Cat Fight, Part 6 (An Omake by Yellowhammer)
Cat Fight Part 6
"I have often been asked how difficult it was to come to terms with my new family. Like all things in life, it was difficult in some areas, and even the simplest things can be very difficult.... But it was also very easy in some surprising ways. For instance, my birth family has been called many things by our enemies. Bloody-handed tyrants, warmongering militarists, monsters, and madmen; and I shall never deny that some of my family were all of these things and more. But even in the worst and most bitter fighting of the Succession Wars, there has always been a understanding, as unspoken and unwritten as it may have been then, that there were no and would never be any cowards named Kurita, Davion, Steiner, or Sandoval in the ranks of the combatants...."
Omiko Steiner-Davion, My Path To The Top Of The Mountain: A Journey from Luthien to Kentares, New Avalon Press 3083
FSS Lion of Judah
Inbound to New Avalon
29 May, 3057
Field Marshal James Sandoval, Duke of Robinson and Minister of the Draconis March stared at the approaching crescent of New Avalon with the same focus that he had spent preparing for planetary invasions in his 43 years of service in the AFFS and then AFFC. In a way, this would be the most important planetary invasion of his career, he thought as he clasped his hands behind his back.
The hatch behind him opened, and he noticed a familiar reflection in the armorplast glass enter the room. Dressed in the uniform of a FedCom Leftenant General with Military Intelligence shoulder flashes, his oldest son joined him at the glass.
"Father" Tancred said quietly as he stepped alongside him, "The reports from March Command on Robinson have been collated and forwarded to us."
"Summarize." James said equally quietly.
"In brief, we have identified the units responsible for the attacks into the Addicks and Raman PDZs. Addicks was the 15th Dieron out of Al Na'ir striking Helen, Murchison, and Towne in terror raids, reinforced with a company each of Ryuken-ni as it reconstitutes with production from the factories on Quentin and Al Na'ir after sustaining heavy losses in the continuing infighting in Benjamin. McComb and Royal were each the 22nd Benjamin out of Marduk in a similar battalion-sized raid." Tancred paused, and ran through his mental index cards. "The Snake raids into Addicks were clearly intended to damage infrastructure and cause casualties among our troops and civilians, and were exceptionally brutal even for them. Raman caused moderate infrastructure damage and targeted a militia base on Royal that we had built up into a forward supply dump, and three food processing and packaging plants on McComb."
James grunted acknowledgement of the horrors that the antiseptic words covered.
Tancred sighed, "Three further points. First, prisoner interrogation from the Regulars that we captured on Royal revealed that the cousin of Victor's pet Snake ordered these attacks to 'discourage any ideas that we would have to challenge the Dragon and gain needed supplies'. Quote unquote. Second, we received a flash communication from the Skye March reporting an incursion into the Lyons thumb, no further details yet. Third, the raid on Helen hit the Sak's training battalion hard and...well you need to see for yourself."
James turned and walked to the holoprojector as Tancred fed in the data. The display fuzzed, and then showed an attractive young brunette woman dressed in Sakhara cadet uniform. "Victoria Sanromea-Davion, Class of '57. She is the second child of Duke Diego Sanromea-Davion of El Dorado. One older brother and three younger siblings." Left unsaid but understood by both men was the importance of the cadet family that held the primary banking capital of the Suns for their older cousins under the Sword and Sunburst. "She was part of the force that defended Konstance City and shortly after she engaged, she opened a data link back to HQ. See for yourself what happened."
The display changed to the cockpit of an Enforcer, and the Sandovals watched impassively as the doomed cadet fought bravely but inexpertly before being ruthlessly killed in her downed Enforcer.
James nodded. "Indeed, I see. Who else has seen it?"
Tancred gave a slight smile. "No one on New Avalon as of yet. One of my friends from the Class of '40 picked it out of the data dump that we give the Fox' Den weekly and held it 'pending verification' while up-channeling it to me privately. It won't officially arrive at HQ for four more days."
James grinned like a shark, "You were right and I was wrong when you argued me into attending Sakhara versus Robinson Battle Academy. I'll notify Diego personally, and I need you to speak to Yvonne privately so that we can marshal our arguments with Victor and Katherine. Once we get our forces mustered..."
His smile widened, "...that Snake in the Palace won't know what hit her."
--------------------------------
Davion Palace
New Avalon
1 June, 3057
Omiko Kurita gave Victor Steiner Davion a happy smile that never reached her face as she sat in the private audience chamber next to him. Victor looked more at ease than he had been for the last two days now that the final strike to deal with the Liaos was scheduled. She reached over and took his remaining hand in hers, interlacing her fingers gently with his.
Her inner smile widened as she saw Katherine sipping tea before handing the empty cup to a servant. Her sister-in-law to be also looked like she had found some measure of inner peace now that the end was drawing night for the slayers of her parents.
The servant at the door coughed to get their attention. "Duke Sandoval of Robinson, Princess Steiner-Davion, Duke Sanromea-Davion of El Dorado, Leftenant General Sandoval, Your Highnesses."
Omi stiffened fractionally as Victor's hand clenched on hers in shock. Behind her impassive face, her mind raced faster than a sprinting Jenner as the four nobles entered.
The Lord of the Draconis March was immediately identifiable to her from her studies, of course, as was his son in his uniform. She spared a brief fond thought for the happiness that her friend Yvonne had in the presence of the dark-haired and dark-eyed military man on her elbow. The fourth man was unknown to her, although his reddish-brown hair, neatly groomed and waxed mustache, and slight resemblance to Victor identified him as the Sanromea-Davion Duke.
The delegation bowed as they reached their proscribed place. "Greetings Archon-Prince Steiner-Davion, Princess Regnant Steiner-Davion," Duke Sandoval's voice lost all warmth as he finished, "Baroness Tanaka of Ozawa."
Katherine smiled, "My Lords. Yvonne. Please be seated. It is good to see you all again again. What concerns you?"
James Sandoval handed a data packet to the servant, who then took it to the holoprojector. "The Dragon has struck, as I have warned you."
A star map formed and zoomed in on the border with the Combine six stars scattered up and down the border began to blink orange. Sandoval began to point out details as Victor, Katherine, and Omi leaned forward to examine the map.
"Combine Battlemech units have raided Royal, McComb, Helen, Murchinson and Towne with elements of three separate Battlemech regiments, including one of the Ryuken that Miyako Kurita is using for her shock troops. In addition, I just received words from Skye that the 40th Galedon Regulars have occupied Sabik and Atria in an apparent first stage attack to isolate and pocket the Lyons Thumb. DMI's analysis is appended."
Omi's eyes widened as red arrows struck from Kessel and Dieron to envelop the bulge of Lyran worlds between them. Victor withdrew his hand from hers and pointed. "We don't have much in the way of reliable units with the AFFC holding down Skye and disarming Ryan Steiner's separatists. That could be a big problem. How firm are these troop numbers?"
Tancred Sandoval stood alongside his father. "Sire, 72% probability. As you know, DMI, MIIO, and LIC all shifted the focus of their efforts to the Clan OZs for Clover Spear, and then to the Capellan March and Sarna March when the Liaos struck us. So we have had to rely heavily on your friend's networks. With the chaos in the Combine, multiple regimental forces believed to be loyal to both factions have gone missing. We know that Pesht was being stripped with unconfirmed reports of heavy shipping movements in Benjamin and Galedon. We have confirmation that Miyako is rotating the more damaged units back to Dieron to rebuild Mech losses and integrate replacements while Franklin is believed to have concentrated the Amphigean Light Assault Group and Proserpina Hussars on Matsuida where they act as a threat to the entire Dahar PDZ and the Rimward edge of Raman to Robinson. A pathway that they used in the First Succession War."
Hostile red icons formed and dotted lines showed two possible attack vectors to Robinson.
Victor glanced at Omi, "Have you seen evidence of this?"
The Kurita royal leaned forward with an intent look on her face, "Iie, not as such for invasion plans.... Although Miyako is growing more and more unstable from all my information. My advice to you regarding her may not have been the best, I fear."
Diego Sanromea-Davion glared at Omi with naked hatred on his face as he interjected. "Your advice! Your advice killed mi niña pequeña, because you did not call the Kuritas the threat that they are!!"
Katherine spoke up as Omi's eyes widened in shock, "What is this news, cousin?"
Tancred touched a control and the last moments of Victoria Sanromea-Davion were played. All eyes turned to Omi, who was watching with a pale face. The Kurita took a deep breath and stared into Duke Sanromea-Davion's eyes as she bowed her head in apology. "I have indeed erred, and my error has harmed you and yours. I swear upon my honor that I shall make amends for what my poor decisions have wrought."
"Words! Words are not enough, only deeds will serve now! I shall see the price that your honor is worth. Mi Victoria..." Sanromea-Davion subsided at a quelling touch and look from Yvonne, who shook her head silently.
Whatever response was coming to that was interrupted my Kommandant Parvati's entrance. "Pardon the interruption, but I have FLASH traffic from our Combine network that just arrived at the Palace communication center."
----------------------------
DCA Hiryu
Hachiman
28 May 3057
Miyako Kurita surveyed the holographic display as her three regiments drove toward the industrial planet below. Ryuken-yon, under her personal command spearheaded the wedge with the left flank being Reyuken-san's two battalions. To the right, was the rebuilt Sixth Ghost Regiment, filled out with the few survivors of the Seventh Ghost Regiment after their battle on Yumesta against the Jaguars.
"Transmission received from the surface, Coordinator."
"Display it." Miyako snapped out. The tactical map blinked out to show a corpulent, bald-headed Japanese man.
For long moments the two surveyed each other before the man bowed. "Coordinator-dono."
Miyako smiled slightly as she gestured for him to rise. "Uncle Chandrasekhar. You have news?"
"I do. The city garrison withdrew to their base, and boarded their dropships two days ago when they detected your presence. They have been moving supplies constantly from Masamori City to their new position at the Hachiman Technical Institute from the spaceport on their base by cargo dropship. My corporate security troops have secured Yoshitune Spaceport and I shall await your arrival there."
Miyako nodded, "Good, I will finish securing Masamori City from the main spaceport and then deal with their positions at the Institute."
"Be warned, I have little intelligence on their defenses there. Security is quite tight and the junkyard surrounding it is hazardous."
An alarm sounded on the bridge. "Enemy fighters coming from behind the moon, Coordinator!"
Miyako gave a slashing motion at the commtech to cut the transmission. "Deploy our fighter screen, assume air-defense formation!"
"Older craft. Sholagars. Hardly a threat to us, Coordinator even if they have caught us unawares."
The explosion of a nuclear armed kamikaze ASF flown by the fanatical cadets of the 13th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre gave the lie to that statement as DCA Urizen Kurita was shattered by the nuclear detonation along with the 2nd battalion of Ryuken-san.
Miyako's eyes narrowed as she chewed over the actions of the enemy and came to an unpleasant conclusion
Chandrasekhar Kurita had betrayed her. Betrayed the Dragon. The Spaceport was a trap.
Her eyes turned icy and she hissed. "Relay my orders to all naval units. Load Shinrikyō missiles for saturation bombardment of our planned spacehead. I shall lead the Battlemech deployment from atmosphere."
As the Dropships drove toward ground, their long-range missile launchers fired five salvos of missiles from their magazines at the city as they passed through the stratosphere. As the warheads flew toward the ground, the rotation and speed of their transit caused the seals between the two halves of the war head to fail and the contents to mix precursor chemicals together.
At 1000 meters, fuses fired and the missiles blew apart, dispensing a cloud of heavier than air droplets over the spaceport and Masamori City surrounding it. Developed early in the Second Succession War by direct order of Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, the nerve agent chlorosarin-4 (code named Shinrikyō) was the holy grail of the search for a lethal agent to secure spaceheads. Highly lethal, inhalation would kill humans in minutes, but the compound was unstable and susceptible to breakdown in under an hour, obviating the need to wear chemical gear for anything but to handle the smell of the corpses that it generated.
The first indication Chandrasekhar Kurita and the other gathered dignitaries at the spaceport had that anything was amiss was when their pupils dilated. Drooling, urination, vomiting, and defecation followed as the nerve gas attacked their neurons, followed by muscle spasms, suffocation, and death by asphyxiation.
The cameras that were filming the welcome ceremony for Coordinator Miyako Kurita and broadcasting the spectacle planet-wide caught the full horror of the attack including Chandrasekhar Kurita's last moments even as their operators crumpled and died.
By the time Miyako's Naginata command Mech landed at the head of her troops from their mid-altitude drop, fatalities on Hachiman from her arrival were already in four figures and rising steadily.
Worse was to come to Masamori City. Far worse.
--------------------------------
Davion Palace
New Avalon
1 June, 3057
The room was silent as the grave as the images that had been transmitted from Masamori City finally came to an end.
Victor looked around the room, seeing equally shocked faces. "We have to do something. Options?"
James Sandoval cleared his throat. "I have a contingency plan worked up. Operation NAQAM would send additional forces to the Lyons Thumb to repel the invasion. I plan on the 2nd Robinson Rangers from Phecda since they just need jumpship assets to move from the Marik frontier to the Lyons Thumb. The First Rangers would move to Royal and then secure Marduk along with Raman DMM assets. meanwhile mercenary units will be assembled to pin down and secure the Mech factories on Quentin and Al Na'ir to punish the units responsible backed with conventional forces supplied from the Addicks and Kentares DMM. I have already arranged funding and have agents acting under my authority as Commander of the Draconis March speaking to representatives of several mercenary units on Outreach and Galatea."
Katherine rubbed her temples and sighed. "As long as it does not interfere with our planned attack into the Capellan Confederation, I can authorize that. But the Capellans must be put down for good now."
Yvonne and Victor nodded. "Agreed."
Omi spoke quietly as she looked at the corpse of another of her family members. "I... pledge you my full assistance. We must minimize the damage and that means that Miyako Kurita must be defanged. Uncle Chandy... Moushiwake gozaimasen deshita. Morning Glory, even though you wither, dawn will break anew."
The Kurita royal bowed her head and swallowed her tears as the holoprojector was switched off.
"I have often been asked how difficult it was to come to terms with my new family. Like all things in life, it was difficult in some areas, and even the simplest things can be very difficult.... But it was also very easy in some surprising ways. For instance, my birth family has been called many things by our enemies. Bloody-handed tyrants, warmongering militarists, monsters, and madmen; and I shall never deny that some of my family were all of these things and more. But even in the worst and most bitter fighting of the Succession Wars, there has always been a understanding, as unspoken and unwritten as it may have been then, that there were no and would never be any cowards named Kurita, Davion, Steiner, or Sandoval in the ranks of the combatants...."
Omiko Steiner-Davion, My Path To The Top Of The Mountain: A Journey from Luthien to Kentares, New Avalon Press 3083
FSS Lion of Judah
Inbound to New Avalon
29 May, 3057
Field Marshal James Sandoval, Duke of Robinson and Minister of the Draconis March stared at the approaching crescent of New Avalon with the same focus that he had spent preparing for planetary invasions in his 43 years of service in the AFFS and then AFFC. In a way, this would be the most important planetary invasion of his career, he thought as he clasped his hands behind his back.
The hatch behind him opened, and he noticed a familiar reflection in the armorplast glass enter the room. Dressed in the uniform of a FedCom Leftenant General with Military Intelligence shoulder flashes, his oldest son joined him at the glass.
"Father" Tancred said quietly as he stepped alongside him, "The reports from March Command on Robinson have been collated and forwarded to us."
"Summarize." James said equally quietly.
"In brief, we have identified the units responsible for the attacks into the Addicks and Raman PDZs. Addicks was the 15th Dieron out of Al Na'ir striking Helen, Murchison, and Towne in terror raids, reinforced with a company each of Ryuken-ni as it reconstitutes with production from the factories on Quentin and Al Na'ir after sustaining heavy losses in the continuing infighting in Benjamin. McComb and Royal were each the 22nd Benjamin out of Marduk in a similar battalion-sized raid." Tancred paused, and ran through his mental index cards. "The Snake raids into Addicks were clearly intended to damage infrastructure and cause casualties among our troops and civilians, and were exceptionally brutal even for them. Raman caused moderate infrastructure damage and targeted a militia base on Royal that we had built up into a forward supply dump, and three food processing and packaging plants on McComb."
James grunted acknowledgement of the horrors that the antiseptic words covered.
Tancred sighed, "Three further points. First, prisoner interrogation from the Regulars that we captured on Royal revealed that the cousin of Victor's pet Snake ordered these attacks to 'discourage any ideas that we would have to challenge the Dragon and gain needed supplies'. Quote unquote. Second, we received a flash communication from the Skye March reporting an incursion into the Lyons thumb, no further details yet. Third, the raid on Helen hit the Sak's training battalion hard and...well you need to see for yourself."
James turned and walked to the holoprojector as Tancred fed in the data. The display fuzzed, and then showed an attractive young brunette woman dressed in Sakhara cadet uniform. "Victoria Sanromea-Davion, Class of '57. She is the second child of Duke Diego Sanromea-Davion of El Dorado. One older brother and three younger siblings." Left unsaid but understood by both men was the importance of the cadet family that held the primary banking capital of the Suns for their older cousins under the Sword and Sunburst. "She was part of the force that defended Konstance City and shortly after she engaged, she opened a data link back to HQ. See for yourself what happened."
The display changed to the cockpit of an Enforcer, and the Sandovals watched impassively as the doomed cadet fought bravely but inexpertly before being ruthlessly killed in her downed Enforcer.
James nodded. "Indeed, I see. Who else has seen it?"
Tancred gave a slight smile. "No one on New Avalon as of yet. One of my friends from the Class of '40 picked it out of the data dump that we give the Fox' Den weekly and held it 'pending verification' while up-channeling it to me privately. It won't officially arrive at HQ for four more days."
James grinned like a shark, "You were right and I was wrong when you argued me into attending Sakhara versus Robinson Battle Academy. I'll notify Diego personally, and I need you to speak to Yvonne privately so that we can marshal our arguments with Victor and Katherine. Once we get our forces mustered..."
His smile widened, "...that Snake in the Palace won't know what hit her."
--------------------------------
Davion Palace
New Avalon
1 June, 3057
Omiko Kurita gave Victor Steiner Davion a happy smile that never reached her face as she sat in the private audience chamber next to him. Victor looked more at ease than he had been for the last two days now that the final strike to deal with the Liaos was scheduled. She reached over and took his remaining hand in hers, interlacing her fingers gently with his.
Her inner smile widened as she saw Katherine sipping tea before handing the empty cup to a servant. Her sister-in-law to be also looked like she had found some measure of inner peace now that the end was drawing night for the slayers of her parents.
The servant at the door coughed to get their attention. "Duke Sandoval of Robinson, Princess Steiner-Davion, Duke Sanromea-Davion of El Dorado, Leftenant General Sandoval, Your Highnesses."
Omi stiffened fractionally as Victor's hand clenched on hers in shock. Behind her impassive face, her mind raced faster than a sprinting Jenner as the four nobles entered.
The Lord of the Draconis March was immediately identifiable to her from her studies, of course, as was his son in his uniform. She spared a brief fond thought for the happiness that her friend Yvonne had in the presence of the dark-haired and dark-eyed military man on her elbow. The fourth man was unknown to her, although his reddish-brown hair, neatly groomed and waxed mustache, and slight resemblance to Victor identified him as the Sanromea-Davion Duke.
The delegation bowed as they reached their proscribed place. "Greetings Archon-Prince Steiner-Davion, Princess Regnant Steiner-Davion," Duke Sandoval's voice lost all warmth as he finished, "Baroness Tanaka of Ozawa."
Katherine smiled, "My Lords. Yvonne. Please be seated. It is good to see you all again again. What concerns you?"
James Sandoval handed a data packet to the servant, who then took it to the holoprojector. "The Dragon has struck, as I have warned you."
A star map formed and zoomed in on the border with the Combine six stars scattered up and down the border began to blink orange. Sandoval began to point out details as Victor, Katherine, and Omi leaned forward to examine the map.
"Combine Battlemech units have raided Royal, McComb, Helen, Murchinson and Towne with elements of three separate Battlemech regiments, including one of the Ryuken that Miyako Kurita is using for her shock troops. In addition, I just received words from Skye that the 40th Galedon Regulars have occupied Sabik and Atria in an apparent first stage attack to isolate and pocket the Lyons Thumb. DMI's analysis is appended."
Omi's eyes widened as red arrows struck from Kessel and Dieron to envelop the bulge of Lyran worlds between them. Victor withdrew his hand from hers and pointed. "We don't have much in the way of reliable units with the AFFC holding down Skye and disarming Ryan Steiner's separatists. That could be a big problem. How firm are these troop numbers?"
Tancred Sandoval stood alongside his father. "Sire, 72% probability. As you know, DMI, MIIO, and LIC all shifted the focus of their efforts to the Clan OZs for Clover Spear, and then to the Capellan March and Sarna March when the Liaos struck us. So we have had to rely heavily on your friend's networks. With the chaos in the Combine, multiple regimental forces believed to be loyal to both factions have gone missing. We know that Pesht was being stripped with unconfirmed reports of heavy shipping movements in Benjamin and Galedon. We have confirmation that Miyako is rotating the more damaged units back to Dieron to rebuild Mech losses and integrate replacements while Franklin is believed to have concentrated the Amphigean Light Assault Group and Proserpina Hussars on Matsuida where they act as a threat to the entire Dahar PDZ and the Rimward edge of Raman to Robinson. A pathway that they used in the First Succession War."
Hostile red icons formed and dotted lines showed two possible attack vectors to Robinson.
Victor glanced at Omi, "Have you seen evidence of this?"
The Kurita royal leaned forward with an intent look on her face, "Iie, not as such for invasion plans.... Although Miyako is growing more and more unstable from all my information. My advice to you regarding her may not have been the best, I fear."
Diego Sanromea-Davion glared at Omi with naked hatred on his face as he interjected. "Your advice! Your advice killed mi niña pequeña, because you did not call the Kuritas the threat that they are!!"
Katherine spoke up as Omi's eyes widened in shock, "What is this news, cousin?"
Tancred touched a control and the last moments of Victoria Sanromea-Davion were played. All eyes turned to Omi, who was watching with a pale face. The Kurita took a deep breath and stared into Duke Sanromea-Davion's eyes as she bowed her head in apology. "I have indeed erred, and my error has harmed you and yours. I swear upon my honor that I shall make amends for what my poor decisions have wrought."
"Words! Words are not enough, only deeds will serve now! I shall see the price that your honor is worth. Mi Victoria..." Sanromea-Davion subsided at a quelling touch and look from Yvonne, who shook her head silently.
Whatever response was coming to that was interrupted my Kommandant Parvati's entrance. "Pardon the interruption, but I have FLASH traffic from our Combine network that just arrived at the Palace communication center."
----------------------------
DCA Hiryu
Hachiman
28 May 3057
Miyako Kurita surveyed the holographic display as her three regiments drove toward the industrial planet below. Ryuken-yon, under her personal command spearheaded the wedge with the left flank being Reyuken-san's two battalions. To the right, was the rebuilt Sixth Ghost Regiment, filled out with the few survivors of the Seventh Ghost Regiment after their battle on Yumesta against the Jaguars.
"Transmission received from the surface, Coordinator."
"Display it." Miyako snapped out. The tactical map blinked out to show a corpulent, bald-headed Japanese man.
For long moments the two surveyed each other before the man bowed. "Coordinator-dono."
Miyako smiled slightly as she gestured for him to rise. "Uncle Chandrasekhar. You have news?"
"I do. The city garrison withdrew to their base, and boarded their dropships two days ago when they detected your presence. They have been moving supplies constantly from Masamori City to their new position at the Hachiman Technical Institute from the spaceport on their base by cargo dropship. My corporate security troops have secured Yoshitune Spaceport and I shall await your arrival there."
Miyako nodded, "Good, I will finish securing Masamori City from the main spaceport and then deal with their positions at the Institute."
"Be warned, I have little intelligence on their defenses there. Security is quite tight and the junkyard surrounding it is hazardous."
An alarm sounded on the bridge. "Enemy fighters coming from behind the moon, Coordinator!"
Miyako gave a slashing motion at the commtech to cut the transmission. "Deploy our fighter screen, assume air-defense formation!"
"Older craft. Sholagars. Hardly a threat to us, Coordinator even if they have caught us unawares."
The explosion of a nuclear armed kamikaze ASF flown by the fanatical cadets of the 13th Sun Zhang Academy Cadre gave the lie to that statement as DCA Urizen Kurita was shattered by the nuclear detonation along with the 2nd battalion of Ryuken-san.
Miyako's eyes narrowed as she chewed over the actions of the enemy and came to an unpleasant conclusion
Chandrasekhar Kurita had betrayed her. Betrayed the Dragon. The Spaceport was a trap.
Her eyes turned icy and she hissed. "Relay my orders to all naval units. Load Shinrikyō missiles for saturation bombardment of our planned spacehead. I shall lead the Battlemech deployment from atmosphere."
As the Dropships drove toward ground, their long-range missile launchers fired five salvos of missiles from their magazines at the city as they passed through the stratosphere. As the warheads flew toward the ground, the rotation and speed of their transit caused the seals between the two halves of the war head to fail and the contents to mix precursor chemicals together.
At 1000 meters, fuses fired and the missiles blew apart, dispensing a cloud of heavier than air droplets over the spaceport and Masamori City surrounding it. Developed early in the Second Succession War by direct order of Coordinator Jinjiro Kurita, the nerve agent chlorosarin-4 (code named Shinrikyō) was the holy grail of the search for a lethal agent to secure spaceheads. Highly lethal, inhalation would kill humans in minutes, but the compound was unstable and susceptible to breakdown in under an hour, obviating the need to wear chemical gear for anything but to handle the smell of the corpses that it generated.
The first indication Chandrasekhar Kurita and the other gathered dignitaries at the spaceport had that anything was amiss was when their pupils dilated. Drooling, urination, vomiting, and defecation followed as the nerve gas attacked their neurons, followed by muscle spasms, suffocation, and death by asphyxiation.
The cameras that were filming the welcome ceremony for Coordinator Miyako Kurita and broadcasting the spectacle planet-wide caught the full horror of the attack including Chandrasekhar Kurita's last moments even as their operators crumpled and died.
By the time Miyako's Naginata command Mech landed at the head of her troops from their mid-altitude drop, fatalities on Hachiman from her arrival were already in four figures and rising steadily.
Worse was to come to Masamori City. Far worse.
--------------------------------
Davion Palace
New Avalon
1 June, 3057
The room was silent as the grave as the images that had been transmitted from Masamori City finally came to an end.
Victor looked around the room, seeing equally shocked faces. "We have to do something. Options?"
James Sandoval cleared his throat. "I have a contingency plan worked up. Operation NAQAM would send additional forces to the Lyons Thumb to repel the invasion. I plan on the 2nd Robinson Rangers from Phecda since they just need jumpship assets to move from the Marik frontier to the Lyons Thumb. The First Rangers would move to Royal and then secure Marduk along with Raman DMM assets. meanwhile mercenary units will be assembled to pin down and secure the Mech factories on Quentin and Al Na'ir to punish the units responsible backed with conventional forces supplied from the Addicks and Kentares DMM. I have already arranged funding and have agents acting under my authority as Commander of the Draconis March speaking to representatives of several mercenary units on Outreach and Galatea."
Katherine rubbed her temples and sighed. "As long as it does not interfere with our planned attack into the Capellan Confederation, I can authorize that. But the Capellans must be put down for good now."
Yvonne and Victor nodded. "Agreed."
Omi spoke quietly as she looked at the corpse of another of her family members. "I... pledge you my full assistance. We must minimize the damage and that means that Miyako Kurita must be defanged. Uncle Chandy... Moushiwake gozaimasen deshita. Morning Glory, even though you wither, dawn will break anew."
The Kurita royal bowed her head and swallowed her tears as the holoprojector was switched off.