Danica Holstein agreed with a curt nod. "Lestrade," she whispered in a razor-sharp voice. "Aldo Lestrade."

Those present when Melissa had made herself known were sworn to secrecy. The rest of the passengers received vague rumors of an important Steiner envoy among their number. The Heimdall members living in the planetoid were informed of the truth, however, which served to heighten their fervor to fight. Clovis said it best: "Your father was Heimdall. So are you."

A voice buzzing in Melissa's ear shocked her out of remembrances. "Yes, Echo One," she said. "Go ahead."

"Sensors indicate a slow leak of atmosphere from the small bay. Shall we seal the tunnel?"

Melissa looked at the diagram glowing in front of her. "Don't blow it. Back to Echo Two's checkpoint and get that trap ready. After it fires, blow the explosives and seal the tunnel."

"Roger. Echo One out."

Melissa smiled at the dwarf. "Evacuate all non-essential personnel into the Silver Eagle."He nodded and complied with the order. Everyone present knew that the Kurita forces would not willingly harm either a JumpShip or Dropship, and so they moved all bystanders into them. Machines are more valuable than people,Melissa realized with a start. It makes no sense.

Just then, Andrew and Mahler began to strap a pistol belt around her waist. Melissa straightened up and protested. "No, I won't have it."

"Ja, you will." Mahler tugged the belt snug around her waist. "All commanders must wear a weapon. It is the only way."

Andrew picked up an autorifle and a satchel full of clips. "See you later, your Highness."

Melissa froze him with an icy gray stare. "Where are you going?"

Andrew shrugged. "You're going to be moving your fire teams into position soon. You said it yourself—I'm a warrior, and I've got to be true to myself. I thought I'd go down and add my firepower to one of the teams. Team Tiger is light one gun."

"You can't leave me here ..." Dammit, Andrew, I need you.She looked at him and swallowed hard. "I need your thinking."

Andrew shook his head and ran a hand through his short brown hair. "Between you, Clovis, and Erik, everything will be under control."

Melissa shook her head. How can you leave me in charge? I've never commanded anything before. You make me responsible for over 750 people on a rock in the middle of hostile space.She narrowed her eyes and pleaded silently with the MechWarrior.

Andrew set down his rifle and crossed back to her. He rested his hands on her shoulders and squeezed gently but firmly. "Remember what we spoke about that night of the reception on Tharkad? This is what responsibility feels like. These people believe in you, and they're willing to die for you. You can't question why they're doing that. You just have to accept their sacrifice."

Andrew pointed to the holograph. "Use what you know so that their sacrifice can mean something. If you do nothing, if you fall apart, they'll die for nothing." He tipped her face up with his right hand. "I know you can do it. Just the organization of the defense was brilliant."

Melissa shook her head. "But that was like an intellectual exercise. It was just a game."

Andrew nodded. "As this will be—between you and the ISF commander leading the troops."

Melissa grabbed the lapels of Andrew's dark jacket. "But people will die . .."

Andrew disengaged himself and picked up the rifle again. "Just make sure it's more of them than it is of us." Andrew smiled and nodded at Mahler and von Breunig. "They won't let anything happen to you. You're a leader, Melissa Arthur Steiner. Now it's time for you to be true to yourself as well. Luck ..." He slipped through the doorway and vanished.

Clovis turned as Melissa flicked tears from her face with a shake of her head. "Highness," he said, "we have contact on Echo level."

Melissa pressed her hand to the earphone. "Yes, Echo Two."

"I see them through the viewport. Do I hit them now!"

"Yes, Echo Two." Melissa looked at the holograph and saw some computer-generated figures marching up the corridor toward Echo Two's position. "Fire now!"

Melissa heard the stuttering of an autorifle, but it ceased before she could find out what had happened. A new voice cut in urgently. "Baker Four to Delta Base."

Melissa glanced at the galley two levels over her head. "Go, Baker Four."

"Big breech. They're pouring through. Baker One reports ISF in as well. We need support."

"Roger." Melissa reached down to the radio control on her belt and switched over to a reserve channel. "Teams Panther and Leopard, assist Baker Four." She watched as Clovis moved the icons representating the Pantherand Leopardfire teams into position on the holographic projection.

She switched the radio back to the tactical frequency. "Echo Two, report."

Dead air greeted her. Melissa frowned and fiddled with her radio. "Echo One, report." Nothing.

"Echo One, detonate the tunnel!" Clovis whirled. "Radios are dead."

The bright lights marking Echo One and Two winked out. Melissa stared at the holograph and watched Clovis's little Kurita dragon icons inch their way along the tunnel. Above them, as the dragon icons rolled over their position, Baker Four and One died. The panther and leopard images opposed the dragons. Each image flickered, and then some vanished as Clovis's program correlated data and estimated casualties.

Pain shot through Melissa's heart.

They're dying. They're dying because of me.

"Baker Two here, we're being . . ."

The static that swallowed Baker Two's report shocked Melissa from the vortex of guilt and fear threatening to drown her reason. She shook her head to clear it, then swallowed hard.

She glanced at the icons representing her reserve fire teams. "Jaguar, Puma, Bobcat to Baker level." They winked from existence on the sidelines and then reappeared to oppose the advancing dragons. Below them, more dragons pressed forward on Echo level.

Melissa bit her lower lip and studied her last unit icon. "Tiger, report to Echo level." You better live, Andrew Redburn.Suddenly, she flashed on a memory of Misha Auburn dancing with Andrew back in Tharkad and the image struck her like a blow. My God, what have I done ?

Redburn dove to the side and sprayed slugs down the narrow corridor. He saw one ISF ninja spin as the bullets picked him up and smashed him further down the hallway. Two other ISF agents returned Andrew's fire. Their bullets blew great chunks of plaster and stone from the walls, but failed to hit the rolling MechWarrior.

Two other Tigers followed Andrew down the corridor. One managed to duck into the natural alcove that shielded him. The other stopped dead as though he'd run full-tilt into a brick wall. A shot snapped the trooper's head back. Before he could fall, a burst of bullets ripped through his chest and whirled him back out of sight.

The other man in the alcove clawed at Andrew's shoulder. As the MechWarrior turned, warm blood spurted at him from the huge gash in the man's neck. He looked at Andrew with unadulterated terror in his eyes. When the man opened his mouth to scream, only blood gushed out.

Andrew shoved the soldier away as two ISF ninjas stepped from cover to advance toward his position. Lying prone, he triggered two bursts. One jackknifed the first agent and dropped him where he stood. The second burst missed its target, but forced him back nonetheless.