Binding Force

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Binding Force, by Loren L. Coleman, provides a glimpse at the inner workings of a Capellan Warrior House against the backdrop of the invasion of Kaifeng.

From the back cover

“ BLOOD, STEEL, AND HONOR
Aris Sung is a rising young star in House Hiritsu, noblest of the Warrior Houses that have sworn allegiance to the Capellan Confederation. The Sarna Supremacy, a newly formed power in the Chaos March, is giving the Confederation some trouble—and Aris and his Hiritsu comrades are chosen to give the Sarnans a harsh lesson in Capellan resolve. But there is far more to the mission than meets the eye—and unless Aris beats the odds in a race against time and treachery, all the ferro-fibrous armor in the galaxy won't be enough to save House Hiritsu from the high-explosive cross fire of intrigue and shifting loyalties... 		”

Plot Summary

Prologue

During the New Year celebrations at the Forbidden Palace on Sian on 21 February 3058, Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao summons House Master Ion Rush for a private discussion. Rush is anxious that the Chancellor might want to have him killed for his part in the assassination of his mother Romano Liao, of which he is certain the Chancellor is aware. However, the Chancellor instead discusses the Confederation's strategic disposition with him and announces that he will send a Warrior House to invade the Sarna Supremacy, a troublesome state in the newly formed Chaos March that stands in the way of reclaiming old Capellan holdings.

First Interlude

On 24 April 3047, a 13-year-old Aris Sung has been arrested by Lance Leader Ty Wu Non for breaking into the House Hiritsu stronghold on Randar and stealing Crescent Moon, the ceremonial katana, from the House Master's throne room. Having prepared for this moment for the past 18 months, he manages to impress House Master Virginia York enough to be accepted into House Hiritsu despite being over-age. Ty Wu Non, who has developed an intense dislike of the street urchin, is named his mentor.

Chapters 1 through 6

Kaifeng has been chosen for the invasion because it is a vital breadbasket world; the other two Sarna Supremacy worlds, Sarna and Sakhalin, depend on its food exports, making Kaifeng the fulcrum to bring the Sarna Supremacy to its knees.
Jodo Shinsa, the Olympus-class recharge station at the zenith Jump Point of the Kaifeng system, registers the arrival of the Merchant-class JumpShip Liu, which emerges with obvious battle damage. This turns out to be a ruse by House Hiritsu, and the station is captured before it can transmit a warning to the planet. However, Aris Sung has to damage its transmitter array in the process when it turns out that modifications to the station have sealed off their intended route to the comm center. The captured station staff are then coerced into cooperating after the transmitter has been repaired, to help cover up the ongoing invasion.

During the brief interlude at the recharge station, House Master Virginia York is found murdered and Battalion Leader Ty Wu Non takes her place as leader of the attack forces. Aboard the Hiritsu JumpShip Tao-te he promotes Aris to company leader pro tem in his stead, but makes it clear to Aris that he does this so that any failure of the operation will fall upon Aris whose overall plan House Master York had previously decided to accept.

Second Interlude

Having put down a rebellion on Gei-Fu, House Master York is present in the Hsien Park in the city of Yushui to personally oversee the execution of the rebel leadership on 8 March 3051. 16-year-old Aris Sung is present as one of the Hiritsu infantrymen on guard duty. Suddenly a Stinger, the last remaining rebel BattleMech on the planet, emerges from the nearby river where it had secretly advanced underwater, and attacks the assembled Hiritsu troopers. Using grapple rods from dead infantrymen around him, Aris Sung climbs up to the 'Mech's head and implies his medkit to be a satchel charge. The enemy MechWarrior surrenders, and Virginia York subsequently assigns the captured Stinger to Aris, thereby promoting him to the ranks of the Hiritsu MechWarriors.

Chapters 7 through 18

While the four Hiritsu DropShips move towards Kaifeng, strategy and tactics are discussed and there is some subtle bickering among the MechWarriors concerning the best approach. On 20 July, shortly before the DropShips enter the planet's atmosphere, they are surprisingly intercepted by Aerospace Fighters who had been hidden behind Kaifeng's moon, Nochen. Faced with the possibility that the enemy is not as unaware of the attack as hoped, Aris makes some last-minute alterations to the battle plan. Somewhat later on the same day, his 'Mech company is engaged in combat in the Tarrahouse district and encounters a trap at Port Terminal 12 North. The well-prepared defenders (Jacob's Juggernauts) use numerous 'Mechs with heavy tank support, and the Hiritsu troops barely manage to withdraw across the river, losing MechWarrior Justin Loup and his Hatchetman in the process. After some field repairs, Aris decides to change the plan again and move directly into the city of Tarrahouse. When his subordinates object he reasons that the plan was to draw the defenders out of the city, which they have obviously achieved already.

They are ambushed again shortly afterwards at a bridge across the Jinxiang River by a Kaifeng SMM 'Mech company under Major Karl Bartlett. Seeing Bartlett's BJ-2O Blackjack Omni, Aris realizes that they are up against regular Sarnese troops and orders a retreat. His own Wraith takes damage to its jump jets in mid-jump over the river and falls into the waters where Aris blacks out. After waking up he realizes that he is now behind enemy lines and remembers the Stinger on Gei-Fu. He then begins to crawl his 'Mech underwater right into Lake Ch'u Yuan in a park area in Tarrahouse. In the city, Aris Sung meets and befriends Li Wynn, a pickpocket and petty criminal.

In an administrative building near the Dainwu, the Hiritsu Overlord-class DropShip landed at the (already secured) Beijing Aerodrome on Kaifeng, the Hiritsu commanders hold a strategy meeting two days later. Aris Sung is considered missing, and it is obvious that the Hiritsu attack had been anticipated by the defenders. Ty Wu Non reveals that the Capellan Confederation's nascent WarShip navy has enacted a blockade of Sarna and that no reinforcements will be arriving for the defenders. Tarrahouse is the last stronghold of the defenders. Honoring the population's chinese heritage, a cease-fire is announced for the Dragon Boat festival in three days; the Hiritsu officers hope that the defenders will somehow break the cease-fire and thereby lose their standing with the population.

On 23 July, Aris Sung is frustrated because he still could not relay a message to his House. He learns from Li Wynn about the cease-fire and that a Hiritsu attack is expected before it takes effect. He also learns that the Kaifeng SMM receives intelligence on the attackers' movements from a Hritsu traitor, and are preparing an ambush. One mercenary MechWarrior also takes money from the underground to kick in jewelry stores and banks during urban combat so that they can be robbed. When the Hiritsu attack comes, Aris manages to foil one of the defenders' traps and alerts a fellow Hiritsu 'Mech with molotov cocktails and Hiritsu infantry signals, warning his comrades about the trap. The Hiritsu forces disengage, but cannot evacuate Aris.

Third interlude

Featured characters

Featured places

Featured Units

Featured BattleTech

BattleMechs

Vehicles

AeroSpace Fighters

DropShips

JumpShips

Other

  • Olympus-class space station (modified, with several decks of long-term storage lockers)

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