OPREF-4 Chpt 17

=Book 4, Chapter 17 - Full House=
==Opalescent Reflections==
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===Implementation of Succession===
Hilton Head, North America
Terra, Sol System
1 March 3059
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There were a few unusual additions to the DRUM meeting. Normally it was attended by the four heads of the departments that served as ComStar’s eyes and ears, perhaps as many members of the First Circuit and then the Primus and Precentor Martial if either or both of them could spare time from their other duties.
Today the room was almost full, with observers from various Star League members lining the seats along one wall. Precentor-Advocate Shaffi of Irurzun wasn’t usually among the First Circuit attendees but he was here today, wearing the signs of the hastily organized command circuit that had brought him here from the Combine capital.
Morgan Hasek-Davion sat at the table beside the Precentor-Martial, representing the SLDF, and Danai Centrella was on Wei’s own left - attending on behalf of her mother. The Chair of the Star League Council was on Canopus IV, and didn’t plan on rushing the hundreds of light years to Terra unless a face-to-face meeting of the council was called for.
“I believe we’re all here,” Wei decided, looking down the table. “I hope everyone remembered to get a full night’s sleep? I don’t hold with the idea that exhaustion makes people more efficient. Possibly happier, depending on the nature of the exhaustion, but not more efficient.”
“Thank you, Primus. I have reminded my analysts to take a full day off now that they’ve handed in their assessments.” Elswick Cameron declared.
Shaffi shook his head. “I hate sleeping on dropships,” he explained. “I’ll be going to bed after this meeting though, my body clock isn’t lined up yet.”
“Alright. Why don’t we start with your account then.”
The precentor raked one hand through his hair. “I haven’t been to the Imperial City since before the events in question, so I’m not sure how useful I can be. On the eighteenth, we noticed communication issues with their comm centers - there are civil and military facilities. It’s not unusual for one to be delayed in responding - usually due to someone thinking they can throw their weight around - but both is unusual. A little over an hour later, there was a planetary security lockdown. At that point I ordered all staff to return to the HPG station and we carried our our own lockdown.”
“Do you have an enclave around the HPG station?” asked Danai.
“Not really,” Shaffi admitted. “Irurzun’s not that near to the border - Hanse Davion’s Galtor campaign in the mid-3020s brought the border fairly close but that only lasted a few years. Besides the HPG station proper we have an informal shared administration over the hospice, a housing district for our staff and the park between them. It’s just part of the old planetary capital though, not even two square kilometers with no barriers to entry except to the HPG itself.”
The Canopian princess seemed satisfied so the precentor continued: “The Voice of the Dragon made an announcement that the Ryuken barracks had been attacked and that the lockdown was expected to end the following day except in the vicinity. However, at around the same time we got reports that there had been explosions at the Imperial City.” He paused. “On the way to the jump point, we got some long range images of the Imperial City. A large portion of the core palace is gone.”
He took a deep breath. “That was when I sent the first priority message to Terra. The following morning there was an official declaration that the Coordinator had been assassinated by his brother Franklin. Angus Kurita formally stated his succession to the office immediately afterwards. We don’t know exactly where the broadcast came from, but it almost certainly wasn’t the Imperial City.”
“I don’t recognize the name,” Wei admitted. “Who is he?”
“A third cousin, once removed,” Elswick Cameeron told her. “That’s not as distant as it might seem - besides his sister and half brother, Minoru Kurita’s next nearest relative is a female second cousin. Angus is the only great-grandson of the late and unlamented Marcus Kurita, which does make him the senior member of the cadet branch descending from Hugai Kurita’s younger son Undell.”
“Does he have any accomplishments of note?”
“None.” The speaker was Dahlia Erin of humint. “He was due to attend Sun Zhang academy but after the loss of the academy he completed military education via private tutors and has no combat record. Since then he was mainly found around the fringes of the court.” The head of ComStar’s human intelligence specialists smiled thinly. “There are no thoughts in Angus Kurita’s head except those put there by his great-grandfather’s traditional allies in the conservative fringes of the Combine’s nobility.”
A puppet ruler, Wei thought. “Is this a first hand report, Dahlia?”
“From one of our adepts who met him a few years ago.” The peaceful-looking woman spread her hands slightly. “He wasn’t judged important enough for me to take a personal interest.”
“So you’re a field operative?” asked Morgan Hasek-Davion curiously.
Dahlia’s eyes twinkled. “I used to be a food reviewer for INN. It’s a good way to meet members of the nobility and a wide range of connections is useful in diplomatic circles.” She paused and gave him a consoling look. “The world of intelligence gathering is often shockingly mundane, Marshal.”
“Moving on?” Wei asked politely and looked over at Shaffi.
The precentor sighed. “I left for Terra the next day. No one tried to stop the shuttle but there was a polite request to inspect it in case any fugitives were aboard. We declined, of course.”
“Do you have any idea who they are looking for?”
Shaffi smiled at Danai Centrella. “I do. Our jumpship received a tightbeam message from another shuttle, one the crew wisely did not retransmit. The message was from Chandrasekhar Kurita - an even more distant cousin, but one who made rather more of himself than Angus - and Director Ninyu Indrahar of the ISF. They sent a copy of a message from the Coordinator where he formally abdicated in favor of his half-brother Franklin, charging him to purge the Combine of traitors who had him trapped within his own palace.”
The two royals in the room both pulled identical faces, perhaps seeing their own families in those shoes.
The Precentor-Martial simply steepled his fingers. “That does cast significant doubt on the accusations against Franklin Kurita. Besides which, I believe he is currently commanding DCMS forces on Sverdlovsk - part of the wider campaign for Galedon V. Not precisely the position of someone attempting a coup.”
“We are not here to decide the succession of the Draconis Combine,” Danai pointed out. “What are the implications for the Star League?”
Wei held up her hand. “Elswick, what has happened since Shaffi left Iruzun?”
“A flood of messages from both Irurzun and two sources traveling across the Combine,” the head of DRUM’s analysts reported. “Usually with a similar list of recipients Angus Kurita is naturally seeking endorsement and support from the nobility and the military, while we can safely say that his opponents are doing the same. Chandrasekhar Kurita headed for Hachiman first, that being his personal stronghold, but we believe he will move on to join forces with Franklin shortly.”
“Not to make his own bid for power?” asked Morgan curiously.
Dahlia laughed quietly. “No.”
“You’re quite sure?”
“Absolutely. Unlike Angus Kurita, I have met Lord Chandrasekhar and while his palate is superb, he is entirely focused on enriching himself and the Combine. Make no mistake, he is a patriot, but he lacks the traditional military virtues and cannot even pretend to have them. He will be a valuable ally for Franklin, particularly because he could never amass the support to become a rival.”
Elswick nodded. “That is our own assessment. While Warlord Li Dok To is broadly conservative, he is also intensely loyal to Minoru Kurita and has an excellent working relationship with Franklin. It is unlikely that he will support an usurper.”
The commander of the SLDF smiled slightly. “A soldier of the old school. So Franklin will have economic and military support from Galedon military district.”
“At the moment, we believe that is largely going to be the case. Benjamin district is currently leaderless, with Warlord Petrov believed to be dead - likely each world and regiment will be deciding their loyalties on their own. The second source of messages is moving towards Dieron. Most probably this is Director Indrahar and it is likely he will have a warm welcome from Daniel Sorenson.”
“Then Angus’ faction is caught between Galedon and Dieron?”
“Not so clearly,” Elswick admitted. “Warlord Sorenson has a good hold on the rimwards worlds of Dieron military district, but the new Vega and Kessel prefecture are conservative strongholds and we expect the nobles and military forces there to support Angus Kurita - it is entirely possible that this is where the conspiracy sprang from. We expect the district to be a major conflict zone between the two sides.”
A war on Terra’s doorstep, and just as serious progress was being made against the Clans. Wei shook her head in despair. “What are the military implications?”
“It essentially removes all pressure from the Diamond Sharks and Ghost Bears,” admitted Hasek-Davion. “There have been reports from Task Force Ruby that DCMS regiments have ceased all action and are consolidated. Most likely they are preparing to pull back and take sides.”
“With the loss of the Alshain Avengers, is that a huge blow?”
“It depends on the mercenary contingent and the Shin Legion. It could be as much as a third of Task Force Ruby.” The marshal raked his long hair back. “Under the circumstances, I intend to issue orders disbanding the Task Force and rolling them into Task Force Emerald - we have to assume that their supply lines will be affected. For that matter, we cannot count on any supplies going through Dieron District now, so we’ll have to direct everything through the Isle of Skye.”
“And that also leaves us the problem of securing worlds already liberated,” Focht noted. “The Combine is hardly in a position to uphold their previous offer of protection to the Rasalhague government, perhaps not even to their own worlds in the salient.”
“I may have to reorganize a task group out of Emerald for that purpose,” Morgan agreed. “I see no option but for me to go there in person. If we can keep the Kungsarme, the Wolf Dragoons and the Shin Legion in position then we have the core of a force to cover that flank of our advance into the Wolf Occupation Zone. Even so, this is going to slow progress.”
Wei looked over at Danai. “Please ask your mother to put the issue of reaching out diplomatically to the Bears and Sharks to the Council. We cannot reasonably pursue military action against either Clan, so keeping them from taking advantage is our next best option.”
“I’ll do that,” the younger woman agreed. “But the question of which Coordinator casts the Combine’s vote may take precedence.”
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===A tasted of desire===
The Triad, Tharkad
Donegal March, Federated Commonwealth
8 March 3059
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While the Triad referred to the three main buildings of the royal court, there were hundreds of buildings, large and small, across the grounds. The Combine embassy was one of the larger ones, a guest house intended for visiting ducal houses. Save for the flag that flapped from the pole outside, it would have been hard to tell its current purpose - the presence of a member of House Kurita on Tharkad was tolerated but not popular.
It had been a long walk from Victor’s own quarters out here and the snow that had fallen along the way clung to his great-coat. His boots were coated in it and despite scraping them at the door, a servant politely forced slippers on him once he entered, whisking the boots away to dry somewhere.
He found Omi Kurita leaving her rooms, servants visible inside and packing her possessions away. “Victor,” she said quietly and closed the door behind her. “I wasn’t sure you would return from Melissia before I left.”
“Nor was I,” he admitted, drinking in her presence. Sorrow hung over her and he was reminded of his mother when he was a boy, when gramma Katrina was no longer with them. “I heard. I’m so sorry.”
Omi looked away. “Let’s find somewhere we won’t be in the way.”
She said nothing to him as they walked the short distance to one of the small lounges. Victor noted a few changes to the decorations, and realized that this room had already been stripped of the small reminders of home that Omi brought with her. “Are you going to Galedon?” he asked, hoping guiltily that she would not be heading for Hachiman: the industrial world had been raided by Angus Kurita’s forces and it was likely it would be the next battlefield between the two rival Coordinators.
“Dieron,” she said simply. “Franklin cannot be present there and someone must keep the prefectures from thinking they are fighting just for their new privileges. I am supposed to be Keeper of the House Honor but my duties here have left me little time for the Order of Five Pillars… I must take them in hand.”
“Daniel Sorenson is a good man. He is clever and he has principles.”
“And distant kin. House Sorenson’s ties to us go back to before the Star League.” She looked up at him and he saw the beginnings of tears. “But he is not a Kurita.”
Victor was halfway to extending an arm to her when she drew back and walked to one of the armchairs.
“I would offer to go with you, but we both know I can’t do that.” He went to the chair next to hers, angled so that they could easily look at each other.
“Your handling of the Nova Cats was well done,” Omi told him sincerely. “I think you will find that their ambitions make them a problem in the long run, but for now the Jade Falcons are your priority.”
“That’s true, but I was thinking more that Angus is appealing to those who are suspicious of the Star League. Having a Steiner-Davion fighting for him would likely taint Franklin in the eyes of your people.”
Omi closed her eyes, face pained. “You speak the truth.”
“I’m sorry,” Victor said, feeling the words inadequate.
“Do not apologize for a hard truth.” Omi paused and gathered herself. “My head tells me that you did what you must, that to think you would - much less should - place the Combine ahead of those you have sworn oaths to protect, is to commit to the same arrogance as the Black Dragons. That you would not be the man I care so much for if your duty did not drive you.”
He heard the implied but, and watched in silence as the usually eloquent Omi searched for words.
“My heart believes that had you not swayed the Star League to commit forces against the Wolves, Minoru’s position would have been stronger. That the Black Dragons would not have dared to strike a Coordinator who had seen the Bears crushed and the Diamond Sharks humbled.”
Victor opened his lips to speak, found no words. Closed them again.
Omi reached out and touched his hand briefly. “My heart is wrong, but it is hard.”
The prince tried to see it from her perspective. Imagined some fanatic blaming his parents for a large AFFC deployment to help the DCMS win back Luthien, of one or both of them choosing death over captivity. A shiver went through Victor. “I would probably feel the same way.”
She managed to smile. “And then there is a part of me that hurts twice over, because I am still drawn to you. How can I not love a man with such steel… and a heart of gold?”
Now Victor looked away, embarrassed. “I’ll do what I can for you. I can’t claim the credit, but mother has spoken to Duchess Aten and Duke Sandoval. The garrisons along the border are being spread out to cover against raids, at least near the prefectures that stand for Franklin. It should free more of their forces for him.”
Vega and Kessel were still a threat to the SLDF’s supply lines, but Dieron and Algedi stood strong for Minoru’s chosen successor. Across the border in Benjamin district, the Proserpina Hussars had seized their homeworld from attempts to sway them and proclaimed a Proserpina prefecture that Franklin had granted the same privileges he had to Sorenson’s reformists.
Rumor had it that An Ting and the worlds near it were pushing for the same under the lead of the surviving An Ting Legions. How Franklin handled that and any potential rift with Li Dok To would be critical to the stability of his fledgling government - An Ting was part of Galedon district and the Coordinator could not afford to alienate the warlord, but nor could he move against the reformists that were the core of his political support.
Of course, Franklin also couldn’t afford to alienate the Federated Commonwealth. He had already promised generous trade agreements that would open the autonomous prefectures to traders and other soft influence from Victor's realm. If he didn’t manage to resolve things quickly, more would likely be asked. Politely, but with a mailed fist held in reserve. Seizing Combine worlds might shatter the new Star League, but there was a point where that risk could be deemed worthwhile...
“Your parents want us to remain a bulwark against the Diamond Sharks,” Omi said evenly. Then she laughed darkly. “They are right to fear them - the Sharks are not only artists in warfare. Did you know the ISF still cannot determine if the O-Same is orchestrating the fighting around Galedon V or fighting other Clans beyond Pesht? They are learning the arts of government… and they will not be easily dislodged.” She drew her hand back from Victor’s “I do not think I will see Luthien again.”
“I’m sure that that’s part of the decision,” he admitted. “But sometimes the personal and the political do align. They both respect you and thought highly of Minoru.” Victor hesitated once. “My grandmother told me when I was young… I’d gotten into a fight with another boy.” He shrugged in embarrassment. “She told me that the golden age of the Star League was because the great lords learned that they didn’t need to fight with each other and that we didn’t deserve it back until we learned the same.”
Omi sat back in her seat and glanced up at the ceiling. “And here we are. Part of a new Star League.”
“Until that is forgotten again,” he allowed. “All I can offer is to rule my people when that time comes and try to pass that lesson on to the next generation.”
“And wisdom as well.” A tear crawled down her cheek. “Do you have to be so desirable, Victor?”
He rose to his feet, meaning to give her space but she also stood and then their arms were around each other. Omi was warm in Victor’s arms. He felt the salty tear against his own cheek and thought he could hear her heart beat as fast as his own.
Temptation dangled between them.
And they both stepped back, Omi’s smile sad but some of the darkness gone from her gaze.
“I have been told,” Victor said carefully, “That one’s first love is not always the last. My father lost his first love on the battlefield, long before he met my mother.”
She nodded. “I do not know how much of his heart my father gave to Franklin’s mother. Or her to him.”
“If our feelings cannot survive these partings or…” He gestured helplessly to indicate the complicated emotions she had confessed to. “Then public attention would certainly kill them.”
“There is no knowing if we will ever meet again.”
Victor nodded jerkily. “But if you need me, I’ll be with Task Force Emerald, a staff posting. ComStar will get word to me.”
Omi nodded in understanding. “Victor, whatever we feel in the future, I want you to know…”
He looked at her questioningly, and then her arms were around him again. Her lips touched his, pressed against them and in the searing heat of the moment he almost crushed her against him, tried to hold onto her against all the pressures of the universe.
Then she released him and he knew that she knew. Breathless, he watched her whirl and flee the room. Afraid, as he was, that otherwise they might forget all reason, all caution…
Victor Steiner-Davion straightened his collar and checked his reflection in a small mirror to make sure there was no obvious evidence to betray them, before going to collect his boots. Perhaps the cold of Tharkad’s weather would chill the heat of his passions to something that he could carry with him without it boiling over. “From what I’ve tasted of desire…” he murmured to himself as he walked, then chastised himself for giving voice to those thoughts.
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===Unexpected Enemy===
Orbit, Arc-Royal
Donegal March, Federated Commonwealth
1 April 3059
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Horse was, for once, looking shocked as he eyed the holotank in the middle of the command deck. “Everyone on this side of the Inner Sphere decided to use Arc-Royal as a staging post, quiaff?
The display showed the entire system and there were dozens of icons that marked entire flotillas rather than individual vessels. “Or a rallying point, or a supply base… And some simply came here because it is home,” Aidan pointed out, indicating a little cluster of dropships heading for the planet from the zenith jump point. The small fleet was marked with the black and red badge of the Kell Hounds mercenary regiment.
The Turkina’s Pride had arrived via a proximity point, a risk that it was clear few jumpships were willing to take, followed by an escort of warships and transports for the rest of the Gyrfalcon Galaxy. They didn’t have the only warships in the system though.
“My Khan,” the commtech reported respectfully. “We have not been able to make contact with Khan Mattlov on the system. However, Khan Cooper of Clan Snow Raven is requesting that we use our HPG to contact him.”
Aidan looked at where the Snow Raven naval star was moving away from Arc-Royal, apparently attempting an intercept on one of the inbound convoys. “Respond,” he ordered quietly. It seemed almost wasteful to use an HPG to communicate within a single star system but the distance between the two Clans’ forces was measured in light minutes and it would be far more convenient not to work around those delays.
“You are live, my Khan.”
Aidan turned to the screen. “Khan Cooper. I see the situation has changed here since the last report to reach me, quiaff?”
The junior khan of Clan Snow Raven laughed grimly. “What did you last hear?”
“A wave of attacks hitting worlds from New Capetown to Garrison,” Aidan replied. Those worlds covered most of the border between the Federated Commonwealth and the Jade Falcons. There was also the pocket of worlds against what had once been the Steel Viper Occupation Zone, but they were entirely irrelevant: he and Khan Mattlov had agreed that the garrison forces there would be needed elsewhere so they’d recalled the galaxy stationed there to take over the job of defending Twycross and the border with Clan Wolf.
Arc-Royal was one jump beyond the attacks, which suggested that they were now facing a second wave of attacks. “We are facing a new wave of attacks by the Federated Commonwealth and their allies, quiaff?”
Cooper grimaced. “A little worse than that. There are two clusters of Nova Cats on Arc-Royal.”
“Right now I would take help from a Steel Viper.”
The look he got from the other Khan told him that this was not good news. “Take a look at this.” The Khan’s face was cut off by the emblem of Clan Nova Cat. “You see what is wrong, quiaff?”
Aidan frowned. There was something different about it, but he could not put his finger on it.
“The nova around the cat’s head,” Horse exclaimed. “It’s like the sunburst of the Federated Commonwealth!”
“Exactly like it,” Cooper confirmed. “The Nova Cats have defected!”
Aidan paled. That could not be true. It was… unthinkable. What could possibly have been offered to any Clan that would be worth breaking the unity?
“Sargasso,” hissed Horse. “I thought it was a coincidence that they claimed the Steel Viper enclave there right as the Inner Sphere attacked the Vipers, but if it was coordinated then they could have been working with them the whole time.”
“Why would they ever do that?” Aidan exclaimed. “It makes no sense.”
“If you do not believe me then ask your warriors on the planet. But ask quickly, your Vau Galaxy is being mauled.”
Aidan gestured to indicate surrender. “I do not challenge you, Khan Cooper. It is simply… hard to comprehend. And we have not yet -” He looked over at the commtech who shook his head in failure. “- heard from Khan Mattlov.”
Cooper’s face reappeared. “I have not heard from her in three days. I suspect that the reason is simple.”
“The dead do not use radios,” Aidan concluded. He turned to the commtech. “Forget reaching Vau Galaxy’s headquarters. Reach out to their Star Colonels - to Star Captains if you have to.”
“I have contact,” Diana told him from where she had taken over one of the stations around the holo display. Aidan could hear a mix of pride at being ahead of him mixed with sobriety at the circumstances. “Star Colonel Evak Mattlov, this is Turkina’s Pride. The Gyrfalcons are in orbit, what is your situation?”
Evak Mattlov, that meant the Fourth Falcon Velites. Aidan recalled that the man was one of Angelina Mattlov’s proteges, elevated to lead the Velites in her place when she rose to lead Peregrine Galaxy. A proud man who might rise to take over the Peregrines if the Khan chose not to remain in direct command of them. He knew Jezebel Pryde was hoping for that, if only because she had a good chance to lead the Cluster if it happened.
The channel crackled for a moment and Aidan had just long enough to wonder if Diana had made a mistake before Evak’s voice came through.
<<“-kina’s Pride, this is St- … -nel Mattlov. We are delta-g- … -peat, delta-golf.”>>
A shiver went down Aidan’s spine at the words. The code was almost as old as their Clan, so old the exact meaning had been lost. But the essence survived: delta-golf meant that whoever gave the code was facing annihilation.
He was at Diana’s side almost before he knew it. “Mattlov, I have an entire galaxy here.” Signal tracing pointed at a location near the southern edge of Gerechtland, the smallest of the planet’s continents. “Can you give me a full sitrep for the Peregrines?”
Mattlov coughed, the sound crackling and breaking as the technician tried to clear up the signal. <<“Eighth Regulars got caught between the Nova Cats and some Free Worlds force I don’t know about. Legionnaires, if that helps. They are chasing us down. I have not heard from Fourth Talon or the Striker Clusters since the Khan was killed. Our satellites are down and I do not have access to undersea cables to Gutheim.”>>
Gutheim was the larger continent, where the important factories and the planetary capital were. Where Angelina Mattlov would logically have been headquartered. “Can you confirm that, Evak? Is there any chance the Khan is still fighting?”
<<“I did not see the body but Devinnia Guili would not lie.”>> the Star Colonel responded flatly.
Aidan nodded grimly. That meant that he was in command of the Clan. Under better circumstances that would be thrilling. Right now, he had inherited a crisis. “You have access to dropships, quineg?”
<<“Neg,”>> Mattlov admitted bleakly. <<“And sea transport would be too slow.”>>
“Have Taman pull his troops out of their dropships,” Aidan ordered Horse. “We can cram them into the Pride. Evak, we will send down our dropships with aerospace cover to get you out.”
<<“That wou- … -reciated.”>> Evak Mattlov’s signal crackled and broke off again for a moment. <<“Pryde,”>> he continued, once the channel was clearer. <<“We have had no news from offworld in days. I thought the entire Clan was delta-golf. I only hope you are not the disgrace that Jezebel believes.”>>
“We will get in touch with rendezvous details,” Aidan promised and looked back to where Khan Cooper was still on the main screen.
<(“I am not in position to help you,”)> the Snow Raven said bluntly. <(“I suspect the convoy we are after was calculated to draw us out of position but there are four warships with them. That is not a threat we can ignore.”)>
“Agreed.” There was no point trying to keep Cooper from the most glorious battle his lineage had faced in a hundred years. “Once you are victorious, or if they break off,” Aidan was no great naval expert but he knew that in such a high speed engagement either side could avoid action easily, at a cost of taking a vector well away from their original destination, “make for the Antares zenith jump point: that will be our main path of retreat.”
“An obvious choice,” warned Cooper.
<(“I know. But if the Nova Cats focus there, then those who cannot reach Antares have a chance to use less obvious routes.”)> The old SLDF star charts provided many uninhabited systems that could be used for Jumpships to recharge as they crossed the Nova Cat Occupation Zone. Unfortunately, the Nova Cats had the same charts.
Cooper frowned. “Perhaps wise,” he allowed. “Do you have any further instructions?”
<(“You know better than I how to fight a naval battle. I will count on you.”)>
The other Khan’s image vanished and a moment later, Aidan saw that his own camera was off.
“So we are leaving?” Horse asked.
“Arc-Royal is lost,” Aidan replied simply. “Try to contact the other clusters of Peregrine Galaxy, we will need to extricate them if possible.”
“Right, get on with that Diana,” his old friend ordered.
Aidan had disbanded the original Turkina Keshik as part of the reorganization after Crichell’s death, citing the need for experienced officers to lead the new crop of young warriors. But with Crichell no longer around to micromanage the Clan and its holdings, he could no longer command the Gyrfalcon Guards as well as the galaxy and carry out his duties as Khan. Say what you would about the older khan, he had been a very capable administrator.
Horse led the new Keshik, a single supernova trinary with Aidan and Diana each commanding a star. The other twelve mechwarriors and the seventy-five elementals had been chosen from older warriors to act as Aidan’s staff. “You have something in mind, Aidan?”
Aidan gave his daughter a nod to carry on the mission that had been delegated to her. “Try to establish contact with Clan Nova Cat’s forces,” he ordered the commtech.
“You hope they will offer hegira, quiaff?” Horse asked before answering his own questions: “If they do seek our annihilation then it is unlikely.”
“It costs nothing to try and they are no more immune to arrogance than we are.”
It was several minutes' wait and Aidan studied the spinning globe of Arc-Royal in the meantime. Kael Pershaw’s people were doing their usual good work, collating reports and data intercepts to paint an image of the forces deployed. 
Gerechtland bore markers indicating elements of Clan Nova Cat’s Sigma Galaxy and of the First Free Worlds Legionnaires. The purple bird would have indicated their allegiance if the name had not. Despite centuries of enmity with House Steiner, the Captain-General had sent forces to fight for them. This new Star League had substance! Aidan silently cursed Crichell’s caution and his own slow pace in dealing with it.
“My Khan.” The technician caught his attention. “I have a Star Colonel Santin West who is willing to speak to you.”
Aidan raised an eyebrow at that. Most Star Colonels, even of another Clan, would be excited to have the attention of a Khan. But West was merely ‘willing’ to speak to him? “How generous of him. Put him through.”
The face and shoulders of a mustachioed elemental in Nova Cat field fatigues appeared in the holotank. His eyes were sharp and Aidan set any hope for foolishness aside. “Star Colonel,” he greeted the man.
>>“Khan Pryde.”<< West replied neutrally. >>“I do not believe that you or your forces were bid by Khan Mattlov to defend Arc-Royal.”<<
“And I did not believe that Clan Nova Cat had contracted to be bid by the Federated Commonwealth, but I admit my error.”
West reached up with one hand and stroked his mustache. >>“If you seek safcon to join the fighting, I must disappoint you. And nor will I offer hegira. My orders are clear.”<<
“I am aware that not all Clans hold our traditions in such respect as we Jade Falcons,” Aidan allowed. “But there is one question that I must pose: Why are you fighting for the Inner Sphere?”
Santin West stared at Aidan for a moment and then smiled slightly. “Perhaps the better question, Khan Pryde, is: why are you fighting against the Star League?” Then he cut the channel, leaving Aidan staring at the blank display.
“Aidan?” Horse asked after a moment. “Are you alright?”
“I am just… thinking.”
“You cannot join the Nova Cats in this madness, quineg?”
He shook his head slightly. “Neg, the Clan Council would kill me - and rightly so. No, but perhaps I have been looking at this the wrong way…”
Aidan’s old friend sighed and looked over at Diana. “Find something to hold onto,” he warned the younger officer. “When your father is like this, there is no predicting what he is up to.”
Aidan chuckled. “I will need to do some planning. For now,” his voice sharpened as ideas fell into… not into place, but into a shape that suggested where they would need to be. “Contact every unit we can by HPG and have them spread the word Fighting on these worlds, surrounded by the Nova Cats and the Federated Commonwealth, will accomplish nothing. Our touman will withdraw into the other half of our Occupation Zone where we can refit and prepare for the future.”
“You have a plan, quiaff?” asked Diana. There was hope in her voice, a search for belief that their Clan could survive this crisis. “The Nova Cats will give them free passage, so it does not buy much time.”
“I have the beginnings of a plan,” he admitted to his daughter. “I only need a little time.” Aidan turned and looked at the markers of units scattered across the system. “If it works, then we can rise from this reverse, like a phoenix from the fires of its own demise.”
Horse scratched his chin, looking dubious. “And if it does not work?”
“Oh, in that case we are all doomed,” Aidan said cheerfully. “Since that is what we face already, there is nothing to lose, quiaff?”
“I must be crazy,” the freeborn admitted. “Because that made sense to me!”
“Start checking our supply bases,” the Khan continued. “Any that we have lost control of are to be targeted for orbital bombardment. I will not leave them to be used against us.” Millions of tons of equipment and consumables that could have been used to seize Tharkad, to seize the momentum… Part of Aidan screamed at the waste, but there was no way that the material could be recovered, only denied to others.
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Chapter 4-17