Prince of Havoc

by Michael A. Stackpole

  She opened the office and took comfort in the fact that the room seemed stuffy. A thin layer of dust had accumulated on the secretary's desk nearest the door. Francesca closed the door behind her, then made directly for the half-open office with Mark Newson's name on it. She slipped into the inner office and paused because the harbor's view was indeed breathtaking.

  The office's huge mahogany desk had been oriented so anyone sitting in its leather chair would have his back to the view. That was typical Reg, but it made Francesca focus on the art on the wall facing the desk. All reds and blacks, with a hint of green, she recognized as something from the Honesty series. The other pieces on the walls, save one, had come from Reg's retirement fund piles and did not clash with the decor terribly. They looked almost a perfect fit for the place.

  The other picture in the room definitely was a perfect match for the office. It had been rendered in bright colors, using an impressionistic stipple technique where everything was created out of carefully placed color dots. It showed a view of Crescent Harbor that could have easily been painted by looking out the window in that office.

  The harbor picture immediately drew her to it. Even before she'd come Within two meters of it she knew Reg had not painted it. Getting closer she tapped it with a fingernail and heard a sharp click. The art had been painted on a hard, pressed-fiber illustration board—material Reg only used to make secure packing cases for some of his canvasses. The frame, while perfectly suitable for the picture, was the sort of thing that made Reg grit his teeth whenever someone had slapped one around one of his pieces. all in all, that simple harbor view was something that would have caused Reg to go ballistic if he saw it. Another contradiction here, Reg. Setting her purse on the desk, Francesca pulled the piece down off the wall and looked at the back of it. The frame had a small tag from a local frame shop Reg loathed, but the painting itself had nothing on the back. That struck her as odd because once, when Reg had descended on a "starving artist exhibition and sale" because he heard some of the works were reminiscent of his style, he'd made a show of turning several pieces over and pointing to the price being boldly scrawled on the back, along with a stock number. As he had explained, firms had hundreds of artists grinding out the same piece over and over again, allowing just about everyone to own an original copy of artwork usually found in cheap motels.

  She hooked one edge of the frame on the desk and yanked down, popping it free. She glanced at the picture edge and found it actually consisted of a double thickness of the fiberboard. She stripped away the rest of the frame, then pulled out Reg's penknife, extended a blade and worked at the adhesive holding the two layers together. She nibbled away at the seam with the knife, then slid the blade in and twisted.

  The two layers parted with a dull crackling sound. The back layer slid off, revealing two carefully milled circular depressions. A single CD-ROM had been sealed beneath a plastic membrane into each of the holes. Though they were not labeled, she knew, beyond a shadow of a doubt, they contained records that would implicate Katherine Steiner in her mother's murder.

  "We'll take those," said the first of the two Loki agents who entered the office. Both wore black business suits, but had pulled on balaclavas to hide their features. The first man extended a gloved hand toward her. His partner, who slid to the left and faced the window, held a rather nasty looking slug-thrower on her.

  Francesca let her mouth open with surprise. "Look, you can take what you want. I just want the pictures. Reg said they were mine."

  "Just give us the disks."

  She turned toward her purse. "Look, I have money."

  "The disks." The man's voice became more adamant. "Don't make this more trouble than it's worth, ms. Jensen."

  "How do you know me? How did you find me?"

  The leader rolled his eyes and nodded toward his partner. The second man fished into his pocket and took out a cylinder that he started to screw onto the front of his pistol.

  Now or never. Francesca flipped the fiberboard at the lead Loki agent, letting it scythe through the air at him. She dove across the desk, hooking her purse with her left hand. She heard a quick cough and felt splinters gouged up from the desk hit her in the legs, but then she fell below the desk's firm top. She hit the ground hard, then rolled on to her back and snaked her needler pistol from her purse.

  She didn't bother to pop up to fire, but instead shot the lead man's feet from beneath the desk. She heard him cry out, then saw him land on his chest on the carpet. Two more shots shredded his mask and shirtfront, but his body blocked her view of the second man. She remained hunkered down, waiting for any sign of him, but she saw and heard nothing more than a languid sigh.

  Then the stink of burned flesh hit her nose. She snorted it back out again, then said, "Clear."

  "I'm coming in."

  Francesca pulled herself to her feet and smiled as Curaitis entered the room, a laser pistol in his right hand. Tall and muscular, with coal-black hair and icy blue eyes, the intelligence agent glanced at her, then dropped to one knee and felt the neck of the man she'd shot for a pulse. The second gunman lay on the floor, his jacket still smoldering from the shot that had roasted his heart and lungs.

  "They're dead."

  She nodded. "Thanks for the save. Where did they pick me up?"

  "The bank. Computer check probably showed Starling's box there. You got it and cleaned it out before they could. They spotted you leaving and followed you. I trailed them. Give me your pistol."

  She tossed him the needler, which he put into the hands of the man who'd been shot with the laser after he stripped the man of his mask and gloves. The laser went into the hands of the man she'd killed, and he retained his mask and gloves. The obvious impression would be of a robbery that had been interrupted. Francesca knew that with the bullets in the desk, and the traces of her blood from the little splinter wounds, the sham wouldn't hold up under close inspection, but the local constabulary wasn't much on close inspection.

  Curaitis picked up the fiberboard with the disks in it. "You think this is it?"

  She nodded. "Reg knew this day would come, and he planned to strike back from the grave at those who killed him. I'm sure that stuff will be explosive."

  Curaitis smiled slightly, which was the first time she'd ever seen him do such a thing. "Good. With Katherine's latest antics, the bigger the explosion, the better."

  22

  Takashi Kurita Memorial Spaceport

  Imperial City, Luthien

  Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine

  15 March 3061

  Though he knew the occasion was a most solemn one, Victor Davion found it impossible to keep a smile from his face. He waited with Kai Allard-Liao, Hohiro Kurita, the Precentor Martial, and General Andrew Redburn for the mobile transfer gantry vehicle to roll up to the DropShip Tengu's egress hatch. The normally opaque shell on the vehicle had been stripped away, leaving the platform open. As it approached, he saw Theodore Kurita standing there, along with various officials and Theodore's daughter, Omi.

  Though the sight of her filled him with joy, it was just icing on the cake of being back from the Clan worlds and actually touching down on an Inner Sphere World. His task force had gone out toward the Kerensky Cluster from Combine space, and reentered the Inner Sphere through it as well. They first stopped at Richmond and were told to proceed immediately with all due diligence and haste to Luthien. They were also asked to do so under a complete communications blackout.

  That request had come close to sparking a mutiny among some of the Lyran, League, and Capellan troops, but Victor quickly quelled it by pointing out that while they had been hunting for Smoke Jaguar stragglers—and had found a few along the way—the Ghost Bears or Wolves or another Clan could have made moves in the Inner Sphere in the meantime. If that were true, keeping their return a secret would be a powerful weapon. Victor said he'd refrained from sending messages home and, since none of the others had as pressing a reason as he did to contact their capitals
, he expected they would keep quiet.

  The fear that something horrible had happened in his absence grew in his gut and had him eating very little as they traveled to Luthien. Then, when the fleet jumped in at the nadir recharge station, Theodore Kurita himself addressed the task force and reassured them that nothing was amiss. He said that the people of the Combine wanted to pay homage to the returning heroes first and best, and the request for communications silence had been a selfish one by him. He asked that they observe it until they reached Luthien. After their welcome, they would have all the facilities of the Combine government put at their disposal.

  Victor shook his head. Normally the request to keep silent longer would have sparked grousing, but the promise of a party seemed to quell more complaints. Most of the folks in the task force just wanted to get dirt under their feet, and nearly ninety percent of them never figured that dirt would be from Luthien, so they were game. During the eight-day journey in from the recharge point. Luthien Aerospace Control dictated landing sites, patterns, and times, and anticipation grew within the fleet.

  The Leopard Class DropShip Tengu had been the first allowed to land, and its passenger list had been very carefully specified. Victor recalled well the ceremony surrounding his first arrival, so having the five of them being the first warriors from the task force to set foot on Luthien made perfect sense to him. From what he had seen of the plans for the rest of the landings, he knew the Kurita talent for symbolism and ceremony had been pushed to the limit by their return.

  The hatch hissed open as the gantry vehicle bumped the side of the ship. Hohiro emerged first, resplendent in the First Genyosha's black uniform tunic, its right arm splashed with embroidered gold stars. Hohiro wore two swords in the manner of a Kurita warrior. He paused on the edge of the gantry to bow deeply to his father, and Theodore, wearing a simple black suit, returned the bow and held it respectfully.

  Both men straightened up at the same time, then Theodore's mouth tightened into a hint of a smile. He pulled his son into a hug and Victor heard distant cheers. Hohiro then worked his way down the line of dignitaries, bowing and shaking hands as he went. Andrew Redburn followed next and bowed crisply. Redburn had maintained on the way down that hell would be freezing over the second he stepped on Luthien, but his arrival came without any supernatural fanfare. He and Theodore exchanged bows, then shook hands. The Combine's Coordinator whispered something in Andrew's ear that brought a smile to the man's face, then he, too, began moving down the line of dignitaries.

  Kai went next, also wearing two swords. The swords had been a gift from the Coordinator on Kai's first arrival on Luthien. Theodore greeted Kai warmly and had a whispered message for him as well. Kai retreated a step and bowed again to the Coordinator, then moved off, allowing the Precentor Martial to step onto the gantry. Focht once again adopted the simple robe of a ComStar adept, but there was no mistaking his warrior background in his bearing and the crisp precision of his bow.

  Victor swallowed against the acid bubbling up in his stomach and made sure his swords were tucked properly into his sash. He composed his face solemnly and followed the Precentor Martial onto the gantry. He paused where Hohiro had and bowed to Theodore. Straightening up again he stood stock still as Theodore returned the courtesy of a low and long bow, then they stepped together and shook hands.

  Theodore smiled at him and spoke in English. "It has been a long time you have been away. You cannot know the joy I feel at your return."

  Victor smiled and replied in Japanese. "All of us are just as happy to be here. Thank you for hosting our return."

  The Coordinator's eyes widened. "You have been studying while you were away."

  "Your son has been an excellent tutor."

  "A sensei's skill can be measured by the advancement of his students." Theodore pressed his right hand on the back of Victor's left shoulder. "You will want to meet our friends here, so you may take your place in the line. You will be there, next to my daughter."

  "Donto arigato."

  "I was once a soldier, too, Victor."

  The Prince moved down the line of officials, bowing, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries, then he reached Omi. He bowed deeply to her, then accepted her bow. Without saying a word to her—but fully catching all that could be communicated from her glance—Victor took his place at her side.

  The gantry vehicle moved away from the DropShip and started oh a slow circuit toward the terminal building. As it left the DropShip's shadow, Victor got a chance to see, for the first time, the throng at the spaceport. People lined the windows and rooftops, and were being held back by makeshift fences and riot police. The gantry vehicle moved toward a raised platform behind which waited a fleet of convertible limousines. Several smaller platforms bristled with holovid cameras from the Combine's Information Agency, and Victor was certain their return was being beamed throughout the Combine. Light towers had been erected to illuminate the platform, with the lights blazing to life as the gantry vehicle came to a stop at the platform.

  Theodore stepped onto the raised platform first and the crowd roared their approval. The other dignitaries filed off and stood along the platform's back edge. Hohiro led the others into a rank behind his father, with Omi retaining her place at Victor's right hand. As each of them moved onto the platform, a new cheer went up to echo off into the growing twilight.

  The Coordinator stepped up to a microphone and opened his arms. "Rejoice, my people, for the day we have awaited is here. Over a year and a half ago the liberation of our worlds from the Clans was begun. These men here, and the valiant troops they led, swept the Smoke Jaguars from our nation. Then these brave warriors tracked the Smoke Jaguars back to their lair, where another task force had already ventured. Together they finished the Jaguars and defeated the combined might of the Clans. Through their efforts, we need never again fear tyranny at the hands of the Clans." applause erupted spontaneously and washed over them. Victor found himself blushing. He was proud of what he and his people had accomplished, but usually lavished all his praise on the soldiers and leaders who had fought for him. The heartfelt appreciation the Combine's people were expressing overwhelmed him. I know we did this for them, but it was so easy to forget that fact while fighting. The mind can't possibly quantify the impact our victory will have on trillions of people, and I have no way to handle their thanks.

  The Coordinator raised his hands again and the applause faded slowly. "People of Luthien, I want you all to look to the skies. You will see above you a shifting of constellations as stars move in the heavens and grow bright. These stars are the DropShips that are bringing to us the victorious warriors who have saved our realm and our homes. Once was a time when the movement of stars like this would have heralded a catastrophe, an invasion from which we would never recover. Now it betokens the return of friends, good friends, who are heroes all. Into your care I entrust them. You will make them welcome and show them the full depth of your appreciation for their sacrifices on your behalf."

  With everyone else, Victor looked up and saw the vault of the sky crawling with bright lights. Dozens of DropShips began their descent to Luthien. Several from each nation were headed toward Imperial City itself, but most of the rest would be scattered around the larger cities on the world. Combine troops would land in the more rural areas on the simple assumption that the more metropolitan districts would find it easier to deal with people from other nations.

  Theodore nodded solemnly toward the crowd and the holovision cameras. "Luthien, this is no less a great day than when the Smoke Jaguars and Nova Cats were defeated here. Rejoice with all your hearts. You have fulfilled your duty, so these warriors were able to fulfill theirs. This is a victory we all share, and shall celebrate together." another burst of applause thundered through Victor's chest as the Coordinator turned away from the microphone. He waved everyone toward the stairway at the far end of the platform and they descended to the hovercars. Hohiro and Theodore were shown to the first one, and the Precentor Ma
rtial, Kai, and Andrew Redburn to the second. Omi and Victor got the third one, and had just gotten setded when the engine roared to life and the driver started out after the first two vehicles.

  Victor smiled at Omi, brushing the back of her hand with a finger. "I have missed you so much."

  She glanced down for a moment, then caught his finger between two of her own. "My garden has flourished. It has been watered with so many tears. You were gone a lifetime and, I am certain, it seemed like many lifetimes to you. All I had to do was wait."

  "We both waited. I just had different things to occupy my mind."

  She searched his face with her blue-eyed gaze. "You are very kind to equate what I had to do with what you were doing. Your task was much more important than mine. There is so much of what I endured I would share with you, but I cannot and will not."

  Victor frowned slightly. "Why not?"

  "You would think me weak. I would not diminish myself in your eyes."

  Victor interlaced his fingers in hers. "You could never make me think ill of you, Omiko. Without knowing you waited for me, I never would have finished what I set out to do."

  "You cannot know the joy your words pour into me." She gave him a quick smile. "Later we can speak more on this, and I shall show you the depth of my happiness at your return."

  The Prince nodded. "I, too, relish a chance to show you how happy I am to be here with you again."

  "But, now, we must be who we are for the people." Omi looked away from him as the limo passed through the airport gates and lifted her right hand to wave.

  Victor looked to his left antf his jaw dropped open. The streets of Imperial City thronged with people. Banners hung from windows and across streets. Most of them had Japanese characters on them, but many also had English and German legends added on. He could read very little of the signs, and found the translations sincere but flawed. Even so, the sentiment that had sparked their creation was readily apparent.