Fire at Will

by Blaine Lee Pardoe

  “You wish to bid the sharing of your military plans and timetable with us then, quiaff?”

  Melissa made eye contact with Trillian, and Trillian saw that she grasped the inherent problem. Handing the Wolves, even as allies, the plans of any military strike against the former members of the Free Worlds League was risky. Their honor might prevent them from sharing the plans, but sometimes even the most honorable warriors chose to interpret things to the best advantage of their Clan. “I am not prepared to place such a bid just yet,” the archon said. “I wish a few minutes to confer with my aide.”

  The Wolf warrior leaned back in his chair. “Of course.” The archon rose and Trillian followed. They walked into an outer chamber and then to a small room across from where Fetladral sat. Trillian closed the door behind them and activated the white-noise generator to ensure that their words would not wander. Even in the palace, she suspected there were those who would want to know what was being discussed.

  “Trillian, I am not comfortable handing this man, even as an ally, our detailed war plans. Not to mention the fact that we haven’t actually settled on a plan yet.” Trillian thought for a moment. There were more than seventy different plans and scenarios that had been drawn up over the years for striking at the Free Worlds League. The military commanders were narrowing down their choices, but it would be some time before the final options were selected for review.

  “Archon, I would suggest that we choose our wording carefully,” she said. “We do not have to share everything with him, only our military operations planned against the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth. We shall omit any operations in space that the Wolves would never reach. This limits our exposure dramatically, if we can get them to agree to sharing the same information.”

  Melissa considered her cousin’s words. “There are some things we can offer the Wolves, as well.”

  Trillian was puzzled, but Melissa ignored her confused expression. “I can offer some aid to the Wolves against their old enemies, the Jade Falcons.”

  She doesn’t understand them, even after all these years. “Melissa, I don’t think the Wolves will accept such an offer.”

  “Let us see,” she said, opening the door and crossing back to the Clansmen. Trillian followed close behind. Khan Fetladral waited patiently, sipping from his glass of ice-cold water.

  “I bid to provide you with our plans and timetables in the field of operations where the Wolves would be expected to strike. This will help us avoid unfortunate incidents. Likewise, I would want to know the plans of your warriors in that same theater.”

  “Agreed,” the Wolf warrior replied, shifting his bulky frame. “However, I caution you. You must accept that Clan warriors tend not to map out detailed strategies in the same way as House militaries. Our plans tend to be more general and flexible to the opportunities of war. As such, I would accept your bid with the understanding that we will provide you with our plans at the time we begin to engage in operations. Remember that the Wolves fight for themselves, in their own command, taking what they earn in battle.”

  Trillian understood clearly. Fetladral was not just saying that the Wolves would not fight under the name or banner of the Lyran Commonwealth. He was also clearly stating that what they won in battle was their own. This was a slippery slope. She glanced at Melissa and saw that the archon also understood.

  “I agree, as long as the Wolves, at least for the duration of this conflict, do not find themselves facing our forces in battle,” she added.

  “The Wolves accept your bid. We have no quarrel with the Lyran people, nor do we anticipate any in the immediate future.”

  “I can offer more,” Melissa began.

  For the first time since his arrival, Fetladral looked uncomfortable. “I have placed no other bids on the table, Archon. Your offer of something additional is not necessary.”

  “While I understand no further offer is necessary for the formality of bidding, I feel that an offer between friends is important.”

  “I will hear what you have to say.” Fetladral leaned back into the thick pads of the leather chair.

  “It is no secret that Clan Wolf and Clan Jade Falcons are not friends. In fact, one might call you enemies.”

  The khan shook his head. “Not enemies, Archon. We are competitors. We vie for the same ultimate goal.”

  Trillian paused. The goal of all Clans was to seize Terra. The Clan that took Terra would become the ilClan, and would unite the other Clans under their banner. It was the driving force in what led to the Clan invasion. It was what pitted the Clan factions against each other.

  “I stand corrected. Even so, I can do much in the region of Skye to distract the Jade Falcons,” Melissa Steiner said carefully.

  His head shaking became more pronounced. “We are Clan. We do not need help in dealing with the Jade Falcons.”

  “Of course not,” she replied. “Simply consider this something that friends do for friends.”

  He studied her face. Trillian remembered that stare—she had endured it on Arc-Royal when they had first met. Fetladral was trying to discern the archon’s motive; he did not want to diminish the honor his people would win by dealing with the Jade Falcons themselves. Honor was everything with the Clans . . . and definitely with the Wolves.

  “Is that your bid?”

  “It is,” Melissa said.

  “I cannot accept it. I suggest a modification. Though we will not accept any assistance or interference in our relationship with Clan Jade Falcon, we would review copies of any plans you make for operations against the Falcons.”

  The archon did not react immediately. Her silence lasted for a full minute and made the air seem charged with tension. Trillian found herself fidgeting in her seat.

  “I accept your counterbid,” she said.

  “Is there anything more that you would add, Archon? Q uineg?”

  Her eyes darted to Trillian. There was no objection that she could offer. Trillian was surprised by the response of the Wolf Khan. He had managed to find a nice compromise to the slight breach of etiquette that Melissa’s offer had presented, and it told her something else. The Wolves were up to something more than simply sending troops against the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth. While they wanted to deal with the Jade Falcons in their own course, they wanted to know what Melissa had planned for them. There is more going on here than any of us realize. I will have to compliment her when this is over for opening that door, if only a crack.

  Trillian shook her head slightly, and the archon took another moment of contemplation. When Melissa spoke her voice was crisp and clear. “I find no other reason to continue this bidding.”

  Fetladral rose to his feet. Trillian and the archon did as well. “Then I accept your bid. Well bargained and done, Archon Steiner.” He shot a quick glance at Trillian. “You have been advised well.” He offered no handshake, but none was necessary. This was a Wolf warrior. His word was more binding than any paper contract or agreement. Melissa appeared to not notice what others would have considered an insult to her station. Trillian had prepared her well.

  Melissa smiled. “I trust my kin.”

  “As do I,” Fetladral replied. “Clan warriors are all brothers and sisters.”

  As they watched Fetladral stride out through the massive doors, Trillian let go a long sigh of relief. Bargaining was always tricky. Bargaining with the Clans was infinitely more complex. She looked at Melissa, who seemed unimpressed by the significance of the meeting. She hides her emotions better than I do.

  Trillian waited for her cousin to speak first.

  “That went as expected,” Melissa finally commented.

  “I agree.”

  “The Wolves are hiding something,” the archon added.

  “I was thinking the same thing.”

  “Have we made a mistake?”

  Now is not the time to have second thoughts. Then Trillian realized that Melissa was making a rhetorical comment. “No.”

  “Good,” she said, putting he
r hand on Trillian’s shoulder. “We’ve taken the first step on a long road. The next step is harder. It’s time to light Duke Vedet’s fuse.”

  2

  Maria’s Elegy

  Hesperus II

  Lyran Commonwealth

  24 March 3137

  The inner chambers of the Brewster estate were splendid, and created a stark contrast to the planet outside. Marble, flowered tapestries, bronze statues— all offered an elegant distinction from the harsh world beyond the walls of the estate.

  Hesperus II’s atmosphere was thin and mostly toxic, except in certain deep chasms. Her land masses were lined with mineral-rich mountains and deep, practically impenetrable valleys. The planet was inhospitable, and yet possessed a great treasure: the largest BattleMech and munitions factory in the Inner Sphere. Her vast quantities of radioactive materials and metals offered the necessary raw materials for forging the machines of war. For centuries, Hesperus II and Defiance Industries had been the failed target of numerous large-scale military operations mounted by various nations.

  On Trillian’s last visit, during the crisis of the Jade Falcon invasion of the Isle of Skye, she had been impressed by her tour of the factories. Nestled deep underground and impractical, if not impossible, to seize, the Defiance factories had been the source of the duke’s family’s influence for generations. This trip had a different quality, though it was equally stressful. She was here to offer Duke Vedet Brewster a chance to do something great in the name of the Commonwealth, to lead a military strike against an ages-old enemy.

  Making this offer presented great risks. The duke was ambitious, and ambition left unchanneled could pose a threat even to the reigning archon. Trillian’s job was to direct Duke Vedet’s ambition in a way that would benefit her cousin as much as the Commonwealth. Vedet was a crafty businessman, though. He would constantly challenge her—she knew that going in, just as she knew he would seek a way to turn this opportunity into something more. Therein lay the true risk.

  When he entered the room, she thought he seemed taller than she remembered. His ebony skin provided a nice contrast to his light-colored suit. His head was shaved bald, a new style for him. She suspected it was a hint at his vanity—she remembered him sporting a few wisps of gray the last time they met. Vedet’s entrance into the room seemed to charge the air. He took two large steps and grasped her hand, raising it to his lips. Always the charmer. “Trillian Steiner. I must admit I had not planned on your visit. This is a pleasant surprise.”

  “Duke Vedet, a pleasure to see you again. I come bearing greetings from the archon.”

  Behind him followed a shorter man with thick, curly black hair. He wore a colonel’s uniform, crisply pressed. His uniform was adorned with few medals, and those he wore were not for combat operations. His pale skin was marked only by the hint of a five o’clock shadow. Trillian guessed that he probably always had a five o’clock shadow.

  Vedet waved his hand at the officer. “I present Colonel Bernard Nordhoff of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces. He is my aide-de-camp and liaison with the military. When you own the largest arms production facility in the Inner Sphere, a man like him is invaluable.”

  Colonel Nordhoff stood at attention and clicked his heels in salute, bowing his head slightly. Trillian gave him a thin smile. “A pleasure to meet you, Colonel.” She extended her hand, and he shook it firmly.

  “The pleasure,” Nordhoff said with a heavy Germanic accent, “is all mine.”

  She turned to her own escort. “This is Colonel Klaus Wehner,” she said. Klaus stood at attention and snapped his heels together as Nordhoff had done, only he seemed much more comfortable and relaxed in his stance. That was one of the things she most liked about him. Klaus had been with her for three years, and had proven himself to be very flexible and a quick thinker. “Like you, Duke Vedet, I find having a liaison to the military to be quite useful.” Klaus gave her a smile in response to the praise.

  Having dispensed with the niceties, Trillian turned to Duke Vedet and stared into his piercing, dark brown eyes. “The archon has sent me to ask for your assistance as a loyal member of the realm. It is a matter involving the security of the Lyran Commonwealth and the future of our state.” She cast a glance at Colonel Nordhoff over the shoulder of the duke. Does he want the colonel to hear what is said?

  Vedet Brewster followed her gaze. “Perhaps our aides can leave us alone for a few minutes?” He gestured to Colonel Nordhoff with his hand, shooing him away. Trillian gave Klaus a nod. Nothing further was said until the door closed behind them.

  The duke folded his massive arms across his chest and stood looking down at Trillian. She was taller than most members of the Steiner family, but was still much shorter than Brewster. “I don’t usually get visits from members of your family unless they want something.”

  “Then the purpose of my visit will come as no surprise to you. As I said, I am here to ask a favor for the archon.”

  “I would have thought that my recent public statements against her policies had discouraged her from sending such an attractive spokesperson.” The compliment rolled easily off his tongue.

  He recently had been critical of Melissa for not taking more direct action to secure the Lyran Commonwealth’s borders, given the wars that seemed to be erupting all around them. Critique by a lone duke was not worthy of the archon’s wrath, but it did catch her attention. “The archon may not agree with your comments regarding her leadership, but she does know you to be loyal to the Commonwealth. She also understands that you recognize the same threats she sees. It is those threats that bind together all of us who are loyal to the Commonwealth, and that are the impetus for my being here.”

  “I assume that our enemies are preparing for war?” Vedet replied.

  “Aren’t they always?”

  “I assumed that Melissa was going to continue our policy of nonaggression until our borders were violated. “ His words practically dripped with contempt. “I stand by my statement that the archon is essentially inviting our enemies to strike at us.”

  “Policies change,” Trillian countered. “There is a new threat from an old enemy. The former Free Worlds states along our borders are rearming, and we have to assume that they are planning a military operation against the Commonwealth.”

  Her words seemed to catch him off guard, if only for a second. Then he regained his composure. “I knew it. I was right then, when I said that the archon and her policies were placing our people at risk.”

  Trillian was allowing him to say, “I told you so,” but she wouldn’t let him go any further. He just likesothers to admit that he’s right. “Things are not quite as they seem, Duke Vedet. The archon currently is preparing to head up a military operation aimed at quashing this attack before it gets off the ground.”

  “Why tell me?”

  Trillian waited for a moment, until she was sure the duke was focused on what she was going to say next. “The archon knows that you are ambitious beyond the success of your business empire. She also knows that you are loyal to the realm, even if you don’t agree with its current leader. She recognizes your ability to lead and your desire to secure the realm against adventurism. Based on those assumptions, Archon Melissa Steiner extends to you an offer to command the military operation against the Free Worlds League nations.”

  He was stunned for a moment. “She wants me to take command?”

  “Yes. This threat is serious, and she wants a commander who she can be confident will act in the best interests of the Commonwealth.”

  The duke stared at her, trying to read her face for more information. “Commanding an invasion force requires skills I don’t have. The amount of political knowledge alone that would be necessary is staggering. “ The duke seemed a little surprised to have admitted this out loud.

  “I will be going in with the troops,” she said. “The archon has granted me a broad range of authority on this operation. Plainly put, it is my job to tell you when to stop advancing and to n
egotiate a peace.”

  “We’re not going to simply conquer the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey and the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth? “

  “Not in the traditional sense. Right now, working from the facts we have been able to gain, it appears that both of these governments are preparing to attack. Intelligence reports indicate that the Duchy of Tamarind-Abbey has begun a very aggressive recruitment campaign and has pumped up the garrisons on their borders, good indications that they plan to use those worlds as staging areas for an offensive operation.”

  The duke began to slowly pace. He crossed his arms and stared at the floor in thought. “What of the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth?”

  “We think Anson Marik is preparing for something much larger. Not only is he stepping up his military spending and setting up staging areas on the border, but he has created a new regimental force, one that we can only assume is to be used against us, the Silver Hawk Irregulars.”

  The mention of the unit made the duke’s eyes widen in excitement. The Silver Hawk Irregulars had been employed most often against the Lyran Commonwealth.

  The Silver Hawk Irregulars were legendary by the end of the Third Succession War. Historically considered zealots and raised from local populations, the Irregulars were originally formed as a counter to a perceived abuse of power by the captain-general. Over the centuries the Irregulars had proven themselves in battle many times, but they fell to the same fate as many other storied units during the Jihad; they were utterly destroyed. If Anson Marik had rebuilt the Irregulars, it wouldn’t take much to extrapolate a reason to go to war with him.

  All it would take was politicians and spinmasters— and Trillian took no pride in being one of the latter. While no intelligence agency knew for sure where Anson planned to use the Silver Hawk Irregulars or if they were to be deployed for offensive or defensive purposes, they easily could be used by the media as a reason to justify a war with the Marik-Stewart Commonwealth. Stir up some of those old fears and hatreds and the Lyran people will practically demand a strike. The same could be done with the Duchy’s reinforcing its borders. Carefully worded speeches and propaganda would convince everyone that this was all a prelude to a coordinated strike by an old enemy.