"What do we do now?" Diana asked. "I am afraid you will say go down the way we came."
"That is so. But first I want to see more. Let us circle around, see what is in the rear of all this."
"Your curiosity stuns me."
"Has nothing to do with curiosity."
"What, then?"
"War."
Keeping well away from the main activity, the two made their way to the other edge of the encampment, beyond the rows of support vehicles. There they discovered more BattleMechs being prepared by techs for combat.
"Joanna, would not the sheer size of so many BattleMechs make some of them visible to our forces when daylight comes?"
"That mountain on the other side there would effectively mask this contingent from us until the battle begins. They are counting on our reconnaissance units not thinking to look up here. Another gamble, but safe enough, I think."
An impressive campfire lit a wide area. Working nearby, Wolf officers were busy with the logistics of the operation. An officer would make an expansive arm gesture, and immediately a chain of events leading out of the encampment would take place, with warriors running, vehicles being driven in and out, all accompanied by the strange, subdued babble of many people speaking in low voices.
"We must get closer," Joanna said.
"Very daring of you."
"Are you being cautious?"
"Not at all. I am eager to see more."
"Good. Extreme caution brings out the worst in me."
They moved forward. Joanna gestured toward some trees to their left, and the two strode toward them without any attempt to stay out of the flickering light of the campfire. Joanna had counted on the officers being too busy to notice them as anything more than a couple of workers on a detail.
From within the small cluster of trees, they could observe the Wolf endeavors in relative safety. Something was happening near the campfire, where several warriors were gathered in a loose circle.
"What are they doing?" Diana whispered.
"Listening to someone, it seems."
"I wish we could hear, then this would—wait! Who is that?"
A warrior dressed in a field uniform bearing the insignia of a spider with a red hourglass on its back stepped from the circle. A woman of regal bearing, the first thing one noticed about her was her red hair, which was like a fire around her pale face. The second thing noticeable was that she was much older than the average warrior. She could, Joanna thought, be anywhere from sixty to one hundred, an age range that few Jade Falcons reached as warriors. The other warriors clearly deferred to her.
"I knew it," Joanna muttered. "I knew she would be behind all this."
"That, then, is Khan Natasha Kerensky?"
"Of course. Red hair and haughty and old, it could be no one else."
"She must be ancient, more ancient than—”
“Older than even I am? She is and, even with her advanced age, she is one of the best warriors in the Wolf Clan."
"Even in the village where I grew up we heard about Natasha Kerensky. But I know little about her."
"I have to admit, even looking at her now, with all the years marked on her face, that Natasha Kerensky impresses me, too. I do not know the full story, but I know she spent many years with Wolf's Dragoons in the Inner Sphere and became known as the Black Widow. Maybe it was there she learned deceitful techniques, or maybe they come naturally to members of the Wolf Clan, maybe it is something mixed into their nutrient solutions. The most sickening thing I know about the Wolves is that they even elevate traitors to high position. Their other Khan is a freebirth from the Inner Sphere."
Diana was agape. "I have heard of this before but I still cannot believe it. A freebirth as Khan? How can it be? We Falcons do not even allow freeborns to—"
"Perhaps we will talk of this another time," Joanna said. "Right now we must find out what Natasha Kerensky is doing here."
"If we are to climb back down the Gash and be back to base before daylight, we should go now."
"Daylight on Twycross? You are optimistic."
"At any rate we should not get trapped behind enemy lines."
"We got through them easily before, we can do it again. I need to find out more."
"Need? You have changed, Joanna."
"Quiet, Diana. Tell me what you see when you look at Natasha Kerensky."
Diana shrugged and spoke quickly, in the style of a report. "For a person her age, her physical condition is clearly laudable. She walks youthfully and with a strong stride."
"Do no confuse haughtiness with youth. She would not dare walk like an old woman, anymore than I would."
"She must have been beautiful once."
At that moment Kerensky turned, and the firelight lit her face weirdly. The age was even more evident, but so was the beauty. Eyes that threatened devastation seemed to look directly at Joanna and Diana, and they both shrank back a bit, even though they knew she could not possibly see them.
"Joanna, we have to get back to camp or—"
"Wait. Be patient. Let us see what we can find out."
What they discovered, however, was not what they expected, and it so disgusted Joanna that she nearly broke cover and ran straight into the Wolf encampment.
While they watched, an officer came to Natasha Kerensky and whispered something into her ear. She nodded and walked toward the fire. From around the other side came two figures.
"Joanna! They are wearing Jade Falcon uniforms!"
"Maybe they are spies. The Wolves might be trying to infiltrate our outfits. It would not be un—"
Diana recognized the pair a second later than Joanna, and she gasped at the sight.
"Castilla! Cholas! What are they doing here?"
Joanna could not speak for a moment. She pushed her hands against the trunks of a pair of trees and held tight, so tight that a thin stream of blood ran down the tree bark from each of her hands.
"Joanna! What is it?"
Joanna struggled to control herself. When she spoke, it was in a tense but steady voice. 'They are the spies, infiltrators."
Kerensky conferred with Cholas and Castilla, nodding frequently at their words. Then she put a hand on their shoulders, giving each a squeeze, as if in acknowledgment of a job well done.
"Why did I not see it?" Joanna muttered.
"How could you possibly—"
"Kael Pershaw told me that the Wolves were substituting their own for new Jade Falcon warriors.”
“Substituting? But how?"
"They kidnap new warriors before they arrive at their units. They change the codexes to match the physical description with that of the replacement."
"What do they do with the ones they kidnap?"
"What do you think? Kill them."
Diana suddenly retreated into the trees. The sounds of her retching followed. When she returned, her face was grim. "Freebirth bastards!"
"Strange words for you to use, but I agree. I should have known. Right away I knew there was something off about those two. They were too close, almost intimate, they even talked of coupling together in a strange way, like what they call romantic. And they spoke of love as if such an emotion were not both ridiculous and repugnant among warriors."
"I know, I know. But I thought they were just deviant Jade Falcons and would straighten out when they became real warriors. But even Wolf warriors from the same sibko do not act like that, do they?"
"Not if they are from a sibko. Perhaps they are freeborns or even bondsmen from the Inner Sphere corralled into doing dirty work for the Wolves. It does not matter who they are."
"But it does! This ... this is sickening."
"Put those thoughts out of your mind. We must remain calm, objective. The question is not who they are. That we already know. The question is, what are they up to? And, in one way, that seems clear. They are bringing information about the Falcon Guards to Natasha Kerensky. It could be nothing else."
"I will kill them!"
Joanna stared at Diana, seeing the rage in her eyes, seeing herself in Diana.
"Perhaps you will. But not now. If we kill them, say, as soon as they leave this camp, their bodies might be found."
"We can hide bodies."
"Even so, if they are not in their 'Mechs when the battle begins, Natasha Kerensky might get suspicious. No, we let them live. For now."
Diana shuddered. Joanna's calm tone frightened her.
"Something has happened to you, Joanna, since you left us. You have returned from wherever you were with a much craftier outlook. You were not assigned to another unit, as Ravill Pryde said. You were a spy yourself, Joanna, quiaff? No, do not even speak. It must have been an appalling experience. I will do whatever you say, and be a spy, too. Your spy."
"Good. Now then, since Cholas and Castilla are leaving, we can follow them to learn their route back to our camp. I have no wish to return the way we came. But do not follow too close. I would hate to see them dead too soon."
Cholas and Castilla 'glanced at each other as they passed near the trees. It was obvious that the glances, even to unsentimental observers like Joanna and Diana, was one of deep affection.
"Yes," Diana muttered. "I must kill them."
"You could. You could kill them. And their death would be shameful. But think how much better to humiliate them."
Diana stared into Joanna's almost amused eyes. "You have changed, Joanna. You seem less Jade Falcon, more—"
Joanna was instantly angry. "I am Jade Falcon. Have no doubt about that, Diana. I am Jade Falcon to the core. Like you, I want to tear those two apart. But I want them to feel the pain. Let us go, we can debate this later. We must not let those traitors disappear on us. Come."
* * *
Diana's feeling were confused as she and Joanna left their hiding place. Even though she had previously despised Cholas and Castilla, the idea of their being spies was almost too much for her to absorb. It was too evil, and evil was a concept that had always bothered Diana. She could accept bad behavior, cruelty, rudeness, even the insults about her being freeborn—all of these were despicable, but they were not evil. They were part of being Jade Falcon. Evil was much more abstract. And what if Cholas and Castilla, being of another Clan, did not even consider their actions evil?
Diana shook her head, trying to rid her mind of these thoughts. They were not even worthy of a Jade Falcon warrior. She had spent too much of her life as a freeborn and all her attempts to place herself completely into the mold of a Jade Falcon warrior were eroded by ideas from outside the Jade Falcon tradition, the warrior's way of life. She wanted to be able to say firmly, as Joanna did, "I am Jade Falcon," without the accompanying qualifications. I am freeborn, but within me are the genes of Aidan Pryde and I deserve to be accepted fully by trueborn warriors, as is my right. Shaking her head did not shake away such thoughts.
Briefly, she looked back at the Wolf encampment. It was an eerie scene—the flickering firelight and deep shadows, the intense activity, and the huge BattleMechs hovering over it all like the powerful behemoths that they were.
31
The Plain of Curtains, Twycross
Jade Falcon Occupation Zone
7 December 3057
No real dawn on Twycross. Just a slight change in the darker reds of the sand and rocks. Eventually, a sensory shift that felt like daylight even though it did not look much like it. It tasted more like day than night. Sky intermittently visible. Patterns of sand, sharper-edged. Sand like fire.
Joanna did not give Ravill Pryde much chance to reprimand her and Diana. Though he had started out saying they had no right to conduct unauthorized night reconnaissance, she quickly interrupted and told him what they had discovered, leaving out the part about Cholas and Castilla. Luckily, he did not ask how they had returned from the plateau, so she did not have to lie about following the two spies down a gradual path leading to the Plain of Curtains. Nor was she forced to mention how Cholas and Castilla were guided back to the Jade Falcon camp under Wolf Clan guard.
"Obviously the Wolves knew we would check inside the Gash for explosive charges," Ravill Pryde responded bitterly. "So those freebirths are planning to humiliate the Falcon Guards again at the very place our dead are buried. I knew they were devious, but I did not think another Clan would stoop so low as to borrow strategy from the Inner Sphere. Why not fight us honorably, according to the way of the Clans?"
"I think Natasha Kerensky is desperate," Joanna said.
"Why should that be? The Wolves are fierce fighters, their 'Mechs—the ones we" have seen—are in good condition, their supplies are—"
"I think they do not have sufficient forces on Twycross. Even taking into account that we traveled at night and the visibility was miserable, the Wolf camp seemed spread out and their manpower thin. Natasha Kerensky would not stoop to such tactics as ambush unless she—"
"What else can you expect from that disgusting old woman?"
His comments about Kerensky always seemed forced. The thought crossed her mind that Ravill Pryde might be a spy, too; that he, too, might have been inserted into the Falcon Guards to undermine them; that he—but no, that was impossible. Too many people had known Ravill Pryde since his marvelous Trial victory and his early win of a bloodname. Kael Pershaw had mentioned meeting Ravill Pryde several times before he had come to Sudeten. Pershaw had even commented that the Jade Falcon leadership believed Ravill Pryde would eventually rise to become Khan, no doubt one of the youngest Khans in Clan history.
No, Ravill Pryde had to be a true Jade Falcon warrior. No substitution was possible. The only infiltration Ravill Pryde represented was a bizarre genetic contrivance which, though effective in breeding a new kind of warrior, was repellant to anyone, like Joanna, who believed only in Jade Falcon ways and in the greatness of the Jade Falcon warrior. Until more was known abut the genetic experimentation, it seemed reasonable for her to assume that Ravill Pryde's effectiveness as a Jade Falcon officer could be affected by his Wolf genes. To her his behavior would always be suspect.
"I respect Natasha Kerensky," Joanna insisted.
"She is you, I expect."
The remark surprised and angered Joanna, but she held back the emotions, merely asking, "Why do you say that?"
"She is an effective aged warrior and you have also shown us that a warrior can be strong in spite of your years. In defiance of your years, I might add."
"Will you revoke my transfer to the homeworlds then?"
"I did not say I had changed any of my beliefs about aging warriors. Most are a liability to combat units, but there are a rare few who have moments of effectiveness. As I am sure you will in the battle to come."
"Spare me your kick in the behind compliments. Instead, tell me where will we engage the Wolves."
"A few kilometers from here, on the Plain of Curtains."
"I wish to lead the assault."
"You will be more valuable in reserve. The garrison Clusters will strike at the Wolf flanks while the Guards go straight through their line. Star Captain Evlan will head the main force with Echo Nova, sending her Elementals ahead, both to scout and to interfere with Wolf progress. Command Cluster will enter the fray on her near right flank while I take Delta and the rest of Echo in a massive flanking movement on the left. We should engage fully at this point here."
He pointed out the location on the command terrain map.
"That is too close to the Gash. She wants to lure us there."
"I can see that. But I believe we can inflict enough damage before she is able to start withdrawing any troops through the Gash, as I expect she will. Besides, we should not tip our hand that we know her ambush strategy yet."
"What are you going to do about it?"
"That will depend on Natasha Kerensky. I want her to proceed with confidence, so that we can prepare our own ambush."
"Our own ambush?"
"Aff. A psychological ambush, if necessary.”
“Psychological ambush? What is that?”
>
“You will see."
"I do not know that I wish to. I prefer prowess to psychology."
"As do I."
"Then why even contemplate it?"
"Because it might work. You will have to adjust, Joanna. We Clans have learned much from this invasion of the Inner Sphere. If we are to succeed we must apply some of this knowledge to our own ways, especially since it looks as though Natasha Kerensky intends to use Inner Sphere tactics."
"I do not agree. The way of the Clans must be sufficient.”
“Then perhaps you deserve to be reassigned.”
“Ravill Pryde—"
"No, not now. We can settle all this later. And in the field do not forget to address me properly, with my rank."
"Star Colonel Ravill Pryde, I request permission to ready my Summoner for the coming battle."
"Granted, Star Commander Joanna."
* * *
A sense that sand is thick in the cockpit's air, although there are no signs of it on any surface, and the air was filtered. A sense that, when it moves forward, toward a battle already engaged, the Summoner has problems with footing. A sense that something is affecting balance and that the dizziness that lurks in the cave of its pilot's eyes will soon emerge.
Joanna switched off her commline so that she could hear, muffled by the Summoner's thick skin and the subtle creaks inside her neurohelmet, the first sounds of combat. Hitting the button to reopen the channel, she heard the warrior yelps and screams, boasts and challenges, groans and moans of pain of pilots in their cockpits. But there were more sounds of victory than distress. The battle was obviously going well for the Jade Falcons. Ravill Pryde directed the fighting in a crisp cool voice. Even for Joanna, who still detested the man, the sound of his voice was encouraging, the import of his words inspiring. They made her want to get to the fight sooner.
She should have felt insulted at being held in reserve, yet she did realize that, to Ravill Pryde, it must make sense. She was an old warrior and, from his point of view, not worthy frontline material. She also had too much experience to be wasted as front-line cannon fodder. As for Joanna, all she wanted was the chance to dispose of as many of the despised Wolf warriors as she could.
I am Jade Falcon Page 22
