Текст книги "Wolf Pack"

16

Standing on wide-braced legs, Elson surveyed the bridge of the Hammer.The DropShip was hot as large as Orion's Sword,but being an infantry assault ship, it was more suited to his preferred kind of warfare. He was also pleased to note that Captain Brandon and her crew seemed more efficient than those serving aboard Orion's Sword.At least they chattered less as they went about their duties. Perhaps his transfer here would not be so bad after all. Command anywhere was better than having to stand in the shadow of a barely competent officer like MacKenzie Wolf.

The sigh of the lift doors and then the sound of footfalls behind him announced a visitor to the bridge. Elson recognized the step as Captain Edelstein's. The man was of a Dragoon sibko, one of those stressing the size and physical skills necessary for Elementals. He reminded Elson a little of Pietr Shadd, though he lacked the insufferable man's grace. Though Edelstein had a touch of the Elemental bloodline, his lumbering walk marked him as inferior to one of pure Elemental lineage. Still, he was a passable warrior and an adequate Trinary commander, despite some lack in personal initiative.

Edelstein stopped behind Elson, just out of sight, then stood there waiting. Elson let him wait for nearly two full minutes while pretending intense interest in the DropShip's status monitors. Only when he heard the soft rustle of Edelstein shifting slightly from foot to foot, a signal that the man was losing patience, did Elson finally speak.

"You wished to speak to me, Captain Edelstein?"

"Yes, Major Elson."

The catch in Edelstein's voice told Elson that he had caught the captain off guard. Satisfactory. "What is it?"

"I wanted to make sure that you understood that I harbor no ill will toward you."

"Why should you?"

"Some might think I would resent you taking over command of the Hammer."

"I have military command in my position as Elemental leader and strategic command as a member of the Council of Officers. Operational command remains with Captain Brandon. Do not misstate the chain of command."

"The Hammeris an assault ship, sir. That makes military command the real command. Leastways that's Dragoon doctrine." Edelstein moved around so he could look Elson in the face. "That was myjob until MacKenzie Wolf had you transferred here. I wanted you to know I don't resent it. In fact, I'm pleased. I'd hoped to get a chance to serve directly with you. Wolf might think he's shuffling you off to the sidelines, but we think he's got his head screwed on wrong."

"We?"

"The troops, sir. We all think you're the best officer to hit the conventional arm since Anton Shadd."

The comparison didn't bother Elson. He actually found it flattering, making the smile he offered Edelstein quite real. AntonShadd was a hero, unlike the Elemental imitation who had won the right to bear the name. "Thank you, Captain. I appreciate the thought, but MacKenzie Wolf was within the rights granted him by his father."

"Scuttlebutt says you were also within your rights when you spoke out."

"Yet 'Mech jocks rush in where groundpounders fear to tread."

"Damn right." Edelstein nodded his head vigorously. "He had to go and dash off a message to his father as soon as the cache fleet was sighted on deep scans. Puling bloodbirth. Always looking for a parental pat on the head. What a weakling."

"I gave him my advice, but he chose to ignore caution."

"That's his right," Edelstein conceded. "But he shouldn't have embarrassed you by laughing off your concerns about the count of the ships. 'One too many?' " Edelstein whined in poor imitation of MacKenzie's voice.

" 'Just a record error.' He should have taken your advice to investigate before pumping a message back. MechWarrior's false pride, that's what it is. Power fantasies."

"Not all 'Mech jocks are seduced into believing they are gods because of the apparent power of their machines," Elson offered in a charitable tone. "Perhaps he really believes it is a record error."

Elson didn't know what MacKenzie really believed, but he thought it unreasonable to assume that a contradictory count of ships was insignificant. Too much exposure to the faulty science of the Inner Sphere, he supposed. For all that they spurned their heritage, Wolf's Dragoons was unlikely to incorrectly account for war material. That sort of accounting was burned deeply into a Clanner's genes. Edelstein wasn't to be pacified. "I just wanted you to know that there are those who think that Wolf, whether he turns out to be right or wrong about the ships, was wrong in the way he treated you."

"That is comforting."

The comm officer, calling across the bridge, ended their conversation.

"The Orion's Swordreports that she is ready to detach from the docking collar."

"Stand by stations," Captain Brandon responded. She addressed the infantrymen. "You might want to take seats, Major Elson, Captain Edelstein. The Talbot'snot the youngest JumpShip in the fleet, and her docking collar releases are not always smooth."

"I will be fine, Captain," Elson replied.

With a longing look at an empty crash couch, Edelstein said, "As will I."

Brandon shrugged. "As you wish."

The ship shuddered slightly, then pitched to port. Edelstein lost his balance and landed on his rump, but Elson remained standing. It took quite an effort to maintain his balance without shifting stance, and almost as much to keep the strain from his face. But he was rewarded by the whispers he heard all around him, admiring his skill. Let them think it was easy, that was part of the image. Image was just one of the things a successful commander needed.

"The Orion's Swordis away," the commtech reported.

"Very good, Mister Jones. All stations return to normal duties."

Elson gave Edelstein a hand. When the embarrassed captain was back on his feet, Elson took a step closer to Captain Brandon's couch.

"Captain, can we observe the flight of the Orion's Sword?"

She shrugged. "How about it, Mister Jones?"

The commtech's answer was the brightening of the main viewing screen. Stars burned in the distant night of space, but the lower-left screen was bright with the pockmarked face of the planetoid above which the cache fleet orbited. Stretching across the arc of the planetoid was the Talbot'sspine. None of the Jump-Ship's cargo of DropShips was visible because the Hammerwas docked in the collar closest to the bow.

At the end of the Talbot'slong spine was the globe of its main hull, a dark silhouette against the bright polygon of the sail that collected solar energy to recharge the ship's interstellar jump drive. The bright, irregular dots in the distance were the cache ships and the asteroidal debris among which they were hidden.

"She's coming across now," Jones reported.

The lumpy ovoid of the Orion's Swordslowly intruded from the screen's left, eclipsing the view. Flares of light erupted in irregular rhythm along her flanks as her maneuvering thrusters nudged her around the Talbot'sspine and clear of the sail. Safely distanced from the JumpShip, the Orion's Swordfired her aft thrusters and started on an arcing course that took her around behind the sail. She disappeared from view, but Elson could follow her trajectory on the orbital-path monitor. The Orion's Swordwas headed directly for the largest concentration of cache ships.

"Glory hound."

"That remains to be seen, Captain Edelstein," Elson said softly.

They waited for the Orion's Swordto emerge from the blocking zone of the Talbot'ssail. "Captain," Jones said, voice pitched higher than normal. "Talbot'sbridge reports movement among the bogies."

"Has the Oriongot it?"

"Neg. She's screened from us by the sail and the bogey's running behind what should be"—Jones paused to consult a secondary screen—"the Alexander."

Brandon tapped the keys that routed the line to the Talbot'sbridge and directly into the captain's earpiece. She listened, running her tongue over her upper lip. Elson found the display of nervousness unprofessional. "Are you planning to detach to take up a support position, Captain Brandon?"

"Those are the orders from JumpShip."

As he had expected. "Patch me through."

"This is space ops, Major Elson."

That was expected as well, but Elson was unfazed. "As a member of the officer council in command of this expedition, I outrank all aerospace commanders except Colonel Atwyl of the Talbot,who is also a member of the council. Are you disobeying an order?"

Brandon's tongue appeared again. She shrugged. "Talk all you want. Patch him through, Mister Jones."

"Thank you, Captain," said Elson with a thin smile.

Brandon grumbled, but Elson noted that she did not halt her preparations for undocking. She would learn.

"Colonel Atwyl, this is Major Elson Novacat aboard the Hammer.I understand you have given orders that we undock and take up a position supporting the Orion's Sword."

"I'm busy, Elson," Atwyl replied tersely.

"Acknowledged. May I remind you that Colonel MacKenzie Wolf specifically ordered that his be the only DropShip detached from the Talbotuntil contact with the cache ships was achieved?"

"That was before we had a bogey."

"It was a specific order. In that connection, I point out that there is no evidence of imminent threat to warrant a legitimate disobedience."

Atwyl's sigh buzzed as static on the commlink. "That bogey might—"

"And it might not," Elson said sharply.

"I don't like taking chances."

"Which is exactly what you are doing with your career by disobeying an order. Even Colonel Jaime Wolf subjected himself to discipline." Elson was pleased at Atwyl's lack of response. Time for the next step. "The Orion's Swordwill clear the sail shortly, correct?"

"Ten minutes."

"And there will be another estimated twenty for transit time to the cache orbit. That is more than enough time to communicate with Colonel Wolf and let him make his own decision."

Atwyl thought it over for a few seconds before replying, "Very well." Then he added, "Captain Brandon, keep the Hammerready for departure."

"Aff," Brandon acknowledged.

"Sound strategy, Colonel," Elson said.

Turning to the screen, Elson watched the almost unchanging picture for half of the ten minutes. He checked the orbital monitor and smiled. Though hardly an expert in aerospace tactics, he understood the uses of cover and the necessity for subterfuge when dealing with a larger opponent. The enemy would be waiting out there—if indeed there was an enemy.

The Orion's Swordhad barely cleared the shadow of the jump sail when energy beams lanced out from among the debris belt. Silent flowers of light burst from the side of the Orion's Sword.The comm crackled with a nearly garbled voice. "Warning only, claim-jumpers. These ships are ours. Stick around and you'll get worse."

"This is Wolf Dragoon ship Orion's Sword,MacKenzie Wolf commanding. You are trespassing on Dragoon property. If you do not leave immediately, you will be considered looters."

"Frak," was the reply over the comm. The bogey made a more substantive response by firing again.

Elson spoke as the bogey's beams raked the Orion's Sword. "Orion's Swordis under fire, Captain Brandon. I order you to detach the Hammerimmediately and take her in on a vector that will provide us a rapid approach to the bogey."

Atwyl's order to do the same came half a minute later, but Elson was already giving his Elementals orders to suit up.

Edelstein was grinning.

"Gonna save the wolf cub's ass."

"We are going to do our duty. Recovery of the cache ships is our prime mission. If that involves the sacrifice of MacKenzie Wolf's pride, so be it. He could be losing a lot more."

Edelstein nodded, his grin growing wider. "Be a shame if the looters got him, wouldn't it?"

"I would not cry." Elson shrugged off his contemplation of the irritating MacKenzie and what might come from this interplay of orders once the action was over. Until then there was a fight to be fought. "Have First Star report to the shuttle bay. All other Stars proceed to boarding stations. Drill Beta."

"Aff, Major Elson."

As Edelstein raced to the lift, Elson called after him. "The shuttle team will pursue the bogey. Boarding parties are to secure the hostile ships. Assignments at your discretion. If MacKenzie Wolf proceeds with his plan, he may need help. Some of the looters may have boarded the cache ships and be laying traps."

"Aff," Edelstein affirmed as he stepped into the lift.

"I will lead First Star."

Edelstein flashed a salute as the lift doors closed. Elson swept his gaze around the bridge. He admired the way each of the spacers attended to his or her task. He was pleased that his crew was efficient.

Almost too efficient. The Hammer'sdetaching caught him off guard. Though he managed to stay on his feet, the feat lacked the grace of his previous performance. This time no one noticed, which was good. A true commander had to maintain his dignity.

Calmly, he walked to the lift and called for the car. There would be more than enough time to don his battle armor.