Through the Valkyrie'sfaceplate and the branches strewn over it, he watched the Victordescend. The Assault 'Mech straddled its smaller cousin, its head tipped down so that the pilot could watch his victim. The Victor'sautocannon swung into line with the Valkyrie'shead, but Dan could do nothing as alarms screamed around him.

Suddenly, the computer screens reported a monstrous cloud of LRMs arcing in at the Victor. Sixty of them! That's theCatapult and theTrebuchet! The computer also reported heavy laser fire blasting into the Victor.The missile impacts blotted out the enemy 'Mech's outline on the scanner screen in a fiery tornado.

When the 'Mech's outline appeared again, it was dotted with impact sites like spots on a chiroptopard's pelt.

The Victorhung its head. "O.K., troops, the computer shows the Victor50 percent stripped of armor and the head utterly gone. Nice hit with the large lasers, Diane."

"Roger, Colonel Kell. Thanks." Sergeant McWilliams, the Riflemanpilot from Ward's Assault Lance, sounded pleased with her performance. "You shouldn't have gone after Captain Allard. That was the only predictable move you made."

Dan laughed. "Roger that. Damn it, Patrick, you never told us you were checked out on a Victor."

The Victorreached down and helped Dan get his Valkyrieback on its feet. "Nagelring likes its graduates to survive. My cadet company rebuilt a Victorcaptured from Kurita. Handle really well, don't they?"

Salome's answer struck home with both lances. "Well enough to crush a Scout Lance, to be sure. But not enough to take on a company by itself. Let's remember that, people. The bigger the 'Mech, the more people gunning for it."

Lieutenant Colonel Kell's voice followed Salome's comment quickly. "Truer words, Kell Hounds, couldn't come from Com-Star. Let's get back to the base. Salome ... Dan ... executive staff meeting when we get back."

* * *

Patrick Kell leaned against the edge of his desk, arms folded. Salome Ward and Dan Allard sat on the worn sofa by the window. Seamus Fitzpatrick joined Richard O'Cieran at the poker table. Cat Wilson, the only non-officer, lounged near the door.

Kell looked up from a folder. "The computer projections give the best percentage chance that the Kurita force on Pacifica is a company of Panthers.That also complies most with the mass equations relating to the water-for-'Mechs substitution that Leftenant Redburn suggested on his visit. Comments?"

O'Cieran nodded. "I've had my men on exercises in the swamp area, but nothing extensive. We've seen signs of someone living out there, but Branson's Swamp has been a haven for Yakuzaand other outlaws since long before Kurita lost this world. We've narrowed possible encampments to some of the larger islands, but we can't check them out unless we go in forcefully. I've not done that because we agreed last time that we don't want to let them know that weknow of their existence."

Patrick Kell nodded curtly. "That's a plan I intend to stick with. Just continue your sweeps in the daily exercise schedule you have. Dan?"

"I don't believe the Panthercompany was meant to be part of the invasion."

Kell's thick brows knitted in concentration. "Explain."

Dan nodded. "O.K. We knew of the other two landing spots through our spy network, right? We didn't know of this one, and I think Kurita wanted to slip the Panthersin on us secretly. If their attack with the main force couldn't drive us off, they'd have this other company in place. They didn't even let their people on Pacifica know what is going on."

O'Cieran frowned. "What about the other Panthercompany? The one the aerojocks took out?"

Dan hesitated, then continued. "I think Kurita meant for them to be a diversionary force. If we'd gotten reports of a Pantheror two wandering around out there, we'd have sent my lance or your troops to meet them. A dozen Pantherswould certainly have overwhelmed such a small force."

Salome shifted her position on the sofa and looked at Dan. "Why the huge main force?"

Dan shrugged and Cat Wilson levered himself away from the wall. Although Wilson had refused a commission many times during his tenure with the Kell Hounds, the officers considered Cat very much a member of the executive staff. He half-smiled and squinted his dark eyes as though attempting to penetrate the mystery surrounding Kurita's actions.

"The Dragon never forgets. Takashi Kurita still burns from our last encounter on Mallory's World. Whenever Kurita decides to come after us, they'll come hard and try to crush us bad."

Patrick Kell smiled broadly. "As always, Cat, you make a whole lot of sense. Added to what Cat's just said, I'd say that Kurita will either evacuate those Panthers,or reinforce them. Until then, they'll probably stage a few raids on some of the agro-complexes."

Dan stood. "I think I should point out, Patrick, that Panthersare known for their ability to fight in cities. This spaceport is about the closest thing Pacifica has to a city of any importance in this area. If reinforcements arrive in system, I'd bet they'll make their move here."

Kell looked around the room and saw mute nods of agreement. "Good point." He looked over at O'Cieran. "Rick, have your troopers with SRM launchers replace the missiles with infernos."

At the mention of those napalm rockets, every MechWarrior in the room felt a slight shiver of horror. Infernos exploded in close proximity to a 'Mech, covering it with jellied fuel that ignited on contact with oxygen. The fuel clung to a 'Mech, leaving it awash in fire. Inferno rockets caused a 'Mech's heat to soar and could roast a MechWarrior inside his craft in seconds. It was the one in fantry weapon that all MechWarriors feared, and 'Mechs seldom carried them as ammo for their own SRM launchers because of the inferno's volatility.

Jump Infantry Major O'Cieran took the order without batting an eye. "I'll also put an order through the computer system notifying all the Techs and astechs that it's again time for them to qualify with small arms, just in case the Kurita spy network is still tapped into our system. I can't imagine the Pantherscoming in without some infantry support, and the mass of a company of troopers would be lost as a rounding error in your computer projections. We might as well have the hired help with us as against us."

Kell nodded solemnly, as he looked around at his staff. "Tell all your people to carry sidearms. Let's tighten things up, but let's not make it look too conspicuous." He looked up and was about to dismiss the meeting when he suddenly remembered something else. "Oh, Dan, whatever happened with the Nick Jones situation? Have you figured out how we're going to get him offworld on the Intrepid?I asked General Joss, but she said she couldn't speed up the paperwork because we're in the Isle of Skye. That means Lestrade will be watching everything with a quark-projection microscope."

Dan smiled and shot a glance at Wilson, who acknowledged him with a bare flicker of the eyes. "Cat and I came up with a plan that ought to work." He jerked a thumb at the window behind him, which showed the rapidly settling night. "Because Pacifica has this fourteen-hour rotation, and we run on TST, it's anyone's guess as to what time or day it is. We thought we'd just, ah, push the official clock ahead a day. May 25 become May 26 to everyone on the planet, and Jones musters out with his papers all dated properly."