Now she stood before Aidan, her body trembling visibly with anger, if that was the right word. Wrath or fury might better describe her defiant stance.

"Star Colonel, I must speak with you."

"Speak your piece, Star Commander."

"I realize that I am now a member of the Falcon Guards because I have erred in the past. The worst of my errors is having lost a string of BattleMechs in recent battles. You have seen my codex. I have been chastised for a tendency toward waste. But if so, it is waste in the service of the Clan."

"Most Clansmen would not accept your reasoning, Star Commander."

"I realize that. I have vowed never to lose another 'Mech, unless I lose my own life with it. For that reason, I have disabled the ejection seat of my Hellbringer."

"That is allowed, though I must advise you that I do not consider it a wise move."

"I take the implied criticism as well-intended, Star Colonel, but the reason I tell you of my vow is that I fear I cannot successfully live up to it with my present Star. Each one of them is sorely lacking in skill, yet not willing to train for their betterment. I have never viewed such insubordination."

How ironic, Aidan thought, that a warrior famed for her own intransigence should grouse at the same characteristic in others. He must conclude that either she was turning over a new leaf or that her crew of misfits was extraordinarily incompetent.

"Insubordination is a problem for officers at every level, Star Commander. Why do you speak to me about it?"

"Sir, I know that personnel is stretched thin in the Falcon Guards. The pool of warriors for reassignment to a new unit is not wide. And no untainted warrior would ever volunteer for duty with the Falcon Guards."

It was all Aidan could do to keep himself from wincing at her use of the word untainted.Taint was the one concept he wanted to purge from the Falcon Guards, yet it seemed to be the one word none of them could escape.

"I must declare a Trial of Grievance with MechWarrior Rollan. He has agreed. His anger is equal to mine. You must serve as Oathmaster."

Aidan racked his mind for the proper Trial of Grievance procedures. In his previous commands such disputes had been handled without formalities.

"It is my duty to hear arguments from both of you about why the Trial of Grievance must take place."

"Of course, Star Colonel. MechWarrior Rollan and I await only your word about when the interrogation will take place."

"I gather that the two of you are already avoiding contact, as dictated by Clan tradition."

"That is correct, sir."

"And you have decided the nature of the trial?"

"We have agreed on BattleMech combat in a properly defined Circle of Equals. No bidding was necessary."

"All right then. We will begin procedures immediately. "

Mandaka made to leave, then turned back again. "Actually, sir, there is little point in going through the procedures. The trial will take place."

Aidan sighed. "I am sure it will, Star Commander. I am sure it will."

* * *

Aidan soon learned that, as Star Commander Summer Mandaka had said, no peaceful resolution to the dispute was possible. Mech Warrior Rollan was just as adamant as his superior officer about the need for a Trial of Grievance. During the interrogation, each responded to Aidan 's questions with terse but polite answers. Aidan then ordered the Circle of Equals drawn in a clearing outside of Mudd Station.

As Oathmaster, he gave final instructions to the two combatants, who glared fiercely at one another throughout the ritual. When he gave the order for them to mount their 'Mechs, the eagerness of their response would have honored any warrior in battle.

Before engaging in combat, each combatant had to take a position equidistant from the other on the borders of the circle. In fact, they would be so far apart at the start that neither could gain a visual on the other.

Horse joined Aidan in the command post's upper levels. Arrayed around them were instrument panels and monitors for viewing the combat.

The other Falcon Guards arrayed themselves around a central holotank in the lower level of the command post. Battle cameras from an overhead aerospace fighter beamed a direct transmission to the tank. When the two 'Mechs reached the approximate center of the Circle, the spectators would have a god-like view of the battle.

While waiting for the two 'Mechs to engage, Aidan looked down at those Falcon Guards he could see. The sight gave him an overpowering urge to close his eyes. What he saw were surly so-called warriors whose uniforms were mud-spattered despite Aidan's regulation that they must wear clean uniforms except during exercises.

How did he imagine ever accomplishing anything significant or honorable with this bunch of misfits and chalcas?Kael Pershaw had been right about the formidableness of the task. Perhaps Horse had also been correct that they were doomed from the start. Perhaps this was a military unit not intended to succeed.

No, that made no sense. What kind of high command would order the reformation of a unit merely to kill it off? Even the Clan's use of old warriors as solahmadid not justify the trouble his leaders were taking to revive the Falcon Guards. Aidan Pryde might be dispensable, but the Falcon Guards were not.

When Summer Mandaka's Hellbringerwas the first 'Mech sighted, a desultory cheer went up from the spectators. One warrior, whose patch showed him to be a member of Mandaka's Star, reached out his arm to display a thumbs-down gesture. Well, Aidan thought, that tends to verify her claim that her Star is insubordinate. Her BattleMech was shiny and well-kept, except for the gobs of mud that had already collected on its feet.

When MechWarrior Rollan's 'Mech, less pristine, more muddy, came over a hill, Aidan reflected that it was a Timber Wolf,like his own, but with no curse attached. So far, though, Aidan had piloted his Timber Wolfwithout incident. Perhaps whatever jinx was on it would not affect him.

Aidan did not believe in jinxes. It was a pilot's skill, or lack of it, that counted. He liked his Timber Wolfalready and longed to take it into battle. After so many years of garrison assignments, he anticipated frontline duty with more eagerness than some young warrior who had just won his Trial of Position.

Aidan had known many Trials of Grievance in his career—as supervising officer, as spectator, as combatant— but rarely had he seen one as quick or fierce as this between Star Commander Summer Mandaka and MechWarrior Rollan.

Summer Mandaka took the initiative, her Hellbringercoming at MechWarrior Rollan's Timber Wolfwith a determination that looked almost as mean as its pilot. Firing the pair of large lasers in her 'Mech's left arm, she stitched a precise pattern on the Timber Wolfschest, the deep lines crossing other deep lines in its armor. The MechWarriors standing around the holotank looked at each other with a bit of surprise. It seemed that the Star Commander had chosen a non-standard configuration of weapons for her Hellbringer,one that Rollan might not be ready for.

But MechWarrior Rollan was quick to respond. The first cluster of long-range missiles from his left-torso mount went in high and a bit off, doing no more than chip off a big piece of the Hellbringer's,searchlight. He was luckier with a second salvo, the missiles going in low to completely disable the knee of Mandaka's 'Mech.

Grinding her 'Mech to a halt, Summer Mandaka did not let up for an instant on her attack. Aidan saw now that she had reconfigured her 'Mech's right arm, replacing the Hellbringer'susual PPC or autocannon with a Gauss rifle. Firing the weapons, she hit her opponent's chest with the silver streaks of the Gauss projectiles. The Timber Wolfmoved forward, but uncertainly. Its movements reminded Aidan of staggering.