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Ulric smiled. "It is the custom among our people to grant a Warrior a gift upon achieving full status as an active Warrior. We refer to this as a 'ransom' because of the ancient tradition of a captor ransoming a Warrior after his capture." He glanced at Natasha. "Despite Natasha's protestations that my gift is too generous, the ilKhan is possessed of great wealth and may disburse it as he sees fit. Giving her a 'Mech Cluster should keep her so busy she will stay out of his hair."
The older man turned slightly to address Phelan. "I have a 'ransom' for you as well, Phelan. It reflects my great pride at seeing you qualify as a MechWarrior. It is also an inadequate token of my appreciation for all you have done for me. I ca
Ra
She took him down the stairs and toward the south end of the building. As they neared the 'Mech bay, she took firm hold of his elbow. "Close your eyes."
"If I do that, I can't see."
"I'll tell you when to open them again."
He shut his eyes and felt her kiss each one of his eyelids. Yielding to the pressure on his arm, he let her guide him through the corridors. He knew they'd entered the 'Mech bay when the clicks of their heels echoed away to nothingness. The sharp scent of 'Mech coolant and the cloying odor of autoca
Ra
It took a second or two for his eyes to focus within the dimly lit cavern of a room, then what he saw took his breath away and freed a thousand memories. His mouth dropped open and he fell to his knees.
The BattleMech standing in the berth before him rose to five times his height. From toes to throat, its slender, humanoid form suggested speed and agility. Its left arm ended in a fully articulated hand, but the right arm showed a laser muzzle where a hand would have been. The black 'Mech mounted three laser ports on its broad breast, two at the shoulders, and one dead-center.
The 'Mech's head looked like no other in the 'Mech bay. Its jutting muzzle, tall, pointed ears, and dark viewport eye-slits formed a perfect wolf's-head image, just like Phelan's ceremonial mask. Together they transformed the 'Mech from an oversized toy soldier into a mechanistic avatar of an ancient wargod.
Bright tints broke the 'Mech's somber color scheme in only three places. Phelan saw the hound's-head crest of the Kell Hounds painted in black on a circular red field on the 'Mech's right shoulder. The eyes of the hound had been painted green to match Phelan's. Opposite it, on the left shoulder, Phelan saw a red hourglass and realized immediately that it meant Natasha had chosen him to serve in her new unit.
Phelan smiled when he looked at the 'Mech's muzzle, which had been painted with long white fangs in a snarling face. It matched perfectly the design he'd used to decorate his last 'Mech. That was over three years ago, back when I got myself expelled from the Nagelring and joined the Kell Hounds.
Choking down the huge lump in his throat, he turned to Ra
Ra
Phelan frowned. "Modified it? That's one of the most modern designs in the Successor States."
Ra
She hunkered down behind him and pointed over his shoulder. "The armor is made of a ferro-fibrous compound that is layered together and tempered to give it increased strength at a lighter weight. As a result, Gri
She directed him to look at the 'Mech's head and ears. "The edging on the ears is part of an electronic counter-measures system that will make the 'Mech harder to spot and also to jam many of the advanced targeting systems used nowadays. We wanted to mount an anti-missile system in there as well, but the engineers felt it would violate the original design objectives for a 'Mech that did not need to be supplied with ammo. If they get a laser-based system working, however, they're just aching to slap it on your machine."
Phelan stared at the machine as though it were a ghost from the past. "You don't know what seeing this does to me, Ra
Ra
"More important than that, though, is that he asked me to say that he knew Gri
Phelan nodded. "Perhaps he's right. Remembering who and what I was will make me stronger." He clasped her arms. "And it's strong warriors he'll need. Ulric the Warden becomes Ulric the Crusader and launches us back at the Successor States."
"That is true, Phelan, but do not mistake methods for ends." She settled her chin on his shoulder. "The only way Ulric can defeat the Crusaders is to beat them at their own game. As long as he is in the lead in our quest for the goal, he can dictate terms and rules. He'll need you and Natasha and the rest of us to keep that lead. It is up to us to make sure that our drive to win does not crush those whose only crime is inhabiting the worlds on our path."
Phelan straightened up, turned, and lifted Ra
He started to walk off, but she grabbed his left hand and stopped him. "You can do that tomorrow."