She had a good chance for glory in this battle. Fate was on her side and, though Jade Falcon warriors did not feel bound by the workings of fate, they did consider its influence. Joanna had survived Twycross before, she had survived Tukayyid and Glory Station; indeed, she had survived countless battles in her life. She could survive again. But would she achieve the one kind of survival so essential to her? To pull herself out of the rubble of her fate and continue on as a warrior? Sometimes she thought she could endure even greater shame than Twycross if so doing would win her the privilege of finishing off her life as a Jade Falcon warrior.
For a moment the turbulent atmosphere of the Plain of Curtains jumbled her commline signal. First came some static, and then she heard, muffled but discernible, a strange new voice. "Hall, get the Three Hundred and Forty-first to the rear. Have the Thirteenth form on this side of the Gash. Alert the Eleventh to be ready."
Then another, softer voice said, "Roger, Nat ..." And then the new voice faded and was gone. After some more static, the regular Jade Falcon chatter came back on line.
Joanna strained to hear more, but only the familiar sounds remained. Nevertheless, she knew what she had heard. It was only the first syllable of the name, and of course it could be some other name, or even some other word, but Joanna was certain that it was Natasha Kerensky's voice she had heard. Firm, strong, and sounding younger than her years.
It excited her to hear Kerensky's voice. She had seen the woman, she had heard her, she had known about her for a lifetime, it seemed. Now, if only she could fight her ... Then she realized she would. Joanna did not know how she knew it, but she did.
* * *
The battle itself, a bizarre sight. BattleMech torsos above the swirling sands. Disembodied beings floating precariously.
A Stormcrow came charging at Joanna's Summoner, its right-arm medium lasers sending a chain of beams at her. But the Stormcrow pilot must have been disoriented by the weather conditions, for its shots went wide. Joanna let the Wolf pilot fire again before responding with her LB-X autocannon, sending a burst of cluster munitions at the light machine. The submunitions dispersed from their canister more slowly, another apparent result of the strange atmospheric conditions, but enough hit to score some critical hits on the body armor of the Stormcrow. This 'Mech seemed poorly named, for it did not thrive in the storm, and in fact stumbled backward with little grace. Joanna started to move in on it, but another 'Mech, an Executioner bearing the insignia of the Falcon Guard Trinary Delta, began firing at the Stormcrow from the other side. Before she could challenge this thief of her opponent, the Stormcrow exploded. Seething with fury Joanna looked for another target.
The battle was well engaged now. 'Mechs faced each other, green lances of laser light, gouts of fire from missile launchers, and the sharp crack of autocannon all mixing together. Armor pieces flew with the sand, sometimes carried high above the fray, then dropping onto other BattleMechs. Sometimes these armor fragments chipped off other armor, their destruction becoming part of the enemy assault. Choosing a Warhawk as her target, Joanna was about to trigger a missile salvo when Ravill Pryde's voice came over her commline.
"Star Commander Joanna!"
"Roger, Star Colonel."
"I do not choose to have you in the battle yet. Retreat.”
“Retreat? I do not retreat.”
“You do now, quiaff?"
Instead of responding, she flung another question at him. "You dare to insult me in the midst of battle? Shame me again? That is too much even for you. I will—"
"Joanna, your insubordination, in the midst of battle, is foolish. Follow orders. I have strategy as well as command in my favor."
"But I—"
"No more protest. I wish to hold you in reserve.”
“What of my Star?"
"Only you. Deploy them into the fight, then move to the rear, or I will personally destroy your 'Mech!"
Her rage made her feel like a 'Mech whose heat levels were rising too fast. Had that stravag Wolfspawn sucked her into this situation just so he could augment her shame, make it easier for him to transfer her back to the homeworlds? Or perhaps there was no motive; he merely hated her so much that shaming her was second nature to him. Yet she had brought him essential information. That alone should have earned her the privilege of being in the heat of the battle.
Was the man a traitor, after all, the spy, as she had originally thought? Was his scheme to make the ambush happen? Maybe Kael Pershaw had been wrong. Had Ravill Pryde been inserted into the Jade Falcons via some deep concealment even before his Trial, had his victory been arranged and his bloodname bought, had he been assigned to the Falcon Guards—all to ensure the Wolves one victory in a Trial of Refusal that no one could have foreseen?
The rational side of her mind noted that, even for Clan Wolf, such a plan would be too far-fetched and far-sighted. No Clan leadership, not even the Clan scientist caste, could depend on one thing following another so precisely. Ravill Pryde had to be a Jade Falcon warrior. She had observed a firmness in his voice suggesting that he did, in fact, have a plan, and that she was part of it. For the moment she had to believe that. She would believe it. It was the only theory that made sense of his actions.
Feeling like some kind of coward, she barked orders for her Star, then began to back her Summoner away from the battle.
Diana's voice immediately came over the commline. "Joanna! What are you doing?”
“Malfunction. I will be right back.”
“Everything looks fine."
"Do not be insubordinate." Joanna knew that besides echoing Ravill Pryde's tone, she was again being deceptive. Her experience as a spy had perhaps ruined her forever. "In the meantime, MechWarrior Diana, fight well and do not forget to keep an eye on the twin gauges, quiaff?"
"Aff," Diana responded sullenly. "Twin gauges" was a code term they had agreed to use whenever referring to Cholas and Castilla over the open channel. It might sound strange to other warriors, but was unlikely to tip off the two Wolf agents.
The battle disappeared from her viewport, its bursts of fire replaced by blowing veils of shifting, swirling red sands, and the work of the BattleMechs became an unsteady shifting field of blips on her scanner screens.
The heat of the plain made the interior of a cockpit feel as if the whole 'Mech were in jeopardy from internal heat rises. But its heat monitor showed the normal settings. Strange, softly grating sounds, the sand itself hitting and sliding across the 'Mech surface. Occasionally, warring 'Mechs, seen through the sands in the distance, looked like battle scenes out of some nightmare, with too many reds and confusing shadows. Damaged 'Mechs stumbled past her, to safe places where techs could manage makeshift battlefield repairs.
More frustrating than the views of the battle were the sounds coming over the commline. Cool voices of 'Mech pilots reacted to attacks, reported damage, encouraged each other with warnings arid praise. Ravill Pryde, clearly in control, snarled out orders and reported his own successes while noting the achievements of others. Such reports only made Joanna more agitated, more wrathful. What could she say when the battle was over? That she had demonstrated her skill at being in deep reserve? Ravill Pryde had not even given her the rearguard duties of guiding repair operations or alerting reserve forces. Though Joanna did not want to believe that Ravill Pryde had in some way double-crossed her, the idea kept recurring.
With nothing else to do, she monitored the progress of the battle. It seemed to her that the Jade Falcons had gained the upper hand early and were maintaining it. Few losses had been recorded so far for either side, but considerable damage was being done.
Then she heard Star Captain Evlan report to Ravill Pryde, "The Wolves appear to be retreating, Star Colonel. Several have already slipped into the Gash. And, sir? According to our count, the Wolves have not sent their full bid of BattleMechs up against us."
"I realize that, Star Captain."
"Request permission to pursue."
"No, Evl
an. Do not, repeat, do not follow the Wolves into the Gash at this time.”
“Sir—"
"All units. Do not enter the Gash. Destroy any stragglers on this side, but do not advance further. Permit the Wolves to enter the Gash if they head that way."
There was a great deal of confusion over the open line as Jade Falcon warriors protested Ravill Pryde's command. The main theme of their protests was that the order violated Jade Falcon custom.
"I am happy to see our warriors protest so vigorously," Ravill Pryde said. "Our fighting spirit lives on!"
"Then why hold us back?" asked an officer whose voice Joanna did not recognize.
"Remember the shame of Twycross. We must not duplicate that. Those Falcon Guards rushed into the Gash too quickly. But we are the new Guards, the heroes of Tukayyid. We will not allow those lowborn Wolves to underestimate us. We will not repeat the error of Twycross, warriors!"
If a crowd cheer could be transmitted over a commline, it would sound like the reaction that followed, a concatenation of fighting spirit and approval of Ravill Pryde's inspiring words. But that was followed by a long period of relative silence which seemed to make Joanna's cockpit feel hollow. Then, over an open frequency came the voice she had heard before. It seemed to thunder about her.
"I am Khan Natasha Kerensky of Clan Wolf. I have sent my troops away. I wait in the Great Gash of Twycross to meet and slay any Jade Falcon who thinks more of himself than he should, and prefers courage to wisdom. Come now. Your time is at hand."
Then Ravill Pryde's voice followed on the secure channel.
"We have received a challenge from Natasha Kerensky of the Wolves for possession of the Gash. What say you, warriors?"
"Reject it," said one voice. "Natasha Kerensky is an old woman unworthy of a single contest against a Jade Falcon. Further, she is a traitor to the Clans who has associated with Inner Sphere scum. The shame of fighting her would outweigh any glory gained in the battle. She merely wants to degrade us with the bid. We can accept a proper bid of her own best warrior, but not her."
Other warriors echoed those sentiments. Ravill Pryde then called on several officers, all of whom refused to dirty their hands in a duel against an impossibly ancient Wolf warrior, in spite of her fame and notoriety.
"Star Colonel Ravill Pryde," Joanna screamed into her own microphone, twisting its flexible cable with her hand as she brought it closer to her mouth. "I wish to speak to you over a private channel."
"Granted, Star Commander Joanna." There seemed to be a strange pleasure in his voice. "Speak, Joanna. Time is short. The Wolves may be preparing even more traps."
"I should be the warrior to fight Natasha Kerensky."
"And why is that?"
"You must know why. I am the oldest warrior under your command. It is not shameful for me to engage her in battle. Also, I am the only survivor of the first Battle of Twycross. My deep shame will, in turn, shame her."
"So be it. You have convinced me, Star Commander." There was a strange sound in his voice that Joanna could not quite define. It seemed to her that he was not sufficiently surprised, nor did he offer the protest that she might have expected. Then it hit, her. He wanted her to be Natasha Kerensky's opponent. The freebirth scum has planned this the moment he heard Natasha's challenge. That was why he had protested so little at the reluctance of the other warriors. He had almost encouraged their reluctance. This was what Wolf genes did to a Jade Falcon warrior. At least, in Ravill Pryde's case, they created deceitfulness. The Clan should send him to Kael Pershaw for the Watch instead of keeping him in a command position.
Ravill Pryde allowed Joanna to listen in on his transmissions to Natasha Kerensky. The notorious Wolf warrior was obviously angered at Joanna's selection. She asked if Pryde was too frightened to take her on himself. He said no, that Star Commander Joanna had a long and distinguished career. She was sufficiently skilled to dispose of an aging Wolf relic. If seething could be communicated over commlines, then that was the source of the angry static that followed Ravill Pryde's comment. Finally, Natasha Kerensky announced, with well-concealed rage, that she accepted the Falcon champion.
"Oh, and one more thing, Khan Natasha," Ravill Pryde said, his voice imperious and sneering. "That little ambush you have planned up on the plateau? Withdraw all your forces from there. I will not allow Star Commander Joanna into the Gash until the withdrawal is complete. Your troops there are useless to you anyway, since I am not as stupid as Adler Malthus and would not commit any forces into the Gash until I know it is safe. If this is to be a contest between two skilled warriors, then it should remain so, without any help from above. An individual contest, fairly designed and fought, that is the way of the Clans, quiaff?"
Joanna was not certain, but the squawking sound on the commline might have been a reflection of Natasha Kerensky's surprise and irritation that the ambush had been discovered or it might simply have been static caused by Twycross's erratic atmospheric conditions. However, Natasha Kerensky agreed to Ravill Pryde's demand and vowed to remove all Wolf forces from the plateau.
"We are on a private channel now, Joanna," Ravill Pryde announced. "As you know, I and our comrades depend on you to bring honor to the Falcon Guards this day."
"Spare me your florid speeches, Ravill Pryde. We hate each other and have from the beginning, quiaff?"
There was a long pause before Ravill Pryde responded. "I do not know the specifics of your mission with Kael Pershaw but, whatever it was, it has generated a definite change in you, Joanna. You are suspicious, you see complexity where before you would have seen simplicity."
Since Diana had voiced the same thought to her, Joanna wondered how true it was. Inside, she felt the disgusting need to examine matters even she would have preferred to remain in ignorance of varied possibilities. Well, she would get rid of this tendency toward inquiry soon enough. She simply did not like it.
"While we are discussing complexity," Joanna said, "why did you need to resolve this challenge in this way? You could have accepted the challenge yourself, Ravill Pryde, quiaff?"
"Aff. You are quite ... perceptive. You have a talent for analysis I would never have suspected. I will explain, and you can argue my decision later. I welcome that, in fact. I could not fight her. I am young, she is old—whoever won, I would earn no honor. Defeating an ancient warrior brings no glory. Losing to her, though unlikely, would be even worse. So you are, you see, the logical choice. If you win, you bring glory to yourself. If you lose, well, you have been shamed before."
"And, if I do lose, perhaps you can win the glory after all by avenging me."
"Perhaps."
"You should become a Wolf, Ravill Pryde. Your shades of meaning do not suit the mouth of a Jade Falcon. You are a new breed, Ravill Pryde, and it is no wonder I hate you so deeply."
"Most people believe you hate everyone."
"Which gives you a special place of honor, Ravill Pryde, for I hate you more than any other."
"So be it. I will cherish your words, Star Commander Joanna. Now, ready yourself for the battle. Proceed into the Gash."
"What about the ambush?"
"Natasha Kerensky has just sent word that the evacuation of the plateau has begun and will be completed momentarily."
"Can you trust her?"
"She is Natasha Kerensky—according to you, a great warrior in spite of her origins."
"And her origins are the problem. The Wolves are not above springing more traps. We should prevent them."
"What do you suggest?"
"Send warriors to make sure. Have them go on foot, so that the Wolves will know we are not appropriating their ambush."
"Warriors? Abandoning their 'Mechs in the middle of the battle?"
"The battle is now between myself and Natasha Kerensky. You can pour cement in all these 'Mech and turn them into statues for all the use they are now. I will not be in position for twenty minutes. We have plenty of time for some warriors to get to the top of the plateau on foot."
"All right, I will assign some warriors to this duty. And I must say I am much impressed with your newfound sense of caution, Star Commander. Since you suggested the mission, I will let you plan it. It will give you something to do while you await your contest with Natasha Kerensky."
"Fine. Since MechWarrior Diana accompanied me on our unauthorized mission last night, she may guide them along the path. I choose MechWarriors Cholas and Castilla to accompany her."
"You have some reason to choose those two?"
Joanna hoped her slight hesitation was not noticed by Ravill Pryde. "Why would I have a reason? Do you question their abilities for the assignment?"
"Not at all. They show fine potential as Jade Falcon warriors. But you did fight them once, and Diana had her own fracas with them."
"Now it is you who are being suspicious. Send others then."
"No. As I told you, I will allow you to make the choices. I will detach MechWarriors Diana, Cholas, and Castilla for the assignment."
Joanna regretted being so devious, but the ability to deceive was becoming part of her character, too, with all the other changes Ravill Pryde and Diana had observed. She would have to rid herself of them someday. But today was not that day.
"One more thing, Ravill Pryde, quiaff?"
"Aff. I realize this is a private channel, but please get used to addressing me by rank as I ordered you."
"I will take that into consideration, Ravill Pryde. You ordered me to the rear before Natasha Kerensky's challenge, yet you seem to have been planning to conserve me for this battle all along, quiaff?"
"Aff. I knew a proper use for you would emerge somehow."
"No, not somehow. You knew all along. I think that you engineered this confrontation yourself, in some private conversation with Natasha Kerensky."
"You can think that, but she did issue the challenge herself."
"But you engineered it, quiaff?"
"Well, an angry Natasha Kerensky may not have perceived a tactic or two but, as I said, she issued the challenge."
I am Jade Falcon Page 23