The computer tracked the Gauss rifle's ball straight to and through the blackened hole that used to be the Daishi'scockpit. For a half-second, nothing happened, then the computer calculated the probable result of such a shot. The Daishi'storso plumped as if pregnant, then exploded.

On the computer array, its left arm swung around and hit the Thunderboltwith the Gauss rifle. The rail gun's capacitors detonated, then a subsidiary blast from within the Daishisprayed the Thunderboltwith shrapnel and Gauss rifle slugs. The Daishi'sbody, reacting to the force of the explosion on its left side, teetered to the right, colliding with the Marauder.

Kai realized the computers must have cut power to the Marauder'sgyros and legs because it went down beneath the Daishi'soutline as though if it had been tackled. The Thunderboltalso fell and the computer quickly updated the 'Mech's status, reporting that the armor had been stripped from its right side. Looking closer, Kai saw that the 'Mech's head had been destroyed as far as the computer was concerned.

Acting on pure instinct, he sent the Daishiflying forward in fits and starts. The erratic pattern made the Archermiss with two volleys, yet kept his weapons dead on the tangled wreck of 'Mechs ahead of him. As he closed to less than 100 meters, Kai let the Marauderhave a blast from the autocannon, and the computer showed the 'Mech's right leg amputated as a result of the attack.

Glancing at the earthquake display, Kai realized that neither the BattleMasternor the other 'Mech had any way of knowing what had just happened. The BattleMaster'scompanion had gotten 200 meters ahead of the larger 'Mech and was racing west, almost parallel with Kai's current position. Cutting south, Kai put a hill between him and the Archer,then raced into battle with the BattleMaster'spoint man.

A Hoplite!Kai laughed cruelly as he intercepted the barrelchested 'Mech at point-blank range. Built for scouting and support missions, the Hoplitewas neither armored nor armed for an extended battle with an Omni like the Daishi.The pilot brought his autocannon to bear. The hail of metal it spat out shredded the armor on Kai's right leg, but failed to even slow him.

In reply, Kai let the Hoplitehave everything but a barrage of missiles. The autocannon stripped the armor from its right flank, and the computer reported further internal damage. The Gauss rifle tore armor from the 'Mech's left leg, while the lasers worked on the right leg and left arm, shaving armor from both.

Sliding across Kai's approach path in a cloud of red dust, the Hoplitehit the ground and sprawled forward. Off to his left, Kai saw the BattleMasterenter the canyon the Hoplitehad just traversed. Without a moment's hesitation, Kai dropped the left crosshair onto the BattleMaster's gigantic silhouette and swung his right arm over to drop the laser's crosshairs onto the prone Hoplite.

The large laser's ruby beam lanced into the Hoplite'sright breast. On the computer projection, it melted away the Hoplite'sskeleton. As one of the trio of pulse lasers added stream after stream of staggered bolts to the area, the computer indicated damage to the Hoplite'sengine and gyro. The other two completed the destruction of armor on the Hoplite'sright leg.

Kai waited for the BattleMasterto bring its PPC up before he triggered the Gauss rifle. The blue bolt of artificial lightning arced through the canyon and slashed a jagged gash across the Daishi'sleft thigh armor. The Gauss rifle, in return, smashed into the BattleMaster'sleft fist, shattering armor and snapping off a finger.

Kai swung his Daishiaround to bring all his weapons into line with the BattleMaster,and its pilot suddenly realized that his 'Mech was not well-suited to battle waged at a distance. Kai waited to see if the warrior would quickly reverse course or would resign himself to his fate and carry out a charge.

He charged.

The PPC hit the Daishiagain. The blue beam melted a diagonal scar over the barrel of the Gauss rifle, but did no damage to its mechanism. Setting his 'Mech, Kai let the BattleMasterhave it with his long-range weaponry.

A grouping of five missiles drilled into the BattleMaster'schest, dropping shards of computer-drawn armor to the ground. The Gauss rifle's ball cored the missiles' fireball. The computer stripped layer after layer of armor from over the BattleMaster'sheart, but it showed plenty of armor still protecting the 'Mech's chest.

Missiles and the large laser were more effective on the 'Mech's left arm. The computer showed Kai's assaults had denuded the arm of shielding as the large laser's beam sawed through it. The computer's projection of myomer muscles snapped apart. The arm fell slack, nothing more than dead weight on the BattleMaster'sleft side.

The assault 'Mech closed to within 100 meters and brought other weapons to bear in addition to its PPC. Kai watched his computer update the outline of the Daishiwith new damage and grimly acknowledged the pilot of the BattleMasteras very good. The PPC slashed more armor from the Gauss rifle, but still failed to breach its protection. The four medium lasers, two each mounted in the left and right flanks of the BattleMaster,seared armor from the Daishi'schest and right flank. One scarlet beam cut back across the Daishi'sleft leg, combining with a PPC scar to mark the limb with an X.

Kai's eyes slitted as he centered his crosshairs on the BattleMaster. I have got to end this now.The gold dot in the center of the crosshairs flashed in fast syncopation with his heartbeat as he triggered all his weapons. The rush of heat vented into the cockpit threatened to overwhelm him, but he held the weapons on target.

Missiles chipped armor from the enemy 'Mech's left flank, left arm, and right leg, while only two of Kai's trio of pulse lasers hit their target. The first left a trail of six smoking holes in the armor over the BattleMaster'smidline. The second vaporized the ferro-titanium bones in its left arm, and the computer erased that limb from the 'Mech's outline.

The large laser's bloody beam swept out from the Daishi'sright arm muzzle, spearing straight into the BattleMaster's blocky chest. The computer painted a heat glow over the damage to the 'Mech's chest, and Kai smiled. That's damage to the engine. That monster's going to be running hot now.

The autocannon in the left side of the Daishi'schest sent out a stream of depleted-uranium phantom slugs and obliterated what little armor remained on the right arm. The computer showed the PPC disintegrating as the slugs punched through its housing. Myomer muscles parted easily and hung like frayed pieces of rope from the 'Mech's skeleton.

The lights in the cockpit dimmed as the Gauss rifle cut loose. Its sphere hit the BattleMasterin the shoulder socket and ricocheted into its left breast. Medium lasers exploded and their muzzles tipped toward the ground. The computer painted the 'Mech's outline with a series of subsidiary short-range missile explosions that shattered what little of the skeletal structure remained on that flank. In a burst of fire, the computer's image of the boxy SRM launcher on the BattleMaster'sshoulder vaulted into the air. The 'Mech's whole left side collapsed, and behind the computer projection, the actual machine crashed to the ground.

"Yes!" Kai slammed his right fist down on the command chair's arm. "Five down and one to go."

An inner voice reminded him, with chilling truth, that cockiness would kill him. He tried to ignore it, to let his emotions override it, but the more he tried to push the thought away, the stronger it became. It's a game now, Kai, but what about when it's real?