* * *
Patrick Kell leaned against the edge of his desk, arms folded. Salome Ward and Dan Allard sat on the worn sofa by the window. Seamus Fitzpatrick joined Richard O'Cieran at the poker table. Cat Wilson, the only non-officer, lounged near the door.
Kell looked up from a folder. "The computer projections give the best percentage chance that the Kurita force on Pacifica is a company of Panthers.That also complies most with the mass equations relating to the water-for-'Mechs substitution that Leftenant Redburn suggested on his visit. Comments?"
O'Cieran nodded. "I've had my men on exercises in the swamp area, but nothing extensive. We've seen signs of someone living out there, but Branson's Swamp has been a haven for Yakuzaand other outlaws since long before Kurita lost this world. We've narrowed possible encampments to some of the larger islands, but we can't check them out unless we go in forcefully. I've not done that because we agreed last time that we don't want to let them know that weknow of their existence."
Patrick Kell nodded curtly. "That's a plan I intend to stick with. Just continue your sweeps in the daily exercise schedule you have. Dan?"
"I don't believe the Panthercompany was meant to be part of the invasion."
Kell's thick brows knitted in concentration. "Explain."
Dan nodded. "O.K. We knew of the other two landing spots through our spy network, right? We didn't know of this one, and I think Kurita wanted to slip the Panthersin on us secretly. If their attack with the main force couldn't drive us off, they'd have this other company in place. They didn't even let their people on Pacifica know what is going on."
O'Cieran frowned. "What about the other Panthercompany? The one the aerojocks took out?"
Dan hesitated, then continued. "I think Kurita meant for them to be a diversionary force. If we'd gotten reports of a Pantheror two wandering around out there, we'd have sent my lance or your troops to meet them. A dozen Pantherswould certainly have overwhelmed such a small force."
Salome shifted her position on the sofa and looked at Dan. "Why the huge main force?"
Dan shrugged and Cat Wilson levered himself away from the wall. Although Wilson had refused a commission many times during his tenure with the Kell Hounds, the officers considered Cat very much a member of the executive staff. He half-smiled and squinted his dark eyes as though attempting to penetrate the mystery surrounding Kurita's actions.
"The Dragon never forgets. Takashi Kurita still burns from our last encounter on Mallory's World. Whenever Kurita decides to come after us, they'll come hard and try to crush us bad."
Patrick Kell smiled broadly. "As always, Cat, you make a whole lot of sense. Added to what Cat's just said, I'd say that Kurita will either evacuate those Panthers,or reinforce them. Until then, they'll probably stage a few raids on some of the agro-complexes."
Dan stood. "I think I should point out, Patrick, that Panthersare known for their ability to fight in cities. This spaceport is about the closest thing Pacifica has to a city of any importance in this area. If reinforcements arrive in system, I'd bet they'll make their move here."
Kell looked around the room and saw mute nods of agreement. "Good point." He looked over at O'Cieran. "Rick, have your troopers with SRM launchers replace the missiles with infernos."
At the mention of those napalm rockets, every MechWarrior in the room felt a slight shiver of horror. Infernos exploded in close proximity to a 'Mech, covering it with jellied fuel that ignited on contact with oxygen. The fuel clung to a 'Mech, leaving it awash in fire. Inferno rockets caused a 'Mech's heat to soar and could roast a MechWarrior inside his craft in seconds. It was the one in fantry weapon that all MechWarriors feared, and 'Mechs seldom carried them as ammo for their own SRM launchers because of the inferno's volatility.
Jump Infantry Major O'Cieran took the order without batting an eye. "I'll also put an order through the computer system notifying all the Techs and astechs that it's again time for them to qualify with small arms, just in case the Kurita spy network is still tapped into our system. I can't imagine the Pantherscoming in without some infantry support, and the mass of a company of troopers would be lost as a rounding error in your computer projections. We might as well have the hired help with us as against us."
Kell nodded solemnly, as he looked around at his staff. "Tell all your people to carry sidearms. Let's tighten things up, but let's not make it look too conspicuous." He looked up and was about to dismiss the meeting when he suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, Dan, whatever happened with the Nick Jones situation? Have you figured out how we're going to get him offworld on the Intrepid?I asked General Joss, but she said she couldn't speed up the paperwork because we're in the Isle of Skye. That means Lestrade will be watching everything with a quark-projection microscope."
Dan smiled and shot a glance at Wilson, who acknowledged him with a bare flicker of the eyes. "Cat and I came up with a plan that ought to work." He jerked a thumb at the window behind him, which showed the rapidly settling night. "Because Pacifica has this fourteen-hour rotation, and we run on TST, it's anyone's guess as to what time or day it is. We thought we'd just, ah, push the official clock ahead a day. May 25 become May 26 to everyone on the planet, and Jones musters out with his papers all dated properly."
O'Cieran's eyes narrowed. "Wait a minute. You and Cat have watch duty the night of the twenty-fifth." He laughed as the two of them feigned innocence. "Don't give me any of that. Besides, I'm conducting some night operations on the twenty-fifth, and now the day won't exist."
Cat's low bass rumbled like thunder. "Seems to me, Major, that your troopies, who have their alarms tied in with the base computer, will be sleeping secure in the knowledge that they'll be awake well before you come for them. Won't they be surprised..."
Everyone laughed, though O'Cieran's chuckle came a bit lower and more sinister than the rest. "Perhaps this plan has merit, Cat," he admitted. "Of course, you and Dan will cover the watch for me, right?"
Cat looked at Dan, who shrugged back. "We had that in mind all along, Major, because we knew how important the field exercise was to you."
Kell laughed aloud. "Gracious of you, Cat, to have thought so far ahead."
Cat glanced at Dan. "His idea, really."
Dan glared back at Cat. "Couldn't have done it without you."
"Very well. In forty days, we lose one day, and Master Sergeant Jones gets shipped off this wet rock." Kell looked out the window at the thunderstorm sailing in from Branson's Swamp. "A fair exchange, I think."
* * *
Sho-saAkiie Kamekura hunched over his comtech's shoulder and stared at the flickering amber computer screen. In the corner of the screen, the date and time ticked down with military precision. Across the screen scrolled the hundreds of messages flowing through the Kell Hound base computer. The comtech's fingers flowed across the keyboard and typed a routine inquiry.
Kamekura straightened up, but avoided bumping his head against the low ceiling of the man-made cavern. I abhor being trapped here like a mole in this bunker.He stared into the dark, where he could just barely make out the sparks made by Techs working on the Panthersback in the 'Mech bays. Stuck in this musty cellar amid the swamps, I am being wasted.
The comtech spoke without turning to face his commander. "Here it is, Sho-sa.The LeopardClass DropShip Karasu,the one they call the Manannan MacLir,is due back in two days, and the Victoris scheduled to be transshipped up to the JumpShip Tsunami."