‘Bryant here, sir.’

‘What does the front look like?’

‘I can't tell too much. Over where One used to be. there's some movement, but they seem cautious about the center.’

‘After our original breakout drive, I'm not surprised. They probably think we're loading up tor another thrust. Lay down some fire in the direction of One's old position. Then let the front have about a two minute fare-thee-well, before you fall back. Lippy and I should be done here by then.’

‘Yes, sir. I'll keep them guessing.’ Bryant's voice was excited.

‘Don't be late. When we come out of the forest over here, there will be two very angry lances on our tail. I don't want any part of my company cut off. Not even a measly Wasp.Ya got that?’

‘Roger that, Captain. I won't be longer than four minutes.’

A clearing appeared on the left, blasted out of the forest by the day's missile fire. The Shadow Hawkturned into it and came back down the trail. He could see nothing of the ambush site. Good,St. George thought. We wait and see if they took the bait.

‘Here he comes, bold as brass,’ Ll-pescue called out. ‘It's the Rifleman,all right. He's coming on at what passes for a run in those cans. He doesn't see me, though. Looks like he's dead on your trail.’

‘Don't tip our hand, Lippy. I want him.’

‘Oh, sir. you wound me.’ The Crusaderpilot's voice was ironic.

The wait seemed to stretch from seconds into hours. They had to strike and get out now, or risk being cut off.

‘A little closer. C'mon,’ the trooper coaxed. ‘There you go. Don't be afraid.’ There came a ground-shaking concussion that the Captain could feel through his 'Mech's armor. ‘Gotcha!’ Lipescue exalted. ‘Twelve SRMs, straight into the right-turret arm. Blew the sucker right off. There're parts flying everywhere.’

The Captain bolted back down the trail in time to see the maimed Riflemanturn to bring its undamaged arm to bear on its tormentor. Lipescue's Crusaderwas pumping laser fire into the injured 'Mech, but its pilot seemed oblivious to the damage.

‘Here comes the cavalry,’ St. George yelled.

As the distance closed, the Shadow Hawkopened up on the left turret arm with its autocannon and laser. Chunks of machinery flew from the Rifleman,but it refused to go down. The Steiner 'Mech's autocannon began to blow chunks out of the forest behind Lipescue's Crusader,which would lock down on him in an instant.

The Shadow Hawkskidded to a stop and let go a volley of SRMs at the Steiner 'Mech. The Rifleman'sautocannon and laser arm swept fire across the Crusader'storso plates. The Crusaderunleashed a volley of twelve SRMs straight into the relentless weapon arm. engulfing the valiant Riflemanin a hell of 14 simultaneous SRM impacts. When the flash died away, the Riflemanwas left a smoking pillar, armless and afire, but still standing.

‘That was one tough bastard,’ murmured the Crusaderpilot. ‘I'm getting out of here before he blows.’

‘How're you. Lippy? He managed to get his guns to bear there at the end.’

The Crusaderheaded up the path toward St, George. ‘Battered but unbowed, Captain. He only nicked me!’ The 'Mech showed the scorch of the Steiner's laser, but seemed functionally unimpaired.

‘Double time, trooper. We've got too many hostile callers to linger here too long.’ The Captain took a last look back down the path as the Crusaderpassed him by. His heat sensors picked up something very big and very hot coming through the forest along the path he had made. This time, he could see other 'Mechs traveling parallel to the path, smashing their own way through the undergrowth. Leaving the smoldering Riflemanbehind. Captain St. George headed back to the 131st Battalion's lines.

‘Oh great, when did the rain start?’ St. George reached the position behind the ridge, where the Swords of St. George were dug in.

‘It was a couple of minutes ago. Cap'n. ‘

St George could make out the form of his unit's top noncommissioned officer, Master Sergeant Allen McHaigh. The venerable old Wolverine-Mthat McHaigh piloted bulked out of the gathering gloom like a moving house.

‘Report. Sergeant McHaigh. What is our position and our unit strength?’

‘We're dug in behind this ridgeline for about a klick in either direction. What good this diggin' in is going to do, I can't tell. A and D companies have already pulled out.'

‘McHaigh, the unit strength.’

Yes. sir. Company B ot the 131 st battalion now consists of Lipescue's Crusader,your Shadow Hawk,and this old can of paint. Swords Three can toss in a Hermes II.a Wasp,and a Stingerthat we might as well leave behind. As for Harris's boys in Swords One, there's his Hunchback,another Wasp.and a Locustthat's about as useful as that Stingerin Three,’

‘Where's Bryant? He was supposed to be here before Lippy and I got back.’

‘Don't know, sir. There's been a lot of activity back in our old position. We've not heard a word.’

The Captain's mind raced. Unit strength was down by a fourth, two of his unit commanders out. His support positions were falling back behind him. The only good thing was that the rain would hamper the fighters as much as it would slow down his troops. It could be worse.

‘What the hell is that coming across that field?’ The voice was Sergeant Hams.

‘Geez, Sarge.’ called one of the Swords One's troopers. ‘It's a Wasp.Looks like one of ours. He's at a dead run. Waving his arms to beat the band.’

‘It's Bryant.’ Captain St. George cut in. ‘Harris, take Swords One out to meet him. Get him back to this position.’

‘Yes. sir! C'mon, Swords! We've got work to do!’

A twinkling of weapons fire on the left betrayed the previously invisible position of his company's left flank. The fire was answered by more sinister twinkling in the sky overhead. The ground rocked to missile and cannon fire from the Steiner fighters.

‘Hold your fire, everyone.’ There was steel in St George's tone. ‘The fighters are pinpointing us in this gloom by our weapons fire. The rain's reduced our heat signatures, so they're grasping at straws.’

‘Cap'n St George, Harris here. We're on our way back.’

‘Any casualties, Sergeant?’

‘Our Locustsslowed a bit, but he's not reporting any serious damage. We got off light. The damn fighters blew it wide.’

'When you get Bryant back here. I want you to take your lance and fall back. There should be a road about three klicks south of here. Fall back to that point unless you encounter our troops dug in and holding.’

‘Yes, sir.’

‘Sergeant McHaigh, you heard that?’

‘Aye, sir. You'll be bringing up the rear with Two, then, sir?’

‘Aye, yourself, McHaigh. Now fall back.’

The Captain could see the salient they had worked so hard to punch into the Lyran forces being squeezed like a tube of survival rations. He was becoming more and more uneasy about the fact that it was a mere unit protecting the regiment's rear.

The Waspstood directly in front of his Shadow Hawk.The trooper was bellowing a report over his onboard loud speaker. ‘Then they came in fighters, and I lost my radio to a near miss.’

‘Is that when you decided to disobey orders, and probe the enemy force, trooper?’ St. George cut in.

‘Well, sir, I could see them moving about a bit. They seemed content to hang back, so I loosed a few rounds. Then I shut down everything but leg servomotors to cut down the I.R. signature, and moved up under cover of the rain.’

‘Go on, Bryant What did your little sojourn net us?’

‘Yes, sir. What we've got up front there are Lyran regulars. At least one medium lance. That's what's been laying in the rocket fire on us until now. When I got close enough, though, I could see elements of an Assault Lance moving up. Over where one used to be was another medium lance, and a lot of light stuff. Recon, maybe.’ Selfconsciously, the trooper added, ‘I kinda got lost and ended up going a little sideways, or I wouldn't a been late, sir.’