Wolf had placed the company command out on the plains, and they knew only to take all necessary precautions against a possible raid. Like most field units, they had split their command into its three lances and placed them at three points around the camp. That made it more difficult for an air strike to destroy the command. They also kept their fusion engines lit so the 'Mech pilots could spring into action with a minimum of delay.

As the last second ticked off on his chronometer, Victor centered his rifle's crosshairs on the southernmost guard and stroked the trigger twice. He saw the monitor lights on the target's harness light up and heard the distant keening before his second shot. He smiled, even knowing that both he and Hohiro would try to claim credit for that kill, then sprinted toward the waiting 'Mechs.

His compatriots likewise shot out of their hiding places and ran to their war machines. Victor's had an Ullertorso, but twin-barreled arms. Slinging his rifle over his shoulder, Victor vaulted onto one of his 'Mech's flat feet, caught the barrel of the large laser and swung up onto the lower arm actuator. Like an acrobat on a high wire, he walked to the Mech's elbow, then scrambled up to the shoulder and onto the torso. He dropped in through the hatch and pulled it secure behind him.

Tossing the laser rifle onto the jumpseat behind him, Victor settled into the command couch. He reached under the console on his left and popped open an access panel. He withdrew a circuit board and lay it face-up in his lap. He popped a chip from the board, then pulled another computer chip from a pouch on his cooling vest and snapped it onto the board. He replaced the circuitry, then strapped himself into the command couch.

After slapping the medical monitor patches onto his limbs, then hitching them into the neurohelmet he'd pulled on, he keyed the vocal link to the computer. "Initiation Sequence Override, engage now."

The computer replied after a moment's hesitation. "Authorization code required."

"Able Tango Xray Foxtrot."

"Verification obtained. Welcome aboard Kit Fox 0038W."

Victor breathed a heavy sigh of relief. The primary and secondary monitors came alive with streams of data about the weapon systems as they came online. The display showed that the large and medium lasers in both arms had been powered down to exercise levels, but Victor knew a concentrated blast would be enough to damage a 'Mech and possibly kill the pilot.

This may only be an exercise, but someone can still get hurt.Victor hit a switch and adjusted a dial to set the radio to the agreed-upon tactical frequency. "Raider Deuce, I'm up and running."

"Raider Ace ready for the road," Galen called out.

"Raider Three and Four operational."

Galen's 'Mech lurched forward and headed back in toward the main encampment. Victor swung onto a path parallel with his and hit the button that brought up his projection display. Punched on magnification, he picked out the laser flashes of a running firefight in the center of the camp. Switching over to magnetic resonance scanning, he picked out the shapes that bore an X on them. Quickly, he tagged each with a computer ID number and shot the data out to the other raiders.

"I have our ground troops on magscan and have shot you their labels. The tinfoil strips backing their harnesses worked. Commencing antipersonnel fire."

Victor grabbed the joysticks on both arms of the command couch and lowered the crosshairs onto their targets. He toggled a switch to the left on the console, which dropped the laser's power level yet again, then he swept the right Kolibri pulse laser across the line of defenders.

The other 'Mechs laid down a pattern of fire that took out the other enemy ground troops. The X-forms on Victor's magscan started running for the lance of 'Mechs standing to the north. Galen started his 'Mech toward the south and indicated, with a wave of his right arm, that Shin should join up with him.

"Raider Three and Ace will check the third lance. You two make sure our buddies get buttoned up."

"Roger, Ace."

Victor toggled his weapons to anti-'Mech levels and flicked his scanner back to vislight. With the sun just barely beginning to creep up over the horizon, he got enough light to see Kai boosting Ragnar up to the 'Mech's arm. Cassandra and Sun-Tzu had already reached their cockpits. And when he saw Kai sprint to his 'Mech and start the climb up onto it, Victor could not suppress a smile.

Victor's pleasure died quickly as he looked up to see the right arm of Sun Tzu's 'Mech swing into line with Kai's. Though the motion might have been the kind of move any pilot would make as he began to acclimate to an unfamiliar BattleMech, something seemed wrong. Victor couldn't be certain one way or another, but the shiver that had run down his spine was instinct enough.

Lunging forward, he slid his laser muzzles over Sun-Tzu's left shoulder. The scream of weapon on armor was strong enough for Victor to hear it even within his cockpit, and the bump of muzzle against cockpit was none too gentle. Sweat stinging his eyes, he punched up a tightbeam channel to Sun-Tzu on his radio.

"Don't even think it. Not only will I kill you if you shoot, but I promise to reduce Sian to a cinder in your name."

Bleed-over crackled into his neurohelmet. "... willingly erase the Liao-Shang line from the rolls of mankind." Hohiro's voice poured through the static strong and angry. Victor glanced at the edge of his display and saw Raider Four with its lasers also centered on the Kit Fox'scockpit.

Sun-Tzu lowered his 'Mech's arm. "Treachery runs so deep in your hearts that you mistake innocent actions for conscious betrayal. It is you who are perfidious, not I."

Victor dropped his voice to a low growl. "That may be true, little worm, but let it be a warning that you'd best be careful what you do from here on out. An innocent mistake on your part might cause Hohiro or me to have a 'weapons malfunction.' You'll be a lot more likeable in a eulogy than you are now, so I'll gladly deliver it."

Victor broke off the channel and opened another one to Hohiro. "Great minds think alike, do they not?"

Victor actually heard Hohiro laugh. "When small minds abound, they must."

'Thanks for keeping an eye out for Kai."

"I always watch out for my allies."

"As do I." Victor backed his 'Mech around to face Hohiro. "Appears Raiders Ace and Three have formed a team. Need a wingman?"

* * *

Leaning against the garden's stone railing, Victor forced a smile as Galen handed him a mug of beer. Ignoring them, Sun-Tzu and his sister, seated on a stone bench in a far corner of the garden, spoke in hushed whispers. Their words did not carry, and besides, Victor did not understand Chinese, but he guessed that if he knew what they were saying, it would probably make him sick.

"Ground control to Victor."

Victor looked up at Galen. "Sorry, my friend, I was just thinking about part of the exercise."

"I get the feeling something happened between you and Sun-Tzu while Shin and I were off disabling the third lance."

"It was nothing."

"Nothing?" Galen's blue eyes glittered. "I come back and find you and Hohiro thick as thieves and you say it was nothing? Hell, ComStar could award Sun-Tzu a Peace Prize just for getting the two of you to speak together."

"A Peace Prize?" Victor chuckled and drank some of his beer. "No worry about that happening. The little rat did something and Hohiro and I probably overreacted. As for us being thick as thieves, what were we supposed to do? You and Shin became best buddies and Cassandra appointed herself Sun's babysitter. Kai and Ragnar were a natural pairing, so Hohiro and I had to work together."