Hunters of the Deep.

Mechwarrior Dark Age.

Randall N Bills.

To Loren and Heather Coleman.

In the bleakest times, a friendas true colors are revealed. In one of my familyas darkest hours, you both showed the brilliance within: a hand in aid, a shoulder for comfort, an ear to listen. True friendship is a rare and precious gift, and in that circle, you are both counted highly.

Thank you.

Acknowledgments.

To my first readers, for catching some great stuff: Herb Beas, David McCulloch, Jeff Morgan, Oystein Tvedten, and especially Jason Hardy.

To Michael Miller, for the help on the spinning DropShips.

To Loren Coleman, who kept tossing additional writing projects at me during this novel and helped to prove I can do it.

To Jim Long and Janna Silverstein, for going to bat for me when they didnat need to; I hope the novel is worth the ha.s.sles that may have followed.

To Sharon Mulvihill: eight years and counting; thanks for the friendship and the constant help along the way in improving my writing.

Finally, to my magnificent wife, Tara, and beautiful children, Bryn Kevin, Ryana Nikol, and Kenyon Aleksandr: I simply couldnat write without their love, support and understandinga nor, I imagine, would I want to.

Prologue.

Clan Sea Fox CargoShip Voidswimmer Zenith Jump Point, Berenson System Prefecture VI, The Republic 19 June 3134

The data cube fit in the palm of his hand, its sharpedged, angular realness a harsh contrast to the dark secrets it so jealously guarded.

And the day had dawned with such promise.

aovKhan.a Petr Kalasa pulled his gaze from the inert object that had swallowed his concentration for long minutes and watched Jesup enter his command cabin. Petr never locked the door. He set the cube on the small desktop and leaned back with studied casualness. The creak of his spine betrayed the length of time head been hunched over.

Petr almost commented on the ungainly way Jesup moved into the room, but refrained when he realized it might shame his aide. If he moved so awkwardly in the magnetic slips that kept him attached to the deck, then he truly must be in pain. It seemed the man fought innumerable Trials of Grievance; had his latest trial come close to defeat for Jesup?

aWhat is your report?a Petr tried to conceal his amus.e.m.e.nt; Jesupas burning ears marked his failure.

aThe repairs to the Behemoth proceed apace. Senior Technician Pol a.s.sured me we will be cleared to make the jump to the Augustine system within the hour.a aWhat caused the breach? We sealed the Starmoth more than three years ago; the other two have been attached far longer with no deterioration in their seals.a Petr stood and walked around the left side of the desk. He refused to glance at the cube, but could almost hear it calling him, a keening siren luring him to return and breathe the flames of life into the banked coals of its contents.

aPol has initiated an investigation, and a.s.sures me any trials required to challenge shoddy maintenance will be dealt with. Personally.a Petr moved with the deliberate grace of one long-accustomed to gravity slips. If he were claustrophobic, the addition of one more person to the command cabin of the Voidswimmer would have driven him over the edge of sanity. If that were the case, years of being trapped within the metal skin of a vessel 1,508 meters long, adrift in the unimaginable largeness of the galaxy (not truly adrift, of coursea"Petras mind held a laser-lock on the hundreds of coordinates const.i.tuting the stellar path Delta Aimag would travel in the next few weeks) would have driven him mad or downside long before now.

aPol has never lacked in initiative, nor disappointed with performance. I do not doubt by weekas end we will know what happened.a He shifted slightly, his dark blue one-piece body suit undulating like gentle water in moonlight.

aStill, it has given me time to think.a He glanced expectantly at his aide, waiting for the usual acerbic comment, his eyes emerald chips that could cut if he were provoked.

aBeta Aimag?a aWhat else?a The man must be seriously hurt if he had abandoned his habitual sarcasm. He must find out who came so close to defeating Jesup in a Circle of Equals.

aYour obsession with ovKhan Sha Clarke will be the death of you.a aOf course it will. But I will kill him first.a aKill?a scoffed Jesup.

Petr laughed out loud. aYou are right. I have always said death is too good for the surat. I need only steal from under Sha the deal that would make him a legend, the deal that would guarantee his place in The Remembrance. Then my work will be done and I can pa.s.s. My genetic material would be judged superior and used to create a new shiver of Sea Fox.a Jesupas laugh echoed down the corridor. aYour humility never ceases to amaze me.a There is the sarcasm I am used to. Petr pushed away from the wall and stepped back toward the desk. Still he refused to acknowledge the insidious call of the data cube. aHumility is an invention of the weak to salve their egos when they fail.a Jesup held up his hands. aAnd you, my ovKhan, are anything but weak, quiaff?a Silence was the only appropriate answer. Jesup insulted everyone: there were times when Petr believed his aide insulted those around him for the sole purpose of creating the opportunity to put others in their place with a pile drive of his bony flesh. One day, Petr himself would call his aide to the Circle and Jesup would learn there are limits.

This day, like many days before, would not be that day.

aYou understand that he will try to beat us to the prize?a aHe will try, my ovKhan. Sha, like you, is simply trying to do what is best for his Aimag. All for the greater good of the Clan, quiaff?a Petras eyes burned with an inner fire. aNeg. You know as well as I that he is a parasite masquerading as ovKhan of Beta Aimag. Spina Khanate would be well rid of him.a aDo I?a replied Jesup. aHas he not brought great glory and honor to his Aimag? To Clan Sea Fox?a aAre you trying to aggravate me? You appear to be in no condition to accept a challenge.a His anger overwhelmed his decision to allow Jesup his self-respect. Petr would no longer ignore the manas pain and the near-defeat it indicated.

Jesupas eyes widened, yet Petr caught a hint of something more behind his aideas expression of surprise. aFar be it from me, ovKhan, to provoke a challenge from your august person. I would be destined to lose, for have you ever lost a challenge?a Rage burned in his chest; a vortex of emotions battered his iron control. He choked on the memories invoked by Jesupas veiled reference. He took a half step toward Jesup, his hands balled into fists. aI will accept no such reminders of my failures.a Each failure was etched on his soul as a searing brand to goad him to greater perfection. Especially one, whose connection to Sha he ignored.

aReminders of what, magnificent ovKhan? It would seem I cannot even remember how to fight. How can I remember anything but your glorious victories for our Aimag?a Though Petr could almost taste a strange undercurrent to Jesupas response, the manas tone of voice, his shrug and slightly canted head worked their usual magic, pouring water on the heat of his anger, drowning the flame and leaving only ashes. He permitted a small smile to touch his lips. aOne of these days you will not find the words, and I will relish that moment.a aaWords spill like solar wind from a star, nearly infinitea"the right words, precious commodities to be h.o.a.rded and wielded with laser precision.aa aYou quote our Clanas founder to me?a Petr pretended outrage.

aIf I become a small footnote next to Karen Nagasawa, I will be honored indeed.a Petr couldnat help sink a barb, so rarely did the other man offer such an opening. aMore so than by a Bloodname? How aunClanlike.a Jesup jerked as though kidney-punched, then a.s.sumed a contemplative look for several long heartbeats. aI will take both, quiaff?a Petr laughed. aAff, Jesup. Now that is what we need in our Aimag. The determination to seize victory.a aIf that is what we need, ovKhan, then simply challenge him to a trial and remove him. Be done with this obsession.a Petr grimaced and waited for the flood of anger. It failed to materialize, allowing the memory of his last trial against Sha to rise to the surface. He attempted to distract himself from the memory with a glance at the mysterious data cube, but that further soured his mood. Already he had spent hours trying to pierce the veil of its central riddle, to no avail. One obsession (to himself he would admit that word) was bad enough. Two would be intolerable.

aJesup, such action could havea unintended consequences.a He met Jesupas gaze. aThe Khanatesa loyalty to Khan Hawker could be considered weak; some may even question the Aimagsa loyalty to each Khanate.a Shaas name echoed loudly, though unspoken.

aAnd one ovKhan messing in the affairs of another Aimag might cause a cascading effect?a Jesup finished the thought.

Petr smacked his palm against the desktop, venting his frustration. For the first time in many years, multiple Aimags worked in close proximity, with dozens of JumpShips and multiple ArcShips canva.s.sing the same tracks of interstellar s.p.a.ce, covering the same worlds. He feared for the consequences. More important, he feared what ovKhan Sha Clarke might do.

The vehemence of his attack on the desk made the data cube jump, and once again it snared his attention. Could this have something to do with Sha? With the great endeavor saKhan Mikel Sennet marshaled the entire Spina Khanate to achieve?

aLeave me,a he said abruptly.

Silence was the only reponse; even Jesup knew when to abandon a line of questioning and leave his superior.

For the first time in memory, Petr closed the hatch and dogged it before returning to his chair; his mind barely registered the squeal of springs that usually jogged a mental note to chastise the labor casteman a.s.signed the task of properly maintaining his equipment (promptly forgotten). Picking up the data cube, he weighed it in his hand, as though to a.s.sess its value simply by tactile senses, and then slotted it into the reader.

A holographic image immediately materialized and the head of an astonishingly ugly woman spun into view from nothingness. Her lackl.u.s.ter black hair (shorn off with a dull knife?), pimply skin and swarthy complexion made Petr wrinkle his nose, as if he were preparing for an olfactory a.s.sault that could not exist. He wanted to dismiss this woman out of hand, but her smoky gray eyes held an intelligence that could not be denied. And her message, and the means of its delivery, intrigued him.

aSalutations, ovKhan Petr Kalasa. You are no doubt wondering how this data cube appeared on your CargoShip, when no DropShip has made planetfall for more than five weeks. And beyond this mystery, you must wonder why I believe such a powerful man would agree to meet with such a lowly person as myself. The fact remains that I have information you will find most avaluable. Information that affects your entire Khanate, and possibly the whole of Clan Sea Fox.

aOh, I know this sounds like hyperbole, but that is for you to decide. If you wish a meeting, I will be on Adhafera when you arrive.a The image dissolved into the nothingness from which it came. Petr was intrigued by the appearance, as if by magic, of the cube in his cabin. This accomplishment alone, for such an ugly woman, brought admiration.

But in the brief discussion with Jesup, the idea had blossomed that this somehow tied in with Sha Clarke. Could the surat have managed this? Could Sha truly have sunk to such a level that he would use ugly spheroids to accomplish his work?

He stood abruptly, pulled the data cube from its socket and moved to undog the hatch.

It was time to alter their course.

1.

Clan Sea Fox CargoShip Voidswimmer Zenith Jump Point, Augustine System Prefecture VII, The Republic 20 June 3134

The scientists swarmed like microbes, attacking the body of their experiment in their desire (need!) to make their work succeed.

Petr floated just above the deck in the Scientist Quarter of the Voidswimmer, observing the almost frantic activity with satisfaction. They do this for me, for the Clan.

aWe barely deploy the sails and already you have the scientists jumping through hoops? Oh great one, what hoops may I jump through?a Petr turned to find Jesup expertly sliding in next to him, though he engaged his magnetic slips to latch himself to the deck.

aI see you are moving better today, quiaff?a Petr said with a tight smile.

aAff, oh my most observant ovKhan. A good nightas rest strapped into your bunk will make any bruise disappear as an underarmored vehicle flees before a storm of PPCs.a Petras smile became real under the deluge of sarcasm and feigned sophistry. Jesup did not possess the seasoning to untangle the tight whorls of current in a negotiation, yet he seemed to delight in hiding his true intelligence behind a facade of obviousness. It made him look stupid at times. A lack that, normally, Petr could not stand.

Good thing he makes me laugh, among his other qualities.

A minor tone insistently pierced their conversation. They both turned.

aSo the experiment,a Jesup said, more seriously than usual; they both regarded a veritable mountain range of computer terminals, monitors and other objects Petr simply couldnat identify.

aProceeding apace.a Petr tasted the breakfast paste he had swallowed too quickly in his desire to arrive early. Be tasting it all day. He grimaced, then brightened as the tone changed slightly. It would begin soon.

aHard to believe scientist Kif outbid scientist Jonnic for the right to present first.a Petr shrugged. aScientist Kif believes he has found the answer that has eluded us.a aDo you not wonder if he might have pushed too hard, too fast? He has a reputation for recklessness. His attempt could be disastrous.a Petr locked his emerald eyes with Jesupas questioning gaze. His aide held up under the stare this time, apparently feeling more himself today. Do you believe that, Jesup, or is this another of your allusions?

aWe are all meant to seize our futures, quiaff?a Petr responded. aI laud scientist Kif for seizing the advantage.a aAff, ovKhan, but if the shortcuts are too short, his conclusions might lead to the deaths of thousands, even tens of thousands. Perhaps not today, or tomorrow, but eventually.a Jesup paused. aYou have not achieved your goal if you sacrifice those you are trying to help. I simply believe we should make sure scientist Kif did not overstep himself.a Petr found no accusation in Jesupas eyes, but the words rang a little too close to their conversation yesterday. Recriminations, again? You could never tell with Jesup.

aovKhan Kalasa, we are ready,a a voice interrupted.

Petr turned to scientist Kif, and the manas gauntness struck him anew. All Sea Fox Clansmen who spent most of their lives in microgravity tended to have slight physical builds and skinny bodies; only the Clanas genetic engineering allowed them to compensate for all the degradations the body encountered in such weightless environs. Yet Kif seemed to embody the extreme; if he turned sideways, he just might disappear.

Petr nodded his head. aProceed.a Uninvited, Jesup accompanied Petr and Kif as they made their way closer to the milling scientists and their tools.

A phalanx of computer monitors and other machines formed a large bulwark ring around a central holographic table, while multiple large-screen projection monitors showed exterior shots of the depths of s.p.a.ce. At least forty white-coated individuals worked at various stations, monitoring and inputting information. Though he found the whole exercise fascinating, Petr knew most of it pa.s.sed over his head.

To each his own. To each his contribution to the Clan.

They stepped carefully over what seemed like kilometers of twisting, multicolored wiresa"interconnecting all of the various computers and electronic equipmenta"around bustling scientists and between tables before breaking into the relative calm at the eye of the storm around the main holographic table.

aAs you know, ovKhan,a Kif began immediately, athere have been numerous attempts to create a large, mobile, simulated gravity, and until today, all have failed. They tied themselves too firmly to centuries-old technology: drastically increasing the size of a gravity deck, spinning the entire ship, latching the DropShips onto a spinning collar and so on. All failed and will continue to fail because they rely on such outdated methods, rather than changing the paradigm within which we work.a Jesup and Petr shared a brief, hidden smile at the pompous tone and obvious jab at Jonnicas own research.

aPlease turn your attention to the central display, and I will provide an explanation of what is about to unfold.a Scientist Kif waved his hand at the holographic display, showing an Invadera"cla.s.s JumpShip in exquisite detail.

aMy epiphany occurred almost three years ago during the Voidswimmeras refit at the Tukayyid orbital yards. There, I watched an extrusion of a carbon polymer composite cable, part of an attempt to make a cable with the strength to create a s.p.a.ce elevator. Though those attempts continue to fail, I reasoned the tensile strength, in ratio to the thickness of the cable and required length to create a full standard gravity, would allow for the creation of a series of tethers for DropShips, provided they could be spun within the necessary parameters.a Though Petr fought his mindas impulse to drift, the manas technical jargon made him gla.s.sy-eyed; instead, he gave his attention to the display, concentrating on remembering the information gleaned from progress reports.

The initial challenge was to understand the need to create standard gravity. Though literally millions of Fox Clansmen lived most of their lives in microgravity, there was a significant enough number of downsiders who lived on Fox-controlled Inner Sphere worlds that large-scale, movable simulated gravities needed to be built for training these personnel. This goal had proved elusive as a result of technical and structural limitations.

Until todaya"at least, that was scientist Kifas claim.

The Invader hovering in the air before him represented the quintessential JumpShip: bulb at the front end, connected to a five-hundred-meter, relatively narrow length ending in the stationkeeping drive and solar sail array, giving rise to the ubiquitous description aneedle thin.a Close to the middle of the vessel, a narrow, collarlike structure circled the diameter of the JumpShip, housing cargo holds, docking collars for DropShips and small-craft launching bays. Nearly four months of in-transit reconstruction had radically modified that section.

The previously flat plane of the collar was now broken in two, a fifteen-meter gap between each overhanging outer section providing a view of the interior section in the middle. Petr knew from the reports that that central, mostly hidden section now spun. Those extensive modifications, however, did not captivate him so much as the four monstrous cables anch.o.r.ed to the central trough that swung out to where four DropShips lay tethered.

Two Mules, a Mammoth and a Behemoth kept station at different distances, the twin Mule s and their 11,200 tons of empty weight tethered at equal distances of just more than a kilometer. The 52,000-ton Mammoth was tethered at less than half that distance, and the gargantuan 100,000-ton Behemoth at half again. As the DropShipas cargo weights shifted, their tethers would adjust in length, automatically compensating (that much came through from Kifas endless talking).

The whole thing suddenly reminded him of a childas toy head seen on some forgotten downside years ago: a top, with four strings attached, metal beads at the end of each. If spun correctly, the beads created a counterbalance, increasing how long the top would spin, while eliciting oohs and ahhs from the gathered children as the sun glinted off the solid-appearing line of metal spinning in a flat arc around the topas center. Yet if spun poorly, those strings would tangle hopelessly, stopping the top before it could even begin spinning. As he stood arrested for that moment, Petr watched a half dozen children try to spin the top, and only one of them succeed.

Jesupas words filtered through the memory, giving Petr a moment of disquiet. Is Kif that child to set it spinning correctly, or will it be hopelessly tangled?

aBy your leave, ovKhan?a For an instant, Kifas voice held the timbre of a small child; then Petr shook himself from his reverie. Concealing his unease, he nodded. aProceed.a With a smile almost childish in its glee at the coming victory, Kif nodded to his scientists, who fell to their tasks, entering alphanumerical sequences only they could understand into several remote command consoles.

Though he knew what to expect, Petr still felt disappointed as long minutes pa.s.sed and apparently nothing happened. The grins and nods of the scientists, however, told him they were excited about something he could not see.

Petr decided to focus on the monitor showing the interior of cargo hold 1 of the distant JumpShip. A giant skein of wires spun into view, connecting the control monitors to the bulkhead of the Invader and the housing for the mammoth axle. He had a sudden image of a living, breathing machine, the scientists tapping into the mechanical beast with their devices in an attempt to control it. He shook his head at this flight of fancy.

aSo exciting,a Jesup commented. Kif looked at Jesup as if he had just become aware of his presence, then nodded firmly before returning to his work.

Petr smiled at the scientistas obliviousness to the sarcasm. Another handful of minutes bled away, and finally he could see a change. The holographic display showing the entire vessel and the visual feeds from numerous shuttles arrayed around the ship revealed movement.

The cableas length required the DropShips to spin up at a glacial pace, or his tangling top image would prove all too accurate. The experiment should have bored Petr, but the scientistsa ability to be mesmerized by the minute shifting of objects hundreds of kilometers distant kept him enthralled. The minutes ticked into hours as the DropShips showed visible movement. Petr still did not understand the technology, but he did understand the potential of such technology.

A little more than four hours after the experiment began, a terrible Klaxon began to blare, demanding immediate attention. Petr quickly found the monitor displaying the warning, but he could not make sense of the information cascading across the screen.

aScientist Kif, what has occurred?a Anger began to burn as the scientist ignored his question. As he opened his mouth to demand an answer, Jesup laid a hand on his shoulder.

aThey have enough to worry about, ovKhan. Let them work,a Jesup advised.

His aideas serious tone jarred him more effectively than harsh words. Petr nodded his understanding. There would be enough time for trials later.

Another handful of minutes pa.s.sed as the scientists moved at what could have been light speed in their attempt to rectify the problem. In the exterior views, Petr could make out the blazing plumes of att.i.tude jets firing on all four DropShips; they were trying to stop the spin, and quickly.

He clenched his fists, the biting pain of his nails digging into his flesh keeping his anger at bay. Petr rarely sat on the sidelines, unable to affect unfolding events. The forced inaction sc.r.a.ped his nerves and mashed him flat with suppressed rage.

Finally, even Petr could see the problem: one of the cables was oscillating. Where the movement originated or why it had begun didnat matter at the moment. What mattered was that, as the vibration undulated up and down the cable, one of the Mule s began to swing as the energy peaked. The interior view of the Invader leaped and the entire ship shuddered as the sine wave slammed into it; the horrific energies built.

Despite firing the att.i.tude jets, they would not stop the experiment in time.

Petr stepped forward and Jesup grasped his arm once more. He wrenched his arm away and spun toward his aide, eyes blazing.

aThere is nothing to be done,a Jesup stated simply. aLet them salvage what they can. After all, there will be a lot to salvage.a Petr allowed himself to be calmed, and they turned to watch the conclusion, as inevitable and unavoidable as the tides.

The views of the exterior began to shift as the shuttles obeyed orders to remove themselves from near s.p.a.ce. Twin shuttles launched from the Invader, carrying away the few personnel on ship.