OPREF-4 Chpt 14

=Book 4, Chapter 14 - Full House=
==Opalescent Reflections==
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===Reaction of Betrayal===
Imperial City, Irurzun
Benjamin Military District, Draconis Combine
19 September 3058
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“General Asano has failed us,” Li Dok To declared flatly. “And Avellar has outright betrayed us.”
“In diplomacy, as in war, victory cannot simply be commanded.” Boris Petrov’s reaction to the news was more moderate. “The prospect of neutralizing an entire clan gave Steiner-Davion a potent weapon in the discussions. How much of a hand do you think he had in the matter, Director?”
Ninyu Indrahar did not bother to consult the notes. “The prince played no direct role in negotiations with the Nova Cats, but it is believed that his conduct when fighting them on Incukalns shaped perceptions. On Terra, he appears to have been more informed than Marshal Hasek-Davion and took the lead in using the information to convince the Star League’s staff. His file is being updated to reflect greater diplomatic acuity than we had previously assessed.”
The Warlord of Benjamin nodded. “And that was not his only tool. They only asked for a third of the reserves where we were looking for half. That means a stronger strike against Clan Wolf, which got support back from those backing Rasalhague.”
“Perhaps, but leaving him in place is still tolerance for failure.” Li Dok To grumbled.
“He has mitigated the matter somewhat,” Minoru observed, careful not to sound as if he was taking a stance at that some point. “Have you seen the latest report?”
The Warlord of Galedon tilted his head. “Which one?”
Minoru sat back slightly. “Let us hear it directly from him.” He had preset the recording of the general’s report from negotiations with the other nation’s representatives, so it was the press of a button to bring up the holo display.
Asano’s head and shoulders appeared above the desk. “In light of the reduced risk of attack on the Outworlds Alliance, I have taken the liberty of enquiring if the full strength of Task Force Opal is required to maintain their security. Marshal Hasek-Davion was amenable to detaching the First Federated Commonwealth RCT as long as the Fifth Sword of Light was also withdrawn, ensuring a balance of influence over the Alliance. I have reason to believe that Warrior House Ijori can also be detached to aid in the security of Galedon District. Senior Maurice Avellar has also indicated that one of the Alliance Air Wings might be available even for offensive operations. I have yet to receive confirmation from the Free Worlds League representatives regarding the Second Free Worlds Legion and there is little chance at this time of support from the other periphery realms or ComStar.”
Minoru cut the recording off and looked over at Li Dok To. “Your thoughts?”
The warlord frowned in thought. “A FedCom RCT and a Warrior House would let us free up more forces for the push on Galedon,” he conceded. “The other Ghost Regiment could be assigned to the mission if we replace it with the Feddies. And I cannot overstate the value of Outworlder fighters given the DCA’s ongoing problems.”
“Is it your recommendation that I instruct our ambassador to pursue that as a commitment?” he asked. The ISF’s report on Avellar’s commitment to continue Diamond Shark infrastructure work had also made it clear that it would be a financial strain for the weak government of the Alliance. Contributing some of what was needed would not have any direct military impact and as long as the high command supported it, there wasn’t much political risk to the offer.
“Yes, tono.” Li Dok To dipped his head. “May I assume that Operation Tanto is approved?”
“There is only a limited window of opportunity before the Diamond Sharks rebuild their losses,” Daniel Sorenson warned, drawing a glare from Li Dok To. “The risks are calculated on facing one of the two frontline galaxies that are reported along the border,” he continued. “The addition of the forces withdrawn from the Outworlds is offset by the reinforcements we have just discussed, but if the Diamond Sharks rebuild it will be challenging. I recommend the attack be carried out as soon as possible.”
Minoru pursed his lips and looked at Petrov, who nodded in agreement. “I assume you are ready, Li Dok To?”
“We could begin as soon as an HPG message arrives,” the old soldier declared. “However, it will take a few weeks for the Fifth Sword of Light to arrive. I recommend acting at that point, even if the other forces are not in position yet.”
“Including sending in the Twelfth Ghost Regiment before the First FedCom arrived?” the Coordinator asked.
“The risk is not extreme,” Li Dok To agreed.
“Very well.” Minoru drew out a per-prepared document and his personal seal. A moment later he handed the stamped orders to the Warlord of Galedon. “Take back your district capital. And avenge our past defeats.”
“We shall not fail you.” All three warlords saluted him formally as the Li Dok To spoke.
“I am sure that you will not.” The young ruler considered the tales he had heard from his father and grandfather of the ambitions and conflicts of previous warlords. Takashi had been forced to balance many interests in the cause of rebuilding the prestige of the Coordinator following two generations of misrule. Even after he replaced the warlords inherited from his father one by one, the replacements had by necessity been selected for the ability to scheme against their predecessors or unthinking loyalty, allowing them to be pitted against each other. He had been very fortunate to be dealing with a new generation selected after the traumas of the Fourth Succession War and the victory in 3039.
“As to General Asano, I do not think we have a better replacement at this time. As he recognizes his failure and has worked to mitigate it, no action is needed. This is not the case of officers who were defeated by the Clans and refused to learn the lessons needed to counter them.”
“The dragon is wise,” the last man in the chamber murmured.
“If you say that too often, uncle, I may fall into the error of assuming that,” Minoru chided mildly.
That got a chortle from the rotund Chandrasekhar Kurita. “I shall strive to be more critical, tono.”
Daniel Sorenson also chuckled, while the older warlords simply shook their head at the eccentric business magnate. “Our next matter concerns you, sir Kurita,” Sorenson noted. “Production numbers for military equipment.”
Tucking his hands back into his sleeves, the bald man smiled with something of an edge. “The numbers are good, in some areas too good.”
“I am not sure how improved production can be too good, given our losses over the last few years,” the Coordinator said. “However, I assume you are about to explain this.”
“Given permission,” Chandrasekhar agreed amiably and then paused until Minoru pointedly beckoned for him to speak. “In general, yes, it is good that manufacturing is up. Allowing for continued imports at the current level, we have now met all the thresholds necessary to bring the DCMS’ line regiments up to strength with a sufficient reserve to replace projected losses from current operations.”
“At what level of losses?” asked Petrov. “There are several projections.”
Minoru’s functional Minister of Trade (there was no such ministry, but his uncle was much more helpful than the Treasury) positively twinkled. “The second worst.”
“Near catastrophic losses of the forces committed?”
“As opposed to actually catastrophic,” Chandrasekhar agreed. “It would take a while to distribute them, and additional production over that time is factored in. But my understanding is that we are now building battlemechs faster than mechwarriors are being trained. Alas, we cannot solve that problem with more factories.”
“Academy classes are being expanded,” Li Dok To told him. “But how is production considered too high.”
“Because it is high enough now that we have no real justification not to start meeting certain long-term commitments, such as replacing ‘mechs lost by the mechwarriors drafted into the Dragon’s Teeth.”
“Ah,” Minoru observed in sudden understanding. Many of the actual mechwarriors involved had died, but their families mostly still existed and having lost their ‘mechs in the cause of the Dragon, they were entitled to replacements of similar value.
Some of the mechwarriors had received replacements and lost those as well, given the attrition faced by the Dragon’s Teeth regiments. Having been recruited very nearly at gunpoint largely on the basis that they were a threat to the stability to the realm, the prospect of re-arming the retainers of the more vocal of the allegedly loyal opposition did not appeal to Minoru, but failing to do so would be immensely damaging.
“I suppose that we have no choice,” he allowed. “I take it that we can be at least somewhat selective in what they receive?”
“Fortunately the cost of advanced battlemechs means that most of them will be faced with the choice of either paying towards the difference in value or of accepting smaller - or less capable - machines,” Chandrasekhar agreed. “I recommend a systematic phasing out of certain less common designs from the DCMS’ roster to ease logistics - salvaged ‘mechs obtained from the Federated Commonwealth, for example. We have reasonable access to replacement parts under the current circumstances, so a through refit would allow them to be offered as comparable to our own designs.”
“That won’t be that popular,” warned Petrov. “These families are generally conservative and greatly prefer designs associated with the Combine.”
“There are relatively few such designs in the price brackets that they are used to. Lightweight engines alone greatly affect the costs.” The portly Kurita spread his hands. “The Daimyo is one exception, but that is in considerable demand - to the point we are working to develop new production lines. And Cosby Engineering is promising a much more affordable version of the Tora, with a smaller but less vulnerable reactor.”
“I doubt that will be in demand either, given it’s combat record,” snorted Li Dok To.
“It is closely associated with the Dragon’s Teeth.” Minoru considered the matter. “As an improved model over the original, that may be politically acceptable. The problems have been fixed?”
His uncle nodded firmly. “Procurement tested several prototypes to destruction. The ‘mech is slower than the previous version but we are sure the ammunition detonations will be properly contained… and the armor around the bins has been improved as well.”
Minoru smiled thinly. “Given its reputation with the DCMS, earmark the first production run of Toras for fulfilling our debts to families who lost their ‘mechs in our service. If it proves to be a more capable design now, then it will rebuild its reputation without any need for intervention on our part. Families who want to pay more for something more impressive can do so, but only after the immediate needs of the DCMS are satisfied.” He thought of his father-in-law’s BattleMaster, lost on Luthien. “If their mech was originally more valuable than a new Tora then we can look at older ‘mechs, with upgrades if need be. Refit kits being installed as part of a reconditioning shouldn’t be too much of a strain on our maintenance and upgrade programme, I believe?”
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===Falcon set eyes for new hunting grounds===
Camora, Twycross
Clan Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
27 September 3058
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The council chamber on Twycross had been constructed on Crichell’s orders but it had rarely been used. Assembling the entire Clan Council in person would have been inconvenient, and even by HPG it would have been both expensive and a security issue. Aidan had a suspicion that Crichell exaggerated that issue simply because it freed him to govern the Clan without having to account to the Clan Council too often.
Today, a meeting was absolutely required and - of course - the loss of ComStar HPGs made it crushingly difficult. Assembling a quorum had required hastily sending jumpships to bring as many warriors as possible into reach of one of the relatively few HPG links between Twycross and the forces along the border. As it was, they had only barely reached the quorum and quite a number of the bloodnamed warriors would probably complain that they had not had the chance to participate or to even appoint a proxy.
“We are gathered here to elect a new Khan, following the death of Elias Crichell,” Aidan intoned formally.
He was somewhat pleased to have managed to get that far before the inevitable interruption. “How did the Khan die?” Evak Mattlov called out. “The summons said nothing about it.”
“Khan Crichell suffered a fatal injury during his annual requalification,” he answered, straight facedly. It was true, after all. “His cockpit took a direct hit and he expired before he could reach medical facilities.”
“How could our Khan die so easily!”
He died because he did not expect anyone to actually shoot at him, Aidan thought to himself. He had had the chance to observe Crichell’s trial of position the previous year and it had been a travesty: the mechwarriors facing him had ejected to give him the win. “It must be remembered that Khan Crichell was approaching seventy years of age,” he said instead, stretching the truth slightly - the man had been sixty-six. “He had also recently adopted a new omnimech and been less familiar with its idiosyncrasies than warriors who have the opportunity to train regularly.”
Angelina Mattlov stood. “The BattleROMs of the trial are available, quiaff?” she demanded.
“Aff,” Aidan assured the galaxy commander, “I refrained from details in the summons simply because of the slightly ignominious circumstances, but every member of this council is naturally welcome to review the records.”
“And who slew the Khan?” someone called.
Before Aidan could answer, his daughter did. “The fatal shot was fired by Star Captain Joanna of the Gyrfalcon Guards,” Diana Pryde declared, cheerfully throwing the older warrior to the wolves. “I happened to be the next scheduled opponent so I stand as witness to the events.”
Evak Mattlov snorted. “Our saKhan’s old friend kills the senior Khan and his unnatural offspring testifies to it? This sounds suspicious, quiaff?”
Aidan snorted. “Have you met Star Captain Joanna? While she is a reliable officer, she would hardly call herself my friend. And the term is natural offspring, by the way. Strictly speaking, the Iron Wombs are ‘unnatural’ in the same way as any other technology.”
“Inferior then,” the Star Colonel spat. “It does not change the likelihood of conspiracy. Joanna was the one who helped to conspire to grant you your infamous second trial of position. Why would she be trusted as an adversary for Khan Crichell?”
“The Gyrfalcon Galaxy has been held back from the frontlines for the last few years,” Aidan explained reasonably. “Aside from recent expeditions to deal with ComStar enclaves, we have seen little action. Star Captain Joanna happened not to be part of any bid for those actions as some of the more recently graduated warriors bid aggressively for their chance at action.”
As he looked around, Aidan could see a few faces that betrayed obvious doubts… perhaps they were inclined to distrust him, or perhaps they knew Crichell well enough to know he would likely have not arranged a trial of position for himself that involved someone as ornery as Joanna.
Which he had not, of course. Aidan had switched the assignments at the last minute. Only Horse had known that they were facing the Khan, and the Khan had known only that he was facing omnimechs of the models he expected. “Would you like to review the data now?” he asked.
“Show us,” agreed Mattlov. The galaxy commander looked around the room (from her limited perspective of being in a holo tank two hundred light years away from Twycross). “It is better to settle all the doubters.”
“Very well, Loremaster?”
Kael Pershaw undoubtedly had his suspicions, but suspicions were not proof and he called up the data recovered from the black box of the Khan’s Turkina, as well as that of his first opponent.
The displays hung in the air, familiar to every mechwarrior present and at least easy for the non-mechwarriors to interpret. From Crichell’s perspective, he marched towards a Mad Dog, a Hellbringer and a Black Lanner. Joanna, for her part, was left watching the Turkina, easily twice her ‘mech’s size, stamp into the proving grounds. Aidan knew that most of those present would see the stiffness in the assault ‘mech’s movements and compare it to the fluidity being shown by the Mad Dog. Crichell was out of practice, and it showed.
Both cockpits received the same signal to begin the trial and Crichell’s hands didn’t move on the controls in the slightest, while Joanna’s brought the weapons to bear almost instantly. Her first shots were fired as the Mad Dog took its first steps to try to avoid return fire…
But there was no return fire. Her large lasers both hit home, below the cockpit and then raked upwards. On Crichell’s display, the damage reports were just beginning to appear on the displays when the beams breached the armor glass in front of the Khan. Telemetry from the cockpit itself cut out, but the displays showed the pilot’s medical data flicker crimson and then black.
Joanna didn’t stumble, but the sight of her target collapsing was enough that she ceased fire and a moment later, the trial was cut short. An emergency vehicle was racing into view when the footage ended.
There was an uncomfortable silence from the Clan Council. Anyone who was honest could tell that it had been an honest accident caused by a severe mismatch in the abilities of the combatants. Faced with a much larger and more dangerous ‘mech, for Joanna not to act immediately would have been foolish. And the Khan… had not performed as well. 
“As loremaster, I have investigated the situation and there is no evidence of foul play. Khan Crichell’s ‘mech has been checked and there was no tampering. He simply underperformed,” Pershaw reported drily. “To return to the purpose of this meeting, our Clan is currently in need of a new Khan. Do I hear nominations?”
Evak Mattlov stood. “I nominate Angelina Mattlov, as our most experienced Galaxy Commander.”
Taman Malthus also took to his feet, the elemental having secured his own bloodname recently. “I nominate our current saKhan, Aidan Pryde, as he is most familiar with our Clan’s needs at this time.”
Aidan held up his hand. “I thank you for the nomination, Star Captain. However, I do not pursue further elevation at this time. I am content to support whoever is elected as their saKhan.”
That got several surprised looks from around the room. Ambition for advancement could generally be assumed among the Clans. Aidan would have been lying if he lacked it, but if he took the post now then suspicions that he had a hand in Crichell’s death would be inflamed. Besides, he thought that both the other likely candidates were of a like mind to him on the most important point: the time to take action before the Federated Commonwealth attacked them was running out.
Samantha Clees was nominated a moment later, the leader of the remaining frontline galaxy. While there was no requirement to only select from galaxy commanders, the need to have some high level command experience had sunk in and no further names were put forward.
“Jade Falcons!” Mattlov called out. “You know what I stand for. Crichell spoke of preparations but we have waited for too long. He spoke of taking Tharkad, but it has been years since he left Twycross! He desired the ilKhan’s throne, but he dreamed of being handed it when there was no other candidate. This is not how a Jade Falcon should think! We will take Tharkad, we will take Terra and we will be the ilClan. And we will start now, not at some ‘proper time’! The time is now because we say it is time!”
Cheers went up and Aidan saw Samantha Clees scowling. Not because she disagreed but because what did she say now without sounding as if she was copying her rival.
“Trothkin,” she declared. “These are the darkest days of the Clans. The Steel Vipers have been hammered down, the Nova Cats are lost in their visions. The Wolves and the Diamond Sharks have raised maelstroms of conflict where there should be unity. But among the Clans there is one light that can lead them all back to the proper path. That light is Clan Jade Falcon. We must lead them, we must show them the honor road. As the Great Father declared after Elizabeth Hazen purged mutineers from the Exodus Fleet: our shining moral character will be our shield!”
There were cheers at that, but the enthusiasm was building on Mattlov’s words, not building a counter-current. Pershaw called the vote and warrior after warrior named the Khan they wanted, the one who spoke of concrete actions not of high principles.
The image of Angelina Mattlov moved from the ranks of the bloodnamed to join Aidan on the stage. “My khan,” he acknowledged her ascension.
“saKhan,” she replied, affirming in that word that she had no intention of trying to remove him in favor of one of her supporters. “We have much to do and little time. The Gyrfalcons ready to join us on the frontlines, quiaff?”
“More than ready.”
“Many details will need to be decided, but plan on escorting the supplies we need from Twycross to join me on Arc-Royal,” she ordered. “From there, we will launch our campaign for Tharkad!”
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===Battle of Melissia===
Loveless Valley, Melissia
Clan Nova Cat Occupation Zone
3 October 3058
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The Nova Cats had based themselves on a world whose name was almost the same as Victor’s mother. It felt right, because he was fighting as her champion today. Dozens of worlds and thousand of millions of Lyran citizens were depending on him.
Lives are the currency the Commonwealth pays for our mistakes, she had told him once. Spend them wisely.
Burning ‘mechs and tanks littered the river valley, and Victor knew that if only one in ten of those crewing them were dead then he would be lucky. Lives spent… and he had to make them count for something.
The Broad Run River was exactly what it sounded like: a wide, deep river that divided the valley in two. The Nova Cats had defined the circle of equals for the trial such that the Broad Run divided it in two - and that the major bridges were just beyond the edges, both up and downstream. Then they’d demolished every other bridge inside that circle.
More shots were slashing through the air above the river. The Clans’s weapons generally had more range than their Inner Sphere counterparts - and there was little cover on either side of the river.
Victor had tried to counter that with the artillery battalions of the Tenth Lyran Guards and the First Avalon Hussars, which made fixed firing positions for the Nova Cats suicidal. Unfortunately it also revealed the guns locations to the Clanners, and while they didn’t artillery of their own, they did have an edge in aerospace numbers.
Covering artillery with anti-aircraft guns such as Partisan tanks, JagerMechs and Rifleman ‘mechs took those same long range weapons out of play along the river, which increased the Nova Cat’s advantage.
While he took some consolation that the Cats weren’t winning, Victor knew they weren’t losing either. Probing and skirmishes showed that they had mobile field bases near the back of the circle of equals - beyond easy reach of artillery. The one time recon fighters had located a base in range, they had been mostly gone before artillery got close enough to the river to engage it - and the air spotting had cost Raymond’s Armored Infantry almost an entire squadron of interceptors.
“All forces ready,” Galen reported. He was acting as liaison between Victor and the Lyran Guards, “Wish us luck.”
Victor ran his sensors across the far bank of the river. The Nova Cats knew that they were coming - they had the better part of an Assault Cluster massing and reports showed more trinaries streaming towards the river as fast as they could move. Which, for Clan ‘mechs, was very fast indeed.
“All units,” he ordered flatly. “Commence the assault.”
Maps from before the fall of Melissia to the Nova Cats had shown the best places for Victor’s only real option to get across, but he had to assume the Cats had access to the same maps. The better part of two hundred ‘mechs, including almost every medium and light ‘mech in all three commands, moved on Victor’s order, rushing to get into the river before they were cut to ribbons by fire from the Nova Cats.
Smoke rounds began to burst in the air above the water and Victor fought the urge to take his Warhammer forward to join other slower and heavier ‘mechs that were providing covering fire. He had to keep his eyes on the whole attack, not get overly focused on just one part.
Galen’s Hatchetman was among those rushing into the waters. It would be difficult to keep the myomers hot in the water, but while they were it would be able to move faster than Victor’s Warhammer. Kai’s Conjurer was near the front of the St Ives forces and it needed no advanced myomers to exceed even Galen’s speed.
Battlemechs were designed to manage amphibious operation - their cockpits were sealed and their reactors could keep them operating without the need for air. That didn’t make the attempt safe though - the ‘mechs would be slowed by the water, stumbling across an uneven surface they would barely be able to see, buffeted by the current… and any breach in their armor would let water in and cripple key components.
Already ‘mechs were falling out of line as hits from Nova Cat fire smashed through their relatively thin armor. A mech with an open torso had no business even trying to enter the river’s waters - their reactors would be wrecked. Leg hit’s were just about as bad.
“Fire for effect on the far side,” Victor ordered. The Nova Cat assault clusters were made up of heavy and assault machines that could survive multiple barrages, but even a near miss from an artillery shell could shake up their aim. They had been deploying a new heavy omnimech in both clusters, the Spirit Cat, and almost every configuration seemed suited to fight under these conditions: extended range lasers, long range missiles, extended range PPCs. 
Shells began to fall across the rivers and the explosions illuminated more and more Nova Cat omnimechs arriving, elementals hopping off them to dig into whatever cover they could find or dig. Artillery shells would massacre the battle armor in the open, but the Clanners had learned to dig fox holes for their elementals.
The St Ives and FedCom ‘mechs were wading into the water now, slowed to a relative crawl but not yet under the surface where weapons would find it difficult be brought to bear on them - missiles would detonate against the water unless they were specialist torpedoes and direct fire weapons would be deflected and slowed.
thumb|HippoGriff Medium 'Mech
A Hatchetman exploded into a fireball as LRM salvos homed in on it and ripped the upper half of the ‘mech to shreds. A Hippogriff died less spectacularly, falling face-first with a splash as energy weapons gutted its gyro. The mechwarrior would have to wait for rescue in their cockpit or swim for their life in the middle of the battle if that wasn’t feasible.
Lighter ‘mechs were taking even more of a beating - Valkyries, Wolfhounds and Commandos were torn apart before Victor’s eyes. A Hollander trying to give covering fire with its Gauss Rifle was torn in two as a Warhawk caught it with all four of its PPCs.
Victor’s hands were tight on his controls, his breathing heavy. But there was nothing he could do - not yet.
thumb|Hollander Light 'Mech
And it was working - for every ‘mech that was destroyed, another slipped into the temporary shelter of the Broad Run. Then two for every fallen. Three, four…
More mechs were engulfed in the water now than stood above it. It was cutting the firepower that could be aimed at the Nova Cats, but now the banks were clear and Victor called forwards the heavy tanks. With room to fire now that the ‘mechs were descending out of view, scores of Manticore, Bulldog and Brutus tanks were able to hammer away at the other side of the river.
Victor saw the distinctive silver-blue explosion of a ‘mech suffering a reactor containment failure on the far side of the Broad Run as the massed volleys of tank fire crashed out. Most of them were firing blindly through the smoke but as the Nova Cats bunched up to repel the coming assault, there were too many targets for shots not to hit some of them.
As the last cockpits vanished beneath the murky water, Victor snapped himself out of the near reverie. “Pull back,” he ordered the tank regiments and watched from the relative safety of being half a kilometer from the river as the heavy tracked vehicles crawled back out of range - leaving the burning wrecks of those the Nova Cats had switched fire to behind them.
There was a moment of eerie silence - the battle was not over but for now there was nothing either side could do.
Watching the river, the young kommandant-general prayed that the sappers he’d sent in the previous night were right and that there was no minefield. If there were, the silence would be broken soon by water spouting up and he’d have to cover a withdrawal under fire that would further gut his force.
Almost a full battalion of ‘mechs had been destroyed entering the Broad Run, and at least as many tanks covering them. Withdrawal would be far worse, too many ‘mechs having to expose their weaker rear armor as they climbed out of the river. And there would be more Nova Cats, it looked like half of Alpha Galaxy was there.
The surface of the water showed little sign of the metal titans that were marching across the riverbed. The occasional ripple, a trail of bubbles, sometimes traces of oil and coolant floating to the surface from damaged ‘mechs. Enough to guess at the progress being made but not enough to be certain.
Victor forced himself to take a wider view, listening to updates on units lost and the recovery of wounded soldiers and machines that had managed to leave the battlefield. Despite the momentary lull, he doubted the Nova Cats would let recovery teams move in unmolested, and while waiting would hardly cause more problems for the damaged tanks…
A Bulldog wreck exploded as fires reached its fuel tanks, giving a lie to that thought.
Soldiers might be in desperate need of medical attention out there, Victor thought grimly.
Looking back at the river, he magnified the view to the point he could see the trace signs of movement again. Infrared was worthless for looking at something under cold moving water, seismics were overwhelmed by the water and with so many ‘mechs and other hardware on either side of the river, magnetics were also useless. Which was some good, since it meant the Nova Cats would also be unable to see them.
One particularly large patch of bubbles caught Victor’s attention and he reduced the zoom to check how far the force had gone. His brow furrowed as he saw the result - that was still very close to the south bank.
Combing the river for more he saw more bubbles drift into view. Drift, not reach the surface. Carried by the current from further upstream.
A sudden dreadful thought crossed Victor’s mind and he turned his Warhammer to look further upstream. Bubbles, more of them. And they were well above the crossing point being used.
His eyes snapped across the river to look at the opposition there. Two Assault Clusters, half of Alpha Galaxy. But where were the other half, the two Nova Cat Guard Clusters? They had lighter, faster mechs. They should have arrived by now!
“Hussars!” Victor roared on the general channel. “All units, left face! Prepare to receive an amphibious assault!”
If he was wrong, he was going to look like an utter idiot, but if he was right… Victor kicked his Warhammer into motion, mind agog with visions of the assault force scrambling up the north bank and finding their backs exposed to Clan ‘mechs in the shallows on the southern side of the river.
He switched to the command channel as ‘mechs began to move. “Colonel Raymond, we haven’t seen any of the Nova Cat Guards - I believe they are trying their own amphibious crossing.”
The St Ives officer didn’t hesitate. “We haven’t seen them either. What are your orders?”
Relieved that he was getting cooperation even without Kai’s presence, Victor didn’t hesitate. “I need you to cover the right flank. I’m chopping your armor back to you, if they are pincering us then you’ll need every bit of firepower.”
“We’re on it, your highness.”
“Kommandant-General Steiner-Davion,” a call came down the command net. “I see the Hussars on the move, which is not the plan.”
Victor bit back a retort. “We have a developing threat to the left flank. Inform Frankenheimer that Colonel Raymond’s heavy tanks are being detached to cover the right in case the same is happening there.”
“What sort of threat? I see nothing,” the other Kommandant-General protested. Milstein had replaced Kelly Devers at the head of the Tenth after she was tapped for command of an operational area. Galen said the man had done well during the push on Inarcs, but unfortunately his date of rank made him senior to Victor, even though the prince was the one in command of this mission.
White breakers marked where the heads of ‘mechs were about to break surface out in the river, right where Victor would have wanted to be if he was the one planning to catch the assault force in this trap.
“Frankenheimer,” he snapped, cutting off Milstein’s words, “Did you hear me on the tanks?”
Hauptmann-General Thaddeus Frankenheimer was a steadier man, perhaps because the armor branch had less potential for advancement than mechwarriors did. Victor made a mental note to nominate the officer to command of the Tenth anyway if Milstein had to be replaced. “I heard. I assume you want the heavy tanks as a reserve once we have numbers.”
“Correct.”
“Any change to the hover cav?” Four regiments were waiting to cross the river as soon as the mechs reached the north bank - a mix of hover tanks and infantry in hover transports that would be a tremendous force multiplier on the open terrain, but that would be dreadfully vulnerable on their own.
Victor hesitated briefly and then gritted his teeth, feeling the Warhammer’s PPCs charge their capacitors as he brought the triggers to the midpoint. “No change.” It was a roll of the dice.
“The Tenth is under my command,” Milstein protested. “Your highness, the chain of command…”
The first Nova Cat ‘mech surfaced, a Nova that raised its forearms above the water to rake lasers across an approaching Avalon Hussars Centurion. The alpha strike would have baked the Nova under normal circumstances but the flowing water greatly enhanced its cooling - even if the water was bubbling and boiling downstream of it.
The Centurion pilot had flung up his ‘mech’s left arm to shield itself, but that was far from enough against that sort of firepower - the arm disintegrated and the medium ‘mech fell to the ground, chest clawed open.
“Milstein, that chain says that you’re under mine,” Victor snarled and drew a bead on the Nova. “So stop undermining it.” Then he closed his fingers around the triggers and discharged both PPCs into the omnimech.
One bolt crashed into the water just short of the Nova Cat, if it did any damage then Victor saw no sign. The other ripped the mech’s side open though and water flooded in. Unbalanced by the loss of armor and the influx of water, the Nova went over sideways, vanishing in a spray of water and a trail of coolant from ruptured heatsinks.
More Nova Cats were emerging though and they had taken advantage of the cooling effects of the river to load their ‘mechs with payloads of energy weapons that would be suicidal under normal circumstances. The Hussars plunged into a firestorm, their own weapons firing frantically back at the new arrivals.
The Avalon Hussars weren’t a particularly heavy unit which meant that they’d contributed disproportionately to the assault force. That made Matti and Rudi’s Thunderbolts among the lightest ‘mechs present - but it also left less than thirty of them under attack by what seemed to be at least a full cluster.
Outnumbered, they would be torn to shreds if nothing happened to change that.
One part of Victor was looking for options as another focused on tracking a broad-shouldered Spirit Cat emerging from the river and bringing its weapons to bear. Neither of Victor’s PPCs was fully charged but he fired them anyway and added the Streak SRMs above his Warhammer’s right shoulder. Both particle beams bit into the heavy omnimech’s armor without penetrating.and then the six missiles spiraled in to add more damage.
Only slightly staggered, the Spirit Cat’s mechwarrior used the flow of water against his ‘mech’s back to keep from falling over and got his arms aimed at Victor before firing.
The prince braced himself for the impacts but a blocky shape stepped into the path of the shots. Rudi’s Thunderbolts was outlined briefly by the hits before falling over backwards. For a moment, Victor feared the worst but then he heard the mechwarrior cursing.
Firing one PPC into the Spirit Cat, Victor left the other to charge and sprayed his secondary weapons into Elementals climbing up the bank.
“Artillery incoming!” Juniper screamed and her Rifleman dropped to one knee, turning to raise its guns.
Shots from the Spirit Cat hit Victor this time despite Matti’s best attempts to disengage from a Shadow Cat and an Ice Ferret that had forced their way up onto the bank, water steaming off them as they fired ferociously.
Spreading the Warhammer’s feet and lowering its center of gravity let Victor keep his balance even as armor across the front of the heavy ‘mech peeled away under that barrage - if Clovis Holstein hadn’t reinforced the protection he would have been left bare as both PPCs and no less than three large lasers struck home.
Victor had time to fire the charged PPC back -
And then the world seemed to end. Explosions wreathed the battlefield, engulfing both sides as artillery hammered down indiscriminately.
Victor’s head slammed hard against the side of the cockpit.
He had a brief impression of Juni screaming defiance as her Rifleman poured fire upwards.
White and brown water burst up from the river as brief balls of fire tore through Victor’s own forces.
A Zeus disintegrated as something bright and fast plowed through the thick armor to detonate inside it.
A Shadow Cat flew through the sky, propelled not by its own jump jets but by the explosive forces that had torn open its cockpit.
Red and black and the silver-blue of a reactor failing -
Victor realized he was over on his back, the Warhammer fallen to the ground. Working the controls frantically, he rolled it over onto its side and tried to use the arm to lift himself upright. This failed and he only realized why when he saw the damage display: the left arm had been severed above the elbow.
The scream of hundreds of engines at a high pitch alerted him to a new change and as he rolled the Warhammer again, seeing new flares on the data display as his armor was eroded by small impacts, he checked the tactical display.
The hover cavalry were pouring across the river, which had to mean that Galen and Kai were going up the north bank.
Using the one good arm, Victor propelled his ‘mech up and onto its feet. Other AFFC mechs were doing likewise, blackened and battered to the point they were barely recognizable.
In the river, the wreckage of Nova Cat ‘mechs lay below the roiling water. Far more intact, but whatever artillery had struck them had only needed to breach armor and knock them down. The Broad Run had done the rest.
“Your highness, pull back!” Milstein cried out. “The enemy artillery is still firing!”
Turning, Victor saw a company of the Lyran Guards moving forward in a line. They were a single uniform design: Swaybacks purchased the Free Worlds League. Milstein had been proud to receive them as replacement for earlier losses, but the techs had been less confident that the pods would remain water-tight so they had been held back from the assault. Now all of them were advancing, weapons raised and aimed at the sky over the river.
“Artillery?” Victor shook his head. Enemy artillery? But the Nova Cats had none… or rather, they had used none. “Hussars!” he yelled, “Withdraw!”
The Nova Cats were crippled and the last thing he needed was to spend more lives unnecessarily.
Less than twenty ‘mechs followed him back towards the Swayback line. As they did so, the Omnimechs opened fire, raking the sky with everything at their disposal. Turning, Victor saw twenty bright flares of light arching towards them - seemingly slowly but then faster and faster as they closed. Arrow IV artillery, he realized, and pushed the Warhammer as fast as it would run.
The improvised anti-missile fire caught only one of the artillery missiles in the sky and explosions carpeted the river bank again, smashing craters into the earth and pummeling at the fallen wrecks. The upright shape of a Rifleman, frozen in the position, came apart. With a start of shock, Victor realized that it was Juniper’s ‘mech.
“Rudi?” he asked, half-choking on the name. “Matti?”
There was no reply at first and then a “Aye, suir,” came across the lance channel.
Turning, Victor saw a Thunderbolt stripped of both arms, the sides where they had been mounted shaved away to the point there could be little left of the ‘mech but reactor, gyro, cockpit and legs. The glass of the cockpit was cracked and broken. “Matti?”
The Thunderbolt bobbed slightly and he recognized the sound through the speakers as a sob.
“Rudi?”
“Nae, suir,” she managed.
“This had better be worth it,” Victor grated. Looking across the river, a mass of ‘mechs in the colors of three regiments was swarming up at the Nova Cat’s Assault Clusters. More fire marked that Raymond’s Armored Infantry were facing the same flanking actions downriver - though at least they seemed not to be dealing with artillery.
“Your highness,” Milstein called, his Battlemaster coming into view behind the Swaybacks.
“I hear you,” he replied, forcing himself to be civil. For all his bluster and fluster, the other Kommandant-General had brought his ‘mechs in to aid the Hussars.
“I have a Star Colonel Nostra on the comms,” the officer said hastily. “He wishes to speak to you.”
Victor wondered if it was the same man as the commander on Incukalns. Certainly the cluster was one of those on the other bank. “On the diplomatic channel.” Getting confirmation, he switched to the designated frequency. “Star Colonel, this is Kommandant-General Victor Steiner-Davion.”
<<“We meet again,”>> Thaddeus Nostra observed. An explosion marked that he was under fire.
“We do,” Victor agreed, fighting down a surge of anger. “Why are you contacting me?”
<<“I find myself in command of our forces,”>> the Star Colonel reported. <<“And my position is no longer tenable. I offer my surrender.”>>
“You are in command? What of your Khans?”
<<“Khan Leroux was killed in action yesterday,”>> Nostra advised. <<“And Khan Carns is not responding, we believe him dead or incapacitated in the river.”>>
Victor closed his eyes. “Many warriors on both sides share that.”
<<“Your battle is won,”>> the Nova Cat said more urgently. <<“Please, let us end this so we may both recover our dead and wounded?”>>
“...yes,” the prince said quietly. “I accept your surrender.” He switched to a general broadcast. “All forces, this is Steiner-Davion. Ceasefire! I repeat, ceasefire! Clan Nova Cat has yielded, do not fire unless fired upon.”
“A great victory,” Milstein said in the quiet that followed.
“‘Nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won’,” Victor quoted from one of the generals he had studied during his year at NAIS. “We have a great deal to do, let us be about it.”
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Chapter 4-14