D. R. T.

by James D. Long

  But even with that, it wasn't usually too hard for a mercenary unit to get away with some things. There was always a black market for spare parts, which every merc unit in the Inner Sphere relied upon to keep their 'Mechs in shape. Parts that couldn't be had from the employer at any price could often be obtained from the market. Of course, dealing with the black market was a strict violation of most contacts since it encouraged thievery. With Myoto in his back yard, Rose and Riannon were going to have to work overtime on logistics.

  Rose knew Myoto had every right to be quartered at his compound, but he had never really considered it a possibility. Most liaison officers preferred their own compounds, which were, as a rule, better furnished and more comfortable. Even by the standards of the military, Rose knew that Myoto's posting to the Black Thorn base was a cut in lifestyle. Hell, he'd taken a cut from their quarters on Borghese.

  Myoto certainly wasn't old nor did she display any of the characteristics of a rising star, so Rose put her down as a misfit. She should have been at the peak of her career, but most individuals didn't consider liaison work to be an outstanding career move, especially those in service to the Draconis Combine.

  Rose signaled to O'Shea to let Myoto in at the gate. While Antioch Bell led her around to the warehouse, Rose contemplated what to do. With Myoto actually in the compound, he would have to rethink his strategy for dealing with the Combine military and Zimmer, who he refused to think of as Colonel or even Tai-sa Zimmer. The man was a coward and a snake, someone who would surely cause problems before this was over; Rose knew it in his bones. There was little he could do about that at the moment, however. Sighing heavily, he resigned himself to his fate and went to greet Myoto and apologize for the delay.

  Rose worked out with the rest of the unit three times over the next week, supplementing the lance commander's information with his own analysis. Myoto proved to be an excellent pilot, but one of the worst gunners Rose had ever seen at the controls of a heavy 'Mech. If they had the time and she was willing, the Black Thorns would have to correct that before she went into battle.

  One week after his original meeting with Zimmer, Rose was back in Patti's office, one thin folder in his hand and a grim smile on his face. It was a smile shared by Patti.

  "I've selected a mission," said Rose, handing Patti the folder.

  The thin man took the folder and read the name across the top, whistling slowly as he opened it up. "Nothing shy about you, is there, Rose?" he said as he thumbed through the folder, then tossed the folder onto his desk.

  "The intelligence estimates in that report are accurate and up-to-date as far as we know, so I don't think there's anything else I need to give you."

  "I know. Chu-i Myoto provided me with new reports last night as I was making my final decision. She has proved quite skillful in that area." Rose paused for a moment, suddenly struck by an idea. 'Tell me, just who is Chu-i Reiza Myoto?"

  Patti looked up from his desk where he was filing out an unnamed form. "What, she hasn't told you?" Patti rubbed his chin and considered the thought. "That's interesting." He suddenly shook his head and wagged a finger at Rose. "If she didn't tell, then neither will I." Patti chuckled to himself and continued writing. Rose sat in silence and watched while the man filled out the form and slid it across the desk toward him.

  "This is a preliminary contract. It indicates that both sides are acting in good faith and are entering the contract of their own free will. Somewhere in there it also says what each party, that's the Black Thorns and the Draconis Combine, will and will not do. It further provides the rate of remuneration, salvage rights, command rights, transportation, et cetera." Patti leaned back and pulled a pipe from the side drawer as Rose read in silence.

  Rose was halfway through the first of two pages by the time Patti got the pipe going. "As you're a close personal friend of my illustrious commander," Patti said, "there is little room for negotiation. You're getting our best deal up front; I might as well tell you there will be no negotiation. I can give you the names of several other company commanders to verify that, but I doubt they'll willingly tell you how much they made, so you'll pretty much have to take my word for it."

  Rose suddenly leaned forward and looked up from the contract. Patti stared at him, completely bored with the entire process. "I gather you've read the part about remuneration. It is rather excessive."

  Rose leaned back and considered the statement. Excessive barely covered it. The contract would pay almost four times the amount they'd been paid on Borghese, and would be complete in four months. In addition, the Black Thorns retained all rights to any salvage they managed to acquire while on the mission.

  Rose looked back at Patti, but the man was staring up at the ceiling. He'd obviously seen the same reaction countless times, but wasn't completely used to it. Rose read on.

  The advance money was terrible, but Zimmer and Priam had both warned him of that. The Thorns could borrow up to thirty-five percent of the contract's value, but the interest rate was twenty-two percent, so Rose prayed he would never be forced to do so. He continued reading, covering the front half of the contract and turning the page over.

  "You don't like Zimmer much, do you, Captain?" said Patti. Rose snorted and continued reading. "Any specific reason?"

  Rose nodded. "He got a lot of good people killed on Tukayyid."

  Patti shook his head. "Like I said, nothing shy about you, is there?"

  "Just the truth," countered Rose. "But the Com Guards won."

  Rose stopped reading and set the contract down. He paused a moment before looking into Patti's eyes. When he spoke, it was very slowly.

  "Won the war, but we lost one hell of a lot of battles. It was all-out war. No quarter asked or given. In most cases, if you weren't still standing at the end of the fight, it was because you were dead. Zimmer was one of the people pulling the strings. He called the shots on most battles I was in."

  "But you're a warrior, Captain. You're supposed to fight," replied Patti.

  "Fight, yes. Get butchered, no." Rose paused, caught in a memory. When he spoke again, his eyes had a distant look. "You want to know one of Zimmer's best plans? His masterful tactical scheme?" Rose's voice dripped sarcasm. Patti nodded briefly.

  "The mobile wall. Simple tactic really. Just stand in the Clans' way and let them pound you to snail snot. Get blasted, then fall back. Get blasted, then fall back. Eventually the Clans got careless and advanced too quickly. Hell, they probably thought they were having a great time. They over-committed, and other Guard units cut them off from their supplies. Big bloody victory. Of course, most of the pilots assigned to be punching bags weren't around to celebrate."

  Rose paused and silently dared Patti to speak, but the man said nothing. Rose picked up the contract and stared at it for several long minutes before he began reading again. He was just about to conclude that this was the best contract he'd ever heard of when he stopped short.

  "Now wait just one goddamn minute." Rose threw the contract onto Patti's desk and jumped to his feet. "I've already got a DropShip and a crew. I don't want or need Combine transportation."

  Patti leaned forward, placing his pipe in a special holder to his left. He didn't even look at Rose as he pushed the contract back toward him.

  "As I said, this is not negotiable." 'Then I'm out. The Black Thorns are out. I'll reconsider the open contracts and get back with you later this week." Rose turned to go.

  "The transportation clause on any contract we present you will be the same as this one, Rose. You're stuck with Kurita transportation, whether you like it or not."

  Rose stopped at the door and turned back. He knew he would be forced to accept a supplemental contract. Both he and Patti, as well as Zimmer, knew that the Thorns needed the extra money to keep the unit afloat financially. But not being allowed to work with McCloud was something he'd never considered.

  "Why can't I work with McCloud?" asked Rose. Patti's face suddenly relaxed and he reached for his pipe. He looke
d like an old soldier forced to do his duty even if he didn't like it. If Rose hadn't seen the trick before, he'd surely have fallen for it this time.

  "It has nothing to do with me or even Zimmer. The plain truth is that Captain McCloud has not been cleared for operation in Clan space. She can still make the jump from Wolcott to any Combine system, but she's not allowed to transport combat troops on any mission."

  "Then get her cleared for combat," demanded Rose. Patti shook his head. "Can't be done," he said flatly. "That little stunt she pulled inbound cost her dearly. The Internal Security Forces blacklisted her when she refused the ISF pilot's order to correct her course. I don't think even an order from Theodore Kurita himself could get her cleared."

  "But there was nothing she could do," Rose insisted. "Her decision not to change course couldn't have affected the Clan aerospace fighters in any way." Rose knew there was no point in arguing with Patti, but he had to try.

  "I know, Rose. As it was, there was no harm done. The JumpShip got away clean, as did one of the DropShips."

  "And the other?" asked Rose, already knowing the answer.

  Patti shook his head. "The Clan fighters figured the one that made the break was the decoy, so they stuck with the lead ship. Once the fighters were out of range of the JumpShip, the DropShip captain slowed to engage. All six Clan fighters were destroyed, but so was the DropShip."

  Patti continued to shake his head. "That's the price of this invasion. McCloud has been condemned by the ISF, not because of the outcome, but because of her refusal to follow the orders of the ISF agent. I shouldn't have to tell you that chain of command is inviolate, Captain Rose."

  Rose nodded and accepted defeat. He knew McCloud would be furious. She'd never wanted to go into combat in the first place, but now that she would be barred from it, he knew it would hurt her more than anything she'd encountered in the time he'd known her.

  "All right, Tai-i, I'll take the contract." Rose reached over and signed the final page. A part of him felt like he was betraying McCloud, but as commander of the Black Thorns he couldn't allow that part of him to place the unit in jeopardy. This contract, or another one like it, was vital to the unit's survival, and he couldn't ignore that fact.

  "Excellent, Captain Rose," said Patti, who was trying not to look superior but failing miserably.

  Rose knew this contract would be the envy of any mercenary in the Inner Sphere, but he still felt like he'd just lost one of the most important battles of his life. The worst part was knowing he couldn't have done anything to prevent the loss.

  Patti took the contract and placed in his desk. "The final papers will be drawn up and the appropriate funds transferred to the account on Outreach per your meeting with Tai-sa Zimmer last week."

  "We'll want to start training immediately," said Rose.

  "I would expect nothing less from a man in your position," said Patti. "I'll see that complete intelligence reports are delivered as soon as the final contracts are signed. Will there be anything else?"

  "When will we start training with the new DropShip crew?" asked Rose. Although he still felt crushed, a small part of his brain continued to function as the Thorns' commander.

  "Two, maybe three weeks." Patti consulted several logs and nodded. "The contract calls for a combat drop of the entire company. Myoto can handle all the arrangements for flight clearance and landing. I expect that will give you time for any special arrangements needed." Patti continued to smile, and Rose was filled with a desire to flee the room. Instead, he forced himself to rise slowly and shake Patti's hand.

  "I'll be in touch," said Rose as he turned to go.

  Patti waited another five minutes after Rose had gone, then picked up the phone and tapped in a number.

  A deep voice answered on the other end. "Zimmer. What have you got, Patti?"

  "Rose, sir. He's selected a contract and been informed about McCloud."

  "How'd he take it?" asked Zimmer.

  "Like a PPC to the head, sir. He never saw it coming and didn't know how to react when it came."

  Zimmer didn't answer immediately, and Patti could almost hear him thinking. "What about money?"

  Patti felt a sudden knot of fear. "I gave him the entire amount, sir."

  "Good. He'll earn it by the time he's through." There was another brief moment of silence on the phone, and Patti could feel his forehead break into a sweat.

  "He doesn't like you much, sir," Patti offered. "He blames you for what happened to his men on Tukayyid."

  "I figured as much," Zimmer said, as much to himself as to Patti. "That's not my problem, however. As long as he does his job, he can hate the ground I walk on, for all I care." Then the line went dead in Patti's ear.

  Patti took a moment to compose himself, then reached into his desk for a red folder. Only one thing left to do, select a DropShip and a captain for the Black Thorns. Once that was done, he would get out from between his commander and the mercenary. Patti took the first profile in the list. He nodded approval and placed the sheet in the folder with Rose's contract. As far as Patti was concerned, that closed the entire mission.

  13

  Mercenary Garrison District

  Wolcott, Draconis Combine

  1 March 3057

  Rose sat back in his chair in the mess room of the Black Thorn compound and watched the other members of the company fall into the room. Unlike previous meetings here, there was very little talking and absolutely no laughter. MechWarriors and crew members simply filed into the room, then sat down and waited.

  Rose looked over at McCloud, who smiled but looked worn and tired. She'd insisted on being present at the meeting, along with her entire crew, though Rose had only agreed to please her. He returned her smile, but his eyes had gone back to surveying the room.

  Rose had returned from the meeting with Patti on the previous day, but rather than call an immediate meeting, he'd gone straight to McCloud and then to their cabin. Nobody had disturbed them until dinner, which Rose refused for the two of them. With Esmeralda maintaining the duty roster and Riannon continuing to monitor the communications channels, Rose was not absolutely needed, but his behavior was strange nonetheless. The next day he'd participated in the morning training, but had said he would not discuss the outcome of his meeting with Patti until later in the day. As time passed, the unit's normally high morale began to falter. Though all the Black Thorns understood the situation on Wolcott, the only ones who knew exactly what was going to happen were Rose, Riannon, Bell, and the two lance commanders. Rose had, of course, sought out the opinions of the company's leadership, but the final contract decision had been his alone. Seeing him return from the meeting in a dour mood, all the Thorns had begun to assume the worst, and their expressions were various shades of pessimism as they entered the room. Riannon was, as usual, the last to arrive. She took the chair nearest the door and continued to monitor the communications center with a wireless earphone. When Rose saw that she was settled in, he stood up and began to speak.

  "As you all know, I have been involved in selecting a supplemental contract for the unit while we are here on Wolcott. Some of you have contributed to that process and I'd like to thank you for your opinions and input. Well, the decision has been made.

  "Yesterday I signed a preliminary contract on behalf of the Black Thorns to undertake Operation Green Dagger." Rose paused and let his gaze play over the silent group. "I assure you that, colorful as the name sounds, that is not the reason I chose the mission." Rose noticed a few smiles, but most of the warriors still looked concerned.

  "This mission is fairly straightforward. We've accepted a contract to raid a Clan-held factory on Courcheval. Though the Combine's first choice would be to get the factory back, they'll settle for denying it to the Clans." Rose began pacing the room. "And that's where we come in.

  "We'll enter the system from a pirate point behind the Clan system defenders. I know that's a concept hard for ground-pounders to understand, but I'm told it can be done. In
any event, we arrive behind them and slip toward the planet. The JumpShip waits until we return, cleverly hiding from the evil Clans." A few more smiles. That was a good sign.

  "The Black Thorns will make a combat drop near the facility. Once on the ground, we'll shoot and stomp everything in sight. What isn't nailed down, we'll carry away."

  "And if it can be ripped up, it isn't nailed down."

  Rose turned and looked at Hawg. As usual, he was the first one to come around. Rose smiled and nodded. "Exactly," he said.

  "In the meantime, the DropShip will land at a destroyed factory several hundred kilometers away. The place probably won't be defended because the factory has been almost totally gutted. By traveling under the radar net, the DropShip will be able to disguise its position to some degree. The debris of the factory should further hide the landing.

  "The Black Thorns on the ground will head toward the DropShip in a serpentine manner to minimize the chance of the ship being detected." Rose began to walk around the room, giving part of the mission to each MechWarrior individually. That made it seem like he was talking to the various members of the unit personally—just one of the things Rose did instinctively that helped to build the team. By now he was back in the center of the room.

  "Once we're safely on the DropShip, it lifts off and heads back to the cleverly concealed JumpShip. We link up, and it's another thrilling ride home to Wolcott." Rose put his hands on his hips and smiled.

  "The essence of simplicity," he said. "But the whole operation will obviously require split-second timing on the part of all involved, and that means we've got to be in peak form when we ship out."

  "It's a good thing we've got McCloud," said O'Shea. Rose rolled his head back and looked at the ceiling before turning to the man. "Wait a minute. We don't have McCloud?" the big man asked.

  "Something tells me that's the sand in the lubricant," said Hawg to Greta. Rose scowled at Hawg, but McCloud stood and drew everyone's attention.