Grave Covenant Read online

  Katrina nodded. "True, but politics and rulership of a nation are not problems that can be described as nails, are they?"

  "No, statecraft is more an art than a skill."

  "I find myself in a position, Thomas, where I must deal with the problems of statecraft without sufficient advice. I cannot speak with Victor because he hates me for breaking the Federated Commonwealth apart. Theodore Kurita has had his mind poisoned against me by Victor. Sun-Tzu Liao and I will never see eye to eye, especially since I employ his uncle as an advisor." She smiled hopefully. "You are the only person who seems worthy of trust, and you have the knowledge I need to make certain I am doing the right things."

  The couch's leather squeaked as Thomas sat forward. "You honor me, Katrina."

  "I merely state the obvious, Thomas."

  "It is obvious to you, perhaps, but I never would have dared guess you trust me so."

  But you will now because this is the conclusion to which I wish you to jump. "I trust you, Thomas, because we both have needs the other can fulfill." Katrina leaned to the left against the arm of the couch and crossed her legs. "I would not be surprised if your Sherryl Halas should soon announce that she is carrying your child. Please, don't look so surprised—I have nothing more than intuition to go by. You need an heir to supplant Isis and keep Sun-Tzu away from your throne, and Halas makes a suitable consort."

  Thomas' dark eye sparkled. "She was not my only choice of prospective candidates to give me an heir."

  "So I suspect." Katrina smiled. "Were my brother still the Archon-Prince of a united Federated Commonwealth, he might have offered me to you as a consort, hoping our child might be the vehicle for uniting our realms."

  "It would be a powerful alliance, even now, Katrina."

  "Agreed, but not possible at the moment, Thomas." Katrina met his gaze. "Were we to wed and merge our realms, we would be reduced from two votes to one in this Star League we are to form." Her smile tightened. "While I will not provide you an heir, I do believe I can help your new heir survive."

  "How?"

  "Tormano is constantly itching to strengthen his Free Capella Movement. Kai Allard-Liao is its leader now, but can you imagine him refraining from joining the war against the Clans? Hardly, and in the vacuum, Tormano will be able to exert more influence. His actions can bedevil Sun-Tzu and keep him off-guard."

  "Focus his attentions elsewhere."

  "Indeed, focus them away from your child." Katrina smiled. "In fact, I would be honored to let the Countess stay here for as long as she wished, both pre- and post-partum."

  Thomas' face closed and his tone became formal. "You will forgive me, Archon, but I have already had one child enjoy your family's hospitality."

  Outrage whirled up through Katrina. How dare you think my offer a trick, you misshapen excuse for a man! She wanted to lash out at him, but she held her rebuke in check. To cover herself, she raised a hand to her mouth, then sat forward and reached out to press his knee with one hand.

  "Oh, Thomas, I did not think. Oh, how evil you must imagine me to be." Katrina translated her anger into horror and let it underscore her words with tremulous tones. "I merely thought that as difficult as it might be for Kali Liao to have her assassins in position on Atreus, it would be that much more difficult for them to strike here. Please, forgive me. I... I... I feel so horrid."

  Thomas' left hand descended on hers, trapping it against his kneecap. "I choose to believe you were mistaken, Katrina. I truly do." An edge crept into his voice. "I want you to know, however, that any threat to my child will result in full retribution. I did not continue the war against your brother because it was your father's plan that he followed, but my restraint should not be taken as cowardice. I may be reluctant to fight, but that does not mean I cannot or will not fight."

  "That is not a mistake I am in the least inclined to make, Thomas." Katrina slid forward on the couch, bringing her knees to the edge of the table, and straightened up as much as her trapped hand would allow. "I don't see a situation where I would want a hostage from you, nor one in which you would require one from me. With the border our nations share, we are already each other's hostages. If we should fight, we would be eaten up by the others, for the Clans would attack my realm and Sun-Tzu would attack yours. Once we had been ravaged, my brother and House Kurita would sweep up whatever the Clans had not devoured."

  Katrina slipped her hand from beneath his as the pressure slackened. "Our only chance for prosperity, for survival, is for the two of us to work together. With me as your ally, you risk nothing by bringing Sun-Tzu to heel. Proper employment of your future son-in-law will position my brother where we need him, and Theodore will follow whatever plans most benefit his realm."

  Thomas frowned. "Do you truly think so little of your brother?"

  That question surprised Katrina and she only partially succeeded in covering her surprise. "Victor? It is not that I think so little of him, Thomas, but that I know him so well. He sees Sun-Tzu as his enemy, but he also sees him as a direct threat to his friend Kai. Victor is loyal almost to a fault and that loyalty blinds him. And, as you noted before, Victor is more of a warrior than a politician. Manipulating him is not easy, but it can be done."

  Thomas slowly nodded his scarred face. "I cannot deny the logic of what you say. I'm not certain, however, that I like the idea of manipulating Victor."

  "But you have said yourself that Victor is the best hope we have for leading the force that will destroy the Clans. Our informal alliance can guarantee he does the job to which he is most suited." Katrina allowed herself a throaty little laugh. "The fact that his preoccupation with the Clans will lessen the threat against our realms is merely a bonus."

  Thomas pressed his hands together as if in prayer. "I believe, Archon, that our two realms will benefit greatly from our cooperation. It will all have to be sub-rosa, of course, but that is acceptable because what we are planning will benefit the Inner Sphere as a whole." Thomas smiled. "Does my quick acceptance of your offer surprise you?"

  "I suppose it does. Your creation of the Knights of the Inner Sphere, with their emphasis on chivalry and justice, made me think that such dealing behind the scenes would not be so acceptable to you."

  "In reality it is not. In a perfect society, this sort of power-brokering would not be necessary." The Captain-General's eyes hardened. "This is not a perfect society, and we will have to make decisions that cost mothers and fathers their children, much as I paid the price with my son. If secret deals will lessen that price, then I will deal. However much I wish it were unnecessary, it is not, therefore I will make the best of it."

  He looked up and Katrina felt a chill go through her. The face was a ruin, yet it seemed to glow with some inner fire. "Jerome Blake, whose words I studied when I was with ComStar, looked ahead to a golden age for humanity. That goal is one I wish to attain. It does not justify the means to reach it, but it does demand due diligence in its pursuit. In you, Katrina, I trust I have a partner in its attainment. For this reason, I work with you, but only for the benefit of all mankind."

  "Your goal is my goal, Thomas." Katrina clasped her hands together over her heart. "A golden age"—led by a golden woman—"let no one stand in our way."

  11

  Grand Ballroom, Royal Court The Triad

  Tharkad City, Tharkad

  District of Donegal, Lyran Alliance

  8 October 3058

  Victor could feel the fatigue that had etched lines on the Precentor Martial's face ache from his own bones. The military planning sessions had broken down into long meetings spent comparing each military's official troop readiness and strength assessments with the facts and figures Jerry Cranston and Doc Trevena provided. By and large the numbers proved to be similar, though Sun-Tzu overestimated his new units and undervalued his House Warrior units.

  The numbers and discussions had begun to lay the groundwork for making the coalition force a reality. Though Marshal Byran still detested the resolution of the con
flict on Coventry, the other leaders, including Wu Kang Kuo and Sir Paul Masters of the Marik s Knights of the Inner Sphere, seemed to respect Victor's willingness to accept a victory that didn't cost soldiers their lives. Though no one dared imagine that the campaign against the Clans would be won so cleanly, all seemed to agree that the profligate waste of life was to be avoided at all costs.

  The Precentor Martial leaned heavily against the podium as he looked out over the assembly of political leaders. "You have all by now received your own private reports on the course of discussions in the military planning meetings. As you know, our preliminary work has been to assess the troops we will be able to mobilize against the Clans. This new Star League Defense Force will be formidable, but the campaign will take time and a serious commitment of resources. Exactly how long it will take and how much in the way of personnel and materiel it will require cannot be accurately predicted at this point.

  "Certain issues must be addressed before we can begin any substantive planning phases for our campaign. Were this a purely planetary campaign, tactical and grand tactical considerations would dictate where, when, and how we begin. Because we're looking at driving the enemy from an area comprising hundreds of thousands of cubic light years, the determination of where to begin can and must include political considerations. So, this is the issue I place before you: from where shall we launch our assault?"

  Victor heard those words as solemn and serious, but judging by the speed with which his sister leaped to her feet, it seemed more as though she'd heard them as a call for bidding at an auction. It also struck him that what they were about to do would be much akin to the bargaining that preceded a Clan attack, and the irony of it brought a small smile. We become more like the enemy and they like us.

  Anastasius Focht nodded toward Katrina. "Archon, if you wish to begin."

  Katrina smiled and pointed toward the center of the room. A holograph slowly formed itself there. It showed the Lyran Alliance from the border with the Free Worlds League on up through the Jade Falcon Occupation Zone. The map extended far enough down to show Terra and the borders shared between the Lyran Alliance, the Draconis Combine, and the tiny Free Rasalhague Republic.

  "I would submit to you, my peers, that the Lyran Alliance offers a superior venue for staging and launching our assault on the Clans. The front with the Jade Falcons is broad, but not so much so that our troop concentrations would be diluted. The Jade Falcon occupation zone is densely packed with worlds, which puts most combat operations only a single jump from the lines. An assault from the Lyran Alliance would liberate Alliance worlds, as well as worlds of the Free Rasalhague Republic."

  Katrina pointed down at Terra, and the home of humanity began to glow. "As we all know, the stated objective of the Clan invasion is the taking of Terra. One of our first objectives can be to cut across the base of the Clan occupation zones, creating a buffer that will preclude their strike at Terra and take the pressure off the Free Rasalhague Republic."

  She looked up, and a triangular area along the center of the line with the Jade Falcons popped up several centimeters from the rest of the projection. "This is the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon. Colonel Kell—Prefect von Warlock, if you will—has pledged his Kell Hounds and his son's troops to defending this area from Clan predation. If we do not attack from the Lyran Alliance, we will lose the use of these highly trained and deadly forces."

  Morgan Kell stood at his place. "Forgive my interruption, Archon, but this last statement is not accurate. I have never said nor meant to suggest I would withhold my troops from fighting the Clans. When, in the past, you requested my help, it was for operations against Inner Sphere targets. I have refused to use my troops against Inner Sphere forces when the Clans are such a great threat. My people will fight where they are asked to fight."

  Victor caught a flash of anger rippling over his sister's face, followed by a bit of surprise before she recovered herself. She never expected Morgan to make that admission. She's seen him as a thorn in her side and, until now, she believed it was because he hates her. Now it seems that he only hated her choice of targets. This will give her something to think about, which is just as well.

  Katrina nodded toward Morgan as the mercenary seated himself again. "I very much appreciate that clarification, Colonel Kell. The fact remains that the preparations you have made for defending the Arc-Royal Defense Cordon could easily serve as the groundwork for the invasion force."

  The Precentor Martial smiled down from his position. "Your points are well made, Archon, and your formal proposal is being downloaded to the noteputers of the staff personnel present. Coordinator, if you would care to address the assembly."

  Clad in a dark suit that lacked any military decorations, Theodore Kurita stood. "The Archon has made a number of excellent points in her presentation. I would offer the Draconis Combine as the staging site for the invasion for a host of different reasons."

  He gestured toward the center of the room and a holograph of the Draconis Combine replaced that of the Lyran Alliance. It showed the kidney-shaped realm canted at a forty-five degree angle, with the Clan invasion zone occupied by the Smoke Jaguars and Nova Cats nestled against its interior curve. The holograph painted the Combine in shades of red and made the Clan zone gray. Beyond the Jaguars and the Cats, a far more slender Clan zone occupied by the Ghost Bears appeared in shades of light blue.

  "The Combine has a number of superior benefits to offer our forces. First and foremost, security issues are less of a problem because the news media are a branch of the government. Many of you have decried this state of affairs in the past, but the simple fact is that by monitoring broadcast media the Clans might learn the nature of our military preparations here in the Lyran Alliance. Though the media is also a tool we can use to deceive them, true operational security can only realistically be obtained in the Combine."

  A world glowed red in the heart of the gray zone. "This is Wolcott. It is a world the Smoke Jaguars failed to take from us, and in the bargaining that preceded the battle, they agreed to leave it alone if they failed to conquer it. We have been able to use Wolcott as a staging area for operations to harass the Smoke Jaguars. It gives us a secure forward base for attacks as well as for resupplying our forces.

  "Archon Katrina noted that the worlds in the Jade Falcon zone are more densely packed, making movement between targets easier. This would also allow the Falcons to reinforce and resupply their troops more quickly. In the zone closest to the Combine we actually have fewer targets, which means we can concentrate our forces to the greatest effect."

  Theodore's voice dropped slightly as his eyes tightened. "We also have reason to believe we might not be forced to attack the worlds occupied by the Nova Cats."

  Thomas Marik's jaw dropped open. "What? Have you been negotiating with the Clans?"

  Theodore held a hand up. "There have been overtures from the Nova Cats. As the Precentor Martial knows, the. Nova Cats are different from the other Clans. They seem to be as much mystics as warriors—though they can be fierce fighters when they wish, as evidenced by the fighting the Northwind Highlanders saw on Wayside V. The Nova Cats seem to place great stock in the visions experienced by some of their warriors and Khans. I gather there has been a vision showing a nova cat being mauled by a dragon, or some such, and this is prompting a detente."

  Thomas Marik's eyes narrowed as he followed up his initial question. "What are you telling us, Theodore?"

  "I am telling you that the Nova Cats apparently see another means by which their ends can be met. If there is a way to reach a compromise with them—and our talks have moved in that direction—I see it only to our benefit to continue pursuing such talks."

  Katrina stared daggers at Theodore. "Are you suggesting you would be willing to allow a Clan to possess worlds in the Inner Sphere?"

  "As those worlds are mine to do with as I see fit, certainly." The Coordinator shook his head. "I see no reason to buy with blood what I already own and can have ceded back to
me peacefully."

  Sun-Tzu laughed softly. "Your outrage at what Theodore would do is curious, Katrina, because you yourself have Clanners dwelling within your realm."

  Morgan Kell snarled at him. "My son's people are Clanners in all but the most important aspect: their allegiance. I gather the Coordinator is making that same point concerning the Nova Cats."

  The Precentor Martial held his hands up. "Please, let us realize that the Coordinator is merely suggesting that he has found a way to deal with a reality that we may all face— there are likely to be Clanners who remain on worlds we take back. It is very easy for us in this room to forget that for most people the conquest of a world means a change of faces on coins and new national anthems and holidays, nothing more. Just as our people did not flee the conquered worlds, neither will Clan people flee the worlds we take back. We have no way of knowing how many of them have come into the Inner Sphere, nor how many worlds have been reshaped according to Clan social structure, but we will be dealing with Clanners in the Inner Sphere for a very long time. This we know and this we should accept."

  Victor stood at his place. "Precentor Martial, I think our discussion here is likely to break down very quickly unless we reframe it in a manner that focuses it on our objective: finding a vector for attacking the Clans. Certainly my sister and the Coordinator of the Draconis Combine have made good arguments. There isn't one among us who wouldn't wish our subjugated peoples to be liberated first, but their liberation is not our primary objective."

  "Pray do tell us what that is, Prince Victor," Sun-Tzu sneered. "Beside your aggrandizement, of course."

  Victor refused to dignify Sun-Tzu's sniping. "Bottom line, for our campaign to work, one Clan must die! There can be no compromise, no faltering, no pulling back. If you study the history of the Clans, you know that of the twenty clans created originally, two have been absorbed into other Clans and the third, the Clan that goes unnamed, was wiped out to the last by the rest of the Clans. This complete and total destruction of a Clan is considered a monumental event in the history of the Clans. It shocks them and terrifies them. If we destroy a Clan, we will accomplish what only they have accomplished before. The death of a Clan will make us into their peers."