"Adding to the confusion is the evidence that some of their 'Mechs may have escaped The Castle prior to our arrival, heading upriver due northwest. We've been unable to determine how many left or how many remain."
Loren glanced over at Major Huff. The Highlander officer made only cursory eye contact with him, refusing to acknowledge that Loren had been correct about their foe's intentions.
"They aren't in there," Loren finally said. "Or at most it's only a handful. The rest are making a break for your mountain camp where they can refit while we sit bogged down here."
Huff was quick to leap back with the same old argument. "We don't know that, Jaffray. All we know is that some of them may be heading in that direction."
Captain Dumfries cut him off. "Actually, Major Huff, it is safe to assume that only a marginal force remains in The Castle."
"A guess, Richard?" Colonel MacLeod asked.
Dumfries shook his head firmly. "Simple logic, sir. First off, there's no sign at all of any Consul Guard ground armor. Considering the terrain on this side of the river they couldn't possibly have moved their tanks and vehicles into the tunnels."
"Then where did they go?" asked one of the other officers.
"I believe they've been using that DropShip to move the vehicles in the past few days. They could have used a low tree-top flight trajectory, and we'd never have picked them up with our limited sensor capability. It's a good bet they headed for the mountains, because from there they could use the established roads to get back to Tara.
"Second is the fact that we haven't encountered any NAIS power armor in our probes of The Castle, yet we know that a significant number escaped after the raid on our HQ. If I had such elements available I'd have used them to help my 'Mechs reach The Castle. But we haven't seen them at all, which is one reason we were able to hit their rear guard troops so hard."
"The situation isn't good," MacLeod said, stroking the full length of his graying beard. "Tell them what you were able to make of the DropShips we saw yesterday, Captain."
Dumfries stiffened slightly and nodded. "The DropShips were definitely not Stirling's Fusiliers. According to the wide-beam transmission we've received from Cat Stirling the Fusiliers are planning a drop at 1400 hours on October 20, so we know it's not them. She'd only have sent a message like that if she were unable to get a response from The Fort. Unfortunately without a communications link to Tara and The Fort's transmitter, we can't get word to her either. Our relay's in place, but The Fort doesn't respond. That tells us something is very wrong at their end."
It was bad enough that they'd lost their comm gear, Loren thought. Now it looked like the Davions might actually control The Fort.
"And just so we all understand, I tracked enough Drop-Ships to carry a full regimental combat team and necessary supplies. We cannot know their exact landing coordinates because of the loss of our equipment, but by taking the signal feeds from the 'Mech forces in the area I was able to target their landing zone within five kilometers."
"Tara," MacLeod said softly.
"That's not possible," Huff exclaimed. "We all agreed that Tara was to remain neutral in this fight. They wouldn't dare violate that, not now."
Loren shook his head. "You may be underestimating the lengths to which Victor Davion will go to keep Northwind and the Highlanders. I'd bet my life that they've landed either in or near Tara."
"I must concur with Major Jaffray," MacLeod said. "It explains why we can't contact The Fort to learn their status or inform Cat Stirling of the Davion presence on Northwind. I'll bet Bradford dropped right on top of The Fort. He kept us blind long enough to secure it as a base of operations. We left Tara with little to defend herself and now, for all we know, we may have a hostile enemy sitting right in the middle of Peace Park."
MacLeod's words seemed to stir every one of the officers present, including Loren. It was as if they'd been violated or raped. Comrades were dead on both sides, and now the enemy was breaking promises and agreements. There was not a face in the tent that didn't show anger or frustration.
"This isn't over yet," MacLeod said grimly. "So far we've played the dog chasing its own tail. We had them on the run, but now instead of being the superior force we're outnumbered. Fine. I've been there before and turned it into victory—more than once." The Colonel bent over and activated the map to display his plan for dealing with the situation confronting them. Icons on the electronic display grid came to life as did the key locations of Tara, The Castle, and the Highlander training camp in the nearby Rockspire Mountains. The bright light of day dimmed the glow of the field display, but not the glow on MacLeod's face as he surveyed the map.
"We have no way of knowing how large a force is in The Castle, which compels us to either lay siege to it or at least bottle it up so they can't get out. And we know that a force of unknown size is either on its way to the training camp or is already there. Not to mention the Third Royals near or in Tara. Mulvaney and Catelli will both think that I'll take this personally and simply sit here and slug it out at The Castle. Or worse, go on the defensive myself and flee to one of our other bases on the other side of the continent—knowing that the Third Royals will be hot on my tail the whole way. To be frank those were my first inclinations. Both choices would be easy. But it would only play into their hands.
"And as Major Jaffray is so fond of pointing out, we have to be a little innovative against the Davions. They aren't exactly fighting fair, in the Highlander sense of the word.
"Rather than run, we're going to take this battle home. Mulvaney and Catelli will think I'll try and hold out until the Fusiliers arrive, and that will be their mistake. A small recon force will start on a direct path to Tara to determine the status of our people there and the location and intent of the Third Royals. A small lance-size force can reach Tara a hell of a lost faster than the entire regiment and can do some pathfinding for us on the way. Meanwhile we'll attack and take The Castle. I estimate three days' worth of fighting to pry out whoever is hiding in there.
"As soon as we've suppressed The Castle we'll re-supply from the arms and parts there and set out for Tara based on the intelligence information being fed from our recon team. We need to reach Tara by the end of the month. By then Stirling's Fusiliers will be on final approach. Once they land the odds will be even numerically, though I doubt our Davion counterparts can measure up to our class and style." The Colonel's last comment brought a round of laughter from the officers.
Huff pointed at the map and illuminated a thin line that led back to Tara from the mountain encampment. "The plan is tricky. Assuming that Mulvaney or Catelli have a large force in the camp, they've got a nice wide highway leading directly from there to Tara. With their aerospace fighter advantage they'll be able to keep tabs on the bulk of our force, but the recon team may be able to get through undetected. Mulvaney could very easily be in Tara fast enough to cause us a lot of problems."
Captain Dumfries eyed the map with one raised red brow. "In drawing up this plan we were faced with another problem, and that is how to contact Colonel Stirling. With no way to send her a message we won't be able to communicate unless her DropShips are right on top of us. That means we need to know where she's going to drop."
"What are her standing orders for a Northwind landing with no communications?" Loren asked. He knew that most units had standing battle plans in place should a situation turn sour.
"Cat Stirling has orders to drop on Tara in the event of a communications blackout or if hostilities are presumed. But she could be dropping right into the middle of a trap and we'd have no way to inform her."
"Unless we were in Tara," Huff said.
"Or she figured out the trap," Dumfries added.
MacLeod straightened his stance and pulled his uniform taut. "I plan to have our regiment in position to take on the Third Royals by the time Stirling's Fusiliers begin their landing. Hopefully Cat will put two and two together and figure out what's going on. Maybe we'll be able to warn her, but
if not we can at least light up the countryside enough to let her know that a battle is brewing."
Loren leaned over the map display and studied the rugged terrain between The Castle and Tara. The rough broken hills and dense forest were the very reason the Highlanders had followed Mulvaney's rebels along the flats of the river bed. Now Colonel MacLeod was proposing to lead his already weary troops across that rough country from one battle into another. Only an elite unit like the Highlanders or his own Death Commandos could undertake such a test of endurance. "Sir, our battalion-level communications relays are laid on the path we took to get here. How will you keep contact with the recon lance going to Tara?" he asked.
"Two other lances will fan out along the trail the recon lance uses. We'll build a manual relay of sorts. They'll piggy-back their signal in a line, 'Mech to 'Mech, and eventually back to the regiment. It will leave them isolated, but it's our best bet."
Major Huff pointed off towards the falls that concealed The Castle just within eyesight of MacLeod's makeshift field HQ. "Taking The Castle is going to be a little tricky, but I'm going to assume that Mulvaney left only a token force hidden there to tie us down. Using our Gurkhas infantry to hit the upper tunnels and our BattleMechs to pummel the entrance and the firing deck, we should be able to overwhelm them. No matter what, though, it's going to be an infantry battle in those upper tunnels, one meter at a time. Worst-case scenario is that it will take four days."
MacLeod pointed his swagger stick onto the map grid and physically traced a line from The Castle to Tara. "The key to this plan is a recon force that moves like lightning. I expect to take only three or four hours of sleep a night and to reach Tara before the Third Royals have a chance to establish a strong security net-perimeter. Otherwise we won't get the data we need. Plain and simple I need an old-fashioned cavalry operation."
Loren studied the invisible line that MacLeod had drawn. He knew that he was more than capable of the mission, but wondered if the other Highlander officers would be offended if he offered. He kept silent, staring at the map. Hell, I've done this kind of thing before. Getting this mission could be crucial to fulfilling the Chancellor's. I need to know exactly where the Davions are and where Cat Stirling is. As he lifted his eyes he saw that every officer was gazing at him, staring intently as if waiting for something. "Why are you all looking at me?" he asked almost shyly. MacLeod laughed slightly and even Huff gave a little smile. "So far you've gone out of your way to volunteer for every chance to throw yourself into battle. We all assumed you'd leap at this chance. Especially since you were right and I was wrong about them making a break for the mountain camp." Then MacLeod paused. "No pressure, Loren, but the mission is yours if you want it."
"Of course I want it, sir. I just didn't want to deprive these fine men and women of their rightful opportunity."
Captain Dumfries walked over and put his arm around Loren's shoulders like a paternal uncle. "Laddie, there isn't a Mech Warrior or tech here who doesn't know you for what you are. In our eyes you're a Highlander. We all saw what you did during the battle, saw what happened to that ice-hearted murderer of J. D. Sullivan. Even the hard-liners like Huff are lightening their aim on you. From what McKinley told us you could have killed her and didn't. It's the spirit that makes us all one and the same, whether you realize it or not. The Colonel says you're perfect for the job."
"And my 'Mech?"
It was Huff who answered. "They tell me she's already up and running. You'll be a little short on ammunition and the crew is just finishing work on your armor replacement."
"Who's my lance?"
MacLeod nodded in approval at the way Loren was approaching the mission. "I'm going to keep the Command Security Lance attached to you. I gather that neither Frutchey nor Fuller has any objection to following you into combat again. Thanks to some damage, you're short one slot, though. Captain Carey here has agreed to fill it if you'll have her." Laurie Carey stepped forward and Loren nodded approval. Now was not the moment to debate skills and expertise. Time was critical.
"Welcome aboard, Captain Carey," he said. "Colonel, I'll need some gear, long-range electronic binocs, lightweight communications equipment and recording gear. Night operations suits for the team. The usual stuff."
A voice from the back of the crowd of officers spoke and Loren immediately recognized it as that of Lieutenant Gomez. "I personally assure you, Major, that your team will be equipped with the best we have to offer." Gomez was still pale, but obviously ready to re-enter the fight, pressure casts and all. Loren was more than slightly pleased to see that she'd survived the ambush downriver.
Colonel MacLeod walked up and put both hands on Loren's shoulders. Looking into the Colonel's eyes, Loren thought he saw a glimmer of envy, as if MacLeod wished he were the one leading the mission. Loren saw something else too, memories of his grandfather. All the stories and legends of Northwind seemed to come to life in that one moment, and he understood his place with these people. I'm not a Highlander just by birth. It's in me. It's part of me. Something in my blood that I cannot deny.
"We'll be behind you by only a few days. Your communications support lance will follow your departure in six hours. Good luck, young man. May your forefathers tread with ye."
* * *
Chastity's Marauder II and her command lance slowly made their way along the rocky rapids of the breakwaters of the Tilman River. Behind her was the battle that she'd been denied the opportunity to wage. Behind her was her past, her friends and former allies. Behind her was Loren Jaffray, the man who'd turned her life and the lives of her followers upside down. The man who had single-handedly turned Northwind into a hotbed of political and military turmoil.
The man she could not forget. The man she was sure would destroy the Highlanders.
"Message on scramble from The Castle," Lieutenant O'Leary said over the comm channel.
"How did the operation go?"
"Apparendy a task force from MacLeod's regiment used jump-capable 'Mechs to cut off our rear guard. They anticipated our troops on the firing deck and managed to inflict heavy damage. We have only two lances of 'Mechs and a platoon of Consul Guard troops in The Castle now. The rest of our forces in the rear guard were crushed."
Knowing the fortress well, Mulvaney was sure a small group was more than enough to hold off a large assault, but not forever. Attrition would take its toll. But the use of the jumping 'Mechs intrigued her. Too subtle for Huff, who always wanted a straight-up fight. MacLeod used similar tactics, but he rarely led the front line troops. No, there was only one man who'd have been willing to take that risk, Loren Jaffray. Damn, can't he just leave my life alone?
"Any new orders, Colonel Mulvaney?"
Chastity stared blankly out the viewport as her Marauder II moved over the broken stones and jagged rocks. "No, we move on according to plan. Marshal Bradford and Colonel Catelli are already at the camp. We meet up with them there and then link up with the Third Royals to finish off MacLeod." Her voice was lifeless and low.
"Do you think MacLeod will follow us?"
"No, O'Leary. Not right away. By now he's probably figured out that some of us are heading west, but he can't afford to ignore those troops in The Castle, however few or many they are. They could spring up and hit his rear flank. And for all he knows, most of our troops could be in The Castle. It will take him the better part of a week to learn the truth, and by then it will be too late." The plan is sound. I know the Colonel and tailored it to fit his fighting style. Just like I know the styles of every MechWarrior in the regiment. The only wild card is Jaffray. If they start listening to him, it's all wasted. He'll see the trap and turn our victory into a stunning defeat.
What shocked Mulvaney was that she wasn't afraid of losing the conflict any more. The insinuation of Highlander involvement in the death of Consul Burns had turned her against her new allies. Were Marshal Bradford and Colonel Catelli merely using her and her knowledge of the regiment? Had they twisted and perverted the truth to force
the issue of landing Davion reinforcements in Tara? She knew that the truth would forever be lost, or worse, left to be rewritten by the victor. She no longer totally trusted the Davions.
The only thing that kept her from turning on them was the promise her people had made to the Federated Commonwealth. If military men or women started violating their word of honor with a liege lord, the Inner Sphere would be thrown into chaos. It was an act beneath her as a Northwind Highlander. Though she did not respect the men Prince Davion had sent to Northwind to protect his interests, Mulvaney felt that she personally represented those interests.
As long as she lived, the agreement with the Federated Commonwealth survived as well.
What frightened her was that for the first time she found herself hoping that MacLeod or Jaffray would hand her a defeat, or at least a reason to stop the madness.
29
South of Tara Northwind
Draconis March, Federated Commonwealth
11 October 3057
Loren's Gallowglas cleared the ridge line, but it was hard to tell the difference. The dense forest and occasional jagged rock formation was more than enough to block out the surrounding terrain features. All he really had to go on were the readings from his BattleMech's computer system and a gut feeling for the lay of the land. After several long days' travel through the thick, almost twilit forest, Loren knew first-hand why MacLeod had not tried to march the entire regiment at once directly into Tara from the south. Moving a whole regiment through this kind of terrain was going to be a difficult task. With Loren and his recon forces mapping the way, the Colonel might be able to shave valuable hours off the trek back to the city.
With typical Davion efficiency the aerospace forces of the Third Royal RCT made passes over the area twice a day. The first time was always within an hour of midday, and the other was in the mid-afternoon. Checking the chronometer readout in his cockpit he saw that it was time to conceal the lance or risk their detection. Except for a daily transmission of their findings, the lance operated almost totally under a communications blackout. Loren only violated the stand for quick orders, usually warnings or directions.
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