Exodus road

by Blaine Lee Pardoe

  The rules of such trials were simple. The one killed, disabled, or removed from the perimeter of the Circle lost. Star Commander Russou glanced at Trent and nodded once, slowly, and Trent understood the unspoken message. I will take her down for the both of us, my friend.

  Jez dropped to a combat stance, low and ready to strike. Trent had seen her do this before, and for a moment he was standing on Londerholm with the members of his sibko so many years before. He had beaten her that day, but nothing else was the same. They were no longer equals. She might outrank him, but Trent did not feel inferior to Jez; he felt beyond her. He flexed his right fist, and the artificial muscles in the arm tightened around his reinforced arm.

  Jez sprang, just as he knew she would. He sidestepped to the left as she reached out for him. She clawed madly at his right arm, hoping to tear flesh, but ripping only his synthskin instead. Trent pivoted as she passed, thrusting up and around with his arm, then dropping quickly as she hit the ground and started to roll away.

  His knees came down hard on her kidneys, knocking the wind out of her and pinning her face-down now under his bulk. Raising his right arm high, he brought it down just below her right ear with incredible force. The artificial myomer muscles of his replacement arm moved it at terrific speeds and with so much force that he was sure she must have suffered some internal ear damage. Jez's body went limp under his as she went unconscious.

  Trent rolled her over, and without hesitation punched her in the face, half-wondering if she was faking. Her nose bent and a spray of blood streaked where his fist pummeled her. He struck her two more times with the full force of his fury. His hits to her neural implants caused minor sparks as his fists thrashed at her face. These blows were intended to leave a mark on her, to disfigure her.

  He looked at her body under his. Trent knew that she would have killed him if given the chance. He could do the same to her if he so desired. She was helpless in his hands. The temptation was strong, but Trent held back. Losing to me, and before the eyes of the others, will be worse than death for her.

  Trent pushed himself off her, then rose and looked around him. The warriors of his and Russou's commands watched him in silence. His heart raced in his ears and his breath was ragged, the result of his adrenaline rush. Trent walked over and picked up the communicator Jez had thrown down.

  "Star Colonel Moon, this is Star Commander Trent. My codex remains as it was, pristine." He tossed the communicator down on top of Jez's body and walked back toward his 'Mech.

  10

  Smoke Jaguar Planetary Command

  Warrenton, Hyner

  Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone

  1 December 3054

  Joseph's entire body convulsed upward from the lab table as the interrogator increased the neuro-feedback from the wall unit. His screams went nowhere, absorbed by the specially designed walls. The dim lights, also part of the interrogation process, were controlled by the neuro-stimulation unit that lined one entire wall. Another wall of the room was covered all along its five-meter length by a dull mirror. The member of the scientist caste looked on dispassionately as she watched both her subject and the multiple computer displays. The displays told her exactly what kind of agony she was inflicting and whether his anguished answers were indeed truthful and all that he knew.

  From behind the mirror Star Colonel Paul Moon stood with Jez Howell and Trent, watching Joseph writhe in agony with each new wave of treatment. Trent had never observed neurochemical interrogation before, but he knew it was effective. Jez's face, still showing the dull purple-blue bruises he had given her, seemed to light up with the torture of the informant. Paul Moon also seemed to relish the agony of the man.

  Trent turned his eyes away from the sight. "What have you learned from this man, Star Colonel?"

  Paul Moon continued to gaze at Joseph, whose body attempted once more to twist free from the bonding straps of the white medical table. "This Joseph was working for the guerrillas all along. The information he gave us was intended to be bait for the Kat Killer trap."

  That much I already knew. "Were you able to learn any more from him?"

  The Star Colonel watched as the technician administered another wave of pain. Joseph's muted screams, while totally silent to their side of the two-way mirror, seemed to reach Trent. "This freebirth was only able to identify those in his cell. They are being sought, but thus far have evaded our attempts to locate them."

  Jez added more. "We were able to capture one of the pilots after their pitiful excuse for an ambush. He was near death when Russou found him. This bandit who had the audacity to turn a BattleMech against the Smoke Jaguars was more revealing. Before his termination he provided us with some useful information—the name of the one of the towns these so-called Kat Killer Fives use as their base. The tracking we did on the two surviving Kat Killers confirms the information."

  Paul Moon moved closer to the two-way mirror and activated his wrist communicator. The device tied him to the internal base communications system, giving him the ability to issue orders to almost anyone under his command. "Technician Rubin, is there any sign that this Joseph is still withholding information?"

  The tech moved to the wall of displays in the next room, then her fingers danced across the three keyboards as the monitors displayed data and graphics amid a barrage of flickering lights and colors. After adjusting her thick glasses twice to read the information displayed, she turned and faced the mirrored wall, activating her own communicator. "Negative, Star Colonel Moon. There is no indication that he has any will left. We have a ninety-eight percent probability that we have obtained all that is possible from him."

  Moon smiled and gave Trent only a quick glance. "Very well. Terminate him, Tech Rubin," he said in a low tone. "And Rubin . .."

  "Yes, Star Colonel?"

  "Do it slowly."

  The tech stood mute for a moment, looking at the mirror on her side of the wall, then turned away. With a flick of two control knobs, Joseph's body began to twitch as he once again fought back the waves of neuro-energy being fed back into his brain. His body jumped as he tried to physically fight it. His mouth was open to scream, but no sound reached Trent. A wet spot formed in the man's groin as he lost bladder control and his body seemed to quake more rapidly. Trent saw his face as it turned toward the two-way mirror. Every facial muscle strained and seemed to leap off his skull. Joseph, the would-be freedom fighter, vomited as he tried vainly to escape one last time. There was a splatter of spit in the air as his head turned. Then it was over. Between the neuro-overload and the choking on his own vomit, Joseph was dead.

  Paul Moon turned away from the glass wall and faced Trent. "The Kat Killer Five, that accursed blight on this planet, is apparently hiding near your field camp, Star Captain Trent. According to the information received, they are using Beaver Falls as their base and hiding their 'Mechs in the ruins of the city of Quantico."

  Trent was familiar with the ruins. He'd explored them in the course of setting up his field command. During the Star League era, Quantico had been a thriving metropolis, the second-largest city on Hyner. He had learned from briefings that it had been destroyed in the First Succession War, victim of a Lyran Commonwealth attack. Now all that remained were ruins and mounds that had once been skyscrapers and other buildings. It was conceivably a place where BattleMechs could be concealed.

  "So, we mount a strike into these ruins," Trent said confidently. "I am familiar with the terrain. Give me a few hours, and I should be able to prepare a battle plan worthy of the Jaguar."

  "Neg," Paul Moon said, crossing his thick muscular arms. "It is obvious that these guerrillas could not have operated this long without the support of the local population. It appalls me. We come here to liberate these barbarians, and instead they raise their fists against us in anger. The Jaguar offers peace and protection to the local populations.

  "There will be no strike against Quantico, not yet. Instead we will crush the rebels' support. Without the support of the indi
genous people of this planet, their activity will be slowly strangled. Accordingly, Star Captain Howell, you will take your Trinary to Beaver Falls and you will raze the entire village. I want you to leave no building intact. Crush it under the feet of your 'Mechs. Kill anyone and everyone there."

  Trent felt his heart skip. The Smoke Jaguars were known for their swift suppression of local uprisings, but there had been nothing so severe since the attack on the city of Edo on Turtle Bay. Hohiro Kurita escaped from the prison there, and the local population had mounted a minor rebellion. The Smoke Jaguars dealt with the problem with the strictest adherence to the Crusader mentality. Quoting from The Remembrance, they ordered their flagship, the Sabre Cat, to destroy the city. The planetary bombardment killed more than a million people, and literally boiled the waters of the Sawagashii River. Those who somehow managed to survive were lasered or bombed by ground forces.

  The massacre brought about two things. One, all rebellion on Edo ceased. The other result, however, was that some of the other Clans sanctioned the Jaguars in the Clan Grand Council. The practice of razing settlements, killing civilians, had ceased. Trent had heard rumors of it happening elsewhere, but this was the first time he had known it to be ordered.

  The Jaguars were a Crusader Clan, among those who had pushed for the invasion of the Inner Sphere and the restoration of the former Star League. Trent had always considered himself a Crusader rather than a Warden. Where the Crusaders pressed for invasion, the Wardens believed the role of the Clans was to protect the Inner Sphere. Both had "evidence" to support their positions from The Remembrance and the writings of Nicholas Kerensky, founder of the Clans centuries before.

  For the first time in his life, Trent questioned the Crusader position.

  Jez did not seem at all shocked by the order. "It shall be done as you command, Star Colonel."

  "If I may speak, Star Colonel," Trent said, still mentally reeling from the order that had been given.

  Paul Moon looked at him coldly. "Proceed."

  "Sir, this action seems extreme. The guerrilla actions on this planet have been minor annoyances at best. They have barely even scratched us. Perhaps we should concentrate on hitting the Kat Killers directly rather than the civilians."

  Moon shook his head. "If we do not break the backs of these guerrillas now, we risk this rebellion spreading across Hyner like a virus."

  Trent also shook his head. "We have used such measures only once to my knowledge. Yes, they worked on Edo. But they can easily backfire. Do this and you may fan the flames of rebellion by creating martyrs to the Kat Killer's cause."

  "My order stands," Paul Moon replied. "You will prepare your forces to execute this order to the letter. Nothing and no one is to escape from Beaver Falls alive."

  From Moon's tone, Trent could tell that he would hear no more argument. He had made his decision, and probably had done so even before Trent arrived at the meeting. He glanced at Jez and saw the smirk on her face. He sensed that she savored this, just as she had savored the torture of the man Joseph. It only confirmed his belief that her mind had become twisted and sick.

  * * *

  The massive 'Mech bay of Planetary Command was bustling with activity as Trent entered it. He walked past half a dozen other BattleMechs before reaching the spot where his own Timber Wolf was parked. Judith and Master Technician Phillip stood in front of the 'Mech.

  As he walked up, Judith nodded in greeting, but Phillip was obviously displeased by his presence. "Star Captain, can I help you?"

  "I have come to speak with my bondsman."

  "We are configuring your 'Mech per orders from your CO," Phillip said, almost as if in challenge. "I am afraid Judith is going to be very busy."

  Trent was not in the mood to deal with the man. He had heard enough from Judith to know of his constant verbal and even physical abuse of her.

  "I am a trueborn warrior, Tech," he said, stressing the last word. "Whatever is on your mind can wait until I am done speaking with her." There was a hint of aggression in his voice. He would never forget that Phillip was very likely the one responsible for his failure to win the Grand Melee.

  Phillip's face flushed at the rebuke. "As you wish, Star Captain," he said, backing away.

  "Star Captain," Judith said, bowing her head.

  Trent took her arm and drew her closer to the massive legs of his Timber Wolf, out of earshot of others in the noisy bay. "This Phillip needs to be taught his place."

  "You have earned his anger today," Judith said with a thin smile.

  "One day, I may take even more from him. But for now, I will settle for his anger."

  "The Timber Wolf is ready except for the exchanging of weapons pods. Repairs on the rest of the Star 'Mechs are also near completion. I noticed that you requested a switch to mostly short-range weapons. We must be preparing for a short campaign."

  Trent nodded, then glanced up at the ten-meter-tall war machine that dwarfed the two of them and thought back to the orders he had been given. "Aye," he said absently, thoughts elsewhere. "Our mission is short."

  Judith studied him curiously. "Is there something else, Star Captain? Some other way I may be of assistance, quiaff?"

  He looked at her for a moment before speaking again. "I know from our talks that you share my interest in history. In the next few days we are going to take part in the making of it. But I am not sure it is a history that I wish to wear on my wrist." Trent twisted his codex bracelet as he spoke.

  "I was once a warrior," Judith said. "There are times when orders are hard to follow."

  "Aye," Trent returned, scanning the bay to be sure no one could possibly overhear. "Perhaps some orders should never be given. I am sure you have heard of the Smoke Jaguar action on Turtle Bay."

  Judith nodded gravely. "Even by Clan standards, the action was extreme. It was an act that shocked the Inner Sphere, and it certainly had the effect of discouraging other rebellions on Clan-occupied worlds." Her face tightened as she spoke, and Trent saw the realization dawn on her. "We are going to do the same thing here?"

  Trent did not have to answer. She seemed to read the reply on his face.

  "Star Captain, by your leave," Judith said, "instead of crushing the Kat Killer Five, such an action risks increasing support for the guerrillas."

  "Aff. But our leaders believe it is the only way to shatter their support."

  "And you will take part in this?"

  "I have been given my orders," Trent said, but he felt. . . guilty. Yes, that was the word. It was a strange and new emotion.

  "You refused to obey Jez several days ago," Judith said, surprising Trent that a bondsman would be aware of his Circle of Equals with Jez. "Can you not demand a similar Trial of Refusal, quineg?"

  Trent shook his head. "To do so would spell my end as a Smoke Jaguar. I would be branded a Warden, a sheep among a pack of hunters. And even were I to win, the command would merely be executed by another warrior who would follow orders."

  "And so there is nothing to be done?" Judith asked.

  "For now at least. It is the way of the Clan for each person to fulfill his or her role for the good of all. My role is that of a warrior. I was bred and raised for only one thing. And a good warrior follows orders."

  Judith reached out a hand, hesitating a moment before resting it on his shoulder in a gesture of comradeship. "I have been among the Smoke Jaguars for over two years now," she said. "I know that the way of the Jaguars and of the Clans is different than what I was born into. I also know that you are more than a good warrior, no matter what standards apply. And I respect you for not blindly following orders. From what I have heard, the battle at Baker Canyon proves this point. It is what makes you who you are. It is what makes you more than my bondsmaster. I would be proud to call you friend, if you would permit. Whatever path you choose, I will go with you."

  More than a warrior... Trent could not forget the words. Words that seemed to burn into his brain all night long as he lay in his bunk, unable to
sleep.

  11

  Beaver Falls

  Hyner

  Smoke Jaguar Occupation Zone

  7 December 3054

  As the sun came up over Hyner, the early morning frost instantly turned to a foglike steam rising off the buildings of the village of Beaver Falls. Trent's Beta Striker Star moved into a cluster of trees just north of town. All that stood between them and the village was Ketchum Park. The meandering creek that broke over the rock falls was pastoral, a stark contrast to the reason the Jaguars were there.

  Trent sat back stiffly in the command couch of his Timber Wolf and scanned the village as his Star formed up beside him. He hoped that word had somehow leaked to the Kat Killer Five, and that they would emerge from the village in their Battle-Mechs and fight. They might be bandit scum, but it was better to fight even inferior warriors than to simply kill civilians.

  That was not to be. The sensors were picking up no signs of fusion-power sources. No BattleMechs, no tanks, nothing to offer a true warrior the heat and sting of battle. Trent chanted to himself many lines from The Remembrance, hoping to find guidance for what he was about to do in its solemn poetry. But that was not to be either.

  The Remembrance celebrated the honor and glory of the Clans as expressed in the deeds of its warriors. And a warrior could find that glory only in combat against an honorable foe—another warrior. But the natives of Hyner were not warriors. What honor could come from destroying them? They were simply people who had been conquered by the Smoke Jaguars in their fierce drive to be the Clan to take Terra. Reciting aloud his favorite passages of The Remembrance, which expressed all that was finest and highest in the Clans, Trent only became further convinced that the attack on Beaver Falls was wrong.

  What was happening to the Smoke Jaguars, to the way of the Clans?

  He looked across the green to the village and shook his head. The sleepy little town was centuries old, from what he had been able to learn. Now it was going to be wiped from the map as if it had never existed. Worse yet, he was going to be responsible for the act.