Battle of Yorii, Part 3
Yorii, Wolf Empire
Trial for Terra, Day 8
Khan Gottfried Amirault shook for a second. His nerve damage was severe, the Enhanced Imaging implant knocking against his temples. Everyday was filled with pain, but today was even worse. “What do you mean, Galaxy Commander Grimheald? You cannot have lost two entire Clusters in eight days!” SaKhan Fulk Lassenerra adjusted in his chair overlooking the holographic table. He did not like Marguerite Grimheald. She was too much of a Falcon for the Hell’s Horses, one of those “mongol warriors” which idealized mass-murders and devastation.
“My Khan,” the hologram of the woman started, “the 77th Mechanized tried to capitalize on their location to decapitate the Wolves! They could have been successful if…” Amirault yelled: “ALL CLARET WOULD BE PORT IF IT COULD!” Anger did not befit the elderly Khan. Idioms did not befit him either. That was an odd one to throw around as well. Around the holotable, Peter Cobb and Fulk Lassenerra traded glances. Neither of the men liked each other, both having eyes for the “top spot” in the Clan. However, both saw the decline in their commanding officer at that point. This whole “trial of possession” for Terra was the last hurrah for a broken man dying of a neurological disease.
Amirault zoomed in on the edge of the continent, near a pass next to a cliff. Amirault’s rage still was not quelled: “What about your mighty 11th Horde? You had requested an entire year of QuadVees to fill up the ranks of that unit. Three entire sibko of TankWarriors.” The mongol warrior swallowed and mumbled. Peter Cobb caught it before Gottfried could blow up again: “Did I hear that right? 85% losses?” Marguerite Grimheald looked down, the hologram making her look so small: “Actually closer to 88%…” Lassenerra started rubbing the back of his head with a confused look on his face, his large Aerospace fighter pilot eyes wide open. “I thought they were facing some stravag Republic soldiers that sold their souls to the Wolves,” he asked.
Beta Galaxy’s Commander tried looking Fulk’s way but desisted. She knew he would use that against her in future disagreements. The two were already at odds, but this loss was catastrophic. “They ambushed our troops and used minefields on tight terrain…” Amirault slammed his shaking hand on the holotable with a loud thud. “OF COURSE THEY WOULD. This is the First Army Group. They are specialists at playing dirty, working for the master of playing dirty, Alaric Ward!” Fulk could not hold it in anymore: “So why are WE not playing dirty?”
Everyone stayed silent for a moment, Galaxy Commander Grimheald nodding her head for a second. Amirault took a sip of water along with two pills then looked at his saKhan: “Because we are Clan Hell’s Horses. We are the best of the Clan. We are the ones who still honor the word of the Founder, even after being cast out here in the Inner Sphere.” Peter Cobb knew a lecture was coming, he had heard it before. “The Bears? Now they play baby-sitter to an entire nation of spheroid, not even honoring our tried eugenics program! Phi Galaxy makes mercenaries look honorable and proud! Their khan bows her head to a spheroid princeling!”
Amirault took a long look at Marguerite’s hologram: “The Falcons? Broken, beaten. They tried playing it up as if being a destructive force would give them immortality in this world. All they did was turn more people against us, and their Khan lies dead on Terra, not even killed in battle!” Gottfried closed his tired eyes: “The Nova Cats were killed by the Draconis Combine. They have now come back as the pets of House Marik AND the New Star League. Same with the damned Jaguars!” Peter knew where all this was headed. “The mighty Snow Ravens are playing war on their side of the Sphere, having eaten up a pathetic morsel, thinking it made them better than us! But still… But still…”
Amirault put the focus on the icon representing Silver Keshik on the holotable. “The Wolves are the worst of them all. Curses of BLAKE upon their upstart, barely Clan leader and their grandstanding. He plays emperor like Amaris did. He denies the other clans their chance to a fair fight for Terra! We, the true descendants of the Clans, must show him WHY we are worthy of the title of ilClan!”
The next few minutes relayed actual orders, the setting up of supply depots, and reconnaissance to be performed by Fulk’s air units. The Horses had fared poorly at first, and they wanted to give hell to the Wolves. The last few units had reached their rally points, and an actual offensive could start soon. Amirault retired after giving his orders, leaving the saKhan and Peter Cobb along next to the holotable which had been turned off.
“He is not going to make it, quineg,” asked Cobb, hesitantly. Even with the distaste between the two, saKhan Lassenerra had to agree. “It is not just age and anger. His body is fighting against him now. My understanding is that his EI implant is causing another illness which laid dormant to take over.” Star Colonel Cobb shook his head: “What is worse is that this whole operation could work. If things start going well, we could defeat the Wolves and take Terra. Would we want Khan Amirault to walk on these sacred grounds like this?”
Fulk stayed silent for a moment: “Requesting permission to speak freely.” Peter was his inferior in the hierarchy, so for the saKhan to ask this, things had to be bad. “What is it, Fulk?” The saKhan took a deep breath: “Marguerite screwed us over here. We are down two Clusters, while the Wolves are dug in the planet thanks to the First Army Group having set down the groundwork for them. My aerospace fighter assets are barely worth mentioning if the Wolves have those DropShips in orbit.” It had been the first time the Hell’s Horses had seen such machines. Dropships the size of small warships, carrying enough weapons to be a massive threat, along with entire binaries of fighters. They had all the stink of the Sea Fox to them, a Clan so despicable Amirault had not even mentioned them in his rant earlier.
Peter Cobb knew full well how bad things looked, even with how early in the fight they were. Fulk Lassenerra continued: “Amirault is asking us to uphold Clan tradition against barbary. He wants this battle to be his legacy. I just do not want it to be my tomb.” Fulk Lassenerra had ambition. He had talent, even though he was an opportunist. Peter Cobb was more down to earth, and his ambition were more directed to helping the Clan as a whole. They would be bitter rivals if not for this same realization. Neither of them wanted to die on Yorii, before they could accomplish all they could accomplish. Whatever disagreement between the two, it had to be left for the future. Surviving this ordeal was now paramount.
