Chapter Nine

Grand Council Meeting Chamber

Strana Mechty

Clan Space

28 August 2823

The room had always been envisioned as temporary by Nicholas Kerensky and the Grand Council. Up on the shallow Hill of Visions overlooking Svoboda Zemylya, the permanent home was being built, one carefully handcrafted slab at a time. For now, the Grand Council convened around the great round table. It was ornately carved, and inlaid with the symbol of each of the Clans, like a giant pie designating where each of the Khans sat. The saKhans sat along the walls on the perimeter of the room.

The table always reminded Sarah of the books she had read about King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. It was some of the reading material from the Inner Sphere that the ilKhan had not censored or banned, probably because it lived up to the ideals that he purported to believe in. “In a circle, looking into each others’ eyes, all men are equals,” that was what Nicholas had said when he had specified the shape. Like the Circle of Equals that made up the boundaries of Clan combat, it was a symbol that Nicholas had imposed. At the grand table, Nicholas sat next to Jerome Winson at the Wolves’ seat, the Clan he had tied himself to, where the Kerensky Bloodname resided. There was no symbol on the part of the table where he sat. The Wolves never let you forget that the Kerensky name is tied to their Clan.

As the Khans came in, the tension in the room seemed to rise, and McEvedy felt it most of all. She had arrived first and taken her seat facing the Wolverine emblem. The others came in, and she felt their glares, stares, and piercing silence. In stark contrast, the Khan of the Snow Ravens, Joyce Merrell, was friendly enough, reaching out as she passed and shaking her hand. Sandra Rosse of the Nova Cats bowed her head respectfully to McEvedy as she took her seat as well.

Khan Karrige arrived huddled with the Ghost Bears’ Khan. The gaze from the two of them was filled with contempt. They whispered among themselves. There was a time when that would not have been allowed in this room. We were equals with a cause, with no secrets, no alliances between us. We were comrades in arms. Things have changed. Nicholas had changed over time, and with him, the Clans had changed. From where McEvedy sat, it was not a change for the better.

Nicholas convened the session with the usual formalities. McEvedy watched her brethren, wondering where the next betrayal might come from. Khan Karrige made the most sense, which is why she did not focus her gaze much on the Widowmaker Khan. After the usual pleasantries and greetings, she noticed that the tone of the meeting finally emerged. Khan Lisa Buhallin of the Jade Falcons shifted in her seat like a child with no patience. She saw a bitterness in the other woman’s face that she had rarely witnessed, and that bothered Khan McEvedy.

“IlKhan, I have a matter that I need to bring up to the attention of this esteemed gathering.” Lisa’s eyes darted over to Sarah, and she saw her anger. She then turned her gaze slowly to the ilKhan.

Nicholas nodded slowly, once, and the Falcon Khan continued. “This is a matter that is important because it represents a potential shift in power that impacts everyone in this room. Recently, a Brian Cache was uncovered in our territory on Circe. We were challenged unfairly by Clan Wolverine in a trial that was contrived and unjust, given what was located there. While they achieved a victory, I wish to issue a formal protest to the members of this Council.”

So there it was. Karrige had not fired the salvo at her and her Clan, it had come from the Jade Falcons. Such a move was out of character for Khan Buhallin, it was an act Sarah would not have attributed to her. Well played.

Sarah straightened in her seat, pulling her uniform taut and mentally choosing the right words. “IlKhan, I am familiar with the circumstances surrounding this incident, and I am afraid that my colleague has misrepresented the details around this trial.”

“Are you calling me a liar, quineg?” Buhallin snapped.

McEvedy was unmoved by the posturing, and made sure her voice was calm, almost relaxed in tone. “I did not say that, but I can understand why you feel that way, Lisa.”

Nicholas rose to his feet to secure their attention. “I was not aware that a new Brian Cache had been located. In the past, we have always discussed these facilities in Grand Council session.”

“IlKhan,” McEvedy said. “This is the first Council session since the discovery of the cache. Since the discovery was made by the Jade Falcons, illegally on our grounds, your question is best directed to Khan Buhallin. I have not have a chance to inform you. My warriors are inventorying the contents of the facility right now.”

“My warriors possessed this facility long enough to know that there are nuclear weapons in this cache.” Buhallin’s words caused a murmur in the room. Weapons of mass destruction were carefully managed and monitored by the Grand Council.

“I am unaware of this,” McEvedy replied honestly. How odd that you know this detail, Lisa, yet we have not yet discovered it. “But that does not change the circumstances of this trial. This facility was on our property, rightfully won by combat over a year ago by my Wolverines. We were unaware of this Brian Cache on the land, but we owned it nevertheless. The Jade Falcons sneaked into our territory without issuing a challenge to us. I contend that they created this incident to conceal their lack of honor in this matter.”

“That territory has always been ours. Your Wolverines are squatters, like common bandits.”

The reference to the bandit caste caused Sarah to slide her chair back and slowly rise. “If this was your territory as you so claim, then you have possessed this Brian Cache for years, and have not said anything to this Grand Council about it,” McEvedy replied. You cannot have it both ways, Lisa. It is impossible to claim that you own the property and at the same time simply stumbled across it.

Nicholas waved his hand in the air to dispel the discussion. “The matter of nuclear weapons is one that demands we address this in Council session. Petty bickering between Clans can be settled on the field of combat. Weapons of mass destruction, however, requires all of our attention. How many weapons are we talking about, Khan Buhallin?”

She paused and looked at her noteputer. “My people were unable to fully inventory the site, ilKhan. What we know is that at least seven such tactical nuclear devices, as well as wealth of other combat materiel, parts, and BattleMechs are stored there.”

“It would be wrong,” cut in Ghost Bear Khan Hans Jorgensson, “to allow the Wolverines, regardless of the past ownership of this site, to take possession of a number of nuclear weapons. It could dramatically upset the balance of power.”

McEvedy studied the faces of her peers. The entire affair had been orchestrated, she was sure of it. Lisa Buhallin was a reserved warrior and leader. Someone had poisoned her against the Wolverines. Likewise, the Ghost Bears and others saw her Clan as a threat. As well they should. McEvedy toyed with the idea of simply letting them have their way. If they want to squabble over these old nukes, let them. She held himself back at the last moment. Giving into them without a fight, without a contest, would simply make matters worse. Karrige and the others would sense weakness in the Wolverines, and would come at her and her people relentlessly. No matter how insignificantly I view this matter, I must fight against it…which is exactly what they want. She now understood the complexity of the trap she had been forced into.

“IlKhan,” Sarah said controlling her voice to her most casual, non-confrontational tone. “My own warriors are inventorying this Brian Cache as we speak. Before this body passes judgment as to how the materials are to be disbursed, I would contend that we complete that inventory. I would hate to have the time of this Council be wasted again on such a matter.” She deliberately cast a smile to Lisa Buhallin, which only made the Jade Falcon’s face turn even redder.

“IlKhan, I must protest,” said Khan Karrige of the Widowmakers. “How can we be sure that the Wolverines are being honest and accurate in their inventory of this cache? After all, if it is as they claim, it has been in their possession for years. I move that we send a mix of Clan forces to the site to complete the inventory.”

McEvedy was about to speak, but Nicholas cut her off. “Unless you have proof of the duplicity of the Wolverines, Khan Karrige, I say we sit here as equals and trust each other as equals. It seems that Khan McEvedy has proposed a logical course of action. For the time being, we will table this discussion until the Wolverines provide us with the inventory of this Brian Cache.”

Sarah McEvedy approached Lisa Buhallin respectfully in the corridor as she spoke with several of her warriors. They had known each other a long time and, until today, had been on friendly, if not cordial terms. That was what bothered her. Something…negative… someone had turned the Jade Falcon Khan against her. She had her suspicions, but wanted verification. She made eye contact with Buhallin as she approached, and even seemed to wince slightly as Sarah drew near.

“Khan Buhallin…Lisa. If I may have a word with you?”

She dismissed her warriors and stepped right in front of Sarah, her face only centimeters from the other woman. It was a hint of her character on the battlefield, and surprised Sarah. What could I have done to warrant such venom? “Khan McEvedy. Proceed.” She didn’t even use her first name.

“Lisa. We have known each other for years. What have I or my Wolverines done to incur the wrath of your Jade Falcons?”

For a moment, Buhallin said nothing, but stared into her eyes as if she were searching for something. “I would have come to you, Sarah. I would have come to you and spoken to you directly. Clans do not spy on each other. We do not seek to corrupt each other from within. We are warriors! We do not sell secrets in dark alleys.”

“If it is this spy organization that the ilKhan has created that you refer to, I am as upset about it as you are,” she shot back. “When I found that my fellow Clans were spying on my Wolverines, it distressed me as well.”

“These spies work for you, quiaff?”

Is that what she has been told? “Negative! From what I gather, this organization was put together to spy on my Wolverines. The Widowmakers began this. One of their logistics men, isorla that we captured fairly in battle, turned on us and was feeding information to his former Clan about our inner workings. In rooting him out, we found that someone had set up spies in all of our castes.”

“I have been told differently. Word has come to me from several sources that validates that it is your Wolverines that are the ones spying, to attempt to seize advantage. That is not our way. We are warriors. These are matters that should be settled on the field of combat. You know that.” Her tone was scolding and hurtful.

Sarah realized that her Clan must have rooted out one of Franklin’s operatives. From her perspective, we are spying on her. In fact, we are…

“Lisa, you must understand. There are those out there that seek to turn other Clans against my Wolverines. They fear us. I know your Jade Falcons do not, but there are others that lack your integrity. I am not attempting to usurp power among our people. I am simply attempting to be a good leader for my Clan. Nothing more, nothing less.” She made sure she did not unlock her gaze. “And if you will tell me the names of those that are spreading lies against me, I will make them pay for it just as you suggest—on the field of battle.”

She eyed McEvedy carefully. “What about this business with your lower castes? Were you really allowing members of your Clan to choose their direction? Didn’t you think about the implications for the rest of us, Sarah, quineg?”

“It is true that I did allow a greater degree of freedom with my lower castes. It may not have been the smartest thing I did. I did not think about the implications with other Clans. This was an internal matter for my Wolverines.”

“Was it? Word reached other Clans, including my Falcons. I had several strikes and protests that I had to deal with. I was forced to put them down using my own warriors—Falcons against Falcons. My production has dropped, and there is subtle protests in my holdings, work slowdowns, sick-outs, calls for a unionization. Your actions created turmoil with my people. And, at the same time as that, word reaches me of your spying and of other activities—”

“What other activities?”

“I have heard you are deploying new models of BattleMechs in the field. My own warriors on Circe report that you have new weapons systems deployed in battle, confirming what Jason has told me. I have reviewed some of the data myself. From all appearances I see your Wolverines rising to power, not through trials as we deem our law, but by corrupting our way of life. At the same time you sow the seeds of disruption with other Clans.”

“This has been misunderstood, Lisa. We have not acted outside of our laws. My actions have been to preserve my Clan and our beliefs.”

“You have not told the Grand Council of your new ’Mech designs or breakthroughs in technology. In fact, until I said something to you, it was kept close to your chest. These are not the actions of a woman with nothing to hide.”

“This is all because of the lies Khan Karrige has spread. He had corrupted your thinking.”

“No one determines my thinking for me. You will not become the ilClan this way,” she replied angrily. “There are many others that have told me what you are doing and are watching you as much as you are spying on us. We will not simply sit back and allow the Wolverines to overtake us, Sarah. I ask that you reconsider your actions before you start down a path that will lead to your destruction!”

Lisa Buhallin spun on her heels and stormed off. She wouldn’t even listen. It was understandable, the circumstances made the Wolverines look guilty. In having Franklin put spies out to protect the Clan, she had validated what Khan Karrige was saying about her and her people. None of them will believe us. They see us as their enemy, and we are simply doing what all of them are doing. For a moment, she felt as if the entire universe was against her. We need to put this matter regarding the Brian Cache to bed before matters get even more out of hand. She hoped that the inventory that was due in from her Clan would help calm even an angry Jade Falcon Khan.