OPREF Chpt 2

=Chapter 2 - Dealer’s Choice=
==Opalescent Reflections==
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===The appointment===
Eagle Crater, New Kent
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
19 May 3047
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Blue-white 'mechs and gray-green 'mechs were dancing, each having picked a partner to duel with as the Trial of Possession began.
 
Ace had expected this, it was exactly what his training on Babylon had described, but he couldn't help but feel it bore little resemblance to the tactics described in the SLDF manuals he'd read back at the Castrum. That wasn't an observation that he should probably share with his fellow officers though, quiaff?
 
Aff, he thought and speared another Elemental with a shot from one of his PPCs.
 
He'd bid thirteen of the 'mechs in Echo Trinary to protect the mineral shipment, along with four points of Elementals. The Steel Vipers trying to take it off them had only brought twelve OmniMechs, but they had a full six points of Elementals with them and the armored infantry were swarming past the defenders - no one could seriously expect infantry to take on 'mechs in single combat and the outnumbered Diamond Shark Elementals couldn't contain the threat.
 
In response, Ace had let his other Mechwarriors take on the duels - led by Star Commander Tomori. Having a warrior he'd bested in his Trial of Position come under his command had been… an interesting challenge. From her point of view, being sent to Lambda Spina Galaxy's Fifteenth Cruiser Cluster was a step down but from Ace's it was better than being sent to one of the garrison Clusters like Val and other freeborn graduates.
Tomori had experience he was eager to draw on. She'd fought and won the right to use one of the trinary's Mad Dog OmniMechs and was currently handling a Steel Viper Mad Dog very well. Ace picked off two of the Elementals trying to harass her with his PPCs. That was what seemed needed to deal with the infantry assault - his anti-missile systems meant that he could largely ignore their SRMs and as long as he kept mobile they couldn't swarm over him at close range.
A Wyvern exploded and Ace spun his Nova - he'd kept what worked for him in the Trial of Position - as a Steel Viper Battle Cobra moved through to take advantage of winning its duel and take the pressure off the Elementals. Two particle beams lashed out at Ace, marking which configuration the smaller Omnimech was in. One of them raked along the side of the Nova's torso and his displays flickered as the electromagnetic pulses of the beam disrupted his electronics briefly.
 
The other shot missed clean and Ace brought his own ER PPCs to bear, aiming slightly below the center mass, at where the paint of the Steel Viper's Alpha Galaxy had already been scoured away by battle damage. The Battle Cobra was moving sluggishly - he suspected the cooling system simply wasn't as much as was needed to deal with a pair of PPCs, unlike his own - and both shots bit into the waist ring that supported the more or less triangular torso.
 
The Battle Cobra's left leg parted ways with the rest of the 'mech and the Steel Viper warrior plowed face first into the snowy slopes.
 
Ace considered leaving it at that, but the Steel Viper was part of the Fourth Viper Guards, one of the most elite units in the Clan's touman. New Kent was the Steel Viper capital and they periodically took offense at the fact that other Clans had enclaves on the world. Deploying elements of Lambda Galaxy here had been intended to deter another round of that - if the Vipers got no traction when they probed the Shark enclave, they were unlikely to double down.
Seeing the Battle Cobra trying to prop itself up with one arm, to engage with the PPC in the other arm, Ace took advantage of its relative immobility and fired both PPCs again, severing the arm being used for support. The forty ton OmniMech slammed into the snow again, which was already melting under the heat being radiated, and this time the mechwarrior took the hint and shut their reactor down, the traditional sign of surrender.
 
Other 'mechs were beginning to fall. Ace blew an Elemental apart as they tried to breach the cockpit of Mechwarrior Alexander's Griffin - a far more advanced 'mech than those that Ace and his mother had once possessed. No longer distracted, Alexander was able to salvo his LRMs into one of the Steel Vipers' Viper Omnimechs - a fast moving but lightly armed and armored design that had ferried in some of the Elementals. The Viper's torso was ripped open and it pulled back out of range.
 
"Alexander, handle the Elementals on the right flank." Ace ordered as he saw the Griffin turn to try to engage a Mad Dog. He turned his own Nova and fired both ER PPCs into a point trying again to swarm over Tomori. Only one of the beams struck, but the other four Elementals broke off their attack, well aware that Ace would tear them apart given the chance.
"Acknowledged," Alexander responded in an offended tone, but he obeyed and the Griffin swung out, lasers and LRMs tearing into a fight that was now just beginning to turn in the favor of the Diamond Sharks. Adding a 'mech to that flank sent the Steel Viper Elementals into retreat - none of Alexander's arsenal could tear through an Elemental suit with one shot the way Ace's PPCs could, but most of the Elementals had taken enough damage that they had to honor the threat.
 
The Steel Viper Mad Dog didn't take well to being ignored and tried to follow Alexander but Tomori's opponent slumped to the ground, both torso mounted missile launchers pounded to wreckage by the Gauss Rifles she'd equipped on her own Mad Dog. Without prompting, the Star Commander turned to cover Alexander - exactly as Ace had been about to order.
 
A good subordinate was invaluable, he concluded.
 
Seven Steel Viper 'mechs were still fighting, against nine Diamond Sharks - and the Elementals on his right flank were winning now that they had Alexander's Griffin backing them up.
 
Alexander turned his attention to the left flank and walked PPC fire along the Elemental forces trying to break past his own Elementals. One - two - three - four. Only one of the shots missed and an already depleted Point was reduced to one survivor, opening up the chance for Point Commander Olaf to rush forward with two survivors of his own force to outflank the survivors.
 
"Star Captain, the enemy commander is breaking bid," came a warning on the command channel.
 
Ace fired his jumpjets to avoid any incoming fire and opened up his tactical display. There were Steel Viper 'mechs - the rest of the Fourth Viper Guards - up on the ridge overlooking the battle. In the other direction, the rest of the Fifteenth Cruiser Cluster were doing the same.
 
Nothing on the ridge seemed to be moving. "Star Colonel, I do not see anything."
 
"We have their codes," Star Colonel Ulna Oshika informed him. She sounded amused. "Now they are arguing over the decision."
 
Ace rolled his eyes. "Can you inform me what they will commit if their Star Colonel approves, quiaff?"
 
"Aff. It is the Star Colonel you are facing," Ulna told him, all but laughing. "Congratulations, Star Captain. You are exceeding expectations. An additional eight 'mechs will be committed."
 
In the same situation, Ace would only have the other two 'mechs of his trinary but also nine more points of Elementals - his original bid of one trinary of each. This wasn't good. It would take a while for the Elementals to arrive, much longer than it would take the Steel Viper 'mechs.
 
"Star Colonel," he requested as the Nova landed and he turned towards the fight. "Please move Beta Trinary forward twenty meters."
 
"You did not bid Beta Trinary," the Star Colonel reminded him.
 
"I know. I just want them… out of the path of my reinforcements. You will approve my breaking my own bid if the Steel Vipers do, quiaff?"
 
There was a pause and then Ulna did laugh. "Aff, Star Captain. If they do."
 
"Star Captain, I am unable to keep fighting." Mechwarrior Fritz was back-pedaling his Rifleman away from a Steel Viper Hellbringer. Both the arms of the blue-and-white Rifleman were missing.
Ace didn't see anyone else who could step in and moved forwards himself. "Shut down, Fritz. I have this." With reinforcements impending from both sides, they couldn't afford to let someone breakthrough.
 
The Hellbringer's armour had been slashed up by the Rifleman's large pulse lasers, but it opened fire on Ace with its Gauss Rifle and autocannon as he moved to intercept it. The hypersonic metal slug of the Gauss Rifle slammed into the Nova's hip, throwing him off his pace, but slowing him enough that the shells from the autocannon missed.
 
In return Ace fired first his right ER PPC and then followed up with a shot from the left. The first shot smashed into the Hellbringer's chest, tearing open some of the structural beams holding the 'mech together, but the second caught the gauss rifle's capacitors, which exploded under the charged particles. Lightning crackled up and around the right side of the sixty-five ton Omnimech.
 
That only left the Hellbringer with its autocannon and the SRM launchers on the right shoulder. The missiles weren't in range yet, but there were enough of them that they might overwhelm Ace's anti-missile system. He ducked back, staying out of SRM range and aiming for the Hellbringer's remaining shoulder with the PPC in his right arm.
 
The Steel Viper dodged and the particle beam went high, obliterating a searchlight mounted above the shoulder. Its return fire obliterated the silver diamonds marking Ace's kills so far, but didn't do much more than shred paint.
 
Ace fired his jumpjets and then, from the apogee of his jump, he dropped the crosshairs over the center of the Hellbringer and fired both PPCs. The thermal signature of the Nova surged and he saw amber lights marking that the myomers were at the point that he wouldn't have full mobility.
 
It was a moot point when it came to the Hellbringer. Both beams hit the chest and ripped through the reactor and gyro assembly. Reeling drunkenly, the heavier 'mech finally tumbled backwards and cooled down as the reactor shut down.
 
From his landing spot, Ace ducked the Nova down and looked for the Steel Viper reinforcements. Nothing seemed to be moving in.
 
"Warriors of Clan Diamond Shark," a man declared over the open channel. "I recognize your victory and we withdraw our claim upon the mineral shipment."
 
It wasn't the same Steel Viper officer who had commanded the original force - Star Colonel Grimaldi, presumably - so who was this?
 
"Warriors of Clan Steel Viper," Ace replied on the same channel. "You may withdraw from the field with honor if you are able, and if not you will find a place as bondsmen of Clan Diamond Shark."
 
"Andrews, you traitor!" Grimaldi shouted.
 
"Strong words from a Diamond Shark bondsman," the first man declared. "You have been defeated, Soren Grimaldi - and I see no reason to grant your request for reinforcements."
 
So this is why they aren't moving, Ace realized. Andrews is ridding himself of his commander, declining him support. I might find myself on the receiving end of this someday - better watch my back.
 
"If you cannot defeat a second-line unit, Grimaldi, you are unfit to lead us," Andrews continued. "No doubt their commander will be highly honored for defeating the Fourth Viper Guards, while your legacy will be disgraced."
 
Ace watched the Steel Vipers pulling back. So this was victory - it felt rather empty when it was as much due to enemy infighting as his own efforts. He looked down at the man climbing out of the cockpit of the Hellbringer. "Who was that backstabbing surat?" he asked on his speakers, focusing his external audio sensors on the man.
 
The Star Colonel slumped against what was left of his 'mech. "Star Captain Brett Andrews. And who is it who has taken me as their bondsman."
 
"Star Captain Ace, of Clan Diamond Shark."
 
The man looked startled. "You are unblooded? What bloodhouse claims you?"
 
That was an interesting question. His mother was trueborn, so as a maternal descendent Ace would presumably be able to claim membership of one of the Burrock bloodhouses. He should probably find out which one. "I have no idea."
 
"...freebirth…" the Star Colonel swore. He reached up to his helmet and tapped something. "Andrews," he sneered, voice going out on the channel. "I may never see you again, but at least you have shown your qualities. You feared to engage an unblooded freebirth commander. When the Sharks boast of this, you will be a laughingstock."
 
"....impossible!" Andrews voice replied. "No freebirth could best our finest warriors!"
 
Grimaldi laughed. And then Ace saw that the man had drawn his sidearm. "I will face my shame, I hope you bear yours for years!"
 
Before Ace could even try to do anything about it (not that he could have done much while inside his cockpit), the Steel Viper officer jammed the muzzle of his sidearm into his mouth and pulled the trigger.
 
"Star Captain Andrews," Ace said slowly, looking away from the dead man. "Star Colonel Grimaldi has chosen bondsref over service to Clan Diamond Shark."
 
"...was what he said true? You are not freeborn, quineg?"
 
"Aff. I am freeborn."
 
"I knew the Diamond Sharks were degenerates who allowed freebirth among their warriors. But to put one in command… it is unthinkable!"
 
Ace looked at the Steel Vipers, still withdrawing. "Failure to think is why you are in retreat, Star Captain… from a freeborn commander."
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===Daunting challenges of logistics and politics===
Sandhurst Castle Brian, Europe
Terra, Sol System
12 February 3048
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Anastasius Focht's office was a refuge from the flood of displays and earnest staff of the main command center. Wei Rong took a moment to stretch and rub her eyes before looking around. She saw the Precentor-Martial stood to the side, politely indicating for her to go past him and take the seat behind the desk.
 
"Please don't be ridiculous." she told him lightly. "This is your office, not mine."
 
"You remain my superior." he said seriously.
 
Wei could imagine that Myndo Waterly would have disliked sitting in front of someone else's desk, feeling she should not be subordinate to anyone. She gestured towards the three armchairs off to the side. "A compromise then?"
 
The Precentor Martial bowed his head slightly, and then insisted in pulling one of the chairs into position for her. They were of the (centuries old) modern style - stainless steel and padded faux-leather - but certainly a cut above the merely institutional. Wei doubted that the ComGuards budget had been strained by providing some comfort and she let Focht have his way in this.
 
"I hope you found the presentation informative.," he said seriously once he was sitting facing her.
 
"I understood perhaps half of it," Wei admitted. "Maybe less. At some point it sounded as if the ComGuards are the fourth largest armed forces in the Inner Sphere. I assume I'm misunderstanding - we can't possibly be able to afford that."
 
Focht studied her seriously. "On a few narrow indices, yes, the ComGuards are between the Capellans and the Free Worlds League in military strength. But in others very much not."
 
"I had a feeling that this would be complicated." She gripped the arms of the chair. "This is something that I think I need to understand better."
 
"The one way in which we might be said to be the largest military is the scope of our activities." The Precentor Martial used his hands to describe a circle. "There are detachments of the ComGuards operating across the entire Inner Sphere and much of the near Periphery. Even excluding the support for the Explorer Corps' missions into the deeper Periphery, that's a larger scale of operations than anyone has attempted since the Star League Defense Force."
 
Wei nodded. "Which isn't a new thing, as I understand it. Our stations and enclaves have always needed protection against piracy."
 
"Indeed. Pirates aren't usually concerned about the prospect of being interdicted," Focht confirmed. "Most HPG stations have had a Level II of mechanized infantry - four infantry Level I and two light tanks - since the early Second Succession War. Sometimes less for the more secure HPGs such as those on national capitals, but we need some security against local terrorists, protestors or simply difficult customers. That on its own is a huge commitment - there are over two thousand HPG stations, and including support personnel, it ties up almost half a million ComGuards personnel, which was the historical baseline of our manpower up until the 3030s."
 
"Almost up until you took over." Wei noted.
 
"The expansion began a few years before I joined the order. However, that deployment alone constituted the First and Second Level VI units."
 
"Calling them levels must get confusing," she said suspiciously. "Is that really what the troops call them?"
 
"On the paperwork." Focht nodded. "In practise, we are quite tolerant of those calling a Level II unit a demi-company, and so on up through battalion, brigade, division and then army."
 
"Which would be a Level VI - the units you mentioned earlier?"
 
"Correct. Each level increases the size of the unit by six. So six divisions, thirty-six brigades, two hundred and sixteen battalions… is a single Army."
 
"And these days there are how many of these armies?"
 
"Four out of a projected five armies, if Primus Waterly's plans are completed," Focht admitted. "She projected the idea of four armies, each combining local security forces and a mobile striking force across a quarter of the Inner Sphere, with a fifth army stationed on Terra and the surrounding worlds to provide security and an operational reserve."
 
"The numbers are daunting," Wei admitted and then frowned. "How does that really compare to the forces of the Successor States though?"
 
"The usual comparison of strength between the States is the number of BattleMech regiments," he told her. "Since the ComGuards don't field regiments in the same way, it's hard to provide an exact comparison but we have fifty brigades that are primarily built around Battlemechs and supporting forces, which would be about comparable to a regiment from most of the Great Houses."
 
"Fifty. Compared to the Federated Commonwealth's… two hundred? Two hundred and fifty?" Wei shook her head. "That's insane. We can't possibly afford that. They have a thousand worlds or so, we have Terra, Mars, Venus and a few hundred city-sized enclaves."
 
Focht smiled. "The equipment costs would have been crippling to build up," he admitted. "However, the vast majority of the heavy military equipment is from SLDF stockpiles. Limited military production was established under Jerome Blake and Conrad Toyama's leadership to supplement that, and that supported the ComGuards for centuries."
 
"And how deep are the SLDF stockpiles?" she asked.
 
"Largely expended," he admitted. "That's one of the primary concerns the ComGuards face at this time. Production of the Ost-series designs is continuing, but if the ComGuards were called on to fight a campaign, we we would struggle to replace battlefield losses. We can fight a campaign, and I believe that it would go very well, but we cannot absorb reverses and our technological level isn't high enough for me to assure you that there would be no reverses."
 
"In essence, all the capital is used up." Wei shook her head. "And she wanted half again as much expansion? Where was the money coming from?"
 
"I'm afraid that would be a question you'd have to discuss with Phi Division's accountants," Focht told her. "Production has risen since I took over - for example, Leopard Armor has been shipping us new Merkava Mk VIIIs - heavy tanks," he added when she gave him a blank look, "since we lost access to the Brutus."
 
"Where were you getting heavy tanks before?" The Brutus sounded vaguely familiar, but her knowledge of military equipment didn't really touch on anything newer than the 29th century.
 
"The Brutus was rejected by the Capellans for purchase in 2998, for no reason I'm aware of." Focht told her. "We bought most of the production for thirty years, replacing worn out SLDF equipment for the relatively few heavy armor units we had until then. And then Epsilon Eridani fell to the Federated Suns, who adore the design, and buy every unit they can."
 
"I see. So we lack… sustainability for the ComGuards at the moment?"
 
"Routine consumables are under control," he confirmed. "but even without adding a fifth army, some new sources of equipment would be needed. It would let us build up a stock of replacements, and honestly some of the SLDF equipment we inherited could do with refits to use parts that are more available. The Thugs are all using Tiegart PPCs that are entirely out of production… that's just an example, but refitting them to use Donals would save us money and technician time in the long run."
She leant back in her chair. The Thug was at least something she was familiar with. "So our options are…?"
 
He ticked them off on his fingers. "We can maintain the ComGuards at the current level, but there is a degree to which we'd be brittle if anything goes badly wrong. We can continue the expansion, which will essentially require competing with the Great Houses for their own military production -"
 
Wei could imagine exactly how well that would go. Waterly's term of office had done nothing for relations with the Federated Commonwealth, and almost every other state in the Inner Sphere was doing everything they could to defend against any future attacks by the super-states. There was nowhere nearer than Taurus that might have a surplus - and there she'd be up against mercenary buyers facing the same challenge.
 
"- or building up a substantial military production within our limited territory, which would no doubt be expensive. Finally, we can largely maintain our current strength and take more limited steps to rationalize the ComGuards and make them more sustainable from ComStar's resources."
 
"I take it you prefer the latter option?" She wasn't blind to how he'd kept the option that at least sounded as if it had the least downsides until last.
 
"Most of our troops are relatively inexperienced," Focht admitted. "Training can only do so much. Taking the time to rotate battalions for anti-pirate duties along the Periphery and work out the logistical issues of the last ten years' expansion would give us a much better foundation. Unless we're actively courting hostilities against a major power, that would be my recommendation."
 
Wei sniffed. "I'd prefer we could be assured of no hostilities ever, but that's not realistic. I'm not sure if Waterly thought she could somehow compete with the Armed Force of the Federated Commonwealth, but unless you're telling me that securing our existing enclaves isn't feasible I'm entirely happy to move towards sustaining the ComGuards."
 
He tilted his head, examining her with his one eye. "Are you considering downscaling the ComGuards?"
 
Striking directly at his powerbase when he was one of the major reasons she was alive? Um, no she hadn't developed a suicidal tendency. "There's an argument to be made that we need some coherent striking force available in case of another situation such as the Sarna HPG attack in 3029." And she didn't need to mention that some of the files she'd found suggested that it had not actually been the AFFS that obliterated the HPG station. That was political dynamite.
 
"My first concern is that we have sufficient force to protect the enclaves we're responsible for. After that, the humanitarian work and pirate hunting is doing a great deal to improve ComStar's image," she said. "I realize that's probably not something the ComGuards really want to think about fighting for, but on some level we're basically a corporate monopoly and no one really likes paying for services. Making sure we're not seen as exploitative matters for our security."
 
"It would be possible to do more," Focht offered. "We currently hold our enclaves if a world is under attack and launch punitive attacks on pirate bases if they're located. It would be possible to extend cooperation to help planetary militias against outside attacks that aren't affecting our own enclaves."
 
"It would be important to make sure it's only against pirates, but I'm willing to explore that," she agreed. "What do you feel is necessary to… you said to rationalize the supply chains?"
 
"There are a number of options, but at the moment I'd say that the highest priority would be a jump-capable medium 'mech - something that can keep up with the Ostsols and Ostrocs we're already building and has limited munitions demands. Ideally something that shares parts with an in production design so we can support them from local spare parts. Even with the ComStar merchant fleet, sometimes Terra is inconveniently far away."
 
"That's a very specific set of ideas, do you have a design in mind?"
 
Focht smiled slightly. "The Griffin is one of the most common medium 'mechs around and some of our technical staff have dug up the chassis variant used by the SLDF Royal Command. If what they say is true, judicious use of Star League technology could turn that into something that meets the ComGuard's needs. I don't insist on that though."
 
Wei shook her head in amusement. "Well, if your staff can put together a list of the highest priorities - starting with that - and I'll see what we can get out of the budget. But I can tell you for now that unless the First Circuit is massively in favor of doing so, I don't think scaling the ComGuards up or down much is going to happen in the short term. If we can't protect our enclaves with the forces you have already then the proper solution seems to be qualitative not quantitative."
 
"I'm glad that we agree." Focht saluted her gravely. "The ComGuards have always been a shield for ComStar and I only hope to make them more effective in that role - not a sword for someone's ambitions."
 
"You needn't look to me for those," Wei told him drily. "Unless we get a sudden collapse of central political authority in one of the Successor States, or some sort of crisis along the periphery, we already have all the enclaves we can manage."
"A scenario such as that you describe in your doctoral thesis?" he enquired.
 
"You read it?"
 
The white-haired man nodded. "I found it an interesting perspective of the subject, but perhaps too broad an overview without specifics. Admittedly, covering events across the entire Inner Sphere might have been too much without turning it into a book."
 
"That was my plan, but running a full enclave and then the diplomatic duties on Canopus IV took up all my time." Wei admitted. "I still have my notes but it was hard to get the research materials from the archives when I was that far away from Terra."
 
"Well, you're back on Terra now," he pointed out.
 
"I don't have the free time to get laid, never mind write a book." she complained and then realized that was too far. "Perhaps I'll retire and get back to research - we've got through the last year and a half without the galaxy collapsing."
 
"Do you see someone as having sufficient support to displace you?"
 
Wei fell silent for a moment. "Not anyone I'm entirely comfortable with," she admitted. "In theory it would require an unanimous vote of the First Circuit to remove me, but in practical terms a sufficient majority would make it impossible for me to function as Primus. If Buckley manages to reconstruct Myndo's support base, you might be dealing with a call for further expansion."
 
Focht nodded. "I can't advise you on political strategy, but that would certainly come with costs that Phi Division would object to."
 
"The Precentor of Phi Division has no vote on the First Circuit," she sighed. "Unfortunately."
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===To win or die in Councel Chambers===
Novy Terra, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
21 June 3048
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The doorway leading into the Council Chamber had narrow mirrors mounted on the walls to either side of it. Ace used the one on the left to check his uniform as he waited to be called. He hadn't worn this since his graduation - there had been no particular need. It was blue and green with black trim, with the half-cape - surprisingly comfortable. The founders had clearly seen no reason to make it cumbersome, since it was very possible that someone might be called on to fight in it.
 
Ace had seen some warriors wearing the full ceremonial uniform earlier, and that looked much less practical. Presumably they'd been on their way here, to the center of the Clan's government. He wasn't sure what to think about the idea of wearing that himself one day.
 
The face he saw in the mirror asked him if he was sure about this, but it was too late to step back. Putting the petition in had been the point of no return. Even if someone acted to remove it from the agenda, doing this was a challenge to his superiors.
 
And as Blake Hawker told him, now he would have to win or die. Failure wouldn't kill him immediately, but it would follow, without any doubt.
 
The double doors opened and an elemental in the full ceremonial garb towered over Ace. "Star Captain Ace of the Fifteenth Cruiser Cluster, quiaff?"
 
"Aff."
 
"You are called before the Clan Council." The man swept one arm commandingly and Ace walked past him and into the chamber beyond.
 
Tiered seating rose in a half-circle to his right, and ahead of him on a stage were throne-like seats for the Khans and the Loremaster. All three were occupied. And nearer to him was the small podium from which petitioners could speak, backed by a vast flatscreen covering almost the entire wall. Normally used for presentations, now it simply displayed the banner of Clan Diamond Shark.
 
"Our final petition," Semi Kalasa announced from the loremaster's throne. He'd never met her but she didn't seem sympathetic or even interested. "Star Captain Ace, requesting leave of absence to attend a Trial of Bloodright hosted by Clan Burrock."
 
Wait, that wasn't right. Ace reached the podium and barely glanced at the ranked bloodnamed warriors of the Clan - seating for a thousand was about two-thirds full he thought. Many of the seats were occupied by holograms rather than living warriors though. Attending via telepresence because actually gathering so many senior officers in one place would bring parts of the Clan to a halt.
 
"A correction, Loremaster. To participate, not merely attend."
 
"Know your place," Kalasa snapped, holding up her datapad. "I know what I read."
 
"And I know what I submitted," Ace declared flatly. Something told him that showing hesitation here would be fatal. He had a datapad under his arm and dropped it on the podium.
 
Khan Ian Hawker gestured with one arm. "Enough, if someone mis-transcribed the petition it can be dealt with later. Let us settle this and be on with our duties."
 
"Why," a Star Colonel asked, standing up from where he sat near a group of Diamond Sharks who were wearing the formal dress of Merchant Factors. "Does one of our warriors need to come to the Clan Council to request this? He can hardly be in active combat, or Star Colonel Ochika would not be here, quineg?"
 
This is combat, in its way, thought Ace. "I made the first request to Star Colonel Ochika, which was declined."
 
"Enough, Angus." Ulni Ochika did not rise, in fact Ace could barely see her in the back ranks of the seating. "He does not qualify."
 
The other Star Colonel looked amused. "He clearly disagrees."
 
"The requirements to enter a Trial of Bloodright are not complicated," declared a grim-faced woman. "You are an active warrior, quiaff?" she asked Ace.
 
"Aff."
 
"Your matrilineal descent traces to the founder of your bloodhouse, quiaff?"
 
"Aff," he said again.
 
But there was a "Neg," from Ulni.
 
"Do we need a scientist to confirm this?" asked the Star Colonel - Angus, probably Angus Labov of Alpha Galaxy's 21st Assault Cluster, thought Ace - sarcastically. "It should not be complicated and I cannot think of any reason I would refuse one of my warriors the chance at a Bloodname."
 
Semi Kalasa tossed her datapad down onto the table beside her throne. "The Star Captain is freeborn. Thus he is not eligible to compete. Or does anyone wish to prove themselves by challenging centuries of precedent."
 
"The only precedents are in my favor, loremaster," Ace challenged her. "Freeborn warriors have held bloodnames before. And there is no record in the Clan's archives of any petition to compete being refused the chance due to this."
 
"Challenge me again, Star Captain, and we will settle our grievance with a trial," Kalasa retorted, rising to her feet. "No petition has been denied because no freebirth has been so impudent as to try to claim a bloodname before. Your claim is an insult to everyone in this room!"
 
Ace met her glare and then set his own datapad. "The bloodright being trialed for next month was the first competed for by any descendant of Vladimir Enders. It was won by Susan Enders in 2824, and Susan Enders was the freeborn child of Vladimir Enders, defeating four trueborn children created from his DNA for the right. It is rare for a freeborn warrior to win a bloodname, but there is no law against it."
 
"Custom is…"
 
"Custom." the stern-faced woman from earlier cut off the loremaster. "Is not law, loremaster."
 
Very notably, Semi Kalasa did not challenge the woman. Ian Hawker looked over. "You support this petition, Evangeline Clarke? Did I mistake your words?"
 
"No, my Khan." The woman stepped out onto the floor. "I dare anyone to say they care more about the purity of our bloodnames than I. I dare you!" she roared suddenly, looking at the room.
 
No one spoke up for a moment, before Angus Labov - who had sat down earlier - chuckled. "None of us doubt you on that, Blood Angel. If you say that the law is on this warrior's side… then it is."
 
"No freeborn warrior has won a bloodright in thirty generations," Clarke said confidently. "Our breeding programme produces superior warriors. But the laws have never changed: if this freebirth has the lineage of Vladimir Enders then he has the right to try."
 
"To die trying." Kaija Horn observed.
"Yes. As any of us would have, if we had failed on our roads to our bloodnames." The woman looked at Ace coldly. "You have no chance, Star Captain, but you may try. And if this Council votes otherwise then I will challenge any odds to uphold that."
 
"Just trying would make a joke of our Clan," the saKhan. "You are a mighty warrior, Evangeline Clarke, but the Clans' needs come first."
 
Angus Labov spoke up again. "A joke? A warrior's measure is his record." He lifted a datapad of his own. "Star Captain Ace's record is readily accessible. Three kills in his Trial of Position is not unprecedented, but it is rare. And a Deathstrike award? We do not usually pit that much tonnage against any of our cadets during their first Trial of Position - but he faced it and triumphed. I would have welcomed such an officer to my Cluster immediately if there was an opening."
 
"Not while I command Alpha Galaxy," Khan Hawker growled.
 
"Has this Star Captain disappointed during his service, Ulni Ochika," enquired Labov. "I have his record here."
 
Ochika left her seat and walked down the aisle towards the front. "He has not," he admitted. "He commanded the forces bid against the Fourth Viper Guards on New Kent. A victory that any of our frontline forces would be proud of. One that humiliated Clan Steel Viper."
 
"And then he was deployed more recently against the Nova Cats. Bringing down two omnimechs larger than his own." Labov tapped his datapad. "Maybe you would have won without that, but it could be calculated that his bringing them down turned the tide. An important trial, because if we - if you, Ulni - had been defeated there then we would have lost the rights to produce our newest Omnimech. All the resources invested into developing the Huntsman… lost. I doubt, Khan Horn, that a warrior who has proven himself three times in less than two years is going to embarrass the Clan. He may die, but so will many others."
 
There was a grumble of debate from around the room as warriors argued the matter with their neighbors.
 
Ace couldn't read the room, but looking at the three on the thrones he thought that they could. Semi Kalasa's lips tightened. "I call a recess," she declared. "We will reconvene in fifteen minutes. Anyone else wishing to speak on this matter may approach me during that time. If no one does, we will vote immediately."
 
The elemental guard approached Ace and gestured for him to follow him out of the hall.
 
Had he won? Lost? Was it in the balance?
 
"A word of advice," the elemental offered once the door closed behind them. "Evangeline Clarke may call for a Trial of Refusal if the vote goes against you. Do not try to participate yourself. She will only fight against or alongside the bloodnamed."
 
"...is that why Star Colonel Labov called her Blood Angel."
 
The elemental nodded and walked off.
 
Ace went to the bench against the wall and sat down, resting his head against the deliberately rough stone work of the wall. So now it was out of his hands. How frustrating.
 
He was surprised that the door opened again. There were other exits on the floor above for members of the Council, this entrance was apparently only for petitioners.
 
Looking up, he saw a mechwarrior about his own age, wearing much the same dress uniform. Blonde hair clipped close to his skull. A Star Commander's rank pins suggested a reason for the man's flat expression. "Star Captain," the warrior said flatly.
 
"Star Commander."
 
"I will be brief. The Khan does not want further division within the Clan Council on this point. His concern is that your participation in the Enders Trial of Bloodright will affect a Watch investigation."
 
Ace blinked. "An investigation into what?"
 
"That is not your concern."
 
"I do not even know who you are. You speak for Khan Hawker."
 
The other mechwarrior's hands curled into fists. "My name is Steven Hawker. I hold the bloodright once held by Blake Hawker, who you may remember - the Khan sponsored me for it himself. Is that sufficient or would you like to read my entire codex, quineg?"
 
Ace pushed himself to his feet, noticing he was still slightly shorter than Steven. "Neg. That will suffice. So what does the Khan want?"
 
"The records of your heritage have been altered to indicate your mother was a technician within our Clan, acquired from Clan Burrock in a trial some years ago. More than one enclave on Priori has changed hands in that time. It will not be suspicious."
 
That… this was about his mother? What was so important about her that Khan Ian Hawker was taking a direct concern? Ace considered the issue. Was sending Blake Hawker after him for his Trial of Position about this as well?
 
In the end, it didn't really change the current question. "I think the Burrocks will be offended enough without telling them I was raised by the dark caste," he told Steven Hawker. "You may assure the Khan that so long as my blood heritage is not altered, I will not mention the exact circumstances of how I joined the Clan."
 
Steven Hawker nodded sharply. "Bargained well and done." He turned back to the door. "And Star Captain? Try to die with some degree of dignity."
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Chapter 2