En Passant (short story)

This article is about the BattleCorps short story. For the German BattleTech novel by Michael Diel, see En Passant (novel).
En Passant
Short story by Phaedra M. Weldon
Publication
Published18 August 2004
PublisherBattleCorps
illustrator(s)Matthew Plog
Pages19
Chronology
EraCivil War era
Timeline7 October 3065
Series
Arrleft.svg 
— 		  Arrright.svg 
Epaulet Mate


En Passant is a short story by Phaedra M. Weldon that was first published online on BattleCorps on 18 August 2004. It was one of the stories that could be downloaded for free from the BattleCorps website for promotional purposes and was also included in the free BattleCorps Fiction Sampler. It was later republished in print in the first BattleCorps anthology The Corps in 2008.

It is the first story of a trilogy about Päl Wyndham-Sandoval's conflict with his scheming mother, Baroness Margarette Wyndham-Sandoval. The story was later continued in Epaulet Mate and Fianchetto.

Teaser Text[edit]

“ Päl Wyndham-Sandoval has just returned to Robinson after three years away fighting the Combine. But is home really ever a safe harbor? ”

Plot Summary[edit]

Scion of a noble family, Päl Wyndham-Sandoval has returned from a three-year tour of duty as a MechWarrior with the First Robinson Rangers. Reporting on the new Duke Tancred Sandoval's plans about easing relations with Theodore Kurita to his parents, he is embroiled in politics against his wishes. His support of this policy and his loyalty to the Duke cause an argument. Päl's parents regard Victor Steiner-Davion and his allies, including the Duke, as essentially selling out to the Draconis Combine. Subsequently, Päl comes to realize that he is a stranger to his own three-year-old son, who is being raised by his mother in Päl's absence and is becoming another pawn on the political board; his wet-nurse even describes the infant as the Baroness' pet project.

At a reception in honor of his return, Päl notices a black-clad intruder on the estate and happens to eavesdrop on a discussion where his father warns other nobles about how the new Duke's actions will weaken House Davion's defenses against an attack by House Kurita that he claims is likely to occur, in an obvious attempt to sway their already wavering loyalty away from the Duke. Later that night, Päl discovers and brings down an assassin, but both Päl and his wife Khim are wounded in the process. When pressed by Päl, the dying assassin claims that Baroness Wyndham-Sandoval sent him. Small tidbits later reinforce Päl's impression that his own mother set him up to be killed, to blame his death on the Draconis Combine to further his parents' political agenda. Päl comes to regard the political landscape as a chess board, where he is a mere pawn that his mother was going to sacrifice.

Taking up the deadly political game, Päl turns the tables on his mother by claiming in front of the assembled guests at the reception that the assassin had confessed to have been sent by Katherine Steiner-Davion.

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Notes[edit]

  • The story is named after a chess move where a Pawn can be taken if it moved out two squares from its starting position instead of only one (a unique move permissible only on a given pawn's first move) to a position adjacent to an opposing pawn; the other pawn may then take it en passant ("in passing") as if it had only moved a single square, as per its normal movement.
  • The first name of the Baron of Exeter is written Marquin in this story, while in later stories it is constantly written Marquinn. For consistency, the spelling from the later published stories is used in this article.

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