When they came to a broad, curving staircase, the Kanrei and Shin descended into a more brightly lit room. Opposite the stairs, a roaring fire blazed in a hearth that appeared larger, to Shin, than his whole room. Two oaken tables built of well-weathered wood flanked a holographic display unit. Technicians sat at either input station on the briefing unit, while a host of officers were gathered around the tables.

Spirits of my ancestors! This is an incredible collection of military leaders. If the Clans struck this place, they would decapitate the Combine in one stroke.Though Shin could identify units and ranks from uniform insignia, he recognized only one other officer aside from Theodore and Hohiro. There was no way he or his unit would stay out of this, thank the gods.

The officer was seated near the end of the table toward which the Kanrei moved. Slightly built and smaller than average, the Mech Warrior yet possessed so much power of personality that a number of the less secure officers shot occasional glances at him or behaved as though his gaze was somehow scalding. He greeted Theodore with a nod.

Narimasa Asano, leader of the Genyosha.Shin glanced at the triple-bar insignia on Asano's collar. It is true, then, that he has refused elevation above the rank ofTai-sa, despite the Genyosha now comprising two full regiments. It is said that this is his gesture of respect for the man who formed the unit, Yorinaga Kurita, but I have also heard that it is to make the Genyosha equal to the Kell Hounds. Either way, I'm glad we have the Black Ocean warriors with us.

Theodore directed Shin to a seat beside Hohiro, then began his briefing. "To be sure that all of us are current, let me run down the situation as we understand it. In their latest push—which we have termed the 'Third Wave'—the Smoke Jaguars hit six of our worlds. These worlds are: Jeanette, Chupadero, Kabah, Coudoux, Hanover, and Albiero. The Ghost Bears hit Schuyler. We also have unconfirmed reports from our agents in the Rasalhague Republic that the Clans have taken a significant number of worlds there, including the capital."

Shin felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach. The Clans took Rasalhague! If they can muster the force needed to take a capital world, is it possible for us to gather the strength needed to defend one?He glanced at the map of the Draconis Combine one of the Techs produced on the display and saw that the wedge of worlds under assault by the Smoke Jaguars, which extended through to Terra and beyond, included Luthien in its swath.

The Kanrei let the seriousness of Rasalhague's loss sink in for a moment before continuing. "The only good thing about all this is that our estimate of Ghost Bear resources and the amount of firepower they used to take Schuyler indicates that they did not participate in the conquest of Rasalhague. Though Schuyler is the first of our worlds that the Clan has taken, we need not fear, at least in the short term, that the resources of the weapons factories on New Olso will be turned against us."

Hohiro looked up at his father. "Kanrei, has anyone managed to identify these Clans?"

Theodore shook his head. "Their identities remain a mystery. A number of theories have been offered, but none seem satisfactory. One speculation is that their use of BattleMechs means they are the Star League army returning. This theory must be balanced against the reality of those very BattleMechs, which are more sophisticated than any known in the Star League-era. And one must also wonder, if the invaders are, indeed, descendants of Kerensky's force, why they are attacking the Successor States?

"As we have seen, the Clans hit hard and move on swiftly. Many believe that they are only the edge of a mass migration into the Successor States. Something like the barbarian invasions that swept parts of Terra two millennia ago.

"Long before Stefan Amaris murdered the last First Lord of the Star League, the Inner Sphere was surrounded by Periphery realms. Sometimes, these became known to us only by accident. It is, therefore, possible that one or more other nations exist beyond the realms we know about. The idea that a leader created in the mold of Genghis Khan could unite or conquer a legion of small states and weld them into an army able to take on the Inner Sphere does not seem farfetched. At the very least, it suggests a human origin for the hordes invading us, which I find preferable to any alien explanation."

Shin's head came up. "And if the invaders are another sentient form of life?"

The Kanrei smiled warily. "In that case, I will take comfort in the fact that you, in your assault on Kurushiiyama, managed to kill some of them." He looked around at the others in the room. "That is but one instance proving that our foes are vulnerable to our weapons. They die the same as we do."

At a glance from Theodore, one of the Techs hit a few keystrokes, changing the display to side-by-side views of Hanover and Albiero. "The garrisons on Hanover and Albiero were given orders for dealing with the invaders that differed with the rules of engagement we followed previously. When the invaders asked our garrison commanders what units they would use for their defense, our officers either refused to give any information, or—in our tradition—gave the invaders a complete and detailed report on the unit's proud history. In both cases, the Smoke Jaguars arrived in sufficient force to overwhelm our troops in short order. The only units that performed beyond the norm were newly formed regiments whose history did not reflect the caliber of MechWarriors in them."

He glanced at Asano. "Those units were created and trained along the lines of the Genyosha and the Ryuken.

Their commanders avoided the clean and crisp battles the Smoke Jaguars desired in favor of something more like the hit-and-run tactics of bandits. Though our forces eventually succumbed, partly because of supply problems, their tactics did manage to reduce the advantage of range the invaders have over us."

Something in Theodore's explanation struck a chord in Shin. When the Smoke Jaguars came into Uramachi looking for Motochika, they accepted, at face value, the monk's confession that he had planted the bomb. They didn't seem to even consider the possibility he might by lying."Forgive me for interrupting," he said, "but from what you say, the invaders inquire what forces we will use to defend a world. Taking the information on faith, they men act upon it. Wouldn't that mean that they could easily underestimate unknown and untested units? It seems to be part of their arrogance, as in the example of the monk who confessed in order to save others."

"The very point toward which I was heading," the Kanrei agreed, bringing a flush to Shin's cheeks. "As Chu-saYodama has pointed out, the Jaguars appear to be guileless when requesting information. They do not expect deception. It would be dishonorable to lie to them, but recently, I had occasion to change the unit names and designations for the troops on Hanover and Albiero. I permitted the commanders of those garrisons to provide histories of their units that included only actions under their new names. This may have contributed to the invaders' confusion about which were veteran and which were green units."

So intently was Shin listening to Theodore's reasoning that he missed, at first, the rank designation used to address him. Then, suddenly, the word hit him: Chu-sa! LieutenantColonel! It must have been a mistake. A jump of two ranks ... Impossible!

Theodore looked over at Shin. "Yes, Chu-saYodama, you have been promoted. Your commanding officer recommended the promotion and I will have none less than a Chu-saserving on my staff. I hope my need and your desire are still matched horses, for we must work together to stop the invaders."