Chapter One Hundred and Thirty-Two: Dark Days
August 15th, 3031
"We managed to pull off almost all of our main objectives." I told Godbolt and Packer. "We have the Dragon, Charger, Quickdraw, and Grand Dragon lines on board the Age of Discovery, along with large pieces of the Lancelot lines before we destroyed the rest of the production there." I sighed. "I need one of your units to take the Age of Discovery along with the Excaliburs and Triumph dropships that we looted and assist the Marines in getting to Kentares with the Narukami that we took."
"I hate to say it," Packer started. "But I took a bit more losses than Godbolt did, and should probably get started on making sure that Kentares is covered from reprisal."
"I'm taking the Manassas and the Vanguard with me to hit New Samarkand while we're still on the move," I told the senior officers. "And I want to take out the ISF HQ while we're there," I shrugged. "After we strip all of the intelligence we can from it of course."
"What are we going to do with Theodore Kurita and his family?" Godbolt asked.
"I'm turning them over to Hanse, it's his ball park after all." I said with a shrug, "I'm just playing in it."
"So Packer, you and the 1st Kentares are going to be taking the wounded, and all of the loot that we have back to Kentares." I said with a smile on my face. "Be careful and stick to the dead systems that we used to make it to Luthien in the first place, the Age of Discovery looks like a mighty tempting target right now after all."
"We'll keep the booty safe." Packer said with a grin. "You can count on us."
"Y'all did incredible work on Luthien." I looked at the two COs. "Anything you want after this, if it is in my power I'll make it happen."
New Avalon, September 15th, 3031
"We've run all of the possible tests." Dr. Banzai told Hanse Davion. "Dr. Hale here was a big help in showing us what she had already gone over."
"I was afraid that might be the case." Hanse replied with a massive sigh. "Do we have any idea whose body it is?"
"I'm afraid not," Banzai shook his head with a frown. "But we do have verifiable proof that it's not First Prince Ian Davion."
"That's what I needed." Hanse said as he flipped through the documentation that was provided to him. "Do we have an estimated timeframe on when the switch took place?" He asked Quintus Allard.
"We have identified areas where it would have been easiest to replace him, yes." Quintus used his slate to send the files over. "We're fairly certain that the swap occurred while he was on his tour of the Outback."
"There must have been traitors in our midst." Hanse said as he flipped through the files.
"We've identified the four that are most likely to be infiltrators." Quintus said calmly. "With your permission, I would like to ask the personal guards of House Davion if they would be willing to subject themselves to Narco Interrogation in order to prove their loyalty."
"I'm not going to mandate it Quintus. "Hanse said after a moment's thought. "But we can see who is willing to submit themselves to it and move on from there."
"Most of us are going to be willing to Hanse." Quintus said. "Even Jones and Hale here would be willing."
"Most of the intelligence that I know is already shared with you anyway." Jones agreed. "I'd prefer to not share some of our department's secrets, but I would be willing to do that if we were able to catch some traitors."
"You have my permission to administer it to people who are willing Quintus." Hanse said. "We're not going to lose the loyalty of some of our best people over this issue."
"We'll find the traitors or infiltrators Hanse," Quintus stated with a small smil. "And we'll figure out who did this to Ian and bring them to justice."
"Alright, everyone can leave." Hanse said tiredly. "Quintus, can you have Yvonne sent in, I think she needs to know about this and I should be the one to inform her." '
Altair, September 15th, 3031
"We're still bogged down here." Stone commed his XO. "The Dragoons brought some sort of larger powered armor than our Mithril suits, and they got the drop on us."
"We're handling the Ryuken regiments over here decently, I can send over a detachment of aerospace to clear some space for you to fall back." Stones XO Major Vance replied. "But there's still a lot of enemy assets."
"I have you trapped here Colonel Stone," A voice said over open channels. "If you tell me where Duke Hull is then I will allow you to depart from this world."
"Colonel Wolf, even if I knew where Hull was I wouldn't tell you." Stone replied as he moved his MAD-2T around a gutted Von Luckner. "You'll have to pry the information from my cold dead corpse."
"We shall see Colonel, we shall see." The voice cut off as the channel closed.
"I want all of our units to start falling back towards the LZ." Stone commanded the forces with him. "I'll hold the line with a couple of fireteams until Vance can get us reinforced."
The mixed regiment began to fall back in an orderly fashion, leaving Stone with a mixed company of vehicles and 'mechs to hold the line against the Wolf's Dragoons.
"You gonna come and face me like a man Colonel Wolf?" Stone asked. "Or did you leave your balls back in the Wolf Confederation with your brother?"
"Did you believe that I was limited by what my brother has done?" Joshua Wolf asked as his Black Knight walked out into view followed by three lances of assault 'mechs. "This is where you lose Stone."
"We'll see about that." Stone replied as he fired his twin Clantech ERPPCs along with his LB-5X at one of the Assault 'mechs. "The time for the Wolf's Dragoons is coming to an end."
Author's note: Sorry if this seems a little incoherent, I've got a killer migraine right now and it makes it hard to write. I may will have to go back and edit this because I felt like I was missing a section, but at this point I'm just glad that I put a chapter out today. May or may not have any chapters out next week, I'm going on vacation and will not be bringing my computer with me. Also, I know canonically the Grand Dragon didn't make an appearance until later, but that got changed here by butterflies Author hand wave etc...