Galen hit some keys and the number of defenders dropped, but not so much as to make Victor lose all heart. "Galen, Zimmer's done it. Because the raiders are not working with missiles, taking this little fortification will be hell to pay. He can hold out here for days." The Prince looked up at the Precentor. "Have the Wolves arrived?"

"Yes, Highness."

Victor clapped his hands together. "Now we have them! They must have grounded behind the bandits to trap them. Where did they come down?"

"Sector 3342."

Victor's eyes narrowed. "The same sector? Was Zimmer that close to collapse? Did they come in to bolster it?"

The Precentor shook his head. "No, Highness, to conquer it."

"What!"

The ComStar man opened his hands helplessly. "I do not know any more, Highness. Please, believe me. The last message we had said the Wolves were fighting with Zimmer's forces at the river. The raiders have taken that opportunity to pull back, and they may be leaving the world. But, believe me, I know nothing more."

Victor hammered the table with a fist. "Those sons of bitches! What the hell is going on here? The Wolves were supposed to be helping Zimmer, not finishing him off!" His hands tightened down into fists and he raised them up beside his head. "Who the hell do those Clanners think they are? What do they think this is? If we'd been there, Galen, this whole situation would have been different."

The Prince jabbed a finger toward the Precentor. "I want you to send a Priority Alpha message over my signature to the ilKhan of the Clans. It is to read as follows: On 19 June 3055 your Thirty-first Wolf Solahma landed on Deia and destroyed the one unit defending that world against the bandits the Thirty-first was sent to hunt. Though it would require an error of a sort yet unparalleled in all of human history to explain, I will not order the immediate hunting down of the Thirty-first Wolf Solahma. That order will await your explanation of their action and your determination on how they will conduct operations in the future.

"Effective this date, the Tenth Lyran Guards will be the primary military force engaged in hunting the raiders. The Thirty-first Wolf Solahma should understand that it is a subordinate force and subject to my command. If it interferes in any way with operations, I will order it destroyed."

The Precentor nodded uneasily. "Y-yes, Highness."

"Galen, draw up the necessary orders to get everyone moving. Cancel all leaves, and mobilize the local reserve units to help with loading. We can commandeer merchant DropShips if we need them." The Prince closed his eyes. "We'll need basic supplies for a month in transit. We can pick up more along the way. We'll also load refit kits so we can bring everyone up current. Also, contact the base auxiliary and tell them to gear up their counseling network. Also General Order 4492 concerning mortgage and loan interest rate rollbacks is now in effect."

"Yes, sir."

Victor opened his eyes again and saw the ComStar official still standing at the other end of the table. "Why are you still here, man? I gave you a message to send."

The man swallowed hard. "Yes, Highness. I know."

"Then what is it?" Victor opened his hands. "I ambusy here. You can see that."

"Yes, Highness, I know that." The man nervously clutched his hands together, wringing them spasmodically. "It is just that I came with a message and have not yet been able to deliver it."

Victor shook his head and leaned forward on the table. "Then tell me."

"Your mother, Highness." The man stopped for a moment, then continued. "It was a bomb. I am very sorry."

Victor felt as though his knees had been shot out from under him. He sat down, catching only the edge of his chair, and ended up on the floor. His toppled chair clattered down beside him and he angrily batted it aside with his left arm. "Mein Gott!"He began to shake.

"There is no doubt?" He heard himself speak, but felt utterly detached from the sound.

"The alert went out immediately, Highness. There were no details, but there was no h-hedging." The Precentor's voice became softer. "A bomb exploded in front of her as she spoke. ..."

"He doesn't need to know that, ghoul!"

"No, Galen. ..." Victor looked up as his friend dropped to one knee beside him. "Precentor, please continue."

"It was at the library dedication banquet. Dozens of people died in the blast, and many more were severely wounded. Your mother could have felt no pain."

Victor reached up and locked his left hand on the edge of the table. Galen helped him up and he leaned against the table. He clenched his jaw and tried to keep back the tears welling in his eyes. He failed and the tears rolled down his cheeks as he hammered his right fist into the table. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

The ComStar Precentor bowed. "You wish to be alone, Highness."

Victor shook his head and pushed away the throbbing pain in his hand. "No, wait. Galen, gather up all the information we've worked up on the bandits. Include the Geist file. Get it ready so the Precentor here can ship it out. Precentor, I will require you to send another message for me. Is my sister on Tharkad?"

"Katrina? Yes, Highness."

Victor used his left hand to wipe away his tears. "Tell Katherine that I am inbound. She is to conduct services as she deems appropriate. It is not likely that my mother's body"—his stomach clenched as the meaning behind his words slammed into him—"is in any condition for her to lie in state as our father did. If she thinks it best, she need not wait the funeral for my arrival. I want my mother remembered as she was when alive."

The Prince looked up toward the ceiling and squeezed tears out of tightly shut eyes. "I also want to be kept abreast of the investigation with Priority Alpha messages as I come in. And can you tell the Primus and the Precentor Martial that I would like ComStar's cooperation in locating any messages that might pertain to the assassination?" Victor opened his eyes and wiped away more tears.

The ComStar Precentor nodded solemnly. "It shall be communicated as you wish." The man raised a hand. "And concerning the message to the ilKhan? Do you still wish to send it?"

Galen shook his head. "Victor, there is no way we can go after the bandits with you on Tharkad."

"You're right, Galen." The Prince looked over at the Precentor. "Send it anyway, but we'll change the name of the unit."

"Highness?"

"Zimmer's people were mypeople, so the bandits willbe hunted down." Victor cradled his right hand in his left. "Zimmer's people were also Kell Hounds' people. Fate has dealt me a bad hand here, but having the Kell Hounds angry and sent after them won't deal the bandits one that's any better."

22

Tamar

Wolf Clan Occupation Zone

21 June 3055

Phelan Ward saluted as he entered the ilKhan's quarters. "Reporting as ordered, sir."

The slender, white-haired man returned the salute, then offered Phelan his hand. "Beta Galaxy seems to be coming along well under your leadership, Phelan," Ulric Kerensky said, sitting down in a camp chair and gesturing to Phelan to have a seat in the one opposite it. "Their scores were good before your return, and in the last month they have gotten even better. You are to be commended."