TBntG-3 Chpt 21

=The Bull and the Genie=
==Chapter 21 - Book III - The Clan Invasion==
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==Warnings and Predictions==
===A Critical Decision is Made===
"What?" Frederick asked. Perhaps he'd heard wrong. 
 
"We have confirmed twelve newly built Corvette designs." The intelligence officer, a former member of the Lyran state who had seen his business driven to destruction because he'd offended a noble, gestured at the map. "Another eight will be joining them within two months and… we have no real information on the other shipyards." Dozens of red dots appeared on the big screen, most of them too far for any conceivable deep penetration raid. 
 
"And the Council is still intending to launch a raid on Terra?" Frederick shook his head, a bear with an irritating fly.
 
"The ships are tiny, insignificant," his Snow Raven liaison said, but her voice was uncertain. 
 
"And they have built twenty of them that we know of, quiaff?" 
 
The woman flinched. "Aff." 
"So how many new hulls have you started construction on?""Over forty…" She glanced at the map. "Mostly of heavier tonn—"
 
Everyone flinched at the sound of Frederick's hand hitting the table. "Do not play me for the fool, Star Captain! You have built only forty and they are heavier in tonnage because you do not have the crews to staff more ships of a smaller size. Twenty, and Founder knows how many more are being built—and the Spheroids will have no difficulty crewing those ships, or starting construction on new ships the moment an old one is completed. They can trade five of those ships for one of our McKennas and win because we cannot replace our forces at the same rate." 
"…Aff." 
 
Frederick frowned, looking at the imagery, another spy, since you couldn't conceal construction on this scale. "Five dropship collars. One ship with pocket warships would require one of our warships, with support, to defeat. But they will not use just one…" 
And we will have to provide more escorts. Which will slow transport and that presumes the Council doesn't fritter their warships away holding onto New Avalon and Tharkad, or trying to take Terra. 
 
There was one, inescapable conclusion. 
 
"We need to start withdrawing our ground garrisons." 
 
"Sir? But Operation Revival!" 
 
"Most of them have a cluster at most, sitting on the spaceport. I will not withdraw from any world that wants us to stay, but… We are merely… concentrating our forces to support the inevitable drive to victory on Terra. That is what we will tell the Council." 
 
Move them far enough behind the line that the Spheroid's cannot pocket us like we did them… "I also need more pocket warships, since most of our frontline clans disdain them." 
 
Of course. Not the Snow Ravens, but the need for more crewmen meant many of those ships were crewed by merchants, technicians, maybe with a few warriors to supervise. Not something a Ristar would enjoy.
 
"But we proved that pocket warships against a fleet…"
 
"Precisely. Against a fleet. If they know we have them, the corvettes will have to be concentrated. Poor news for their target, but better news than if they'd been free to spread out and hit more targets."
 
"I wonder why they are not attacking now?"
 
"Because the last time they drove forward, it almost cost them the war?" Frederick asked. If only the Council hadn't decided on a stand down. If only they hadn't decided victory was won. He shook his head. No sense in bemoaning if onlys. "We taught them a lesson. Sadly, they learned it. No, when they come, it will be as an avalanche, and if we try to defend everything, we will be swept away. I want lists of planets and reaction forces that can be withdrawn from the front by 0900 tomorrow."
 
Alone in the chamber, Frederick stared at the big board. "I have been tasked with a duty, to protect the Clans and I shall carry it out."
 
But I will not tell the Council, at least not all of them.
 
Sitting down, he started writing out a letter to his Khan. Frederick would make use of the jump chain to visit the Diamond Shark and Nova Cat Khans in person, but he trusted his Khan. 
 
My Khan. The situation, whatever you hear in Council, is likely to become untenable. Those Clans which have established formal and friendly relations, such as Clan Ghost Bear and Clan Wolf have with the Republic, should reach out to the Inner Sphere forces, informally, discussing ways to avoid further conflict. 
 
I do not say this lightly, but included in this transmission, under my personal cipher regarding the name of that silly comic book that was burned, are files that give a full analysis of current Inner Sphere forces, our forces, and the likely outcome of further conflict. I know that since my reassignment, the intelligence estimates in Council have… been perhaps over-optimistic. As always, I serve the Clans. 
 
"Action Comics #1" Printed on Terra before they'd reached the stars, burned on the Clan Homeworlds. There's a lesson there. Though I'm not certain what it is.
 
Frederick turned off the monitor, let the despair wash over him, and then started planning for stalemate if he could achieve it, defeat if he could not.
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===Chat between siblings===
Victor felt the chill as he entered the barracks. People looking at him. Not friendly looks. 
 
Which was odd, because this was another UMC unit.
"I'm here to see Captain Steiner-Davion?"
 
"Wait one, sir." The OOD turned and talked, and then waited. A little longer than he needed to, but Victor wasn't about to say anything.
 
"She's on her way, sir." 
 
"Thank you." Not, go on up and see her. She's on her way.
 
When Kat came down, she was dressed in her work uniform.
 
"Victor," she said. "Did you see Dad and Mom?"
 
"Earlier. Dad's looking better."
 
"Dad looks like death warmed over, and if Mom stops sitting on him, he's going to work himself into an early grave," Kat said. "Then what?"
 
"He—" Victor looked around. "Wanna take a walk?"
 
Kat opened her mouth, closed it, then nodded. "Sure."
 
The base was new. It had originally been a sleepy militia base for a company of mechs and whatever else could be scraped up. Now? It was the base for the 2nd Division of the Third Corps of the UMC, and barracks, workshops, and defensive emplacements were going up everywhere. 
 
"Did I do something?" Victor asked. "I sent the letter as soon as I—"
 
"You didn't do something. Did you see the news about the raid?"
 
"I got the briefing. Dad was proud—"
 
"Not the briefing. The news. The public news talking about how our heroic general ordered his ship into harms way to defend the rest of the raid, and then the heroic second in command led the rear guard of mechs…instead of you know, running as fast as he could and abandoning the rest of us. But because they were nobility and nobody wants New Capetown blowing up, they get a pass."
 
"Transferred to a nowhere assignment isn't—"
 
"He should be broken, Victor! Publicly broken with the news cameras watching as his Mech is repossessed and his shiny sword is smashed over a sergeant's knee!" Kat took a deep breath and obviously calmed herself down.
 
"I thought you were the political one. You just told me why that can't happen."
 
"No, I told you why it was inconvenient for it to happen," Kat said. "And we let inbred idiots run things."
 
"Don't we count?" Victor asked. I've never seen her like this. Kat likes the perks of royalty. 
 
"We do. What makes you or me suited to rule the Federated Commonwealth? I had my hands full with that retreat, and they want us to rule trillions of people? I can think of five people in the regiment who could do better, only they… don't have the right blood."
 
"We haven't done that badly."
 
"Sure. What if our kids are like Claudius the Cruel?" Kat shook her head. "Anyway, I'm pissed off, the whole unit is pissed off, especially with the juicy rumor that I was the general's lover…" she shuddered. 
 
Victor didn't have to ask why.
 
"I'm ah, shipping out."
 
"Deep raid?" Kat asked. "That's what the corvettes are for."
 
"Yeah, I'd ask for your unit, but…"
 
"No way are they going to put us in the same unit."
 
"Yeah."
 
"Too bad. You'd be a good 'mech jockey to have on our flank."
 
"Flank?"
 
A ghost of a smile touched his sister's face. "To look pretty while we do the hard work."
 
Victor laughed. Kat joined him. Then she got serious. "Victor, you've been active where the front-line clans are, right?"
 
"Yeah."
 
"The OZ forces aren't like them. They don't have the newest equipment, but they're sneaky, really well-trained and react fast. Don't think you're gonna call some guy's genetic heritage into doubt and he's going to blindly chase you. OZ clanners are smart clanners. Be careful."
 
"I will." Victor glanced at her pocket seeing a small book. Kat was never a casual reader. "New book."
"Old Book. Common Sense by a guy named Thomas Paine. Pre-space, practically pre-steam."
 
"I've never…" 
 
"I wouldn't be surprised." Kat's smile turned nasty. "I'm royalty and can get away with it, but you'd be surprised how many worlds reading stuff like this can get you in trouble, no matter what the law says…"
 
"You've changed."
 
"I've had to depend on these people. Not just look down at them and say what good subjects they are. It was… It opened my eyes."
 
"Dad's not like that, and Mom's not like that."
 
"Dad and Mom would die for their people," Kat nodded. "If there was one seat left in a lifeboat and it was Dad or some scruffy street rat, he'd give up his seat. Without a thought."
 
"Right—"
 
"But on the other hand, did Dad, Mom, and Grandma actually bother to ask the nation before they sprang their wedding surprise?" 
 
The PA blared and Kat looked up. "Sounds like your ride."
 
"Yeah, I should have spent more time… but my unit, after the fight it was—"
 
"Don't look to me for sympathy."
 
"I'm not, but as a loyal sister, I could ask you to take over some of the paperwork?"
 
Kat stared at him. "You're asking a serving officer to take on more paperwork. I think that's a court martial offense."
 
"Probably. But be careful, Kat."
 
"You as well, Victor…and remember what I said. The OZ forces don't fuck around. They stuck with what works…" she paused and grinned, plucking out the book from her pocket. "And if you get bored, here you go."
 
"You have another one?"
 
"I'm a rich royal…I'm thinking for my next birthday to print up enough to make them required reading at the high school level…" She smirked. "It'd be fun."
 
"Right," Victor said, then waved to her. 
 
I wish I could spend more time but… He glanced at the book. Kat's always been subtle. I think I will read this. Because I think it's a message.
==Chapter Note==
;Note from the Author in reference of Action Comic reference: "The most dangerous enemy to the Inner Sphere, and yet the one who fought most fairly was the Elemental in part inspired by the Man of Steel."
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