Using his left hand, he manipulated the crosshairs for his rear-firing laser. The buttons had downgraded its power to a fraction of what it used in combat and extended its focal length. He punched in a set of coordinates, waited for the weapon to acquire its target, then patched his communication system into the beam generator.

'This is Ax One. I have forty, four-zero, 'Mechs inbound to Sector 4134. They have armor and infantry support. Stand by for data download." He sent out a check-signal, and something back along the line of relay stations sent a go-ahead to his onboard computer. In 2.3 seconds, the scan and the analysis of it shot off at the speed of light to the Guards' headquarters.

Phelan watched his computer put a roster for the ComStar unit up on his secondary monitor. Hmmm. The computer says they're designated the Thirteenth Army, which means they are brand-new. The individual 'Mechs date from the Star League era, as is to be expected, and they're all virgin. Definitely a new reserve unit.

"Black Widow to Ax One. Hit them from the flank or rear."

Phelan blinked his eyes with disbelief. "I have a Star here, Colonel. Even if we arethe Clans, those are mighty long odds."

"The rest of the Cluster is coming up fast, Ax One. We need you to stop them. Khan Garth Radick is bringing up the 341st Assault to finish them. Go, now!"

Phelan snapped off the laser and returned its power output to martial specifications. He flipped his communications over to the radio and boosted its power output. "Ax Star, we are to go up and into the ComStar company in the next valley. Move fast and worry less about being accurate than causing a commotion. Do not worry about aim. They are packed cheek to jowl. You cannot miss."

Ace came back at him. "We getting help, Commander?"

Phelan recognized the question as a request for information, not the voicing of an opinion about the intelligence of the order. That's the Clans. Do or die without a worry.

"That is the rumor, Trey. Give them everything. They are new, and if we are lucky, they are green. They will break." He cut his radio link with the rest of his Star. If they are not, they will kill us.

* * *

Initiate Horagi Kano hunched his shoulders against the rain and pushed on forward. He watched the back of the man in front of him, and did his best to keep his balance on the narrow ledge. Down below, rolling its way through the canyon, a Rhino just waited to grind a clumsy foot soldier into protoplasm beneath its treads.

Kano tightened his grip on the disposable Inferno rocket launcher. The Precentor Martial has put us here to stop the Clans. The weight of humanity is upon our shoulders.He fought to keep his thoughts pure and away from the clammy squishing of soaked socks inside his boots. Be alert and ready. ComStar is depending upon us.

Above, twenty meters upslope on the canyon wall, he saw some rocks shift and a little slide of pebbles cascaded down to bounce off his helmet. He cursed, men followed the line of their fall with his gaze. As he looked up, lightning flashed and burned stark white highlights into the avatar of a war god.

"Waaahhh!" he screamed and unlimbered the Inferno launcher. The man behind him fell off the ledge in the excitement. Kano extended the launch tube and flipped the sights up into place. ComStar is depending upon us.

As the 'Mech swung its large laser into line with his troop, Kano hit the firing button. "I give my life for the glory of the Primus!"

* * *

The Inferno rocket exploded as it pulled up to the middle of the Wolfhound'schest. A clinging cloud of jellied petro-chem covered the 'Mech with a burning coat. The rain diluted it somewhat, but that just caused it to turn the 'Mech into a living torch as the liquid covered all of it.

Phelan heard warning klaxons go off and saw the heat in his 'Mech spike from cool green to blue and almost up into the yellow zone, but the rain had so cooled everything that it minimized the chances of his overheating. Hitting the thumb button on his right joystick, he swept a line of laser fire above infantrymen who had fired the missile and into the side of a Rhino.

Even as the tank started to rotate its turret toward him, Phelan stepped the Wolfhoundoff into space and let it drop toward the valley floor. He bent the legs to cushion the shock of hitting the slope, then kicked off and landed solidly on the ground, crushing a hoverjeep beneath his 'Mech's right foot.

For a split-second, everything froze. The Wolfhoundstood like a fire elemental mocking the puny mortal force gathered in the valley. The light from his fire splashed gold over the rainslicked stone and sent the shadows of terrified soldiers wavering like black flags over the canyon walls. Towering over the equipment nearest him, Phelan felt alien and immortal. He reveled in the terror he saw on faces.

Then, just as quickly, his own companions stalked into the valley. The ComStar armor began to swing its turrets around to blast the impudent intruders. When one whole company of ComStar 'Mechs turned back to engage Ax Star, Phelan knew he was in trouble.

Jerking to the left as a PPC fired at him, Phelan smiled and whispered to himself. "Phelan, Phelan, burning bright, can you survive this fight tonight?"

* * *

The Precentor Martial, standing unseen at the other end of the valley in his virtual world, shuddered as he saw the fiery 'Mech descend like an avenging angel. How could they find us here? If they blunt this thrust at splitting them ...

In a second, a computer command readjusted the con-struct's scale so Focht became a titan huge enough to be able to see the curvature of the world. Instead of seeing the whole length of the Pozoristu Mountains, he saw pockets of clarity in a sea of cloudy gray floating around his feet. The storm made it impossible for him to have information on anything except the areas his troops or scouts inhabited.

We grapple blindly in a minefield. If I cannot see them, they cannot see me, but having both of us at a mutual disadvantage does nothing to reassure me.

He shrank himself back down to the size of a 'Mech and opened a direct communications line to the troops beset by the Clan Star. "Acolyte Durkovic, turn Gamma Company and destroy the Star behind you. Precentor Leboeuf, your Alpha Battalion is under attack. Move now to reinforce it."

His troops moved to comply, but he saw it would not be easy. The Clan 'Mechs moved as swiftly as they could to present difficult targets for Alpha Battalion. Though they could duck and dodge at will, scattering troops and destroying vehicles, his own troops had to wade back through their comrades. This slowed their counterstrike and allowed the 'Mechs to terrorize the infantry enough that it broke.

Angry and heartsick, Focht watched Phelan Kell's Wolfhounddrop down on its haunches to take cover behind a ComStar Rhino. He locked his left hand over the turret and twisted it back so the missiles, if launched, would pepper ComStar troops. Laser beams swept out at him, but the heavy tank shielded him. When a Black Knightmissed with a PPC shot and two large laser beams, the Wolfhoundpopped up like a jack in the box and blasted back at it. Two of the medium pulse lasers and the large laser stripped the armor from the Black Knight'sright arm. The third pulse laser ripped a nasty scar in its chest armor.

The other 'Mechs in the Clan Star proved equally effective. Their fire hit a multitude of targets. The Thorand Fenrissprayed their missiles over the narrow canyon in a haphazard pattern that maximized panic. Giving much better than he got, the Dragonflytraded shots with a Lancelot,while the Black Hawkmade an apelike Kintaropay a dear price for trying to close to its weapons' optimum range.