Highlander Gambit

by Blaine Lee Pardoe

  "There is honor in fighting the Clans because they want to enslave us, but a civil war is another kind of fight—a struggle over politics, not survival. Such is not fit duty for the Highlanders. It simply is not worthy of us. And I will not send my people to die over something that has no meaning to us. We are an independent people, with hundreds of years of history and tradition. We're not the lackeys of any House Lord, including any Davion. Northwind is our home, not the Federated Commonwealth. It is time for us to look to our own interests.

  "We must face the truth, that Northwind is not truly ours. The Davions treat us like mere caretakers, mere tenants. Katrina Steiner has given permission for our units to return home. Obeying Victor Davion's orders would only bring us one step closer to becoming absorbed into his army. We are not part of the Davion clan but stand on our own, as we have since the days of the Star League. It is our way.

  "But taking that stand will surely bring down on us the wrath of Victor Davion. He will never sit back while we openly defy orders. That is why I must cancel all leaves and hereby order the unit to security status blue until further notice. All Highlander families should remain sequestered, and our Tara garrison will set up checkpoints into and out of the city. Aerospace lances are on full standby. Watch yourselves. Many on Northwind are more loyal to the Federated Commonwealth than to us. Trusted friends may turn out to be bitter enemies. If we are fortunate, perhaps we can work out a compromise with Davion. Otherwise we may find ourselves facing serious repercussions." Loren heard the words and knew the risks that the Highlanders were facing. Their onetime benefactor might rise against them with a vengeance.

  "And now I bring before you another matter. Many of you have already met or heard of our Capellan visitor, Major Loren Jaffray. Major Jaffray has traveled far for a chance to visit the homeworld of his family, but that has not been the only purpose of his presence here. He has come bearing an offer, one I ask you all to hear and consider." Colonel MacLeod looked down at Loren and gestured to him. Facing the gathering on the hillside, Loren felt hundreds of eyes boring into and through him as MacLeod continued.

  "This Cabel cannot decide on his initiative. We can, however, vote to recall the Assembly of Warriors to discuss and debate the matter. Tonight you must ask yourselves only this: Is this offer worth reviewing and debating?" Colonel MacLeod turned and nodded to Loren, a broad smile on his face.

  Loren had been practicing his short speech over and over in the past few days, yet his stomach clenched and his palms became warm and wet with the knowledge that he would not get another chance. Failure to persuade the Cabel to recall the Assembly of Warriors would doom his mission and disgrace him in the eyes of the Chancellor. As a MechWarrior he had faced death hundreds of times, yet he was suddenly nervous about speaking to this gathering of MacLeod's Regiment.

  "As the Colonel mentioned, I did not come to tour Northwind, but rather to offer you all a chance at true freedom.

  "Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao sent me here to make you a proposal. I bear it not as a diplomat but as a fellow warrior with blood ties to you. My grandfather served as an officer in the Highlanders and was recognized for his bravery and heroism. For centuries House Liao was the protector of the Northwind Highlanders. We attempted to fulfill our commitment to return Northwind to the Highlanders as an independent planet. Fate intervened, and through an unfortunate twist of fate, we split as a people ... our promise unfulfilled. "Until now.

  "If the Northwind Highlanders truly desire independence, the Chancellor and the people of the Capellan Confederation are willing to assist. Rather than serve Victor Davion as an overlord, you could be an independent people, free to fight your own battles—or not to, if that is your choice.

  "Should you accept this offer, the Chancellor vows to recognize Northwind as a free world under your rule. He also assures me that the Free Worlds League will also honor that pledge. Any attempt to violate that rule would be opposed, both diplomatically and militarily by the Confederation.

  "This would fulfill our promise made centuries ago. It would guarantee freedom—real freedom. And if the Federated Commonwealth decides to enforce its misguided will over you as a people, the Chancellor is willing to commit troops to protect the freedom of the Highlanders."

  A hush had fallen over the crowd, but Loren could not read the silence. Had he failed?

  Then a man's voice rose from the hillside. "Colonel, where do you stand on this?"

  MacLeod rested his hands on his waist, poised and proper. The light of the bonfire made the silver in his hair and beard shimmer in the night. "I was a Highlander officer when we first returned here. At the time the decision was right. Now I stand here like you, wondering what I want. It seems to me that this is not a vote for us here and now. As Jaffray said, it is a vote for the future. The risks are great and we will almost certainly be drawn into a conflict.

  "It would be a sin for me to sit back while we become absorbed by the Federated Commonwealth, no longer free to control our destiny. The risks for all of us are great, perhaps greater than any of us can imagine. But we are always Highlanders. There is nothing that can take that from us. I endorse this initiative—no—I embrace it."

  A female spoke up from the ranks on the hills. "Isn't it a dead issue, Colonel? With the regiments coming home, this vote has no weight."

  "Not true. This vote and the call to the Assembly of Warriors will add legal credibility to our decision. It is not a moot point, but an issue that all Highlanders must consider, not just those of my regiment."

  Another man's voice spoke up. "And you, Mulvaney? Where do you stand?" All eyes turned to Chastity Mulvaney standing next to MacLeod. She blinked, looking startled.

  "Since my earliest childhood I've been hearing about our relationship with House Davion," she began slowly. "I don't see the advantage of our so-called independence. We would become the prey of every House leader wanting to establish him or herself as our new ruler."

  Lieutenant Gomez stepped forward into the light of the bonfire. "I stand for independence," she said firmly. Loren was shocked, based on the cold-shoulder treatment she'd given him earlier. "I don't want to see us end up like the Eridani Light Horse." Her mention of the celebrated mercenary unit struck a chord with the Highlanders. The Eridani was one of the other few Inner Sphere units that dated back to the Star League. Though it was still officially listed as a mercenary unit, for all intents and purposes the Eridani were just another unit in the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth.

  "How can we, one world, survive on our own? We have to keep ties to Davion or we'll die," came another warrior's voice from the darkened hillside.

  Loren looked up in his direction. "Northwind does not rely on imports from other worlds for commerce. You have your own crops, industries, and economy. And there can be no threat to your independence once all the Highlander regiments are back home."

  Another man stepped out. "How do we know this isn't some trick on the part of House Liao? I want sovereignty, but I won't change one petty dictator for another. Will we be facing a garrison force of Capellan troops on Northwind, like those blasted Consul Guards we have now?"

  Loren took a step down the steep hill in the direction of the man. "Northwind will be your world, free and clear. Should you need help in defending her, the Chancellor will gladly send troops. There will be no garrison force. No 'Consul Guards.' This is not an exchange of leadership. You—the Northwind Highlanders—will be the sole rulers of this planet. This is a simple matter of independence."

  There was a full minute of discussion in the darkness and flickering shadows of the Caithness Woods. Finally MacLeod spoke up again, this time his voice more somber and deep. "This debate could go on 'til the wee hours of the dawn. But we have duties to perform. We cannot settle this here, but we can decide whether it is worthy of consideration by our Assembly of Warriors. Step forward, into the light." He gestured toward the bonfire that now roared even higher into the night sky as the cabers continued to burn brightly
. "Those in favor of recalling the Assembly to debate and settle this issue, lift up your hands ..."

  Loren watched as more than two-thirds of the Highlanders of MacLeod's Regiment raised their hands toward the night sky. He took note of their faces, proud and strong.

  "Opposed?" called the Colonel.

  The remaining troopers' hands rose with just as much vigor. These tended to be the younger MechWarriors and troops. Loren looked around at the fire and then back up the bill. With a start, he recognized Mulvaney holding her hand up with the dissenters. She looked at him with a face flushed with emotion, almost as if the voting was painful.

  "And so it is done. I thank you all for your help. Let us never forget our past as we go boldly toward our future!" And with those words the Warrior's Cabel came to a close. The Regimental Honor Guard began playing "Scotland Forever" as the Highlanders gradually withdrew from the hill and back into the night.

  Loren remained staring into the flames of the bonfire. He had been successful in presenting the Chancellor's initiative, but it felt like an empty victory. Especially with the image of Mulvaney voting against him. He watched the flames for several minutes, lost in their heat and light, hoping to purge his feelings of guilt. He had promised his grandfather's people the true fulfillment of their dream, their homeworld truly turned over to them. In reality, his mission was to wipe them out. He knew the Death Commandos and their tactics. They would stop at nothing. And he, Loren Jaffray, would be the instrument of that death and destruction.

  13

  Federated Commonwealth Consulate

  Tara, Northwind

  Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth

  22 September 3057

  "Consul Burns," Catelli began softly as he entered the office of his superior. "We have a problem."

  Burns sat back in his chair studying his manicured fingernails, not even looking up at his attache. "Colonel Catelli, just once I would like you to enter this office with something other than a problem."

  Catelli's eyes narrowed slightly at the comment. He saw Burns as a weak, pompous bureaucrat. Perhaps if you had the courage that the creator gave a sand flea you'd understand my importance here, he thought, but merely smiled back. "I apologize, sir. However, you must see these flash communiques from the Federated Suns Command."

  He laid a single-page printout across the dark mahogany desk. Drake Burns let it sit there for a few seconds before finally turning his attention to the message. As if bored with the entire conversation, he sighed deeply and began to read. In a matter of seconds his eyes widened in disbelief.

  "Have you read this?" he demanded.

  "Indeed I have, sir."

  "Do you know what this means? Callnath and Denebola. Wasat. Van Diemen, Marcus, and Talitha have all but fallen and this is only the first wave."

  Catelli nodded. "The Capellan troops have been hitting us hard too, plus the terrorist actions on many worlds throughout the Sarna March, apparently sponsored by Liao. Uprisings on Nanking resulted in the assassination of the planetary governor and his staff. On Gan Singh the First RCT's command staff was killed when terrorists stormed their command bunker and set off explosives. It was a suicide attack, but it left an entire regiment without any sort of command structure." Burns crumpled the thin sheaf in one hand and tossed it angrily onto his desk.

  "I'm afraid that's not all, Consul." Catelli secretly reveled in the terror on Burns' face. It was a sign of weakness, a weakness that he could control and manipulate at will.

  "My own operatives tell me that MacLeod's Regiment met covertly in the Caithness Woods last evening."

  "In the woods? Why in the name of the Prince would they meet there?"

  "From what my agents tell me it was a ritual ceremony of some sort. Bonfire, bagpipes, the whole ball of wax. Perhaps they were trying to evade our bugging devices in The Fort. Regardless, they apparently met to discuss severing their agreement with the Federated Commonwealth regarding Northwind."

  "What do you mean?"

  "This Major Jaffray allegedly met with the Highlanders to incite them to rebel against our rightful rule of Northwind. He has encouraged them to rise up and fight us."

  "You must be joking."

  "I wish I were, Consul. But our Capellan visitor went so far as to offer them the help of the Confederation in fighting us. It's all part of the wave of rebellions and terrorist activity incited by Liao's black ops agents. I don't want to add to your displeasure, but we've received several tips that Major Jaffray may also have been behind the assassination attempt on Colonel MacLeod."

  "What are your sources? Are they reliable?"

  "They're anonymous, Consul, but come from intelligence sources that have proved reliable in the past."

  "But Major Jaffray was also wounded in the attack, wasn't he?"

  "A minor wound, sir, apparently intended to draw suspicion away from him."

  The news obviously shook Drew Burns even harder than Colonel Catelli had hoped. The diplomat took out his handkerchief and wiped the beads of sweat that had formed on his brow. "Blast it! I've got assassins running free, Colonel MacLeod defying direct orders from Command, a Capellan inciting rebellion, and war breaking out all around us. Colonel Catelli, I'm open to any suggestions you might have to help me resolve all of this."

  Catelli clasped his hands behind his back, and tried to keep from laughing out loud. Just as I hoped. It was almost too easy. One day this office, that desk, this world will be mine. Given the right information at the right time, Burns will beg me to take control. "Not all the news is bad, Consul. Rumors in the pipeline say that the Third Royals RCT are on their way to help us."

  "An action that would only further fan the flames."

  "Sir, there are a few things we can do to keep the Highlanders in their proper place."

  "Speak, Colonel." Burns seemed on the verge of despair.

  "To start with, you must send a message to the High Command, asking them to formally relieve Colonel MacLeod of his command of the Highlanders."

  Burns rubbed his wrinkling brow. "Even if I could get such an order there's no guarantee whatsoever that MacLeod would obey it. One thing is for sure, William MacLeod is a fighter. He won't back down."

  "Then that's his mistake. Next, we can cut off the Highlanders' intelligence information flow from the Federated Commonwealth. This will leave them ignorant of the events elsewhere and might slow down any rebellious activity."

  "They'll still be able to make use of ComStar's commercial network, Colonel."

  "I know, Consul, but without access to our intelligence network, they'll have to piece together whatever they can from news reports and their own very limited set of contacts. If they seek aid from any 'exterior' sources it will be slow in coming."

  "So you blind them," Burns said. "They still have a regiment based on this continent, most of it in and around Tara. No matter what we think of them personally, the Northwind Highlanders are one of the toughest mercenary units ever formed in the Inner Sphere."

  Catelli straightened up crisply. "As the commander of the Consul Guards I have mustered my troops to a camp just outside Tara in case anyone makes a move against either of us, sir. I have already made contacts with some of the loyal Davion factions in the civilian population. Beginning today we will show the Highlanders our resolve to retain Northwind as a part of the Federated Commonwealth. These groups will stage formal protests in the streets and attempt to keep up the pressure on MacLeod and his troops. What the Highlanders will see is a population that wants to remain loyal to Victor Davion."

  "Excellent. But what about this Jaffray?"

  Catelli nodded slowly. "Yes, our distinguished visitor from the Capellan Confederation. I have given this matter a great deal of thought, and now, with the Capellans invading Federated Commonwealth worlds, I think you'll agree that his status is in question. For one thing, there are the tips I've received implicating him in the assassination attempt against MacLeod. On top of that he attempts to incite outright rebel
lion at that Cabel meeting last night. I suggest that we arrest this troublemaker and send him to New Avalon."

  "Won't that only push MacLeod and his people even closer to rebellion?" Burns was obviously worried about the consequences of his actions, but never looked at the big, strategic picture. For that he had always relied on Catelli.

  "Not if we sell it to him and the other Highlanders properly, sir. If we take action against MacLeod's alleged assassin it might win the Highlanders over to our side. This Jaffray hasn't been here long enough to become really thick with the Highlanders. After all, he's an outsider and they're a very close-knit people." What Catelli didn't reveal was that his sources were reporting that MacLeod and Jaffray had apparendy become friends. Rather than cementing the mercenaries' relationship with Consul Burns, an attack on Jaffray would only further strain relations between the Highlanders and Burns. A confrontation at this time could easily lead to outright rebellion. And that would open the door for Catelli. Then, and only then, would he be in a position to seize power.

  Burns placed his elbows on the table and leaned forward, grinding his eye sockets into the palms of his hands. He had always viewed Northwind as an easy posting for a career diplomat. Now it was becoming a powder keg and he felt powerless to stop the fuse from firing. "We seem to be drawn into a conflict with no hope of winning."

  Catelli watched the Consul struggle with his doubts. "I have several agents already infiltrating the Highlander ranks. They tell me that many of the troops and key officers do not endorse disbanding our agreement with them. If anything they believe that the Davions are their best hope for the future."