Blood Legacy

The sound of hollow laughter brought him out of his ruminations, but when he looked around, he saw only a shaft of sunlight impaling Justin's old chair. Sun-Tzu nodded in agreement with the room's phantoms. "It must be something in this room that nurtures thoughts of treason."

He smiled to himself and started for the door. "When the throne is mine, I will have this place destroyed."

47

Imperial City , Luthien

Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine

6 January 3052

Shin Yodama winced as the Kell Hound MechWarrior dabbed at the cut on his leg with a whiskey-soaked rag.

"Sorry about that." The silvery-haired warrior smiled. "It's better when ingested internally rather than applied topically. Still, we make what sacrifices we must in the name of medicine." He deftly cleaned away the dirt and dried blood, then smiled and adjusted his glasses. "Not very deep 'cept at the top. Couple of butterflies and you won't even have a scar."

Shin frowned and glanced at the name stenciled on the breast of the man's cooling vest. "Sumimasen,Murray Jack- san.Butterflies?"

The mercenary produced two small bandages from the pouch at his left hip. They looked like barbells to Shin. Jack pressed one square end above the cut and stretched the little center elastic piece, then fixed the other end below the wound. The elastic contracted, pulling the deepest part of the wound shut. The second butterfly went lower than the first and closed the wound even tighter.

"We call those bandages butterflies because they have two wings. For cuts like this, they're more useful than stitches." He looked around at all the bandage-swathed warriors milling around the ruins on the edge of Imperial City. "Besides, I'm out of thread."

Shin nodded in grim agreement. A couple of the Nova Cats had actually made it into the city and wrecked some outlying buildings, but a Dragoons airstrike had slapped them down. The Kado-guchi Valley had become a massive killing zone and the smoke still rising from burning 'Mechs streaked the sky with dozens of inky ribbons. The few Cla

Shin helped Jack wrap gauze around his thigh. "For a MechWarrior, you are skilled in the ways of healing."

"Well, I was a doctor in a past life." Jack threw Shin a wink. "Morgan Kell encourages all of us to keep up on first aid techniques and the like. Given the occupational hazards of our work, it seems a wise thing to do."

"Hai!"Shin stood and tested his leg. "Thank you very much."

Jack shrugged. "My pleasure. I owed you anyway. If you'd not potshotted that MadCat,he would have roasted me in my Rifleman.Fighting from a legless 'Mech." He shook his head. "Damn glad you were on our side."

"As we were happy you were here to aid us." Hohiro Kurita patted Shin on the shoulder. "You are not badly injured, I hope?"

"Barely a scratch. I can walk, can't I?"

Jack nodded. "Just no ru

"Domo arigato,Murray Jack -san." Shin shook the man's hand, then caught up with Hohiro. "Highness, I heard a rumor that you accounted for five kills."

Hohiro shrugged distractedly. "Really? I did not keep count. There were too many targets to worry about that."

Shin nodded. Reports had placed the size of the invading force at over eight hundred BattleMechs. The Combine had opposed them with just over thirteen hundred 'Mechs. If not for the added air support from the mercenaries, all the 'Mechs in the Combine would not have been enough to defeat the Clans. The battle for Luthien had been even closer than in Shin's worst nightmares.

With Shin in tow, Hohiro met up with his sister Omi, and the three headed toward the general headquarters. Throughout the journey, the Kanrei's children continually greeted and thanked the Mech Warriors in the area. They made no distinction between citizen and mercenary, and as nearly as Shin could tell, neither did the warriors. Battling side by side had forged an alliance of spirit that made all their previous differences trivial.

Down in the valley, Shin saw where the MechWarrior units were stationed. Of the two Kell Hound Regiments that came to Luthien, just over two battalions remained operational. Wolf's Dragoons had started with five full regiments and been reduced to two and a half. The Combine's six regiments had suffered similar grievous damage, with the Genyosha and the Second Legion of Vega faring the best, with only fifty-percent casualties. The Reserve regiment had been hurt most, with only three 'Mechs remaining operational at battle's end.

As they neared the makeshift tent headquarters, Shin saw a tableau that gave him a shudder. Theodore Kurita stood with the two mercenary commanders, Morgan Kell and Jaime Wolf, while Takashi Kurita remained well in the background. Nearby he saw MacKenzie Wolf with his foot in an aircast and Dan Allard with his right arm in a sling. Captain Jason Youngblood of the Kell Hounds' Crescent Hawk Company was also there, among the other mercenary officers who looked as though they had survived the fighting without too much wear and tear.

Theodore glanced at the trio as they approached, but made no effort to keep his conversation confidential. "There is no way I can adequately repay you for what you have done."

Morgan Kell smiled broadly. "Payment is not a problem, Kanrei. You will recall that we're on Hanse Davion's payroll. Your offer to let us be first out to salvage is more than gracious."

"Hell, your not shooting us out of the sky when we arrived insystem was more than I expected," Jaime Wolf chimed in. "And a chance to fight the Nova Cats again was the fulfillment of an old dream. Battling them to keep Luthien free makes it that much better."

Theodore nodded his appreciation to both men. "I know the relationship between the Combine and your two units has not been pleasant. That you came here and did as you have is inconceivable to many."

Morgan KelPs dark eyes glittered in the early morning light. "Remaining angry for twenty years is difficult, yet some of us manage it with no trouble at all. What is important is that helping you has helped the whole effort against the Clans. This isn't a victory for the Combine. It's a defeat for the Clans at the hands of the I

"This really settles nothing in the_old conflict, Kanrei, but that conflict does not involve you or the people of the Combine." Unresolved anger laced Jaime Wolf's words and Shin sensed they were meant for more than just the Kanrei's ears. "The problem between the Dragoons and the Combine is not for you to solve, and I have never held it against you. The Smoke Jaguars and Nova Cats had this coming to them, so I'm happy to have been here to stamp 'paid' on their account."

Morgan offered Theodore his hand. "We'll have a chance to speak again, I'm sure. Right now, though, I've got some salvage parties to organize."

"Likewise." Jaime shook Theodore's hand after Morgan. "Your troops are damned good, Kanrei. In the old days, the Cats would have eaten you alive."