That brought smiles to the officers' faces, but did nothing to dispel the tension in the room. Shin felt the gathered officers waiting for the other shoe to drop, and Victor's hesitation, feigned or not, increased the suspense. Shin suddenly felt a pang of sympathy for the man.

"Rumors have begun to circulate among the Revenants concerning the nature of our training," Victor said finally. "I have been pushing you and your people hard and plenty of them have sensed a purpose in these exercises. Yes, each is different, in that we're hitting a simulated Clan force with a different approach each time, but we're always on a mission with a time limit. Our job is to land, hit the enemy hard, keep reinforcements at bay long enough to evacuate someone, then we pull out ourselves."

Victor glanced over at Shin. "Many of your people have also noted the arrival of ShosaYodama and his people. They're uneasy about being observed by Combine officers, and everyone on this base knows I've spent a lot of time talking with ShosaYodama. The rumor shop has been busy forging links between our training and the Draconis Combine. Rumors will really begin to fly fast and furious when Yodama and his people form yet another lance and start working with us in equipment they brought or we have lent to them."

That statement produced whispered oaths and an isolated cheer from the assembled officers. Several stared daggers at Shin, but the yakuza turned them away with a smile. One or two blushed and lowered their gazes, while the older officers stared at the Kuritan in open challenge.

Victor ignored these unspoken exchanges. "What I'm going to say goes no further than this room for the time being. What we have been doing in these training exercises is preparing for a mission that will take us a long way from here. I haven't yet received permission to launch the operation, but I will be meeting with General Kaulkas today, and then Marshal Morgan Hasek-Davion inside two weeks to discuss it. Before I do that, however, I must be certain you're all behind me."

He held up a hand to forestall any immediate affirmations of loyalty, then his eyes focused distantly as he considered his next words. "You all know I have had, in effect, two commands shot out from under me. The Twelfth Donegal Guards collapsed when the Jade Falcons hit them during the first Clan wave." A smirk flashed briefly on Victor's lips as he patted Galen's left shoulder. "I was ordered off the planet, and Hauptmann Cox here saw to it that I obeyed.

"Most of you were there at Alyina when the Falcons again hammered my command. And some are even saying that I would have lost the Tenth Lyran Guards on Twycross had Kai Allard not done the impossible in taking out a whole Clan unit by himself. Some might now see me as a Jonah, and Kai Allard as my good luck charm. With him gone, they would believe any unit I lead will falter."

Victor took in a deep breath, and Shin's heart ached for the Prince as he bared his soul. "Things will not get better, I fear, as I explain this mission to you. In short, here it is: Hohiro Kurita, heir to the Dragon Throne, has been trapped deep behind enemy lines by a superior Clan force. Last we knew, which was a status message sent three weeks ago, he was alive and in hiding with his unit. Their continued ability to fight is in serious doubt and their intelligence concerning the force we will face is spotty at best.

"The Combine cannot spare the forces necessary to mount a rescue operation. In fact, if we are not given permission to proceed with this operation, Hohiro Kurita will never leave Teniente. What we have been training for is to slip into Teniente, pull Hohiro's forces out, and escape."

Shin read surprise on the faces of most of the officers, and outright disgust on the faces of the rest. He assumed those who appeared most annoyed at the news were veterans of more than one battle with the Draconis Combine. They cling to the old ways and still see us as more dangerous an enemy than the Clans.

Victor leaned forward, supporting himself on his fists. "Yes, that's right, we intend to rescue a future leader of the Snakes. I don't care if you don't like that aspect of the mission—it is immaterial and unimportant. All I need from you is your confidence in my ability to lead this mission. Without that, any mission—rescue or not—would be useless."

The Prince straightened up and folded his arms defensively across his chest. "I'll leave you to discuss this among yourselves. Speak frankly. There will be no reports back to me on who said what. When you have decided whether or not you think I can command you as effectively in a hot LZ as I do here, Galen will let me know."

Victor turned crisply and stepped through the door to the outside. Shin made to follow him, but as Galen stood and came to the head of the table, he stopped the yakuza. "I'd prefer that you stayed, Sho-sa.Your input will be as valuable and necessary as that of anyone else here." The fair-haired MechWarrior looked out at his fellow officers. "Start jawing, folks."

A female leftenant leaned back in her chair. "Begging the Drac's pardon, Hauptmann, I don't see how mounting a rescue mission in Kurita space makes any sense. Supply lines are too long and we've no chance of logistical support if things get messy. I say the mission is a no-go."

Galen shook his head. "Wrong answer, Livinsky. You're not voting on the feasibility of the mission, but on Victor's ability to lead it."

"A good leader would have taken all that into account, Galen," she shot back. "A good leader wouldn't have hatched this fool plan."

Seeing other officers nod in agreement, Shin leaned forward to speak. "Forgive me, but those things have been discussed. My superiors have agreed to supply the force with transport and munitions. We are working to see what kind of relief force we can muster to rescue the rescuers, if that becomes necessary."

"Old Dracs in older 'Mechs," scoffed another officer.

"I'd remind you, Carson, that old warriors in old 'Mechs kept the Smoke Jaguars and the Nova Cats out of Imperial City on Luthien." Galen turned sharply to Livinsky. 'There, Leftenant, you have your support. What about Victor's abilities?"

A dark-haired man at the far end of the table stretched, signalling his desire to speak. "Not wanting to be disrespectful, Galen, but the Prince said it himself: he's lost two units. I lived through the hell on Alyina and I don't mind telling you I don't relish serving under a commander who's got a Napoleon complex."

Shin frowned. "Napoleon complex?"

The officer nodded. "You Dracs may call it something else, but it boils down to this: Victor's trying too hard to prove that being small is no disadvantage."

Shin raised an eyebrow. "It strikes me as amusing that you consider physical size any special factor affecting what type of 'Mech pilot or commander a man can be."

The man waved Shin's comment away. "It goes deeper than that with Victor, Sho-sa.He's trying to prove himself the equal of his father and of Morgan Hasek-Davion. That's a tall order, and one he's not up to."

"You're full of it, Murphy!" A young leftenant shot to his feet. "If you think Victor's got an axe to grind, you're crazy."

"What the hell do you know, Hudson?" The scorn in Murphy's voice lashed the tall young man. "You may be a hotshot from the Skye Rangers, but you don't know what you're talking about. Hell, you've only been on the sidelines of the war so far. Wait until you start to see yourbuddies die."

Before Dan Hudson could say anything, Galen leaped into the fray. "But I haven't been on the sidelines, Murphy, and I've seen a damned sight more of this war than you have." Galen jerked a thumb back into his own chest. "I was the guy who had to slug Victor to get his butt off Trellwan. He didn't want to go even though we both knew the planet was lost. Right up until I decked him, he was thinking and planning and trying to work out a way to deal with the Clans. Even after that, all the way out to the JumpShip that would take us away, he studied all the tactical telemetry coming up from Trellwan. He studied that stuff so much that he knew the name, age, and serial number of every man and woman who died in his command."