"Aye, Captain. Ye've go' it."

The RFL-3N Rifleman,with its paired heavy lasers and autocannon mounted on each shoulder had been designed as a fire support ‘Mech, but was well-equipped for its secondary role as an antiaircraft tracking and weapons platform. The odd, propellor-like antennae of the ‘Mech's D2j tracking system mounted above and behind the cockpit provided rapid target acquisition that was particularly useful against airborne threats.

Grayson spoke again. "All ‘Mechs, this is Carlyle. Hold your fire! Ready...on my command..."

The pair of enemy Slayersthundered overhead again, but did not fire. They're searching,he thought, but they still don't know we're here!He felt a small thrill of pride that none of the ‘Mechs in his command had loosed a shot at the two fighters during their first pass.

He watched the traceries of the fighters' paths on the Hawk'sbattlescreen. If they were scanning for active communications, they'd pick up the ‘Mech band the next time he gave an order. If the fighters had IR or magnetometer gear, his men would be spotted almost at once. In any case, the ‘Mechs would not remain unnoticed among the jungle growth for long.

"Now, McCall!. Your best shot!"

The Slayersbanked sharply, arrowing toward... the Wolverine!

"Clay! Duck and roll!"

Autocannon fire spat from the SL-15s, shredding treetop foliage in a whirlwind of leaf and branch fragments and splintering blasts. The jungle floor shuddered as the fighters whipped overhead at treetop level, spilling slender cylinders that glittered as they fell. The jungle erupted in flame and noise.

Davis McCall's Riflemanstepped from the jungle as the Slayersraced side by side across the mudflats and out over the sea. His ‘Mech's arms were already raised, the autocannons spitting fire as empty, smoking shell casings flipped onto the sand. The flash and flicker of explosions chewing along the starboard side of one of the fighters made it lurch heavily to one side.

"Now, Phobos!Fire!"

Lasers ignited streaks of tortured air. Chunks of smoking metal hurtled from the fighter already damaged. The other Slayerbanked left, twisting to avoid the unexpected fire.

"Clay! Report!"

"I'm fine, Captain," Clay's voice replied. "The bombs came in close, but not quite close enough. Thanks for the alert.”

“Any time. Give McCall a hand."

Martinez interrupted from her station aboard the Phobos."Captain! The DropShip is coming in to the east! Range two thousand meters!"

"Right. All units...did you hear? Company's coming!" That would be ‘Mechs...and groundsupport troops. What was the rebel leader's name? "Tollen! Are you listening in?"

"Here, Carlyle."

"Have your people faced ‘Mechs before?"

A pause. "Men...against ‘Mechs? What the hell do..."

"Listen...you'll have to trust me on this. I'm not asking you to face ‘Mechs, but those out there are going to have support troops somewhere nearby."

"Listen, Captain...you're crazy if you think my people are going to face up to a whole, damned Kurita army..."

"Not an army. Probably no more than a platoon or two of mop-up troops. I need infantry to keep them off our backs, and my people aren't organized yet." The Gray Death's personal weapons lay still wrapped in their protective slickers, cased in the transport lockers littering the beach behind him. It had been important not to show weapons to the approaching rebels, but it might have been better if his people had dug fewer trenches and opened more crates. Some of the hundred-odd people in his command had guns by now, but not nearly enough.

He considered quickly, then decided to give their new allies an option. "It's up to you. Take off if you'd rather, but you know we need your help."

Tollen sounded grim. "We'll stay, but my people will deploy to myorders, not yours.”

“Fair enough. Ramage?”

“Here, Captain."

"How many do you have armed?"

"Ten or fifteen, Captain. Not enough"

"Never mind. Have unarmed personnel rendezvous with the skimmers and stay out of trouble. Everyone with guns, join the rebel troops and obey Tollen's orders. Got that?"

"Sir!"

"Colonel? Do you mind taking a few new recruits?"

Brasednewic didn't speak for several seconds as he digested this unexpected trust on the part of the offworlder. "Very well!" There was another pause, and then, "And Captain! Good hunting!"

The Wolverinehad emerged from the trees a hundred meters east of McCall and was firing its autocannon, the stream of shells crossing the double stream from the Rifleman.The Phobosadded lancing beams of coherent light. The stricken aircraft staggered once again, billowing smoke. A flash and glitter of light marked the pilot's ejection, and then the Slayerbegan rolling wing over wing as it swooped and crashed into the jungle to the south. The explosion shivered the leaves on the trees.

The other Slayerpulled up abruptly, gaining altitude. The Riflemantracked it, using laser fire now to save its on-board ammo.

"DropShip, LeopardClass," Martinez reported from her observation point. "Setting down two klicks east. He's unbuttoning."

"Lori, let's see what the other fellows are up to."

"Right, boss." She seemed steady, even excited as the battle took shape. Deft motions of her hands at the ‘Mech's twin control sticks set the ShadowHawkin motion, while the ‘Mech's metal hands parted branches and a heavy gray drapery of something remarkably akin to Terran Spanish moss. From the jungle's edge, they could see four enemy ‘Mechs moving down the DropShip's ramps and spreading out across the beach.

At two kilometers, it was difficult to make them out. Lori queried her computer for a scanner ID. Diagrams traced themselves across her screen, green light on black, and words flashed across the drawings.

"Not good," Grayson said. "A Marauderand an Orion—two heavies. A pair of Stingers.We can take the Stingers,no problem. But those two..."

Grayson had faced a Marauderbefore. He had, in fact, faced two of them, one after the other in the last struggle at Thunder Rift, on Trellwan. A heavy ‘Mech weighing 75 tons, it moved with a menacing, crablike stride on rear-canted legs, and its oversized forearms mounted paired PPCs and medium lasers. The autocannon protruded from its exposed mount above the egg-shaped hull like a black spear.

The Orionwas an old design. Grayson had never seen one up close, though he'd studied them during his training. It massed as much as the Marauder atits side, though its squat, angular chassis was vaguely humanoid. The blunt muzzle of an autocannon protruded from an armored bay on its right side. Like the Marauder,it was handless, with medium lasers set into the massive vambraces instead. The cockpit head was set low between the shoulders, the slit viewports giving the appearance of eyes.

"Khaled!"

"Here, Captain."

"Ithink we're in luck. They're deploying a lance of Mechs, but no support troops. Gather the two Wasps.Stay in the jungle, but look for an opportunity to circle behind as we draw them in. They have a pair of heavies, but all together, we outweigh them. We can take them if we save you for a surprise!"

"Yes, Kolarasi,"the ex-Saurimat said, his voice taut with excitement "Allah akbar!"