EMCOTS-2 21

=Emergence (Concertverse) Book 2 - Chapter 21=
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==Complications==
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===History repeats itself===
TUS Arkady Roslov
Nadir Point
Tikonov System, Tikonov Prefecture
Grand Union of Tikonov
Cisglass Inner Sphere
16th August 3143
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The jump points of the Tikonov system were among the busiest one would find in the Inner Sphere. A capital system for a Successor State was always going to have a multitude of vessels coming and going, but given its place in the inner core of the Inner Sphere Tikonov was a commercial hub like few others. It was the mid-point for trade between the COMINTERSTEL and Lyran states on one end and the Federated Suns and Kilbourne Concord on the other. At any given time the JumpShips crowded the approaches to Gagarin and Kozhedub Stations, seeking recharges while docking and undocking many more DropShips. Space was vast by its very nature, but here, it could be surprisingly cramped.
Thus the Ruslov and its accompanying ships maintained a distance of two thousand kilometers, more than enough to allow the gathered vessels to continue their experiments without needing to worry about space traffic matters. The JumpShips of the formation were together while nearby DropShips, a combination of vessels outfitted with the finest sensor technology that the Inner Sphere had available and flotillas of Tikonovite and FedSuns combat DropShips, maintained a vigil well out of jump field range.
The Ruslov was the center of the formation, a former Rubinsky-class destroyer of the Tikonov Union that had been crippled by Kuritan forces during the intense fighting at Albalii. For over twenty years the ship had been kept in mothballed reserve, too badly damaged to warrant the costs of complete restoration to service but too intact to warrant scrapping as happened to so many of his sibling ships. In the mothball yards over Ashkilov, the vessel had long awaited a purpose worthy of bringing him back to life. A purpose that, had in the past year, been found.
The Ruslov's reactivation had been done in limited fashion, with spaceworthiness, internal power systems, and drives meticulously restored, but the weapons lost in his final action were not replaced, and his armament of naval lasers, missiles, and paired Naval PPC batteries on the quarters was only half-strength compared to remaining siblings. Such firepower was not deemed necessary for his new purpose.
In her Command Information Center, Captain Jasper Pugachev floated quietly on his foot-hooks at the holotank central to the chamber. Harnessed crew remained seated and attending to stations, providing the data and direction to keep the three hundred thousand ton WarShip operating. The ship was the effective flag vessel for twenty WarShips and JumpShips of varying size and class, the majority of them Tikonovite with one Azami ship and three from their strongest ally, the Federated Suns. The more significant presence of the Suns was here with him, in the personage of Doctor George Sato of the New Avalon Institute of Science. A scientist was not a normal part of a WarShip's contingent, even in Tikonov, but for Ruslov's new purpose, Sato was one of the best people for the job.
The last batch of test data flowed over the holotank facing Sato. Pugachev required these final summaries, much to the grumbling of the researchers. No more tests would be done until he was sure of their safety. "That anomalous surge towards the end of the test charge is the only thing of note so far," Sato noted to Pugachev and the coterie of jumpsuited physicists arrayed around him. "As always, it seems to vary in intensity, like a feedback loop into the jump engines."
"Should I suspend the testing, then?" asked Pugachev, knowing the answer to come but saying it anyway.
"There's nothing dangerous at this level," Sato assured him, holding a finger up towards the holographic light and the display. "I get this is for the record, but I admit I'm getting tired of having to constantly restate this, Captain." When Pugachev frowned in response Sato sighed. "Calling it a 'surge' is a relative matter. Mild feedback into jump engines is a part of the physics, and always has been. But it's usually rated in the microjoule range. We're just seeing an increase into the millijoule range. Compared to the megajoules that typically course through a jump engine during a jump, this is still comparatively microscopic. It's simply an interesting anomaly at this stage."
Sato undoubtedly found it convincing, but Pugachev wouldn't allow it to be. He glanced towards the engineering officer overseeing the testing, Commander Paul Tourville. Tourville nodded. "Again, for the record, I've worked jump engines most of my career, Captain, same as you. And from an engineering perspective, Doctor Sato's right. I'd say dumping a noteputer's entire battery charge into the system would have a greater effect upon a drive than this feedback, and by several orders of magnitude. Though I do want to keep an eye on things."
A new analogy, Pugachev thought, though he not speak.
Sato gave a reply instead. "Yes, the effect has gradually increased since testing began, though not in a linear fashion."
"You mean the feedback goes up and down? Increases and decreases?' Pugachev asked.
"Mostly increases, but not in any appreciable way, and there have been dips where it'd drop again before going back up." Sato again gestured towards the data. "Honestly this might be the result of simple hyperspatial variance. Random shifting, so to speak. We're certainly clear to begin the next test when you're ready. We're adding another five seconds to the charge-hold time."
Pugachev sighed and nodded. "Very well." He keyed the intercom. "All ships standby to begin jump engine test."
The affirmations flashed on the holotank as vessel after vessel affirmed readiness.
"Begin."
"Aye, Captain, commencing test jump. Five… four… three…"
Normally this was done with a new or repaired jump core. A charge was gradually built into the core to test for failure, until the test either succeeded and the charge was dumped back into the capacitors or a helium tank seal blew somewhere. They'd done the test a dozen times in the past three days alone, ever since Ruslov had finished her refurbishing tests and joined the test fleet that had gradually formed here at Tikonov's nadir point. This would be the thirteenth. An unlucky number for us. But not for the others, at least.
"Test cycle commenced on all ships. Core charge is now at five percent and growing steady. No issues found," Tourville said.
Pugachev nodded and watched quietly as the charge gradually built. They'd been allowing the charge to build closer and closer to one hundred percent through the testing. This test would stop at eighty percent. I wonder if they will push to a hundred or decide to stop this? I do not wish to blast a hole in the cosmos because the scientists think it will be interesting!
The percentage went up at standard pace. His ship and the others were scanning constantly, looking for the slightest sign of something out of the ordinary. The combat DropShips were undoubtedly already on standby just in case. Pugachev quietly envied them; at least they weren't actually part of this, just watching. Like one hole between realities isn't enough, honestly we should leave well enough alone.
"Fifty percent. Fifty-five percent."
Sato gestured towards the holotank displays. "Do you see this, Tourville?"
"I do." Tourville, and Pugachev, noted the numbers coming to life along a diagram of the drive. "We're getting anomalous feedback again."
"Standby for emergency core dump," Pugachev ordered his people.
"Seventy percent. Seventy-five percent. We are now at eighty percent. Engineering is now cutting power transfer and ending the test."
"The feedback has gone up. It's at eight hundred milliwatts this time," Sato said.
Pugachev didn't like the sound of that, but at least this whole thing was over. Until the next time.
Confusion flashed across Tourville's face. "Wait. That can't be…"
"What?" Pugachev demanded.
"The core is at eighty-five percent now," Sato breathed in shock. "The core is still drawing energy."
Pugachev slammed his finger on the nearest intercom key. "Engineering, suspend test! Do not transfer power to core!"
"Captain, it's not us! All power transfer has ceased!"
"Not possible! Make sure!"
"They're right, the capacitors are filled up with the test charge," Tourville said, his hand indicating them on the diagram. But the jump drive was glowing a bright green and the number had just gone past ninety percent. "The core is still taking a charge somehow!" He glanced at the fleet readouts. "All ships are reporting core charge has continued past the test ending!"
"If we're not charging the cores, what is?!" Pugachev demanded.
"I don't know, Captain," Tourville replied, a certain franticness starting to show on his face. "Engineering is trying to dump the core but the capacitors are already near their limits. Core charge growing!"
Pugachev watched in disbelief as the Ruslov, as well as the other vessels, continued to build core charges from seeming nothingness. "Doctor Sato, what have you done to my ship?!" he roared.
"This isn't physically possible," Sato said. "Unless…" Realization crossed his wizened face, making it pale. "It couldn't…"
"What?!"
"Hyperspace itself," he breathed. "Somehow… somehow the mass tests caused some kind of connection to hyperspace, and our jump drives are drawing energy from it!"
"Then we've got a problem, because core charge just hit one hundred percent!" Tourville shouted. "The cores are going to blow if we don't do something with this energy!"
"Dump it!"
"Capacitors are already fully charged, sir. There's nowhere for this to go.. Nowhere but—"
"—where it came from," Sato said. "Captain, we and the fleet must jump."
Pugachev almost roared disagreement but stopped. Magical energy from nothing was beyond him, but he well knew what you had to do with a fully charged jump core. You either made your jump or you let the core explode, and even if that didn't misjump you in the process, you probably still lost your ship to the explosion. Holy Christ please let me see my family again, he thought desperately before nodding. "Astrogation! Select point two hundred thousand kilometers from Gagarin Station! Commence emergency jump!" From one point to the other, and still close enough for help if we need it.
"Aye, Captain, relaying to ships… jumping!"
Throughout his life, Captain Pugachev had made numerous jumps. The first ones in your life were always the worse, according to common space travel knowledge. That was where you most likely experienced jump shock, and everyone grew to know and expect the wave of nausea and wrongness that came from throwing a ship light years away. Eventually it was something easily dealt with.
None of that prepared him for this. He felt like his body was being forced through a sieve. Every part of him threatened to pull apart from the rest, and sheer agony gripped him and kept him from screaming. Misjump! flashed through what he was certain would be the final thought to cross his mind before the end.
Light returned. Reality came with it. The agony subsided as Pugachev beheld his CIC once more. Pugachev noted a couple of his crew were motionless, as if nigh-unconscious, as were Sato and a couple of his people. Tourville wretched, hurling globs of vomit into the air of the holotank, before turning his pale face towards Pugachev. "Captain…?" he asked weakly.
"How in God's name are we alive?" Pugachev asked, his voice hoarse from the suffering. "Ship status. Give me our status!" His eyes went towards the diagram, dreading the confirmation of his ship's violent rending by a jump core detonation.
Instead it was quite clear the ship was intact. The core itself had not been destroyed, though warning lights made clear that two seals were completely blown.
One officer spoke up from a station. "Captain, we're starting to get status reports from every deck and department. Multiple cases of jump shock being found. Engineering reports blown seals on the drive. It's inoperable."
"But intact." Pugachev glanced at Tourville. "The rest of the fleet?"
"Here. We didn't lose a single ship," Tourville confirmed. "First reports coming in… jump shocks, blown seals. Looks like the Tigress Temptress had a partial core rupture from the overload, but the hull's intact."
"Good. Hail Gagarin Station, we'll need hospital ships for the wounded." Even if we're now on the wrong side of the system… wait!
The suspicion that had crept into Pugachev's mind soon made its truth known as he checked the system traffic monitor. The scanners and astrogation systems had spent some time updating given the jump, but they proudly showed their new location. To his astonishment, Tikonov itself hung in space. The navigation system helpfully projected the distance at twenty-nine hundred and twenty-eight kilometers. Barely out of the exosphere… how?!
"Captain… we have something on the aft monitors."
Pugachev brought up the display from the Ruslov's stern-mounted cameras. Beyond the spindly forms of the other JumpShips, the blue light of a jump field persisted, marked by the telltale fireflies that accompanied jumps. The same as the Atocongo Anomaly.
"We can't raise Ashkilov Station, Captain," another tech said. "We're not getting nearly as much as the normal radio traffic we should."
"Prepare a message drone. Send it through the anomaly, with full status updates included," Pugachev ordered. "And I want our fighters launched, a full CAP, now!"
"Maybe we shouldn't be hasty," Sato said. "Launching fighters could be seen as a sign of impending attack?"
Pugachev shot a frustrated look at the scientist who had caused him such pain and headache. "We just appeared out of nothing within an hour's burn of the atmosphere! They might just attack us!" He turned back to his officers. "Get me their planetary traffic control! And signal a mayday and drive failure!"
"We're already receiving a signal—"
"Put them on!"
An authoritative female voice with a hint of what Pugachev thought was a Tikonovite accent spoke. <<"- I repeat, unknown vessels, this is Tikonov Skywatch. You are in violation of sovereign Federated Suns territory. Identify yourselves immediately or we will engage you.”>>
With his head still spinning, Pugachev answered, "I am Captain Jasper Pugachev, commander of the Ruslov, a vessel of the Tikonov Union Navy, speaking for my fleet. We have misjumped and suffered drive failures and jump shock casualties. I am declaring an emergency and am only maintaining defensive posture."
<<"....Tikonov Union Navy?”>> There was a burbling undercurrent of noise for a moment; whispered conversation just out of the pickup’s reach. Then: “If that’s Daoshen Liao’s idea of humour, unknowns, then it’s stupid and in bad taste. The Tikonov Grand Union hasn’t existed for almost eight hundred years. Try again.”
"We are not Liaoists!" Pugachev snarled. He regained composure to his voice before continuing. "We are…. we are from… it will take an explanation. Let me speak to your commanding officer, please."
<<"...Stand by.">>
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===Contact with unknown Fleet===
Planetary Defense Command
Planetary capital city of Tikograd
Tikonov System, Federated Suns
Transglass Inner Sphere
“Well now,” Aaron Sandoval commented quietly, watching the interplay of track markers on the main holotank. “This is an interesting turn of events, isn’t it, Marshal?”
Phillip Rahm looked up from the display where he'd been monitoring the Tokonov Martial Academy Cadre's deployment. He scowled at what he'd evidently read into Aaron's expression, thick copper-red muttonchops seeming to flare in a manner amusingly reminiscent of a Caselton plains lion's threat display. “You're going to talk to them, then?”
“Without a terribly compelling reason for me not to, Marshal, that is my intention, yes.” Aaron carefully hid his smile at Rahm's bluntness. The commander of the Eighth Crucis Lancers was a good soldier, but he had almost no sense of humor. Nor did he have much sense for politics beyond the necessities of his rank. “Whoever these people truly are, they're potentially a useful ally. Ganesha, Lord of Wisdom, has an elephant's trunk; you can't grab it once he's passed you.”
“A fair point,” Rahm acknowledged, scowl softening fractionally. Good to know my judgment of men's still sound; Rahm wasn't Hindu himself, as far as Aaron's intelligence staff had been able to determine, but he had spent almost his entire life in Islamabad Combat Region, the old United Hindu Collective area. And it'd be a strange man indeed who wouldn't take on something of the place after being there so long. “And if you're really confident this isn't a Liao deception - a distraction from an attack on Chesterton …” 
“All things are possible, but it's not the way I'd put money.” This time, Aaron did let himself smile; his parsimony was notorious enough that even Rahm would get the joke. “Unless this Captain Pugachev is a much better actor than I think they are, they were genuinely offended at the implication of Liao sympathies. And anyway, old Sun-Tzu might have thought that way, but Daoshen doesn't. I've fought him for a decade now, Marshal; and he doesn't care what the other guy may do. To his mind, it doesn't matter; what matters is what he is going to do to them.” 
Those had been long and hard years, each feeling like a decade in its own right, with victory and loss in equal measure. It hadn’t been, Aaron was honest enough to admit to himself, any of what he’d expected to be doing when he was elected world governor of Addicks. Unfinished Book, that was sixteen years ago now. All I wanted was to make it easier for those who wanted it to gain full citizenship, and deal with that corrupt hypocrite Bannson; from that, all his other ambitions had been born. Now Bannson was dead, hunted down by thuggee fanatics after Ki-linn grew tired of indulging him; and the burdens of leadership are still mine.
“Well,” Rahm commented, seemingly unaware of Aaron’s internal musings, “at least if they do turn hostile, we’re as ready as we can be.” He indicated a secondary map screen, showing the Tikonov garrison’s deployment. “With the Third Suns Lancers holding New Moscow, the Academy Cadre and Combat Commands Able and Baker from my Lancers here, Fourth Suns Lancers and CC Charlie as mobile reserve, we’re covering everything critical.” Rahm frowned for a moment at a cluster of smaller icons, in and around Tikograd. “I could wish for the mercenaries to be steadier, though.”
“It’s a bit late to be summoning the Rangers from Ulan Batar,” Aaron replied drily as he stepped into the comms pickup’s field. “Stand by for full visual transmission. Let’s put a face to that voice,” he said cheerfully to the comms officer; a young woman, local from her coloring and from the name Drubetskya on her uniform jacket’s breast. His affected breezy confidence seemed to hearten the command staff; at least, defused an incipient tension. And it was always easier to grasp the nature of a person if you could look into their eyes.
Aaron took a moment to adjust his uniform — as ever, the plain, unadorned Field Marshal’s dress he preferred for working days — as the link initiated. The main comms screen shimmered, reformed into the image of a WarShip's CIC. Aaron's mind instantly cataloged a dozen facets of layout, uniforms and insignia that convinced him these newcomers were truthful and we have another Timkovichi anomaly, but the bulk of his focus was on the man centered in the feed. Captain Puchagev, I presume. An older man, maybe a decade beyond Aaron's own mid-forties, tanned dark by the light of a dozen stars, clean-shaven and graying hair cropped close to his scalp in the manner of military spacers. Hard eyes that missed nothing as they took in all of the Iron Citadel's command center, with a gridwork of wrinkles at their corners speaking of a long time staring through an EVA suit's glare shield.
This was an enlisted spacer, once, Aaron decided quickly, and a rigger, unless I miss my guess. That put him on guard instantly; it wasn't impossible for a solar sail rigger to make it to a commission or even ship command, but it spoke of formidable drive and self-mastery, and more than a little luck. This is not a man it would be easy to fool.
“Captain Pugachev,” Aaron said, quickly adopting a respectful, man-to-man demeanor. “You requested to speak to the commanding officer. I am he; Field Marshal Aaron Sandoval, charged by His Highness Caleb Hasek-Sandoval-Davion to defend Tikonov. I believe,” he assayed a small smile, “that we have a great deal to discuss.”
<<"Yes. My vessels will remain at station and continue our recovery from the jump shock, we will make no moves towards orbit without your clearance.">> Pugachev checked something outside the display's field of vision, with a faint voice that Aaron couldn't quite make out giving a report. “For disclosure, I have sent a drone back through the anomaly to report on our situation."
“That is acceptable,” Aaron nodded. Courteous of you to let me know, at least. “This has a certain unpleasant congruence, Captain; to the events over Timkovichi and the formation of the,” he made a point of checking a noteputer proffered by an aide; actually the Third Suns Lancers’ ammunition stores, but it was for the look of the thing. What a game of shadows and mirrors power is, “Looking Glass event.”
<<"Yes. We are aware of that anomaly.">>
“From your reaction to arriving here, I presume you weren’t trying to create a new one?” Aaron deliberately inflected that lightly, as a joke, but I damn well hope you weren’t. The thought that others were trying to do what the Arcadians had by accident, especially given the borders in the other world, well, strategic nightmare didn’t even begin to cover it.
The reply that came wasn't necessary given the frustrated scowl on Pugachev's face. <<"No, this was not an intentional action. We were part of a scientific study to determine the threshold at which such anomalies formed so to avoid this, but something went wrong.">>
“An accident, then. One that could be of use, to both our nations.” Aaron marshaled his recall of Trillian Steiner-Davion’s summation of what lay beyond the Glass; making sure the Sea Foxes got a copy here, quickly had cost more than a ‘Mech battalion, but every penny was well-spent now. This Tikonov Grand Union are allies to the Federated Suns on their side, and I doubt they’ll like Daoshen anymore than they do their own Liaos. Something could be made of that. From what he’d read, the Halas-Liaos were cold, could be viciously cruel at times, but they had it under much better control than Daoshen or Ki-linn did. “I won’t ask you to commit your government to anything, Captain, but I would request that you convey to them my formal offer of open embassy and negotiation. There is a great deal to discuss and share between us, I think.”
Including if the Federated Suns now have a new neutral border, or a dagger at our back. Or maybe even an ally.
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===Reunion and Pledges for Revenge===
Celestial Palace
Imperial City, Wuhan Continent
Sian, Sian Commonality
Oriento-Capellan Empire
Cisglass Inner Sphere
The transport VTOL hovering over Robert Halas-Liao's head drew his attention, the distinctive profile of a Dragonfly infantry carrier model by Ceres now marked in the red and gold colors of the First Sian Dragoons. Its pilot demonstrated his training with a precision mid-air turn and banking maneuver, moving the craft onto the ferrocrete helipad just outside of the Palace of the Scions, where the craft settled into place and quieted its engines. Attendees at the pad moved into place, arms presented, as the side door slid open. The sole occupant stepped out. Ordinarily, one did not ferry mere lieutenants about by VTOL in such a way, but the passenger was not a mere lieutenant. Xiaoli Halas-Liao, Princess-Imperial of the Oriento-Capellan Empire, had her hair pulled tightly into a single pony-tail going down her back, exposing part of her temples. Robert felt instinctive approval at his daughter presenting herself with that traditional Capellan MechWarrior's hairstyle. For all her bothersome mouth, she at least shows discipline in her presentation.
She walked up to him and saluted promptly. He deeply nodded in recognition, the formal and appropriate means for the Celestial Wisdom to accept the dignity offered by his MechWarriors. "Father, I came as soon as the field exercises were complete."
"So I was told by Colonel Rusk. I have had your gown prepared for you in the Imperial changing rooms, and the bath is ready."
Xiaoli nodded, though he could sense her displeasure. While he doubted she minded the bath, the formal gown of the Princess-Imperial was an elaborate garment to wear, and not at all to her liking. But this was to be her first formal session of the House of Scions, and the sheng and baraduc in attendance would find anything less to be an insult.
Yet, it would not hurt to give her a boon. "I have read your evaluation reports, and I am quite proud.. Your performance in last week's war game with the Dynasty Guards reflected well on your skill at leading a lance."
The distaste disappeared. Very briefly he could see satisfaction, even joy, before some combination of discipline and pride made it return to that neutral expression. "Thank you, Father."
Her eyes shifted to his right, as if something had come into her vision. Robert turned and recognized the uniformed Maskirovka aide approaching at a hurried, if steady, step. He bowed deeply to them. "Celestial Wisdom, Lady Chen insisted I give you this and receive your reply." Upon straightening his back, the Mask aide handed Robert a noteputer.
He looked it over. Event at Tikonov confirmed by agents. New Anomaly has formed and confirmed to link to the Transglass Inner Sphere. Request orders.
Xiaoli knew better than to try to read the noteputer, but there was no denying the curiosity in her expression. "The meeting begins shortly and you should be prepared," he said to her, keeping his voice firm but not stern. "We will discuss matters later."
She nodded and departed for the building. He gently smiled in her direction for a moment. I know that fire still burns within you, my little one, I am just glad we can direct it towards something more constructive than rebellion from your duties. He glanced again at the device, considering what it meant and what he needed to do. Or rather, what he felt compelled to do. He extended his arm and returned the device. "Inform Lady Chen and Lord Cheng that the time has come. Commence Project Heavenly Mirror."
"At once, Celestial Wisdom." The man accepted the noteputer and left.
Robert glanced back as the Dragonfly lifted off, its work done. As its beating rotors sent air that gently beat across his face, his thoughts turned to the enormity of what they were doing, and the potential consequences. This is a risk, as we cannot be sure how the other side will react. But now two of the Empire's most keen foes have potential access to allies from beyond, and we are already painfully isolated. The risk must be taken if the Empire is to survive.
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EMCOTS-2 21