Her thoughts troubled again, Dawn rose to face her accusers.
* * *
As the door to the Council chamber opened before her, Dawn saw Khan Perigard Zalman standing motionless and proud on the podium before the High Council of Clan Steel Viper. The room was only dimly lit, but from the slight stirring sounds she knew that hundreds of Bloodnamed warriors were seated in circular tiered seats rising high above the floor. She could just make them out in their masks and capes and ritual dress, illuminated by the small terminal screens in front of them.
The Khan stood in a spotlight shining down on the podium. He wore a robe and cape of silvery gray, woven together from the gleaming skins of the Clan's namesake. It was ancient, as was his mask, which had been worn by every Khan of the Steel Vipers in the centuries since the Clan's founding. It was shaped like an enormous viper's head, the Khan's face showing through the massive jaws gaping as if to bite. Framing his brow were the two dagger-like teeth.
The Khan raised his arms, the palms pressed together, then brought them down in a sharp movement, his arms pointing straight ahead. All sound ceased except for an ominous and powerful hissing, the Khan calling the Trial of Judgment to order.
Then he spoke, arms still raised high. "Let all assembled know that the true followers of the great Nicholas Kerensky, the Steel Viper Clan, have gathered here in the tradition of our forefathers and of our people. As Khan of the Steel Vipers, I hereby convene this Judgment in this, the seventh year of the Truce of Tukayyid, in the 257th year of the Clans. Let all who speak only speak truth. Justice, above all, shall prevail."
"Seyla!" chanted the joined voices of the Bloodnamed warriors seated in tier upon tier of the near-dark chamber. The word was as old as the Clans, and what it meant no one knew except that it signified a unity of will. It was uttered only as part of the most formal ceremonies and rites, and always with reverence. Dawn too raised her voice in affirmation, realizing that this might be the last time she did so as a peer. Her chest tightened as the proceedings began.
The Loremaster spoke from the darkness. "We, the Bloodnamed of Clan Steel Viper, are gathered in Judgment of Star Captain Dawn. The charge is incompetence unbecoming a warrior of our Clan. That, during a raid she planned and led against a Lyran Guard garrison on Cumbres, her unit was virtually destroyed at the hands of the enemy, costing the lives of twelve warriors. Furthermore she retreated from the field of combat without having engaged her primary target. These charges are so entered into the record. Star Captain Dawn, before the Bloodnamed of the Steel Vipers and upon your honor as a warrior, how do you plead?"
Dawn lifted her voice, loud and clear. "Loremaster and members of the Council, I plead innocent of these charges." If they thought to make her cower, they were wrong.
Loremaster Arthur Stoklas motioned from his station, and a man in a starched white lab coat stepped forward. The coat was adorned with badges and insignia that marked him as a member of the scientist caste. "Relinquish your codex for all to review and read, Viper warrior," the Loremaster said as the scientist came to stand before her.
Dawn removed the circlet from her forearm and handed it over. The act itself was ominous. She never removed her codex, it was like a part of her own body. Though the Clans did not prize individuality, every warrior wore this identification bracelet. It contained the names of the original Blood-named warriors from which a warrior was descended, her generation number, Blood House, and the alphanumeric code noting the unique aspects of her DNA. It also contained a recording of her career as a warrior, updated from battle ROMs and field reports, imprinted on the EPROMs. The scientist caste performed the work of maintaining the codices, and it was one of the few places where they interfaced with the warrior caste. But a codex was more than a record of battles and victories, it was the genetic imprint of the warrior who wore it.
The scientist placed the codex chip in a small device at one end of the room and activated the mechanism that would download the data to the displays of every member of the Council. The box then projected a rapid series of holographic images and reports before the gathered Steel Vipers. The same image in two-dimensional form was broadcast to each one's individual monitor. The images were a rapid-fire montage of Dawn's life. In sixty seconds she saw scenes of 'Mechs, reports, battle damage statistics, lasers and missiles, tactical readouts, and more. Dawn caught images of the battle on Tukayyid and it stirred, as always, the painful memories. Meanwhile each Council member was sorting through the images, concentrating on the parts of her life that had the most importance to him or her and the proceedings. The balding scientist bowed deeply to the Loremaster and vanished again into the darkness.
"This warrior's codex has been entered into the record. Let this Trial of Judgment begin," Loremaster Arthur Stoklas intoned, deepening his voice in the ritual manner.
The Inquisitor prosecuting Dawn was Star Colonel James Andrews of the Striking Serpent Galaxy, a rabid Crusader and a member of the same Bloodright as Brett Andrews. He moved into the middle of the chamber where another spotlight, only meters from Dawn, shone down on a slowly rotating podium. As he stood, the platform turned slowly so that all the gathered warriors could see him.
"My kindred, before you stands a warrior who is a blight on the honor of Clan Steel Viper. After winning the bid to lead a raid against Cumbres, she was given command of a Trinary. Her primary mission was to destroy the headquarters of the Twenty-fourth Lyran Guards. She bid far too low, then blatantly directed her forces against a superior force she could never hope to overpower."
"I object," Star Colonel Sinclair cut in. "This is a trial of fact, not of what the Inquisitor assumes were the hopes or fears of Star Captain Dawn. These speculations have no bearing on these proceedings."
"This is a trial of Judgment," Star Colonel James Andrews spat back. "Fear was her motivation, and as such must be entered into the record."
Dawn knew she was not allowed to speak, but the angry words were out before she could stop them. "I do not know fear. I am a Viper to the core."
The Loremaster turned to stare at her coldly. "Advocate, advise the Star Captain that silence is the order of the day in any Clan trial. Speaking out of turn and ignoring our rules and traditions does nothing to help her case."
The Inquisitor smiled thinly. "Overcome by fear, she panicked and withdrew from Cumbres. But not before her forces were nearly obliterated. Her battle report has already been submitted to the record and you have all had a chance to examine it. To excuse her incompetence, she has invented the existence of another raiding group, one that, in reality, was nothing more than other members of the Twenty-fourth Lyran Guard. You have all read her battle report, seen the blatant falsehoods she dares to present. She fabricates this other group of BattleMechs to cover her cowardice. Lies, unbecoming a true warrior, that is what she shamelessly offers in her own defense." There was a rumble of voices throughout the hall, the Bloodnamed whispering and muttering, a sinister sound.
The Loremaster spoke again. "Star Captain Dawn and Advocate Sinclair. Evidence has been presented to this solemn Council in support of the Inquisitor's charge. How do you respond to these allegations?"
Both Dawn and Ivan Sinclair stepped forward to join the Inquisitor on the rotating dais. The three of them turned slowly before the Steel Vipers' most honored Warriors.
"We submit to this honored Council that these charges are false in both nature and intent," Star Colonel Sinclair began. Judging by the angry sounds from the tiers, many of the Bloodnamed did not agree with Sinclair.
"The battle ROMs from the OmmMechs that survived the raid on Cumbres support the fact that another company of BattleMechs was present on the field. And you have all seen them in evidence. These tapes substantiate the truth of Star Captain Dawn's battle report. This unexpected force so tipped the balance of the battle that Star Captain Dawn was forced to withdraw or face total slaughter. It was not fear that motivated her retreat. Clan warriors have withdrawn from battles before, to fight on at anot
her time. This evidence cannot be refuted."
"The so-called evidence from the battle ROMs is inconclusive at best," the Inquisitor said quickly. "All three of the recovered chips were damaged, and those that were even partially readable show only that opposing 'Mechs were engaged. No origins or even configurations were readable.
None of the telemetry data or visual images survived to refute the charge. Again I contend that this is a desperate lie, a cowardly excuse to explain Star Captain Dawn's own failings as a warrior. For a warrior there can be no excuses."
It was just as Dawn had expected, and she knew James Andrews was right. Her orders had been to crush the opposition, then destroy the Guards headquarters. It did not matter that her Trinary had met a stronger force than expected. War was no game. Dawn knew that. It was a contest from which the superior warrior emerged victor.
Ivan Sinclair pressed on. "We have submitted into the record the depositions of the warriors who survived the raid on Cumbres. They verify that the additional company of 'Mechs that struck on the south flank of the battle zone were painted in a different scheme and were actually fired upon by the Lyran Guards. That proves that these were raiders and not units associated with the Guards garrison on Cumbres. More important, it substantiates Star Captain Dawn's version of events." For the first time, Dawn heard murmurs that might have been in support of her. It lifted her spirits.
"You have all read those sworn statements, taken from brave warriors," Inquisitor Andrews said. "What Star Colonel Sinclair and his charge Dawn would have you believe is that those survivors support the lie of another raiding group. However, we know that all units, including the Twenty-fourth Lyran Guard, have individual paint schemes. These BattleMechs were simply another company of Guards, called in to shore up their defense.
"And, as for the allegations that several of the enemy 'Mechs fired on each other, you will note that the sworn statements of our warriors did not indicate any kills. Only weapons fire. I contend that these were merely friendly fire incidents, shots aimed at our own Steel Vipers that went awry. We all know that the warriors of the Inner Sphere lack our gunnery skill and prowess. In the heat of battle they accidentally fired on their own forces. None of this supports Star Captain Dawn's story in any way."
Star Colonel Sinclair stepped toward the Inquisitor. "Star Captain Dawn has an honorable history as a warrior in this Clan. Her codex supports that much. There is nothing in her past to show signs of the alleged cowardice or incompetence with which she is charged."
James Andrews spun to face the Advocate, narrowing his eyes and leaning back slightly on his heels. "Yes, we have all seen her codex. And we have seen that on Tukayyid she was just as cowardly and incompetent. There, she cannot even claim to have led three others to survival. No, on Tukayyid, only Dawn survived to tell the tale, for all the - others perished, did they not?"
Advocate Sinclair's voice was even and cool. "Star Captain Dawn is not here to answer for Tukayyid. What happened there has no bearing on the events of Cumbres."
"Neg. I contend that her failure there is what led to her failure on Cumbres."
"Inquisitor," the Loremaster said finally, "you will refrain from any mention of Tukayyid," but it was too late. The damage was done. Mention of Tukayyid had stirred the embers among the Vipers, had touched on their mutual shame. The humiliation of that defeat was what now drove them so relentlessly to rebuild. This portrayal of Dawn as a failure who had risen in their ranks but who could now be purged would appeal to many of the Bloodnamed warriors. By eliminating her, they would also purge themselves of their own sense of shame and guilt. And by removing her, they also sent a message loud and clear to the few other Wardens in the Clan—their days were numbered. All around her Dawn heard the sound of angry muttering. Mention of Tukayyid had touched a deep chord among the Vipers.
Seeing Sinclair just about to launch another verbal attack, she reached up and placed one hand on his shoulder. Touching the ceremonial robe, woven from the skins of Arcadian vipers, lent her courage, despite the sense of impending doom.
"Thank you, Advocate," she said. "I release you from your charge." Her voice was calm, perfectly audible throughout the chamber. There was nothing more Ivan Sinclair could do. Nothing more to say. All she could offer to this Council was excuses, and Dawn knew that she herself would have scorned any warrior who hid behind such a petty and dishonorable defense.
"Star Captain—" Sinclair said, but Dawn shook her head and forced a weak smile. Ivan Sinclair nodded and took a step back. Perhaps he understood.
She looked at Inquisitor Andrews, then peered around her at the faces barely visible in the darkness. "Loremaster, I speak for myself now. There is no more testimony to present. I stand ready for judgment and waive the right to speak in my own defense if the Inquisitor will also waive his right to any final remarks. I am a Steel Viper warrior, and I honor the ways of the Kerenskys that have brought us so far. Like all of you I was born and bred for war, it is all I know. My deeds speak for themselves, for I am a warrior bred and true. How you read those actions, I cannot dictate. But I offer no excuses." Her bold words stirred some in their seats to rise, ready to leap down onto the dais and fight her if necessary. She knew she had lost; now was the time to force them to end it all.
The Inquisitor smiled broadly and nodded. "I waive the closing comments, the evidence stands for itself. Let us bring this matter to a vote now."
The Loremaster spoke solemnly and with conviction. "Testimony in this matter is closed and sealed in accordance with our traditions. To the Council members gathered here and those far, I bid you cast your votes. May justice be served."
The voting took less than half a minute, electronically tallied in seconds. The Loremaster's voice echoed in the room, chilling Dawn to her bones. "Star Captain Dawn," he intoned, his voice deepened in the ritual manner, "you have been found guilty by a margin of nine to one."
The verdict was no shock. "I demand a Trial of Refusal," she said, speaking up loud and clear. "And let the time and place be now!"
She would be allowed to fight to reverse the verdict, but the opposing force could bid based on the margin of the vote. The murmurs from the gallery told her that many of the warriors were already beginning the process of bidding. Khan Perigard Zalman monitored his own video screen as the bids were made. Dawn stood on the rotating pedestal staring into the darkness.
After several minutes of intense activity all around him, the Khan spoke again. "You will face odds of three to one. In the tradition of our people, the Inquisitor chooses the defenders of the verdict and has named Star Captain Stern Chapman and Star Captain Mitch Thibaudeau to represent the Council in this matter. We accept the time and place you name. Are you ready, Warrior Dawn?"
She noted that the Khan had already dropped her rank from his address. And she knew both of the warriors he named very well. An Elemental and a MechWarrior. Dawn did not expect to win the Trial, but that did not mean she would not try. She looked up at the Khan and nodded with all the calm and confidence she could muster. They will see no fear in me because there is none, despite this verdict.
As Dawn descended from the dais to meet Stern Chapman, the lighting came up slightly. Chapman was, beyond a doubt, the best Elemental warrior in the Steel Vipers, his genetic heritage and codex adorned with numerous victories. Even at Devil's Bath, he had managed to take out three ComStar BattleMechs before being knocked unconscious himself. He let fall his ceremonial robe and stood before her in knickers and tee shirt that emphasized his towering height and the powerful muscles of his body. At his height and weight, this Elemental was the equivalent of two warriors. Behind him, almost dwarfed by his comrade, was MechWarrior Thibaudeau. If Dawn survived the contest with Chapman, he would be up next to break her.
The Elemental warrior, a virtual mountain of muscle compared to her, wasted no time. With a speed almost shocking in a man of his size, he swept to Dawn's right, forcing her to twist to meet his attack. But Dawn was quick enough, her shar
p chop hitting his right shoulder with a resounding crack. Though the blow would have felled any normal warrior, with Chapman there was more noise than damage. Himself a product of genetic engineering, the Elemental towered over her. And at twice her mass and pure strength, he merely took the hurt. Pivoting from her blow, he jammed backward at her with a powerful movement of his elbow. The pain was intense but the effect on her balance was the key.
She saw his left leg sweep out, but her move to evade wasn't fast enough. The leg hit her right shin and sent her flying backward like a load of bricks. Reacting almost totally by reflex, she rolled away, just missing a pounding with both of his fists balled together. They struck the floor near her like a jackhammer, and Chapman winced in the pain from the impact but did not break off. Dawn swung her hand in a chop to the right eye, blinding him momentarily. As blood streamed from his eye, he lifted his cupped fists together again and jumped toward her, his whole massive body weight behind the assault.
Dawn kicked hard with both feet, hitting him in the chest and deflecting the attack, but at the same time rolling to one side and not seeing where he fell. When she turned to where she thought he should be, he wasn't there. At that moment his kick found its mark on the back of her head.
The impact lifted her body up and forward. Her eyes seemed to be looking down a long dark tunnel while in her ears was a deep buzzing. She felt the floor slap her face hard, but her arms and legs seemed helpless to block the fall. There was a salty taste in her mouth as she used the last reserve of her strength to roll over and stare up at the lights that glared down on her. Dizziness and pain wracked her head as she staggered drunkenly to her feet.
Chapman moved quickly around to face her and to deliver the final blow. She saw it coming and her only response was to leap at what seemed to her like a living wall of flesh and muscle tissue. She half-fell, half-punched as Chapman's furious fist slammed into her right cheekbone. Her blow did nothing, a mere bruise. His cut her cheek and she heard the sound of cracking. A tooth had shattered under the punch. She dropped to the floor like a rag doll, conscious, but no longer able to fight.
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