Impetus of War Page 3

  Unlike the rest of The Fort, the U-shaped Hall of Warriors was constructed of wood. At one end was an elevated platform with a table for the four Colonels commanding the four regiments of the Highlanders. Flanking the platform, the one hundred warriors sat at solid oak tables equipped with computer terminals and other sophisticated equipment. Most wore the traditional kilts and heavy boots favored by MechWarriors and aerospace pilots. Dress uniforms were considered inappropriate for the Assembly of Warriors.

  The lighting built into the walls was dim but adequate as Loren descended the few steps leading down to the sod floor of the chamber. All around him other members of the Assembly were also filing in and finding their places on the wooden benches behind the tables. In addition to a monitor, each seat had access to high-speed communications arrays for accessing presentation data as well as casting votes on matters brought before the Assembly. Right now the displays were blank.

  Loren sat down and adjusted the woolen tartan kilt around his legs. Wearing it had been the thing hardest to get used to since joining the Highlanders. The rich wool of the kilt often made his legs itch during stuffy formal occasions such as long meetings, and worse was the fact that the traditional uniform did not call for undergarments. The black shirt had long tails that could be tied in the crotch for some degree of "support," but the sensation was drafty, and always would be uncomfortable.

  He caught sight of Chastity Mulvaney looking around for a seat. "Major Mulvaney," Loren said, smiling and gesturing for her to take the empty place next to him.

  She walked up, then stood there for a moment, arms crossed over her chest, narrowing her eyes slightly. "Don't be so smug, Loren. I've seen the regimental combat assessment. You won, I lost. Let it drop or I'll drop it for you."

  Theirs had been a love/hate relationship from the start, and that hadn't changed over time. She was the perfect match for Loren, both on and off the field of battle. His command battalion had beaten hers in the recent exercise between the Kilsyth Guards and MacLeod's Regiment, but that didn't mean she wouldn't beat him next time. Some things defy words. I don't have to tell her how I feel, she knows it. Just like I know her feelings.

  Loren shrugged, but before he could say anything more their attention was drawn by the arrival of the commanding officers of the Northwind Highlanders. As the four Colonels filed in, Loren thought how different each one was from the rest. Where MacLeod's Regiment was known for its wildness and recklessness, Colonel Edward Senn's First Kearny Regiment had a reputation for conservative stubbornness. Loren smiled to himself, thinking of his time as one of MacLeod's "Bad Boys" in the recent battle for Tara. The Second Kearny, under the stone-faced Colonel James D. Cochraine, was considered the most impassioned of the regiments, often rushing into battle more on emotion than common sense. Colonel Andrea Stirling had been raised in that unit before taking command of the Fusiliers from Henrietta McCormack. It was Stirling's cunning and inventiveness on the battlefield that had earned her regiment the same reputation.

  The four proceeded in single file to the commander's table, then turned to face the gathered warriors, who instantly stood, snapping to attention. Loren felt a rush, a slight pounding in his ears, the kind of warm pride he used to feel when in the presence of the Chancellor.

  "As you were," Colonel Senn said. As commander of the senior regiment of the Northwind Highlanders, Senn presided over the Assembly of Warriors when not on active duty.

  As all took their seats, Senn waited for the sounds to die down before speaking again. "I remind you all that the proceedings of this Assembly are sealed by covenant, and since this is the formal opening of contract negotiations, you are all bound by the security accords of the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission."

  All four Highlander regiments were currently on Northwind because the unit had not been taking assignments while trying to rebuild after losing almost a full regiment's worth of troops in the fighting with the Davions. Colonel James D. Cochraine had taken a seat at the far left of the table. Next to him was Colonel William MacLeod. Then came Colonel Senn, and finally the seat on the far right was occupied by Loren's own Colonel Stirling.

  "Sergeant at Arms," Colonel Senn said to the Warrant Officer who stood at the door. The man opened the door, admitting three people all dressed in their most formal garb.

  "Welcome, honored guests," Senn said and motioned the group forward.

  Of the three emissaries, the obvious leader was a female of medium height, wearing a blue and green silk kimono. She moved with an air of regal grace, her shining black hair drawn back from her pale skin in a style that was at once severe yet elegant.

  Loren recognized her instantly. Omi Kurita. Daughter of Coordinator Theodore Kurita of the Draconis Combine. Her presence on Northwind was an unofficial acknowledgement of the planet's newly won independence. As she gracefully took the steps leading to the platform where the Colonels sat, Loren studied the other two dignitaries. One wore the white uniform of a Combine MechWarrior, her stature and regal posture falling just short of Omi's The rank insignia on her uniform collar marked her as a Sho-sa, the DCMS equivalent of Loren's own rank of Major. The brilliant blue emblem on her shoulder told more of the story—it was the raging tidal wave of the Genyosha Regiment.

  Loren didn't need the Warrant Officer's introduction to also recognize the second woman instantly, though for a very different reason. Anyone who'd ever studied the Battle of Luthien in which the Combine military and some of the Inner Sphere's best mercs had defeated a Clan attempt to capture the Combine's capital world would know that this was Ruth Horner.

  Loren had found her writings on Clan tactics eye-opening, and he thought her book and other papers could easily serve as a bible for field officers. Six years ago on Luthien she'd been a Tai-i in the Genyosha and had led a stunning raid against the Smoke Jaguars in the Waseda Hills outside of Luthien. Loren only hoped he could do as well when his time came.

  The third figure wore a gray jumpsuit bearing the star symbol of ComStar on her left chest, over the heart. The piping on her rounded collar showed the insignia of the Com Guards and the rank of Precentor. The Warrant Officer introduced her as Precenter Mercedes Laurent of the Explorer Corps as she also took her place on the stage.

  Loren leaned over and spoke in a whisper to Chastity. "Omi Kurita, here, on Northwind. This has to be something important, something really big." A few short years ago, before the Clans arrived, it would have been unthinkable for a member of the Combine's ruling house to show his or her face on Northwind, a world the Combine had attacked and tried to take during the Fourth Succession War. Times had indeed changed, and with them, the Highlanders as well.

  Chastity nodded. "They asked to meet with us here rather than on Outreach." Outreach was the world where mercenaries arrived from near and far seeking employment under the official auspices of the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission. It was also the home of Wolfs Dragoons, the famous mercenaries who'd once been Clansmen and who'd tried to teach the militaries of the Inner Sphere how to fight the seemingly invincible invaders. That Theodore Kurita had bypassed the usual hiring procedures and channels was noteworthy.

  Omi stood with hands at her side, her posture erect yet somehow relaxed. She let her gaze travel around the room, then brought it back to the table of Colonels. "Members of the Northwind Highlanders and esteemed commanders of the unit, I bring you warm greetings from Coordinator Theodore Kurita of the Draconis Combine."

  "Thank you, Kurita Omi-sama" said Colonel Cochraine. "This is the first time the Assembly of Warriors has ever entertained a representative of the Combine, and your presence and purpose here surely signal the beginning of a new era in relations between our peoples. We are honored to have a visitor of such distinction as our guest on Northwind."

  Loren knew there was much in the Colonel's words. Only recently had Northwind finally managed to gain its full independence from the Federated Commonwealth, though it was not clear whether Victor Davion acknowledged that status or n
ot. This visit by Omi Kurita gave validity to their independence, even if it was not an official recognition.

  The Federated Commonwealth—whatever was left of it— and the Combine had buried the hatchet ever since deciding to join together against a common foe. Only a fool would believe that Theodore Kurita would send his daughter here to Northwind without first letting Prince Victor Davion know of his intent. Maybe Victor would overlook this breach of formal diplomatic channels taking place under his very nose because he knew it concerned a mission against the Clans.

  "Colonel Senn, your words are welcomed by both myself and the Coordinator. I assure you that we do not view your newly won independence as a threat, but rather as an opportunity for us to know each other better." Omi spoke in controlled tones, carefully measuring each word.

  "The Coordinator sends a gift to the Northwind Highlanders, a gesture of goodwill," she went on, beginning to unroll a bolt of cloth that Sho-sa Horner handed to her. The cloth was red and yellow and bordered with green. At the apex of the banner was a distinctive inverted triangle with the green outline of a bagpiper—the symbol of the First Kearny Regiment. As Omi Kurita lifted it high for all to see, it was obvious that it was a battle standard, a flag carried by a command post in the field. This one was old, faded and worn and torn in one corner.

  "This battle standard was once carried by your First Kearny Regiment. During the battle of Lincoln in 2802 our forces managed to capture it. Winning a battle against the Northwind Highlanders was a matter of great pride for our troops. The Coordinator has asked that I return this to its rightful owners as a gesture of good faith from him personally and the people of the Draconis Combine. He also asked me to give you this message: May we never again face each other across a field of battle, but stand together against our common foe. We are both people who appreciate honor among warriors. Please accept this in the name of that honor."

  "A common foe ..." The Clans.

  Colonel Senn rose from his seat and walked, slowly and methodically to where the Coordinator's daughter stood. It was his regiment that had lost the standard in the fighting on Lincoln centuries before his birth. He took the antique banner and folded it with great reverence over one arm, then stood looking at Omi Kurita for a long moment, unmoving, unspeaking. When he finally reached out to bow and kiss the young woman's fingers, the gathered warriors let out a spontaneous roar of applause. Loren joined in, as did Mulvaney.

  The clapping subsided as Colonel Senn returned to his seat, laying the banner carefully out in front of him as if it were a holy relic. "On behalf of the Northwind Highlanders, please express our deepest thanks to the Coordinator for this gift. We accept it in the name of those who have gone before us, in honor not only of the warriors of Highlander blood, but those honorable samurai of the Draconis Combine."

  It was Colonel Stirling who broke the formality of the proceedings. She was well-known for playing the role of rebel, wild and unpredictable. "I honor the gift ye've brought to us," she said, her Scots burr suddenly more evident than usual. "You have brought something else of interest to this esteemed Assembly, though. You came to discuss a contract, did ye not?"

  Loren smiled to himself. She is indeed a cat through and through. She uses her accent when it suits her needs, to keep, her victims always wondering just who they're facing.

  Omi smiled slightly too as if acknowledging something-she had heard about Stirling's boldness. "Yes, Colonel Stirling, I have brought an offer of contract for the Northwind Highlanders. Sho-sa Horner of the Genyosha will go over the mission specifics." She handed a small optical laser disk to Colonel Stirling who slipped it into the arm of her chair. Then Omi Kurita stepped aside as Horner came forward. On the table monitors in front of each officer, maps and displays came up for them to scroll through.

  "As you probably know, the Coordinator has been working with ComStar's Explorer Corps, hoping to locate the homeworlds of the Clans." Ruth Horner glanced over at the ComStar Precentor, who nodded in confirmation. It was really no secret that Theodore Kurita's one and only aim was to beat the Clans.

  "That is how we came to identify the planet I have come to talk to you about today. Its name is Wayside V. Planetary topographical data is coming up on your screens now."

  The faces of many showed puzzlement when Horner spoke the world's name. Wayside? Loren thought he'd studied virtually every world in the Inner Sphere, but this was not one he'd ever heard of. Judging by the expressions of those around him, he wasn't the only one.

  Sho-sa Horner read their faces and quickly explained. "I realize that none of you has ever heard of Wayside V. That's because the planet is not in the Inner Sphere. The mission I come to offer you today is a chance to take the fight to the Clans themselves."

  A long silence followed that announcement until Colonel MacLeod shattered it with a question directed at Mercedes Laurent. "What is ComStar's position in all this, Precentor? It was ComStar that negotiated the Treaty of Tukayyid that's supposed to keep us and the Clans from attacking each other for fifteen years. The Highlanders don't want to be party to anything that would spark a new war with the Clans."

  "A good question, Colonel," the Precentor said. "But Wayside V is not in the Clan Occupation Zone here in the Inner Sphere. It is a Clan holding in the Deep Periphery. I have been authorized to turn over all Explorer Corps data gathered on this world, as well as mappings of jump points to and from the system."

  Her words explained much to Loren about why none of this was happening on Outreach. Such an important mission was not the kind of thing either Theodore Kurita or his ComStar associates would want leaked. Using the table-monitor controls he quickly found a star map showing the location of the world, weeks by JumpShip from even the most remote world in the Combine.

  Ruth Horner was speaking again as he brought the map into focus. "Wayside "V is apparently a Smoke Jaguar supply base, and one we suspect might be part of the route back to the Clan homeworlds. The contract I offer is for a regiment of Highlanders to lead an assault on Wayside, plus one relief battalion for garrison duties once the mission is achieved. The goal is to engage and destroy the Clan force there and claim the planet for the Draconis Combine."

  A buzz of commentary immediately rose up among the gathered warriors, but Colonel Senn broke through the murmurs with his own crisp voice. "You are asking us to seize an uncolonized world that no known person in the Inner Sphere has even visited before, is that correct?"

  Everyone understood only too well what he was saying. For the past three centuries the Highlanders had fought all their battles on planets that had been mapped thousands of times, with dangers and hazards all known and understood, right down to the weather patterns.

  Sho-sa Horner smiled. "That's right," she said. "From the satellite recons we and the Explorer Corps have been running, we know the Jaguars have set up structures that undoubtedly serve as warehouses for supplies. Hitting this planet and taking it from them is important to the Combine. For one thing, it would force the Jaguars to divert resources into setting up another supply base. And every Clan unit involved in such activity is one less sitting poised to strike along our border."

  Horner took a step forward as though to impress her listeners with the urgency of her words. "The Combine has lost many worlds to the Clan invasion. Thus far we have fought on our own worlds to regain them. This would be different. We would be taking the fight to the Clans, taking back one of their planets. This Wayside V may or may not be of major importance to their overall operations, but taking something they claim would have a profound effect on our people."

  Loren knew she was right. Wayside V could serve as a glimmer of hope, a rallying point. Such symbolic victories were often as crucial as major military ones.

  "From data gathered by the Explorer Corps, the planet seems to house a single Provisional Garrison Cluster. As you can see, our computers have tagged the 'Mechs present as second-line Clan models. No OmniMechs and no aerospace elements were detected."

  "You're
proposing to send in quite an army to take on one second-line Clan cluster, are ye not?" Colonel Stirling asked.

  Horner nodded firmly. "Going in with a full combat regiment and reinforcing it afterward with a battalion is our only hope of taking the world, given the age of our intelligence. If we fail in the first attempt, the Jaguars will simply increase the size of their garrison. We would never get another chance."

  Loren looked at the data. The 'Mechs were older Clan models. That didn't mean they weren't every bit as deadly, but they wouldn't be the top-of-the-line 'Mechs the Clans deployed in their front-line units. His eyes shifted to the overlap maps of Wayside V, his eyes widening in disbelief. This information has to be wrong, no world is laid out this way.

  Ruth Horner was still talking. "The terrain of Wayside poses a challenge of its own, as I'm sure some of you have already noted. At one time in its history it suffered a meteor or comet strike that stripped away the upper atmosphere to almost nothing. The continents themselves were laid waste and are very cold, oxygen-less environments still.

  "The former ocean floors became the only places capable of supporting life. When their water levels plummeted, the continental surfaces became uninhabitable. Only the deepest parts of the former ocean beds still contain water; the rest of the former sea bottoms represent the only habitable areas. The Jaguars have set up their operations in one of these former oceans on the shore of one of the few water bodies that still exist on the planet."

  Mulvaney leaned forward and whispered into Loren's ear as he stared at the display. "The damn place is upside down. 'Mechs could operate on those airless continents, but all it would take is one cockpit hit and you'd be toast in a matter of minutes."