"Jeremiah Rose, the Assembly of Warriors would hear you speak." Rose stood and followed the man into the room. If his speech was successful, this would be the first step in a long road to come. With a slight sinking feeling, Rose noted that his stomach had decided not to accompany him into the room.
2
Tara, Northwind
23 April 3054
As Rose followed the man through the door it was almost like walking into another time. Unlike the rest of The Fort, the U-shaped Hall of Warriors was constructed of wood. The door guard stepped to the right to let Rose descend the shallow stone steps to the wooden speaker's platform. The lighting built into the walls and ceiling provided dim, but adequate illumination.
To his left and right, warriors sat on wooden benches behind solid oak tables equipped with computer terminals and sophisticated communication arrays. Many of the gathered soldiers wore traditional kilts and the heavy boots favored by MechWarriors and aerospace pilots. Dress uniforms were considered inappropriate for the Assembly of Warriors, whether for members or for speakers. All manner of knives were, on the other hand, openly displayed by many, and Rose knew that on more than one occasion the weapons had been used to resolve differences of opinion between speaker and audience.
Reaching the foot of the stairs he crossed the sod floor, with each step feeling the press of stares against his back. His every move was under constant scrutiny, the warriors searching for the slightest hint of weakness or indecision. Either one would heavily influence their voting on Rose's proposition.
He climbed the five wooden steps to the speaker's platform and looked at the three people seated there. In the center chair was Colonel Edward Senn. As the commander of the First Kearny Highlanders, the senior regiment of the Northwind Highlanders, Senn presided over the Assembly of Warriors when not on active duty. Rose acknowledged the man's presence with a quick meeting of the eyes, but did not allow his gaze to linger. Confidence, but not pride, was required, as many speakers discovered too late. To his right was Colonel James Cochraine, leader of the Sepond Kearny. Rose tried to acknowledge the giant, but Cochraine's attention was completely devoted to a cormnunications link built into his chair. Rose doubted the man even knew he was on the platform.
To Senn's left were two chairs, but only the far chair was occupied. The empty seat was normally occupied by the commander of MacCleod's Highlanders, but that unit had recently been redeployed. Although it was unusual for the chair to remain vacant during a High Assembly, MacCleod had refused to stay behind when his unit shipped out. It was typical for the man and the wild bunch he commanded to fly in the face of convention.
Sitting in the final chair was Andrea Stirling, commander of Stirling's Fusiliers. With one leg draped over the arm of her chair and her head resting firmly in her opposite hand, she was the image of boredom. She idly played with a strand of long dark hair and regarded Rose through heavy lashes. No wonder they called her Cat, thought Rose. Of the three Highlanders on the platform she had been a commander the shortest amount of time, but Rose judged her the most deadly. Her green eyes gave away her secret even in the dim light of the room.
At the top of the steps, Rose crossed the platform and stood directly in front of Colonel Senn. Before speaking he waited patiently for Senn to acknowledge him with a nod of the head.
"Greetings, Colonel Senn. Thank you for the opportunity to speak before this, assembly." Rose bowed slightly from the waist, careful to keep his eyes firmly on Senn.
Again Senn nodded. "It is our pleasure, Adept Rose, but I am told you no longer go by that title. Perhaps I should call you Jeremiah." Heads turned at the mention of Rose's former ComStar title, but he pressed ahead.
"As you wish, Colonel. My title matters little. Your consideration, however, means a great deal to me." Senn watched Rose calmly as he went through the traditional greeting. Ritual courtesy was expected and Rose was determined to live up to Highlander expectations.
"I bring a token of appreciation to thank you for your hospitality." Carefully, Rose reached into the left leg pocket of his jumpsuit, from which he removed a leather-wrapped bundle. With his left hand he presented it to Senn, who immediately began loosening the thongs that held the leather in place.
"I acquired this during a battle against the Smoke Jaguars. It is a simple item, but crafted with precision as befits a warrior." Senn unfolded the last leather flap and withdrew a boot knife. Patterned after the legendary skaen doo, the grip of the silver weapon was constructed of a dark cherry-colored wood Rose had not been able to identify despite repeated attempts. He suspected that the wood had not been seen in the Inner Sphere previous to the Clan invasion, making the weapon as unique as it was valuable, as beautiful as it was practical.
"Thank you, Jeremiah Rose. I accept your gift in the spirit it was given." Senn removed his own knife from the top of his heavy right boot and replaced it with the Clan version.
"Now, Mister Rose, I believe you wished to address this assembly."
"Indeed I do, Colonel." With a sudden turn, Rose faced the gathering. For the first time he noted the glass-enclosed gallery where sat the spectators of the Assembly. Hidden behind the darkened glass, hundreds watched the proceedings in silence. Rose felt the weight of their attention as he looked down at the assembled warriors.
With the formalities finished, they stared up at him expectantly. Private conversations began to fade away as Rose walked across the platform. He had hoped for a podium, yet such a prop would have been out of place here. The open stage left him no place to hide, which was just the way the Highlanders wanted it.
"I would speak to you of the Clans—the Ghost Bears, the Nova Cats, and the Smoke Jaguars. The Jade Falcons, the Steel Vipers, and the Wolves. Like many of you, I have fought against them and their high technology. I have stood against their OmniMechs and survived. I have seen the Clan invaders crushed on the battlefield, and watched their retreating DropShips light the night sky above our campfires." Murmurs broke out among the warriors as Rose spoke. He was asking them to believe quite a story. The Clans had rarely been beaten, and only twice had they ever retreated as Rose described.
"I speak, of course, of the battle of Tukayyid and ComStar's victory over the combined forces of the Clans." The murmurs grew louder. ComStar was still not held in high regard, despite the success of their military forces on Tukayyid and the resulting treaty with the Clans.
"Today, however, I speak of the future, not the past. Too long the Inner Sphere has allowed the Clans to dictate the ways of the war. We react to their attacks and are forced to play the defender. To that I say, no more. It is time to take the battle to the Clans. It is time to fight them on our own terms." A few warriors nodded, while others leaned forward as though to listen more closely. One warrior thumped on his wooden table, encouraging Rose to continue.
"I was at Tukayyid when the Com Guards defeated the Clans. It was a great victory for the Inner Sphere, but it was paid for at great price. Because of that battle the Clans have agreed not to press their attacks below the line of the planet Tukayyid. Yes, the invasion downward has been halted, but what about the planets to the right and left of the Clan advance? What of those planets that lie above Tukayyid, those worlds not covered by the treaty? Will the ravenous Clans allow the inhabitants of those planets to live in peace? You know they will not!"
More nods, a few more thumps on the wooden desks by other Highlanders. Rose began to pace the platform like a caged beast, his confidence growing, his voice pitched slightly louder. In his heart, however, Rose knew the warriors were not responding only to him. Like most warriors of the Inner Sphere, the Highlanders wanted to stop the Clans, political boundaries be damned. Mercenary units were especially vocal, and the Northwind Highlanders, despite their recent return to Davion space, were among the most outspoken.
"So, what do we do? While the politicians scramble for cover and the Great House leaders try to protect their dwindling empires, the Clans prepare to strike to their right and
left into Commonwealth and Combine space.
"I know the Highlanders have a just and legal contract with House Davion. I also know the Highlanders will fight without equal while they fulfill the remainder of the contract. Highlander honor will not allow them to break that contract and do what their hearts cry out for them to do. The Highlanders must abide by the contract and coordinate the use of their battalions with the forces of the Federated Commonwealth." Rose paused and looked at the empty chair of Colonel MacCleod. The move was not lost on the Assembly.
"It doesn't have to be that way." Rose waited for his words to fully sink in. He walked back to the center of the platform in silence as his audience waited.
"My plan, like all good military plans, is a simple one. The Highlanders have contracted to provide four regiments for the defense of the Federated Commonwealth. There is no contract, however, that prevents the Highlanders from forming an independent unit that might further hire itself out to take the fight back to the Clans." A few shouts of agreement rang out, mostly from the younger warriors.
"The purpose of my address to you is a simple one. I ask simply that the Northwind Highlanders allow me to recruit warriors and technicians to be hired out solely to fight the Clans.
"Further, I ask that the Northwind Highlanders allow me to purchase any 'Mechs not necessary to fulfill the Davion contract in order to equip warriors capable of fighting the Clans but who lack the 'Mechs to do so.
"Finally, I ask that the Northwind Highlanders allow me to use their name for this new unit, which I would call the Northwind Black Watch." One warrior jumped to his feet and raised a fist in the air. More thumps and shouts of agreement rose up here and there. Rose turned toward the Northwind commanders and saw that his plea had also touched them. Colonel Stirling was sitting upright in her chair. Senn and Cochraine gazed at him with bright eyes, although their bodies did not show the tension of their junior counterpart. Rose nodded once to Senn and moved to the right side of the platform.
Senn waited for complete silence before speaking. He held out a hand to Rose and gazed around at the assembly.
"Jeremiah Rose has spoken eloquently on a subject near to the hearts of all warriors assembled in this hall. Before we cast judgment on his petition, I call upon any who would speak against him."
Rose had known this was a required part of the procedure, but he did not expect any serious opposition to his speech. Senn was right, the Highlanders had become very vocal about taking the fight back to the Clans in recent months and Rose was offering the chance to do just that. He was surprised when a strong voice called out from the back of the room.
"Colonel Senn, I too would address the Assembly of Warriors." Heads turned to face the old man walking down the center aisle with the aid of a brass-tipped cane. In the dim light Rose could not make out who he was, but warriors near the aisle bowed their heads in silent respect as the man passed. Whoever he was, the man was obviously well-regarded by these warriors, despite his advanced years.
When the newcomer reached the sod floor, Rose could tell by his garb that he was not a warrior. He wore an old but clean tech's uniform without rank or insignia. Looking down on the man, Rose could still not see his face. He was suddenly nervous as the man reached the bottom of the platform stairs, then he stared aghast as Colonel Senn introduced him.
"Master Technician Cornelius Rose will address the Assembly." Jeremiah had tagged another name to the man: Father.
"Thank you, Colonel. The hour is late and I am an old man, so I will make my statement brief." The elder Rose turned back to the suddenly silent gathering and leaned heavily on his cane.
"Fire and brimstone, Highlanders. Fire and brimstone. You're born to both when you take the seat of that grand invention called the BattleMech and stride off in search of glory and honor.
"Honor can be a heavy burden to bear in such a world. Don't think for a moment that I don't know what it's like to face the fire, the shells falling around you and the heat of your 'Mech spiking higher by the second. I understand all too well what that's like.
"Before you stands a man who would take you into the heart of that firestorm. The Clans. We've faced them before and it looks like we'll continue to face them for some time to come. I don't need to tell you that they're tough opponents. My son Daniel died facing the Clans."
Jeremiah's head came quickly around to regard his father. He had not known his younger brother was dead; the news came as a shock. He wanted to know why and how, but trapped here on the platform, he was forced to stand with growing numbness as his father wiped his eyes quickly, then went on.
"Now my long-lost son Jeremiah returns. Yes, he is my eldest son.
"He returns after better than twenty years and asks you to follow him against the Clans. After twenty years away from his home, he returns and asks us to place our trust in him. To entrust him with our lives and our honor while he goes to fight the Clans."
The old man dropped his head and shook it slowly. The assembly remained quiet, waiting for the man's next words as Jeremiah saw his dreams slipping away. After long moments, the head came back up.
"This once-Highlander returns with visions of glory and dares talk of honor? After leaving like a coward and staying away for twenty years while his father grew old and his own brother died, he talks of leadership? After returning without a BattleMech, he asks for warriors?
"I know the Clans are a serious threat to us all. They must be stopped, once and for all. Taking the fight to the Clans is a fine idea. You have discussed the same idea before in these very halls and know well the merits of such a plan." Standing straight for the first time since entering the room, Cornelius Rose held the assembly with his gaze as he lifted his cane toward his son. The effort cost him considerably, but the cane did not waver as he spoke.
"I say to you simply: Right plan, wrong leader." The cane crashed down onto the platform to punctuate the remark. "To defeat the Clans you must have able leadership from a man you can trust. Jeremiah Rose is not that man. If you must strip away the reserve strength of the Highlanders, then entrust those 'Mechs to a proven leader."
Without waiting for a response, Cornelius Rose left the stage and walked toward the long flight of stairs to the exit. Warriors who moments before had seconded Rose now sat in silence as the old man passed. Senn also remained silent until the doors had closed behind Cornelius Rose, then he began to address the Assembly.
"I call the vote. Jeremiah Rose proposes to use our name for a fighting unit that will oppose the Clans. What say you?" Throughout the hall the warriors used the comm units built into their desks to register their decisions. In moments the anonymous votes were compiled and displayed on the screen built into the arm of Colonel Cochraine's chair. After a pause, he shook his head and announced the result. "The proposal fails.
"I call the vote. Jeremiah Rose proposes to purchase such 'Mechs that may become available to equip warriors to fight the Clans. What say you?" Another instantaneous tally of the votes. Another shake of the head from Cochraine.
"The proposal fails.
"I call the final vote. Jeremiah Rose proposes to recruit MechWarriors from the Highlanders to fight against the Clans under his leadership. What say you?" Rose fought the urge to hang his head and somehow escape the stares of the crowd. If he was to be defeated, he would do it with his head high.
"The proposal fails.
"Jeremiah Rose, the Assembly of Warriors rejects your proposal and denies you the right to recruit, train, or lead the warriors of the Northwind Highlanders.
"However, as you remain a Highlander by birth if not action, you shall be allowed to remain on Northwind as long as you desire or until such time as you violate the edicts of this Assembly. Further, by virtue of your birth and Highlander tradition, you shall be allowed to recruit such warriors among your family who choose to follow you, provided these warriors are not already under existing contract or in any way obligated to Northwind. Any warriors so recruited shall understand they are not fi
ghting for Northwind, but only for you personally."
"Are these points clear, Jeremiah Rose?"
Stunned by the sudden turn of events and the speedy decisions of the Assembly, Rose could only nod. Senn stood abruptly, followed closely by the other commanders and the warriors of the hall.
"The decision of this assembly is final. Warriors, we stand adjourned until tomorrow."
3
Tara, Northwind
23 April 3054
"Hey, Rose, wait up."
Rose turned at the sound of the female voice calling him as he walked down Delancy Street away from The Fort. He was surprised at being hailed in the poor light, but he recognized the caller as someone who had known Rose in even dimmer surroundings.
"Good evening, Captain McCloud." Rose kept his hands in his pockets as Rachel McCloud slipped her small hand into the crook of his elbow.
"So, now it's Captain McCloud. Isn't that a bit formal, considering our past few months together? Or have you forgotten it was me and my DropShip that personally brought you home to Northwind?" She looked up at Rose, but he refused to return her gaze as they walked on.
His mind drifted back to the trip from Terra to Northwind. He and Rachel had hit it off almost immediately, becoming almost inseparable for the entire trip. He smiled unconsciously at the memories that suddenly seemed so far away and long ago. After leaving Terra and ComStar, he had foolishly believed anything was possible. Now he was convinced otherwise.
"I take it matters didn't go well at the Assembly."
Rose stopped suddenly and looked down at her. Rachel McCloud was tall for a woman, but Rose easily towered above her. He rarely used his height to an advantage, but now he made an exception.
"You were obviously waiting for me and the Assembly has been over for two hours, so you tell me." He turned to walk away, pulling McCloud's hand off his arm. He had walked three paces when something solid stung his ear. The sharpness of the pain stopped him, but even as he raised his hand to cover his ear, the pain began to recede. He looked back at Rachel, who was conspicuously out of arm's reach.
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