Gypsy and Catford waited until the afternoon of the thirtieth to strike. The FfW forces came in two groups, with my command being given over to Siwek, as expected. That wing, made up of a heavy ’Mech lance and two wings of light and medium vehicles came in from the west, then angled down sharply to the south, while Catford’s force had started from the south, then turned almost due west. It sported two lances of ’Mechs, one heavy, the other light, with vehicles to round out the company. This gave FfW half again as many ’Mechs and far more vehicles.

Bernard had invited disaster, and he was going to get it in huge handfuls. The FfW made no attempt to hide what they were doing: little drones that Niemeyer flew from Obsidian Island were able to track the heat signatures coming in. He relayed the information to Bernard and to us, back in Manville. Bernard seemed unconcerned, which made him as mad as Tacitus in my book.

Janella glanced through the holographic projection in the Valiant’s main cabin. “Time to target from here is twenty minutes. We’ll have clearance to leave as soon as we request it.”

I flipped the display over to a tactical map that calculated the time to contact between the forces. “The eastern force will arrive first and engage, then the northern force will hit the Militia flank. Forty minutes to contact. We leave in fifteen?”

“Twenty, I think. Catford will want to go at it immediately, but if they don’t start shooting right away, we aren’t going to be able to tip the balance.”

“This isn’t going to be pretty, and it isn’t going to take long.” I sighed. “I just hope we can tip the balance, because the alternative is having the whole thing come crashing down on us.”

She reached through the holograph and stroked my hand. “I know, lover, so we’ll just have to be especially good. We might not be able to trip the giant up but, with any luck and a good push, we can determine where he lands when he falls.”

Obsidian Island, Blacklake District

Basalt

Prefecture IV, Republic of the Sphere

2 March 3133

The battle started while we were en route, but Niemeyer’s drone and Tri-Vid-cam feeds gave us more of the battle than we really wanted. I kept the image from Obsidian Island on my secondary monitor, then channeled the feeds from drones to my auxiliary monitors. Once I’d done all my system checks on Ghost, I flipped the Obsidian Island view onto my holographic combat display. Despite my being tucked away in the DropShip’s hold, I felt as if I was in the middle of the fight.

Unlike Teyte, however, I did not let my hands stray to the targeting joysticks. I’d have more than enough work for them soon, and pulling a trigger in the hold was not a good idea.

Bernard had arrayed his forces somewhat poorly. From Obsidian Island we had the Basalt Militia company on the left, then a small gap and Bernard along with his mercenaries. They stood with their backs to the lake, which was not a tactical disadvantage by any means, but the gap between the two units could be exploited. Only a hundred meters separated them, but that was enough for an enemy wedge to split them. Once that was done, so were they.

The Militia had one of the two largest forces entering the battle, though two of their ’Mechs were modified ForestryMechs that were grossly underarmored and undergunned. A Panther and a Centurion rounded out their ’Mech lance, but both of those machines were antiques. Such a force was certainly a sign of the times—resources were in short supply and improvisation was the order of the day. The other two lances they supplied consisted of vehicles. The Shandra Scout Vehicles made up their northern flank, and were fast enough to be tough targets to hit. Four Demons made up the center of their position and would be nasty in the fight. If their love for their homeworld made up for their lack of combat experience, they could be key to the battle’s resolution.

The Militia would face Siwek’s force, which had been arrayed rather oddly. The two lances of vehicles—mixed Scimitars and Condors—formed the right and center of her front respectively. This placed her duo of ’Mechs—her Ryoken II and a Pack Hunter–closest to Catford’s formation and left the vehicles to harry the Militia from the north. Her ’Mechs were positioned to drive into that gap and against Militia troops, a move that would likely demoralize them and could even spark a retreat. A pair of SM1 Tank Destroyers backed her ’Mechs with serious firepower.

Catford let his vehicle lance take up his left wing. He’d chosen four JES Tactical Missile Carriers, which bristled with SRM launchers. In close combat, the quick hovercraft could be devastating. Given that they’d skirmish with Bernard’s lance of Scimitars, there would be a lot of carnage at the south end of the battlefield.

Catford’s ’Mech lance would make up the center of the FfW line once it joined up with Siwek’s force. In addition to his Jupiter and the Catapult from the Palace, he added a Black Hawk and an Arbalest. His ’Mech lance was the heaviest in the battle, and well suited to blasting enemies at range, or wading right into things—which I had no doubt he would do.

Bernard’s ’Mech lance did not boast as much power, but could still be very effective. He piloted his Catapult, and also had an Arbalest to help with long-range missile attacks. A Legionnaire and a Hatchetman made up in accuracy what they lacked in firepower. Whether or not that would turn the battle’s tide, I didn’t want to hazard a guess, but the way the forces were arrayed, the FfW troops had the edge and, I expected, would win the day if fate or other forces did not intervene to ruin things.

Janella’s voice came in over the neurohelmet’s speakers. “I want us dropped to the north, so we can support the Militia.”

I agreed. “Check. We take the vehicles and roll up the ’Mech flank.”

“You’re reading my mind.”

I smiled. “I just hope doing it is as easy as thinking it.” She did not reply, but the two of us knew it wouldn’t be. One very real possibility was that we dropped into the fight and both sides blasted us. Bernard had showed no compunction against shooting up Niemeyer’s people, and he’d be even less well disposed against us. We were dropping into a situation that could get very bad, very quickly.

But, then, we really had no alternative.

On the big display, with five minutes yet to target, the first of the hovertanks that had come in from the north assembled to attack the Militia. Over on the far right, Catford’s Missile Carriers emerged onto the plain. The Jessies arrayed themselves in a screen before pulling back to form the left flank. Then, like warriors emerging from the forest, the ’Mechs began appearing. Some looked very human, like the Jupiter and Arbalest–and strode forth as if they were hunters returning from an expedition. Others, like the Catapult in Catford’s force, emerged like mechanical beasts preparing to invade the battlefield.

Bernard’s combined force turned its fury on Catford’s battalion. Clouds of long-range missiles arced across the battlefield. The targeting choices almost seemed planned out well as salvos pounded the Catapult and Arbalest, which had long-range fire capabilities. Why he didn’t go after Catford I couldn’t imagine. I thought at the time it might have been some misplaced sense of honor, but subsequent events proved that assumption wrong on several grounds.