Grayson was moving before he could register the extent of damage. As he plunged clumsily across the ferrocrete in a bone-jarring shoulder roll, more laser fire and missiles screamed through the air where the Hawkhad been standing an instant before. Grayson brought his machine to its feet with a salvo of SRM fire that rang and echoed in the confines of his cockpit as the head-mounted tubes loosed their fury in smoke and noise. Wires and charred metal dangled from a tear in the Crusader'supper left arm, and an oil leak in its lower torso gave the curiuous impression of thick, black blood running down the scarred armor.

Tubes mounted along the Crusader'ships belched fire. At this range, Grayson did not have time to react before a pair of SRMs slammed into the Hawk'storso. The ear protectors in his helmet saved him from the worst of the noise, but the shriek of tearing metal and high explosives hit Grayson's head with as much force as the shock of the blast itself.

He knew that maneuverability was his single advantage over the Crusader,and he had to use it. Charging the Crusaderat top speed, the Shadow Hawkangled across the enemy 'Mech's line of fire to work his way around to the side. The Crusaderpivoted on its left leg, tracking him with its right arm laser.

Grayson took the laser bolt high on the Hawk'sright arm, at the pauldron shield. Planting the 'Mech's left foot solidly, he whirled to the right. The Shadow Hawk'sleft arm smashed with staggering impact into the Crusader'sright shoulder from behind, sending the heavier 'Mech spinning forward in a wild effort to regain its balance. Now Grayson had the Hawk'slaser up and tracking. He fired two bolts into the Crusader'sback and side as it fell, then followed with a salvo of SRMs that struck home in a tight cluster of high-explosive mayhem.

Grayson checked the screen showing elapsed time. Fifty-five hours, thirty-three minutes. If the Invidious'stationkeeping crew had managed to get a message out, it would arrive in two more minutes. He had to destroy that antenna first

Stepping past the Crusader,he broke into a lumbering run. Singh's machine — if that was Singh — appeared damaged, but was certainly not destroyed. It was possible that the pilot had been stunned by the missile salvo, or possibly by the fall itself. Grayson thought he would have time to destroy the tower, then return for a final showdown.

From 50 meters, he launched a salvo of SRMs at the base of the antenna, then turned his laser on the struts and cables running through the mast. Metal flared and vaporized, and cables split in flashes of blue-white fire. He had probably crippled the antenna, but had to make sure. Directing his arm up to where the mast joined with the wire mesh dish, he carefully aligned the autocannon with his HUD targeting graphics. When Grayson stabbed the firing switch, the autocannon bucked and roared across the Hawk'sshoulder, deafening him with an ocean of roaring sound and vibration. Eighty-millimeter high-explosive shells shredded the dish, smashed into the mast with devastating fury. Fragments of struts and cross-braces and high-tech electronic circuitry hurtled through the air, raining a spray of debris across the field. The dish sagged, then flew apart in twisted chunks and flame. The mast itself staggered like a wounded being, then folded upon itself and collapsed in a tangled ruin.

Grayson let out a long, whistling deep breath. He was sure now that the antenna would never relay another message.

His next target was the spaceport control tower, which housed com units that could handle long-range, omni-directional transmissions, and could fill the communications gap with the jump point until a new directional dish could be rigged. As the tower offered an exceptional view of the entire spaceport and the approaches to Thunder Rift, it was entirely possible the enemy was coordinating its tactics from there. It had been badly shot up during Lori's raid two days ago. Though sheets of light wood were patched over holes in the windows, Grayson could see movement there. The tower was manned and operational.

Bringing it into his HUD display, he checked the range: 841 meters. That was too far for accurate fire against another BattleMech, but the tower was a considerably larger target than the largest 'Mech. Grayson triggered his autocannon, and sent a stream of high-explosive shells hosing toward the brick and glass target.

Through telephoto imaging, he saw its walls burst outward, changing concrete block and bricks into hurtling gravel. At the same time, 80 mm shells punched hole after hole through glass, plastic, wood, and light metal, which exploded in a roar of smoke, fragments, and licking flames.

Now for the damaged Crusader. Grayson swung the Shadow Hawkabout and took eight-meter strides back toward where he'd left Singh's 'Mech. Blood roared in his ears. It would be good taking that machine apart He would be avenged finally as he watched Singh die.

But the Crusaderwas no longer there. Whether Singh had recovered and moved the 'Mech under its own power, or whether another 'Mech had arrived to help, Grayson couldn't tell. He scanned the area quickly, but though the smoke was rapidly clearing, he saw no sign of another BattleMech. Perhaps one of those storage sheds ahead...

Something — some movement or noise or sixth sense — dragged Grayson's attention down to a console screen showing the view aft. The smoke showed heavier there where it was drifting down on a northerly breeze from the direction of the wrecked and burning control tower.

A shadow moved through the smoke. A large and deadly shadow, with an unforgettably familiar shape.

Grayson spun the Hawkabout, bringing the laser arm up to the point. The smoke eddied for a moment, then tattered away in the wind, revealing the monstrous Marauderstriding toward Grayson's machine.

Squat and ugly, its crab's body on back-canted legs, there was no mistaking that 'Mech design. Especially with its rapid-fire cannon levelled across massive dorsal armor.

It was a Marauder— the same Marauderthat had destroyed Durant Carlyle's Phoenix Hawk.The Marauderthat had killed his father.

33

A long, ragged line of six heavy 'Mechs charged up the ravine. Lori shouted the first warning, and then the hull-down Locust, Wasp,and Stingerjoined their firepower to that of the grounded weapons carriers sweeping the slope below them with a withering fire.

Lori's laser caught a Griffin squarely in its head, and other fire smashed the LRM launcher mounted over its right shoulder, leaving the heavy barrel wrenched backward on its mounting to point uselessly at the sky. But the killer machine kept coming, loosing shattering bolts from its charged particle cannon. Next to the Griffin ,a 45-ton Phoenix Hawkstaggered under the combined fire from three HVWC-mounted LRM launchers. Suddenly, its right leg gave way, and the 'Mech stumbled and collapsed.

Lying prone, Enzelman was firing his Wasp'slaser as quickly as he could. Though he could not bring the SRM launchers in the 'Mech's leg to bear because of his position, he had the laser propped like an out-sized rifle across a boulder, and was squeezing off shots with telling accuracy. Yarin, in the Stingeron Lori's left, was wilder and less accurate, but he had scored at least three hits on a Wolverine,which was now seeking cover at the edge of the ravine, and two on a second Phoenix Hawk,which was now having trouble bringing its right arm weapons to bear.

"Sergeant Kalmar! This is Ramage!”

“Yeah!"

"They have flankers out, coming up on the left!"