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What now the Vorlons are here

General Headquarters, McCarron’s Armored Cavalry
Douala, Menke
Capellan Confederation
November 2, 3025

“Audacious, Duchess Liao,” Archibald McCarron said as he closed the manila folder atop of his desk and turned his gaze to the youngest child of Maximillian Liao.  “I do not, however, see your father’s seal upon those orders—could there be a reason for that?”

“Father does not wish to be seen as overly aggressive, Colonel McCarron,” Romano answered in a bitter tone—she did not care for being questioned, Archibald thought.  Not one whit.  “That no longer matters; we have been given an opportunity here—the Concordat lies under Interdiction and we have the current Taurian Defense Force deployments.”

“And today, my Armored Cavalry is present on Menke in full strength—which gives you an opportunity to show that you are Candace’s equal, at least, in the realm of military operations . . . am I right, Your Grace?” Archibald drawled with a narrow smile on his face.

“Laconis and MacLeod’s Land lies defenseless before us, Colonel McCarron!” she snapped.  “Only their Constabulary and a handful of Noble’s Regiments stand against restoring these worlds to their legitimate Liao rule.”

“Legitimate?” the mercenary laughed.  “Your Grace, those worlds NEVER belonged to the Confederation.”

“History is written by the victors, Colonel,” Romano answered coldly.  “They will become Liao worlds in truth—the Home Guard, the Maskirovka, and our police forces stand ready to aid you; they will garrison the worlds once you conquer them.  And then we can turn our attention to the two largest prizes outside of the Hyades—Pinard and New Vandenberg.”

Archie inhaled deeply.  “Those worlds are not undefended, Your Grace.  Or even lightly defended.  And I will guaren-fucking-tee-you that the Taurians will fight tooth and nail for both of them.”

“Which is why the 5th Reserve Cavalry will be supporting your operations on Pinard as will Warrior House Fujita on New Vandenberg.”

“And the rumors that the Bulls have managed to salvage an honest-to-god WarShip, Your Grace?  What happens if that thing manages to crawl into orbit above a pair of my Regiments?”

Romano smiled.  “This operation will give our operatives a better chance to either . . . secure that vessel for ourselves or see it destroyed.  Of course,” she said with a sniff, “I can always let it be known that Archibald McCarron has become too cautious and unwilling to assume risks of war.  Jaime Wolf might well favor a new contract with the Liao, after all.”

“Don’t push me,” Archie growled, and he nodded as Romano drew back in sudden fright at his expression.  “You might well be the child of Maximillian Liao, but you are a LONG way from home, girl—and on this world, I make the rules.  So stop trying to play me,” he barked, and then he looked at the map and the closed folder and he sighed.  “Triple pay—no less, and we get 100% salvage.  Plus command rights over the entire operation.”

“THAT IS OBSCENE!” Romano howled.

“Then get your FATHER to affix his SEAL OF STATE to that order, girl!  Triple pay, ALL OF THE FUCKING SALVAGE, and TOTAL COMMAND RIGHTS, or you can get your ass on that DropShip and run back home to DADDY!”

Romano’s eyes flashed, but then she nodded.  “Fine,” she spat.  “I will remember this, McCarron.”

“See that you do, girl—and bear in mind, so will I.”

The youngest child of Maximillian Liao turned on her heel and she strode—almost ran—from the office.  Archie stood there for a moment and then he nodded.  He lifted the phone.  “Brett?” he asked as a voice on the far end answered.  “Leadership meeting—all five regiments—thirty minutes, in the main briefing hall.  And upload all of our maps on Laconis, MacLeod’s Land, Pinard, and New Vandenberg.”  He winced as the voice on the far end came through much louder.  “Yeah, the Taurian Concordat—load them!” Archie ordered and then he slammed down the phone.

   very nice update! 

What a great summer read!

Myndo dead, thank Blake! Couldn’t happen to a nicer person. Looks like Mori has secured a seat on the new First Circuit. I wouldn’t be surprised if one or two of the original Circuit backed ROMs move and/or was captured only to see the light.

The search for the Lost Taurians begun. Did you have a destination in mind MA? Like one appearing on the maps in ISP3??

Big Mac attack the Concordat. I don’t know if things don’t go just right the Capellans will disavow the entire operation. It wouldn’t surprise me.

There goes Michael being an ass again. So much for an alliance if this boob attacks.

General Headquarters, Taurus Defense Force
Mount Santiago Defense Complex, Taurus
Taurian Concordat
November 4, 3025

Thomas Calderon leaned over the table-sized map showing the systems of the Taurian Concordat and those which surrounded them; he leaned and he frowned.  “You are leaving the entire eastern-half of the Concordat virtually undefended!” he bellowed.  “Only Perdition and Sterope have been provided with any of our BattleMech forces!”

“Yet every single one of your worlds has at least one battalion of armor and more than a regiment of infantry—some of those worlds have divisions of tanks, Protector Calderon, and entire corps of infantry, supported by artillery and conventional aircraft.  Plus the Constabulary units,” Helena said.  “Right now, at this moment, the entire TDF BattleMech reserve—including mercenary units—consists of forty battalions.  Forty.  Sure, our battalions are larger—but we still have just forty of them.”  She paused as Thomas glared at her, and then she sighed.  “Protector,” she said, “just what does those systems out towards Badlands have that Davion wants?  Other than Perdition and Sterope and their factories?”

Thomas stood silently as he fumed and considered the map, and Helena nodded.  “Exactly.  They have nothing that Hanse Davion wants or desires—NOTHING.  The prize that our enemies desire is HERE,” she said as she pounded the western-half of the table.  “Pinard.  New Vandenberg.  The mines at New Ganymede.  The Hyades.  If we lose New Vandenberg alone, we will have lost more people and industry than Amber Grove, Sterope, Euschelus, Perdition, Grossbach, Logan's Land, Norman's World, Dicallus, Celentaro, Organo, Cyrton, and Althea's Choice combined.”  She paused as the military officers at the table slowly began to nod their heads.

"Flaum, Burton, Illiushin, Renfield, and Camadeierre are too far distant from Davion or Liao to be of great concern, and they are lightly populated with little industry of any note," Helena continued.  "That leaves us with Mithron, Atreus Prime, New Ganymede, New Vallis, Jansen's Hold, MacLeod's Land, Laconis, Brisbane, Pinard, New Vandenberg, and Landmark . . . plus the worlds here in the Hyades."

She took a deep breath.  "Atreus Prime and Landmark are close enough for a deep-strike to hit . . . but they have little of value.  And Brisbane, while home to rather stunning waters and beaches, has little industry to offer a conqueror.  We have EIGHT systems, plus the Hyades to concentrate our forces on.  That will allow us to put four battalions each on New Ganymede, New Vallis, Jansen's Hold, MacLeod's Land, Laconis, Pinard, and New Vandenberg, with three more on Mithron—an unlikely target, but one we can still cover—and that accounts for thirty-one battalions with two more in the eastern sectors . . . leaving seven battalions in reserve here on Taurus for rapid deployment anywhere we need them.  And ALL of deployments are within one or two jumps of the capital.  So if we HAVE to, we can shift troops quickly and in CONCENTRATED FORCE."

Helena sighed as Thomas still glared at her and shook his head defiantly.  Cursing under her breath, she circled the table and grabbed his jaw, jerking his head up and around to stare directly in his one natural eye.  “Listen to me, Protector Calderon!  We cannot be strong everywhere!  We made that mistake in the first decade of the Reunification War—and we fucking LOST because of it!  Yes, the eastern systems are extremely vulnerable, but that is the price we have to pay to hold onto what we have!”  She stepped back and released Thomas as astonished Marshals and Colonels just stared at her—and a shocked Thomas Calderon sputtered and gawked, unable to form words.

“If necessary to make the point, I will hand you my resignation, Protector Calderon, effective as of this moment,” she said, laying her baton upon the table and letting it roll.  “This deployment scheme—arrived at by your officers and my staff—gives us absolutely the best damned chance of stopping any invasion of our CRUCIAL systems dead cold!  If you insist on defending everything, everywhere, we WILL lose it all—and Sir, I won’t watch that happen again.  I won’t.”

Henri licked dry lips and he began to open his mouth—at the same time as Brenda Calderon; but both were interrupted as Thomas Calderon began to laugh.  He laughed and he slammed an open palm upon the table.

“THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how you fucking tell me NO when I am wrong.  All right, Marshal Vickers—issue the orders for redeployment.”

Helena smiled.  “The couriers left three days ago, Sire,” she said, and Thomas began to chuckle again.

“You and I—we have got to play some poker together one afternoon, Marshal,” the Protector said.

“Poker?  What’s that?  A game?  I love trying new games,” Helena asked innocently as she batted her eyelids, and the senior military officials of the Concordat began to laugh.

“Very well,” Thomas said after a moment, when he finished laughing and shaking a finger at Helena Vickers.  “I don’t like it—but as Marshal Vickers points out, we don’t have all that many options,” he finished sourly.  “Approved.  And gentlemen?  Ladies?  Let your Brigadiers know that if an invasion comes I don’t want a single one of those son-of-a-bitches to get away.  Not one.”

I love her. That is an officer that my clan would love.

MORE MORE MORE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!