Falcon Guard

Horse's face was dark. "There is an uprising in Vreeport. Some civilians who found a cache of I

Aidan was shocked, and saw a similar expression on Joa

Horse nodded. "There seems to be only one course of action."

"A

"Yes."

"Well, perhaps we can avoid that."

Joa

"They are our enemies, yes." Aidan stared at her. "But that does not mean they are not humane. We must treat them with the same respect that we give our warrior foes."

"But we are not to a

"Only when we have to."

"I have never recognized any other choice."

Aidan looked at her for a long moment, and the cruelty she remembered came back into his eyes. "And look where it has gotten you, Star Commander Joa

BATTLETECH.

LE5129

Legend Of The Jade Phoenix

VOLUME 3

FALCON GUARD

Robert Thurston

ROC

Published by the Penguin Group

Penguin Books Ltd, 27 Wrights Lane, London W8 5TZ, England

Penguin Books USA Inc., 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014, USA

Penguin Books Australia Ltd, Ringwood, Victoria, Australia

Penguin Books Canada Ltd, 10 Alcorn Avenue, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M4V 3B2

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Penguin Books Ltd, Registered Offices: Harmondsworth, Middlesex, England

First published in the USA by ROC, an imprint of New American Library, a division of Penguin Books USA Inc. 1991 First published in Great Britain 1992 10987654321

Series editor: Do

Copyright © FAS A, 1991 All rights reserved

Roc is a trademark of Penguin Books Ltd. BATTLETECH, FASA and the distinctive BATTLETECH and FASA logos are trademarks of the FASA Corporation, 1026 W. Van Buren, Chicago, IL 60507

Printed in England by Clays Ltd, St Ives pic

Except in the United States of America, this book is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, re-sold, hired out, or otherwise circulated without the publisher's prior consent in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser

To the memory of my parents

Prologue

Star Captain Joa

But now her dreams had faded, for she had become an old warrior. She still piloted a 'Mech as a warrior of Clan Jade Falcon, but no longer would any Bloodnamed warrior sponsor her for a slot in any Trial of Bloodright. Without a nomination, Joa

Despite all the conjectures, Joa

The Falcon Guards had been traversing a pass called the Great Gash, when a single, battered I

As though in sympathy, the Great Gash itself blew apart, sending rocks and dirt spouting and flying, boulders bouncing off the surface of Joa

When it came to survival, the human organism sometimes went beyond its own limitations. Perhaps she had even more precious moments than she estimated.

Joa

With so much of her Hellbringerapparently still operational, Joa