Highlander Gambit

by Blaine Lee Pardoe

  Armed with particle projection cannons, pulse lasers, short and long-range missiles, and a wide range of ECM, a 'Mech could wield staggering firepower—enough to level a city single-handedly. They also had maneuverability. No tank had ever jumped up and down on another tank. Nor had any mere tank ever reached out and ripped another one apart with its massive hands.

  The comm set in his neurohelmet sparked to life as Loren adjusted his helmet settings. "Comm check, Major Jaffray," boomed the voice of MacLeod.

  "Verified and operational. What is the run, Colonel?" Loren asked as he adjusted the neurohelmet's sensor tabs for better contact. Good skin contact was important, and Loren, like most of his modern breed of knight, shaved the small sensor contact points on his scalp to ensure the connections.

  "We make a run through the lowland moors and up the hill on the other side. Dummy tanks and 'Mechs are positioned along the way. You see them, you shoot them. The computers on our 'Mechs are running the standard training software, which will simulate actual damage. I'm sure you're used to this kind of thing."

  "After you, sir."

  "Aye, lad," came back the response. The faster Huron Warrior leaped into action, trotting ahead of the Gallowglas. Loren punched his foot pedals and throttled the Gallowglas forward. The 'Mech's massive gyro purred to life at the sudden start-up and he concentrated on adjusting it. The feedback of his own brainwaves ran from the neurohelmet to the gyro's controls, compensating for the movement and balance changes. He followed MacLeod down the hillside, scanning his flanks and wondering when the simulated attacks would begin.

  * * *

  Chastity Mulvaney made her way down the narrow cobblestone street, carefully examining every pedestrian she passed. The morning sun poked occasionally between the tall buildings and down onto the streets, offering small spots of warmth as she walked. Though it was true the meet she was headed for did not violate any specific orders, she couldn't help wondering if she were betraying her trust. Spotting the small cafe, she crossed the street and went in. Except for the waitress at the counter and the lone patron in a rear booth, the place was empty. Mulvaney walked back to the booth and sat down across from its occupant.

  "I'm pleased you could come," Drew Catelli said as he took a sip from what was apparently a glass of ice water. "I apologize for the earliness of the hour, but I thought the two of us might have something of mutual concern to discuss."

  Mulvaney stared at him for a long moment. She had met with Catelli in an official capacity many times in the past, but this was their first private meeting. She, like MacLeod, had more respect for him than for his superior, the Davion consul. Burns was all pomp and circumstance, but Catelli was a warrior. That alone gave him more in common with the Highlanders than his politically appointed superior. "I want you to know that I only agreed because you mentioned having some information that might be of interest to me and to the Highlander Command."

  "Yes, indeed I do," Catelli said, opening his leather day case and pulling out a small sheet of paper. Mulvaney could not see what was on the printout, which Catelli proceeded to study intently. "As you may be aware, there has been an upsurge of civil unrest in the Sarna March. We have had reports of terrorist activity on several worlds, activity that looks suspiciously like the work of outside agitators. We suspect that Sun-Tzu Liao is either funding or directing these guerrilla movements."

  "I see." Mulvaney was aware of the increasing tensions in the Sarna March, but she thought it better to offer no comment and wait to see what Catelli had to say. After conquering the Capellan worlds that now formed the Sarna March, Hanse Davion had used his wife Melissa to win the loyalty of those planetary populations. Melissa had taken the task to heart and been enormously popular. Now that she was gone Prince Victor was likely to have his hands full with what had never stopped being essentially Liao worlds. The trouble in the nearby Skye March had still not completely died down either, even after Glengarry. That was partly because Victor had named the pro-Davion David Sandoval to replace the rebellious Richard Steiner as military commander of the region. Steiner had been transferred to Tharkad, effectively kicked upstairs. That had bolstered Victor's power in the Skye region, but had done nothing to win him more support in that troubled sector of his realm.

  "Yes, I'm sure you do. Now perhaps you understand my concern regarding our recent arrival on Northwind, this Major Jaffray?"

  "Do you think Liao might have sent him here to stir up similar trouble between the locals and the Highlanders?"

  "I'm not accusing him of anything—yet. But I'm curious about why he has come to Northwind to meet directly with the senior officer of the Highlanders. I'm also curious as to why he, a member of a blatantly terrorist unit, the Death Commandos, has been sent here. I don't buy this charade of a vacation anymore than you do. I must say, Major Mulvaney, that you've never struck me as someone likely to take such a man so blindly into your house."

  "For what it's worth, I don't believe that Loren Jaffray is a terrorist, Colonel. He'd never have come to Northwind so openly if he was."

  "So you trust him, eh?"

  Mulvaney shook her head and her forehead wrinkled. "No, I don't trust him. I merely said I don't think he's a terrorist. I'm not sure why he's here, but I don't believe his story of visiting the land of his forefathers either."

  "So why is he here, Major? Enlighten me."

  She drew in a long, tight breath. "You're asking me to violate confidences, Colonel."

  "What I'm asking you to do is preserve or even save the Northwind Highlanders from possible harm. What loyalties you honor in the process is something only you can decide, but I know that your first loyalty is to the Highlanders—not to some outsider sent here to cause trouble."

  "I told you I'm not totally convinced that Jaffray is here to intentionally create trouble. I may not trust him totally, but as yet he's done nothing to indicate that he's deliberately out to hurt my people. Colonel MacLeod says we're to watch him like hawks. So let's just say that's what I'm doing—for now. That's the reason the Colonel decided to let him stay in our barracks, which he had rigged up with cameras and microphones so we could watch him."

  "The problem is that you aren't sure," Catelli said, then held up a hand when Mulvaney opened her mouth to speak.

  "Wait, Major. I'm here to ask you to think something over very carefully. The biggest question you face is whether you're willing to endanger the Highlanders' relationship with the Federated Commonwealth. Will you risk the lives of your men and women to the good will of this total stranger ... a man whose ties to the Highlanders exist not in blood but on paper?"

  Mulvaney paused and considered the question carefully. Was she violating the trust of Colonel MacLeod simply by talking to Catelli? And what did she really owe Loren Jaffray in the way of confidentiality? Besides, he hadn't really told her that much in the first place. All he'd said was that he carried a message from Sun-Tzu Liao for the Highlander Command. Surely, to reveal that information could not cause any harm or give away anything that Catelli had not already heard at the spaceport.

  "All he's said is that he has a message to the Northwind Highlanders from the Capellan Chancellor."

  Now that Mulvaney was finally opening up, Catelli moved in quickly. "We already know that, Major. What is this message that it's so important?"

  Mulvaney shrugged. "He hasn't said, yet. All he's told us is that it's important enough for the Assembly of Warriors to hear."

  Catelli's expression grew more serious. "That's all?"

  "He also requested that we call a Cabel of the Highlanders present when he found out that we didn't have a quorum for an Assembly with so many of our people offworld. That's all he's said. I'm guessing that the Capellans may want to offer us a contract. Obviously not something we could accept."

  "What are his plans for the next few days?"

  "Jaffray's going to drill with the Colonel, then get a formal tour of the city later on. Colonel MacLeod has a deep respect for Jaffray's family, an
d from what I can see, our visitor is playing on his sentimentality. But the Colonel insists he's keeping Jaffray close in case he is some sort of threat."

  "Do you think Colonel MacLeod might be influenced by Jaffray?"

  "Influenced is a strong word. The Colonel has spoken to me a great deal about his respect for Loren's grandfather and his leadership in the Highlanders. But no matter how much store he puts in history and tradition William MacLeod would never do anything that might endanger the Highlanders. He's a crafty man. Despite my protests, I think he's using this time and opportunity to size Loren Jaffray up."

  "You've been most helpful, Major," Catelli said as he slid out of his seat and laid a C-Bill on the table as a tip. "I'd advise you to keep your eye on our mutual friend. Men like Jaffray are often not what they seem. Meanwhile I'll put some of my own assets to work finding out if he is an agent. As always, your loyalty to the Federated Commonwealth is appreciated." With a nod Catelli turned and walked out of the small cafe.

  Chastity Mulvaney didn't watch him go. Her thoughts were too busy circling around and around the questions that had troubled her since the moment she'd first heard the name of Loren Jaffray.

  7

  Peace Park Tara, Northwind

  Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth

  17 September 3057

  "I wanted to come here to talk, Loren"—MacLeod waved one hand in front of them as they walked—"to our Peace Park. It's one of the oldest parks in the Inner Sphere. The First Lord himself dedicated it in 2637. It was undamaged even after House Davion drove the Highlanders from Northwind three hundred years ago." The point was not lost on Loren. The Succession Wars had consumed entire cities and left virtually no part of the Inner Sphere untouched. To see a bit of the former Star League's glory preserved on Northwind only added to the mystique and allure of the world.

  "It's quite beautiful, sir."

  "Calming too. I come here when I need to do any serious thinking. To stand among the immortals here in the park and think about history and my people's place in it. That's why I chose this place to discuss your Chancellor's proposal to the Cabel. And to hear your thoughts on Thomas Marik's declaration of war."

  "It surprised me as much as anyone, Colonel," Loren said, and that much was true. Last night he'd watched Marik's broadcast, followed by the startling news that both Marik and Liao troops were striking at worlds in and around the Sarna March. "Who'd have expected Victor Davion to deceive Thomas about the death of his son and put a double in the boy's place?"

  MacLeod grunted expressively. "Plenty of people wouldn't put it past him. The Prince doesn't seem bound by anything but his own desire for power. Look what he's done to the Highlanders—trying to play us for fools ever since Glengarry. Neither contracts nor promises nor honor seem to mean anything to him."

  Loren stopped in front of one of the gleaming white marble statues. The name etched on the base of the monument was that of a General Benjamin Jenkins Novak of the Star League Defense Force. He studied the stern but noble expression on the face of the statue while he spoke.

  "Then I'd say the Chancellor picked just the right moment to send me here. The offer he sends you would right any wrongs that have been done you."

  "I'm listening, lad."

  Loren saw no reason to mince words. "The Highlanders have been waiting a long time to own Northwind free and clear, and the Chancellor understands what it would mean to your people. What he sends you is an offer to support a drive for an independent Northwind. Not just Capellan support, but that of House Marik as well."

  "Do you have any idea what you're saying, Jaffray?"

  "I do, sir. For two centuries House Liao was unable to fulfill its promise to return Northwind to your people—our people. Now Sun-Tzu is willing to support the Highlanders in a bid for freedom."

  "My people will not simply exchange one warlord for another. If your Chancellor thinks that we will acknowledge him as liege lord over Victor Davion, it's a waste of time to even present the proposal."

  "No sir, that isn't a condition at all. Sun-Tzu will support a Highlander push for total independence for Northwind, with no strings attached. If you accept his offer he will officially recognize Northwind as an independent world. He is certain that he can also guarantee recognition by Thomas Marik as well."

  MacLeod also contemplated the general's stone face for a moment "I'm sure Sun-Tzu knows that Victor Davion won't sit back and let Northwind slip through his fingers. Especially not now, with an invasion on his hands."

  "The Chancellor asks me to inform you that he would back you with force, if necessary. And Marik said it himself on the broadcast—he'll support all those wanting to liberate themselves from the Davion yoke, including worlds in the Sarna March."

  "And what does the Capellan Confederation get out of the 'liberation' of Northwind?"

  Loren knew that whatever he said now would either seal or destroy his credibility. "You have every right to be skeptical, sir, but I assure you that the Chancellor has no intention of placing a garrison here or imposing distant rule. What the Confederation gets is the fulfillment of a centuries-old obligation and a new ally."

  "And ...," MacLeod prodded.

  "And while the Chancellor would never say so directly, he would no doubt enjoy making Prince Victor Davion squirm while depriving him of one of his most elite merc units and one of his most key worlds."

  MacLeod shaded his eyes as he looked back to Loren. "Your timing is better than you imagine, Loren. There have been a number of points of contention between the Federated Commonwealth and the Highlanders. Drake Burns calls them 'issues of sovereignty,' but whatever you name it, it's not a game I like being forced to play. We are mercenaries, but our so-called liege lord hasn't been too good at holding up his end of agreement. Payments have been late and repair part prices have been jacked so high that it's nearly impossible for us to fulfill our financial obligations. We're still owed for our work in helping clean up on Glengarry last year. But no matter how much I protest, I might as well be talking to a stone wall.

  "We served House Davion in the War of 'Thirty-nine and now our regiments stand guard on the FedCom's Clan borders. But it looks to me like Victor Davion is trying to break our backs, slowly drive us to bankruptcy, perhaps hoping to weaken us and eventually absorb us into his own House military."

  "Your relations with House Davion are your own affair, Colonel, but even in my short time here I've observed the strain. The conflict over who rules Northwind was obvious between you and Consul Burns at the spaceport. There's also the question of this Colonel Catelli and his 'Consul Guards.' How many troops does he have under him, sir?"

  "A heavily reinforced company of 'Mechs and a battalion of infantry and conventional armor."

  Loren shook his head. "Where I come from that amounts to a garrison force, Colonel. Why would Victor Davion place a battalion of troops here when he already has a regiment of the finest troops in the Inner Sphere as the standard garrison?"

  "My staff and I have had this discussion a dozen times, Major Jaffray. But you tell me, why would he?"

  "I'd say it's the first step in the Federated Commonwealth trying to take over your regiments. Davion doesn't trust you totally and so he sends troops here to make sure you stay in line. Over time his people gradually usurp your authority and exert greater and greater Davion control. Eventually the Highlanders become no more than a local militia."

  "Unfortunately that's been my analysis of the situation as well. Mulvaney and several other younger officers may have fallen for the line Burns and Catelli have been feeding them, but I see right through it. And so do Colonels Senn, Cochraine, and Stirling. It's also interesting that Davion didn't bother to send the troops until the other three Highlander regiments were all off-world. They call it a coincidence. But we see through the charade."

  "And then there's the Clan threat, sir," Loren added.

  "Yes, the Clans." The mention of the invaders and the swath of damage they had cut into the
heart of the Inner Sphere was enough to chill the heart of even the most confident MechWarrior. Using highly advanced, sophisticated technology, the genetically bred warriors of the Clans would have swallowed the Inner Sphere whole if not for the stalling action of ComStar on the planet Tukayyid. But the ferocious Clans still hovered like a plague on the borders of the Federated Commonwealth and the Draconis Combine, waiting for the Treaty of Tukayyid to expire—or a chance to break it.

  "Our current contract calls for us to garrison Northwind and Ozawa here in the Draconis March as well as worlds on the Lyran/Clan border. I'm sick of seeing Highlanders posted on the Clan front while able F-C troops are assigned to worlds six jumps from any threat."

  "So, Colonel, will you support calling a Cabel to hear the Chancellor's initiative?"

  MacLeod crossed his arms across his chest, but did not speak for several moments. "Not all Highlanders feel the way I do, Major. A good number of our people are very pro-Davion, mostly those who were born and raised here, second generation. After Hanse Davion allowed us to return to Northwind, they thought he could do no wrong."

  "Hanse Davion is dead. And no matter how anyone cuts it, Victor Davion is not his father."

  MacLeod chuckled slightly. "True enough. But what I'm trying to say is that even some of my top officers, Mulvaney included, are fiercely loyal to the Davions. There will be resistance, especially with this war breaking out."

  "But the Highlanders are no longer alone, Colonel. The Capellan Confederation and the Free Worlds League will stand with you. You'll support the initiative, won't you, sir?"

  "Yes, Loren Jaffray. I will call a Cabel. We'll discuss the proposal and vote on whether to convene the Assembly of Warriors." MacLeod was just reaching out to shake Loren's hand when suddenly he was knocked off his feet and thrown backward, smashing into the base of the statue.

  A spray of blood spattered the gleaming white marble as MacLeod slid down against it, smearing the base of the statue with a bright red stain. Loren leaped forward into a crouch, grabbing MacLeod under the armpits and dragging him around to the other side of the statue.