NEW EXETER SPACEPORT
EMPORIA
FEDERATED SUNS
6 APRIL 3150
0330 HOURS
52 Hours Ago
Tai-sa Takeji Yoshizawa’s JumpShip convoy arrived at Emporia’s nadir jump point. Each ship arrived minutes apart from one another. The arrival began with the Merchant-class JumpShip Nowaki. Its IFF declared it to be nothing more than a Federated Suns vessel with a Mule-class DropShip. The Nowaki had the bad luck of being seen by the Danais-class DropShip Whatever It Takes, as it passed by on its way to Emporia.
The dubious captain of the Whatever It Takes had been a spacer long enough to recognize the Nowaki’s markings. He knew the JumpShip wasn’t what it pretended to be. He settled into his chair and pushed the throttle, tripling his speed and doubling the gravity on his body. It was uncomfortable, but necessary. He had to get to Emporia first.
Thirty minutes later, the Invader-class JumpShip Shirayuki arrived with its two-DropShip complement—one ’Mech carrier and one troop transport. An hour after that, the Chimeisho-class JumpShip Amagi arrived with its assault DropShips. The final JumpShip to arrive thirty minutes later was the smallest. The Scout-class Kiri settled apart from the other three, and its K-1-class DropShuttle, the Yanagi, made its way to the Amagi in due time.
The captain of the Whatever It Takes saw the arrival of the other three JumpShips, but didn’t realize what they were. He was too focused on what he had realized, figuring out who to tell, and to keep breathing against the unaccustomed gravity.
48 Hours Ago
One by one, the JumpShips undocked their DropShips and deployed their solar sails to recharge their K-F drives. The Nowaki released its Trojan horse, the Rose-class Shinyo. The Shirauki released the Union-class Inazuma and Hannibal-class Akikaze. The Amagi released Tai-sa Takeji Yoshizawa’s command ship, Fujinami, and its sister vessel Tachikaze. Both were Nekohono’o-class assault DropShips. Last, but never least, the DropShuttle Yanagi returned to the Kiri.
As they sped toward the unassuming, unprepared planet, the DropShip convoy organized itself. The Shinyo and Tachikaze took the lead—as the lamb led the lion. The Akikaze followed close behind, backing the play, while the Inazuma and Fujinami trailed to allow the lighter Hannibal-class troop transport to travel in the shadow of the Shinyo. This tactic fooled even those trained to watch. They would have a difficult time knowing exactly how many DropShips were on the way.
The convoy set out at maximum safe acceleration. All of the ships except the Akikaze were based on common civilian designs. Upon contacting Emporia orbital control, they indicated registered merchant ship names, all of them Mule- and Union-class, with one escort.
It was not a perfect decoy, but it would suffice. With their nighttime landing in the New Exeter Spaceport and on a planet as lightly defended as Emporia, it would be next to impossible to detect that they weren’t civilian ships until they powered up their primary weapon systems.
By then it would be much too late.
The first phase of the sneak attack was well under way. The convoy remained under 1G thrust for the next twenty-three hours.
25 Hours Ago
The DropShip convoy performed a 180-degree reorientation burn in preparation to decelerate to Emporia orbit and landing. The timing and precision of the maneuver was intentionally askew, to further sell the appearance of a civilian merchant convoy. The chances of being monitored at this range were low, but it was prudent to maintain appearances rather than risk early discovery.
10 Hours Ago
The convoy made contact with the New Exeter Spaceport and secured landing permission for the first three ships. The Akikaze, as the merchant escort, was scheduled to land alongside the Inazuma and the Fujinami.
The other DropShips would not land immediately. The Inazuma’s pilot spun the cover story that the Shinyo and Tachikaze would land in the event that there was enough trade to justify doing so. If not, they were going to save the fuel necessary to land and return to orbit.
In truth, the Shinyo remained in orbit as planned. Its mission was to collect supplies for the next leg of the invasion. The Tachikaze was there to counter defenders and provide orbital support as needed.
5 Hours Ago
Precisely as planned, the troop carriers and the flagship all touched down at the spaceport on the edge of New Exeter. As the ships set down, weapon systems, communication gear, and the ’Mechs inside powered up.
4.5 Hours Ago
The formidable Akikaze touched down first, her ramps deployed, her loading docks and weapon bays opened before she hit the ground. Before the engines finished cycling down, two platoons of the Seventh Ghost Regiment’s infantry swarmed the landing terminals and control tower of the spaceport, carried into position by Mamono IFVs.
Between the skeleton crew due to the late hour and the infantry’s rapid capture of the command facilities, a distress call was never sent. The Akikaze’s infantry complement secured the spaceport’s command and maintenance facilities while the threat of the DropShips’ weaponry discouraged any ill-advised acts of foolish heroism.
4 Hours Ago
Next came the Inazuma. It deployed a lance of medium ’Mechs from an altitude of 100 meters before it even touched down. Chu-i Natsu Amago’s lance leaped to the surface and fanned out to secure the ’Mech facilities on the edges of the spaceport.
Chu-i Amago piloted a Hitotsume Kozo, as did Shujin Nagano. Gunsho Rogard and Go-cho Burton each piloted a Wolverine. They moved to the ’Mech hangar and were shocked to discover there weren’t even proper blast doors or hardened facilities. Shujin Nagano shouldered through the hangar door, tearing open a breach that allowed the lance to advance inside.
Amago, Nagano, and Burton secured the area and found seven powered-down ’Mechs still in their cradles, with one in a maintenance cradle and undergoing service and refit. Rogard remained at the hangar breach, guarding their rear. With three armed ’Mechs in the hangar, trying to reach one of the offline ’Mechs, let alone power it up, would be nothing more than a costly, messy suicide.
Once the Inazuma landed, Chu-i Wakizaka’s heavy lance moved out from their landing zone to secure the rest of the facility. They detected a heat signature on the far side of the spaceport and moved into position to investigate.
The blast doors of House Frosig’s personal hangar and repair facility swung open to reveal a single Thunderbolt finishing its power-up sequence. As the doors opened, Chu-i Wakizaka activated his Tenshi’s searchlight, flooding the T-bolt’s cockpit with blinding light. As the cockpit’s ferroglass adapted to the light, the MechWarrior within discovered Wakizaka’s lance waiting for him.
A cool, smug voice cut through his comm: “Your surrender is strongly recommended.”
Old Baron Frosig, damnably sober and helplessly furious, still considered an attack. At least he would join his beloved Lillian after ending his life in battle.
Chu-i Wakizaka allowed his voice to sharpen. “If you begin this fight, more than just you will die. Until now, our invasion has been bloodless on purpose. Do not make a decision everyone still alive will regret. Again, your surrender is strongly recommended.”
Gregory Frosig, beaten for the last time, thought of his still-living children and grandchildren, and complied.
3 Hours Ago
The Inazuma’s weapons added to the already impressive selection of deterrents at the spaceport. The electronic warfare system on Wakizaka’s ’Mech disabled communications in and out of the spaceport. This triggered an alert status. New Exeter’s bravest suited up and jumped aboard wheeled shuttles to their ’Mech bays, only to find themselves en route to an occupied facility. Squads of infantry moved in behind them, capturing every soldier without a shot.
2 Hours Ago
The Fujinami completed its deorbit and landed nearly an hour after Inazuma was on the ground. Once Tai-sa Yoshizawa landed, all Seventh Ghost elements reported in. It was now 6 April—exactly on schedule and according to plan.
After he checked in with his council, who confirmed the safe delivery of all four ’Mech lances and that his infantry was in place, Tai-sa Yoshizawa declared New Exeter Spaceport under his control.
Now
Tai-sa Yoshizawa gazed about with approval. “I want all of the officers from the spaceport command facility moved to the large ’Mech bay. Keep enlisted personnel in a separate area. Find out which ones are skilled labor and which are not.” He strode among his men, head high and eyes bright. “Also, bring me the one MechWarrior who saw enough to prepare for us. Him I want to meet.”
As the captured Emporia officers stood in a circle surrounded by Seventh Ghost infantry, two men stood out among them—an old, unkempt man in a MechWarrior cooling vest, and a distinguished man in a fancy dress uniform with the top buttons of his shirt undone. While the old man was dressed for piloting a ’Mech, Yoshizawa knew the other man was the true warrior. He knew it, and so did every man surrounding him. He saw it in the way they focused on him. There was fear, yes. But there was hope and confidence, too.
“Good very early morning, ladies and gentlemen. I am Tai-sa Takeji Yoshizawa, and I have a single request for you all. Deliver me your leadership for discussion of their surrender and recruitment, or this city will only stop burning after I’ve grown bored.”
Yoshizawa was unsurprised when the distinguished man in the fancy dress uniform stepped forward. The old, wild-haired man stepped up alongside him.
“I am Baron Zachary Vogel. I am the one in charge of this planet.”
Yoshizawa nodded. “My lord.” He gestured to the old man. “And him?”
“I’m Baron Gregory Frosig, you filthy invader. I’d kill you with my bare hands if I could.”
“My respect to you, my lord. You were the only one with enough spirit and honor to even attempt to fight.” Yoshizawa moved close. “Thus, I give you a warrior’s death.”
Tai-sa Takeji Yoshizawa drew his sword and slashed Baron Frosig across the neck. As blood splattered and the baron’s head hit the ground, all the Emporia officers jerked back in surprise with a couple of gasps followed by a mutter of shock, but no open protests.
All but one.
Baron Vogel pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and wiped the baron’s blood from his face. “I understand why you felt the need to do that, Tai-sa Yoshizawa, but I would appreciate it if you did not do it again. You will get no one else here without me. Perhaps it’s time for us to speak in more comfortable quarters?”
Yoshizawa nodded to Zachary Vogel. He beckoned for the noble to walk with him as the rest of the infantry tightened the circle around the captured officers and MechWarriors.
Old Baron Frosig’s head and body lay where they fell.