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"Enter." Colonel Michael Grey, CO of Grey's Shadows, didn't look up from the various lists and unit markers laid out on the war room table, but he knew who had knocked simply by the formal rhythm. "Tell me, Jacob, did you ever see a major reorganization in a Clan unit?"
"No, Colonel." Hauptmann Jacob Osis, commander of the Shadows' Echo Company and a former Smoke Jaguar, stepped over to look at what Michael was doing. "I earned my Bloodname just months before the invasion of Huntress, and there were no major force changes in my short time there. Why do you ask?"
"Lieber Gott," Michael muttered. He had been hoping for some helpful input. "Well, as you can see, I have our entire regiment here all laid out on paper. I am reorganizing some things to better suit our current situation." He looked up at Jacob. "You spent some time in other units before you came to us. So you know that any fighting on this front will be very different from what we faced against the Clans."
"Aff," Jacob nodded. "No zellbrigen, no rules. Total war."
"Indeed," Michael said as he picked up one list, and rubbed the back of his neck as he looked at it. "I have already requested a platoon of Goblins for our infantry. I don't intend to use them in any offensive role, but the lines on this front can change quickly, and I don't want them left without support."
Jacob smiled as he took a seat at the table, and found the list for his own company. "When I first came to the Inner Sphere," he said, "one of the hardest adjustments was the idea that warriors actually cared about each other on a human level. There is so much competition and detachment among the Clans, even among supposed friends..." He shook his head. "I suppose that is part of why we failed, quiaff?"
Michael gave only a grim smile in reply; the question had answered itself, and there was no point pouring salt on old wounds. After an appropriate pause, he indicated the sheet in Jacob's hand. "I am not making any changes to your company. But you might find the Marians' organization interesting. They use a base five system, like the Clans in many ways."
Jacob nodded. "I have begun writing a brief for my company about the situation here. Most of them have never seen anything like this before."
"They aren't alone," Michael said as he shuffled papers and found another list. "The Shadows have relatively few warriors left who have fought anywhere BUT the Clan front." He looked back and forth between two lists. "I need Hiero in here..."
"What for?" Hiero's devotion to duty had quickly gained Jacob's respect, and the two were real friends.
"I'm thinking of integrating our command lances," Michael said, "to form the core of a new company...perhaps the start of a third Mech battalion." He laid the lists side by side. "The style of combat we'll face here is less predictable, and will likely cover wide areas." He sighed. "I don't like to admit it, but it would be better for me to command from the rear under these circumstances, where I can watch the big picture." He rubbed his face. "Lieber Gott, just saying that made me feel old."
Jacob actually laughed. "You are not ready for the Solhama yet, Colonel." He picked up the map counter for the second battalion. "Even the Clans recognize the need to command from the rear at times. We referred to such a style of command as playing chess." He paused, contemplating the unit counter in his hand. "The danger in it, of course, is growing too detached from events at the front."
Michael nodded. "There's been plenty of so-called officers in the LAAF who have been guilty of that. That's part of why I've always led from the front. I don't like asking my troops to do anything I'm not willing to do myself. It's a bad example."
Jacob smiled. "We know you are willing to fight, Colonel. That is not a problem. In this situation, it would fall to the officers at my level to set the example, as you direct."
"Yes, it would." Michael leaned on the table, and stretched his back before looking at the papers again. "So let's get to it, then..."
(TO BE CONTINUED...)
_________________ Be careful what you wish for. I might let you have it. 
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