Warrior: En Garde

Dan switched his radio over to the frequency that the Kuritans had used before. "Sho-saNiiro, you wished to reach me?"

The Draconian voice was almost apologetic. "Hai,Captain Allard. You realize the time is almost up."

Dan moved his Valkyrieto where he could see Tarukito's Panther.A slight bow of the 'Mech's head acknowledged Dan, who returned the gesture before answering. "I am afraid my people have not found the Archon-Designate in the hour you gave us. This was no surprise, for we believe she is safely on Tharkad. But if you wish to give us more time .. ."

Tarukito selected his words carefully before answering. "I would have thought, given the reputation of the Kell Hounds, that you would not let all these people die just to play word games. I..."

Tarukito's words died in a hiss of ion-static. One of the Pan-then,nearest the magnetically warded bay opening jerked and danced as though trapped in an invisible cyclone. Autoca

The brilliant flames curled in upon themselves, then suddenly evaporated, as though by some magic. Standing where the Pantherhad stood, a Victormaterialized from within the fire and smoke. It pointed its stubby right arm at another Pantheras its autoca

"You are right, Sho-sa Niiro,"Patrick Kell growled over the radio. "The Kell Hounds would never let these people die. The Archon-Designate is already offworld and headed for our Jump-Ship. We're here to cut off" your retreat."

Patrick, what the hell are you doing?Fighting the shock of Patrick's appearance, Dan snapped his radio over to the tactical frequency. "Move it, Kell Hounds! Hit them hard! Patrick's in the Victor."Dan dropped the crosshairs of his LRM battery onto a Panther,then stabbed the fire control with furious vengeance.

The missiles arced away and blasted into the target, tattooing the Panther'sright arm with fiery explosions. As the missiles peeled off sheets of molten ceramics, the arm was laid bare. The Valkyrie'smedium laser lanced out and stabbed through the same arm. The blood-red beam sawed the limb off at the elbow, sending the PPC crashing to the ferrocrete deck.

"Dan, I've got an equipment malfunction!" Austin Brand's voice filled Dan's neurohelmet. "Targeting computer is screwy!"

"Cat, cover Brand. Austin, what's wrong?" Fear rode through Brand's reply. "I get no read on the Victor."

Dan glanced at the Victor.He watched a half-dozen PPC bolts streak from Panthersall around the massive assault 'Mech, but none of them hit their target. They're too close. That's why they're missing.Even as the logical side of his brain offered that explanation, he rejected it immediately. I've got no thermal image of that monster,he realized suddenly. It's just like Morgan on Mallory's World.'

Dan swept his crosshairs past the Victoras he sighted another Panther.He ignored the queasy feeling rising in him—for the cross-hairs had not acknowledged the Victoras a target—and triggered another flight of missiles at a Panther.These caught the Kurita 'Mech in the knees and forced it to stumble forward.

Two more flights of missiles slammed into that Pantherfrom Fitzhugh's Catapult,cloaking the enemy 'Mech in red, orange, and yellow smoke and fire. As the fire collapsed into a dense black smoke, it drifted away like a ghost, leaving a broken, lifeless Pantherin its wake.

Other Panthersnow turned from the Victorto face the attacking Kell Hounds. Dan dodged a quartet of incoming SRMs, then spotted the Warhammerstalking back toward the Victor.It moved with a fluid grace that only one in a thousand MechWarriors could impart to such a massive machine. I know I've seen that 'Mech before. But where?

Cat Wilson's Pantherappeared at Dan's right. He triggered a shot that lanced out and smashed into a Kurita 'Mech's head. The azure energy lance blasted armor from the Pantherlike a storm tearing shingles from a house. The Panthershuddered, then stumbled. The MechWarrior in it, exhibiting incredible skill, twisted the 'Mech so that it would fall on its back, then punched out.

Dan turned and shouted a warming. "Lasker, Pantherat nine o'clock!"

As Lasker's Pantherspun back, it caught the PPC blast on its left arm instead of the weak back armor, but that did little good. The PPC bolt rippled up the arm and dropped melted armor in steaming clumps onto the ferrocrete deck. Lasker launched a flight of SRMs at the enemy Panther,but her haste had sent them wide of their target.

Beyond her, Diane McWilliams's Pantherreeled beneath the impact of enemy LRM barrages. Two sets of five missiles each plowed furrows through her 'Mech's breast armor. Eight more missiles scythed into the metal left leg and shattered the armor on its thigh.

Twisted around by the blasts, McWilliams faced the Crusaderthat had attacked her Panther.She sent a bolt of blue lightning slicing into its chest, but it barely dented the thick armor over the 'Mech's heart. In reply, the Crusadersent two more flights of LRMs.

"No, Diane, no! You're not in your Rifleman.Punch out." Helplessly, Dan watched the missile smash into McWilliam's Pantheras the hollow feeling in the pit of his stomach told him what his sensors calmly presented as damage factors. The LRMs had ripped off the 'Mech's left arm and sent it skittering across the ferrocrete deck. More missiles then exploited the gaps previously blasted into the Panther's,chest. They scattered the remaining armor, then crushed the Panther'sheart. The 'Mech exploded like a supernova.

"Fitzhugh, take that Crusader!Now!" Dan swung his missile crosshairs beyond the Crusaderand slid them over toward the Warhammer'sback. Let's open you up!

Suddenly Dan's mouth went dry. The way it moves ... It's stalking theVictor. It couldn't be . . .Dan raked his targeting joystick hard to the right, but the crosshairs refused to acknowledge the Warhammer'sexistence. Oh, my God! No! NO!He stabbed the radio switch. "Patrick, look out! TheWarhammer, it belongs to Yorinaga Kurita!"

The Victor'shead came up and turned to acknowledge the approaching Warhammer.Contemptuously, Patrick pressed the autoca

The Warhammerraised its twin PPCs to send blue spears of incandescent fire stabbing at Kell's Victor.One beam scarified the armor over the Victor'sright breast, obliterating the unit crest painted there. The second beam drilled through the armor on the Victor'smiddle. Armor chips blasted free on vapor jets, and rained down on the broken Pantherslying at the Victor'sfeet.

Dan saw a thermal image flicker over the Victorfor a half-second. Even that brief glimpse told him the true damage the bolt had done. Flashing through a chink in the Victor'sarmor— probably a weak plate over the wound Ardan Sortek had suffered in it—the PPC had blasted shielding from the 'Mech's fusion engine.