TBntG-3 Chpt 33

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 33 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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===Katherine's Bad Day Comes with a Promotion!===
"Captain," the general gestured at the chair and Katherine sat down. 
 
You were always polite to a general. Always. Didn't matter what your social rank was. 
 
"You're probably asking why I'm calling you here."
 
"Yes, sir." 
 
"First of all, it's time for a promotion—Major." Katherine blinked, and for a moment wondered if she could decline. 
 
The answer was that would be impolite to the general. "May I ask why?"
 
"Clans got chewed up. Smoke Jaguars launched some early raids, possibly without approval, but…" He gestured at the screen. "Intelligence got this."
 
Katherine watched the gun camera footage. The Jaguars were advancing, with their toads in front screening them. 
 
Ragged. The rumors of having to replace Toad units with untrained or partially trained sibko graduates looked confirmed. 
 
Not to mention that unlike the OZ troops, they hate to retreat or accept some things aren't worth the blood. 
 
But then she hissed. Over the low hills came a tide of people in ATVs, hover cycles, you name it, with not a single military vehicle to their name. The Clan forces were almost contemptuous of them, focusing on the retreating Battlemechs. The units interpenetrated, the Toads and light mechs reaping a sickening toll…
 
And then one brightly painted sports hover got close to a Daishi and the screen went white, before the filters kicked in to show the shattered mech staggering back. Moments later, another vehicle loomed large and the screen went white. 
 
"How bad?" 
 
"The Dracs turned around and hit them while they were recovering. The commander was one of the few Jags smart enough to come in out of the rain, so they pulled back—25 percent losses in Mechs and 60 percent among their infantry." 
 
Kat hissed. 
 
"Yes. Intelligence has seen preparations for human wave attacks like this all over the Combine. They're called the "Beating heart of the Dragon" and they…" images came up. Videos from spy cams, camps full of people, mostly young, screaming out as they charged dummies.
 
What the hell, you just do that to get people used to fighting… But here they were being bundled into trucks, and given weapons—rifles that looked to be something you'd see in the periphery and a helmet, and a flack jacket. Others were practicing charges against dummy mechs, holding packages over their heads.
 
"So, what are the Dragon's Runny Crap units supposed to do?" Katherine asked. 
 
The general chuckled. "I'll have to remember that." Then he got serious. "Mostly, they'll die. They mousetrapped the Jags because the Jags haven't adapted. But the UMC? The OZ forces, the Bears or Wolves…" he shrugged. "It'll be a slaughter, and that's the problem. The majority of these units appear to be young, and large parts of them come from people who are considered unreliable."
 
"So kill them, and we help the BDS." 
 
"Yes. And there are a lot of them. Intelligence estimates they are expecting to form at least 250 regiments on Luthien alone."
 
"Je—that's not good, sir."
 
"No it isn't, Major, which is why you have a promotion and a hard job. The Black Dragon Society may demand their soldiers die for the Dragon, but they don't trust them. The nuclear weapons are produced at several locations, held at depots and then transported just before use. We intend to raid them, and make certain those nukes never get transported."
 
Raid. A major base… "Forgive me, sir, why not blow them up?"
 
"Because if we do that, we won't know how many were produced until they're blowing up our mechs. And that will see commanders getting trigger happy. We need the records."
 
"Ah, sir, even if they don't have nukes…"
 
"I know, Major, but we have to take the chance. These 'soldiers' are mostly impressed from groups that might not be the most politically reliable, and could be used in the aftermath."
 
"And killing all of their kids might put a crimp in it." It makes sense, too. Play up unwilling to kill the Combine's citizens, could go a long way to letting us move past this. "And my job?"
 
"You'll be working up your people to be part of the 5th Regiment. Operation Gun Control will be oriented to destroying their facilities and getting information on how many weapons have been produced and where they were stored." 
 
Katherine just stared at him for a moment. This is what happens when you get noticed. On the other hand, trying to invade against human wave attacks with decaton grenades… 
 
"Getting rid of nukes won't get rid of their mobs."
 
"We have some special tools for that. I can't say anything more at this point."
 
"Understood, sir. I can have my staff?"
 
"Yes. And we're not saddling you with any recruits. Everyone in this job will have combat experience." 
 
"Thank you." Good. Everyone knows what end of a gun the bullet comes out of when we go to raid buildings full of nukes to hopefully keep them out of the hands of fanatics and slave soldiers. 
 
She'd originally figured infantry would be a good way for a cheap combat badge that would let her match Victor in the public eye. 
 
She was an idiot.
 
With that Katherine headed back to her own office. There was going to be a lot of work.
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Book 3 - 33