Shield of Fate (DFA Legacy)

Ivan sat in the oversized command chair that dominated his office aboard the Crystal Seer. Days like this reminded him of too many old battlefields. They had left the children with Morgan and Salome and had picked up the other two mercenary commands at Arc-Royal. Mercenaries...he remembered the first time he’d seen the word as a child. Those were simpler days.


He smiled softly as his eyes found the picture of Vara. She’d been a sibkin of his, and he had named his daughter after her. She was supposed to take over the mission if he couldn’t. Her death at Zathras had shaken him to his core. He felt the phantom pain run down his left arm, past the flesh and blood tendons in his elbow into the missing bones, muscles and skin. They’d survived the first campaigns in the Inner Sphere together, New Valencia, Anton’s Revolt, Hesperus II, they’d even survived Misery together.


“Sir, HPG transmission for you.” Khale said softly over the intercom.


“Put it through.” Ivan said with a nod.


“What are we going to do?” Kade asked him slowly.


“Well, the political situation is this. Nikolai is stuck where he is by the political influence of the Ilkhan and the other Crusaders. They won’t authorize a recovery mission or a harvest trial right now with the circumstances in play. It won’t be feasible for him to bring the Wolves into this fight.”


“I don’t care about the Politics, Ivan. How do we get them back?”


“Back to who?”


“What?”


“Do you want your children back with you, in the clans, or do you want them to end up as Prisoners of War in a FedCom prison? I am not sure how well i can shield them from what’s coming.”


“What are you talking about?”


“They have participated in combat operations against the FedCom, that tags them as enemy combatants, and given their status as clan warriors, makes them a priority target for any intelligence personnel in their area. Do you want them home with you, or home with me and the Dragoons. I think i can talk Jamie into falsifying some records. I just need to know what you want me to do to make this right for you.”


He saw Kade’s lip quiver and then her jaw tightened. “I want you to make sure that they have a place in the Inner Sphere when this is all said and done.”


“Bargained Well, and Done. I will finish the plan i have in mind and set the pieces to moving. I will bring Shorty and Mac home if it’s the last thing i do. Tell your husband to have the Sharks send a Merchant crew to these coordinates.”


“Why?”


“I had one of your pieces of equipment upgraded while you were away. I suspect you will have need of it sooner rather than later.”


“Why the Sharks?”


“The Ilkhan doesn’t pay attention to the Merchants, they can come and go with an ease that you will need for this.”


“What are you going to do?”


“Something i should have done before now. If i see you again, we can talk about it then. If not, then i want you to know how very fond of you I am.”


“Ivan, what are you going to do?”


“Tempt fate on a scale i have never considered before now, Take care of yourself, Kade.” he cut the communication feed.


“Khale, Open a channel.”


“To who, Sir?”


“The Dire Wolf, and the entire council of Khans. I think it’s time i made a report.” Ivan said slowly. He heard a sharp intake of air from his aide.


“Is that wise, Sir?”


“We have past the point where wisdom can see us through these hours. Now we have to act decisively. Transmit the go orders to the rest of my commands. I will have some more communications later in the day.”


“Very well, Sir.”


The light blinked and the holofeed flared to life. “Greetings, assembled Khans of the Clans and Ilkhan Leo Showers. My name is Galaxy Commander Ivan Kirov, and i have come to brief you on the state of readiness of the Inner Sphere and their likely response to the Invasion corridors you have established.”


Every eye in the room turned to the pair of Goliath Scorpions sitting on the upper tier of the command deck. The Ilkhan cleared his throat with a low growl.


“They said you were dead.”


“A necessity to allow me to continue to gather information for the Watch and the Invasion.”


“Proceed, Galaxy Commander.”