Act 1 - Anger[]
With A Bared Sword[]
Chapter 8[]
<<Previous Chapter - Return to Story Index - Next Chapter>>
Fox’s Den, New Avalons
Crucis March, Federated Commonwealth
13 December 3054
The news would hit the media tomorrow. The delay was a courtesy, to let the AFFC have their statements prepared. The raw data was on Kate’s desk though, courtesy of her family. Most leutnants kept their desks in a shared office, but the amount of classified information she saw meant that she’d been give a secure space to review it.
Deployment back to Avalon City had been refreshing in some ways, choking in others. But this news. Kate re-read the messages and leant back in her chair rubbing her temples.
A knock on her door had the blonde reflexively slap the lockdown controls on her console. She worked her way around the tight space of the cubicle to unlock the door. It might be a private office but it was still sized for her rank, which didn’t entitle her to much more here in Fox’s Den, where even a Kommandant might not be trusted to do much more than fetch coffee.
“Hi!” Clara Rowan greeted her. “Ready to go grab dinner.”
Kate glanced back at her desk.
“No!” the other leutnant in her company exclaimed. “Come on, Kate! Not again!”
“Sorry, Clara.” This was the third time she’d had to cancel going out with the other junior officers, meaning she’d missed more than half the gatherings since being deployed back to the capital.
“The Inner Sphere is always on fire somewhere,” Clara chided her. “You need to live for yourself sometime. I’d understand if you had a hot date…”
Kate chuckled. “Given that we have to maintain the dignity of the regiment in or out of uniform, it’s not like I’d get up too much if I did.” Regulations were tight for the New Avalon CMM, their deployments were too visible for General Payne to accept even the slightest gaffe. They might not have seen action since the Fourth Succession War, but they saw the public almost every day.
The other leutnant folded her arms under her chest. “And this isn’t an excuse for you to be digging out old technical specifications again?”
“I’ve never canceled on you for that,” she edged around the truth. She’d never canceled but there were a couple of invitations that she had declined invitations in order to make time for research.
Clara gave her a suspicious look and Kate raised her hands. “You’ll probably hear about it in the news tomorrow.”
“It’s not your brother, right?”
“As far as I know, he’s still enjoying his romance with frontline combat duty,” the younger officer assured him. “I swear, if he loses his ‘mech, he'll moon around like he’s been widowed.”
“At last, some way that royalty is like the rest of us,” Clara chuckled and then patted Kate’s shoulder. “Dispossession is nothing to joke about, Kate. It happened to my uncle back when he was with the Deneb Light Cavalry.”
“How did he cope?”
Clara’s smile was swept away. “He didn’t.”
Kate flinched back. “I’m sorry. I didn’t know that.”
“I don’t usually bring it up.” Clara forced her smile back up. “This is why you should spend more time getting to know us!”
“You’re right. I’ll try to catch up to you,” she promised. “I don’t know how long this will take, but keep a seat for me.” That shouldn’t be a problem, they’d reserved enough seats for everyone.
“Will do.”
Kate watched her comrade depart and then went back to her console, unlocking it and reading the reports for the third time. This would be a lot of ammunition for the voices who were already complaining about her mother’s leadership.
Considering her options, she checked the clock and then selected a rarely used commcode. “Hello. This is Leutnant Steiner-Davion. Please ask the Field Marshal if he has any time for me to visit before he finishes for the evening.”
The sergeant major on the other end of the line didn’t hesitate. “Of course, leutnant. The Field Marshal’s last appointment just arrived, so if you come right in then you can see him right after that. I’ll let security know to expect you.”
“That is much appreciated,” Kate said, knowing that no other leutnant in Fox’s Den could have had that request approved. Most Colonels would have had to wait and at least been asked why they wanted the meeting. Another privilege that she hadn’t really earned.
Setting her console to cover for her absence, as she didn’t expect to return before morning, Kate checked her uniform in the mirror on the back of the door. The face that looked back was regal and confident, it clearly wasn’t her, but the uniform was immaculate.
The CMM’s portion of the Fox’s Den was one of the more shallow sections, they were part of the security not a core function of the subterranean headquarters complex. Kate took a monorail to one of the checkpoints leading deeper, where grim-looking men and women with no rank tabs and black uniforms checked her pass and then required she submit to an optical scan to match her against their database.
Another monorail crept through a hydroponic farm intended to feed everyone in the Den if it was ever cut off from outside supply, and then through a residential area where artificial lights played across apartment buildings that housed the permanent internal security detachment and staff officers who elected not to live outside.
Finally the train penetrated several bulkheads and Kate disembarked at another security checkpoint. She was one of the few heading in at this time of day. Several dozen officers and NCOs - more the former than the latter - were waiting for the train and the crowd shuffled around her to board, barely giving her room to get through.
The security check was even more stringent this time, including a patdown and being swept several times with sensor wands before she went in. Only after this was she allowed to enter an elevator that led down to the most secure levels of the Den. Kate believed there were only two ways to enter these floors - this one and the dedicated monorail from Castle Davion, for use by the First Prince, his Champion and other high officers alone. Unfortunately, she didn’t have clearance to use it herself or she could have commuted from her apartments there every day.
Kate’s destination was one of the offices adjoining the main strategic planning center where the high command would gather to plan operations across the entire Inner Sphere. She didn’t try to enter that holy of holies, going directly to the outer office of the man she was here to see.
The sergeant-major greeted her warmly. “Would you like some coffee, leutnant? The Field Marshal will be a little longer.”
“I’m fine thank you.” She was waved to a couch and ignored the magazines available on a table in the corner to look at the painting on the wall opposite. A Battlemaster in the colors of the Davion Guard was fighting against black and green ‘mechs. The background was dark and it took her a moment to recognise the skyline as that of Avalon City, with Castle Davion in the background.
Kate had never been here before, much less known what was on the wall.
The door opening dragged her out of staring at the artwork. She stood respectfully as two naval officers - an admiral and her aide - made their exit. Turning to the door, she saw the man she was visiting leaning on the door frame. “You’ve never seen it before?” he asked.
“No.” The rest of the New Avalon CMM hated hearing of that battle, the fight they should have been there for but instead had been on a rare off-world deployment when the ‘Death Commandos’ tried to destroy NAIS.
“My mother was mad as hell at Hanse for that,” he said, indicating her father’s battlemech, clearly in the middle of his famous defense of NAIS in the final days of the Fourth Succession War. “She said it was because he took a stupid risk by going in alone to reinforce Team Banzai, but she never corrected father when he said she was mad she had to stay down here while Hanse went out to have fun.”
“Fun?” Kate said and then shrugged. “I could see it either way.”
“There’s usually more than one truth to a war story,” Jackson Davion admitted, his lined face creased with amusement. “Come along Katie. I assume you’re here in your royal role, not your military one?”
“Yes sir.”
“I think we’re hats off,” the commander of the Federated Suns state command, and third-ranking officer of the entire AFFC told her. “I’m fairly sure you’re off duty and god knows, I want to be.”
Kate gave the picture another look and followed him into the office. Jackson ignored the desk and indicated an armchair in one corner of the sizable office. He sank into the other with a sigh. “Getting old is no fun,” he said, “Beats the alternative, of course, but I’d swap places with your brother in a heartbeat.”
“I’m not sure he’d take that deal.”
“Of course not, he’s not a fool.” The graying officer shook his head. “If he did I would have doubts he was fit for the responsibilities. I’m sorry you got dragged here rather than get the chance to serve in a line regiment. Even if you don’t plan on a military career, it’s a chance to live a life outside of royal expectations. I hope you get some time for it, outside of the fishbowl.”
“If Victor comes back, I’ll take the chance,” Kate said agreeably. “I’d have gone to a cadet cadre if he’d chosen to stay here, I didn’t qualify for direct posting.”
Jackson smiled. “We all serve in our own ways. You may not excel in the same areas as Victor, but believe me, there are a number of officers who were hoping to get you in a staff position on the basis of your technical projects. That’s not something Victor would do as well, if at all.” He rested his hands on the arms of his chair. “But that isn’t what you came for, is it?”
“No, si… no.” Kate caught herself. “I wanted to talk to you about Bryceland.”
“Ah.”
“I realize that there’s nothing I can do with the CMM,” she admitted. Bryceland was on the border with the Draconis Combine and not far from the Outworlds Alliance, headquarters of a defense zone. The local March Militia was stretched covering the region with only the support of a single Training Battalion on the nearby world of Tancredi IV. They had been badly out of position when Fuchida’s Fusiliers returned to raid the world. “But what will be done.”
Jackson sighed heavily. “The truth is, Katie, there is little we can do.”
“It’s less than three years since they hit Tancredi IV!” she exclaimed. “They loaded up with advanced lasers then, now they’ve re-equipped from our own stockpiles. This is a growing threat on our border.”
“I know,” he said calmingly. “I’ve had this very same conversation today, I assure you. But there are two things we would need in order to address that threat.”
Kate gave him a questioning look.
“We don’t know where they are based out of - or even if they have a permanent base yet. They’ve been seen repeatedly around the Outworlds Alliance, but also as far afield as Anatallos and the Mica Majority. We’d be shooting blind - sending a force out into the darkness of the periphery without the slightest trail to follow. The Intelligence Secretariat is working on it, but for now we have nothing.”
She lowered her gaze to study her hands, folded in her lap. “I understand, but it’s not an answer that will be welcome.”
“Some answers aren’t. And the other part is unfortunately worse,” he admitted. “Even if we knew where they were, we have too few forces to muster a response force. Bryceland isn’t the only region that’s understrength. The only regions that wouldn’t be left bare if I broke off a regimental combat team to hunt the Fusiliers are along the Capellan border and we cannot trust Chancellor Liao. If we show him weakness, we must assume he will take advantage and that will cost us far more than this attack did.”
“You’re right,” she admitted. “That is even less satisfying.”
“Twelve years ago, we could free up a regimental combat team to take and occupy a pirate haven like Tortuga, without worrying too much about our other borders,” he said sympathetically. “Unfortunately, it’s not twelve years ago. Anti-piracy operations have always taken second place to defending our borders against invaders.”
Kate lifted her hands and rubbed her face. “In this case pirates that started off as our own alienated mercenaries.”
Jackson frowned. “The Fusiliers are quick to claim that they were the wronged party,” he said firmly, “But they are the ones who chose to turn to piracy rather than fight the Clans.”
“And yet, to be a devil’s advocate, they were being sent without access to refit kits and other advanced gear,” she pointed out. “However inflated their claims are, they can be damaging not only to public opinion but also to mercenaries in our employ. I know Victor has called for additional Northwind Highlander forces to be redeployed, I imagine that the Fusilier’s words may be brought up in negotiations.”
The old man scowled. “That arrangement has been secured already, but no doubt you are right about how it will affect future contract negotiations for mercenaries being sent to the frontlines. Do you have any suggestions about how we can mitigate the effect?”
The young woman shook her head. “Nothing yet. If I do think of anything…”
“Then please, let me know. Don’t get me wrong, Katie.” Jackson leant forwards. “Your concern for our people is to your credit, but we never have enough forces for everything we wish. We can hope the Fusiliers make a mistake and hit a world we have enough forces on to counter their threat, but otherwise it’s a waiting game. If someone does ask you for a statement, for now I’d focus on non-military responses - relief work for the settlements on Bryceland that were affected. You can hide behind your low rank for now.”
“Thank you, Uncle Jack.”
“Any time, Katie. Now, surely you have something better to do than waste your evening within an old warhorse like me. Some dinner with your fellow officers perhaps?”
She forced a smile. “Something like that.”
“Go ahead then. Problems like the Fusiliers aren’t solved overnight. Much less enemies like the Clans or the Capellans.”
Kate made her exit as gracefully as she could, trying not to feel like a small child being sent to their room while adults took care of serious business.
As she rode the monorail, she spread the map of the near periphery out in her mind. If the Fusiliers stayed in the Outworlds Alliance, they might risk a more robust response from the Alliance’s armed forces. While they were one of the weaker armies of the organized states, they did have a formidable aerospace fleet that could well cripple the Fusiliers transports, it was a risk the former mercenaries would have to respect.
Assuming then that they left, there were only a few options. Assuming they didn’t try to travel through the Inner Sphere or flee deeper into the Periphery, the Fusiliers could either more corewards around the Draconis Combine or rimwards around the Federated Commonwealth. Corewards would mean towards the Clans… Kate shook her head. No, the Fusiliers would most likely head rimwards to one of the pirate hubs of the area.
One name stood out there. Tortuga, one of a cluster of worlds midway between the Alliance and the much more formidable Taurian Concordat. Thomas Calderon, the Protector of the Concordat was immensely paranoid about a Federated Commonwealth invasion even under the current situation. While normally he was neglectful of pirates in favor of building up border defenses, the possibility existed that he would suspect the Fusiliers of being a FedCom force operating under false colors. But Tortuga was not in easy reach of the Taurians.
Just of the long periphery border of the Crucis March, a border that was thinly guarded at the best of times. There wasn’t even a March Militia in the sprawling Broken Wheel combat region, the original having been crushed in a short-lived rebellion against Kate’s grandfather.
At the junction where she should have turned towards the exit, Kate turned instead to go back to her office. Assuming - and it was an assumption - that she was right about the Fusilier’s destination, then the first of Jackson’s objections was dealt with. That left finding the forces to fight the pirates.
The March Militia system was a Davion tradition, but through Kate’s life, many had been formed in the Lyran half of the super-state. That meant that she should be able to look up the process of creating a new one, and see what obstacles there were to address. Filling the gaps in the March Militias would be a challenge, but if it freed up a reserve of forces to deal with problems like this before they became major threat… then Kate wanted to know what that challenge involved.
And if she might be equal to it.