Battletech [Mechwarrior Dar Ilsa J Bick (epub)

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.”“On one planet, perhaps,” the coordinator said.“But you do not have personal relationships on every border world.Have you considered that these resistance movements might be receiving.encouragement?”“Hai, we are studying the problem.Tai-sa Crawford has carte blanche to act on this matter in my absence.I am confident of his abilities, Tono.”“Then let us hope your confidence is not misplaced.” The coordinator looked to the others.“Is there any order of business we have overlooked?”“Hai, Tono.” Toranaga rose, bowed.“I have a matter of great moment to discuss.”Bhatia’s eyebrows flinched for his hairline.What was this?“Indeed,” the coordinator replied, his face as still as a pond.“Hai.I have taken the liberty of speaking to Tai-sho Kurita about the matter.” Toranaga inclined his head toward Theodore, who sat at his father’s right hand—a nod the heir did not return, Bhatia saw.Indeed, Theodore’s face was a studied blank.“I wish to make you a gift of great value, Tono.”“Ah,” the coordinator said again, and then he spared only the briefest of glances at his son, a glance that Bhatia read instantly.Whatever Toranaga has planned these two have undermined already.“Yes,” the coordinator said mildly.“We thought you would.”7Katana’s Journal15 June 3136Okay, I thought I’d never do word one of a journal again.See, last year, somehow, parts of my old journal leaked.Not much, and not very important stuff, but you know newsies.Screaming headlines, and then, of course, they start those frigging forums for people who wouldn’t know a joystick if someone jammed one up their ass.So, of course, they’re qualified to weigh in on me.She doesn’t sound like a general.Or She needs a psychiatrist.Or Who’d follow her?You know what I say? Piss off.Really.Get real.We all come from families, and we all got problems.You think a general speaks in declamatory language all day long? Let us engage the enemy! We will fight with honor! Excuse me while I pick my teeth with my bayonet!Hell-oooo.Get a grip.(Let’s hope somebody leaks that.People’d go nuts.Tempted to do it myself.On the other hand, that’s why I decided to use this microrecorder.Hard to break the encryption, and it looks like an ordinary bracelet.)Anyway.this trip.Just all kinds of fun.There’s so much going on—with the Nova Cats, the so-called Republic March and that schemer Erik Sandoval-Groell.And me trying to get enough frigging troops to capture one lousy planet while I’m scrambling to pull enough people in to secure the worlds I was already supposed to have taken last year.I feel like a gerbil on a wheel running to nowhere.As for last night? Anyone reads this? Yes, I wore a bright orange furisode to the reception.Just wanted to clear that up.And, for the record, here’s what the coordinator said: “Next time, perhaps we should distribute sunglasses.”Now, why did I do that? Very simple.First of all, it’s not a crime.The uniform’s just tradition.So long as I don’t show up buck naked, I can wear whatever I want.See, after the sim, everyone expected me to come in with my tail between my legs.No way.So I did the furisode.Put a whole new complexion on the evening, that’s for sure.One person thought I didn’t see her noticing me, but I saw her.The AMAZING Yori Kurita.Sure, I understand that she had every right to commandeer my troops on Ronel.She saved their butts.But they were my troops, and now I get to deal with this little kitten upstaging me with my own people.Worse, watching me lose that sim and then having to listen to Toranaga yammer on about how much better their sims are now that the Kitten’s worked on their systems, blah, blah, blah.And then today, Toranaga makes his little gift of the Kitten and her troops—my troops—to Theodore.Gee, kind of hard to miss that, gosh, Katana’s the one who’s got a campaign to wage, remember her?Worse, I’ve had desertions.and none more puzzling than the Bounty Hunter.Gone for over four months now and not a whisper.Where can he be? Andre got some garbled reports of the Hunter being on Asta, but they couldn’t be confirmed, and now the Hunter’s dropped out of sight.I don’t know why this bothers me so much.Why I seem to actually, well, miss the Hunter.Wonder where he is, and if he thinks about me.Uh-oh.I’m not going there.I don’t even want to think about that.Anyway.so, Toranaga did his thing.Then the coordinator did his.First, he named Theodore as interim overseer for the Benjamin district.Knock me over with a feather, but it’s a godsend.Having Theodore in Benjamin means I don’t have to watch my back.Whatever Ghost Bear’s sending over the border, Theodore will beat them back, freeing me up to concentrate on Dieron.I figure this is as far as the coordinator can go for me in front of the others.As it was, this still might have been too far.I saw the look Toranaga gave Bhatia.Something.odd there.(Though Bhatia was so stunned, his jaw actually dropped.That was worth the price of admission.)But then the real bombshell: Remember Yori Kurita? Yes, she of the AMAZING fame? Well, Theodore made a gift of her to.Wait for it.Me.Oh.Joy.What else can go wrong?8Imperial Palace, Luthien15 June 3136Early morning, just a little past three AM: too soon for birds and too late for crickets.The storm had washed the air clean.Yori picked her way along the margin of a gravel path flanked by light-wands, slipping in and out of fingers of shadow.She’d been unable to sleep, her mind grappling with the news that she would not be sent to Theodore’s command after all.Ah, but the coordinator was more calculating than she’d imagined.Waiting for her to fail?“Well, I won’t fail.” Her voice sounded small against a world she couldn’t see beyond small nimbuses of light that revealed the grass at her feet and a ghostly white ribbon of gravel snaking alongside.“I will wait, and I will watch.I haven’t survived this long to grow careless.”A crunch of gravel coming from the unseen gardens ahead and then a sudden ripple in the shadows made her stiffen.She automatically reached round for a blade that was not there, and she cursed herself for a fool.Letting down her guard even for a second, walking the palace gardens.Ears straining, she melted into the shadows, flattening against a tree trunk slippery with lichen.A thin pencil of light sketched the gloom, bobbing in time with the intruder’s footsteps.They were heavy steps, a man’s.Ahead and to Yori’s left, a stone bench edged the path, demarcated by a light-wand on either side.The intruder’s light slid over the bench, and then he sat with a small sigh.From her hiding place, Yori watched.She recognized him, and the jolt in the pit of her stomach wasn’t alarm, but it wasn’t relief either.What is he doing here?“Is someone there?” The man leaned forward, peering Yori’s way.She felt as if his eyes were lasers, illuminating her where she stood.“Hello?”Yori felt stupid, and she was angry she’d been caught out.“Hello.” She carried herself with frosty gravity as she willed her feet across the gravel path.“You are out late, Shouriki-san [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

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