Blessing the Vic'sjets, Ardan jumped high, letting the laser detonate the first of the rockets. The rest pocked the farther wall of the corridor as they exploded. He came down whirling, his own lasers raking the walls, taking out a row of weaponry set into the stone.

Testing every step, he moved forward again, using his sensors to seek out hidden mines. Many a 'Mech had been disabled after stepping on a concealed vibrabomb, but there was no knowing at exactly what weight/pressure the things might be set to explode. Ardan managed to stroll through the Gauntlet without triggering a single one, and he smiled, thinking how Sep would have bounded her way through, triggering a chain of explosions.

Just then, a laser beam seared the air, and he leaped and whirled, just barely dodging it. Every nerve alert, all his senses caught up in the death-game, Ardan moved through the perilous corridor in a series of spurts, jumps, quick turns, and ricochets. As he neared the end of it, a barrage of laser fire and rockets converged on the spot where he had just landed. He dived head-first, moved and sustained by his jets, then bounced, shoulder-first, off the rock of the wall.

Twisting desperately, he straightened to land on his feet He was sweating so hard now that only the pads of his helmet kept the perspiration from blinding him. His heart was pounding, too.

Ardan was feeling better than he had in weeks.

At another sudden spurt of laser light, he wheeled, sidestepping the blast Firing his own upper laser, he took out the enemy weapon. There was only one way he could think of to pass this last stretch, and that was to take it in one leap. Accurately. Without faltering. Should his own sense of balance be disturbed, he would also lose his ability to stabilize the huge machine.

All the while, he was drawing a deep breath, as if his own puny human lungs could assist the eighty-ton monster he manipulated. Then he launched himself into the air again, forcing the ‘Mech's immensity toward the light at the end of the corridor.

When he came down, it was nine meters too soon, still within the deadly walls of the Gauntlet. The vibrations set his teeth on edge, made his heart hammer even harder, but he willed himself steady. Gritting his teeth, Ardan rolled the Victor'sbody to its feet. It staggered, leaned against a wall. Heat seared even into his insulated compartment as he jerked the ‘Mech upright. Again he jumped forward...this time onto the clean dust beyond the Gauntlet.

He was soaked in sweat now, panting, battered, and aching. But he felt a satisfied exhaustion. Turning the huge machine back toward the building, he moved along the outside of the walled corridor.

When Ardan reached the big doors, four small figures were waiting there. "Good run!" yelled Jarlik, as Ardan piloted the 'Mech inside and opened his hatch.

As he had hoped, this last run through the Gauntlet had eased the tension making him irritable for weeks. Grinning down at his four comrades, Ardan made his way down.

"They've added a few things since last month," he said. "Watch that other end—the laser will kill you!"

"You made it pretty well," said Sep, her eyes twinkling. "It looked like you worked that 'Mech to its limits."

"Feel as if I've been boiled in oil, though," grumbled Ardan. "Let me take a shower and get into my uniform. Then I’ll take you all out for a last round of ale...on me."

Denek leaned against the wall, eyes wide, hands clasped to his chest. "You hear that? You HEAR that my friends? Ardan the tightwad has volunteered to buy the beer! Can you believe it?"

Fram nodded solemnly. "Just goes to show what it takes to get some people to shell out. Being assigned out to where he’ll probably get his buns blown to Kingdom come, then running the Gauntlet and almost getting shaken out of his boots. Some people are tough,let me tell you!"

In their merriment, Jarlik and Sep leaned against one another and whooped. It wasn't really that funny, of course, but all of them must have been feeling relieved that things were back to normal again.

They spent a festive evening together, all thought of Ardan's impending departure kept well below the surface. He had hoped to leave quickly, avoiding long goodbyes, but now he was glad for the chance to enjoy this last evening with his friends.

Sep kept looking at him strangely, however. In the few brief intervals when they could say a private word to one another, Ardan tried to get her to tell him what was bothering her, but she only shook her head.

"Later," she murmured.

It was, indeed, very much later when the four set out for the barracks together. Though not exactly inebriated, they were all rather elevated. It wasn't difficult for Ardan to contrive to lag behind, catching Sep's elbow to keep her with him.

"Now will you tell me what's bothering you? You kept looking at me sideways all evening. Tomorrow I move out of barracks into the ready-area, and we won't have another chance to talk. I want to know." He put his hands on his hips and glared at her, swaying a bit.

Sep turned to lean against a nearby wall of the barracks. "I just don't like it," she said. "As your second-in-command, I’ll be taking over your unit. That makes sense. But you shouldn't be leaving. I don't think you have thought long enough about this step you're taking."

Though the ale had relaxed him, Ardan felt himself bristle with irritation. "I havethought about it!" he snapped.

"For two years! Would you have me mull it over for two more?"

"Yes, if that's what it takes to make you see the light. Ardan, you aren't a politician. Thank the Holy Roarer for that! But politicians are necessary. Have you thought any more about what I said to you the other day?"

"Sep, I understood perfectly well what you said. I just didn't agree with it." He found himself becoming angry. Why did she insist on bringing this up again, just when he had been so full of the pleasure of the evening?

"You can't see Hanse as he is, simply because he's your friend. You want him to be perfect. But are you perfect? Am I? Then why should he have to be? Hanse is a good ruler, who's doing a good job of keeping the Federated Suns together." She glared at him.

"Can you imagine what would happen if Maximilian Liao achieved his goals—took out Davion and assimilated the Federated Suns into his Capellan Confederation? Now there'sa schemer...a user...a manipulator. And worse. You've seen worlds he's conquered before we retook them. Whatever he touches, Liao squeezes until it's dry."

Because he couldn't deny what Sep was saying, it made Ardan even angrier. He hadseen those devastated planets, their people starved and degraded, left homeless, cropless, powerless.

"I'm trying to keep Hanse from becoming just likeLiao," he insisted. "Power corrupts, woman. Don't you know that?"

"Hanse was born to power. His family has wielded it for generations without becoming corrupted. Why do you trust him so little?"

Sep had to yell those last words after him, for Ardan had turned on his heel, and was walking away quickly toward his quarters. Her voice rang in his ears, even after he had closed the door behind him and was standing inside, staring at the wall. He even felt a little ill.

"That's just the drink," he said aloud, and went to splash his face with cold water. It didn't help, though. The more he thought about Sep's words, the angrier he became.

Returning to his room, a touch to the light-button brightened the dim glow in the room to normal intensity. Only now did Ardan notice that on his bed, along with the small pack of personal items readied for his trip, was another bundle. It appeared to have been hastily wrapped, but was tied with a big scarlet bow. Lifting off the note attached, he read: "From C.S., J., D., and F. We hope this will be useful."