UPANO
JADE FALCON OCCUPATION ZONE
20 JANUARY 3148
Khan Malvina Hazen of Clan Jade Falcon leaned back in the tall brown leather chair in her office and narrowed her gaze at newly appointed Galaxy Commander Matthias Pryde of Gamma Galaxy. She looked down on him despite his taller height—courtesy of her seat being elevated and his being lowered. Matthias was uneasy, she could see that in his face. She had summoned him without any pretext. His nervousness fed her, forcing her to suppress the smile she wanted to show. Fear is what makes the Jade Falcons powerful. Even fear of ourselves makes us stronger.
People had good reason to fear her. She was not just a Khan, she was a visionary. Her adoption of the Mongol Doctrine made her dangerous in the eyes of her fellow Clans. The lower castes and the civilians of captured worlds were not human in her thinking. They were mere chattel, just resources for her to use or crush as she saw fit. Crushing them instilled the fear that she knew made her Warrior Caste strong again, stronger than it had ever been. For years we allowed the Traditionalists to rule and under them we became just one of many. Now we stand to crush the Lyran Commonwealth. Shattering one of the Great Houses, grinding it under my heel, will cause others to submit. Those that do not would simply be killed. Any form of resistance will be eradicated, burned, and their ashes scattered into nothingness.
“Take a seat, Matthias.” She gestured to the smaller, hard wooden chair opposite of her desk. “I can have Cynthy get you something to drink if you want. She likes catering to my guests.”
His eyes darted to Cynthy, the young girl Malvina had taken under as her prisoner and personal toy. Cynthy wisely averted her sunken eyes from both of them. I trained her well. Matthias’s gaze on her clearly made him more uncomfortable. He slowly turned back to look at her as Cynthy bowed her head and backed out of the office, closing the door slowly, quietly, as she had been trained to do.
“That is not necessary my Khan.” He managed to gain more composure. “May I ask why you needed to see me?”
“Matthias, let me ask you. What is the greatest threat that the Jade Falcons face?” Her question was bait, and both of them knew that.
“The Lyran Commonwealth is less of a threat than another Clan, especially the Wolves.”
“Neg,” she replied coolly. “That is pedestrian thinking. The Wolves are an annoyance, persistent, but too soft to be a true menace. When we become the ilClan by conquering Terra, they will be the first to feel my wrath. No, Matthias, the greatest threat to our people is that they will drift into their old ways of thinking. The doctrine that I have ushered into our culture is one that will lead us to endless victories—to Terra, then to the rest of the Inner Sphere. That can all be undone by the knee-weak Traditionalists. Their very presence creates a threat to our future, a drift back to misguided ideals of what constitutes honor.”
“The majority of our people follow your vision.”
“I agree. At the same time, there are those that refuse to commit fully to our doctrine. Tell me Matthias, who do you think is the most staunch Traditionalist?”
He paused in thought for a tedious moment. “There are several that come to mind. The one I would worry about the most is Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu of Delta.”
Malvina leaned forward, resting her elbows on the obsidian desk top and steepling her fingers. I agree, but I want to see what he thinks. “Tell me why.”
Pryde’s face tightened, careful of the words he chose. “She says nothing against our Mongol Doctrine, not publicly. She simply does not follow it. When presented with opportunities to impose herself over lesser castes, she does not. Chistu does not have to say anything. Her actions are a beacon to others. They see her, and realize she can resist your will with no consequences. In some respects, she is teaching them how to resist the doctrine. Her example is a threat because others watch it and seek to emulate it. And her extracurricular activities are, dare I say, unbecoming a warrior.”
“Exactly!” Malvina replied, pounding her black bionic fist on the desktop. “I have not crushed her because she would only serve as a martyr to the other Traditionalists. At the same time, she must be dealt with.”
“What do you have in mind, my Khan?”
Malvina reclined in her chair again, locking her gaze with Pryde. “Do you know the worst thing you can do to someone that refuses to follow the path you lead them on?”
“Neg.”
“You make them take that path on their own accord. Stephanie Chistu loathes the Mongol Doctrine. I intend to force her to follow that doctrine of her own accord. I will make her become the very kind of leader she holds in disregard. I will make her walk a path of my choosing, by her own decisions. If this is done, those that look to her will see what she has become. Their precious beacon will be snuffed out.”
“It can be done, quiaff?”
“It can and will be done. That, or she will perish in battle. Either way, I will get what I want. Moreover, I have the perfect place to make it happen.”
Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu stood before the anvil and hit the glowing hot metal bar with the hammer. The metallic ringing from each impact was so strong that it made the metal glow brighter for a moment. She rode the recoil and let the hammer drop again and again, pulling the metal on the anvil and changing its shape slightly with each hit. The key was to let the weight of the hammer do most of the work. Sweat stung the corners of her eyes and she adjusted the soaked hat that covered her cropped black hair.
She paused and looked at the metal, studying its new shape for a few seconds, then slid it into the coals of the forge. This forge, which the local artisans had graciously offered to her, was different than ones she had used before. It was much easier than hauling such gear with her from post to post. Stephanie did not mind the smell of coke or the roaring heat of the forge that soaked her body.
Making knives and swords was not the typical hobby for a warrior, but she considered herself a bit of a different kind of warrior. Working with the metal, giving it shape and form, was strangely satisfying and relaxing—despite the upper body workout. It was hard to explain to her peers, how it gave her solace and allowed her to think. Some scoffed at her choice of relaxation. Chistu ignored them. What I do off duty is my concern.
This blade was not exceptional in its artistry, but there was something about it that appealed to her. It was nearly ready to quench, sharpen, and polish. It was eloquent, not a hunting blade, but more than capable of killing. It takes two things to make a knife special. One is its creation, the other is what is done with it. There is something about this blade that tells me it has a particular role to fill, something special.
Using the tongs, she pulled the metal out and swung it back to the anvil, hammering furiously at it again until it eventually cooled to a dull gray color. Each blow rang not just in the air, but in her body as well. Each strike gave her incredible focus and concentration. Working with scalding hot metal forced discipline. She had earned her burn scars early on from the process.
This blade was taking a long time, but it would be worth it in the end. I am not a destroyer like others of my caste—I am a creator.
After three minutes of carefully placed hammer blows, she turned to put the metal into the forge, and saw Khan Malvina Hazen standing there, arms crossed. Behind her stood her “pet” Cynthy. Stephanie placed her project on a cooling rack.
Malvina was not an imposing figure like many warriors. This meant that she and Stephanie looked each other eye to eye. Hazen’s hair was ash-blond, almost silver in color, worn long, with a single braid draped over the shoulder of her black uniform. That uniform, the black dress attire, was one of the ways to identify
those that followed her Mongol Doctrine. It was meant to intimidate, but on Chistu it was wasted.
Cynthy looked like a broken child—Stephanie could see it in her dark-rimmed eyes and shrunken cheeks. Perhaps “broken” is the wrong word. “Abused” may be more fitting. Malvina gloated at how badly she treated her. She embodied what the Inner Sphere would be like under Hazen’s rule. Seeing Cynthy there, two paces behind her Khan, almost quaking in fear, only tempered Stephanie’s ire. She uses her as a living symbol of what she plans for the Inner Sphere…a symbol of fear.
Khan Hazen sneered. “Look at you. Working at a blacksmith’s forge like a common bellycrawler. This is not a true Jade Falcon warrior pursuit. Your time might better be served attending one of my doctrine sessions. I wonder at times if you have the heart of the Falcon in your chest.” Malvina’s words dripped with contempt.
Do not react to her tone. I will not be taken in by her bait. “I find that the forge gives me time to think. It works my upper body and at the same time it gives me mental focus. Do not mistake my time here as anything other than a means to relax. I am every bit a warrior.”
“It is beneath a warrior to have such hobbies. You set a poor example for others in my eyes.”
Her doctrine blinds her. It oozes from her pores. There is more in life than battle. “Warriors are more than actors on the battlefield, my Khan. Almost all have some sort of hobby. When it comes to mine, I would suggest that you lack an understanding of the process. The combination of the heat, the hammer, the anvil, and what they can create. Working in unison, dull metal becomes something of use—be it an implement of war or a decoration.”
Malvina reached for the new knife blade with her bionic hand, but was stopped when Stephanie lightly tugged at her sleeve. “My Khan, the metal is hot.”
“It is not glowing.”
“It does not glow until it reaches four hundred sixty degrees centigrade. While it does not look hot, it would burn through your hand in a matter of seconds.”
Hazen slowly retracted her hand. “You know a great deal about the ways of a blacksmith for one that was reared as a warrior.”
“I pride myself on mastering new things. This hobby constantly challenges me and forces me to learn new forms and techniques.”
“What kind of blade are you making?” she asked, clearly feigning interest.
I will play along. It is best to do so when combating another’s ego. “I do not know for sure, my Khan. Each blade takes on its own life during the creation process. I start with an idea in mind, but what the knife becomes is more a product of the fire, the anvil, and the hammer rather than my intent.”
If she understood, Khan Hazen did not show it. “We have one thing in common, the fire you play with. Fire is the cure for the Inner Sphere, I have foreseen that. Worlds will have to burn so that our new society can grow from the ashes.”
The way she spoke chilled Stephanie, but she was careful not to show it. Her Mongol Doctrine will kill billions. It violates the teachings of Nicholas Kerensky. Warriors exist to protect the weaker castes, not to burn them. Yet others follow her flag blindly because she promises to be the ilKhan, and the Jade Falcons to be the ilClan.
“The fire is only part of the equation in shaping the metal,” Chistu responded. “The anvil, the positioning of the hot metal, the striking of the hammer. They must all work in unison to create.”
“I am only concerned with the hammer. That is what it is to be a Jade Falcon. We pulverize our enemies.”
“As you say, my Khan,” Stephanie replied. Trying to argue my point with her would be lost. She forms her opinions and twists the facts to fit her beliefs. That is one of the weaknesses of the Mongol Doctrine. Stephanie knew the truth. The hammer was only one part of the equation. The anvil and the positioning of the metal, merged with the right strike, were what gave the metal shape and meaning. I would try to explain it to her, but it would only frustrate both of us.
“You are indeed every bit a Jade Falcon that I would have command one of my Galaxies, quiaff? There are times I wonder where your true loyalties lie.”
“Make no mistake my Khan, I am every bit a Jade Falcon.” Perhaps more than you…
“We shall see,” Malvina replied. She uncrossed her arms and handed a noteputer to Chistu.
The Galaxy Commander put her hammer down on the anvil and killed the blower to the forge, taking the device. The background sound of the fan all but disappeared, suddenly making everything else louder. “Coventry, quiaff?”
“Affirmative,” the Khan said. “I take it you are familiar with the last battle our Clan had there, quiaff?”
Stephanie nodded as she eyed the long list of orders. Every Jade Falcon knew of Coventry and the events that had transpired there. Her Clan’s defeat in 3058 had spawned the Whitting Conference, and the forging of a Star League that struck back at the Clans. It was a world that had set many things in motion, including the demise of the Smoke Jaguars and an infernal peace with the Inner Sphere.
The orders she read were long, detailed, and incredibly specific. Raze Whitting, leave no structure standing? Eradicate the Coventry Military Academy? Tactical nuclear weapons use authorized? These were military orders unlike any she had ever seen. Usually orders to field commanders were a few lines at best. This was three screens worth of specific acts of destruction and carnage.
To Stephanie Chistu, they were acts unbecoming a Clan warrior, let alone a Jade Falcon.
“Khan Hazen,” she said, considering her words carefully. “These orders…”
“Are quite specific. I want House Steiner to bleed on Coventry. I want them to die there at our hands. I want to erase our past failure there. Nothing is to remain to remind anyone of our prior defeat there. You will be the instrument of that destruction.”
Malvina’s words stung Stephanie. Changing history was a vile act, usually done by weaker minds. We should never be afraid of our past to the point where we desire to change or destroy it. Our past is not a scar, but a reminder of where we have come from. “Victory can be achieved without these acts of deliberate destruction.”
“You believe that, quiaff? I do not. Conquering Coventry is a mere footnote in The Remembrance if you do not take the actions I have outlined in those orders.”
For a moment, Stephanie held her words and returned her gaze to the noteputer. “The authorization of nuclear weapons…it is unnecessary.”
“I believe it is, even as a last resort. If you are unable to achieve conventional victory on Coventry, per your orders, these weapons will ensure it. Burn those foolish enough to stand against our Clan.”
“The Jade Falcons would become the Smoke Jaguars if such weapons were employed—especially against the lower castes.”
“That is one perspective. Another is that the lower castes do not deserve honor, leniency, or mercy. The bellycrawling Spheroids are a cancer that must be removed before our new society can take shape. We saw in the last campaign for Coventry that civilians took to BattleMechs right off the factory floor and fought us. Why should we risk the precious lives of trueborn Jade Falcon warriors to such people? The nuclear weapons are part of your contingent, Galaxy Commander Chistu. It is not up for debate.”
She would have me be a butcher to millions. That is what she wants to turn me into…an icon for her misguided doctrine. “Perhaps another Galaxy should be used my Khan, with a commander more…attuned to your thinking on this matter.”
“You would refuse a direct order of your Khan, quineg?” There was a hint of caged fury in Hazen’s voice.
She anticipated my words and is prepared. “Negative, Khan Hazen. I am not refusing. Given the details you have in these orders, it is clear your interests might be better served with another commander leading this kind of assault.”
Khan Hazen said nothing for a moment, but her stare spoke volumes. “I am the leader of Clan Jade Falcon, and one day all of the Clans. These are the kinds of missions that we will be undertaking—now, and until we are the ilClan. These kinds of missions are who the Jade Falcons are under my leadership. If you are unable or unwilling to follow orders, you will be replaced with a commander who will.” It was not a threat, not from Malvina Hazen. It was a promise.
For a millisecond, the escape route was tempting. This was not the way to wage war that Stephanie believed in. At the same time, the thought of her command and the people loyal to her being subjected to a new commander more to Malvina’s vile tastes made Stephanie wince. I cannot put my people through that. “Neg, my Khan. Replacement is not desired, nor do I wish replacement. I will comply.”
That made Malvina grin thinly, something that did not calm Stephanie’s emotions. “Excellent. I am sending along Star Colonel Yaroslav and two Clusters from Gamma Galaxy to assist you.”
Yaroslav was a known warrior, an ardent supporter of the Mongol Doctrine. He will be Malvina’s eyes and ears, there to spy on the slightest deviation of my orders. He is her eyes and ears. “It is not necessary, but I would be foolish to refuse any support you may be willing to offer.”
“Exactly.”
“What are the defenders of Coventry that we know of?”
Khan Hazen seemed nonplussed as her grin evaporated. “Hardly anything at all. The Seventeenth Arcturan Guards are posted there. They have some experience, but have recently been reinforced with relatively green replacement troops. I would rate them as average to below-average. There is the Coventry Military Academy, whose cadets lack any practical battle experience. If history holds true, the Coventry Metal Works will also field some defenders.”
Chistu knew the full account of the last time the Jade Falcons hit Coventry, and remembered that even green units could fight furiously when pressed. “We should be more than a match for them. I will not discount that the Lyrans will throw in reinforcements, given the strategic nature of the planet.”
“We have less intelligence regarding House Steiner’s reserves. Our recent assaults have stripped them of their capability to easily respond to attacks. The lack of defenders on Coventry suggests that they have sent their reserves to Donegal, according to the Watch’s estimates. If they do send troops in to try holding Coventry, I doubt it will be a force of any merit. The Lyrans are teetering on the edge, Galaxy Commander. You may be all that is needed to tip their precious little House over.”
Stephanie doubted the Lyrans were teetering, but did not desire the inevitable argument. “Anything else, my Khan?”
“Per your written orders, you are to maintain an effective fighting force at the completion of the operations on Coventry. This is your paramount objective. The Exiled Wolves still prowl, and I need your Galaxy able to respond to any opportunities they might exploit.
“You are to deal House Steiner a blow it cannot recover from. I anticipate our enemies will see our presence there and come searching for blood. I want your force to come through this relatively intact, or a victory on that blasted world will mean nothing to me. Understood, quiaff?”
Chistu nodded. “Affirmative. When do we depart?”
“Three days from now.”
She moved the metal she had been working on to the cooling rack and hung up her work tongs. “Then I have much to do.”
“Aff, you do,” Khan Hazen said coolly. She did a pristine about-face and left Stephanie alone at the forge. Behind the Khan, her damaged toy Cynthy followed.
Star Colonel Jagger Thastus studied the noteputer for several minutes, his mouth slightly agape. His black hair bore a hint of premature gray in his sideburns, which made him look easily a decade older than he really was.
Stephanie Chistu watched him carefully. He was one of her top field commanders, leading the First Falcon Striker Cluster of her Galaxy. She and Thastus had bled on the same ground many times. Moreover, he shared her opinion of Hazen’s Mongol Doctrine.
“The Khan is setting you up,” he said. “She is forcing you to act in her proxy and to wage a kind of war that is unbecoming a Jade Falcon.”
Chistu nodded. “Agreed. Though I would encourage you to hold your tongue from this time forward. The walls have ears.”
“And she has saddled us with Star Colonel Yaroslav of Gamma. He is here to do one thing: report on our adherence to her blasted orders. A spy, through and through.”
“I have no doubt you are correct,” she said. “That is something we cannot change any more than her command to take tactical nuclear weapons with us.”
“You are not seriously considering using them, quineg?”
She shook her head. “Neg. I have no choice but to take them. Taking and using, however, are two different things.”
Jagger studied the intel data on Coventry for the better part of three minutes before speaking again. “On paper, this should be an easy conquest. The Seventeenth Arcturan Guards are a good unit, but hardly able to successfully engage a force as large as ours. That is, of course, if the Watch has gotten their intelligence correct.”
Her half-cocked grin told him she felt differently. “While Khan Hazen sees me as some sort of threat, I doubt she would send such a large force to Coventry unless she expected the Lyrans to send in reinforcements. No matter what that estimate says, Coventry is as much a symbol to the Commonwealth as it is to us. They will not let it go without a vicious fight.”
“Perhaps she is right in sending those nuclear weapons with us then.”
“Neg,” Stephanie replied quickly. “Taking the world by burning its cities, people, or defenders leaves no honor. It would serve as a rallying cry for the Commonwealth. One can almost hear Trillian Steiner screaming, ‘Remember Coventry!’ if I use such weapons, and rightfully so. I will not give them the moral high ground in this fight.”
“Then you will be at odds with our Khan,” Jagger said coyly.
“So be it.” She cannot take the Jade Falcon out of my soul. I will find victory for our Clan and our people, without tarnishing my honor.