Текст книги "Warrior: En Garde"

Автор книги: Michael A. Stackpole

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19

Solaris VII (The Game World)

Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth

20 February 3027

 

Gray Noton stared out at the killing field and watched his fortune dissipate with the smoke from the Hermesas the maintenance crew extinguished the fire. He cursed inwardly at the loss. I should have known that anything Lestrade arranged would fail and that the little weasel will never reimburse me. I'd love to try, but I can't extort more money from Lestrade without ruining my own reputation.He also realized that Teng's victory had cost him more than just the fifty thousand credits wagered on the battle. It would cost him five thousand credits to have Teng killed, and probably another ten thousand to make sure that the investigation of Teng's death did not lead back to him. Damn! I hate the costs of doing business.

Kym reached out and squeezed Noton's left forearm. "That fight was incredible!" She paused and studied his face. "Gray, you didn't have money on it, did you?"

Noton started, then forced a smile. He shrugged. "A bit, but nothing really." He narrowed his eyes. "Teng has apparently learned to fight while recovering from his injuries."

"Foul!" someone cried behind Noton. The spymaster turned and watched as people pointed at a small holovidscreen set into a wall beside the door. The camera had focused upon the fight's victor as he climbed down from the Vindicator'scockpit. "That's not Fuh Teng!"

What in hell?Noton got up and shouldered his way through the crowd. A couple of people made to protest, but changed their minds at the look of angry concentration on Noton's face. He reached the front ranks and stared hard at the man who had just won the battle.

The MechWarrior's dark hair, almond-shaped eyes, and yellowish skin marked him as Capellan, but Noton had never seen him before. As the camera concentrated on the victor's face, Noton did recognize the wolfish look of hunger. He knew that he had once worn that same expression. This one is a killer.

"Not fair!" shouted a noble from the Federated Suns, brandishing bet stubs as though they were legal documents. "We wagered that Billy Wolfson would defeat Fuh Teng! We were cheated!"

"Shut up!" Noton snapped at him. "Just shut up. If you look at your tickets, you'll see that you bet on a Hermes IIdefeating a Vindicator."Noton stabbed a finger back at the arena viewport. "That was not a challenge match. Neither pilot specified the warrior he was to face. You may not like it, but anyone who owns stables of 'Mechs knows that a last-minute change of pilots is not illegal. The machines battle, and any fool old enough to bet should have known that a Vindicatorwould eat a Hermesalive!"

Noton posted one arm on either side of the holovision screen. The camera had panned back as the MechWarrior pulled on a jumpsuit. Noton's heart caught in his throat as he caught a glimpse of a blue-steel forearm slipping into a sleeve. Even before he had time to voice his suspicion, the name "Justin Xiang" appeared on the screen as the announcer stumbled his way through an impromptu history of the fight's victor.

* * *

Justin, freshly showered and clad in a black leather jacket over a blue jumpsuit, entered the elevator and pushed the button to close the door. "Baron von Summer's box," he said. "I am expected."

The elevator, responding to his voice command, jerked upward, then glided smoothly to the left. Halfway around the arena, it slowed and stopped.

The door opened and Justin found himself staring out at a semicircle of hostile people. "Go away, traitor," spat one white-haired gentleman. "You are not wanted here!"

Justin frowned but made no reply as Enrico Lestrade broke through the crowd to offer Justin his hand. "Pay no attention to them, Justin Xiang. They are angry because you cost them money." Behind the Baron, Gray Noton and Contessa Kym Sorenson had drifted in through the angry guests.

"He betrayed Hanse Davion, Baron!" The noblewoman who spoke wore a tartan that Justin identified instantly. She was from Firgrove.Andrew Redburn was a native of that same Capellan March coreworld and had hung a blanket of the same pattern on the wall of his Kittery quarters.

The noblewoman shook a fist in Justin's face. "This man sold out the Federated Suns to House Liao just the way he cheated here tonight."

Justin opened his mouth to reply, but Contessa Kym Sorenson thrust out a finger at the woman. "Always complaining, aren't you, Doris MacDougal? One might think Firgrove's major product was gripes. But then it'd have to beat out excuses, wouldn't it?" Kym straightened up and took in all the Federated Suns nobility with one harsh stare. "You all bet your nationality, but just because Hanse Davion's troops regularly defeat Liao's soldiers doesn't mean the same has to happen here. Perhaps gripes and excuses fall behind one other product of Firgrove—errors of judgement!"

The Davion nobles drew back from the Contessa's assault, but Enrico Lestrade did not let them escape. "This man won, and he is my guest. You'd not want me to go back on my word, would you? As I recall, all of you thought that an invitation to the victor was a good idea, especially when you thought it would be Billy Wolfson! Whoever doesn't like it here may leave right now."

Lestrade's challenge broke the ranks of the angry nobles, who drifted off in pairs or trios to stare coldly at Justin. Their remarks, which included words like "traitor" and "bastard," were voiced just loudly enough to reach Justin. Kym Sorenson glared back at the Capellan March nobles and slipped her arm through Justin's as she steered him toward the bar and well away from the deprecating whispers.

Away from the angry nobles, Justin jerked his left arm from the Contessa's grasp. "I do not need your protection, my lady!"

Kym flashed an arctic blue stare at Justin. "I am not protecting you, Mr. Xiang," she said coldly, looking past him toward the other Federated Suns contingent. "I despise boors and poor losers," she said. "You are merely a convenient vehicle for getting under their skin."

Am I?Justin snorted. "Typical behavior for a Federat."

Kym's eyes narrowed to slits. "My, we have a sharp tongue, and we've picked up the local slang quickly, haven't we?" She stabbed a finger into the center of his chest. "I'm not going to be saddled with your anger at everything to do with House Davion. I'm here because my daddy finds it embarrassing that I share the view that most Capellan Marchers are parasites on the body of the Federated Suns. I haven't been afraid to say that out loud, either, which is not very good for business. Hanse Davion kicked you out of the Federation. It was my father who booted me. Cut back on your jump jets."

Justin boldly appraised Kym Sorenson, then slowly nodded. She sees me as a way to strike back at her father and the Federated Suns. I find her very attractive, and very different."Very well. You're right. As they say, 'Enemy of my enemy is my friend.' I am Justin Xiang, and I did appreciate your help back there."

The hint of a smile broke through Kym's angry expression. "And I am Contessa Kym Sorenson. Pleased to have been of service." Kym extended her right hand and Justin enfolded it in a warm grasp.

Justin noticed that she held onto his hand just a bit longer than necessary, giving it a little squeeze before she released it and turned toward the large man with a shaved head standing beside her. "Justin Xiang, this is Gray Noton."

Justin extended his hand to Noton and met the firm grip with an equal amount of power. Neither man tried to crush the other's hand, but their grips conveyed a great deal about each man's considerable strength of personality. "Gray Noton ... I remember hearing about some of your fights on the flight insystem. You must have been very good ... Many people referred to up-and-coming fighters as 'new Gray Notons.' "

Noton smiled quizzically. "I have not lost all my ability, but I bow to one of your skill. You turned the Hermeswith that flight of missiles. Not many fighters here on Solaris would waste munitions that way."

Justin smiled. "Ascribe it to the bad habits I picked up during Operation Galahad, those military exercises that Prince Davion put his troops through last year. He is generous with missiles, and as a battalion commander, I had to find new and interesting ways to use them."

Noton smiled warily. "I believe that Solaris is not at all prepared for you, Justin Xiang."

Justin laughed and offered Kym his left arm. "Shall we?" Justin pointed toward the bar. "I'm definitely in the mood for drink."

* * *

Kym Sorenson reached out and stabbed the glowing blue button on her Hurricane's dashboard. The passenger-side gullwing door descended on a whisper and shut out the cold, moist air. She closed her eyes and leaned back in the driver's seat. The gentle vibration of the aircar relaxed her.

Her index finger punched a number into the car's phone. She heard the chittering hum of a dial tone, then the piercing wail of a computer carrier before the phone muted the sharp sound. She punched in several more numbers, then picked up the receiver and spoke only one word, "Contact."

Putting the phone down, Kym watched raindrops splash across the Hurricane's windscreen. A shadow flashed in front of the vehicle, and she opened the passenger door in response to Justin's light knock. The Capellan MechWarrior slid into the thickly padded leather seat and tossed his bag into the small storage area behind Kym's seat. He started to open his mouth, but Kym pressed the fingers of her right hand to his lips.

"I don't know why I'm doing this, either, Justin. Suffice it to say that I'm very attracted to you." She glanced back over her shoulder at the garish red and yellow phosphoron facade of the Morpheus Hotel. "I will not have you stay in that place. Need you more of an explanation?"

Justin kissed her fingers and shook his head.

20

Pacifica (Chara III)

Isle of Skye, Lyran Commonwealth

1 March 3027

 

Nicholas Jones cleared his throat nervously. "I don't think this is going to work, sir."

Lieutenant Colonel Patrick Kell shifted his gaze from the dignitaries alighting from the Lyran DropShip and looked at the sergeant. "Mr. Jones, don't tell me you're anxious about how Joss will react?" Get any paler and I'll send for a medic.

Jones stammered. "W-well, sir, I am close to retirement, and I am still part of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces, even though I've been assigned to your command. I don't want any problems, if you know what I mean."

Patrick's chuckle did little to hearten the enlisted man. "Don't worry, Nick. I doubt she'll even notice your uniform. Now back in line. They're here."

Patrick Kell stepped forward with a smile and extended a hand to Hauptmann-General Sarah Joss. "Welcome to Pacifica, Hauptmann-General. As always, the Kell Hounds are honored by your visit."

The Lyran officer, her long blond hair glittering with highlights from the dying sun, frowned. She looked beyond Kell at the collection of Techs and astechs in the Kell Hound unit dress uniforms. "I hope you have an explanation, Lieutenant Colonel, because I do not find this amusing at all."

Kell winked at her and cleared his throat to cover the sound of

Jones's stricken gasp, then turned to the man following behind her. "Colonel Sortek, how very good to see you again. Shall I introduce you to my staff?"

Pacifica's growing breeze drove dust along the ferrocrete of the spaceport and tousled Sortek's brown hair. He squinted and looked closely at the men and women standing with Kell. "They've changed since I last saw them, haven't they, Patrick?" Sortek offered Kell his hand and the two MechWarriors shook hands heartily.

Sortek immediately turned and brought Leftenant Redburn forward. "Patrick Kell, meet Leftenant Andrew Redburn."

Kell smiled warmly. "Welcome to Pacifica, Leftenant."

Redburn nodded and shook Kell's extended hand. "Thank you, Colonel."

Kell laughed. "Call me Patrick." He turned back to Hauptmann-General Joss. "Please don't look at me that way, General. I'm not doing this to embarrass you before these distinguished guests, despite the fact that the Kell Hounds hate duty here." Joss opened her mouth to protest, but Kell cut her off with a friendly laugh. "No. We've something more diabolical planned."

Kell turned to Nick Jones. "Captain Allard, please conduct the troops inside before a storm starts blowing." He nodded to the woman wearing Major Ward's uniform. "Mare, would you be so kind as to ask Major O'Cieran's jump troopers to roust the last radio outlet to see if it's reported the bait is down?"

She nodded and spoke into the radio microphone clipped near her left shoulder. Kell turned to his guests. "Smile, my friends, because the Kurita insurgents want to make sure you have a pleasant visit. We've jammed their audio pickups, but there'll be someone watching with binoculars to confirm your identities."

Joss frowned. "What did you mean by calling us bait?"

Kell laughed. "Kurita has had elements of the 2nd Sword of Light orbiting Chara IV for the past two weeks."

The expression on Joss's face darkened like the stormy Pacifica sky. "We scanned nothing from the nadir jump point."

Kell led his guests across the ferrocrete toward the 'Mech bays. "And you wouldn't, General, because they took care against that. The problem is that they did not take Captain Janos Vandermeer into account."

Sortek laughed. "Is that old pirate still in charge of the Cucamu-luslI though he'd be dead by now."

Kell shook his head. "He's too mean to die." At the blank stares of both Joss and Redburn, he quickly explained. "Vandermeer, over the years, has collected an enormous amount of information about alternate jump points. Most JumpShip captains use the zenith or nadir points of the system sun's gravity well to jump in and out of a system because that's where it's easiest to recharge the Keamy-Fuchida drives. But a safe jump point merely needs to be sufficiently distant from any object of mass in a system. Many of the early Star League captains used to bring in their ships much closer to a system's planets to save the DropShips time traveling to and from the planet."

Joss's grin lit her pretty face. "Vandermeer has the Cucamulusin a position where he spotted the Kurita vessels?"

Kell nodded. "That's a confirmed kill, General. The second your JumpShip appeared in system, Janos reported Kurita preparations." Kell looked at his watch. "Their DropShips are scheduled to land in three hours." He looked up at Sortek. "So, Colonel, did they ship you out on this tour just to look, or did your Prince give you a toy to play with?"

"What?"

Kell stepped into the 'Mech bay, and the three visitors stopped just inside the doorway. Kell waved his hand at the empty hangar. "The Kell Hounds own half the Kurita spies on Pacifica. We know the ETA, landing sites, and troop strengths for two of the three DropShips. As you can see, my hounds are out waiting for our visitors." Kell hid the situation's grim seriousness behind a smile. "Would you like to join us?"

Sortek laughed, but turned to Hauptmann-General Joss. "What do you think, General?"

Before she could answer, Kell cut in with one last comment. "Trust me, Sarah, this'll beat anything else Pacifica has to offer in the way of nightlife."

* * *

The Kiken'spilot brought the OverlordClass DropShip to a soft landing beyond the night-cloaked hills where the main body of the Kell Hounds waited hidden. Storm clouds boiled up and quickly filled the hole burned through them by the DropShip's ion engines. Thin threads of argent lightning crackled through the clouds as the energy released into the atmosphere built and flowed through the storm system.

The egg-shaped DropShip settled down on the moist ground in an artificial fog. Its weapons turrets revolved like bug-eyes on stalks as the gunners sought out any hostile targets. Air hissed from within the pressurized ship as the crew blew the hatches. Ramps descended from the 'Mech bays, allowing the 'Mechs to troop slowly from their steel cocoons. As the Kurita spies had reported, the Kell Hounds had no fighter cover up. As nearly as the Kuritans could tell, the Hounds did not know that their ships had landed.

Daniel Allard glanced over at his ops board for the fiftieth time to reassure himself that the "land-line" indicator remained lit. While it burned its cool blue, Allard's communications came and went without fear of interception on a slender optic fiber stretched out behind his Valkyrie.On the other end, Colonel Kell waited in his Thunderbolt.

"We have confirmation, Patrick. This is part of the 2nd Sword of Light. I've got a company of Panthers,a mixed medium lance of SHD-2K Shadow Hawkswith PPCs, and Griffins—twoof each."

Kell's voice crackled back into Dan's ears. "What else do they have, Dan? They should be unloading the heavy stuff now."

Dan studied his scanner displays again and swallowed hard. He toggled between the two reports the battle computer offered him on the scanner screen. "Here's the bad news, Patrick. I've got a Dragon,perhaps one of the new Grand Dragondesigns."

Dan ordered up magnification on his main monitor and keyed the reference number—0-931787-84-Xp-74d—into his battle computer. The cursor blinked down at the bottom of the screen, then the computer redrew the complete scanner diagram and added the stored information from that file. "I've got a match. It isa Grand Dragon,so it's sporting a PPC in the right arm and a third medium laser in the right torso." Dan looked up at a light flashing on the scanner display. "This is odd ..."

"What, Dan?" Patrick Kell's voice remained even, despite the commanding urgency in his words.

"The Panthersare forming up into a spearhead, with the medium lance on the west flank and the Grand Dragonin the middle. They're coming right at you, but the Dragon'snot moving. It seems to be waiting for something."

Kell's light laugh traveled to Dan ungarbled and brought with it the assurance of victory. "Perfect. The lighter 'Mechs are drifting out to establish a perimeter without the Dragon'sfirepower. Remember the plan, Dan. The Kuritans consider 'five' to be a lucky number and things in fives to be an omen. Let's take five 'Mechs out in the initial ambush, and it'll spook them. Coordinates transmitting .. . Now. Good luck."

"And to you, Patrick. Severing land line and returning to command of my lance." Dan punched the blue land-line button and it died. He radioed a tightbeam broadcast back to Brand, and his Lieutenant replayed it for Meg Lang and Eddie Baker. It provided them with targets for their initial attacks, and secondary targets after that. Dan quickly reviewed the assignments and shook his head. It would not be pretty.

The eastern wing of the Pantherformation came up over the hills surrounding the landing site. One Panther,which Dan's computer labeled "Able"—the last one in the wedge—stood atop the hillock, only a hundred meters from where Dan's Valkyrielay beneath a scanner baffle. The Panther'shead swung slowly from side to side as though the MechWarrior inside imagined himself the lord of all he surveyed.

Dan trained his medium laser's targeting crosshairs on "Able," but brought his LRM sight to rest and lock-on to the next Panther—"Bravo"—in line. He kept both target icons following the appropriate 'Mechs almost automatically as he focused his attention on the spearhead's lead Panther.It had stopped short and brought up the PPC on its right arm.

A light flared in Dan's cockpit, signaling the attack. "Fire!" Dan stabbed his thumb down on the left-hand joystick and launched a flight of LRMs at the further of the two Panthers.Six missiles struck their target. Five smashed into the left side of the 'Mech's chest and succeeded in chipping away armor in a glowing metal rain. The sixth missile exploded against the other side of "Bravo's" chest, but failed to check the involuntary rotation the other missiles had imparted to the Panther.

Dan's medium laser lanced into "Able" and seared an ugly scar into the armor of its right arm. SRMs, launched by Brand's Commandoand Lang's Wasppeppered the "Able" from head to toe. Medium laser fire pierced the smoke and flames left behind by the missile, and shredded the armor on the 'Mech's right leg. Dan saw myomer-fiber muscles corded around titanium 'Mech bones. Abie's doomed. That leg won't take much more damage.

He brushed the fingers of his right hand across the toggle switch, and his scanner immediately reported "Bravo's" condition. Laser fire from Baker's Jennerhad added to the damage his LRMs had done. All the armor from the Panther'sleft torso had been blown or lazed away to expose the 'Mech's circuitry and other vital parts to the murderous fire from the ambush. Hanging in tatters, the armor on the right leg and right torso showed further damage from the Jenner'sbattery of medium lasers.

Dan looked up and saw Cat Wilson's black and red Marauderstep from ambush. The hunched-over 'Mech thrust its right claw at the wedge's lead Panther.The Marauder'sright PPC spat a jagged bolt of man-made lighting. The blue fire licked greedily at the Panther'schest and instantly vaporized all the armor it touched. The Marauder'stwin medium lasers slashed surgically at the Panther'sleft arm and stripped it of armor as though it were so much bark off a tree. The Marauder'sautocannon blasted the Pantherand gouged massive craters in the armor over the 'Mech's right thigh.

Bethany Connor's Crusader,moving up through the jungle behind Wilson's Marauder,similarly targeted the lead Panther.Panels flicked open on the Crusader'sforearms. Two flights of LRMs burned into the night sky. The missiles spiraled down into the Panther,and one complete flight crushed the 'Mech's chest like a hammer-blow. Fragments of armor, frozen in mid-flight by the strobing explosions, filled the air like a flight of frightened birds. The rest of the Crusader'smissiles tore at the Panther'sright leg, denting and blasting away armor.

Fire from Ward's Assault Lance ripped mercilessly into the Pantherdesignated "Echo." Diane McWilliams's Riflemanand Mary Lasker's Trebuchetcombined their fire to strip armor off their target. The Trebuchet'stwin LRMs flights bracketed the Pantherand blasted every shred of armor from either arm. Four of the LRMs smashed into the Panther'shead and ripped away part of its armor, giving the 'Mech a torn lip and a scorched face. The Rifleman'sautocannon fire easily peeled off the Panther'schest armor, while its pair of medium lasers melted all but the last of the enemy 'Mech's right leg.

Colonel Kell and Lieutenant Finn combined their attack to hideous effect on the Pantherthat Dan's readout nicknamed "Foxtrot." Kell trained his Thunderbolt'slarge laser on the 'Mech's right torso, and the ruby beam boiled the armor away like honey on a stove. Finn's Orionadded its medium laser to the wound and burned through to the interior. Sparks flashed as circuits melted on the enemy 'Mech. The thick black smoke curling from the wounds suggested that the laser had burned away a number of heat sinks. Without them, no 'Mech could operate for long, especially a PPC-armed Panther.

Major Salome Ward in her Wolverine,and her lancemate, Lieutenant Fitzhugh in his Catapult,concentrated their fire on one of the modified Shadow Hawks.The Catapult'stwo launching racks, located where its bird-like 'Mech should have had wings, flipped open to corkscrew thirty LRMs through the Pacifica darkness. They struck in waves, and exploded thunderously. With so much fire concentrated on the Shadow Hawk'sleft arm, it appeared utterly consumed. As the fire melted into the night, the Hawk'sleft limb lay completely vulnerable. Mangled beyond use, the hand and forearm hung frozen in place.

The Wolverine'sSRM flight exploded in an even line across the Shadow Hawk'storso. Though the Wolverine'sautocannon and medium laser blasted and burned huge slabs of armor from the Shadow Hawk'sleft side, they had failed to breech the armor. The medium lasers of Fitzhugh's Catapultsliced through the Shadow Hawk'sright leg armor, laying bare the myomer muscle. This left the 'Mech scanner-tagged "Golf" with the appearance of having only one of its trouser legs on.

Leftenant Redburn's Hunchbackstepped into the open and chased a Griffin out from amid the flames and smoke. The massive, boxy autocannon perched on the Hunchback'sright shoulder vomited fire and metal, a hellish stream that tore through the Griffin 'schest like a crosscut saw. Armor fragmented and spun away in jagged shards of waste-metal. Simultaneously, the Hunchback'smedium lasers chopped armor from the Griffin 'sleft flank and arm.

The ferocity of Redburn's assault staggered the Griffin .The potency of Hauptmann-General Sarah Joss's attack finished it. Joss's Warhammerseemed to regard the stricken Griffin pitilessly, as the 'Mech raised its PPCs.

One blue bolt flashed from the Warhammerand probed the Griffin 'shalf-melted left arm with a savage touch. Armor exploded and rocketed across the battlefield as blue lightning further mauled the damaged arm. Joss's attack left the 'Mech's limb twisted and fused to the shoulder in a fire-blackened lump.

The second tongue of electrical fire launched itself into the Griffin 'sheart, stabbing into the Griffin 'schest and melting all that it touched. Fire roared through the 'Mech's torso and jetted out through every heat sink and maintenance crawlway in the 'Mech's body. The Griffin shuddered and twitched as the blue lighting tightened every myomer muscle in its body. The 'Mech fell back heavily, the center of its chest a cherry hellpit, and lay staring up at the sky.

Confidence flared to life in Dan's heart. We've hammered them hard and badly damaged six 'Mechs—better than we'd planned. They've got to pull back.Then Dan looked up as another 'Mech marched from the DropShip's titanium womb. The ground trembled beneath its massive feet. His scanners instantly studied it and provided a data readout. Humanoid in configuration, the 'Mech's hunched shoulders hid its small head. Huge winglike counterbalances for the arms projected up past the shoulders. The left arm ended in a crude club, while the scanners reported that the right arm and the twin chestmuzzles contained PPCs.

Oh, my God!Dan's mouth went dry as the Awesomefilled his monitors. He shuddered as his confidence wavered like a candle in a tornado. Suddenly, he remembered what they always said at the New Avalon academy, joking to hide the terror in the thought. "It's not over until the Assault 'Mechs have finished playing."

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