On the other side of the river, he saw the two observers coming down the hill toward the point where Joanna was giving the jumping drill to a line of BattleMechs. When they were within meters of Joanna's 'Mech, the third 'Mech of the current line made a sputtering noise at the height of its arc and began to sway from side to side as it came down. It landed just outside the target area and was immediately swept up by the current. Before Aidan could focus well on the 'Mech, it was several meters downstream being shattered against a cliff wall. Its pilot managed to eject, but could not get control of the ejection seat. The man bounced off the cliff wall, then plunged down into the waters, disappearing quickly. As Aidan scanned the surface of the river, looking for a sign of the pilot, the 'Mech itself slid down into the water. Like the pilot, it vanished without a trace—except for some twisted metal that still clung to the cliff wall.
Aidan checked his secondary screen. The lost MechWarrior was named Xavier and was a member of Marthe's Cluster.
The remaining BattleMechs of the line all made successful jumps while Aidan was still searching for the lost pilot, but no movement came from Joanna's side of the river now. She opened the commline. "Star Colonel, the observers want us to scrub the mission at this point and go forward with the BattleMechs that have already jumped. What are your orders?"
Aidan had agreed to listen to recommendations from the observers, as long as all their messages could be conveyed to him through Joanna. "We are losing this battle because of a new mood of caution among Clan warriors. That has never been our way. We have lost only two 'Mechs, with the ones forming the breakwater at least out of commission for the immediate future. I would say the exercise is going well. Continue."
Joanna gave the order to the next line. Aidan saw that the first to jump was the Warhawkof MechWarrior Diana. He held his breath as it came off the opposite cliff. He did not know why the fate of this particular warrior would matter so much to him. Perhaps it was because of the way she had fought beside him at Vreeport. Or perhaps her freeborn feistiness reminded him of the days when he had lived as one of that caste. Or perhaps it was because she was so like Marthe. Whatever it was, her fate was of deep concern to him, even if the feeling was a mystery.
Diana took her BattleMech higher than any other pilot had, an impressive feat for such a heavy 'Mech, then she came down with her 'Mech's feet straight, right on target. Aidan let his breath out. Then the Warhawk'slegs seemed to buckle and it looked like its feet were going to slip out from under, and into the current. Instead, Diana engaged the jump jets at the last possible moment and the machine rose shakily upward.
For a moment it looked as if the Warhawkwould not clear the edge of the cliff, but in midair she somehow eased her 'Mech's legs forward so that its feet came down heel first on the embankment's edge. Then she shoved her joystick forward and managed to get the BattleMech upright before it could fall. Aidan shouted into his microphone for her to clear the way fast before the next 'Mech came in for a landing.
The rest of the operation did not go smoothly, though most of the BattleMechs succeeded in crossing the Prezno to the other side. Four more were lost in various accidents. One, MechWarrior Elaine, was from Marthe's Cluster. The pilot survived, but her 'Mech missed its second leap and did not manage to reach the far shore. The other three, all Falcon Guards, were killed and their 'Mechs destroyed by the fierce Prezno River currents. All MechWarriors, they were Mondav of Bravo Heavy, Dhrima from Trinary Charlie, and Smit from Delta Nova. The crash of Smit was particularly costly, because his Elementals were also lost, dropping away from the 'Mech as it plunged downward. Only Elemental Point Commander Danton survived by shedding his armor, swimming to the tranquil pool, and then pulling himself onto the breakwater.
Joanna and Marthe were the last to jump. Both did so with an ease and grace that could have served for a training holotape, if there was ever a need for a tape on the most bizarre way to get across a wide, active river.
As Joanna joined him, he said briskly, "Report, Star Captain."
"Six BattleMechs lost in the river, while the five forming the breakwater cannot be immediately salvaged."
"And the pilots."
"Among the five breakwater pilots, two are dead and the rest are alive and awaiting pickup. One of the Elemental Stars still on the other side of the shore is mounting a rescue operation. Elemental Star Commander Torvald assures me that they have already cast a rope out onto the breakwater. It has been secured with magnetic pitons at both ends and the three pilots will be rescued before the Elementals cross."
"And the other 'Mech pilots?"
"MechWarrior Smit and the Elementals he carried are missing in action, except for Point Commander Danton. You saw him get to the breakwater. The bodies of MechWarrior Obdoff and Mondav have been recovered. Of the other four, three are missing and probably dead. Mech Warrior Elaine has been rescued. I am told she is in shock, but will live."
"All in all, a successful operation, quiaff?"
"Aff. Though eleven 'Mechs are no small loss."
Down below, the three pilots had been brought to shore. Still on the BattleMech breakwater was Point Commander Danton, who, with two other Elementals, had cast the line to the ComStar side of the river, where it had been secured. At a signal from Danton, who had released the pitons on the breakwater 'Mechs, the line, with Danton and the other two Elementals clutching it with short attached ropes, was raised and made relatively taut. Now it stretched from shore to shore. Elementals immediately clamped their short ropes onto the line and began to slide across the chasm. When Danton stepped off onto the other side of the river, the line was filled with crossing Elementals, spaced at precise distances from one another.
Aidan did not have time to watch the entire Elemental crossing. "Jade Falcons, proceed to Robyn's Crossing," he said into his headset mike.
He led the march, with Joanna's 'Mech on one side of him, Marthe's on the other.
"I had a strange thought," Marthe said suddenly over their private channel. "A very strange thought."
"What?"
"It is as if the three of us, you, Joanna, and me, were back on Ironhold—cadets and training officer proceeding down a Crash Camp road."
"A very strange thought, Marthe. Best to forget it."
"I agree."
Now that Marthe had planted the seed, it was Aidan who could not shake the image from his mind. Fortunately, Robyn's Crossing was not far away.
31
As Aidan had suggested to the Falcon Command Group, aerofighters were now strafing the positions still held by ComStar units at the wrecked bridges. From what Aidan's sensors could tell him, they were doing considerable damage. That was good. With that support Aidan was confident enough to detach the 'Mechs of the Second Falcon Cluster to Plough Bridge to assist the Jade Falcon assault there. Marthe led her troops off toward their objective at a dust-churning run.
But the Falcon Guards were still several kilometers from Robyn's Crossing. Overhead, a Star of aerofighters had joined them, providing some cover against ambush on the way to the bridge. Aidan thought he and his men must be an impressive sight, more than a Cluster of BattleMechs and Elementals charging along the riverside, battle-ready and formidable.