Falcon Guard

"Neg. More like your overseer. I am sincere in saying that I wish you to do well, Aidan Pryde. I wish to be present when they accept the contribution of your genes into the gene pool."

"You may live forever then, which I can believe. Perhaps you have not examined my codex lately."

As if to emphasize his point for Kael Pershaw, Aidan raised his right arm, where the codex was worn. He knew Pershaw could not see the gesture; then again, in his splendiferous Specter,perhaps he could.

"On the contrary, Aidan Pryde. I havelooked at your codex. I am a student of it."

"Then you know it is a long record of tainted achievements. Not the codex of a warrior whose genes would be deemed worthy of the gene pool."

"But what you do now can expunge the past. You have inspired the Falcon Guards to confidence and success. The unit is no longer shamed by dezgra.What they achieve now will also bring you new honor. What youdo will gain you the gene pool, I am certain."

"That matters little now, Kael Pershaw. My personal wishes are irrelevant. I am a Clan warrior and my responsibility is clear. My task is not to win the honor of the gene pool, but to fight for the Clan."

"Admirable sentiments. But no warrior ever quite forgets his blood legacy. Go forward, Aidan Pryde. Robyn's Crossing is near, and it is nearly yours."

There seemed a sudden change in the atmosphere of the cockpit, and Aidan knew that Kael Pershaw had ended the transmission from the Specter.Or from some spectral world.

Aidan considered the possibility of the gene pool for about five seconds, which was all the time the sudden onslaught of the ComStar forces would allow.

* * *

MechWarrior Diana felt her Warhawkrock from side to side as a broad and massive 'Mech that her screen identified as a Victormade a solid hit near the cockpit. The enemy Mech looked so human that she directed a cluster of short-range missiles right at its head. She was lucky, she knew, when two of the missiles hit, destroying the cockpit shield and incinerating the pilot inside. The relatively undamaged Victorground to a halt, balanced precariously on its legs, becoming a faceless but silent witness to the fierce battle for Robyn's Crossing.

Diana had no time to study her kill. Rotating her 'Mech's torso to the left, she took on a tough-jawed Vindicatorthat was presently aiming its right-arm PPC directly at her. Had she not suddenly rotated the torso, the crackling bolts of energy from the PPC might have torn into her Warhawk,wreaking heavy damage. As it was, the hits just grazed her 'Mech's chest and back. Facing her opponent now, Diana saw that the Vindicator'sown chest had been damaged in an earlier encounter. Just above the LRM rack in its left torso was gouged out a huge hole. If the apparently damaged missile rack still contained missiles, she knew a PPC hit into the hole would explode the Vindicatorwithout need to use up valuable ammunition trying to wear it down.

Firing her PPC, she watched as the bolt of unbound lighting hit paydirt. The Vindicatorrocked backward, then went up in an explosion so massive it almost took out a pair of lighter 'Mechs.

Looking around Diana saw that the Jade Falcons had pushed the ComStar force back toward Robyn's Crossing, where their backs were practically up against the 'Mech's of those trying to defend against the now-heavy firepower coming at them from across the river.

She could not tell why the ComStar 'Mechs had not pulled away from the bridge, especially now that the Clan Elementals were among them and picking away at them. Then she saw her father and his Timber Wolf,with Star Captain Joa

* * *

Star Commander Selima had waved the surviving eighteen Elementals of his Star into the midst of the fray. Even with their heightened skills, the Elementals had to move fast to avoid being crushed under the giant feet of the BattleMechs and falling debris. More than once Selima had thought Elementals in battle were like the maddening presence of insects, but with a bit more potential fordoing damage. Selima, with some help from his Point, had destroyed one ComStar 'Mech and was now looking to do the same for another.

He had fired off his short-range missiles and detached the mount, leaving it on the shore a kilometer or two downriver. Now all he had left was the small laser that was the left arm of his suit and the claw that served as the hand for his right. For an Elemental that was all that he needed.

A Riflemanhove into view out of the smoke of the battle. Though it was weaving a bit, having taken several hits to both its leg and chest armor, it was firing effectively at the Timber Wolfof the Falcon Guard Commander.

Selima admired Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, as much as an Elemental could respect a BattleMech officer. He also knew it would be wasteful to lose a commander in the battle for Robyn's Crossing.

He gestured to four of his Elementals, and then the five of them jumped onto the back of the Rifleman.Working with crisp efficiency, the Elementals tore away at the armor covering the ComStar 'Mech's back, then they jammed their small lasers into the breeches and fired. Megajoules of energy flowed into the 'Mech, myomer bubbles burned, support struts melted, and then, finally, the ammunition exploded.

The explosives went off in a rhythmic sequence, as the shells lit off one another. The structural support of the 'Mech failed and the Riflemancollapsed clumsily, its legs seeming to bend u

Bringing his laser to bear on the ejection seat, Selima easily picked off the pilot. With her blood spraying in several directions, she fell directly into the wreckage of her Rifleman.

Selima sca

At a signal from him, the Elementals nearest Selima joined him in wading forward, lasers blazing with blue fire. They shot off an arm from one of the ComStar 'Mechs, giving MechWarrior Diana a chance to fire with all her medium lasers straight into the cockpit of the other 'Mech. For this one, there was no need for Selima to kill its pilot.

* * *

"They are retreating!" Star Captain Joa

Aidan and his Falcon Guards had taken the position by the wrecked bridge, pushing the ComStar forces inland. After some weak counterfire, the Com Guards had finally turned and walked away from the action.

Robyn's Crossing was now the Clan's. Aidan signaled the engineers on the other side of the bridge to come forward so they might immediately start work on constructing a bridge. There was no telling when the next ComStar attack might come.

In the next few moments, he received two radio messages, each welcome in its own way.

The first was from Marthe. "We have taken Plough Bridge," she said. "Congratulations, Star Colonel Aidan Pryde, on the conquest of Robyn's Crossing."