pirated content

Outreach

Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth

January 4th 3051

Natasha couldn't help but laugh at MacKenzie's annoyance. Technically, he outranked her, but that was only because she had no interest in dealing with bullshit admin anymore. The fight that would likely end her life was finally here, and she wanted to focus on it. Plus, Jaime needed to prepare for his potential death and ensure continuity for the next generation.

"She should join the rest of them. I want to see what makes her tick and how she handles the pressure," MacKenzie retorted, challenging his father.

"You saw the reports," Jaime said bluntly, "that isn't a consideration. It would also derail our efforts to manufacture the lesson for the heirs. Instead, I'll invite her to observe and demonstrate why we're doing it this way."

Natasha didn't care much either way. The whole idea of locking the heirs in a room and planting a fake bomb was undignified. The goal was to break down these young nobles, to let tensions build until they exploded, then shame them for letting their usual grudges and age-old tensions rise from stress. Every effective training regimen started by dismantling the old foundation and reshaping it to fit your own vision. They didn't have the time, nor could they truly crack down enough to cause the trauma needed to wipe away the preexisting structure, but in a pinch, it could jar them enough.

If we include her, I don't think we see the fireworks.

Natasha Kerensky was rarely impressed by anyone. Katherine Steiner-Davion, though? That was a different matter. Her attempt to test Katherine at the meeting yesterday elicited no reaction, just like Romano's deranged attempts. Unflappable, with more victories against the Clans under her belt than the next three Inner Sphere commanders combined, Katherine had clout, skill, and daring.

"It feels like we're trying to appease her. She's won some victories, but if we lose the perceived edge our heritage and knowledge give us, how will we ensure their leaders continue listening to us?" MacKenzie wasn't ready to throw in the towel.

"Oh, leave it," Natasha ordered her former subordinate. "We're more likely to get the result we want this way."

The argument settled, MacKenzie moved to gather the heirs, while Natasha summoned Katherine. The young woman was taller than Natasha, and her uniform looked freshly ironed.

"Colonel Katherine, please come this way."

She followed, surprisingly silent as they made their way into the control room. The other heirs were already in the meeting room, separated from one another. Sun-Tzu Liao stood alone with his back to the wall, while Kai and Cassandra Allard-Liao chatted near Victor and Galen. Hohiro Kurita and Shin Yodama lingered in another corner, and the large central table had only one occupant, Ragnar Magnusson.

Impatient, Natasha glanced at Katherine, who was calmly observing the monitors. "Well, are you curious as to why I've brought you here?"

"Yes, but I assume you would tell me when the time was ripe."

Natasha looked at her closely, unsure if she was being mocked or not.

Jaime Wolf wants to unite the Inner Sphere against the Clans. By giving the next generation time to train together, he hopes those bonds of unity will enable the Inner Sphere to stand against the Clans."

"Admirable, but how long are assuming this training will last?"

"Impatient to get back to the front, eh? Typical. But to answer your question – we don't know. Ideally, within the next month, the leaders will finalize an agreement for mutual defense. The Inner Sphere should outnumber the Clans by a fair margin, but you can't strip your units from each other's borders without inviting attack. As for your generation, we're hoping to keep you here for proper training, maybe even six months, which will give you time to form those lifelong bonds and get equipped with the tech needed to fight the Clans on a more level playing field."

Katherine's hand rubbed her chin. "Do you think the Inner Sphere has six months?"

"Sure, why not? The Clans will progress further, but most of their industrial capacity is outside their immediate range. The more they overextend before a serious counterattack, the better."

She shook her head. "No, I disagree. They've already taken industrial centers. If they push further and take Pandora and Sudeten, we might never be able to dislodge them. The FRR has already lost all their meaningful industrial capacity. Six months from now, and Luthien might fall."

Natasha smirked. "That's where I come in. I'll be heading to the frontlines as soon as an agreement is hammered out."

Their conversation was interrupted as the mics picked up the sound from the room. MacKenzie Wolf was introducing Major Irwin Tyrell to the group.

"The two of us will become your instructors. Some of you have already seen battle, but even with that, the total sum of your experience compared to those seated at this table wouldn't equal what the average Clan warrior undergoes in his training."

Natasha watched Katherine's body language, she clearly didn't believe what she was hearing, and depending on how you looked at 'training' she was right.

But how would she know?

"Furthermore, he has superior equipment and knows how to use it. We must attempt to narrow the gulf between you and the average Clansman." His rakish smile slowly faded as he added, "Whether or not we can close it is another matter entirely."

Katherine glanced at Natasha as MacKenzie continued his spiel about how important their training was and how he would mold them as he saw fit. "His monologue would work better if Victor and Kai weren't already better than the average frontline Clan warrior."

Natasha raised an eyebrow. "Is that a fact?"

"Yes."

Natasha supposed it might be true. There was a hierarchy for Clan warriors, just as there was for Inner Sphere warriors. She'd experienced both and knew that, with equal tonnage and technology, some Inner Sphere warriors were as skilled as Bloodnamed warriors. Morgan Kell and Justin Allard were two that came to mind instantly. Victor's simulator scores had been impressive, and he had survived twice against the Clans.

MacKenzie told them to mingle and then left with Irwin. After a few polite but tense exchanges, Ragnar smelled something, and they discovered the fake bomb under the table. To their credit, they immediately began devising plans to survive an explosion. Kai and Shin were searching for ways to cut away some of the explosive material, but they needed something non-conductive to do it.

"We need something sharp, but it can't be metal." Victor checked his pockets, but he didn't have anything on him.

The answer came in the form of Sun-Tzu's long nails on one hand. Ordinary nails wouldn't have remained as straight, but these were clearly reinforced, likely with carbon fibers.

"Your nails," Hohiro said, pointing to Sun-Tzu before lunging at him.

Sun-Tzu stood quickly and sidestepped the attack. In a flash, he raked the nails of his left hand through the flank of Hohiro's jumpsuit. Before he could slash again, Cassandra kicked the back of his leg and then twisted her cousin's arm into an arm-bar, forcing his head to the carpet.

"If you want a nail, I can just break it off," she said with a grin.

Ragnar protested, then took off his jacket and ripped the zipper free. "The zipper is nylon. Kai can use the nylon thread the same way a potter uses a piece of string to slice a pot from the wheel."

As work resumed, Natasha's estimation of the young Prince of the FRR rose a notch. He had found a solution that pleased all parties and could be effective.

"If you ever touch me again, witch, it will be your last," Sun-Tzu spat at Cassandra.

Cassandra glared at him as they exchanged words, while Ragnar tried to intervene and calm things down. Sun-Tzu wasn't having it, though.

"I don't need you to defend me, Pauper-prince. Your presence is scarcely more tolerable than that of this amazon and her brother – bandits born of a bandit realm, only with even less standing than you."

Natasha laughed, "He is as mad as the rest of his family."

"No, he's probably the only one who has realized this is all a game and no one is going to die," Katherine sighed. "Victor is too straightforward to see it, but I expected better from Kai. Though perhaps he's just playing the odds. Even if the likelihood of a real bomb is vanishingly low, it doesn't hurt to attempt to disarm it as best he can regardless."

Hohiro was also glaring at Sun-Tzu and wiped his bloody hand on the breast of his jumpsuit.

"Sharp words from a bastard."

"Oh, you wound me, sir," Sun-Tzu mocked. "Which is worse in your tradition, Lord Kurita? To be born of unwed parents, or to be the product of a union so disreputable that a mythical bloodline had to be invented – and one so shameful that the participants dared not announce it to the world until their eldest child was five years old?"

Hohiro advanced on Sun-Tzu and Victor stepped forward.

"If your fight knocks one of you into the table, we could all die."

"This one has insulted my parents. No man may so speak and still live."

"You want to fight Sun-Tzu? I love that idea, but let's wait until after the bomb is diffused and after we've dealt with the Clans." Victor gave Hohiro a smile and the angry Kurita scion gave a stiff nod.

"Aww, your brother is no fun." Natasha groused.

"You wanted them to fight, why?" Kathrine asked.

"This was probably good enough, but the point is to show how necessary this training time and camaraderie-building will be."

"They are highly unlikely to fight on the same battlefield, unless the goal is to create some multi-national unit with us all in it. If you did that, the first death of someone important would inevitably lead to accusations of treachery. Please tell me that's not your goal, quineg?"

"Neg… hah, you even talk like someone from the Clans when it suits you. All right, fess up, who do you have as a bondsman."

"Bondsman? Last I checked, slavery was generally illegal. A turncoat from the enemy who calls themselves a bondsman, perhaps – I might have a few of those."

Clever.

MacKenzie returned, accompanied by Hanse Davion and Theodore Kurita. Theodore admonished his son, and Hanse chimed in, expressing his disappointment at how quickly things had deteriorated.

"Ah, they are playing a part. No doubt my father won a concession from Jaime to do so."

"So he told you?"

"No, it was easy to surmise. My father would be unlikely to think much of your scheme, but he is quite eager to work out a deal for your technology and agreements of non-aggression throughout the Inner Sphere."

Natasha decided to play it straight, enough of the games.

"All right, kid. Here's the deal. We do want you to participate in the training. We also want you to stop trying to cut down what we are looking to achieve and replace it with how you think things should go. What is your objection to what the Dragoons are doing?

Katherine studied Natasha for a moment and then said, "You are either hiding too much information for anyone to properly assess what you are doing and why, or are going about this all wrong. We need hard numbers about the Clans. We need coherent strategies; we need a greater emphasis on how we can bleed them even when we lose a world. We need contingencies in case they completely remove the batchall or begin including WarShips in a bid. We are running short on time, and have little understanding of the internal politics of the Clans, save that only a fraction of their total force has come to fight us."

Natasha slowly nodded. "I'm listening, and making some modifications to our planned agenda is on the table. We are devoted to defeating this invasion, and I'll do my part personally. Again I ask, for you not to hamstring our desired efforts, and for your participation in the training, what do you want?"

There was almost nothing that unsettled Natasha Kerensky. She had long surpassed the age she once thought she'd live to see. She desired to see her Wolf's Dragoons triumphant; she had bones to pick with Clans like Nova Cat and Jade Falcon, but more than anything – she was ready to die in a blaze of glorious triumph. She feared nothing, least of all death. And yet… when Katherine smiled, Natasha felt as if someone had just walked over her grave.

***

Outreach

Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth

January 4th 3051

Hohiro Kurita was dissatisfied with how the morning had gone. In hindsight, believing the bomb had been real seemed foolish. Allowing a rat like Sun-Tzu to goad him only frustrated him further. The room had mostly been against Sun-Tzu; it would have been swifter to ask for assistance or even see if he would voluntarily contribute than to attempt an assault. That it was Victor Steiner-Davion who had spoken sense also galled him. The boy was seven years his junior, barely a man, yet he had seen more clearly than Hohiro.

Afterward, they completed an overland march. His own conditioning was only matched by Kai Allard-Liao and Shin Yodama. Victor, to his shame, flagged toward the end, along with his aide. Hohiro had mixed feelings about Kai. The man was humble, yet moved with an unconscious fluid grace that reminded him of Narimasa Asano, the leader of Genyosha.

He is dangerous, but not the one my father warned me of.

MacKenzie had them divide into teams for the next set of exercises. Hohiro would be paired with Shin, Sun-Tzu, and Ragnar. As they finished dividing up, Katherine Steiner-Davion arrived.

"Oh look, the precious princess of the fox comes in after the cross-country march," Sun-Tzu griped.

"Pardon my tardiness, but there was a personal matter I had to attend to. Since my arrival has made the number odd, Colonel Wolf has agreed to have Kapten Miraborg join us as part of the FRR delegation."

Hohiro knew that Tyra Miraborg was the daughter of the Iron Jarl, one of only a handful of individuals in the FRR whom the ISF considered to have talent comparable to that of the DCMS. Tyra was shorter than Katherine and wore a determined expression on her face.

Katherine bowed at a perfect thirty-degree angle after she approached.

"Konnichiwa, tsui ni ome ni kakarete kōei desu."

Slightly caught off-guard, he returned the bow but did not lower his head as much. Shin, being of much lower station than a princess, bowed deeper.

"You speak our tongue well, Princess Katherine."

Their gazes met and she waved her hand dismissively. "It is a beautiful language, and one of my close friends in the academy is from New Kyoto."

She turned away and toward Sun-Tzu, but the Capellan raised his hands. "Please don't even try to butcher my tongue; you aren't worthy."

If only you knew what the file on her from the ISF says, you would curl into a ball and whimper, Liao.

It was Katherine that his father had warned him about. The ISF had an extensive file on her, but even beyond what their spies had learned, his father had shared messages from a deep-cover agent within ComStar – an agent even the ISF was unaware of. This source confirmed that Katherine was the Inner Sphere commander who had achieved more success against the Clans than any other. She had maimed her opponents, retaken worlds, and overcome dire odds. Combined with the ISF's own dossier of her broad-ranging accomplishments, his father believed she was far more dangerous than Victor, despite the latter's skill in a 'Mech.

"As you wish," she replied while giving the advancing Victor a sharp look.

"Now that we are all here," Wolf continued, "let us test your skill with firearms. You will be paired off to compete against one another: Victor against Hohiro, Kai against Sun-Tzu, Ragnar against Cassandra, Galen against Shin, and Katherine against Tyra."

Hohiro had not stinted in any portion of his training, and he scored well enough to beat Victor. He watched as Shin narrowly bested Galen, but that was where their team's victories stopped. The Allard-Liao easily crushed Sun-Tzu. Cassandra and Ragnar were both the lowest-scoring individuals, but Cassandra scored higher. Tyra was good; in fact, she was only slightly behind him, but Katherine drilled a perfect score at every range.

Victor laughed. "Way to clinch the win for us!"

Katherine nodded in acknowledgment at her brother, but her face remained blank, as if she were avoiding expressing any emotion.

Unlike her boor of a brother, she did not wish to appear joyous in her victory. She understood that the purpose of this exercise was cooperation.

The next contest was an obstacle course, and once again, he bested the Archon-Prince designate. Galen outperformed Shin, his taller frame giving him an advantage in scaling the rope course. The Allard-Liao siblings handily defeated Sun-Tzu and Ragnar, though this time Ragnar only lost by a hair. In the final matchup, Katherine emerged victorious, her surprising upper-body strength greater than Miraborg's.

"Sorry, I feel as if I'm holding this team back," the aerospace pilot and daughter of the Iron Jarl said afterward.

"It's all right, she's really good," Ragnar replied.

"Who cares," Sun-Tzu replied with a sneer. "This entire series of events is designed to shame me. You are just collateral."

MacKenzie loudly cleared his throat. "I've been told that anyone who does not wish to participate in close-quarters training does not have to. However, when facing the Clans, one never knows what will happen, and their formal Trials occasionally feature unaugmented combat."

"Ah, I won't have to go against a woman, will I? I was taught not to hit a woman," Ragnar asked.

"The Clans make no distinction."

He scratched the back of his head, "Well, can I be paired against someone else then?"

Wolf looked unamused but relented. "Very well. Kai, since your normal opponent has sat out, you can as well. Ragnar will face off against Victor. Hohiro will fight Galen, Cassandra will face Tyra, and Katherine will fight Shin."

Hohiro watched as Victor's eyes narrowed in a glare at Shin. Wolf explained the safety rules – when he called the match, the fight would end immediately. No blows to the neck and a few other areas.

Prince Victor has been well trained. Ragnar put up a brave fight, but was quickly subdued.

His own fight with Galen was a challenge. The man was strong, but Hohiro was quicker. A heavy punch to his face was blocked by his forearm, and his retaliation soon had Galen Cox on the back foot. Hohiro lashed out with his leg at the side of Galen's, and the powerful blow made the man wince. Hohiro went to strike again, but this time it was a feint. His kick instead landed across the padded headgear with a vicious snap.

"The win goes to Hohiro. Without protection, that would have decided the fight," Wolf declared.

The closest match was between Cassandra and Tyra. Cassandra had martial arts training, but Tyra knew how to throw a punch and capitalize on any weakness. Despite centuries of refinement, exotic moves rarely produced better outcomes than blunt force to the head. Cassandra seemed to be getting the worst of it before she managed to take the fight to the ground, getting her arm around Tyra's neck and forcing her to tap out before she lost consciousness.

The tension in the air mounted as Shin faced off against Katherine. Victor looked like an opium addict who had not indulged recently. The one-time Yakuza put up a fight and glided forward. Katherine held a boxer's stance, so Shin sent a kick to her body. Her footwork made the blow miss, and she countered with a quick jab to Shin's face.

He tried to grab her hand while tilting his head to the side, but she was too quick and was already following up her quick punch with a heavier one. Shin grunted as it hit him in the stomach, but the man would never fail to accomplish a task due to an unimportant matter like pain.

Instead, he counterattacked. Shin was shorter than Katherine, but he struck like a snake. To the surprise of everyone, not a single blow connected. The princess moved with the grace of a dancer and almost seemed to float with her head movements. Shin changed tactics and bulldozed in, seeking to bull through her defense. Hohiro could hear Victor's sharp inhalation, but it was Katherine who won the clash with a feint. Shin committed, and Katherine's first kick of the fight put him on his back, with Wolf declaring her the winner.

"YES!" Victor pumped his fist in celebration.

Katherine offered Shin her hand, and after a moment of hesitation, he took it. She helped him to his feet.

"Well-fought. I had the advantage of not enduring the march you went on," Katherine said.

Shin inclined his head. "It would not have mattered."

Wolf called an end to the day's activities, and after getting a chance to change clothing, the group was led back to the main hall, where important military and civil officials from each nation were mingling.

"I was surprised to see you lose; did you allow it?" Hohiro asked.

"No, Hohiro-sama, she has an inner eye that seemed to know what I would do before even I knew. If you spar with her in the future, do not attempt misdirection, she will know."

This was an interesting first day. By besting Victor and his second, I have restored some of the honor I lost through prior actions.

***

Outreach

Sarna March, Federated Commonwealth

January 5th 3051

Hanse was pleased with how the previous day had gone. Their glorified game of laser-tag had been invigorating, and more importantly, it had provided them with a chance to talk face-to-face and come to an agreement. A non-aggression pact between the two of them until the Clan threat had ended. Theodore had not fully trusted him, and the reverse was true as well, but both realized the threat that the Clans represented.

Both knew that unlike their prior wars, the Clans represented something different. Their technological edge and highly skilled warriors could easily carve through the Inner Sphere forces. Even the Davion Heavy Guards had been chewed up and spit out like they were green cadets. Alshain was under assault by the Smoke Jaguars, one of the Draconis Combine's industrial worlds. Schuyler had already been captured. Pesht and Luthien itself were close to the front. Between those key worlds, and those taken in the FRR and Federated Commonwealth, the enemy would have more than enough logistical support to continue their war just with what they had captured.

My daughter is right to call them keystone worlds. No matter what, Sudeten and Pandora cannot fall. Tamar would be bad as well, but more so politically.

While they were on Outreach, the war would continue to progress. Sudeten was receiving large numbers of reinforcements. The 8th Deneb Light Cavalry RCT had arrived, as had the first elements of the 24th Lyran Guards RCT. The non- 'Mech elements of the 20th Arcturan Guard RCT had also landed. They all joined the Great Death Legion, 4th Deneb Light Cavalry, and the survivors of the 10th Lyran Guards, Kell Hounds, and Davion Heavy Guards. With so many gathered regiments, Morgan would have tactical flexibility to make the invaders pay dearly, but the priority was to make sure Sudeten did not fall.

The 9th FedCom RCT had been destroyed and Twycross retaken by the Jade Falcons. Some at least were still alive and being a nuisance to the invaders. It had been expected, but was still frustrating. Beta VII likewise had been reclaimed. After catching up on the reports that had come through the black box and via JumpShip in-system, it was time for another meeting.

Several items had been added to the agenda last minute, and this meeting was set to be a discussion with Theodore Kurita, Candace Liao, Thomas Marik, Romano Liao, Jaime Wolf, Natasha Kerensky, and Prince Magnusson. He arrived with Melissa and Justin.

"Today we are here to discuss the defense of the FRR," Jaime Wolf began. "I told the assembly that we would be aiding the war effort with five regiments of my Wolf's Dragoons. Technically, we are still under contract with Hanse Davion, but we have clauses in the event of imminent emergency, which I assume we can all agree this qualifies. However, I do not envision using my Wolf's Dragoons all in one place. Prince Magnusson has concerns about allowing any one nation to bring too many units into his territory, and so we are here to discuss the possibility of a multi-national force, backed by my own regiments."

Natasha seemed to move almost catlike with anticipation. "I have no desire to babysit here and intend to leave as soon as we have hammered out an agreement with my Black Widow Battalion. It is structured along Clan lines, three Trinaries, or forty-five 'Mechs."

Romano sniffed. "My nation is far from these conflicts, and I will not trust the Federated Commonwealth not to attack my units in transit. I have better things to do with my time than sit through this."

Thank God. Sitting through another meeting with that lunatic may well have killed me.

"My nation is not close, and the use of my JumpShips is important for internal trade. It will be a six-month round-trip for my JumpShips. And unlike all of you, I must operate under a democracy," Marik said in preamble to voicing his actual decision. "However, I am intrigued by the thought of a multi-national group and would be willing to consider a token force."

Prince Magnusson scowled. "Captain-General, you do see the need to fight the Clans? Would you prefer to wait until they are knocking on your nation's door?"

The scarred man shrugged. "As I have stated, my situation is different. I would be willing to send two battalions of the 20th Marik Militia Regiment and an Aerospace squadron."

Before Magnusson could say something undiplomatic, Candace Liao spoke up. "Captain-General, your efforts are appreciated. My own realm is still building its military, but I would be willing to send aid if I had assurances from you that any adventurism from my sister would not be supported by you."

"Our realm does not share a border."

"No, but if the Capellan Confederation attacks, my ally, the Federated Commonwealth will see to it that they regret it. Your current alliance with Liao and Kurita would obligate you to then protect them. I am seeking an agreement that you will not."

He frowned. "I have made prior commitments."

"You have," Theodore Kurita said, "but the alliance we share is a mutual defense pact. If I launched an unprovoked assault on the Davion border, I would not expect you and Chancellor Liao to come to my aid. It would be my own doing."

Marik looked conflicted, but then nodded. "I accept then. I will speak with Romano Liao that I will not aid any attempts to start a Fifth Succession War while the Clans are invading."

Candace flashed him a smile, "Excellent. In that case Prince Magnusson, the St. Ives Compact pledges the 1st St. Ives Lancers and the 1st St. Ives Cheveau-Légers. Two regiments and the JumpShip and DropShips necessary to transport them to your territory, and to be used for operations, they should arrive no later than June."

Prince Magnusson bowed his head in gratitude. Hanse Davion drummed his fingers on the table before him and came to a decision.

"The 8th Deneb Light Cavalry has recently arrived on Sudeten. I can spare the JumpShips to deploy them to whichever planet or planets you wish to defend, but I will need those JumpShips back for future use, meaning they won't be available for offensive combat operations. They will be coming from Sudeten, so they can reach your border in as little as three weeks. Additionally, by March 10th, the FedCom RCT will also be in the area, though a similar situation applies to their JumpShips. I will also continue to cover the cost of the Wolf's Dragoons in whatever capacity they aid you."

It was then Theodore Kurita's turn to speak. "I do not wish to be miserly, but my capital is very close to the front. However, I will lend you the 4th Arkab Legion along with their JumpShips, so you may use them offensively."

That is right on the border with us. It seems I am trusted by the Kanrei, at least for now.

Jaime Wolf nodded. "The Wolf's Dragoons will be sending our Beta and Gamma Regiments along with the Black Widow Battalion. We have a functional Command Circuit in place capable of moving the Black Widow Battalion for half the journey there, meaning Natasha Kerensky can arrive before the end of February, with the additional two regiments arriving by April. My regimental officers will retain operational control, but they will have access to the JumpShips that took them and would prefer to be on the offensive anyway."

The leader of the FRR stroked his chin. "By my count, that's eight regiments of 'Mechs, six regiments of armor, and ten regiments of infantry, along with artillery and aerospace support. I'm not sure if it will be enough, but I'm grateful to you all."

"Well then, I believe it's time I ship out," Natasha grinned. "But before I do, I need to speak privately with my technical employer, Hanse Davion, and Jaime Wolf."

The rest of the leaders departed, save for his wife and Justin.

"Your little terror had some demands, and we've agreed to meet them," Natasha said bluntly.

Hanse steepled his fingers to hide his perplexation. "Go on…"

"Your daughter is one of the few commanders who truly understands the Clans. She's won victories on Icar, Wotan, Blackjack, Goat Path, and Beta VII." She held up a hand. "Yes, she had to retreat from Icar and Wotan, but she won the conflicts. Part of the schedule changes are due to her pushing for them and preventing her from convincing you that the training regimen we have for your children is a waste."

"But we already agreed," Melissa's asked in a questioning tone.

Natasha shook her head. "Archon, Katherine can be very persuasive, and worse yet, what she says makes sense. Now, I've bargained an agreement with her to play ball, and frankly, it was rather generous. But we see in her amazing potential. In the Clans, she would be considered a Ristar and would no doubt rise to the level of Galaxy Commander or even a Khan. She also understands strategic and tactical command."

"Very generous indeed," Jaime Wolf said with a wry tone. "Through our agreement with Blackwell Industries, the factories here on Outreach keep us well supplied. We've agreed to ship the next batch of production to Blackjack: four Imps, four Marauder IIs, four Badgers, and a dozen Bandits."

Hanse's eyes widened in surprise. The Imps and Marauder IIs were 100-ton assault 'Mechs! The Badgers were armored APCs with their own weapons, and the Bandits were 50-ton hovercraft. The incredible cost, especially for the 'Mechs, was eye-popping.

"Here's the real rub," Natasha said. "The more resources she has, the greater her impact. She's young, I get that, but you shouldn't just give her a planet to defend – give her a task force. Give her multiple planets, a cordon, or an offensive group, and let her run wild."

"She asked for this?" Melissa asked.

Natasha shook her head. "No, she wasn't blatant about it, but after a lengthy conversation with her, I'm convinced she's got the chops for this. She grilled me about the Clans, made intuitive leaps that were spot on, and has used the intelligence she gathered previously to near-perfect effect."

"She's fought so many battles already," Melissa replied. "I had hoped not to put her through it again so soon. She's quite passionate about her work with the NAIS and talked at length about some of the designs she wants to tinker with. Spending a year or two doing so, after the hardship she's endured, is something I sense she wants."

Natasha gave his wife a quizzical look, "Did she ask for that directly?"

"No…"

Hanse took his wife's hand. "I believe what Natasha Kerensky is getting at is that Katherine always strives to be useful. She rarely asks for anything for herself, outside of the tools needed to get the job done. She's like me; she wants to fight. If Jaime Wolf and Natasha Kerensky say she's ready for a larger command, then I intend to give it to her."

Natasha looked satisfied, and the meeting was brought to a close. Hanse needed some time to think. Giving her a full RCT would be unheard of, but what the Black Widow was suggesting was even more than that. Not just a single RCT, but possibly multiple ones – granting her responsibility over an entire theater.

I'm not sure even Nondi would think that wise, but I fully agree with Natasha. The challenge will be getting her the resources she needs without diminishing the defense of Sudeten. There's also Tamar to consider, as both Ryan Steiner, Lyran State Command, and the Duke of Tamar have been stirring up the media. I also want to begin a counter-offensive and reclaim worlds – even if unsuccessful. It has proven effective in slowing down the enemy.

"A Kroner for your thoughts?" his wife asked, and Hanse realized he had been staring off into space as he considered his options.

"As I told the Dragoons, I support this. I'm just trying to figure out the best way to go about it." He had Justin pull up the map on his noteputer, and he and his wife leaned in to study it together.

"The Jade Falcons have taken Parakoila, Antares, Graus, and Zoetermeer. They've clearly slowed since the start of the invasion. Our efforts have paid off. If the latest intel from the Dragoons is correct, the Wolves have devoured many FRR worlds in their latest wave of attacks, but they've also taken Vulcan, Sevren, and Laurent." Hanse pointed to the worlds on the map. "In my mind, there are three theaters and two worlds of critical importance right now."

The Archon nodded intently as Hanse continued. "The invasion path of the Jade Falcons forms one theater, the path of Clan Wolf another, and our counter-offensive against the Jade Falcons constitutes a third. Sudeten and Tamar are the two worlds of importance. Sudeten is our rallying point and a significant manufacturing hub, while Tamar, though no longer producing BattleMechs or combat vehicles, remains vital for its consumer goods, small arms, and munitions."

"If Tamar falls, we'll fuel Ryan Steiner's propaganda for a decade, especially if we heavily defend worlds of lesser historical importance," she pointed out.

Hanse rubbed his chest, feeling the weight of so many competing priorities. In his heart, he knew reinforcing Tamar would almost certainly doom whoever he sent. It would soon be cut off unless they stopped the Clans cold, and he couldn't see how that was possible. Stripping Sudeten would be an act of gross negligence.

"Our situation is dire," Justin pointed out, "made even worse by giving the FRR the 8th Deneb Light Cavalry."

"Yes, but propping them up is crucial, both to cement our tenuous agreements of non-aggression with our neighbors and to prevent our line from being flanked. The decision that rests before me now is which theater Katherine and whatever task force we can muster should be assigned to – defense against the Jade Falcons, defense against the Wolves, or the counter-offensive?"

"She has proven to be a tenacious defender," Justin replied. "Her actions on Blackjack prove that. However, a counter-offensive from Blackjack makes the most tactical sense, given that the Jade Falcons seem to be honoring their two-year reprieve."

They discussed that very topic long into the night, but even then, no firm decision had been made.