BattleTech

by Loren L. Coleman

  “Sire, I didn’t come all of this way just to sit on the sideline and be a diversion or some sort of intelligence ploy. I have buried my troops all over the Commonwealth and the Falcon Occupation Zone. I came to put an end to this.” Christifori paused and let his words sink in. There was no venom in his voice, no demands. It was as if his emotions had been drained from him.

  Victor understood. Like so many officers that had fought for him, they had lost a great deal—family, friends, livelihoods, all cast aside for him and his cause. Archer Christifori was not asking for anything more than what he had wanted from the very beginning of the conflict—justice.

  “Archer,” he said slowly. “You have my word. You’ll be there at the end. There will be plenty of fighting for you and your troops. This isn’t just a diversion; it’s much more. You have my assurance that you’ll be there when the curtain falls.”

  Archer sighed heavily. “Your word has always been enough for me. Very well then, Highness,” he said saluting. “I’m at your disposal then. Can you give me the details of what you have in mind?”

  Victor saw a glint in his General’s eyes, something of the determination that made Christifori so useful. “Archer, it would be my pleasure.”

  • • •

  The Avengers, Archer’s Avengers, were deployed not far from their DropShips on a sandy plateau. Every time the wind swept their tents and ’Mechs, it kicked up tiny twisters of dust and dirt. The air was dry this season and each breath made the fine dust stick to the roof of your mouth. The plant-life was sparse in this area of the flood plains, mostly scrub brush and saplings. It was not the paradise that most people associated with New Avalon.

  Archer walked over to the campfire near the center of the camp and as he approached, he saw his officers rise to attention. He gave them a quick salute. Formality of this kind was not typical of his unit. Must be the presence of so many regular army units…

  Colonel Katya Chaffee drank down her last gulp of coffee, shaking the last bit out of the cup at the fire, then walked over near him. He would have called it a saunter, but there was nothing exotic about it. Months of being in the field and aboard a DropShip had forced him to forget sometimes that Katya was a woman. The look in her eye was enough to remind him.

  Maybe if this war is ever over…

  “General,” she said. “What’s the word?”

  He allowed himself one chuckle. “The word? The word is that we are going to play a crucial and critical role in the eventual assault on Avalon Island.”

  “That explains the arrival of five trucks loaded with replacement parts,” replied Captain John Kraff of the Muphrid Rangers. The Rangers had been the heart and soul of the Second Thorin Regiment…when that regiment had existed. The Jade Falcons had decimated its ranks. Now it was little more than a battalion of troops. “I don’t think we’ve ever been this well outfitted.”

  “That doesn’t bring back the dead,” Katya added solemnly.

  Archer had seen her gloom before. “Regardless,” he said, ignoring the comment, “we have some major operations to plan. The role of the Avengers in securing a beachhead on Avalon Island is critical.”

  “We leading the way in sir?” asked Major Alice Gett.

  “In a manner of speaking, yes. We will be landing six hours prior to the rest of the invasion force.”

  His officers gave each other nervous glances at the news. For a moment, there was no sound other than the noises of the troopers in the camp and the crackle of the flames as a log settled, sending sparks upward into the darkness.

  “Sir,” Katya asked hesitantly. “Are you serious?”

  “Yes, I am,” he said solidly. “And if we do our jobs right, we can help bring this war to an end.” Turning he scanned the eyes of his officers and made sure that he had eye contact with each and every one of them. “We will have a secured briefing tomorrow to go over the operational plans. Get some sleep and I will see all of you at 0830 hours.” Before they could rebut him, Archer pivoted and walked away.

  They’re good people. I need to ask them to take part in one more fight. That’s all, just one more fight…

  Chapter Two

  Camp Avenger, The Daring Flood Plains

  New Avalon, Crucis March

  Federated Suns

  31 December 3066

  The dull, flat-green plexi-dome had guards posted all around it. A fine layer of dust covered it and was streaked where people had brushed up against the dome, taking the dust with them. As the ad hoc command center for Archer’s Avengers, the roof of the small collapsible structure was covered with a prickled layer of antenna, stabbing skyward.

  Inside the dome, Archer stood over the holotable. Millennia before, a table covered with sand had served the same purpose—to allow a commander to model combat terrain for tactical planning purposes. The holotable was a familiar tool, but Archer found himself waxing nostalgic, wondering what it was like to use a good old-fashioned sand table.

  While the hot sun beat down on the plains outside, the portable AC unit strained to keep the interior of the command center cool. His officers stood around the table, staring at the holographic image of the target—Avalon Island. Most had their arms crossed over their chests. They said nothing. Despite orders, Captain Kraff had a cigar in his mouth, a thin wisp of smoke rising from it. It didn’t reek like a cheap cigar and Kraff was quick to point out to anyone that complained that he had stolen only the very best—the spoils of war.

  There were a few guests in the room as well. They hadn’t been introduced to the Avengers command yet. They stood out in that their olive drab jumpsuits, while worn, were not nearly as faded or patched as those worn by the Avengers. There were no signs of old patches, pulled off as their affiliations and units had changed. Some of his people had handmade their lance or company patches and wore them proudly. The elbows of more than one Avenger uniform was threadbare.

  Archer’s people had been cobbled together from dozens of other units and retired veterans, all answering the call to support Prince Victor against his sister Katherine. While some had outdated uniforms, a few still wearing their spurs of the Federated Suns, all had one thing in common—a desire to see the war brought to an end, swiftly if at all possible. Archer was proud of the way they looked. It wasn’t the uniforms that were important, but the men and women in them.

  General Christifori leaned forward over the holotable, putting his palms on the edge of the three-dimensional map and leaning on his arms, over the terrain. He tipped his head back and let his gaze sweep the tight confines of the room. “First and foremost, let me say how proud I am of all of you. We’ve fought our way across the Inner Sphere to get here—at the right place, at the right time.

  “The Avengers have been given a unique and special honor. We are going to lead the assault on Avalon Island. Our forces are to be the first ones ashore in the final assault against Katherine’s forces.” He didn’t expect a cheer. These were seasoned military personnel. They had a pretty damn good idea of what they would be facing if they led the assault. He did hear a few mumbles.

  “For intelligence purposes, we’re officially being designed as reserve elements of the Outland Legion,” he said, making eye contact with each of his officers. Reaching into his right flank pocket he pulled out a wad of Outland Legion patches. “Sew these on, pass them out to the troops. Orders will go out to repaint our ’Mechs for the time being with Outland Legion colors.”

  “Sir?” Kraff said, taking up the patch as if it was manure in his fingertips. “Why all the cloak and dagger stuff? Outland Legion? That’s crap in a can if I’ve ever heard it. They’re good and all, but we’re the Avengers.” His words were met with more than one nod of agreement.

  Archer smiled. Pride in the unit was one of his cornerstones for holding his troopers together. “Just relax. It’s temporary. When the time comes, we’ll show Katherine our true colors. I can’t speak for the rest of you, but I can’t wait to get her panties in a bunch when she finds out t
hat we’re here.” As if to add emphasis, he winked at his officers who, in turn, took up the patches with a new sense of purpose and chuckled at his response.

  “The shortest distance between Avalon Island and our current base of operations is Portsmouth. That will be our target. We will hit the beach to the west of the harbor and city and drive inland, sweeping back into the city and catching it from the rear.” As he spoke, Archer triggered the animation on the holotable showing where the landings would take place. A long red arrow swept in behind the port city and punched into it from the rear flank.

  “While we secure the port facilities, the Sherwood Foresters will punch in towards Reamuth and cripple the satellite relay station there. Katherine’s intelligence people will expect this kind of surgical strike during the assault. The attack on this installation will have the net effect of creating a four to five hour disabling of Katherine’s capabilities to get downloads from satellites while they reroute to secondary facilities.” The image of Reamuth appeared, nearly five kilometers inland from Portsmouth. It was a short distance on the map, but the officers knew that it was a long way to go. “For a while, they’ll be blind.”

  “Sir,” Major Gett of the Armored Company queried, “how long until the rest of the invasion force gets on shore with us? If we’re the beachhead, I assume that they’ll be right on our tails ready to drive us back into the water.”

  Archer cast a glance at one of the visitors. “Major, this is a two part operation. First part is us hitting and taking Portsmouth. Phase two is best left to our guest. It is my pleasure to introduce Kai Allard. Most of you are, I believe, familiar with his exploits on Solaris a while back.” General Christifori waved his hand to the officer who gave him a slow nod/bow in response. The officers turned to the stranger that had been standing with them and gave him looks of acknowledgement and respect. Kai’s reputation had easily preceded him.

  “Thank you General Christifori,” Kai said in response, scanning the officers. “The Outland Legion never looked quite this good.” The officers laughed at his words. “To answer your question, Major Gett, we will be following with the rest of the invasion force four hours after your initial landing.”

  “Four hours?” barked back Captain Kraff. “Holy freaking crudstunk, might as well be four months. Those bloody damned troops that Katherine has at her disposal are going to hit us with everything they have. Landing in Portsmouth will be like kicking a beehive. They’ll come from everywhere to pummel us back into the sea. General, sir, you have gone out of your way in the past to piss her off. She’s going to want your ass on her wall—sir.”

  Kai nodded. “True enough. In fact, we’re counting on that.”

  “Sir?”

  “This is a two part operation, as General Christifori has pointed out. The first phase is the Avengers leading an assault force into Portsmouth and gaining the full attention of the defenders on Avalon Island. The second part is a deception campaign that started several weeks ago. The Avengers are not the main blow of the invasion, but a carefully crafted diversion. In the eyes of our enemy, you are the spearpoint. We’re sending enough disinformation now to the other troops to convince them that no one other than General Christifori would be leading the initial landings.”

  “We’re bait?” the usually reserved Thomas Sherwood asked, his eyes unblinking as he spoke.

  Allard nodded. “In essence, yes.”

  “Crud,” Kraff added. “I like the sound of the word ‘diversion’ a hell of a lot better than ‘bait.’”

  “Regardless,” Archer cut in, knowing that the commentary would wear on for hours if he let it. “From what I’ve been told, an intelligence operation has been running to paint our force, specifically me, as the leader of the invasion. Most military people would assume the assault would come somewhere along the Portsmouth coastline. Katherine’s defense is concentrating there. They are going to be convinced that I’m the key leader in the field. They will throw everything they have at us. They will attempt to shatter our beachhead.

  “Don’t kid yourselves, boys and girls; this is the reality of this mission. We are going to be the biggest damn target on Avalon Island. Katherine is going to come at us, at me, full force. She’ll want my testicles on a platter. For four hours, we will draw their fire, suck them in, let them think we’re a full-blown invasion. Then the real invasion force will hit the other side of Avalon Island.”

  Kai jumped in. “We know that Katherine will respond to the real invasion, but it will buy us the time to establish the real beachhead and to set up the kind of defenses that are going to be necessary for a campaign of this type.”

  Captain Kraff shuffled the cigar to the other side of his mouth. “Don’t get this wrong, sir, but what happens to us while you all pitch your tents and settle in?”

  “You’ll be extracted. DropShips and naval transports will come in, pull the Avengers out. Portsmouth would be nice to have, but is not necessary for the final operation. The beachhead on the other side of the island is what is critical.”

  Captain Joey Lynn Fraser of the White Tigers spoke up. “We’re just one regiment. It won’t take those people long to know how big we are. Once they figure out that it’s just one regiment, they’ll know it’s a diversion, sir.”

  Kai waved his hand in the air. “Under normal circumstances, you’re right. However, we have a few little surprises. First, we have these MA generators. Magnetic Anomalies. They are small and generate signals as if they are moving BattleMechs. The signals on long range sensors appear as several lances of ’Mechs of varying size. Properly placed and moved by infantry, they can confuse an enemy into detecting a significantly larger force.”

  Archer spoke up as well. “We are also going to have some comm units with us. They will generate simulated combat communication traffic. From the sound of it, combined with some of the jamming units we’ll deploy, and you’d swear that you’re facing five or six regiments worth of troops. On top of that, our positions will be urban in nature. Without a clear line of sight, it will be difficult for even an eyewitness to tell just how big the force is.” He paused. Most of his officers nodded their heads. Given the right circumstances, the plan had a good chance of working. Battle, however, often altered circumstances dramatically.

  “How do we know that Katherine’s people will take the bait?” Katya Chaffee asked. “I’m in intel and I have to tell you, it’s a fickle business.”

  Kai offered her a thin smile. “I understand your concerns. We know they are monitoring all of our actions and key personnel. We are on New Avalon, after all. Your General Christifori will be meeting with a number of other regimental commanders and other leaders. News of this meeting here will reach them. We already have double agents that have reported that they have already taken note of the fact that your units are undergoing major refit right now. In fact, we’re going to spread counterintelligence that states the General is definitely not leading the attack, knowing full well that Katherine’s people will suspect that it is false.

  “There’s more. Katherine knows that for Prince Victor to claim a true victory, he must be true to this cause in the eyes of his people. General Christifori is the perfect tool for that. He is from the Lyran Alliance, making this less than an internal fight. He’s been harmed by Katherine and has sought out justice—and made it public. Our own public relations people have played him up. It’s an easy story to buy, and one we deny if asked—adding credibility to it.”

  “I guess,” Chaffee added. “The only real question is, will it work?”

  “It had better,” a new voice added from the doorway. Entering the inner tent dome was the short figure of Victor Steiner-Davion. The air seemed to jump five degrees in temperature at the sight of the Prince. Most of the officers had never seen him, or if they had, only from a distance. The abrupt Kraff slowly pulled the cigar from his mouth, the closest he got to a salute. “I trust fully that the Avengers are up to the job we’re giving them. I assume you all agree?”

 
; There was a chorus of yes sir’s, barked out in unison. Victor gave them a smile. He warmly patted several of the officers on the shoulder as he made his way to the holotable. “We are going to go out of our way to play up the minor role of the Avengers. But we’ve made sure the supplies and gear you’ve received are the kind of stuff we’d ship to a front line assault-unit. We know there are spies in our logistics chain. They’ll get the word out to Katherine.

  “As far as anyone outside of this room knows, this operation is not happening. You are to tell your personnel that your role in the invasion will be as a strategic reserve. Their spies will pick that up as well and will assume that we are trying to deceive them.”

  Katya smiled. “Oldest trick in the book. Get someone to believe what you want by denying it.”

  “We’re counting on it working,” Victor added. “Even my visiting here today to speak with you is something that is likely to have been observed and reported. Don’t kid yourselves, there are enemies watching everything we do. We just have to learn to turn that to our advantage. And trust me when I tell you, there is more that we are going to do to convince my sister that this is indeed the primary assault. By the time we are done, she will think of Portsmouth as the most important target on the island.”

  Archer smiled. I’m counting on it too. All of us are counting on this being successful. If it’s not, we’re dead. “So there you have it—our role. You have the backing and support of everyone on the staff of the Prince and of the Prince himself. Is there anyone here that believes we cannot pull this off? Anyone here that doesn’t want to jerk Katherine’s chain just one more time?”

  “No. We’re behind you, sir…Sire,” Kraff added, giving the prince a glance. There were nods all around, confident nods. Even the usually reserved Katya seemed to grasp the eloquence of the plan.

  “Excellent. Well then, it is New Years and we’re on New Avalon. Next year, it and all of the Alliance and Suns will be free!” he added. There was a cheer around the holotable, one that even Prince Victor joined.