"And our...other arrangements?"
"In hand. We will, I believe, stand a very good chance of catching Davion off-balance. If we can carry out the plan effectively, you will be several steps nearer your goal. How does it sound to you...First Lord of the Star League?" Even when he smiled, Ridzik looked menacing.
"If we can gain an ally in the enemy camp, we may shorten the process by a good deal. How are you coming with that?" asked Liao. "Have you sent agents out among the worlds controlled by Davion's brother-in-law, yet? Someone, somewhere, should be willing to sell out, in exchange for money and influence."
"That is also in hand. We have made some connections. Potentially valuable ones. But it takes time, and time is now at a premium."
"Yes." Liao's expression was stern, hard. "Now we are involved with the most exquisite timing. We must estimate precisely the arrival of the Davion contingent. There is no doubt, I suppose, that he will counterattack?"
"None whatever. He has to, or else lose all credibility. And that is the one thing that has made him so solidly in control of the Federated Suns. He cannot afford to compromise it."
Ridzik moved to the side wall of- the big chamber and drew down a map. "Our spies inform us that Davion's troops are moving into position. A brigade has jumped from Ral to Hamlin and even now is awaiting recharge for its jump to Dragon's Field. Another large detachment of 'Mech units and infantry has already landed at Dragon's Field. They await the arrival of the rest of the force, as well as the headquarters group."
He tapped his long, bony finger on the map. "We have excellent intelligence capacity, which is what allowed us to take Stein's Folly and Redfield. The element of surprise is always valuable, and we used it well. Once Redfield had fallen, there was no way for Michael Hasek-Davion to hold onto Stein's Folly."
The Colonel paused and turned to look at his ruler. "After all, Michael is a weak man, with great ambitions. Certainly not one to be trusted with defense of a vulnerable border."
Liao frowned. "Will Hanse Davion accompany his commanders?" he asked. That might be...convenient."
"His Councillors will never allow itHe may well come to one of the adjacent worlds, in order to be within easier logistical distance of the conflict. But no, he will not approach Stein's Folly or Dragon's Field. Not if his ministers have any judgment at all."
"A pity. It would be fine to remove all our obstacles in one sweeping motion. But let us do what we can with what we have."
Ridzik tapped the map again. "McCarron's Cavalry is in place, and detachments of the occupation units have now joined them, ready to strike. When Davion's main body arrives at Stein's Folly, there will be a terrible surprise waiting."
Liao laughed humorlessly. "Terrible for them. With one stroke, we will wipe out the cream of Davion's forces, along with the best of his commanders. But there will still remain the man himself. Along with his webwork of treacherous treaties and unwritten understandings with other spheres of influence."
"We are trying to find some leverage," Ridzik said. "Intelligence informs me that they are making every effort to find someone suitable for use as a hostage. Davion's family, unfortunately, is too well guarded."
"No lovers?" Liao's tone was sharp.
"Oh, lovers, yes. But none who could be used to alter his policies. He chooses well, that one. His women are all loyal, not only to him but to what he stands for. They would die before letting themselves be used to damage the Federated Suns."
Liao chuckled. "Admirable. If true. What of male lovers? Sometimes that can be a less...sentimental... relationship."
Ridzik sighed. "Only one close friend. Not a lover— from what we can discover—but a friend from youth. One Ardan Sortek."
"Sortek...I know his father. A hardheaded old fool, indeed. Full of talk about honor. No, he would not be a lover...but he might well be a lever. A childhood friend can be dearer than a mere partner in fleshly concerns." Liao looked thoughtful.
"Sortek is on New Avalon," Ridzik continued, "in the Royal Brigade. A unit-commander. Hanse will never let him out of his sight, I fear. But we might keep our spies alert for anything that changes concerning him."
Tt pays never to ignore any opportunity, no matter how seemingly remote." Liao said. "See to it. And send me the breakdowns on the units we have deployed. I want to be able to chart everything as the reports come in. You may go."
When Ridzik had bowed his way from the room, the Chancellor of the Capellan Federation stood for a long while at the map. He seemed to be measuring distances from world to world, from Sian to New Avalon. He traced the lines demarcating the borders of the five Successor Houses. To be Supreme Lord of them all....He sighed.
When the requested information came, he bent over the wide table serving as his desk, soon lost in the intricacies of supply and manpower. Only the arrival of an Adept from Comstar brought him out of his concentration.
"A message from Stein's Folly, Highness," the girl whispered. She was very young, and so shy that she hardly dared raise her voice to audible levels.
"Well? Well? Out with it!" Liao snapped. His patience, never notable, seemed to have worn thin within the past months, while his plans ripened.
"Command on the planet reports guerrilla activity. Severe damage to headquarters, resulting in forty casualties, among them Commander Rav Xiang. Request immediate assignment of new commander or brevet-promotion of subcommander Sten Ciu."
Liao jerked upright in his swivel chair. "What?" His sallow skin was suddenly flushed, his pale eyes blazing. "What else?" His tone was deadly.
The girl seemed on the verge of fainting as she continued. "Detachments remaining on Stein's Folly on search-and-destroy missions have reported no success in locating the source of the guerrilla activity. The swamps and the dense forests are natural hiding places for small groups of hostiles."
"The 'Mechs—what about the ‘Mechs? They should be able to stalk right through such terrain!"
"Six 'Mechs lost to quicksand, together with their pilots. The other two were lost, but their MechWarriors escaped. There seems to be no way to retrieve the lost equipment, as concentration of enough men and machinery to extricate them attracts hit-and-run attacks."
Liao was now a dangerous color. "Get Ridzik!" he breathed.
The Adept bowed and scurried from the room, relief showing in every movement. In a moment, the Colonel tramped into the chamber and stood staring down at his seated ruler.
"Sir?" he asked.
"Only minor mopping-up! That iswhat you said, isn't it?" Liao demanded.
"It is. That is the information given to me on the state of affairs. It seems that our commander was in error." The soldier hadn't turned a hair before Liao's obvious wrath.
"Well, his error was a fatal one. He is now dead. You will go and take his place, and will take charge personally of springing the trap on Davion."
Ridzik looked pained. "With this most important maneuver in the process of completion, would it be wise for me to drop everything here?"
Liao seemed to swell, his small figure straightening in the chair. "You will do as I say. And you will not question my orders. There is more to this than a simple group of holdouts. I am certain of it. Find the leader. Bring him to me. We will have the truth out of him and know with certainty whether anything more than loyalty to a lost cause is at work there." He glared up at Ridzik.
"I can arrange the surprise attack quite well, as you know, Colonel. You take too much responsibility upon yourself these days. A change of scene will be good for your...health." He was almost purring.