Lost destiny

by Michael A. Stackpole

  "Of course, I know you are too strong for the recording to affect you the way it did them." The new Chancellor of the Capellan Confederation seated himself on the edge of a stone desk. "Still, if this provides for an hour or two of sleeplessness on your part, I will consider the expense more than worth it."

  Victor glanced over at his sleeping father and grinned. "Wrong again, Sun-Tzu."

  "As you know, Prince Davion, my realm is small and not that powerful. The St. Ives Compact is poised at our belly like a knife. My uncle, Tormana, is active in the occupation zone you call your Sarna March. He agitates against us, infiltrates agents into the Confederation, and constantly bellows about invading and liberating the rest of the Confederation. Of course, acting as your agent in a war of conquest is hardly what I would call an act of liberation.

  "I realize the utter folly of attacking him or the St. Ives Compact, for you would immediately crush my tiny nation-state. However, even pledging never to attack you cannot relieve me of the threat you pose to my realm. For this reason, I have taken steps to ensure our survival."

  The camera slowly zoomed in toward Sun-Tzu. "Again, in a tradition you started with my grandfather, I wanted to convey to you personally my marriage plans. I have asked for and been granted the hand of Isis Marik in marriage. The ceremony will take place on Atreus later this year. I would give you exact details or even an invitation, but having heard of your conduct at the last wedding between two realms, I thought it wiser to leave you at home."

  Victor stared at the screen, unbelieving. Sun-Tzu marrying a Marik? That backs up the Confederation with the might of the Free Worlds League, who are now producing new 'Mechs and equipment designed to fight the Clans. How much of that will be diverted to shore up the Confederation's defense?

  "I bid you a fond adieu, Prince Davion. Do devote all your resources to fighting the Clans. You do not want to go to war with me."

  The image faded, then the Capellan crest came up and the anthem started again. Disgust on his face, Victor pointed at the machine. "It's on an endless loop. Shut it off." He turned toward his father. "It's a wonder he could sleep through that."

  "Bored him after the first time, I think."

  Victor again headed toward the desk, then saw his father's head lying at an odd angle to the side. Instantly, he knew something was dreadfully wrong. He sprinted forward, and posting off the corner of the desk, vaulted to his father's feet. "Oh my God, Galen, something's happened!"

  Hanse Davion did not move even though Victor's shout came right beside him. His face looked gray and his eyelids were shut. Victor grabbed him under the armpits and knew from the blue of his father's lips that he was dying.

  "Father, father!" Victor hauled him up and kicked the chair out from behind him. "Galen, he's having a heart attack! He's barely breathing."

  As Victor laid his father down on the floor, he saw gravity flood color back into his face. Hanse's eyes snapped open and he looked right through his son. The elder Prince's eyes focused down and the hint of a smile parted his lips. He reached up to grab Victor's shoulder. "Victor?"

  "I'm here, Father. Help is on the way. Take it easy."

  "Victor." Hanse Davion smiled proudly at his son, then closed his eyes forever.

  Epilogue

  Unity Palace

  Luthien

  20 June 3052

  Dear Victor,

  It is with great sadness that word of your father's passing reached Luthien. He was a remarkable man. Upon learning of his death, my grandfather commented that now, even with the Clans, there are no longer any opponents worthy of the Combine.

  I have been informed that your father will lie in state for the month, then be interred in a family crypt in a private ceremony. I am directed to inquire if we may be permitted to send a delegation to represent the Combine at the ceremony. It is not from lack of respect that my father or grandfather are not able to attend, but they cannot leave Luthien, given the nature of the war with the Clans. With humble apologies, we ask permission for attendance by lesser members of the family, if our participation is appropriate and desired.

  Indebted to you yet,

  Omi

  Glossary

  AUTOCANNON

  This is a rapid-firing, auto-loading weapon. Light autocannon range from 30 to 90mm caliber, and heavy autocannon may be 80 to 120mm or more. The weapon fires high-speed streams of high-explosive, armor-piercing shells.

  BATTLEMECHS

  BattleMechs are the most powerful war machines ever built. First developed by Terran scientists and engineers, these huge, man-shaped vehicles are faster, more mobile, better-armored, and more heavily armed than any 20th-century tank. Ten to twelve meters tall and equipped with particle projection cannons, lasers, rapid-fire autocannon, and missiles, they pack enough firepower to flatten anything but another BattleMech. A small fusion reactor provides virtually unlimited power, and BattleMechs can be adapted to fight in environments ranging from sun-baked deserts to subzero arctic icefields.

  BLOODHERITAGE

  The history of the Bloodnamed warriors of a particular Bloodright is called the Bloodheritage.

  BLOODING

  This is another name for the Trial of Position that determines if a candidate will qualify as a Clan warrior. To qualify, he must defeat at least one of three successive opponents. If he defeats two, or all three, he is immediately ranked as an officer in his Clan. If he fails to defeat any of his opponents, he is relegated to a lower caste.

  BLOODNAME

  Bloodname refers to the surname of each of the eight hundred warriors who stood with Nicholas Kerensky during the Exodus Civil War. These eight hundred are the foundation of the Clans' elaborate breeding program. The right to use one of these surnames has been the ambition of every Clan warrior since the system was established. Only twenty-five warriors, which corresponds to twenty-five Bloodrights, are allowed to use any one surname at one time. When one of the twenty-five Bloodnamed warriors dies, a trial is held to determine who will assume that Bloodname. A contender must prove his Bloodname lineage, then win a series of duels with other competitors. Only Bloodnamed warriors are allowed to sit on the Clan Councils or are eligible to become a Khan or ilKhan. Most Bloodnames have gradually been confined to one or two warrior classes. However, certain prestigious names, such as Kerensky, have shown their genetic value by producing excellent warriors in all three classes (MechWarriors, Fighter pilots, and Elementals).

  Bloodnames are determined matrilineally, at least after the original generation. Because a warrior can only inherit from his or her female parent, he or she can only have a claim to one Bloodname.

  BLOODRIGHT

  A specific Bloodname lineage is called a Bloodright. Twenty-five Bloodrights are attached to each Bloodname. A Bloodright is not a lineage as we define the term, because the warriors who successively hold a Bloodright might be related only through their original ancestor. As with Bloodnames, certain Bloodrights are considered more prestigious than others, depending largely on the Bloodright's Bloodheritage.

  BONDSMAN

  A captured warrior, called a bondsman, is considered a member of the Laborer Caste unless and until the capturing Clan releases him or promotes him back to Warrior status. A bondsman is bound by honor, not by shackles. Custom dictates that even Bloodnamed Warriors captured in combat be held for a time as bondsmen. All bondsmen wear a bondcord, which is a woven bracelet. The base color of the bondcord indicates to which Clan he belongs and the striping indicates which unit captured him.

  CLAN OMNIMECH NAMES

  During the course of the Clan invasion, the Inner Sphere assigned code names to the various types of Clan Omni-Mechs they encountered. The list below provides the Clan names for their own equipment.

  IS NameClan Name

  Black HawkNova

  DaishiDire Wolf

  DasherFire Moth

  DragonflyViper

  FenrisIce Ferret

  GladiatorExecutioner

  KoshiMi
st Lynx

  LokiHellbringer

  Mad CatTimber Wolf

  Man O'WarGargoyle

  MasakariWarhawk

  PumaAdder

  RyokenStormcrow

  ThorSummoner

  UllerKit Fox

  VultureMad Dog

  CLANS

  During the fall of the Star League, General Nicholas Kerensky, commander of the Regular Star League Army, led his forces out of the Inner Sphere in what is known as the Exodus. After settling beyond the Periphery, the Star League Army itself collapsed. Out of the ashes of the civilization Kerensky's forces tried to create rose the Clans.

  DROPSHIPS

  Because JumpShips must generally avoid entering the heart of a solar system, they lie at a considerable distance from the system's inhabited worlds. DropShips were developed for interplanetary travel. As the name implies, a DropShip is attached to hardpoints on the JumpShip's drive core, later to be dropped from the parent vessel after in-system entry. Though incapable of FTL travel, DropShips are highly maneuverable, well-armed, and sufficiendy aerodynamic to take off from and land on a planetary surface. The journey from the jump point to the inhabited worlds of a system usually requires a normal-space journey of several days or weeks, depending on the type of star.

  ELEMENTALS

  The elite battlesuited infantry of the Clans. These men and women are giants, bred specifically to handle Clan-developed battle armor.

  FREEBIRTH

  This epithet, used by trueborn members of the Warrior Caste, is a mortal insult to another trueborn warrior. It generally expresses disgust or frustration.

  FREEBORN

  An individual conceived and born by natural means is freeborn. Because the Clans value their eugenics program so highly, a freebirth is automatically assumed to have little potential.

  JUMPSHIPS

  Interstellar travel is accomplished via JumpShips, first developed in the 22nd century. These somewhat ungainly vessels are made up of a long, thin drive core and a sail resembling an enormous parasol, which can be up to a kilometer wide. The ship is named for its ability to "jump" instantaneously from one point to another. After making its jump, the ship cannot travel until it has recharged by gathering up more solar energy.

  The JumpShip's enormous sail is constructed from a special metal that absorbs vast quantities of electromagnetic energy from the nearest star. When it has soaked up enough energy, the sail transfers it to the drive core, which converts it into a space-twisting field. An instant later, the ship arrives at the next jump point, a distance of up to 30 light years. This field is known as hyperspace, and its discovery opened to mankind the gateway to the stars.

  JumpShips never land on planets, and only rarely travel into the inner areas of a star system. Interplanetary travel is carried out by DropShips, vessels that attach themselves to the JumpShip until arrival at the jump point.

  LASER

  An acronym for "Light Amplification through Stimulated Emission of Radiation." When used as a weapon, it damages the target by concentrating extreme heat on a small area. BattleMech lasers are designated as small, medium, and large. Lasers are also available as shoulder-fired weapons operating from a portable backpack power unit. Certain range-finders and targeting equipment employ low-level lasers also.

  LRM

  This is an abbreviation for Long-Range Missile, an indirect-fire missile with a high-explosive warhead.

  PERIPHERY

  Beyond the borders of the Inner Sphere lies the Periphery, the vast domain of known and unknown worlds stretching endlessly into interstellar night. Once populated by colonies from Terra, these were devastated technologically, politically, and economically by the fall of the Star League. At present, the Periphery is the refuge of piratical Bandit Kings, privateers, and outcasts from the Inner Sphere.

  PPC

  This abbreviation stands for Particle Projection Cannon, a magnetic accelerator firing high-energy proton or ion bolts, causing damage both through impact and high temperature. PPCs are among the most effective weapons available to BattleMechs.

  QUIAFF/QUINEG

  This Clan expression is placed at the end of rhetorical questions. If an affirmative answer is expected, quiaff is used. If the answer is expected to be negative, quineg is the proper closure.

  REMEMBRANCE, THE

  The Remembrance is an ongoing heroic saga detailing Clan history beginning with the Exodus from the Inner Sphere to current time. The Remembrance is continually expanded to include contemporary events. Each Clan has a slightly different version reflecting their own opinions and experiences. All Clan warriors can quote whole verses of this marvelous epic from memory, and it is common to see passages from the book lovingly painted on the sides of OrnniMechs, fighters, and even battle armor.

  SEYLA

  This word roughly means "unity." It is a ritual response voiced in unison by those witnessing certain ceremonies. The origin and exact meaning of the word is unknown, but it is uttered only with the greatest reverence and awe.

  SIBKO

  A group of children of the warrior caste eugenics program who probably have the same male and female parents and are raised together is known as a sibko. As they mature, they are constantly tested. Additional members of the sibko fail at each testing, and are transferred to the lower castes. A sibko is made up of approximately twenty members, but usually only four or five remain when they are given their final test, the Trial of Position. These tests and other adversities bind the surviving "sibkin" together as closely that they form bonds of mutual trust and understanding that often last for life.

  SRM

  This is the abbreviation for Short-Range Missiles, direct trajectory missiles with high-explosive or armor-piercing explosive warheads. They have a range of less than one kilometer, and are accurate only at ranges of less than 300 meters. They are more powerful, however, than LRMs.

  STAR LEAGUE

  The Star League was formed in 2571 in an attempt to peacefully ally the major star systems inhabited by the human race after it had taken to the stars. The League prospered for almost 200 years, until civil war broke out in 2751. The League was eventually destroyed when the ruling body, known as the High Council, disbanded in the midst of a struggle for power. Each of the royal House rulers then declared himself First Lord of the Star League, and within months, war engulfed the Inner Sphere. This conflict continues to the present day, almost three centuries later. These centuries of continuous war are now known simply as the Succession Wars.

  SUCCESSOR LORDS

  Each of the five Successor States is ruled by a family descended from one of the original Council Lords of the old Star League. All five royal House Lords claim the title of First Lord, and they have been at each others' throats since the beginning of the Succession Wars in 2786. Their battle-ground is the vast Inner Sphere, which is composed of all the star systems once occupied by Star League's member-states.

  TRUEBORN/TRUEBIRTH

  A Trueborn or Truebirth is born as a result of the Warrior Caste's eugenics program.