Katherine Eggers sat in her office and pondered the change in her fortunes.
Her son, had created such runaway success that she had been elevated to Duke by association. A shock to someone born to a line of Barons, who, in each generation, had to present themselves to the Archon to retain the title.
Her husband was now running one of the largest intelligence operations in the Lyran Commonwealth, given the sheer number of industrialists, researchers, and specialists on planet. LCAF-MI were very happy with providing the manpower to keep it all safe. LIC were liaising with the intention of keeping them all safe.
That they were now working on orbital infrastructure, on an O'Neill cylinder at that, told her that even more intellectuals would be coming. More industrialists. More specialists. Her planet might be the most top heavy in terms of education in the entire Inner Sphere at this rate. After all, they had education city, that was ballooning at a truly rapid rate. Everyone who wished to learn was making their way here.
The Archon was providing funding to restart the 'Wandering Professor' program to bring the Commonwealth's education levels in the poorer worlds to an acceptable standard. That which had been present prior to the First Succession War.
Everything had changed at an extremely rapid rate, within a year and a half even.
But, for all that things changed, they stayed the same.
After all, it wasn't from her that Huu had inherited his... travel phobia, or the lack of hand-eye coordination required to catch a ball.
That was all from his father.
It was unfortunate, but she did feel a little happy about the fact that he did not suffer from the same need as she did. The need to stride on the battlefield and see her enemies crushed, driven before her. Lamenting as she burned down all that they held dear.
To witness, with her own eyes, their suffering and defeat. To feel the sensation of glorious victory over her foes. OF annihilation of their dreams, their hopes, their very core as human beings.
The burning beast that sat in her breast, one that was never sated. No matter how much she fed it with death and annihilation.
In her youth, she had served in the Lyran Regulars in a Commando. Serving her required years, increasingly frustrated from the absolute uselessness of the LCAF in the Blackjack region. The inability to actually defeat their enemies, the lack of aggression, of sheer rank cowardice in LCAF command.
And so, when it came time to renew her service, she had instead gone mercenary. Raiding into the Combine, raiding into pirates, raiding into corporations she felt were not contributing to the war effort. Demonstrating, that despite the mass of her mech, she was a force to be reckoned with.
It was all with LIC blessing, of course, to complete objectives that needed something heavier and massed more than that of a knife in the back.
On one of these missions she had met Phan, they had... well, no. For all that Phan liked to think he was the one that possessed great initiative, it had been her that had pushed forward. It had been her that had driven the relationship until it had been time for her to return to Blackjack, to take up her mantle as Baroness.
Dragging him with her.
For a time, it had been enough to bank the beast that burned in her heart.
The need had never gone away, not even when time had passed, when Huu had been born, when she had taken full responsibility for the Museum. Her boy, her responsibility.
Mine had whispered the beast.
And so she stayed, to protect him, to sate the beast in another way.
The rewards for peace were satisfying enough for her to be content, to maintain this lifestyle. Constantly drilling, constantly practicing to maintain her skills, yet not feeling the need to leave the world.
The occasional raid was enough for her to get her fill. The destruction of enemy Battlemechs, infantry platoons, and armoured vehicles had been enough.
Enough to feed the beast with death and annihilation.
Having her contemplation interrupted, Katherine had welcomed the emissaries into her office, taking a seat at the guest table.
Sitting in front of her was Iris Steiner, as well as Amelie Gipps and Marie Francoeur. Representing the Blackjack School of Conflict in an 'informal' meeting.
Or rather, a meeting where she could meet with her son's fiancé and some upperclassman sent to observe and convey messages. Iris Steiner, who, despite not officially her son's fiancé, resembled Katherine enough that it didn't exactly matter.
She was the one pursuing and... well, her son was close enough to his father in terms of temperament that it didn't exactly matter.
It was like hunting sand-teeth in the desert flats on Blackjack.
To successfully bring a beast down, one had to be relentless, had to move in a single straight line forwards. With the understanding that trying to be smart, to flank, or to waver, was for it to kill you.
As it waited, staring at you in indecision, moving forward into striking range was how one stabbed its weak spot. Evolved to counter the seemingly random and sudden movements of the desert species of Blackjack, something headed in a straight line was nigh impossible for it to counter. For none moved straight on the sand flats. The creatures of Blackjack's deserts instead twisted and curved to preserve energy. It had, therefore, never developed a means to resist. Sitting still, dazed as one simply moved closer. There was a metaphor in there somewhere.
Iris was of the same temperament. Moving forward, inevitably forward to skewer her boy.
The beast was quiet, it knew that for the line to continue, there necessitated some sacrifice. Mine it still whispered, but with a softer tone.
After all, in this case, she was giving her permission. Huu, for all his business success... was incredibly aimless on a personal level.
Giving him some kind of direction was infinitely preferable to a gold digger who used the same tactics and dug her claws into him.
Useless had roared the beast at the very thought of it. Annihilate!
And so, to prevent the need for murder most foul, Katherine had moved to prevent any from coming into contact with Huu.
The other problem had soon presented itself.
Social climbers who would add nothing to the family and simply be a waste in terms of resources and effort. The only value that someone like that could offer would be their genes, and those might not even be worth it. What had they done that made them worthy of her son?
Useless!
The problem had gotten exponentially worse as Eggers General Utility rode success to success. Huu only remaining unspeared due to his hermit-like nature.
Mine.
Katherine, then, was rather satisfied that someone like Iris Steiner had set her eyes on Huu. Someone who would make sure that he didn't well... continue to walk around aimlessly in his home life.
"Iris Steiner. Be welcome into my home, I am sure there is much for us to talk about. Your escorts, Amelie and Marie, should feel free to sit down as well. It is good to meet you." She had met the two older cadets before, them being the regular liaisons sent by Kleist to deliver messages. Grooming them, no doubt, to serve a bigger role in linking the academy to Eggers General Utility once they graduated.
Seated as she was behind a small shield table, itself made of some rather rare wood, she waved them forward. Iris was visibly admiring the table as she accepted the near command.
Redwood, from Terra itself.
Something she had looted from the burning mansion of a Draconis noble, himself dead in his Battlemech. He had forgotten one simple truth, when lifting an enemy, it merely brings them closer to your cockpit.
Annihilation! The beast had been sated, if only briefly, on that day. The Mechwarrior, not even having time to commit seppuku as she smashed her way through the cockpit glass. Both fists pounding away as he flailed about in desperation, the Dragon's elongated chest proving her the leverage she needed to ride his corpse into the ground.
In any case, the ornate scroll work depicting the life of a turtle of all things had found itself a home with Katherine wherever she had travelled across the Inner Sphere.
Iris sat herself down on the other side, accepting a teacup and the offer to pour tea. Grimacing when she took a sip of double strength straight black tea.
As was often the case, mercenaries, or even regular troops picked up the habits they learned from their units, from the people they interacted with, and brought them back to their homes. In this case, straight black tea, from the largest manufacturer of black tea in the Inner Sphere, Bushells.
Breaking away from their parent company at the dawn of Space Colonisation, through innovating tactics and means, Bushells consistently provides the best Breakfast Tea in the Inner Sphere with their Blue Label brand.
Or so the packaging said.
There had been a great deal of skulduggery involved, she knew. Having participated in raids upon Lipton's facilities. Not because the LIC had needed it to happen, but because they had shipped her mouldy tea once.
There had been a great deal of vengeance carried out on that day.
Then there had been the raids on Unilever, who continued to claim Bushells as part of their brand. Bushells disagreed... strongly.
Thinking back on pleasant memories, Katherine took a sip of her tea.
It was strong, it was tea, and it possibly could count as paint in some circles. Like the communal tea urn, stained black from decades of use. The first one to use decaff and dissolve the... varnish... would disappear into a mech's reactor.
As had been custom in her mercenary company, there was no sweetener or creamer.
With a grimace, Iris gamely drank it all down before looking at her host.
"It is good to meet you, Duchess Eggers."
The girl felt wary, which was natural. 17 years of age and having just started her first year at Blackjack, having had to wait due to Huu's circumstances on Furillo.
Circumstances which had Katherine carefully control her strength as to not do anything rash. She had always known, of course, that he would do something that would get himself killed, it was not in Huu's nature to wait for death to claim him naturally. That was just how he was, impetuous to the extreme, even... or rather, especially when it came to matters he was terrified by.
Mine! The beast within had writhed about in impotent fury. Katherine herself had to do much the same.
He had inherited the worst parts of her without that which balanced it out. He was as much a danger to himself as he was to a toasted burrito.
One might call him a Northern Lemming. 100% effort into everything, even if it kills him. Even when he could have just sat in one place and rested, waited for things to come to him.
Katherine hearing about his hospitalisation had immediately dispatched yet more of her retainers, those that had followed her from her mercenary days, to protect him.
While not as... capable as she was, they were still her person guard.
Enough to sate the beast at least. He had protection, she had whispered to it, to reassure the beast as much as herself.
From their words, they had impressed the Wolverines and been inducted into some kind of fraternity.
Good for them.
Mine.
In any case, with Iris here... after... her service... there would be someone to keep an eye on her wayward son.
"I am happy to meet you. Someone who is willing to take the first step in pursuing a relationship with my son. If you hadn't, well, he would have died a spinster."
Iris very carefully set her teacup to the side before looking up.
"Yes... I had realised the best action would be... direct action."
Katherine nodded in satisfaction.
"As with father, as with son."
Mine the beast roared, laying claim to both.
Iris let a small smile grace her lips, "it is not official yet, but I am confident in my strategy."
"As you should be."
The two of them smiled at each other, comfortable in their mutual understanding.
"We will talk more in the future of course, I do want to get to know you better. But for the time being. It is important to me that my alma mater is treated well," a nod to the two second year cadets, an acknowledgement of the reason they were here in the first place. To see what it was that Eggers, the family and company, could provide them.
Faked of course, they were just moving through the motions of an age old ritual, of alumni to cadet.
It was in her best interests for the Blackjack School of Conflict to succeed, just as it was in the best interests of the Blackjack School of Conflict for Eggers General Utility to succeed.
Both relied on the other, both fed off the other, and both were more successful when supported by the other. But they couldn't outright say it.
Hence, why these two cadets were here, learning the ins and outs of the business to better... requisition certain goods as needed in exchange for certain favours.
As a graduate, Katherine understood this. As a Lyran citizen, she allowed it.
After all, it was how they would survive in a reality infested by Social Generals.
"I have authorised the transfer of 60 Smialies from Eggers Armaments' stockpile to Colonel Kleist's control. He must be excited to adjust to this new addition to the battlefield."
The cadets saluted, thanking her as cadets would salute an alumni.
"Colonel Kleist has spoken of certain changes in doctrine that will make great use of the Smialy. Enough for a battalion per regiment. Perhaps enough to replace each Light Mech lance with one battalion in the composition charts for those... lacking light mechs." Came the reply, tit-for-tat in other words.
Iris looked a little clueless, but feeling as if she should know what was going on. In time, thought Katherine, she would learn. Half the battle was won before it even started, that victory required logistics, which required one to play the political game. To pretend to care about the thoughts of idiots. To think that one's superiors were not wasting your time. That you were not wasting your time by not being on the battlefield.
Kill the beast demanded, not understanding that ephemeral concepts such as 'waste of organic matter' could not be killed so easily.
Negotiation, making deals, and securing what you needed, for your people was necessary. All things that the beast could never understand.
Then came the small buzz in her ear, one that was expected.
It was time to feed the beast, she thought to herself with anticipation.
+_+
Iris Steiner had not been exactly sure of the reception she was going to receive upon entering Katherine Eggers' personal office. A quiet pat on the back for being the one to chase after Huu had definitely not been what she had been expecting.
The backroom dealings that all Lyran nobles and officers were expected to play out was evident. The fact that it wasn't between nobles, but between cadets and house Eggers on behalf of Colonel Kleist was a little confusing. Why were they trying to act nonchalant over it? It wasn't like this strange or new. Especially for a scion of house Steiner.
However, the discussion about the Smialy had been confusing. That was until the sheer scale of what was being discussed became clear. Doctrinal changes... meant that there would be possibly be a demand of tens of thousands of Smialies... backroom deals indeed. The Blackjack School of Conflict's much more effective doctrine was taken as gospel in many smaller, less well-to-do militias in the Commonwealth. A word from them was as good as gold for future procurement.
Things had changed, however, when Katherine Eggers' disposition itself changed. From that of an amiable host... to what seemed like a feral beast.
Lips that were suddenly pushed aside by grinning teeth, eyes that narrowed with anticipation.
"Iris, Amelie, Marie, please go behind my desk and crouch down. There is a matter that is soon to become very... problematic, and I do not want you caught in the crossfire."
The upperclassmen on either side of Iris nodded before shepherding her like a recalcitrant herd animal. Feeling more than a little indignant, especially as she had experienced this exact sensation before from her bodyguards on Furillo. Iris turned her head to watch Katherine Eggers lean serenely back on her wooden chair.
The desk situated several metres to Katherine's right, more than enough space to avoid the crossfire, especially as the door opened somewhere to Katherine's front.
Soon the four of them waited in silence, Iris feeling every single burr in the carpet beneath her knees. Eyes peaked over the top of the desk, trying hard not to breathe too loudly, taking her cues from her upperclassmen.
Who, in turn, had their sidearms out and hidden from sight. The duchess in waiting had tried to do the same, before a hand had pushed harshly down. She hadn't been trained to LCAF standard yet, especially not Blackjack standard. The worst thing she could do was to shoot the wrong target, or worse, freeze up due to inexperience.
Best to keep the weapon holstered and only use it if absolutely necessary.
It had been four minutes (she had counted), before a triple knock interrupted the tension.
"Come in," Katherine called out, seemingly languid as she did so. Like this was not a potential threat.
The door opened, and three figures entered the room, clad in the same uniforms that the Wolverines sported, Iris instantly recognised their insignia and camouflage pattern. Standard issue, which was definitely abnormal. The Wolverines did not have a separate dress and field uniform, marking them as abnormal in the Inner Sphere.
As they stepped in, however, Katherine did not deign to welcome them, or even acknowledge their presence.
Merely looking in their direction, eyebrow raised.
The guests wanted to come closer, yet without invitation they were bound to wait. One began to fidget, the others focused on presenting themselves as at attention.
Finally, she spoke after an uncomfortably long silence.
"Ah, you're really good at this, aren't you? I can't even tell you aren't real Wolverines."
A shocked pause.
Hands immediately went to weapons before the sound of breaking furniture filled the room. From behind, three Wolverines, larger, more muscular, entirely too terrifying to be normal humans, had slammed into the fakes. Feet tripping them forward, hands to the backs of their heads and slamming their faces to the ground.
Two more following for each of the fakes, pinning arms and legs to the floor as the first leaned on their lower backs and necks.
What followed could only be called a masterful dismantling of an opponent as yet more Wolverines flooded the room. Separating the injured captives, spreading their legs, putting braces between their thighs. Cutting off boots and spreading out their toes, their fingers, even their mouths.
If there were ever humans that looked like animals for sale at an auction, these were it.
"Now then, I am told that you have several nuclear weapons, ready to deploy. But... are... unwilling to use them because of how ineffective they would be. The fortress construction, yes? So, you need someone to get you into the research facilities, into Administration, which would be... me... yes?" Katherine Eggers continued to sit on the chair, eyes now staring down at the figures on the floor.
Her expression was one of supreme disappointment.
Trying to struggle, but looking like fish flopping about with how their limbs and appendages had been locked in place. The captives settled for glaring.
"It is... very poetic. I think. To instead... use the same strategy on you. Wouldn't you say so?"
Finally standing up, voice filled with barely restrained... hunger, Katherine Eggers beamed at the figures on the ground.
"It's more than a little... arrogant to come after me with just the three of you. So, confident in your... technological capabilities, are we? How... disappointing that it was you in Comstar and not... well... someone with more bite to them." Sounding genuinely disappointed, Katherine motioned to the Wolverines to bring them away. For what purpose, Iris didn't know... but from the discussion she wasn't sure she wanted to know.
"What about the ISF group in Section 98?"
"Still preparing for deployment, they not are ready as of yet. Shipping data indicates they will be ready in a week." One of the Wolverines, clad entirely in armour, answered Duchess Eggers.
"Well, then, time to crack some skulls yes? If one of the idiots has felt... confident enough to attack... we might as well clean house." Sounding incredibly eager, Katherine turned to the cadets.
"If you would like to join the... Wolverines in the control room, I feel that you will learn a great deal from... what is about to transpire."
And with that, she left, leaving the Blackjack School of Conflict's cadets in the tender mercies of the Wolverines.
+_+
Watching through the cameras attached to the EDF honour guard, the Wolverines, as well as Duchess Eggers' own rig. The cadets and the Wolverines in the observation room could see everything in the lead up to the 'purging' operation.
With great ease, they got to watch in first person as Katherine Eggers checked her weapons, quickly disassembling the 14.5mm short barrel, armour piercing rifle, fingers moving over each individual piece. Before assembling it again, satisfied with what she had seen. Said weapon had reportedly come from her personal armoury. Also included were several blades and a vibro-axe.
A monster of a thing, it's handle as long as her chest. It's blade a palm's thickness as the base, flaring out to a spear point on top, a hooked tooth arcing inwards underneath. A brute designed to hurt, not one for display.
Finally, it came time to breach, the fortress acting to keep the Lyrans out. It's exact purpose, even if it was not welcome here... on a Lyran world.
The solution, from what the cadets could see, was to use the oldest trick in the book. That being guile. The lesson here being that never smash your face into the hardest rock. Instead, use what leverage you had to move the rock the way you wanted it moved.
The entire section had been purchased by the ISF from what the Wolverines had been saying, the entire project greenlit by LIC, with the understanding that there would be some secret... entrances to allow them to move through. They wanted to strike a blow, but to also gain actionable intelligence from such an enormous operation.
In short, the mighty fortress, had no foundation.
Evident as the strike force moved in from all angles, the top, the bottom, as well as the sides. Using secret entrances to breach, slamming through with extreme violence of action.
Katherine Eggers, as duchess of the planet, had taken place at the vanguard of the bottom-up team. Most of the section area (save the trains) being too small for mechs to battle it out within. The mech-walkable areas that did exist having been filled waiting Lyran Assaults. Crushing any who might try to break through and escape.
A solid wall of metal.
Yet, for all of that, it was the monitor of Katherine Eggers that held their interest the most. For she was the most aggressive when it came to battle. Dashing forward with her axe, she thrust forward, the spiked tip of the blade catching the shocked... soldier? ISF? DEST? in the chest.
Like a butcher, she angled the blade forward, and put great force into it, the vibroblade activating, using the fact it was embedded in the target to cleave its way forth. Cutting the body from left chest to right waist, intact only because it had entered beneath the shoulder.
Stepping forward, the blade had been reversed from the low angle. Now being swung up, as the agents on the other side demonstrating their elite status. Unsheathing their swords, only for their hands to be slammed with the butt of the axe. An aborted swing of the axe transitioning to a forward step, followed by a thrust. The follow through of the blade, soon after, to cleave their upper torso off.
The following battle was like watching a mix of axe-work, sword-work, and spear-work. Katherine Eggers butchering her way through the meagre resistance initially offered. Always rushing forth to press the enemy wherever possible, never allowing them time to pause, to consolidate. The Wolverines strung out behind, needing to clear the rooms in detail as Duchess Eggers butchered her way forth. Her firearm remaining in its holster, as if she had forgotten it existed entirely. Relying on armour plate and blade to achieve victory.
Yet, for all her skill with the blade, for all her body count, one person could not take a Section on their own. The kilometre long structure, gave an enormous amount of space for an enormous number of agents and soldiers to fill it up. Two entire regiments of militia, as well as the Wolverines, had been assigned to this battle... and it was sorely needed.
In a battle such as this, it did not matter how elite you were. It mattered how many bodies you had, for sheer weight of firepower, and manpower to man choke-points, was what allowed you to survive.
Elite troops died just as easily when the hallway was filled with bullets and lasers.
Into this stepped the Wolverines, using large shields mounted on rolling wheels to weather the fire. The Combine soldiers, not having the heavy weaponry to defeat them. The Duchess having been forced to take a break and retire as she began to flag. Her bloodlust was great, but her body was weak, the watching Wolverines had commented.
Into each room peeled off armoured infantry, their plate able to handle the fire from a single 30 metre hexagon's worth of occupants.
That wasn't to say it was perfect, Iris had already seen half the monitors go still, the Wolverines, despite their armour suffering from sheer weight of fire, as well as suicidal attacks. Kilograms of explosive at close range were more than enough to defeat the man-portable armour. They were dying in this claustrophobic battlefield, their skill unable to overcome sheer volume and ferocity of fire.
In the end, Iris and the other cadets had to leave. The battle could take hours, they had been told. That was the entire reason that the fortresses had been designed the way they were.
Luckily, there were backdoors, or it may have taken months, they were self-contained for a reason. Even then, however, the casualties were too great. LIC or someone higher up had fucked this up royally, she had heard the Wolverines whisper. How had so many gotten into the Section? It was as if there were an entire regiment inside, with limited heavy weapon support that was now appearing. Medium Laser Support Lasers, Recoilless Rifles, the kind of weapons that were designed to hurt Standard Armour, wreaked havoc on human flesh.
Someone had fucked up, had missed all of this, and heads were going to roll, that much was clear.
Iris Steiner walked to the train that was taking her back to the Academy. Leaving with the knowledge that Katherine Eggers was the most terrifying woman that she had ever met, especially considering how short she was.
The second was that Huu Eggers, for all his social bumbling, was the most terrifying person that she had ever met. The design of these fortresses had demonstrated that, definitely, there were hundreds on this planet already. Tens of thousands across the Lyran Commonwealth. Yet more in the Inner Sphere.
Each needed artillery to break, needed regiments to clear out by gun and blade...
Wars would now consume millions of soldiers, on a scale not seen since the Age of War, when Battlemechs had not yet stepped foot on the battlefield.
Huu Eggers had provided the buildings, had provided the Militiamechs, the whispers of exosuits from the Wolverines...
He had single-handedly orchestrated all of it.
Then came the orbitals and the whispered ASF designs. Truly enormous war... on all fields of battle... in space, in the air, on the ground, and under the ground.
Just how much death would result from his seemingly innocent designs? Or was he seeking to drive the lower tempo of the third Succession War into a high gear? Like that of the Age of War all over again, on every contested planet.
Iris shivered, she would need to finalise this betrothal agreement and guide him away from this path. Preferably, somewhere more... sedate and peaceful.