BattleTech Legends: The Blood of Kerensky Trilogy, page 82
She thrust her right hand toward the Mahler house. “Look at him, look at Erik. He’s an old man crisscrossed with scars. He’s got a scar on his left shoulder that looks like someone tried to take his arm off with a sword. He’s stiff and he moves slowly, but when he decided to wait for you to return to steal food, he was like a commando out there. It was a return to some malignant time that made him feel wonderful, and quite probably would have gotten him killed.”
Kai saw her tremble with rage, but he said nothing. He understood that her fury, though vented on him, was not meant for him alone. Her ranting struck chords in him, and brought back memories of the battlefield he’d greeted after escaping his ’Mech.
“You don’t know what war really is, Leftenant, you really don’t.” She slapped her hips in frustration. “I have a boy brought in and I open him up as soon as they can put him under anesthesia. But when I open him up, I find his insides are a jigsaw puzzle. His bowels have been perforated with shrapnel, and feces is mixed with blood and whatever he last ate. I can clean him up and I can resect his small intestine into a colostomy, but I know he’s going to be septic, and I don’t know if I have enough drugs to deal with him. Still, I put him back together.
“Have you any idea what it’s like,” she demanded, pounding her fists against his chest, “to have a kid ask you to let him die? I had a boy who was looking forward to a professional sports career come into the clinic with the lower half of his right arm hanging on by a tendon. He was out of his mind with pain, but he wouldn’t let us put him under until I’d promised that if I couldn’t fix it, I’d just let him die. And, dammit, I almost wanted to because I knew, for him, having to adapt would be impossible.”
Kai settled his hands gently on her shoulders. “I know. My father lost his forearm.”
“Yes, your father lost his forearm.” Her voice grew cold as she twisted out of his grasp. “Well, let me tell you, not everyone is such a good friend of Hanse Davion that he gets the New Avalon Institute of Science to make him a new arm that functions better than the original. No, you and your father and Victor are all special, and why these people are willing to catch the bullets and missiles meant for you, I will never know.”
She picked up the bar of soap from the bench and tossed it into the half-filled tub. “There, Leftenant. Go ahead and clean yourself up. See if you can ever wash all the blood from your hands.”
6
AVALON CITY
NEW AVALON
CRUCIS MARCH
FEDERATED COMMONWEALTH
1 FEBRUARY 3052
Hanse Davion, First Prince of the Federated Commonwealth, lay his half-glasses down on top of the report on his desk. As he did so, one of the massive bronze doors across from his antique desk swung open on well-oiled hinges. Through it, the Prince saw a veritable phalanx of security guards and the tall, slender form of his acting intelligence secretary. Good, Alex, you’re right on time.
Alex Mallory entered the room with a limp that was a remnant of torture suffered on the Liao homeworld of Sian more than twenty years ago. Hanse knew the limp only showed up when Alex was tired, and he sympathized with the man. While his gray eyes were still bright, the dark crescents beneath them spoke of too much work and not nearly enough rest.
The Prince smiled wearily, realizing Mallory’s face was probably a mirror of his own. “I apologize for sending for you, Alex. I know you did not get to sleep before three this morning.”
Alex shrugged, but settled gratefully into a wing-backed brown leather chair facing the desk. “No matter, Highness. I am well used to working on four hours of sleep or less.”
“So I understand. Justin always said you were a workaholic.”
Pain shot through his eyes, but Alex forced a gruff chuckle nonetheless. “Coming from him and you, that is high praise, indeed.” He opened one of the folders he’d brought with him. “This is the latest we have on the front. It looks as though the Clans have momentarily stopped their advance and are consolidating their positions.”
Hanse tapped the report on his desk. “They did a lot of world-hopping in their last set of attacks. It makes sense for them to want to consolidate their rear area.”
“True.” Alex tugged at the cuff of his black woolen jacket. “The Draconis Combine has apparently inserted some forces to their rear. They are staging from Wolcott, but the Clans have so far kept their vow not to attack that world again. Another force went out from Pesht, but did not meet with the stunning success of other Combine operations. Given that two old hardliners were in command of the forces, I am not surprised.”
Hanse leaned back in his chair, idly wishing for the days when he could have piloted a ’Mech out against these Clansmen. Then again, on Outreach Kai Allard took me down right quickly in his test. And the Clans have taken him. How long would I survive?
“Have we had any word from Alyina?”
The Intelligence Secretary chewed his lower lip, then shook his head. “Nothing. I think there is little doubt that Kai Allard perished in his attempt to save Victor. I’ve had people review the battleroms from Victor and Galen Cox’s ’Mechs. Even if Kai survived hitting the water, the shelf goes down for a kilometer in that area. If the cockpit had somehow been pressurized to withstand the weight of the water at that depth, Kai might have lived, but there would have been no way for him to ascend to the surface. His ’Mech didn’t have a modular escape pod like a Hatchetman or Wolfhound.”
Hanse swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. “So he’s dead?”
“He’s listed as ‘Missing in Action.’ Given the other tragedies in the Allard-Liao family, I think it is best we release no information about Kai.” Alex grabbed a handful of white hair at the back of his neck. “When the time comes, the battleroms will prove Kai every bit the hero to the Federated Commonwealth that his father was.”
Hanse nodded solemnly as little tentacles of pain seemed to wrap around his heart with a squeeze. “Still, you did let ComStar know that we will pay to have priority transfer of any message from or about Kai.”
“I did.” The growing smile on Alex’s face piqued Hanse’s curiosity. “In doing so, I learned something very interesting. I am having a report prepared, but I will give it to you as a thumbnail brief now.”
“Please do.” Is there good news possible from ComStar?
“We have always figured at least benign complicity between ComStar and the invaders.”
Hanse grinned slowly, still very much the Fox. “We know that because of the black-out of important data from worlds the Clans have taken. We have also assumed, given the overwhelming successes of the Clans, that ComStar has been feeding them data in preparation for their attacks.”
“Right.” Alex steepled his fingers in a gesture Hanse found chillingly reminiscent of Justin Allard. “When I got into contact with ComStar, I was instantly transferred to speak with Huthrin Vandel—Precentor New Avalon himself. Vandel assured me that any message by or about Kai would be relayed immediately. He said he was heartsick that this war would cost the lives of so many brave citizens of the Federated Commonwealth. He also let slip some concern within the First Circuit about the Clans, and hinted that ComStar might be willing to turn its Com Guards loose on the Clans, given support by the other Successor States.”
“What!” Hanse stared blankly at his Intelligence Secretary. “Do you think Vandel is playing some power game against the Primus, or is this official-line material?”
“Too little data to be sure, Highness, hence my wanting an analysis before reporting this. We know Huthrin Vandel and Ulthan Everson have long opposed the Primus and her activities, but they’ve never done more than mildly rebuke her. If they are plotting against her, I would ask myself why now? What could she have done that would prompt them to finally make a real move?”
Hanse scratched his head. “Wouldn’t aiding and abetting the Clans be enough to make them want to depose her?”
“Surely, Highness, but then we have to assume that ComStar has been doing that all along, so the timing of their move appears questionable. If they had deposed her at the beginning of the invasion, then worked with everyone to defeat the Clans, ComStar would be in a powerful position. Now, having helped the Clans to their series of victories, the Primus would be quite strong. These two would never dream of openly opposing her, in that case. She could have them expelled from the First Circuit and replace them with one of her favorites, as she did with Sharilar Mori, the successor she handpicked as Precentor Dieron.”
“So,” Hanse mused, “that means either ComStar sees the Clans as a threat and wants to stop them now, or Vandel is feeling us out for support in some move against the Primus. Why?”
“Again, Highness, I have not enough data to venture more than a guess.”
“Guess.”
Alex smiled. “I think, Highness, that ComStar finally perceived that the Clans’ attack vector takes them on a path that includes Terra. Myndo Waterly must feel the hot breath of the Wolf Clan upon her neck, and she’s finally going to call in some support.”
Hanse rubbed at his chest. “What are the chances she’ll get it?”
“From us? That is up to you, Highness. We could cut some Regimental Combat Teams loose, but that would hurt us on the front with the Jade Falcons. I don’t think the Combine has troops to spare, either, but Theodore might be persuaded to throw some of his ‘Ghost’ regiments to her.”
“And Romano Liao would refuse her support. She’d refuse anyone support.” Hanse opened a drawer in his desk and pulled out a small roll of antacids. “What about Thomas Marik? He was a ComStar Adept before he assumed the Captain-Generalcy of the Free Worlds League. Will he back her? His troops are not pinned down. He could respond.”
“He could, but remember how hard he bargained with you and Theodore Kurita on Outreach. All you were asking was for him to start upgrade-kit and ’Mech production for you, not to commit his troops to your defense. He bargained hard, and only acquiesced after you offered to bring his son Joshua here for chemotherapy to treat his leukemia. What could the Primus offer him in exchange for defending Terra?”
Hanse swallowed the last of the antacid tablet. “A very good question. God alone knows what secrets ComStar has found and hidden on Terra. The Primus would have to offer Thomas something incredible because Thomas knows his troops have no idea how to fight the Clans. He’s aware that sending his troops into battle against them at this point would be a sentence of death. That would raise a ruckus at home, which Thomas can ill afford.”
Hanse’s blue eyes narrowed for a moment, then his vulpine grin grew. “By the way, how is young Joshua Marik doing?”
“Very well. The leukemia is in remission and he seems to be tolerating the drugs we use far better than those his father’s doctors were using. The Marik physicians did not take well to the New Avalon Institute of Science staff referring to them as ‘witch-doctors,’ but we managed to smooth things over. We will keep Joshua here with us for at least another six months to monitor how he is doing.”
And time enough to start the field modification kits for our ’Mechs flowing from the Free Worlds League. “Very good, Alex. You have my compliments. I am especially impressed at your ability to slip into Justin’s shoes in such an able manner.”
Alex shook his head. “I appreciate your praise, Highness, but I do not deserve it. I have a staff of seven helping me do what Justin used to handle by himself before he, ah, went away. Every day seems to turn up another matter he had been holding down that I knew nothing about. His loss is not one from which we will quickly—or possibly ever—recover.”
Pain nibbled at Hanse’s heart again. “How well I know that, my friend. It’s odd. I had envisioned Justin and me handing over our jobs to our respective sons in five or ten years. Now...” His hands dropped to his desk and lay there like dead things.
“Yes, Highness.” Alex opened another folder. “You will be pleased to know that we managed to trace the laser pistol used on Justin and Candace. It has identifying marks consistent with those found in a cache of weapons we located in the Sarna March. It is unlikely the assassin carried it with him from there, so we have been searching for the ship that might have delivered it. We have the suspects narrowed down to three independent trading DropShips, and are currently going over the passenger, crew, and cargo lists for each trip those ships made to New Avalon in the last ten years.”
Hanse’s right hand closed into a fist. “Good. I want every single one of the individuals in that chain. I want them all to stand trial for murder, then I will be pleased to witness their executions for high treason and regicide.” His anger flooded a tightness into his chest. “I only wish the head of the serpent could be brought here for trial. It infuriates me to think Romano Liao and Tsen Shang are beyond my reach.”
Alex nodded sympathetically. “On that, Highness, I have no news, but that is to be interpreted as good news. Romano may be out of your reach, but not out of the grasp of justice. I take some comfort in that knowledge.”
“Some comfort, but not the same I’d get from having my hands wrapped ’round her throat, I fear.”
Both Alex and Hanse shared a laugh. “Alex, has my son learned of his new orders yet?”
“No, the Barbarossa will not reach Biota until the end of this week. Morgan Hasek-Davion has already left in a DropShip to meet it when it makes the jump into the system. Morgan will brief him, then the whole of the Tenth Lyran Guards will head to Port Moseby for rest and refit. Morgan does not think Victor will like being sent back behind the lines. He assumes Victor will demand a transfer to the First Kathil Uhlans or another line unit. If his request is denied, he will assume he is being punished by being sent back.”
Only my son would think that. Hanse sighed heavily, wishing the antacid would take effect. “Morgan and I have discussed this likelihood. Morgan can handle him, being far more persuasive than I.”
“But you will expect a strongly worded message from your son protesting your pulling him back to protect him.”
“Of course.” Hanse glanced down at his desk and felt the weight of all his years press down on him like the giant foot of a ’Mech. “Fortunately, I will only have to record a holovid to answer him, so I can edit it until I sound sincere. Yes, the Tenth is badly in need of rest and refit, and we will have them built into a better force than they were before, but they got mauled on Alyina. I almost lost Victor on the same day I lost Justin and his son. My wife is certain Victor will end up dying as Ian did.”
Hanse looked at the picture of his family on the corner of his desk. “I am afraid I do not look forward to that eventuality, for more reasons even than the deep dread of losing my son. I was not directly in line for the throne, so I was not expecting to have to assume the role and the power, but I was able to handle the transition. I am not so confident in my other children, mainly because of their youth. Katherine is only twenty years old, and not experienced enough to assume the responsibilities of ruling the Federated Commonwealth. And Peter, at seventeen, already sees himself as a Warrior-Prince, which is not what we need right now.”
“Have confidence, Highness. They are your offspring. They will do well.” Alex rose from his chair and stretched. “I think I will check the latest dispatches, then try to get a little more sleep. I might remind you that the doctors have suggested you should also be getting more rest.”
Hanse waved Alex’s concern away. “As soon as I know Victor is safely headed toward the rear, I will be able to sleep again. Right now, I feel fine.”
“Highness, forgive my directness, but you are still wearing the same uniform from yesterday. Catching a cat-nap in your chair is not getting rest.”
“You’ve been talking with my wife, haven’t you?” Hanse smiled easily. “Very well, you’ve badgered me into it. I will get some sleep.”
Alex nodded. “Very good. One more thing before I leave, Highness.”
“Yes?”
“If Precentor New Avalon and I speak again, what do I suggest concerning his overtures for aid?”
Hanse let his breath hiss out between his teeth. “Suggest we will support them with everything, but make no promises.” He rubbed his left hand along his unshaven chin. “For twenty years, ComStar has done everything it can to hurt us, and now they have aided the enemy in this invasion. They’ve been playing with fire, and it will be my very great pleasure to watch ComStar get roasted alive!”
7
COMSTAR MILITARY HEADQUARTERS
SANDHURST
BRITISH ISLES
TERRA
5 FEBRUARY 3052
Within the world presented to him by the Interactive Construct Reality helmet, the Precentor Martial strode like a giant across the battlefield. The computer drew the landscape in exquisite detail, providing Anastasius Focht a full-color map of Tukayyid, with a scale of two and a half centimeters real being equivalent to 10 meters subjective. At that scale, the BattleMechs arrayed across the landscape looked like toy soldiers, and a careless misstep by the Precentor Martial could destroy a legion of them.
Focht brought his hands up, cocking his wrists as though preparing to type on a computer keyboard. The data-gloves encasing his hands passed this information to the computer, which obliged him by creating a keyboard template to give him a visual guide for his hands as he typed in a request to adjust the scale of the world. He noted with grim satisfaction that the computer had provided the same keyboard he would have found in a BattleMech.
Like a time-lapse film of mushrooms growing, the BattleMechs sprouted up until they reached the Precentor Martial’s waist. He squatted down until sighting over the torso of one Wolf Clan Hagetaka, then smiled as he realized he could see nothing. He reached out his right hand, as he would have from the command couch of a BattleMech, and switched from vislight to infrared to magscan and back to vislight again. In none of the various scanner settings did he see anything.
