Wolves on the Border

by Robert N. Charrette

  Takashi found it amusing that Samsonov did not to look to the Coordinator for a confirmation of the position he espoused. The man was very sure of his lord's support. That was satisfactory. Samsonov would be even more unbalanced if it ever became necessary to withdraw that support.

  “Yorioshi was the reason for the failure,” Samsonov continued. “When he abandoned my troops on Galtor, the man showed himself as a traitor and an incompetent, totally unfit to command the Benjamin District.” The Warlord neglected to mention that he had goaded Yorioshi into that action by continually undermining the man's leadership and endangering it through his own actions and non-actions.

  The Warlord turned to Shotugama. In an effort to twist attention away from himself, he struck out at a colleague. “We must look to the future,” he said. “All Galedon District units are back to at least 75 percent strength. Can Yorioshi's successor match that?”

  Shotugama was slow to answer, allowing Vasily Cherenkoff, Warlord of Dieron, to jump in. “I fear our new comrade is made timid by the company he now keeps. Maybe he needs to consult one of his nuns?”

  Takashi was surprised by Cherenkoff's reference to Shotugama's upbringing in a monastic environment. With his personal habits and ill-bred comments, the fat Cherenkoff was often offensive to those around him, but he rarely made any effort to do research for his half-veiled insults. This time, he—or more likely, some lackey—must have probed Shotugama's background. The open hostility in the Dieron Warlord's voice showed that he had developed a deep dislike for his new fellow. This would have to be taken into consideration, especially if the feeling was returned. Benjamin District lay between Cherenkoff's Dieron District and the rest of the Combine. Beyond Dieron lay Terra, and beyond the homeworld, the Combine's unsteady allies. An internal struggle could cut lines of communication. That would be calamitous.

  “All necessary consultations have already been made, General Cherenkoff,” Shotugama replied. “Though I have no reputation to match the bulk of yours, I do know my job.” The small man's demeanor was quiet, but he showed spirit, matching Cherenkoff's attack without abrasiveness. He kept his hostility in check to his higher duty to the Combine. Shotugama was a good appointee, Takashi decided. The balance was maintained.

  “By March, we will have made up equipment and pilot losses in units participating in the Galtor adventure,” Shotugama continued. “Current strengths vary, but the average is approximately 68 percent of authorized strength. Most serious is the morale deficit. Former Warlord Yorioshi's disgrace has had a widespread effect in the District.”

  “The dog did not get what he deserved,” Samsonov growled.

  “Enough!” Takashi commanded. It would not do to have his actions as Coordinator brought into question, even here. “Our losses on Galtor have weakened our border with the Federated Suns. But House Davion has paid a price for their military success, and is now weakened as well. We will allow them no rest. Though we may not be able to mount any major effort without jeopardizing our security, we can keep the pressure on Davion.

  “I therefore order the Fifth Sword of Light transferred to Dieron. They are to raid throughout the corridor that Davion maintains to Terra. If a weakness is found, exploit it.

  “Our friends in the Capellan Confederation and the Free Worlds League will be encouraged to attempt similar probes. If we can cut off Davion and Steiner from one another, it will nullify the threat of any alliance between them.”

  “Can those states be reasonably expected to provide a serious threat to our immediate enemies?” Kester Hsiun Chi asked. The Warlord of the Pesht District always had an eye on events outside his District. Was the old man being wasted in the quiet of Pesht? Takashi wondered. Might he better serve in a more active District? Benjamin had just received a new Warlord, and matters in the other Districts were acceptable. This was not the time for a transfer.

  Noticing that Takashi was lost in his thoughts, Indrahar answered for him. “The Free Worlds League is, as usual, busily concerned with internal bickering. The ISF believes that one or more of their factions might be persuaded that it would be worthwhile to make an attempt on our enemies. However, any Marik faction so persuaded is unlikely to strike across the Capellan Confederation at the Federated Suns. The Lyran Commonwealth is their only likely target, but we can expect little result from them. With luck, they can occupy some of the Commonwealth's attention. Archon Steiner may perceive a greater threat than the adherents of House Marik can provide.

  “As for the Capellans, they will certainly occupy Davion's attention in some fashion because Maximilian Liao seems to have identified Hanse Davion as his principal enemy. Though some military action is possible, it is more likely that Liao will utilize intrigue to weaken our mutual foe.”

  “In the long run, the actions of other states will not matter,” Takashi said. “If we must go to war, the Draconis Combine will do so. Turn your minds in that direction, my Warlords. Soon or late, it will come to war.”

  Takashi made to stand up, a sign that the session was over, but Samsonov spoke up. “Tono, there is another matter that I believe merits your attention—Wolf's Dragoons.”

  “Your attempt last year to have them placed under your command was uncalled for,” Takashi said coldly. “I was satisfied with their performance and told you so. Do you wish to raise the issue of their tractability again?”

  “He, Tono!” Samsonov responded, but the bitterness in his voice put the lie to his denial. 'Their record of success argues against any complaints. I am more concerned about their loyalty.”

  He paused, sweeping the room with his gaze. He clearly wanted everyone's attention now. “Are you aware, Tono, that they have sent an officer to Galatea, the so-called Mercenary's Star?”

  From the corner of his eye, Takashi caught a confirming nod from Indrahar. “This has been brought to my attention. Why does it distress you?”

  “It is not personal distress. I worry for the sake of the Combine. The Dragoon contract still has more than two years to run. Yet their officer is entertaining recruiting agents from any and all comers. Is this not clear evidence that the Wolf's Dragoons mercenaries do not intend to renew their contract?”

  “Perhaps they merely wish to raise the price of renewal. They are mercenaries, after all,” Hsiun Chi commented.

  “It is possible,” Samsonov conceded. “But we must consider the alternative. If the Dragoons should leave the Combine's service, it would gravely weaken our forces on the Davion border. We must act to prevent them from defecting to our enemies.”

  Takashi knew Samsonov had more than the interests of the Combine at heart in this situation, but the Warlord raised a valid point. The loss of the Dragoons could be devastating, especially if the military situation deteriorated. House Kurita had no units that combined the fast-strike capability and the tactical adaptability of the Dragoons. So ka. It need not remain that way.

  “While we have the Dragoons under contract to us, we shall take advantage of their presence and let them serve as teachers. We will create a new unit to work at their side. That unit will learn how to fight as do Wolf's Dragoons and so add Dragoon capabilities to the Arm of the Dragon. Their Liaison Officer shall command the new unit. As he already has some experience in observing Wolf's methods, he has a head start.”

  Samsonov flushed, infuriated. His ploy to wrest control of the Dragoons had been diverted. Takashi's sudden solution had cut off his chance to present the documents his aide Akuma had carefully prepared. The Coordinator's order that Tetsuhara command this new unit would give more power to the stiff-backed troublemaker whom Samsonov had looked forward to breaking in rank once a Liaison Officer was no longer needed. The Warlord quickly covered his rage under frowning brows and hardened expression.

  Takashi offered him an opening to save face. “General Samsonov, I expect you can find a suitable officer to fill the liaison position.”

  The Galedon Warlord's face lightened.

  Takashi did not know what devious plan had jus
t entered Samsonov's mind, but it was clear that inspiration had struck.

  “I have just the man for the job,” Samsonov said.

  “Even though I wish to see a Combine unit with the capabilities of Wolf's Dragoons, I do not want to lose the service of those mercenaries,” Takashi announced. He hoped that his statement would keep Samsonov from any excesses. He turned to Indrahar.

  “Director Indrahar, see what can be done to persuade the Dragoons to stay. Encourage them to see that their future lies with the Draconis Combine. If they cannot be persuaded, we should have some sort of insurance in case the Dragoons decide to enter an enemy's service.” Takashi spoke as he rose from his seat. This time, no one offered an interruption.

  Takashi watched as his councilors left the room. The Warlords' squabbling was a necessary evil. While they were busy watching each other, they were not planning revolution. He found it a necessary, but disheartening, strategy. If only he could trust them to have no ambitions for the Coordinator's seat. If they would unite together behind him, no power in the Inner Sphere could stand against the Dragon. An idle wish, he mused. An illusion. He must never forget that reality was the crudest of masters, with a heart as bleak as the walls of the Black Room.

  BOOK II

  Loyalty

  16

  Hoshon Mansion, Cerant, An Ting

  Galedon Military District, Draconis Combine

  15 August 3026

  Late afternoon sunlight threw long shadows across the courtyard of Hoshon Mansion. The outer wall's shadow ran down the edge of the archery range where Minobu and Jaime Wolf were shooting. The great tower set at the corner of the wall was built to resemble an ancient Japanese castle keep, and its shadow bisected the still sunlit ground. When the image flickered with movement, Minobu looked up from the veranda to see Tomiko and Marisha looking out over Cerant from the balcony of the second level. Minobu caught Wolf's attention and pointed out the women to him.

  “I am glad you're finally back, and that you and Marisha could find the time to visit us here. It has been too many months. Tomiko has missed your lady. The plan you initiated two years ago on the Hephaestus has borne wonderful fruit. Tomiko and Marisha have become like sisters.”

  “It wasn't my plan,” Wolf said, smiling. “But I, too, am glad they've become friends. Tomiko had always seemed so distant, and now she is even polite to me, a bloody-handed mercenary barbarian. She even tries to teach me civilized manners.” Jaime paused, his eyes resting on the two women. “It's good for Marisha to have someone to talk to outside of the Dragoons.”

  “And you have no such needs to fulfill by coming here?”

  “No need to fish for compliments,” Jaime said with an easy grin. “It's not the same with us. We are brothers, no matter what, sharing the profession of arms as we do.”

  “I share my profession with many people, but I would call few brother. Even friends among those rare men of true honor are uncommon.”

  “Now you're trying to flatter me.”

  “Certainly not. You need nothing to inflate your ego.”

  “What!” Jaime raged, though his eyes showed the fury to be a sham.

  “Calm yourself. A show of temper is uncivilized, but uncivilized you certainly are. That monstrosity of metal and plastic that you call a bow, for example. No civilized man would use such a thing.”

  Jaime was caught up in his friend's sportive mood. Years dropped away and cares were forgotten in favor of playful banter. “It's the product of the most advanced technology available to archers in the Inner Sphere. It's balanced, strong ...”

  “It is dead.” Minobu dismissed the bow with a wave of his hand. “How do you feel the shot through all that lifeless hardware?”

  “I don't have to feel it. The sighting equipment allows millimeter-precision in the aiming point. With this bow, an archer doesn't need any of your mystic nonsense about 'becoming one with the target.' And the pulley system will deliver more power than that bound bamboo longbow of yours.”

  “Power? There is no power in that device.”

  “Oh yeah? Watch this.” Wolf adjusted his bow's tension settings, selected an arrow, and sighted carefully on the target before releasing. The arrow buzzed through the air to bury its head more than seven centimeters into the solid backing of the target post. It stood out from the center of the inner ring, blue feathers gleaming against the golden shaft. Wolf turned to Minobu and grinned, clearly proud of his shot.

  “A fine shot,” Minobu agreed.

  Minobu selected one of his own arrows. He fitted it to the string, then stopped to concentrate for a moment. In that moment, he focused his ki, drew the bow and then loosed the arrow with a motion that was rapid but smooth. Stillness followed the brief flurry of motion; he held the release position until the arrow reached the target.

  The arrowhead shattered Jaime's shaft and passed into the target's backing. Only the fletching remained visible in the target circle.

  Jaime shook his head in disbelief. “Could you show me how to do that?”

  “I have tried to show you the way, but you found the methods unacceptable.”

  “You mean that business about shooting at a target only thirty centimeters away. That's pointless.”

  “A man must walk before he can run.”

  Jaime shrugged. Ignoring Minobu's disappointed look, he sent another arrow at the target. “At least you've had more success in teaching me Japanese.”

  “You have the capability. It is simply a matter of focusing.”

  “So you have told me often enough. Jaime Wolf, secret master of ki,” he said in mock seriousness, then laughed. “Guess I'm just too old a dog. You'll have to be satisfied being sensei to Michi.”

  Minobu took the time to loose another shaft before speaking. “Michi is a good aide, always trying hard to please. He has the heart of a fine samurai and shows great promise as a ‘MechWarrior, but his ki is as yet weak.”

  “He will come into his own. The new generation always does.” Wolf selected an arrow for another shot. After he loosed, he said, “Kelly tells me that the Draconis Command has assigned you a BattleMech for a command vehicle.”

  With his friend, there was no need to hide behind the impassive face a samurai must present to the world. Minobu let his pleasure at no longer being Dispossessed show in his smile. “It is true. A DRG-1N.”

  “A Dragon! That's not your type of machine at all.”

  “The type seems very unimportant to me right now. I have a 'Mech again and I have been restored to honor under Lord Kurita. I cannot be ungrateful by disputing the model selected for me.”

  “Have you tried it out yet?” asked Jaime.

  “Yes. It is very different from my old Panther, but then my position now is also different. I am adjusting.”

  “Having problems feeling the shots through all that 'dead hardware'?” Jaime asked, waving his pulley bow for emphasis.

  “A BattleMech is different.”

  Minobu paused to consider. Jaime was a strategic and tactical genius, with the intuition and understanding of people required of a successful general. He was also a magnificent warrior, honed in the hard school of the Succession Wars for over twenty years. Despite all that, he was unable to grasp the core of the spirit of bushido, to appreciate the spiritual nature of the samurai's code.

  “In the old days, a samurai's sword was his soul. It was a part of him, a channel through which his ki could flow. Today, we samurai of House Kurita carry the swords as symbols only. The BattleMech takes the place of the samurai's sword as the channel for a warrior's ki. A ‘Mech Warrior enters his 'Mech and almost literally becomes one with it. It is a symbiosis that an ancient samurai could never achieve with his sword.

  “Not all warriors are samurai, to channel their ki through their 'Mechs. Of those who are samurai, not all have 'Mechs that would seem to be the best match for them. Most often these assignments are arranged by unenlightened bureaucrats.

  “The type of machine does not really matte
r. What really matters is the warrior who pilots the BattleMech. The warrior's spirit is the real strength, not the technology.”

  Minobu looked into Jaime's eyes. He could read the lack of true comprehension, but a flare of appreciation showed. If Jaime could not understand, at least he respected the code and those who followed it. Jaime's own code might be different, but he still walked a path of honor and that was something Minobu respected. On that mutual respect, they had built their friendship. Devotion to honor had bound the two warriors, despite their different backgrounds and all that they could not know or understand about one another.

  “As to a 'Mech matching its pilot,” Minobu said, “look at yourself. An Archer would not seem the best choice of BattleMech for the commander of the largest and most successful mercenary unit in the Inner Sphere.”

  “You might be right on that. Certainly, there have been times when I would have liked something tougher or faster. It's a matter of prestige. The Dragoons have a lot of Archers, all of them our special model. It's almost a signature machine. Seeing me pilot one gives the troops an identification with their commander.

  “That's something to keep in mind now that you are a commander.”

  “So ka. Now you become the sensei.”

  “No,” Jaime said, shaking his head. “No, I'm not a teacher. I'm a doer. There's too much action out there. Too much to be done. Maybe you'll get a little friendly advice from time to time, like just now, but I can't be your teacher.” Something had entered Jaime's voice, a hint of yesterdays passed. “The battlefield is the real sensei, the only way to learn to command.”

  “If you truly believed that, your Dragoons would not maintain the Training Command with the regimental instruction programs.”

  “Not so. Some things can be learned in practice. Must be learned. Your own kyudo art demands constant practice. So do any warrior skills.