22
The Talbot'sconference room was crowded with every off-duty officer who could squeeze in. There were a fair number of ratings as well, all anxious to hear the Council of Officers. Their presence would prompt caution and even keep some arguments from entering the discussion, but, by Dragoon custom, this could not be a closed session. Elson could see that the presence of observers bothered some of the older Dragoon officers, especially Colonel Atwyl. Their nervousness reassured Elson that encouraging the lower-ranking Dragoons to attend had been a good strategy.
Elson also saw many of his Elementals scattered about the periphery of the chamber, their presence easy to spot because they stood head and shoulders above the crowd. He had not ordered them to come, but they had, spacing themselves judiciously around the conference room. He did not think it a coincidence that one stood near each of the other council officers. The precaution was probably unnecessary, but he was pleased that his men showed such initiative.
Content to listen through the preliminary debates, he sat back. The air was warm, and the laboring climate-control unit chugged faintly as it tried to compensate for heat generated by bodies in a quantity far exceeding the room's rating. He let the heat soak through him, loosening flesh and easing the passage of blood. He was calm, content to smile at Hamilton Atwyl as the rest of the council argued.
The first step involved adding a seventh officer to the council. Gilson's nomination of Edelstein was well-timed. The 'Mech jock presented her arguments well, just as Elson had rehearsed her. His seconding of the nomination brought rousing approval from the crowd. Atwyl pushed another two names onto the list before Brandon spoke from the crowd and demanded the roll call. When the balloting was over, Edelstein was confirmed by a final vote of four to two.
Returned to full strength, the council moved to its other business, the election of a new first among the officers. When Elson's name was the first put forth, Atwyl seemed ready to do battle. Then, after Captain Brandon confirmed Gilson's spirited account of the first minutes of the encounter with the looters, someone in the crowd began to chant Elson's name. Gradually more and more of the spectators took up the shout.
Amid the din Atwyl called for order and slowly got it, but his spirit seemed to have diminished in the heat of the general response. He spoke about the deep-space nature of the mission and the importance of having a commander who was trained in and understood the intricacies of such missions. But his argument was flawed and easily seen to be so; the mission's first commander, MacKenzie Wolf, had been a MechWarrior, not even an aerojock, let alone a deep-space commander. The increasingly restive crowd was quieted when Jessica Sedano, captain of the DropShip Havelock,stood and nominated Atwyl. Gilson, at a nod from Elson, seconded and immediately called for a decision. Only Sedano and Shankar, the aerospace flight leader, stood by Atwyl. Elson was named first officer of the council.
The news was broadcast throughout the JumpShip and her attached DropShips, as well as to the prize crews aboard the cache ships. Before the crowd in the conference room dispersed, Commtech Ishora entered the chamber and bulled his way through the crowd to the open space around the council table. He hesitated for a moment, then seemed to recollect the new order. Addressing Elson, he said, "A message from Dragoon command, Major."
"Colonel," Edelstein corrected. The first among officers was always a colonel, if only by courtesy.
"I'm sorry, Colonel Elson," Ishora stammered.
"It's all right. I'm not used to it myself." Elson took the flimsy and held it before him. He didn't need to read it; he had done that when Ishora had first brought it to him yesterday. Fortunately, the commtech was one of Elson's backers; the contents of the message might have tipped some of the wavering officers in the wrong direction. But now the message was his to announce, and his to interpret as necessary.
"Dragon command announces that Colonel Jaime Wolf has taken ship for Luthien. He is responding to a challenge from Takashi Kurita." He let the murmuring die down before adding, "The Coordinator has proposed a duel to the death."
There were shouts of disbelief and delighted cheers. Elson stood like a rock as the crowd washed around him, babbling excitedly. Some speakers expressed the opinion that Wolf had made a mistake, but they were in the minority. Most of the mission crew seemed glad to hear the news, although it was clear to Elson that their reasons for cheer were varied. The largest group, mostly younger Dragoons, were elated that the old Snake was going to get his, but some were simply relieved that the end of the feud with Kurita was at hand. Most of the latter were older Dragoons and their blood kin. They were the ones Elson needed to address.
He raised his hand and waited until the crowd noticed him. Hushing noises from those- nearest him damped the sound, eventually quieting the gathering.
"Do you think this will end it?" he asked, pitching his voice to carry to those in the corridor outside the room. Some of his listeners nodded, but most only looked at him curiously. "I may not be native to the Inner Sphere, but I have studied its people. Those observations have taught me that, among all the peoples of the Successor States, the Kuritans are most like the Clans, especially in matters of honor. Even if Colonel Wolf kills Takashi Kurita, this feud will not end."
"If they are honorable, they will let it end," Atwyl said.
"You have not been attentive to the details, Colonel. The message from headquarters contains no indication that this duel is a surrogate for the feud. By all appearances, it is a matter of personal honor, one man settling matters with another—a Trial of Grievance. Therefore, the Kurita clan will not be bound by its outcome."
"I disagree," Atwyl stated. "With Takashi dead, Theodore will rule. He understands how destructive this feud has been and can be. He's no fool."
"Theodore Kurita is accounted a fine commander," Elson conceded. "But he is a member of the Kurita clan. Does not their honor code insist that a man may not live under the same heavens as the slayer of his father?" Atwyl reared his head back. He seemed about to say something, but Elson gave him no opportunity. "You know it is so. If Wolf wins, Theodore Kurita will be obliged to kill him. If Wolf dies, Takashi will be rid of the one man he believes has kept him from eliminating the Dragoons entirely. Win or lose, Wolf has put his personal honor before that of the Dragoons. Among the Clans, that is cause for dismissal."
There were objections from the crowd that the way the Clans was not the Dragoon way, but along with the protests were murmurs supporting Elson. Not enough to sway things, but enough ta satisfy him that he had increased his base of influence. For now, that would serve. It was a long voyage back to Outreach.
"We can stand and talk or we can do our jobs. There are ships to reclaim for the Dragoons," he said. "That is a job we need to do, no matter what is happening elsewhere. Idle talk will only waste time."
He gave specific orders, careful not to exclude those who had supported Atwyl. Elson assigned his defeated rival duties suitable to his position as JumpShip commander, but left Atwyl nothing of real importance. Mission command was transferred to the Alexander.
Elson's personal kit had already gone aboard.
23
The Wolf summoned me to his ready room on the main operations deck of the Chieftain.He was seated behind his desk, shoulders slumped. I saw him straighten as the door slid open, but his eyes were ringed with exhaustion. Motioning me in, he indicated that I sit. As I did, he picked up a packet of computer disks and held it out to me.