Date: November 16, 3000
Location: Maldives
Title: Apparent Catastrophe
Author: Michael A. Stackpole
Type: Novel (Apparent Catastrophe)
Synopsis: Having been transported via hovertruck to a Ranger processing center at the Prism Energy Solutions compound, Sophia finds herself left in a dark, cold shack, handcuffed to a metal chair.
A voice over a speaker begins an interrogation, noting that her "Felicia Fisher" cover identity is a falsehood, and ignoring her steadfast denials. The voice accuses her of being a Collective sympathizer or agent. She asserts her status as a former Collective prisoner, since she finds it safer to be an anomaly, rather than the presumed dead sister of the Chairman Presumptive.
She remains confused about the Rangers' loyalties, since they're clearly now in opposition to the Collective, but she recalls seeing 'Mechs in Rangers colors patrolling the streets of Rivergaard in support of the Collective during and after the coup, and using the same brutal tactics as the Collective subsequently. She hopes sticking to the Fisher identity will help her avoid further entanglements in politics.
Walter and Ivan, for their part, are being kept in chains in another building. They are also sticking to their cover identities, suspecting listening devices. Lt. Galarza enters and begins picking men out of the crowd, removing their restraints, and moving them to a loading dock. Fearing they will be split up, Walter demands that Ivan join him. Galarza doubts Ivan can be an effective fighter, but Walter vouches for his success taking out a Collective patrol. Ivan does his best to act the part of a homicidally insane killer. Galarza relents and puts both of them on perimeter patrol.
Once outside, Walter assesses the situation, and concludes that the facility isn't being used as a military installation, but possibly as bait for a Collective attack. He asks Galarza what he should look for. Galarza pulls a needler pistol on him and tells him he's seen too much already.
The door to Sophia's shack opens, and a Rivergard Rangers lieutenant enters and apologizes for the interrogation, noting the need for security in the face of the Collective threat. He introduces himself as Lt. Aaron Doukas, and says he recognizes her as Research Director Sophia Litzau. He orders her released, and his companion reveals herself as Sophia's sister, Abigail, whom Sophia had believed dead alongside their mother.
Outside, being held at gunpoint by Lt. Galarza, Ivan tells the Ranger officer he is making a mistake. He reveals their true identities. Galarza is doubtful, since all reports were that they'd died. Taken aback, Galarza turns his aim towards Ivan, allowing Walter to overpower and disarm him.
Ivan begs Walter not to kill him, and Walter, after some discussion, relents. He warns Ivan, however, that his Vetting is still ongoing, and Walter's job remains to keep him alive. Their discussion is interrupted by the arrival of another Ranger officer, who invites them to speak with the Colonel.
Inside Abigail and Sophia hug. Sophia asks why she was interrogated by Lt. Doukas. Abigail explains they thought she'd died in the attack, and suspected an impostor. Col. Richard Oglethorpe enters, and explains that he and Abigail had conspired to get Richard selected as Ivan's Companion. During the planning process, they became close and were married in secret during the Vetting.
Sophia reveals that Ivan's alive and was taken, along with herself, at August House, under the names Spurling and Wilson. Richard orders Lt. Doukas to find them, but not to reveal their identity.
Sophia asks about the Ranger 'Mechs that attacked the Litzau Lancers, and Richard explains those were false-flagged Collective 'Mechs. He notes that after the wedding, he repainted the real Rangers 'Mechs with a modified crest to reflect the marriage. The attack on August House was a recon-in-force that spotted the rescue attempt and called in support.
Sophia tells them about the massacre of the Collective personnel. Richard guesses it was Galarza, and notes that the Collective captured and executed his wife and three children. He promises to deal with Galarza.
He notes that many of the leaders of the First Families died with Sophia and Abigail's mother, but many Families still have powerful household and/or corporate security forces, with which they are defending their own little fiefdoms. Some are making alliances of convenience with the Collective, and others are settling old grudges. Everyone's military forces are being worn down, without the tech base to properly maintain it. Richard says he hopes he can find a way to save Maldives soon, or the damage done will be irreversible.
Lt. Doukas escorts Walter and Ivan to Richard's command center, along with a restrained Lt. Galarza. There, Ivan, Sophia and Abigail embrace. Richard Oglethorpe congratulates Walter on his performance as Companion. Walter asks about the Angels - Richard reports most died in Rivergaard, some revealed themselves as Collective agents, and their DropShip, the Vulture's Egg lifted for orbit, but has remained there rather than burning for a jump point.
Richard orders Walter out so he can begin planing a campaign against the Collective. Walter insists on staying, but Richard insists he is untrustworthy. Ivan orders them to stop and fully endorses Walter as a trusted comrade whose presence is required, while also supporting Richard as a competent military commander.
Turning to the campaign, they report that word of Abigail Litzau's survival hasn't generated much support, and that the Collective is countering with propaganda about Litzau crimes. Richard suggests announcing Ivan's survival would give them more legitimacy in the patriarchal society. Walter warns that it would make them a major target.
A strength assessment indicates the Collective has more than twice as much firepower as the Rangers, while the Rangers are more than twice as powerful as any of the other fiefdoms. The Collective's forces are generally light, but have the advantage of controlling the main industrial and logistics centers. There is evidence of independent resistance movements in both the rural regions and in Rivergaard itself.
Sophia confirms that counterrevolutionaries were generally executed, and their families were sent for re-education. She notes that the Collective didn't seem prepared for any resistance, and lacked the skills to process captives or reference databases.
Walter speculates that the "Collective" has been building as an underground movement since Ivan's father died, or longer, and is composed of separate factions. The largest is those who have no power in the existing structure, and want to destroy the system. He adds that the Capellan Confederation and/or offworld corporate interests could be supporting the Collective. He suggests that each splinter faction may have its own motivations, and learning more about them could reveal weak points to exploit.
Notes: Michael Stackpole revisits one of his early setups from the Blood of Kerensky trilogy - a prisoner interrogated by unseen voices. Sophia isn't drugged or wired to sophisticated monitoring equipment, like Phelan aboard the Dire Wolf, but the unnerving power imbalance is the same.
I wonder if Galarza and/or Doukas are the names of the winners of the Kickstarter tier that let top donors name characters in the book.
The shattering of central authority on Maldives into dozens of small First Family-led independent fiefdoms makes it sound a lot like the feudal patchwork on Novo Franklin, albeit with significantly higher tech and way more firepower.
Beyond Novo Franklin, Maldives resembles the Inner Sphere in miniature in a variety of ways. A central authority shattered by betrayal from within, rival factions forming a shifting web of temporary alliances, battling for increasingly scarce resources as society overall collapses amid a tide of brutality - initially ideological, but later motivated by revenge for the other side's previous atrocities in a perpetual cycle. The splintering of ideological groups even parallels the Word of Blake coalition, prior to the Master's consolidation-through-assassination campaign.