Streaming back from the pass and the heights around it came Commonwealth soldiers all tattered and torn. Some ran in panic, with no idea of where they were or where bound. Others, regardless of their own injuries, helped lessfortunate comrades to the makeshift hospital. More than one soldier carried the limp body of a friend in his arms, and Kai knew that there would be no help for many of them.

Kai dropped his 'Mech down to one knee and used its free left hand to corral a soldier. He flicked his external speakers on with the touch of a button. "Report, Sergeant Detloff," he said, reading the man's name from the patch on his uniform. "What happened?"

The man shuddered and seemed to struggle to speak. "They got through us, sir. We finished planting the explosives and all, and then they were all over us." His hand dropped unconsciously to the empty holster on his right hip. "Nothing stopped them."

The images of unarmored men trying to stop the Jade Falcons with small-arms fire sent a shiver of dread through the Mech Warrior. "Did you blow the pass?" Even as he asked, Kai knew the answer. They couldn't have done it. With all those explosives and that much rock moving, I'd have felt it on the way up.The non-com confirmed Kai's deduction with a head-shake.

Kai opened up the external microphone and increased its gain slowly. The feedback built into a piercing shriek that blasted through to even the most shocked of the warriors in the valley. Flipping it back off, he keyed up his helmet mike. "Get your people into the APCs and other vehicles. You're pulling out. Those of you who can walk should help the others or carry as much of the hospital supplies as possible."

Focusing back from the eye-slit viewport to his holographic display, he saw the rest of his lance arrive on the scene. "Jeff, Maggie, use your 'Mechs to clear out these burning APCs so they can get to the good ones. Harry, keep your Hunchbacknear the trail leading down. You're point man for getting this convoy out of here."

"Roger, Leftenant." The vindicatorand Trebuchetmoved toward the burning vehicles while the barrel-chested Hunchbackstood sentinel at the canyon entrance. Though each of the 'Mechs had only one manipulative hand, their terrific strength enabled them to move the damaged APCs easily.

Kai's heart sank as he looked out his viewport. Oh no! They're not having trouble, but I'm about to.

Stalking from the hospital in a blood-spattered surgical gown, Dr. Deirdre Lear headed straight for the Hatchetman.

Four or five meters from its base, she jammed her fists onto her hips and glared up at the polarized eyeslit. "I don't know who you think you are, but this hospital is going nowhere!" She pointed a finger back at the twin tents. "I've got people in there who will die if they're moved."

The MechWarrior nudged the armored body of a dead Jade Falcon with his ax. "Your people will die if they don'tmove, Doctor."

"You're here with your guns. Protect us until I can stabilize these people."

Kai dropped the Hatchetmanto one knee and laid its left hand flat on the ground. "Please, Doctor, join me inside the cockpit. I would prefer that our discussion not be aired in public."

A look of revulsion washed briefly over her face, but she conquered her emotions and stepped into the mechanical hand. Kai slowly brought the hand up to shoulder height, with the edge of the palm resting against the 'Mech's left shoulder. "There's a hatch at the back of the neck. I'm opening it now. Please climb around and in." His fingers danced across the keypad on the right side of his command console, opening the hatch with a hiss of pressurized air.

Deirdre entered the cockpit warily. Without turning to face her, he pointed to a jumpseat folded up against the right side of the pilot's compartment. "Please be seated. I apologize for the lack of accommodations: we don't often have passengers."

"I don't plan to be here very long." She sat down, and he felt her angry eyes boring into him.

He brought the Hatchetmanback to its feet and resealed the hatch. "Please strap yourself in. You can get a headset from the compartment by your right shoulder. Plug it into the jack there and we can talk normally."

She strapped herself in and connected up her headset. "You might as well leave the 'Mech down."

Kai shook his head and concentrated on the holographic display. "I don't think so, Doctor. This is a war zone and a stationary 'Mech makes an inviting target." He flipped his communications system over to the external speakers. "Sergeant, gather as many men as you can. You're going back up there to seal the gap."

The soldier shook his head warily. "Can't do it, sir. The Leftenant had the magcard that controlled the detonator."

"Where is he?"

The man looked to be on the verge of tears. "I don't know. He was one of the first hit."

Kai frowned, sweat burning into his eyes. "What did you use for explosive?"

Detloff shuddered. "Pentaglycerine. Lots of it. We had to shut down the vibrabombs to keep from setting off a sympathetic blast."

The MechWarrior's head came up. "Then an autocannon burst against the walls or a missile ought to set it off."

"Sure, if you're of a mind to commit suicide." Detloff looked straight up at the Hatchetman."Even an Atlascouldn't climb out from under that much rock, much less survive the burying."

Kai slammed his fist against the command couch's right arm. "Dammit, you better get back up there and find that magcard. You have to. Sealing the gap is our only chance to keep the invaders from killing Victor Davion." Please, God, get Victor away and clear ...

Fire returned to the soldier's eyes. "Yes, sir." He turned and grabbed two other men. They, in turn, recruited several more as they headed off toward a narrow trail up the canyon wall.

Deirdre's cold voice demanded his attention. "Excuse me, but I thought you brought me in here to discuss defending my hospital?"

As Kai turned around, he saw recognition on her face the second their eyes met. "That's what I'm trying to do, Doctor. I'm trying to buy you the time, but the only way to do that is to seal the gap. The Gash has been mined and is set to explode, but they can't set off the explosives unless they get the card."

"You!" Venom burned in her blue eyes. "Let me out of here right now!"

"No! I need some answers, and only you can give them to me." Kai forced his own anger down. "How much time do you need to stabilize people?"

"All of them? Twelve hours."

Kai shook his head. "No way. Fifty percent fatalities in a triage setup. How long?"

Her jaw dropped. "Fifty percent? That's inhuman! How could you even suggest it?"

"I'm just being realistic."

"You're being a monster, a heartless monster." Her eyes narrowed. "I should have expected it. It's in your blood."

Kai stabbed a finger at her. "Stop it. Just stop it now! I don't know why you hate me and"—he hesitated—"I don't care. If Jade Falcon 'Mechs, even a lance of them, are following those infantry up here, everyone is going to be dead! Give me a realistic time figure, and I'll get you that time." As he turned away, a host of orange stick figures appeared on his magscan display and a tortured note entered his voice. "No!"

Deirdre strained at the shoulder straps holding her in the jumpseat. "What? What is it?" Kai's face closed. "Time's up."