Rose shook his head and looked over at the immobile Shadow Hawk.The visual unit had failed immediately after the battle on Solaris. Rose had replaced it twice on the way to Outreach, and then Hawg had rebuilt it completely when it failed during testing on the way to Borghese.

"Switch to secondary. Confirm visual."

"Secondary confirmed. Just don't go running off. I'll have a devil of a time finding you." Badicus wasn't far from the truth. At only 60 percent of the size of the main viewscreen, the smaller screen would make it easy to miss some things. It was good to have it in a battle, but nobody wanted to have to depend on it, especially during close maneuvering.

"Doors are open. We're clear to debark."

Rose noticed that his sister's voice revealed not even a trace of excitement. She sounded very professional. Rose hoped it would last.

"Column formation, Thorns, two abreast. Pursuit, you have the honors. Command Two will follow as a single. Battle One, you have the rear with Battle Two. Try to keep him out of trouble.

"Pursuit, we're heading down the main road. Don't stop until you're standing in front of the biggest white building you've ever seen."

The Ravenand the Valkyrieheaded down the ramp. Though their weights were different, they made a good pair. For the entry into the city Rose wanted his column to look good as well as provide a sound military defense. Rianna moved out alone and Hawg fell in along his right side. Esmeralda and Badicus moved behind him.

As the Chargermoved down the ramp, sunlight hit the new paint for the first time. Rianna, with Ajax's help, had settled on red and black as the unit's primary colors. Given the unit's name, Rose thought the choice appropriate as well as impressive. Each 'Mech was painted in the same colors, but each pattern was unique. When combined with the grays and silvers of the ports, the effect was memorable.

Rose followed his sister across the landing field and through the main gates. Conveyor trucks and cargo carriers moved aside as the procession moved past the terminals and toward Assembly Avenue. Ten minutes later the Black Thorns were causing a major traffic jam as cars veered to the curb to let the 'Mechs pass. The citizens of Houston had probably all seen BattleMechs before, but Rose allowed himself a moment of pride as the civilians stopped their daily routine and stood gaping. Rose stepped around and occasionally over cars as they continued on their way. At their slow pace it took thirty minutes to reach the Assembly Pavilion.

"Crescent formation. Standard defense of the building." Rose stepped forward and the Thorns took position around him. While Rose faced the building, the rest of the unit faced the other way. Rose flipped on the external speakers.

"This is Captain Jeremiah Rose of the Black Thorns mercenary unit. We have a binding contract, as certified by the Mercenary Review and Bonding Commission of Outreach, and we request immediate ratification."

Nothing happened for a few minutes, so Rose settled back into the chair after turning up the external speakers. After fifteen minutes a barrel-chested man appeared at the top of the stairs. Seeing that the man was dressed in formal coat and vest, Rose guessed him to be one of the Council members, perhaps the chairman. Zooming his cameras in on the man's face, it was easy to see he had an air of command and that he held himself with perfect bearing. With the Chargerat the bottom of the stone stairs and the man at the top, Rose was only slightly taller than him. When the man began to speak, he did not shout, despite the Charger'ssize and distance. He simply looked directly at the Charger'shead and began talking.

"I am Council Chairman Zenos Cooke. We've been expecting you, Captain Rose. If you will be so kind as to come with me, we can begin. The Council has been in an emergency session for the past two hours." The Chairman turned to go, then stopped.

"You will, of course, have to leave your 'Mech outside." Without waiting for a reply, Zenos Cooke disappeared into the building.

21

Houston, Borghese

13 December 3054

 

With little else left to do, Rose shut down the Chargerand followed Chairman Cooke inside. The rest of the Black Thorns remained on guard outside, linked to Rose by his personal communicator. He doubted it would be needed, but having the small device made him feel better.

The Assembly Pavilion was every bit as impressive within as it was without. The walls, floor, and ceiling were joined together with infinite care to create smooth, flowing hallways. Once inside Rose noticed a handful of guards, but these seemed to be mostly for show. They stood at attention as Rose entered, but he had either been cleared for entry or they did not challenge strangers. He shook his head as he followed the main corridor to a set of huge double doors. These people needed training even worse than he'd imagined.

At the end of the hall Rose was finally stopped by a pair of armed guards. Just as he came to a halt, however, the first guard pulled open the massive door and the second snapped to attention. Rose mumbled his thanks and went inside.

Standing at the door, Rose saw that he was at the far end of the High Council chamber, a room dominated by a semicircular table surrounded by nine chairs. The table and chairs sat on a raised platform that stood under the dome of the main room. From where Rose stood, the members gathered around the table seemed aloof from the rest of the room, but that was probably how they were supposed to appear. Several assistants scurried around the table carrying stacks of papers and memory disks to the Councilors they supported. As Rose entered the room, Zenos Cooke settled into the center chair and began reading his monitor.

Feeling slightly like Daniel in the lion's den, Rose began to move down the short aisle to the platform. The ceiling was much lower in this section of the room, making it easier to imagine the aisle as an access tunnel to the platform. On either side empty chairs faced the platform. He noticed several trivid cameras behind the mass of chairs, but they were also quiet. Evidently emergency sessions of the Council did not get broadcast to the general populace. Rose stepped past the last row of chairs and into the brightness shed by the lights of the dome. It was like stepping into another world.

Eight sets of eyes settled on Rose as he appeared under the lights. Zenos had already been watching him, picking up his movement down the aisle while the rest of the Council members went about their business. Rose climbed the flight of six steps and walked to the center of the semicircle. Conversations stopped as the men and women of the Council examined Rose. He'd spent only a short time in the cockpit of the Charger,but he knew he looked scruffy compared to the leaders of the Borghese government. A flight suit was rarely considered correct attire when addressing a government, especially when its members were all formally attired.

"Captain Rose, I have the privilege and honor to welcome you to Borghese." Chairman Zenos smiled and Rose was convinced the salutation was sincere, until he remembered he was dealing with a politician.

"Thank you, Mister Chairman." Rose returned the smile, but it wasn't nearly as warm.

"Captain Rose, am I to understand that you have brought 'Mechs to the Assembly Pavilion?" Zenos rolled his eyes and sighed. Rose turned toward the new speaker.

His first thought was vulture,but he was thinking of the bird and not the 'Mech of that name. The new speaker was a small man with a huge nose and wide eyes. His voice was raspy, but it carried a certain authority that Rose had always associated with nobility. The man looked to be more than eighty years old, his face a web of lines and wrinkles. Although Rose knew the names of all the Council members, he did not know their faces, or their opinions.