Mission 5: The Gauchos' Raid

 JUNE 3037

Geoff Kenner slid open the door to the holding cell.  Briggs casually shaded her eyes against the light from the doorway.

Geoff pulled up a folding chair.  She faced him, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sure you've been counting the days," he said.  "In case you haven't, it's been three weeks."

"Sounds about right," she said.

"Three weeks without any reprisals from ComStar.  No attempts on my life, nothing.  And not a whisper of interest in you.  Certainly no demands that we release you into the Order's custody.  You know what that says to me?"

She glared at him silently.

"It says," he continued, "that they're as scared of Audrey's diary as I hoped.  Otherwise I'd be dead already.  That was the gamble I took when I betrayed you.  I decided I'd rather get it over with and die than be a tool of the people who killed my wife.  But lucky me.  They don't want to kill me even after I killed a demi-company of Com Guards and took their DropShip for salvage.  Because they know then the diary goes straight to Davion.  They must be damn scared of that diary, Briggs."

"You've bought yourself a few years at best," she said.  "We'll find another way to erase you."

He shrugged.  "A few years is more than I thought I had.  But about that 'we.'  They haven't asked for you back.  That tells me something else.  Your bosses are disappointed, Briggs.  Your operation went bad, as bad as it could have gone.  No one cares whether they get you back or not."

Her chin lifted in defiance.  "Exactly what I signed up for."

"I like your attitude."  He took out his sidearm.  "There's one thing I want from you.  Tell me how it happened.  I know you betrayed her, or you'd have died trying to protect her.  So you must have been there."

She looked down at the floor.

"It won't change what happens to you.  I don't believe in torture."

"I did it," she said.  "Two shots to the head.  Not my favorite job.  I liked her."

He nodded.  A tear escaped the corner of his eye, but he tried to keep his voice nonchalant as he raised the pistol.  "Two shots to the head."

Outside the boarding ramp of the Aces' Leopard, Geoff clasped Gideon's hand in a handshake that quickly turned into a hug.  "Sorry to see you go, LT."

"You'll have to stop calling me that," said Gideon.  "I'm off to build a company."

"Sure," said Geoff.  "Maybe I'll start calling you Vandenburg too."

 Instead of chuckling at Geoff's levity, Gideon appraised his expression.  "Are you going to be all right, Geoff?"

 They hadn't spoken about the murder of Briggs, but of course Gideon had eyes.  He knew the ROM agent had disappeared, and he must have guessed where.

 "I'll be fine," said Geoff.  "With any luck, this will be the last I hear from ROM.  Just keep that document safe, and if anything ever happens to me..."

 "Right.  Send it to Davion's intelligence secretariat."  Geoff hadn't told Gideon everything about Audrey's coded diary, figuring it was safer for him not to know.  All he knew was that it was an insurance policy against further ComStar meddling.

 Kelly Celeste was next to shake Geoff's hand.  "I suppose I'd better forgive you for keeping me in the dark about your plan, given how well it worked.  Thanks for saving the Alliance.  If only it hadn't come to nothing."

 "I can't believe Hollis is turning you down."

 She shrugged.  "Maybe ComStar got to them.  Or maybe it's just their lingering Capellan loyalties.  Either way, this is the end for the Alliance.  The Aces' security contract used up the last of my grant money, and NAIS just sent me a strongly worded HPG burst.  I'm supposed to liquidate the prototype."

 "Liquidate?"

 "Sell it for parts."

 He shook his head sadly.  "I can't stand by and watch a thing of beauty like that be stripped down for parts.  What if I offer to buy it from you in one piece?"

 "Prototypes are testy.  It's no insult to your tech team to say that I don't think they could maintain it.  I'm not sure anyone except me could do that."

 "That sounds like you're angling for a job."

 She raised an eyebrow.

 "I'm serious, Kelly.  We have lots of testy machines that need difficult maintenace.  Some Star League tech for you to play with, even.  And I wouldn't ask you to come in at the entry level.  You'd be second to our chief tech, who I expect will retire before too many more years go by."

 She nodded slowly as she thought it over.  Geoff grinned.  He could tell she was going to say yes.

MAY 3038

Out of all the Excalibur MechWarriors--except Dad, of course--Dan liked Ben Wabash the best.  Nini and John were cool too, but they felt like real adults.  Ben was more like a friend.  A good friend, who kept all his promises, like when he promised Dan a ride in his Griffin after they made it off Earth.  That had been Dan's second most favorite ride in a 'Mech, ever.

Dad knew how much Dan liked Ben, so he'd invite him to babysit for Dan when he had to go out.  Usually this meant Dad was on duty, but tonight he didn't say why he had to go.  Anyway, Dan had a good time just hanging out with Ben.

After they ate, Dan watched a little TV, but he was soon distracted by something Ben was doing.  He'd taken out a brush and a sheet of paper, and was drawing funny little patterns of curved lines.

Dan thought he recognized the shapes from a book.  "Is that Japanese?"

Ben looked up.  "That's right."

"What are you writing about?"

"Just practicing calligraphy.  Penmanship."  Ben showed him the sheet, and indeed, he'd drawn the same character repeatedly in rows.

"Where did you learn to do that?"

"At home," he said.  "I grew up in the Combine."

"No way," said Dan.

"I did!  I thought for a while about becoming a samurai.  I even trained for it a bit.  But my father was a ComStar Adept at the station on Benjamin, and when the Com Guard was formed I decided it would honor him more if I joined them."  Ben laughed, but not happily.  "I got kind of a nasty message from him after we all left the Guard.  I imagine he's still pretty mad."

That sounded sad, so Dan told him he was sorry.  Ben said it was OK, and had Dan try a few Japanese letters.  "That one's called shi."  It was tough writing with a brush.  After a few minutes Dan gave up.

But he had to ask: "What was samurai training like?"

"A lot of writing," said Ben.  He pointed at the sheet of calligraphy.  "Like this.  My master told me that writing and swordsmanship share many principles in common, so that the sword can't be mastered without first mastering calligraphy.  I've found that to be true."

"You know how to sword fight?"

"Yes, but not like what you're learning from Colonel Taggart.  I learned kendo, Japanese-style fencing."

"Can you teach me?"

Ben thought for a moment.  Then he said, "How about this.  You have to master writing first, like I did, before I'll teach you the sword.  Once you've learned calligraphy, then I'll teach you kendo."

Dan agreed.

"General," said Geoff, "I don't understand why none of my officers can join us."

General Wilcox stopped in mid-stride.  "You haven't told them about this meeting, have you?"

"No, ma'am.  I follow orders."

"Good," she said.  "Keep it up another couple minutes and you'll see why you had to come alone."

She led him into a bunker, past AFFS guards.  A nondescript escort, wearing no uniform, took them to a windowless conference room.  Inside was a single man, already seated at the far end of the conference table.

"Colonel," said Wilcox, motioning him to sit.  So did she.

All three were silent for a moment.  Then Geoff said, "You're Quintus Allard."

"Glad to meet you, Colonel Kenner."  Allard slid a sheet of paper across the table.  "These orders explain the strict confidentiality of our meeting here.  Please read them and sign before we go on."

Allard and Wilcox watched while Geoff signed, essentially promising never to discuss their meeting with anyone below a stratospherically high level of clearance--including his own officers and troops.

When he was done, Allard sealed the letter in an envelope.  "So," he said.  "You were in the Com Guard, Colonel?"

"Yes, sir."

"Adept XI-Epsilon, is that right?  Are you the highest-ranking officer to have deserted the Guards and Militia?"

"Yes, sir.  To my knowledge."  He had a bad feeling that this line of questioning would continue in directions he could not safely pursue.

"To mine as well.  And your departure was essentially an act of mutiny?"

Geoff felt a twinge of fear that threatened to become panic.  A line had been crossed. "I'm not prepared to discuss the details of my departure from ComStar."

"We know some of the details already."

"Perhaps you could tell me what you know, sir."

"Jesus, Kenner," said Wilcox.

But Allard held up a hand.  "It's all right, Leftenant General.  Kenner, this is what we know.  March 8, 3036, your wife Audrey Kenner is taken into custody by ROM, later to be executed.  That same night, your subordinate Acolyte Benjamin Wabash shoots to death a ROM operative whose apparent mission was to assassinate you.  Elements of your Level III unit then engage other ComGuard forces in a firefight at the Savannah, Georgia spaceport.  At some point your Overlord DropShip presumably signals an Invader-class JumpShip, CSS Naples, keeping station at the system's nadir jump point.  By the time your Overlord lifts off, Naples has jumped from the nadir point to Earth's nearest known pirate point.  Then, using a lithium-fusion battery--" Allard raised an eyebrow, "--or so we must presume, Naples jumps to New Earth."

"All of that is correct," said Geoff.

"Given the intricacies of this escape plan, we must conclude that it was put into motion well in advance."

"That would be a reasonable thing to conclude."

"Indeed," said Allard, recognizing Geoff's veiled affirmation.  "But we still have no answers to the 'why' questions of the case.  What reason did ROM have for wanting you dead?  How did you know it was coming?"

Geoff looked from Allard to Wilcox and back.  "My lord, I'm not going to be able to carry on this conversation."

"Why?"

"I believe that my silence concerning these matters is the only thing preventing another attempt on my life."

Allard watched him for a moment.  "General Wilcox is your superior officer.  If she were to order you to reply to my question, what would be your response?"

"I'd be forced to resign and turn the Excaliburs over to Lieutenant Colonel Taggart."

"No one wants that."

"No, sir."

"Kenner, I'm willing to respect your wishes in this matter if you'll cooperate in a venture I consider rather more important.  You still deploy a certain amount of Com Guard-standard equipment, including a few weapons the Great Houses are no longer able to repair or manufacture.  What if I were to offer you a good price for a single Gauss cannon, an extended-range particle cannon and a Streak missile system from your reserve of spare parts?"

"Those parts are priceless, and we only have so many.  Once they're used up, we won't be able to replace losses."

"I fully understand.  How does two hundred million kroner sound?  Or C-bills, if you prefer."  He chuckled at Kenner's expression.  "NAIS is at work on re-engineering these weapons.  A few functioning models would be invaluable to that effort."

"In that case," said Geoff, "if I may add one other condition..."

"Go ahead."

"I have a nine-year-old son.  He talks about wanting to be a MechWarrior, but we'll see.  Anyway, whatever path he chooses, a NAIS education would be quite an opportunity for him."

"He'll have to pass entrance exams like any other student," said Allard.  "But very well.  He'll be given the same opportunity as a noble-born applicant.  Tuition-free, if he's admitted."

After another warning about the confidentiality of it all, Wilcox's escort dropped Geoff off at the Excaliburs' base.  He went to his apartment to check on Dan.  Ben had agreed to watch him, and was asleep on the couch, Dan's little plastic toy 'Mechs littered on the floor in front of him.  Geoff roused him and told him he could go.

The boy was sleeping calmly--motherless, with no real home, but still inexplicably okay.  How he pulled it off, Geoff could scarcely understand.  He went to his own room for a moment, dug around in an old box and found what he was looking for.  Then he stole quietly down the hall to the rec room.

The cabinet behind the bar opened with his key.  Geoff took a bottle of whatever scotch they made on Corey--Glencorey, they probably called it--and went to the fridge for some ice.

Quintus Allard had given him a great gift tonight, and promised another one for his son, but despite all that Geoff found himself despising the man.  Allard acted as if it was all his business; that was why.  Audrey's capture and death, the details and the reasons.  Allard thought he had some right to those things, to the most pivotal and terrible moments of Geoff's life.  She's still mine, thought Geoff.

He took out the thing he'd gotten from his room.  Audrey's little gold chain, with a cross on the end.  She used to wear it more often, when he first knew her.  Used to say she felt so lucky, to live on Earth among all the old cathedrals.  After Dan was born, something changed.

This is what we know.  March 8, 3036, your wife Audrey Kenner was taken into custody by ROM, later to be executed.  Bastard.

He heard a sound from the other end of the bar--someone else getting a glass.  He looked and saw that it was Nini.  She came up beside him and poured herself a glass of Glencorey or whatever, neat.

"Can I join you?" she said.  "If it's private time, I can take this to my room."

"Sit down," he said.

She noticed the cross.  "Haven't seen that in a long time.  She used to always wear it."

He twirled it around a finger.  "She kind of gave up on it, I guess.  Don't know why I took it, when so much else got left behind."

"Dan sleeping?"

"Yeah."

"Jake too, finally.  He was quite the little prick today."  She took a drink.  "Don't look at me that way.  I know Dan's a perfect little man, but you know what, he still has his dad.  Male role models matter."

Geoff held up Audrey's cross.  "I don't know.  I think she would've done a better job on her own than I am.  And he wouldn't have to worry about losing his remaining parent."

"We're rich already, Geoff, if you count how much we could sell the 'Mechs for.  You could retire tomorrow."

"How long do you think it would be, then, before ROM came for us?"

"Not very long.  But is that the only reason you keep it up?"

He shook his head no.  "Dan's already caught it from me.  I try to tell him, there are other things he can do with his life.  It's like he can't even hear me."

"Jake's just the same.  You think they'll be lancemates some day?"

"I hope at least one of them can break free and have a real life."

"We can have real lives," she said.  "We do."

He held Audrey's cross above his glass and let go of it.  Then he turned around in his seat and kissed her.  For a moment he couldn't believe he'd done it, but even in that moment he had no regrets.

"Hey," she said.  "Let's wait and talk this over tomorrow, OK?"

"Why?"

"First, you're in a weird mood and you've had a few drinks.  Second, you brought that cross here for a reason.  You don't just get to drop it in a glass and say you're over losing her."

"Do I have to be over her?  Is that the rule?"

She stood up.  "Get some rest, Geoff."  She kissed him back, quickly, then left.

He took the cross out of his glass, held it in front of him with his hands clasped around the chain.  Closing his eyes, he thought perhaps he felt something.

SEPTEMBER 3039

"Are we going to be brothers now?" said Dan.

"They call it being stepbrothers," said Jake Khumalo.  He extended his foil and lunged at the target on the wall.

"But you guys will live with us?"

"Yeah."  Jake lowered his sword and turned around.  "Were you going to practice, Dan?  Colonel Taggart wanted us to practice."

"In a minute.  I just--"  Dan didn't really know how to say what was bothering him.  "Are you worried about living with my dad?"

Jake's face took on a serious look.  "No.  He's the colonel.  He'll take good care of us, and I'll get to see how he runs the regiment.  I've always wanted to."

"Oh yeah?"  What Jake had said made Dan feel a little childish.

"Maybe then, when you're the colonel, I can be the lieutenant colonel.  Wouldn't that be cool?"

"Why would I be the colonel?"

Jake shrugged.  "Your dad's the colonel."

That night, he asked Dad if Jake was right about that.

"It's not a noble title that gets passed down," said Dad.  "Not like the First Prince.  "But Nini, John and I together own a controlling share of the unit.  The common property, like all the 'Mechs that aren't owned by their warriors, that belongs to us.  So together we get to choose who commands.  Anyway, you'll inherit my part of that, and I suppose Jake will take Nini's.  So when you two grow up, you'll have to decide together who will be colonel."

That sounded a bit more fair, but it still seemed kind of weird.  How were he and Jake supposed to decide?  Flip a coin?

The troops were getting ready to leave on some kind of raid.  Everyone was busy, especially Dad.  Ben found the time to meet with Dan, though, for their calligraphy practice.  Dan had been practicing for months, but today he was supposed to clear his mind and not think about that.  His master gave him a pen and a single sheet of paper.  One by one, spacing them evenly, Dan wrote out the forty-eight letters of the hiragana alphabet.  When it was done, he knew it wasn't perfect, but it was the best he'd ever done.

Ben looked at the sheet, then at Dan.  "Very good, Daniel-san."  He always smiled when he called Dan that, as if it were a joke, but Dan never saw what was funny.  He continued, "You are ready to begin your study of the sword."

Dan grinned, bowed to Ben, asked his permission to leave, then jumped up in the air and ran to tell Dad.

DROPSHIP LANCELOT

CAPELLA SYSTEM

OCTOBER 3039

Joe Garcia shook his head.  "These regiment-sized raids can be a mess.  Send us in alone, sir.  We'll get the job done."

Geoff sighed.  "I tend to agree with you, Joe, but our orders are quite specific.  We've got to take on the Blandford's Grenadiers head on.  The good news is, they're at sixty percent strength after the Ninth Marik Militia struck here a couple of months ago."

Garcia noticed Geoff's half-hearted tone.  "But that's also the bad news, isn't it?"

"Yes.  The CCAF won't leave the defense of their most strategically important planet to half a regiment.  They'll have relief troops ready at hand."

"So we have no idea what we'll actually be facing down there?"

"Not if we get bogged down," said Geoff.  "Our best chance is to get out before their reinforcements can make it in.  That means we need to do a lot of damage quickly, which is your specialty.  I'm detaching the Gauchos from the regiment.  Our main body will hit the Ceres complex, but I don't expect to get very far with that.  We won't commit fully.  You'll do the real work by destroying the cargo ships they're loading at this dropport here."  He lit up the port on the strategic map.  "That's enough real damage that we'll be able to declare mission accomplished and get out of here before whatever killer regiment they have on standby has time to drop in."

"It's a sound plan," said Garcia.

Geoff looked him up and down.  "This will be your first action against your old Liao employers.  How do your troops feel about that?"

"To be honest, I think they're excited.  We switched sides for a reason.  If we were going against the Mac, it might be different, but they're off attacking the Capellan March."

Geoff nodded.  "That's why we're here."  Prince Davion had decided the Armored Cavalry's attack on Kathil could not go unanswered.  A series of punitive raids had been launched along the Capellan border.  Geoff was glad they wouldn't have to face the Mac.  Word had it that McCarron and his officers held the Excaliburs responsible for the Gauchos' mutiny.  Geoff doubted they'd offer any quarter in combat.

SCENARIO 5: THE GAUCHOS' RAID

PLAYER: Excaliburs

ENEMY: LiaoMilitia

Garcia's Gaucho Company breaks off from the main Excalibur force to hit enemy cargo DropShips at a lightly-defended dropport.

OBJECTIVE: Destroy all enemy DropShips, then retreat off the map.  Garcia's Grasshopper must survive.