Phelan took another look at the map and switched his visual display over to infrared. The landscape instantly took on a cool blue tint. Steam jets shot tendrils of yellow fire into the air, and heat rose in red curls from the Wolfhound'sheat sinks. The jumble of colors, with streaks of red and gold marking ground warmth, was not so confusing that a 'Mech couldn't be spotted by the heat it generated, but the steam vents made sorting viable targets from spurious ones annoyingly difficult.
Still marching the Wolfhoundforward, Phelan slowly worked toward a canyon that closely resembled a jagged scar ripped through the planet's crust by a dull knife. The legion of side canyons were large enough to hide a 'Mech or two. The cold wind twisting down through it could easily mix the hot air generated by a 'Mech with fresher air, hiding all traces of an ambush. As smart as the other 'Mech pilot had already proved himself, Phelan had no doubt that his enemy was, indeed, waiting therein.
"Firebird One to Dire Alpha."
"Go ahead, Firebird."
"Negative for heat. Magres is useless because of the ferrous content of the ground. Sorry."
"Roger, Firebird. Give me CAP if you can. Dire Star, I am going into the canyon. Beta and Delta, cut off the north end, if you please. Gamma, maintain your position. Epsilon, back me.
Phelan wiped a sweaty palm against the outside of his cooling vest. He started to work his way down into the canyon, but hesitated before he reached the floor. He hated the idea of offering the Ostsolthe first shot, especially when all the enemy had to do was wait for a thermal signature to target and kill. There has to be a way to decoy him, give him bait.
A chunk of stone gave way beneath the Wolfhound'sleft foot, but Phelan successfully kept the 'Mech on its feet by reaching out with its left hand to steady the 'Mech against the canyon wall. As he watched the stone rolling down to the canyon floor, it gave him an idea. Stooping the 'Mech, he picked up a hunk of volcanic stone. Holding it carefully by the thumb and forefinger of his 'Mech's left hand, he trained all three pulse lasers on it, dialed their power down for a three-second burst and triggered them.
The trio of beams filled the rock with fire. It glowed white hot on Phelan's holographic infrared display. He pulled the Wolfhound'sleft arm back, then brought it forward in an easy underhand motion. Lofted forward, the rock bounded down through the canyon. It caromed around like a bowling ball in a surreal alley, then popped up and hung seven meters above the floor about halfway down the canyon.
Four laser beams flashed out at the rock. The two large lasers struck it full-on and smashed it back against the far canyon wall. The two medium lasers passed below it, but had it been the Wolfhound,they would have slashed through the armor on its belly. The rock, performing as would the Wolfhoundhad it caught that fire, dropped to the canyon floor.
The Ostsolstepped from the break where it had hidden, then halted only two steps clear of cover. Phelan, realizing the pilot had switched over to visual and discovered his mistake, brought the large laser up and punched the firing button on the right joystick. The hurried shot hit the Ostol'sback leg, vaporizing armor from mid-thigh down to the ankle.
The Ostsol'spilot pivoted his 'Mech to the left, bringing all its weaponry to bear on the Wolfhound.One large laser and one medium laser combined to make the armor on the Wolfhound'sright leg run like water. The air refroze much of it, and warning lights on Phelan's control console told him the knee and ankle had been fused. The other medium laser sliced armor from the right side of the Wolfhound'schest. The remaining large laser did the most damage as it cored through the armor on the Wolfhound'scenter chest. A wave of heat passed up through the cockpit, informing Phelan that part of the fusion engine's shielding had been damaged.
Phelan concentrated, despite feeling broiled alive in his cockpit. He dropped both crosshairs onto the Ostsol'sconical outline and triggered every weapon he had available. The large laser again blasted the Ostsol'sright leg. The spear of coherent light sheared away the last of the armor and boiled off the myomer muscles controlling the leg's movement. The 'Mech buckled instantly, and flailing impotently against the air, the Ostsolcrashed to the ground. The trio of pulse lasers picked armor off other parts of the Rasalhagian 'Mech, but as the machine settied onto its chest, Phelan knew its fighting days were permanently over.
Phelan keyed his radio. "Dire Gamma, please relay to Black Widow Alpha that we have downed our bogey. Ask for a new assignment."
Switching the frequency control, he tightbeamed a message to the Ostsolacross the frequencies he knew the Free Republic's troops used. "Whoever you are, you have my sincere respect. If not for a moment of inspiration, our positions would be reversed. You are now my prisoner."
The youth of the MechWarrior's voice surprised Phelan. "I may be your prisoner, but I will never surrender to you."
"Don't do anything foolish. Don't overload your engine. It won't serve anyone or anything for you to be that sort of hero."
"Oh, I don't worry. That would make it too easy on you." A fiery stubbornness entered the voice. "If I'm dead, I can't lead my people to freedom, can I?"
Before Phelan could think of a suitable reply, Dire Gamma's report buzzed into his ear. "The Colonel sends her congratulations. Satalice has been pacified. We are to regroup at the Den and prep for an inspection."
Phelan frowned. "Inspection?"
"Roger. She said the ilKhan will be reviewing us in two days, and he's bringing a very special visitor with him. The visitor is the one we're supposed to impress."
"This visitor have a name?" Phelan wanted to know.
"Not one of us, so who cares?"
"I care."
"No name, Star Commander, just a title." Dire Gamma hesitated, then sighed. "Does 'the Primus of ComStar' mean anything to you?"
44
Imperial City , Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
5 January 3052
Tempers flared as frustration eroded the last shreds of the Coordinator's tolerance for either his son or Shin Yodama. For Shin's part, he felt trapped in the battle between father and son, and had to fight to maintain his composure. He knew Theodore had placed him as a buffer against his father precisely because Shin could not be blackmailed by the old samurai's demands.