must
have had a contingency planned all along. Grinding his teeth in
frustration, Henley turned, stalking off to his stateroom.
---
Anders Erling, former Overste in the KungsArme, looked out into
the deep space of an unnamed star system. A blank canvas. A
reprieve. A fresh opportunity to rewrite his own destiny.
He smiled as he turned around to face his assembled officers.
Welcome to Valhalla, gentleman. And my personal thanks to
each of you. Youve followed me into Hel before and come out alive and
rest assured were going to be doing it again.
He chuckled. Well be traveling to the Periphery. With two
companies of Mechs and warriors such as yourselves, well have little
trouble setting up a new base of operations. Hell, we could take an entire
planet if we found one worth taking.
Once there, we will re-establish ourselves as the Valkyries. And I
make this promise to each and every one of you. If you want wealth, you
shall have it. Luxury, its yours. Slaves, done. Titles, lands, whatever
your mind can conceive of, it will be yours.
He looked each man and woman directly in the eye before
proceeding. These were the people whose loyalty had saved him. They
had turned their back on their homeland for him. And he always paid his
debts.
All I ask in return is what you have already given. Your
unquestioning loyalty. Things are going to be a bit different from here on
out. I dont have to remind you that well be operating in the grey area
and sometimes even in the black. The dice have been cast and there is no
turning back now.
He turned back to the expansive viewport, waving his
hands. Gentlemen, we shall pluck the ripe fruits from the fat orchards of
the once Great Houses and revel in glory and excess! We are the new
kings! We will take what we want, when we want. And we deal in
death.
---
The KungsArme techs had done a marvelous job of detailing the
Bombardier, Thug and Highlander. In part, credit was due to the
Confederate-class DropShip itself.
The spacious cargo bay was practically a miniature Mech repair
facility. Cranes, diagnostic and testing equipment, slings, harnesses,
welders, cutters and industrial exoskeletons, in truth Henley wasnt sure
parting with it would be a wise choice. But it was undoubtedly worth a
sizable fortune and the units need for a JumpShip might, in the end, be
greater. It was something he was still mulling over.
They had even managed to lovingly restore the original 16th Army
Star League Defense Force paint job. And, in a minor fit of what he
considered extravagance, they had sent some of the techs out into space to
paint the stylized Midgard Serpent of the Free Rasalhague Republic
intertwined around the Star of Cameron.
All in preparation for this moment, a heros welcome.
Capt. Salt was absorbed in controlling the decent of the DropShip
as they made planetfall. They would be landing directly at the main
StarPort in the capital city. All the planning and preparations for this
moment had been handled during the four and a half day burn.
No one had said a word about the Svartelheim. Major OMara had
summed it up best when hed told the Colonel succinctly, Rasalhague
needs heroes not traitors.
In the end, Major OMara didnt have the heart to pilot the
Highlander. He had laughed and said something about the need for the
KungsArme to maintain good mercenary relations.
OMara would be in the Thug and Hamilton in the Highlander. It
had been case of love at first sight, with Hamilton vowing never to pilot
anything other than the 90-ton jump capable HGN-732b for the rest of his
career. Weddle would be piloting the Bombardier for the parade and
Southers Hatchetman would serve as an honor guard, standing at
attention next to the Stonewall. Sigil, of course, refused to pilot anything
except his 40-ton Clint and since that was now mostly scrap, he wouldnt
be taking part in the parade.
 He could see that Capt. Salt had things well in hand, so he headed
down to the Mech bay to strap himself into his Battlemaster. Lagemann
would be riding shotgun with him in the command console. He paused, as
the irony hit him. It was the almost the exact same force that had taken
the field against the Fifth Ghost and it struck him as a fitting tribute.
---
Capt. Salts voice was practically purring. Secure the
cabin. Prepare to open Mech bay doors. Had they landed, the Colonel
wondered. Damn, she had a smooth hand, he hadnt even noticed.
Sunlight streamed in as the bay door lifted. He could see a wing of
Aerospace fighters in tight formation screaming above the ferrocrete
landing pad. The First Drakon was lined up in rows forming a path to a
grandstand covered in green and blue bunting. 108 Mechs, all gleaming
in the sun at full attention, to greet the return of their sister regiment.
And was that a band in front of the grandstand?
As agreed, Major OMaras Thug was the first out of the
DropShip. 80-tons of shining Star League glory, the Rasalhague serpent
intertwined around the famous Cameron Star emblazoned on both arms.
When had they done that?
The Bombardier and the Highlander formed an honor guard for the
Thug as they began the walk towards the grandstand. The Colonel fell in
behind them, keeping a respectable distance.
As the Thug passed the initial rows of the assembled First Drakon,
the Mechs on either side raised their arms in salute. The Colonel had to
hand it to the Rasalhagians, they knew how to put on a proper
ceremony. He noticed numerous holovid crews tucked subtly between the
Mechs recording the entire thing and no doubt broadcasting it live across
the planet to a population starved for heroes.
The procession solemnly made its way to the grandstand. There,
OMara stopped, his Thug kneeling down in front of the assembled
dignitaries as he climbed out. Henley piloted his Mech directly behind
him and opened the canopy.
A step behind the Major, they both approached the grandstand on
foot.
Colonel Henley blinked twice in rapid succession. Prince Haakon
Magnusson himself was on the platform. He stepped up the microphone.
Valdherren, Hertig, and members of the Riksdag. We gather
today to honor the valorous. Like our Viking ancestors from ancient
Terra, our warriors have traveled the dangerous unknown to meet the
Dragon in his lair and plunder his hoard.
The Prince paused a moment, raising his hand triumphantly. And
they have returned victorious! The Second Drakon, and those who
traveled with them to Alshain, passed through the crucible of dragon fire
and took what they came for by strength of arms, proving once again the
true meddle of the KungsArme! And you wonder what miraculous
treasures lie in such a hoard?
Prince Magnusson motioned towards the three SLDF BattleMechs.
Behold! The lost secrets of the Star League! And now they are ours!
The grandstand erupted in wild applause as the band broke into a
rousing rendition of "Sng till Norden, A myriad of voices singing and
chanting in unison.

I forever want to serve thee, my beloved country,

Loyalty until death I want to swear thee,
Thy right I will protect with mind and with hand,
thy banner, the heroes carry high.
With God I shall fight for home and for hearth,
for Rasalhague, the beloved native soil.
I trade thee not, for anything in a world
No, I want to live, I want to die in the North.

The song grew and swelled, reaching a crescendo. The air was
suddenly rent by a flight of aerospace fighters only meters off the ground
as they screamed up the passage towards the Prince and the assembled
Mechs. At the last second, they veered practically vertical, shooting into
the sky like metallic stars as the 108 Mechs of the First Drakon stomped
the ground thrice in perfect unison.
For a suspended second, the entire world shook with an astounding
ferocity. The cacophony of sounds physically assaulted them and then as
quickly as it came, it was over.
On the grandstand, the Prince reached to his side, putting an
ancient horn covered in gold leaf to his lips and blew a single, long note.
Major OMara, Second Drakon, KungsArme. Step forth and
kneel.
As OMara kneeled, the Prince drew out a medallion from within
the folds of his ceremonial regalia and held it up, glinting in the
sunlight. The Hammer Mjollnir! To crush our enemies, scatter our foes
and revel in the glory of battle!
He draped the heavy medallion suspended on a thick golden chain
from the Majors neck and then stepped back away from center
stage. Another man, dressed impeccably in modern clothes stepped up to
the microphone, taking his place.
 The Fourth Estate wishes to express its own gratitude to the
members of Task Force Fenrir. Many think power can be quantified in C-
bills, Mechs or influence. However, these things are only the shadow of
power, not power itself. True power is knowledge. And the Fourth Estate
stands poised to reap the benefits of the knowledge brought back to us by
our triumphant warriors and their allies.
He motioned forward. Suddenly, the ground was rocked once
again as the ranks of the First Drakon split apart with flawless execution
and a pair of shining 70-tons Archers strode up the passage leading
towards the grandstand.
The deadly shadow of power, the pride of Gorton, Kingsley and
Thorpe Enterprises here on Rasalhague! The ARC-5R Archer!
The torsos of both Mechs flipped open, revealing matched sets of
FarFire LRM-15 missile systems. Mounted to each arm was a Victory
Nickel Alloy extended range large laser. Both Mechs shuddered as sixty
long-range missiles simultaneously took flight. They arced high into the
air, exploding as huge multi-colored fireworks. The sky was blanketed in
clusters of incandescent colors, a riot of green, blues and reds.
As burning embers cascaded down upon the assembly, the man
continued speaking. Colonel Jason Henley, commanding officer of the
69th Virginia Expeditionary Force, step forward and accept these two
BattleMechs in honor of your courage and prowess on the battlefield in the
face of overwhelming odds. I bestow upon you the honorary title of
Valdherren and your men, Herstig.
He turned, now addressing the entire assembly. Please join us all
at the Palace Hall this evening for festivities celebrating our victory and
honoring our guests.

Chapter 15
Rasalhague
3043
Free Rasalhague Republic

Nathaniel Voolkir, Chief Operating Officer of Gorton, Kingsley

and Thorpe Enterprises, was getting ready for the Grand Gala at the Palace
Hall. He knew the sound of opportunity knocking and this time it was
practically kicking his door down.
He thumbed the buzzer built into his mahogany desk, summoning
Danika, his executive assistant. She entered his private office. She might
as well have been Freyas daughter. Six feet of pale-blond breathtaking
beauty, her looks matched only by her equally stunning intelligence. He
chuckled. His secret weapon.
Danika, I have an assignment for you this evening, Voolkir said
as he extended his arms out, Danika efficiently threading his GKT
cufflinks on. I want you to find out everything you can regarding the
status and contents of the SLDF Confederate-class DropShip the 69th
VXF landed in this afternoon. It is my understanding one Captain
Varukka Salt was piloting the craft. She, along with her chief engineer, a
man named Spanner, will both be at tonights Gala. You might also find a
Leutnant Sigil of interest. I understand he was instrumental in the
retrieval of the memory core from the SLDF facility they raided. I believe
he also pilots a Clint.
Danikas pale blue eyes stared directly into his as she straightened
his tie, pulling his vest down tightly, removing even the faintest trace of a
crease. Voolkir reached into the breast pocket of his vest, withdrawing an
antique Terran timepiece. With a click, the lid popped open.
You will find what information I have managed to collect, as well
as holovids of each of the subjects, on my desk. If you manage to find out
anything you think mayinterest me, you are to report to me immediately at
the Gala, interrupting me if you deem necessary.
He returned her gaze icily. You are to use any means necessary,
Danika. Opportunities like this rarely come along and I dont intend to let
this one get away if what I suspect is true.
---
The ballroom of the palace had been transformed into an ancient
Mead Hall. All of the attendants were dressed in elaborate costumes,
echoing the Republics Terran past. Skalds, Vikings and Valkyries
paraded through the Hall filling the drinking horns of the guests. The
smoky air was filled was the scent of roasting meat as whole deer and boar
were turned slowly over open fires by huge, blonde shirtless men wearing
fur trimmed boots and leather pants.
A stunning woman in a long pale blue gown, slit almost indecently
up her thigh, approached Captain Varukka Salt and her ever-present
companion, Spanner.
Captain Salt? Im Danika Svensson of Gorton, Kingsley and
Thorpe. I wanted to compliment you on your flawless landing at the
StarPort this afternoon. I cant imagine youve had the opportunity to
pilot a Confederate before, which makes your landing even more
impressive. Danika smiled disarmingly.
Capt. Salt, dressed in her ever present skintight flight leathers,
eyed the blonde giant, nodding. Ive piloted spheroid DropShips before.
This one wasnt much different. Salt shrugged.
Danika continued. Still, what an opportunity! I cant recall ever
having seen a Confederate outside of archival holovids. It must have been
thrilling! The Union would be closest thing. Did it handle much
differently?
Capt. Salt narrowed her eyes. Shed been to similar functions,
although not quite as elaborate, when she had served in one of the Warrior
Houses of the Confederation. There were only two types of people at
events like this. Sycophants and wolves. And this woman was definitely
the second.
Shed learned the hard way the true cost of loose lips and
inappropriate relationships and she wasnt about to risk her position with
69th Expeditionary. Especially not now. The Colonel was a rare find. A
skilled tactician, fearless warrior and cunning negotiator. But what
impressed her most was his dedication to the men and women who served
him along with his unfailing sense of honor.
Salt responded disinterestedly. Nah, not much different. Once
you figure out the controls, its just the same old routine. She looked
over at Spanner who was frowning.
Come on, Spanner, smells like that boar is about done. Capt.
Salt turned back to the woman from GKT, grinning. If you want to talk
about something rare, Ive never had roast boar! Excuse us, Id hate to
miss what will probably be our only opportunity.
Danika smiled pleasantly back. Of course, Captain Salt. I hope
you enjoy your stay here on Rasalhague.
Capt. Salt and Spanner turned, heading towards the spit. Behind
them Danika frowned. She wasnt going to get anywhere with that
woman and her companion had just scowled at her the entire time. Time
to try something, or someone, else.
---
Sigil emptied the golden contents of his drinking horn into his
mouth. Kerensky! This stuff was amazing! He wiped his mouth on his
sleeve, staining his dress uniform and grinning stupidly.
His eyes widened as a pale blue Norse goddess strode towards
him. He straightened up, noticing the stains on his sleeves and breast for
the first time. She came right up to him.
Tossing her head back and laughing lightly, she spoke. Its so
refreshing seeing someone who knows how to celebrate! Her glittering
blue eyes passed over his body as she continued to smile. You should
have dressed like a Viking. I think it may have suited you better, she
giggled coquettishly.
Youre Leutnant Sigil, arent you? From the 69th? Youre kinda
small for a MechWarrior. She continued giggling. Allow me the honor
of refilling your horn?
Without waiting for a response, she reached out, her slender
fingers trailing gently along his arm, then across his hand as she grasped
his empty vessel. Ill be right back! Dont you dare go anywhere! She
winked, twirled and disappeared with his horn, leaving him standing there
still vaguely stunned.
He looked around the dimly lit Hall.
Hamilton wasnt far away. Hed donned a huge Viking helm, the
horns on either side curving a good two feet into the air. A pack of
Valkyries surrounded him, filling his horn as quickly as he was draining
it. His voice boomed over the din. That Highlander! Its just like me,
equipped with the biggest goddman gun youll ever see!
The Valkyries were fawning all over him, practically pawing
him. Ok, some of them were pawing him. Gather round ladies, theres
plenty for all of you. Why, I dont even consider it a challenge unless Im
outnumbered at least four to one! And I like these odds! he bellowed as
he eyed the six women.
One of the Valkryies with a rack larger than the LRM-20 on his
Highlander, refilled his horn. He lifted his horn and started feeding it one
at a time to the women surrounding him, sloshing it down their faces,
mead soaking the front of their scanty tops.
Sigil continued scanning the Hall. There was the
Colonel. Ramrod straight and still immaculately dressed. He narrowed
his eyes, squinting in the dim light. Yep, Colonel Sarah Lindon was right
next to him. The both of them engaged in a conversation Sigil could only
guess at.
It took a bit longer to find Jochen Weddle. He was seated at one of
the long wooden trestles. His trencher was piled high with smoking slabs
of meat and potatoes drowning in gravy. Prince Haakon Magnusson,
sitting at the head of table in dress befitting a King, was talking with
him. High-ranking officers in the KungsArme surrounded them
both. Weddle was waving and stabbing with a haunch of venison as he
recounted the battle at the Castle Brian. Turnips, rolls and beets arrayed
on the table served as edible proxies as he recreated the entire assault,
complete with a boisterous play-by-play.
Sigil attention was drawn away from the scene as the woman in
blue returned. She restored his now full drinking horn back to his hand as
she purred. I dont believe Ive introduced myself. Im Danika
Svensson. I work for GKT. A pleasure to meet you.
Sigil just stood there and blinked dumbly.
She tittered, smirking as she continued. Gorton, Kingsley and
Thorpe. We gave you the Archers earlier today. Remember?
Sigil finally found his voice. Oh. Uh, ya. The Archers. They
looked, umm, real nice, he trailed awkwardly off.
She laughed, touching his arm once more. I hear you pilot a
Clint. Thats an unusual Mech.
Sigil beamed. Oh, ya! Its an antique! The Colonel offered me
my pick of Mechs but I wont pilot anything else! He puffed up with
pride. I only pilot vintage Mechs! They knew how to make em back in
the Star League days. These Mechs their making today, their trash
compared to the old ones!
He stopped abruptly, blushing as he realized hed just insulted the
Archers her employer had just given them. I mean, uh, you know. So
much tech has been lost during the Succession Wars. Even now we cant
make systems as good as they did 300 years ago.
Danika stepped closer, her long svelte leg emerging from her gown
as she leaned into him. I know what you mean. And its true. I was
astonished when I saw that Confederate DropShip. Im sure its a true
marvel to behold! I cant imagine what its like inside!
Sigil turned, her face now only inches from his own. That thing
is phenomenal! Ive been on a lot of DropShips in my time but nothing
even comes close to that Confederate. You wouldnt believe how
spacious it is! And the cargo bays! Not only are they huge but its like a
miniature Mech repair facility in there! We detailed the Highlander,
Thug and the Bombardier all while we were on our way back here. If I
had only had the parts, I could have rebuilt my entire Clint too!
Danika purred in his ear. Id do anything for just a quick peek
inside, she giggled.
Sigil flushed bright red. Umm, well
Danika smiled sinfully at him, her body brushing up against
his. Id love to see the size of those engines.
Sigil floundered, taking a long pull from his drinking horn. I bet
you would! Spanner said the secret to the entire design was the Thordan
650X drive system. 20% smaller, 10% lighter, its one of the most
advanced engines ever produced by the Star League! He was practically
drooling over it!
Danika leaned in even closer, her lips brushing against his ear,
sending waves of heat flooding through his body. How about we go
there and I can check out your drive system?
 Sigil stiffened, his body responding to her touch. Uh
Danika wrapped her fingers through his, pulling him gently
towards the outside of the Hall. This party is winding down. How about
we start a new one together?
---
Captain Salt unobtrusively approached Colonel Henley. The
Colonel, noticing her, addressed the woman standing in front on
him. Colonel Lindon, please excuse me for a moment.
The two of them retreated a short way back as the Colonel gave
Salt a questioning look. She answered his unspoken query, Colonel,
theres a vampish GKT agent sweet-talking Sigil. She tried her talents on
me and Spanner first but I can spot the type a mile away. Shes trolling
for information on the Confederate. Just thought you ought to know.
Thank you, Captain. Where did you see them last?
Salt gestured across the Hall. Henley returned to Colonel Lindon,
speaking a few brief words, then disappeared deep into the smoke filled
Hall.
---
Sigil was feeling giddy, filled with anticipation as Danika pulled
him towards the exit. He couldnt keep his eyes off the seductive sway of
her lithe hips and the way her slender leg teasingly emerged from the high
slit of her gown as she walked.
Suddenly, the familiar voice of the Colonel thundered out from
directly behind him, freezing him in place. Leutnant Sigil! AT
ATTENTION! I did not give you permission to leave this
function! Where in the nine hells do you think you are going?!
Conditioned by years of military service, Sigil automatically
executed a rather sloppy about face, coming to a passable full attention as
he faced his commanding officer. Uhh, Colonel, sir? I was just, I
mean, I umm, needed some fresh air, and umm Danika here was
just helping me find, uhh where to get some. Sir. Yes, sir!
The Colonels gaze shifted to the woman standing behind and to
the side of Sigil. You may go. Im quite familiar with the layout of the
Hall even if the Leutnant here is not.
Danika paused, appraising the look the Colonel was giving her. It
brook no argument. This was not a man to trifle with. She gave a short
curtsy. Of course, Colonel. I didnt mean to cause any trouble.
She looked over at Sigil. A pleasure meeting you, Leutnant
Sigil. I hope we have the chance to meet again. Danika strode swiftly
away disappearing quickly among the multitude of revelers.
The Colonels gaze returned to Sigil, eyeing him critically from
top to bottom. You would do well to remember you are representing the
69th Virginia Expeditionary Force at this function.
The Colonel looked in disgust at the stains covering Sigils dress
uniform. And you are no longer fit for that duty. You will return
immediately to your quarters, ALONE, and remain there for the remainder
of the night. If you disobey my orders, there will be harsh consequences,
Leutnant. DISMISSED!
The Colonel executed a crisp about face and stalked back into the
Mead Hall.
---
Colonel Sarah Lindon, commanding officer of Lindons Company,
smiled warmly as Henley returned. Trouble among the ranks, Colonel?
Henley snorted. Nothing to worry about. These functions can be
as dangerous as the battlefield.
Sarah laughed. Indeed, Colonel, perhaps even more dangerous. I
grow tired of the smoke and raucousness. Let us pay our respects to the
Prince and then retire for the night. Her eyes glimmered with an
unspoken promise.
Colonel Henley straightened his already perfect dress
uniform. An excellent idea, Colonel. Together they made their way to
the Princes table.
--
The blast of fresh air did nothing to clear Sigils head. What did
they put in that Mead anyway? An attendant approached him asking,
Can I help you, sir?
It took a minute for Sigil to process the mans words. Oh,
uhh, I need to get back to the, umm, StarPort. Yea. The StarPort.
The man nodded. Of course, sir. Allow me to escort you to one
of the taxis. It will take you directly there.
Sigil followed the man, concentrating hard on putting one foot in
front of the other. A door opened and he half fell into the plush interior of
a private car.
Seconds later, another form slipped into the vehicle, sitting down
next to him. He turned to look in the dim interior as the door shut and the
taxi pulled out.
Daaaa nika!!!!! He grinned like a schoolboy.
Danika giggled. You didnt think Id let you get away now did
you?
She pushed herself against him, Sigil hungrily searching for her
lips as he pulled her tightly against himself.
The trip to the StarPort seemed like a blur. By the time they
arrived, his dress uniform was half off and her gown was practically up to
her waist.
He hadnt even noticed the taxi stopping until the door opened.
A leather-clad hand reached in, dragging him out of the car and
dumping him unceremoniously onto the ferrocrete.
Taken completely by surprise, Danika looked up just in time to see
Captain Varruka Salt slamm the door in her face. Salt banged on the car
twice and it began to pull away.
Dammit! Danika swore to herself. Shed underestimated that
DropShip captain. Still, at least shed learned something useful. She
rearranged her gown as she addressed the driver, all trace of laughter
gone. Back to the Mead Hall, please.
---
Captain Salt gave Sigil the once over. He was a total wreck. He
climbed unsteadily back to his feet giving her a shockingly lusty look as
he reached out trying to grope her.
Oh, Captain Salt! Dont you look just lovvveeellllely
tonight! Come ere and let me show you my drive system. Sigil started
giggling uncontrollably.
Salt gave him a cold, appraising look that he seemed totally
oblivious to. He was swaying on his feet, his eyes struggling to focus on
her. Yep. Hed been drugged. Shed seen it before. That GKT bitch had
definitely slipped something into his drink. Normally Sigil would have
been fleeing in terror from her.
He lurched towards her, falling. Salt quickly caught him in her
arms before he damaged himself on the unforgiving landing pad. His
glassy eyes stared up into hers, smitten.
He slurred as he spoke. You know, Varrruuuukkaa, I bet youre a
wiiilllllld one in bed! All the men have a pool going to see who can be the
first to find out He moaned softly in her arms.
She grabbed him roughly by the hair and proceeded to drag him
into the DropShip. He wouldnt remember a thing come morning. And
no one would ever know, she grinned to herself. Hed wake up sore as
hell and wondering where all the bruises came from.

Chapter 16
Rasalhague
3043
Free Rasalhague Republic
 Colonel Jason Henley sat at a long, obviously antique table made
from some kind of exotic wood. Across from him sat a man dressed
smartly in a double-breasted suit.
Thank you for coming, Colonel. Ill get straight to the point. I
am Hans Fjord, Chief Operating Officer for Gorton, Kingsley and
Thorpe. In case you are not well acquainted with my organization, we are
a well-diversified company with interests spanning many different
industries, including military hardware. Our main corporate headquarters
is located here on Rasalhague but we have production facilities on a
number of other star systems as well.
Colonel, I want something you have. Something I cant get
anywhere else. Consequently, Ill skip the normal negotiating process
since you are already holding all the cards. Ive reviewed your units
manifest. You are a growing mercenary unit. Your balance sheet and
cash position are excellent and your Mercenary Review Board rating is
astonishing for such a recently founded unit.
The Colonel looked at Fjord unflinchingly, his visage unreadable.
Here is my offer, Colonel Henley. Both a Scout-class JumpShip
and a Union-class DropShip in exchange for the Confederate you took on
Alshain.
He paused, trying in vain to gauge the Colonels reaction. There
was not even the slightest trace in the mans face. He would have made an
excellent businessman. Then again, he was a businessman, just in an
entirely different type of business.
Furthermore, I offer you 20 million C-bills to keep quiet about the
disposition of the DropShip. Id rather not let my competitors know what
Im up to. Fjord chuckled.
Both ships are in system now. Im happy to provide your people
with all the time they require for inspection. If there is anything, anything
at all, I can offer in addition to, or instead of, what I have already put on
the table, dont hesitate to tell me.
He slid a memcard across the highly polished wooden
surface. My direct personal contact information is on that card,
Colonel. I look forward to hearing from you.
---
The officers of the 69th VXF were gathering in the small mess hall
of their de-facto headquarters aboard the Stonewall.
Hamilton was laughing as he shoveled an unidentifiable meat
product into his mouth. Man, that has got to be one of the best freakin
parties Ive ever been too! Hell, Im almost ready to join the
FRR! Especially now that Im a Hertig!
 Captain Weddle looked at him grinning. You do know what an
honorary title means, right? Youre not really a Hertig, Hamilton.
Hamilton continued laughing. Shhhh! Thats cool, just dont tell
the Valkyries!
Captain McMillian, Dawg, Leutnant Lagemann and Corporal
Southers sat nearby speculating on where they might head to next. Dawg
stabbed a chunk of protein with his multi-purpose tool. I say
Galatea. The Colonel wants off Rasalhague ASAP. I give it a week tops
and then were outta here. He leaned back, looking down the table at
Hamilton and winking. Enjoy those warrior maidens while you can,
Hamilton. Trust me, it wont last long.
Sigil limped in late, bowlegged and bruised. He took his plate,
lowering himself slowly onto the bench with a pained grimace.
Lagemann grinned evilly. Looks like someones been to Valhalla
and back. Were those Valkyries too rough for you last night, Sigil? All
the men chuckled.
Unexpectedly, a huge wad of C-bills arced through the air, landing
on the table directly in front of Sigil with a thud. McMillian was grinning
ear to ear. Sigil looked over at him confused as the rest of officers looked
questioningly on.
McMillian was shaking his head. Kerensky! I dont know how
you did it, but you did it. Who would have ever guessed!
Corporal Southers eyes were as wide as saucers. You mean,
Sigil and Captain Salt, he trailed off into silence followed by the rest of
the mess hall.
In unison, seven sets of eyes locked onto Sigil as McMillian
spoke. Thats right. The Colonel had me hightail it back to the
Stonewall in the middle of the party last night. Apparently someone was
asking a few too many questions about our DropShip and he wanted to
make sure it was properly secured.
Shortly after I got back to the ship, Captain Salt and Spanner
showed up as well. Im pretty sure they didnt know I was here. I was
lying low when one the taxis from the Palace Hall showed up. Salt drags
Sigil out by his hair and up the ramp into the DropShip. Next thing I
know, I hear Sigil pleading, begging and then screaming for his life. I
sneak over to the Captains quarters and, Im still scarred by what I saw
there. Its not natural, I tell you, that a man should be put into those kinds
of positions.
Sigil turned bright red. Stammering, he responded, I, I,
dont remember a thing! The last thing I recall was this pale blonde
woman at the Mead Hall
 Captain Weddle chortled, Youre such an idiot, Sig.
---
Colonel Jason Henley looked up as Captain Varruka Salt entered
his stateroom aboard the Stonewall. She looked unusually relaxed.
Colonel, you asked to see me?
Salt was wearing her usual skin-tight flight leathers, which left
little to the imagination, her stunstick hanging from her waist.
He put down his datapad. Hed been reviewing the units
operating expenses, balance sheet and the cash on hand. Voolkirs offer
was a good one, and he intended to give it a full consideration.
I want you to take Spanner and Lt. Sigil on an inspection
tour. Bring Capt. McMillian along as well. He has keen eyes. The COO
of Gorton, Kingsley and Thorpe met with me and made a rather tempting
offer. A Scout JumpShip and a Union DropShip in exchange for the
Confederate. Both craft are in-system now and Ive made arrangements
for you take a shuttle up to inspect them both.
Capt. Salt nodded. Most of my piloting experience is with Union-
class DropShips and Spanner knows the V250 drive system like the back
of his hand. Well give it thorough examination. If there is anything
wrong it, major or minor, well find it, Colonel.
The Scout JumpShip on the otherhand, she spread her fingers out
as she shrugged. I could pilot it in-system and the crew could handle it
Im sure, but Im no Navigator and Spanner doesnt work on Kearny-
Fuchida drives. I could give you my best guess on it but you need to
understand itll be just that, a best guess. Ill check it over but the KF
Drive is going to be an unknown.
The Colonel stroked his chin absently as he considered. Go down
to the StarPort. See if you can find somone there who is rated on KF
drives. If you think they are competent, offer them a side job and take
them with you on the inspection. Do the best you can. The shuttle leaves
tomorrow. We need to move fast on this. I do not want to stay on
Rasalhague any longer than absolutely necessary. Dismissed.
---
Colonel Henley leaned back in his chair. He tossed the datapad
with Capt. Salts full inspection report onto his desk. She was a smart
one. Concise, accurate and frank in her assessment, her report was
nothing like the bloated treatises he had to write back in his days with the
Third Lyran Guard. In the LCAF, a good report was measured by the
number of pages.
He stroked his chin absently, deep in thought. What was the true
value of a JumpShip? It was certainly more than just a pile of C-bills.
Full transport for his entire unit. Every contract negotiation involved the
same basic five elements: Payment, Support, Transport, Salvage Rights,
and Command Rights.
Hed just finishing learning the hard way about the importance of
Command Rights. If he took Voolkirs offer, hed gain a powerful new
bargaining chip for the next time he was at the negotiating table. Which,
he reflected, was probably not long off. The units contract with the FRR
was now officially over. Hed be paying salaries and maintenance costs
from the units own coffers from now until he landed their next job.
Another reason Voolkirs offer was so attractive. 20 million C-
bills. The unit burned through about a million C-bills every four months
in just operating costs alone. He could buy the rarest commodity of all
with that kind of money. Time. Time to rest and refit.
Time to set the stage for the next act. They already had enough
hardware to be a full combined-arms company. All he lacked was
Aerospace support but Kitten would be graduating from the Flight
Academy of Thorin just a few months from now. Hed anticipated just
this moment before the unit had even taken the first jump towards
Alshain. Shed need a ride of course, but hed earmarked a good three
million C-bills for that when he had sent her back to school.
Capt. Salts suggestions were good ones. Expensive, really
expensive, but still good ones. Hed have to sell Shadowfax just to cover
the cost of what she said needed to be done. But, assuming he had the
Scout and the Union, the Leopard would be left out anyway. The Scout
only had a single docking collar.
He asked a lot from the people under his command and he felt an
obligation to provide them not only with the best equipment but the best
facilities as well. That was the unwritten contract. You give me a 110%
and Ill make sure you have what you need to succeed.
It meant breaking the fellowship though, at least for a time. There
was always that intangible element that lived inside every unit. A
camaraderie, a shared belief, a mythos forged on the battlefield. Of
triumphant victories and bitter losses. Of trials endured together. That
simpatico would fade over time. The edge would grow dull.
Still, to be fair, there was the opposite side to consider as
well. Luck pushed just a bit too far. Of overextending, over reaching and
coming crashing down and burning out. If you push too hard for too long,
youre guaranteed to fall.
Henley leaned forward, pulling out the top drawer of his
desk. With a snick, he cut the end off one of the cigars Major OMara had
given him and lit it. Leaning back once more, he let his mind wander as
he took the first draw.
Hed take the offer.
---
The command staff of the 69th Virginia Expeditionary Force
assembled in the small conference room. Once everyone was seated,
Colonel Henley began.
Its time to say goodbye to Rasalhague. Ive got sealed sets of
orders for each of you. First, Captain Salt and her crew, along with
Captain McMillian and his men, will be traveling to Clipperton in the Free
Worlds League. There, Captain Salt will oversee the overhaul of the
units new Union-class DropShip as well as the replacement of our newly
acquired JumpShips solar sail. Her crew will also train in the basics of
JumpShip maintenance and Navigation. Once the overhaul is complete,
the Union will carry a full company of Mechs along with a full company
of infantry. The Scout will carry a new aerospace asset. Captain
McMillian and his unit will train in zero-gravity combat while waiting for
the work to be completed on the two ships.
I will be traveling to Thorin, in the Lyran Commonwealth, on
other matters.
The rest of you will be returning to Galatea. Captain Weddle will
assume overall command in my absence. He will need to find three new
MechWarriors and complete the sale of Shadowfax while I am on Thorin.
Dawg will also be recruiting infantry to replace our losses on Alshain.
He looked at each of them in turn. I expect each of you to keep in
fighting trim. This is not, repeat, not, a vacation. If you wish to take
personal time, please come and see me in private. The next time we are
all together there will be more than a few new faces and the 69th will be a
complete combined-arms company with full transport.
He allowed himself a rare public smile. Dismissed. Captain
Weddle, Id like to speak with you in my quarters.
---