"Resistance remains light, Galaxy Commander," "Good. I want you to capture that castle. In whole. Intact. I have plans for it."
"Galaxy Commander, it shall be done."
No sooner had he spoken than lights twinkled along the side of the northern mountain, among the shadows of the conifers below the timberline. A moment later, geysers of earth rose among the troops and tanks of the advancing Wolves. A volley of short- and medium-range missiles from the armor column's missile carriers replied, departing in a roar like a high wind. A moment later, red fireballs blossomed in the darkness under the trees. "As I said, resistance is-" The man twitched and fell, blood running from his mouth. For a moment the camera pointed at the ground. Then someone picked it up, and a new man stood in front of the camera.
"Galaxy Commander, this is Star Captain Dane. Star Captain Jothan is now commanding. He asked me to take over this duty. We are about to assault the castle."
Behind Star Captain Dane in the video display, Anastasia could see the scurry of troops heading to the main gate, running in open formation across the field. From either side, over the walls, jump-armored Clan Warriors launched themselves in perfect ballistic trajectories. By the time the running troopers in front had reached the gate, it had been opened for them from within.
"Courtyard, open, light resistance," another voice said, this time with no video accompanying the audio feed. The camera stayed fixed on the castle's exterior, its telephoto lens bringing the far- distant action close to the cameraman's point of view. "Stairway right and left. First squad left, third right. Second squad taking covering position by the door. Moving up reserves, specialists forward.
Locked door second level. Setting breaching charges."
The sound of a leaden thud came from the remote audio pickup. An instant later, the same sound came from the microphone held in the field by Star Captain Dane. "Door breached"- the sounds of automatic weapons fire- "room secured. Resistance light. Moving in."
They cleared the castle, room by room. The camera fixed on the castle exterior still showed the banners flying on the parapets. One by one the flags of Northwind came down, and were replaced with the banners of the Steel Wolves.
"Entering final tower," came the audio-pickup voice. "Stairway clear."
An explosion. A different voice continued. "Medics up! Stairway now clear. Continuing up.
Door. Door is-unlocked. Entering top chamber."
From the field, one Northwind Highland banner remained, atop a lofty tower, far back in the center of the castle.
"Appears to be a bedchamber. No one present. Here now, what's this?"
The voice inside the castle sounded curious, bemused.
The camera outside showed a light blossoming in that topmost room. The windows filled with light, and the walls expanded. Smoke wreathed the turrets. A noise like thunder, or like surf pounding against cliffs, swept over the field. Smoke, dark and thick, shot through with yellow flames, sprouted where the castle stood. For a moment a castle of fire and light, with walls of smoke, stood against the mist and the mountains. Then it collapsed, with a noise so loud that the microphone could not record it, and in dead silence Castle Northwind vanished.
The camera whipped around, back the way the Steel Wolves had come. From the mouth of the steep valley, between two cliffs, smoke and flame and rock dust were pouring as the mountains on either side were moved together in crumbling avalanches. The camera went back to Star Captain Dane.
Blood ran from his nose and ears, a mark of the explosion's concussive force. He moved his mouth, but no sound came out.
Anastasia could read his lips, though: "We're trapped."
She turned away.
"Send troops out into the city," she said. "Have them set fire to everything that can burn. Then all forces gather at the DropPort. Let the Countess of Northwind keep the ruins, if she would sooner turn everything she loves into rubble, rather than have it fall into my hands. We are leaving this cursed planet and taking ship for Terra.
"We are the Warriors that Nicholas Kerensky made for this purpose, and we are going home."
The End.
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BattleTech MechWarrior Dark Age 05 Truth and Shadows 2003 Page 20
