OPREF Chpt 5

=Chapter 5 - Dealer’s Choice=
==Opalescent Reflections==
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===Preparing for the Next Assignment===
Novy Terra, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
15 October 3048
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Steven Hawker had somehow managed to restrain his disappointment at Ace's return to the Diamond Shark enclave. He'd even offered stilted congratulations on winning the Enders bloodname.
 
After the duel with Annika, the finals of the Trial of Bloodright had been anti-climatic. The Fire Mandrill mechwarrior who reached finals via the other bracket had chosen to equip his Stormcrow with the B configuration - a heavy autocannon and six extended-range medium lasers. If he'd been able to get close then that could have been decisive, but an early leg hit had doomed the plan and Ace had simply kept ahead of him and out of range for the entire duel.
 
On the top floor of the Diamond Shark Clan Hall, the Khan's office looked out over a courtyard built around a statue of their totem… fish? Was a shark a fish? Ace really wasn't sure.
 
Ian Hawker had his back to the door, looking down at the statue, when Steven ushered Ace into the room.
 
For a moment after the door closed, there was silence in the room. It was the Khan who broke that. "You have returned victorious. I am compelled to congratulate you, Ace Enders."
 
"Thank you, my [Khan]]." If Hawker found some justification for a Trial of Grievance, then Ace wouldn't have much choice but to fight him and whatever else he might think of the Khan, there was no doubt that his combat record was impressive.
 
"Your parentage was questioned, quiaff?"
 
"Aff, in terms of my bloodline. No one inquired about my mother's circumstances. Once my line of descent was recognized, there were no other questions on that point."
 
"Good." Hawker sighed. "Do you know why I required you to lie if asked?"
 
Ace would be lying if he said he wasn't curious, but he hadn't been asked that. "I have no idea."
 
"Your new status as a member of the Clan Council does not entitle you to an answer." Ian Hawker turned around. "Until or unless I tell you otherwise, anyone inquiring about your mother is to be reported to my office. Mark the messages as related to the Musketeer trial that you managed to talk Clan Burrock into approving, I have had enough complaints about that to make such a message innocuous."
 
"Should I expect someone to question me?" Ace had a nasty feeling that he was on the fringes of something political.
 
"I would be very happy if you never need to communicate with me, on this or any other matter." The Khan scowled and moved to his desk. "Before you departed, I told Star Colonel Labov that while I led Alpha Galaxy there would be no freeborn warriors in their ranks. He has elected to challenge me on this."
 
Ace wasn't sure what to say.
 
Giving Ace a searching look, Ian Hawker relaxed slightly. "While you were fighting for your bloodname, Alpha Galaxy deployed to Vinton and we have secured possession of several Smoke Jaguar enclaves on that world. Valuable industrial enclaves."
 
"The glory of that victory has been widely reported," Ace admitted. The Smoke Jaguars were one of the most formidable Clans, at least on the battlefield. They weren't considered contenders in economic terms, so losing some of their industrial capacity would hit them harder than a similar loss to the Diamond Sharks.
 
He hadn't just been fighting for his own bloodname, of course. There had been the Trial of Bloodright for the vacated Bloodname of Felipe Enders. It wasn't possible to just extend the preparations made for the trial that Ace had won - notifications had to be sent out and allowances made for travel time. More time to heal and repair…
 
And of course, meetings with warriors eager to obtain sponsorship from Ace. Abigail Enders had confirmed that she would accept two nominations from every bloodnamed warrior. In the end he had settled on Tathis, the Fire Mandrill mechwarrior whose Phoenix Hawk IIC he'd destroyed during the melee and a Goliath Scorpion named Angus. Neither had reached the finals, although Tathis had at least fought well enough that Ace had told her he'd keep her in mind next time a bloodright was open.
 
Angus wouldn't get that. He'd met Annika in the third round and she'd made a point of seeing that Ace's nominee died in their duel. It didn't make Ace feel any better about Annika winning the bloodname in the end. Maybe she was right and they would fight again.
 
He'd better be ready to win.
 
"We also took losses in the process," the Khan continued. "Several officers lost their lives or ended their careers for other reasons, and there is a traditional requirement that Alpha Galaxy officers must have the Deathstrike Award."
 
Self-consciously, Ace reached up to touch the badge on his uniform.
 
"Yes, and we have a vacancy for a Star Captain that will otherwise be difficult to fill without promoting a Star Commander, who would then need to be replaced in turn." Hawker shook his head. "I have significant reservations, but Alpha Galaxy must be ready for action so I will give you this chance."
 
"Thank you, my Khan." Ace tried to sound humble, not excited. An Alpha Galaxy posting would be very prestigious - and it sounded as if there was a high likelihood of action. Perhaps against the Smoke Jaguars? They would no doubt want to reclaim their territory on Vinton.
 
"Thank Star Colonel Labov when you report to the Twenty-First Assault Cluster. He will no doubt be embarrassed if you show his judgment was flawed."
 
And if I succeed, then you look like a fool for objecting to freeborn warriors, Ace thought. So I'll be walking a sword's blade - nothing has changed.
 
Taking the monitor of his desk, Hawker turned it to face Ace. "The Twenty-First is an Assault Cluster, your Nova would be unsuited to service in it and Star Colonel Labov has requested that you be assigned something heavier. Let no one say that our Clan spares effort when it comes to equipping our most renowned Clusters. This is a complete list of all 'mechs available for assessment on Strana Mechty, you may pick whichever you like and configure it to your liking."
 
Ace blinked at the sudden generosity. Although… he was accustomed now to the Nova. More often than not it's agility had saved him. Was this an attempt to hinder him by placing him in a heaver 'mech that he would find harder to operate?
 
"Would it be possible to take my current technician with me?" he asked, studying the list.
 
"Do you think Alpha Galaxy lacks for skilled technicians?!"
 
"No, my Khan. But we have a smooth working relationship. If I am already taking over an unfamiliar trinary of warriors, a support staff I am familiar with would be helpful."
 
Hawker scowled. "Very well, but I will not be patient if you prove inept. Your new posting is very visible. What 'mech do you want?"
 
Ace reached out and tapped the screen. "I see several Stormcrows."
Hawker paused. "A Stormcrow?"
 
"Yes, my Khan. It is a larger and more capable omnimech than my Nova."
Five tons heavier than the Nova, Stormcrows were newer - but the design was still over a century old. To Ace's mind, that made them reliable. He could have taken something like the brand new Huntsman, but that design was untested. A Stormcrow's foibles had long since been dealt with or were at least understood.
 
And while it wasn't usually fitted with jump jets, Ace suspected that the OmniMech could be fitted with them and still have the tonnage to carry the same basic payload as his Nova. He'd still need to learn how to handle it with the same precision, but greater speed, agility and protection could pay off.
 
And most importantly, Ace thought as he locked eyes with Ian Hawker, the Khan will see it as a mistake on my part.
 
"Bargained well and done," Hawker congratulated himself, though trying to make it sound as if he was speaking of Ace. "I will have a Stormcrow delivered to the Twenty-First Assault Cluster, and orders will be cut to assign your current technician as well."
 
"To Vinton?" he asked.
 
"No. Your first mission will be here on Strana Mechty."
 
Ace stared at the Khan in confusion. While trials took place on the Clans' homeworld, by law all enclaves here were guaranteed to keep the shares equal. What was going to be fought over here that would require Clan Diamond Shark's finest warriors?
 
Ian Hawker smiled, much the way a shark might. "The Grand Council is about to vote on the invasion of the Inner Sphere. And this time, we will win." He stared at Ace, as if looking for something.
 
"I have no objection to the idea." It was one debate that Ace had been happy to stay out of, when warriors took up the cause of the Wardens or the Crusaders. What did it matter to him if he was fighting another Clan or one of the Successor Lords that had torn down the Star League? "But why would this time be different from the previous occasions?"
 
"This time," Hawker told him, "the Inner Sphere has discovered us. And the choice between waiting here for them to act or taking the opportunity to rebuild the Star League ourselves is no choice at all, quiaff."
 
Ace thought for a moment. "Aff, that would do it. Never allow the enemy to hold the initiative." he quoted from a tactical manual.
 
"Exactly. And soon we will bid for the right to join the invasion," Ian Hawker declared proudly, eyes distant as he no doubt imagined the glories to come. "We must stop at nothing to win a place in the return to the Inner Sphere."
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===Reshuffling of Divisions===
Hilton Head, North America
Terra, Sol System
12 November 3048
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I'm sure there's some reason we're meeting here," Andrew Norris observed as the First Circuit gathered on a beach on the east side of Hilton Head. They weren't really dressed for it, in their formal robes.
 
Wei Rong opened a fridge that lurked in a small cabana, pulling out a miniature bottle of bourbon. "Anyone want a drink? Take one anyway, you may want it by the time we're done."
 
"What," Joe Buckley asked while Norris bemusedly checked the fridge and came out with a bottle of white wine. "Is wrong with meeting in our normal chamber?"
 
"Fourteen listening devices as of the last count," Wei told him, tapping the discreet earpiece she was wearing. "A ComGuards electronic warfare team are still sweeping it." She uncapped the bottle and sipped from it. "Oh yes, that hits the spot. Bottoms up."
 
"Primus, is this the time to be getting drunk? Who got bugs onto Hilton Head?" demanded Tiger Lily. "MIIO? LIC?" She was naming the intelligence services of the two halves of the Federated Suns.
 
"All signs point to it being ROM."
 
"ROM are our intelligence service," objected Gwyn Thorne.
 
Wei snorted. "Someone has to tell Precentor ROM that. Precentors ROM, that is, because it isn't just Callow - although he seems to be involved. And as Primus, I appear to be the one who has to deliver this message."
 
Joe Murphy opened a bottle of something from Glengarry's distilleries. "Why would ROM be spying on the First Circuit?"
 
"Two reasons suggest themselves," Wei told him. "Firstly, one of my predecessors likely wanted to be able to keep track of any meetings taking place when they weren't here. Times like my recent tour of the First Circuit HPGs." The original twelve First Circuit worlds, forming a circle around Terra, not the various national capitals. Although she might need to make such a tour some day. "Secondly, because Omicron, Psi and their assorted subdivisions felt that their mission to police the Order for dissent included keeping an eye on us."
 
"How long has this been going on?" demanded Buckley, who was still avoiding the fridge. His loss.
 
Wei shrugged and sipped from her bottle again. "That's something I intend to find out. My working theory is that it's been going on along at least as long as people have hiding data that ought to be inside our archives. Including, but not limited to ROM's operations."
 
"You mentioned gaps in our information," Tiger Lily observed, pulling over a deckchair to sit down. "You might want to sit," she added, looking around. "This doesn't seem as it it will be a short meeting."
 
There was a short break as the Precentors fetched their own chairs - no staff were in earshot to assist them. No one else was on the beach at all. Unless someone was buried in the sand, they were entirely alone. (Well, except for the ComGuards security team under the water, but Wei thought that only she and a handful of people in their chain of command knew that the divers were out there.)
 
"You never mentioned problems with our archives to me." complained Buckley.
 
The fact you had some information before it got to me should explain why I didn't, Wei thought. "Conversations of opportunity," she brushed it off. "But I'm telling you all now. There are entire planets that we have removed from official record - they appeared on Star League charts but the navigation data we provide for shipping doesn't mention them and the data to jump into those systems seems to have been lost by most national military records. I can't so far prove that ROM is behind that, but the result is that no one seems to know how to reach them - short of a fully astronomical survey or recovering the data. And that was the tip of the iceberg."
 
Norris ran one hand through his dark hair. "Did this start in '46… no, you said previous Precentors of ROM were involved."
 
"It could be as old as ROM, but for now the bulk of the data loss can be traced to three time periods - the reign of Dwight Kurstin and the end of office for Primus York and Primus Takami," Wei told them. Dahlia Erin had come through by arranging the infiltration of Mu division and getting taps into the ROM servers that they maintained, so that teams from Tau could access and study them.
 
Buckley rubbed his face. "All periods of turmoil in our history. A conspiracy going that far back would be deeply entrenched."
 
Wei laughed. "We're not that lucky. One conspiracy could be wound up relatively quickly. It's what Omicron is designed to do - we might need to clean a few people out of their ranks before turning them loose. But we're dealing with multiple conspiracies that have been fighting for control of the Blessed Order for generations. It's an entire culture that doesn't trust the direction of ComStar to the official leadership - the same way that Delta division is supposedly our intelligence service while actually only a diversion from ROM."
 
"Does anyone even believe that these days?" Tiger Lily mused. "I think SAFE saw through that years ago." The Free Worlds League's intelligence service was widely considered to be the least capable of the 'big five'.
 
"Not a chance," Norris retorted. "Even the Taurians know better."
 
"Something there's no further point to," Wei told the First Circuit. "But more importantly, we have a challenge to face. ROM's current thinking makes them a direct threat to ComStar."
 
"Primus," warned the quiet Precentor Sian. "There have been attempts to rein in ROM before. You mentioned Hollings York earlier…"
 
"And he was almost certainly killed because he tried to disband ROM," agreed Murphy.
 
"That is merely the Primus. Who knows how many Precentors they've removed - politically or otherwise," warned Tiger Lily. "ROM has, by necessity, tremendous reach and influence."
 
Wei looked around the circle of Precentors, perched incongruously in deckchairs on the beach. "I chose every single one of you to lead ComStar," she reminded them. "Not just to administer or advise. If I've made a mistake in that, them you are free to request reassignment to a position with less responsibility. But I have no intention of letting ComStar become nothing, but a shadowy conspiracy trying to subvert what remains of the Star League."
 
"That isn't what any of us are saying," Thorne protested. "But we should proceed cautiously. You said yourself that this isn't a single conspiracy - if we can identify them, then we may be able to turn them against each other with promises of support and let them erase each…"
 
"You miss the point." Wei snapped.
 
"The conspiracies are a symptom," Precentor Luthien agreed. "The challenge is the culture. If we do as you say, Gwyn, then there will simply be new conspiracies - or worse, a single winner that will be free to reduce us to nothing more than figureheads. A direct confrontation is the one thing that ROM is not prepared for."
 
"I agree," Joe Buckley said firmly. It shouldn't have surprised Wei to have his support. The Toyamist was an adversary within the First Circuit because of his ambitions - and being the puppet of ROM wasn't part of those ambitions. Still, she hadn't counted on it.
 
The Primus turned to the other Joe and saw him nodding. "They wouldn't need to directly control us, only the information that we receive, steering our decisions by making sure that we only saw the options that they present. That isn't the Order I swore oaths to. We're supposed to be a shining light for the Inner Sphere. I vote to clean house."
 
Tiger Lily shook her head slightly. "The sentiment is correct, but how do you plan to do this? ROM is the tool we'd usually lean upon for this. Even if we try to mobilize, they're embedded at every level of ComStar. We can't move without them knowing about it."
 
"And how do we know that one of us isn't involved in one of those conspiracies?" asked Gwyn Thorne, bringing all eyes to her. "What if one of us warns their own allies on ROM, isn't this what led to such a bloodbath two years ago?"
 
Wei stepped into the silence that followed. "Jerome Blake didn't know that seizing Terra would succeed either. But he knew that not trying would be far worse. We should follow his example: if we try then we may fail, but if we don't then we can never succeed."
 
Slowly, one at a time, the six Precentors each nodded.
 
"I already voted," Murphy declared. "Are we unanimous? ROM needs to be brought to heel."
 
"Reorganized, not abolished." agreed Tiger Lily.
 
Orchard raised her own hand. "Do it."
 
Buckley and Norris also agreed, leaving Gwyn Thorne sitting on the edge of her deckchair. "Alright," Precentor Rasalhague decided after long hesitation. "We're doing this whatever I vote, so I should do everything I can to make it happen. You have my support, Primus. Do what must be done. How soon can you begin?"
 
Wei smiled, feeling the warmth of the sun at last. "It started an hour ago. Routine dropship flights carrying a full brigade of the ComGuards diverted under Precentor Martial Focht's personal command and they're occupying ROM headquarters as we speak."
 
"What…" Buckley almost exploded out of his chair. "Then why did you…"
 
"As the Primus, this was always my decision. I needed to know where you stood though."
 
"And you weren't sure if Gwyn's concerns about us are justified," added Norris. "Well played, Primus. If we had said no…"
 
"Then I'd know who wasn't equal to the demands of their position," she told him. Reaching into the pocket of her robe, Wei produced a small comm unit and activated.
 
"Primus," Precentor Focht's crisp voice joined them on the beach, the same voice Wei had been listening to through her earpiece as the meeting unfolded. "I am at your command."
 
"Thank you, Precentor Martial. The First Circuit is ready for your report."
 
"ROM Headquarters is occupied. Several units equipped with Nighthawk armor put up defense around the armory, but they were unable to leave that section to repel troops securing other parts of the complex. Rooting them out has caused more casualties than expected."
 
"Martyrs for the Order's salvation." Buckley declared.
 
"As you say," the Precentor Martial said in a neutral voice. "Precentor Callow is in custody and Precentor Erin of Rho Division has given orders to all ROM personnel to stand down - orders that have for the most part been accepted."
 
"What about Precentor Mu and Precentor Omicron?" asked Norris, referring to the other two principle division heads in ROM.
 
"Precentor Amorat of Mu has been detained at his home," Focht advised. "Precentor Kernoff of Omicron attempted suicide to avoid capture and is currently in the intensive care unit of ROM's in-house hospital, being treated by our own medics. I regret that Precentor St Jamais of Psi division, who was meeting with Kernoff, was more successful in ending his life."
 
"Purity and Loyalty have always operated hand-in-hand," Wei said flatly. "I assume you have activated the contingencies for other divisions found to be involved?"
 
"Yes, Precentor. ComGuards units have mobilized and will arrive to secure Psi's headquarters within the next ten minutes. I regret that security concerns did not allow me to pre-position the units."
 
"For my part, I regret the blood of our soldiers, undoubtedly more will be suffered in securing Psi - but had they been warned then losses could be significantly heavier." Wei shook her head. "The ComGuards have done well and at some point I will wish to convey that to them in person. In the meantime, what about their computers?"
 
"As expected," Focht continued, "There are a number of air-gapped servers. Our technical teams are currently checking them to make sure that downloading the contents won't trigger a purge or some other contingency."
 
"I will leave the continuation of this to you, Precentor Focht. Blake's Peace be on you," she told him and then deactivated the comm unit. Once she'd pocketed it, she also removed the ear piece. It had been a distraction earlier - if a necessary one should one of the First Circuit proven to be involved.
 
Buckley rose to his feet, went to the fridge, and produced a miniature bottle of Timbiqui dark. He opened the bottle and swigged heavily from it. "The ComGuards are most efficient."
 
"It helps that until a few years ago they were under the command of Precentor ROM. Both the Precentor-Martial and some of his staff are familiar with the headquarters buildings," pointed out Norris. "I assume that you already have plans to reform ROM, Primus?"
 
"I try to be prepared," she answered. "As we've already discussed, Delta is of no further value as a distraction from our intelligence activities. And Omicron was supposed to prevent the sort of situation we're faced by. I find it hard to say that either division should remain in their current form."
 
"And what about Rho and Mu? The divisions and their Precentors?" asked Tiger Lily.
 
"Like any of the personnel, we'll need to review them - I would hope that we don't wind up replacing the top level of ROM entirely for the second time since I took over." St Jamais and Kernoff had both come highly recommended, something that put the nominating precentors in a bad light now.
 
"What I propose," Wei took a stick she'd left in the cabana and drew six lines in the sand, carving out a square made of four smaller squares. The first received a triangle, the greek letter delta "Is that we divide intelligence activities into four distinct sections. Delta will be rebuilt to handle electronic information gathering." She marked the appropriate symbol in the next box. "Rho will continue to be tasked with human intelligence - field operations." Another box, "Upsilon will be created to replace Omicron and charged with our internal security - it's a real need, as we've just established. And finally -" she filled the last box. "Mu continues to be the analysis arm, and subdivisions will deal with overlapping concerns - Rho-Omicron for internal investigators, for example."
 
"DRUM," Murphy translated the symbols into a new acronym. "And who will take charge of it?"
 
"I don't see the need for a single Precentor ROM. Instead, the four division heads will form an intelligence committee, overseen by two Precentors from the original First Circuit worlds. With the current First Circuit spread across national capitals, it isn't possible for us to provide close oversight the way we need to. If this works out then similar committees can attend to other routine functions."
 
"And the… commando units?" Buckley referred to the black ops teams that carried out deniable operations for ComStar.
 
Wei grimaced. "Their training will be shared with the ComGuards, which will allow easier recruitment from their ranks. Operationally though, they'll be subject to the intelligence committee."
 
Today showed that the ComGuards had no serious military challenge from ROM's commando units, but in an asymmetric role that wouldn't necessarily be the case. And she didn't really want Focht - or his successors - to have a complete monopoly on ComStar's military capabilities. The build up of the warships might justify a separate naval organization… but that was a matter for another day.
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===Fighting for a Place===
Mars Field Proving Ground, Strana Mechty
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
12 December 3048
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This was not how Ace had expected his first combat deployment with the Twenty-First Assault Cluster to go.
 
He wasn't in command of his trinary - although he could hardly complain because the same person who'd usurped command from him had done the same to the entire Cluster. SaKhan Kaija Horn might have been convinced to leave the glory of the Revival Trials to an Alpha Galaxy cluster rather than her own Beta Galaxy, but the price of that was a compromise that let her join the Twenty-First for the campaign.
 
And if Star Colonel Labov didn't feel confident to challenge the Clan's second ranking officer when she interpreted join as 'take command' then Ace wasn't going to do the same. She'd surely choose unaugmented combat by any means she could and Kaija Horn was easily twice Ace's weight and a full head taller than him.
 
"Get us closer," the saKhan ordered tersely, from where she was clinging to the side of Ace's Stormcrow.
 
The fifty-five ton Omnimech was carrying five elementals, half the number committed to the first round Trial for a place in the Invasion force. Ace bounded the 'mech through the towering trees that covered the hillside that had become the battleground.
 
Ahead of the Diamond Shark force - a wedge of seven Summoners and Gargoyles were following Ace as fast as they could - were the thirteen 'mechs fielded by Clan Star Adder. The initial clash between the Clans had taken place in the sky above the Proving Grounds - a mere four Star Adder aerospace fighters being quickly driven off by the ten Diamond Shark fighters. In response, the Star Adders had taken their 'mechs under the heavy tree cover, protecting them from strafing runs that might otherwise have savaged them.
Outnumbered more than three to two, Ace would have preferred not to commit his 'mechs so recklessly. While the rules of zellbrigen should keep the Adders from ganging up on them, he also knew from the pilot's responses that the Star Adders' Fifth Assault Cluster had committed a force mostly made up of Executioners and Kingfishers - that had a tonnage advantage of ten to fifteen tons compared to the heaviest 'mechs in his own trinary.
 
His own Stormcrow was a full forty tons lighter than an Executioner. While Ace felt confident he would be able to leverage his advantages against the powerful assault 'mech, thick forest wasn't the ideal terrain.
 
With the suicidal overconfidence of someone who had spent their life taking on battlemechs at least twenty times the size of her battle armor, Kaija Horn had renounced all caution.
 
"You pilot this Stormcrow like an arthritic UrbanMech." she criticized him.
 
"Engaging thirteen Star Adders at once would be unfair," Ace replied, regretting it the moment he opened his voice. But as he'd started, he might as well finish. "We should at least share the glory with Star Commander Julian and the other elementals."
 
To his surprise, Ace had found that he did know one of the Star Commanders in his trinary. Julian had earned a Deathstrike Award of his own since serving Blake Hawker during the attack on Castrum Keep. As a result, the mechwarrior had won a place in Alpha Galaxy and been promoted to command of a Star after the fighting on Vinton.
 
Kaija Horn snorted. "The sooner we are in reach of the Star Adders, the sooner we can direct the fighters to bring their numbers down."
 
"We will score no additional points in the Trial for defeating the Star Adders faster than the other Clans resolve their Trials," he pointed out, since he'd survived disagreeing with the saKhan once.
 
After eliminating three Clans who felt they lacked the forces necessary to carry out the Invasion and Clan Wolf (who had been assured of a slot due their possession of the Great Founder's genetic legacy) there were thirteen left vying for the three remaining invasion corridors that the plan called for - or failing that, the one reserve slot.
 
To decide which Clans would have the honor, the Grand Council had organized a multi-round tournament of trials. The first three rounds would thin the numbers with only Clans who managed two victories proceeding for the finals to decide who won which role, based on a complex points scoring system. Since the numbers were uneven, Clan Star Adder had volunteered one of their Clusters to participate in the Trials, even though they had withdrawn from the bidding over participation, claiming that they had no faith in ilKhan Leo Showers' strategy.
 
Having drawn the Star Adders as their first opponent was an interesting strategic challenge, since they had no real need to win. All they were doing was trying to knock other Clans out of consideration. It likely wouldn't win them any friends.
 
The little force entered the shadow of the forest, the trees dwarfing even the towering Gargoyles and Summoners. Far older than mankinds' colonization of Strana Mechty, some of the massive tree trunks might be heavier than entire dropships. Ace could see scarred bark in places, marking the results of weapon fire from earlier trials in the area.
 
Checking his position against the reported sightings of the Star Adders, Ace turned north slightly.
 
"All mechwarriors, pick your targets and do not break zell," Kaija ordered, her impatience fading with the prospect of imminent action. "The Star Adders' firepower will overwhelm you if they can concentrate it on individuals. That means not engaging the 'mechs under Elemental attack. Try to draw them apart and out of the trees if you can. If they scatter, our fighters can pick off the unengaged 'mechs."
 
It sounded optimistic to Ace, but since not engaging here wasn't an option, those orders made some sense. "Julian, prioritize Executioners when allocating targets - they have less armor and their extra-light reactors may make them easier kills."
 
"Aff, Star Captain." The Star Commander didn't mention what they both knew: the lighter armor was entirely relative - even the most armored 'mech in their trinary couldn't compete with the armor of an Executioner.
 
Thermal signatures bloomed and the Stormcrow's battle computer began to identify and tag targets.
 
"Target Kilo is their commander," Kaija Horn snapped. "Deliver my point, Star Captain."
 
"Aff," he confirmed and zigzagged through the trees towards the Kingfisher that had been identified. "Charles, engage India. Dani, you are on Juliet."
 
The two warriors peeled off, evading the first fire from the Star Adders as they opened fire in return, picking off two of the three Executioners escorting the Kingfisher.
 
"Norman, swing right and intercept anyone coming in at us from their last Star," Ace concluded, racing the Stormcrow behind a tree just ahead of a gauss rifle slug from the third Executioner. Just as he was operating a Star of four 'mechs and five elementals, the Star Adder bid had reduced two 'mech Stars to four 'mechs each in order to include their aerospace fighters within the fifteen point limit for each round of the Trial.
 
Ace fired his jump jets as he left the cover of the tree, hopping up and over a salvo of fire from the Kingfisher. Pulse lasers from both arms flayed through the trees and grass behind Ace.
 
Swinging one arm around, careful not to dislodge the elementals, Ace fired one of his ER PPCs and the particle beam carved into the flat chest of the last Executioner, marking it as his own target but doing nothing more than depleting slightly the towering assault 'mech's massive protection.
 
Crashing down into the forest floor, Ace slewed around to one side and a pair of Extended Range Large Laser shots flew past the Stormcrow. One missed entirely, the other was close enough to strike one of the Elementals, blasting the warrior away and sending the ton-weight battle armor flying.
 
The man within screamed as one of his arms was ripped away, but then bit the sound off as the suit fed drugs into his system and the shoulder joint was sealed off with harjel. Amazingly, he might still be able to fight.
 
"Prepare to attack!" Ace shouted to those that remained and raced close to the Kingfisher, which must have guessed the intent for it tried to step aside and opened fire with its Streak SRMs, presumably hoping that it would hit the Elementals rather than breaking the zellbrigen code by shooting at another warrior's target.
 
Up above the cockpit, both anti-missile systems opened up and all six missiles blew up short of their targets.
"Go!" howled Kaija Horn and she led the four Elementals in a leap from the Stormcrow onto the Kingfisher.
 
The loss of weight left Ace slightly off-balance and in his inexperience with the Stormcrow he didn't completely manage avoid the Executioner's fire as it unleashed everything. Fortunately, the Gauss Rifle missed again but both lasers bit into his rear armor as Ace opened up the range again.
 
Two thirds of the protection from that aspect was carved away by the powerful lasers, and warning lights went red as some of the structural members supporting the core systems were compromised. It could have been worse, but any shot from behind Ace's back could be catastrophic now.
 
Half-turning on the ground, Ace kicked off with his jump jets to complete the turn and fired both ER PPCs - accepting the heat burden of the shots to take advantage of the Executioner's leading leg being extended as it tried to chase after him.
 
Both particle beams converged on the limb and panels of ferro-fibrous protection exploded away… but the shots failed to penetrate and the massive 'mech barely wobbled despite taking so much damage that some 'mechs would have been crippled out right.
 
Even worse, it surged forwards even faster - activating myomer acceleration system circuitry to cut Ace's advantage in speed to a razer thin margin. And to exploit that, he'd have to turn his back and reveal the damaged armor.
 
The instant his jump jets had recharged, Ace bounded away again, only using a single ER PPC for his next salvo. The Executioner's Gauss Rifle and twin Extended Range Lasers crashed out again and this time the Gauss Rifle was the one that scored, slamming into the side of the torso and coming terrifyingly close to penetrating. Ace's own shot hit next to the burn left by his first - and it was similarly ineffective.
 
Maybe I should have chosen something heavier, Ace thought. But that wasn't useful thinking right now.
 
He focused on bouncing from cover to cover, not even bothering to shoot back until the Executioner had to slow, deactivating the MASC before it could overload and cripple its legs.
 
Obviously expecting Ace to take advantage, the Executioner turned the change of pace into an evasive move - one that successfully left Ace's first ER PPC shot hitting nothing but a tree that posed no threat to him. However, Ace had held back the second and now when he fired, he finally achieved a penetration - the shot blasted through the left torso's armor at last.
 
He wasn't sure if he'd hit anything of importance but then melon-sized iron slugs began to spill from the hole, like ball-bearings poured out of a cupped hand. The shot must have taken out the bottom of the gauss rifle's ammunition supply, Ace thought as he faded back behind a tree again.
 
"The Khan!" someone howled on the tactical frequency. "No!"
 
"Report!" Ace snapped, ducking out and firing a second salvo from behind the tree-trunk. For an instant he thought he'd hit the cockpit with the higher of the two bolts but then he saw that the Executioner had thrown up the left arm with its gauss rifle, taking the hit on that. On the plus side, the other shot had finally torn away the armor on the Executioner's left leg.
 
"The Star Adder just stamped on Khan Horn!" a second voice declared. "She's dead!"
 
Ace cursed internally. He was barely known to the warriors and with Horn dead, they had lost the leader that they had some trust in. "Elementals, finish your targets or break off and shadow them. Let the fighters know where the Star Adders are!"
 
"Aff, Star Captain," a handful of voices declared.
 
What to do… Ace had to back away as the Executioner fired at him again, just with its lasers. It had positioned itself against a tree, using the thick wood to shield its damaged left side. One laser bit into his right arm's armor.
 
Right, any plan was better than no plan.
 
"All fighters, change of plan," he ordered and set a pair of waypoints near the edge of the forest. "Strafe everything between the Point Beta and Point Gamma. If we cannot find an opening to hit the Star Adders, we will make one. Mechwarriors, fall back towards…" One more waypoint, between the section he'd indicated to the fighters and the edge of the forest. "Point Alpha. And watch out for our own fighters!"
 
"Orders understood, Star Captain!" Julian responded.
 
Charles and Norman both added their own confirmations, but there was nothing from Dani. Ace knew what that meant - she must have been defeated already.
 
He had his own concerns to deal with though and pushed the Stormcrow to its full speed, racing away from the Executioner - turning his torso to the right, trying to shield the damaged armor as much as he could and fire parting shots with his right arm's ER PPC.
 
The Star Adder seemed to be caught off guard, but - faced with a retreating foe - the mechwarrior responded aggressively, charging after Ace at a speed that made it clear that the MASC had been activated again.
 
Laser fire chased after Ace, while he fired the ER PPC back as fast as it would cycle. Neither of them was landing shots, between cover and their speed, but it was wearing on the nerves - the first one to make a mistake would not only damage their 'mech in a fall or collision, they'd also make themselves an easy target for the other.
 
In the end, it wasn't an error that decided the duel. Or rather, it was overconfidence in technology. Pushing his Executioner to the limits of its performance, the Star Adder ran the MASC too long and both legs spasmed as overstressed myomers snapped. In a desperate effort to avoid a fall, the mechwarrior fired his jump jets to stabilize himself.
 
Faced with an target now actively trying not to move erratically, Ace aimed carefully and put one more particle beam into the left leg of the Executioner before it landed. Overstressed, the mighty metal structural members that served the same role as leg bones crumpled under the weight of the assault 'mech.
 
The ninety-five ton Omnimech tumbled sideways into the forest floored, crippled and out of action. Ace left it behind, moving on to regroup with his warriors.
 
It wasn't hard to find the waypoints he'd marked. Even without the navigation computer, the destruction being unleashed by ten aerospace fighters raking the forest repeatedly with their energy weapons was unmistakable. The sound of one of the mammoth trees falling over was awe-inspiring and Ace saw every other tree around it sway as over a thousand tons of hardwood crashed to the ground.
 
Small fires had sprung up in the swathe of destruction but that didn't concern Ace. Forests burned sometimes - it was just something that happened. Most of the times the trees didn't even take serious damage, contrary to beliefs of some of those in larger enclaves for whom thick forest was a strange and unknowable territory. Surely, they thought, wood was flammable so the trees would be entirely consumed.
 
"Aerospace, good work," he told them, seeing that the fallen tree trunk lay along the inner edge of the patch of woods now cut off from the rest. "Blast us breaks between the end of the fallen tree and the edge of the forest, then pull back and cool off. The Star Adders will be coming." Then he paused. "You are clear to engage them without regard to zellbrigen."
 
"Star Captain, that is against the orders of the saKhan," the Star Commander of the fighter force observed cautiously.
 
"Khan Horn died following that strategy. I plan to win. Any further questions, quineg?"
 
"Neg, Star Captain. We will comply."
 
Only four more 'mechs had reached the rendezvous point. Charles' and Julian's Summoners were about as torn up as Ace's Stormcrow. In contrast, Norman's Gargoyle was almost unmarked.
 
"You did not find the Star Adders?" Ace asked the older warrior.
 
"I did, but there were five of them so I led them in a little bit of a chase for a while," Norman replied. "Then they found something else to do and you told me to come here."
 
Ace couldn't help but laugh slightly at the impudence of the answer. "Good work." Then he looked at the other Gargoyle to return. "As for you, Mechwarrior Helva… I am genuinely impressed."
 
If the eighty ton 'mech had any armor that hadn't been savaged, Ace couldn't see it. The left arm with its heavy autocannon was missing entirely.
 
"You should see the Star Adder," Helva replied confidently. "I can still fight." She raised the left arm with its cluster of lasers in illustration that limb and weapons were still operational.
 
"Good work." Ace calculated. "If everyone except Norman managed a kill…" No one disagreed. "Four kills to their three."
 
"Five," Julian told him. "I dropped the elementals with me on a Warhawk that the aerospace fighters didn't report. They got into the cockpit, but I am unsure how many survived."
 
"Eight of them left then," Ace mused. "And five of us. Perhaps they will surrender."
 
They all laughed at that idea. The five 'mechs that had been chasing Norman were probably unscathed so far - unless the aerospace fighters had managed to inflict some damage on them as they tried to get into the woods.
 
"Dig your 'Mechs in behind cover along the fallen tree," Ace ordered. "We are ignoring Zellbrigen - concentrate your fire on the more damaged 'mechs, we need to even the numbers quickly. But if something is immobilized, leave it to the fighters."
 
"How do you know the Star Adders will come after us?" asked Charles. "They know the aerospace fighters will be on them."
 
"They will come because we ran," Ace told him. "Would we not do the same? And they will gamble that they can cross the gap before they take too much damage. Defeat the five of us and they can wait for our fighters to run out of fuel and be forced away."
 
Julian cleared his throat. "There will be complaints about discarding zellbrigen."
 
"Before the Trials began," Ace told them. "Khan Hawker told me he would do anything required for us to win a place in the Invasion."
 
That seemed sufficient to the other warriors and they dispersed to find places to prepare.
 
They did not have long to wait. Less than five minutes later, the first Star Adder 'scout' spotted them and the thermal signatures of seven more assault 'mechs converged upon the little fortress. Ace wondered if anyone else had ever used a ninety-five ton 'mech as a recon force.
 
There was no new challenge, or offer to let them withdraw honorably. The Star Adders presumably understood that this would not be forthcoming.
 
Instead, five of the assault 'mechs - all of them durable Kingfisters - burst from the treeline. Ace saw that one had the same markings Kaija Horn had told him meant that it was the commander's - the same one he'd delivered her to attack.
 
Dropping his crosshairs on 'Target Kilo', Ace fired both ER PPCs over the tree trunk and into the ninety-ton machine and saw Helva doing the same with her one working arm. Their shots, at only middling range and fired without themselves moving, all hit home and the brutish omnimech staggered. Return fire, spread evenly across the Diamond Shark force, mostly struck the tree but Julian swore as his Summoner's left arm flopped uselessly.
 
(("Dezgra Sharks!")) someone shouted and then the aerospace fighters managed to reach firing range.
 
Streams of missiles, autocannon shells and energy weapons blazed down on the five Star Adders, catching them in a deadly crossfire as Ace and his force poured fire. Perhaps not expecting the disregard for custom, the StarAdders made the fatal error of hesitating - though they did not cease fire.
 
Charles' Summoner went limp as autocannon fire ripped through the exposed cockpit.
A Kingfisher exploded as ammunition bins on both sides of the torso detonated.
 
Helva cursed as missiles and lasers tore the one working arm she had left apart.
 
The three remaining Star Adders raced to join their comrades, weapons raised to fire up at the sky.
 
A Turk aerospace fighter, flying suicidally low, rammed directly into one of the Kingfishers - deliberately or otherwise, Ace wouldn't know.
 
'Target Kilo' fell to its knees and then face-first onto the ravaged ground, light visible through the torso, so heavily had it been riddled.
 
Two of the initial rush, not engaged, reached the end of the tree and rounded it to face Norman's Gargoyle.
 
Ace pulled back from the tree, avoiding a furious salvo from beyond it, and turned his PPCs on the inbound Kingfishers as Norman unloaded the array of PPCs and lasers he'd mounted into one of the Kingfishers.
 
Without taking the time to cool off, it was becoming hard for Ace to breathe but it was nothing to what Norman was risking. His 'mech was practically glowing after his first salvo but the old warrior triggered a second full alpha strike into the Kingfisher he'd chosen as a target. At point blank range - muzzles almost touching the larger 'mech - he couldn't miss and the Kingfisher was almost torn in two by the salvo.
 
The Gargoyle froze as its reactor shut down, which didn't stop the remaining Kingfisher from driving the muzzle of the autocannon that made up one of its arms into the face of the Diamond Shark 'mech.
 
Norman's 'mech fell to the ground, cockpit frame distorted but at least not obviously ruptured. Ace fired one PPC as he staggered the Stormcrow forwards, not quite hitting the cockpit of the Kingfisher.
 
At least he'd managed to draw its attention.
 
The autocannon fired furiously, streams of tracer hammering into the Stormcrow, smashing through one side of the torso, Ace fighting to keep the smaller 'mech active as the gyro struggled. The left arm was locked in place as the shoulder joint froze. Then lasers blew apart the ER PPC in his right arm.
 
Twisting the entire Stormcrow to bring his remaining ER PPC to bear, Ace got the crosshairs over the cockpit and pulled the trigger.
 
A particle beam lashed out and vaporized the Kingfisher's cockpit and the mechwarrior within.
 
Gasping, Ace dropped the Stormcrow to its haunches and twisted around, looking for further threats. Nothing was moving.
 
Nothing was moving.
 
Nothing was…
 
"Star Captain, all Star Adder 'mechs are down," the aerospace Star Captain reported.
 
"That is confirmed," Angus Labov cut in, voice terse. "All units are to stand down. Rescue and medical teams are moving in. Power down your weapons."
 
Ace reached over and tapped the controls to save his PPC and saw the icon fail to change. Well. Apparently there was so much damage that he couldn't even stop the PPC from recharging its capacitors unless he closed down his reactor. Hopefully they'd stop charging once they were loaded or they're probably melt.
 
"Star Captain," Labov continued
 
"Orders acknowledged," Ace responded. "I am having some problems safing my weapons."
 
"I will pass that on to the rescue team. I am curious, though. I did not think you were so determined a Crusader that you would wreck your entire force -" (Labov's forces, an implied reprimand). "- in pursuit of winning."
 
"The way the rounds are scored, Star Colonel," Ace looked for words. He must be more tired than he had realized. "Seven clans will get five points by winning the first round, then half of them get another five points by winning against each other in the winner's bracket of the second round. Every other clan will have only six or seven at best, because the loser's bracket and third round are worth less."
 
"I am aware of how the scoring works."
 
Ace scowled. "If we lost this round, we would have to win every other round or be knocked out of consideration. With this round won, we can probably get at least the reserve slot even if we only manage two more victories. Whether either of us cares about that, Khan Hawker cares. Do you want to tell him no?"
 
Labov paused and then: "Neg. I am glad someone else is thinking about this."
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Chapter 5