Justin dodged to the left, then smashed his right fist into Capet's exposed ribs. Though a bit short, the powerful, pistonlike blow knocked Capet to the side. The MechWarrior collided heavily with the long table to his left and grunted in pain. As he stumbled over one of the benches and dropped to the floor, the shield flew from his hands.
His right fist still cocked and ready, Justin stared down at him. "If you're not a coward, then you'll accept my challenge to do battle." Justin looked up at the other MechWarriors who had gathered around to watch. "If the others think it proper, I suggest we battle for the right to Noton's alcove."
Capet smiled easily and pulled himself to his feet. "Is that all you want, Xiang, a fair fight? Will you use your Centurion against my Rifleman! I assure you that I will not make Billy Wolfson's mistake."
Justin smiled cruelly. "Which error is that, Capet? Exposing his back to me, or accepting your advice? I am touched at your concern that I will not be able to match your Rifleman, but I suggest that you not lose any sleep over it."
Justin turned and began to walk away, then stopped. Resting a hand on the shoulder of the Maskirovka agent accompanying him, he faced Capet again and smiled. "Oh, and don't count on getting that 'Mech regiment Prince Davion has promised for my head. He may hate me, but he's not stupid enough to actually grant you a command. When you die, it will be here . .. right here on Solaris."
45
Styx
Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine
23 May 3027
Captain Stefan von Breunig turned as Leftenant Andrew Redburn and Joana Barker entered the command center of the mine complex. Beyond him, through the glass wall, the Bifrost and the Silver Eagle hung suspended by invisible magnetic fields in the cavernous docking bay. Silvery cables, as slender as threads from this distance, fed power from the base's generators to the Bifrost's jump coils. Melissa marveled at the beauty, then shivered at the danger.
"This is Leftenant Andrew Redburn and Miss Joana Barker. As you have requested, I have assembled a number of the passengers here to discuss the problem you outlined to me earlier." The Captain smiled as he introduced the last two of the passengers summoned to this meeting, though Melissa easily read the fatigue and frustration in the dark circles under his eyes. I'll wager he hasn't slept a wink in the two days since they captured us.
Melissa nodded to the auburn-haired woman standing across the room from them, and assessed her as she'd learned to do during her military training days. Though shorter and stockier than Melissa, the woman appeared very fit. As their gazes met and Melissa stared into those brown eyes, she realized that the woman was assessing her, too.
"I am Danica Holstein," the woman told her, smiling with impatience in her voice. "I command this little outpost we have usurped from the Draconis Combine." She turned and indicated the young man behind her. "This is my son, Clovis."
Though she knew it was impolite, Melissa could not avoid staring at him. Born a dwarf, Clovis wore meter-long stilts so that he could reach the computer controls with which he fiddled. He was apparently well-accustomed to the Styx planetoid's reduced gravity, for the dwarf moved with incredible agility. Like a master musician in concert, he let his stubby fingers drift over the half-dozen keyboards. He turned just long enough to nod at them in profile, then brushed his long, black hair from his face and again attacked the computers.
Danica addressed herself to the group of Silver Eagle passengers. "Clovis informed me earlier today that a Combine ship has appeared at the nadir jump point. It has already sent one Drop-Ship in our direction. According to its acceleration vector, we estimate that it will arrive on the twenty-fifth, only forty-eight hours from now. I've brought you together so we may discuss our options."
Erik Mahler stepped forward. "Do you think it represents more than a routine patrol?"
Clovis answered in a voice far deeper than it seemed his small chest could contain. "Patrols use Scout Class ships. This is an Invader Class JumpShip and it's sent a Fury Class DropShip toward us." As he cocked his head, the dwarf's eyes revealed their hint of blue. "The acceleration vector says that they're probably carrying somewhere between thirty and fifty jump troopers."
Melissa heard those words and slowly sank back through the crowd. To take a base this size would require a company of light 'Mechs. She stared down at her fingers and quickly went through the guidelines she'd been taught for an assault on such a base. Yes, they 'd certainly need a company of light 'Mechs to subdue this base. So why were they sending jump troops?
Melissa wormed her way through the crowd and found Andrew. She pulled him to the back, then clapped a hand over his mouth. "Andrew, the jump troops on that ship must be elite ISF troopers."
Andrew's eyebrows shot up, but her hand stifled his outcry. He hesitated, then pulled her hand away. Cupping his hands around her ear, he whispered softly. "How do you know that?"
Melissa shrugged. "A Fury is built for hauling infantry, not 'Mechs. It can hold more than a hundred comfortably, so why would they send less? In fact, why would they send anything but 'Mechs? The only answer I can see is that they have troopers who they believe can accomplish the job. That means ISF troops."
"Damn!" Andrew's eyes narrowed. "That also means something else. Clovis said Kurita patrols use Scout ships, which means Kurita knows about this outpost. Curious, isn't it, that they decide to clean it up now, yet they chose such a discreet force to do it."
Melissa felt her insides coil. Somehow, by some means, they've learned who I am! She looked up at Andrew and his curt nod confirmed her fears. She leaned back against the wall, overwhelmed by doubt and anxiety, yet some of the discussion around her registered, albeit dimly, on her brain.
Andrew Redburn pushed his way to the front of the crowd. "Excuse me, but doesn't it seem foolish that the Combine would waste fifty soldiers assaulting this base?"
Danica Holstein shifted her attention to the Leftenant. "Perhaps, but then we have seen governments do so many foolish things. That is why my son and I fled Summer when we did. What is your point?"
"My point is this. From what little I saw of this base, it would take a company of 'Mechs to conquer it." Around him, the few MechWarriors in the group nodded in cautious agreement. "I would suggest that the troops aboard that Kurita ship are tough enough to accomplish the job they've been sent to do."
Danica considered his statement silently, but Clovis immediately spoke up. "ISF, that would be. It's too much of a coincidence to think that they've finally decided to blow us out of here. In fact, all they'd need for that is a bomb. No ... it must be that they want someone."
"Be that as it may," Andrew said, taking the floor again. "We have to plan a defense to hold them off. If we don't, many people could die."
Back against the cold wall, Melissa hugged herself tightly and winced at the clawing fear in her stomach. The sinister voice crawled again from the black pit of her self-doubts and whispered in its evil way. The ISF want you. Kurita's elite troops are coming for you, little Princess. Perhaps this is what you deserve....
Melissa looked up as Clovis produced a schematic view of the entire base on a holovld screen set high in the far wall. This whole asteroid is a deathtrap, Melissa, and here you will die.
Danica turned to face the screen. "As you can see, Leftenant Redburn, it would be it difficult—at best—to defend this maze of mining tunnels and the company-town complex. I concede that there are hard points, but those were meant to seal off the complex in case the outside were breached. This was not built as a military complex, and we can be certain that the ISF troops have extremely up-to-date charts on our set-up."
Captain von Breunig frowned. "But we must do something. I will not turn even one of my passengers over to the Draconis Combine."
Danica laughed coldly. "Why not, Captain? Is the ISF any less brutal than our own Loki? Let's be practical and leave these moral discussions to the philosophers. Those of us here who are not from the Combine have come from the Commonwealth, an
d we know well the excesses of power." Unconsciously, Danica reached out and rested her hand on Clovis's shoulder. When he hugged her hand between his shoulder and large head, her expression brightened momentarily.
Danica let her hand drop away. "Let us be pragmatic, Captain. If the ISF wants someone, we'll find out who it is and negotiate. If the ISF attacks, we know that many of us, including some of your passengers, will die. If, on the other hand, we sacrifice one person to save the rest, who can say it would not be the right choice?"
Hear that, Melissa? the voice echoed in her mind. People are going to die because of you. You'll not pass from this life alone. How many will go with you, little Princess? How many of them must die because of you?
Andrew held up both hands. "Wait a minute!" He pointed out toward the Bifrost. "Why don't we just jump out of here?"
Von Breunig shook his head savagely. "Even if we ran the Bifrost out to an alternate jump point, the Kuritans are only twelve hours from here, and we'd not have enough of a charge to jump. The ISF troops would catch us in space."
Andrew frowned. "But the generators are recharging the jump drive. Surely they can power it faster than the solar collector."
The Captain again shook his head. "You don't understand, Leftenant. It's not the amount of energy needed to charge the coils that matters. It's the length of time required to do the job. Energy fed in too fast can damage the K-F drive. A speedy loading would probably rupture storage cells or blow the liquid helium seals. The latter would render the ship inoperable. Worse yet, the former could result in a misjump." Von Breunig looked down. "Only an idiot, or a very desperate man, would jump after having spent less then a week recharging his drive."
Danica nodded. "There, Captain, you have eliminated the only other logical choice. Either you surrender any passenger the Dra-conians want, or we will all die."
See, Melissa. They will all die. You’ve doomed them all, and you'll finally get what you deserve . . .
Andrew slowly nodded his head. "Let's talk with them. If it's me they want, I'm willing to trade."
Danica smiled, but von Breunig snarled harshly. "No, Leftenant. The welfare of Silver Eagle's passengers is my responsibility." He shook his head wearily. "We'll never surrender a single passenger to them. Never."
"I remove that responsibility from you, Captain von Breu-nig." The woman's voice, strong and clear, reached out from the back of the room and demanded the attention of all assembled. The crowd parted and she whom they had known as Joana Barker came slowly forward. Pulling the brown wig from her head, she shook free the famous gold of her hair.
Fighting back the tears, she spoke without a tremor. "I am the one they want. I am Melissa Arthur Steiner, and no one must die because of me." She lifted her head as everyone in the room, including Danica Holstein and Andrew Redburn, dropped to one knee.
Only the dwarf Clovis remained standing and dared break the reverent silence. "Oh, this makes it very interesting, indeed." He turned and rubbed his hands together. "Now we have a Princess, and the Kuritans' second Invader, hauling an Overlord, has just arrived."
46
Pacifica (Clara III)
Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth
24 May 3027
Master Sergeant Nicholas Jones nearly jumped out of his skin as the lights came on in the recreation room. All the Kell Hounds surrounded their Lyran Commonwealth Tech Liaison and cheered deliriously. Jones staggered back toward the door of the crowded room, his hands clutched to his chest as he feigned a heart attack, but Rob Kirk caught him and prevented his escape.
Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Kell stepped forward. "Master Sergeant Nicholas Jones?" Kell's features sharpened, and the Master Sergeant snapped to attention. He gave a salute, which Kell returned smartly. "At ease, Sergeant. We're all friends here."
Another round of yells erupted as a smile blossomed on Jones's face. Kell raised his hand, and his people grew more quiet. "In honor of your thirty years of service, Sergeant, we wish to present you with some tokens of our esteem."
Cat Wilson stepped from the crowd and draped a brown leather jacket over Jones's shoulders. As the Sergeant looked down, he saw the Kell Hound insignia on the jacket's left breast and the Captain's bars on the shoulders. "Sir? I don't understand . . ."
Kell smiled and laughter rippled through the throng. "It's simple, Captain Jones. You've been elevated in rank, breveted, in fact. Now we'll confirm that in the computer and it will travel out with you. I hope no one finds out what happened so that you'll get the higher pension, but that may not work out. At the very least, however, you'll travel in luxury back to Tharkad."
"But sir, I won't be leaving for another six months because the Intrepid leaves tomorrow and I've still not been cleared to board her." Jones's appreciation for the gift fought with his desire to avoid abusing it on Pacifica.
Kell laughed and Salome Ward brought the Sergeant a mug of stout. "Captain, would we let such a thing happen?" She waved Jones to a table in the back of the recreation room. "We have everything under control."
* * *
Two floors above, Meg Lang's fingers danced across the keyboard on Pacifica's central computer. Austin Brand stood behind her, hands on her shoulders, just barely within the circle of light coming from Dan's flashlight. He looked over at Dan and smiled happily.
Leaning against the computer itself, Dan smiled benevolently and kept the light centered on Meg. Glad to see you've worked things out, Meg. She gasped slightly and Dan leaned forward. "Have you got it?" he asked.
She nodded and Brand gently squeezed the muscles at the back of her neck. Meg looked over at Dan. "Got it, Captain. Now, you just want me to move the day ahead by one?"
Dan nodded. "Yes, as soon as the clock passes midnight. On Pacifica, the 25th becomes the 26th. It'll confuse a few folks, but it'll get Jones out of here on the Intrepid." Dan laughed to himself. "It'll also cause the jump troopies a bit of trouble, but I'm sure O'Cieran won't mind that."
* * *
Chu-i Oguchi could not conceal his agitation. Sho-sa Kame-kura frowned at his subordinate. Can you not comport yourself in a more orderly manner, Oguchi? Staring at the man through the half-light, Kamekura nodded his head curtly. "Hai, what is it?"
Oguchi swallowed hard. "It is the 26th, Kamekura-san!"
"What!" Kamekura's roar filled the cavern and caused several soldiers to freeze suddenly before they scurried out of sight. "How is this possible?"
"I do not know, Kamekura-san. I set an alarm on my computer terminal for five minutes past midnight on the 26th and it just started beeping at me. I checked, and it is the 26th!" The Chu-i stared blankly at his commander. "What do we do now?"
As Kamakura stood abruptly, he smacked his head on the low ceiling. With a smothered curse, he felt his scalp for any traces of blood, but his hand came away clean and dry. "It is obvious, Oguchi-kun. We attack. Our ninja infantry will get there by four
in the morning and blow up the jump troop barracks. Others will slip into the main building and kill the officers. The rest will kill whatever MechWarriors they can find, and then our Panthers will destroy any further resistance they offer."
* * *
Dan Allard held his autoloading shotgun by the pistol grip and walked over to the Comcenter window. He brushed back the blinds and laughed as he looked out. "Come see this, Cat. Half of O'Cieran's folks are drunk and the other half are asleep."
Cat levered himself up from the desk. "Three-thirty in the morning. They ought to be asleep." He tossed a rag down over the assault rifle he'd broken down and had just completed cleaning. Joining Allard at the window, the big black man laughed deeply. "Rick will have them going full steam momentarily, and will turn this into an exercise in preparedness."
Dan nodded and returned to his chair. He glanced at the seven monitors informing him about the various perimeter alarms around the base. He punched some information in on one keyboard and frowned as the computer spit more data at him. "Damn! It looks like we have a bad IR senso
r out in the northern sector."
Cat frowned and started to reassemble the rifle. "The jumpers didn't head out that way? They might have fixed it just to get us out there in revenge for our plan to get Jones shipped out."
Dan shook his head. "No. O'Cieran's got them heading out south, away from Branson's Swamp. He said his men knew it so well that they were getting careless." Dan typed quickly. "Nuts. The wind coming in off the swamp must have knocked down the sensor or wrapped wet leaves around it again because I'm getting nothing."
Cat screwed the rifle barrel back on to complete the weapon. He slammed a clip home. "Want me to go check?"
Dan frowned. "Safety in numbers, remember? I'll call Salome and get her to take over for us here while we recon the sensor. Only take a couple of minutes for her to get down here."
Salome arrived by the time Cat and Dan had pulled on body armor suits from the security locker beside the door. After zipping up the front of his ablative jacket, Dan pointed at the monitor. "The number four north sensor got strange about fifteen minutes ago. Crosschecks with other scanners report nothing but.. ."
Salome nodded and set her SMG down on the table. "Go peel the leaves off it and I'll have some hot coffee waiting when you return."
"Yeah," Cat laughed as he patted the redhead on the shoulder. "Sounds good."
Something just doesn't feel right, Dan thought as he led the way down the corridor to the stairs. Cautiously, he leveled his shotgun and pointed it down the stairwell. He nodded to Cat and the larger man swung around to cover the stairway as Dan descended. Once Dan reached the base of the stairs, he covered the corridor and signalled Cat to come down behind him.
The two men worked down the corridor to the 'Mech hangar cautiously. They saw nothing, though Dan jumped at even the slightest sound. Cat, as always, maintained an outward air of calmness, but Dan noticed the darting glances that the black man flicked at every shadow.
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