Heir to the Dragon

by Robert N. Charrette

  "If Steiner can be intimidated, we will be able to concentrate on Davion."

  The snug fit of the comment into Dechan's thoughts wrenched him back into the conversation.

  "Don't speak of them so casually as separate opponents," Theodore cautioned the young aide who had spoken. "There's little to separate them now. Steiner troops are configured into the Regimental Combat Teams of the Davion AFFS. Their officers are cross-trained and some of each House's units actually contain troops of the other House. It's one army we face."

  "Veneer only," Ninyu scoffed. "It's too soon for the changes to be more than cosmetic."

  "What about our own troops?" Fuhito countered. "Isn't adherence to the Kanrei's new military doctrines also young? Could it also be only a veneer?"

  "To a degree," Theodore admitted. "We face certain rivalries among our troops and among our officers as well. But we are bound together by our devotion to the Combine. Our enemies, in their haste to unite their realms, are blind to the depth of the differences that separate their peoples. Nor do their societies understand the necessity of order and the strength of the group. Their leaders see what they want to see: cooperation and good cheer. We'll use their blindness to our advantage."

  "Such as the message you sent to the Archon Katrina Steiner," Chi inquired.

  Theodore turned an evaluating gaze on the Tai-shu. "Yes. That is one tool."

  "But you said our enemy is a combined force," Fuhito objected. "Why do you speak to only one leader?"

  "To distract them. I wish them to believe that I don't understand their organizational changes." Theodore smiled slyly. "Let them underestimate me. My message should help them do that."

  Dechan spoke up. "But what is this message?"

  Theodore hesitated, perhaps reluctant to reveal the information. "I simply warned the Archon to stay out of any conflict between the Draconis Combine and the Federated Suns. I pointed out that we had no interest in a conflict with the Commonwealth at this time, but told her that we would consider any intervention on her part as a violation of the conventions of civilized warfare. I warned her that such an act would mean that the Combine was no longer bound to deal with her according to those rules of war."

  "You can't be serious." Jenette's expression was one of disbelief and shock. Dechan wondered if his own mirrored it. The Kuritans were infamous for atrocities, going back for centuries. Was the Kanrei preparing to live up to his ancestral heritage? Even though he and Jenette had given their word to help Theodore, he would no longer feel bound to the sacredness of a promise should the Kanrei descend into barbarism.

  "But I am serious," Theodore vowed. "As she may learn to her sorrow."

  58

  Greggville Province, New Mendham

  Benjamin Military District, Draconis Combine

  16 April 3039

  "Shadow One to Tango Base, do you read?"

  Davion Leftenant Roscoe Walker waited patiently for a reply. There seemed no need to worry; no one in his recon lance had seen a Kurita unit all morning. But that wasn't surprising. The High Command's strategy was based on overleaping the Kurita border planets to avoid their frontline units in the first invasion wave. This thrust into the Combine's Benjamin District was under the command of Duke James Sandoval, commander of the Draconis March. Two other thrusts were hitting the other districts on the Davion border. Federated Suns units were landing on more than twenty planets, striking deep to capture supply and communication centers, to isolate and confuse the Kuritan forces.

  Only light resistance was expected at this stage, and so far the High Command was proved right. The burn in from jump point had been unopposed; the assault had caught the Dragon sleeping. Davion Light Guard Regimental Combat Team fighters had found few defenders in their path as they guided the DropShips into position for the orbital drop. The Guard 'Mechs had made planetfall hard and fast, scattering the still scrambling Kurita defense forces. The non-'Mech forces had landed safely. It had been a textbook assault.

  Then Marshal Riffenberg's caution had come to the fore. Walker figured that the old man was worried about things going so well. The Marshal had ordered the AeroSpace Fighters pulled back into reserve, as a defense for the grounded DropShips and the landing zones, as well as to await a strike from hidden Kuritans. Reconnaissance was left to the swift 'Mechs of the Light Guards, including Walker's lance.

  Walker keyed open the circuit to his lance. "Let's move up, people. Keep your sensors out. We're getting near target."

  As the acknowledgments came in, Walker depressed the foot pedal, throttling his Hatchetman to a fast trot. Twenty meters to his left, Alison's Hatchetman matched his pace. Walker knew that his forty-five-ton machine bobbed as much as hers, but the stabilized picture transmitted to his cockpit screens was steady, undisturbed by the motion of his 'Mech.

  The other two 'Mechs of the lance were thirty-ton Valkyries, considerably faster than their partners. They were also more humanoid, despite massive shoulder assemblies and right forearms, which housed their Sutel IX lasers. The Davion 'Mechs were in the mottled greens-and-sand camouflage mandated for the open grasslands of New Mendham's savannah. Only the bright foxtails that Reed's machine sported, one on each of four antennae, allowed Walker to distinguish it visually from McCullough's 'Mech.

  In ten minutes, they covered almost as many kilometers. The lance was still forty klicks from the Draconis town of Kempis when Walker transmitted the code for a halt. Trusting his command to scan the area, he tried again to contact Tango Base. Again, he got no response.

  "Listen up, people. I still can't raise the base."

  "Let's go in." Alison urged.

  "It's too quiet," McCullough objected. "We should've seen some Snake troops by now."

  "Don't overload your reclamation tubes, Bobby boy. You cadets spook too easy. The Snakes are more scared of us than you are of them."

  "Ease off, Sergeant Alison. I'm sure you were nervous your first time out, too."

  "Come on, Leftenant," Alison griped. "I dropped on St. Andre fresh out of the academy, right into a nest of Capellans. Now that was hot! The Capellans didn't go hide. They hit us before we'd even jettisoned our thruster packs.

  Hellfire! Some of the Jocks were still shucking ablative shell."

  "Save the war stories, Alison," Reed cut in. "If you were so hot, you wouldn't still be a Sergeant."

  "I'm not still a Sergeant, Newboy. I'm again a Sergeant. And it's not because of anything that happened in the field, unless it was the green-bottomed newboy I skinned for calling me a liar."

  Walker shook his head, bemused by his lance's banter. He considered trying Tango Base again, but figured that if they hadn't answered two minutes ago, they wouldn't answer now. It was time to make a command decision. "All right. Damp the chatter. We've got a schedule to keep, so we're going in."

  "Good choice, Leftenant."

  * * *

  Alison's Hatchetman stalked ahead of Walker's own. Its long-crested head swung from side to side, a stoop-shouldered alien hunter searching for prey. Its right arm twitched, beating a rhythm in the air with the depleted uranium-edged blade that gave the 'Mech its name. Cross-streets gave Walker glimpses of the Valkyries prowling a parallel course through Kempis. There were few signs of life. The Kurita civilians had mostly deserted the town or gone to ground in shelters. The Davion troopers saw only a few fleeting shadows in side alleys. None wore the tans of Draco soldiers.

  Without warning, an UrbanMech in dark gray splinter camouflage suddenly burst through a brick wall a hundred meters ahead. Its domed, cylindrical body swiveled and its stumpy, broad legs scattered rubble as the 'Mech stepped clear of the building that had screened it from their sensors. The UrbanMech's side-mounted Imperator-B autocannon spewed shell casings as it hosed a stream of projectiles at the advancing Guards.

  Alison fired her 'Mech's jump jets, rising on ion flame to evacuate the path of the enemy 'Mech's fire. The maneuver simultaneously cleared Walker's line of fire. The Leftenant's thumb mash
ed down the firing stud on his right joystick as soon as the golden crosshairs of his targeting system slid onto the stubby enemy machine. The Defiance Killer autocannon in the Hatchetman's chest coughed out armor-piercing shells.

  Chunks of Durallex armor blew explosively from the UrbanMech's barrel body. Smoke rose from the wounds and joined the billowing cloud of brick dust in obscuring the target. The Kurita Dragon on the 'Mech's dome was revealed to Walker as it shifted to bring its weapons to bear on him. Before the Draco could fire, Alison's Hatchetman appeared from an alley thirty meters behind it. The Guard 'Mech raised both arms and loosed twin laser pulses. The ruby energy flooded the drifting dust cloud with incarnadine light, but in spite of the diffusion effect, retained sufficient energy to melt away armor on the Kurita 'Mech's leg and upper dome.

  Walker ripped another burst into the Kuritan. Depleted uranium slugs tore through the remaining armor of the UrbanMech's torso, seeking its fusion heart. The Kurita 'Mech tottered under the assault. As it canted over, its dome blew free and spun away like a child's toy. The Kurita pilot rocketed clear, his chair disappearing over the surrounding roofline. The abandoned BattleMech crashed to the ground, bringing the rest of its former shelter cascading down around it.

  Alison raised her 'Mech's hand weapon in salute before pivoting her Hatchetman back down the alley from which she had emerged. "Tally ho!"

  "Keep it cautious, Alison. We don't know what they've got here," Walker warned, knowing it was unnecessary. Despite her lower rank, Alison had seen more combat than he had. She could handle herself. The young Jocks in the Valkyries were his real concern. He opened the comm circuit. "Reed. McCullough. Switch to mag scan. You'll have a better chance that way to spot concealed Snakes. It'll be easier to pick up their metal masses than to spot a good camo job."

  They chorused acknowledgment.

  "And don't push it. You run into trouble, call for help. The Guards don't want any dead heroes."

  The Davion 'Mechs moved efficiently through the town. Within ten minutes, they rousted a Kurita Locust from a trucking center. The bird-legged 'Mech snapped a laser pulse that scarred the surface of Reed's Valkyrie without causing serious damage. The Guards pursued, only to be ambushed by two more UrbanMechs. Concentrated fire from the Davion lasers left the first UrbanMech a pitted hulk, and the second crumpled under a blow from Alison's Hatchetman. Overmatched by the unbloodied Guards, the Locust fled the town. It, too, had been unscathed until a flight of LRMs from McCullough's Valk cratered its armor and tore off the stubby wing-mount machine gun on its port side. Walker forbade pursuit.

  McCullough whooped victoriously on the lance circuit.

  "Good show, kid," Alison conceded magnanimously. "I told you that this'd be easier than when we popped the Caps on Hunan."

  Half an hour later, the jump troops flitted into Kempis, right on schedule. Under the watchful guardianship of the BattleMechs, they combed the town in a fruitless search for the supply dump they had been detailed to secure. They failed even to turn up any of the three Draco MechJocks who had ejected from their doomed machines. Walker put his frustration on hold as the comm circuit crackled with the voice of the regimental controller.

  "Tango Base to Shadow One, report please."

  "Shadow One here, where the hell have you guys been?"

  "We had a little trouble with a kamikaze Snake. The sucker got inside the compound as impressed labor, then drove a hoverflat of explosives right into the commcenter. Took us a while to rig replacements."

  "You want us back to guard you, Tango?" Walker jibed.

  "The Marshal wants your report, Shadow One."

  The snap in the comm officer's voice told Walker his levity was unappreciated. He decided to play it formal. "Light opposition, Tango Base. Target secured, but we came up empty."

  "Don't sweat it, Shadow One." The reply was in a friendly tone once more. "You'll find it out there somewhere. Just stomp any Snakes that get in your way. Stomp them good and proper."

  59

  Dragon Roost, Tatsuyama Mountain, Dieron

  Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine

  21 April 3039

  Ninyu Kerai held the five-pointed shuriken between the thumb and forefinger of his left hand. He passed his right hand over it, and the small throwing star vanished. He picked another star from the stack on the seat beside him. He repeated the operation, this time holding the shuriken with his right hand. When all five stars were stowed about his person, he twisted around to look out the window that was the reason for the niche in the castle's walls.

  Below him in the courtyard, a VTOL rotorcraft was landing. Aides and mechanics hurried forward. The first group moved to attend to the officers deplaning, and the second, even more attentive, to the aircraft itself.

  He shifted his gaze down the mountainside. Three more aircraft were headed up toward the ancient fortress that served as the headquarters for the Warlord of Dieron. The VTOLs were moving carefully, the pilots wary of down-drafts and sudden, eddying gusts that could sweep their machines to a fiery collision with the gray and black igneous rock of Tatsuyama Mountain. The city lay in the valley below the flickering dots of the climbing aircraft, seemingly quiet.

  Ninyu knew better. The town had been bustling during his visit yesterday, as people stocked their shelters with whatever supplies they could afford from merchants whose prices had suddenly doubled. Soldiers had moved in squads, nervously following officers' directions to improve the city's defense works. The small landing field had been even busier, as a constant stream of DropShips arrived and departed. One was lifting as he watched. Its thunder muted by the distance, the Overlord rose toward the heavens on a tail of flame. If anything, Tatsuyama City would be more frenzied today.

  Ninyu left the niche and sauntered toward the command center. He was in no rush; his presence was not required there since he was no longer in the strict military chain of command. While he waited for the go signal, he was a free agent. When the time came, he would move quickly. For now, he conserved his energy.

  The command center, a multi-tiered hall cut into the living rock of the mountain, was aswarm with military and technical personnel of all ranks. Great, flat screens alive with maps and dataflows flickered fitfully in the red-lit hall. On the dimly lit levels, zealous officers clustered around consoles and map tables, forming obstructions to the bustling traffic flow. Most of the junior ranks wore standard DCMS tans, though a few could be identified as BattleMech officers by their red-striped gray jerseys and trousers. A few of each type had their sleeves rolled up in the heat of the chamber, revealing lurid tattoos. Senior officers wore black, like Ninyu's ISF uniform. Unlike the utilitarian ISF rig, with its pockets and straps, the officers' tunics were severely tailored and decorated only with epaulets, collar tabs, and the ubiquitous Kurita dragon.

  Tai-shu Michi Noketsuna wore senshi grays and a padded battlejacket over them. The Warlord's split-toed 'Mech boots lacked the mirror shine of a proper officer's footwear. He stood in a cluster of similarly garbed men and women. His damned Ryuken-m crew, Ninyu observed. No surprise there.

  Ninyu decided to drop in on their conversation. He wove his way through the bustling center from tier to lower tier, dodging black jackets and letting the tan-clad junior officers and red-capped Techs clear his own line of advance. The gray-jerseyed senshi he treated with respect, the safest approach with warriors who considered themselves samurai. Even those non-conformist Ryuken, he reminded himself. Just as he neared the knot of rough-garbed senshi, a Chu-i interrupted them with a choppy bow. "Comprehensive data feed from Kessel is in, Tai-shu."

  "Shunt the situation map to tank four and update the force profiles," Michi ordered.

  "Hai!"

  Michi said a last few words to his Ryuken officers that Ninyu was still too far away to catch. All but one turned to head for the exit. He recognized the remaining Ryuken officer as Tai-sa Ysabeau Johnson, commander of regiment ni. The departing officers split their group as they reached Ninyu, c
areful to avoid him. He found the hostile glances accompanying their perfunctory salutes pleasing, but affected total ignorance of their existence. He had no need of their good will.

  He stepped closer, and Johnson greeted him in her pleasant contralto. "Sightseeing, Kerai-san?"

  "Merely attending to the duties assigned to me by the Kanrei, Tai-sa."

  Johnson smiled hesitantly and her eyes flicked to Michi. He made no response that the ISF officer could see. Instead, he turned his face to Ninyu.

  "Your advice is welcome, Kerai-kun," Michi stated stiffly. "But please refrain from disturbing the officers at their duty stations."

  Ninyu held Michi's eyes long enough to express his annoyance at the older man's condescending comment, but said nothing. He turned his attention to the center of the chamber where a small elevated section held the principal strategic displays.

  Five small holotanks made a rough circle around a larger one, twice their size. Four of the small ones displayed planetary surfaces, blue and red icons glowing to represent tactical dispositions of the forces engaged on the depicted planet. One of the four flickered as Ninyu watched, its image blacked out to be replaced by a new geographic configuration that stabilized as unit icons began to wink into existence. The fifth small tank was a system display, with the characteristic globes of planets and bright dots of JumpShips, DropShips, and lighters. All five were labeled with ghostly glowing characters naming the system: Athenry, Ainasi, Kervil, Kessel, and Vega.

  The large tank held a stellar map of the Dieron District. Red fires haloed six suns, including the systems displayed in the smaller tanks. Scarlet flickered in and out of existence around another four systems. The solid tones were accompanied by miniature unit crests to represent the forces identified among the invaders. Some were still blank gray disks, like those that accompanied the intermittent red zones symbolizing enemy attacks short of full invasion, indicating that the exact enemy unit had not yet been identified.