TBntG-3 Chpt 3

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 3 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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===Planning Problems (Frederick gets a headache and feels sorry for Cassandra)===
August, 3045
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Frederick Ghost Bear stared at the big status board. The first wave of attacks and raids were successful with a few… minor issues, mostly Smoke Jaguar and Jade Falcon warriors engaging in batchalls.
 
Mostly against smaller worlds, where the outcome was not in doubt.
 
Minor hiccups. Not even really a delay. For most of those worlds the biggest delay had been moving the troops in, and dealing with the refusal of their commanders to simply abandon the worlds, rather leaving token garrison forces behind.
Two months in and they were still seeing nothing but success. The primary combat thrusts were doing very well. The burning red stars of successful strikes were scattered across the Lyran Commonwealth and Draconis Combine, with a few longer range strikes also on the board. Big capital ship centered task groups engaging protected worlds, with smaller taskforces, many of them centered on Samarkand class escort carriers, hitting secondary worlds.
I underestimated how big an advantage our HPG buoys would give us. He had nearly real time communication with every task force and commander, and that had already paid dividends, catching a Federated Suns task force that was attempting to move in reinforcements to their allies. The DropShips that did not surrender had been shattered by the McKenna and its escorts that had caught them as they jumped in.
 
"Frederick."
 
"Aff, My Khan?" Frederick said.
 
"You should have a high position. Do you know why you do not?"
 
"Aff. This…" Frederick pointed at the big board. "Is not the Clan way, not at least how it is seen. And I am an old warrior who should be quietly put away, not someone who should be making plans for Star Admirals."
 
Tseng nodded. "And I am afraid that there is an… issue that will soon arise before the Khan Council. I would like you to come with me. The Khan of Clan Nova Cat and saKhan of Diamond Shark await us."
 
"I am at your disposal, My Khan."
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Khan Severen Leroux and Sakhan Barbara Sennet's images were projected on holo imagers.
 
"Khan Leroux, Sakhan Sennet," Khan Tseng said. "I have brought Frederick, as you requested. You may explain your intentions to him."
 
Intentions?
 
"The Liberation goes well," Khan Leroux said. "But there has been some discontent among our warriors. Especially given our position as a reserve, saKhan Sennet shares some of my concerns."
 
"Our merchants feel that the decision to ban them from trade until Operation Revival is completed speaks poorly to them, especially those working with the logistics network."
 
"I… Am sorry that some of your fellow Clan Members feel that way." Frederick paused, for a moment wondering why his taste in forbidden books had ended with him here. "But for what it is worth, I consider you vital. Diamond Shark ships and merchant expertise has been central to the establishment of our logistics network." Because unlike the Smoke Jaguars, you do not consider it a dirty word. "Clan Nova Cats Touman is a major component of our reserve forces, not because I have any doubts as to your skill—I am not a fool!—but because we must be able to maintain our momentum, especially when resistance becomes stronger. When you are needed, you will be needed very badly."
 
"When? Or If?" Khan Leroux asked.
 
"When. My Khan. We simply cannot reach every shipyard, every factory—not in Wave One. Your forces will be needed in Wave Two. Of that I am certain."
 
"And yet, IlKhan Showers seems to feel that our forces will be unneeded. He spoke to me about using our Clan for mere occupational duties."
 
 What? "The IlKhan is… confident in our power."
 
"Contemptuous of the Inner Sphere, you mean," Tseng said. "He discussed the thought of a direct strike on Terra."
 
"What?" That is not slated until Wave Four!
 
"He is very confident in our progress."
 
"My Khan… if there is any world that might have defenses equal to those of the Star League, it would be Terra. We have no idea what they have, only that when the Great Father retook the world from the Betrayer, he lost nearly as many warships in one battle as we have in toto!"
 
"But since the Ilkhan feels our forces are not needed, we have brought a proposal before the council." Sennet said. "You need have no worry regarding your logistics net, as we shall bring merchant caste members to cover for our movements."
 
"Forgive me, Sakhan Sennet, where are your military forces going?"
 
"My Loremaster had a vision. An Eagle and Vulture, tearing out the entrails of a woman, again and again."
 
Frederick had no idea if Leroux believed in that, but it was not something anyone, much less someone dependent on the good graces of the Khans to get things done, ever brought up in polite conversation.
 
"And the meaning of this vision?"
 
"The Marian Hegemony and Circinis Confederation. One a barbarian kingdom, the other a barbarian kingdom the apes an ancient golden age of Terra, and practices open slavery, victimizing their neighboring states. We will liberate them, and thus protect the Inner Sphere from their depredations until your plan is successful."
 
Combined, you are nearly a quarter of our assigned reserve forces! Frederick wanted to scream. But he could not. He…
 
"This is a major change to the plan. May I dissuade you?"
 
 "No. The Ilkhan has agreed, since these enemies are more… equal to our forces, in his words."
 
Founder. Why did you insult them so? Frederick thought furiously. Then he smoothed his face over. "Of course, taking those worlds would indicate the opening of a new front. One that could threaten the Free Worlds League, and the Canopians."
 
 "Yes," Sennet nodded. "Of course, as those of us who are interested in history know, the Periphery might have benefited from a softer touch. So then we will be occupied with our occupation of the pirate kingdoms and liberation of their peoples. While we will use our positions to keep the Lyrans off balance, I see no reason why we should open aggressive actions against the Periphery states"
 
Founder. This isn't simply a liberation… Frederick paused, and thought. There would be many people who might follow a Clan, especially more liberal Clans like the Diamond Sharks and Nova Cats. The IlKhan infuriated them, but most of his warriors won't care if they go after bandits. But that means they will have worlds. Frederick wasn't certain of the exact numbers, because those states were more or less irrelevant in what they could contribute to the overall forces facing them, but in terms of resources and population…
 
 They were potentially greater than the Clan Homeworlds.
 
"I see… If the IlKhan agrees, it is, of course not my place to refuse. But we should definitely coordinate your forces with the main Center of Gravity of our advances. You will certainly need some time to prepare your forces."
 
 "We have already begun. I felt it wise to inform you." Khan Leroux said. Moments later, they flickered out of existence.
 
"My Khan… What is that about?" Frederick asked.
 
"The ilKhan… was very insulting to the Diamond Sharks and Nova Cats. Also…"
 
"Yes?"
 
"The war is over, save for the mopping up."
 
"What?"
 
"It is not said openly, but your strategy, even if some of the Khans do not like the source from which it sprang, has been so successful that even weeks after the first attack, we are moving as we will. The lack of effective resistance, has seen old divisions coming back and some are even suggesting allowing limited trials over some worlds—" 
"I—My Khan we have not won!" Frederick stalked to the holo projector and called up the map of the Inner Sphere. Golden lights were blazing in it. "Those are worlds with substantial industry that we have not yet attacked. Some of them, we probably will never be able to attack. They have powered armor, and if it is inferior to our own armor, it is more than what we expected. Fully mobilized, they can swarm us under, so they can never be given that chance!" He paused, and realized that his voice had risen to a shout. "Forgive me."
 
"There is no need. I understand. But if you want them to take the danger seriously, we have to show it to them, rather than leaving some free to spin visions of a victory already won."
"What is your suggestion?"
 
"LOCK OUT should be modified."
 
 "In what way?"
 
"Tharkad and Luthien cannot be just isolated, they must be invaded."
 
"I…" Frederick fell silent, then. "My Khan, you know what you are asking."
 
"I do. The easier this fight seems, the more our unity will fall. And if we succeed in taking two of their capitals, that will go far to support your goal of demoralizing the spheroids, quiaff?"
 
"Aff, but we cannot just take them from space. We will need to take and occupy a few worlds enroute, at least enough of them to provide support for the invasion as staging grounds for our warriors. It will require… modifications to Wave II. I suggest we make it part of Wave II, contingent on the spheroid forces behaving as we think they will. We also must bring in some of the reserve clans."
 
"I will leave the plans to you, and will support you in Council."
"Thank you, my Khan." We have just lost a big part of our reserves and now I am ordered to take two worlds! It could break their spirit. But if it did not, Tharkad and Luthien were not irreplaceable. The Sphere could fight on without them. The Freebirth units. I can use them. Intended to just be infantry for after their victory, they could be refitted with second line equipment…
 
The sphere is flailing because they never know where we are going to strike next. This new directive will make it plain. 
 
But if we can break their will… Frederick shook his head. They had to break their will. That was the only way to win. The Khans, most of them, did not understand that.
 
As he left the room to start getting the team together to come up with how best to make the strategy work, Frederick had one troubling thought.
 
The Nova Cats and Diamond Sharks were often seen as focusing on tomorrow at the cost of today. The Diamond Sharks, if you asked some of the more militant clans, were barely a Clan, letting their Merchants decide policy.
 
They had both forgone any hope of the glory of taking Terra. And he doubted that any single insult would be big enough to make them do that.
 
What is it they think they see?
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Book 3 - 03