WP3025 Chpt 16

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==Chapter 16 - Winged Praxis (Battletech 3015 CYOA)==
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===Morning's Greetings===
Korcinski Hunting Preserve 
Camlann 1
Camlann Independent System, Free Worlds League
14th February, 3015
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"Happy Valentine's Day!" chirped Francoise as she poked her head out of the palatial tent she and Gunther had enjoyed last night.
 
Having woken up much earlier to look over the assortment of hunting rifles, as well as check my own personal weapons, I had to make a conscious decision to not reply to her greeting with laser fire.
 
It wasn't her fault that I hadn't considered the date of the hunting trip. Even if I was pretty sure she was trying to provide me and Lien some time to get back to how we had been on the burn out from New Olympia. Which might have been welcome, were it not for the fact that Terri took up my whole attention in that regard.
 
Or had, in any case. A frosty plaintext to 'keep using protection' was not what I hoped for as a first message on my new Camlann-built comms unit. It was just like Maria on Cerillos all over again. Really, was it fair to expect a kibbutznik to remember every single Catholic saints' day? Maria had certainly thought so, and it seemed like Terri did as well.
 
Which was weird. Terri was not nearly so religious as Maria. And she hadn't made a fuss of it back at LMS.
 
My older memories were more helpful and had induced me to slap myself upon getting the message, but my old reflexes were no better than my local ones. My relationships had been with people who held Valentine's Day in cordial disdain at best.
 
I could only hope that Terri would be more reasonable than Maria. Her response was considered legendary among my generation of Kibbutz Machseh. And she didn't have access to sixty tons of winged death.
 
"Morning," I grunted, in lieu of Sunbeam fire.
 
In truth, even beyond my latest screw-up, I was grumpy. Hunting was an institution back in the Trinity, an excellent time to share bonding time with your close friends as you communed with the world around you. For some Southwesterners, it was the difference between going hungry and the self-sufficiency that we patterned ourselves after. There was hardship, there was beauty, there was even danger.
 
This? This was glamping.
 
Which was only to be expected from an expedition set up for the average bunch of people rich enough to afford a ticket on the Siduri. Bushcraft would be thin on the ground.
 
"Isn't it a lovely morning?" she asked, as Gunther crawled out of the tent behind her, searching for the nearest source of caffeine.
 
In truth it was. The semi-permanent campsite was set just within the woods, allowing us a view of the sun rising over the plains. The alien features of the planet's native flora made the woods feel almost fae-touched, with familiar patterns set just a few degrees off what I expected. The winds ruffling the tall blue grasses of the plains were particularly striking.
 
"They picked a real pretty spot, that's for sure," I said.
 
"I hope you and Lien had a lovely night as well."
 
I knew she and Gunther had. Phillipa and Wei as well. "It was nice to catch up," I said, which was true. I did enjoy talking with Lien, discussing the latest news from the rebellion and from the Capellan Confederation, as well as the plots of a few holonovels I had picked up on Regulus. "And the stargazing is excellent." Joyous Garde's undeveloped status meant that the light pollution was minimal.
 
"Where is she?" asked Gunther after draining half a mug of coffee.
 
"Washing up, I think," I said with a shrug. I supposed I couldn't begrudge an infantrywoman for taking advantage of a shower when it was available. "Before you ask, I think the guides are prepping the hunt area." Which was to say, encouraging a herd of the giant lizards to congregate in a well-prepped clearing. What we were about to do was less hunting and more slaughter.
 
I tried to comfort myself that the fees would be going towards conservation efforts. But I didn't really believe that. Not in a hunting preserve ran by the chief oligarch of the planet.
"You seem in low spirits." said Wei as he and Phillipa joined us.
 
"Got a different relationship to hunting than," I gestured to the camp, "this."
 
"Well, I am sure that my daughter would be willing to accompany you if you wished to do something else," he said.
 
"Not looking to rain on the parade," I said.
 
"Oh, I assure you that she has no great love for hunting," he said. "Mrs. Mossman practically had to badger her into joining us."
 
"Did she now?" I asked with a sideways glance at Francoise. She merely gave me an innocent smile. Gunther nodded. "Well then," I said.
 
"Well then what?" asked Lien, reentering the campsite.
 
"Oh, we were discussing Mr. Zalman's dissatisfaction with the luxury of the accommodations," said Wei.
 
I grunted. "No, we weren't."
 
Lien smiled. "I suppose this would feel like rough field conditions to a pilot." she teased.
 
I gave her a mock scowl. "Those would be fighting words back home, bouncy. If you must know, these are too comfortable to count as camping." I rolled my eyes as Francoise tittered. "No, I'm just not feeling the whole shooting range the guides are setting up."
 
I got looks of blank incomprehension from the Mossmans and Phillipa. The Dus seemed to get a bit of what I was saying. "Are you not looking forward to shooting one of the lizards?" asked Phillipa.
 
I shook my head. "No challenge, I'm not eating it, and I'm not into trophy hunting." I shrugged. "Can't see the point."
 
"It does help cull the herd of the sick and injured while providing conservation funding," pointed out Wei.
 
"They've got my eagles," I said. "Someone else can take my shot. It'd just feel wrong to me." I saw Lien nodding along. "I might just stick here and read, maybe go on a little hike."
 
"Well, you can't stay alone if the ultrasonics fail," said Lien. "Someone can take my shot as well. It was enough to see the Mordred Lizards for me."
 
"Enjoy your time together." said Francoise with a beatific grin.
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===Unexpected News===
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"That woman is such a Yente." I said as the others followed the guides off into the woods. We had been given strict reminders to keep together and have our sidearms to hand at all times. Chalice Hunters thrived in the grasslands around the camp, and no one trusted the ultrasonics to keep them away entirely, especially the personal units.
 
"I don't know that word." said Lien.
 
"Name" I corrected. "Meddler, busybody, in one old story, a matchmaker."
 
Comprehension dawned. "Ah. Yes. I'm afraid that might be partially my own fault."
 
"Oh?"
 
"I might have complained about not having my needs attended to after we took on our fighter complement."
 
"On a Canopian ship?" I asked.
 
"You are not the only one uncomfortable with engaging sex workers, Gideon."
 
I gave a nod of assent and apology. "Fair," I said. "I suppose I never did ask how you felt about that. I'm sorry, Lien."
 
"There isn't anything to apologize for," she said. "You had quite a shock, and I understand why you hadn't spoken about it."
 
I grimaced. "It would have been better to be up front about it. But I was actually apologizing for the assumption."
 
"Accepted," she said. "But yes, I think that Francoise might be trying to give us time together for the sake of my pleasure."
 
"Hardly the worst motives anyone has had in the history of the Sphere," I mused. "Sorry things are so…" I struggled with the words to express myself. "Lo siento," I said instead, unable to come up with anything adequate.
 
"Oh, I am sure I won't catch fire," she said. "I am an adult after all."
 
"A very fine one," I said. "The Sphere could use more people like you, Lien."
 
"A shame that you are not available to help with that." she said with a wicked grin.
 
I blinked a couple of times before the feather dropped. "It would probably be simpler," I said. "I hope that I've at least provided some valuable practice."
 
"Oh, I will treasure the memories. I hope you will too."
 
I smiled and opened my mouth to say something but was cut off by the emergency tone from my new comm unit. Snatching an earpiece off my belt, I jammed it in my ear and thumbed the transmit switch. "Zalman."
 
"Gid, there's been announcements from both Janos and Anton's forces," said Terri's voice from the comm, sounding shaken. "The Highlanders have joined the fight."
 
"What?" I asked, a numb sense of disbelief creeping across my shoulders and down my limbs. "The Northwind Highlanders?"
 
"That's what it sounds like. I think you're going to want to see this. Get back quick."
 
"As soon as I can," I said, still reeling from the news. "Zalman out." I stood motionless for long seconds.
 
"Gideon?" asked Lien, concern written in every line of her face. "What happened?"
 
I didn't answer. "Mierda," I swore to myself. "Sierra foxtrot! This isn't right! This isn't supposed to happen!"
 
"Gideon?" tried Lien again, placing a hand on my shoulder.
 
I looked down to see her dark skin resting against my lighter shirt, then up to her concerned eyes. "The Highlanders just joined Anton's forces." I swallowed and licked my lips. "I don't think peace and harmony is going to be in the cards for a long time."
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===Assessing the Intel===
Dropship Siduri, Mbili Memorial Spaceport
Camlann 1
Camlann Independent System, Free Worlds League
14th February, 3015
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"What do we know?" I asked as I strode into our meeting room, having not stopped since the shuttle landed on the tarmac.
 
My unit was waiting for me.
 
Captain Kumari clicked on the projector as I sat down, bringing up a star map with the best public data of rebel and loyalist systems. "We don't have good data sir, but Anton Marik has claimed in a League-wide announcement that he has been reinforced by elements of the Northwind Highlanders. It also appears that some loyalist secure messages were misfiled as public information, which confirm spoiler attacks on loyalist units by Highlanders."
 
"Do we have a list of the units that he's gained?"
 
"According to the leaks, Second Kearny, Marion's Highlanders, and McCormack's Fusiliers."
 
I whistled. "That's a lot of metal for the Capellans to loan."
 
"No kidding," said Socks. "I thought it was ridiculous when the Diablo handed Anton the Dragoons. But now…" Murmurs of agreement chased each other around the table.
 
I nodded, thinking furiously. None of this was supposed to happen. My older self knew that Anton had reached out to old Mad Max Liao for help when the tides started to turn and had been rejected. For the Chancellor it had been a win-win play when he fostered the rebellion. If Anton won, he'd have a grateful ally leading the League, one who just might be married to his strong-willed daughter. If Anton lost, the League would have its hands full with the damage of the rebellion for years to come, allowing him to focus on the Davions. And all it would cost him was money and the services of a unit that was going to move on anyway.
That calculus hadn't changed. So, what had changed behind the scenes to convince Max Liao that it was worth committing the majority of the Northwind Highlanders to Anton's failing rebellion? The Highlanders weren't like the Dragoons. They might have called themselves mercenaries, but at this point, they acted far more like house troops.
 
"Has Janos responded?" I asked.
 
Kumari frowned and nodded. "He has. The Captain-General has taken the opportunity to reinforce Anton's position as Chancellor Liao's puppet, and claimed that this does not change the balance of power between loyalist and rebel forces."
 
I nodded slowly. "How true do we rate that?"
 
The captain paused for a second. "Sir?" she asked.
 
"Oh," I said, "I know on paper Janos has the numbers on his side. But he can't use all of them, and plenty of provincial units are still sitting tight." I gestured to the map. "And pretty much all the units are attributed to one degree or another. What does three fresh, high-quality units mean to the situation as it stands?"
 
Her frown deepened. "Nothing good. Understand sir, we are working with extremely limited intelligence here."
 
I nodded. "Of course. I realize that we're not linked into the military intelligence pipeline."
 
"In that case, you're right, the Captain-General still has numbers on his side, even locally. He should have the force to strangle the rebellion, if not crush it. Regulus entering the conflict helps a lot with that. On the other hand, it appears from the misfiled messages that the Highlanders' attacks have interfered with loyalist operations, and they might not be able to coordinate their pushes."
 
"Which will let Anton concentrate his defense and re-consolidate his forces," I said.
 
"Yes, Sir. I would expect that the upcoming fighting will be much more difficult than loyalist forces initially projected." She looked back to the map. "On the other hand, it's likely that Anton coming out more as Liao's puppet might encourage Humphreys to bring Andurien properly into the fight."
 
Terri shook her head. "She could just as likely use Janos's setbacks and Anton being in bed with the Liao as fuel for an Andurien succession attempt. She's always been fractious. And it wouldn't be hard to imagine her denouncing House Marik in general for the brothers' behavior."
 
"No," I murmured to myself. "it wouldn't."
 
It would just be a decade and a half early, according to my increasingly suspect future knowledge. Catherine Humphreys had led Andurien to succeed in the 3030s, according to my memories. If she thought the League and the Confederation were weak enough…I could see it. And if I could, others could too. Would Hanse Davion's MIIO operatives take the opportunity to encourage it? They were background players in Anton's rebellion compared to Max Liao and ROM, but an Andurien succession could strike at both the League and the Capellans in one stroke.
"Talk about a worst-case scenario," said Socks. "A civil war and Andurien breaking away? I don't see what Janos could do."
 
I looked to Cliffhanger. "Captain? Your read?"
 
She looked extremely uncomfortable. "I really don't know. That's such a shift and our intel is so thin." She drew in a deep breath. "But it would be bad. Very bad."
 
Terri drummed her fingers on the desk. "If Andurien broke away successfully, especially with the rebellion still on, other provinces might follow. It could destroy the League as we know it."
 
"That's a cheerful thought," I grunted. "Well, we have a worst-case."
 
"That's not the worst case, sir."
 
We all turned to look at Ikshita, who was representing our Aitutaki recruits at the table while Kalpit worked on the fighters and Jai stood security watch. She had remained silent until now.
 
"What would be worse, Lieutenant?" asked Captain Kumari with the tones of someone who really didn't want to hear the answer, but knew they needed to know it anyway.
 
"Anton is really popular in the Regulan military," said Ikshita. "Remember, the Fourth and Fifth Hussars joined up with him. And they weren't the only ones thinking of it. I know there was some real complaining that the government sided with Janos. If Anton starts to look too strong, the military might give some thought to ignoring the government's orders. For the sake of Regulus, of course."
 
"If they did that," said Terri, "and Anton won....they'd be positioned well in his new government. It's not like the Marik Commonwealth sided with him."
 
"Room for those commanders to replace the nobles who didn't believe in Anton, too," I pointed out.
 
Terri frowned. "It's worse than that. Executive Order 1136."
 
"I don't get it." said Socks, still reeling at the idea of his home province perhaps joining the rebels.
 
"I do," I groaned. "Anton hasn't invoked the Replevin Doctrine on his side."
 
Ikshita's eyebrows drew together. "So what?"
 
I nodded to Terri, who turned to the Regulans. "Back in May last year, when Janos said that he had no brother anymore, remember?" When they nodded, she continued. "Well, he declared Anton's forces to be enemies of the League. If they lost, if they were captured, their lands and possessions would be stripped from them. He also promised no mercy for the traitors. I'm sure you remember that." She drummed her fingers on the table again. "Well, the point of that was to gather support. He figured that people would need an enticement to back him in a fight with his brother."
 
"He was probably right about that," I interjected, "Considering all the fence-sitting."
 
"Probably," agreed Terri. "But it was a decent carrot and stick. Solid plunder for those who joined him, with plenty of holdings up for grabs, and the promise that joining Anton would lead to ruin once Janos won."
 
"Which makes sense," said Captain Kumari. "It kept plenty of people from joining Anton."
 
"It also means," I said, "that anyone who joins Anton is in it for the long haul. They win or they're ruined. He might have kept Anton's forces from growing, but he also made them unshakably loyal."
 
"Right," said Terri. "And it probably wouldn't have mattered too much if things went the way everyone was expecting. But if Anton could turn things around, say have the Regulan military decide to join up with him? He hasn't declared his enemies subject to the doctrine. Loyalist provinces and units could switch to his side and reap the rewards if he wins. Or just go neutral and sit things out. It's a net benefit for him."
"If he's smart," I groaned, "He'll make the point that he's more merciful than Janos any day now. Wrap it up in language about respecting personal property and noble claims and he might be able to make himself look like the reasonable one."
 
"Janos the iron handed tyrant," said Socks. "Yeah, I can see a lot of people buying that one back home." Ikshita nodded in agreement.
 
"So," I said. "Best case, we're looking at a longer, harder fought rebellion that does more damage to the League than anyone expected, and it's already been bad enough. Worst case, the League fractures, Anton takes over the rump state, marries into House Liao, and what's left gets carved up by the Cappies and the Elsies."
 
"Do you really think that Anton would marry the Chancellor's daughter?" asked Kumari.
 
"It was one of the first things Lien asked me about," I said. "I think we need to take the rumor seriously. But any way you slice it, best case, worst case, anything in between, I'm not seeing a lot of good for the League here."
 
No one disagreed.
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===A Moment of Clarity===
Dropship Siduri, Nadir Point
Camlann System
Camlann Independent System, Free Worlds League
19th February, 3015
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The news had not improved as Siduri finished up its time on Camlann 1, nor as we burned out to the Jumpship that awaited us.
 
It was a special kind of torture, reading the newssheets, waiting to see what sort of permutation the rebellion would take now that Anton had been reinforced. My local self was horrified, seeing the fortunes of a force I had fought reverse themselves, knowing that a man that might have sold my eema out could end up winning. And if the League fractured, what would that mean for the Trinity? Would we go our own way again, free, and able to chart our own course? Would the Lyrans roll in to turn us into their latest extraction project? Would Circinius try and absorb us?
 
Okay, that last one was funny. That wouldn't end well for the pirates. We Southwesterners could be plenty ornery. Cerillos was a meatgrinder for Black Warriors any time they cared to try it.
 
That was nothing compared to my older self. I thought I had known what was going to happen. Sure, I had left room for doubt in my knowledge, but I didn't really believe that I was wrong. I had been dropped into the body of a man who existed in the fictional universe of Battletech. He grounded me, helped connect me to the world I now inhabited, made it matter, but I knew it was fiction. I knew its history, and that gave me power.
 
But apparently, I didn't.
 
Was I even real? Was the Battletech fan just the delusions of Gideon Zalman? Had that fucking SLDF neurohelmet scrambled my brain? It seemed more and more likely. But I couldn't make myself believe that I was a technologically induced alter.
 
It made me want to reach for a drink.
 
The increased tempo of flight ops we engaged in helped. Siduri's captain wanted us at full readiness. Now that everything had changed with the rebellion, what had appeared to be a safe cruise route could have any number of dangers on it. So, we drilled, and we practiced, and we maintained, and we poured over what intel we had on the systems we'd be passing through. Anything for whatever edge we could gain. We even had Jai drill us on infantry skills, paying close attention to the close-quarters tactics we'd need in a Dropship.
 
On a good night, I would fall straight into my bed and not remember hitting the pillow.
 
On a bad night, I would stay up and try to reconstruct the way things 'should' be, trying to figure out how things had gone so wrong. If there was anything I could do to save my home.
 
Tonight, was not a good night.
 
Tonight was so far from a good night that a bulb of whiskey floated in the air near me as I reviewed the timeline that I remembered, waiting for the jumpship to furl its sail and for us to take the next leap across the stars.
 
Strictly speaking, I remembered two timelines. One was the version shown in The Spider and the Wolf, and the other was from Historical: Brush Wars. Arguably, I remembered a third, as my memories of the fighting for New Olympia differed in some respects from the account in Brush Wars. But that led back to me doubting my own sense of self. Better to just assume that Nashan Publishing had gotten it slightly wrong in universe.
 
Both timelines I had read as books agreed on some important points. As Anton's Rebellion started losing steam, he attempted to stiffen his forces by breaking up Wolf's Dragoons, by far his most successful unit, and using them as cadre for his own house units. Jamie Wolf refused, citing that his contract maintained command rights over the Dragoons, and proposed an alternative strategy of striking at Janos's supply lines. Rightly or wrongly, Anton had been led to believe that Wolf was trying to find an opportunity to abandon his forces and took this as confirmation that Wolf was looking to leave. Feigning agreement with the strategy, Anton requested that Jamie's staff, led by his brother Joshua remain to liaise with Anton's forces.
 
Following the departure of the bulk of the Dragoons, Anton had taken the Dragoons staff and their dependents as hostages to force Jamie to comply. He did not, and after Joshua was killed in a fight with some guards, the other hostages were executed, including Jamie's wife and two of his children. In response, the Dragoons killed Anton, and turned New Delos to a cinder. The whole sordid affair had largely been stage-managed by Vesar Kristofur, Anton's trusted aide and Precentor ROM of Comstar.
 
I was pretty sure I could discount The Spider and the Wolf, as it had the drama playing out in 3014. But Brush Wars had Wolf's refusal in one week from now, and the rest of events playing out over the course of March. And what I remembered of Brush Wars was otherwise largely accurate to what I knew to be true from my local knowledge.
 
Except for the Northwind Highlanders joining in on the party.
 
I grabbed the bulb and took a pull of the whiskey. I was getting nowhere.
 
Someone rapped on the bungalow door.
 
"Come in," I grunted.
 
Terri floated in, kicking the door closed behind her. A noteputer was clutched in her hands. "You were right, Gid."
 
I gave her a blank look. She powered the screen on in response. A miniature Anton Marik stood in his Cienfuegos fortress, speaking about his 'bloody-handed, iron-fisted tyrant of a brother'. I watched in silence as he went on about his vision for the League, about how he wanted to people to join him for the strength of his ideas, not due to bribes and threats. How he encouraged people and provinces who could not join him in his noble cause to simply step down and let he and his brother have it out. He understood that his hard-hearted brother gave them no choice. How the courage of those who did join him would live on in the League to come. It was a solid speech. He'd found a good writer. I wondered how much of that was his own ideas, and how much of it was ROM.
I waved my hand. "Shut it off." She did. "Ben zona!" I spat. "Zayin ba'ayin Anton." I nudged the bulb of whiskey to her. "Have you heard from your father?"
 
She took a mouthful of whiskey, swallowed, and nodded. "He's worried, Gid. Really worried."
 
"He's not the only one," I said. "Is he trying to get you to come home?"
 
She shook her head. "No. I think he's convinced this is the safest thing he can get me to do right now. And if Janos goes down, it'll be worth it to have an up and coming noble in his debt."
 
"Faaaaantastic," I drawled. "Glad to be his backup plan."
 
Terri winced. "You know that's not why I'm here."
 
"No," I said. "But it makes it possible." I pulled a face. "Sorry, Terri, that wasn't fair. I just feel fucking helpless here."
 
"I know," she said. "I do too. I feel like the League is going to tear itself apart."
 
The ten-minute jump warning went off.
 
"Yeah," I said. "What the hell happened?"
 
Terri didn't answer me. She had no more idea than I did. "I'd better get to a jump station," she said, floating the whiskey bulb back towards me and turning to go.
 
"No," I said, reaching out to grasp her wrist. She turned to face me, questioning. "Stay with me," I said. "Please."
 
Emotions warred on her face. "Gid, I…"
 
"I just want to be with you, Terri." I said. "To hold you."
 
Long seconds passed. She nodded. "Okay."
 
We enfolded each other in our arms, and hung there, floating in freefall. Jump warnings sounded, but we just floated there in silence, taking solace in the closeness.
 
Then the universe unfolded and I spread out across all of creation.
 
In that moment, in the connected clarity of jump, I saw my fingers typing an anonymous note, and I realized what had gone wrong.
 
It was me.
 
It was my fault.
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*;Notes from the Author : Well. This has been something building in the background for a while. I'm glad I finally got to spring it. Not much to say right now except I'm curious to see what you all think.
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