Chapter 2
The Hall of Khans
Strana Mechty, Clan Space
30 October 2015 S.E.C.
19 August 3058 I.S.C.
The meeting place of the Khans was deceptively small, yet it's lack of size took nothing from it's grandeur and ability to intimidate visitors. The granite and slate walls and structure cast a dark shadow on the room and made it deeply foreboding. Only the lack of attending Khans robbed from the room's majestic feel. Twenty-two Khans, of the remaining Home Clans, were in their places within the room. A pair of black-clad Elementals stood in positions to each side of the visiting Reinhard von Krager, who was adorned in his dress uniform, and another pair stood at positions around Russou Howell. Video screens linked the Khans of the Wolves, Ghost Bears, Diamond Sharks, Jade Falcons, Nova Cats, Steel Vipers, and Smoke Jaguars to the meeting, as well as the Loremaster of the Council, Kael Pershaw. "This meeting will now come to order," Pershaw stated from his viewscreen, which was located between the screens displaying Marthe Pryde and Samantha Clees. "The Smoke Jaguars have asked for an emergency Kurultai."
"This is highly irregular, Khan Osis," Malavai Fletcher stated, "what is so important that it cannot wait until you and the other Khans return from the Inner Sphere?"
Lincoln Osis's rumbling voice replied, "It is best if I allow Russou Howell to explain. Galaxy Commander?"
"Yes, my Khan," Howell agreed. He stepped up in front of the other Khans and nodded at an awaiting aid to the Loremaster to punch up data. The officer did so, bringing up a long-distance holomap that showed Clan space at the top and the Coreward section of the Inner Sphere at the bottom. A line was drawn between Huntress and a general area on the border of the Jade Falcon OZ and the new Lyran Alliance. "I have been honored to have made the greatest discovery in our history," he announced proudly to the Grand Council. "On the first of this month, my DropShip Bloodthirst was on it's way to rendezvous with a JumpShip that would bring us here, for us to begin troop rotation between our enclaves on Strana Mechty and Huntress. While en route to the JumpShip's position we came across what can only be described as a portal. A portal in space that brought us to another universe, an alternate universe. More importantly, the world we spotted upon exit was sacred Terra itself. We did not know the truth of our discovery until we realized that there were no orbital stations, no shipyards on Titan, or even the cities on the surfaces of Mars and Venus that we knew from the past. The level of technology we ascertained from their space satellites led us to realize that technologically they are no further than the early 21st Century. Finally, we intercepted satellite communications from an organization that is represented today by this man," Howell pointed his hand to where von Krager was standing, "Field Marshall Reinhard von Krager of the United Nations Military."
By now, the assembled Khans had begun whispering to each other. Amazement, shock, every likely emotion from such a revelation was present on the faces of the assembled, hidden beneath their ceremonial masks. Howell was quick to realize that this was not universally true. The Khans of the Nova Cat Clans, older than any present, merely looked at each other and nodded solemnly. They must have had some hallucination that vaguely fits my findings, he dismissed them with in his mind. Fools, always looking to visions for guidance. True warriors guide themselves.
"And this is why you wasted our time by calling a Grand Kurultai?"
"Allow me to finish, Khan Taney," Howell asked contemptuously, silencing the lanky aerospace pilot with a glare. "When we entered the system and began burning toward this new Terra, we discovered a Wolf Clan DropShip in orbit. We checked it's ID through our database. The ship was one of the vessels taken by Phelan Kell into the Inner Sphere with the other traitor Wolves." Howell went to pause but when he noticed a couple mouths begin to move, he quickly resumed. "And, just before I jumped out from Huntress, I received a signal from my aide Ratache Osis, whom I had left on the new Terra. His Star was engaged by two Stars from Phelan Kell's Command Trinary and he was forced to accept hegira to prevent his destruction. The traitor Wolves and their false-Khan have already begun their own movement onto this world."
At that moment, everything became clear to the assembled Khans. Stuttering from his disbelief, Taney stated, "This... this is a shortcut to the Inner Sphere? We must have it then! We cannot allow the enemy to have this gateway!" The eagerness in his eyes betrayed his own thoughts on the potential of this new bridge. With it, the Home Clans could finally join the Invasion, something that was obviously in Taney's mind for his own Clan. "We will take control of this world and prepare for a second opening to the invasion of the Inner Sphere!"
"It is humorous to me, Khan Taney," Vlad Ward cut in, "that you would pit your Clan into battle so soon, when it has not yet been tried against our enemy, nor does it have any information on the state of the world it would have to take first."
"Our Clan needs no preparation, we are ready to fight now," Taney rebutted. "And if this world is truly as inferior as Galaxy Commander Howell says, we will easily occupy them.
"No, the Wolf is correct," Lincoln Osis rumbled. "We need to know more about the enemy before we move in. And as recent battles on that world showed, even their weapons could harm us, and their numbers would swamp us. It may be advisable to..."
"Khan Osis, may I speak?"
The heads of all the Khans turned toward von Krager, who showed no emotion on his face at his interruption. "Howell, silence your freeborn guest," Karianna Schmitt demanded. "He cannot speak until he is bidden."
Howell and Osis exchanged glances, and after a moment Osis nodded. "Your guest may speak, Galaxy Commander."
"Danke, Khan Osis." Von Krager cleared his throat and stepped up in front of the other Khans, not betraying a hint of whatever intimidation he may have felt. "Galaxy Commander Howell tells me that you are crusading to reunite the fallen Star League, much as our armies are crusading to unite our planet. Our enemies both desire to resist our attempts at re-establishing unity. Therefore, we have a common goal and a common foe. I suggest we act together to further our missions of unity. We will supply you with aid, and troops, to defeat our enemies, and then to aid you against yours."
"You have no BattleMechs, nor battlesuits," Asa Taney responded, "you could not possibly aid us. No, it is better if you simply stand aside and allow us to deal with the situation."
"Do not be a fool, Khan Taney." The heads of the assembled Khans turned toward Cassius N'Buta. "It will take tremendous resources for us to suppress enemy forces on this planet and hold such territories from the Inner Sphere. I would suggest we take a different approach."
"And what approach would that be, Khan N'Buta?", Marthe Pryde asked of him.
"Your soldiers, Feldmarschall, can be trained in the use of our war machines," Khan N'Buta answered, looking at von Krager. "The Star Adder Clan would like to put forward a motion that all Clans donate 'Mech material and trainers to help the forces of this UN master the use of BattleMechs, and for the relocation or building of production facilities in their territories. This will provide our industrial base with the needed boost so it can be ready to power a full invasion of the Inner Sphere. And, by training their forces in the use of BattleMechs, we could secure a sizable allied force to aid us in the Crusade."
"You would allow freebirth warriors to pilot our BattleMechs, Khan N'Buta?", Osis rumbled with more than a hint of disapproval.
"I am aware of the Smoke Jaguar distaste for freeborn warriors, Khan Osis," N'Buta stated impatiently, "but practicality must be our guide if we wish to restore the Star League. Trained properly, the people on this world can be of great asset to us. We must not squander that."
"Khan N'Buta has a good point," another snake-masked Khan, this one on a video screen, agreed. "Just because they are freeborn does not mean that they cannot fight. And every one of their warriors who falls is a Clan warrior who does not. The Steel Vipers second the Star Adder motion."
"Very well." Kael Pershaw inputted something on his noteputer with his mechanical hand.. "All for the motion?"
At first no one responded. After a moment of speaking with each other, Lincoln Osis and Benjamin Howell voted against it. Cassius N'Buta and Tabitha Paik retorted with their own votes in favor of. The Steel Vipers agreed with them, as did the Khans of the Wolves, Ice Hellions, and Hell's Horses. When it was all said and done, there were six nay votes against twenty five aye votes. The Khans of the Snow Ravens and one Cloud Cobra Khan, Din Steiner, had abstained. Kael Pershaw banged a small gavel on his desk. "Very well," he stated wearily, "the motion carries. Are there any challenges?"
For a moment, Lincoln Osis's mouth hung open, but he did not state anything. "There are no calls for a Trial of Refusal?", Pershaw persisted in asking.
"None, Loremaster," Osis answered. "We will respect the Grand Council's decision, and even give some aid in it. However, we move that until an ilKhan is elected, we only begin preparations for actual troop movements onto this world. Individual Clans may, of course, choose to send troops and surplus 'Mechs to begin training, but a concentrated effort can only come with an ilKhan leading us."
"I second his motion," Ian Hawker added.
The vote went through and was approved unanimously. "Then, today's business is concluded?"
"Aff."
Pershaw nodded and pounded the gavel again. "We are dismissed."
The empty office for the Khan of the Smoke Jaguars was spartan, with only a desk and some chairs to go with the inbuilt holovid monitor in the wall. That monitor was inactive, leaving the room silent until von Krager and Howell entered. Howell silently shut the door behind him while von Krager placed a package on the desk. "You were right, Russou," von Krager stated happily. "They did go along with it."
"Aff, I knew they would," Howell answered while walking up.
"Will your Khans be angry that your actions have forced them into something they are obviously uncomfortable with?"
"Lincoln Osis is more concerned with a bid for ilKhan," Howell answered, "and will not pose us a threat politically. Not with actions in your favor being so strongly supported by the Clans as a whole. Besides, he knows that while they are busy fighting with the Inner Sphere at the opening of the rifts, we will have a clear path to Terra. The Wolves and the other Invading Clans have been weakened and the Ghost Bears have suddenly showed a lack of stomach for the Crusader cause, so their renewal of the invasion will be prolonged and restrained."
"So, we are your diversion." Von Krager smiled widely and pulled a couple of bottles out of a bag. "Would you like a glass of some fine Bavarian beer?"
Howell waved him off. "I cannot, I will have a staff meeting for my Galaxy command in a few hours and I must remain sober."
"Ah, very well, then this should do you good." Von Krager took out another pair of bottles filled with an orange drink from the package. "A strong drink, but without the nasty side effects of alcohol." He handed one to Howell. "I have taken a liking to it in the past few years, especially after we occupied Scotland, where it is manufactured."
Howell read the writing on the blue paper around the bottle and tried to pronounce the name in large letters. "'Urn Brew'?"
"Actually, I believe the pronunciation is closer to 'Iron Brew', but I would not worry too much on the attempt. Only the Scots can actually pronounce it!" Von Krager chuckled for a moment while Howell twisted the cap and apprehensively put the liquid in his mouth. He seemed to shudder for a moment, as if to adjust to the strength of the taste, while von Krager continued on. "They scorned me in there. Not because they know me personally and detest me, but because I am not born from one of your iron wombs and from the genes of your past warriors."
"Yes, a dislike of freebirths in positions such as yours can be quite strong within the Clans," Howell replied before taking another drink. When he quickly swallowed it, he added, "Especially my Clan."
"And you? What do you think of me? Am I deserving of your scorn?"
"I would say not," Howell replied. "You have the eye of a warrior, of a leader, and I respect that. Fighting the Inner Sphere has shown me that freebirths can be good warriors. Rarely as good as we, but they can get there. Now, I would like to know everything."
Von Krager finally took a drink from his own bottle of orange liquid. "Know everything, Russou?"
"Everything, Reinhard." Howell put his drink down and leveled a gaze at von Krager. "For the past ten days I have explained to you the intricacies of Clan society, and our history as the true descendants and heirs of the Star League. Now, I wish to know where you stand. What your society's goals are."
"I believe Chairman Giuseppe answered those questions," von Krager answered candidly before beginning to drink again.
Howell guffawed. Loudly. "Giuseppe is a madman and we both know that! The man has no grasp on reality!"
Von Krager swallowed and began to laugh. "You are correct. Armand is quite mad. But that madness only needs direction. Direction I provide. You see, I was with Armand since the beginning, since before the war when he began his crusade. Unfortunately, after becoming Secretary-General of the UN, the stresses got to be too much for Armand. And when the Russians went to war with us, well, that was the breaking point for Armand's mind. He lost himself after that, and to keep his dream alive I was forced to take some measures."
He was answered by a nod from the Clan officer. "I see. You know, you are in a position to remove Giuseppe, if you so desired. Has the thought ever crossed your mind?"
Von Krager raised an eyebrow. "As in, have him killed in a coup?"
"I believe that is one of the ways it can be expressed, yes."
Without any hint of emotion von Krager took another drink. After swishing it around in his mouth, he began speaking again. "Admittedly," he began, "I have realized the dangers of having Armand's mental state in such a precarious position. When his daughter Antonia was assassinated I even considered asking him to take a leave of absence to cope with his grief, but I have realized that it is Armand who has the cult of personality built around him. He is our century's version of Benito Mussolini, or Winston Churchill, in that he is a fiery speaker and is able to inspire the people of our world with his words and his strength of will. I have no such cult. So I am left in his shadow, helping to ensure his energies are properly directed."
Howell took a drink and considered von Krager's answer. "And, what do you think of an alliance between the Clans and your government? We help you take control, you provide us with workers for our industries and allow us to garrison your world. Perhaps even ask for your soldiers to join ours in furthering the Crusade to reclaim the Inner Sphere."
"I believe the saying is, 'You scratch my back, I scratch yours.'"
"That is good." Howell met von Krager in the eye. "Very good. Now, you mentioned some of the things in the past, about Chairman Giuseppe's daughter and the beginning of your war, and I would be interested in knowing more detail so I can report it to my Khan."
"I will gladly fill you in, Russou." Von Krager grinned. "Most gladly."
Grand Ballroom, Royal Court
The Triad
Tharkad City, Tharkad
District of Donegal, Lyran Alliance
14 December 2015 S.E.C.
3 October 3058 I.S.C.
The Grand Ballroom of the Triad's Royal Court, the seat of Lyran power, had been converted into a massive conference chamber. Tables were assembled for each of the assembled Inner Sphere realms, as well as ComStar, and every leader of the Inner Sphere was present for the first time since the marriage of Hanse Davion and Melissa Steiner, the wedding that had begun the 4th Succession War. But the spirit here was different than the last occasion. Each leader knew why they had been assembled, namely, the overwhelming Clan threat. And they knew what had to be done.
However, none had expected the news they had been greeted with.
The leaders were organized into groups arranged by table. The tables were arranged as an octagon that had a podium and dais at the head of it for the speaker. The speaker's back was to the stairs that led to the stairway exit of the ballroom. In the middle of the octagon was a circle of holographic projection plates for the attendees to view. From the podium's left to right, the tables were arranged first with the joint ComStar-Rasalhague table where Haakon Magnusson was seated. Magnusson's presence was more courtesy than necessity, the vast majority of his Rasalhague Republic had been conquered by the Wolf and Ghost Bear Clans during the Invasion, and it's political survival was merely because of ComStar's intervention at Tukkayid. His nation's destruction showed on Magnusson's features, an expression of perpetual fatigue on his face.
Victor Steiner-Davion's Federated Commonwealth was next, where Victor was seated with Morgan Hasek-Davion and Jerry Cranston. Victor had a great stature in politics as the leader of a Successor State, but in physical stature he was not quite as impressive. While certainly healthy and athletic, he also had inherited some unknown dwarf genes in his respective families that had left him at just about five foot three in height, or just over 1.6 meters as he tended to refer to it to. His lack of height brought much amusement to some of his friends and foes, and it's fair share of Napoleon remarks. The blue-gray eyes he had inherited from his father's side, while the blond hair was something he had gotten from his mother. Flanking him, his cousin Marshal of the Armies Morgan Hasek-Davion had the standard Davion red hair, which was long and worn in the Hasek style over the back of his uniform. Jerry Cranston kept a solid eye on the podium, not looking in the direction of the Lyran table, and took a moment to brush his hand on the bushy blond beard that hung from his chin.
The next table was for the St. Ives Compact. Seated there was Duchess Candace Liao, a woman of advanced age who still managed to give an appearance of power with her cold eyes. With her sat her eldest son and heir, and the arguably best MechWarrior in the Inner Sphere, Kai Allard-Liao. Almond-shaped gray eyes and dark hair were the trademark features on his face, less obvious being the somewhat wide and lightly pointed nose. Sitting with them were the Kells, due to the generosity of Candace through Victor's request. Phelan had in his hand the original print compact disc that Andrews had given Morgan at the launch pad back on "Scorched Earth", as it had come to be called, and looked at it warily. They had viewed it at Arc-Royal before coming and knew just what Andrews had meant when he had told them that it was "proof" of the evil in Giuseppe's regime. Aside from Morgan and Phelan, only Ranna, Dan Allard, and Marco Hall had seen the video on it. It had not only sickened them beyond belief, it had also removed any apprehension toward fighting on the world.
The table to their left was directly across the octagon from the dais and podium, and seated the Lyran contingent. Phelan found it difficult to hide his displeasure with the lead occupant, Archon Katherine Steiner-Davion, or "Katrina Steiner" as she was going by. She was the second of the Steiner-Davion line, born two years after Victor, and not cursed with the same genes that had made him short. Long golden-blond hair flowed down to her shoulders. Physically she was not a soldier, but she was a healthy young female of twenty six years, and held a significant amount of physical attraction in her figure. The people of the Lyran Alliance adored her as the "virgin princess", a reputation she had fought to uphold, as well as a peacekeeper. What few of them realized was that underneath her gentle and charming external self was a meglomaniac totally devoted to one thing: her own personal power. Katherine Steiner-Davion wanted nothing less than to be the most powerful person in mankind's history, to have absolute control over every single human being in existance. Her ambition knew no limits and boundaries. In her time she had betrayed her brother, attempted to ally with the Smoke Jaguars before aligning herself with Vladimir Ward and his Crusader Wolves, and above all, had helped the late Ryan Steiner pay for the assassination of her own mother Melissa, an act that had been blamed not on her but on the more obvious beneficiary, Victor, and had claimed the life of Salome Ward Kell, Morgan's wife and Phelan's mother. Katrina had, sadly, inherited her mother's beauty and charm and her father's ambition and drive, but none of their personal virtues. Her ego matched her meglomania, as was shown by the fact that two pinpoint lights had been erected over her specifically to highlight her, as if to create the illusion that she was an enlightened woman.
On her left sat the Free Worlds League delegation, headed by Thomas Marik, and his eldest child, Isis. Thomas had aged well, although scarring on his face told of the assassination attempt of 3035 that killed his brother Duggan and his father Janos. Thomas was perhaps the most respected and effective Marik leader in over a century, and the irony was he was not even a Marik, but a ComStar-planted double. Only a scant few knew the truth, namely Victor, Jerry, and Victor's security head Curaitis, the truth being discovered thanks to genetic tests run at the NAIS that compared Isis Marik's DNA to that of the late Joshua Marik. It was a trump card Victor was holding. One he hoped would not have to be played. As it stood, Thomas Marik may have struck at the Federated Commonwealth and set it's split into motion, but he was also the leader of the one Inner Sphere industrial powerhouse untouched by war in the recent decades, and League stability would be essential to the successful prosecution of the war against the Clans. Isis, who had for some reason chosen to sit with her father and not her fiancé, was five years Victor's junior, merely twenty three years of age, with chestnut-colored hair and shining brown eyes. Isis was somewhat of a enigma on her own, always in the shadow of her father or her fiancé Sun-Tzu. She was definitely beautiful in the European sense of the word, with a slender figure and pleasing appearance.
Next came the Draconis Combine's table. Coordinator Theodore Kurita, the leader of the Draconis Combine, sat between his son and heir Hohiro on the right and his advisor Narimasa Asano on the left. In the first row of seats behind and slightly above the central octagon, Theodore's only daughter Omi was seated. Her shining blue eyes, a byproduct of some Scandanavian genes in the Kuritan line, were looking nowhere in particular, yet still seemed to shine happily in Victor's mind. The slight trace of a smile appeared on her face as she appeared to make a momentary glance in his direction. Their relationship was something that was loved among scandalvids and tabloid news. And there was some truth to it. They had met on Outreach in 3051 for the meeting between Inner Sphere lords on the Clan invasion. It had literally been love at first sight; a romance reminiscient of star-crossed lovers throughout history in the grand tradition of Romeo and Juliet. And like the Montagues and Capulets of that Shakespearan tragedy, their families were hated rivals who had fought over their respective borders for centuries. The Draconis March of the Federated Suns, from which Victor's Davion heritage hailed and his only remaining seat of power, had particular hatred of the Kuritas, due to centuries of bloodshed. They were merely one obstacle that stood between Victor and Omi having any serious relationship. The only passion they had been able to share was a single kiss, on Arc-Royal three years before, and while both were certainly desiring more, their respective duties prevented such a tryst.
The final table was occupied by the delegation from the Capellan Confederation, Sun-Tzu Liao and Wu Kang Kuo, the commander of the Harloc Raiders and the only Capellan unit thus far to have been faced with combat against the Clans. Sun-Tzu was more intelligent and clever than he let on, playing the village idiot of the Successor States well to hide his keen intellect and quick mind. He had set up the perfect marriage to Isis Marik, so as to counter the now-fractured Federated Commonwealth, and had struck gold with his plan to make Thomas think his son Joshua was a double, having never imagined that Victor had actually done such a switch. Xin Sheng was the key phrase for his "new" Capellan Confederation, previously broken, and on the rebound with the recovery of large swaths of territory in the former Sarna and Tikonov Marches of the Federated Commonwealth.
From his position as the unofficial "chairman" of the meeting, ComStar's Precentor-Martial Anastasius Focht led the proceedings from the podium. Focht, the hero of Tukkayid, who had defeated the Clan war machine in the most brutal combat since Kerensky's return to Terra nearly three centuries before. Focht's gray hair was long, draped over his shoulders, and testament to his age. His right eye had been lost in a battle wound long ago and was covered by a patch. Despite his advanced age Focht showed no fatigue in his stance; his spine was perfectly rigid and kept him in a stern posture.
Originally the order of business would simply be discussing a join operation against the Clans, but the discovery by the Kells had changed things drastically. Victor and Focht had already known about the rifts and the threat they had created, as had Hohiro and Kai, seated beside their respective parents. The other Inner Sphere leaders took the news with a mix of shock and disbelief. The situation had been altered terribly. The shortcut from the Clan Homeworlds to the Inner Sphere was an ominous threat, threatening them all with destruction. No longer could the Clans' long supply lines from their homeworlds be expected to keep them slow. Now they had a base from which the power a full-scale invasion that would surpass the original invasion in applied manpower, and introduce multiple Clans into the fray at once. "Duke Kell," Focht said from his standing position, "what is the current status of operations now on this alternate Terra?"
"My son's Wolves have deployed three Clusters to North America, to act as deterrent for the Smoke Jaguars and to prevent the UN from advancing any farther," Morgan answered. "I have arranged for some of the Kell Hounds' best training equipment to be transferred to training facilities on the world, likely three in North America, one in Australia, and if we can arrange it, one in the British Loch Ness underwater base to aid the British Resistance should they gain access to BattleMechs."
"And the Clans?", Victor asked from his seat.
"The Smoke Jaguars have sent a couple of Clusters, but no other Clan has arrived yet in force," Phelan replied for his father. "We have tracked some transport DropShips making the transit from what we assume to be Huntress to Scorched Earth."
"Scorched Earth, Khan Kell?". Theodore Kurita's expression became quizzical.
"A name that my Wolves have given the world." Phelan swallowed. "Every continent save for South America has been touched by war. Several cities in China, Russia, and Asia have been destroyed or depopulated by nuclear weapons. This tally includes major population centers in New York City and around Beijing. Casualty estimates are approaching seven hundred million, and that is an inaccurate tally by the United States of America based on available intel."
A rumble filled the room. It was not the actual number that caused so much shock and noise, since the first two Succession Wars had each killed more, but the fact that all of this had happened on one planet, and in the short space of just four years opposed to the seventy years of the first two Succession Wars, was cause for tremendous horror. The slaughter it provoked in their minds was something that no one present could bring themselves to comprehend, and thus most immediately dismissed the figure, likely as propaganda. "What would you have us do for this world, Duke Kell?", Thomas Marik asked. "And how will this effect our own operations against the Clans?"
"That cannot be certain, Captain-General, until we decide upon a target for our forces," Morgan answered. "But as for Scorched Earth, I believe that it is in our best interests, and the best interest of our humanity, to give them aid. To give them BattleMechs, trainers to train them in using them, and the equipment to train with as well as apply on the battlefield. Also, we should send as much equipment as possible to ascertain which members of their population are capable of using BattleMechs."
Theodore Kurita lifted his hand, indicating he wished to speak. "How?"
"Using neurohelmets connected to simulation computers to detect the neurological capabilities of the person the helmet is attached to," Morgan replied. "It will enable us to determine those who are most able to pilot a BattleMech effectively, and we will arrange for them to receive actual training."
"What kind of training, Duke Kell?", Candace Liao asked. "Aside from the Training Battalions deployed by the Davion military, it takes years for us to train our MechWarriors. These people do not have three years."
"I know, Duchess," Morgan answered. "However, to teach them the basics of BattleMech combat, it would take a mere three months, perhaps as quickly as a month."
Morgan Hasek-Davion's head snapped up. "Duke Kell, you would ask these people to face some of the best MechWarriors the Clans have to offer with only three months or less of BattleMech training?"
"If we had another choice, Duke Hasek-Davion, we would take it," Morgan answered. "But the Clans must be beaten here, and they must be held in check on Scorched Earth, if not driven off the planet entirely. The free people of this world are already desperately fighting to hold what they have, they are already painfully aware of the sacrifices that must be made. I have read the reports, watched combat footage, these people have fighting spirit that would rival or exceed any of our soldiers. They are not fighting for their dukes or their Houses. They are fighting for their homes, their families, their very way of life." Morgan swallowed. "I have fought for most of my life, but never have I seen anything quite so spiritually moving as their grim defiance in the face of defeat, a defiance that appeals to me as a leader, as a warrior, and as a human being. Their spirit is a lost art amongst our nations, because our very nature is to tolerate domestic belief systems and customs on any planets we take from each other. That has been the rule among us for centuries. Even the Clans have respected this, but this Armand Giuseppe and his United Nations do not. Any culture they decide is subversive they work tirelessly to destroy."
A harsh laugh came from the Capellan table, and all eyes turned to Sun-Tzu Liao. "This is so very touching, Grand Duke Kell, but the fact is, these people are but a handful compared to the people of the Inner Sphere. I am more concerned with the Clans themselves, not these humans from a time long past. Why should we aid these people at all? They are no use to us, all we must do is make sure they have enough arms to keep the Clans off balance while we finish them off."
"In other words, you want to use them as cannon fodder," Victor retorted angrily.
"Precisely, Prince Victor," Sun-Tzu replied. "Why should they deserve any different than our own troops, who will likely die by the thousands against the Clans? I say, if they are so willing to fight the impossible, let them. Let them fight all they want against the Clans. They are not worth any aid we send, they are a mere distraction. I see no reason to even oppose letting the Clans take them over."
"Chancellor Sun-Tzu, perhaps you forget that this doorway threatens my people too," Katrina said in a subdued but angry tone.
"You would let the Clans conquer them?", Morgan asked. "Even though the Clans will undoubtedly allow Giuseppe and his bloodthirsty regime to remain in power, and give them power over the entire planet?"
"Bloodthirsty regime, Grand Duke Kell? Do not be so naive!" Sun-Tzu pointed toward Theodore Kurita. "How many millions has the Combine taken in it's own internal purges and suppressions? How many died because of the ambitions of the Davions? In the internal wars of the Free Worlds League? We are all guilty of shedding the blood of millions, both amongst our own people and our neighbors." Sun-Tzu folded his hands. "I remain unswayed. I suggest we do no more than to support these people in a guerrila war. Equipping them to the point where they can carry their own weight will be prohibitive to our main cause here, namely, the destruction of the Clans in the Inner Sphere." His expression hardened. "I do not intend for the blood of loyal Capellans to be spilled on some alien world for the sake of some decadent ancient societies such as this 'United States of America'. And I would go as far as to suggest that none of your people would be willing to do the same. Do you think, Prince Victor, that the people of your Draconis March will be willing to send their sons and daughters to die on this 'Scorched Earth' when they could very easily hold the line against their traditional foes, the Combine? Or that Duke Hasek-Davion's own Capellan March will agree to shed their blood when they could instead keep their dagger positioned at my throat? Will the people of the Combine or the Lyran Alliance be happy exerting their force for these faceless people instead of freeing their own worlds? How many of your people, Captain-General Marik, will want to waste their efforts..."
"My people will do what is right for all of us," Theodore countered before Sun-Tzu could finish. "Holding this world will distract the Home Clans, and even some of the Invading Clans. It will enable us to have time to pick a target before their invasion is renewed."
"As for my own," Katrina jumped in, "unlike your own state, the Lyran people respect individual freedom. And we also can sympathize with people who are fighting for their very existance. Therefore I think you underestimate our willingness to go through with this operation, and I would kindly ask you to not assign motives to us that benefit your own illusions."
Victor and Jerry both displayed surprised expressions at Katrina's sudden entry into the conversation. "My sister is correct," Victor spoke up. "If there is one thing that the Davion and Lyran peoples have in common, it's respect for the rights of the common person. I stand with her on this matter." Having to back his treacherous sister left a sour taste in Victor's mouth, but he knew it had to be done. Wisdom can come from even the worst of people, Victor thought wryly.
Thomas Marik nodded slowly while Candace leveled a gaze at her nephew. Before she could speak, Morgan continued. "You are correct, Chancellor, that all Houses are guilty of horrible bloodshed, but I think none, not even Amaris, can compare to what I am about to show you. It is not propaganda or a trick, ComStar's best video analyists have already confirmed that it is genuine, and cannot be faked by anything of their technological level. The American President entrusted it to me to keep it secret, it is something that they understandably do not wish to get out to the general public to maintain the security of their deep cover agents. Phelan?"
Phelan stood up and took the CD in hand. He walked over to a specialized data reader that had been jury-rigged for reading CD-ROM discs of that specific format. He slipped it into the drive, and brought up the menu display. "Begin with file 1," he ordered the operator. The operator promptly began opened the file, and the holoprojection plates began displaying a 3D construct of what was obviously a two-dimensional recording. It was at an upper angle, obviously a camera in the ceiling of the room, perhaps in the corner of the ceiling and a wall. It depicted a white-skinned woman that had been stripped naked and strapped in a T-shape to a table, with either arm completely horizontal to either side and held to the table's arms at the wrist. Physically she was attractive, if a bit muscular from extensive physical training. Her easily-defined breasts heaved as she breathed in and out from the anxiety she was under. Her brown hair was short, standard for infantry soldiers as Victor knew them. A group of uniformed individuals were standing around her, attaching small white objects to her legs, arms, neck, and on spots of her chest, including one each to cover her nipples and one placed over her navel. A gruff voice asked, "Name your battalion, the location of it's headquarters, and it's operational mission."
The woman on the screen swallowed and began to reply. "Harverson, Rebecca Lynn. Corporal, United States Marine Corps. Date of birth, September 12th 1995. Serial Num..." A low buzz cut her off, and Harverson's body began trembling violently as she howled from the top of her lungs.
"Answer unacceptable. Name your battalion, the location of..."
"Pause it!" Sun-Tzu waited for the operator to pause it, and seemed mystified even as some of the faces in the room began to pale. "What is going on here? What is this supposed to be?"
Victor rolled his eyes in disgust, and even Isis seem perturbed at her fiancé's apparent difficulty in recognizing what was being presented. From across the room and through the two holographic images between them, Morgan Kell's eyes glared at Sun-Tzu with cold rage as he slowly rose to his feet. "I believe the term you are looking for, Chancellor, is 'torture'." He looked over at the operator. "Now, continue."
The operator nodded and hit a key on his panel. The image began moving again, as the woman answered, "Harverson, Rebecca Lynn. Corporal, United..." The buzz returned as she began to scream again. For three minutes, the cycle continued. Her interrogators became more and more demanding as they repeated their questions, and the woman would simply begin reciting her name and begin to suffer more electrocution. Victor stared at the young woman, and like most of the others in the room, could not help but feel sympathy for her. The interrogators hurt her more with each answer they don't like, and yet she has not even broken down into tears yet, she simply stares at the ceiling and begins to recite her personal information. No wonder Morgan and Phelan respect these people, if she's their norm.
"It only gets worse," Victor could hear Morgan warning Candace.
And it did.
After the fourth minute, the electrodes on the young woman's body were removed. A pair of large men were brought in, and an exchange in German made that Victor thought he understood to be an equivalent to, "It is your turn, break her", in English. But even he was not prepared for what happened next. One of the men climbed on top of the woman, and it took about eight seconds after he got in his position for Victor to realize that he was raping her, and when he did his heart crawled up into his throat and stifled him with the agony of horror at the sight. The woman Harverson did not do so much as scream, the most sound she would give to her abusers was a low whimper. Tears finally did appear on her face as she gasped loudly just as the man atop her began to gyrate, but she did not cry openly, only looking away from him and toward the wall on the camera's side of the room. Victor could see the blood draining from everyone's face. Omi had already broken into controlled sobs at the young woman's suffering, Isis was clutching her father as he balled his fist, barely containing his rage. Even Katrina found herself unable to speak from the pure horror. If anything, Phelan's reaction showed he had already seen it, and Victor could only imagine how he had acted during the first viewing.
When the first man was done, a second replaced him. He screamed at her, and when she did not answer he began to beat her. Victor heard crying behind him, and turned to see Yvonne stumbling out of the room weeping. Tancred Sandoval quickly followed her, whether for concern over Yvonne or his own inability to watch the video was anyone's guess. A moment later a cry diverted his attention to another delegate, a duke from one of the Melissia Province worlds, who stumbled out with his histerical wife, both of them obviously sickened at the sight as Harverson's cries of torment filled the Grand Ballroom. Her tormentor's blows blackened both of her eyes, broke her nose, and cracked her lips. During his own moments of climax he gripped her breasts so hard that his fingernails drew blood, and his hands left imprints. He growled something at her and bit her on the chest, drawing blood with his teeth, before he climbed off, taking the time to slap her across the cheek before walking away. With this portion done, the other interrogators entered and asked her, "Have you suffered enough? Will you cooperate?"
Harverson's head lifted slowly. "I will die first," she rasped painfully.
"Death will be long for you, and we have ways to ensure that you will be turned into a loyal citizen of the Chairman's glorious New Order," one of the interrogators, a woman with a German accent, said sinisterly.
"Fuck you!" Harverson tried to spit at them, but her mouth had already run out of saliva. "I'll die before I follow that son of a bitch!", she screamed angrily.
The interrogators looked at each other, and began retrieving the electrodes again.
"I think that's enough," Focht said to Phelan in a strong voice that hid his own terror. Phelan tapped a button and ended the recording. Murmuring filled the room among those who remained. Victor swallowed and feared that his stomach would not hold down his breakfast at the horrid sight. Poor woman, he thought. How could human beings do such a thing? And how could anyone face such pain and humiliation with so much dignity? Victor looked at Phelan and asked, "How... how old was she?"
"This recording is time stamped 21 April 2015," Phelan replied. "Considering the birthdate she supplied, she was about nineteen and a half years of age."
Now Victor's stomach was truly in turmoil. A teenage girl. She was only a teenage girl?! Monsters! A horrible image crossed Victor's mind, as he realized that Rebecca Harverson had been the same age as Yvonne was now. The thought of his little sister suffering through such an ordeal chilled his heart and made him choke. He could see Omi across the room, holding her own feelings in well, and Victor felt the urge to hold her close to comfort her. But how could he comfort her when he himself had no comfort? Victor's mind was reeling at it all, the sheer inhumanity of torturing a nineteen year old girl in such a brutal fashion offended every fiber of his being and ignited a cold burning rage within his soul. He could see the blank and angry expression in the face of Theodore Kurita and his entourage. Isis had begun crying openly, and her father had let her bury her face into his right shoulder without any resistance, Thomas Marik himself obviously barely containing his own rage. Haakon Magnusson was obviously effected, as was Wu Kang Kuo. Sun-Tzu seemed to be in a hypnotic state that made his emotions impossible to detect. Katrina was still pure white, Nondi Steiner was simply shaking her head, and Tormano was expressionless despite his obvious discomfort. Having known Kai for so long, Victor could tell that his old friend was obviously enraged, but holding that rage in with his tremendous self-control. Candace's eyes flashed with her own inner rage, and Morgan simply shook his head, having obviously seen the image before and regretting have to endure the horror again. "What... do we know what happened to her?", Morgan Hasek-Davion asked meekly, his voice stolen by his own emotion.
"Yes, we do, if this report is true." Phelan took out a sheet of paper from a folder. "It was printed from that CD's text files and translated into English by the Americans. Subject USMC-76, name; Rebecca Harverson. Subject admitted to Albany Human Behavorial Research Center on 24 April 2015 after three days of unsuccessful attempts to extract information by field interrogators of Bridgeport Interrogation Facility. Standard electrical exposure was undertaken to test subject's stamina, subject deemed strong enough to likely withstand deprogramming process. First session was probing session of two hours. Shock rods were used to probe subject rectally, orally, and...", Phelan stumbled over the next word with a choke, "vaginally. Probe session followed by sexual victimization session. Four male officers of the Verteidiger der Ordnung were involved in victimizing subject for a period of no less than four hours. Electrical shock session followed for a period of five hours. Subject put into sleep deprivation program, placed in sleep deprivation cell overnight."
"Sleep deprivation?", Jerry Cranston asked.
"She was chained naked to a wall," Phelan answered. "The restraints were attached to an intermittent electrical current that shocked her every minute or so, preventing her from sleeping." Phelan looked back down and swallowed. "According to the report, Corporal Harverson was subjected to rape sessions, probe sessions, and electrocution for the next five days. She survived the abuse, every night either being drugged into sleep or placed into the sleep deprivation cell. They expected her to achieve psychological collapse at any time."
Kai looked over at Phelan. "Psychological collapse?"
"Again, the reports state that this deprogramming process, well, to be blunt," Phelan drew in a breath, "they torture, drug, and humiliate a person until the person dies from the abuse or their personality is wiped away by a complete psychological breakdown brought on by the abuse. Then the person is reprogrammed into a loyal member of their secret police organization. In all likelihood, the torturers we have seen so far were themselves victims of this process," Phelan said.
Victor could do nothing more than bury his face in his hands as Phelan continued. "However, on the fifth night, Harverson apparently knew what was going to happen, and carried through on her promise. According to the report, Harverson took her own life during the sixth night at the facility. She... slammed her head repeatedly against the wall she was chained to, and did it so severely that internal bleeding in her brain killed her by morning."
If anything, several faces seemed to lighten, if just in the knowledge that the brave young girl they had just been introduced to had died before being broken. Morgan Hasek-Davion drew in a quick breath and sighed, "God bless her." Victor envied Harverson, the defiant patriotic pride that she had shown in dying before she let the enemy use her against her own country. It was the honorable soldier's death, and while she had suffered in such a horrible fashion, she had died nobly and with great honor. He could see agreement with his sentiment in the face of the Kuritas and Asano. Their samurai heaven would likely have had a welcome place open for her when she passed beyond. I finally understand why the Kells are so insistant on aiding them. These people are heroes. They fight for something far more simple than an interstellar ruling house like our own citizens, yet they do so with such tenacity and valor that it's hard not to admire them. And she was fighting still, fighting a hopeless battle to stay who she was, and in the end, she won her battle. In death, she beat her tormentors. Victor frowned deeply. And how can the Clans, who call themselves the true heirs of Kerensky's legacy, claim that they are honorable if they support this monstrous evil? He got his answer in the next thought, since he knew the Clans were just as opportunistic as any Successor State, and would in all likelihood turn a blind eye if it furthered their Crusade. Finally, a new horror crawled into his throat, as Victor realized that as they were speaking, people were still suffering under this evil. Newfound urgency crawled into him, an urgency to go and destroy this evil regime before it could harm anyone else. But circumstances and location acted against that desire, and Victor felt completely helpless to help the victims of the evil he had just witnessed.
Victor's thoughts were broken through by the resumption of conversation. "You call these people insignificant, Chancellor Liao," Phelan spat, "yet this is simply one case of potentially millions. Men and women tortured to death, or even worse, turned against their own people, their own families, by these monsters! If we are to revive the Star League and embue it with everything noble about mankind, we must act against this barbarism!"
"I agree," Victor said, his voice quivering. "I... I can't understand how people can be so cruel, but I want them stopped. I don't want other people to suffer as Corporal Harverson did. That's why I will begin to immediately arrange the transport of BattleMechs to this world, along with trainers from our training battalions and the best sim equipment I can find on short notice. I want these people to have a fighting chance to crush this evil."
"So will the Draconis Combine," Theodore Kurita added. "Seeing these horrors has convinced me that whatever force created the rifts did so as a reason. One, to enable these monsters to be stopped, two, to teach us a lesson in nobility. Even the people of the Combine would be hard-pressed to show such courage and honor in the face of such inhumanity. How can I claim to be a noble and honorable sovereign worthy of their devotion if I turn a blind eye to the sufferings of an equally honorable people?"
"Their world also traddles an invasion route from the Clan Homeworlds," Katrina added, finally speaking up, "therefore the Lyran Alliance will join my brother and Coordinator Kurita in their aid efforts. I will even send my General of the Armies to lead the effort with Grand Duke Kell." It was her turn to be unhappy about following her sibling's example, but she was still suffering under the image of what had happened to Rebecca Harverson, and as a woman it was doubly traumatic for her.
Focht drew in a sigh. "I will ask Primus Mori to do the same," he stated wearily. "We shall further our discussions on this at another time. I suggest we recess until tomorrow, so we have time to cut our respective orders."
"The Federated Commonwealth seconds," Victor called out.
"Any opposed?" When no one answered, Focht pounded a small gavel. "Then this conference is recessed until tomorrow."
Several individuals rushed to the exit right away. Victor, however, found himself joining Hohiro and Theodore by walking straight over to the Kells. "Phelan, that CD, you've..."
"Victor, we chose one of the less graphic examples on the CD," Phelan replied irritably. "There are even more horrors to be found there. Executions, the mutiliation of prisoners of war during interrogations, medical experiments, mass gang-rapes that were even more horrible in scope than what happened to this girl, the actual deprogramming sessions where people are degraded into playthings for their torturers. Even a reprogramming session where they turn their victims into victimizers. What I have seen has burned itself into my mind. Death seems somewhat more pleasant now, it's the only way I could ever erase those images." Phelan swallowed. "I can only hope that my knowledge of their suffering in some ways honors the people who actually suffered this... this..." Phelan seemed to be searching for a word to describe it with, but was overwhelmed by the task. Every word he could apply seemed to be an understatement. "...this... disgrace."
"Maybe we should just strike through here?"
"No." Phelan drew in a breath. "We have to destroy a Clan to make our point, making this our focus will not accomplish that. We shall do as Sun-Tzu suggested, but modify his plan. While arming them to fight the enemy, and giving them some reinforcement while their own 'Mech forces build up, we will strike one of the other Clans. I would suggest the Smoke Jaguars at this point, they are on the other side of Clan-held territory in the Inner Sphere and they are the only staunchly Crusader Clan untouched by the Refusal War, thus their annihilation will be harder to explain away."
"That's spreading our forces out rather well," Kai pointed out.
"Perhaps, but if we don't, the Home Clans will overwhelm Scorched Earth and drive through to Arc-Royal. While I can't claim complete lack of bias on the issue of protecting Arc-Royal, the fact is that it's within the Lyran Alliance, and opens up this half of the Inner Sphere to a renewed Clan invasion." Phelan crossed his arms. "I think you'll agree that containing them by holding the line with Scorched Earth's free nations is paramount."
"You will find no disagreement from me, Khan Kell," Theodore stated. He looked at Victor and drew in a breath to control his raging anger. "I wonder, are our differences so great that either of our Houses would resort to this barbarism?"
"I'd like to think not," Victor answered. "Especially with the leaders our Houses have now. But seeing this, I wonder just how civilized humanity really is? These people couldn't be that drastically different from us, our societies have remained rather stable and close to the 21st century model."
"Men are capable of great evil and great good," Focht said as he approached their gaggle. He clasped his hands in front of him with the disc held between them and looked every bit the wise man Victor had come to think of him as. "We cannot disagree that the acts we just saw were mostly those of evil, but the victim herself balanced them with acts of good. She maintained her dignity, refusing to show weakness in the face of the evil inflicted upon her. She did not give in, she remained strong, and in the end, she took her own life, and one can only imagine how painful it was for her to accomplish that task. In the end, her good and their evil were equal in scope, and as it can be put, she was the final victor in the battle for her soul. It seems to be a balance that has settled upon that troubled world."
"And we'll have to maintain that balance," Victor answered. "Maintain it by preventing the Clans from overrunning them."
"Yes." Focht turned his neck slightly. "I must ask, Duke Kell, if this disc contains such secret information, why is it even in existance, and unencrypted?"
"I can only guess as to the extent of the security measures President Andrews had in measure to protect it," Morgan Kell replied, standing and reaching his hand out to take it, "but I think it is because he wants the record of what happened to these people. In the event of victory, he would want the evidence of what people like Rebecca Harverson went through so that their memories could be properly maintained. I believe we can all sympathize."
"Yes." Focht took a moment before continuing. "I think we agree that there is still much work to be done here, but fortunately, within the next few days it will have already begun."
All nodded in agreement. "If you will excuse me," Victor began, "I wish to go see how Yvonne is doing."
"Yes, go on. As for you two," Focht looked back at the Kells. "I take it you already have some ideas on how to further their cause even in the face of Clan opposition?"
"Yes, we do. My Wolves, by now, have already begun several raids into Jade Falcon space, to claim BattleMechs and supplies as isorla. The Kell Hounds will also be training the special force units on Scorched Earth in how to take over a BattleMech and pilot it. I imagine the Clans will be quite unhappy when they start having a Star here and there pilfered and brought back across enemy lines to our side." Phelan grinned at the thought.
Focht nodded slowly. "I have matters I must attend to, Primus Mori must be informed of some of this. Do I have permission to send her the video copy of this disc?"
"Make sure it remains secure. But otherwise, yes, I think it best if the Primus is aware of just what is going on here." Morgan shook his hand. "We shall be going on our own, we have business to attend to. Messages to exchange with Dan, Caitlin, and Marco Hall, to see just how well things are progressing."
"Yes. Yes indeed."
The final gaggle of individuals in the ballroom soon dispersed, and each went off to do their business, forever changed by the horrors they had witnessed.
By the end of the day, the first orders had been sent out. The Inner Sphere, and soon the Star League, was on it's way to Scorched Earth.
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