Lethal heritage

by Michael A. Stackpole

  A knock sounded at the heavy wooden door. "Enter," Shin snapped irritably. At the sight of the man who stepped through the doorway, Shin's jaw dropped open. He bowed so deeply that he almost bashed his face on the table and held it. "Excuse me, Gunji no Kanrei! I did not mean to be rude." He slowly straightened up.

  Theodore Kurita returned the bow, then shut the door, which remained guarded by two of his uniformed men. "I heard no rudeness, Shin Yodama. The door stripped all emotion from the word it let pass through."

  Shin's nervousness began to drain away, and he tried to smile. Had I used that tone with Takashi Kurita, I would have regretted it, but not so with Theodore. "You are most kind, Highness." Shin glanced down at the floor, not wishing to compound his earlier error with ill-mannered staring. "What may this humble servant do for you?"

  The heir to the Dragon smiled, looking suddenly youthful. Only the scar over his left eyebrow and the wrinkles beginning at the corners of his eyes hinted at his fifty-three years. Aside from those minute clues, the tall, slender man could have passed for a MechWarrior half his age.

  The Kanrei pointed to a chair and waved Shin to it. "You have already served me more faithfully than many of the warriors in my service." He raised his left hand to the scar on his brow. "You have been with me for as long as this scar. Marfik, Najha, and now Turtle Bay. You have done enough in any one of those places to satisfy most men for a lifetime. And now you have saved my son."

  The yakuza shook his head. "Forgive me, Kanrei, but I have only done my duty. I saved my commanding officer, which is what any other would have done in the same circumstances and with the same resources. Praise and thanks should go to the oyabun of the Ryugawa-gumi in Edo. Without him, both Hohiro-sama and I would be dead."

  A shadow seemed to pass over Theodore's face. "I would do this thing, were it possible. Unfortunately, the city of Edo was razed by a planetary bombardment. The Smoke Jaguars decided that if they could not control the populace, they would wipe it out. Everything is gone."

  In his mind's-eye, Shin saw the Old Man's castle evaporate in a wave of flame, and his stomach roiled in response. "How could they do that? How could they kill a city?"

  The Kanrei closed his eyes. "I do not know. My source said the Jaguar commander was most arrogant and wished to make an example of Edo."

  "I will confirm their arrogance," Shin said. "The debriefers may have told you that I witnessed the destruction of a hovel calculated to make the people turn over a terrorist to the invaders. When a Buddhist monk confessed to the crime of planting a bomb, they killed him, then left. They had seemed concerned with the unnecessary loss of life, but my judgment must have been wrong for them to have destroyed Edo."

  "Apparently, the Ryugawa-gumi made life unpleasant for the garrison troops once the front line forces left for new conquests. Instead of sending elite troops back down to restore order, they used their orbital fleet to destroy Edo, and at the same time, broadcast its destruction to the other major urban centers on the planet." The Kanrei swallowed hard. "Resistance, as you might imagine, ceased overnight.

  "What I have told you is, of course, strictly confidential. I have spoken of these things to you because I know that you are the most trustworthy of men. I also felt I owed it to you to tell you about the Ryugawa-gumi."

  "Thank you, Kanrei. I am honored by your trust."

  The Kanrei clasped his hands behind his back, and gave Shin a searching look. "Were it within my power, I would grant you any wish as a reward for rescuing my son from such danger. However, with you and Hohiro being our only sources of first-hand information on this enemy, I must ask instead for your continued service in this crisis. I ask also that you pardon the seeming ingratitude."

  Shin smiled warmly. "The only reward I desire is the opportunity to serve you well. Your need and my desire are matched horses."

  The Kanrei bowed his head. "Come. The others have arrived and we must discuss strategy."

  Theodore and Shin moved through the dark halls of the castle, following the guards, whose heels clicked smartly against the cold stone of the arched passages. The castle, which had been built from native materials on a blueprint from an ancient structure on Terra, felt gloomy and sad to Shin.

  Millennia ago, armored European knights would have marched through passages just like these, on their way to plot battles and grand strategies. Now, centuries later, we do the same, the only difference being that our armor has grown too large to tread within this structure. Did Moorish invaders seem as unstoppable to the Knights of Castille as these Clans do to us?

  When they came to a broad, curving staircase, the Kanrei and Shin descended into a more brightly lit room. Opposite the stairs, a roaring fire blazed in a hearth that appeared larger, to Shin, than his whole room. Two oaken tables built of well-weathered wood flanked a holographic display unit. Technicians sat at either input station on the briefing unit, while a host of officers were gathered around the tables.

  Spirits of my ancestors! This is an incredible collection of military leaders. If the Clans struck this place, they would decapitate the Combine in one stroke. Though Shin could identify units and ranks from uniform insignia, he recognized only one other officer aside from Theodore and Hohiro. There was no way he or his unit would stay out of this, thank the gods.

  The officer was seated near the end of the table toward which the Kanrei moved. Slightly built and smaller than average, the Mech Warrior yet possessed so much power of personality that a number of the less secure officers shot occasional glances at him or behaved as though his gaze was somehow scalding. He greeted Theodore with a nod.

  Narimasa Asano, leader of the Genyosha. Shin glanced at the triple-bar insignia on Asano's collar. It is true, then, that he has refused elevation above the rank of Tai-sa, despite the Genyosha now comprising two full regiments. It is said that this is his gesture of respect for the man who formed the unit, Yorinaga Kurita, but I have also heard that it is to make the Genyosha equal to the Kell Hounds. Either way, I'm glad we have the Black Ocean warriors with us.

  Theodore directed Shin to a seat beside Hohiro, then began his briefing. "To be sure that all of us are current, let me run down the situation as we understand it. In their latest push—which we have termed the 'Third Wave'—the Smoke Jaguars hit six of our worlds. These worlds are: Jeanette, Chupadero, Kabah, Coudoux, Hanover, and Albiero. The Ghost Bears hit Schuyler. We also have unconfirmed reports from our agents in the Rasalhague Republic that the Clans have taken a significant number of worlds there, including the capital."

  Shin felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. The Clans took Rasalhague! If they can muster the force needed to take a capital world, is it possible for us to gather the strength needed to defend one? He glanced at the map of the Draconis Combine one of the Techs produced on the display and saw that the wedge of worlds under assault by the Smoke Jaguars, which extended through to Terra and beyond, included Luthien in its swath.

  The Kanrei let the seriousness of Rasalhague's loss sink in for a moment before continuing. "The only good thing about all this is that our estimate of Ghost Bear resources and the amount of firepower they used to take Schuyler indicates that they did not participate in the conquest of Rasalhague. Though Schuyler is the first of our worlds that the Clan has taken, we need not fear, at least in the short term, that the resources of the weapons factories on New Olso will be turned against us."

  Hohiro looked up at his father. "Kanrei, has anyone managed to identify these Clans?"

  Theodore shook his head. "Their identities remain a mystery. A number of theories have been offered, but none seem satisfactory. One speculation is that their use of BattleMechs means they are the Star League army returning. This theory must be balanced against the reality of those very BattleMechs, which are more sophisticated than any known in the Star League-era. And one must also wonder, if the invaders are, indeed, descendants of Kerensky's force, why they are attacking the Successor States?

  "As we have
seen, the Clans hit hard and move on swiftly. Many believe that they are only the edge of a mass migration into the Successor States. Something like the barbarian invasions that swept parts of Terra two millennia ago.

  "Long before Stefan Amaris murdered the last First Lord of the Star League, the Inner Sphere was surrounded by Periphery realms. Sometimes, these became known to us only by accident. It is, therefore, possible that one or more other nations exist beyond the realms we know about. The idea that a leader created in the mold of Genghis Khan could unite or conquer a legion of small states and weld them into an army able to take on the Inner Sphere does not seem farfetched. At the very least, it suggests a human origin for the hordes invading us, which I find preferable to any alien explanation."

  Shin's head came up. "And if the invaders are another sentient form of life?"

  The Kanrei smiled warily. "In that case, I will take comfort in the fact that you, in your assault on Kurushiiyama, managed to kill some of them." He looked around at the others in the room. "That is but one instance proving that our foes are vulnerable to our weapons. They die the same as we do."

  At a glance from Theodore, one of the Techs hit a few keystrokes, changing the display to side-by-side views of Hanover and Albiero. "The garrisons on Hanover and Albiero were given orders for dealing with the invaders that differed with the rules of engagement we followed previously. When the invaders asked our garrison commanders what units they would use for their defense, our officers either refused to give any information, or—in our tradition—gave the invaders a complete and detailed report on the unit's proud history. In both cases, the Smoke Jaguars arrived in sufficient force to overwhelm our troops in short order. The only units that performed beyond the norm were newly formed regiments whose history did not reflect the caliber of MechWarriors in them."

  He glanced at Asano. "Those units were created and trained along the lines of the Genyosha and the Ryuken.

  Their commanders avoided the clean and crisp battles the Smoke Jaguars desired in favor of something more like the hit-and-run tactics of bandits. Though our forces eventually succumbed, partly because of supply problems, their tactics did manage to reduce the advantage of range the invaders have over us."

  Something in Theodore's explanation struck a chord in Shin. When the Smoke Jaguars came into Uramachi looking for Motochika, they accepted, at face value, the monk's confession that he had planted the bomb. They didn't seem to even consider the possibility he might by lying. "Forgive me for interrupting," he said, "but from what you say, the invaders inquire what forces we will use to defend a world. Taking the information on faith, they men act upon it. Wouldn't that mean that they could easily underestimate unknown and untested units? It seems to be part of their arrogance, as in the example of the monk who confessed in order to save others."

  "The very point toward which I was heading," the Kanrei agreed, bringing a flush to Shin's cheeks. "As Chu-sa Yodama has pointed out, the Jaguars appear to be guileless when requesting information. They do not expect deception. It would be dishonorable to lie to them, but recently, I had occasion to change the unit names and designations for the troops on Hanover and Albiero. I permitted the commanders of those garrisons to provide histories of their units that included only actions under their new names. This may have contributed to the invaders' confusion about which were veteran and which were green units."

  So intently was Shin listening to Theodore's reasoning that he missed, at first, the rank designation used to address him. Then, suddenly, the word hit him: Chu-sa! LieutenantColonel! It must have been a mistake. A jump of two ranks ... Impossible!

  Theodore looked over at Shin. "Yes, Chu-sa Yodama, you have been promoted. Your commanding officer recommended the promotion and I will have none less than a Chu-sa serving on my staff. I hope my need and your desire are still matched horses, for we must work together to stop the invaders."

  His words took Shin's breath away. I have been catapulted well above my station in life. Amida grant me the skills to be of service, and the wisdom to know when my time has come. "Your will be done, or I die in harness, Kanrei."

  "Good." A gesture from the Kanrei brought a graphic concerning troop strength and losses up on the display. "On Hanover, things went exceptionally well for us. Our forces, using supply caches hidden in the Worldspine mountains, were able to oppose the Smoke Jaguars very effectively. Their downfall came when the invaders brought down reinforcements and flanked our people. The resulting battle, which occurred during a blizzard, inflicted heavy casualties on both sides. Our commander surrendered only after the enemy agreed to treat his warriors honorably."

  Another casualty report replaced the first. Unlike its predecessor, the loss column for the Combine's forces dwarfed that for the invaders. "The Hanover battle ended about twelve hours before the Albiero assault began. The Smoke Jaguars there brought down a bit more material than expected and managed to pinpoint our troops' supply caches. An ambush at one of those sites destroyed the command company for the regiment, which led to a collapse of resistance. Still, some units did continue guerrilla action, which hampered the general pacification of the world."

  "If they got word out in twelve hours," Narimasa Asano began carefully, "either the Clans are using ComStar, or they have HyperPulse technology themselves. There is no other way for a message to travel that fast between the stars fifteen light years apart, unless they used a JumpShip to relay the message."

  Theodore shook his head. "No JumpShip was used. As we cannot rule out ComStar involvement, all operations from now on will go out under sealed orders. That the enemy has his own HyperPulse Generators is a simpler solution to the mystery, I think. Capturing one, and the means to operate it, would be a boon, but that can only come after we defeat our enemy. And defeat him we will."

  The Kanrei grinned proudly. "At the rate the attack waves have been coming, we have approximately two months before they move on. That gives us the time we need to set up Operation Sakkaku—Illusion. We will gather our most elite units under new designations on Wolcott, a world they are certain to hit in the next thrust. We will prepare hidden supply depots and occupy the most defensible points on the world. We will be ready for them."

  Shin frowned. "How do we know they will not sense a trap? Why wouldn't they simply bypass Wolcott in favor of more meekly defended planets?"

  The Kanrei watched Shin like a hawk. "Oh, they'll know it's a trap, but they will come anyway. When they discover our bait, they will trap themselves. Remember how arrogant they are."

  The Kanrei smiled sagely. "How, after all, can they resist Wolcott when they learn the defenders are commanded by the two people who escaped them on Turtle Bay?"

  31

  Black Pearl Base, Sudeten

  Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth

  21 July 3050

  Victor Steiner-Davion shook his head. "God above, I hate waiting."

  "Don't worry, Vic. Your plan's a good one," said Kai Allard, seated next to him outside the briefing room. "It will work. They have to approve it."

  "Excuse me ... I thought you were Kai Allard, the eternal pessimist?"

  Kai looked sheepish, then grinned weakly. "Victor, I may have my own problems with self-confidence, but I'm not such a slouch at seeing someone else's strengths. That was a great idea that your Hauptmann Cox came up with of me running the Jade Falcon forces in our last simulation. There I got to exploit all the flaws I saw or imagined in our strategy."

  Victor snorted. "Yeah, and you wadded up our forces and tossed them aside like they were tin soldiers."

  Kai shrugged. "But that was supposed to be a worst-case scenario. We had our forces scattered and with major casualties on the landings because of freak storms and enemy aerofighter action. Everything that could go wrong did go wrong, but you still managed to pull a regiment and a half back out. The disaster was controlled, and at the very least, the wealth of enemy data we would gain in such a case is justification enough for the operation. We can't discoun
t the value of intelligence."

  Victor laughed softly. "Spoken like a spymaster's son."

  Kai laughed as well. "Hey, it runs in the blood. The point is that this assault has a higher-than-normal chance of working. I won't bet on how many days or hours we can hold Twycross after we take it, but I know it will slow the Jade Falcons' advance in the future."

  The door to the briefing room slid open, and LeftenantGeneral Andrew Redburn appeared in the doorway. "We have some questions. If you will accompany me ..."

  Vic rubbed his right hand against his stomach and got up slowly. Kai looked at him with concern. "What's the matter?"

  Victor rested his hand on his friend's shoulder. "No big problem, but I think the butterflies in my stomach just got issued BattleMechs."

  They entered the room, and as the door slid shut behind them, took their places at the far end of the table. As in the previous briefings, they faced Morgan Hasek-Davion, with Leftenant-General Redburn to their left and the mercenary leaders on their right. Kai took a seat and pulled the keyboard over. Victor chose to stand.

  Morgan tapped his fingers against the black cover of Victor's battleplan. "Before we start, I'd like to say that all of us are impressed with the extent of the work you and your team have put into this document. It is clear and concise. We especially appreciate the extensive adversarial testing you did on it. This is work I would have expected from a cabal of hoary old veterans, not young officers like yourselves. Commendations have been recorded for those who contributed in this effort."

  Victor smiled and bowed his head. "Thank you, Marshal. We are most grateful that the work was of interest." He paused for a moment, then met Morgan's malachite stare. "I sense a 'but' in there somewhere."