Dan reached out and rested his hands on Salome's shoulders. "Are you O.K., Salome?"

She drew in a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah. I'll live. I just didn't expect all these conflicting feelings." She shrugged heavily. "Part of me wants to kill him for what he did, and another part of me still loves him." She looked over at Dan. "Does that make any sense?"

"Yeah. Sure." Dan nodded slowly. "I know part of what you're feeling: betrayal and abandonment." He paused to drink in some of the night's peace. "When I saw Morgan on Zaniah, I blasted him pretty hard. Everything I'd saved up for eleven years just came pouring out..."

Salome nodded. "I know. He told me." She looked up into Dan's blue eyes. "Morgan said you told him how much he hurt Patrick, you, and me."

As she turned away, Dan's hands slipped from her shoulders. Salome hugged her arms around herself. "He's so changed, Dan. All that wildness is gone, but the passion that drove him is still there. I can feel it. I so desperately want that part of him for myself, the way it was before, but part of me refuses to trust him. I never want to be hurt that bad again."

Dan chewed his lower lip, then stared up at Arc-Royal's twin full moons as he chose his words. "There's something going on between Morgan and Yorinaga Kurita. I don't know what it is, but I do know it has nothing to do with Patrick's death. Morgan knew, well before I told him anything, that Yorinaga Kurita had come out of exile. At the same time my father's debriefers were asking us about Styx and refusing to believe Yorinaga was back, Morgan knew Kurita had returned."

"It seems to be a conflict within him, though," Salome said. "He wants very much to finish what's between them, but he's also afraid of it. I feel his pain, Dan, and it hurts me that I can't open up enough to help him handle it."

Dan kicked at a stone on the ferrocrete. "The one thing I've gotten from Morgan in all the time I've been traveling with him is that he never wanted to hurt any of us. He told me he left us behind—you and Patrick and me—without sharing his fears because we would have headed out after Yorinaga Kurita and tried to kill him." Dan smiled sheepishly. "I say 'tried' because Morgan is convinced we would have died in any such fight." He looked down as sadness seeped into his voice. "Patrick did, and sacrificing my Valkyriedidn't kill Yorinaga."

Salome turned back to face him. "What are you saying?"

Dan sighed. "Morgan left to spare us his pain and to save our lives. He believes it, and I guess I do, too." Dan opened his hands. "Perhaps, if you give him a chance, he can prove that to you. Maybe, just maybe, the part of you that still loves him realizes that. I know he could use your support."

The hint of a smile brightened Salome's face. "There's a lot of sense in what you say, Dan." She shrugged. "I know I'll be giving it all a lot of thought."

Dan smiled. "Look, Salome, we've been through a lot together, and you've helped me through tough times like when I heard about Justin's injury and all. If you ever want someone to talk to ..."

Salome reached out and gave Dan a firm hug. "I appreciate it, Dan. I really do."

Just then, the meeting room door opened, painting a yellow rectangle of light across the ferrocrete. Salome released Dan and they both turned toward the 'Mech hangar. Clovis waved at them, his shadow shooting up to hugh proportions. "Captain, the Colonel would like to see you."

Dan glanced over at Salome but got only a big smile in response to the unspoken question on his face. She gave him a gentle shove, then followed him back into the staff party. Dan shivered. I don't like the feel of this. First, Cat and Clovis act like conspirators, and now Salome lock-steps me into the party.

Dan became more uneasy as the other Kell Hound officers in the meeting room watched him with bemused expressions on their faces. Morgan Kell extended his hand and enfolded Dan's hand in a strong, firm grip. Dan's heart sank as a wolfish grin spread over Morgan's face. No escape now.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Morgan began. "I present to you Captain Daniel Allard. When last many of you saw Dan, he was but a newly recruited Lieutenant. Prince Hanse Davion entrusted Lieutenant Allard and a brand new Valkyrieto our care straight out of the New Avalon Military Academy, and we were more than glad to accept him into our company."

Morgan winked at Dan and draped his right arm over his shoulders. "I understand, from a series of reports given to me by the Lyran Intelligence Corps as well as Kell Hound documents I reviewed while traveling planetside, that the Kell Hounds were very fortunate to get Dan. His leadership and hard work guided the unit through some difficult times. His tactical skill helped them through some tricky assignments, and his courage helped the unit to wrest victory from defeat in some desperate battles."

Morgan's voice fell low as his arm fell from Dan's shoulders. "In the battle for Styx, Dan sacrificed his Valkyriein an attempt to save my brother's life. That brave act has enlisted Captain Daniel Allard into the ranks of the Dispossessed."

Dan shot a hard glance at Morgan. Dispossessed?Fear gnawed at his stomach. For a MechWarrior, the thought of life without a 'Mech was a nightmare. Referring to a MechWarrior as Dispossessedwas not a joke to be made lightly. It was a curse, a vile curse. To be Dispossessed is death itself.

Mischief flashed in Morgan's brown eyes. "Our Techs could have cobbled together enough of some Kurita Panthersto give you a 'Mech that might work, Dan, but I will not have a Company Commander in the Kell Hound regiment piloting Frankenstein's 'Mech. It would be unseemly."

Morgan shrugged. "On the other hand, you are a gifted light 'Mech pilot, and the spare 'Mechs assigned to the regiment are all medium or heavy. What can we do?"

Is he kidding or not?Speechless, Dan looked around the room at the other MechWarriors. Their earlier looks of amusement had melted into dour frowns. Dan looked back at Morgan. "Are you serious, Colonel? If so, you might as well take out a gun and shoot me." Dan shook his head, then his face brightened with an idea. "Look, demote me. I won't be a Company Commander, and then you can give me the damned Panther.But don't do this to me!"

Morgan shook his head ruefully. "I couldn't demote you, Dan— not after all your service to the unit. I'm sure we can find something for you. You'll just have to pilot a desk for a while . . ."

Dan shook his head vehemently. "No! No way." Dan jabbed his thumb into his chest. "I'm a MechWarrior, dammit. Give me an AgroMech if you must, but I don't pilot anything that doesn't have moving parts. Period."

Morgan half-closed his eyes. "Very well. Perhaps we can accommodate you." Kell headed toward the door in the back of the room that led to the floor of the 'Mech bay. "Follow me."

His face burning with embarrassment, Dan cut through the other officers, forcing himself to ignore the titters of laughter behind him. What's going on? What sort of nightmare beast are they going to saddle me with?In his confusion and anger, Dan slammed the 'Mech bay door into the wall and marched stiffly into the hangar.

Ten-meter tall machines stood like silent sentinels all around the tall building's interior. Mostly humanoid in shape, the 'Mechs ranged in weight from 20 to 75 tons. Resplendent in the red and black color scheme favored by the Kell Hounds, the huge battle machines might have been toy soldiers arranged by some giant child for a mock battle.