But he couldn't dwell on those worries now. He had a JumpShip and its crew to capture. "Where's Lieutenant Blix?"
"He's already on his way to the JumpShip's comm center, Captain," replied Auramov.
"Then we will proceed to the bridge." Trane stepped through the door to the bridge of their DropShip, followed by Villiers and Auramov. The two Knights had put all the guards on their ship out of action ... permanently. Blix had taken Morneau and Ben-Ari with him. At the airlock between the DropShip and the JumpShip they found the body of a JumpShip crewman who'd been acting as a guard. His throat had been cut ear to ear.
"Ben-Ari's work," said Auramov. "He's good with a blade."
Trane led the two Knights through the air lock and into a secondary passage of the JumpShip. As they neared the entrance to the starship bridge the passageway split into two wider walkways. To the right, in the direction of the comm center, a female steward lay on the deck unconscious. A tray of empty food containers lay toppled next to her body. It was evident she'd run into Blix and his party.
They continued quietly down the passage and stopped in front of the door to the JumpShip bridge. "Ready?"
Auramov and Villiers nodded. Trane pressed the wall switch and the door slid open smoothly. The captain and his bridge crew were seated at their stations, the forward port wide open to a view of the recharging station, which seemed to hang motionless in space. As Trane and his men entered with drawn pistols, the captain quickly swiveled his command chair around to face them.
"Captain Trane, you and your crew were under orders to remain on board your DropShip. What do you want here?" In the subdued greenish glow of the bridge the Captain had yet to note the three pistols pointed at him and his crew.
"What do I want, Captain?" Trane said coolly. "Your ship—and your life, if you don't do as I say."
25
Jaggoda Estate
Kyeinnisan
The Protectorate Border, Free Worlds League
11 June 3057
The man Duncan had guessed to be an officer had identified himself as a "Major Javitz" of the "Estate Guards." Polite but not terribly communicative, he offered Duncan and his companions places in a large transport vehicle, asking that they accompany him to "the Estate." As the transport approached the large and luxurious edifice that Duncan guessed to be their destination, he could see fortifications surrounding the main compound on every avenue of approach. From the hangars and 'Mech bays that were also plainly visible, he estimated that whoever owned all this must have at least a battalion at his beck and call.
The group of buildings surrounding the opulent main house, which Duncan assumed was the dwelling of their "host," looked like storage houses, a garage, an armory, and a munitions bunker and what had to be a barracks. Whoever their "host" was, he had considerable resources at his command. Once the transport came to a halt in front of the main house, the driver and Major Javitz disembarked and disappeared inside. Not long after, the rear door of the transport opened.
"Ah, Kalma, my good friend," said Count Sessa Lottimer, climbing into the vehicle. "I heard about your trouble. I'm delighted you found your way to our humble abode."
"Bovos, if you please," Duncan said.
The big man reached out to grip Lottimer's tunic near the throat and threw the man bodily to the deck, where he landed face down with a muffled thud. Before Lottimer could get up Hawkes had grabbed the back of his tunic near the nape of the neck and hauled him up on his knees. He held the blade of his knife across the man's throat.
"My dear Count," said Duncan, "you look like a weasel, you sound like a weasel, and you act like a weasel. My companions and I are not stupid. Our 'trouble' was arranged by you and our 'Host.' You will note that my friend Hawkes absolutely insists you start talking. You know ... little things ... like where we are, why all this business of setting us up to look like criminals, and so on? If you don't, he's going to air-condition your vocal cords by cutting a big hole in your scrawny neck!"
"Patience, gentlemen, patience. Please. All will be explained to you. Your host is Master Jaggoda and he awaits you inside. He will tell you what you want to know."
"Lead the way, little man."
Hawkes let Lottimer go and pushed him toward the transport door.
As Lottimer led them into the big house, Duncan noticed that the place was richly and elegantly appointed with the pride of various worlds in fine art and furnishings. They traveled through several such rooms until eventually coming to a large one that seemed to be some kind of reception area. At the far end was an ornately carved wooden bar. Bovos and Hawkes walked over to it.
"Hey, this thing's got a cooler unit, crystal goblets, and looks fully stocked—the best money can buy," Bovos said appreciatively.
"I take that as a compliment."
Duncan and Dawn turned around to see who had spoken. Hawkes and Bovos also looked up from their search for food and drink at the bar. Standing at the entrance to the room was a slightly rotund man of medium height. He had the heavy black brows, full head of dark hair, and dusky skin of some of the desert worlds, but his voice betrayed no accent. An impressive mustache curled around the sides of his mouth. He was wearing an ablative flak vest over a jumpsuit and a sleeveless calf-length coat. All were the same pale-green color as the uniforms of his Estate Guards.
"Your guests have many questions, Master Jaggoda," said Lottimer. "And they are a bit impatient." He rubbed at where Hawkes had roughly abraded his throat with the knife.
"I'm sure they do," Jaggoda said. "Let us not waste either their time or mine." Jaggoda gestured for them to sit. "Please, my friends, make yourself comfortable. You are wondering why I have brought you here, but I'm sure you realize it has to do with the considerable skills that won you victory in the Games on Galatea. Now I offer you the chance to play a different game. A much bigger game."
"We're listening," said Duncan, who had not taken a seat. He remained standing, hands clasped behind his back.
"As you know, the leaders of the Inner Sphere are preoccupied with the fear of the Clans and with their own petty squabbles. Their military forces are stretched thin. For those who are bold it is a time of great opportunity. I represent just such an individual, a visionary who is establishing a new empire ... or should I say, one is about to be reborn."
"A new empire?" From the sound of the scheme, Duncan was suddenly certain they'd come a step closer to finding their prey.
"Yes, a republic . . . one that will be ruled by Mech-Warriors. If you're as good as your reputation, I am prepared to offer you a commission in the New Republican Guards."
"We're mercenaries," said Duncan, "not state soldiers."
"Ah, Captain Kalma, that is precisely what is different about this offer. If you accept, you will share equally in all the power and wealth we achieve. But, my friends, all that will be explained to you in detail in good time. For now, take your ease and restore yourselves. Tomorrow, we will talk more and ... I will ask a small favor of you."
"If he wants you to play cards, forget it," said Bovos.
"No, no, I ask only that you evaluate some new 'Mechs I've just acquired. I know you need to replace several lost in the games. You may find some of them acceptable. And while doing that, you can also see more of my little estate."
"If we can be of assistance ..." said Duncan, giving Jaggoda a slight bow of the head.
"Splendid, splendid. Until the morrow then." Jaggoda returned Duncan's bow and left the room.
"Well, friends," murmured Duncan. "I think we're finally there."
* * *
The hour was late. Jaggoda paced back and forth across his study. He stopped pacing at a soft knock on the door. "Enter."
"You sent for me, Master Jaggoda?"
"Yes, Kolus. I would like to discuss our new arrivals with you."
Kolus entered the room, closing the door softly behind him. He was a large, sinister-looking man in his early fifties, his appearance made more so by the stern brush cut of h
is silver-streaked hair. He wore the uniform of an Estate Guard, and it was obvious that age had not diminished his muscular physique.
"Have you turned up any more background on these so-called Demons?"
"So far we only have information on Kalma and those who accompanied him here. The Kyeinnisan Security Force has verified their stories. Kalma is a mercenary and a gambler who lost heavily on Herotitus. He apparently went to Galatea to try to recoup. The others were in trouble of one kind or another and met Kalma while he was forming up a merc company to compete in the games."
"And the others? At least six on their DropShip. What of them?"
"By their accents some may be from the Free Worlds League, and they say the girl is a fugitive from the Clans. Otherwise, we don't have much to go on. They kept pretty much to themselves in Galaport."
"This disturbs me. Somewhere between being a big loser on Herotitus and arriving on Galatea, Kalma picks up two full lances of MechWarriors no one has heard of before. We need to be cautious but ..."
"There is a problem, Master Jaggoda?"
"Somewhat. The Star Lord is pressuring me for new recruits. Says he needs a regiment or more. I must also consider the price tag for keeping these people here at the Estate. And, sooner or later, the rest of Kalma's company on their DropShip could prove a difficulty—or at least an embarrassment for us with the Kyeinnisan authorities."
"How shall we handle it, Master?"
"We will watch these ... Demons ... for several days. That should give the KSF a little more time to get us more information. I'm still disturbed that we have no hard facts on what Kalma did between the time he left Herotitus and arrived on Galatea. If no other information becomes available we'll send only these four to New St. Andrews. I'm sure Varus will be able to verify their backgrounds before placing them in active service."
"And what of the six others and their DropShip?"
"You will instruct the captain of our JumpShip to jettison them if they become a problem. They have only one place to come ... here to Kyeinnisan. We can warn the KSF that a hostile 'Mech force is arriving and offer the assistance of our Estate Guards to deal with them. There will be no explanations needed. I pay the Security Force well to assist us in such matters. These rogues are part of a company that cheated in one of the casinos and then killed two KSF troopers while escaping."
"The deaths of those troopers may well be of value," said Kolus.
"We have not had such a problem before because we always disarm potential recruits before beginning out little test of making them fugitives on this world. It gives them an incentive to accept a contract with us. But these 'Demons' showed up with weapons. I was worried for a while that the KSF would want revenge and would kill them in the forest. It appears the troopers value profit over comradeship."
"I will notify the JumpShip captain of your wishes, Master Jaggoda," Kolus said. "Will there be anything else this evening?"
"Yes, what is the status of our next 'Mech shipment to the Star Lord?"
"Truthfully, our suppliers seem to be scraping the bottom of the barrel. The model types get older, and most are in an abysmal state of repair. We do not have the maintenance resources to do adequate refits on many of those we send to New St. Andrews."
"The Star Lord is pressing me for more 'Mechs as well as recruits," said Jaggoda. "Send him whatever we have on the next ship out ... regardless of condition."
"I will see to it."
"Good, good, then let us retire. Tomorrow should be a most interesting one."
* * *
The morning mist was beginning to burn off the plain that lay west of the Jaggoda estate. Duncan, Hawkes, Bovos, and Dawn were moving their 'Mechs in the direction of the foothills of what Jaggoda had called the Madeira Mountains. They were supposed to be evaluating new 'Mechs Jaggoda had received and refitted. The "master," as Jaggoda was called, had told them the machines were part of a shipment he was sending to his "lord." He asked Duncan to certify, in writing, that the 'Mechs were battle-ready.
They were an odd assortment of battle machines. Dawn was in an Ostsol, a fast 'Mech with long spindly legs and medium lasers. The 'Mech could be useful for tactics such as delaying actions to cover the retreat of heavier 'Mechs, but this particular variation hadn't seen wide use in years. Hawkes was given an old, slow-moving, 65-ton Catapult, a 'Mech designed as a second-line, fire-support platform. This version was equally rare on the field these days. Bovos, on the other hand, had a familiar powerhouse of the battlefield, the well-armed Thunderbolt. Duncan's old Quickdraw also had fantastic firepower, and though not a 'Mech known for illustrious victories, it was a popular one in the Free Worlds League.
"There's a canyon just on the other side of these foothills," Duncan called to the others. "From there we can get a better look at the terrain." It wasn't the most brilliant pretext he could have invented, but it was a good enough excuse to halt their 'Mechs, just in case they were still in range for Jaggoda's Command Post to monitor their radio traffic. Dismounted from their 'Mechs, he and the others could converse freely.
* * *
Ten minutes later they were standing in the shadow of their giant machines and further surrounded by the jagged walls and rocky spires of the canyon.
"We have to certify whether these 'Mechs are ready to fight when we return," Duncan said. "I suspect Jaggoda doesn't want a negative report."
"And if they aren't battle-ready?" Hawkes asked.
"Then Jaggoda can always tell his supplier I'm the one responsible for sending him some junk that walks."
"My 'Mech has many problems," said Dawn. "A lot of little things, minor systems that do not function well."
Hawkes nodded. "Same here, Duncan. Little stuff, but things that might set you back in a fight. What I'd like to know is how do we test the armament? None of these 'Mechs are armed."
"A head-on approach, I think," said Duncan, "but let's talk about something else first—this new empire Jaggoda described. Dawn, you said you recognized the symbol on the signs around Jaggoda's estate. Something about the Star League?"
She nodded. "Every Clan warrior is raised learning about that time. It is the reason the Clans came to the Inner Sphere in the first place—to restore the Star League and to rescue mankind from a dark age."
Duncan held up a hand to still Bovos and Hawkes, both of whom looked ready to dispute this outrageous statement. "Go on," he said.
"The symbol we saw is infamous. It is the symbol used by Stefan Amaris, the monster who brought about the collapse of the most glorious age in history."
Duncan just stared at her. "Is it possible that this empire Jaggoda speaks of is some person's wild plan to invade and conquer the Inner Sphere?"
"It's as good a time as any for someone to try and start trouble and then grab something for himself in the aftermath," Bovos said. "With every state's military spread so thin these days, it would be easy to grab off an outlying world or two and go unchallenged."
"Every state except the Free Worlds League," said Duncan. "I don't believe there's any doubt now that the raids by those impersonating the Knights were made to divert the Captain-General's attention from his borders by creating the possibility of reprisals from within and without the League."
"We're on the right track, Duncan," said Hawkes.
"I agree. Let's kill another hour here and head back to the Estate for a little heart-to-heart with Jaggoda."
* * *
"Let's cut the bull, Master Jaggoda," Duncan said. He and the others had just returned to the compound and were standing at the foot of their 'Mechs near the big open doors to the 'Mech bay. "It's time for some straight answers. First you set us up with that nonsense at the casino. Then you ask us to evaluate 'Mechs you know are defective. So listen up. My people and I are good at tinkering with 'Mechs. While we were out there in these relics we rigged three of them to self-destruct in seconds. The combined blast will destroy you and just about everything else for half a kilometer around." Duncan noted that th
e Estate officer next to Jaggoda began to fidget nervously at these words.
"Colonel Kolus?"
"It is possible, Master Jaggoda. The lasers. Perhaps if they—"
"Very well, Kalma," Jaggoda cut in impatiently. "Maybe this is a good time to continue our talk. It's true I arranged the unpleasantness at the casino. Despite your successes in the Games, we knew very little about any of you. Accept it as a crude test and forget it. I asked you to evaluate the BattleMechs to see how well you know them."
"So where does all this intrigue leave us, Jaggoda?"
"It leaves you with a commission as the newest unit in the New Republican Guards. After resting up a few more days you will leave Kyeinnisan to take your place at the side of our lord. I congratulate you." Jaggoda turned and walked away, motioning for Kolus to follow him.
"I wonder if he really bought the bit about us rigging these 'Mechs to self-destruct?" Hawkes said.
"Dunno. Maybe." Duncan looked around the parking area where they'd brought the test 'Mechs and saw maintenance personnel scattering. They weren't taking any chances that the Demons hadn't booby-trapped their 'Mechs. "But Jaggoda needs MechWarriors for the army his so-called 'lord' is building and, unless you've seen any other merc outfits around, we're all he's got to send right now. We're safe ... for the moment. We've got to find out where we're going and get word to Trane so he can alert the Knights on Marik."
"That isn't going to be easy, Duncan," said Hawkes. "Easy or not, we do it or end up dead!"
26
Jaggoda Estate
Kyeinnisan
The Protectorate Border, Free Worlds League
11 June 3057
Star lord Page 24
