OBT Forum

Part III

Chapter Five

“The history of the Inner Sphere is one of betrayal and double-crosses; while such is dishonorable in the extreme, it is also human.  And no matter how our opponents might proclaim their unity, the fractures still rest there beneath the surface . . . hidden from view but just as fragile as an overstressed structural frame.  We apply the proper amount of stress in exactly the right places, and then we will see this Alliance of the Great Houses fall apart bickering amongst themselves.  It is a simple problem to identify; the difficulty comes in triggering the fractures.  Rest assured Warriors, we will find that answer and our path to Terra will become an open road.”

—Nikolai Djerassi, addressing the Scorpion Council of the Blood Named, Rasalhague, 3043


Field Headquarters of the ilKhan
Rasalhague, Clan Ghost Bear Occupation Zone
September 4, 3043


“Khan Tseng was not certain if you are a genius or a madman—hence she sent you to me, Messer Wheeler.  Which are you?” Yvonne Hazen asked the finely dressed serious man who stood in front of her desk.

Kendrick Wheeler frowned.  “It would be the height of hubris for me to claim to be a genius, ilKhan Hazen,” he answered.  “I can assure you, however, that I am not mad—and that I am very, very good at what I do.”

“Which is?”

“I film documentaries, ilKhan.  Ideological and political documentaries aimed at swaying public thought and opinion,” he answered with a broad smile.

“You create propaganda,” she answered flatly, and her guest nodded with a smile, making a clucking sound with his tongue.

“Victory, ilKhan Hazen, does not always go to the strongest or to the one who desires it the most—victory depends upon the will of those fighting and dying for their cause.  And I can you help achieve victory.”

“I think you will find that Clan Warriors need no propaganda to be motivated in our Crusade, Messer Wheeler.”

“Oh, heavens no!  You misunderstand me, ilKhan Hazen,” the producer/director responded.  “Jaime Wolf and the House Lords have spent hundreds of millions of C-bills over the past few years demonizing your Clans among the public.  They, the great unwashed masses of the Inner Sphere, see you as nothing more than ravening hordes of Mongols, come to destroy life as they know it and enslave everyone.  This is a War being waged on a front where you have no troops; you cannot oppose them in this theatre of operations, not without your own message.”

Yvonne’s eyes narrowed and she slowly nodded.  “Continue,” she said.

“We must answer these lies with the Truth, ilKhan Haven!  And we must paint a picture that shows the people of the Inner Sphere that the Clans are the benevolent inheritors of the Star League.  We have to counter Wolf’s lies against you with testimony from civilians here in your Occupation Zones, and show them that life under your rule will be better for them and their children than under the corrupt Lords of the Houses.  You have free education and training in vocations; your civilians have medical care provided for by the Clan.  You ensure that all your lower castes have power and water and food to eat.  You are no barbarians come here to destroy—we will show the masses that you have art and literature and culture.  We will tell them that unlike their current rulers, your Warriors do not involve civilians in combat—you keep your fights well away from population centers; unless, of course,” he said wryly as his voice rose in brightly, “dishonorable and corrupt opponents such as the Great Lords force you to fight there by holding their own citizens as human shields!   We will allow them to know that the Clans are here to restore the Fallen Star League and all of its Glory and Peace!”

Yvonne leaned back in her chair.  “Perhaps we could use you, Messer Wheeler,” the ilKhan said.  “There are a number of difficulties that I foresee, however.  First and foremost, is how do you expect to distribute these . . . propaganda pieces?  I cannot believe that the Houses will let you do so openly, quiaff?”

“Why, yes, ilKhan Hazen.  Some will have no choice.  The Free Worlds League, for example, we will be able to circulate this material in that realm without the central government being able to prevent us.  Even in the Federated Suns, we should be able to reach a large number of people openly—the same in the Lyran Commonwealth, although both of those will move quickly to suppress us; they will fail.  The Capellans and House Kurita will squash any open distribution, but we are well used to that.  I can smuggle the documentaries into their space and they will be shown them; the Lords can only attempt suppress the Truth, but information must flow, ilKhan Hazen.”

“If you can distribute these . . . documentaries . . . Messer Wheeler, what makes you think that you can alter the loyalty of the civilians of the Inner Sphere?”

Kendrick Wheeler laughed.  “I am very, very good at what I do, ilKhan Hazen.  After seeing my films, the people of the Inner Sphere—especially those far from the front lines—will be asking themselves why are our people dying to defend the Lyrans and Kuritas?  Why are we spending our blood and treasure against the True Heirs of the Star League, the children of Aleksandyr Kerensky, returned to our space after an epic journey centuries in the making?  And then you will have men of power, like the Sandovals in the Draconis March, and the Lestrades in Skye, will begin to wonder why their leaders are propping up the Draconis Combine—we might even prod them into action, drawing away troops from the front-lines.”  He laughed.

Yvonne nodded once.  “I have one final question, Messer Wheeler:  why are you offering me this?”

“I am an artist, ilKhan Hazen.  I sway the opinions of men and women across the Inner Sphere—but for the slightest of indiscretions, they have the temerity to banish me!  To outlaw my work from their realms!  To name me as an outlaw and a fugitive to their laws!  Your Clans, my ilKhan, shall be my revenge upon all of them.”

“And in return you desire . . . ?”

“The rights to all profits made by these films, of course.  And a place within your society—you strike me as a woman who knows a good deal when she sees it, ilKhan Hazen.”

Yvonne stood, a look of distaste clearly evident on her face.  “You will have the cooperation of the Clans, Messer Wheeler.  Make your films—and do not fail me, for the consequences of that will be . . . not to your liking.”

Kendrick smiled.  “By the time that I am done, my ilKhan, the Inner Sphere masses will be singing praises of your name alongside that of General Kerensky and Ian Cameron.”  And he laughed again.

Clan Ghost Bear Field Headquarters
Rasalhague, Clan Ghost Bear Occupation Zone
September 6, 3043

“A costly victory, quiaff?” asked Amanda Tseng as Nikolai stepped into the pre-fabricated structure that housed the command and staff of Clan Ghost Bear.  She shook her head and motioned the Scorpion towards one of the two chairs present.

“Aff, but not as costly as we first believed.  We have been able to repair and restore to operation several of our disabled OmniMechs, and Karttikeya carried enough ‘observing’ Warriors detached from their normal duties to make up the numerical losses we suffered—and sufficient materials to replace those OmniMechs, Fighters, and Elemental battle armor too damaged to repair.  As of 0700 this morning, Alpha Galaxy is back to 100% of TO&E strength.”

Amanda snorted. “But not at full effectiveness, Nikolai.  You need time to integrate those new Warriors.”

“You speak the truth, my Bear trothkin,” Nikolai answered.  “We have more than six weeks to drill them before the next Wave launches—and the Sand Runners, along with your Delta Galaxy, have confirmed that the KungsArmee stripped the defenses from the remaining Wave II worlds to concentrate here on Rasalhague.  We have taken all five for minimal losses.”

“True,” she mused and she nodded her head.  “I thought your suggestion to have unattached replacement Warriors on hand to be . . . an unworthy one, at first.  I was mistaken—those Warriors have let me bring the Golden Bears and the Night Howlers back to full strength as well.  I understand that Yvonne is rather furious this morning—having received the news from the other Clans operations.”

She smiled and Nikolai grinned in reply.  This time every Clan had hit all of their assigned worlds on the same day—although not with the same effect as the Bears and Scorpions. 

The Jaguars had taken Bangor, Hanover, Jeronimo, Marshdale, and Wolcott without major incident; but on Hyner and Maldonado they had slammed right into major DCMS staging bases and were still fighting for possession of those worlds.  Only two Clusters had landed on each—with no reserves—and they were fighting against hordes of militia and no fewer than seven DCMS front-line regiments!  To make matters worse, their ‘pacified worlds of Wave I had risen up against their garrison units once the Jaguar touman had jumped away—to the point where the free-birth PGC commanders of the Jaguar garrison forces had been forced to ask Clan Nova Cat for assistance.  Leo Showers was furious, Nikolai understood.  But he could only gnash his teeth as he redeployed Clusters onto the still contested worlds securing the approach to Pesht.

The Mandrills had faced less odds on their Second Wave worlds, but Schuyler had been heavily defended—to the point where Khan Tanaga and his Kindraa had to call upon the Spirits for assistance.  His leadership of that divided Clan now stood in doubt—or rather it would have, but for the Spirit garrison Clusters he had directed to reinforce his Mandrills on their Wave I worlds and the sudden uprising in their wake had been crushed.

The Adders and Cobras faced no serious opposition, except on Trondheim, where the 2nd Drakons of the KungsArmee and three mercenary Regiments had squared off against the Adder’s Alpha Galaxy—and were resoundingly defeated in short order.  And while there had been uprisings on Constance and Jarrett—two combine worlds taken by the Adders in Wave I, the Free Rasalhague Republic had apparently not made such preparations.  Other than those two planets, the rear of the Adders was rather quiet.

As it was for the Bears and Scorpions as well.  And for the Wolves and Coyotes in Corridor Delta.  The only serious challenge to the Packs had arisen on Basiliano, where the sole assault-weight regiment of the KungsArmee had squared off against the Coyote’s Delta Galaxy.

But the Vipers had attempted simultaneous landings on nine worlds—with the furious Hellions still watching from the sidelines—and some of those worlds had featured significant defenses.  Their bid for Ridderkirk succeeded only because of the adaptability and steadfast determination shown by Star Captain Ezra Cochraine—despite just two points of Vipers surviving the battle, they had taken that world.  The assault on Winfield, however, saw the quick defeat and death of the Trinary dispatched there—a shameful ending only magnified when the Horses dropped two Clusters and annihilated Winfield’s Brigade in an eleven hour running battle.  But that wasn’t the worst for the Vipers, oh no.  On Evciler, Seiduts, and Planting, Viper Clusters ran head-first into veteran Fed-Com RCTs, their defenses stoutly built and with ample supplies of artillery and conventional support elements.  Each of these worlds was struck by only a single Viper Cluster, and the results were grim.  Khan Andrews responded by throwing his reserves into the fight, but his best formations were bled white on those three worlds.  Ecviler and Seiduts had fallen, but reports from Planting showed that the 24th Arcturan Guards RCT, reinforced by the 12th Donegal Guards had refused to budge, repelling three separate attacks by the 423rd and 428th Assault Clusters . . . until Galaxy Commander Sean Matthews destroyed them utterly with the guns of the Essex-class destroyer Martial Legacy.  To say that the ilKhan was . . . upset, would be akin to saying that the surface of a star was slightly warm to the touch.

Khan Andrews had replied however, that since there were no significant numbers of civilians within the blast zones of the orbital bombardment, it wasn’t a matter for the ilKhan—but instead an operational decision by his Clan in the heat of battle.  Nikolai smiled again, for he had heard that Yvonne almost declared a Trial of Grievance against Andrews for his insubordination and refusal to obey her standing orders on the use of such weapons—but she had since calmed down.

The Horse’s too ran into Fed-Com defenders on Butler, Malibu, and Twycross—but Khan Fletcher had already delayed his attack until after the Vipers struck Winfield.   Forewarned by the experiences of the Falcons and Vipers, he gave all of the other systems in Wave II to the Ravens and landed a full Galaxy of Horses on each of those worlds—overrunning the defenders in a matter of hours.  However, like the Vipers and Falcons and Mandrills and Jaguars, the Horse’s had experienced an uprising on their Wave I worlds—an uprising that resulted in the assassination of Loremaster Gary Mitchell by a Fed-Com special operations team as he was meeting with civilian leaders on Somerset.  Luckily, the Horse’s garrison commander refrained from making an example, and the horrified civilian leaders—barely spared their lives in the engagement—were cooperating fully at uncovering the special operations cells.

The Falcons activated the Sharks for Wave II, which allowed them to concentrate their forces against the defenders of Blue Hole, Chahar, and Kooken’s Pleasure Pit; leaving the Sharks to deal with the treacherous crags of Goat Path.  Leaving just one Cluster behind to deal with Blackjack, Clermont, and Hot Springs, thirteen Falcon Clusters hit the heavily defended worlds on the forward edge of their occupation zone.  Not to mention four Shark Clusters on Goat Path.   The Fed-Com defenders there were swamped, and despite heavy, even bitter fighting, the Falcons took every world in assigned to their Wave, as did the Sharks.  The unoccupied Shark Galaxy was kept in the rear areas of Wave I, and once the uprisings began, saKhan Timur Malthus coordinated the use of that Galaxies Clusters and the Shark PGCs to work with the Falcon PGCs and restore order.  Although there was still fighting on three worlds, and much damage to infrastructure that the Falcons had counted on, the worst was now believed to have ended.

“She is,” answered Nikolai with a grin. “And for once not with me!”

“Truth!” barked out Amanda in a bitter laugh.  “Somedays, Nikolai, I believe you deliberately try to push her a bit too far—she is still a Falcon, beware ‘lest she tear your intestines out with her talons.”

Nikolai grunted in agreement, and he shook his head.  “I issued orders today for Epsilon Galaxy to report to Rondane—they will arrive in fifteen days thanks to that command circuit you and I established between the Homeworlds and the Isles.  I would recommend that you move at least two more Galaxies forward as well, Khan Tseng.”

Amanda winced.  “We cannot use them, Nikolai.”

“Not now, no.  But the Isles—and Rondane—are not within the Invasion Theatre.  Those are our worlds now—our enclaves, which we can garrison as we see fit.  And if the time comes, Khan Tseng, when we need four more Galaxies . . . I intend for us to have them close by.”

“There are not enough JumpShips in the circuit to convey two Galaxies of Bears AND your Scorpions.”

“I will delay Epsilon, so that you might bring forward Rho;  that will be thirty days for my reinforcements, and then forty-five—just as we are starting Wave III—for your second Galaxy to arrive.  If you pass the orders today.”

Amanda nodded.  “Aff.  It is better to have them close than not to have them at all.”

“Good,” answered Nikolai.  “Have you decided what to do with Magnusson and his family?”

“Didn’t you hear?”

“Obviously, I did not.”

Amanda smiled.  “The Elected Prince demanded a Trial of Refusal against me in a final effort to restore Rasalhague to his rule—I granted his request.  He chose pistols at twenty paces.”

The Scorpion Khan winced, for Amanda Tseng was a crack shot even amongst the Clans!

“So he is dead?”

“Aff.  Very much so as of this morning.  Since Magnusson’s wife was already deceased, I sent his son—Ragnar—back to the sibko we have established on Rondane.  He is nine and will adapt quickly.”

Nikolai nodded and then he asked the question he had come for.  “How do you plan on voting for Aleksandyr, Amanda?”

She shook her head.  “It will never pass, Nikolai—you know it.  There will not be a majority of the Clans that will allow EVERY clan to land simultaneously on Terra; that would destroy the entire concept of the ilClan.  It has no chance of passing . . . and I shall waste no political capital on supporting an idea which cannot be passed.”

The Scorpion nodded glumly.  “Ulric and Marion said much the same thing—as will Jake I am certain.  We should hit them now, but we will not.  We should reinforce our holdings here  with every Warrior, every ‘Mech, every last pallet of bullets we have in the Homeworlds, but we will not.  I fear that we will . . .” and his voice trailed off.

“What do you fear, Scorpion?” asked the Bear.

Nikolai shook his head.  “Nothing that I can change now, Amanda.  I shall see you at the grand kurultai, quiaff?”

“Aff.”

“Then good day, Khan Tseng.”

“Good day, Khan Djerassi.”

I just had a thought, what is the status of the following formations after the Capellan Gift?:

Sarna Academy Group;
Sarna March Militias;
Republican Regiments;
New Aragon Borderers;
New Hessen Armoured Scouts;
Laurel's Legion;
Northwind Higlanders?

The Jaguars are going to be pissed.

Raging Jaguar comes
to Pesht he prowls
Honour will be nothing.

It could not have happened to a Nicer Clan 

CWS Trailblazer, Zenith Jump Point
Hohenems, Clan Wolf Occupation Zone
September 8, 3043

“Pre-emergence wave detected, Star Colonel,” reported one of the sensor techs stationed on the bridge of James Meredith’s Vincent-class Corvette.  The very young Warrior looked up from the ship’s logs and he pursed his lips in thought as he examined the sensor readings for himself.  The tech was correct—there was an inbound ship.  “Very well.  Set Condition Two throughout the ship and arm all weapons,” he hit a communications stud on the arm of his command chair.

“Flight Operations,” the speaker replied.

“We have an incoming vessel—spot a point of fighters for immediate launch and have the remainder of the Star standing by on Plus 5.  Prepare a shuttle for the Elementals to board and capture if she does not try to run.”

“Aff!” came the sharp reply from many decks below.

James sat back in his chair as the bridge lighting dimmed, switching over to a ghastly reddish hue in preparation for possible battle.  At just twenty-four standard years of age, he was quite young for his rank—which explained in part why he was commanding one of the four smallest ships in Clan Wolf’s Fleet.  He lacked the seniority—if not the aggression and cool competence—for one of the larger and more powerful ships.

“Emergence!” snapped the sensor tech, who rapidly continued, “range four thousand two hundred and eleven kilometers, target is . . . confirmed as one Scout-class JumpShip with a single K-1 DropShuttle attached.”

“Send the challenge,” James ordered calmly, “flight deck launch two of our birds.”

Trailblazer quivered slightly as the catapults hurled the two Visigoths clear of the ship so that they could fire up their fusion drives in safety; the twin icons turned towards the JumpShip and began to close the distance on the stationary target.

“Star Colonel,” the perplexed tech spoke up, “they are broadcasting Clan IFF on the proper radio transponder frequencies.”

“Confirm!” James barked.

The sensor tech bent over his instrumentation, as did the comm tech, but they both looked back up and nodded.  “Confirmed, Star Colonel.  It is a very old IFF code, but it shows as still active and they are deliberately broadcasting.”

“Hail them.”

“Unknown vessel, this is Clan Wolf Ship Trailblazer.  Hold your position and identify yourself immediately—we are authorized to use lethal force if you fail to comply; there will be no further warnings.”

James waited for two seconds before the radio crackled with static and then cleared.  “Acknowledged, Trailblazer; this is the Clan Wolf JumpShip Little Claw—we await your boarding party and will comply with all instructions.”

The Wolf commander spun his chair, but his tactical officer was already scrolling through the ship’s registry; he finally looked up.  “Little Claw was assigned to the Wolf’s Dragoon Reconnaissance Force, Star Colonel.”

James nodded.  “Little Claw, this is Star Colonel James Meredith, commanding officer CWS Trailblazer.  Put your senior officer on the comm.”

“Trailblazer, this is Star Colonel Natasha Kerensky, of Clan Wolf.  Rest assured, Star Colonel Meredith, that some of us old Dragoon’s remain loyal to the Clans of Kerensky.  The code phrase is:  Look on my Works, ye Might, and despair!  Nothing beside remains.  Round the decay of that colossal Wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away.”

James quickly pulled up codebook and found the line nearly at the very end—it was authentic.  He sat back and inhaled deeply.   â€œWelcome home, Star Colonel Kerensky.  Somehow I doubt that all of the Dragoon’s are aboard that little ship of yours.”

“That is a matter for Khan Ulric Kerensky and ilKhan Yvonne Hazen, Star Colonel Meredith.  I will await your boarding party and then we shall see what is to happen.”

With a click the radio cut out and James slowly nodded.  “Comm.  Priority transmission to the Gold Keshik on the surface—Khan’s Eyes Only.  My Khan, I beg to report that a single JumpShip with the proper codes and transponder of Wolf’s Dragoons has arrived at the zenith jump point under the command of Star Colonel Natasha Kerensky.  Upon my own authority, I am disregarding standing orders to fire into the vessel—Star Colonel Kerensky claims she is responding to the recall.  I require immediate instructions.  James Meredith, Star Colonel, CWS Trailblazer.”

“On chip, Star Colonel,” answered the comm tech.

“Send it.  Star Captain Wirth?”

“Aff.”

“If they so much as fire a reaction thruster I want you to destroy them without hesitation.  Quiaff?”

“Aff!”

“Star Commander Vickers?”

“Sir?” replied the commander of his Elemental detachment.

“Prepare a boarding party; I want that ship searched from stem to stern—with full radiological screening, quiaff?”

“Aff.”

“Search everything—and everyone, regardless of rank.  You may issue a single warning if they do not cooperate fully—if they continue to protest or interfere in your search, you may shoot anyone, regardless of rank or possession of a Bloodname, quiaff?”

“Aff.”

“Good.  Now go.”  James sat back in his chair and he stared at the lonely JumpShip sitting out there.  And now we wait, he thought.

Blacknova, you are a genius.  Lovely as always.

MA