OBT Forum

Changed poor Oliver back to Olivia. 

Oops.  Thanks, KM.

MA

Chapter Six

“We returned to the Inner Sphere to bring about the reformation of the Star League—in that goal, we have succeeded, although not according to our plans.  By posing a threat to their very lives, society, and culture, it is we—the Clans of Kerensky—who have forced the Great Houses of the Inner Sphere to unite in common purpose.  How this reformation of the Star League has come to pass is no longer important; that is has must be paramount in our considerations of future actions.”

“There are some amongst you today who call this Second Star League a sham, a fraud, a ploy with which to force the Clans to rethink our purpose.  But consider this, my Khans—we have achieved our goal; for the first time since Stefan Amaris murdered Richard Cameron, the vast majority of mankind is now united under a single government.  We cannot in good conscience dismiss this formation of this new interstellar government; we cannot in honor fail to recognize that we spurred the Great Houses down this road through our Invasion of their homes.”

“We cannot fail to act against the wishes of the Great Father now that the Star League is once again in existence.  To serve the Star League was all that Aleksandyr Kerensky desired, to see peace in his time with our Founders in the SLDF dedicating their lives to keep the peace so that mankind could once again enter a Golden Age.”

“Therefore, I feel that I must inform this Grand Council of Khans that Clan Goliath Scorpion will recognize the legitimacy and primacy of this government, and that our touman will serve the Second Star League now and forever.  I bid you farewell, trothkin, and I hope that your reason will win out over your anger; that you will accept this new government as the Great Father General Aleksandyr Kerensky would have done so himself, and that you lay aside thoughts of conquest and building an Empire.  I call upon the Wardens among you to put aside your hate, and take your rightful place as the core of the new Star League Defense Force.”

“And should you seek to move against the Second Star League and continue this Invasion, know that the Scorpions will stand as part of the SLDF against you.”

—Nikolai Djerassi, in his final video address to the Grand Council of Khans, Memmingen, 3044


Field Headquarters of the ilKhan
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
December 28, 3043

“Our offensive against Wolf on Tukayyid must be made at the same time that we launch Wave IV,” Nikolai said to the assembled Khans.  “To do otherwise, we invite Davion and Kurita to launch a counter-attack against our holdings.  Yes, we will stretch ourselves to the very limits, but it is of vital necessity—sacrifices must be made in order to bring this Invasion to fruition.”

“However, Wave IV will be abbreviated, due to the concentration of our forces at Tukayyid.  Clan Jade Falcon will hit New Exford, Graceland, Dustball, Koniz, and Bountiful Harvest; the Sharks will seize Esteros and A Place.”

“The Hell's Horses will attack Sudeten, Benfled, Ballynure, and La Grave, with the Snow Ravens taking Graus, and Blair Atholl.”

“Clan Steel Viper will strike at Dompaire, Colmar, Cusset, Montmarault, and Domain; the Ice Hellions will assault Laurent, Biota, and Rastaban.”

“Clan Wolf will drive for Maestu, Kobe, Hyperion, Bessarabia, Perrot, Wheel, and Suk II, while the Coyotes will strike at Karston, Hanfeld, Thun, and Galuzzo.”

“Clan Ghost Bear will seize Satalice, Skandia, Halesowen, and Maule.”

“Clan Star Adder will take Alshain, Marawi, Sternwerde, and Ardoz, as the Cobras assault Sheliak and Tinaca.”

“Clan Blood Spirit will attack Yamarovka, Mualang, and assist the Jaguars on Asgard, if Khan Howell requests their assistance.”

“Clan Smoke Jaguar will strike at Asgard, Cyrenaica, Port Arthur, and Avon, while the Nova Cats hit Tarazed and Kilmamock.”

Nikolai stood at parade rest before the map and he nodded.  “These objectives are of high importance, but the most critical is at Tukayyid.  Not only will we be operating in advance of our lines, we will be attacking an opponent with operable WarShips of his own—and whose forces will quite possibly be outfitted with Star League technology, possibly even Clan technology.  One that might well outnumber us three or more to one.”

“Operation Thunderbolt will include forces from every Clan:  the Jade Falcon Gamma Galaxy, the Diamond Shark Alpha Galaxy, elements of the Horse’s Alpha Galaxy and their Alpha Keshik, the Raven 6th Battle Cluster,  the 1st and 2nd Viper Guards and the Triasch Keshik, the 7th Attack Cluster and 150th Hellion Lancers, the Wolf Alpha Galaxy reinforced with the Coyotes Golden Keshik and 50th Assault Cluster, the Bears Alpha and Beta Galaxies, the Scorpions Knife Dance Keshik and the entirety of my own Alpha, Beta, and Delta Galaxies, the Adder Command Keshik and elements of their Alpha Galaxy, the Cobras 33rd Battle Cluster, the Spirits 7th Blood Drinkers Cluster, the Jaguar’s Den Keshik and the Jaguar Grenadiers, the Nova Cat Keshik, the Stone Lion Alpha Galaxy, our penal Cluster from the remnants of the Mandrills, and the Ebon Keshik.”

“Sixty Clusters will assault Tukayyid, supported by forty WarShips.  My Khans,” Nikolai paused, and he shook his head, “my trothkin, this is the single largest assault against one world in the history of the Clans; we will need each and every Warrior we have on hand; we might well wish we had brought more before this battle draws to a close.”

The ilKhan stood.  “Thank you, Khan Djerassi for outlining the operation.  We will now get into the specifics of landing zones and your individual objectives—these are subject to change depending on how Wolf is deployed, so be ready to adjust your Drop Zones on short notice.  Both Wave IV and Operation Thunderbolt will commence in slightly more than two weeks:  January 15th, 3044.”

She looked at the somber faces that surrounded her and the ilKhan nodded, and then she smiled.  “If we can crush Wolf’s Grand Army on Tukayyid, and break through the defenses on the worlds of Wave IV, we will have finally fought our way through the best which the Inner Sphere can throw against us, my Khans.  And we will triumph; we will achieve Victory!”

“Seyla!” the Khans roared.

Yvonne smiled.  “Then let’s get down the specifics.  While I command the main body, Khan Djerassi will act as my tactical deputy . . .”

Field Headquarters of the ilKhan; Bayern
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
December 28, 3043

“Khan Howell; Khan West, the two of you asked to speak with me privately, quiaff?” asked Yvonne as she shivered in the cold air and sat down next to the roaring fireplace.  A cold front had passed over the planetary capital during the long session of the Grand Kurultai earlier today, bringing lightning and heavy rain, and the temperatures had plunged in its wake. 

“Aff, ilKhan,” responded Brandon Howell.  “As you are aware, the two of us have decided against an assault on Luthien until our reinforcements arrive—which will not be for at least another three months.  We have confirmed, however, that House Kurita has heavily reinforced Luthien . . . our interrogations have revealed a minimum of twenty regiments defending it, including all five of their Sword of Light regiments.”

Yvonne nodded.  “And if they are not attacked, those units could very well be used for a counter-offensive along your flank,” she mused.  “Are you adding Luthien to your Wave IV worlds, quineg?”

“Neg,” the Nova Cat Khan said swiftly.  “We do not have the strength, at the moment, to risk Luthien—not against those numbers.  But perhaps we do not have to.  Khan Howell; it is your plan after all.”

Brandon Howell nodded.  “ilKhan, we will be sending elements of our two Clans to Luthien on January 1, but they will not include any of our Clusters.  Instead of an invasion, we intend to blockade Luthien from orbit—preventing those regiments massed there from being used against us and isolating the capital of the Draconis Combine.”

“Between our two Clans,” Khan West continued, “we will be able to interdict Luthien with two Black Lion-class battlecruisers, a Congress-class frigate, three Lola III-class destroyers, and two York-class carriers.  Rather than picket the jump points, our ships will blockade the planet itself from orbit—with enough fighters and assault DropShips to more than handle what the defenders on the surface can throw at us.  Our mission will not be to bombard Luthien—our ship commanders have strict orders against such an action—but will prevent those regiments on the surface from departing and reinforcements from arriving.”

“I presume this is why neither of your Clans could provide any ships for Operation Thunderbolt?” Yvonne asked.

“Aff, ilKhan Hazen,” replied the Jaguar.  He glanced at the Nova Cat sitting next to him and he slowly nodded.  “We realize that this is . . . unorthodox, but if we can keep those regiments bottled up on their capital, perhaps we can avoid a local counter-attack until our reinforcements arrive in March.”

Yvonne nodded her head slightly.  Six months ago, none of her Khans—probably not even Djerassi!—would have suggested this, let alone the Khan of the Smoke Jaguars.  But it was not six months ago.  “You have my permission,” for what it is worth, she thought, “and my hopes that your efforts are successful.”

She started to rise, but then she saw the faces of the two Khans and lowered herself back down.  “Was there something else, quiaff?”

“Aff,” whispered Howell.  “We captured two Combine JumpShips just before our assault on Pesht, loaded with cargo ships.  ilKhan, they were inbound to the planet with newly produced SLDF weaponry.  Of lower quality than the Star League produced, but still just as effective.  Our opponents are about to get a significant boost in their capabilities—just as Djerassi warned and we feared.”

“We knew it would happen eventually—and there is nothing we can do but warn our troops to expect stiffer resistance.”

“True, but we thought you want confirmation,” added the Nova Cat.

“You thought correctly.  I will see that the information is disseminated throughout the Clans.  Is there anything else?”

Marius West nodded.  “We have gleaned from our interrogations of Combine military personnel that the House of Kurita might—might—have at least one operational WarShip, a small one.”

“A Samarkand II-class carrier, ilKhan,” Howell chimed in.  “We are instituting the naval blockade of Luthien partly in hopes that we can draw it out—if it even exists.”

“Destroy it,” growled Yvonne.  “Even if it means you must lift your blockade—if that ships exists, render it extinct.”

“You may rest assured of that, ilKhan Hazen,” chuckled the Khan of the Jaguars.

The Dragon’s Lair, Imperial Palace, Imperial City
Luthien, Draconis Combine
January 6, 3044

Takashi Kurita’s lips moved into a rare smile as the image of the Clan WarShip in orbit exploded on the monitor screen.  “Your toys appear to be working well, Theodore,” he chuckled.  “Well done, my son.  It is such a simple, elegant concept—why did we never think of this before?”

“During the Star League, had we built such a system, Father, it would not have mattered, for the Star League had thousands of WarShips at their disposal.  And this system is woefully vulnerable to hostile fire—without any protection from aerospace fighters.  It would have lasted perhaps five minutes against the SLDF . . . and no one wanted to invest the resources in a system that would be ultimately expendable at the time.”

“True,” the Dragon rumbled as he nodded his agreement.  “But these stations are inexpensive enough that we can produce them in quantity—and you, my Gunji-no-Kanrei, you deliberately held back more than one hundred aerospace fighters.  To protect our BattleSats?”

“Hai, Father.  Those Clan WarShips have few fighters left—they are in for a surprise if they try to clear the orbitals with them.”

“And Togura?”

Theodore smiled.  “If the Clan WarShips are here, they are not protecting their conquests—she is starting a series of raids against occupied worlds, raids aimed at destroying, or capturing, their JumpShips and supplies.  Let’s see how these Jaguars and Nova Cats enjoy that.”

Takashi laughed, and then his smiled faded.  He turned back to the monitor.  “Still, that ship, as unprepared and unready as she was, she managed to destroy three of our platforms.  If they come at us in strength . . .”

“We will hold.  The engineers at Luthien Armor Works tell me that they can produce a new BattleSat every week—and we have DropShips on the ground to ferry new platforms aloft and replace those destroyed in orbit.  No, Father, the orbitals will hold, unless they bring a many more ships to bear on us—and neither of these Clans has those ships available . . . according to both Wolf and ComStar.”

Takashi nodded.  “Good.  Soon enough, the Dragon will emerge in his full fury—you, my son, my Shogun, will lead our Armies and cast these invaders from our worlds.”

Theodore bowed.  “As the Dragon commands.”

Clan Smoke Jaguar Field Headquarters, Bayern
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
January 6, 3044

“Star Admiral Hoyt,” Brandon Howell said through clenched teeth, “I seem to recall that your missiles are capable of engaging and killing targets are far longer rangers than naval lasers, quiaff?”

“Aff,” the holographic projection of Janice Hoyt answered.  She started to say something else, but the Khan interrupted her.

“Then destroy the platforms and institute a close blockade!”

“Begging the Khan’s pardon,” a third voice spoke up, “but it is not that simple, my Khan.”

“And you are?”

“Star Captain Paul Knox, executive officer of Streaking Mist, my Khan.”

The corner of Howell’s mouth twitched and he sternly frowned at the young Jaguar—with the Mongoose Bloodname!—who had spoken up.  “Explain.”

“We can fire our capital missiles in bearing-only mode, my Khan, which gives us an engagement range far beyond that in which these defensive platforms can engage us.  But there are several difficulties with that approach.”

“First, the missiles will consume their fuel once fired, turning them into ballistic projectiles with no ability to make course corrections.  This is will also render the missiles extremely vulnerable to hostile point defense systems.  The range at which we would have to launch against these targets—which have maneuvering thrusts and can undertake limited evasive action, combined with the inability of our missiles to maneuver into the targets and the blanket of ECM that our opponents are smothering the orbitals with means that we are looking at around a 3% hit ratio for White Shark- and Killer Whale-class missiles; perhaps around 18-20% if we restrict ourselves to Barracuda-class capital missiles with their more accurate targeting systems.  Either way, we will run out of missiles long before we manage to achieve a single hit on every target.”

“Second,” the Jaguar continued, as he ignored the rapidly flushing face of his Khan, “an examination of Rangers engagement showed that the platforms are lightly armored—a single missile will not guarantee us a kill even if it hits, not even a Killer Whale-class which packs the largest warhead of any our capital missiles.”

“Third, the Kuritas pulled back the platforms into a very low orbit after we established our blockade.  While this means that fewer platforms can simultaneously target any one of our ships, it allows means that any misses will slam into the planet’s atmosphere—and with that heavy ECM coverage; I cannot ensure that any miss will self-destruct.  Which means, my Khan, that possibly as many as two-thirds of our misses, which could be as much as 97% of our total missiles fired, will impact the planetary surface with armed warheads.  And that violates the direct orders of ilKhan against indiscriminate planetary bombardment . . . my Khan.”

Brandon Howell bit his tongue and he forced himself to nod.  “Well, then, Star Captain Knox . . . what is your recommendation?”

“A fighter strike once we replace our lost birds, my Khan.  Naval lasers have little effectiveness against fighters and a single Star might well be able to destroy all of the platforms.  However, if the Combine has retained any fighters of their own, we might not be able to accomplish this; in which case we will have to move in and engage the targets with our shipboard weaponry.  Our WarShips can destroy the platforms by the dozens, my Khan, but we will take heavy damage if we try to bull through.  Perhaps you can make arrangements with the Ravens or Scorpions to use some of their ships in the assault?”

The eyes of the Jaguar Khan grew wide and his jaw worked, but he forced himself visibly to take a deep breath.  “Star Admiral Hoyt . . . do you concur?” he asked quietly.

Janice Hoyt slowly nodded.  “I do, my Khan.”

“Very well.  Maintain your blockade as best you are able—I will scrounge up replacement pilots and fighters from somewhere.  But know this, Star Captain Knox; if your plan fails, you will bear my wrath.”

And without another word, Howell cut the transmission.

Clan Stone Lion Field Headquarters, Bayern
Memmingen, Clan Goliath Scorpion Occupation Zone
January 6, 3044

Natasha Kerensky walked into her office and she offered the rising officer waiting for her a warm smile.  “Aidan, I trust there is not another problem?”

Aidan Pryde chuckled.  “Other than eight more Trials of Grievance fought between our Warriors over minor insults and bruised egos, my Khan, there are no problems worthy of being brought to your attention.”

The Black Widow sighed.  Damn fools . . . thinking only of their individual honor—even the free-births!  She shook her head and crossed over to her desk, only to come to a halt at the sight of the wooden crate sitting in her chair.

“A gift, saKhan?” she asked.

“More like a test, Khan Kerensky,” the former Falcon turned Stone Lion answered.  “You did say that the Kommandos needed a larger challenge . . . I provided them a worthy challenge and they rose to the occasion.”

As part of her new Clan, Natasha had formed up a group of Elementals and vehicle crewmen tasked with special operations—a wholly unappreciated endeavor of covert operations amongst the Clans.   So far, the Stone Lions Kommando Cluster consisted of just two Trinary of troops—finding Clan troopers with the proper mindset had proven rather . . . discouraging, she thought.  Still, they had managed to scrounge up a few, over the objections of other Khans and the ilKhan herself.

Natasha walked over to her chair and lifted the heavy crate, using her survival knife to pry up the nailed down lid and she shook her head again as she gazed upon the six bottles packed in straw within.  She began to laugh as she pulled one of the green tinted bottles out and read the label.

“Glenlivet single-malt Scotch, aged thirty-six years!  Aidan, you didn’t send the Kommando to raid Nikolai Djerassi’s cellar did you?”

The saKhan laughed.  “The Scorpion keeps his cellar more heavily guarded than his field headquarters, my Khan.  I thought it might serve as a good graduation exercise for the Kommando—they had orders to get in, grab their objective, and get out . . . without raising the alarm or killing any Scorpion defenders.  They did it.”

“So I see,” she answered with a smile as she began to cut away the wax seal holding the cork in place.  She laughed again as Aidan lifted a cork-screw; but she put aside the knife and took the utensil.  “Nikolai will be furious, you realize.  I would not put it past him to seek revenge in kind.”

Aidan shrugged.  “He is a Scorpion, my Khan.  Besides, we are all departing for Tukayyid on the morrow—he shall not have the time to properly come up with a method of retaliation.”

“True,” Natasha said with a grunt as the cork popped out of the narrow neck of the whiskey bottle.  Aidan put two glasses on her desk and she chuckled again.  “How did I ever deserve a saKhan like you, Aidan Pryde?”
“You do not,” he answered.  “Still, since the Falcons have expressed a desire to rid themselves of me, I might as well make myself useful to you.”

The Khan poured three fingers of the deep, smoky colored whiskey into each of the glasses, then she corked the bottle and lifted one; Aidan took the other.  “To victory, my saKhan,” she said.

“I think, after having read your analysis of our opponents, I would rather toast to Survival, my Khan,” as he clinked his glass against hers.

Both took a sip, and Natasha sat down with a groan.  “I need a shower,” she said.

“Yes.  Yes, you do, my Khan.”

“I see you are giving the touman a break tonight—why?”

“They have far to go yet, my Khan, but they have already united and become one unit faster than I thought possible.  We have rough patches, we still have holes in our formations, and they are still as argumentative as any Mandrill ever decanted—but they have drastically improved.  I wanted to give them one night to rejoice in being a Warrior before we board ship for Tukayyid.”

Natasha took another swallow of the stout whiskey and she nodded with a shrug.  “Your call, Aidan; be sure and keep guards posted on the HQ building though—do not underestimate Nikolai Djerassi, saKhan Pryde.  I am heading for the showers and then a meal before I grab some sleep.”

“It will be as you command, my Khan,” Aidan said with a bow as she drained the last of her whiskey and left the office.

The Steel Palace, Malcheema
Arcturus, Lyran Commonwealth, Federated Commonwealth
January 14, 3044

“Marshal Stephen Davion of the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth!” the door warden announced loudly.

Melissa Steiner-Davion stood from her seat behind the oak desk and she tried hard to keep her composure as she saw the exhausted, harrowed face of her husband’s cousin.  This was not the vibrant, confident man who had set out to raid the Isles a few short months ago.  Hanse also rose and Melissa squeezed his hand in support and her husband nodded slightly—clearly Stephen Davion had experienced a rough time.

Quintus Allard, Morgan Hasek-Davion, and Roman Steiner—Melissa’s new General of the Lyran Armies—stood as well in the spacious and ornate office deep within the original Palace of the Archons on the old capital world of Arcturus.

Marshal Davion stopped in front of the desk and bowed low.  “Your majesties,” he said simply.

“I thought we had lost you, Stephen,” said Hanse quietly in an effort to break the sudden and oppressive silence that fell over the room.  “And the Armored Cavalry as well.”

“You did, my Prince,” his cousin answered with a scowl on his face.  “My troops were defeated and taken captive—only the decision of their Khan to release us allowed the return of my fifty-seven survivors . . . without our ‘Mechs, fighters, DropShips, or JumpShips.  I will, of course, resign my commission in the wake of this . . . disaster.”

“Absolutely not!” snapped Hanse in reply.  “You have had more contact with these Clans than anyone else other in Our service . . . We shall need that perspective, Stephen.  And welcome home.”

“It is good to be back, my Prince.  Archon,” he said with a bow to Melissa, “I was released for a specific reason, to deliver unto you a message from Khan Nikolas Djerassi of Clan Goliath Scorpion.  Star Captain Jason Scott volunteered to accompany me and answer any of your questions—to provide you with living, breathing proof of the sincerity of the Scorpions proposal.  He is an ambassador, not a prisoner.”

“Some Ambassador,” Hanse snorted.  “Six—six!—of the men I sent aboard that DropShip to take him into custody remain in the hospital!”

“He was willing to be taken into custody, but he was not willing to be shackled like a criminal!  And Star Captain Scott did not start that confrontation—he defended himself after your guards slammed a rifle butt into his kidney!” Stephen snarled, and Hanse looked up in surprise.

“Marshal Davion, he is the enemy—remember that.”

Stephen lowered his head and he shook it.  “I fought them on Rondane—two-thirds of my Regiment died on Rondane, Prince Davion!  And even as a POW taken in combat and subject to being one of their bondsmen, I was never treated like that!  Nor were my . . .” Stephen’s voice cracked, and he had to pause and collect himself, “nor were any of my surviving men and women.  You didn’t capture that warrior in battle, he came here under a flag of truce to convey a message, and your guards deliberately provoked a confrontation!”

“Both of you stop,” Melissa said calmly as she sat.  “Why don’t we sit down and find out exactly why these Scorpions released Stephen?”

One by one, the others took their seats and Stephen nodded at the Archon.  “Khan Djerassi asked that I bear you a message, Archon Melissa; a message that might put an end to this war.  His plan . . .” and Stephen explained to the small group exactly what Nikolai had in mind.

Hanse barked out a laugh.  “Of course!  Why didn’t I think of this?  He just wants us to reform the Star League!  Doesn’t he know how the 1st Succession War started in the first place?”

“That was a different time, your Majesty,” Stephen answered softly.  “And we have united to fight against the Clans—it might just be possible if you and the Archon threw your weight behind it.”

“And throw away the Federated Commonwealth in the process!” Hanse snapped.  “We are this close to reuniting the Inner Sphere under one government already, and you expect us to derail that on the word of this Clan bastard?”

“Hanse,” Melissa said softly as she laid one hand on her husband’s forearm, and he subsided.  The Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth turned her stern gaze—so much like that of her mother Katrina, Stephen suddenly realized, on the former prisoner.  “Even if this is possible, which I doubt, why would Takashi Kurita bow down to Jaime Wolf?”

“He wouldn’t,” answered Stephen.  “Star Captain Scott and I have been discussing this for three weeks now, and he has doubts that Wolf would even accept such a position.  But he believes he has an idea who the Lords of the Great Houses would follow, especially if that person held the title of First Lord, but the true power rested with the Council—a Council which must include ComStar to offset the three votes of the Federated Commonwealth.”

Hanse grimaced at the idea and Quintus Allard shook his head, but Melissa just nodded.  “And that person would be?”

“You, Archon Steiner-Davion.  Thomas Marik and Takashi Kurita know well you are no puppet—you will make your own decisions, even if Hanse disagrees with them.  A few years ago, they might not have thought that, but today?  They recognize your worth.”

Melissa jerked upright in her chair, a shocked expression on her face.  “ME?” she whispered.

“You, Archon Steiner-Davion.  Thomas and Takashi will not follow Hanse; Takashi will see the Draconis Combine in ruins before he bows to Jaime Wolf—but you are a horse of a different color.  And reforming the League will bring this war to a sudden halt as the Clans find themselves in a philosophical quandary.”

“Philosophy doesn’t win wars, Marshal,” said Quintus Allard.  “Soldiers with guns win wars.”

“Even in war, moral power is to physical as three parts out of four.”

“Napoleon Bonaparte,” whispered Hanse.  “Still, they will know this is just a ploy.”

“Or is it?” asked Stephen.  “We can weld a new Star League out of this mess—and throw all of the Clans into chaos and confusion.  And in the process, the Scorpions will come to our side.”

“With two Galaxies,” muttered Morgan Hasek-Davion.  “Their WarShips will be appreciated, but their small number of Clusters will mean little overall.”

“Wrong.  Khan Djerassi is moving ALL of his Scorpions forward—seven Galaxies of front-line and second line troops, plus another twenty-eight Clusters of Garrison forces.  Fifty-seven Clusters of troops, Field Marshal, which he will command at the orders of the First Lord of the Star League.”

And absolute silence hung over the room, as even Hanse Davion blinked.

“Fifty-seven Clusters?” gasped Roman Steiner.  “Wolf said they are one of the smaller Clans!”

“They are,” Stephen agreed bluntly.  “If every Clan brought their full force forward, we could not stand against them!  The Bears alone—if they do the same—can field more than one hundred Clusters, both front-line and garrison.  Hanse we can stop what the Clans have here now, but what if they do not give up this fight?  What if they bring everything they have into the fray?”  Stephen shook his head.   â€œAt the very least, this plan might buy us time, not to mention a sudden infusion of fresh troops with Clan technology.  And they are bringing with them their scientists, their technicians, their merchants, and pre-fabricated factories to produce their own gear.  Have you given THAT any thought, Minister Allard?”

No one replied as each of the leaders in the room considered it carefully.  Finally, Melissa nodded.  “We will have to contact Thomas and Takashi; Candace and the Primus—and Jaime Wolf.  And all of this hinges on whether or not Jaime’s Grand Army can defeat their Tukayyid strike force.  When does that start?”

Stephen winced.  “They are scheduled to jump into the system in . . . three hours and fourteen minutes, your Majesty.”

The Archon of the Lyran Commonwealth nodded firmly and she stood, quickly followed by her husband, his cousin, and their advisors.  “In that case, we need to establish contact right away.  I will authorize the expenditure for a real-time HPG connection.”

“And if they are assaulting Tukayyid with this much, perhaps we can move the RCTs waiting their next onslaught into an offensive posture,” mused Hanse.

“Those RCTs will be busy,” Stephen said dryly.  “Khan Djerassi informed me that they launching Wave IV simultaneously, for the express purpose of stopping you from doing exactly that.”

“No matter,” said Melissa.  “It is in the hands of Our brave soldiers now—and Wolf’s.  We will concentrate on what we can accomplish—and I believe that I will have a discussion with Star Captain Scott.”

“Just make damn certain you have four centimeters of armored glass between you and him, Archon—he is liable to be just a little bit pissed right now,” Stephen said sourly.

“Ja,” added Roman Steiner.  “I read the medical reports—I would rather she spoke to him from the cockpit of a Warhammer.”

"You might be right, General Steiner," agreed Stephen.  "You might be right."