Текст книги " Blood Legacy"

Автор книги: Michael A. Stackpole

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43

Satatice

Free Rasalhague Republic

5 January 3051

 

"I copy that, Firebird One. You have no visual on the Ostsol."Phelan Wolf cursed under his breath. "Make another sweep. It has to be around here somewhere."

"Roger, Dire Alpha." Carew did not sound too hopeful.

"Dire Alpha to Dire Star. Anything?" Phelan glanced at his auxiliary monitor and its map of the local area. The computer updated him with the locations of the rest of his command, with Dire Gamma limping along in the rear. The terrain, as broken and uneven as one might expect from a lava plain, was glossy with a treacherous layer of ice. Live steam vents pulsed out mist like ethereal whales surfacing from the rock to spout. The mist instantly crystallized in the cold air, and Phelan had to keep his Wolfhoundrunning hot just to keep the ice from blinding his sensors.

All reports came back negative, but Phelan had the distinct feeling that the others in his Star were deliberately holding back. Though Natasha had harangued her Wolf Spiders into working cooperatively, the others in Dire Star were veterans who refrained from interfering in what they saw as Phelan's rightful kill. The Ostsolhad attacked him first, which meant, under the old ways, that the target was his.

The others were willing to course it, but they'd not take it down until Phelan had died trying.

Phelan shook his head in disgust. He knew why they deferred to him, but he would have preferred a team effort. Because he was their Star Commander, was younger than any of them, and because he had singlehandedly taken Gunzburg, they offered him yet another chance at honor. Well, change is bound to come slowly. The Star League wasn't built in a day.'

The secondary monitor gave Phelan an inventory of the damage he'd taken. Most of the armor had been blown off the Wolfhound'sright arm, but the extended-range large laser was undamaged. Grinnerhad lost a little armor from his chest and right leg, too, but other than that, the BattleMech was running at the top of form. The Ostsolmight outmass his Wolfhoundby twenty-five tons, but the two were closely matched in sheer firepower.

The humanoid Ostsolhad toothpick-thin arms, one of which had been burned clean off by a snap shot with the large laser. That did little to hurt it because the 'Mech carried all its weapons in the torso. The pilot had recovered quickly and escaped, but not before Phelan savaged the armor on its chest. From what he could tell, though, both large lasers and the twin forward-pointing medium lasers were still operational. The Ostsolalso boasted two rear-arc medium lasers in its barrel-shaped torso, but Phelan had not followed closely enough to give the pilot a chance to use them.

Phelan took another look at the map and switched his visual display over to infrared. The landscape instantly took on a cool blue tint. Steam jets shot tendrils of yellow fire into the air, and heat rose in red curls from the Wolfhound'sheat sinks. The jumble of colors, with streaks of red and gold marking ground warmth, was not so confusing that a 'Mech couldn't be spotted by the heat it generated, but the steam vents made sorting viable targets from spurious ones annoyingly difficult.

Still marching the Wolfhoundforward, Phelan slowly worked toward a canyon that closely resembled a jagged scar ripped through the planet's crust by a dull knife. The legion of side canyons were large enough to hide a 'Mech or two. The cold wind twisting down through it could easily mix the hot air generated by a 'Mech with fresher air, hiding all traces of an ambush. As smart as the other 'Mech pilot had already proved himself, Phelan had no doubt that his enemy was, indeed, waiting therein.

"Firebird One to Dire Alpha."

"Go ahead, Firebird."

"Negative for heat. Magres is useless because of the ferrous content of the ground. Sorry."

"Roger, Firebird. Give me CAP if you can. Dire Star, I am going into the canyon. Beta and Delta, cut off the north end, if you please. Gamma, maintain your position. Epsilon, back me.

Phelan wiped a sweaty palm against the outside of his cooling vest. He started to work his way down into the canyon, but hesitated before he reached the floor. He hated the idea of offering the Ostsolthe first shot, especially when all the enemy had to do was wait for a thermal signature to target and kill. There has to be a way to decoy him, give him bait.

A chunk of stone gave way beneath the Wolfhound'sleft foot, but Phelan successfully kept the 'Mech on its feet by reaching out with its left hand to steady the 'Mech against the canyon wall. As he watched the stone rolling down to the canyon floor, it gave him an idea. Stooping the 'Mech, he picked up a hunk of volcanic stone. Holding it carefully by the thumb and forefinger of his 'Mech's left hand, he trained all three pulse lasers on it, dialed their power down for a three-second burst and triggered them.

The trio of beams filled the rock with fire. It glowed white hot on Phelan's holographic infrared display. He pulled the Wolfhound'sleft arm back, then brought it forward in an easy underhand motion. Lofted forward, the rock bounded down through the canyon. It caromed around like a bowling ball in a surreal alley, then popped up and hung seven meters above the floor about halfway down the canyon.

Four laser beams flashed out at the rock. The two large lasers struck it full-on and smashed it back against the far canyon wall. The two medium lasers passed below it, but had it been the Wolfhound,they would have slashed through the armor on its belly. The rock, performing as would the Wolfhoundhad it caught that fire, dropped to the canyon floor.

The Ostsolstepped from the break where it had hidden, then halted only two steps clear of cover. Phelan, realizing the pilot had switched over to visual and discovered his mistake, brought the large laser up and punched the firing button on the right joystick. The hurried shot hit the Ostol'sback leg, vaporizing armor from mid-thigh down to the ankle.

The Ostsol'spilot pivoted his 'Mech to the left, bringing all its weaponry to bear on the Wolfhound.One large laser and one medium laser combined to make the armor on the Wolfhound'sright leg run like water. The air refroze much of it, and warning lights on Phelan's control console told him the knee and ankle had been fused. The other medium laser sliced armor from the right side of the Wolfhound'schest. The remaining large laser did the most damage as it cored through the armor on the Wolfhound'scenter chest. A wave of heat passed up through the cockpit, informing Phelan that part of the fusion engine's shielding had been damaged.

Phelan concentrated, despite feeling broiled alive in his cockpit. He dropped both crosshairs onto the Ostsol'sconical outline and triggered every weapon he had available. The large laser again blasted the Ostsol'sright leg. The spear of coherent light sheared away the last of the armor and boiled off the myomer muscles controlling the leg's movement. The 'Mech buckled instantly, and flailing impotently against the air, the Ostsolcrashed to the ground. The trio of pulse lasers picked armor off other parts of the Rasalhagian 'Mech, but as the machine settied onto its chest, Phelan knew its fighting days were permanently over.

Phelan keyed his radio. "Dire Gamma, please relay to Black Widow Alpha that we have downed our bogey. Ask for a new assignment."

Switching the frequency control, he tightbeamed a message to the Ostsolacross the frequencies he knew the Free Republic's troops used. "Whoever you are, you have my sincere respect. If not for a moment of inspiration, our positions would be reversed. You are now my prisoner."

The youth of the MechWarrior's voice surprised Phelan. "I may be your prisoner, but I will never surrender to you."

"Don't do anything foolish. Don't overload your engine. It won't serve anyone or anything for you to be that sort of hero."

"Oh, I don't worry. That would make it too easy on you." A fiery stubbornness entered the voice. "If I'm dead, I can't lead my people to freedom, can I?"

Before Phelan could think of a suitable reply, Dire Gamma's report buzzed into his ear. "The Colonel sends her congratulations. Satalice has been pacified. We are to regroup at the Den and prep for an inspection."

Phelan frowned. "Inspection?"

"Roger. She said the ilKhan will be reviewing us in two days, and he's bringing a very special visitor with him. The visitor is the one we're supposed to impress."

"This visitor have a name?" Phelan wanted to know.

"Not one of us, so who cares?"

"I care."

"No name, Star Commander, just a title." Dire Gamma hesitated, then sighed. "Does 'the Primus of ComStar' mean anything to you?"

44

Imperial City , Luthien

Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine

5 January 3052

 

Tempers flared as frustration eroded the last shreds of the Coordinator's tolerance for either his son or Shin Yodama. For Shin's part, he felt trapped in the battle between father and son, and had to fight to maintain his composure. He knew Theodore had placed him as a buffer against his father precisely because Shin could not be blackmailed by the old samurai's demands.

It is precisely because I am not part of the centuries-old samurai tradition that Takashi rails against me.Shin shrugged at the irony of the situation, then sighed with resignation as a blinking light indicated an incoming radio call on Takashi's frequency.

Shin punched the call through. "Hai."

"Will my son let us fight now? We are almost to the gates of the city we are to defend."

"My last orders were for us to remain here. I await the Kanrei's orders to attack."

A quick button-lunch cut Takashi's strangled protest off in mid-utterance. Even after Shin had issued the computer command allowing Takashi's reserve unit to bring their weapons up, they had been forbidden to engage in combat. Theodore, out with the Second Legion of Vega, continued to coordinate the Combine's response to the Clan assault. The Reserves had been shuttled from one point to another, ready to intercept any breakthrough in the Combine lines.

So far, matters had not gone as well for the Clans as feared. Though the Nova Cats and Smoke Jaguars had pushed into the hills between their landing point and the city, the maneuver had allowed the Combine's forces into their rear. With the mercenaries harassing them through the hills, the Clans' progress had become slow, and the necessity of fighting a rearguard action slowed them down even more.

Shin realized that Takashi did not understand exactly how the Clans operated. The Coordinator believed that once the Clans had committed their forces, they would not call down reinforcements. Yet, prisoner interviews had suggested that their bidding system allowed them to call down more forces if and when needed. This put Theodore in the position of having to allow the Clans to progress until his troops were in a position to utterly destroy them. As reinforcements would take approximately two hours to land, the final battle would have to be very swift or Clan reinforcements might arrive just in time to do some good.

Of course,Shin reminded himself, they could always raze the city with an orbital assault, as they did Edo on Turtle Bay.The yakuza shivered and muttered a brief prayer to his ancestors to prevent that eventuality.

Shin immediately punched the radio call on Theodore's tactical frequency into his headphones. "Hai,Kanrei."

"Yodama -san, the Nova Cats are coming your way. The Kell Hounds have regrouped into a reinforced regiment and will be coming to support your southern flank. Colonel Kell says if you want to turn the Clanners toward him, he's ready to catch anything you pitch."

"Hai,Kanrei. We will stop them."

"Good luck, Shin. We'll be coming in from the north, and Wolf's bringing up the rear. It is now or never."

"Understood." Shin shut that frequency off and shifted to the Dragon's Claws frequency. "The Nova Cats are ours. The Kell Hounds will be coming in from the south and the rest of our forces will come from the north. We are to turn the Cats toward the Hounds." '

Takashi's voice overrode Shin's. "Follow me, comrades. We will show these invaders how true samurai fight."

"No!" Shin let all his fury at Takashi's abuse of power flood the frequency. "Listen to me. We cannot and should not forget tradition, but suicidal assaults will not stop the Clans. We are a hammer, and the Kell Hounds are an anvil."

"I am samurai, Shin Yodama." The Coordinator's voice seethed with righteous fury. "My code demands I fulfill the dictates of honor."

"Your code also calls for the fulfillment of duty. Let your honor be assuaged by attending to your dutyto your son and the Combine. Otherwise, go down in history as the man who lost Luthien."

Shin's right hand hovered over the command console keypad he would use to type in the destruct code for Takashi's Grand Dragon.Though he tried to will his fingers to stop trembling, they would not. He had no fear of being unable to punch in and send the code if necessary, but he wanted to give Takashi every chance to avoid such a fate.

"This is not finished here, Shin Yodama."

"I understand, Coordinator. As I said before, you may command my death later." Shin saw movement on his holographic display and looked up to find Nova Cat 'Mechs beginning to enter the Kadoguchi Valley below Imperial City. "Now is the time to stop the invaders."

Takashi gave his men a sacred mission. "We are the Kamikaze that swept the Mongols from the shores of Japan nearly two millennia ago!"

With grim determination, Shin started the Phoenix Hawkin a lurching run that became smooth, swift, and powerful in a dozen steps. The BattleMech reached its top speed of 97.2 kph within 100 meters from its starting point, with each jarring step pounding meter-deep holes into the turf. Behind him, like a wolf leading its pack, came Takashi and the Dragon's Claws.

Centered at the top of Shin's display was the distance to the Clan 'Mechs. Numbers blurred as the distance spun down. The golden crosshairs that designated targets for his weapons bounced up and down wildly, making it virtually impossible to get an accurate shot at that distance and speed. Even so, Shin played with the joysticks on each arm of his command couch to try to keep them on target. Occasionally he got a gold dot, confirming a target lock, but at such extended range, he did not fire.

Because he was coming in at high speed, he knew the Clans would have almost as much trouble targeting him. In the four seconds it took his Phoenix Hawkto cross from extreme Clan range to the outer fringe of his own weaponry's effective range, only one Nova Cat successfully launched on him. An LRM rack sent a score of missiles burning across the battlefield, but less than half acquired and hit their target. Those that did blew almost all the armor from the Phoenix Hawk'sright arm. The detonations shook the 'Mech and threatened to unbalance it, but Shin compensated to keep it upright and running.

Another eight seconds brought him to a comfortable range for his weapons. He flicked fire control for all weapons to the crosshairs adjusted by his right-hand joystick. He centered it on the outline of the Hagetakawhose missiles had hit him. His large laser missed high, but both the Phoenix Hawk'smedium lasers drilled through a rent in the Hagetaka'sarmor. They filled its right shoulder with fire and subsidiary explosions pumped black smoke out the right arm's autocannon muzzle. The limb twisted, then hung limp like a flag on a still day.

Crossing the last 100 meters, the Phoenix Hawksuffered damage from two other Clan 'Mechs, but the attacks only chipped away at armor. In a last-minute adjustment, Shin altered his course just enough to drift toward the Hagetaka'sright side. He lowered the Phoenix Hawk'sleft shoulder and barreled full force into the birdlike BattleMech.

The collision bounced Shin forward into the command couch's restraining straps. Metal screeched as the Phoenix Hawk'sleft shoulder pounded into the Hagetaka'sright shoulder. The sheer mass of both war machines ground the ferro-ceramic armor on their hides to dust, while the impact of the attack itself snapped the Hagetaka'sarm off at the shoulder. The Phoenix Hawkslid on past the empty shoulder socket and hit the 'Mech's hip where it joined the forward-hunched torso.

The Hagetakastarted to spin to the ground when the Coordinator's Grand Dragonhit it at top speed. Arms pumping like a sprinter, the Grand Dragonslammed into the Hagetaka,broadsiding it. The heavy 'Mech scythed through the Clan 'Mech's torso, popping the head and cockpit free to tumble across the ground.

Without the cockpit computers to monitor it, the Hagetaka'sfusion engine raged uncontrolled. A shimmering, silvery ball of boiling plasma shot like a comet from between the 'Mech's shoulders. Like a wraith leaving its body behind, its tendrils swiped at the Grand Dragon,but the Takashi's charge had already carried him beyond its vengeful grasp. The energy-ghost imploded, leaving the Hagetaka'slifeless husk smoldering on the ground.

Shin regained control of his 'Mech the instant it slipped beyond the Clan's initial line. He slowed his headlong rush because he had more than enough targets in the midst of the growing Clan formation. In addition, his task was to force the Nova Cats back into the Kell Hounds, and that would only happen if his force could form a line and drive the Clans before them.

A quick look at his holographic display told Shin that the shock attack had succeeded in penetrating the Clan line along a wide front. Clan 'Mechs were already falling back as Combine 'Mechs swept around him to consolidate the Reserve Regiment's position. The center battalion concentrated its fire in an arc that supported the northern flank.

"Yodama," Takashi radioed urgently, "I am bringing the center battalion around to stop them."

Shin glanced at his tactical map. "If you do that, we'll get their full attention. If they get through us, they have a direct shot at Imperial City."

"But if I let them flank us, they will strike at the city."

"The Kell Hounds' Crescent Hawk Company has our flank, Coordinator."

"Do they? I see no sign of them."

"They're there." Shin crossed his fingers. "They're there."

Venom filled Takashi's voice. "If they are not, I will slay you myself."

"If the Hounds aren't there, you'll have to fight the Clans for that honor, Takashi. I know my duty!I will do it!"

As the central battalion drifted to the south, the Clans increased their retreat, letting themselves get beyond the Combine warriors' effective range. The Reserves moved quickly and the Clans used their missiles sparingly, so the moving truce resulted in few casualties among the Kurita forces and fewer among the Clansmen. Even so, with the chase, the Clans managed to string out Shin's forces further than he would have liked. He slowed pursuit to consolidate his troops, and Takashi immediately rebuked him for letting the Clans slip around the southern edge of their line.

"You are a fool, yakuza, and a coward. As is my son for trusting you and your kind."

Shin saw a light flash on his command console. Save the rhetoric for the historians, Takashi. It's time for warriors to earn their pay.Shin keyed a command that downloaded tactical maps to all his 'Mechs. As a unit, they pressed forward as though initiating a second charge into the Clan lines.

As the Nova Cats readied themselves for the assault, the reformed Kell Hound Regiment came up and over the hills to the Cats' rear. They fell on the southernmost elements of the Clan force like a wave engulfing a sand castle. It seemed to Shin that the Clansmen were not so much surprised as overwhelmed. Unlike the way he had seen the Kell Hounds fight earlier, they did not hold back to fight at range. Instead they closed quickly, lasers and PPCs savaging targets at point-blank range.

The southern movement of the Nova Cats stopped abruptly as the Clansmen sought to regroup. From the north, Shin saw the arrival of the Second Legion of Vega and remnants of the Otomo and First Sword of Light regiments. As they formed a wall to cut off the Clans from their line of retreat, the Reserve's northern battalion closed ranks with the center battalion to strengthen its position. Scouts from the Clans headed directly east, up the hills to the ridgeline lying between them and their landing zone, but those 'Mechs quickly retreated as elements of Wolf's Dragoons took the heights.

Shin knew what could come next and worked his way to the front of the Reserve position. The Clans determined that the Reserve unit was the weakest side of the box trapping them. With a desperation born of knowledge that defeat was certain, the Nova Cats turned and charged the Reserves even as the other three sides of the Combine formation fell upon them.

"Brace for it," Takashi shouted. "Now we're the anvil!"

A racing Masakarihit the Phoenix Hawkwith a shoulder square into the middle of the Hawk'schest. Sparks exploded through Shin's cockpit as his 'Mech folded up around the 'Mech's shoulder, then flew backward. Shin dangled from the restraining straps, then slammed down into the command chair when the Phoenix Hawksmashed into the ground. Realizing that remaining on the ground was to die, Shin arched his back and used the 'Mech's momentum to help it roll around so he could more easily get it up on its feet.

He knew completing such an acrobatic move was impossible, but he would have settled for a shift from supine to prone positions. What he got, however, was entirely different than what he wanted or could have imagined. As the Phoenix Hawkstarted to roll, its legs thrust between those of a running Clan Daishi.The Clan 'Mech's pumping legs shattered those of the Phoenix Hawkand sent it spinning off on its back like a turtle sliding across ice on its shell.

Feeling like a pilot in a centrifuge, Shin knew such violent motion threatened to snap his safety belts and leave him splattered against the interior of his cockpit. Shin reached out with the 'Mech's left arm, skidding the Phoenix Hawkto a stop. He brought the 'Mech up into a sitting position, but before he could make any sense of the surrounding chaos, a Nova Cat 'Mech stamped down with a cloven hoof, destroying the Phoenix Hawk'sright hand and large laser.

The loss of the support dropped the Phoenix Hawkflat on its back. Shin fumbled as he reached for the ejection switch, but stopped before he triggered it. The Daishi'supraised foot eclipsed the sky and Shin saw the exact spot he would hit if he punched out.

It's done.

Electric blue light filled his cockpit and the crackling static that accompanied a blast from a particle projection cannon filled his headphones. The foot's dark shadow wavered then vanished as the Daishipitched over onto its back. A momentary glance showed smoke trailing from the melted ruin of its head, and the shoulder-mounted LRM canister exploded when the 'Mech hit the ground.

Shin rolled the Phoenix Hawkover onto its right side and obtained a three-point stance on thick stumps and a wrist stub. His 'Mech hunched over like a chimp, Shin lifted the 'Mech's left arm, ready to use the machine gun and medium laser mounted there. Scanning his holographic display for a target, Shin tasted blood dripping down from his nose.

Behind his 'Mech he saw a Grand Dragon.It showed battle wear and broken armor, but the crest over its right breast had survived. The gold dragon against a field of red, jaws agape and ready to devour enemies, told him who piloted that craft and who had saved him.

"Why, Takashi, why?"

"I may hate you and your kind, Shin Yodama, but you are a citizen of the Combine. No one or nothing will stop me from doing my duty to protect the people of my realm."

"So it is with the rest of us, Coordinator. Our tactics might be different, but our goals are the same." Shin licked the blood from his lips. "So if you'd be so kind as to lure some Nova Cats over here, we can both do our duty."

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