His computer's estimate of the damage done to the Rapiercheered him. His own PPC had missed the target, but the LRMs more than made up for it. They hammered the Rapier'sfuselage and blew out chunks of aircraft in locations the computer marked as belonging to heat sinks. The missiles also blew armor from the engine, while the two forward lasers flashed into the right wing and fuselage, possibly damaging a fire-control computer.

Carew nodded and studied the Rapier'snova-white IR signature. You're running hot—as hot as the pilot you think yourself to be.Kicking his left wing up, he swung over into a split-S and grinned as the Rapiercame around to meet him.

* * *

The least-damaged Fury cranked its turret to the right and drilled a Gauss rifle projectile into the Summoner'sleft arm. The silver ball punched through the fragmentary armor and crushed the LRM launcher pod nestled therein. The Summonershuddered, but remained upright and blasted back at the Fury with a missile barrage that chewed up the tank's nose armor.

Ace's Viperoriented on the most dangerous Fury and opened up with both his PPC and medium laser. They continued the job the Summonerhad begun and one beam even sliced through the right-side track. The ribbon of metal spun off the wheels, awkwardly freezing the Fury in mid-turn. Dirt sprayed high into the air as the Fury fought to move and escape its tormentors.

Because of the heat washing up through his 'Mech's cockpit, Phelan only used his pulse lasers on the Fury. The stuttering hail of red bolts pierced the tank's weakened nose armor as if it were not even there. An internal explosion shook the Fury, then it stopped dead while dust settled over it and oily black smoke curled up out of the hole beneath it

* * *

Frantically working the control levers, Elza Speer fought to track the Black Hawkcircling to the right. "I'm trying, Perry, dammit, but the 'Mech isn't helping."

Whatever reply Perry might have made was swallowed in the hideous din of metal gnawing away at metal. Elza saw the muzzle flash of the Black Hawk'sautocannon, then felt the Fury jerk hard to the left. The loud explosions of missiles against the hull left her ears ringing. She felt the sting of metal spalling up off the interior bulkheads and saw the flesh of her arms and hands crisscrossed with small, bloody furrows.

She redoubled her efforts to turn the Fury, but that only brought the sight of the other Fury's smoking carcass into view. "Damn." She watched the Fenrisexchange shots with the remaining operational Burke and took some joy in the 'Mech reeling back, its chest armor in tatters. At the same time she saw the Burke's nose had been crushed and the crew already popping out to surrender.

Elza shook herself and jammed the tank into reverse. "I am but a tool of Blake's Wisdom. Dammit, Perry, shoot something!"

* * *

The Rapierhomed in on Carew's Visigothlike a guided missile. Its autocannon vomited fire and metal in a storm that punched through the aerofighter's fuselage. Warning klaxons blared at Carew in the cockpit, but he forced himself to ignore them. In atmosphere that does not matter.The fighter bucked and the computer informed him one of his heat sinks had been destroyed. Well, that does not matter as much in atmosphere.

His return salvos cut into the Rapieras it shot over him. The one of his two medium lasers that hit the ComStar fighter claimed another heat sink from that craft in retribution for the damage he'd taken. The particle projection beam's azure scalpel followed some LRMs into the engine cowling and pierced the protective shielding guarding the fusion reactor. A heat corona surrounded the engine, and the Rapiershot forward as if the pilot had kicked in the over-thrusters.

Carew found himself holding his breath as the pilot struggled to pull the Rapier'snose up. He got it started in that direction, then the heat signature of his engine dimmed. Carew punched up another scan on the target, then he realized the ship's computers had shut the engine down to prevent an explosion.

The Rapierstarted a slow roll and, without thrust, it nosed down toward the earth. The ship's canopy fragmented as the explosive bolts holding it in place detonated. The pilot rode a rocket out of the cockpit, then the escape chair's gyrojets flamed on to stabilize its flight.

Carew keyed his radio. "If we have Elementals in Sector 4123, ComStar has a pilot down. I don't know who he is, but Clan Wolf definitely wants him as a bondsman."

* * *

Elza jerked against the restraining straps in her chair, then found the right-hand tread controls went slack. "It's done, Perry!" Try as she might, she was unable to turn fast enough to prevent the more mobile 'Mechs from zeroing in on the Fury's damaged right flank. The Thor, Fenris,and Dragonflyhad all hammered it with fire while Perry had been unable to return fire at all.

She punched the engine's shutdown button, then waited a bit and popped her hatch. The cold air pouring down into the cockpit refreshed her until a breeze carried in the scent of burning tanks. She wrinkled her nose, then slowly climbed out of the tank to join the crew of the other Fury and the last two Burkes in surrender.

"I hope the Precentor Martial knows what he is doing." She jumped down from the hull and raised her hands. "Wisdom of Blake be damned. Fighting this sort of battle is stupid."

* * *

Phelan was pleased when the crews started leaving their vehicles. He flipped open his external communication channel. "You fought well and bravely." He pointed back down the direction from which the ComStar forces had originally come. "Please take cover. More of your forces are headed this way and things are not likely to be very hospitable here."

He tuned his radio over to the Cluster's tactical frequency. "Black Widow, this is Ax One. We have the pass. We are operational, but will not last long. Quarrel lost one of the planes, but I have no ComStar air elements present. Please advise concerning our disposition."

He heard the disgust in Natasha's voice as she answered him. "Report back to Cluster HQ for refit and resupply."

Phelan frowned. "What happened? ComStar run away too fast?"

"Not so fast we could not have caught them. We have been ordered back and when the pressure dropped off him, Wollam and his troops pulled back to the northeast."

"What?" The Mech Warrior surveyed the burning armor and the damage to his Star. We could have been killed here."We took the objective, Colonel."

"I know that, but who can puzzle out the ilKhan's mind?"

So, Ulric is the one who has pulled us back. Somethingbig must be going on."Orders understood. We will be bringing in some prisoners."

"Noted, Ax Star. You did good work out there."

"Roger that, Black Widow. We are coming in."

* * *

Ulric pulled his head up as Conal Ward's face appeared on the monitor in his office. Sweat had pasted the warrior's dark hair to his forehead, and the padding of his neurohelmet had crushed it into place. "Thank you for finally reporting to me, Galaxy Commander Ward. I would have preferred more immediate communication to your waiting until it was safe to leave your 'Mech."

Conal stared out of the screen with nothing of his intensity lost by transmission. "Forgive me, ilKhan, but my Red Wolves have been fighting hard and ComStar jammed our communications. It took a runner from my HQ to bring me your message."

The ilKhan frowned. "Do not lie to me, Conal. You remained engaged with the 278th Division of the Com Guards long after I ordered you to break off."