The Forbidden City, Sian

Sian Commonality, Capellan Commonwealth

4 October 3028

"How dare he! I'll destroy him! Not one in a hundred of his soldiers will be spared when I take revenge for this perfidy!"

For once the Liao ranting at the outrages of the universe was not Romano Liao, although the relationship between father and daughter had never been clearer on their faces. And in fairness, Candace Liao admitted, this was one moment where Romano's perspective might be slightly valid. The younger daughter had been persistent in her distrust of Janos Marik and she had been... Candace forced herself to think the unthinkable: Romano had been correct. "I feel ill," she murmered to herself.

"As well you should daughter." Maxmilian Liao mastered his anger, with clear effort. "The Marik was ever a fool but even I never thought him so craven as to lick Hanse Davion's boots in this fashion. His cowardice is sickening."

Actually, Candace privately thought that Janos Marik's actual proscecution of his campaign had been the least nauseating thing about the entire affair. The border with the Free Worlds League had been given a low priority since the formation of the Kapteyn Pact and several more units had been stripped away from it during the interval between Hanse Davion's marriage and Marik openly turning his coat. The best that could be said for that circumstance now was that it had reduced the casualties suffered by either side of the invasion: a disturbing fraction of the local militias weren't even putting up a token struggle.

The obvious move would be to move McCarron's Armored Cavalry to block the thrust upon Sian, but it was equally obvious that that would not be enough. There was one other source of troops close enough to deploy in defense of the capital but Candace quailed at the thought of pulling them away from her own domain. "Can we be sure of the loyalties of your ally upon the other border, father?" she asked. "Hasek-Davion has never concerned himself with anything beyond his own interests. With one dagger in our back, what would stop him from completing our ruin?"

The Chancellor hesitated and then seated himself upon his throne. The motion seemed entirely too much like a retreat. "A reasonable question. Summon Citizen Xiang."

Justin arrived within minutes, Tsen Shang trailing behind him like a lost puppy. Candace searched his face for signs of fatigue and found none. Remarkable, as she knew how little sleep he had been receiving lately. "How may I serve you, Excellency?"

"You are familiar with the latest perfidity of Janos Marik." It was not a question. "In light of this, my daughter questions the fidelity of Michael Hasek-Davion. I desire your opinion."

"Celestial Wisdom, when you first did me the honour of taking me into your service, Duke Michael aptly stated that the end always justifies the means. Our alliance with him is built upon the desired end of destroying House Davion. Just as we use him as a tool, so he seeks to use us a tool against his liege. I need not instruct you upon what is done with a broken tool."

"Indeed." Maxmilian's face twisted into an ugly expression. "Then he will turn upon us at the first sign of weakness."

Justin spread his hands, one of flesh and one of metal. "It is his nature, your Excellency. No doubt he will then seek an accomodation with Janos Marik."

"Then we shall show him our strength." As if the matter was already accomplished, the Chancellor relaxed his shoulders. "Janos Marik and Hanse Davion. One must be crippled that the other may feel the true weight of our anger. We must have a target. Find me one, Citizen Xiang."

"Your excellency, Duke has given us such a target."

Candace blinked at Tsen Shang's words. Her lover had not spoken of this to her so it must be part of the most recent information given to them by the treacherous Duke of New Syrtis.

The Capellan analyst manipulated the controls of a holographic projector and a map appeared, displaying the recent losses to the AFFS. "An offensive on this scale requires a highly efficient supply system." Six worlds within the pre-war borders of the Federated Suns gleamed brighter. "However, in order to overwhelm our forces, Davion has left his principal depots unguarded. With the current accumulation of jumpships in the area from transporting reinforcements, we can stage attacks upon all these worlds in mid-November, just as the depots are filled to support the third wave of attacks. Without them, Davion's forces will be crippled - unable to continue their attacks until the supplies can be replaced. At the same time, those supplies will strengthen our own regiments."

"An interesting plan." Liao looked over at Justin. "Do you agree, Citizen Xiang?"

Justin frowned slightly. "I have studied Shang's plan and it is meticulous. I would recommend one small alteration."

"Oh?"

"Axton." Although he shook his head in disagreement, Shang nonetheless touched the controls again and a seventh world sprang to prominence. Candace frowned. The plates at Hanse Davion's wedding had each been marked with the crest of a world. Axton had appeared on her fish plate. It was a strange irony that the dishes her father had claimed marked Davion's targets were now coinciding with their own.

"Davion has a secret research facility associated with his NAIS, developing new and more powerful BattleMechs. I've narrowed the location down to one of two worlds, and Axton is conveniently placed for the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers to raid under the cover of Shang's plan. If nothing is there, then it will help to disguise the source of our information. And if the facility is there, then at a stroke we will gain his advanced technology."

"Excellent." Liao sat back in his chair. "Daughter, travel to St Ives and gather your regiments. When news comes of our victories against Hanse Davion, I will emplace a command circuit to bring you and the St Ives Lancers here to Sian. Together with the regiments here, and McCarrons's five regiments, we will crush Marik's spearhead and chain him on his knees in front of my throne!"

ComStar First Circuit Compound

Hilton Head Island, Terra

17 November 3028

Villius Tejh watched the sun rise over the Atlantic from the patio outside his Terran residence. It felt very symbolic of the new era that the Inner Sphere was on the cusp of. With the League now in alliance with the Federated Commonwealth states, there was no doubt in the Precentor's opinion that the previous balance of power between the Successor States had been shattered.

If nothing else, the Capellan Confederation was clearly doomed and by extension the importance of Precentor Sian, the voice of ComStar to one of the Successor Lords, was going to go into a steep decline. No one on the First Circuit was so crass as to equate revenues from their respective sectors with political power, but with Tiepolo clearly blind to the likely outcome of the war and Waterly reduced to almost hysterical raving, a shake up was evidently due.

Perhaps giving up being Precentor Sian might simply involve taking up a higher position. Tejh smiled slightly and sipped from his tea. He'd taken a liking to ginseng after being served it once by the Chancellor.

"The sun would seem to be rising for certain powers."

Tejh turned and saw that Ulthan Everson was standing on the other side of the wall that seperated the patio from the beach. There was a path there, used mostly by security staff. "And it sets for others," he replied, setting aside his cup and walking towards Precentor Tharkad.

"That is always the way, while humanity continues to fight over the scraps of the Star League," Everson observed somewhat primly. "A zero sum game, if you will."

"The Blessed Blake gave us the keys to break that paradigm," answered Tejh. "When the time is right."

Everson rested one hand on top of the stone wall. "Just because we have the keys does not mean that someone else cannot force the door open," he pointed out. "Have you spoken to Huthrin lately regarding Davion's Institute of Science?" Huthrin Vandel, Precentor New Avalon, among his other responsibilities was keeping as close an eye on that development as was possible.

"Yes, although we were mostly discussing Xiang's theories on a secret BattleMech facility located somewhere in the Capellan March. Something we both hope doesn't actually exist."

"Hope is one thing," Everson returned. "The possibility is very good. Designs such as the Hatchetman and Wolfhound could be just the beginning."

Tejh's lips parted to reply but an electronic bleep from his waist interupted him. "Excuse me, please." He pulled a small device - the senior representative of ComStar to House Steiner recognised it as a secure communicator, probably a relay from the offices in the mansion that reared above them - out of a hip pocket and walked back towards the table, studying the small screen. "I see."

"What happened?"

Precentor Sian closed the device up and returned it to his pocket. "ROM have finished analyzing reports from several worlds in the Capellan March to New Avalon. It seems that Chancellor Liao's grand counterstroke has misfired - critically." The man lifted his tea and drained his cup before retracing his steps towards his colleague. "Fortunately, it doesn't seem that there was anything of substance on Axton after all."

"Well that counts as good news." Everson glanced along the shore to where the rest of the compound was waking up. "The question is, what will he do now?"

Tejh smiled. "I believe Chancellor Liao is increasingly irrelevant to our calculations. It may be time to start thinking about a future without the Capellan Confederation." He reached over and clapped the surprised Everson on the shoulder. "Please convey my apologies to the rest of the First Circuit."

Everson blinked. "What? Why?"

"I need to see a man on Elgin," Tejh told him, turning to walk back towards his residence.

Avalon City, New Avalon

Crucis March, Federated Suns

20 November 3028

Hanse Davion looked up from the breakfast table when he heard the door open. The reaction was matched by the others at the table - only a handful of people were allowed into this wing of the palace at the moment, in order to preserve the illusion that Melissa Steiner-Davion was still at her mother's right hand on Tharkad, rather than with her new husband on New Avalon.

"I'm sorry," the First Prince said pushing his chair back. "But Quintus wouldn't disturb us unless it was important."

"And you wonder that I don't want your job?" Morgan Hasek-Davion asked incredulously from where he sat on the opposite side of the round table. A heaped English breakfast was only half-demolished in front of the younger man, but Hanse was sure it would be conquered with Morgan's usual efficiency. His own sparse continental breakfast on the other hand reflected a defeat on Hanse's part: after years of fending off the palace physicians on the matter, Melissa had cut apart his defenses and insisted on a low-cholesterol start to the day. "You can't even have a meal in peace."

Hanse chuckled. "I'll leave you to entertain our ladies, Morgan," he said, with a nod to Melissa and to Kym Sorenson, who filled the fourth seat at the table. "Perhaps they'll persuade you of the benefits of humble grapefruit."

"Oh and now you're abandoning me! Thank you very much!" Morgan picked up a chuck of bacon on his fork and waved it back and forth. "Back, back I say!" The two young women laughed at his antics as Hanse walked across the room to meet his Minister of Intelligence, Information and Operations.

"Good morning Quintus. I hope that it is morning for you."

"I'm sorry to disturb you, but it is important." Quintus didn't respond to the jibe at his night owl habits. It wasn't as if he couldn't point to the same habit in Hanse.

The First Prince stiffened. "Is there a problem with Operation Ambush?"

"Nothing of consequence," the spymaster assured him, a smile relieving the weariness on his face. "Which is about what Maximilian Liao is getting back. The only forces that escaped intact were the Fourth Tau Ceti Rangers who hit Axton for some reason. They bloodied one of the NAIS training cadres and probably got enough supplies to replace those used sending them there... but that's all that they accomplished." His smile threatened to widen, but the sight of Morgan at the table sobered him. "The rabbit bolted from his hutch."

Hanse's eyes blazed in exultation and he kept his face turned away until he had controlled the reaction. "I see." He leafed through the folder that Quintus offered him. Michael, you fool! We had nothing solid, but you've destroyed yourself. Now all I need do is ensure you don't take your son with you. He clapped Quintus on the shoulder. "I'll take it from here, Quintus. You get some rest - I want you in top condition once news comes in of Liao's reaction."

Morgan looked up as Hanse returned to the breakfast table and paled at the look of controlled anger on his uncle's face. "Bad news from the front?"

"Everything's fine there, Morgan," Hanse told him seriously. "This news is from New Syrtis."

"My father?"

Hanse placed the folder in his hands on the table next to his toast. "Sit down, Morgan." Apparently realising for the first time that he had risen, the young Major obeyed. The Prince pinched the bridge of his nose and then looked at Kym Sorenson. "This doesn't leave this room," he told her. "Morgan tells me you can be trusted." And you told me that he could be trusted, but he doesn't know that you're one of Quintus' agents. I hope your love for Morgan isn't compromising your judgement.

"Your father is missing, Morgan. Officially, he's reported to be in seclusion, but actually no one knows where he is. We do have some idea of why though."

Morgan shuddered. "Tell me, Hanse."

"We've known for some time that military information was being leaked to Serge Korigyn, the Capellan ambassador to New Syrtis, by someone close to your father. Until now we suspected Count Anton Vitios - Michael considered him above suspicion and he had complete access to your father's headquarters."

"That's impossible." Morgan shook his head in denial. "Vitios has a pathological hatred of all things Capellan, has done ever since his family were killed on Verio. You saw that at Justin's trial."

"The theory was - and I should say, he's no longer under suspicion - that he was trying to build credibility with the Maskirovka before using that to lure them into attacks that would provoke your father into launching new attacks against the Capellans." Hanse sighed. "The reports underestimated the strength of your father's regiments - if Liao had attacked them then he'd have been mauled."

"And that gave us the chance to do the same on a grand scale. We provided your father with information on our deployments that made it look as if our supply lines were vulnerable. This hasn't been publicized yet, but several Liao regiments have been smashed attacking places that your father thought were lightly defended stockpiles. As soon as we received the first reports we had Korigyn expelled from the Suns for espionage and sent your father the actual deployments along with an explanation for the deception except for the name of the suspect." Hanse sighed. "I hoped that if I wasn't directly accusing his friend, Michael would clean house rather than closing ranks against me."

Morgan was sitting on the edge of his chair, long hair hanging almost in his food as he leant forwards, eyes intense. "What happened?"

"On the morning of the sixteenth, your father left his command centre without notifying anyone of his destination. Shortly afterwards a shuttle left New Syrtis and rendezvoused with Korigyn's dropship."

"No!" Morgan's denial was instant. "That can't be. My father would never betray the Federated Suns. He wouldn't!"

Hanse shook his head. "Michael's responsibility was to the Capellan March. He has the authority to conclude a private truce with Liao, and it might even be the right thing to do under some circumstances. I don't like that, but I can understand it. We both know that he's had grave doubts about me since I took the throne."

Kym reached over and took the shocked young man's hand, gripping it supportively.

"Is there any doubt?" Melissa asked, studying Hanse's face.

"Very little." Hanse reached over and took her hand before looking again at his nephew. "I hope that your father isn't on that dropship, Morgan. But you are my heir and when word gets out, people are going to be saying some very ugly things. I don't want you to be unprepared." He saw another shock hit Morgan and smiled wryly. "You don't get out of that job so easily, Morgan. You're the only man I'd trust with the Suns if I die before Melissa and I have children."

High Orbit, Bentley

Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation

7 December 3028

The planet Bentley looked remarkably peaceful, Ardan Sortek thought. Looks, of course, could be deceiving. The FWLM had been remarkably accommodating to the newly arriving liasion officer, including giving him a full - and he would guess fairly unedited - summary of the tactical situation down below.

The arrival of Janos Marik and his Task Force had been followed by fanatical resistance in some areas and near collapse of the planet's defences in others. While the 1st Free Worlds Guards and the 1st Atrean Dragoons had dealt with the first problem, the 3rd Oriente Hussars had made a rapid sweep of more accommodating areas, taking control of more than half the planet at a walkover. The easy days had come to an abrupt end when Archibald McCarron arrived on planet with three of his five regiments, managing to place his landing zones neatly around the Hussar's positions.

Cornered, the Hussars had made the smart call and punched through the lines of The Wild Ones, the least capable of the three regiments, but there was no doubt that they'd taken a severe beating. It had been a reminder that no matter how savaged it might be, the Capellan Confederation was still capable of striking back.

Since then, the offensive had been stalled, with no clear advantage emerging - something that was quite an achievement given that McCarron's regiments had carved a long path of destruction through the Federated Suns a few years before, with no one succeeding in stopping them before they made a triumphant return to the Confederation.

Around Ardan a pair of technicians finished connecting the airlocks of the dropship he was travelling on to the jumpship that they had been directed to dock with. With a hiss of air, the door slid aside, followed shortly afterwards by a second door, this one belonging to the jumpship. With a nod to the crew, Ardan bounded forwards through the doors, drifting in zero gravity into the other vessel.

Waiting in the small compartment, alongside three armed guards and a lone spaceman who had been handling the airlock, was Janos Marik.

The Captain-General's face was lined more heavily than it had been only a few months before at Hanse's wedding, but he seemed still possessed of the same vital energy as he reached forward to grasp Ardan's hand. "Welcome to the Capellan Confederation," he boomed triumphantly. "Didn't have any trouble getting here, did you?"

Ardan shook his head. "None at all. We share a border now and following your supply lines through Oriente brought me most of the way here."

Janos grimaced. "Well that's a resource that's dried up," he said. "Not that I'm surprised."

"I hadn't heard that there was trouble between you and the duchy?" Ardan asked in surprise.

"Oh, there isn't. But victory has a surfeit of fathers and they want their supplies for another thrust into the Confederation." The Marik waved his hands expansively. "Now that they know it's possible, the provinces are falling all over themselves to get in on the action. Can't very well say no."

Ardan considered what he knew of the League's Capellan border as Marik led him out of the compartment and towards the front of the jumpship. "Where are they hitting?"

"You'd do better to ask where they aren't hitting. Andurien's making a grab for Betelgeuse, Oriente and Orloff are making a push towards Capella - although I don't rate their chances at getting that far frankly - and you've probably heard that the Sirians grabbed Sirius and are now fighting on Procyon." He paused and grinned, looking years younger. "Zion - Zion for god's sake! - managed to cobble a brigade of Mercs together and are talking about taking Tall Trees, Saiph and New Canton. I'd tell them to go for Aldebaran if you hadn't taken it already."

"My god. The border's on fire from end to end." Ardan paused and then chuckled. "Mind you, much the same has happened to us according to Hanse's last message. The Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers got unleashed on Ares and if they keep going then there's talk of cutting St Ives off from the rest of the Confederation."

"Huh." Janos started counting off on his fingers. "Tikonov. Aldebaran, Ares and St Ives on your side. Betelgeuse, Sirius and Sian on ours." His grin grew, if anything, wider. "Well now. Pull that little scheme off and once I've taken Sian there'll only be one BattleMech factory left in the Capellan hands. That'll put a crimp on Max's little games, assuming he makes it off Sian to begin with."

"Well, that's why those worlds are military targets." Ardan looked around as Janos led him into the command deck of the jumpship. "How long do you expect it to take to reach Sian?"

The Captain-General smirked. "The planet or the system?"

There was the brief, brutal nausea of a jumpdrive activating.

"Goddammit, if they'd waited one damn minute that would have been a hell of a punchline," Janos grumbled.

Ardan looked over at the navigational display, which had clouded with static. As it cleared, helped by a thump to one side by one of the officers, what was revealed was evidently not Bentley's local space. If he was reading the icons correctly the ship had emerged at the nadir jump point of an entirely different star system. It looked awfully lonely there. "Let me guess. This is Sian?"

"Close enough."

"From your reports I'd rather thought that you were bogged down on Bentley."

Janos shrugged his shoulders, sending the tassels and other ornamentation of his uniform swaying impressively. "Archie McCarron's stalled two of my task forces - Bentley and Krin if you want to be specific. The other two should be here shortly and with the provinces weighing in."

This time the universe decided to give the Marik a proper timing for dramatic statements.

"Jumpships arriving!" called out a crewwoman and icons on the tactical plot began to spring into existence, white at first and then popping into purple detail as their IFF systems were read and recognised.

"Jos' Kimbolton and his task force arriving from Preston," Sortek heard the Marik murmur as he perused the details. "RhoneGard is with the 9th Militia so that must be - ah, there he is." The old man pointed at one of the jumpships. "Monty Van Castille's command ship, so the troops from Castrovia are jumping in as well."

Ardan thought back to his briefing. "Second Free Worlds Guards, the Atrean Hussars and four regiments of the Marik Militia? It's an impressive force, my lord, but if Liao manages to pull the Big Mac off Bentley and Krin to reinforce him then it won't be enough."

"Five regiments - the 13th Marik Militia are coming out of reserve," Marik corrected. "But yes, you're right. That's why the rest of the reserves are going to Langsdorf and Alacàla with orders to pin McCarron's boys d-" He paused. "Dammit. Of all the lousy..."

On the tactical plot, one of the white icons turned green instead of purple.

"Enemy jumpship!" shouted the grey-haired woman wearing the bars and braids of a naval commodore. "Battlestations, launch all fighters."

ComStar First Circuit Compound

Hilton Head Island, Terra

7 December 3028

Myndo Waterly's eyes flicked around the First Circuit. "Has Precentor Sian provided any justification for his absence?"

I seem unable to keep my proteges upon my own path, the Primus sighed. First Myndo's defective ideals take her away and now Vilnius has simply departed, I know not where. "He has not," he replied out loud. "And while it is within his remit to come and go as his duties require him, unless such a reason his provided, he comes close to ending his tenure in that office." Tiepolo raised his hand to subdue the triumph rising in Waterly's eyes. "I am sure you recall, Precentor Dieron, that the First Circuit must account for themselves to the Primus only monthly, even if more frequent communication is the custom. If Vilnius Tejh believes that he has nothing of note to report then he has until the seventeenth of this month before he must confirm this to me."

"If I may satisfy, to some extent, Precentor Dieron's curiousity, sir." Tojo Jarlath stepped forwards. His stock with the First Circuit had not been high, given the twin shocks of Davion's bold assault and Marik's decision to turn his coat against his Kapteyn Pact. Still, thus far the head of ROM had managed to hold onto his position. "It is known that Precentor Tejh has visited Colonel Pavel Ridzik's command centre on Elgin and that he then embarked aboard one of our Order's ships, jumping in the direction of Sian. If that is indeed his destination then it is likely that he has been there for two or three days now, and a report would be on its way here to confirm that."

"Then we will wait for that message, or for Precentor Sian to prove derelict in his duties," Tiepolo observed. "Now, if Precentor Dieron will permit that we return to the purpose of these proceedings...?" Waterly looked away. "Good. Precentor ROM, your reports?"

"It would appear that Precentor Sian is heading directly for the centre of events." Jarlath clasped his hands behind his back. "Despite being heavily engaged by Archibald McCarron's regiments on two worlds, Janos Marik is moving troops forwards. Given that he is in easy range of Sian, I must assume that he is preparing for a final push in the near future. For first time since the 2790s, the capital of a Successor State is in real danger of falling. Also en route to the same destination are Duchess Candace Liao with all three regiments of the St Ives Lancers and Michael Hasek-Davion. The former, combined with Sian's existing garrison, may be enough to halt Marik. The latter's prospects are less promising."

"I would expect Hasek-Davion to promise to pull the Capellan March out of the Federated Suns and into alliance with the Maxmilian Liao. He has little else to offer." Huthrin Vandel shrugged his shoulders. "I'm unsure if he could succeed, but it is likely that even the attempt would force Hanse Davion to cease his offensive in order to prevent it from sparking a civil war within his realm."

"Fragmentation." Tiepolo nodded his head. "Just as the Blessed Blake foresaw, the Successor States begin to collapse."

"You see collapse." From her place in the circle, Waterly remained unconvinced. "I see Hanse Davion going from strength to strength. With Hasek-Davion on Sian, the First Prince has everything he needs to disgrace his rival once and for all. And if you think Lestrade's games will unseat Katrina Steiner then you are dangerously optimistic."

"Let me guess. You want an Interdiction of the Federated Suns." Vandel shook his head. "We all agreed that we would do so only if Sarna was to be attacked, something that is far from being the case."

Waterly's eyes flashed with anger. "If Sian falls then Sarna becomes irrelevant. Davion and Marik will divide the remaining Capellan worlds between them and not even an Interdiction would halt them. Do not forget, Janos Marik is a direct descendant of Charles Marik. Interdiction weakens a state, but alone it is not enough to break them."

"Then what would you have us do, Precentor Dieron? At this time we would have difficulty justifiying an Interdiction and you think we should go beyond it?"

"The danger we face is the union of three Sucessor States. We have to break that unity. Janos Marik and Katrina Steiner can commit their forces freely against their enemies because their mutual border is peaceful. That must change. There is enough hatred on either side that once raids begin, they will be impossible to stop. Additionally, distrust must be sown between Davion and Marik. A strike at one, disguised as the actions of another. Preferably by Marik units against part of Davion's damned NAIS. ROM can execute such actions easily."

All eyes turned to Jarlath, who frowned. "We have that capability. If -" He raised his hand and repeated himself for emphasis. "If it is the will of the First Circuit to do so."

Tiepolo looked very calmly at Waterly. "You are letting your emotions get away from you. Perhaps Vilnius has the right idea." He clasped his hands. "At this time, we will do nothing. We will wait. We will listen. For now." His eyes narrowed. "Return to your respective postings and observe. Precentor ROM, ensure that you have assets ready for the operations that have been suggested. If they prove desirable, the window of opportunity will be short."

"Window -"

"The decision is made, Precentor Dieron." Their eyes met across the chamber, Waterly's furious and her one time mentor's unflinching. "The Blessed Blake's predictions will come to pass. If not at this time then at another."

The Forbidden City, Sian

Sian Commonality, Capellan Commonwealth

8 December 3028

"Get out! Get out!"

The door to the antechamber crashed open and Elizabeth Liao stormed into the throne room. Her left cheek was red and the two men standing in wait for the Chancellor's arrival averted their eyes from his wife. It could be dangerous to pay too much attention to the rifts between the Confederation's royal family at this tense time. And with Romano Liao standing not far from her father's empty throne, smirking at her step-mother's dismissal, anything might be seized upon as evidence of wrongdoing.

She hadn't hesitated when her lover Tsen Sheng had been condemned for his part in the disasterous Operation Riposte. Her father's only comment had been a mild criticism that shooting the man in the head had made it difficult to display Sheng's head on a pike outside the palace. Modern technology had provided however.

Elizabeth did not waste her own attention upon Justin or his aide Alexei Malenkov. Both, in her eyes, were mere functionaries. When she reached the double doors at the opposite end of the room from the throne someone entered that she had to take note of.

Although looking slightly haggard - doubtless the strain of so many jumps in rapid succession - Duke Michael Hasek-Davion was neatly groomed, his black hair slicked back and bound in tidy braid. If it were not for the uniform of the Syrtis Fusiliers, immaculately pressed even now, he would have fit seamlessly into the ranks of mandarins that made up most of the Capellan bureaucracy, right down to the discreet document case in one hand.

"Another of my husband's stray Davionists," Elizabeth sneered as she swept by him. "He's assembling quite a ghetto of you here."

Hasek-Davion's head snapped around as if slapped, eyes tracking the Chancellor's wife and his lips parting with a riposte before she vanished out of his sight through the door. The man took a deep breath before looking back towards Justin. "She's in a charming temper today."

"Welcome to being invaded, your grace," Justin replied coolly. "It has a tendency to wear on the nerves."

Any response that the Duke might have made was cut off when Maximilian entered the throne room, followed by six members of his personal bodygyard. The Chancellor crossed the floor to the turncoat duke rather than towards the throne. "Your visit is unexpected, but most welcome." He twisted at his moustache with one hand while offering the other to shake. "Providential, one might say."

"I imagine that you have had reports already of your Operation Riposte," Hasek-Davion responded cautiously as he accepted Maxmilian's hand.

"A setback, admittedly." The Chancellor frowned and then shrugged. "Still, the troops had already failed once, in the defense of their own worlds. Their commanders begged for the opportunity to redeem themselves through service. The karmic burden of their repeated failure will have to be endured now that they pass to new lives, but that is the way of the universe."

"Yours is an interesting perspective on the matter, Chancellor." Hasek-Davion was visibly relieved and Maxmilian nodded acceptance of the compliment. "It seems to me that perhaps the Fox's karma is somewhat unbalanced, and we should redress that situation." The Duke held up his document case. "I have worked up some plans to that effect while in transit, but I understand that there may be more pressing concerns at the moment."

"Oh, quite the contrary." The Chancellor smiled broadly. "It will be several days before Janos Marik's forces can reach Sian and they will arrive tired and battleworn, harried every step of the way by my daughter's forces from St Ives. I can hardly allow his petty banditry to bring affairs of state to a halt. No, I find this time quite acceptable for handling other matters."

Hasek-Davion opened his portfolio and pulled out a thick sheaf of notes. "Much as I would like to help you reclaim Tikonov, my information is that the world is still too well defended by the Crucis Lancers. However, Styk near the old border with the Free Worlds League, is almost as valuable a world and would serve the additional purpose of threatening the Marik flank." And it would be better for Tikonov to remain in the hands of the Federated Suns, so Hasek-Davion could make use of it once he had overthrown his brother-in-law and could turn upon his current ally. "For this purpose, I suggest your Sung's Cuirassiers and my own Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers RCT."

Justin and Alexei exchanged looks at that suggestion.

"How very interesting." Maximilian Liao pursed his lips and then gestured sharply to prevent a biting comment from Romano. "Tell me, my friend. Are you quite certain that you can count upon the Fusiliers now that you have been driven from your home? Davion will no doubt have moved against your supporters."

Hasek-Davion nodded confidently. "Hanse trusts their commander, but the truth is that the man would kill his own wife and children gladly if that was my wish. I am sure that the AFFS will readily provide ships to move the Fusiliers to the front, little guessing who they will be striking against."

"There is an old saying, Duke Michael." Liao's eyes glittered dangerously. "Fool me once, shame on you." He waggled his finger as if chastising a child. "But fool me twice, shame on me. Tell me, which of us is the fool?"

"Wha-" The Duke stared at him with incomprehension. "I do not understand."

"Citizen Xiang, what is the current status of the Duke's faithful Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers?" Maximilian Liao spat.

Justin stepped forward, pulling the information confidently from his memory. "The last report has them handing over control of Ares to a garrison force drawn from the Capellan March Militia. It is expected that their next target will be Necromo and the shipyards there. It must be presumed that Davion is aware of the damage that losing those will do to our ability to repair and replace our damaged dropships."

"And their commander?"

"Excellency, the Fifth Syrtis Fusiliers have recently been placed under the command of Morgan Hasek-Davion."

Michael Hasek-Davion's face went white.

"Duke Michael, I really must question your allegiance to this alliance." The Chancellor had given no signal but his guards had moved subtly to keep their weapons trained in the direction of the shocked nobleman. "The only reason I'm not having you executed immediately as a foreign agent is that I can hardly believe that a genuine double-agent would be so foolish as to come here after his machinations stand revealed."

The Forbidden City, Sian

Sian Commonality, Capellan Commonwealth

9 December 3028

"The Peace of Blake be with you, Justin Xiang Allard."

Justin looked up from his desk and saw a slim man in the robes of a ComStar Precentor standing in his doorway. In the dim lights it took him a moment to recognise the face. "I no longer use my father's name, Precentor Tejh. How can the Maskirovka assist ComStar this evening?"

Tejh smiled avuncularly as he took the seat across from Justin's desk. "I was rather hoping that you would share all your information on Hanse Davion's secret BattleMech research facility on Bethel. If it wouldn't be too much trouble."

"That's rather blunt. Why should I do such a thing?"

"Ah well. A favour here, a favour there." The Precentor waved his hand airily, but never took his eyes off Justin. "You know how things go."

Justin frowned and sat back in his chair. Tejh was up to something. Nothing new about that, ComStar always was. Of course, that also meant that someone, somewhere, was going to get screwed over. "What would you do with that information?"

"Oh, that's classified." Tejh didn't look as if he took that seriously though.

"So is the information you're asking for."

"Touchè, Citizen Xiang." He steepled his fingers. "Apropos of nothing whatsoever, certain of my distinguished colleagues are concerned about the extent of Hanse Davion's ambitions. More concerned than I am, when you come down to it. And on an entirely separate note - you aren't a parent, are you?"

Justin shook his head.

"Nor am I, but I had a dog when I was younger and my sisters assure me that at some ages there isn't much of a difference. Where was I? Oh yes." Tejh leant forward conspiratorially. "Sometimes the only way to teach a child that fire is dangerous is to let them play with it until they get burned, just a little." He sank back into the chair. "It's not as if you're in any position to do anything about it right now, right?"

Which was true. After losing several regiments in the disastrous Operation Riposte, the CCAF would be very reluctant to release troops for another raid. As it was, they were badly overstretched. "And I suppose that you'll share whatever you find with us?"

Tejh just laughed and after a moment Justin joined him in that. Of course they wouldn't. Not willingly. Still, it wasn't as if the Confederation could do much of anything with the technology now. The factories that could have refitted their Mechs to use the new technology had mostly fallen into enemy hands.

"Alright. But the price is due now. I want access to your command circuit to move some dropships between here and Colonel Ridzik's headquarters on Elgin."

The Precentor frowned. "You know I can't use it for military material." Then he shrugged. "Alright. How many ships and when?"

"Just two. One of our ships will take them to Hexare from a pirate point in..." Justin checked his watch. "Forty-three hours. It's mostly people and information, a precaution against damage to government buildings during the fighting once Marik gets here."

Tejh nodded. "I'd wish you luck but..."

"Neutral. Yes." Justin steepled his fingers. "I have to wonder how neutral ComStar will be when there's only one successor state and no one to play them off against."

The Precentor met his eyes and then brushed off his knees. "I suppose that I might find out some day. I don't think Justin Xiang will... but maybe Justin Allard could."

Justin's eyes narrowed and Tejh shrugged. "Just some friendly advice. I'll have space made in our shipping schedule for you."

"And I'll have our information delivered to the ComStar compound by the time that the dropships take off," agreed Justin.

The Maskirovka analyst sat back in his chair and busied himself with routine correspondence until he was sure that Precentor Sian had left the building. Then he opened his intercom. "Alexei, I'm sending you to Elgin. I want you in charge of Ridzik's intelligence section." He paused. "And... very discreetly, let the Chancellor's wife know that there's room for her on the dropship if she wants it."