Dreamland Madness (Battletech/The Dreamland Chronicles)

[Daryk]

Hanse and Melissa have known for some time now...  ^-^

[mikecj]

And I'm sure they're still thinking that at least Victor isn't dating a Kurita.  Although, I'm still fond of how Isis turned out in the end.

[Starfox5]

Well, some damn good updates for sure. Jamie is going to really shit himself when Alex tells him off for not helping out sooner to fight the clans. The reactions of both sets of parents are going to be funny when they learn both daughters are seeing each other....

Oh, Jamie will be in hot water long before Alex reaches Outreach. Hanse would never visit Outreach if he suspected a trap, or let his family visit, so Jamie will have to answer a few pointed questions of his liege Lord any time now.

Hanse and Melissa have known for some time now...  ^-^

Yes.

And I'm sure they're still thinking that at least Victor isn't dating a Kurita.  Although, I'm still fond of how Isis turned out in the end.

Yeah, if the conference has the sameish attendance, Victor will likely meet Omi as in canon. And this time, he can point at Kelly and Cat as an example to imitate :P

(also, someone should really write a crackish "Victor as an anime harem protagonist" story...)

[idea weenie]

(also, someone should really write a crackish "Victor as an anime harem protagonist" story...)

Why should it be Victor?

Imagine Kat and Kelly adding Omi and Isis to their group.  Unless Omi & Isis instead start looking at Ragnar for the protagonist?

[Starfox5]

Why should it be Victor?

Imagine Kat and Kelly adding Omi and Isis to their group.  Unless Omi & Isis instead start looking at Ragnar for the protagonist?

Cat and Kelly are too devoted to each other to add anyone else.

[ckosacranoid]

Cat and Kelly are too devoted to each other to add anyone else.

Unless if they for some really weird reason decided to drag miss No from Cannonshops fics as a third. She is pretty damn scary for sure.

[croaker]

Unless if they for some really weird reason decided to drag miss No from Cannonshops fics as a third. She is pretty damn scary for sure.

You mean Lizzie Ngo? Nah. They're like Hell -- afraid she'll take over.

(Actually happened, there was a "Lizzie in Hell" fic where she dies and goes to hell and ... well, her usual shenanigans ensue.)

[Starfox5]

I'm not familiar with the character, so that's not going to happen. One crossover is enough, anyway.

[ckosacranoid]

Read a lot of the stuff from cannonshop, lizzy is his personal punching bag you say. The poor girl.
The death of miss NGo is the one where she takes over hell. I was the one that wrote that short peice.

[Starfox5]

Once again, I'd like to thank Daryk for betareading the chapter.

Chapter 11: Interludes

‘When we set out for Outreach, things seemed simple - the invitation extended by Elected Prince Magnusson seemed to be the perfect opportunity. We could use our fame, which we expected to be short-lived, and Alex’s ancestry to gather more support for the war against the Clans. We expected to draw attention, of course - the heir to the Camerons killing the Clan leader in single combat ensured that - but we didn’t anticipate the actual reaction of the Inner Sphere. Granted, we were also a little distracted at the time since Trevor had confirmed the Prince’s theory about the origin of the Wolf’s Dragoons - they had not responded to the recall order of Clan Wolf, so he didn’t feel honour-bound to keep their secrets. Knowing that, we prepared the regiment for the worst: An all-out fight against a traitorous fifth column. Of course, since we warned our families, and since the intel spread to the other realms, the conference started very differently than many expected - especially the Dragoons.’
Diary of Katherine ‘MadCat’ Steiner-Davion

*****

‘For the last month, I have been testing drug after drug, with no success. I know it is possible - I have found out that both Patient S-D and Patient L used drugs to disappear - but I haven’t yet managed to find out which drugs exactly they used. My clearance, obviously, isn’t as high as I hoped, which means I have to remedy this - or find alternative solutions. I will not be kept out of Dreamland! The discovery of a lifetime will not escape me!’
Private notes of M.D. Phil Baker, Triad Medical Wing, Tharkad, 3050

*****

Hilton Head Island, North America, Terra, November 12th, 3050

“A Cameron? A descendant of the direct line?” Myndo Waterly didn’t spit out the words - the Primus of ComStar couldn’t afford to lose control. She had to maintain her dignity and composure at all times. But the news she had just received… “It seems the Usurper’s thugs had not been quite as thorough with their butchery as we have assumed until now. I trust this has been verified?”

“Yes. The sample - obtained not only at great risk but also thanks to a bout of luck - bears the genetic markers unique to the Cameron main line,” Precentor ROM replied.

“They had cadet lines,” Precentor Tharkad pointed out.

“Yes, but none of them were kept up to date with the genetic engineering of the main line. That’s why we can determine that the ancestor of this man was of Richard Cameron’s generation,” Precentor ROM explained. “Possibly a descendant of Simon Cameron.”

“All the legitimate family members are accounted for,” Precentor Dieron objected. “This man must be the descendant of an illegitimate offspring. He has no claim to the throne.”

“That kind of formality tends to take a backseat when faced with martial valour,” Precentor New Avalon retorted. “The man declared himself the heir to the Star League and then faced and defeated the leader of the Clans in single combat. Whether or not his ancestor was born on the wrong side of the sheets won’t matter much to most people.”

“‘Most people’ in this case won’t include the House Lords,” Precentor Dieron pointed out. “That is the reason why all the cadet lines never came forward with a claim.”

That, and the fact that anyone who would have made such a claim would have been defying their own House Lord. No matter which realm, such an action would have been considered a challenge to their throne, Myndo knew - ComStar had investigated the possibility a century ago.

“Then why is he supported by Kali Liao and Katherine Steiner-Davion?” Precentor New Avalon shot back.

Myndo glanced at the Precentor Martial. One of the girls was, after all, a member of his family. But the man’s expression didn’t betray his thoughts.

“Both of them ran away from their families. And both have been treated for mental issues. I hardly think their presence indicates any kind of approval or support for the Colonel’s claim,” Precentor New Avalon countered. “I would assume that neither family is happy about their daughter’s apparent choice of allegiance. Or company.”

“And yet, both of them are second in line to their respective thrones. A lucky shot on the battlefield, or a successful plot, and they are the heirs of their realms.” Precentor New Avalon didn’t want to let this go. “This isn’t a delusional fool we can easily dismiss - or dispatch. This is a potentially huge problem. The myth of the Camerons is widespread in the entire Inner Sphere. Even on Terra, such a claim could cause trouble for the Order.”

Myndo nodded. “There is another aspect, isn’t there?” She looked at Precentor ROM.

“Yes.” The man didn’t show any reaction. “Colonel Alexander Cameron has caught our attention before. He was born on Terra as Alexander Carter and orphaned as a teenager. In college, he took part in a medical experiment - a sleep study with a focus on dreams. During this time, he became interested in the Star League - and especially the Camerons. He visited Unity City several times during his vacations, at considerable personal expense.”

“He discovered his ancestry?” Precentor Sian asked.

“Possibly. Records are spotty.” Precentor ROM inclined his head. “But his research into the Star League caught our interest when he used previously unknown Star League era codes to access our data banks.”

“What?” Precentor Dieron showed a surprising lack of self-control. Or that was what she wanted Myndo to think. “Do you mean the man claiming to be a Cameron can access our systems?”

“Could. The leak was plugged.”

“And why wasn’t he taken into custody?”

Myndo folded her hands as Precentor ROM tensed. “The attempt was made but failed. Alexander Carter evaded arrest and disappeared. Despite an extensive search, he wasn’t found again. This was twelve years ago. The only possible contact since then, until he appeared on Solaris VII, was an incident near his old home involving a Nighthawk suit and a priority message sent to Katherine Steiner-Davion using a fake ID we didn’t spot in time to stop the message.”

“The poem I personally delivered to Lady Steiner-Davion,” Precentor Tharkad said. “That was him contacting her.”

“Yes.”

“So, we inadvertently helped him gain the support of at least one member of a ruling family.” Precentor Atreus shook his head.

“He already was in contact with her. We analysed the poem. While we couldn’t discern the meaning, we are certain that whatever message was hidden in it would have needed a prior contact to transmit the cypher,” Precentor ROM retorted.

“And how would he have made contact with one of the best-protected people in the Inner Sphere? Who spent years in a coma,” Precentor Sian scoffed.

“He evaded our operatives and left Terra without leaving any trace. And, apparently returned later without us knowing,” Myndo pointed out. “These are not the actions of an orphan without support.”

Everyone tensed at her statement.

“You think he’s supported by… people in the Order?” Precentor Dieron asked.

“It is one explanation for his success at evading us - and his ‘fortunate’ discovery of a Colossus-class dropship full of Lostech ‘Mechs,” Myndo said. The other explanation the analysts had mentioned was too ridiculous to be considered. ‘Psychic powers’. She suppressed the urge to scoff. If the Camerons had been able to read minds, they would never have fallen to the Usurper’s plot.

Everyone present eyed each other. The Precentor Martial earned more than his fair share of glances, Myndo noted. At least from those who knew his origin.

“We are looking into the matter,” Precentor ROM said. “If this is a plot from within our Order, we will find the culprits.”

Myndo studied the others, but none of them showed a particular reaction to that statement. They would have expected that, of course. She cleared her throat. “As you can see, the situation is more complex than a mercenary laying claim to his family’s heritage. I suggest that we leave him be for now - he seems dedicated to fighting the Clans, and I do not have to remind you that they are the most urgent and grave threat to Blessed Blake’s vision.”

“If Colonel Cameron is supported by a faction of our Order, then they made a good choice,” the Precentor Martial spoke up. “As our operatives in the occupied area confirmed, the death of the IlKhan at his hand has stalled the invasion for about one year as the Clans’ bloodnamed warriors are forced to gather in Strana Mechty to elect a new IlKhan.”

“Have we finally found the location of their home?” Precentor Dieron asked.

“No. The Clans guard this secret very competently. None of their usual lack of care when it comes to OpSec applies to the coordinates of their home systems,” the Precentor Martial replied.

Myndo suppressed a snort. She wondered if the Clans honestly thought they were fooling anyone - the Order had found out their origin and their goal a few weeks after the first diplomatic contact was established. And the Com Guards had been preparing to defend Terra against the invasion since that moment - which had done a lot of good for the Order’s grip on the planet as well; nothing united a population like a barbarian enemy coming to enslave them all and destroy their way of living. ComStar hadn’t even had to lie about that.

“However, while we have been granted more time to prepare against their assault,” the man went on, “we are still faced with a formidable army that has far more combat experience than our own. The more resistance the Inner Sphere powers can put up to the invasion, the better for us.”

“Yes. Let them bleed each other dry,” Precentor Atreus said. “Then we can mop up the remnants.”

The Precentor Martial didn’t bother hiding his scorn as he glared at the man. “Our goal is to save Terra and the Order. Anything beyond that depends on how much this will cost us.”

Myndo nodded in agreement. “And the key to this is the conference on Outreach that the Dragoons are planning.”

“On the planet held by the traitors,” Precentor New Avalon muttered. “Do we know if anyone has agreed to attend? Except for mercenary leaders, of course.”

“The House Lords have not yet transmitted their decisions. Although the messages from Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner that we managed to decrypt have been illuminating. They aren’t amused that a nominal vassal of theirs called for a conference with the heads of three enemy states in their own territory - without informing them beforehand, much less asking for permission.” Precentor ROM grinned.

Myndo smiled as well.

“Can we confirm that this is a trap?”

“We cannot,” Precentor ROM replied. “The Dragoons might not be on our level when it comes to gathering information, but they guard their own secrets well. We don’t know if they plan to reveal their origin or ambush their guests.”

“That is why we ensured that all the powers that were invited were made aware of certain potential threats,” Myndo said. “But I think that the Order should step in and offer Terra as the location for the conference. Unlike the Dragoons, we can actually offer guarantees of safe conduct and neutrality to everyone attending.”

“I agree,” Precentor Tharkad said. “And I think that Archon Steiner and First Prince Davion will agree as well. They did hold their wedding on Terra, after all.”

“Although I suggest that we should have a battlecruiser division and two destroyer divisions of our reactivated fleet standing by to jump into the Outreach system, in case the Dragoons reveal themselves as traitors,” the Precentor Martial said. “A force like the Dragoons striking from behind the frontlines could disrupt and seriously, potentially fatally, damage the war effort of the Inner Sphere.”

Myndo nodded. “I agree.” They were far too close to Terra. If they turned out to be a fifth column, Myndo would order the entire planet scorched from orbit.

“We’re deploying the fleet?” Precentor Dieron asked. “Are they ready?”

“Not for a fight against a peer opponent. Not yet,” the Precentor Martial replied. “But they are training hard, and we’ll be sending our best pilots with them. Unless the Dragoons have warships of their own, they cannot stand against our ships.”

As the Precentor Martial answered several more questions concerning the state of readiness of the ComStar fleet, Myndo looked at the map displaying the Clans’ advance towards Terra.

If Blake’s vision was to be preserved, they had to be stopped at all costs. Compared to this, a resurgent Cameron with a handful of mercenaries, even with support from traitors in the Order, was nothing. And who knew? Perhaps he would manage to get himself killed fighting the Clans. That would be the ideal outcome - dead heroes were the most useful kind, after all. In fact, she was almost certain that this would happen.

ComStar would come out on top of this crisis. Myndo’s leadership and guidance would ensure that.

*****

Imperial City, Luthien, Draconis Combine, November 14th, 3050

“Ilkhan Showers. I am Alexander Cameron. Commander of the First Royal Irregulars. Heir to the Star League. I have come to defend the Inner Sphere against your invasion. I challenge you - let a duel decide this battle!”

“You dare to claim the legacy of the Camerons? And challenge me? I was going to honour you with a glorious battle, but this… this disgrace cannot stand.”

“I am a Cameron. My blood doesn’t lie! And I will prove it to you!”

“I will crush you for this impertinence!”

“Try it!”

Takahashi Kurita stopped the recording playing on the holoprojector discreetly mounted in the room. There was no need to watch the duel again - he already knew everything that the fight revealed. He had the man’s measure as a MechWarrior. And as a leader. What he needed was the man’s measure as a ruler. He had to know if the man was a tool to be used by others or a power in his own right.

“His claim has been confirmed,” he said. Otherwise, his friend would have informed him.

“Hai.” Subhash inclined his head. “Our agent managed to acquire a sample and sent the data to us.”

“A Cameron.” Takahashi slowly shook his head.

“An illegitimate one,” Theodore said.

That was true - but Takahashi knew, as any Kurita did, that the final legitimacy was earned on the battlefield. And yet, forms were important as well. Order was the foundation of every realm. A man who flouted the law would not be able to create anything that would last. Nor would he be able to effect any lasting changes.

He didn’t let his expression betray his thoughts. “And he’s in the company of a Steiner-Davion and a Liao.” An enemy and a supposed ally.

“Hai.”

Their identities had been confirmed as well. The sons and daughters of the Dragon were as skilled as their reputation demanded. “A surprising and complicated development.”

“Do you wish for it to be simpler?” Subhash asked.

“Life is rarely simple. If it seems simple, it might be a mistaken assumption.” No, he didn’t wish to have the man killed. Not yet. Certainly not until he knew more about the entire situation. A fool would strike at a pawn only to lose his queen a few moves later, and Takahashi was no fool. They had to determine the exact relationship between the Cameron and the two girls. And between the two girls and their families. “Or it might be a trap.”

Chancellor Liao was supposed to be a madwoman, but she had led her realm for twenty years. And she had fended off an invasion by neighbouring powers as well as stabilised the Confederation despite the terrible losses it had suffered against the Federated Suns. Only a fool would underestimate her.

“A trap, but by whom?” Theodore asked. “Is this a plan by Liao to divide the Federated Commonwealth? Or a plan by the Fox to divide the Confederation?”

“The Maskirovka is skilled at hiding their operatives and their goals,” Subhash commented. That was no excuse, of course - but it was true nonetheless.

“Yes. A hasty decision taken in ignorance would only play into the hands of our enemies,” Takahashi said. “There is no need to strike yet.” Not at the Cameron, at least.

“Our enemies might count on that. Is it wise to risk letting their plan unfold while our realm is being invaded?” Theodore raised his eyebrows slightly.

Takahashi looked at Subhash.

“The people of the Combine are the least likely to be distracted by the myth of a fallen dynasty,” his friend said. “We are united behind the dragon.”

Takahashi nodded even though he knew this was a lie - his realm was split between several factions. One of them was his heir and son, who controlled most of the DCMS - and had done so for over a decade. He hadn’t moved against Takahashi, though, which spoke well of his loyalty - or ill of his spine and ambition. But perhaps Theodore felt that Takahashi would serve well as a scapegoat, should the need for one arrive.

And with the Clans advancing, that point might come. The DCMS had done their duty, but while they had made the invaders bleed for every world they took, they had achieved precious few victories - they had performed notably worse than the Federated Commonwealth, especially at the start of the invasion. Wolcott had been the only time they had actually defended a world successfully - and that victory had been achieved by guile more than strength of arms. The enemy wouldn’t, hadn’t fallen for the same ploy again.

He focused on the matter at hand. “Indeed. This Cameron is more likely to create problems for our rivals than for us - once he stops focusing on the invaders.” He had a single regiment if one were to generously count four companies as two short battalions. And the relationship between the eldest daughter of the Steiner-Davions and the daughter of the Liaos would be enough, if publicly known, to cause trouble in the Capellan March of the Federated Suns.

“Our rivals could use his name against us,” Theodore pointed out.

“Only tools can be used.” Takahashi looked at his son. “You will know if he is a tool once you meet him.” He didn’t clench his teeth or scowl as he spoke; it had been two decades since that unforgivable insult, and he had a hold on the rage he felt whenever his thoughts strayed towards the mercenary scum. It was still fortunate that his son would have to deal with them and not Takahashi himself.

“Speaking of the conference…” Subhash trailed off.

Takahashi knew what he was hinting at.

As did Theodore. Takahashi’s son nodded. “The proposal to move the conference to Terra does change things, of course. While it would have been foolish to enter the Federated Commonwealth on the word of a mercenary leader with a blood feud against the Dragon, travelling to Terra is an entirely different prospect.”

Takahashi nodded. As if he would have trusted both Jamie Wolf and Hanse Davion to honour their word. Especially not Wolf. Only a fool would trust people whose loyalty could be bought. And the information about the origins of the mercenaries - obvious in hindsight - changed everything. They were not warriors but spies. And spies couldn’t be trusted. A lesson the Fox was likely learning now, with Wolf having acted far above his station by calling for this conference without Davion’s permission. Unless this was what the Fox wanted Takahashi to think…

“And according to my sources, ComStar is deeply concerned about the Clans,” Subhash added. “Concerned enough to have spent the last months gearing up and expanding their forces. They are even planning to reveal their military capacity - possibly at this conference - if it is held on Terra.”

“They are seen as a neutral force,” Theodore commented. “Their soldiers are lacking experience, but the consequences of defying them should be enough to curb thoughts of betrayal amongst our enemies.”

Takahashi smiled. He, his son and his friend were aware of the bad blood between ComStar and the Fox. But he didn’t think that his enemy was aware of the true military capabilities of ComStar. What were the chances that they had also managed to insert an agent into ComStar’s First Circuit?

*****

[Starfox5]

Camora, Twycross, Federated Commonwealth, November 16th, 3050

Victor Steiner-Davion stared at his noteputer. Which was displaying his battalion’s status report. It didn’t contain anything Victor hadn’t known already - he had visited the wounded, attended the burials, and checked the repairs - but summed up like this, on a single page… It felt as if the blood of his soldiers had been reduced to numbers. Fifty per cent effective strength. A clean number. But those were Mechwarriors, wounded and killed. Half the missing soldiers were expected to return to duty. The rest had either suffered crippling injuries or were dead. Twenty people. Ten of them dead or crippled. He knew them all, but not as well as he should’ve known them - he had joined the Tenth Lyran Guards late, and despite his best efforts, there hadn’t been enough time to get to know everyone. Their deaths still hurt. He had been their commander. Worse, the plan behind the entire operation had been his. Partially at least.

He leaned back in his seat and rubbed the bridge of his nose. They had mauled the Jade Falcons in return - of the four Clusters that had dropped on Twycross a month ago, less than two trinaries had made it off-planet after the trap had been sprung on them. But the forces that had played bait - his own Tenth Lyran Guards, the Kell Hounds and the 9th FedCom RCT - had taken heavy losses until the reinforcements had arrived. The armour and infantry regiments attached to the RCTs had taken the worst casualties, of course - they were much less protected than a MechWarrior.

Victor had expected that. And yet, he still had backed the plan. As much as it hurt to send so many people to their deaths, they were defending the Federated Commonwealth - their home - after all. And he hadn’t seen any better option. A necessary sacrifice.

And then, just when the trap was closing, the Jade Falcons caught between the hammer and the - already battered but still steadfast - anvil, someone had come up with a better plan. Colonel Alexander Bloody Cameron had duelled the IlKhan and forced the entire invasion to a halt.

Victor didn’t know if he should praise the man or curse him. Thanks to him, the Federated Commonwealth had gained direly needed time to bring more troops to the front and restore and reinforce the units that had suffered casualties - according to the intel weenies, the Clans were expected to take up to a year to replace the IlKhan and return. They could exploit all the salvage, refine tactics, perhaps even start a counter-offensive to push the Clans back before they were ready to resume the invasion. Yes, Colonel ‘Cameron’ had done a great service for the Federated Commonwealth. And, as much as Victoir hated to admit it, the man had done so in a manner worthy of his claims.

But the bloody bastard had also sent Victor’s little sister into a meatgrinder! And was using her for whatever his plots were. Victor would have words with him once they met. Harsh words.

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts. “Yes?”

“It’s me, Kommandant.”

Galen? “Come in! And it’s Victor.” Galen should know that.

“You’ve got mail,” Galen said as he entered. “Personal.”

Victor frowned. Personal… “My parents?”

“I wouldn’t know.”

Victor sighed. “You know, my parents aren’t some monsters that will send you to count ice asteroids in a dead system at the slightest gaffe. Nor will they blame you for my mistakes. Or have you dealt with for ‘knowing too much’.”

“I’m not used to high nobility,” Galen replied as he handed the message over. “Better safe than sorry.” He turned to leave.

“Stay. Please.” He might need a friend to talk to after reading the message.

“Of course.” Galen sat down on the chair at the wall. And Victor opened the message with his noteputer.

It was indeed from his parents. Praise for his achievements. Concern about how he felt after losing soldiers under his command. But also… “The complete records of the Battle of Radstadt?”

Galen perked up. “Really? But how would they have…? Oh.”

Victor nodded. “They would have an agent in place near Katherine.” And they wouldn’t have told him for security reasons. Victor was sure that they knew more about Katherine as well. They had hinted at that in their messages, but nothing more. So, it had to be a secret that couldn’t be trusted to HPG transmissions. There were precious few of those, and all of them that Vicor was aware of could have people getting killed for even hinting at them.

“Should I call Kai?” Galen asked. “He should be off duty by now.”

Victor glanced at him. Galen probably wanted Kai’s help to handle him. But Kai was the best MechWarrior Victor knew. And he was Kali Liao’s cousin. “Yes, please.”

While Galen did so, Victor read the rest of the message. “They’re calling me away from the frontlines - to attend the Dragoon conference. But it won’t be held on Outreach.”

“Kai’s on his way.” Galen frowned. “Does that mean that the suspicions about the Dragoons have been verified?”

“I don’t know - but moving the conference to Terra would fit that,” Victor agreed. If the Dragoons were or had been spies for the Clans, you couldn’t trust them.

“So, you’re going to represent your parents there?”

Victor snorted, though with a slightly hollow feeling. “As if I could represent them. Dad is attending as well. Apparently, he plans on travelling with Colonel Wolf.”

Galen frowned. “Is that wise?”

“It means Dad is certain that Wolf won’t betray us.” Though Victor couldn’t imagine why. The Dragoons had already played fast and loose with their agreements with the Federated Commonwealth when they took possession of Outreach - the speed with which they had built up their industrial capacities was almost proof that they had neglected to mention existing Star League facilities. But worse was that they were almost certainly Clanners, or had been Clanners in the past, and had not said anything about them, not even after the invasion had started. How could his father trust them? And why would Mum let him do this?

Another knock at the door announced Kai’s arrival. He was dressed in camo pants, a tank shirt and slippers. So, he had been resting already. “You called?”

Victor snorted at the weak joke. “Have a seat. My parents sent me another message. I’m going to the Dragoon conference. With Dad.”

“Oh.” Kai blinked. “That’s…”

“Yes.” Victor sighed. He turned to look at Galen. “It looks like you’ll be meeting my dad sooner than expected.”

Galen actually paled.

“But enough of that. They also sent me the complete BattleROM records of the Battle of Radstadt. And I need your opinions on them.”

Kai nodded. “Let’s watch them.”

Galen had already prepared the holoprojector, so Victor just had to slot the memory chip. “Let’s see how my sister and your cousin fought the Clans.”

As it turned out, the answer was: in a brutal slugfest as bad or even worse than what he had seen on Twycross, with Katherine and Kali in the thick of it, battling assault OmniMechs in melee range.

“I’m going to hurt Cameron,” he whispered as he watched his little sister’s ‘Mech getting shot to pieces in a desperate last stand against superior forces as her lance - her company - fell around her.

“Don’t try it in a ‘Mech,” Galen said.

Victor frowned at him. He was already aware that Alexander Bloody Cameron was the better - or more experienced - MechWarrior.

“And don’t do it where Katherine or Kali can see you,” Kai added.

Victor switched his glare to his other friend. Yes, they were obviously very talented MechWarriors. And a little crazy as well. But he had been top of his class at Nagelring, and he had combat experience against the Clans. He wasn’t the same cadet any more whom Katherine had schooled in simulations.

But that wasn’t the real problem. “How? How did they become so good? And why are they following this man? Katherine was in a coma for ten years, and then she was in rehab! She was under constant surveillance!”

“Kali was in a coma as well - Mother had it confirmed by her sources,” Kai said. “She woke up on the same day as Katherine. And it seems both went into a coma at the same time.”

Galen was frowning. “You think this…” He gestured at the holoprojector, which had been frozen at the moment Colonel Cameron engaged the IlKhan. “...is because they were in a coma?”

“Mum and Dad mentioned that Katherine claimed to have met Kali in her dream,” Victor said.

“But…” Galen shook his head. “That’s impossible.”

“I think my parents disagree. That’s the only explanation I can think of why they haven’t ordered their agents to bring Katherine back,” Victor said.

Kai frowned in that polite way of his when he was disagreeing without saying anything. Victor sighed. “Yes?”

“You’re here.”

That was different. “I am a soldier in the Armed Forces of the Federated Commonwealth,” Victor pointed out. “I graduated from Nagelring. I am doing my duty.”

“They might think your sister is doing her duty as well,” Kai said.

“What?” Victor stared at him. “That’s not possible! Even if they thought she was ready to fight the Clans, why would they let her fight them as a mercenary in the employ of Rasalhague?”

“Perhaps they know more about this Colonel Cameron than we do,” Kai speculated.

“What?” Victor shook his head. “Are you suggesting that they think this… man is actually a legitimate heir? And that they are backing him?”

“I’m not suggesting anything,” Kai said. “But why would they let your sister risk her life with this man?”

“And why would Romano Liao do the same?” Galen asked.

Kai shrugged. “My aunt is crazy, as trusted sources assure me.” Trusted sources like his father, who was the Head of MIIO and had spent years undercover at the court on Sian.

“But my parents aren’t.” Victor closed his eyes and sighed. “I’ll have some pointed questions for them.”

This whole mess didn’t make any sense, as far as he could tell. His parents better had some good answers.

*****

Harlech, Outreach, Federated Commonwealth, November 16th, 3050

“...and not only did you invite the heads of realms nominally at war with the Federated Commonwealth to a conference on a planet you hold in our name, offering free passage without asking for permission from your liege lord, you also hid your ties to the enemy currently invading our realm and did not warn us of them, not even after they started their invasion. And while we wouldn’t assume without further evidence that you plan to betray us - you didn’t do anything of the sort so far, despite ample opportunities, and you have proven to be a man of your word in the past - we cannot help but be suspicious of your intentions. Therefore, we require additional guarantees such as…”

Colonel Jamie Wolf sighed as he stopped the recording and turned to his fellow Dragoon colonels. “As you can see, our nominal liege lord isn’t pleased. They already announced that the conference would be moved to Terra and protected by ComStar.”

“They know our origin? Someone must have betrayed us!” Colonel Neil Parella, the commander of Gamma Regiment, spat, then glared at Stanford Blake.

The head of WolfNet didn’t flinch. “According to what we could find out, it wasn’t a leak - analysts drew conclusions from how the Black Widow Training Battalion operated.”

Jamie smiled wryly. In hindsight, trying to train his people how to fight the Clans by using an OpForce organised and fighting like a Clan cluster while at the same time attracting as much mercenary business as possible to Outreach had been a mistake. Too many people, too many eyes and ears. That, and sending the Black Widow Battalion out to fight on actual contracts, of course. But they had needed the money.

“We shouldn’t be focusing on why Hanse Davion knows about our origin, but on what we’ll do about his… demands,” Colonel Kelly Yukinov replied.

“They are outrageous!” Parella spat. “This is our planet - we won it with our blood! We rebuilt it with our people’s sweat and toil!”

“Obviously, Hanse Davion disagrees about us actually owning Outreach,” Jamie pointed out.

“Then call back our warships and see what he says then!”

Jamie pressed his lips together. “Hanse Davion took care to point out that ‘in anticipation of the use of warships by any hostile parties, the AFFC had stepped up nuclear drills and exercises.”

“He would nuke our warships?” Elizabeth Nichole, Commander of Epsilon Regiment, raised her eyebrows.

“If he thinks we are hostile? In a heartbeat,” Blake replied. “And he has the resources to do this without significantly reducing his forces at the Clan front.”

“How?”

“The Terran Corridor has always been garrisoned quite heavily,” Jamie pointed out.

“But how would he know about our warships in the first place without a leak? And do you remember that the AFFC has been doing significantly better against the invading Clans than the DCMS? Someone must have warned them! Someone familiar with the Clan way of fighting!” Parella blurted out.

That was the logical explanation. But Jamie knew that the last thing the Dragoons - and the Inner Sphere - needed was a witch hunt for spies and more internal division. They had to stand united against the Clans. “We need to focus on how to deal with this,” he said. “We can always hunt down spies afterwards. What does this mean for us?”

“He is demanding all our secrets - all our technology! As if they had beaten us!” Parella was getting more and more worked up about this, Jamie saw. “And he is demanding that we reveal all we know about the Clans and Clan Wolf! We would not even do this if we were bondsmen!”

Jamie slowly nodded. They were right - and yet they were wrong as well.

“If we hand over our tech, we lose our edge,” Yukinov said.

“We are still the best Warriors in the Inner Sphere,” Jamison spoke up. Of course the commander of Zeta Battalion would say that.

“If they want our secrets, they should fight us for them!” Parella shook his head. “This isn’t right!

Jamie didn’t nod in agreement. It was the Clan way, indeed. But… “They are not Clan,” he said. “We cannot expect them to follow our ways.”

“And they cannot expect us to obey them as if we were their own troops!” Parella retorted.

“Actually, that is exactly what they expect,” Blake cut in. “They consider us their vassals.”

“Preposterous!”

Jamie had sworn an oath when they had been granted Outreach - not quite the same as other feudal lords, more aimed at ensuring that the Dragoons wouldn’t fight against the Federated Commonwealth - but he had given his word, amongst other duties, to defend the planet against the enemies of the Federated Commonwealth, and that must have created certain expectations amongst the Steiner-Davions.

“Even their actual vassals are not expected to hand over all their secrets - he wants our techs to teach their scientists!” Parella pointed out. “He wants to take over our factories!”

Well, they wanted first refusal for all the military material produced on Outreach, but it would work out the same, Jamie knew that.

“They must have captured many techs on Twycross,” Nichole pointed out.

“Then they have no need to demand what is ours!”

“Our techs have experience with building and running factories - they would certainly be of great help when it comes to getting new technology into production,” Jamie said.

“But we cannot do that!” Parella protested. Jamie wondered if the man had started drinking in excess again - he expected better self-control from his officers.

“One could argue that we should have done this before,” Nichole said.

“We would not have survived if we had revealed the truth after the Fourth Succession War. Hanse Davion would have absorbed us,” Blake countered.

Jamie agreed with that assessment. The Dragoons had been all but destroyed in the fight against the Combine. If they had then revealed their origins and the threat from the Clans… The First Prince would have insisted on taking all their techs and information. And their surviving warriors as instructors. They wouldn’t have had the opportunity to rebuild. But it left them in a quandary now. “What was done was done,” he said. “What we do now is the question we have to answer. Do we accede to the demands? Do we defy the Federated Commonwealth? Do we try to compromise?”

“If we defy them, we will have to fight them. And Hanse Davion is not Takashi Kurita - he knows us much better. If he comes after us, we will not survive this.” Nichole frowned, no doubt remembering Misery.

If Natasha were here, she would have scoffed and boasted that the Dragoons would kick the ass of the entire Federated Commonwealth, Jamie thought. She probably would have believed it as well. He knew better.

“We could move,” Yukinov suggested. “Leave the Federated Commonwealth. We could even pack up most of our factories.”

“And where would we go?” Jamie asked. “Who would trust us after Hanse Davion spreads that we deceived him?” The Kuritas would never hire them - and if they did, Jamie wouldn’t trust them.

“The Free World League could hire us,” Parella suggested.

“But would they? And what are the chances that they would attempt to get our technology?” Nichole retorted.

Blake frowned. “We wouldn’t have a lot of leverage,” he said. “SAFE is incompetent, but they would be aware that we won’t get hired by the Federated Commonwealth. They would likely ask for a lot of concessions.”

“So, we wouldn’t really gain anything,” Jamie summed up. “And Romano Liao cannot be trusted.” The woman was insane.

“That leaves Rasalhague,” Yukinov pointed out. “They need all the help they can get. We could write our own contract.”

Nichole scoffed. “They hate mercenaries. They would probably try to send us against the Clans until we’re destroyed. They certainly wouldn’t give us a planet of our own.”

“Their attitude might have changed after the Battle of Radstadt,” Yukinov retorted.

“But they will know that we’re from Clan Wolf,” Jamie cut in. Hanse Davion would spread the news. “So, they will distrust us. And they are too weak to keep either the Combine or the Federated Commonwealth from coming after us. What protection we could gain from the contract would be minimal.”

“And the Clans would focus on whatever world we were to defend,” Blake added.

Jamie nodded. The Clans would consider them traitors. Even Clan Wolf might at best attempt to absorb them.

“There’s the Periphery,” Parella tried again.

Blake frowned some more. “The Taurians would never trust us. The Outworlds Alliance couldn’t afford us even if they wanted to hire us. The Magistracy might be willing to grant us a planet, but it wouldn’t be a developed one. We wouldn’t have a lot of business from other mercenaries, either.”

“And we wouldn’t get to fight the Clans,” Yukinov said.

They wouldn’t be able to follow Khan Ward’s last orders to defend the Inner Sphere. Jamie nodded again. “That is why I think we should come to an accommodation with the Federated Commonwealth. To avoid hostilities only,” he added before Parella could voice his outrage again. “We cannot let them absorb us.” Like the Combine had tried thirty years ago.

“The Prince didn’t sound as if he was ready to compromise,” Nichole said.

“That is a bluff,” Jamie retorted. “He could wipe us out - but it would cost him troops and aerospace assets that he needs against the Clans. Hanse Davion is no fool; he will be willing to compromise.” Though the negotiations would be hard. As would be any negotiations with Rasalhague.

Although with Colonel Cameron’s sudden fame, there might be an alternative. It would be a dark horse, but sometimes, you had to take a chance. Jamie knew that.

Even if the stakes were as high as they could be. But he would have to take the man’s measure.

*****

[Starfox5]

The Royal Palace, New Avalon, Federated Commonwealth, November 17th, 3050

“...while we understand your concerns, we assure you that we are determined to fight the Clans and protect the Inner Sphere to the best of our ability and mean no harm to the Federated Commonwealth…”

Hanse Davion flicked the recording off and looked at Ardan. “Jamie Wolf sent his answer.”

His friend shook his head. “The nerve of the man! In other circumstances, I would admire his gall.”

Hanse chuckled. “So would I.” But they were facing an invasion by the mercenary’s former - or so Hanse hoped - Clan. Not that he would have let the admiration keep him from doing what was necessary, anyway - under any circumstances. He wouldn’t risk the Federated Commonwealth’s interests.

“So… he offers help with integrating the techs we took captive and preferred customer status for Blackwell Heavy Industries?” Ardan asked. “I thought we already had that status.”

“So did I. Although from the way he worded it, it’s basically first refusal for any of the products of their factories on Outreach.” Hanse shook his head. “Of course, there is no clause that would prohibit them from moving their factories to another planet.”

Ardan frowned. “Do you think they would do that? Colonel Wolf didn’t strike me as the kind of person to play such games.”

“Clan Wolf warriors are fond of exploiting any such loopholes in their batchalls,” Hanse said.

“Ah.” His friend nodded. “Their honour is very flexible.”

Hanse narrowed his eyes at him. “An inflexible ruler will doom their realm.”

“As will a ruler who breaks their word - or breaks the spirit of an agreement while sticking to the letter of it,” Ardan shot back without flinching.

Hanse sighed and leaned back in his seat. “Sometimes, needs must.”

“And some lines should never be crossed. Some prices are too high to be paid.”

Hanse shrugged with a grin. This was an old argument of theirs. They wouldn’t settle it tonight. Or ever. “I agree in principle - but the devil is, as usual, in the details.” He sighed. “I’ll send a counter-offer back. We need hard guarantees.” And a way to keep the Dragoons from growing too much - if only to stop having a dozen regiments tied down in the neighbouring systems in case the Dragoons turned on them. And he needed to be seen taking control of the situation - the Dragoons acting as if they were a sovereign power couldn’t be tolerated. He just hoped that Wolf understood that. Hanse certainly hadn’t been subtle about that point in his message.

He sighed. “Well, it’s not the only thing we need to discuss.”

“The conference on Terra.” Ardan nodded. “Guarded by ComStar. Who has been very ‘neutral’ towards the Clans.”

“They’ve been arming up rapidly since the first reports of the invasion arrived,” Hanse said. “We don’t have many spies on Terra, but all agree that the Com Guards are recruiting heavily.”

“To fight the Clans - or to help them?” Ardan asked.

“The recruiting ads feature unspecified barbarians as a threat to the Solar System,” Hanse replied. “Of course, they could be talking about us.”

Ardan chuckled, but Hanse wasn’t really joking. “MIIO can’t exclude the possibility that this is an attempt to take out as many leaders of the Inner Sphere as possible, but they give it a low probability.”

“Taking out you and the other delegates, followed by a sphere-wide interdict…” Ardan pressed his lips together.

“I’ll leave clear instructions for that case. It’s not as if we haven’t trained for such an event.” Ever since ComStar interdicted the Federated Suns and Com Guards attacked the NAIS disguised as Capellan Death Commandos in 3029, Hanse had his staff make plans to minimise the damage should this happen again. And to strike back.

“You won’t reconsider going then,” Ardan said. He frowned. “You’re usually not that foolhardy.”

Hanse grinned. “My personal analysis says that ComStar won’t attempt to betray us. Not when there are more troops in striking distance to Terra than have been since the war in 3039. And I also think that ComStar wouldn’t sacrifice themselves like that.” They might do a lot of damage, might even doom the Inner Sphere, but they wouldn’t survive such treachery.

“Unless they are working for the Clans.”

Hanse shook his head. “No. If they were working for the Clans, the invaders wouldn’t have attacked from the Periphery - they would have struck from Terra, attacking our most valuable worlds and under the cover of an interdict.” Everyone would have been blind and deaf, dozens of worlds falling before anyone would realise, much less be able to react.

Ardan looked grim but nodded. “So, they want to fight the Clans.”

“Yes. That’s what MIIO thinks. And what I think.” And his gut feeling agreed.

“That’s why you’ll be attending the conference.”

Hanse nodded. “Yes. I can’t send a representative. I have to attend in person. This is too important.”

“And you’ve called Victor back to join you.”

“Yes.” His son and heir needed more experience. And this was the best opportunity to let Victor get a taste of high-level politics and diplomacy. And to meet the other houses. Know your enemy and all that.

“He won’t be happy.” Ardan grimaced.

“He’ll understand.” Hanse sighed once more. Victor was his and Melissa’s heir. He couldn’t focus on his military career. “And he’ll probably have questions about Katherine that he’ll expect to be answered.”

His friend slowly nodded in agreement. “You didn’t tell him about… her dreams?”

Hanse shook his head. “That’s not something I’ll risk sending over the HPG. And a courier could be intercepted.” An entire world - no, an entire Inner Sphere and beyond - made of the dreams of children. Imaginary yet real. A world Alexander Cameron could enter and leave - and, obviously, Katherine could as well.

Ardan took another sip from his glass and nodded. “True.”

And Victor should understand this - he knew that ComStar couldn’t be trusted. “We need to come to an understanding with the other realms. We cannot defeat those invaders if we have to guard against an invasion from our neighbours.” They had to bring the full might of the Federated Commonwealth to bear against the Clans. Drown them in sheer numbers if they had to. Not that Hanse thought it would come to that - the Clans were hell on a tactical level, but strategically, they were lacking - most of them, at least. Clan Wolf didn’t seem to suffer the same logistical difficulties as the other Clans. Or not the same degree.

“Well, I don’t think Takahashi Kurita will disagree,” Ardan said. “His situation is definitely worse than ours. But Thomas Marik and Romano Liao…” He grimaced.

“Thomas is, at least, rational. He must know by now that the Clans won’t stop with the Federated Commonwealth - or Terra. Even if SAFE were as inept as its reputation claims, his ties to ComStar should ensure that he’ll receive up to date intel,” Hanse said. “But Romano Liao is unpredictable.” Crazy, actually. Even if she agreed to a formal truce, Hanse would need hefty guarantees before he could strip the Capellan March of units to fight the Clans.

“And her daughter is with Katherine.”

Hanse frowned at Ardan. “Yes. Our spy confirmed that they are in a relationship.” He half-expected his friend to make a comment about Hanse using MIIO operatives to spy on his daughter. But Ardan knew this wasn’t Hanse being an overprotective parent.

“Are you planning to… take Katherine home?” Ardan asked.

Or not. “You mean, am I planning to have the agents in place abduct her for her own good?” Hanse replied, a little more sharply than he had intended.

His friend nodded, remaining unfazed.

Hanse sighed. “I want to. She’s barely eighteen - her birthday was yesterday! - and she’s fighting the Clans.” And almost got killed in the last battle! Her ‘Mech was repairable - but Hanse had still thought about sending a brand new model, same as Victor’s, to her. Or an Atlas. Anything to keep her safe.

“But you won’t.”

Hanse sighed once more. “She is eighteen. And do you think we could keep her from returning to her friends? To her lover?”

Ardan sighed as well. “At least she isn’t your heir.”

And thank God for that small mercy! The Capellan March’s reaction to his daughter being involved with a Liao would be bad enough. “But she is in the company of the heir of the Camerons.”

“Was that confirmed?”

“Our operative procured a blood sample. The DNA markers check out, NAIS assured me,” Hanse replied.

“That doesn’t make him a legitimate heir.”

“No, it doesn’t. But that he apparently is the First Lord of the Star League in Dreamland?” Hanse snorted. “That’s an altogether different thing.” Nothing added legitimacy to someone’s claim like holding the position.

“Katherine said that only he could pass between the realms,” Ardan pointed out. “And while we know that both Katherine and Kali Liao can do so as well, I think we can safely assume that we don’t have to fear an invasion by the SLDF of Dreamland. If they could, I doubt that their Lord would have risked his life fighting the Clans with a ragtag battalion of mercenaries.”

Hanse snorted. “I tend to agree - but since a Liao is involved…”

“Don’t let Justin hear this,” Ardan joked.

“He would agree - he spent years at the court in Sian.” Hanse chuckled. “But we also know they can transfer material - like power armour. And the neurohelmets they hand out to their people. But I’m thinking of the data chips - the ‘SLDF manuals’ they handed out to their soldiers apparently were slightly different from the original manuals.”

Ardan’s eyes widened. “I didn’t know that.”

“MIIO had to procure the original manuals first to compare the data. The results came in today,” Hanse told him.

“Ah.” His friend nodded. “And you want that data.”

“Of course I do,” Hanse admitted. “Not just the SLDF technical data - which would be a huge boon even now - but they apparently defeated their version of the Clans, so they must have ample data about Clan technology. If we can get that knowledge to NAIS, we should be able to counter their technological edge.”

“That will take years to turn into production, though.” Ardan cocked his head. “By that time, if we manage to stop the invasion, the Combine will still be weakened by the conflict. More so than us.”

“Yes.” Hanse grinned. There was no need to hide it. The Dreamland data wouldn’t help much against the Clans right now - but it would help a lot against all of the Federated Commonwealth’s enemies in the near future.

“They will be aware of that,” Ardan pointed out.

“Yes.” Hanse nodded as he leaned back. “Which is why I need to know more about the whole situation.” He needed to know where House Liao stood. And what Cameron’s plans were. The man could be another Ian - Hanse’s brother had personally fought on the frontlines until he was killed even though many others could have done the same or better and his place should have been on New Avalon. Or Cameron could be a plotter like Liao, and his heroics against the Clans were merely the first step in an attempt to reclaim his ancestral’s throne.

Hanse would have to find out. For the sake of his realm - and for the sake of his daughter.

*****

Forbidden City, Sian, Capellan Confederation, November 18th, 3050

“My sister is friends with the heir of House Cameron?” Sun-Tzu Liao didn’t show his surprise - years growing up at court had ensured that he never showed any emotion unless he carefully planned to. But he was surprised. He shouldn’t have been - all the pieces of the puzzle had been obvious in hindsight. The mysterious illness, the ‘visions’ of Star League caches and bases, the sudden flight from home and her hidden skill as a MechWarrior - his sister had been working with a Cameron. But was she the one manipulating him, or was he manipulating her?

His father nodded. “Yes. Our agent confirmed it thanks to a blood sample they were able to collect.”

“Ah.” Sun-Tzu nodded. “And is he… involved with Kali?” That would be the obvious route; If his sister married the Cameron heir - no matter how flimsy his actual claim - that would immensely help her attempt to replace him as Mother’s heir. To have a claim by blood to the throne of the Star League…

“He’s illegitimate. All the legitimate heirs of the Camerons have been accounted for,” Father said in a transparent attempt to soothe his concerns so he wouldn’t take more decisive measures against his sister. Or to lull him into a false sense of security, so his sister could move against him more easily.

Not that she needed any help there - not when she could smuggle a suit of power armour into the palace itself and then manipulate the security cameras to don it without anyone noticing before escaping the best soldiers the Confederation had to offer. Sun-Tzu still didn’t know why his sister had done that - she could have simply vanished, given what she had been able to do. Had it been a warning? Or a taunt?

It didn’t matter; Sun-Tzu knew that his life was on the line. He had overplayed his hand, and now his sister had the advantage.

But he wasn’t defeated. Not yet. He nodded. “Yes, of course. But will the population of the Inner Sphere care?”

Father chuckled. “They don’t shape the policies of their realms.”

“And what does Mother think?”

His father took a deep breath - almost a sigh. “She thinks that this is Kali’s plan to secure not only the Star League’s throne for our family but the throne of the Federated Commonwealth as well.”

This time, Sun-Tzu didn’t manage to hide his surprise. “So… how would that work? If she’s involved with the Camerons’ heir and bears him children, they won’t be Steiner-Davions.”

“The Chancellor is convinced that your sister has a plan.”

“Ah.” In other words, Mother had one of her… creative ideas. Sun-Tzu would have to be even more careful when dealing with his sister.

And that meant that he couldn’t afford to skip the conference on Terra and use the time his parents were away to improve his position and fortunes. Not when Mother expected him to accompany her. And, in truth, being seen as her heir would help him.

And, if he was honest, he was looking forward to meeting the other delegates. Especially Victor Steiner-Davion. Perhaps they could have a chat about their respective sisters - and about their plans for both of them.

After all, it was obvious that Katherine Steiner-Davion was planning to replace Victor just as Kali was planning to replace Sun-Tzu.

*****

[Starfox5]

Gunzburg System, November 22nd, 3050

“Watch out!”

Ellen Gallinari ducked her head out of reflex at the shout, and only the harness hooked to the seat kept her from floating away from the table in the Babylon’s mess hall.

She shouldn’t have bothered - Captain Allen missed the table entirely, bumping into the wall before he could catch himself on anything nearby.

He recovered, though, and pushed off again, this time reaching his seat at the table. “Who would have thought we would visit Terra? And as the honour guard of the last Cameron?” he asked as he hooked his harness to his seat. His grin made him look much younger than he was, Ellen noticed. “Sometimes, I still can’t believe it!”

She nodded in agreement. “I certainly didn’t expect to land on Terra when I signed up with him.

“Nor did I,” James Hong, Thug pilot from Second Company - Allen and Ellen’s former company - added. “To be honest, all I cared about was getting to pilot a ‘Mech again. I would have dropped in hell itself if that was what it took to pilot a Thug.”

Allen nodded. “Oh, yes, same here. I didn’t expect to make Lieutenant, either. And now I’m a captain!”

“Yes. I would have done almost anything for a ‘Mech,” Ellen said.

Hong chuckled. “It’s a good thing that all that Colonel Cameron requires of us is to fight for him.”

Ellen snorted at the crude remark.

Allen frowned but didn’t comment. He took a sip from the soup pack instead. “He’s a good man. As is to be expected from a Cameron, of course. Risking his life against the Clans on the frontlines like he does…” He shook his head with a sigh.

“Yes.” A true Cameron - noble, brave and the best MechWarrior Ellen had seen in her life.

Hong nodded before emptying his pack of soda, squeezing as if he couldn’t stand to leave a single drop inside. “But we need to protect him,” he said, crumpling the pack. “The Successor States won’t like this - they want the throne for themselves.”

“They won’t do anything on Terra,” Allen said. He chuckled. “I wonder how the Terrans will react to a true heir returning.”

“And ComStar,” Ellen said.

“They’re neutral,” Allen said. “The real threat are the Kuritas. And the Liaos.”

“You can’t dismiss the Steiner-Davions either,” Hong objected. “Do you think they want to see the Star League reborn under a Cameron?”

Allen frowned.

Ellen nodded. “Yes. They would hate to become a state amongst all others again. The Fox probably already has plans in the making.”

“And the Mariks could be a wildcard,” Hong added.

Allen scoffed. “Well, no matter who comes after him, they will have to go through us if they want to get to him.”

“Hell, yes!” Hong balled his fist and sent a drop flying out of his soda pack.

Ellen nodded as well.

To her surprise, she meant it - she would defend the Colonel against all comers. Except for the Free Worlds League, of course. As a SAFE operative, she knew her duty.

Although… A Cameron. Heir to the Star League. If House Marik wanted him dead, would that really be in the best interests of the Free Worlds League?

She pressed her lips together as she finished her ‘possibly beef bowl’ zero-grav meal. Such thoughts were treasonous.

And yet, she couldn’t banish them from her mind.

*****

Fort Cameron, Rastaban, Federated Commonwealth, November 24th, 3050

He was so dead! Caught in a dead end, with no way out, it was just a matter of time until he was detected and caught. And caught in a place he shouldn’t be - the office was off-limits. But Carol had dared him to go fetch Dad’s medal, and Timmy knew that you couldn’t let fear keep you from finishing a mission.

But he should’ve planned better! Now the whole office was full of adults, and Timmy was stuck behind the cabinet in the corner. As soon as one of them got thirsty and came to fetch a drink from the bottle in the bottom drawer, he would be spotted.

And the adults were angry - they were shouting and yelling. Timmy ducked his head.

“He’s a Cameron!”

“We don’t know that! We’ve met impostors before.”

“We need a blood test to be sure.”

“Even with a blood test, he could be an illegitimate offspring. Not a true Cameron.”

“Look at the vid! He defeated the leader of the Clans! Who but a real Cameron could do this?”

“That could’ve been luck.”

“Luck? With a damaged ‘Mech? Against such a monster? I’ve looked into it - he appeared out of nowhere, ‘found’ an extinct dropship full of SDLF ‘Mechs and formed a unit to fight the Clans. Who but a true Cameron could do this?”

“What if he found the dropship and then decided to use this for a claim? We can’t just pack up and pledge ourselves to a possible pretender without further evidence.”

“Then let’s send a delegation to him and check for ourselves!”

“And who would go? In the middle of a war? We might be called into action - or invaded - at any moment, and we need our best officers!”

“I concur. We can’t just leap at the mere claim of an unknown mercenary.”

“We are the Knights of St. Cameron! Of course we need to investigate any mentioning of a Cameron returned!”

“We didn’t jump at every delusional claim of a Cameron returned - there were dozens of them in our lifetime! Hell, we had a laugh about the latest, remember?”

“This is different. How many pretenders have announced their heritage fighting the IlKhan? Huh? Look at the record! How many can fight like this?”

Recording? Timmy edged forward and peeked around the corner of the cabinet. Yes, on the big holoprojector in the middle of the office, he saw two ‘mechs fighting. A… His eyes widened. That was an Atlas! And it was fighting a Horde ‘Mech! He had seen a ‘Mech like his - well, the remains - in the museum in Unity City! In Dreamland.

And the Atlas won - the ugly ‘Mech collapsed. Yes!

Then the picture changed, and he saw a man. He blinked. He knew that man! “Alexander Cameron?”

“What?”

“Who is there?”

“Tim? What are you doing here?”

Dad walked towards him, but Timmy stared at the picture. That was… “That’s First Lord Alexander Cameron!”

Dad stopped. “Tim? You know this man?”

“Yes!” Timmy nodded several times. “I’ve seen him in…” He bit his lips. You didn’t talk about Dreamland - adults thought you were lying or stupid when you did. But… This was important. “I’ve seen him in Dreamland.”

“In your dreams?”

“Yes.” Timmy nodded. “But how is he here? People can’t leave Dreamland.” Only kids could enter and leave. “He should be in Unity City!”

“Really, Felix, listening to children now?” Uncle Mortimer sounded annoyed. But he usually sounded annoyed.

Dad ignored him. “Have you seen this vid before, Tim?”

Timmy shook his head. “No. The fight in Dreamland was different. But I’ve seen the museum with the ‘Mech. I visited with Carol and Melvin.” How was the First Lord here? And how was the Nightmare Horde here?

“Carol? My daughter?” Auntie Deborah blurted out.

“Yes.” Timmy nodded.

Dad crouched and looked Timmy straight into the eyes. “You saw this man in your dreams? And he was First Lord Alexander Cameron?”

“Yes!” Timmy nodded. “You can ask Carol and Melvin, too! They were there!”

Dad nodded. “I think I will.”

“Are we to believe in the dreams of children, Felix?”

Dad smiled. “If these dreams are a sign, Mortimer, then yes. If Tim and his friends dreamt of this man, then we’ll send a delegation to meet Alexander Cameron. And if this is the heir of the Camerons, we will do our duty.”

Uncle Mortimer shook his head, but he was smiling now. A little.

It looked like Timmy wouldn’t get punished for breaking the rules!

*****

Royal Palace, Unity City, Dreamland, November 30th, 3050

Nastajia Ashenheart hit a button and then looked at the frozen image on the screen. A quick twist on another button enlarged it. She tilted her head. The face was clearly visible, resolution could be better, but…

And Cat sighed. “Bradley. Martin Bradley. He’s now in Meier’s lance.”

Nastajia nodded. “That makes the fourth spy caught going after Alex’s blood samples.” She looked at Alex. “At least something useful came from your impulsive behaviour.”

He smiled at her in that embarrassed manner of his that made her want to walk over and kiss him. But they had a job to do right now. “Bradley. Gallinari. Ramirez. Miller. Killigan”

“There will be more that we’ve missed,” Kelly said, looking up from her notes.

“Sheesh, Kelly!” Cat complained. “Be a bit more optimistic, will you?”

“I’m realistic. Given our way of recruiting and our resources, every intel agency on Outreach will have attempted to infiltrate us,” Kelly replied.

Nastajia nodded. “Yes. However, just having identified those agents will help us keep you safer.” And Alex had grumbled about using the latest devices from Dreamland to spy on his troops! She’d so make him eat those words in private later!

“Well,” he spoke up, “we’ve got three MechWarriors and two infantry soldiers.”

“Miller is a Combat Medic,” Kelly pointed out.

“Yes, still infantry,” Alex said. “It’s not as if we use our infantry in combat anyway, so they’re mostly security and support - the ideal posting to spy on us.”

Nastajia had to agree with that as well. Both about the spies, and the infantry. Not even Nighthawk suits would protect infantry adequately against Horde Battle Armour, and the battle Armour the SLDF had developed couldn’t be taken with you with Alex’s code key. Sending them into battle would only see them killed for litlte gain.

“Or to sabotage us,” Kelly added. “Did you see how Killigan acted? He used a device before he entered the freezer - and once he did, he didn’t show any concern, unlike others. So, he was trusting his equipment to detect any surveillance. That narrows down the possible employers of his.”

“ComStar,” Cat hissed.

“Or perhaps the Dragoons,” Nastajia suggested. “If Ragnar Magnusson’s theory is correct, they would have advanced technology as well.”

“But not as good as fairy technology!” Kiwi preened. “They can’t make technology as small as we can!”

“It would explain how good their spies were in the past,” Cat said. She sighed. “I don’t know what would be worse, ComStar or the Dragoons.”

“ComStar,” Nastajia replied at once. They had tried to kill Alex before. And they were religious fanatics.

Alex nodded. “Yes. ComStar rules Terra with an iron first - and I know very well how ruthless and cruel they react to the slightest hint of resistance or dissent while playing the benevolent Order in public. The Dragoons, on the other hand, have been, well… I can’t say honourable if they were sent by the Clans, but they haven’t broken any contracts and fought without committing atrocities on the battlefield. Assassinating people doesn’t strike me as their style.”

“They might have done that, just without getting caught,” Kelly said. “We know they have troops specialised in sabotage.”

Nastajia nodded again. “You need to keep them under surveillance. 24/7.”

Alex sighed. “We’ll need trusted people to do that - we can’t do it alone. Not even with the best surveillance gear from the SLDF.”

Nastajia clenched her teeth. Alex needed her. She should be with him. Guarding him. Helping him. Or he should be with her, here in Dreamland. Ruling. Living with her. Not fighting the Clans almost by himself in the Inner Sphere.

“Finding trusted people is, as we just were shown, hard,” Cat said.

“You have the former Clan warriors, don’t you?” Felicity said, craning her neck and stretching like the cat she was. “They aren’t spies, and you know it.”

Of course the former thief would suggest that. But Felicity wasn’t the norm - she had proven her loyalty, and Nastajia trusted her with her life. And with Alex’s. But those Clans? She scoffed under her breath. Not to mention that trusting even more to them would hurt the unit’s morale once the other soldiers found out.

“They are warriors, not trained intel operatives,” Kelly pointed out. “They wouldn’t be very effective.”

“Well, we aren’t trained spies either, and we caught those spies!” Alex said, grinning.

Nastajia sighed. “Yes. But as we were shown by Killigan, reliance on superior technology will fail as soon as you encounter better technology.” At least they didn’t have to worry about enchanted gear.

“Or just a smarter and more experienced spy,” Felicity added.

“It’s still better than nothing,” Alex said.

Which was correct. Still, putting so much trust into former enemies didn’t sit well with Nastajia. Elves had long memories and knew that people could carry grudges for a long time. She had read famous stories about entire generations earning the trust of their enemies, biding their time until it was time to strike.

And she had no better solution to their problem either.

“Speaking of trust and dangers…” Felicity shifted on her seat with the kind of feline grace even an elf might envy. “What are you going to do about the conference moving from Outreach to Terra?”

Alex sighed once more. “There’s not much we can do about that. But ComStar cares about their reputation as a neutral party - and they need the Inner Sphere to beat the Clans - so I think they’ll play ball.”

“Or they plan to kill you and frame others,” Kelly said.

“Who would they frame?” Alex asked. “Any realm they use as a scapegoat would be alienated. And can they really afford that right now?”

“That presumes that the Order would act rationally,” Kelly retorted. “They’re religious fanatics. And we can’t rule out that they cooperate with the Clans. Stranger alliances have happened in the past.”

“Well, we can’t stay away from the Conference either,” Alex said. He lifted his chin slightly - he was set on that, Nastajia knew. “It’s a calculated risk, but I think we have to take it. We can help unite the Inner Sphere against the invaders. Fighting them with a battalion or a short regiment won’t ever have the same impact as a the Inner Sphere unified against the Clans.”

As much as she wanted to disagree, Nastajia couldn’t. Alex was correct. But he would be taking a great risk. Not even his enchanted body armour and the ring that detected poison were unfallible.

And, judging from the way he smiled guiltily at her, he knew it and didn’t like it either.

But it couldn’t be helped - they both had their duties.

If only she were able to leave Dreamland and join him in the Inner Sphere. As it was, she could only spend half her life with him, separated every day when he returned to where he was born.

But it was better than nothing. And once the invasion was beaten, he could return to live in Dreamland full time, as before. With her.

*****

Atreus City, Atreus III, Atreus System, Free Worlds League, December 5th, 3050

“The Command Circuit will be ready on schedule, Captain-General, according to the latest report.”

Thomas Marik - it was his name, now; he had earned it even if he hadn’t been born with it - nodded at his aide. He hadn’t had any doubt that this would be the case. The Free Worlds League - his realm - wasn’t as unified as it should be, with all the friction that added to any organisational structure covering the entire league, but preparing a command circuit was easy.

He suppressed a sigh as his aide left. Not that he actually wanted to attend the conference on Terra. His son was deathly ill and needed him - even if hearing Joshua telling about his dreams of a world where everything was perfect, the Star League still in place, and where Joshua was healthy and could play with others almost broke Thomas’s heart.

And his realm needed him. Who knew if more Clans would attack the League from the Periphery? SAFE’s last report had stressed how worried the people were. And the Anduriens were already trying to use the potential unrest to further their own ambitions again. It wasn’t the time to leave for Terra.

But ComStar and the real Thomas Marik wanted him there. And they could destroy him by merely exposing his real identity. And that would destroy his family and doom Joshua. As the son of the Captain-General, the heir of House Marik, he received the best medical treatment possible. As the son of a pretender?

He scoffed. He had to play ComStar’s game. He could only hope they wouldn’t expect something utterly unreasonable from him.

Such as offering Isis’s hand to this new pretender to the throne of the Star League, as some of the more excitable but not very far-sighted members of his court had done. As if he’d do that to her - or to his family.

For he had no doubt that if this plan actually worked, not that it would, the same people would then push for the couple’s children to replace Joshua as his heir. Or for Isis.

And Isis wasn’t his daughter, but the real Thomas Marik’s. And should she become a more useful pawn for that man, he would get rid of Thomas and his family in a heartbeat.

Sometimes - more often, lately - Thomas berated his younger self for ever agreeing to this plot.

But what was done was done. He could only try his best to deal with the current mess.

*****

Roche, Clan Space, December 10th, 3050

Darius Shaffer closed his eyes as he drank the green liquid. After swallowing the last drop, he took a deep breath. The few seconds before the drug took effect felt like an eternity, hope filling him. This time, it would work. He had seen visions before, glimpses, but never anything clear enough to see. But Clan Goliath Scorpion’s best scientists had worked to refine the formula. Improve it. This time, he would succeed. This time, he would finally reach his dreams again, like so long ago…

He let his breath out as he fell asleep…

…and he saw.

Just for a moment, but more than a glimpse. Long enough to see clearly. Long enough to remember.

The Fields of Unity. The Royal Palace in the background. The moon up in the Sky. Terra. Cradle of humanity. And yet not. Something more.

Dreamland, he whispered. So close. So real. He could almost feel the ground beneath his feet, like in the times before the training. Like…

He blinked - and was back in his room, staring at the ceiling.

And he smiled.

*****

[Daryk]

You're very welcome!  It's getting easier and easier!  :thumbsup:

[Shadow_Wraith]

Nice story update!  So a warrior from Clan US is also trying to enter Dreamland?   Looking forward to the next one.

[The Wobbly Guy]

Hmmm... Jaime Wolf may be thinking of a deal with Cameron, where the Dragoons become House Cameron troops, or something similar.

[BoyOfSummer]

Is there any hope for a continuation of the story?

I'd love to read more.

[Starfox5]

Yes. I have half of the next chapter written already, but I want to finish another fic before this due to time constraints.

[BoyOfSummer]

 

Spare time is the most precious time we have. Writing in our spare time shouldn't be a burden or obligation.

Write on your own pace. For me it is enough to know that you are planning a continuation and this fine story with the non-mad Kali and the non-megalomaniac Katherine will grow furthermore.

Thanks for the story so far.

[ckosacranoid]

Very much forgotten this story. Thanks for bringing back the dead.