Текст книги "Heir To The Dragon "

Автор книги: Robert N. Charette

сообщить о нарушении

Текущая страница: 11 (всего у книги 27 страниц)

26

Sitika County, North Galfree, Marfik

Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine

26 September 3028

 

The Atlastook a last thundering step onto the airstrip at Jilenka. The slam of the cockpit hatch against the upper surface of the head was lost amid the rumblings and creakings of the BattleMech as it settled to rest. Hauptmann-Kommandant Heany stood in the hatch and let the September breeze ruffle her ash-blonde hair. She sketched a salute to the Senior Warrant Officer in charge of the resupply team that had begun to swarm over her 'Mech.

A pair of SYD-21 AeroSpace Fighters roared overhead. Heany looked up at them and smiled to see the blue stetson-in-the-ring symbol of Hauptmann Kreuger's AeroLance. Kreuger's fighters had reported the remnants of the Eleventh Legion of Vega gathering near Sitika. Jump troopers on scout patrol had confirmed the report. The annoying weeks of hit-and-hide were over. The Legion had been brought to bay.

The last months had been too much of a trial, adding to the embarrassment Heany had suffered when the Legion fled her 'Mechs at Massingham and eluded them in the woods. While the Fourth Skye Rangers were stumbling about in the unfamiliar terrain, the godless Snakes had crossed a narrow neck of the forest and bushwhacked the Thirteenth Assault Regiment, causing enough damage to have Colonel Thompson's unit pulled back for refitting. There would be hell to pay when General Nondi Steiner could spare enough attention from the rest of the Gotterdammerung Offensive against Kurita space to inquire into the doings on Marfik. But Heany intended to have accomplished her mission by then. Surely the actual capture of the Heir-Designate of the Draconis Combine would overshadow anything else that happened on Marfik. Thompson's complaints about Heany's alleged incompetence would go unheard.

The weeks of constant harrying by her air command and ground forces had taken their toll on the Kuritans. More than two battalions of BattleMechs had been captured or destroyed. The Legion of Vega was as good as defeated. The previous week's ambush, which had crippled Benoit's Zeus,was a last gasp. If any real fight had remained in the Snakes, they would have gone after her Atlasinstead of the Zeus.The contacts with Combine forces in the last few days had been fleeting. They had initiated no strikes, laid no ambushes. Her biggest headache had been the clashes between off-duty troops and the civilians in the occupied cities. The fool Dracos not only didn't know when they were beaten, they didn't know when they were free from the tyranny of Kurita.

Now that didn't matter. Her prayers had been answered; the Legion was gathering in the hills east of Sitika, forgoing their sniping games for a last stand. Heany laughed aloud at the thought. If those samurai wanted a last, glorious battle, she would give it to them. Already the tanks and 'Mechs were moving into position. Tomorrow the Fourth Skye Rangers would descend on the Legion of Vega, and Theodore Kurita, dead or alive, would be hers. This time he would not escape. There was nowhere left to run.

* * *

The explosion threw clots of dirt against the leg of the "Katana Kat," but Fuhito ignored it. The Steiner infantry were using antipersonnel charges in their mortar shells; even a direct hit would have little effect on the BattleMechs armor. The Kurita infantry, digging in along the south perimeter of Leftior township, were not so well-protected. Most had scrambled for cover as soon as the barrage began. The rest lay sprawled and dying in the tall grass.

"Gutherie," Fuhito snapped. "Take that lance of 'craft from the Light Horse and run off those groundpounders. Give our people some room."

"Hai!"was the reply as the battered Locuststrutted out over the tarmac. Four J. Edgar hovercraft whined along in its wake like strange, squat ducklings.

Fuhito didn't bother to watch as the hovercraft and the Locustfanned out to drive away the lead elements of the Steiner forces descending on Sitika. If their scouts had arrived, could the main body be far behind?

Half an hour later, the "Kat" was pacing down the highway that ran through the Leftior hills. Ahead on his right, Fuhito could see the remaining 'Mechs of the Legion preparing positions. Silhouetted against the setting sun, they looked like exaggerated cartoon figures, crazed ditch-diggers more concerned about the placement of the dirt they shoveled than about the ditch they dug.

Among the fifteen 'Mechs working there, Fuhito saw the blocky shape of Tai-saKurita's Orion.Just as he had throughout the five weeks of bitter raiding among the shadows of DonnerBrau Forest, the Tai-sawas among his men, urging them on. The handless arms of the Tai-sa's'Mech were of no help in the digging, but the Orionseemed always to be there when brute strength was needed to flatten a tree, to open a fire lane, or to bull out a boulder for setting into a defilade position for one of the last few tanks.

The Legion had been battered down, and Tai-saKurita had decided to make a stand. He had chosen Sitika as the spot for his honorable end, saying that the hills matched a description he had read in Koyo Gunkanof the battlefield at Kawanakajima. That had been an epic battle in the annals of old Terra's samurai. "If we cannot win," the Tai-sahad declared, "let us die in the epic tradition." Soldiers who had mocked the Tai-sawhen he first arrived had roared their approval.

Fuhito was proud to be serving under such an officer. The Tai-satreated his men evenhandedly; anyone who broke his regulations was punished, regardless of rank. The Tai-sashared the same trials and dangers as the troops. He held no exaggerated opinions of an officer's sanctity, such as Fuhito had seen among the commanders in Warlord Samsonov's forces on Galtor. If the Tai-sawere to die here on Marfik, it would be a great loss to the whole Draconis Combine.

The "Kat" ran on. In minutes, Fuhito had reached the Sitika airport, last stop on his tour of the facilities for the final defense. He jetted the "Kat" to the roof of the terminal building to survey the area. To the east, amid the rolling green hills outside the city, the Legionnaires toiled away, preparing their defensive line. All recon reports indicated that the Lyrans were accepting the inherent challenge of the Legion's stand and were advancing to meet the Kuritans head-on.

To the west lay the placid waters of Sitika Bay. That at least was a secure flank. The Elsies had no naval forces in their invasion force, and an amphibious attack by 'Mechs was also impossible. The floor of the bay was soft silt, a mire trap for any bottom-walking BattleMech.

To the north and south, the flanks were virtually open, screened only by a few mobile units. There seemed to be little threat, for Lyran probes had been light or nonexistent. Even were it a ruse, the Kurita flankers were far enough out that they would give Tai-saKurita sufficient warning to revise his battleplan.

The city itself was a pitifully small collection of buildings, not really large enough for a 'Mech battle. Its most prominent feature, the spaceport, was also, of little use now. The Legion's AeroSpace Fighters were all destroyed or in hiding elsewhere in the system, and their atmospheric craft were reduced to a mere handful, operating from clearings in the forest.

Fuhito decided to check the hangars and support buildings for any meager supplies they might provide for the Legion. The "Katana Kat's" jets lifted it from the terminal roof and carried it in a gentle arc thirty meters to the north. The Panther'slegs flexed on contact, easily taking the shock of the landing. Fuhito began his search.

For an hour, the "Kat" strode among the deserted hangars in the failing light. The fenced yards held crates of clothing, chemicals, and consumer goods—nothing of use to the embattled Legion. Using the Panther'sstrength to force open the doors of buildings whose interiors were not already accessible, Fuhito found no booty, not even with the help of the "Kat's" light-amplification circuits.

He had just exited a warehouse showing the logo of Isesaki Shipping when he spotted a small shack bearing a hand-painted placard. The sign displayed twenty-five connected stars in the shape of the Kuritan dragon, the insignia of the technical branch of the Draconis Combine Port Authority.

So ka.Perhaps the Techs had left something behind. Any tools would please Senior Tech Kowalski. Ever since he'd had to abandon his shop at Massingham, he had been repairing 'Mechs with what he referred to as "baling wire and spit." Fuhito didn't know what baling wire was, but he had understood the meaning. Without the proper equipment, even the Senior Tech's technical genius had its limits. Almost half the Legion's 'Mechs were no longer battleworthy. If the Port Authority mechanics had left even a few of the proper tools behind, the Senior Tech might be able to repair another BattleMech or two.

Hopeful yet fearing disappointment, Fuhito opened the "Kat's" cockpit and climbed down. The shadowed air in front of the shack was cool against his bare arms and legs. The scanty shorts and cooling vest were just right in the hot cockpit of a fighting 'Mech, but not enough to keep a senshiwarm in the fall air of a temperate climate zone.

The door was ajar, and Fuhito shouldered it wider open as he entered the building. Switching on the lights, he scanned the debris that littered the interior. The Techs had left in a hurry, no doubt abandoning their barracks when first word of approaching BattleMechs had rippled through the city. He saw no precious tools, but Fuhito did find the chief's duty log open on a table. The last entry was a week old.

He shook his head sadly. The Techs were frightened birds to run so easily before a rumor. Hens before a fox. He laughed humorlessly then, realizing the image would have been more suited to an attack by Davion forces. It was their Prince who was nicknamed "the Fox."

Something had brought that image to mind, and it made him remember his father's admonishments that such flashes could be the voice of spirit, which was quicker and deeper than thought. With a troubled frown, Fuhito scanned the chief's last entry again. Ah, there it was!The first entry on the list of the day's duty read: "Arctic Foxreadiness check."

Fuhito tossed the duty log back onto the table and started to turn away before he remembered what the Arctic Foxwas. He grabbed the log again and flipped rapidly through its pages. There was no location listed.

"Frak!" he said aloud as he slammed the book to the floor. Fuhito knew that the Arctic Foxcould not be in Sitika; it was too large to hide. He rubbed his palm across his chin, thinking furiously. The Elsies didn't have it; they would have cheerfully broadcast the news of its capture or destruction. The Arctic Foxwas still out there somewhere. Even if it were not functional, it would have something for the desperate Legion.

Inspiration struck and Fuhito bent to retrieve the abused log. "Ha!" he shouted in triumph as he located the computer disk nestled in its pocket inside the front cover. The fleeing Techs had not taken the technical data file with them.

Clutching his prize, Fuhito raced outside and scrambled up the waiting Panther.He slid into the cockpit, skinning an elbow in his haste. Dropping into his command couch, he slipped the disk into the "Kat's" computer slot and tapped in the command to list the disk's files. He called for the one labeled "Arctic Fox" as soon as it scrolled onto the screen. Fingers flashing on the keyboard, he skipped through the data, a wide smile growing on his face.

He reached across to the comm board and opened a line to his superior. "Sho-saOlivares, this is Tetsuhara. I have something you need to see."

"What is it?" Olivares growled, his annoyance clear. "I got a lance of Elsie turtles moving around out here."

"This is more important than a few Steiner tanks, Sho-sa."

"So you say, boy. Ain't got no time for nonsense—wait."

Silence fell on the line for five minutes. Obediently, Fuhito waited, but his frustration grew almost unbearable.

"Call me a purple-bottomed Marfik chickenhawk. They're pulling up." Olivares' voice was full of amused surprise. 'They must be gonna let the Samaplay his honor game. Frak! That's got to be the reason they pulled the birds off our heads."

"Then you have the time to see what I've found. The Elsies'll wait till morning."

"All right, all right," Olivares grumbled. "I'll come have a look-see."

27

Sitika County, North Galfree, Marfik

Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine

27 September 3028

 

"Itwould be cowardly to leave."

"It would be foolish to stay," Tomoe snapped.

Eyes narrowed and nostrils distended, Theodore stiffened at her harsh words. Around the chamber, men and women pretended sudden interest in other things: walls, fingernails, folds in their uniforms. Theodore and Tomoe's eyes locked, stubbornness meeting persistence.

The code of bushidodid not allow a commander to run from a hopeless battle, leaving his soldiers to die. All his life, Theodore had wanted to lead Kurita warriors in battle, and here on Marfik, it had finally come to pass. Even hamstrung by poor equipment and lack of supplies, his Legion had given a good account of itself. Now his forces faced the end, despite Theodore's best-laid plans. Bushidodemanded that he face that end with them.

Tomoe stood and stalked to the end of the table, almost out of the circle of light. She stopped there, but did not turn around. Light gleamed from the metal fittings on the bulky shoulders of her cooling jacket, but her anger still showed in the hunch of her shoulders.

"She's right, Sama,"Olivares rumbled. "You do not need to die here."

Heads nodded agreement around the table.

"The Arctic Foxis only a UnionClass DropShip," Theodore protested. "She's not even big enough for the buso-senshiand their 'Mechs. Even if we abandoned all our equipment, we could not cram in the rest of our people. Anyone left behind will be slaughtered by the Lyrans.

"Besides, we have no JumpShip. The Combine navy was chased from the system more than a month ago. We would have no way to leave the system."

"Tai-iKerai said he had a solution to that problem, Tono,"Fuhito offered.

"And where is he?"

Fuhito shrugged and helplessly spread his hands wide.

"Kerai– Kunmay be quite remarkable in some areas, but even he cannot conjure up interstellar transport from nothing."

Fuhito started to object to Theodore's dismissal of the issue, but the buzzsaw whine of a VTOL jet landing drowned out the words. The sentry threw open the door and announced the return of Tai-iNinyu Kerai. Ninyu wore a sneaksuit, the hood pulled back to reveal his tousled red hair. The circlevision visor clattered against the holstered KA-23 subgun holstered on his right hip. His smiling face was a distinct contrast to the sober expressions of the officers gathered in the room.

"What, still talking?" Ninyu asked. "I thought you'd be packed by now."

"I'm not leaving," Theodore replied. "I have a duty to the Legion."

"You're too important to die on this backwater planet."

"I'm not too important to ignore bushido.As a Kurita warrior, honor demands that I do my duty. I must fulfill my duty to my soldiers and face what they must face."

"Baka!"Tomoe shouted, spinning around. "You are a fool! You're notsome simple warrior! You are not even just the commanding officer of a regiment. You are the leader of the entire Legion of Vega, not just the Eleventh Regiment. Two more regiments of your precious buso-senshiand forty conventional units are fighting on Vega, struggling for their lives against the Lyran invaders. What is your duty to them!Will you let them die without a leader?

"You are also the Heir-Designate. If you are captured or killed here, it harms the Combine. The succession will be in dispute, and your father will be distracted from the conduct of the war. Can you believe that your death would serve the Dragon, no matter how nobly you contrive to arrange it?

"You speak of your responsibility to your troops. What of your responsibility to the Draconis Combine? Does your belief in bushidoallow you to throw your life away when you have important duties elsewhere? Will you allow the personal desire to be a noble warrior lead you away from your duty as a member of House Kurita?"

Tomoe folded her arms over her chest as she drew herself to full height. Her eyes blazed. "A samurai's road is the path of giri.It is your dutyto leave Marfik."

Theodore was stunned by her outburst, embarrassed that she would shout at him before the Legion's officers. But she seemed so sure she had the right of it. Had he been blinded by his concern for the troops here on Marfik and by his sense of personal honor? As commander of the Legion, it was the first time other Kuritans looked to him with respect for reasons other than his position by birth. They had earned his loyalty. But was Tomoe right? Did his other responsibilities, his other duties, outweigh these? It was so hard to know the right path.

"Arctic Foxis armed," he began. "Aloft, it will be easy prey for the Steiner aerospace forces. If we keep the DropShip grounded, we can adapt our defenses around it, build a firebase to gut the Lyran attack. The Steiner air power won't be able to do much against it as long as the ship stays in the cover of the forest. We can still win here on Marfik."

"Staying is a hellacious gamble," Ninyu Kerai observed. "The Rangers want your head."

"Senior Tech Kowalski's crew is already preparing the Arctic Foxfor lift-off," Fuhito Tetsuhara pointed out.

'The troops ain't changing their positions. They won't follow your plan to set up a defense around the Fox,"Esau Olivares announced. "We got volunteers already dumping what's left of our supplies onto the ship, but nobody, not even the wounded, will be riding it out unless you're onboard, Sama.My Victor's waiting there for you. It's even got its circuits tuned to your base readings. I'll jockey the 'Revenant' in the morning. That'll keep the Elsies occupied."

"The heir to the Dragon must leave Marfik," Tomoe Sakade insisted.

Theodore looked at the faces around him, their eyes hard and challenging. Not one yielded before him. His officers were resolute. With or without him, the Eleventh Legion of Vega was going to die here on Marfik in the morning. These people did not want him to die with them. How could he betray such loyalty by running away from them?

"I will take this under advisement."

* * *

Two fire lances from Wagner's Battalion moved forward on the left flank, lending their missile and energy weapon fire to the advance of the Twenty-third Armored Infantry. Kathleen Heany watched in satisfaction as her tanks and APCs drove the Snakes from their outlying defenses. It had taken all morning to get this far, and the Vegan Mech-Warriors had yet to put in an appearance.

Two Lyran AeroSpace Fighters dove out of the sun. Skimming at treetop level, the aerojocks opened the valves in their belly-slung tanks. Dense clouds billowed from the crafts' exhaust as the chemical mix ignited in smoky combustion. The long streamers of artificial fog settled on the field, screening the advance of the Lyran tanks.

Heany was pleased by the pilots' precision and adherence to the tactical plan. They were showing better discipline than that crew who had lifted their DropShip at first light, flying too close to Sitika on their way to orbit. As soon as she had time, the entire crew of that DropShip was going on report.

Booming explosions returned Heany's attention to the field. She grinned in savage anticipation. The Drac center was breaking. The Twenty-third had created a corridor through the Kuritan defenses. The Lord provides for she who prepares,Heany thought.

She pushed her Atlasto a run, signaling the rest of her command lance to follow. The Snakes would have to bring in their BattleMechs now. She and the Fourth Skye Rangers would be there to meet them. The battle's climax was to hand.

Half an hour later, her hopes were confirmed. The Fourth Skye engaged what she estimated as half the remaining Kurita 'Mechs. The fighting was sharp, exhilarating. The Kuritans retreated, falling back on a position defended by the rest of the Legion. She watched the Orionthat intel had identified as Theodore Kurita's own machine leading the fight.

Under fire from the entrenched BattleMechs, the Skye Rangers advanced. Heany was pleased with their elan. They reached the Kurita battle line with minimal damage. Hunicutt's Quickdrawwas first to reach the line. That was no surprise. The Sergeant's preference for close-in combat was legendary in the Fourth Skye.

The Quickdrawcame in on a Dragonfrom the left. The Ranger must have surprised the Snake, for the Kurita 'Mech made no effort to turn and face the Quickdraw.Hunicutt ripped off a flight of short-range missiles as he closed. Without waiting to see the results of his attack, he charged in.

Smoke from the detonations of the rockets screened Heany's vision momentarily. As soon as it cleared, the Hauptmann-Kommandant was shocked to see the Quickdrawstanding in a pile of scrap metal. Impossible! The Dragonwas a sixty-ton BattleMech. Even Hunicutt's close-combat ability could not destroy a 'Mech that fast.

The Dragonwas a fake, a decoy! All across the Kurita position, Heany could see Ranger 'Mechs discovering the same thing. Some had punched through sheet metal, shattering light metal structures built to resemble BattleMechs. Within those Trojan horses, infantry gunners and rocket teams had sheltered, simulating the firepower of BattleMechs. Only a few of the shapes in the position were real 'Mechs, and those were crippled, unable to escape the Ranger machines and incapable of utilizing more than a fraction of their weaponry.

She had been fooled again.

Heany ran a full scan of the area. Radar picked out a flock of targets moving southeast between the hills, headed toward the cursed forest. She focused the visual scanners on them: ten Kurita BattleMechs led by a drab green Orion.

"Oh, no, you Satan-driven Snake!" Heany shouted. "Not this time."

She was ready for that trick, at least. She opened the channel to the Ranger fire base. "Achtung! Achtung!Fire mission six-three-three. Execute now!"

Leading the Ranger 'Mechs in pursuit of the fleeing Kuritans, she awaited the results of her order. They would not get away this time.

The first artillery shell streaked in two minutes later, splintering into bomblets as it fell. The ground erupted in front of the Kurita 'Mechs. More shells followed, throwing the landscape skyward to join the atmosphere.

Heany watched the Oriongo down within the hell of the artillery barrage. Got you! "Achtung!Cancel fire mission six-three-three. Repeat, cancel fire mission."

Two minutes later, the ground ceased its shaking. In the morass of torn dirt, Kurita BattleMechs lay battered and dismembered. Alloy bones showing through torn armor skin, the Orionwas sprawled on its back.

Heany was surprised when her comm panel indicated a microwave transmission emanating from the fallen 'Mech. As she tuned in the channel, her video screen brightened with a picture.

The MechWarrior in the cockpit of the Orionhad removed his neurohelmet, a sign of submission because he would not be able to control his 'Mech without it. His grime-smeared face was scarred and he wore a red scharacki feather in his right ear. White teeth shone amid a halo of black stubble as he grinned at her.

"Ohayo,Hauptmann-Kommandant Heany. Tai-saKurita regrets he could not attend your party. But don't be upset. He ain't got enough hair on his chest to keep you Elsie gals happy, so I stayed to be sure ya got taken care of. Come and get me!"

Heany smashed her fist into the screen, her Sanglamore class ring scarring the plastic surface. Where in the cursed galaxy was Theodore Kurita? How could he have escaped her again?