"Ruby has provided valuable assistance to us in certain ventures," Diamond said, more to remind and reassure the others than to placate the Colonel. The hard-faced military man and the aloof Duke Hassid Ricol had been at odds from the first.

"Ruby's presence is unnecessary," Diamond declared. "So let us not descend to squabbling so early. I have good news."

Expectant faces turned toward him.

"Last week, final negotiations were completed for the marriage of Theodore Kurita and Anastasi Sjovold. The wedding is to take place in Palace Hall in the city of Reykjavik, former capital of the Principality of Rasalhague."

Murmurs of jubilation and congratulations burst from the conspirators. They all knew the difficulty the negotiator had faced in gaining this concession. The agreement to hold the marriage in the Rasalhague District, rather than at the traditional site of Imperial City on Luthien, was crucial to their scheme. It meant that the highest nobles of the court would be traveling into the District, and if all went according to plan, many would never leave. Takashi Kurita had agreed to enter their trap.

"Takashi," Diamond said. By uttering the name of the man they most despised, he seized his fellow conspirators' attention. "Takashi Kurita has agreed to the request of his cousin, our benevolent Warlord Marcus Kurita, to conduct an inspection of the District's military forces. The tour will take place immediately after the wedding and is to be conducted by the notable Tai-shoVladimir 'Ivan' Sorenson, may ravens feast on the traitor's eyes.

"By activating a sleeper agent in Sorenson's entourage, we can kill two Snakes with one blow. Our cause has been handed a most pleasing gift."

"But when is this to happen?" someone asked insistently.

"Soon. Now that arrangements have been completed satisfactorily, the Coordinator wishes no delays." Diamond paused to pick up a datapad. "We shall have to step up our timetable."

An uncomfortable silence followed Diamond's announcement, and the conspirators looked nervously at one another. Opal broke the silence.

"How soon?"

"In two months," Diamond said softly.

Agitated voices expressed alarm, just as he had expected. Unlike him, most of the group would not be able to return to their homeworlds to oversee final preparations and still get to the Rasalhague system in the time remaining. Individual components of their plan might be jeopardized by the need for haste. But, he believed, not dashed to ruin. The main portion of the plan remained sound.

Out of the chaos came a voice, that of the fat plotter Opal. "I will provide funds for everyone to send priority messages through the ComStar communications system. We cannot allow the delays of interstellar travel to halt our divinely ordained mission."

Diamond was surprised at the conviction in Opal's voice. Now that action was near, the man seemed possessed of an unexpected inner fire. Even as he began to wonder how to put this new fervor to use, the Colonel interrupted his thoughts.

"What about the Heir Designate?" the man demanded. "Has there been time to ascertain the pup's stand?"

"Not as well as I would like," Diamond admitted. He knew he had to distract their attention from the problems and refocus it on the possibilities of success. This was no time for defeatism. "But all the signs are positive. He has met Anastasi and raises no objections to the match. He even pays her formal court on his furloughs to Rasalhague. Most interesting is that he seems to be finding a favorable reaction among the general public. The people seem to take his estrangement from his father as a sign that he will be favorable to them."

"The people are fools who don't understand what happens around them," sneered the Colonel, who obviously considered himself no fool.

"Regardless, my friend," Diamond said quietly, not wanting to lose the thread he was weaving. "Theodore's estrangement is something we,ourselves, should find encouraging. The latest news may not be favorable for the people, but it certainly augurs well for us.

"Our agents report that he has had another major argument with his father, this time over military matters along our border with the Lyran Commonwealth. Theodore believes that he discerns a weakness in House Steiner's troop distributions, one that could provide the opportunity to take the Tamar system and break the stalemate in that sector. The Coordinator explicitly forbids his son to take action and refuses to authorize any major incursions. I think it likely that Takashi remembers his own father's failed attempts to take that system. They were very costly to the Dragon. Our Coordinator shows little faith in his son's abilities, and seems skeptical that Theodore could better the efforts of the redoubtable Hohiro.

"That leaves us with one very frustrated fellow. Our Theodore may be an astute military man, but he is a child when it comes to politics. I feel sure that he will welcome the removal of obstructions to his ambitions and will reward those who aid him. He will believe that our actions and support free him to pursue his military ambitions."

"We do not need another Kurita tyrant," the Colonel ground out.

"No, we do not," Diamond agreed. "We will not accept such a tyrant, but Theodore need not know that. When our position has been solidified and he has given Anastasi a child to inherit the throne, we will have no further need of him. Isolated from the court on Luthien, as he has been, he will have no friends to warn him and no allies to defend him. In his isolation, he will be vulnerable. Should it come to pass that he is branded a patricide, who would object when loyal citizens rise up and dispose of him?"

8

Draconis Military Starport, Reykjavik, Rasalhague

Rasalhague Military District, Draconis Combine

20 September 3019

Ochre light from Rasalhague's midday sun flooded the great bay of the DropShip Mukade,overwhelming the glow of the light strips on the wall of the bay. The trip in from the station at the nadir jump point had taken three-and-a-half days, even at the 1.5 G acceleration Theodore Kurita had ordered from the Mukade'scaptain. The crew and his own MechWarriors had griped about the extra half-gee, but Theodore ignored them. Anxious to be down, he had made the descent from orbit seated inside his BattleMech and had freed it from its travel moorings as soon as the DropShip touched down.

Now he sat in its cockpit, waiting for the bay doors to open wide enough to clear the machine's bulk. Around him the ship's crew were busy helping the Mech Warriors power up their machines and ready them for debarkation. The rest of the lance would not be off the Mukadefor many minutes yet.

The orange light of Rasalhague's distant sun reflected in sparkles from the lubricant-shiny metal of the ramp extenders, but automatic compensators kept the glare from Theodore's eyes as he pushed down on the throttle pedal, starting the 'Mech lumbering down the metal runway. BattleMech footsteps rang in dull thunder as the seventy-five-ton mass of armor and armament strode forth from the DropShip.

Tai-iTomoe Sakade stood on the ferrocrete near the 'Mech hangar, waving. She had left their assignment on New Caledonia weeks ago and traveled to Rasalhague. Once onplanet, she had begun liaison work with the Twenty-second Rasalhague Regulars on Heiligendreuz, the lance's next duty stop in Theodore's shuffle through the Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery. Theodore keyed up the magnification as he slid the focus point of his head-up display onto her face. The image enlarged until it filled his screen, and her smile filled his heart. Theodore raised one of the Orion'stubular arms and swung the medium-class laser back and forth to return her wave.