"Director Indrahar is well-pleased with you now, but he will not be so happy when you act on the information I have given you."
"That is unavoidable. With the war against Davion looming closer, we must take drastic measures that will be unpopular in some circles. The spy-riddled ISF must be purged. It is imperative that the Dragon's next steps be hidden from our enemies. Davion must not learn of our technical gains, nor of our new forces. Already they know too much of our plans."
The ease with which the enemies of the Combine learned their secrets was frightening. Constance had observed the phenomenon during the recent war, but had been unable to do much about it. With the cessation of hostilities, she had set plans in motion. The Order hunted for evidence of spies within the Combine, while expanding its own undercover networks within the other powers of the Inner Sphere. In very short order, the effort was proving fruitful, as the new ventures meshed with slow-developing plans and made judicious use of deep-cover agents.
Theodore was correct that the safety of the Combine required a weakening of the ISF. Enemy spies had to be removed or neutralized and Indrahar might not be willing to let it happen. He was certainly devoted to preserving the safety of the Combine, but he was also a man obsessed with his own power. He was unlikely to surrender it easily. Indeed, she suspected that his concern with maintaining that power contributed to the blind eye he turned toward corruption within his organization.
"The Director will see this cleansing as an attempt to weaken him as you have weakened your father," she warned.
"He will understand."
"He will hate you."
Theodore looked pained. "He won't let hate blind him to necessity. Subhash will see that I do what must be done to preserve and protect the Dragon."
51
Unity Palace, Imperial City, Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
14 March 3034
Subhash Indrahar studied Hassid Ricol as the Duke entered the room. Ricol looked tired, worn by the trials of the last few years. His forces and estates had suffered greatly during the recent fighting, now widely known as the Fourth Succession War. The Duke's private army had fought well in the Combine's counterattacks against the invaders, but they were unable to stop the Steiner juggernaut. It was not because of his limited success in the field that he was present at this impromptu meeting of the council of Warlords, however. Normally, a civilian noble would not be invited to such a meeting, but Kanrei Theodore Kurita, initiator of the meeting, had summoned him.
Only three of the Tai-shu, or warlords, were present: Cherenkoff, Shotugama, and Chi. Absent were Sorenson of Rasalhague and Marcus Kurita. Marcus had pleaded insufficient time to reach Luthien, as he was engaged in a tour of units stationed along the Periphery border. ISF monitors had pinpointed the origin of Marcus's message: Alshain, a world far from the Periphery and not even in Marcus's own district of Pesht. Subhash did not yet know Marcus's motive, but he knew that it was likely some new intrigue for the Coordinator's throne. Alshain was in the Rasalhague District. Perhaps Marcus's intrigue involved the other missing Warlord as well.
Subhash had no time to consider the possibility, because the Coordinator swept into the room. Takashi called the meeting to order, barely waiting until he had limped to his seat before signaling his son to begin. Theodore acknowledged the brusque wave with a polite bow.
"Ohayo, gentlemen. The Coordinator wishes us to be brisk with this morning's business, and I agree. Our guest is not cleared for the Black Room, but Director Indrahar has certified this room to be safe. You may speak freely.
"Yesterday, Haakon Magnusson declared himself Prince of the Free Rasalhague Republic, claiming rulership of most of the Rasalhague District," Theodore stated calmly. "As important as this news is, it is not why we have met today. I have ..."
Takashi rose from his seat, fury contorting his face. His chair crashed explosively to the floor, scarring the high polish of the intricate parquet. His eyes were wild as he shouted, "Rebellion will not be tolerated!"
"We shall crush the ingrates," Vasily Cherenkoff echoed. "Say the word, Tono, and my Dieron Regulars will smash the traitorous dogs."
Theodore raised his voice to cut through Cherenkoff's bluster, but there was no anger in his tone. "Negotiations concerning the disposition of the Rasalhague District have been underway for some time."
"Sorenson will not allow this," Takashi declared, slamming his fist into the table. "He is loyal to the Combine! Loyal to me!"
"He is dead," Ricol informed the Coordinator.
The Coordinator snapped his jaw shut.
"He stood in the way of the Dragon," Theodore observed.
Subhash considered Theodore's words. The Kanrei had informed the ISF of his plans regarding Rasalhague, but there had been no mention of assassinations. Even Ninyu had told Subhash nothing, and he was Theodore's most likely candidate to do the job. This was a new and interesting view of the boy Subhash had shepherded through childhood. The Theodore he knew so well would never countenance assassination as a political tool. What other surprises does he have today? Subhash wondered.
"Each of you will find new datafiles in your compdecks," Theodore continued calmly. "They include the text of ComStar's official recognition of the new state of the Free Rasalhague Republic and a series of conditions agreed to by the rulers of that state. Coordinator, your file also includes the text of the Combine's official recognition of the Republic. It awaits your signature."
Takashi raised his head in indignation.
You have prodded him the wrong way, Theodore, demonstrating that you still lack good sense in handling delicate political situations. Subhash knew that Takashi was difficult to direct on the best of days. His entrance into the room should have been a clue that this was one of his unstable ones. At least, it was not a public occasion. Those were the hardest to cover up.
"I will not sign it!" Takashi declared, stabbing his right forefinger down to blank the screen of his compdeck. Theodore ignored him.
"Many of you may believe this news represents a severe blow to the Combine. It is not. Rather, we are cutting off the limb off to save the body."
"You would have us cut our own throats," Takashi accused. "Your plans will come to nothing!"
The Coordinator stalked from the room, brushing past the surprised guards as they attempted to come to full attention. Subhash realized that the Coordinator expected the other members of the council to follow him out. Not a reasonable expectation, Takashi, my old friend.
The other members of the council remained where they were. The Warlords were clearly upset by Takashi's display, yet reluctant to leave the meeting Theodore had called. They were unsure which of the two powers in the Combine they could afford to offend. Seeking an answer, Cherenkoff questioned Ricol about events in Rasalhague. In his typical insulting manner, Cherenkoff implied that the Duke had fled from his responsibilities. Ricol refused to rise to the Tai-shu's baiting, but answered the queries as fully as possible while maintaining a stiff politeness. At their end of the conference table, Shotugama and Chi were whispering anxiously to one another. Subhash watched as Theodore waited calmly. At the instant Subhash would have chosen, Theodore rapped his ringwatch on the hard wood of the table, catching the Warlords' attention.
"We've formed a buffer state in the FRR, one that will, to a large degree, insulate us from the Steiner enemy. This nascent state is too weak to stand on its own, and so we must offer support if it is to serve our ends. I think that you will all agree that we do not wish to see a repeat of the Tikonov Free Republic farce, where the Fox's lapdog Sortek rigged elections so that the Federated Suns could swallow up the former Capellan State.
"Rasalhague will have our support as an independent entity. Though the FRR will be autonomous, it will be deeply indebted to the Combine. We will not lose all our influence in the region.
"We gain by this sacrifice as well. The Davion-Steiner aggressors will have to abandon their peace-loving facad
e if they wish to dominate our new neighbor. The entire Inner Sphere, and most especially their own people, will see that the Davion and Steiner prattle of peace is just another of the lies their masters feed them."
"You have betrayed your lord and your father, you unfilial whelp," Cherenkoff growled as he heaved his vast bulk to his feet. "I will not stay while you spout words that betray my beloved Combine. No right-thinking officer could." He swept his sneering gaze over Shotugama and Chi. "I won't stand for it. I will reclaim what you have given away even if I have to do it alone."
Cherenkoff stomped ponderously out the door, bowling over one of the guards as he passed. Theodore was unperturbed. He cleared his throat and continued to explain his program.
"We are not surrendering all the worlds. Some twenty will remain under our control. By allowing Rasalhague its independence, we have forced the Steiners to demonstrate the truth of their supposedly peaceful aims. Most of the worlds they took in their recent battles will be claimed by the new state. Steiner must give them up or appear to abandon their position that each state should be free to determine its own destiny. We cannot control those conquered systems at the present time. With this arrangement, we can, at least, deny them to the enemy.
"The worlds remaining under our control will be reorganized into a new district to be named Alshain. It will be composed of the remnants of our Rasalhague District and ten worlds of the Buckminster Prefecture, and will be divided into three Prefectures named for their capitols: Buckminster, Garstadt, and Rubigen.
"Gentlemen, I wish your advice on whom to appoint as Tai-shu for the new district. It has already been determined that the Governor shall be Duke Ricol. He was dispossessed of his estates by the Steiner invasion. Despite this, his loyalty to the Dragon is strong. This will make him diligent. I believe he will perform admirably."
Subhash noted Ricol's nervousness. The Duke was fingering the metallic cylinder of a computer core that he had put onto the table. Ricol was clearly unhappy about the situation, a man trapped into surrendering an advantage. Subhash knew of the ambitions that Ricol had cherished. For him, this must be a most distasteful course of action. From the Duke's attitude, Subhash anticipated Theodore's next statement.
"Duke Ricol has brought us a Star League library core. This core is a valuable addition to the Dragon's arsenal. A preliminary survey of its contents has led our staff of scientific councilors to believe that this library will advance our reconstruction and rearmament efforts by years. Sections concerning agriculture and military technology have been earmarked for rapid and intensive study."
The library core would indeed be a boon to the Combine, Subhash knew. It was likely the one recovered by the notorious mercenary Grayson Carlyle and his Gray Death Legion from the Star League facility on Helm. Since that time, the mercenaries had attempted to spread copies of the core around the Inner Sphere, with the notable exception of the Draconis Combine. Their efforts had met with curious obstructions, as if some powerful organization were attempting to suppress the information contained in the core. Subhash suspected that ComStar was behind that effort, but did not understand why they should do so. His agents within their organization had been unable to achieve sufficient rank to give him an ear in ComStar's upper echelons.
Ricol had met with Carlyle on Helm in 3028. Most likely, he had obtained a copy of the core at the time. A truly loyal man would have offered the core as soon as it had come into his possession, but Ricol had waited six years. The Duke offered this copy to the Combine now as an attempt to buy his way back into the Dragon's good graces. He was certainly one man who would bear watching very closely.
Theodore continued to praise Ricol while Subhash reflected on the curious history of the library core. The ISF Director did not for a moment doubt that Theodore was well-aware of what Ricol's behavior showed about the man. The Kanrei concluded his paean and shifted to a new subject.
"Now I wish to discuss our military position. Please take a few minutes to study the briefing my staff has prepared."
Theodore tapped at the keys of his compdeck. While the other members of the council turned their attention to the data that Theodore was transferring to their screens, Subhash became suspicious of the time the Kanrei was spending with his compdeck. The Director activated his spyhole program.
Windows opened on Subhash's screen, revealing miniature versions of the Coordinator's and the Kanrei's screens. Each had a copy of the recognition document on it. As he watched, the code for the Coordinator's signature appeared, and the Coordinator's screen flashed recognition of the command for transmission.
A quick clatter of keys traced the document's destination: the ComStar HPG facility. It would be out in the mid-day transmission.
You are bold, Theodore. And very confident.
Subhash removed his antique spectacles and massaged the bridge of his nose. Surreptitiously, he continued to observe the Kanrei. Theodore appeared relaxed, waiting for the Warlords to digest the information he had provided.
You had best watch your step, boy. My fondness for you diminishes as your independence increases. Worse, you listen too much to Pillarine amateurs.
You walk a narrow line. Do you not realize that because you now have a legal heir, you are no longer indispensable? Watch your step, Kanrei, for I will not allow you to endanger the Combine.
The Dragon will endure.
52
Dabbateur Plateau, Alshain
Alshain Military District, Draconis Combine
24 May 3034
Missiles screamed out past the Ryuken positions, arcing in on the renegade camp. Fuhito Tetsuhara raised the right arm of the BattleMaster he piloted and unleashed the man-made lightning of the 'Mech's particle projection cannon. Smoke and flames burst from among the target BattleMechs. They wavered as one of their Panthers lost an arm in the fusillade.
Satisfied, Fuhito ordered an advance, specifying a left-flank-refused formation for his lance. On receipt of the order, two of his lancemates moved forward on the right. They were piloting those curious Charger variants that Kowalski-san wanted so badly to see tested in battle. His other lancemate was in position to the BattleMaster's rear, moving up on its left flank. The fire from its heavy-duty laser confirmed that without Fuhito needing to check his 360-screen.
All was proceeding according to the Kanrei's plan.
This operation had a bigger goal than cutting off the supplies of the renegade Combine forces attacking the Free Rasalhague Republic. Those forces, under the leadership of Marcus Kurita, had been branded ronin by the Kanrei. They were not operating under the auspices of the Combine and had been officially disowned. Theodore had ordered the DCMS to appropriate all their supply bases within Combine territories. Any resistance by the ronin was to be crushed.
More important, the operation was a test of the new order.
Only formations from the recently recombined Ryuken and Genyosha regiments and a select few regular units were involved. Theodore's new doctrine was showing itself superior to the ordinary DCMS training exemplified by the ronin troops. Equally important was the opportunity to blood the new buso-senshi, giving them a chance to show that they truly were competent MechWarriors and AeroSpace Pilots. The yakuza soldiers and the eager new recruits were not disappointing the Kanrei.
Fuhito halted his machine, knowing it was his responsibility to observe and report on the conduct of his battalion—a more important task than obtaining a little personal glory. A 'Mech paced up beside the BattleMaster. For a moment, he did not recognize the fifty-five-ton Kintaro piloted by his lance second, Will Randall. Fuhito was still not used to the ancient Star League designs that had appeared in the shipments from the ComStar arsenal. Some of the 'Mechs, such as the Kintaro, had not been seen in the Successor State armies since the First Succession War.
ComStar had secretly hoarded the machines for some unknown reason. Yet, as they doled them out now, the robed followers of Blake still kept secrets from the DCMS. Any half-trained MechWarrior could
tell that ComStar had stripped most of the BattleMechs of certain kinds of equipment before turning them over to the DCMS. Some weapons and other systems had been replaced by ComStar, though none of the Kuritan technical staff could be sure exactly what was missing. The records from the end of the Star League era were jumbled, and the library core was frustrating in its bounty. There was simply too much information to assimilate quickly, even where the scientists could understand the technicalities of the Star League texts.
The most obvious evidence of ComStar's tinkering was the fact that the machines came with heat sinks of recent manufacture, hardly Star League quality. Even so, the ComStar 'Mechs were superior properties, built in the days when men fully understood the mighty war machines, not the products of half-functional automated factories or the patched-up survivors of generations of warfare.
Yet ComStar was not infallible. Their technicians had been diligent but not thorough in their replacement program. A few 'Mechs had come to the Combine untouched by the robed scavengers. Fuhito believed that the machines in those shipments has been intended for the use of the ComStar HPG station garrisons slowly appearing across the Combine.
The BattleMaster Fuhito piloted was one of those machines. It was a BLR-1C and was officially assigned to the Kanrei himself. Fuhito had been given it, with orders to get the feel of the machine, when Theodore had placed him in command of Operation Guillotine. That operation was proceeding smoothly despite a few stiff-necked senior officers who resented taking orders from a junior. Fuhito was thankful that he was only temporarily in command. He understood Theodore's desire to make a point, but hated being the one he used to do so. But this trial would soon be over. With success here, and the Genyosha's assault on the station in the Jarett system, all known stockpiles of supplies for the ronin would be eliminated. The Combine would have fulfilled its commitment to the Free Rasalhague Republic. Any rebel troops remaining within their borders were their own problems. The Combine would not cross the border.
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