OPREF-4 Chpt 8

=Book 4, Chapter 8 - Full House=
==Opalescent Reflections==
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===Digesting the Intelligence Reports===
Dali, Tamar
Clan Wolf Occupation Zone
12 October 3057
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A globe depicting Rasalhague's surface spun lazily in the command center, but Ulric gave it little attention. Updates of data from the fighting there were coming back steadily and the Khan of Clan Wolf had long since absorbed the last messages. He was there in anticipation of the next HPG message and it wouldn't arrive for several minutes.
 
"I think the Coyotes are right to invest in new weapons," he informed Evantha Fetladral. The towering elemental officer had not been bid for the fighting on Rasalhague, giving Ulric a chance to see how one of the Wolves' future leaders was shaping up and what was being talked about by the younger warriors.
 
The redheaded woman folded her arms, not defensively but more to cover for her taking time to think through the answer to her question. Ulric was not one of those to assume that the infantry genotype were slow of wit, he knew Evantha was simply one of those who measured her words and actions carefully. "They are not under the same pressure to maintain volumes of production of war material that we are," she allowed after giving the matter consideration. She did not sound entirely convinced, to Ulric's ear.
 
He leant on the rail for a moment, eyes flickering to the globe as the familiar black mark of Rasalhague's former capital swung past him. Reykjavik had been savaged from orbit more than half a decade ago, but the Smoke Jaguars had seen no reason to try to hide the evidence of the atrocity or to encourage rebuilding. "The Inner Sphere is deploying new generations of war machines against us," he told his small audience. "We have seen little of them because the worst that we have faced are minor raids, but other Clans have seen more of them. The Draconis Combine appears to have mastered the production of most of the SLDF's technology and reports claim that the Federated Commonwealth may have pushed past that level."
 
Eventha frowned. "Most reports of those I have heard sound more like excuses from the Clans involved."
 
"That may be the case, but there is substance as well. Unfortunately there are few samples: the AFFC has mostly deployed it to achieve victories which prevents the acquisition through isorla."
 
"Still, we are far more advanced than the Star League was."
 
"Not so much as you might think," Erik cut in. The loremaster was working at a console, using the waiting time productively.
 
Catching his sibkin's eye, Ulric gestured for him to continue.
 
Lowering the stylus he'd been using on the console's screen, Erik stretched slightly. "The majority of the weapons used by the Clans today were developed in the Golden Century, many of them based on work the SLDF had commissioned before even the first Exodus. It took decades to put into production, and there were often iterations over time but most of our weapon systems are only marginally changed over the last two centuries."
 
"We have new battlemechs," pointed out Evantha. "The Dire Wolf was developed in your lifetime and we have even newer models entering production, quiaff?"
 
"Aff, but I am speaking of more fundamental issues. Have we taken extended range weapons and given them more range than they had in the twenty-ninth century? Can our 'mechs carry more armor than a comparable chassis built in the Inner Sphere?"
 
"Exactly," Ulric agreed. "Our newer 'mechs are formidable but they are the result of working with the existing technologies, not pushing the boundaries to create new ones. Clan Coyote is pouring resources into their Scientist Caste in the hope of an advance such as the omnimech, that will give them a qualitative advantage to offset the increased resources available to the Invading Clans."
 
"Except, of course, that someone will win those technologies from them in trials of possession." Erik picked up his stylus again. "Perhaps not easily, but their advantage will be transitory. Useful, of course, but only a short-term advantage."
 
"What may be more important is building up a staff of scientists used to thinking in such ways," observed Evantha slowly. "Technological breakthroughs are not a production line but with a significant number of scientists working at research, they may manage more than one breakthrough, leaving us constantly behind."
 
The loremaster chuckled darkly. "There is an obvious solution to that, the one that plunged the Inner Sphere into a dark age after the Star League fell."
 
Evantha gave him a questioning look, but it was Ulric who answered: "Target the scientists. Rather than seeking to acquire the fruits of their work, strangle the ability to innovate. And if we do not, the chances are good that someone will."
 
The woman's face wrinkled with distaste. "If the Inner Sphere is beginning to match our advantages in technology, then perhaps we should aid the Coyotes. Our warriors' skill may be superior but it would be naive to say that it was our only advantage during Revival."
 
Ulric gave her an approving smile. "Negotiations have been opened. We were always a wealthier Clan than the Coyotes and the invasion has given us new sources of material. Naturally, Khan Koga does not wish to give up exclusive control of her scientists' work but she is a practical woman and if they lack the resources to complete development then all the investment so far will be for nothing."
 
"Pride can make for poor decisions," Erik warned and then pushed his seat back, looking over towards the globe. "As Khan Showers may be learning."
 
Ulric turned and saw that the unit markers dotting Rasalhague had moved. He focused first on the Smoke Jaguars and saw that what remained of the garrison was moving back towards the drop-port that was the center of their presence on the former capital of the Free Rasalhague Republic. Venturing out to contest Clan Wolf's offensive had not only exposed them to Clan Wolf, they had also given the insurgents a chance to strike back.
 
Direct resistance rarely went well for the resistance, although it did force the Smoke Jaguars to expend time and munitions fighting against them. More effective was more subtle sabotage - cut communications, damaged supplies - in one case two broken bridges that was forcing half a cluster to take a longer route on their retreat, exposing them to be cut off and destroyed.
 
"Who took out those bridges?" Evantha inquired. "There are no markings for air strikes."
 
"Local civilians I suspect." Ulric rubbed at his beard. "Convenient for now but less so if they turn the same tactics against us."
 
 While Natasha's own Clusters were sweeping across the main continent, a second force was on the other side of the planet - moving almost as quickly across the Ystad jungles. No galaxy icons marked the units although Ulric supposed he would have to assign one after this victory.
 
"Phelan's doing well." Evantha exhaled with some relief. "I was concerned he had misjudged his warriors."
 
"He is growing into a capable warrior," Ulric agreed as he studied the advance. The targets here were not the Smoke Jaguars - they had rarely sent forces out of their stronghold except on punitive raids. No, here the Wolves were fighting for the hearts and minds of the Rasalhaguians.
 
Four out of five warriors under Phelan's lead were Spheroids - bondsmen alongside trueborn and freeborn warriors out of the homeworlds but also entire binaries of infantry, 'mechs and armor recruited from worlds like Gunzberg. Men and women who had accepted the challenge to do more than maintain order on their homeworlds.
 
"Liberating Rasalhague from the Smoke Jaguars is a rallying cry," the khan continued with a sigh. "One that could still backfire if the people of Rasalhague conclude that we are no better."
 
The elemental choked off a laugh. "Best not… ah…" She shook her head.
 
Ulric gave her a questioning look.
 
"I was going to say that we should not send Vlad," Evantha admitted. "Two years and still it is hard to remember he is no longer a Wolf."
 
The saKhan of the Zeerga had risen from the same sibko as Evantha. They had known each other their entire lives only to be divided by Ulric's decree. That it could as easily have happened due to battle did not take away that such tragic gaps in the circles of friendships and rivalries that bound the Clan were his work.
 
"I do not think he would have relished such a role," Ulric agreed. "Though he might well have enjoyed fighting to drive the Smoke Jaguars from their prize." The globe spun back to the primary battle fronts and he assessed the strengths of Beta Galaxy's clusters. There had been losses, but nothing like those that were depleting the Smoke Jaguars's numbers.
 
"They bid too low," concluded Erik. "If they were going to only put up a token fight, rushing two extra Clusters here was pointless but it isn't enough to hold onto Rasalhague."
 
"Rasalhague is too important for them to give up," Ulric told him. "It is their grand prize, no matter that their control extends no further than the range of their guns. Losing it will embarrass Leo Showers when he is trying to build up his credibility once more as a leader of the Crusaders."
 
Evantha asked the obvious question: "Then why not send more?"
 
He reached for the rail once more. "Good question. Show me the Smoke Jaguar occupation zone."
 
The hologram of Rasalhague vanished, replaced by the familiar map of the Inner Sphere. Smoke Jaguar space lay spinwards of the Wolves - slightly narrower but also far less densely settled through most of its area.
 
"Most of their best units are deployed here," he indicted the rimwards edge. "Facing the Draconis Combine and controlling the majority of the worlds." The stretch between Skandia and Trolloc Prime was the only part of the occupation zome that had worlds paced together as closely as most of the Wolf occupation zone. "Still, there should be three galaxies at least to cover the region between Alshain and Rasalhague. They could pull units from the Diamond Shark border easily enough, Khan Sennet's forces are overstretched as it is - they are unlikely to launch serious attacks across the Rasalhague rift."
 
"Then what are those troops doing?" Evantha indicated the map. "Fighting the Ghost Bears - we would have heard! Pushing into the Inner Sphere?"
 
"ComStar would have ensured everyone knew that." Ulric dismissed the idea. "They could be patrolling supply lines, but the only really likely option is that they are being massed to attack someone and Leo Showers was too focused on that to send enough of his reserve to Rasalhague."
 
"At this rate he will lose New Bergen and Hermagor as well." Those two worlds weren't strictly necessary to reach Rasalhague but Natasha Kerensky had taken them anyway as a prelude.
 
"It is either us or the Sharks," Erik concluded. "If it is us, well we are prepared for that."
 
"And if it is the Sharks then it is to our benefit." Ulric smiled thinly. "Whichever of them claims victory, both will be weakened. I can live with that." 
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===A High Stakes a Trial===
Yamashiro, New Samarkand
Diamond Shark Dominion
29 November 3057
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The great hall, twice the throne room of the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine, fell silent as Ellison Enders entered through the double doors. Finding himself surrounded on both flanks by a number of formally-clad Diamond Shark warriors, all giving him their full attention, the Goliath Scorpion barely blinked and he swaggered towards the dais where Ace was waiting.
 
"If I had known this was a formal occasion," he drawled, indicating his black jumpsuit. "I would have brought my leathers."
 
"If I had told you ahead of time, you might be in your Rifleman," Ace replied sardonically. "Or halfway to the jump-point."
 
"I am ambushed!" Ellison cried out, spreading his arms melodramatically… but there was a spark of anger in his eyes.
 
Betrayed, really. Ace liked the older man - even if he didn't trust him not to stir trouble. But his duty to the Clan came first. They might have a bloodhouse in common, but that wasn't the strongest of bonds. "Star Captain Ellison Enders, I offer you formal challenge," he declared, rising to his feet. "There are twelve of your Clan's Seekers within our Domain, each at the head of a binary of warriors. I lay claim to those warriors and all of their equipment for Clan Diamond Shark - with what will you defend them?"
 
The older warrior chuckled and shook his head. "You have misdirected your challenge, Galaxy Commander. I am one Seeker among many - a mere Star Captain, not a Khan or even a Star Colonel. You should direct your challenge to my superiors."
 
Ace rolled his shoulders. "That may be your rank, but you did not say that they are not under your command, not that you lack authority."
 
"Are you calling me a liar?"
 
"You are being very careful not to lie," Ace told him. "All of those Seekers are in contact with you by HPG. We may not be able to read those messages, but they go through our HPGs. And almost every message sent back to the homeworlds is via your dropship - even before you arrived on New Samarkand."
 
Ellison shook his head. "Supposition."
 
"All you need to do is tell me that you are not in charge of the seekers," Ace offered. The Goliath Scorpion could try to lie, but the Clans generally despised such dishonesty. Clever words to mislead and misdirect, that was fine - in fact, it could be very important when bidding. Actually giving false information though? That was another matter - much like breaking one's bid, it was a substantial dishonor. Ellison might face no formal consequences, but his Clan's trust in him would vanish.
 
"You are a quick learner," the seeker admitted. "I liked it better when you turned your tongue against the Burrocks."
 
"I am sure that you did. So, will you answer my challenge?"
 
"As the officer charged with leading all the seekers sent to the Inner Sphere, I acknowledge your challenge for possession of us," Ellison said deliberately. "As for answering it…" He shoved his hands into his hip pockets and glanced around the room. "Firstly, I am sure that the honorable Diamond Sharks would not seek to exploit their numbers - so I propose that we settle this between just the two of us. You and me."
 
A full battle would probably wreck at least Ellison's own force, perhaps more if he called on the other seekers to fight as well, destroying what Ace was trying to gain. "Bargained well and done."
 
"Not done, not yet. I have another condition: you are demanding over a hundred of my Clan's warriors if you win. I must ask that you offer a suitable forfeit for when you lose."
 
Ace paused. That was not always expected for a Trial of Possession… but it was hardly unheard of. "That is fair," he agreed, thinking about what he could offer.
 
Ellison seemed to pick up on his uncertainty. "Well, what do you offer?" They'd met several times since they met on Jordan Weis and the Goliath Scorpion knew him well.
 
…wait. That was it! "I am claiming twelve Seekers, so I will offer thirteen worlds," Ace declared. "If you defeat me in this challenge then I will surrender all the star systems we have taken from the Outworlds Alliance."
 
Several of the Diamond Sharks looked shocked. "Galaxy Commander," Steven Hawker asked, stepping forwards. "Are you sure you have the authority to do that?"
 
"I'm in charge of this sector of the Dominion," he replied. "I have at least as much authority over those worlds as the Star Captain has over his fellow Seekers. And Khan Sennet would probably be at least as angry with me over losing as Khan Suvorov will be when we take the Seekers."
 
For his part, Ellison now looked uncertain, sensing a trap.
 
"Is that acceptable?" Ace asked him. The other Clans were beginning to realize the long term possibilities in controlling a swathe of the Inner Sphere. He suspected the Goliath Scorpions would be ecstatic at the chance to control even the relatively poor worlds involved… and they would look poorly on refusing the chance.
 
The old Star Captain pulled his hands out of his pockets. "Aff, I accept those terms." He held up a coin - it might have been the same damon he had asked Ace about previously. "We will decide the terms with this coin," he proposed. "You will call heads or tails, Galaxy Commander. If you win, you can choose the means of battle and I choose the location. If you lose, it will be the reverse."
 
"Agreed." He stepped down from the dais to face Ellison on even terms. "I will call when the coin is in the air."
 
"Seyla," Ellison declared solemnly. He extended the coin, turning it so everyone could see the sides - one with the face of the long dead Khan Damon Clarke, the other a diamond shark. His hand flickered and the coin tumbled up in the air, the hall falling entirely silent.
 
Ace did not take his eyes off those of his adversary. "Tails," he said quietly.
 
It was so quiet that Ace heard the coin land in Ellison's right hand and the slap of him placing the coin on the back of his left hand. Slowly, the Goliath Scorpion lifted his hand and both of them looked down at the coin. The diamond shark looked back at them.
 
"Your choice of arms," Ellison conceded. Then he smiled slyly. "Like Felipe, I choose here and now. I do not wish to face you in a battlemech."
 
Ace glanced up at the roof of the hall. While it was not a small chamber, it certainly was not large enough to admit battlemechs. "Felipe underestimated me," he warned. He had killed the former head of their bloodhouse in a sword duel.
 
"I will not…" Then Ellison's eyes narrowed. "Or have I, already, quiaff?"
 
"You tell me." The galaxy commander reached out and took the coin from the other man's hand. "We will do battle with this."
 
"You stravag," hissed Ellison as the room exploded with exclamations from the audience. "Are you trying to kill me with laughter?!" he added, keeping his voice down to hide it in the background reactions.
 
"Whatever works," Ace mouthed and then held up the coin as high as he could, waiting for the Diamond Shark officers to fall silent.
 
"In war there are only two qualities that matter," he declared loudly once most had stopped speaking. "Skill… and luck!" He tipped his head slightly towards Ellison. "I recognise you as my equal in skill, so all that remains in luck. Why should we complicate the matter further? Make your call: if you win, the worlds are yours. If you lose… then you and your warriors are mine."
 
"I should call edge and make this a total mockery," Ellison whispered before raising his voice. "I accept your terms. As you did, I shall call when the coin is in the air."
 
"Seyla." It was not Ace alone who said that, everyone said it.
 
He drew his arm down and then threw the coin up into the air. It glittered as it spun in the air, all eyes upon it.
 
Over and over as it rose.
 
"Heads," the other man declared.
 
Over and over as it fell.
 
Ace watched it all the way and then snatched it out of the air. Like Ellison before him, he slapped it down on the back of his hand, leaving it covered until he had caught the other man's eye.
 
"So, show me," the Goliath Scorpion demanded.
 
Slowly, he moved his hand away.
 
Once again, the diamond shark was on top.
 
Ellison's eyes narrowed to slots. "You… win…" he acknowledged slowly. Then he held out his hand, palm up. "Can I have the coin back before you make me a bondsman?"
 
Ace handed him the damon. "Welcome to Clan Diamond Shark. Rest assured, I will not waste your talents as a mere bondsman. We need warriors and officers, Galaxy Commander."
 
"W-what?" the older man exclaimed, composure broken at first. "Galaxy Commander?"
"Of course, I told you that I recognised you as my equal," Ace told him, somewhat smugly. "Your first mission for Clan Diamond Shark is to form your seekers and raw warriors from our newest sibkos into the new Upsilon Galaxy - which will be charged with defending our flank against the Outworlds Alliance."
 
"What would you have done if I had won?" the newly promoted officer demanded.
 
"Who else could Suvorov appointed to garrison those worlds?" was Ace's rhetorical reply.
 
Ellison threw his head back and laughed wildly for a moment. "Congratulations, I was defeated from the moment that you made your bid. Spectacular," he admitted after he was done laughing. "You think those worlds are under threat."
 
"Most likely. I think this alleged Star League will need to make some attempt to show their members in the Periphery that they are not simply fighting for the sake of the Inner Sphere. You have made a study of how the Outworlders defended those worlds from the SLDF. You may need to use similar tactics."
 
"To hold the worlds if I can. If not, to tie down their forces and buy time for you to secure the rest of the Dominion," the new Diamond Shark concluded. "A thankless task. Do I at least get a vote on the name of my new Clan?"
 
"Of course," Steven Hawker stepped forwards to join them in the center of the hall. "Everyone will have their chance to vote - the date is early next year." He offered Ellison Enders his hand. "Welcome to our ranks, Galaxy Commander Enders."
 
"That still sounds wrong!" Ellison whined.
 
"You get used to it." Ace assured him.
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===Briefing before Striking Deep in Clan Space===
CSS Anchorage, Deep Space
Kerensky Cluster, Clan Homeworlds
24 December 3057
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The passageways around the command briefing room of CSS Anchorage were packed with high ranking officers. Volume aboard warships was always at a premium and frequently shaped more by engineering needs than the ergonomics desired by the crew. What slack there was for comforts went into the quarters for the crew who might have to live aboard for years and combat efficiency. Places like briefing rooms had to be fitted in wherever they could be.
In this case, that meant inconveniently far from the shuttle bays and officers from every detachment of Task Force Topaz were trekking up the many decks separating the two locations, frequently forming long and disgruntled queues at chokepoints like elevators. Having spent most of a year aboard one of the Anchorage's sister-ships, Tyra knew enough short-cuts to get most of the way without problems but the last stretch had no such options and she had to slip into line behind a powerfully built man in AFFC uniform.
 
They reached the front after a wait that her watch shamelessly claimed was only a few minutes, despite evidently being a near eternity and Tyra discovered that the problem causing the queue was a security checkpoint, where everyone's identity card was being checked against their face and computer records.
 
Fortunately, the man in front of her had his card ready and Tyra found hers quickly, not wanting to stall the higher-ranked officers behind her.
 
The guard accepted the Feddie's card and ran it through his machine, then looked up at it's owner. "Thank you, uh… your highness?"
 
"Please," the man said with far more cheer than Tyra felt at this time, "No jokes about my height. I know I'm too large for these passageways." He turned slightly as he went past the guard, showing some profile that would have been enough on its own to give away his identity: Peter Steiner-Davion, third in line to the two thrones of the Federated Commonwealth.
 
Tyra almost fumbled her own ID, so surprised she was at accidentally getting into arm's reach of royalty. Fortunately, the guard was very nearly as surprised. It took him two tries to swipe her card. "You're clear uh…" The young man paused. "Kapten?"
 
"I know," she agreed, "I'm still ordered here."
 
The guard ran the list again, while behind Tyra there was impatient muttering from the queue, all of whom were battalion commander or senior staff. She ignored them - what they were going to do, try to beat her up like Smoke Jaguar technicians?
 
After making sure, the guard let her through and it was the turn of the man behind her to hold up the queue as apparently he hadn't got his identification card ready.
 
The briefing room itself wasn't all that large and the seats were fairly obviously going to those with rank. Not even trying to get involved in that, Tyra slid along the wall to join the other junior attendees. In the dim light it took her a moment to reveal that she had found herself standing next to the prince again.
 
"Something wrong?" he asked genially, noticing her surprised look.
 
"I'm pretty sure no one would argue over you getting a seat, sir."
 
"I'm young and fit," Peter told her, "Chairs are for the old and busted." Someone snorted in the dim light. "Besides, can you imagine someone my height crammed in there? I'd have my knees up beside my ears!" Now there were actual laughs from those leaning against the walls.
 
"Fair point," Tyra agreed and turned her focus back to the small stage at the front of the room. It was only intended for one briefing officer, but currently there were three people on it, talking quietly among themselves. Well, at least the mission commanders weren't off drinking coffee while everyone else got herded in here.
 
The room was warm with the number of people inside by the time the doors closed and the screen to the side of the stage lit up.
 
"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention." Everyone fell silent as Marshal Marguerite McCaffee spoke up. The commander of the largest contingent in the expedition and also the entire Task Force was no taller than Tyra and she hadn't raised her voice. She hadn't needed to.
 
"I know we're all crammed into tight quarters with little to do but wait, you should be used to that by now," the Marshal told them. "Fortunately, our objectives are now in sight. I am sure that rumor proceeds me, but we have now confirmed that we are picking up radio traffic from both the Pentagon - the original worlds settled by Kerensky's Exodus - and the Kerensky Cluster, which is the heartland of the Clans."
 
At last, Tyra thought. From the look on the faces she could see, that seemed to be the general sentiment.
 
"So we can attack now?" someone asked boldly.
 
"A few things we have to do first," McCaffee told them. "First, all the troops have been crammed into dropships for months. Physical conditioning isn't shot, but it could be better, and there has been no realistic training for all that time. Secondly, we need to pinpoint our precise target. Precentor-Legate Beresick?"
 
Beresick edged past McCaffee to the front of the little stage and glanced at the screen, which was displaying star field. "Right now, we are here," he said without pointing. A golden halo popped to life and pulsed rapidly for attention around one of the stars. "The Pentagon worlds are approximately here," a region of space encompassing perhaps a dozen stars lit up in crimson. "And ahead of us is the Kerensky Cluster." More crimson, around a much larger region of space.
 
"The stars between the two regions can be assumed to be heavily trafficked, which means we have to avoid them to avoid being identified and losing our advantage of surprise," the ComGuards officer pointed out. "Our escort of Explorer Corps jumpships are going to lead the way as pathfinders, if you will. They'll make several deep space jumps into the Kerensky Cluster. By avoiding star systems, the odds against them being located are literally astronomical but charging their drives without jumpsails will require that they use up a lot of hydrogen, thus the tankers we've been carrying will be going with them."
 
"The third jump will take them into the cluster and the fourth is expected to take them into the center, probably near Strana Mechty itself. From here they will gather electronic and astronomical intelligence to let us reach a suitable target. Ideally, this will let us find the Smoke Jaguar capital of Huntress, the one world we have the most intelligence on thanks to Kapten Miraborg," Beresick announced, gesturing towards Tyra. "Failing that, we believe that the Jade Falcon capital of Ironhold is also in a central location. Either of these will let us strike at an invading Clan, without sparking a confrontation with other Clans. We believe it is unlikely that either Clan would permit their neighbors to help them fight against us, as it would be a loss of face for them, limiting our opposition."
 
"Over the two months of this phase of operations, Task Force Topaz will move to this system, which has been assigned the name Fisher." A new golden light sprang to life on the edge of the Kerensky Cluster. "One of the Explorer Corps ships scouted the system and identified that it has a marginally habitable world - codenamed Topaz, in honor of our task force - with no Clan presence, probably because it isn't suited for colonization."
 
McCaffee tapped Beresick's shoulder and took the lead. "As much as I am sure many of you want to launch the attack now, we want to carry out our mission at roughly the same time as the other counter-offensives, meaning we must wait at least one month. In addition, our troops need to get their edge back. On Topaz, we'll carry out an exercise to blast some of the rust off. At the same time, we'll be using Topaz's limited surface water to obtain hydrogen to top up the fleet's reactor mass. Entering the Kerensky Cluster will rely on deep space jumps just like our pathfinders, so we want to have enough hydrogen to completely replenish our tankers. Once that is done, we expect the actual attack in late February."
 
"So before April?" Peter Steiner-Davion asked loudly.
 
"I see you have learned how military operations work, Kommandant," the Marshal responded drily as chuckles swept the room. "The schedule may indeed slip, but we only have one shot at this so we are going to do this right. Speaking of which, Colonel Masters?"
 
Paul Masters stepped forward, the commander of the Knights of the Inner Sphere looking slightly uncomfortable at sharing the tight confines with the other two. "Landings on Topaz will be a rehearsal of our planned landings for the real operation," he advised. "For these purposes, the plan is modeled around our information on Huntress."
 
The screen moved to display a standard diagram of the orbital battlespace around a planet. "We will jump into the proximity point formed by Topaz and its star, less than thirty hours transit from the planet. Warships will go in first, to clear any defenses with the Flying Drakons providing cover against the Davion Guards fighters deployed ahead of them, and two destroyers will remain on guard over the jumpships and the tugs intended to move them to stay within the jump point as it circles the star. The other four destroyers will escort the dropships to Topaz, where the Davion Guards aerospace fighters will support them in engaging simulated orbital and surface to orbit weapons against resistance from the Flying Drakons."
 
The display focused in on the planet's surface. "From here, we will land on the coast plains. As much as it would add realism, we will not carry out an orbital drop of 'mechs to secure the LZ as this could lead to genuine casualties, weakening our forces for the actual attack. Once on the ground, there will be two rounds of ground combat, firstly with the Knights of the Inner Sphere and supporting elements engaging several simulated Smoke Jaguar bases and facilities guarded by the Davion Guards, followed by the Guards carrying out a withdrawal under fire to the dropships, pursued by the Knights acting as a Smoke Jaguar relief force."
 
The FWLM Colonel smiled thinly. "Once we have carried out all of that, there should be some time for R&R. While Topaz is a barren wasteland, it does have beaches and I am reliably informed that we are not yet out of beer. I'm sure our soldiers will make heroic efforts to correct that situation."
 
"Does that mean our first objective on Huntress is a brewery?" asked some joker hidden by the dim lighting.
 
"Smoke Jaguar beer is terrible," Tyra told him. "We want the warehouses where they store imports from the other Clans."
 
"You see the advantages of bringing along someone with on-the-ground information," Masters said drily. "However, before we jump to Topaz we will be celebrating Christmas. I would remind those of you who do not consider that a time for religious observance that it is because of those who do that you get to have parties, so please do not disturb the chaplains or their services."
 
Tyra was surprised to be nudged by the prince as the briefing paused for a moment to let the operations officers take over the stage and begin a more detailed outline of the exercises. "Do you have any plans, Kapten? For Christmas."
 
"No," she said, puzzled. Her squadron would probably have plans but she hadn't thought to enquire. She probably should have - what if they thought that she had planned something? She wasn't particularly devout - when she was younger, Christmas had meant social obligations for her father and only limited time for a private family celebration.
Peter Steiner-Davion nodded. "We're throwing a party on the White Storm," he offered, naming one of the Overlord-class dropships carrying the task force's 'mechs. "You'd be welcome - I'm sure our aerojocks would like being a little less outnumbered."
 
Is he asking me out on a date? Tyra wondered. He was several years her junior… "Is that open to my squadron?" she asked.
 
"The more the merrier," he confirmed before the screen changed again and the briefing resumed.
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