Marshal Pedroza cleared her throat. "I'd like to add that I support the Field Marshal's suggestion. Our warriors are living and dying at mail calls. On more than one occasion, I've had whole battalions volunteer for duty ferrying mail from a landing zone to the front."
"Very well," the Prince said. "Yvonne, get your people together with Quintus's and work this network out." He looked at his Intelligence Minister. "Tell the people in Ways and Means that if there's room for anything more than the basic necessities in the shipping schedule, priority goes to the lowest-priced luxury items—with emphasis on entertainment products, clothes, cosmetics, and other things people buy to make themselves happy. I don't want oneAvanti air car coming in when something for plentyof people could be shipped instead."
Quintus grinned broadly. "As you direct, my Prince."
Now the most difficult part of this meeting.The Prince regarded both of the men nearest him. "You have heard, of course, of the disastrous assault made by the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers on Sarna. It's true they landed on a position defended by McCarron's Armored Cavalry. The Fusiliers had not expected opposition, and as a result, got sliced up badly. As you have also heard, McCarron captured General Gordon Hartstone and I have refused to ransom him."
The Prince watched both men for reactions, but they kept them well hidden. "The Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers presented a problem for me, gentlemen. I had evidence implicating their general staff in a treasonous plot directed against me. I had hoped, after Michael Hasek-Davion's death, that all three of the Fusilier RCTs would return to the fold, as it were. But the Fifth did not mend its ways.
General Hartstone demanded—not requested, demanded—a combat assignment that would avenge the Duke."
The Prince narrowed his ice-blue eyes. "I learned of a move within the Capellan March to support making Hartstone a warlord of sorts. Disguised as a patriotic movement within the March, it was nothing short of treason. I could not discharge the Fusiliers' leader because he would have bolted and taken most of his unit with him. Having no other reasonable choice, I gave him the combat assignment he wanted."
The Prince gestured at Quintus Allard. "We learned, after the JumpShips had headed out for Sarna, that McCarron's Armored Cavalry was on Sarna. Had Hartstone followed our original assault plan, we could have prevented the bloodbath. But Hartstone was looking too far ahead, imagining his glorious return to the Capellan March, and had boosted his DropShips in at 2.5Gs. That meant he arrived a full two days ahead of the mercenary regiments accompanying him."
Hanse Davion sighed heavily. "Their lead gave McCarron's Armored Cavalry two days to play with them. McCarron's people were dug in and threw everything they had at the Fusiliers. We recovered less than a battalion of 'Mechs, and only half of them operational. Losses of armor and infantry were even worse. For all intents and purposes, the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers no long exists."
Silence settled over the meeting as the extent of carnage that could destroy a full Regimental Combat Team overwhelmed everyone in the room. Hanse felt anger burn his insides. Damn you, Michael Hasek-Davion. Why did you force me to waste so many people? Was your hatred for me so deep? Was your dream of glory so blind?
The Prince's voice came flat and controlled despite his internal rage. "Understand me, gentlemen, and make sure all the officers in your commands understand me. I cannot afford to have the Federated Suns divided against itself. There will be glory enough for all of us when this war is over. For now, we must stand together, or our enemies will exploit our weaknesses to pull us apart. With the Interdiction, we're half-blind, but we're not finished unless more people contemplate treason."
Hanse Davion leaned forward, letting his voice drop to a chilling whisper. "In short, gentlemen, I will reward those who serve me well, and discard those who work against me. We fight for the Federated Suns, and anyone who decides to work for himself should take a lesson from the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers."
20
Ryde
Virginia Shire, Lyran Commonwealth
6 June 3029
Leutnant Joachim Rhinestag swallowed hard as he keyed his radio mike and stared out from the massive gray dolmen. Why me? Why do I always get the assignments that go to hell?"Eagle One to Eagle's Nest."
A bored female voice replied to his signal slowly. "Go ahead, Eagle One. What have you got, Joachim?"
Joachim drew in a deep breath and fought against the nervousness tying his stomach into knots. "I found the place where those two Overlordswent to ground. I've got a reinforced company of Kurita 'Mechs about five hundred meters north of my current position. They look like mediums and heavies, with an Orionand two Maraudersbeing the top of the line for them. The unit insignia is a black tidal wave within a circle. The wave has stars and a little boat about to be smashed beneath its crest."
A new voice, one full of false courage, cut in on the frequency. "Eagle One, this is Komandant Wyler. What are your coordinates? We will send the militia out to deal with them."
Joachim's heart leaped to his throat. "No, sir. I mean, negative, Eagle's Nest." Joachim sneaked another peek at the nearly fifty 'Mechs moving round on the rubble-strewn plain below his position. "Sir, our militia would be eaten alive down there." He hesitated and swallowed hard. "I don't think they want trouble, sir."
"What! You're telling me a Kurita 'Mech company lands on
Ryde and doesn't want trouble? Have you been hit on the head, boy?"
Oh, God, now the Komandant thinks . .. Damn! I'm in deep trouble now."Look, Komandant, they're out on Hanover Flats just moving rocks around."
Utter disbelief strung the Komandant's words together. "Moving rocks around? Are they creating a fortification?" The unspoken question in the Komandant's reply was "why?" Being a young planet, Ryde was prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, which made construction a very fine art. Haphazard projects always came tumbling down.
Joachim passed his left hand over his mouth, wiping away the sweat on his upper lip. "No sir, not a fortification. I think they're building a replica of the battlefield on Mallory's World where the Kell Hounds and the Second Sword of Light fought thirteen years ago."
"What? How the hell would you conclude that?"
Jesus, Joachim, don't blow it now."I read a book on that campaign, sir. Saw a map. From here, it looks the same. And ... and I've monitored some of their radio chatter. I heard the phrase 'Kieru inu.'That's Japanese for Kell Hound, sir. I got that from the book, too."
The Komandant's voice had gained an edge. "You read a book that's let you get into the mind of Kurita warriors. Is this what you want me to believe?" The Komandant paused for emphasis. "This from the junior officer who previously reported a mining site abandoned a century ago as a forward Kurita base?"
I'll never live that down!Joachim felt a bead of sweat course down his forehead and along his nose. "Sir, believe me, the weight of these 'Mechs is enough to destroy our militia a million times over. Were I asked, I'd devote myself to Civil Defense measures there in Heaven's Gate. They're minding their own business now, but if they wanted to take Ryde, you'd be telling me about them and not the other way around."