22

Massingham Valley , Marfik

Dieron Military District, Draconis Combine

29 August 3028

 

"We've got some excitement on the left flank," Fuhito Tetsuhara reported over the optic fiber link from his company's concealed position in DonnerBrau Forest.

Theodore rotated the "Revenant's" head to bring the sensor scan to bear on the disturbance. The compressed images on his 360-degree screen flowed until he had a view of the Legion's left flank in the center, where the image had the least distortion. Billowing dust confirmed Tai-iTetsuhara's report.

Theodore keyed open the link to his 'Mech force commander. "Eleventh Armored is raising dust," he said. "Why aren't they holding their positions?"

"I don't know, Sama"Olivares replied, his rumbling voice unmistakable even over the commlink.

"Well, find out!" Theodore snapped, his temper short from lack of sleep. As Olivares ordered Tetsuhara to send out a recon lance, he cut the comm link and turned his attention to the tactical map scrolling across his main screen.

Five days ago, Steiner DropShips had been detected heading for Marfik under high acceleration. Their JumpShips had made a perilously close transit into the system, appearing at a "pirate point" only a few thousand kilometers out from Marfik's orbital path. The proximity of the transit point had drastically reduced the flight time of the piggybacking

DropShips as they burned toward the planet. In using the "pirate point," the Lyrans had risked a large fleet of several JumpShips, not to mention the DropShips and the troops they were carrying. Those owing allegiance to House Steiner were known throughout the Inner Sphere as shrewd merchants, always aware of the balance between profit and loss. Clearly, they saw that the gains possible in the Marfik system were worth the gamble.

When Theodore had first seen the radar tracks, the number of invaders had startled him. There were dozens of DropShips. Fortunately, their masses and radar signatures indicated that the force was primarily composed of conventional forces. Few of the DropShips had been identified as 'Mech transports. To make a major assault using so few of the most potent weapons available under the Ares Conventions of War did not make military sense. Only the need for Steiner BattleMech forces elsewhere could justify it. That could mean only one thing: War!

He had been expecting it for some time. The expense of running the Davion Operation Galahad and Steiner Operation Thor military exercises was enormous, even for their wealthy realms. Theodore had been unable to discern the full intent of those massive military maneuvers, even with the Order of the Five Pillars funneling intelligence to him, but the shifting of unit positions hinted at in the reports was ominous. Now, surely, the war had come. When the Steiner DropShips appeared in the system, Theodore had burned incense at the local shrine to thank Buddha that the children had lifted for safety two weeks earlier.

Yesterday, a ComStar Adept had delivered a communique confirming his fears of war. The message disk had contained a full recording of the wedding toast in which Hanse Davion had offered the Capellan Confederation to his bride as a wedding gift. The toast was his announcement of the Federated Suns' assault on the Capellans. The timing was too close to the appearance of Steiner troops in the Marfik system. It had to be that Archon Katrina Steiner was supporting her Davion ally by opening a front to occupy the Dragon while Prince Hanse battered the Capellans. As yet, there had been no communications from the Dieron command announcing an invasion, but it was likely that Lyran troops were assaulting other border systems as well.

As soon as they reached orbit, the Lyran Commonwealth DropShips had made assault landings on all three of Marfik's major land masses, Yantiban and North and South Galfree. Attacked by almost twice their number, the four regiments of conventional forces defending Yantiban had been overwhelmed at once. The three regiments on South Galfree had held out for two days against the Steiner assaults. Only North Galfree had maintained opposition to the invaders. That was to be expected, for the largest concentration of the Combine's forces were on that continent.

Intel had identified at least ten conventional regiments and one BattleMech regiment among the Steiner forces on North Galfree. The twelve Kurita regiments assigned to the defense of the continent were all conventional except for Theodore's own 'Mech regiment, the Eleventh Legion of Vega.

It surprised him when the Steiner 'Mechs landed near Netaltown, a resort east of Massingham. He had also been thankful, for once, for Tomoe's stubbornness. The Legion was supposed to be conducting summer training on the dunes near Netaltown, but after another argument over her refusal to join the children, Theodore had been too annoyed to deal with the problems of running training maneuvers. Had he not canceled the Legion's exercise, the Lyrans would have come down on the Legion's heads, scattering the Kurita 'Mechs and probably eliminating them as a viable combat force. If the BattleMechs had been lost, all hope of resistance on Marfik would have gone with them.

As yet, the Legion's BattleMechs were not committed to combat. That would not last long. An overflight by Legion AeroSpace Fighters had confirmed that the Steiner forces were finally on the move. Several armored columns were striking out along the valley toward the mining town of Massingham on the far side of the vast expanse of DonnerBrau Forest. The Steiner BattleMechs were massing fifty kilometers to the east of Massingham, starting their march up the undulating plain of Massingham Valley.

A flashing light on the console demanded Theodore's attention, announcing an incoming comm laser message. He engaged the "Revenant's" autotrack system to focus the viewscreen on the source, then flicked the switch to bring the audio to his speakers. The Orion'sscreen settled on a distant hill, ten kilometers to the southwest. An increase in magnification allowed Theodore to see the kahuto-helmeted cat face on the chest of the 'Mech crouching there. It was Fuhito's Panther.

The Tai-ihad moved forward to maintain contact with his recon lance. He had been forced to sever the fiber optic line and was now using a comm laser on a direct line-of-sight to avoid intercept.

"Tai-sa,we have enemy BattleMechs coming in from the east. Eleventh Armored is moving to engage and calling for support."

"Are the 'Mechs scouts?" Theodore asked. Lighter BattleMechs usually moved ahead of the main body to determine enemy resistance and disposition. It might be possible to engage the scouting force and deny the Lyrans information about the Kurita position before the heavier forces of the main body arrived.

"No, sir. These are heavies. We've got three assault 'Mechs of at least ninety tons under observation. The remainder of the force appears to be medium and heavy machines."

"An assault force leading the advance?" That made no sense. The orbital battle was still denying full aerial reconnaissance to both sides. To commit one's main force without knowledge of the enemy was foolhardy. Unless,Theodore thought, they've outflanked us."Relay a hold order to the Eleventh. Their light armor won't stand up to those Steiner 'Mechs. Put some flankers out wide, Tai-iTetsuhara. Watch for enemy forces along the forest edge. I don't want any surprises from that direction.

"How much in the way of armor and infantry is moving up with the 'Mechs?"