SCMR Chpt 60

<<Next Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
==Chapter 60 - Self Configuring Modular Robot==
----
The destruction of a Cluster...
...of 'mechwarriors was bad enough news, indicated enough weakness to draw the Grand Council's attention on its own. That said destruction occurred over an eighteen hour running battle that had begun with routing a battalion of militia and forcing a regulars unit to retreat would be bad enough.
But it wasn't just that.
Despite Elias Crichell's concerted efforts and the work of Kael Pershaw's branch of the Watch, the specifics of the fight did come out. First to stunned disbelief among the ranks of the rest of Clan Jade Falcon, but then to the stunned disbelief and followed by open mockery of the other Invading forces.
"One. Warrior." Ulric Kerensky's tone dripped disbelief. "One warrior, from a defeated force, did this, quineg? Surely my esteemed counterparts from Clan Jade Falcon can explain this...frankly unbelievable situation?, quiaff?"
Oddly enough, their hated rivals, Clan Wolf, seemed to be the only Clan present in the theater. Who weren't laying on the mockery, and were also not laying down the disrespect in heavy, dripping sarcasm.
"We are...still working on that, Ulric." SaKhan Malthus of Clan Jade Falcon spoke up. "We do not understand yet, what unique technologies were on display, or if sabotage had some hand in the defeat on Trell One."
"Can we get on with this? I want to move that the Jade Falcons be removed from the rolls of Revival, and another Cla-"
"Shut. Up." Ulric turned, for once, perhaps the first time ever, the Warden's fiery expression was aimed away from the Falcon khans. "Shut up, Lincoln Osis. Every time you open your mouth the intelligence of the rest of this room is lowered catastrophically."
Leo Showers scowled, "That is an insult, Ulric!"
"Yeah. Your clan is doing great, fighting what is it, toy robots and losing?? Your 'warriors' blew up a city because they were too incompetent to hold on to one, lousy prisoner. So, with all Due respect, Leo, you can shut the ****** up too and let the adults figure out how to salvage this disaster of a mess your lack of planning, foresight, and strategic vision led us all into."
"I will declare a trial of grievanc-"
"You do that, because I am about fed up with this...circus. I am quite ready to challenge your right to command a sibko of five year olds on an expedition to the chow hall, much less an operation with an eighteen month supply line delay in the field." Ulric glared, "We are here, I objected to this, but we are here, and you are making a botch of the entire thing, instead of winning."
A throat cleared in the chamber, and Karl Bourjon spoke, "What would you do differently, Khan Ulric Kerensky, you opposed this entire mission."
"I did, I do, I also see no path but forward to completion." Ulric stated, "Which means we need competent leadership, not leaders who let their optimistic vanity dictate strategy and tactics! Clan Smoke Jaguar has barely passed their first wave of objectives. Clan Jade Falcon has run into some sort of inner-sphere superweapon and lost an entire cluster in a single day to apparently to a single man in an obsolete 'mech. MY clan is making our objectives. We are not running out of munitions or supplies, your Clan is making their objectives despite being under-supplied." He then straightened, "This has transcended the argument between Warden and Crusader, the dignity of the whole of the Clans of Kerensky is in serious jeopardy of being rendered into the past-tense. This situation is intolerable, it is a leadership failure, we need new leadership with a realistic and intelligent approach borne of experience in this field of battle in which we have found ourselves."
"You?"
"Neg." Ulric snapped, "Not I, I do not want the position, any more than I wanted this operation to happen. But we must replace the failures in command of Operation Revival, and shift our priorities to a strategy that will win the war."
"You still have to remove Leo." Karl pointed out.
Leo Showers seethed in rage at the disrespect.
"Indeed. Leo Showers, I challenge you to a trial of grievance for your strategic bungling of Operation: Revival, I also challenge your qualifications to lead this operation, and your right to the position you hold as IlKhan. If we are to do this, we must do it in a way that achieves victory and not merely bloodshed and civilian deaths."
----
<<Next Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
060, Chapter