Date: April 15, 3027
Location: Nashira
Title: Warrior: En Garde
Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Type: Novel
Synopsis: As Yorinaga Kurita reviews the 25 members of the newly formed Genyosha as they practice synchronized calisthenics, Sho-sa Tarukito Niiro informs him that ISF liaison Shinzei Abe has requested his presence. The two walk together to Yorinaga's office, where they find Abe. The room also hosts a bound and beaten prisoner, who stands and bows respectfully to Yorinaga. Abe introduces the prisoner as Narimasa Asano, one of Yorinaga's comrades from the 2nd Sword of Light, who traveled to Nashira without permission, seeking to join the Genyosha. Abe notes that Yorinaga's former associates were specifically excluded from the new Genyosha, and had Asano tortured on the assumption that he is a Davion or Steiner agent. He requests Yorinaga's permission to execute Asano.
Asano explains that he learned of the Genyosha from unofficial sources, but respected Yorinaga so much, he knew he must try to join, even though he risked death. He traveled undercover on commercial vessels and on yakuza ships, arriving on April 13, and has been tortured by Abe since then. Abe justifies not informing Yorinaga on the grounds that he was hoping Asano's fellow conspirators might reveal themselves. Tarukito scornfully reminds Abe that the Coordinator's orders to Abe were to ensure that all the Genyosha officers and men were totally devoted to Yorinaga, and points out that Asano's journey to Nashira proves he is exactly such a man. Yorinaga signs orders inducting Asano into the Genyosha.
Later, Asano thanks Tarukito as he settles into his new quarters, and receives his new Chu-i uniform. They discuss the battle on Mallory's World, and Asano describes how he watched Morgan Kell's Archer vanish from his tactical displays, not registering on any scanner mode, but still visible through the canopy. With Yorinaga's command lance members reduced in rank and scattered, he commanded only a single lance, and seriously considered seppuku when he was offered command of a Panther lance in service to Duke Ricol. Only hearing about the formation of the Genyosha gave him the will to continue.
Yorinaga joins them, wearing kendo armor. He hands a sheet of paper to Tarukito, who reads it with both horror and relief, and asks if he should transmit the news of Shinzei Abe's tragic death in a kendo accident immediately. Yorinaga shakes his head as Shinzei Abe, also in kendo armor, impatiently demands Yorinaga join him for their kendo session, so he can conduct his afternoon meetings and his investigation into Asano.
Notes: Stackpole's framing of this scene is very interesting - Yorinaga doesn't say a word in the entire chapter. He nods, raises an eyebrow, makes curt hand gestures, and hands over notes. Tarukito speaks for him, when exposition is required. This is how Stackpole represents "ki" in Yorinaga's context. An air of command, influencing the actions of others without touching them. He forces Abe to kneel with just a gesture, despite Abe's clear disdain for him.
Asano's description of the "Phantom 'Mech" effect apparently rejects William H. Keith's notion of the cockpit glass being purely cosmetic, while the pilots rely on viewscreens that compress the 360 degree view into a single digital display. If the Archer disappeared from all sensors, but remained visible to the naked eye, Asano would have had to be looking through a bulletproof plastic or ferroglass viewport.
There has been some speculation that Morgan achieved the effect using a LosTech doohickey he found during his travels in the Periphery with Arthur Luvon and Katrina Steiner (disguised as the "Red Corsair" pirate queen), since it was on that adventure that they found the Black Box at an abandoned Star League research station. However, since Yorinaga proved able to replicate it through meditation, it appears to be a "ki" thing, which Morgan had, Yorinaga developed, and (apparently), Ian Davion also triggered during his rear-guard fight on Mallory's World. Since, per "Guide to Covert Operations," "ki" superpowers are a thing within the game rules, this would also fall into that category - making "Phantom 'Mech" another "ki" grand master special effect. Most recently, however, in "The Duel" Track from the Mallory's World Turning Points book, Morgan's special "powers" are codified as having extra Edge, Natural Grace, and Combat Intuition - a far weaker combo than what is described in the Kell Hound scenario pack, and not quite matching the "fading from sensors" effect described here.
(Capellans would be the best equipped to deal with it - artillery and minefields don't care about "ki" messing with targeting systems.) The question arises - if Morgan knew he had this ability, why didn't they march him out and have him challenge the Clans for Trials of Possession for every Lyran world conquered in Operation REVIVAL? He'd win every single combat effortlessly, and be able to roll back the Clan Invasion singlehandedly. (He'd just have to deal with daily challenges from Nova Cats seeking to get their hands on him for their breeding program, since they'd go ga-ga for such a mystical effect.)
The Combine has something called the "art of vendetta," with descriptions of situations under which honor killings are permissible, as long as ritual is observed. Yorinaga's murder of Abe appears to be following those strictures. Without saying anything, just passing a note, he lets his loyal officers know that he is executing Abe for the depth of the dishonor and disrespect he displayed.
In early BattleTech works, the Combine effectively has four archetypes - the noble samurai (Yorinaga, Tetsuhara, Asano, Noketsuna), the hidebound traditionalist (Satoh), the scheming manipulator (Takashi, Indrahar, Akuma) and the uncultured, brutal thug (Abe, Samsonov). Theodore fits the "noble samurai" model, but is something of a mold breaker, being a visionary reformer, and good leader, as opposed to someone who rigidly adheres to ancient customs - keeping the honor, but not letting become a strait jacket that limits his options.
The mention of Duke Ricol and the Gray Death Legion is interesting. The fighting on Verthandi ended in October 3026, and the first mention we have of the Genyosha is in a conversation between Takashi and Indrahar on December 1, 3026. The way they describe it, the unit has already been authorized, but their envoy to retrieve Yorinaga to command it hasn't left yet. With Ricol having pulled his troops off Verthandi in early 3026, it's unlikely that Asano was being offered a Panther lance command under Ricol to fight on Verthandi. So, what was Ricol up to that made Tarukito assume he'd have been fighting the GDL if he had taken the slot? Ricol's next appearance is saving the GDL on Helm in May 3028. The next time we see Ricol is mid-3028's "Dance of Vengeance," which is just about Ricol recruiting a new henchman. Asano makes note that he used yakuza ships to get to Nashira. I wonder if he perceived that signing on to fight for Ricol would place him in service to a member of a shadowy underground conspiracy whose concept of what was best for the Combine would be far from the samurai ideal of honor.
My guess is that, since Keith did not put dates in his novels, Stackpole wrote this line assuming that the Verthandi revolution storyline would still have been ongoing in early 3027, rather than having wrapped up in mid-3026. We didn't get any official dates for Verthandi events until the release of the Gray Death Legion scenario pack.