Phelan rested a hand on Ragnar's shoulder. "Ragnar's point is this, Prince Victor: attempting to pillory a member of the Wolf Clan with your victories over other Clans is useless."

"Then you, of the Wolf Clan consider our victories inconsequential?"

"No, cousin, we do not. We applaud them." Phelan looked around at the Kell Hounds. "You cannot know the pride I felt when I heard that the Kell Hounds had been part of the force that stopped the Smoke Jaguars. When I was called upon by the ilKhan to argue in the Grand Council in favor of abiding by the bargain struck with ComStar, I pointed to your victory. I used Prince Victor's stunning raid on Teniente and Kai Allard-Liao's exploits as yet more examples of what the Inner Sphere could do. Those achievements, when brought forward, made the Clan Khans pause to consider the wisdom of pressing the invasion.

"And do not doubt, not for a moment, that some of the Clans want to continue the war, now. Just as Ryan and you, Victor, can differ on what should be the course for the future, so the Clans have their factions. The Crusader faction wishes to conquer the whole of the Inner Sphere. The Warden faction believes that is not the vision General Kerensky had for the Clans. It is your good fortune that the ilKhan and the Khans of the Wolves are all Wardens who want to protect the Inner Sphere. Were we not, this would be a wake and not a celebration."

Michelle Moran shook her head. "If what you have done is supposed to be protecting the Inner Sphere, I don't think having Crusaders coming through would be much worse. And I'm not overly certain I want my victories touted by a Clan that managed to kick the weak legs out from under a fledgling nation, then pulverize a bunch of pacifists. Why, the Wolf Clan didn't even enter the fight for Tukayyid until a week after the other Clans had softened up the world for you."

Victor saw fire spark in Phelan's eyes. "Captain Moran, do not even hint at cowardice within the Wolf Clan. Our delayed entry into the battle for Tukayyid came as part of a bargain forced upon us by the other Clans. The Precentor Martial held back his best troops for us and we beat them."

"So you say, Khan Phelan, but there is no proof of that." Michelle Moran folded her arms across her chest. "ComStar's history of the battle could easily be one big political whitewash to maintain the truce." Her face darkened. "After all, Khan Phelan, one has to wonder at the skill of the warriors in a Clan where a man expelled from the Nagelring can rise to leadership inside three years."

Victor saw Phelan begin to tremble with anger, but marveled at how he brought it under control. "Were you of the Clans, Captain Moran, we would settle this difference in a Circle of Equals. You have made a mistake, but I dismiss it because you do not know our ways."

Moran shrugged. "Talk is cheap."

"I will not have the blood of one of my father's officers on my hands."

Victor smiled. "Why spill blood? I think Captain Moran would like to test how good you Wolves really are. The Kell Hounds have simulator facilities."

Phelan smiled with real pleasure. "Very well. I will take a Star of BattleMechs against whatever you wish to offer."

"Captain Moran, you have a company?" Victor smiled when she nodded. "I will add a command lance to it, if that is permitted. That would put us sixteen on your five, if that is acceptable, Khan Ward."

Phelan nodded. "I will require two pilots to join Ranna, Ragnar, and me in our Star. If you will allow it, Prince Victor, I would take your Galen Cox and my cousin Mark as the other two pilots."

Victor nodded. "Done."

Phelan nodded. "Bargained welland done."

Victor smiled. "Now all I need do is find three pilots to fill out my lance."

"Make that only one more, Victor, if you'll have the two of us."

Victor turned at the sound of the familiar voice and he smiled. "Bargained very welland done." He glanced at Phelan and nodded. "These two, Khan Ward, will do splendidly. Khan, let me present Chu-saShin Yodama of the Draconis Combine and the current champion of Solaris, Kai Allard-Liao."

6

Arc-Royal

Federated Commonwealth

15 April 3055

"What do you mean I'm acting like Vlad?" Phelan whipped off his cloak and tossed it over the back of a chair. "Ranna, if Vlad were here, he would be insulting people and picking fights."

Ranna folded her arms across her chest and arched an eyebrow at him.

Phelan winced. "You can't count this little simulator battle I've set up for tomorrow. There was no way out of that fight. Moran was waiting for me on that one." He shook his head. "How can you think I'm like Vlad? He's arrogant, insensitive, annoying, obtuse, and worships the ground on which Crusaders like Conal Ward walk. I'm not like that at all."

"Not right now, you are not." A smile softened Ranna's expression as she removed her cloak. "Right now you are being yourself. You are talking with contractions and you are letting your emotions vent through your words. Out there, at that reception for the guests arriving for your father's retirement celebration, you were stiff and unnatural. As your sister put it, you needed to 'loosen up.' "

Phelan opened his mouth, but shut it before words came out. Is that how I've been?A quick mental review of the party's high points brought a flush to his cheeks. "Accepting—for the sake of argument only—that there is some validity to what you have said, how bad was I?"

"For the sake of argument, not as bad as Vlad would have been, my love. But you have angered your sister by not choosing her to fight with your Star. She was offended that you selected your nephew over her."

"But Caitlin's a pilot. We were bidding in Stars of 'Mechs."

"I know that and I explained that to her. It would have been more politic to have chosen your cousin Chris or your father instead of Galen Cox to fill out your Star." Ranna sat down on the white leather couch that dominated the suite's living room. "I know your father did not take offense at having been left out, and I believe Christian would have been uneasy had you chosen him, but I think the Kell Hounds consider it a sign of contempt that you chose a Revenant and a half-trained boy to hold off one of their companies."

Phelan shook his head and also settled down on the couch. "But the Revenants fought well against the Nova Cats. I thought I was honoring them by choosing Galen."

"That you might have been, Phelan, but did you not sense the unease when the subject of the Revenants came up?"

"Huh?"

Ranna smiled and drew her legs up on the cushions. "Apparently not. The fact that Prince Victor and his people rescued the heir to Theodore Kurita is not particularly popular. People appreciate the bravery it took to accomplish the deed, but many think Victor has been bewitched by a Kurita sorceress named Omi."

Phelan nodded as he pulled off his boots. "Omi is Theodore's daughter. I've heard all the stories that she and Victor fell in love during the time spent training on Outreach." His boots flew across the room and landed next to where Ranna had stepped out of hers. "That cannot be, of course. Victor and Omi come from Houses that are mortal enemies. Such a love is impossible."

Ranna kicked Phelan playfully. "Is it? More so than a warrior and a bondsman falling in love?"