Indrahar composed his face. "The initial information came from a chance comment made by Precentor Myndo Waterly to one of my people on Dieron, but we have worked to confirm the rumor."

The Coordinator nodded slowly. "Where?"

Indrahar allowed himself the hint of a smile. "My sources suggest that she is being held in the system known as Styx."

Kurita's eyes narrowed. "The system that once belonged to Viscount Robert Monahan?"

Before replying, Indrahar hesitated slightly to show the Coordinator that he had not been completely correct in his recollection. "Monahan owned the Styx Mining Corporation, but he sold it to Wayland Smith late in 3025. As you will recall, Smith managed to obtain a large number of investors for his new Styx Mining Corporation by letting them believe that their spies had cracked the security on his computers. The investors saw what they believed were genuine geological reports indicating that the Styx system was not played out, despite the four hundred years of mining done there."

Kurita frowned. He dipped his brush into the pot of black ink on the low table before him and quickly slashed a stroke onto a sheet of rice paper. His irritation flashed in his blue eyes, then died. "You still have not caught this Wayland Smith?"

Indrahar shook his head. "No, though Monahan and his board of directors were executed, as per your orders. We believe that Smith is somewhere in the Lyran Commonwealth now. Ever since he absconded with the 25,000,000 C-bills, malcontents have been using the Styx system as a safe heaven."

Kurita nodded. "Better they hide themselves in safety than force us to expend energy hunting them down."

The Smiling One chewed his lower lip thoughtfully. "We have learned that the current contingent has made a contract with Frederick Steiner, a contract negotiated by Gray Noton on Solaris. According to its terms, they have hijacked a Monopole DropShip, the Silver Eagle.The Silver Eaglejumped from Fomalhaut aboard the JumpShip Bifrost.Styx is within range."

Kurita's eyes became azure slivers as he listened to this news. "Why do you believe Melissa Steiner is on board?"

Indrahar opened his hands, then brushed his right hand across his partially bald pate. "Our agents ran all the usual programs on Lyran shipping and came up with several interesting names on the passenger list. Aside from a Davion war hero and a couple of holovid stars, everyone else is normal. In fact, several names and profiles came up as almost toonormal."

The ISF Director closed his eyes. He felt the Coordinator's penetrating gaze upon him, but he ignored it. Indrahar sank inside himself for a moment and touched the argent pillar of energy he visualized as pulsing up and down his spine. His mind caressed his kiand he drew strength from it.

"One person—Joana Barker—matches Melissa Steiner in certain physical characteristics such as height, weight, and proportional limb measurements. Medical histories also match in crucial items such as medical allergies." Indrahar opened his eyes and stared at Kurita. "In addition, I knowJoana Barker to be Melissa Steiner."

Kurita met Indrahar's gaze, and the ISF Director recognized that look. He'd seen it many times before as the two of them stood patiently for minutes at a time, facing one another in kendocontests. Kurita's eyes probed for any weakness, any opening, any lie.

The Coordinator nodded. "I respect your judgement, Subhash. And I'm sure you already have a plan."

Indrahar smiled more openly. "I have an elite ISF unit of jump infantry on Dieron. Many of them participated in the unsuccessful raid on Styx when we attempted to capture Smith. They will get Joana Barker and bring her to us."

Subhash Indrahar expected Kurita to dismiss him then, but the Coordinator stared down at a blank sheet of paper. He dipped his brush gently into the ink, then in a few quick strokes, he had painted an eye with a strange bird in the center of it. The Coordinator smiled and looked up at his visitor.

"Styx is within range of Nashira, is it not?"

"Hai!"

"Excellent." Kurita stared at the brush painting he had just completed. "Alert your unit and send it to Styx. But also send the Genyosha.They will succeed in capturing the Archon's daughter if your people fail."

44

Solaris VII (The Game World)

Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth

22 May 3027

Philip Capet froze as Justin Xiang's voice lashed him. The other MechWarriors in Valhalla watched breathlessly as Justin and Tsen Shang waded into the room and confronted Capet. Behind the Capellan MechWarrior, there followed a crowd of Battle Commission officials.

Justin stabbed a finger at Noton's alcove. "Get your hands off that shield, Capet. The alcove is not yours."

Capet turned slowly. The confidence and power he tried to project through his easy, casual movement did not match his red-faced embarrassment. "And who are you, Xiang, to tell me that this alcove is not mine?" Capet blustered. "What claim have you to it? Have you come to take it yourself?"

Very good, Philip. Strike out. Play right into my hands . . .Justin slowly shook his head. "No, I've come here with these officials to prevent a coward like you from desecrating my friend's memory. Neither one of us has a claim to that alcove. Neither one of us defeated Noton and earned the alcove." Justin looked around at the other MechWarriors, many of whom nodded in agreement.

Justin pointed at the "Legend-killer" shield. "Noton did not lose his skill at piloting a 'Mech. In a battle, he could have—and would have—ripped either one of us apart, and we both know it. Just because he lost out in another arena is no reason to betray the memory of his honor." Justin paused and narrowed his eyes.

"Perhaps, Capet, you could not bear the thought of challenging him for the right to this alcove."

Capet stiffened, then snarled furiously. "Don't try to lay that murder on me, Xiang . . ."

"Why not, Capet? There's been murder enough by your hand here. You gave Wolfson a tongue lashing after he bailed out during out first fight. You told him, and all the other members of your 'Capellan Mafia,' that a real man does not fight with his ejection seat enabled. They believed you, trusted you, and you killed all of them as surely as if you pulled the trigger on my weapons." Justin spat on the floor at Capet's feet.

Capet stabbed a finger at Justin. "I've had enough of your chatter, Xiang. I'm not the one who betrayed my country."

Justin laughed in Capet's face. "Bravo, Philip. This from the man who destroyed his command on Uravan. This from the man who preached nonsense to Mech Warriors foolish enough to believe him. Face it, Capet. If not for your rash decision to protect your home village—so that you could be hailed as a war hero by your own people—the Capellan forces would never have torn the village apart. If you hadn't moved to defend it, they would never even have noticed it. In your quest for personal glory, Philip Capet, you murdered your own family!"

An enraged scream burst from Capet's throat. He wrenched the shield from Noton's alcove. Knuckles bone-white, he raised it in both hands and lunged toward Xiang. With murderous intent, Capet brought the metal disk crashing down.

Justin dodged to the left, then smashed his right fist into Capet's exposed ribs. Though a bit short, the powerful, pistonlike blow knocked Capet to the side. The MechWarrior collided heavily with the long table to his left and grunted in pain. As he stumbled over one of the benches and dropped to the floor, the shield flew from his hands.