Chapter 16

Avalon City, New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

June 13th 3050

First Prince Hanse Davion chaired the strategy meeting. His wife was not present, as she was already on her way back to Tharkad to provide a much-needed morale lift for the Lyran people. News of the invasion had finally penetrated to the broader public, and on many worlds, there was a sense of panicked terror.

Naturally, Justin Allard, as head of FCIS, and his deputy Alex Mallory were there. So too was Field Marshal Jackson Davion, the head of Federated Suns State Command. He and Nondi Steiner were equivalent and both reported to Morgan Hasek-Davion. Now that Morgan was on Sudeten, Jackson's role was larger. His aide, Roman Steiner, was by his side.

Also in the room was Field Marshal Michelle Bjuti, the head of the Department of Strategy and Tactics. She had two staff members with her, and for the life of him, Hanse could not recall their names. Rounding the other side of the table was Field Marshal Lisa Steiner, the commander of the Department of the Quartermaster. She was responsible for making sure the AFFC had the needed supplies. A brilliant woman, he infinitely preferred her presence to that of her mother, Nondi Steiner. He had also invited Marshal Bishop Sortek, commander of the 1st Davion Guards RCT, and Marshal Ann Adelmana of the Davion Heavy Guards. Those two were included specifically due to his daughter's request.

"We are all here and can begin. Justin, pull up the latest troop movements and information we have on the enemy."

The brilliant projector showed the data along the wall, but also sent it to everyone's personal noteputer. At the touch of a finger, they could click on a world and get the latest on who was fighting there, the last report from it, and the latest from FCIS.

"We are here today to review some tactical proposals and assess our overall strategy. Some old topics will be revisited in regard to our rank structure, and we will be discussing further deployments."

Lisa Steiner interjected, "Highness, our JumpShip capacity is at its limit. We moved the Kathil Ulhans and the 2nd Crucis Lancers RCT on a near command circuit. The other movement from the Isle of Skye has also pulled what free units we had out of position. Unless we conscript the private merchant fleet, we are limited."

"I am aware, and as of this morning, the conscription order is signed. I don't want to fully disrupt trade, especially given the needs of our industries to continue churning out material and necessities, but we will be expanding our available JumpShip capacity for troop movements." Hanse looked to Alex, who gave a quick nod. "You'll have the estimated numbers by the end of the day."

"Thank you," Lisa replied, her blue eyes already taking on a calculating gleam.

"Regarding strategy," Hanse continued. "My daughter has proven that at least some of the Clans will honor their 'batchall' agreements. As you know, our commanders have been leery of providing detailed information to the enemy. It flies in the face of basic strategic principles, but it has worked. Katherine was able to fight a localized duel with two lances against an enemy formation called a 'Star' that had five 'Mechs. Through negotiations beforehand, she was able to secure five of their most advanced 'Mechs and five of their Elemental suits. In addition, she secured safe passage off Wotan for her unit, part of the 12th Star Guards, and both an infantry regiment and an armored battalion of the Wotan TMM." Hanse did not bother keeping the pride out of his voice.

"A grand victory, Highness," Jackson Davion acknowledged. "However, it was absurdly risky. I read her report prior to this meeting. She risked having her entire command surrender without a fight. Attrition of the enemy's material is a strategic priority. Given the superiority of their 'Mechs, I don't know how repeatable that tactic will be."

"A fair point," Justin replied. "However, the exact tactics she used may not be repeatable, but the overall use of batchall may be. Based on what FCIS has learned, once the size of the defender is known, the Clans will bid amongst themselves in a competitive process to win 'honor' by defeating the enemy with the smallest force possible. Moreover, they will honor requests for war-prizes should the defender win. We suspect most defenders will lose, but on the chance that they achieve victory, we can win something in return. Given that we believe the Clans have high-level intel on our defensive forces anyway, I see no reason not to engage in the batchall process – even if we do not participate in the rest of their lunacy."

Roman Steiner made a humming sound. "We could also fool the enemy by keeping forces hidden, making them send fewer troops than they need."

Justin nodded. "We've considered that, but Katherine suggests against it unless the world is a 'keystone world' that we must defend."

"Keystone?" Bishop Sortek asked.

"A phrase Katherine uses in her report. Words like Sudeten, Tamar, and Pandora – worlds we must hold. If we abuse the batchall process, Katherine fears the enemy will cease using it. FCIS interrogation of Clan prisoners has us believing the same."

Michelle Bjuti furrowed her brow, adding wrinkles to an already lined face. "It seems the Fox's daughter has a great many opinions after her fight with the Clans."

If only you knew…

Hanse had been both proud and miffed by the seventy-page coded diatribe and analysis she provided. Her logic was often sound, but he could feel the vehemence through his noteputer. For a normal person this would seem as if Katherin's emotions ran away from her as she was composing her analysis, only it had been manually coded since its size sent it through ComStar, meaning she had ample time to change her verbiage to be less… aggressive. It had been marked as Prince's Eyes Only, for it was quite contemptuous of the top brass of the AFFC. Katherine was working in the dark in some areas, and there were issues Hanse had to consider that she knew nothing of. But beyond that, he trusted her firsthand experience with the Clans, as well as her sharp insights on how to fight them.

"She's the only commander to have successfully used the batchall process against our enemy," Hanse replied. "There are some quibbles we can make regarding which worlds are key versus others, but her basic thought makes sense. Defend what we can, and to Jackson's point, attrite the enemy on the worlds through guerrilla action."

Bishop gave a firm nod. "That makes sense to me, Highness. If it worked once and there's limited drawback, why not? Given the reports on those 'Mechs, I'm eager to get my hands on a few myself."

Michelle added, "NAIS is frothing at the mouth to get their hands on some of those weapon systems. They tell me they received useful data from Wotan, but nothing substitutes the real thing. Field Marshal Steiner, how quickly can you get a command circuit from Beta VII to New Avalon?"

Hanse held up a hand. "Hold your horses, Bjuti. We might have Katherine send some of the equipment for testing, but it's important she has the best with her to replicate her results."

Lisa Steiner, Roman Steiner, Jackson Davion, and Ann Adelmana all tried to speak at once with objections. Hanse just grinned. "If Melissa couldn't convince me to recall her, you all don't stand a chance in hell." More somberly, he continued, "She's better than good. She's spoken at length with them. She gets results. She is one of the best damned 'Mech pilots we have. Katherine is the perfect person to make use of their batchall system against them. She's being routed to Blackjack next, where we expect the Clans to strike within the next two to three months."

There was some heated discussion for differing reasons. Jackson Davion pointed to her age and her clear propensity for overbold decision-making. Lisa and Roman Steiner thought the risk to the princess, the pride of the Lyran Commonwealth, was unconscionable. Morale would be unrecoverable if she were killed or captured.

They bring up valid points, but I trust her. My parental instincts are screaming at me to bring her home, but I get the same feeling about her that I did when I put my faith in Justin Allard and Morgan Hasek-Davion during the Fourth Succession War. She will deliver.

"Enough. The decision is made. I thank you for your thoughts, but we have other matters to discuss," Hanse finally called that topic to a close.

As the room quieted, he brought up a thorny issue. "Adjacent to this issue is our rank structure. There were a series of compromises that seemed to have made few people happy. By removing the rank of Colonel and Leftenant Colonel, we pleased some who received a promotion to Leftenant General and displeased others. To put it simply, the rank of Leftenant General has become too big and encompasses too many different roles. I know you've all seen Field Marshal Nondi Steiner's announcement about the revival of the Hauptmann Kommandant rank."

Some annoyed muttering filled the room, and Lisa Steiner looked embarrassed as her lips thinned.

"Officially, her actions were premature; however, they were in line with the revival of other ranks."

One of Bjuti's aides looked startled and blurted out, "They were?"

"No, but that is the official statement we are making about it. At the same time, we will be reinstituting the Colonel and Leftenant Colonel ranks. Regimental officers will be Colonels, with their XOs as Leftenant Colonels. They will retain their Leftenant-General paygrade, but will use the new ranks. These recommendations will come officially from Marshal of the Armies Hasek-Davion and be approved by Archon Melissa Steiner and myself. This should quiet down the chatter over Field Marshal Steiner's actions."

Pull anything like that again Nondi, and I will have you replaced, Lyran resentment or no.

"You're going to make Katherine a Colonel?" Roman Steiner asked.

Hanse nodded, and both Roman and Lisa smiled, pleased with the decision.

"For now, but if her command continues to grow, I may have to promote her to Leftenant General."

"I would normally object, Highness," Ann Adelmana replied, "but both Leftenant Allard-Liao and Leftenant Sylvester have sung her praises, and their skills are nearly unparalleled." She gave Justin Allard a mock glare. "Your cheeky son even cored my Atlas in a simulator battle with a Centurion to show me why he should be allowed to pilot one. So, I trust his judgment when he says someone is worthy."

You old battleaxe, he did that and you still stubbornly insisted on making him pilot a heavy 'Mech!

Hanse hadn't interfered; she was allowed to run her RCT as she saw fit.

Jackson Davion sighed. "I won't change your mind, but this reek of favoritism. The junior officers aren't going to like this. At least promote Victor as well."

Hanse schooled his expression. He was so damn proud of his son. His eldest's strategy on Trell had been a good one, and it was still being carried out in the bowels of Thunder Rift. Victor's battalion had also fought their hearts out and done much better than most units across the worlds that had been invaded. But he wasn't ready. He still thought very tactically, and Hanse did not have the sense that he grasped the bigger picture like Katherine did.

The differences here are stark. Katherine wanted to come back to NAIS and be part of the reverse-engineering process, train other line officers on how to conduct effective batchall, and train up a powerful anti-Clan unit. Whereas Victor petitioned me and Morgan for a new command so he could get back into the fight sooner. He's looking to prove himself; she's looking to win the war. That makes her far more ready than he is.

"My son will be working closely with Morgan developing strategy to counter the Clans. I'm not going to give him a rank without a unit just to create some sort of parity between siblings. When it is appropriate, and when Morgan thinks he is ready, he will be given a command that best uses his skills," Hanse said with finality.

"Both fall outside of my jurisdiction, but I've said my piece, Highness," Jackson Davion conceded.

"Moving on to another matter. New Avalon is the planet I love, but due to the nature of our compromised means of swift communication, I will be moving to Tharkad for the time being to face this crisis."

My daughter kept her message hidden, but it was clear her talk of 'pony express JumpShips' for the sole purpose of sending messages to and fro was code for the use of the black boxes. With me on Tharkad, I could react much more quickly.

"This will also soothe some of the concerns from the Lyran side of our combined nation. To that end, it has been suggested that famous Davion units should join the frontline. That is partially why I invited you two here, Marshals Sortek and Adelmana. The Davion Heavy Guards and the 1st Davion Guards are two of the most famous Davion RCTs. One of your units will be headed to the front to fight the Clans. Showing the Lyran people that Davion blood is also defending them will go a long way toward ensuring unity," Hanse declared.

My daughter also thinks along the political dimension. A staff officer needs that skill. Katherine was also right about New Avalon being more protected than any planet in the Federated Commonwealth. The New Avalon Crucis March Militia has newer tech than most RCTs, the 1st Davion Guards RCT and Davion Heavy Guards RCT are the elite of the elite, and Team Banzai may be the most advanced regiment in the Inner Sphere. Tharkad, by comparison, only has two RCTs.

Bishop Sortek pounced first. "The 1st Davion Guards stand ready. We have the latest NAIS equipment and are prepared for the challenge."

Not to be outdone, Ann Adelmana countered with a question. "Have your officers created custom simulator programs based on Clan designs to train against?"

Sortek blinked. "No…"

"My Davion Heavy Guards are already doing this. That sort of initiative from my junior officers is why we are best suited for this role. Not to lean politically, but we also have the heir to the St. Ives Compact in our ranks. That will shut down those Lyran politicians who say propping up that realm is a waste of resources." She looked at Justin apologetically. "No offense, Secretary Allard, that isn't my view; I am just repeating what they have said."

"None taken, Ann," Justin politely replied.

Hanse looked at Bishop. "She's got you there. And while I am reluctant to add further stressors to my chief advisor's shoulders, her MechWarriors have shown the kind of initiative we need."

"Don't get too excited," Lisa Steiner drawled. "I don't have the JumpShips to move an entire RCT via a Command Circuit. Commandeering the private JumpShips will help, but they are scattered all over the place. It will take time to set one up."

Hanse knew that from New Avalon to Sudeten or Tharkad would take half a year without the use of additional JumpShips that could accept the transfer of the DropShips with already charged K-F drives.

"This is a cardinal sin of our doctrine, but we'll make it work, Field Marshal Steiner. You can set up a Command Circuit with far fewer JumpShips if we deploy just the 'Mech regiment and the Aerospace wings. The armored and infantry regiments, as well as the artillery battalion, can lag behind. Sending a Davion unit like this is a symbolic gesture, and the earlier they see combat, the better. The Heavy Guards can be deployed alongside an RCT already on the front so we can still make use of our combat protocols."

Lisa Steiner pursed her lips. "That will take some juggling. I'll get a report to you in the morning on the impacts of doing it. We really don't have more JumpShip bandwidth for actions like this, so it will all be about tradeoffs."

"That's understood. We have a lot of work to do, Marshal Adelmana. Remain behind."

Everyone left the room, save for Ann, Justin, and Alex.

"Highness?"

"You are going with a dozen MI6 teams, some of which will be picked up along the way: teams three through fifteen, and they will have operational direction of your unit."

MI6 teams were the MIIO strike teams. The 'Rabid Foxes' were known for their brutal effectiveness, ruthlessness, and loyalty. As commandos, they were the Federated Suns' equivalent of the Lyran Loki teams and the Combine's DEST operatives. Each elite team was squad-sized, roughly 6-8 members, and all were highly trained in assassination, sabotage, interrogation, surveillance, close combat, and mastery of a wide array of weaponry. They also had the very best of NAIS technology to help them get the job done.

"Excuse me?" Her expression looked horrified.

"You will have operational control, but targets they identify for rapid strikes will be Fox Team 3's call to make. It might be that you'll be on garrison duty the entire time; we don't know if they'll find opportunities or not. We will be inserting these teams on a dozen different worlds, and they will be carrying K-Series fax machines like you have. We can't trust ComStar, and if you are in a nearby system, you'll get it fast and can react with the speed needed. We can't be fully passive here; we need to keep the enemy guessing and force them to commit resources on the defense," Hanse said gravely.

"I'm here to serve, Highness," she said hesitantly, and then, in a more resolute voice, added, "Thank you for your trust."

After she left, Hanse turned to Justin. "Are you sure you are at peace with me sending the Davion Heavy Guards? I know how important your son is to you."

"I'm doing no more than you are on that front. Kai is part of an elite regiment and has honed himself to a razor's edge. He will do great things out there."

Hanse stood and clapped him on the back. "I hope your wife is more forgiving than mine; I don't think I'll have that much of a warm welcome when I arrive on chilly Tharkad."

Justin shrugged. "The Archon will come around. Katherine's suggestion of moving to Tharkad is something I should have thought of. I think we all just got used to operating out of the Fox's Den with all its sophisticated technology; we never stopped to even consider an alternative."

It took fresh eyes like Katherine's to see it. We are getting old and set in our ways. I can only pray that I am right about Katherine and that I'm not throwing away one of the greatest strategic minds the Inner Sphere has seen.

***

Black Pearl Base, Sudeten

Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth

June 15th 3050

Victor and Galen finished looking over the latest report on Trell as they made their way to the reception. It seemed that there was still sporadic fighting on the planet. There was no true ability for Leftenant General Hawksworth to defeat the invading force, but the fact he, or someone in his command, was still transmitting messages via those strange black box devices gave Victor satisfaction.

Give 'em hell.

"Are you still pressuring your father to give you command of a relief force to retake the world?" Galen asked.

Victor shook his head sadly. "I don't think that is in the cards anymore. They've pushed the front further back, taking the worlds of Derf, Twycross, and Romulus. We would have to make multiple jumps from the worlds on the front, and by the time we decide anything here, they will likely have pushed even further in."

"But you are still itching for a frontline role, preferably one where you can counterattack. Your father must be considering it, at least by having you brought here."

Victor sighed. "Not necessarily. My parents will probably want me to be given a staff position with the Kathil Uhlans. Morgan might assign me to a line unit defending a likely world that will get hit, but I'll be carried off at the first sign of trouble."

"That didn't happen with your sister," Galen pointed out.

Victor smiled broadly, genuinely happy at hearing his sister's success. "Only through chance. I've seen the summary of the events. Leftenant General Cabrillo tried to get her off-world, but the Clans shot down the DropShips. God rest their souls, but that turned out to be a blessing in disguise. She tricked those Clanners and ended up getting a ride off-world with all the DropShips on the planet after ripping one of their Star Colonels to pieces in a duel."

Galen scratched at his cheek as he silently thought.

"So, it's a lost cause for you to get the role you want?"

Victor opened his hands and crossed his fingers. "Real close, but not 100 percent yet. If I can come up with an operation that is sound and has merit, Morgan might just give it to me. Remember, he wasn't that much older than I am now when the Uhlans assaulted the Capellan capital. Morgan won't let me throw away the lives of men and women in some vanity assault, but he will listen to reason."

As they came within sight of the entrance, they saw a few FCIS security personnel along with four men waiting for them. The first was Morgan Hasek-Davion, his long red hair and black-and-gold uniform making him easily recognizable. Galen also knew who he was, as he had been the new Marshal of the Armies for almost a year now. Victor shared the names of the other three men and a brief bio as they closed the distance to greet them.

The man next to Morgan was Leftenant General Andrew Redburn, commander of the 1st Kathil Uhlans. A living legend, Victor knew from his family history that Andrew Redburn was one of the reasons his mother even survived to marry his father. And that was in addition to the accolades he won in the 4th Succession War in the more traditional fighting.

The two next to them didn't wear AFFC uniforms, though the spurs on the older man, Lieutenant-Colonel Daniel Allard, made him recognizable as someone who graduated from a Federated Suns military academy. Victor gave the name and explained he was the current leader of the elite Kell Hounds mercenary unit, and the younger man was Christian Kell, a major with the Hounds and commander of their battalions.

Victor also explained that Daniel was Justin Allard's brother – well, half-brother – but the two siblings always referred to themselves simply as brothers. Christian Kell was Victor's cousin through his father, Patrick Kell, who was Morgan Kell's brother. Patrick had died tragically before Victor was born, fighting against the Draconis Combine.

"As if I wasn't already enough of the odd-man out," Galen muttered, good-naturedly.

As they neared to the appropriate distance Victor saluted sharply. "Kommandant Victor Steiner-Davion reporting for duty sir."

Morgan returned the salute crisply, then extended his hand to Victor. They shook hands and then embraced in a back-slapping hug.

"It's good to see you safe, Victor."

Victor introduced Galen. "This is Hauptmann Galen Cox. He's the reason I'm here. His Crusader got me out of more than one sticky situation on Trell."

More greetings were exchanged, and Victor shook the white-haired mercenary's hand. Daniel Allard pumped his arm warmly. "I'm glad to see you here."

"Likewise, after what those bastards did to Phelan, I knew no one was going to keep the Kell Hounds away."

Christan Kell bowed and then shook his hand. "They owe us a debt that we will repay in full."

Victor had never liked Phelan, but it was a childhood grudge. He would never have wished for death on the man. He did feel better knowing the Kell Hounds were full of fighting vim; they were one of the Inner Sphere's premier mercenary units.

Once the greetings were completed, Victor asked Morgan, "What's the agenda? How much time do we have?"

"I don't know exactly," Morgan said. "But we're scheduled to meet here over the next eight weeks to study all the data we have on the invaders. By the end of that time – and sooner, if necessary – we'll have gathered the troops and supplies needed to implement whatever plans we come up with."

"Will I get a command?"

Morgan showed him the barest hint of a smile. "You've already been transferred to the Tenth Lyran Guards at your present rank of Kommandant. Whether or not you'll see combat depends upon what you and the invaders do over the next two months."

Victor nodded. "Will my sister be joining us?"

Morgan had a strange, hunted look for a moment before it returned to his normal mien.

"Her input has been considered, and she's given us vital intelligence on the Clans. Her situation is unique, and she's traveling with the homeless veterans of multiple units. Katherine has demonstrated a natural talent in training and integrating disparate units. Her NAIS Research Battalion performed well despite being cobbled together from recent graduates of different academies and veterans from different units. That isn't easy to do."

Victor was saddened by the news. He had really wanted to see his sister again, but he was glad they recognized her talents.

"All right, well then, let's get started, gentlemen. We have a war to plan and win."

***

Blackjack

Tamar March, Lyran Commonwealth

June 25th 3050

Had I been a bad child? Did my parents hate me? They listened to me and accepted quite a bit of the advice I had recently given, but they refused to let me come home. I just wanted to go back to New Avalon and be far away from the front lines! Why? As I cradled my head in my hands, I took a brief moment to review what the hell had happened.

After my partial victory on Wotan, I jumped out to Beta VII with an impressive array of DropShips and JumpShips. While in-system, I gathered my thoughts and sent them to my father. There were too many to transmit via Black Box, so I used a bit of subterfuge when discussing certain topics. I feared that ComStar might share information with the Clans if they broke the manual encryption protocol I used. My comments during the batchall about infiltrating ComStar and using that knowledge to learn the Clan ways would likely make me public enemy number one for those bastards.

My tone had been a bit harsh – was this my parents' punishment? Forcing me to continue fighting on the front lines? Talk about cruel and unusual punishment! I was still technically a minor; this was child abuse!

After jumping out from Beta VII and arriving at Blackjack, I received more news – I was being promoted from Hauptmann-Kommandant to full Colonel. I was initially quite shocked, as I had just been promoted, and while I had suggested reviving the ranks of Leftenant Colonel and Colonel, I hadn't expected them to do so immediately. I would have to work even harder to earn people's respect because this was an absurd level of nepotism.

Oh… oh… I get it now! This is a tit-for-tat battle between my great-aunt and Morgan! It's his signature on the promotion, she promoted me once, and now Morgan promotes me again a game of one-upmanship. This is no way to run a military!

My promotion was a Trojan Horse, and the Greeks lying in wait within it were the orders placing me in charge of Blackjack's defense. On my other two worlds, the buck had never stopped at my desk. The overall failure to hold both Icar and Wotan wasn't going to be placed on me. In fact, my reputation hadn't even been bruised. Thanks to my extensive working relationships with the Lyran media – and no doubt my parents' influence as well – the airwaves were filled with praise for how brave, patriotic, and heroic I was.

In hindsight, it made a great deal of sense. If people perceived me negatively, dozens of products with huge marketing campaigns would become worthless. It was in their best interests to keep my persona and reputation intact. The same went for my parents—they wouldn't want to be seen as failures. Despite being part of two losing campaigns, the people still loved me. But I knew that would all change if I, as the appointed defender and ultimately responsible party for a world's defense, were to lose it.

I can't lose. No matter what.

I had been given more resources to ensure I had some shred of hope to stop the Clan juggernaut. The Wotan Tamar March Militia units I had saved from Wotan were now assigned to me. I had a full regiment of infantry and an additional armored battalion. The remnants of the Icar Armored Brigade were also assigned to me, though all that was left was battalion strength. Reinforcements were being provided by Nondi Steiner in the form of two battalions of my beloved Spitfire Cannons. However, no crews were coming along to field them, so one of my first orders of business was to intensify the cross-training efforts.

Along with those two battalions, I was being given a squadron of Aerospace fighters. They would be led by Hauptmann Sebastian Mauer from the 2nd Royal Guards Regimental Combat Team. Even though it was only six fighters, having some airpower – elite airpower at that – was a priceless boon, and it made me feel a lot better.

I was also being given an additional company of infantry for on-site security, along with much-needed replacement equipment for what had been lost on Icar – two Partisan Heavy Tanks, more Thumpers, and various other odds and ends.

With Colonel Caitlin captured on Winfield along with the rest of our wounded, the 12th Star Guards requested to join me as well. I was honestly baffled and had to have a real heart-to-heart with them. They had been very brave – most merc units would have cut and run instead of trying to defend the spaceport. However, they were not up to my standards. If they stayed with me and became a formal part of the AFFC military, they would need to shape up. They took a vote and agreed to join.

Crazy bastards. I bet they got their first taste of real combat against someone other than Periphery bandits and wanted more. Why do I always seem to attract battle maniacs?

That added two companies to my initial company, bringing the 'Mech portion of my force up to battalion strength. Between the Icar Armored Brigade and the Wotan TMM armored battalion, I now had two battalions of armor, plus my original company of armor, which was used for anti-air duties.

There was more, though. Blackjack was a planet home to just shy of one billion people. When it was first discovered, it had easily accessible mineral wealth, which allowed heavy industry to form. However, problems began when nearly all of it was fully mined. The industrial presence lasted for a time, but heavy raiding during the Second Succession War brought ruin to those factories. Without an easy source of raw materials to work with, they were left in ruin.

In the following centuries, Blackjack would prove to be a modest world that was very self-sufficient. It still had manufacturing capacity for consumer electronic goods, suitable climates for growing a variety of food, and was home to a few interesting reptile species that served as one of its few luxury goods exports – well, legal exports. Blackjack also produced several banned drugs in the Lyran Commonwealth. It was home to three continents, one of which was far from the prying eyes of the planetary government and regularly exported highly potent and addictive recreational drugs.

This brought me to the last component of my defensive force: the Blackjack School of Conflict, the only private military academy in the Lyran Commonwealth. The MechWarriors who graduated often possessed unique talents and skills that made them highly sought after in mercenary regiments. Some of the curriculum included bypassing BattleMech security systems, electronic forgery, high-G conditioning, and prolonged survival and evasion.

Today, I would be having a chat with Kommandant Dean Bristow, commander of the Blackjack School of Conflict's Training Battalion – a battalion-strength asset that I would be keen to use if my batchall negotiations didn't pan out. He was only the first of several meetings I had planned for the day.

He was a swarthy, silver-haired man with an air of command. He snapped a crisp salute.

"Colonel Katherine Steiner-Davion, welcome to Blackjack."

I returned the salute and got down to business with barely any pleasantries. I didn't have time for chit-chat.

"I need a status report on all your 'Mechs and MechWarriors, student or otherwise. This world is on the invasion path of the Clans, and I will use every asset to defend it."

"I can have a report sent to you by this evening. We stand ready to repel any attack. Some of the students may be of little use, but I will detail my thoughts on who is dependable and why."

I nodded, that would be useful.

"Excellent. We are also going to see about hardening the defenses of this school. This is not the preferred ground where I wish to fight – that will be in the abandoned industrial zone – but we need to plan for contingencies."

His brow furrowed. "Why would they attack there?"

"It's how the Clans operate. As the defender, we can choose the ground. My goal is to get them to agree to a localized fight between a small number of 'Mechs. Should they refuse, I plan to use every bit of prepared ground advantage I can. If we win, we may have to face a follow-up attack, where they may not be as willing to play by their nonsensical rules."

That was my biggest worry, because if it came to fighting off a full invasion force, I would not be following Zellbrigen and would be making full use of my artillery. That might upset them enough to call me Dezgra and refuse to follow their honor rituals.

"I will have to take your word for it, Colonel."

"Yes, and I'll need some of your instructors as well. Your school will be expanding to non-MechWarriors."

"Oh?"

"We don't have much time, but I'll be conducting a partial call-up of the reserves of the local militia and will need to borrow your people to help train them."

And by that, I truly meant the local militia, not a March Militia unit. The local militias of worlds are there in case of civil unrest. They're almost never designed to face 'Mechs in combat, but I had some ideas and not a whole lot of time to implement them.

"To be honest, Colonel, I am not sure they would be of any help. How much time do we realistically have?" Bristow asked skeptically.

"Two, maybe three months."

He shook his head. "Then it would be pointless."

"I'll be the judge of that, Kommandant. Our backs are against the wall here. Just make sure you inform them and that they are flexible enough. Work begins within the week."

I could tell he was under the impression I had no idea what I was doing. I didn't have time to explain everything, because I had so many other tasks to take care of. Construction companies were going to be dragooned into doing a lot of work, with far less care toward safety, building codes, and the like. I wished I had a proper engineering battalion to help with my plans, but these would have to do.

I called a command meeting and started delegating tasks.

"Leftenant Roth, you will begin working with the 12th Star Guards who have joined us, as well as the Blackjack Training Battalion. You will have free use of the dozen simulators, and I want two things from you. First, I want them to be the absolute best you can make them in the short time we have. Second, I want a list of which ones would be best in a similar type of Trial of Possession battle, like we did on Wotan. Last time, I was able to bring it down to a single Star against two lances, but we might have to expand that to larger numbers. Also, ensure we've identified the individuals from our existing company who the new Clan 'Mechs we won will go to."

"Yes ma'am," she replied.

"Leftenant LeBeau, you will be responsible for liaising with the industry leaders and using our 'Mechs to assist in completing some construction tasks – bunkers, earthworks, and restructuring terrain based on my plans will be required."

"Can do, Colonel. I'll also make sure they understand that beyond just protecting this world, good work may lead to some manufacturing contracts with Achernar BattleMechs. It won't be true, but hopefully, we can avoid them dragging their feet."

I knew you were a great asset.

"Hauptmann Halstead, you will be borrowing some of Benjamin's people and training them into artillery specialists. We're going to have more tubes than people who can use them."

Colonel Benjamin Withers was the commander of the Wotan TMM infantry regiment. In his 50s, with thinning gray hair, he had spent the last fifteen years as a glorified paper-pusher. However, prior to that, he had served with distinction in the LCAF special forces.

"Hauptmann Wright, I'm going to have you work with the reservists on the use of field guns."

Her hazel eyes displayed confusion. "Field guns?"

Field guns were weapons normally mounted on 'Mechs and tanks, but here they were placed on turrets, within bunkers, or used by infantry squads.

"If everything works out, we'll be getting a supply of autocannons. AC/2s and AC/5s with flak rounds will be crucial to beef up our anti-air defenses. We are getting some Aerospace support, but it is only a single squadron. You are only anti-air units and we need to fix that."

If I can secure delivery, maybe some other weapons designed to be used against 'Mechs as well.

She nodded in agreement, and I moved on to the next item on the list.

"Leftenant Rogers, three of the Elemental suits will be assigned to my protective detail, and you'll have the rest. Your primary role will remain securing our headquarters, but once the fighting starts, you'll need to train with the suits and be ready for anti-'Mech and anti-Elemental assignments in the field."

The square-jawed man acknowledged the assignment without fanfare.

"Colonel Withers, you'll work with the reservists not involved in field gun training and the Blackjack School of Conflict instructors. Train them as thoroughly as possible. Conscript local SWAT teams and secure any heavy weaponry available on the planet. Coordinate with law enforcement and establish a line to the criminal syndicates here. Offer full pardons for past misdeeds in exchange for weaponry and manpower."

He frowned. "I don't approve–"

"Noted, but you'll do it anyway. This world cannot fall. I will use every means at my disposal to ensure it doesn't. No stone will be left unturned, and no resource untapped. I want civilian aircraft modified for cluster munitions. Cargo trucks converted to carry Spitfires. Part of the infantry not yet motorized or mechanized to be outfitted with civilian motorcycles. Every person, every piece of technology, and everything on this world will be used to resist the enemy. Am I clear?"

A round of "Yes, Colonels" echoed through the room, Withers included.

After orders were given out, I kept Aiko, Gregory, and Sven behind.

"We'll have proper fanfare later, but I wanted you to hear this from me first. Aiko will continue serving as my bodyguard on the field. My command lance will fall under her authority, making us a unit of five—better equipped to deal with an enemy Star formation. That means she will retain the rank of Leftenant."

I gave Gregory a nod. "You're now Hauptmann LeBeau and in charge of 1st Company. Congratulations."

"Thank you, I won't let you down."

"Hauptmann Fischer, you're being promoted two grades to Hauptmann-Kommandant. You'll be my XO, and depending on the future make-up of this command, you may end up a Leftenant Colonel. If we go more 'Mech or armor heavy, it could go to someone else. For now, your responsibility will cover just over two artillery battalions. Congratulations."

"Thank you, Colonel! I did not expect this to happen, but thank you."

I gave a nod. "Before the enemy arrives, I want you to select the next candidate for promotion to Kommandant for the new artillery battery. Halstead is good at the company command level, but she's still young, and I haven't seen the necessary skill set for her to handle a full battalion just yet."

Aiko, ever so helpful, snickered. She wouldn't have done it if we weren't alone in the room, but still, that earned her an aggrieved glare from me.

Sven understood the gravity of the task and knew he needed to select a new battery commander from his artillery officers to promote to Hauptmann.

Now, it was time to return my star charts and the ComStar messages I'd need to send out. I wasn't at all confident I had all the tools I'd need to face whatever the Clans threw at me. I needed more. I was going to call in every possible favor and spend a vast sum of C-Bills to get what was required. The real issue was time, so I had to put together a partial Command Circuit for anything I could manage within the next two months.

Fortunately, private JumpShips hadn't yet been fully conscripted for the war effort, which meant that with enough money, I could convince some to alter their course. I needed at least six JumpShips in the right place at the right time to speed up the transfer of DropShips carrying the materials I required. Additionally, I was scanning and searching for any mercenaries within 100 Light-Years of Blackjack that I could hire.

From Chahar, I was able to arrange for a DropShip full of autocannon/5s. These could be used as field guns or mounted in bunkers or turrets with either standard ammunition or flak rounds. To maximize efficiency, I also contacted Leftenant General Alicia Mason of the Chahar Periphery March Militia to see if she could detach anything from her command. It was a long shot, but she was surprisingly willing to send me a lance of assault tanks, along with the vehicles needed to transform a battalion of my infantry into mechanized troops.

From Machida, I hired a company-sized mercenary unit of jump infantry. To maximize efficiency, I had them load a DropShip full of military equipment. From Melissa, I paid the planetary government a small fortune to send over conventional aircraft and pilots. From Blumenort, I coaxed a small group of retired LCAF MechWarriors – who privately owned their 'Mechs – to help defend Blackjack. Along with the six additional 'Mechs, the extra DropShip was packed to the brim with landmines. From Dustball, I hired a few hundred legally questionable toughs, along with scores of SRM launchers for infantry use.

The logistical nightmare of coordinating JumpShips and DropShips while timing everything perfectly was a constant headache. I was relying heavily on the combined DropShip and JumpShip armada drawn from Wotan, Icar, and now Blackjack to accelerate the process. At some point, High Command would undoubtedly demand their JumpShips for other operations, but for now, they were essential to my plans.