The greatest response came from the exiled Rasalhagians. Ragnar had told Chris that they felt it was their way of repaying the debt to the world that had adopted them. By joining the defensive effort, the exiles began their final integration into Arc-Royal society.

Chris smiled as he watched two construction 'Mechs lift up one prefab chunk of a building. "You know, it's a pity we won't actually be able to occupy this base." He winked at Ragnar and pointed toward one brand-new house set on a slight rise. "I was thinking I would like that house there. The view is nice and it's not too far from the 'Mech bays."

Ragnar returned the smile. "I will see that it is wired last. If we run out of time . . ."He shrugged.

The mercenary nodded. "I don't think land values will be that high after we're done, my friend."

The former Prince of Rasalhague nodded and smiled again. "True enough, but your view will be unobstructed and the neighborhood will be very quiet."

* * *

"Construction continues on the new Kell Hound base at Denton," said the radio announcer's tinny voice. "Flushed with their stunning victory over the Red Corsair at Zanderij, and confident that the Red Corsair has gone off to lick her wounds, the mercenary regiment has launched into an ambitious building program that is scheduled to be finished before Grand Duke Morgan Kell leaves his sickbed on Tharkad and returns home."

The security officer with Nelson Geist turned the radio off and stopped the hovercar. The gull-wing doors opened at the touch of a button. Nelson swung out of the vehicle and scratched at the area behind his right ear, which was tight and dry around the site of the incision made a week earlier.

The security man shook his head. "Leave it alone and it will stop itching."

Nelson gave the man a surprised look. "Ah, you are a doctor now, too, I take it, Bates?"

Bob Bates laughed lightly. "Not hardly, but I remember when I had my locator implanted."

"But you could turn yours off when you went off-duty." Nelson frowned. The Kell Hounds had been most civilized concerning his incarceration. Having implanted a locator chip in his mastoid bone, they could determine where he was at any time. Though they preferred him to remain on their base, he was allowed to make accompanied trips off-base and into Old Connaught. Still, the constant itch behind his ear reminded Nelson that he was not trustworthy in their eyes.

Bates held his left wrist up near his mouth and activated his wrist recorder. "Friday, six June 3055. Subject: Nelson Geist. In accordance with a request filed two days ago and approved by Major Kell, I have taken the subject to the Finian Library of Astrophysics at Old Connaught University." Bates mounted the steps to the library and opened the door for Nelson. "Don't know what you expect to find in here, Kommandant, but I don't mind the change of scenery."

Nelson smiled. "When I find it, Mr. Bates, I'll let you know." I'll let everyone know because it will mean the beginning of my revenge and an end to the Red Corsair.

* * *

Phelan hit the answer button on the visiphone. "I am here, Colonel."

Dan Allard nodded and gave Phelan a brief, welcoming smile. "They're on schedule. You said they would be here between the tenth and the fifteenth. They just arrived in-system and should touch ground tomorrow."

The Clan Khan nodded. "The eleventh. Is the Hound Pound ready?"

"I gave the word and it's being evacuated now." Dan frowned. "There is one thing we didn't expect, though."

Phelan raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"

"The Corsair has twoOverlord Class DropShips coming in."

"Two!" The Clansman shook his head. "That is not possible. We destroyed the Lionessat Zanderij."

"Tell that to the Red Corsair." Dan's expression darkened. "It gets worse. Remember how we had a positive identification of the JumpShip Fire Roseas being CongressClass?"

"Yes. It used large lasers to keep our fighters at bay while it recovered the Tigress. "

"Right, well, that ship out there now is Black LionClass. It's still called the Fire Roseand has the same identification module, but it's definitely a Black Lion. "

But Black Lions have no energy weapons, so it couldn't be the same ship as before. "Lionscarry fighters."

Dan nodded. "My thoughts exactly."

Phelan sat back in the chair from which his greatgrandfather and grandfather and father had ruled Arc-Royal. The ability of the Red Corsair to re-arm herself so quickly and so expensively confirmed what he already knew: she was no ordinary bandit. She was working for someone else, and the easy answer to who that was happened to be the answer he didn't even want to consider.

He shook his head. "Let her bring them all. It doesn't matter." A predatory smile tugged up at the corners of his mouth. "She's come to us, to ourbattlefield. It is her first big mistake and she will pay for it with her life."

35

Arc-Royal

Federated Commonwealth

11 September 3055

Phelan hooked his thumbs into his gunbelt and smiled as he monitored the communications link between the Red Corsair and the Kell Hound base at Denton. His nephew Mark looked suitably nervous in what was obviously an oversized uniform. "What do you mean asking me what we have to defend our base? The Hounds aren't here."

"You wear the uniform of a warrior, child," the Red Corsair snarled. "Which are you: a coward soiling a noble uniform, or a warrior who will defend what is his."

Mark's eyes blazed with an anger Phelan knew was not feigned. "We'll meet you. The Scouts have two light lances. We'll meet you on Denton Flats." Mark shook a fist at her. "You'll be sorry."

The Red Corsair laughed from Phelan's auxiliary monitor. "I doubt that, pup. Corsair out."

The auxiliary went dead for a moment, then a system traffic display filled it. The Red Corsair and her two DropShips were burning into Arc-Royal at a fairly leisurely pace that would leave her warriors rested and ready to fight. Estimated time of arrival was two hours away, which meant Phelan and the rest of the Kell Hounds had to stay under cover until the ships had grounded.

Phelan touched the keypad on his Wolfhound'scommand console and got a troop-strength estimate for the Red Corsair. The DropShips definitely had a fighter screen that consisted of eighteen aerospace fighters. Preliminary data analysis suggested that their flight profiles precluded the inclusion of bombs. That meant the Hound Pound could still work, but the fight would be nastier by half than they had originally anticipated.

He opened a land line to Dan Allard. The laser-based signal went out over a fiber-optic cable running through the dark recesses of the National Defense bunkers in the Clonarf Mountains. "Things look good for the moment from here, Colonel. We need to have our fighters on standby."

"Done. I've integrated what's left of your honor guard into the First Fighter Battalion. That brings them up to strength. Star Captain Carew suggested it."

Phelan smiled. He is doing his best to earn his shot at a Bloodname."Good. What is the word on Geist?"

"Security reported in about ten minutes ago. He's still going over the material he got from the university. Bates says the man's seen more stars than all the prize fighters in history." Dan smiled. "In return I guess I should ask you if Star Colonel Ward has stopped complaining yet about his assignment."