Battletech: The Ghost Who Walks (Battletech Isekai)

[Imperator Pax]

A warning to the Inner Sphere (Detroit Interlude: HPG Call)
The arrival in system had been a marked difference than when they had previously visited... which really underscored how things had changed with the volume of traffic. The precentor Detroit, head of the Comstar mission on the planet, had been thrilled at their arrival. The portion of House Alavi's guards stationed to protect the Azami merchant prince's operations were a deterrent not anywhere capable in numbers to show off a full blown invasion by Neo Amaris forces if it came to that. You didn't need to be a professional soldier to know that.


"Welcome Commander Shepherd, please make yourself comfortable," A lesser robe maybe six or seven years his biological senior remarked. Her accent was free worlds league english but one of the common ones... she nodded smiled made some comment about prayers and what not and the HPGs. "The representatives of the Great Houses," And their periphery counterparts for the canopians and Taurians, "are still arriving, but it shouldn't be much longer." The liasons, envoys, whatever formal diplomatic title they held were trickling in most having been watching as the Highlanders of the Schiltron tactical group deployed in defense of the Comstar enclave of Rock City.


What she hadn't done, Gene had noted was pay much attention to the wheel chair bound man. The Combine officer had kept mum beside the requisite pleasantries besides. That didn't make this any less of a risky maneuver, but they had the advantage that the precentor Detroit was a known variable. It made more sense to use this HPG station than try and jump somewhere the company hadn't served previously.


That allowed them also to get a better picture of things further afield. Lady Centrella, the Canopian diplomatic envoy / liaison, had sent a brief update of conditions detailing what mercenary forces were currently operating where along the rimward periphery. It wasn't much but it was something at least.


He knew this was risky. He just hoped no one actually came out and said it. He hadn't noticed last time but the gothic trappings the vaulted archways and banners reminded him of Elidere. Except instead of explicitly star league they were emblems of piety of the 'Blessed Blake' and the faith of the order. Maybe it was because the robes were much more, conspicuously so, more religious this time. Incense wafted heavily from many sticks.


There was a nervousness in the air, and Gene was cognizant of the time. Aware too of the data chit even though it was negligible in real mass. Its contents had been carefully reviewed. "Commander." The precentor of Detroit bobbed his head coming forward. The man looked dead on his feet... but he'd looked that way when he'd called them as they'd been on approach to the planet. "I apologize for the delay of course, but are nearly ready I assure you."


He handed the chit over. He wasn't sure they'd be able to successfully conceal the hunt for the Dobrev... or knowledge of the Narukami class but they were going to try. They'd mention the Vincent in the nebula. That was more about the probability that Bauman would go after it for Amaris. They had to mention the Pinto, and the Leviathan. They could support those claims with footage from both the Combine's salvage people, and Bauman's footage. "I need Precentor New Avalon, and Field Marshal Yvonne Davion both." He told the man, "There is a chance," ... well there was a chance that the prince's champion wouldn't even be on New Avalon.


MacINtyre cleared his throat. "We could try Northwind if she's not there."


"Then Dieron," He agreed, whoever is ranking available fed suns officer can take it." which wasn't really the issue...because calling Dieron meant the Fortress Dieron AI could be informed.


The precentor didn't even complain, "Of course I will do my best to contact both New Avalon and Dieron before the conference," He made a further comment about the matter, that almost seemed to imply the precentor had forgotten Dieron had changed hands before correcting himself. "Please follow me into the broadcast chamber. We have made the accommodations slightly more amenable given," he seemed to be a little embarrassed as he trailed off before making the observation they were doing more of these calls than in his predecessors time.


They were joined a few minutes later by Yamaguchi and an ojou-sama from the pillar of jade... the latter of whom wasted entirely too long trying to deny her 05P credentials until the connection to New Avalon's HPG station linked. "Colonel, its good to see you my boy." Vandal remarked, "I've already requested the Field Marshal join us." He was smiling but his body language suggested he knew things weren't good.


The other liaisons filed in in between which they managed through a series of archaic protocols retained from a bygone age to reach Florimel Kurita. A conversation in formal language of staid introductions followed that very few spoke. Gene turned his head to the wheel chair bound naval officer, and nodded.


The man introduced himself stiffly, and explained the findings of Tsubaki salvage works and what had happened as a result. The representatives of the Free Worlds League, Capellan Confederation and Lyran Commonwealth cycled through stony silence, existential dread, and suspicion. They were people he didn't know. Functionaries who were far below Kurita or Davion in place of power, they'd have to run this up to their own superiors... lucky them.


Gene watched the data chit play back to support the identification of the warships. He looked at the images. This was a risk. A lot of risk, but the warship threat was too grave and his own officers wanted Lady Florimel to know how bad things were who much worse they were poised to get. He stepped forward drawing the attention back from the images, "My immediate lead is Bauman. Kelly demanded he join up with him, and I'm hoping to run both to ground with my task force." He wasn't about to discuss the company's deployment arrangement on a conference call regardless of how stupefied even the Taurian liaison looked at the moment. "However you can understand the nature of the crisis we're looking at down here."


The centrella and Liao women ... and their home space counterparts were waiting for the others to ask questions. It looked like Yvonne and Florimel were weighing whether they could outwait the other and gain information without being the one to ask for it. It was ultimately the precentor new avalon who spoke up. Huthrin Vandal nodded, drawing himself up, "Thank you colonel. Your commitment to duty is impeccable. Rest assured," His look was to the Precentor Detroit who looked deathly pale, and was sweating profusely. "I will make sure you have the full support of the order. That it is behind you in hunting down these enemies of mankind and putting an end to this threat." It was bombastic language... but warships had disappeared during the second succession war's early days.


The dam broke with Vandals statement. Perhaps because it seemed to signal an end to the call and everyone on the other ends rushed to try and say something something all at once the most anxious and the loudest coming through first.

Florimel's voice and its archaic Japanese cut through them, and gene wondered if telling the combine had been the right call given the expression... and the surety that he definitely had the Order of Five Pillar's attention.
--
Notes: we're going ahead and posting this it is just an interlude

 

[Imperator Pax]

Detroit to Dobrev
Gene was paging through the reports when the door opened. The body language of the two men told him enough. Pasha and MacIntyre came in. Both men had been arguing since the call coreward about what they were looking at while they waited for the JumpDrives to charge. Given what they were potentially looking at it had meant 'trading' dropships with Detroit's azami merchants. That at least gave them some cover. They were loading enough supplies aboard Azami merchant ships that it wouldn't look too suspicious. The Lucrehulk was fifty thousand tons though. The merchant dropship was old but the succession wars had taken their toll on keeping the Krester designs flying.


The Mammoth-class dropship wasn't going to be anywhere close to full capacity. Neither was her sister ship, or the lesser consorts slated to dock with the star lord-class jumpship at nadir. Rio Verde was mostly carrying personnel with the expectation to strip supplies from salvage. A trailing baggage train would carry other supplies depending on what all they found, and all of this was planned to be coordinated by a short circuit of jumpships. For a moment Gene considered suggesting they wait for Bahar, but MacInytre started before he could get the words out.

"Say that we do catch Kelly and Bauman," If they did succeed, "Still leaves Black Jack as well as, that bastard whose out there running amok."


Pasha nodded in agreement to the point, but inadvertently cutting MacINtyre off, "This son of the satan Amaris must be confronted," They all had the most recent comstar update... but that was really just more of the same. Black and Kellyin their orions running amok. The Amaris Prentender in a Rampage.


It might have been mildly comedic to see the rim world trying to fly mech scale banners on their machines but those just didn't survive mech scale combat. They had reappeared in post battle propaganda features... or publicized atrocities across the frontier in the inner sphere and in the periphery. "We have more to deal with than them, I'm afraid. We have not had," The company had never directly dealt with the FWL, the Commonwealth, or the Capellans... and right now the League and the Capellans were the most directly effected by the Pirate Wars. The live call had meant follow on calls and back and forth ... questions on questions. "I'm not saying we won't chase them MacIntyre, but we need track down Dobrev."


"The Captain of the Rio Verde understands this. He will wait for our instructions," Pasha replied the old man stooping slightly to place a holographic device on the Eisenhower's holotable,"But it sounds as if the Dobrev suffered a misjump and was converted to a sleeper ship. Perhaps it is too soon, too optimistic colonel, but there may be survivors... even just those like the ones at Lockdale."


MacINtyre nodded though seemed increasingly peevish every time Pasha interjected something. Somewhere, Dobrev was on the rimward periphery near the Aurigan border... it wouldn't be hard to jump out and head towards Alamut. "Aye, but for the immediate future we've pirates to kill, we can talk about ice cubes and lostech later."


Pasha swept his hand activating the map, "I disagree Colonel." And Gene wasn't sure if Pasha talking to him or more to rehashing an argument with the Highlander MechWarrior. "Emphatically so... If they survived then we must consider an evacuation to Alamut. House Alavi is right we must also send word that this descendant of Amaris rides to battle, this means moving-"


The voices of his two senior most officers grew louder, and MacInytre swept his hand in a sharp gesture, "Which is precisely why any descendants or if we're by god lucky enough SLDF troopers are alive we should rearm for the fight we have now from their own stores. Callahan is chomping at the bit as it is. If any of his cousins are alive and in stasis I'm sure it is the same."


"Dobrev appears to have been converted as a sleeper, as an evacuation vessel. They are civilians, families, the front against a man who poisons the wells of entire worlds is no place for them."


Gene rested his hands on the reports he'd been reading before the two men had made entry, "If they are civilians Pasha is correct our priority would be withdrawing them from the conflict zone," Even though that would strip JumpShips from the Company, and also reduce its ability to affect humanitarian aid in the periphery. "We don't know who or what we'll find, but we are going to need to cache equipment from the Dobrev." Gene continued hoping to head off the argument. MacIntyre had been reluctant to make direct contact with the Inner Sphere and had only agreed to it as a direct course of action because it was WarShips.


"They tell me the BullShark is repairable... and that the Techs think that its not the only one they built."


He thought about the scrutiny the LosTech would bring, "You want to put it into use?"


"Its a BattleMech, we're going to need every one of them for the fight we've got ahead of us."


"You understand it has an XL fusion engine," Like Sutton's Md, "And worse its a model none of the techs have manuals to reference."


"The techs say it was built by a black box machine, we've seen how those work." And the engine diagnostic said that the engine had been built after the start of the second succession war...after the Dobrev had arrived in the Inner Sphere. "I'm just saying we probably going to run into more of those things." And even if there weren't more BullSharks Black Jack had already hit Orloff recently with King Crabs, which coupled with the news of Warships active, and and rebels, losers, from the Marik Civil War seemed poised to Draw the captain General's focus rimward. That and a lead on Kelly and bauman added pressure to move faster.


"Dante suspects Leviathan was damaged," He said making a point of changing the subject, "It and the Pinto are also going to have questions of who is even supposed to crew the things... if we run into them we don't have a lot of options."


"The SLDF cache had nukes in it. We'd get one chance ... but we're only going to get one chance if we find them."


Gene nodded, "There is that. We don't know what besides Leviathan's mass driver is operational, but we are working under the assumption that her and the Pinto's capital are functional." Which meant they would be able to pop dropships.


Pasha nodded, and he gestured to the map of the rimward periphery taken from the combine salvage crew and then taken from Bauman's people in Aquagea. It had their next destination. He'd seen it more than once, but he allowed the footage of the discover to play again. Dobrev had patterns along its hull. They weren't random damage, but bands as if long appendages, had if tentacles had wrapped themselves around the warship armor and constricted as the ship had tried to move away.


"We may be able to find out more when we find the ship." He stated, "For now its just an unanswered question. The Dobrev though had been modified from her original SLDF configuration, that wasn't in question "Its possible she carries similar updates to Eisenhower, but if she was converted to carry a civilian, or colonization fleet in stasis we're going to have our hands full. Civilians take precedence over equipment we get them out," Pasha nodded, "if we have to contest the hull we evacuate them, and then we blow the remainder of the ship to deny it to any one else."


"Aye." MacINtyre answered in a tone that suggested that was the bloody obvious course of action. That was a relief it was one less thing to argue about.
--
Notes: I'm going to go ahead and prepare to put up the House Kurita interlude but it will go up separately from this one.

 

[Imperator Pax]

The Combine Interlude
Florimel Kurita served her family, and the Draconis Combine as the Keeper of House Honor. She functioned as the head of the Order of Five Pillars filling the public, and private roles that entailed. She understood how her state functioned, what it took to keep society orderly. She was not the equivalent of the Prince's Champion of the Combine's nearest peer rival. Still Yvonne Davion held her attention for holding that position, among others. The Duchess of Victoria could not be ignored given what had transpired.

The holographic images before her showed the last of the Terran Gunslingers in profile. It was news still taken from Shepherd's recent strikes against the pirates. Canopian troops in the background as Highlanders stood nearer to the White Horse as Gauss Rifle armed Terran tanks tracked at the sky. To the magistracy he was the Shooting star of Luxen. The DCMS troops of Galedon whispered of the Ghost Who Walked, or, as had become more common in Rasalhague, of the Walking Death. The names came for the way the Hegemony MechWarrior took the field... more akin to a calamity or a force of nature.

To the dark haired boy, it was always too easy to think of Shepherd's appearance as making him a contemporary of her nephew Theodore, on the image was a peaceful easy expression. He was surrounded by troops and civilians. A contrast to the barely contained anger of his junior officer. Akashi 'Ronin' Kiyone's body language in the news cast was far more disgruntled. She was easier to read as the MAF and Magistracy's civilians crowded in the shadow of the Marauder.

The girl had been more composed when Shepherd had brought her to the FtL congress. That use of the HPGs to link worlds many lightyears distant had also featured a confident ease. A reminder that he'd been born in the gold age of the star league. Her presence caused fits within the ISF since Shepherd had come only with a few personnel as he had addressed representatives from them as member states of the Star League. No one present for the conference had been prepared to put all of their cards on the table.

She certainly hadn't, not with the fluency with which Shepherd spoke the language of the coordinator's court. Not when that fluency was greater than her own agent on Detroit's handle of the tongue. Those reports were problematic, and the information laid out for all of the participants. The meddling priests who operated the HPG network had been quick to offer aid. They'd done it publicly.

Takashi had been a little surprised even that the Federated Suns had not. That could be reconciled with it not being necessary. Her spies had already begun to take not, with alarm, of the growing Highland rising. The swell of volunteers of 'scotts' beyond Northwind. The Free Worlds League had not mentioned the knights of St Cameron's offer of aid, who the Captain General was supporting with donations, or that of the Black Widow's company... the main body of the Dragoons had taken up in the Lyran Commonwealth which was another source of discomfort. Reading reports of distant worlds was the necessity of her post, and from across the stars they flew inward.

For House Davion, the Federated Suns, and particularly the Draconis and Crucis Marches the news from the periphery of the 'Black Fox's' actions was welcomed. From destroying the 19th​Galedon, ending Shosho Samsonov's string of successful raids, and then had crashed the battalions of the Sword of Light on Dieron handing that world to the Davions... now he was in committed battle against motherless bastards in service to Amaris the usurper. The reports were concerning there even without her other difficulties from those campaigns.
The loss of Dieron had thrown Comstar's structure in the coordinator's realm into disarray, which complicated her own measures. Made worse by the the fact Shepherd had moved swiftly backto the periphery attacking Black Jack at the behest of the Precentor New Avalon. That had been before this new threat of warships had emerged.

Takashi had sent the Arkab Legions to strike House Marik before the most recent threat had presented itself. That House Marik, and House Steiner had only had functionaries to answer the HPG didn't change the fact that the details were coming as Azami troops loyal to the Dragon were moving across the League's borders. "Warships." She breathed looking towards one of the appropriately wizened monks with his shaved head. His expression told her he had a headache from the long hours of the work... but that it was done and to satisfactory measure.

The Buddhist bowed and gestured to the sum of everything the combine knew of warships. Everything not just what was the most readily accessible. She had had the Order go through all of the archives so that she could prepare the briefing thoroughly for Takashi.
He he had to be informed immediately on the development in the periphery... but the Coordinator had already been waiting for news. Every since the Precentor New Avalon had sent Shepherd to hunt down on of Comstar's rogue dogs... more than one actually.

Another senior member of the O5P bowed to her and signaled he had a question, "Is this fact known to the Gunslinger?"
The monk who'd indicated the records of the warships raised a thick white eyebrow at the question, "Does it truly matter?Black Jack was foolish enough to commit atrocities while his men lay within reach of Terran swords."

Florimel had to agree whether he knew or not was irrelevant to the question of Shepherd hostility to Black Jack... and those atrocities were likely enough without financial incentive. "It matters because Kelly is another of their number, and he has proclaimed his loyalty to Amaris."
Krisotfur Kelly had likely sealed his own fate ... his flamboyant declarations and murderous rampages even without placing an heir to Setfan Amaris forward as his choice to rally periphery vermin around...

That was the issue really. Less Black Jack, but that Shepherd had more than just the small contingent of Azami house guards who'd ridden with him at Dieron, "Speak." She commanded but already certain what the Azami elder likely thought.

The man bowed again, "Striking against House Marik showed wisdom, and duty. It was the correct course with the information we had available." A previous Captain General had had his hand on the death of a Coordinator and thus retaliation if late was required by honor, "It was impossible to know that a scion to the satan amaris ran amok in the frontiers." Reports of attacks on House Marik by units flying Amaris colors hadn't reached the court at that time... but now they had.

Those details, coupled with the assembled dossier on Shepherd's company occupied an ornate chest beside her... she eyed the holographic projector and the Terran MechWarrior next to the scowling girl. The gratitude that his eyes were amber were not the PPC blue as her own. The Azami elder bowed, "He is not Lady Kira's blood, god is merciful in that."

Still a Terran Gunslinger was alive, and that was danger enough.
--
Florimel Kurita stood beside the coordinator of worlds as they walked. Takashi Kurita had been busy... it showed in his walk as they made their way to the tea house. This was different. He already had been informed separately by both the ISF and O5P of the HPG call...what was more interesting was that ComStar had also informed him personally.
That rubbed salt in the wound. "The loss of Diron and Altairis unbearable." He grumbled to her... which was its own burden. It was true that the loss of two productive worlds in the Terran corridor by itself was a terrible loss. "The priests run around because of it," It had tossed the combine's branch of Comstar into a frightful disarray. "to have them barge in so was unseemly." He stopped long enough to drop food into the koi pond.

"Have you considered a suggestion on who is the most senior among their ranks?" She personally found the precentor annoying, but did not voice that... his rushing into speak to the coordinator was a nuisance.

That was part of this. The loss of Altair and Dieron created an issue over who was really the most prestigious Precentor of the realm. Potentially endorsing a candidate or a world might help or hurt their chances... but ComStar was in a fray regardless. He waved the question looking at the fish, "Are we certain of the vagabonds origins?" He asked as they resumed walking

The coordinator usually asked vague questions. Regardless of who held the rank it was useful to let samurai interpret his wishes...sometimes incorrectly but then that was their mistake not the fault of the combine's ruler. This was not that sort of conversation. Bravado would not serve duty here.

"That Black Jack was a pawn of Comstar for many years yes." She replied, they knew that with certainty now. "That Kelly was both a Precentor of Blake's order and involved in the Marik Civil War and that he has been the one to put forward an heir to Amaris is also clearly established." Florimel replied.
The arkab legions had been sent at Takashi's order to avenge one of his predecessors, but, "Sending the legions was a way to minimize the chance of a mutiny." He grumbled. The Azami were loyal warriors but every man had his limits. "To present an heir to the Rimworld at this juncture..." She nodded sagaciously as they sat down for tea and to enjoy the privacy.
Her predecessor would have talked about ripples in the pond, she'd always found that horribly tedious, "And it may still have been the least terrible option." She replied earnestly, he looked up and bluntly asked her what she would do... and that was always a dangerous question even for a member of the dynasty. ""Informing the Azami elders personally... I would disclose what we know of the Neo Amaris efforts."
Takashi recoiled at the need for unrestricted directness, "You would tell them."
She'd been worried he wouldn't like the idea, but his body language as he sagged looking at the tea cup and that he hadn't flatly denied the idea helped. "It would be prudent. I would ask them to remember Kira-sama," Her own distant predecessor, "And to her wishes at destroying Amaris's vile black guards."

He immediately recognized the political problems. House Liao obviously couldn't be trusted. They had like Kelly supported the losing side of the Marik civil war. House Marik had just had to contend with Azami light horse raids in their coreward territories. The combine would need to bring the legion home. "Would you send Theodore?" Takashi asked abruptly lowering his shaking tea cup as he seemed to make a decision.

She didn't personally like the idea, but affection for her nephew who would one day succeed his father as Coordinator couldn't preclude her from her duties. "It would send a message, but Yorinaga-san carries Kira-sama's blood," Several generations removed of course, and from her second marriage. Her predecessor's committing seppuku in this very garden to protest her brother's actions as coordinator after the fall of the star league after Amaris had murdered House Cameron had not marked the end of that branch of the family. "He is available as a member of the house."


"He would have been useful on Dieron. OR Altair." It was clear Takashi didn't necessarily like that idea either due to Yorinaga's self imposed seclusion. Florimel considered the devastation the loss of two sword of light battalions on dieron when they had faced Shepherd's highlanders. "It would give face to our contribution. "House Marik has promised to support the Knights of St Cameron," But the relligous mercenary order would have fought the rim world as a holy war besides, "But have not made other commitments to the struggle."" Janos Marik likely couldn't since the departure of the wolf dragoons had drained his reserves of manpower.


"Theodore could use the seasoning," Even if from the way he was gritting his teeth Takashi knew that was a tremendous risk to the heir of the combine. "A battalion of his regiment," Never mind that he'd been XO, and not in command or even on planet,"was destroyed in detail by supposedly green highland cadets. "Ones in possession of Hegemony battlemechs and in support of a gunslinger but she did not point that detail out. The issue of Dieron and its soreness had been a recurring one. Instead Takashi sipped his tea, "I will think about it." They didn't need to rehash the arguments over dieron again today... "We can only keep the boy here on Luthien so long... this talk of warships."

"The Gunslinger is no doubt sincere in his offer," She remarked, for whatever comfort that truly was, "To destroy to deny them to the rim world," And it wasn't as if Comstar's letters of marque would allow the mercenary commander the power to keep them. The priests of blakes order would defend his jump ship claims but none of the great powers could allow warships to potentially slip through their fingers, "And it would resolve the crisis." Even is she was unsure how the Terran planned to go about it... which was of course where Takashi took his questions next.


--
Bonus
Reins Mercer sat overlooking the junkyard. The work was slow going. Yan's Battlemaster was still out front still waiting to be fixed from the damage. The sheriff and his grand daughter were arguing over that... had been arguing over that in the past few weeks... but that didn't seem to be the important part.


It didn't seem to be the thing weighing on the sheriff. Reins looked over, and the sheriff tipped his stetson lightly, "Preacher," He greeted, and then fished out a cigar, and joined him on the overlook as technicians who usually worked on the big mining rigs worked on salvaging formerly rim world combat vehicles. "I wanted to bring something up with you, if you don't mind?" He asked.


"Of course sheriff," He spread his hands, and they settled down with drinks. It wasn't really practical to get comfortable, but they made do. "What can I help you with?"


The man's boots struck the railing as he weighed the question he was here to ask, "You said Shepherd's parents died against Amaris, is that right?"


"Yes, his mother when the Usurper nuked Puget sound on Terra," And as had been relayed to him by the men who had brought the Centurion Darryl now used, "His father during the campaign to liberate Terra."


The sheriff cursed took a pull of the whisky and scowled harder at the universe for all that it would do. "Those new fellas coming around, what about them?"

"Children of Kerensky's exodus according to Shepherd." Descendants of the SLDF who had never gone into stasis, but had been insulated from the succession wars by space rather than time.

"Kerensky heading out to the rim?" Out into the deep periphery, "Take a swing at this Amaris bastard, and his banditos?"


"Thats been what she has said." Which the sheriff well knew... Aquagea didn't have the luxury of an HPG any longer news came by JumpShip and stopover word of mouth mostly here.