Natural Selection Page 5

  The ComStar Precentor moved away from Phelan and checked the room's door. "Khan Phelan is correct. Your information is excellent—up to a standard to which ComStar might also aspire."

  Right! ComStar controls communication between the stars and actually sent the messages that provided the data in the files Phelan has cracked. I'd be a fool if I thought ComStar had not already gone over them and supplemented them with their own material. The Prince nodded and sat down at the opposite end of the table. He dimly recalled that the charges against Phelan during his honor trial at the Nagelring had involved his using the Nagelring's computers to break into the Department of Defense's computers to steal information. Victor sipped his coffee and immediately felt the weight of sleep lifting from his brain. "Having the Kell Hounds' computer system compromised by a member of the Wolf Clan is not comforting, though your assessment of our data does soften the blow, Precentor."

  Hettig did not react to the sarcasm in Victor's voice. "Please, Prince Victor, do not take offense. You would have showed the Khan the data any way. After all, you did agree to cooperate when you came here."

  Victor shrugged, then frowned. "Why am I here? Why is he here?"

  The Precentor smiled benignly. "The reason we are here is to discuss our mutual concern over bandit raids— specifically the Red Corsair."

  Victor set his cup down. "She is strictly nuisance material. I have military units to worry about coming from Clan space to hit our planets. Morges got hammered by the Clans harder than Kooken's or Pasig."

  "Jade Falcons and Steel Vipers, Victor, not all the Clans," Phelan corrected him.

  "There's a difference?" As Victor began to feel more awake, he found Phelan's calm superiority and ComStar's passive manipulation irritating.

  Phelan nodded slowly. "Perhaps the next time the Combine strikes from Wolcott you will want the ilKhan to complain to you about it. The Jade Falcons are distinct and quite separate from the Wolf Clan."

  "Point taken," Victor allowed, then he looked accusingly at Hettig. "Why is ComStar concerned about bandits when they've let the Jade Falcons and the Steel Vipers raid the Federated Commonwealth above the truce line? Why the need for this meeting? I'm taking a lot of heat from Ryan Steiner and his mouthpieces for guaranteeing a Wolf Khan safe passage here, and it doesn't help matters that he's dragged Ragnar with him."

  "ComStar appreciates your difficulties and your efforts on our behalf." The ComStar Precentor smiled. "We would not have asked you to go to these extraordinary lengths were the problem not so grave. These are not ordinary bandits, Prince Victor."

  "They got lucky."

  "Twice, they got lucky, Victor." Phelan leaned back, but Victor saw concern flash through his green eyes. "Hear the Precentor out. The Precentor Martial was able to convince the ilKhan that enough was at stake to have us meet here under cover of my father's retirement celebration."

  Victor nodded, knowing the Precentor Martial's reasoning had been sufficient to convince his mother to send him to Arc-Royal. "To what are these bandits such a threat?"

  "The truce, Prince Victor, the truce between ComStar and the Clans." Hettig folded his hands together, but the movement was so stiff that Victor knew it was a deliberate effort by the man to maintain his placid facade.

  "How can bandits threaten the peace?" Victor looked down into his nearly empty coffee cup and waited for the caffeine to clear up his fuzzy thinking. "They are just bandits. They raid and they run. If the Grave Walkers could have gotten around from the other side of Kooken's just two hours sooner, we would be talking about the Red Corsair in the past tense."

  Phelan shook his head. "You have been looking at the reports of bandit raids and been dismissing them because what you see jibes with what you believe about bandits. Your experience with them is not personal. Perhaps I see matters differently because I once hunted bandits in the service of the Federated Commonwealth. What I'm trying to say is thai our information shows that a very lucky bandit group got away with some spoils, most of it not terribly valuable. By any analysis, Kooken got off light-it lost no industrial assets, damned little in the way of loot, and was not conquered."

  The Prince nodded. "I remember the numbers. The raiders took food and some slaves. You can't shoot enemies with cans of soup."

  Hettig nodded. "But you also remember another old saying, Prince Victor, 'An army marches on its stomach.' "

  "But those bandits are hardly the armies of Napoleon, Precentor Hettig," Victor snapped, then downed the last swallow of his coffee to give himself a chance to calm down. Having heard enough whispers that he had a "Napoleon complex" because of his small physical stature, he couldn't help but wonder if the allusion was meant as a subtle rebuke. ComStar is nothing if not subtle.

  "That is true, Prince Victor, but to date they have not found a Waterloo."

  The Prince snorted. "Then I will play Wellington for them." He glanced at Phelan. "If you can persuade the ilKhan to keep the Jade Falcons in line, I will bring my Revenants up and we'll pound the Corsair."

  Phelan shook his head. "The Jade Falcons would ignore that sort of request, even if the ilKhan were foolish enough to make it."

  "Does the ilKhan even want the bandits stopped?"

  The ComStar Precentor and Phelan both looked at him quizzically. "What do you mean, Prince Victor? The ilKhan sent Khan Phelan to Arc-Royal precisely for the purpose of discussing the means to do just that."

  "Really?" Victor put down his empty cup. "You both agreed that my information was good. Do either of you dispute the fact that the Red Corsair retreated into Jade Falcon territory after the strike on Kooken's? That would have been a perfect opportunity to resupply a covert force."

  "Unworthy, Victor. We have had raiding on both sides and no unit has seen the need to strike from behind a false identity."

  Hettig nodded in agreement with Phelan. "Determining the unit's identity is also immaterial at this point because the perception of its origins is doing more harm to the peace than anything else."

  "I do not understand, Precentor." Victor stood and refilled his cup. "How can perceptions do more damage than the fighting?"

  Hettig drew in a deep breath. "There are elements within the Tamar and Skye communities who believe that the Red Corsair bandits are a covert unit in the employ of the Federated Commonwealth government. They say the bandits are actually a death squad whose mission is to destroy those who oppose the union between the old Steiner holdings and House Davion."

  "Ryan Steiner again works overtime to manufacture rumors." Victor shook his head. "That whole idea is, of course, preposterous."

  "Of course, but humanity's fascination with conspiracies makes it intriguing. In this scenario, which is helped by the fact that the Kooken's raid damaged facilities owned by a Ryan Steiner supporter, the raids will continue until you or your brother Peter can be positioned as the hero who stops them. It would be a replay of the role Ryan himself played in the 3034 uprising."

  The Prince nodded. "And, I suppose, others think the Red Corsair is a unit being funded by Ryan Steiner to build up the tensions along the border. As he champions the cause of the oppressed people out here, and uses a mercenary unit to destroy the bandits, he gains a great deal of popularity."

  The Wolf Khan smiled. "Ryan calls the bandits a Clan unit running covertly, and uses the fear of the Jade Falcons to keep his people united and dependent on him for security. He isolates you as someone who does not care for the people. Should your mother ever step down as Archon, he will be a viable and powerful rival opposing you."

  Victor chewed his lower lip. "And all this infighting will sap our strength and make us look very vulnerable to the Jade Falcons, who might then decide to launch multiple strikes over the line, destroying the peace."

  The ComStar Precentor nodded appreciatively. "You two have distilled in minutes what it took weeks for ComStar's analysts to conclude."

  "And the solution is to kill the bandits." Victor again sat down. "Despite your worries about Ryan, my
Revenants can do the job."

  "There is no doubt about that, Prince Victor, but ComStar has something else in mind." Hettig looked up and his eyes focused distantly. "As I indicated before, this is an atypical bandit unit. If you look beyond the battle-damage assessments for Kooken, what you find is that the bandits are using energy weapons almost exclusively."

  Victor shrugged. "Bandits work with what they can get."

  "You're missing the point, cousin. I pilot a Wolfhound. When my father designed it, he armed it with lasers. He did so because he wanted to create a scout lance of 'Mechs able to operate beyond the line of supplies, in the enemy's rear area. Because the 'Mech has no need for missiles and autocannon ammo, the only limitation on its operation was the pilot's need for food and water."

  "As the Khan says, the Red Corsair has her bandits configured for a campaign in which food will become the most important factor for success."

  Hence the Napoleon quote. Victor felt a shiver run down his spine. "I see what you're saying. But I can mobilize enough force to track her and kill her."

  "ComStar knows and appreciates that, but we have another suggestion." Hettig looked at Phelan. "Khan Phelan?"

  Phelan nodded, and Victor got the distinct feeling he had been set up. "The ilKhan has authorized me to offer you the use of a Clan unit to hunt these bandits down."

  Victor blinked. "What?"

  "We have units devoted specifically to dealing with bandits." Phelan smiled complacently. "The ilKhan will impress upon the Jade Falcons the need to destroy these Corsairs."

  "That is most generous." Victor again gulped coffee to recover from his surprise. "Does he make this offer because he doesn't want Inner Sphere troops going after bandits in Clan space?" Or because ComStar is holding some sort of gun to his head?

  "Partly. With the Red Corsair operating from Jade Falcon space, he could not guarantee the safety of any Inner Sphere units that crossed the line." Victor's tall cousin got up from his end of the table to refill his coffee. "More important, though, the Jade Falcon Clan is very much against the truce. They believe it robbed them of the chance to regain the honor they lost in the early fighting."

  "On Twycross and Alyina, right?" Victor smiled because his Tenth Lyran Guards had worked with the Kell Hounds to pound the Jade Falcons on Twycross. His escape from an ambush on Alyina had further frustrated the Jade Falcons.

  "Among other places. The ilKhan hopes that by gaining victories and honor while defending the Inner Sphere, he can make the Jade Falcons look a bit more favorably on the peace."

  "Slim hope of that, it sounds."

  Hettig smiled. "On that point we can all agree, but as the resumption of the war is the only logical alternative, it is a chance worth taking. More important, though, is that the success of our plan will help defuse the power Ryan Steiner is gathering. Keeping the Federated Commonwealth strong will act as another caution to the Jade Falcons to think long and hard before breaking the truce."

  Hettig's remark sent shivers down Victor's spine. He turned around to look at his cousin. "Is the peace so fragile on your side of the line?"

  The tall MechWarrior shrugged stiffly. "The people of the Clans are warriors. Peace does not suit them. The ilKhan hopes that finding an acceptable outlet for their aggressive potential will keep them in check for the period of the truce. If you agree to let a bandit-hunting unit operate in Federated Commonwealth space, I will send word out immediately and the ilKhan will assign someone to deal with the problem. We can see if this grand experiment will work."

  "If I don't, we will likely be at war by year's end." Victor frowned. And ComStar will likely punish the Federated Commonwealth by raising the cost of sending messages between our worlds. It's been such a relief not to be in a continual covert war against ComStar the way my father was for so long. But I don't like feeling coerced into an agreement, especially one like this that I would probably support anyway.

  Victor looked over at Hettig. "This is what ComStar wants?"

  The Precentor nodded. "It is ComStar's truce, and ComStar deems this the best way to preserve it."

  The Prince glanced at his cousin. "The ilKhan believes this effort is important enough to risk Clan personnel and materiel?"

  "That is my understanding."

  Victor nodded. "If this works, Ryan Steiner loses, and I am in favor of that. I would prefer that one of my units be the one to get the bandits, but I can see the wisdom of having the Jade Falcons hunt them down. There seems little to object to."

  Hettig nodded. "So it does. Then you agree?"

  This must have made sense to my mother, or I would not be here. It seems sound to me and prevents my people getting killed. If I did not agree, I could still be overruled. And even if my mother did not agree, ComStar could probably use its control of communication to successfully screen a Clan force operating in FedCom space.

  "All right," Victor said. "I agree. If you get me the designation and make-up of the force that will be coming in, I can communicate the same to our units in the areas where the Red Corsair is likely to strike." Victor smiled at the ComStar Precentor. "There, you have your agreement. The threat to the peace is over."

  "One of them is lessened, in any event." Hettig turned to Phelan. "The presence of Ragnar has attracted attention . . ."

  Victor shook his head. "I have taken steps to help defuse that situation, Precentor Hettig. I have already vetoed any schemes to covertly or even overtly rescue him. However, if Ragnar wants his freedom, all he has to do is ask."

  "I know that, Prince Victor, and I appreciate it." The Precentor did not even glance in his direction as he spoke. "There have been communications, other communications, in which Ragnar has been mentioned. Unfortunately for the senders, those communications were misrouted and will not reach their intended recipient until after you and Ragnar have left Arc-Royal. Still ..."

  The Wolf Khan nodded. "I understand. I will keep Ragnar on the base unless he is with an escort that can ensure his safety."

  "ComStar is in your debt."

  "ComStar mis-routed a message?" Irony coated Victor's words like wax. "I cannot believe that happened."

  Irritation passed over Hettig's face. "The senders were hasty and did not clearly address the messages. Haste makes waste."

  "And desperation makes haste."

  "True enough, Prince Victor, as we all know." The ComStar Precentor folded his arms into the sleeves of his white robe. "But then we also know that proper planning precludes desperation, and proper planning is what this meeting was all about. ComStar thanks you for your cooperation because, in this matter, desperation would mean a haste that wasted humanity."

  5

  Arc-Royal

  Federated Commonwealth

  15 April 3055

  Victor Davion smiled politely as the dowager Baroness de Gambier introduced her niece, Charity, to him. "No, it is my very great pleasure to meet you, Lady de Gambier. " He kissed the gloved knuckles of the young woman's hand and gave her fingers a surreptitious squeeze. "Your aunt is quite right. Your father's service with the Second Royal Guards has been very important to the Federated Commonwealth."

  "Thank you, H-h-highness," stammered the young woman.

  "I mean that very sincerely," Victor added hastily as he released her hand. He had little doubt that the tall and gangling young woman would have been decidedly less nervous if her plump old aunt were not hovering close enough to hear their every word. Victor—who had learned long ago to be very polite to the young women thrust at him as possible brides by ambitious relatives—felt especially sorry for Charity.

  "Lady de Gambier, you are preparing to enter a university? I believe that is what your aunt mentioned."

  Charity nodded as she collected her thoughts. "I am hoping to go to the New Avalon Institute of Science after getting my first two years at the Gambier Technical Institute. If I can transfer to the NAIS, Dr. Riva Allard's neurocybernetic regeneration projects interest me. I could help my father and others recover
from battle wounds."

  "You are a visionary, as is Dr. Allard." Victor said, at the same time reaching out to catch Mark Allard by the arm as the young man was passing by. Spinning his cousin around, Victor inclined his head toward Charity. "In fact, this is Dr. Allard's nephew, Mark. Mark, this is Charity de Gambier. Her father is Marshal Richard de Gambier."

  Mark's face lit up as he took in the pretty young woman, lifting a great pressure from Victor's chest and brightening Charity's expression considerably. "Mark is thinking of going to the Nagelring in a few years, but I was hoping to convince him that another Allard should go through the New Avalon Military Academy. That would put you both on New Avalon at the same time. Having friends in new places always makes the transition so much easier."

  Taking some personal delight in the darkening expression on the Baroness' face, Victor let the couple drift away in conversation as a slender blond officer a bit taller than himself approached. Like Victor, the man wore the blue-trimmed dress gray uniform of the Tenth Lyran Guards. Because both of them were members of the Revenants, the Guards' large reinforced battalion, their epaulets were black and trimmed with a white ghost embroidered on the flat surface.

  "Galen, you look amused."

  Victor's aide, Galen Cox, nodded and let his smile broaden. "Some of the Hounds have been swapping tales of Luthien, and the Khan has just joined the circle. I thought you might be interested."

  Despite Galen's light tone, Victor caught his concern. Phelan had never been known as one who could control his anger. It wouldn't hurt to keep the peace here and now, given the extraordinary agreement Victor had just made with ComStar and Phelan, but neither did he mind letting his cousin twist a bit in the wind. Victor realized he was still smarting some from Phelan's superiority during the morning's negotiation, but he resolved to put that behind him as he followed Galen toward a growing circle of warriors.