"Yes, Major?"

"See if you can have Corporal Montdidier pull his lance in a bit more. He's ranging too far north, and I suspect it's just to give Craon fits."

The warmth of Redburn's laughter almost survived transmission intact. "Roger."

Justin watched as Montdidier's lance moved back toward the main line of march, then frowned as one 'Mech halted. Justin quickly scanned and identified the warrior. "Private Sonnac, why aren't you moving in? Is your 'Mech having trouble?"

"No, sir. I'm just getting odd magscan readings."

Justin reached out and punched the button on his command console that shifted his scanners from infrared to magnetic anomaly detection. A holographic display of the terrain filled the screen before him and showed each 'Mech as a glowing red pyramid or sphere. As his computer identified each machine, it tagged a glowing number beneath the symbol that told Justin at a glance the 'Mech's type, model, and designation. Other concentrations of metal—anything from an ore deposit close to the surface or a lost bicycle—showed up as a green cube until it could be identified.

As Justin turned his head, the 360-degree display continued to provide him with a tactical view that pinpointed large concentrations of metal in the area. The blue hexagon that appeared and then vanished again in his peripheral vision sent a cold chill down his spine. "Andy, check Sonnac's readings. I've got something over the hill I want to see."

"Roger."

Justin marched his Valkyrieup over the crest of the hill and turned to face the direction where he'd spotted the blue hexagon. Through the holographic construct, he saw that it was located deep in a wooded vale. A stream ran through the wooded area and emptied into a good-size pond. The nearby hills, covered with the red, green, and orange wildflowers, sloped down toward the pond. The whole scene, bereft of the blue scanner-ghost, looked peaceful and inviting.

And dangerous.Justin clenched his jaw. Those tranquil woods would be just the place for light 'Mechs like the Stingersto seek shelter if they had to elude enemy 'Mechs. That stream would also provide cooling for overheated 'Mechs. The valley formed a superior battle arena for light 'Mechs.

Redburn's voice blasted over the radio. "Major Allard! Cicadas,sir! All over the place!"

At the urgency in Redburn's communication, Justin's mind went automatically into a kind of special battle mode that filtered out all emotion. "Withdraw south, Leftenant." Just don't come this way,he added silently, sensing something ominous behind the seeming tranquility of the vale.

"Negative, negative," burst in Robert Craon. "I've got magscan readings off the scale south, east, and north. You're clean, sir. We've got to head out west."

Justin turned his head to study the escape route that Craon suggested. His mouth went instantly dry. The blue hexagon appeared again. This time, the computer graced it with an identifier. My God! It's a Rifleman!

Justin snapped an order over the comm channel. "No way out here, either. Do what you can, Andy. The cadre is yours." With that, Justin turned his Valkyrieand jumped toward the woods. "It's a trap. All a trap. Don't run west..."

Leftenant Redburn barely heard Justin Allard's enigmatic reply to Craon, but it was too late to ask any questions. Not knowing what to do next, he nearly panicked. Slow down, Andrew,he told himself. Get a grip. The Major put you in charge. He has confidence in you. Don't let him down.

Redburn watched the ground crack open. Capellan 'Mechs— Cicadas—sprouted up like nightmare plants in some hideous time-lapse holodocumentary. While Craon was shouting, they had appeared on the north, south, and east sides of the valley rim. Only the west, the direction Major Allard had forbidden him, stood safely open. "Move, dammit! Move! This isn't a drill. Withdraw west, up the hillside. Sonnac, jet out of there!"

One armless Cicadathrust its ugly snout in front of Sonnac's -position and fired its twin medium lasers. Both beams converged on the Stinger'shead. Armor melted and ran like wax, then the beams lanced into the cockpit. Something exploded, leaving nothing and no one behind. Sonnac's Stingerstaggered backward, then fell lifelessly to the ground.

Redburn's magscan vision of the valley blazed with green pyramids and blue rectangles. The Cicadas,which weighed twice as much as any Stingeron the field, had no arms and sported two medium lasers and one small laser that fired in a forward arc. As data flowed across the screens on his command console, Redburn cursed angrily. Three of the Cicadassported flamethrowers, and already one cadet's screams were ringing through Redburn's ears as a Cicadaignited the cadet's 'Mech. Outweighed and outgunned, the cadre had no other choice but to retreat.

Philip Nablus, pilot of the burning 'Mech, hit his jump jets in panic, taking off with enough speed to snuff the flames coating the left side of his machine. He came down on his feet, but stumbled and rolled into an untidy heap. A Cicadaturned to fire at him, but the other members of Nablus's lance poured laser fire into the rear of the Cicada.

There's only a dozen of them, but they've got to be veteran pilots,Redburn told himself. Still, we do outnumber them. There has to be a way.

"Pull back. Get above them," he ordered. "We'll hold the heights." Suddenly, the solution burst into his brain like a missile. "They want us to go west, so let's oblige them. Now move it, and let's see how cocky they get. We'll make them pay."

* * *

Justin's Valkyriehit top speed as it reached the bottom of the hill. The blue hexagon nickered to life, and the computer placed it behind a thick stand of pines. Justin closed one eye, adjusted the target selection with one hand, and smiled. He had no computer lock, but the shot felt right. "Die, bastard," he growled as his thumb stabbed the launch button and a flight of missiles burst from the chest of his Valkyrie.

The launching dropped his speed from 86 kph to 72 kph, but speed did not concern Justin at that moment. The tall pines became instant torches when the first two missiles hit them, then fell away into a circle of flaming debris as three more missiles shredded them with fire and shrapnel. The remaining five missiles soared through the firestorm and slammed into the true target, lurking in its now-shattered haven.

Those five missiles burst like an exploding bandolier across the Rifleman's60-ton body. Five dents in the scarred armor showed where the missiles had hit, but Justin's initial view suggested possible damage to only one of the 'Mech's torso lasers. "Damn," he muttered.

The semi-humanoid Rifleman'sarms swung up, pivoting at its shoulders, and tracked Justin's Valkyrie.The torso swiveled at the waist, keeping the twin autocannons and heavy lasers locked onto their target. As the radar wing atop the enemy 'Mech began to swing faster, the Riflemantook one step out of the burning trees toward the tiny Valkyrie.

The Rifleman'sautocannons spat out a hail of slugs amid great gouts of flame. Smoldering shells rained from the shoulder ejection ports to the ground. The 'Mech tracked the speeding Valkyrieas best it could, sending after it a jagged trail of autocannon shells.

Too close now!Justin thought, waiting until the last possible second to kick in his jump jets, which sent him rocketing ahead of the autocannon slugs. Knowing he could not land on his feet at this speed, Justin hit the ground and rolled his 'Mech forward. Then he rose to one knee, launched another flight of LRMs, and let the launch-reaction carry him backward as twin laser lances melted the ground where he had crouched.