Dan snapped his eyes open. He felt the lurch and vibration as the Nuadadisengaged itself from the Cucamulus.He floated up in his seat for a half-second, then his restraining straps caught him. From beneath his feet, he felt a strong tremor, then the gravity induced by the Nuada'sengine thrust smashed him back down into his command chair.

Almost instantly, Patrick Kell's voice filled his neurohelmet. "Bad news, Dan. We've got two Kurita JumpShips at the zenith point. One DropShip is on a return vector for the JumpShips, but a scan reports traces of an ion trail heading in toward the planetoid. The ship must be on the sunside."

"Roger, Patrick. Thanks." Dan opened the battle frequency. "Heads up, campers. We'll have playmates when we hit solid ground." Dan reached out and flipped a switch. "Captain Helmer? Dan Allard here. What do you show on the planetoid?"

Captain Thomas Helmer of the Nuada Argetlananswered carefully. Dan could almost see the man studying a sensor screen as he selected his words for accuracy. When he spoke, however, there was not a trace of fear or anxiety in the Captain's voice. "The surface is full of pitted valleys and canyons. It's got enough metal in it to make the magscanners useless. Because we're coming in on the dark side, IR should work, but I'm getting nothing at this range."

"I understand. Have you located our target?"

"Affirmative. It actually has an active homing beacon. Wait! What's this?" Dan heard Helmer snap an order at someone on the bridge. "Patching visual through to you, Dan."

Dan watched as computer-generated topography filled an auxiliary monitor. A grid of green lines formed themselves into rolling hills and jagged mountains. In the distance, winking occasionally from between two particularly sharp mountains, Dan spotted the yellow rectangle designating their drop target. The computer added five yellow asterisks bouncing along on a direct course for the bay.

"What are those?"

Helmer coughed lightly. "I'm not sure. Mass marks them as thirty-five tons, give or take. Probably Panthers.”

“They haven't seen us, have they?"

Helmer laughed. "No, and it wouldn't make any difference if they had."

Dan frowned. "I don't understand."

"No Comsats, Dan. They're on the dark side. Until they get into the mining facilities, they can't communicate with the Drop-Ship or anyone else."

Dan nodded. "I see. We better beat them in. Would you mind goosing this baby?"

"My pleasure. Speed to 2.5 Gs. Twelve minutes to drop, Dan. Happy hunting."

* * *

Dan watched Cat Wilson's Pantherstreak planetward. The Valkyrie'sjump jets stabbed flame from the bottoms of both feet and from the rocket pack on the 'Mech's back. The ion streams slowed the Valkyrie'sdescent, then lifted it and arced it forward. Cat's Panther,riding similar leg jets, floated up beside him and followed him into battle.

Fitzhugh's Catapultlaunched twin LRM volleys at the lead Kurita Panther.Five missiles tore armor from the Panther'shead, and another quintet savaged its left leg. Eight more missiles zeroed in on the Panther'sright arm, blasting every shred of armor from that limb, but failed to cripple it.

The Pantherraised its PPC and triggered a blast at the Catapult.As the PPC beam whipped across the birdlike Catapult'sright leg, it melted armor and sent droplets of molten ceramics streaming to the planetoid's surface.

The Catapultanswered the Pantherwith all four of its medium lasers. Two scarlet laser beams slashed ugly, bubbling scars across the Panther'storso. Armor exploded away from the 'Mech's left arm as a third beam burned across its surface. The fourth beam sizzled into the Panther'sdamaged right arm, melting the last of the armor and eating hungrily into the tattered limb. In a bright burst of sparks, the charging coils on the Panther'sPPC went black.

Salome's Wolverinedescended at the rear of the Kurita lance. Targeting a Pantherthat was tracking Meg Lang's Wasp,Salome unleashed her 'Mech's full fury upon it. The shoulder launcher belched a full SRM flight, and four of them hit. Two missiles blasted armor from the Panther'sleft arm and leg. Two others, as though homing in on the Panther'sweakness, blasted thin armor from the center and left portion of the 'Mech's back.

Realizing his predicament too late, the Pantherpilot hit his jump jets. As he rose on columns of ions, the fire from Salome's autocannon punched through the broken armor on the left side of the torso. Meanwhile, the Wolverine'smedium laser melted through the Panther'sspine. Hot shards of armor rained to the ground, and a flash of heat spilled from the 'Mech's infrared silhouette on Dan's battle screens.

"Meg, one's on you, to your right." Dan watched as she reacted. She boosted power to the jump jets, then drew up the knees on her Wasp.The Wasptwisted wildly and arced back as the PPC beams and flights of SRMs released by two Pantherssailed wide of their careening target.

Flashing beneath the Wasp,Austin Brand's Panthertracked the Pantherthat Salome had already savaged. The PPC in the right hand of Brand's Pantherreleased an azure energy bolt, and the SRM launcher over the 'Mech's heart sent its flight of four missiles up and away. Three of the missiles found their target and exploded armor from the enemy Panther'schest and right leg. The PPC beam struck the other Pantherfull in the chest, and sent all but the last layer of armor flaking away in a turquoise explosion.

Cat Wilson's PPC stabbed out. It drenched the planetoid's surface in cerulean highlights and lashed a third Pantheracross the chest. 'Mech armor boiled up, cracked loose, and dropped away in glowing plates. Cat's quartet of SRMs smashed into the same Panther.They blasted armor from either side of the torso, and cratered the armor on the Panther'sright leg. Staggered, the Panthertwisted to target Cat with its return volley of SRMs.

"Break wide, Cat!" The MechWarrior rolled his Pantheras the SRMs twisted toward him. Two bursts against his 'Mech's right arm and crushed armor with fiery explosions. The only other missile to hit blasted armor from the Panther'schest.

The confidence in Cat's voice rang through clearly. "Thanks for the warning. It's all yours."

Dan dropped the gold crosshairs of his weapons systems on the third Pantherand tightened his triggers. The medium laser mounted in the right arm of his ' Mech gouged chunks of armor from the ragged right side of the Panther'schest.

Six of the Valkyrie'sLRMs spiraled down into the Pantherwith hideous effect. Like flies to an open wound, the missiles blasted through the weakened torso armor and on into the 'Mech's core. An explosion brought a wave of white heat from the Panther'schest as the missiles shattered shielding on the fusion reactor.

Baker's Jennerlanded in a crouch, facing an undamaged Panther.The 'Mechs exchanged SRM volleys, but the Jenner's lower profile let the Panther'sSRMs fly overhead, where they exploded against a barren hillside. Half the Jenner'sSRMs hit their target, drawing first blood and shattering armor on the Panther'storso.

Four lasers stabbed out from the Jenner'swings. One carved more armor from the Kurita 'Mech's torso, while another burned an uneven line through the armor on the Panther'sleft leg. The final two beams lanced through the Panther'sleft arm, stripping it of every scrap of armor and exposing the myomer muscles.