"Then why do you tell me about such things?"

"I had hoped they would worry you."

"Well, they do. Are there any more repairs to be done?"

"Plenty. But with these tools, we have done about as much as we can."

"Then it is time to get into the cockpit and get old Ter going." Ter was Joanna's name for her 'Mech. Few Clan warriors bothered to name their 'Mechs, although it was said to be a fairly common practice among Inner Sphere warriors. Nomad understood that she had named the 'Mech Ter after their former commanding officer, Falconer Commander Ter Roshak, but he had no idea why she would have wanted any reminder of that grumpy, excessively mean warrior. Nomad sensed that Joanna found some kind of vengeance or perversity in the use of the name, but he did not know what it was.

"I would advise getting some sleep before setting off anywhere," he said. "We do not know where we are, and it is fast getting dark. I have never seen darkness as deep as the black of this jungle, so any way we go could easily be the wrong way. Perhaps someone will contact us. There is at least one frequency open in—"

"You are suggesting we need help, quiaff?"

"Well, aff. This is unknown—"

"There is a challenge underway here for the Pershaw gene heritage, and we were bid into it, you may recall. We are doing Kael Pershaw no good sleeping in the middle of one of Glory's little jungles."

"And would we be doing him, as you say, any good, clomping around aimlessly in this, as you say, little jungle?"

Joanna stared at Nomad angrily for a long while, then put her hands to her face, rubbing her eyes with her fingertips. "I suppose you are right, Nomad. I would rather fight. But perhaps a little rest . . ."

She sat down, leaned her head against her 'Mech's right foot, made an elaborate ritual of arranging her legs, then abruptly went to sleep. Nomad wished he had the use of his arms, so he could have climbed to the 'Mech cockpit and fetched a blanket to cover Joanna's body. Night was coming on, bringing with it intense cold.

With a frown at the soggy ground around the 'Mech, Nomad moved toward a cluster of trees some twenty meters off. He settled himself into a niche formed between two tree roots, each movement causing sharp stabbing pains in the wrist he was forced to use for leverage. As the pain gradually subsided, Nomad too fell asleep, dreaming that he was tumbling over and over as the 'Mech cocoon fell through space.

* * *

He was awakened by the sounds of the real giants about which he had been dreaming. To a trained tech, the noise was unmistakable. Only 'Mechs could sound that way, like primeval creatures crushing whatever came beneath their feet. A thin shaft of moonlight shone down through the jungle canopy, but that was all the available light. Joanna had evidently doused their portable lantern.

Joanna was already up and alert. "I am going to warm Ter up," she said, stepping into the shaft of moonlight. Without waiting for a response, she ran to her 'Mech.

"Wait," Nomad called after her, but she did not look back. "I cannot move," he added weakly. Somehow he had turned in his sleep and become pinned between the tree roots.

Joanna was in the cockpit now. Ter was in shadow, but he could make out the Hellbringer'shulking shape, a huge form darker than the surrounding night. Nomad saw some slight movement in Ter's arms, heard the quiet sounds of equipment being activated, sensed the reverberations from the massive fusion engine at the 'Mech's core. It was possible to get a BattleMech like this one moving rather quickly, but could Joanna do it in time?

As if to trouble him further, he felt the tremor of other 'Mech footsteps approaching. They seemed to be coming directly toward him. A moment later, he realized they were.

Whatever side these 'Mech pilots were on, and whatever their decision about what to do with an injured Jade Falcon tech, Nomad knew he was in deep trouble. He was so wedged between the tree roots that it did not matter what side the pilots were on. They would not see him anyway.

He twisted his neck to get a look in the direction of the reverberating sounds. At the same time, he heard the unmistakable crunch of Joanna's 'Mech crushing some undergrowth as it took a step. He was certain that she was turning Ter to face the oncoming intruders.

The lumbering sounds grew louder and finally a Summoneremerged from the surrounding forest, bending a pair of trees almost to the ground as it did. Its pilot did not seem to see Nomad or Joanna in her 'Mech. The 'Mech merely continued forward, looking somewhat like a big machine out for a stroll. It seemed about to pass by Nomad's tree, but stopped a few meters away instead, appearing to scan the terrain. There was a sudden change in the 'Mech's movement; the pilot had probably discovered Ter's presence.

Surging forward, the Summonerdrew nearer to Nomad's tree. With a fascination that was almost scientific, Nomad watched the 'Mech's feet, measured their apparent tread. It was clear that in a few seconds one of those giant feet would be on a direct path toward him, its step heading right down onto the pair of roots between which he was wedged. The roots would be crushed, along with any foolish being unfortunate enough to be trapped there.

Before Nomad could calculate any further, the 'Mech's enormous foot was directly over his head and bearing straight down.

10

Seeing Nomad about to be crushed underneath the gigantic foot of the Summonerthat had abruptly emerged from the mist, Joanna knew she did not have time to properly identify the intruder. Clan Wolf or Clan Jade Falcon, it did not matter when the life of someone under her command was in danger. Even though she despised Nomad whenever she bothered to think about him—and under some circumstances could have crushed him herself without compunction—to stand by and watch him die would have been wasteful. Reacting instinctively, she fired her laser cannon at the descending foot. Her aim was true and the laser pulses seared leg armor at ankle level, enough to throw the 'Mech off balance and divert the direction of the foot. The giant metal foot bounced off the trunk of the tree, then landed next to one of the roots enclosing Nomad, missing him by centimeters. This particular shot had always been a specialty of Joanna's, and it forced enemy pilots to divert their attention to regaining their 'Mech's balance. In that crucial moment, Joanna could often land a killing blow in a real battle.

Some smoke arose from the hits. Joanna had connected with something. When the 'Mech came to a dead stop, its thick, towering legs were directly over Nomad, who was staring up at them in terror.

"Good shot, warrior," came a voice over the commline from the new 'Mech. "Do you ordinarily make a practice of going for the lower limbs of BattleMechs from your own side? What right have you to-"

"I recognize your voice, warrior. It is Aidan, is it not?"

"No, it is not. The name is Star Commander Jorge, of the Glory Station Garrison Cluster."

If she had not been wearing studded gloves, Joanna might have clapped her head against her forehead for making such a stupid mistake. Of course she could not call him Aidan. That was no longer his identity.

"Sorry, warrior. You sound like someone I knew once. Foolish. Aidan is long dead."

"You have not answered my question. I do not appreciate being shot at when I am on a friendly mission."

"You were about to make a meat patty out of my chief tech, Star Commander Jorge. I had no other way of preventing that."