“Don’t drive yourself crazy,” Sergio said more sternly. “Who could have known you were going to the Industrial Giants plant? No one but Ms. Kinsolving knew you were even going out in a ’Mech, and she did everything possible to rescue you. Now drop it. Trust me to do the right thing.”

“I want to talk to Manfred,” Austin said. “Where is he?”

Sergio’s response was interrupted by the insistent buzz of the intercom. He passed his hand over the actuator. “What is it?”

“My lord,” said the secretary, “Legate Tortorelli is here to see you. He says it is urgent.”

“Send the Legate in,” Sergio said.

Too much remained to be discussed. Austin started to argue, but Sergio lifted his hand and cut off any further exchange. Austin glanced over his shoulder as the office doors whispered open and Legate Calvilena Tortorelli marched in, jeweled medals bouncing against his chest with every stride. Tortorelli came to a halt in front of the desk and even clicked his heels.

“Governor Ortega!”

Austin saw what the secretary had failed to mention. Lady Elora trailed the Legate at a discreet distance and stopped just inside the office. She smoothed her already wrinkle-free red silk dress over her thin frame, struck a pose, and waited. Austin couldn’t help looking around, but the Minister was alone.

“Well, Legate? What is it?” demanded Sergio. “I was in the middle of an important conference with the Baronet.”

“It is good he is here, Governor,” Tortorelli said, not bothering to look in Austin’s direction. “A full investigation of the incident at the ’Mech factory is being conducted.”

“By your authority, Legate?” asked Austin. “Isn’t it unusual for the Legate to conduct an investigation into a civil matter?”

“Not when an AgroMech outfitted with autocannon and LRMs is involved. That is a serious matter.”

“What have you found?” asked Sergio. He and Austin locked glances. Austin fumed. Then he tensed when the Legate answered.

“We know who was responsible, Governor. He is an officer in my command.”

“What?” Austin and Sergio cried out simultaneously.

“I am sorry to inform you that the attempted assassination was conducted by none other than Captain Manfred Leclerc.”

“What makes you think the captain had anything to do with this?” asked Sergio.

“Extensive comparison of equipment in the ’Mech cockpit shows he was the driver.”

“The neurohelmet was destroyed beyond any chance at identification,” Austin said. “I saw that for myself.”

“There are other things. Access coding, other things,” Tortorelli said. “We are certain he is responsible and I have informed the civil authorities, but so far, they are at a loss to find Captain Leclerc. I have empowered military intelligence to begin a search. Technically, since he was on active duty, Leclerc falls under military jurisdiction. With the evidence accumulated so far damning him for this atrocious act, he will find few allies. We will arrest him soon, Governor.”

Austin was at a loss for words. He looked from Tortorelli to Lady Elora, whose slight smile told him she was the driving force behind the accusation against Manfred.

“I find these charges incredible,” Sergio said, “but I am sure the captain will address them fully in court.”

“He didn’t do it,” Austin spoke up. “He’s my friend.”

“The evidence goes against your, umm, feelings,” Lady Elora said in her soft voice. The words cut like a knife with a serrated blade. “There were his fingerprints on the AgroMech controls. No one else’s were there.”

“No one’s?” asked Austin. “Not even a tech? Isn’t that strange? It takes a team of trained technicians to field a ’Mech. And a pilot would wear gloves.”

“I misspoke,” Elora said. “I’m sure there were other fingerprints—Leclerc’s techs. There were only the captain’s prints on the controls. Perhaps he touched them without gloves on. I know you thought he was your friend and this must shake certain beliefs, but there is more evidence.”

“What?” asked Austin.

“Witnesses seeing him preparing the refitted AgroMech,” the Legate said. “We are interrogating them now.”

“You have the investigation well in hand,” Sergio cut in, again glaring at Austin to keep him silent. “Keep us informed, Legate.”

“The Ministry of Information is doing as much as possible, also, Baron,” Elora said. “Captain Leclerc’s likeness is included on every newscast, along with details of why citizens should turn him over to military police.”

“Not the civil authorities?” asked Austin.

“Or civil authorities, though everyone anticipates arresting Manfred Leclerc will be dangerous and better handled by military action.”

Lady Elora’s emerald green eyes danced with merriment. Austin saw that she considered this meeting to have gone her way and herself to have won.

“I’m sure everyone is doing their duty as they see it,” Sergio said. “Forward any report to me markedEYES ONLY , if you will, Legate.”

“Consider it done, my lord.” Tortorelli turned and followed Lady Elora from the office. Austin closed the doors behind them.

“There’s no proof,” Austin said angrily. “They’re making it up. Elora is making it all up!”

“This is the last time I’m going to say this, Austin. Don’t butt in. Let this play out. You don’t have all the facts.”

“Yes, sir,” Austin said, having no intention of ignoring a friend in danger. Manfred Leclerc was a decent man. Austin had to help straighten this out—and find out what intrigue his father was involved in. He had the uneasy feeling that Sergio knew more about Hanna’s and Dale’s deaths than he was letting on.

He quickly left the office, closing the doors behind him. Tortorelli and Elora had already vanished. Austin considered following the Minister, then knew it would do him no good to spy on her. She was the expert at such things. Whatever he saw or overheard would be exactly what Elora wanted him to know.

“Damn her,” Austin exclaimed. Office workers turned at his outburst. He smiled weakly and waved them back to work. She was the master spy, always rooting about for news. She might have had him followed to the ’Mech factory, or she might have known earlier of his visit, since it had hardly been a state secret. He took a deep, settling breath.

Austin had to find Manfred Leclerc before Elora whipped up a vigilante mob, and knew only one place to begin his search. Stride lengthening as his resolve hardened, Austin left the Palace. He needed to don some camouflage before the hunt.

Blood Hills Barracks, outside Cingulum

Mirach

1 May 3133

The huge unwinking disk of the springtime sun splayed across the western horizon, confusing the eye with strange crimson wavelengths and allowing twilight to sneak in to claim the rugged land for night. To the north, glaciers had retreated forty thousand years earlier, leaving behind steep valleys with rounded bottoms and more minerals than could be mined in any man’s lifetime. To the east a plain stretched to the Marabot Ocean. This ragged plain was all that looked familiar to Austin Ortega. As a child, he had hiked there and knew how deceptive it could be. Small ferocious animals snapped at unwary hikers’ ankles and the dearth of water made a trek of any distance hazardous. Southward lay the capital of Cingulum, the city where Austin had been born.

Mirach was a cold, obscure world ignored by most of The Republic, but to Austin it was home. Savage weather, wan sun, oceans dotted year-round with icebergs—it was the perfect training ground for a warrior. In spite of this, Austin felt he had been shortchanged. He wasn’t a warrior, not like Dale had been.

Stop that, he thought. It did no good dwelling on what he thought were his shortcomings. If he didn’t stay positive about uncovering the information he needed, he would certainly fail. Austin wasn’t going to let Manfred Leclerc take the fall for the attack at Industrial Giants.