Tracy Maxwell Kent had been born far across the Inner Sphere, on the world of New Avalon, heart and capital of the far-flung Federated Suns of House Davion. Her father was Lord Rodney Howard Kent, her brother Captain Sir Roderick Fitzroy Kent, and she had been the pampered daughter of one of the wealthier noble families of the Federated Suns.
The death of her brother had shattered her. She and Fitz had always been close, and news that he had died defending a nameless hill on a world in the Draconis March had led her brooding and depressed Her decision to join the military academy on New Avalon had brought about the final split between her and her family. Especially after her father used his position to have her thrown out of the academy.
That should have been the end of her MechWarrior career, but Tracy Kent was an unusually stubborn and determined young lady. Instead of returning to her family's estate, she'd joined the line infantry as a private, then taught herself what she needed to know to become a Tech Soon she'd worked her way up to Tech Sergeant with the Blackguards, and eventually she'd been given the chance to pilot a Mech on her own.
She'd fought on Cassias, and survived, though the Blackguards as a unit did not. Cashiered after the slaughter on that world, she drifted from world to world- with the Dutiful Daughter,her beloved Phoenix Hawk,until she made it to Galatea and tell in with a recruiter tor the Gray Death Legion. Hoping for a chance to kill Kurita MechWarriors, she'd been disappointed that her first fight with the Legion had been against Marik forces, on Helm.
Things had been looking up after her fight today, though. Until now. that is.
‘A MechWarrior cannot rely on luck.’ Carlyle said slowly. ‘What he relies on is the steadiness and the training and the discipline of his lancemates.’
‘Yes. sir.’
‘You had point this afternoon. You flushed that ambush. You fought well. But..,’ He let the word hang in the air a moment...a rebuke. ‘You weren't working with the rest of us. I gave you an order, and you disregarded it. You chose to fight it out on your own, and very nearly cost the Legion an expensive and hard-to-replace medium 'Mech.’ He smiled then, unexpectedly. ‘You also nearly got yourself killed, young lady…and that wouldn't do at all.’
He looked at her expectantly, as though waiting for some reply. Almost, she opened her mouth to protest, to explain that she'd done what she'd thought best, that the situation at the time had...
‘I understand, sir. It won't happen again.’
‘Good. Because I'm relying on you.’
‘Colonel?’
‘All of us have to rely on each other. Tracy. We haveto, or one day we'll meet somebody bigger and tougher than us... and it'll all be up. We work together as a team, or else we die as a mob. There are no other options.’
‘Yes. sir.’
‘Then that's all that needs to be said about it Now you'd better turn in. I'm going to need you tomorrow for a special assignment. I want you rested. Dismissed.’
Tracy couldn't help wondering if the ‘special assignment’ was punishment for her actions of the day before. It was all well and good to have the Colonel lecture her on being part of a team, but then he separated her from the main body of the unit to do some make-work far from where the action would be.
Shionoha was a forbidding world, a planet of rugged mountains and chill, broken plateaus, of continent-sized glaciers and small, land-locked seas that were as salty, ice-cold, and gray as the sky. The world owed its name, curiously enough, to the Terran Japanese colonists who had founded the first settlement close to the vast Shionohara.the salt-plain, which marked the dry, mineral-encrusted basin of a long vanished ocean.
Despite the planet's name, its predominant terrain was mountainous. Company A had made a combat drop onto the Shionohara flats, securing an area where the Legion's DropShips could ground and disgorge the rest of the unit's men and machines. Their primary target was Kaigun, at the site of the world's first settlement, 300 kilometers north from the drop zone. The planet's principal spaceport and 'Mech repair facilities were both located at Kaigun. Carlyle had split his force in two, the infantry and cav vehicles setting off across the mineral flats of the Shionohara. while A Company and the training cadre turned west into the mountains, climbing narrow, switchback paths into the wilderness above the vanished sea. The column of 18 'Mechs had been climbing the twisting path for two days, swinging far to the west of Kaigun before descending from the mountain passes and into the agricultural lands around the city.
Twenty klicks northwest of Kaigun was an industrial center at a village called Mi-fune. Analysis of photos taken from orbit suggested that at least some of the buildings were used for manufacturing and storing weapons and spare parts of BattleMechs. The Second Dieron Regulars were a tough, veteran unit, one with hard-earned experience fighting in the mountains. If the struggle for Shionoha turned into a prolonged campaign, the Pride of Shionoha would have to be deprived of its sources of replacements and spares. And that was Tracy's mission.
Her force, code-designated as Arrow, consisted of her own Phoenix Hawkand the six light 'Mechs—two Locusts,two Stingers,and two Wasps—of the Legion's training cadre.
Colonel Carlyle had explained that he wanted to give the training group some experience in an independent operation. Tracy suspected that he also wanted to get them clear of A Company and out of the line of fire. Thus far, except for the ambush in the mountain pass, the Second Dieron Regulars had been conspicuous by their absence, and Carlyle was plainly worried that the Kurita defenders had some nasty plans up their sleeves for the Gray Death mercenaries.
Carlyle's orders were succinct and to the point. ‘Intel says that Mitune is not protected, that the Dierons have all pulled south to protect Kaigun. I want you to destroy that factory complex. Avoid tangling with Kurita Mechs.’ His sharp glance at her had stung. ‘Keep those kids out of a real fight But destroy that factory.’
Tracy could only assume that Carlyle had detailed her for the mission because he thought she was a bit too eager to kill Kurita MechWarriors. The thought that he might not trust her gnawed at Tracy as she led her column of Mech trainees through the rugged hills toward Mifune.
Am I really part of the Legion's team,she wondered. Or is he just getting me out of the way. And how will I ever know for sure?
As their column crested a ridge, theysaw the industrial plant for the first time. It was nestled in a flat-bottomed valley astride an oily, chemical-stained stream. The village of Mifune lay beyond, on the road to Kaigun.
The way looked wide open.
‘Deploy forward!’ Tracy ordered. ‘Casey and Babbage, pull back and watch the rear!’
By doing that, she could watch the column's rear and keep their two weakest 'Mechs, the two Locusts,out of the way. They started down the ridge, alert for any sign that they were expected.
The sign came, but from an unexpected direction.
‘Arrow Leader! Arrow Leader! Bandits! Bandits on the ridge!’
The voice was that of Greg Babbage, one of the Locustpilots.
‘This is Arrow Leader.’ she replied, forcing calm to her voice as she swung her Hawkto face the ridge behind her. There was no sign of enemy 'Mechs on this side. ‘What is your sit, Arrow Six?’
‘Kurita 'Mechs, lots of 'em!’ The boy was on the edge of panic.
‘Slow down, Greg. Where? How many!’
She could hear the youngster gulping down fear. ‘On this side of the ridge... uh... the west side. Uh... don't know how many, but we've spotted a Hunchback...and an Assassin...and there're others moving up through the rocks. They're moving up the trail.’