The Khan's Duty (ATwT)

==Description==
Bases on the events triggered in the Alternate Timeline with Thanks mainstory, where here marks the Nova Cat Khan Canin Rosse return from the Inner Sphere back to the Clan's capital world in Kerensky Cluster.
==Story==
Upsilon Galaxy Command
Barcella, Kerensky Cluster
Clan Homeworlds
28th October 3072
Following the vote on Strana Mechty that saw the Clans decide not to abjured Clan Sea Fox for its dealing with the Inner Sphere states, Khan Canin Rosse walked off the Vanguard, a Vanguard-class Troopship used by the Watch Keshik, and onto the tarmac of Barcella Spaceport to a welcome of Galaxy Commander Sophie Rosse, commander of Upsilon Galaxy of the Nova Cats.
"Galaxy Commander" Canin said in a simple welcome
"My Khan, welcome home" Sophie said Canin smiled broadly he hadn't considered Barcella home for a long time, but he knew many members of the Clan still considered it as such.
"Thank you, Galaxy Commander, it is good to breath the air we were all born to." Canin said quietly that part at least was true, it was good to return to the Homeworlds just to see Barcella again. "How are things on Barcella?"
"Things are as they have been my Khan, we are fully combat ready and have fended off trials from several of the other Clans but we do nothing but fight defensively. Some of my warriors begin to feel restless, the local Nova Cat civilian population begin to feel restless that they cannot enjoy the standards of living in the Nova Cat's Den, there has been a couple of incidents."
"Incidents?" Canin asked, he did not like the idea of Nova Cat warriors acting against their own people. He indicated to her to begin moving towards the command tower, they began to walk.
"Aff, a civilian riot of sorts. People demanding more from the military and merchants and for passage to the Nova Cat's Den. We have kept them in check, casualties have been kept to a minimum in most areas however my people are not a police force."
"Most areas?" He asked because the world of Barcella had not always been controlled exclusively by the Nova Cats there were civilians from other Clans still on the world and no doubt a source of trouble.
"Aff, the former Jade Falcon population, who we have been all but barred from travel to the Den have been causing troubles. I deployed the 109th Battle Cluster, being a former Jade Falcon unit, to the area in hopes that their common heritage would keep hostilities down." Sophie said quietly, Canin could tell she was unhappy with the decision and regretted what had happened.
"And did it?" Canin asked knowing the answer as he saw her make a disgusted face "Quineg?" He asked again when she did not answer immediately. At present Sophie was his most senior officer in the Homeworlds, he did not like speaking to her in this manner.
"Negative, my Khan that stavag, Star Colonel Fresic Irons, commander of the One hundred-and-ninth Battle Cluster, opened fire on the people." Canin stopped dead, Clan warriors did not open fire on civilians, at least Nova Cats the Smoke Jaguars and Jade Falcons occasionally did but everyone had seen where that had gotten the Smoke Jaguars.
"What was the body count?"
"Last I checked three hundred and forty-two, all former Clan Jade Falcon civilians, two BattleMechs were slightly damaged." Sophie said quietly "the Jade Falcons have been causing a lot of noise about troubles, their people brutalized by a Nova Cat warrior even though Irons is trueborn Falcon!" She said it was obvious to Canin she"˜d had plenty of trouble from the man.
"A military reaction?" Canin asked quietly, the Jade Falcons did not have a heavy presence in the Homeworlds so a military attack was unlikely.
"They have made some noise but have made no moves against us."
"And Fresic?" Canin asked omitting the rank and the bloodname of the warrior.
"I have restricted his unit to base duties only."
"I think I need to meet this man." Canin said looking to Sophie Rosse, after a moment she nodded and they headed off. An hour later Canin and Sophie reached the base where the One hundred-and-ninth Battle Cluster had been stationed. Entering the base the One hundred-and-ninth were ready for their Khan as he stepped from his Vehicle they snapped to attention Mechs and Battle Armour snapping to attention as they saw the Khan's crest. The unit still looked very Jade Falcon to Canin, even the Unit Insignia a Nova Cat with wings and Jade Falcon talon's rimming the bottom looking at the equipment he could see a very Jade Falcon set up was still evident despite there being Nova Cat factories on the planet. Ahead of them stood a seventy ton Summoner OmniMech, primary heavy OmniMech of Clan Jade Falcon. Star Colonel Fresic Irons stood at the foot of the Mech, he looked like the typical arrogant, better than you, Jade Falcon as he walked up to the Khan and Galaxy Commander, he didn"˜t even salute Canin he just looked at the Khan and the Galaxy Commander both senior officers.
"What is required of us?" Fresic asked looking at Sophie, not even acknowledging the Khan.
"Khan Canin Rosse, meet Fresic Irons, Star Colonel and commander of the One hundred-and-ninth Battle Cluster." She said looking from Canin to Fresic, the Star Colonel straightened slightly but made no obvious notes to notice of being in a Khan's presence.
"Star Colonel, what is your problem?" Canin asked looking the Star Colonel up and down.
"I have a problem with this planet, this Clan, this Galaxy and You. I declare a Trial of Refusal against you 'Khan' Canin Rosse." Fresic Irons said looking at the Khan straight out.
"Your terms, Star Colonel? You cannot declare a Trial against our Khan without grounds." Sophie Rosse said stepping forward.
"This planet is ours, it is time we strike out yet we remain here. This Clan is weak and has run from the Homeworlds, this Galaxy is unwilling to step up to the threats of public mutiny and you are never here. This "Khan" consorts with a freeborn regularly and supports another Khan despite it being fractured worse than the Fire Mandrills." Fresic said quietly "I declare this trial for the good of our Clan and my troops." Fresic said angrily.
"If you have a problem you have it with me, Star Colonel." Sophie said stepping forward to her Khan's defense "I am you commander" she reminded him however Canin had already passed her.
"Star Colonel choose you trial and we will meet in a Circle of Equals" Canin said loud enough for all to hear looking straight at the former Jade Falcon warrior, everyone looked surprised at their Khan's announcement, Fresic Irons looked amused and happy at the prospect of facing his Khan in combat.
"We will fight where we were born to fight in the Cockpit of a Mech, six hours in the firing ranges to the east of this base." Fresic said after a few moments Canin only nodded then turned to Sophie Rosse.
"Galaxy Commander make it happen. It appears that the One hundred-and-ninth Battle Cluster is indeed ready for combat, let us show them how a Nova Cat truly fights, Quiaff?" He said loud enough for all to hear before heading back into the transport, he would return here but next time at the helm of his Dragon Cat.
"Aff, My Khan" she said watching him enter the vehicle before following the Khan without another word.
Six hours later, Canin walked his Dragon Cat OmniMech onto the firing ranges near the One hundred-and-ninth's base at the other end of the range was Fresic Irons in his Summoner. Looking at the Star Colonel's Mech just over a kilometer away Canin could see the Summoner was outfitted his OmniMech in the Alternate Alpha configuration giving the Star Colonel a Gauss Rifle, Short Range Missile launcher and Large Pulse Laser along with the standard built-in Jump Jets on the Summoner design. Canin had likewise outfitted his OmniMech with the Alpha configuration giving the Dragon Cat a Gauss Rifle and three Heavy Medium Lasers tied to the Targeting Computer, an Short Range Missile launcher as large as the Summoner's but linked to an advanced Fire Control Suite and a set of five Jump Jets matching the Summoner, this would be an interesting fight both Mechs matched in tonnage and were close in firepower.
Activating the communication's channel it was Fresic who spoke first "I Fresic Irons, Star Colonel and commander of the One hundred-and-ninth Battle Cluster of Clan Nova Cat, have challenged our Khan to a trial not through the want for personal gain but to bring the Nova Cats back onto the path we were destined to follow by the Great Father. And to ensure the Nova Cats are established in the Homeworlds as a force to be reckoned with, not just here for the sake of it." He said then continued "This Circle is not to the death, but if that is what it takes then so be it." The Star Colonel said Canin noticed the Summoner flex its joints slightly as he finished talking, Fresic really did like to play the crowd Canin thought knowing that everyone in the area would hear and see that, now it was his turn.
"I am Canin Rosse, born to this soil, I am Khan of Clan Nova Cat and I have answered this challenge, may no other enter." He said then together they finished with "Seyla" keeping with tradition there was a moments of silence Canin flipped the communications suite to passive and waited he'd let Fresic make the first move, it would be one of his last. Unlike Fresic Irons the Khan had already decided the fate of the loser of this battle, only one would walk away from this.
The Star Colonel accelerated his Summoner forward and to the right attempting to get into range of the still stationary Dragon Cat. Instead of moving Canin Linked the left arm mounted gauss rifle to the targeting computer, instantly he could feel the rifle be held in line by the advanced piece of equipment. Dropping the cross-hairs over the Summoner, he saw a second set lock over the seventy ton charging Mech and both sets go black, as the computer also achieved a lock there was an audible "˜bang' as the Mech shook with the launching of the slug. The gauss round crossed the distance in a blink of an eye the supersonic piece of Ferro-nickel impacted the Summoners left leg obliterating nearly a ton of armor. To Fresic Irons credit he didn't stop or falter in his charge instead he launched the OmniMech skyward firing one of his own gauss slugs in reply as the Mech reached the top of it's jump. The gauss slug slammed into the Dragon Cats upper torso missing the cockpit by a metre or so, the stationary OmniMech took the hit easily and Canin had little to do controlling his Mech the stabilizing gyro doing its job. Instead he began to accelerate the heavy Mech brining his Mech to a run straight for the Summoner. Just within range he linked the three right arm mounted heavy medium lasers to the targeting computer at the same time firing another gauss slug into the Summoner's left arm this time. Fresic Irons replied with a right arm large pulse laser, the pulse blasts hit the lower torso section on the Dragon Cat, the armor on Canin's OmniMech could easily take it and the Dragon Cat continued to charge forward, closing the gap.
Glancing at the range Canin noticed it read four hundred meters and launched the Dragon Cat skyward still heading right for the Summoner which was continuing on its course, Fresic Irons turning the Summoner to track the Khan's Mech. In Mid-air, Canin opened fire with the short range missile launcher, six high explosive missiles shot towards the Summoner, guided by the Dragon Cat's Artemis Advanced Fire Control suite, the Summoners return flight of missiles missed the Dragon Cat by five-to-ten meters detonating overhead becoming a spectacular expensive fire work display. As the Dragon Cat began to fall, ending its jump, Canin brought the heavy laser suite inline with the Summoner as well and just as his own missiles hit blossoming fire over the OmniMech he triggered the Lasers, notoriously inaccurate normally the hit would have missed but because of the targeting computer they fired true. Two of the opal beams hit the right arm while the third hit the torso less than a metre from the Summoner's cockpit. Landing the Dragon Cat Canin was hit by a wave of excess heat from the fusion engine, the heat sinks were beginning to be overloaded by the constant moving and firing. Instead of stopping Canin slapped the override and fired the gauss rifle, at less than three hundred meters and with the targeting computer there was no chance of the slug missing and it slammed into the Summoners upper left arm, there was a massive explosion as the supersonic slug his and the entire arm and attached gauss rifle flew clear of the OmniMech, robbing Fresic Irons of his main weapon.
To his credit, Fresic did not give up instead he launched the Summoner airborne on Jump Jet flame leaping towards the overheating Dragon Cat firing more short range missiles, only three of the six missiles struck two shaking the Mech up causing minor damage while the third struck the cockpit throwing Canin around and damaging the life support systems, things were going to get a lot hotter in here if the Khan didn"˜t finish this fight. "Stavag!" He cursed under his breath launching another six short range missiles into the Summoner striking all over the OmniMech's already damaged leg armor, he followed it up with another gauss rifle slug to the torso. By keeping to low heat generating weapons the Dragon Cat's temperature had at least, temporally gone down.
The damaged Summoner continued to close firing its pulse laser and missiles constantly hitting the leg, arm and torso armor constantly doing damage, slowly creating cracks in the Dragon Cats thick ferro-fibrous hide as it closed, less than a hundred-and-fifty meters now. Twisting the right arm into position, tracking the Summoners movements with a torso twist, Canin pulled the trigger and the three lasers sparked to life guided by the targeting computer the lasers tore through the already damaged armor burning to gyroscope in the centre of the torso to a crisp. Without this stabilizing piece of technology the Summoner stumbled, initially Fresic fought the fall but the damage was too great, the Mech then fell forwards smashing into the ground face first, because the Mech had been travelling at over eighty kilometers per hour the Mech tore across the ground on its face then flipped over smashing and crushing the pilot and cockpit an unfortunate end to a good warrior who had failed to adapt to his new position. This trial was over and the message was clear, the Khan was in command, even so Canin had received the message as well. His warriors were ready for war.
In the coming weeks, a Nova Cat warrior, Star Colonel Lucy Nostra, formerly of Upsilon Galaxy's Justice Keshik. With the arrival of a new commander and the death of Fresic the One hundred-and-ninth began to make further strives forwards changing their unit insignia to a simple Nova Cat design and trading much of their equipment for Nova Cat built designs, although the rest of Upsilon Galaxy and the population of Barcella were still wary of them the unit were making progress towards acceptance in their new Clan.
--FINI--
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*Original posting on Bg.Battletech.com
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Category:Short Stories
Category:Works by Dragon Cat
Category:Dragon Cat Collection