Warrior: En Garde

Justin opened a radio cha

Justin limped his 'Mech deeper into the tu

Justin heard the echoed report of jump jets as the UrbanMechlanded in the crevassse. A tiny laser beam—the UrbanMech'sother weapon system—splashed against the opposite wall of the corridor. He's cautious, but not cautious enough,Justin thought grimly.

He pivoted the Legend-killeron its frozen left leg. The huge 'Mech swung around and filled the tu

The large lasers cored through the UrbanMech'sheart like ruby drills. Shards of hot armor careened off the tu

Autoca

One light spear hit the autoca

UrbanMech'sImperator-B autoca

The uneven flashes of light popping from within the UrbanMech'schest spat metal and fire. One explosion tore the autoca

The explosion's Shockwave rocked Justin's unsteady Rifleman.Pieces of debris sizzled through the air and hammered the Legend-killerwith a fury that suggested the UrbanMechwanted revenge for its death. Justin, shaken by the explosion and stifled by the volcanic heat-vortex swirling in his cockpit, struggled to keep the Riflemanstanding. He stumbled the 'Mech backward and came to rest with its back to the corridor wall.

The diagnostic program redrew the knee joint and beeped urgently at Justin. Well now,he thought. There is a silver lining in this whole sordid cloud.Something—the Shockwave or a piece of Urban-Mech—had dislodged whatever had previously jammed the Rifleman'sleft knee. Waiting for his heat levels to drop to acceptable levels, Justin chuckled silently to himself. Even when you cheat, Capet, you can't get it right.

Justin spun the Riflemanand sent it lumbering off to the left. Taking the first ramp leading up, he mounted it at a nearly reckless pace. He sped on through intersections after only the most cursory examination. He altered his course almost at random, but always continued upward.

Slow down, Justin,he told himself. Haste will get you killed. Capet will want to hit you from behind. You must take more care.Justin smiled slowly as an idea blossomed in his mind. Perhaps you can turn his desires against him.

Justin opened a radio cha

"Hiding? I anxiously await your arrival."

Justin narrowed his eyes. "I found myself unavoidably detained a bit earlier. I felt compelled to watch the UrbanMechexplode. It is a pity you were not there."

Capet's laughter sounded hollow. "I'll catch it on the replay. I warned him that you Capellan bastards are sneaky."

Justin nodded. "That we are, Capet, but you'll never understand the true depth of our brilliance in that department."

Justin turned his 'Mech to the left and entered a narrow tu

As though Capet had read Justin's mind, he suddenly stepped his Riflemanup to block the Legend-killer'sline of retreat. "It's all over, Justin Xiang. Good riddance."

Even as Justin brought the Legend-killer'sguns up and over to cover Capet's 'Mech, the other man's Riflemanblazed away with everything he had. Before his weapons could blast into their target, however, Capet's inhuman scream of rage echoed throughout Ishiyama. In the laser's backlight, the ghost painted into the logo on the Legend-Killer'sbreast seemed to mock Capet's ambush with a fool's grin.

Capet's two large laser beams hammered into the Legend-killer'sright side. Chunks of armor shot away on vapor jets as the energy beams instantly converted ceramics and metal to gas. One of the Rifleman'smedium lasers pierced the gray, swirling cloud and destroyed a medium laser on the Legend-killer'schest. Capet's other medium laser boiled armor from the Legend-killer'sleft breast, while the autoca

"That's right, Phillip," Justin said with a laugh, "I marched the Legend-killerinto this little trap backward.Just like a treacherous Capellan to pull a trick like that, eh? And so like a stupid Federat to fall for it."

Justin ignored the dozen warning lights flashing for his attention. He concentrated on his phantom left arm and watched the golden crosshairs that it controlled drop onto the box of glass and metal jutting out from between the Rifleman'sshoulders. The gold cross drifted down into place, then flashed in syncopation with Justin's racing heartbeat.