"Well, Ms. Steiner was most efficient," MacLeod said. "She sent the same message to every garrison we have in the Lyran State Command. Our people have already acknowledged her order and are waiting for some word from me."
"Sir," Mulvaney said, looking up from her monitor. "They're all waiting for you to issue the order. Either go or no-go."
MacLeod nodded, once again rubbing his bandaged arm. "I know, lass."
The Colonel's face was a study in deep thought as he gazed into Mulvaney's screen. Then he stood up straight and carefully lifted off the reading glasses, returning them to his case and then to his breast pocket.
"What will you do, Colonel?"
"Good question, Major Jaffray. My gut reaction is to acknowledge Katrina's order and pull my people home."
"Sir," Mulvaney interjected. "Our liege lord is not this renegade Katrina but Prince Victor Steiner-Davion. To acknowledge this order would be an act of betrayal."
"Has Victor Davion issued a countermand to her order?" Loren asked.
"No, but that's not the point, Jaffray, and you know it. The minute we treat her order as valid it means we're going head to head with the Federated Commonwealth."
She turned back to MacLeod. "Sir, if you acknowledge the order, it's a direct action against the Federated Commonwealth."
"There is no Federated Commonwealth anymore," Loren couldn't resist interjecting. "At least not for much longer."
"Major Jaffray, this is a matter internal to the Highlanders and no concern of yours," she shot back. Loren fully expected MacLeod to ask him to leave, given the messages that had just arrived.
But when MacLeod spoke up, his words came as a surprise. "This is a sensitive time for our unit, but I see no danger in having Major Jaffray here. He hasn't seen or heard anything that won't be public knowledge across the whole Inner Sphere in the next twenty-four hours."
"I understand, Colonel. I was merely attempting to keep us focused," Mulvaney said flatly, giving Loren the full bore of her stare.
MacLeod looked over at the tall communications officer. "Lieutenant Gomez, send the following message to ComStar for transmission to Colonels Stirling, Cochraine, and Senn. Have it transmitted Alpha Priority and encrypted under my private security code. Send a straight copy to Lyran Command."
"Ready, sir," Gomez said, her fingers poised above the keyboard. Loren felt the tension in the room rise to an almost unbearable pitch. Colonel MacLeod took a brief glance at the printout Mulvaney had given him earlier, drew a deep breath, and began.
"Per direct Command Order 2546 Lyran Commonwealth State Command, all units of the Northwind Highlanders are hereby ordered to return to Northwind immediately. No engagement of civilians is permitted except in self-defense. Evacuation will take place no less than eight days from acknowledgment of this transmission. All travel routes to Northwind are to be classified with today's cipher and all unit commanders notified that their priority is to return to Northwind intact."
He looked over at Mulvaney. "I understand your concerns, Major. But Cat Stirling is only a jump or so away in case things heat up with our so-called friends in the Federated Commonwealth."
MacLeod ran the tips of his fingers over his bushy salt and pepper eyebrows. "Order all regiments to stage three security alert. All leaves canceled and all off-duty troops pulled back to their units."
"Yes, sir." Gomez replied. Her fingers were already halfway through the orders even before she acknowledged the command.
The senior Highlander officer turned to Mulvaney. "Major Mulvaney, I want the Caithness Woods sealed and secured by our troops at 2000 hours the day after tomorrow. Invite all off-rotation personnel to a Warriors Cabel there at that time. Deliver the messages personally, no transmissions or written orders."
"Sir?"
"Major Jaffray has been tasked by Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao to deliver us a message and I've decided to let him do it. Besides, I need to speak with my people and this is the best way. No misunderstandings. I want them to hear it directly from me."
"I'll obey, Colonel, but the timing may not be right. Perhaps it would be better to make no decision until we have a better understanding of the current situation." It was obvious by the slight bounce in her stance that Mulvaney was both excited and angry.
"I've made the decision and sent out the orders, Major." MacLeod looked around and saw the other officers intently watching him and his executive officer. "Let's take your concerns off line," he said calmly, pointing to a door near the far corner of the room.
MacLeod turned to Jaffray. "I'll leave you in the hands of Lieutenant Gomez, Major Jaffray. She can show you more of how our TO&E is compiled. I think you'll find it impressive."
Loren nodded obligingly and turned to Gomez at her terminal while the Colonel and Mulvaney left the room.
MacLeod led Mulvaney to the doorway of a small conference room holding a table and six chairs. The room was painted dark green and the waist-high wainscoting of the walls was a deep mahogany that seemed to add an air of seriousness to the room. Hung in two glass cases mounted into the walls were pieces of armor plating from a BattleMech. Each was scored with weapons hits and bore the autographs of numerous warriors. Mementos of the Highlanders' past.
Mulvaney did not wait for MacLeod begin, but began talking the moment the door closed. "Sir, I am not disobeying your orders, I am just questioning them. We have a duty to defend the Federated Commonwealth. This order from Katrina Steiner means civil war. We shouldn't be pulling our units out but ordering them into action. Remember what happened on Glengarry? We were called in to suppress a minor rebellion. A lot of good men and women died in that effort. This is the same kind of scenario on a much grander scale. Act now to support Victor and we might be able to prevent more loss of life in the future."
MacLeod rubbed his wounded arm as he gazed at Mulvaney. "I know how you feel about this, Major, but this fight is not ours, not yet anyway. My decision stands. The Northwind Highlanders are coming home."
"You do know that as soon as the Federated Suns State Command gets wind of this they'll issue countermanding orders," she returned.
"Let them," MacLeod said calmly.
"What will you do when those orders come, sir?"
MacLeod's steely gray eyes were unblinking in their resolve. "I'm a Highlander. I'll stand my ground. As will you, Major."
"Colonel, Victor Davion won't take kindly to what you're doing, whether it's legal or not. He'll see it as a threat."
"Like I said, Major, I know that the Federated Suns Command will countermand my orders, either directly or to the regiments that are incoming. Our people will ignore those orders and I will be forced into a confrontation with my Davion superiors."
"Field Marshal Hasek-Davion will never stand for this kind of insubordination," Mulvaney pressed. "They might even send troops and 'Mechs to enforce their orders. Even if we stay out of one fight, you're very likely bringing another one right here to our doorstep—sir."
MacLeod put his hands on his hips and shrugged carelessly. "You're right, Chastity, it's entirely possible. But with an invasion on their hands the Davions won't have the manpower to waste on us right now."
"Sir!" Mulvaney seemed shocked by his casual attitude. "What if you're wrong and the Davions come after us? We only have one regiment here on Northwind. We could be outgunned and outmatched."
"I know that, Major. I didn't make the decision lightly. But don't forget. Cat Stirling and the Fusiliers can get here in plenty of time if we need them. And even if Victor Davion throws his best at us, he'll have one hell of a fight on his hands."
10
The Fort
Tara, Northwind
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
19 September 3057
Loren's night had been a peaceful one thanks to the painkillers provided by the regimental doctors and the auto-bandage. The synthetic skin covering his wound made rolling over in his sleep or touching the wound tolerable, but the war news they'd been hearin
g might make other aspects of his stay on Northwind less manageable. Even as Marik had been making his declaration of war on the holo the other day, both Free Worlds and Capellan forces had been poised to strike at planets lost to the Davions in the Fourth Succession War. And they were catching those planets by surprise. Either Victor Davion was undefended because of troops diverted to garrisons along the Clan border or something had gone seriously wrong with his intelligence on troop movements. Anti-Davion riots and rebellions had also broken out all over the Sarna March.
The invasion must have been part of the reason the Chancellor had sent Loren to Northwind, but he wondered if the war might not turn the Highlanders against him after all. He mustn't fail, but could he still win?
The mess was small and most of the officers seemed to keep to their own little groups, just as in any mess Loren had ever seen. Going through the line he took a serving of toast and gravy. Two brown protein bars and a strong cup of coffee topped off the meal. It offered little appeal, but some of the field rations Loren had endured made the current tray of food seem like a rich banquet. He had just sat down to eat when he heard a step behind him.
"You're the one I heard about You're that Capellan with Highlander blood. Kin to Letha Jaffray," came a man's voice he didn't recognize. Loren continued to slowly chew his food for a few minutes, then just as slowly began to turn. From the man's tone he could easily be facing a hostile situation. The officer was a lieutenant by rank, young, fair-haired, and well built. He wore a MechWarrior's jumpsuit and from what Loren knew of Highlander regalia, his badges indicated that he had taken down five 'Mechs in his career. Impressive, considering the man's youth.
"Yes, I'm Major Loren Jaffray," he said calmly.
"Word is," the man said, crossing his arms, "that you were with the old man when he took a round the other day."
Loren nodded very slowly, carefully turning his chair so he could look the lieutenant in the face. There was no sign of gun or blade, but if things took a violent turn Loren knew he could bring this fellow down in one springing attack to the midsection. "That's right"
"And I heard you saved his life," the Highlander said, extending his right hand and breaking into a wide smile. "Pleased to meet you, Major Jaffray. I'm Jake Fuller, Regimental Command Company, Security Lance."
"Same here," Loren said, rising to his feet and shaking the man's hand. "And for the record I didn't do anything but fire a few shots off into the bushes."
"Word is you also bested old Ironheart at The Pub too. That makes you one tough hunk of MechWarrior in my book."
Loren shrugged. "Old Ironheart, eh?"
"Is it true you actually beat her in an honor test?"
Loren smiled and couldn't help a small boast. "I did defeat her in a one-on-one. I didn't know her nickname, though."
"It's not what you might think, Major. She's a tough SOB of an executive officer. She's also one of the best Mech Warriors any of us have ever seen or served with. Most of the younger officers would follow her into hell. Those of us who've fought beside her already have on more than one occasion. We started that nickname after what happened on Clermont three years ago. That was a nasty fight, let me tell you."
Loren was curious and interested. "What happened?"
"MacLeod's Regiment was on garrison on Clermont when the Steel Vipers decided to stage a little raid. Those Clan warriors are a tough group of hombres. And those OmniMechs are the best fighting hardware I've ever seen. You Capellans are lucky they haven't hit the Confederation—yet.
"Well, the Major waded right into the middle of a bunch of their Elementals. She must've had a dozen on her but she just kept on blazing away at the Omnis. She took out two all by herself before those armored Toads cut through her cockpit and opened fire on her."
"I had no idea," Loren said. It was true the Capellan Confederation had yet to meet the Clans, but Loren had heard enough stories about how skilled and deadly they were. To survive Clan combat was no small feat.
"You must have noticed those scars on her arm. One of their shots hit her chest and did a number on her heart. She was in the field hospital for a month and they had to outfit her ticker with some artificial parts. After that we started calling her Old Ironheart ... of course never to her face."
Loren cringed at the thought of being attacked by one of the heavily armored Elementals the Inner Sphere warriors had nicknamed Toads. The mental image of one of those armored infantrymen punching through a cockpit and attacking a Mech Warrior was chilling. He thought back to the night he and Mulvaney had fought, also remembering her comments afterward.
"I'm a little surprised," he said.
"Why's that, Major?"
"Mulvaney told me she'd never lost a fight." Lieutenant Fuller's face became more serious. "She didn't until you took her on."
"But you said the Elemental—"
"I said he shot her up, and pretty bad. He might have finished her off too, but she hit the eject button just before going unconscious. When she punched out, the ejection blast cut that Viper Elemental in half. She landed near a full Star of Clan Omnis and was just about dead when the old man ordered my lance into it. He personally pried her out of her cockpit and carried her to the hospital. We dug in and gave him cover. He took plenty of risks that day."
"From what I've seen, your Colonel is one hell of an officer," Loren said.
"You don't know the half of it. His daughter was in the regiment too and was killed the day before by the Vipers. Most men would have pulled back out of grief. Not the old man. He pushed us on." Fuller's eyes narrowed in thought. "When he pulled the Major out of her seat every man in the regiment knew he'd have done the same for any one of us."
Loren understood that kind of loyalty, but it was different with the Highlanders. The look in Fuller's eyes and the tone of his voice said that he'd be willing to face the same battle, the same risks all over again. It was an invisible bond that held the Northwind Highlanders together, strong yet incredibly flexible.
He was about to ask Fuller for more details on the battle and Mulvaney when an officer burst into the mess hall and ran toward them. He recognized her as the lanky Lieutenant Gomez from the War Room. She stepped up and stood facing Jaffray squarely, almost staring him down. "Sorry to interrupt."
"Lieutenant Gomez, right?"
"Affirmative, sir," she replied coolly. "Colonel MacLeod regrets that he cannot meet you for breakfast, sir."
"Problems, Lieutenant?"
"The Colonel wants you to join him in his office," she said smartly. "Immediately, sir."
Loren didn't know what to make of this summons, but he showed no visible concern. Instead he gave Fuller a comradely clap on the back by way of goodbye. By time he turned around again, the long-legged Gomez was already halfway across the mess hall.
Colonel MacLeod's office was surprisingly small and tucked away in an inauspicious corner of the massive Fort.
Loren would have expected something more to match the stature of MacLeod's command, but the small room was furnished with a desk of light oak and seating for four or five others around it. On the wall, mounted in a large frame, was a set of bagpipes. Seated behind the desk was the Colonel, with Mulvaney seated across from him. Gomez remained outside, closing the door once Loren was in.
"Good morning, sir, Major," Loren said as he looked first at MacLeod and then Mulvaney. He also took in the scar jutting out from under the short sleeve of her uniform. Ironheart. The name suited her in more ways than one, Loren decided. Chastity Mulvaney was the one island of resistance.
"Sorry I missed our meal, Major. I take it you're recovering well?" MacLeod said, motioning to the chair next to his executive officer.
"Yes, sir, and you?"
"Physically I'm fine, but there are some other issues I need to address and I wanted you to be here."
"Against my advice," Mulvaney added.
MacLeod removed his wireframe eyeglasses as he shot Mulvaney a stern look.
As he usually tried to
do, Loren ignored the comment. "What seems to be the problem, sir?"
"Consul Burns and Colonel Catelli want to pay me a visit this morning. Given the urgency of their message, I can only assume that the Federated Suns Command is responding to the orders from Katrina Steiner.
"Plainly put, Major, this is going to be a hot meeting. The Consul believes you're to blame, that you're the one who's pushed me into a rash action against the Federated Commonwealth. You and I know that isn't true, but my Davion counterpart seems to think you could be the next Amaris. I want you here when I shove the whole thing back down his throat."
Loren felt uneasy. He'd known before ever arriving on Northwind that his visit would generate tremendous tensions between the Highlanders and their employer. In a straight-up fight on the battlefield, that would be fine. But this was something different—a diplomatic battle. And, like it or not, he was now being drawn into the front lines.
"Sir, I ask again, please reconsider," Mulvaney said.
"We've already spent the whole last hour hashing over this, Major. I appreciate your fulfilling your duties as my executive officer, but now you're pushing too hard. My orders to the regiments at large stand, and you will obey them as well."
"Understood, sir." Mulvaney's voice was almost contrite.
There was a soft knock at the door and the three officers stood. Loren looked over at Colonel MacLeod, who was stroking his beard in thought. He couldn't help but admire the man's quiet dignity, his command of the situation. He's letting them stew outside for a minute, wondering and worrying. Nice touch. Finally the Colonel nodded and Loren opened the door.
David Planetary Consul Burns stepped into the room first, his regal purple cape billowing behind him. His gait was so prim and proper that he seemed out of place on Northwind, and even more so among the rough and ready Highlanders.
Highlander Gambit Page 9
