She looked at me distantly. ‘You would have died in the same blast. You wouldn't do that to yourself.’
I sighed. ‘You were turning me over to the ISF. Die quickly by an explosion, or slowly by torture. What's the difference, in the end?’ I hesitated. ‘Maybe, with your sanctuary gone, you wanted me to kill you. I don't know.’
Takara stiffened, letting the Little Dragon fortify her. ‘If that's what you believe. Colonel Kell, any future we'd have would be hell.’
I shrugged. ‘Maybe it would and maybe it wouldn't, but the fact is I trust you enough to be willing to chance it. I can't and won't promise smooth sailing all the time because I'm Human. I think you trusted me enough, at one point, to jeopardize yourself for me. and I think now you are second-guessing that judgement. You have to trust someone, and I think you should start with yourself.’
I pointed out toward the Nuada.‘I'm walking out of here right now, and I want you to come with me. If not now, then join me later...whenever. I know you'll make the choice that's right for you, Takara.’
Turning from her and walking down the the stairs was more difficult than anything I've ever done. I felt as though my guts had been clawed out. That aching hollowness seemed to suck all my vitality into it, with the life I'd known before I met Takara shrunken to only two colorless dimensions. A mocking voice that sounded frighteningly like the Little Dragon's echoed from my soul. ‘The regiment may be where you live, Patrick Kell. but never again will it be home.’
I strained my ears to catch any hint that she was following me, but I refused to look back. I knew that, much as I wanted to, I could not drag her with me. That would destroy us both. The decision was one she would have to make by herself.
CONTRIBUTECH
DESIGNERS:
Jordan K. Weisman
Design and Concept:
BattleTech
CityTech
AeroTech
Mechwarrior
BattleForce
Development:
Succession Wars
Concept:
The Technial Readouts
The House Book Series
CamoSpecs
Inner Sphere Oversight Board (The Esthetic Police. Founder)
All BattleTech Product
L. Ross Babcock III
Design:
CityTech
AeroTech
MechWarrior
BattleForce
Succession Wars
Mercenary's Handbook
Development:
BattleTech
Inner Sphere Oversight Board (The Esthetic Police. Founder}
All BattleTech Product
Sam Lewis
Design and Development:
BattleTech Manual
Technical Readout 3026
Inner Sphere Oversight Board (The Esthetic Police. Recuit)
All BattleTech Product
Adventure Architects
(Richard K. Meyer. Walter H.Hunt, and Evan Jamieson)
Design for MechWarrior
Samuel B. Baker II
Additional Development for BattleTech Manual
Forest G. Brown
Development of BattleTech
BattleMech Designs
Design for CityTech
BattleTech Stats (from Technical Readout 3025)
Cory Glaberson
Design:
BattleForce
Clare W. Hess
Design:
DropShips and JumpShips
Stuart Johnson:
Concept and intial design for LAMs
James R. Kellar
Additional Development lor BattleTech Manual
L.R. ‘Butch’ Leeper
Design Assistance and Chief Developer for BattleTech
BattleTech Stats (from Technical Readout 3025)
Kevin Stein
Design:
MechWarrior
BattleForce
Technical Readout 3026
BattleTech Stats (from Technical Readout 3025)
Wm. John Wheeler
Development of BattleTech
David C. Wylie
Development:
BattleTech Inner Sphere Map
Kurita House Book
Inner Sphere Oversight Board (The Esthetic Police. Recuit)
AUTHORS:
Adventure Architects
(Richard K. Meyer and Walter H. Hunt)
MechWarrior
House Marik
(Richard Meyer. Walter Hunt, Lisa Hunt, and Evan Jamison)
Contributor to Fox's Teeth
(Richard Meyer)
Contributor to Black Widow
L.Ross Babcock III
Rules:
CityTech
AeroTech
BattleForce
Succession Wars
Contributor to MechWarrior
Samuel Brown Baker II & Dorothy E. Baker
Contributor to Fox's Teeth
Shaun Duncan
Contributor to Technical Readout 3025
Tara Gallagher
Fiction for CityTech
Fiction for BattleForce
Contributor to House Kurita
Gideon
The Spider and the Wolf
Cory Glaberson
BattleForce
The Galtor Campaign
C.R. Green
Contributor to:
House Marik
House Liao
House Davion
Hero Games
Technical Background for BattleTech
Clare W. Hess
DropShips and JumpShips
Todd Huettel
Contributor to House Kurita
Donna Ippolito
Contributor to House Kurita
J. Andrew Keith
Mercenary's Handbook
Contributor to:
Black Widow
House Davion
William H. Keith, Jr.
Novels:
Decision at Thunder Rift
Mercenary's Star
The Price of Glory
Game Product:
Gray Death Legion
Contributor to:
Black Widow
Fox's Teeth
MechWarrior
Dale L. Kemper
Contributor to:
Mercenary's Handbook
Sorenson's Sabres
Technical Readout 3025
Patrick L. Larkin
Original Historical concepls as found in:
BattleTech
MechWarrior
Contributor to:
Black Widow
Fox's Teeth
Sam Lewis
Contributor to:
Technical Readout 3026
BattleTech Manual
Ardath Mayhar
Noveclass="underline"
The Sword and the Dagger
Scott Oehler
The Spider and the Wolf
Blaine L. Pardoe
Cranston Snord's Irregulars
Contributor to:
Sorenson's Sabres
Technical Readout 3025
Boy F. Peterson, Jr.
House Steiner
House Davion
Contributor to:
Mercenary's Handbook
House Kurita
Technical Readout 3025
Anthony Pryor
Contributor to:
Mercenary's Handbook
Sorenson's Sabres
Technical Readout 3025
Michael Stackpole
Novels:
Warrior: En Garde
Warrior: Riposte
Warrior: Coupe
Kevin Stein:
Contributor to Technical Readout 3026
Rick David Stuart
House Liao
John Theisen:
Contributor to: House Kurita Sorenson's Sabres
Robt. Wells
Contributor to House Kurita
Wm. John Wheeler
Rules of BattleTech
Contributor to CityTech
ARTISTS:
Charles Bernard
Playing Pieces and Map:
Succession Wars
Jane Bigos
Black and White Illustration:
Black Widow
Fox's Teeth
Layout and Pasteup:
Black Widow
Fox's Teeth
CityTech
Tim Bradstreet
Black and White Illustration:
Cranston Snord's Irregulars
House Kurita
House Liao
House Davion