Act 2 - Bargaining[]
With A Bared Sword[]
Chapter 45[]
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Mount Asgard, Tharkad
Donegal March, Federated Commonwealth
31 January 3058
The septic green of Clan Jade Falcon pierced the map of the Federated Commonwealth.
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Insignia of Clan Jade Falcon
That had been the case for years now, but since Tukayyid no more worlds had fallen to the Clans’ talons. That couldn’t be said now, and the blow hadn’t fallen against the fortified and garrisoned worlds that lined the border.
“What do we know?” Caesar Steiner asked evenly as Victor studied the display. The young - comparatively, he was Reinhart’s father - general had only just arrived on Tharkad. There hadn’t been time yet for him to take over from Nondi. In fact, Victor had had no chance yet to break the news to his aunt that her replacement had been decided.
The commander of the Lyran State Command wasn’t even here yet - she and Morgan Hasek-Davion had been spelling each other, twelve hours on and twelve off, for weeks as preparations were made to deal with the threat to the Terran Corridor.
Morgan was beginning to show the signs of strain at that, lines deeper on his face. Even a touch of white at his temples that hadn’t been there until… Well, not since Victor’s accession to the throne. “The Jade Falcons hit without warning. The worlds are well behind the frontlines and only have militias protecting them.”
Engadine was shown as having probably fallen by now - the last news was long enough ago that the outcome was predictable. Neerabup and Willunga had been hit next and Victor suspected that the latter world had also fallen, although Neerabup was a little better defended. It was only a matter of time though. As for Bucklands, the only news was that Jade Falcon JumpShips had arrived, but the pattern was unmistakable.
“How are they doing this?” he asked. “Our projections were that Clan Wolf had done so much damage that the Jade Falcons would be recovering for months yet.”
“We have a possible answer for that,” the representative of the Intelligence Secretariat reported. Curaitis had been heavily involved in the hunt for evidence to convict Ryan Steiner and his promotion had been a reward for that. He still looked as if he would rather be in the field, to Victor - although the Archon-Prince suspected he might be projecting his own feelings. “Our latest reports from Wotan have taken time to arrive,” the man added, before anyone could ask why his information hadn’t been made available until now. “But there is evidence that Clan Jade Falcon has absorbed much of the Wolves’ surviving military strength. It’s possible that this also includes their territory.”
“They were just clawing each other to death a few weeks ago,” muttered Caesar. “I can’t see them working smoothly together.”
“It’s almost entirely speculative,” Curaitis said, “But this expedition might be intended to bond them with the Jade Falcons against a mutual foe.”
Victor wished Phelan was here to consult, but they had a considerable amount of data on the Clans now. “What exactly was reported?”
The spy checked his noteputer. “Clan Wolf equipment was being repainted by work gangs into Jade Falcon colors, and the Jade Falcon leader made a grand ceremony out of cutting the bondcords of several individuals whose names match senior officers within Clan Wolf - mostly Star Colonels but at least one Galaxy Commander.”
Caesar nodded in understanding. “It would make a great deal of sense on a purely military basis,” he said. “Both Clans are depleted by their conflict, not to mention Phelan Kell’s defection to us. Combining their strength might be as much about warding off threats from the other Clans as anything else.”
Victor leant over the map. “They’re still using that strength against us. And we have limited options to counter them.”
Morgan nodded. “We already stripped what we could from the frontlines to deal with the Free Worlds League. Of course, if the bulk of the Jade Falcon strength is here then it’s possible we can afford to move more regiments away…”
“If.” The Archon-Prince shook his head. “The Steel Vipers are still there and as far as we can tell they’re unscathed. Do we have any indications that a new ilKhan has been appointed?”
Curaitis frowned. “Not clearly. There was a Grand Kurultai scheduled on Wotan but we do not have reports yet of anything being announced - news could be on our way, but if so it has not arrived. We also have no reports yet of other Clans’ leadership setting out.”
“They might be meeting by HPG proxy,” Morgan speculated. “We know they make much more liberal use of HPGs for real time communication than ComStar does.”
“So we don’t know.”
“If an IlKhan had been appointed, news would likely have reached worlds nearer to us quite rapidly,” the spy noted. “At least, I would expect the Jade Falcons to be celebrating if their leader was elected. We have no reports of that, and having defeated Ulric Kerensky, it seems likely that Khan Crichell would have been a leading candidate. Our profile on him suggests that he would make much of such an achievement.”
Victor exhaled slowly. “The Truce of Tukayyid is effectively a dead letter then. The Jade Falcons might just be the first Clan to move - although why they’d hit us out there, I do not know.”
Caesar joined him at the table and reached into the holographic display. “Perhaps it is just what it looks like,” he said. “They have outflanked us. Look at where their line of advance will take them.”
The four worlds in question formed an irregular diamond, elongated with the first to he struck nearest to the periphery and Bucklands the deepest inside the Commonwealth. Victor watched his cousin’s finger trace the direction of travel further, past other worlds that to him were little more than names on the map even if they were home to millions of his citizens. But soon the finger found something more substantial. “Coventry.” One of the most important industrial worlds of the Commonwealth.
“And beyond it, if we assume the truceline is not restraint.” Caesar’s finger continued until it pointed at another world. The world they all stood upon. “Tharkad. Unless we hear otherwise, I must assume that the Jade Falcons are coming here.”
Morgan folded his arms. “I cannot argue with that. I hope you are wrong, but in that case we must stop them. Tharkad isn’t just the capital. Beyond its political and economic might, it’s at a key junction in logistical routes: almost every major JumpShip lane in this half of the Lyran Commonwealth goes through this system or those around it.”
The Archon-Prince closed his eyes wearily. “If we cannot afford to pull back from the Tamar March then we have only one option for where to pull a response force from.” His eyes went to the cluster of regiments that was assembling near the border between Donegal and Skye, preparing to move up en masse to relieve Callison.
There was ripple of concern from around the room and Victor turned, looking around. “I don’t like the idea. If anyone has any alternatives, however junior you are, then speak up. But Thomas Marik has offered me an armistice - a negotiated settlement that recognizes most of his gains. If I use the task force we’ve spent the last weeks assembling to fight him then we may lose Coventry or even Tharkad.”
No one said anything.
“I am open to any reasonable alternative,” he continued. “I will be breaking promises made to those already fighting in the Terran Corridor if I take Marik’s terms. I do not want to do this. But -”
“I see no other way,” Caesar Steiner said quietly. His words were audible. “Your highness, I volunteer to lead those regiments to Coventry. We can have them there before the Jade Falcons arrive, unless they ignore every world in their path.”
Morgan walked to the table, circling it, eyes on the display as if viewing it from another angle would open up another option. Then he shook his head. “I am sorry, Victor. I believe you are right. And if that is the case…”
“Then I need Thomas Marik’s agreement now. He will learn of this attack soon,” Victor pointed out. “His terms will be harsher once he knows we are facing another attack, one from the other flank.”
And still, no one else was able to come up with a realistic alternative. Or if they did, they did not voice it.
Victor nodded. “The responsibility is mine.” Surely the blame will be. “Morgan, get our forces moving back towards Coventry. Caesar, I appreciate your offer but I need you here. I will lead the task force personally. That was always my plan, and I am as prepared to fight Clan Jade Falcon as anyone else would be.”
Also, Kathy had handed over control of the Sarna March back to David Sandoval a week ago. She was on her way back to New Avalon - if things went disastrously, she would be in a secure position to salvage whatever could be done from the wreckage. The last few months had proven she had the ability to do so.
He turned to leave and then paused. “Morgan, we never heard back from the spyship we sent to Sirius?”
Morgan grimaced. “No.”
“Something is up there. The Marik offer seems to be on the assumption that we control those worlds. Since he hasn’t asked for them, we may be in a fractionally better position than we thought. I’ll try to get him to drop Callison from his claims, but if he doesn’t have those worlds, I’d rather not lose those worlds to whoever does.”