Coupe

51

Sian

Sian Commonality, Capellan Confederation

24 October 3029

“Sic semper tyra

The words hung heavily in the air between Justin and the Marauderlike the green smoke wafting through the shattered doorway. Justin shifted his gaze from the bore of the PPC leveled at his head to the polarized canopy over the 'Mech's cockpit.

Andrew's hushed voice crackled through the Marauder'sexternal speakers. "What the hell did you say?"

Weariness entered Justin's voice. "I said sic semper tyra

The edge returned to Andrew's voice. "The guy on your shoulder, he's got to be our agent. How did you get the countersign out of him?"

Justin shook his head. "You're right. He is one of ours." Justin stared at the Marauder'sdark cockpit. "You know me, Andy. If I'd wanted to fool you, I'd not have brought him along. Sic semper tyra

"Jesus, Mary, and Joseph! It is you! You're it!" Andrew's voice echoed with joyous surprise and relief. "Thank God I didn't pull the trigger on you without wanting to rub your face in it first. Damn . .."

Justin laughed aloud. "I'm glad it was you that found me. Anyone else and I'd be ion vapor right now." Justin motioned for Andrew to squat his 'Mech back down again. "This guy really is one of ours, and we're going to get him out, too. Crack your hatch and pull him aboard."

Andrew lowered the Marauderand opened the hatch in the top of the torso. He stepped down on the 'Mech's right arm and got his hands under Malenkov's armpits. With Justin's help, he pulled Alexi into the Marauderand strapped him into a jump seat behind the command couch.

Andrew handed Justin a canvas satchel. "Everybody got one of these. We were told to give it to our agent."

Justin smiled and slung it over his shoulder. "Yeah. It's got some things I can use if I have the time." Justin popped his head out of the hatch and looked around for Liao infantry. "Looks safe enough for now. Spread the word. Let them know I'll be coming out in Yen-lo-wang."

Redburn glanced at his chronometer. "You've got ten minutes. We've been down for twenty. Our window is closing."

Justin winked at him. "Got it." The slender MechWarrior hoisted himself out of the Marauder,then looked back in. He extended his hand to Redburn, who shook it heartily. "Take good care of Alexi there. He saved my life, just like you did once. I owe him."

Redburn nodded solemnly. "Then I'm in his debt too for saving a friend of mine. Good luck."

Justin slid from the Marauder'storso and ran back into the Capellan Chancellor's Palace. Racing through the corridors, he reached the Chancellor's throne room without incident. He cracked open the massive bronze doors just enough for him to slip into the room, then silently made his way down the length of red carpet and mounted the steps to the throne itself.

Justin smiled as he swung the satchel around and unfastened the velcro strips holding it shut. In addition to some standard medical gear, a Davion ID module for a 'Mech, and a replacement lasing cell for his arm, he found a holodisk with the Davion sunburst and sword crest. As he had been directed, Justin deposited the disk in the center of the throne's seat, then turned and descended the steps.

Her voice and the sound of a needle pistol being charged behind him, stopped Justin a half-dozen steps away from the throne. "Who are you, Justin Xiang, and why are you here?"

He turned slowly to face her, raising his weaponless hands. "Major Justin Allard, Armed Forces of the Federated Suns, currently on special assignment."

Candace moved forward into the muted half-light coming down from the lattice-worked balconies. The needle pistol in her right hand did not waver. "This special assignment . . ." Her voice trailed off as anger and other emotions strangled it to silence.

Justin raised his head. "To convince Maximilian Liao that House Davion had perfected a new and improved myomer fiber and to get him to equip his 'Mechs with it."

Candace's gray eyes glittered coldly. "And becoming part of the crisis team?"

Justin shrugged. "I was to suggest the formation of such a thing because Alexi would have been a logical choice to work in it. I knew he was a Davion plant, but he did not know who or what I was. No one did except my father, the Prince, and Ardan Sortek. And Sortek only learned of it because he threatened to go public with his outrage over my trial."

"Why did you do it?"

Justin moistened his lips with the tip of his tongue. "Orders. I pledged my loyalty to Prince Hanse Davion, and this is what he asked me to do."

Her eyes narrowed to steel slivers. "And what about me? Was I something he asked you do?"

"No." Justin lowered his hands. "I wanted to—I really tried to—avoid you. I knew this would happen. I knew we would fall in love ... And I do love you very, very much. You mustbelieve me."

"What I believe, Justin Allard, is that you have proved yourself a very convincing liar in the past."

Justin nodded his head sadly. "Then I guess you have two choices. You can shoot me," he said, meeting her arctic stare, "or you can come with me."

Her finger tightened on the trigger and her gun lipped a long flame. The cloud of plastic needles it shot out passed wide of Justin, smashing Tsen Shang back into one of the bronze doors and chasing the two Maskirovka agents with him back out into the corridor.

She triggered two more blasts at the door as Justin scrambled to cover behind the throne, then she ducked back as ruby laser bolts burned into the walls behind her. Kneeling down beside Justin, she gave him a quick smile, then poked her pistol back around the throne and fired another pair of shots.

"Damn this pistol." She stared at the gun as she moved the selector lever from single shot to three-shot burst. "Fine for shooting people, but the needles can't get through the bronze doors." She glanced over at Justin. "I'm sorry we're both going to die here, but I can't think of anyone else I'd rather spend the rest of my life with."

Justin returned her smile. "Keep them busy for a moment, if you really mean that’rest of your life' remark."

As Candace triggered a burst that kept the guards back behind the doors, Justin ripped the left sleeve of his jacket open to the elbow. He depressed a rectangular section on top of his blackened steel forearm, then flipped it up with his thumbnail when it clicked. He twisted his left arm, dropping the burned-out lasing cell to the throne room floor. He fished the replacement cell from his satchel and slid it into place. He snapped the coverplate back down, then worked his hand off and configured it for sighting.

Candace stared quizzically at his left hand's awkward position. "What in the name of..."

Justin smiled. "I'm double-jointed. Are they behind both doors?"

She nodded. "They're keeping their heads down. You can see where I've scraped some varnish from the doors.”

“Got it. On three."

Candace counted off, then triggered a long burst from the right side of the throne. Justin popped out to the left and sliced the laser's green beam through both bronze doors about a meter above the floor. The clatter of metal hitting the ground drowned out the guards' dying screams.