97
05/02/3052
Ranna breathed in the resinous smell of the woods blowing in and stirring up dandelions through the bullet cracked window of their MRAP truck. ‘The Outskirts’ as Chloe had called it looked more like a frontier village than the modern hilltop city of Alba that rose above it, or the Star Adder military outpost that occupied the former timberyards that had been looted to build it. Search/Track RADARs, Microwave Rectennas, Sprawling Satellite Dishes, innumerable configurations of Radio Antennae, an HPG Mast attached to a mobile generator truck, and Air-Defense Arrow IV batteries were deployed from superheavy trucks and crawlers to rise above a fence line patrolled by Military Police Gun-Trucks. Heavy duty tents had been deployed for personnel, and a group of Mobile Field Bases were roughly assembled on pads reinforced for logging trucks and other heavy equipment, like Battlemechs.
The convoy rounded toward a collection of Battlemechs from four different Clan units and the defeated Wolf’s Dragoons. Left behind in continuing churn caused by the active front Antares was supporting. Overflow from the larger maintenance depot at Antares City’s Starport if the Dragoon mechs on 12x12 Civil Infrastructure Unit’s Heavy Engineering Flatbeds were any sign. Their guard detail disembarked and spread out as the Star Colonel slipped out of her own vehicle donning her now signature beret. Chloe needed to put her shoulder into it to move the heavy door and slip down the high truck until only the top of her torso was visible from the inside. “Time to move bondswoman.”
She slipped across and landed amidst the churning diesel engine in tan fatigues adorned with the same patches as a Star Adder MechWarrior. In this uniform she looked almost like Katya if she was slightly shorter sans burgundy beret and pistol in the holster attached to her cooling vest, now devoid of its Dragoon markings and noticeably without Star Adder ones. Katya beckoned her forward and walked beside her for a bit in silence as they observed the Technicians of INTER-LOGI at work, stacks of armor plates zoomed about on flatbeds, sparks shot out from the reshaping of metal, ammunition carefully loaded by drones under the supervision of ordnance personnel, and some in HazMat suits recharged heat sinks with coolant and other essential fluids.
Ranna kept quiet, as usual feigning meekness to her bondholder and present Military Governor of the planet. It was easier that way, Katya had no problem expressing herself directly if necessary, and it was in her best interest to earn her trust and access until the cavalry came. What she would do after that had to yet to be determined. Hers was a complex day-by-day operation because her bondholder was a mercurial woman and she stepped lightly to maintain balance and her freedom. The Star Colonel was already under pressure from the saKhan to support two Theaters at the same time with hardly any resources although more were en route, but no one knew whether they would be enough.
They arrived at one of the Mobile Field Bays to see a Warhammer. Natasha Kerensky’s Warhammer-6K still in its red and black Dragoon colors where undamaged. Large sections of bare metal were exposed though where the Technicians had repaired battle damage but not repainted the panels. There were also twice as many missile tubes and an underbarrel laser system that wasn’t there before beneath the PPC emitters.
“We made some adjustments to your Warhammer bondswoman.”
“Oh, you shouldn’t have.”
She heard a faint snarl, and quietly regretted the contraction included in her idle minded comment. “Well, it is done.”
“Natasha Kerensky did not need Clantech to become the most feared MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere for almost twenty years. Do you think I might?”
“Perhaps I do. You have not given the best showing of yourself. Losing to the chalcas Diana and being swiftly incapacitated by my trap. In time perhaps I think you could manage to earn a place, but you might be held back by your half-freeborn parentage.”
“Joshua Wolf impressed another Katya well enough fighting Mongoose on Circe to earn his place in the Touman and be trusted by the Khan. I will do the same.”
A Binary of Tomahawk IIC fighters buzzed them and circled back to land on the improved runway that the CIU had laid out alongside the river that was more commonly used by the Nova Fox contingent from the Anne Rosse. Ranna heard the conversation between Katya and the Mongoose reinforcements recently arrived in orbit under the command of Galaxy Commander Taney.
Ranna couldn’t hear the private conversation between them, but Katya was fuming at the end. “Well, if you can hold your own against this irritating Mongoose then perhaps you have a chance to impress me. You will ride with me for now.” Katya motioned to round up the convoy and head over to where the Titan had stopped dwarfing the fighters and smaller dropships positioned there.
----
Ranna walked beside Katya Kerensky on the asphalt which was still warm where the aerodyne Titan landed and taxied to its location. Its oblong form rested on dozens of wheels atop the large ferrocrete pad that had been poured to withstand the incredible thruster heat and mass of one of the Clan’s Overlord C dropships. Twenty fighters, mostly sleek Tomahawk IICs, with a Squadron of heavy folding wing Chippewa IICs of Mongoose Epsilon Galaxy Commander Asa Taney nestled beside it, like chicks next to a broody hen.
A patrol unit of Chasseur MPFs and MP gun trucks approached the dropship as the Espatiers onboard disembarked in light armored exoskeletons. Mongoose Warriors waited for them harsh shadows on scarred faces in the fading daylight. In the center of gathering was a collection of male Aerospace Pilots from one of the three bloodhouses of the Pilot Genotype that resulted in AeroWarriors for both sexes, a rarity among an Aerospace Corps otherwise dominated by women.
She, Chloe, and the freeborn female Warriors were not tall by any standards, but they all had height on GC Asa Taney and his contingent. Katya and the trueborn female MechWarriors were closer in stature to the unarmored height of Mongoose Espatiers that fingered their Mauser IIC lasers as the rival Star Adders approached. Ranna suppressed the urge to reach for the empty holster on her vest. All she need was the misfortune to witness a friendly fire incident firsthand.
Katya kept a respectful distance to the shorter Pilot who separated himself from his bodyguards, all hands were kept near their weapons, Star Adders and Mongoose might be on the same side but that didn’t mean that friendly fire or accidents were unheard of there were centuries of bad blood between them.
“Galaxy Commander Taney, welcome to Antares.”
“Star Colonel Kerensky, it is my distinct pleasure to come to your Clan’s aid.”
“Antares is a strategic planet for all the Clans Asa. If the AMC or ComGuards take it from us the front could immediately collapse all the way back to Waldorff.”
“I am very aware of the threat Katya. Khan Norizuchi has personally ordered Epsilon to hold this world at all costs until additional reinforcements including the SLS Brahmaputra, and its robots arrive next week. My assault ships and fighters should be sufficient to ward off the Wolf Warships while my ground forces and yours will contest any planetfall.”
“I am not certain you grasp the threat that Dragoons pose Galaxy Commander. My bondswoman has become vital in understanding that they should not be underestimated.
The Dragoons have been shepherding their strength and letting other AMC forces take the risk.
They will fall upon this world in force.”
Asa circled Ranna his cybernetic eyes taking in every detail that she sought to keep hidden. “So, you have found another missing Wolf Katya.
I recognize the family resemblance; this Bondswoman is one of yours.
Do not get to attached to her and lose sight of our mission.”
“My mission is clear, hold Antares until I receive alternate orders. I have defensive plans and forces already in position.”
“I am assuming command of this operation Star Colonel. This mission is far too vital to REVIVAL to be left in the hands of an inexperienced Senior Officer.”
Even Ranna felt the insult, and she was not fond of Katya having been on the wrong side of her plans. Asa was not much older than Katya, early 30s at most, hell nearly half the population of the Clans were born post Wolf War there was hardly anyone but inexperienced officers.
“With all due respect sir. I have been preparing this plan for months.
Preparations that resulted in the defeat of two Elite Dragoon Mech Battalions in a single day.”
“It is already done on order of the ilKhan. If you wish to contest it Star Adder, declare a Trial of Refusal.”
Asa kept his hand close to the belt at his belt, a stout Rondel like those on the harnesses of the Espatiers. Ranna had seen Pilots duel with these before, they were incredibly dangerous, as their wielders trained nothing but speed and decisive action moving faster than the eye could see. Katya had her right hand on her pistol grip and the left relaxed at her hip.
“I will listen to your ideas Galaxy Commander, but I retain absolute control of my Warriors and plans. If you wish to throw Mongoose Warriors boldly into the firing lines of Zeta Battalion’s Battlemechs, be my guest.”