“All this to the side,” Malthus said, overriding Malvina, whose sculpture-perfect face had started to crease with anger, “we can all agree without hesitation that Turkina’s interests outweigh those of the people of Porrima—and that if we do not find some way to bleed our internal pressures fast, they will rupture us like a faulty fuel cell.Quiaff? ”
“Aff, ’’said Malvina, lightly, as if nothing said previously were of any consequence to her.
Aleks hesitated. “Aff, ’’he said at length.
Malthus smiled and nodded heartily. “Excellent. Now as to the raid itself—”
“I bid my first Cluster,” Malvina piped up promptly.
“Neg,” Malthus said, still smiling, but forcefully. “Devoted as we all are to our traditions,batchall has been honored as much in the breach as in the observance since long before any of us was born, among the Falcons no less than any other Clan. This is a matter not of bidding but of necessity of war—and it behooves us all to remember that Khan Jana Pryde herself instructed us most explicitly that the success
of our mission took precedence over any imaginable consideration.”
“So I suppose you’ll be leading the raid—” the woman began, sulky now, almost petulant.
“Neg,”Malthus said again. “Young Aleksandr shall carry out the raid upon Porrima. With his entire Zeta Galaxy.”
She snapped upright in her chair, risking a brief embarrassing flight of her own, staring at him in open disbelief. “But I thought—”
“Yes, but perhaps no more clearly than your sibkin but a moment ago,” Malthus said. “Your Gyrs are battle tested. Their skills and fervor are second only to my own Turkina Keshik—and perhaps the rest of the Turkina Galaxy—in all of Clan space. Which of course means all of human space. What need have they, therefore, to learn what it is like to wet their claws in the blood of prey? Theyknow ”
“But—” She scowled and her small mouth grimaced in confusion. “Our warriors, yours and mine, it is they who most need the release only battle can give,quiaff ?”
“Aff, ”said Malthus. “Yet they are Clan warriors, Jade Falcon warriors, and they know discipline and their duty. They must settle this time forvicarious battle. It must suffice them that the greatdesant in which they are privileged to take part is striking a blow against the foe. They will participate by remaining with the JumpShips at Porrima’s proximity point, and celebrating Turkina’s Beak’s success upon that Galaxy’s return. They also serve who only sit and wait; we shall remind them of that, you and I. And of their duty.”
Malvina’s ice blue eyes were wide. “If you say so, Galaxy Commander,” she said softly.
“I do. I know the sons and daughters of Turkina, what makes them go, and what makes them come. It is the great study of my life. Now go, the both of you. Aleksandr has plans to write. And it is not too early for you, Malvina Hazen, to begin preparing your Deltas for their role as enthusiastic spectators—no matter in how little esteem they hold the Zetas now.”
Both the young ristars, the unique sibkin set, were subdued. Malthus considered that in itself a minor triumph. Malvina slipped almost furtively from Malthus’ stateroom. Aleks hung back, seeming abashed.
“Well?” Malthus demanded with one eyebrow arched—an expression which had cost him hours of practice before a mirror, in his youth, and repaid his investment many times over in the years intervening—looking up from several moments’ apparent study of the display screen inset at an angle in his desktop. “Have you further business with me, Galaxy Commander?”
“I claim my right tosurkai, ” the taller, younger man said. “I would undergo the Trial of Forgiveness.” “Fast for twenty-four hours.”
Aleks drew his head up and blinked his eyes once in surprise. The “right” ofsurkai was the penalty a Clan warrior paid for pressing an issue and losing. The price exacted for having opposed one’s will to that of the Clan could be highly arduous or even literally agonizing punishment. No Clan was inclined to give out second-place prizes in any endeavor.
The penalty Malthus had named was almost insulting.
“But, Galaxy Commander—”
Malthus looked sternly at him. “Grow up, Aleksandr,” he said. “We are embarked upon a mission to rekindle the holy flame of the Crusade, without interference from the cowardly Wolves who have diluted and denatured the blood of Kerensky. And without having to share the glory with any other Clan. Do you not feel that is more important than your ego, or if you would call it that, your honor? I cannot afford to have you wasting time and energy being tortured.
“Now go, and plan, and think only of ultimate victory!”
6
AllisonCity
Porrima
Lyran Commonwealth 3 April 3134
The first that residents of Allison City knew of the drastic change in their lives was when two Points of aerospace fighters from Trinary Echo of the Third Falcon Velites streaked over their city at hypersonic speed, shattering the glass from most every window. While the citizens were still dusting broken glass fragments off themselves the four fighters came back, much slower this time, to destroy an entire company of VTOLs parked in a yard by the wall on the west side of town.
Three new stars appeared high in the overcast sky, grew quickly to novas, then to suns, and finally crosses of blue drive fire. Twocame down east of the city, on the mud flats of theEquanicaRiver . The third descended directly into the huge spaceport outside the high city walls, blasting with its formidable armament anything that moved or looked remotely threatening, including a hapless electronic mule dragging a series of baggage carts to a DropShip out of The Republic of the Sphere, and the control tower itself, which exploded into fragments from the single kiss of a PPC.
Three Demon wheeled medium tanks of the Lyran Commonwealth Armed Forces, stationed at the spaceport more as a convenient place to park them than for any military considerations, bravely ventured forth with all weapons blazing. One flashed into incandescence under the attack of aJagatai aerospace fighter, which had stooped like a falcon from the swarm of five fighters orbiting the descending DropShip. The underwing-mounted extended-range particle guns attacking the thin upper armor probably made the arrival of a volley of twenty long-range missiles overkill.
The DropShip itselfRed Dragon, met the other two tanks with a glittering ruby volley of pulse laser fire. The large and medium weapons’ beams, precise and relentless as the needles of an industrial sewing machine, sieved both Demons in a matter of seconds. One managed to rake two glowing slashes across the rounded underhull of the descending craft with its turret-mounted lasers, achieving little more than to scour away the char of rapid descent through atmosphere, leaving two shiny streaks of hull metal virtually undamaged. The other tank did not accomplish that much, but staggered, sagged on pierced and melting tires and severed suspensions. Its turret rose into the air on a geyser of hellish red fire, slipped to the side, and fell with a ringing clang on the pavement.
It was Aleks Hazen’s intention to give maximum battle experience to his ground forces rather than his fighters and DropShips. But everyone in his Galaxy fought under orders to protect the landing ships at all costs. All the resources the expeditionary force possessed were none too great for the awesome task confronting it. Combat DropShips, like other military assets, had been reduced in number throughout the Inner Sphere through the intercession of Devlin Stone. The invaders could not rely on replacing the vital craft fromisorla, the Clan term for plunder.