"You're certain of that?"

Conal gently pushed Marcos to one side. "Warriors fight with 'Mechs, not words. Is there a point to this, Natasha, or are you stalling to work up the guts to make your bid?"

Natasha took two steps toward Conal. Phelan couldn't see the expression on her face, but her ramrod-straight back gave away her fury. "No, Conal, I've no need to stall for time on this bid. This is the one I've been intending to make since the start. I just wanted to know how far Marcos would go."

She pointed up at the screen. "I cannot use this thing for my bid because it will not register. I bid one."

Marcos hunched forward, waiting. "One what?"

"Just one." Natasha's hands curled into fists. "I bid just one warrior."

Marcos stared at her, stunned. "One warrior?"

"One warrior," Phelan whispered.

"One warrior," Natasha confirmed resolutely.

She turned from the Crusaders and graced Phelan with a hideous grin. "You want Gunzburg? It's yours, Phelan Wolf. Now all you have to do is go and take it."

34

Unity Palace, Imperial City, Luthien

Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine

25 December 3051

The irony of the situation almost gave Shin Yodama the desire to compose a haiku to describe it. Up above, on the surface, the Christian minority had decorated the streets of Imperial City with garlands of evergeen and ribbons of bright red. In small bands, they had gone throughout Luthien's largest city, doing what they could to beautify it, preparing for the advent of their savior. In Christian delirium, they rolled out a welcome mat for their beloved visitor.

Down in the bedrock beneath the city, Theodore Kurita's Defence Coordination Center was a stark contrast to the gaiety on the streets. Communication Techs remained hunched over scanners that monitored every cubic centimeter of the Luthien system. Other men, a select few that included Shin, attended the Kanrei—or, in Shin's case, his son—as the Kurita leaders studied various computer-generated battle simulations and actual spy reports.

Tai-saHideyoshi could barely contain his anger. "But, Kanrei, how can you ignore these reports from the Draconis March and the Isle of Skye? We have confirmations over and again that Hanse Davion has moved 90 percent of his troops from those borders."

Theodore's bright blue eyes were almost brighter than the muted lights of the command center. "I have not ignored his movements, Tai-sa.I merely chose to ignore the sinister motive you impart to them. Hanse Davion gave me his word he would not send his troops into the Combine. We have no evidence that he has done so."

"Listen to reason, Kanrei!" Hideyoshi fought unsuccessfully to keep his voice from rising. "You know as well as I how many thousands of uninhabited stars he could use as stopping points to recharge his JumpShip drives. We would never detect them and his troops could arrive here without notice."

"Do you want me to fear ghosts, Tai-sa?"Theodore shrugged eloquently, though fatigue bled away some of the emphasis. "We have run the computer projections. Even if Davion has sent his troops, they would not get here before February. By then, we will either have defeated the Clans, or else we will all be dead."

Light glinted from the trio of gold bars on Tai-saYoshida's jacket collar. "Kanrei, our projections preclude the possibility of Davion having already put JumpShips in place to accelerate his troop movements."

Hohiro laughed aloud. "Because, Tai-sa,that is such an absurd idea that we rejected it in favor of taking more time to study projections of the battle for Luthien."

Theodore gave his son a nod. "I have Hanse Davion's promise. No F-C troops will invade our borders. End of discussion."

An inarticulate cry of terror erupted from one of the ComTechs. "I have multiple JumpShip contacts in-system. They've materialized within the orbit of our farthest moon!"

"Confirmed," another Tech cried out. "Fighters scrambling on the Orientalis moon base. Expect visual confirmation in two-zero minutes."

"I have deployment! Multiple DropShips with fighter screens!"

Even without the benefit of orders, Shin punched computer commands into his console. A three-dimensional model of Luthien and its system materialized above the briefing table where sat the strategists. The planet and its quartet of moons hung like blue-green marbles in the air. Around them whirled countless, sharp geometric forms matching the positions of orbital factories circling the world. Bright red as the holly berries on Christian wreaths, the JumpShips and DropShips clustered at a high point within the orbit of the most distant moon.

Shin knew that orbit formed the closest possible point of approach to the planet within the system. Most JumpShips appeared above or below the solar poles, but some intrepid pilots dared make their approach at "pirate points" that were much closer. The moon's orbit was swept clean of debris, its pockmarked face showing where most of it had gone, so the ships did not have to worry about emerging from their jump through hyperspace in the midst of an asteroid belt.

"The Clans are here already?"

Hohiro's question started a flutter in Shin's chest, but he shook his head. "Negative, Hohiro-wima. The equipment does not fit the Clan profile. This is Inner Sphere equipment."

The first ComTech's voice had returned to a workmanlike level, his concentration replacing panic. "DropShips burning hard. ETA one-one hours, repeat, eleven hours to landing. Vector plot puts them at Luthien."

Hideyoshi thrust a finger at Theodore. "Damn you and your trusting soul! Hanse Davion has launched an attack against us. I promise to see you dead before I see Luthien in Davion hands!"

Theodore's voice and face remained expressionless. "Save your threats for real danger."

The scanners on the surface of Luthien and on satellites spinning through space all turned on the invaders. Gradually, the red spheres resolved into shapes that coincided with the various known classes of DropShips. Small pinpoints of light represented the fighters arrayed to ward the DropShips as they burned in toward the planet.

Narimasa Asano's eyes narrowed as his gaze shifted from one ship to another. "Unionand Overlordmostly. That's a lot of troops. I put it at seven or eight Regimental Combat Teams."

Hohiro offered a wan smile. "Not enough to take Luthien."

Theodore's expression hardened. "If they want it, we'll let them have it. Seven can't take it, and seven can't hold it against the Clans."

"IFF transponders negative," Shin reported, "but I have some unconfirmed correlations with ships we know. Shall I tag the incoming ships?"

Theodore nodded once, decisively, and Shin punched up the data onto the projection. As the DropShip formation split into three elements, little banners of katakanaand hiraganasymbols attached themselves to a ship here and there. Shin found himself suddenly surprised as more and more of the ships earned tags, with most of the data reports very recent in nature.

Hohiro's shock rode plainly on his face. "Fitzlyon, Chieftan, Lugh, Manannan Mac Lir?"He turned to his father. "These are the ships of Wolf's Dragoons and the Kell Hounds! Mercenaries have come to attack us."