Andrew smiled. "The computer says there's an 80 percent chance my configuration is correct. The Ravenhas tissue paper for armor, but the ECM pods make them tough to hit. Watch for them to ambush us. The Vindicator'sthe only one of their 'Mechs that can jump. Its PPC will make short work of your Jenner,St. Armand, so steer clear unless you can get inside."

"Roger, Cap." St. Armand laughed aloud. "I'll take out the Raven,guys, if you want the Vindicator.I figure the Captain will want to go mano-a-mano with the other Centurion."

Redburn chuckled lightly. "That sounds fine, St. Armand. We'll see if their new Centurionswork any better than the one I'm sitting in." Suddenly, a memory clawed its way up from where he consigned nightmares and unpleasant thoughts. Two years before, on a ship traveling from the Lyran Commonwealth to the Federated Suns, Andrew had seen the holovid of a battle on Solaris. Justin took part in that battle, and he fought in aCenturion.

The instant that thought occurred to him, he knew that Justin was the pilot of the Liao Centurion.Conflicting emotions swirled through Andrew's mind. Mostly he was angry because he saw this assault on his planet as a personal insult. He's struck back at his father and at the Prince. Just over a year and a half ago, he sent assassins to kill me and the staff of Delta Company. He rejoiced, no doubt, when he found we were here protecting his prize.

Andrew ground his teeth, then felt his stomach flip-flop. No, that can't be what happened. If nothing else, the Justin Allard I knew was not a murderer. He’d not have sent assassins. I didn't believe it then, and I have no reason to believe it now.Nausea soured the taste in his mouth. How could I think such horrible thoughts about a man who was my friend?

A third emotion seared into Andrew, and his mind recoiled against all its implications. Whether or not he's the same man you once called friend, he's still a better MechWarrior than you’ll ever be. You saw what he did with aValkyrie in combat with aRifleman. Sure, theValkyrie lost the fight, but there was enough armor blown off thatRifleman to build aJenner. You'll be going up against him in evenly matchedCenturions, which means you're still outgunned. He's forgotten more about Mech-Warrioring than you’ll ever know.

Captain Porter's face appeared on Redburn's primary monitor again. "We're coming in, Redburn. Get your people ready!"

Porter's voice shocked Andy out of his brooding. "Ready or not, gentlemen. We're on."

Porter had the 'Mech bay doors halfway open before the ship hit the planet's surface. The DropShip settled roughly to the ground, and St. Armand's Jennercleared the hatch before the ramp had fully extended. De Ridefort and Bisot likewise used their jump jets to leave the ship's hold. They set themselves up in a defensive perimeter as Redburn's Centurionlumbered from the Defiant.

The Centurionpointed west with its autocannon. "Let's move it, but stay with my speed." Redburn started his 'Mech sprinting down the road at 68 kph, its maximum speed. "You quick things can use your speed when we get into combat. Won't be long now."

Gerald de Ridefort's bass voice rumbled through the speakers in Andrew's helmet. "Rules of engagement, sir?"

Andrew swallowed hard. "If it moves, kill it. We'll sort things out and apologize later."

Around a bend in the road and up a slight incline, the Valkyriesbegan to outstrip the Centurion.From a dark copse on the left, Andrew saw a series of bright, arrowlike flashes as the two hidden Ravenslet fly with SRM volleys. Explosions battered de Ridefort's Valkyrie.Two missiles blasted armor from the 'Mech's thick left thigh while another wreathed its right ankle in a halo of orange flame. The last missile detonated beneath the Valkyrie'spointed chin, snapping the head up and around as it chipped armor plates away. The missiles that had missed peppered the hillside with brilliant bursts of vermilion and gold.

As de Ridefort's Valkyriestumbled back away from the ambush, Andrew turned his Centurionto face the shadowed grove. The Centurion'sautocannon swept up and locked on target as the targeting crosshairs shot like a meteorite across Andrew's holographic display. The golden cross flashed once, confirming target acquisition, and Andrew hit the trigger.

The Luxor autocannon growled like a wild beast as it vomited fire and metal. Phosphorescent tracer rounds drew frozen lines of light from the gun's muzzle to the target, then shot off at sharp angles as their fragments ricocheted through a cloud of armor debris. Silver light flared vividly from one Raven'sright side as autocannon shells ripped its right wing off and sent it sailing through the night sky.

St. Armand's Jennerlanced four medium laser beams through the woods, igniting the trees they touched. Three of the ruby energy lances burned into the as-yet-undamaged Raven.Two beams carved armor from its leg in long liquid ribbons, exposing the myomer muscles and ferrotitanium bones beneath them. The other beam gashed a molten scar across the 'Mech's vestigial left wing.

The second Raven,the one Andrew's computer had tagged as Beta, fired its two medium lasers at Bisot's Valkyrie.The beams raked like claws down the breast of his 'Mech. Liquefied armor ran down the furrows they ripped in the 'Mech's ceramic flesh, but failed to penetrate the Valkyrie'sthick hide.

In tandem, Bisot and de Ridefort—who had regained control of his reeling 'Mech—trained their lasers on the Beta Raven.Their lasers shot out in stuttering pulsed beams. De Ridefort's shot missed, but Bisot's aim was true. His laser stitched fire along the Raven'sleft flank, slicing off armor plates like a whittler carving wood.

The Alpha Ravenlaunched another SRM flight at de Ride-fort's Valkyrie,but the missiles passed harmlessly wide of their target. Despite apprehension about the harm that heat build-up could do to his 'Mech, Andrew linked the target for his LRMs to that of his autocannon. This has got to stop now.Dropping the crosshairs onto the Alpha Raven,Andrew let go with missiles and cannon fire.

The Centurion'sLRMs corkscrewed through the pitch-black night, then shattered the darkness with the lurid strobes of half a dozen explosions. Armor shot away from the Raven'sleft leg and arm like leaves tossed about in a strong wind. The autocannon's storm of shells peeled the armor from the Raven'sleft torso as though it were so much naranjirind. The Ravenswayed, staggered by the savagery of the assault, then sank back on its haunches.

Beta Ravenloosed a volley of SRMs at Bisot's Valkyrie.The missiles lanced up at the humanoid 'Mech in a straight line. One blasted into laser-weakened chest armor, while two exploded against the Valkyrie'sleft arm. The fourth and final missile detonated against the Valkyrie'shead, but Bisot weathered the blast that sent armor shards flying.

St. Armand's Jenneragain concentrated its fire on the Beta Raven.Only two beams hit target as the Raven'spilot moved to disengage. One light-spear stabbed through the tattered armor on the 'Mech's left wing and burst out the other side. Sparks erupted from the wound, and the wing twisted awkwardly toward the ground as its controlling myomer fibers melted.

The wing's damage and uncontrolled rotation threw the Ravenoff-balance. It pivoted on its left leg just in time for the Jenner'ssecond beam to rip a line through the armor on its right flank. De Ridefort and Bisot added their lasers to the assault, neatly slashing into the troubled Raven.Bisot's shot drilled into the 'Mech's right leg, jamming some half-melted armor into the reversed knee-joint.