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.“I’ve ordered our remaining fighter craft to concentrate on the heavier Lightnings, drawing them off.We will proceed on a hard drop.”A moment after Ty Wu Non gave the order, Terry Chan’s voice came on, startling Aris.He thought he’d been speaking privately with Ty Wu Non.“Company Leader Sung,” she said, addressing Aris formally.“With the new time constraints, I would recommend again that we split the company down into two-Mech elements for faster results.”A sudden burst of white-hot anger burned inside Aris, flushing his face with warmth.There was only one place Terry Chan could be in order to eavesdrop on this channel.“Lance Leader Chan,” he said, giving his tone an unmistakable hard edge, “you were ordered to mount your BattleMech.You will remove yourself from this channel, from the bridge of the Lao-tzu, and follow those orders.If I hear a single word out of you before your Cataphract is powered up and ready, I will remove you from the order of battle and promote Justin Loup to command your lance.”That said, Aris forced himself back into calm and waited for either Terry Chan to test him or Ty Wu Non to undermine his authority by overriding Aris’ right to discipline a member of his company.Neither happened, and it suddenly disturbed Aris that he would actually expect such behavior from two members of his House.After another pause, Ty Wu Non came back on the line.“Your bridge crew verifies that Terry Chan has left.Now, is her point valid, Company Leader Sung?”“The arguments haven’t changed, Battalion Commander.In my judgment, the time saved does not offset the increased risk of spreading ourselves so thin.”“Do you suggest any change to the plan at all then?”It was obviously the prelude to ending communication, and Aris was about to say no, but then he smiled and nodded inside his cockpit.“Yes, Battalion Commander Non.I would suggest one alteration.Right now we’re running under electronic blackout.I say we light up our DropShip IFF transponders, and let Kaifeng know exactly who we are.It should place them more on the defensive.”“I will order that done.” Was that amusement in the voice of Ty Wu Non? “It appears the Kaifeng fighters have had enough for now.They’re in retreat.We should have a clear run at the planet now.“I’ll see you on the ground, Aris Sung.”9Jinxiang River Port Terminal 12 NorthTarrahause District, KaifengSarna Supremacy, Chaos March20 July 3058Port Terminal Twelve North spread out along the west bank of the Jinxiang River in a large half-circle, a maze of buildings surrounding the extensive system of docks.The golden, lotus-like flowers from which the Jinxiang took its name clustered in the shallows, sending their perfume into the air.A light wind blew in from the west, helping to stir up dust in between buildings.And the harsh sounds of battle hung over the facility as BattleMechs clashed.“Mechs on the road,” someone shouted over the main battle frequency.“Heavies.Sixty to seventy tons each.”“We have doors opening on the northeast storage vaults and a maintenance depot,” said someone else, her voice calm.“A lance of medium ’Mechs.Damn.And Von Luckner heavy tanks.Two… six.No, eight total.”“Anyone see where that Rifleman went?”Port Terminal Twelve North was a trap.The thought took a few long seconds to register with House Warrior Justin Loup, the sudden burst of near-frantic comm traffic so startling the young warrior that he couldn’t act for a moment.No one had expected resistance.Not this soon.Not a hundred and twenty klicks outside Tarrahause and on the first day!The Hiritsu demi-company under Company Leader Sung’s command had moved into the port terminal just as they had the two previous terminals, occupying critical positions and keeping obvious threats such as the warehouses covered.Justin’s position had been the docks, the ferrocrete and timber constructions used to tie up and load the barges that transported rice and other crops down river to Tarrahause.The plan, which had worked well at the previous sites, called for ’Mechs to take control of the facility.Then Hiritsu infantrymen arrived in hovercraft to shut the place down.The easiest way was to wreck the machinery that brought the produce up from large underground storage vaults and then loaded up the large cargo holds of the barges.Without that, the food shipments could only be brought out and loaded in very small quantities.The first enemy BattleMechs had come up from those underground vaults—light ’Mechs hitting hard and fast, throwing the House Hiritsu force into a moment’s confusion while the heavier enemy units closed the trap.Now as the radio chatter continued—some worried, some calm—Justin Loup shook himself into action.He walked his Hatchetman around a corner of the small dock warehouse that hid him from the rest of the facility.The 45-ton Hatchetman was one of only five such ’Mechs Justin knew of in the entire Capellan Confederation, this one a leftover from back in the late 3020s when Richard’s Panzer Brigade came from the Lyran Commonwealth to serve House Liao.Justin’s grandfather had been part of that mercenary unit, and had come to appreciate, if not love, his adopted nation.When Virginia York accepted Justin into her House, the old man had been so proud that he’d left the ’Mech to Justin rather than his elder grandsons, Justin’s brothers, who both served in the Brigade.Sensors screamed immediate warnings as soon as he left the sensor shadow thrown by the two-story building.Turning his back on the docks and barges he’d been ordered to secure, Justin looked out over the main loading yard.Warehouses and administration buildings ringed the hundred-meter expanse of hard-packed earth, forming what looked like a small arena within the heart of the port terminal.And standing along the far side, turning now to fully face him, was the top-heavy design of a 35-ton Jenner.Justin caressed the main trigger on his right-hand control stick.His Hatchetman’s shoulder-mounted auto-cannon belched gray smoke and a tongue of fire, kicking its right shoulder back [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]