Blurry eyes slowly opened. Blank. Not understanding his change of status. She didnat say a word as he struggled to come fully awakea"or as awake as shead allow him to be. Took account of his situation. She smiled slowly, as confusion warred with anger. He couldnat place her.

He tried to speak, but the drugs wouldnat let that happen; shead upped the dosage after her first mistake. Not yet. Another dozen seconds trickled by before understanding slinked in like a dawn to gray skies. He knew her. She warmed further as something moved behind those vacant eyes.

Head been so talkative with his fellow Clansmen, and he would be again. She just knew he had so much to talk about, after all.

Now the real fun would begin.

19.

Clan Sea Fox DropShip Ocean of Stars Nadir Jump Point, Tania Borealis Prefecture VII, The Republic 10 August 3134 aWhat are you hoping to accomplish, oh supreme ovKhan?a Jesup asked, walking onto the observation deck of the Ocean of Stars moments before the scheduled termination of deceleration.

Did we not have this conversation a half dozen times since leaving Adhafera? Jesupas sarcasm didnat reduce the irritation this time around. Petr ran his hand over his scarred scalp. Felt the twisted flesh, which would never change. Which would only grow more wrinkled with age. Grimaced at the idea of aging. Felt the twinge in his shouldera"a ghost of remembered pain. He did not answer. Did not feel the questiona"or Jesup, right about nowa"worthy of a response.

Just then, the captain cut the drive flare, having bled off most of the velocity in the short trip between the Voidswimmer and the ArcShip Poseidon. With the loss of the actinic glare of the fusion drive, the Poseidon, or at least a portion of her, hove into view. Both men fell silent, marveling at the construct before them.

At what their Clan had accomplished.

A Potemkina"cla.s.s WarShip, the Poseidonas original specs pegged her at a hair over 1,500,000 tons displacement and a length of just over 1,500 meters: a giant, round-tipped cylinder, with a slight flaring of her sides near the ma.s.sive intersystem drive, and a plethora of docking rings dotting her midsection, where she held her twenty-five DropShip capacity like a clutch of possum young on her back.

Now, like a fungus fed to bursting, shead grown and morphed well beyond the wildest imaginations of the original contractors who put pencil to paper and laid her keel. Though he did not have specifics, Petr felt sure she pushed almost a million tons more, and both her length and width had increased by more than fifty percent.

Beautiful did not come to mind. She had long ago lost her elegant lines to such growth, but the enormity of it still flabbergasted. With a gargantuan capacity of fifty DropShips, dozens of them Behemoth s permanently attached and turned into habitats or food repositories, she housed almost a half million inhabitants.

Beautiful did not come to mind. Magnificent did.

aYou never answered my question.a Irritation flared, as Jesupas words pulled Petr back from his contemplation of greatness.

aBecause we already have had this conversation. Several times, in fact.a aThen what is once more time, aff?a His laughter held a brittle quality Petr had never noticed before. He launched for the door.

With his usual grace, he grasped the edge of the hatcha"Jesup had not dogged it upon enteringa"and smoothly twisted through, flinging himself down the long corridor, as though to escape Jesupas words. Why did it so often feel like he fled his aideas words?

aWhy will you not answer?a The words came and Petr realized Jesup followed.

aWhy will you not stop badgering me?a aMe, badger you, oh great one? My obsequiousness would never allow it.a Despite everything, Petr smiled slightly, unsure what that meant, but confident Jesup made some point.

aNeg, ovKhan, I do not badger. This lowly one simply asks.a aThen ask a different question.a aBut a different question would seek the same information.a Petr checked for traffic at a corridor intersection, then pa.s.sed through. aFor all your accusations of obsessiveness on my part, you manage a fair imitation yourself. Why can you not leave this alone?a aBecause you will not let me.a Petr glanced over his shoulder at the slightly strident tone, saw a look of determination hiding behind the light smile Jesup forced on his face. aI will not let you? That makes no sense. Do I force your hand, Jesup? Do I hold a Gauss pistol to your skull?a aAre you not my ovKhan?a His words could be taken to mean any number of things. But Petr did not have time to try to untangle the complicated weave of his aideas questioning.

Petr grabbed a stanchion and pulled himself to a stop, causing Jesup to almost overshoot him. aI need to speak with the saKhan about Sha.a Once again, Petr discerned more of Jesupas true emotions than at any time he could remember. Have you allowed your mask to slip, finally revealing your true face, the clownas paints missing? And what is that truth?

aovKhan, can you not let it go?a aWhat?a Petr actually averted his eyes, than pulled them back to Jesup, furious at his subconscious attempt to shy away from a simple question.

aNothing has transpired that you both cannot forgive. Take a surkairede and let your oaths wash away the years of differences.a Petr held himself rigid. His anger was an inferno ready to incinerate Jesup for his audacity. He could not respond, not here. With the confrontation with saKhan Sennet looming and his growing certainty of Shaas guilt, he simply would not have this conversation. Not now.

He turned abruptly and began moving forward again. Like a mantra, Petr responded, aI hope to convince the saKhan that Sha is dangerous.a aHow?a Even more questions! An angry retort aborted on his tongue; his anger centered on himself, not Jesup.

I do not know how I will convince him.

The thought set his scalp itching and the phantom pain in his shoulder surging. As he reached the final intersection and began the descent to the docking station between the Ocean of Stars and Poseidon, he could not stop the thought from repeating within his head like the hammering of autocannon sh.e.l.ls into aMech armor.

I do not know.

The thrum of humanity ( his humanity) felt good after so long downside, among spheroids.

Petr moved with swift grace, swimming along the giant main thoroughfare of the Poseidon, parallel to the craftas mammoth K-F drive. Around him skimmed a school of humanity, in a rainbow of colors and shapes. With un.o.btrusive handholds and lines s.p.a.ced at easy intervals on almost every available surface of the corridor, Fox Clansmen seemed to dart in and out of the main current, taking side shunts into each perpendicular deck, with amazing speed and grace.

Ahead, what had been Primary Cargo Hold A so many decades ago, Alpha Community Prime now filled to br.i.m.m.i.n.ga"almost fifty thousand civilians. And four more communities half that size occupied other former cargo holds. Not to mention the dozens of DropShip communities.

Magnificent.

The word once more resonated in his head as he slipped into the hold and beheld the beehive of activity, as literally thousands of people made their way on various errands. Much as he wished to linger and take it all in, he could not delay his own mission.

Surprisingly enough, saKhan Sennet did not command Petr to meet him on his command DropShip, or even his command stateroom. Instead, saKhan Sennet had taken up a secondary residence in Alpha Community Prime (he said it reminded him of his responsibilities to the civilian castes, but Petr believed otherwise), and it was to this secondary residence that Petr now traveled.

Having been on this vessel numerous times, he moved with certainty, reading the jumbling confusion of directions printed in symbols on every corner of every block of residences. Before long he found the appropriate block, moved to the right hatch and rapped smartly, while holding on to one of the bars on either side of the entrance.

Several long seconds pa.s.sed before the hatch undogged and swung inward; a head came into view and seemed to fill the entire hatchway.

saKhan Mikel Sennetas stature created a legend all its own. A giant brute of a man, he stood 2.4 meters tall, with large, pale features and dirty brown hair and eyes; his opponents whispered his mother must have been an elemental.

Only in a whisper.

aEnter.a The deep voice perfectly matched such physical size.

Petr glided through as Mikel moved away from the door and pulled himself down into a seat at a small table. Petr closed the distance to the other chair and sat down as well; the static device in both chairs automatically activated to hold them to the surface. In microgravity, the decorum of waiting to be asked to sit had long since been done away with.

Glancing around, Petr approved of the Spartan accommodations. A place for everything and everything in its place, with little in the way of extraneous accoutrementsa"a simple, straightforward mind, with greater goals than to collect worthless knickknacks. Focusing on Mikel, he waited for an invitation to speak. Sitting was one thing, talking out of order another thing entirely.

He met the saKhanas intense stare with one of his own. Mikel gave no notice to Petras disfigurement; he wore his own badges of honor, though none so large, or colorful.

Finally. aHow does it progress?a aSlowly.a He quirked an eyebrow; Petr took the rebuke. Did not respond.

aWhen can I expect an update?a His tone of voice said there should be only one more time that head need to speak with Petr.

aBefore the rainas end.a A slight tightening around the eyes betrayed angera"or levitya"at such an evasive answer. Petras instincts said the latter. But mirth only took you so far with saKhan Sennet.

aWhy have you come?a asaKhan Sennet, I felt I needed to bring certain events to your attention.a Petr might as well be talking to a wall. He took a deep breatha"always best to be short and direct with the saKhana"and continued. aI believe ovKhan Clarke is attempting to break away Beta Aimag, or even Spina Khanate, from the Clan.a Not a flicker crossed those features. Though he was trained to spot tells, to use them ruthlessly to acquire any edge in negotiation, to his scrutiny Mikel gave away nothing. Then again, Mikel excelled in such matters as well; he was saKhan, after all.

Still, such a statement should have elicited something. Anything. Did he read the situation wrong?

Questions tumbled rapid-fire through his mind as the silence stretched. Petr shifted, once more felt the loss of his braid and squashed the regret as unClanlike, felt the hard plastic chair dig uncomfortably into his back and left side. At least it was not on the right.

aWhy?a Not a change in tone, simply a question.

He dreaded this part. Even though he had no answers to the inevitable questions, he knew that to speculate on Shaas actions would get him in more trouble. aI do not know.a aHow?a Petr licked his lips, and stopped himself again from speculation. You provided the facts and saKhan Sennet sifted them through his own perception. Not your own. Mikel allowed his ovKhans exceptional lat.i.tude, but when you approached him with a problem, you did so on his terms.

aI do not know.a aWhen?a aI do not know.a aWhat, ovKhan, do you know?a The accent fell, stinginga"a slapping rebuke.

aI do not have specifics. But my instincts tell me I am right. I have dealt with him for years and he has always had only the best interests of his Aimag at heart.a aIs this not how it should be, quiaff?a aNeg, saKhan. Not when it excludes the Clan. Always Clan Sea Fox above everything else.a No response. aHis current actions on Adhafera, our conversationsaa"Petr paused, examined his memories and sifted for a final a.n.a.lysis, continueda"aI know it. He is moving to try to split Clan Sea Fox. He must be stopped.a aHis latest actions?a Mikel said, leaning forward slightly, moving his hand to the smooth blue tabletop; he looked down at it. aAre your new badges attributed to such actions?a He looked up once more and the meaning sang clear; Petras back stiffened.

aIf you think I would cast such accusations simply due to my disfigurement,a he began hotly, athena"a saKhan cut him off with a raised hand; the tightening around the eyes recurred. This time Petr felt confident it was mirth. Laughing at me? The anger began to mount.

aovKhan Petr, I would never think such a thing. After all, no ovKhan of mine could possibly be so petty.a The tone did not match his words, adding fuel to the growing warmth within. aOr jealous.a The last struck like a Gauss slug, shattering firmly held bands around his rage.

aIf you believe that, then you must believe that no ovKhan of yours could rise to his position without the instincts to let him know when to seize the deal, when to walk away, when to sweeten the deal and when a Trial is the only way forward. I tell you now, you must keep an eye on Sha. He is dangerous.a For the first time, real emotion transfigured Mikelas face; too late, Petr realized his mistake.

aI must,a Mikel said in a soft voice, discordant from such a mound of flesh.

Petr could see the harm had already been done, but nevertheless tried damage control. asaKhan, my choice of wordsa was poor. In my desire to safeguard our Clan, I overstepped my bounds.a That was as close to sucking up as Petr had ever come in his life. Despite the necessity, it made him feel unclean.

aAff. Especially considering your proof.a Two slabs of meat lightly smacked the table. aYou come to me with nothing. I know your record. I know my ovKhans, and I trust your instincts. But you cannot expect me to take action based only on your words.a aBut the things he has said, about removing those from power who will not be removed by our traditions,a Petr replied, desperate to keep the meeting goinga"a meeting already ended. If Mikel respected his instincts, why did he ignore them? More questions kept falling, one after the other, quicker than he could a.s.similate. Why?

aWe all say things at times we do not mean, quiaff?a Petr stiffened at the reminder of his own mistake committed only moments ago. aI traveled here because I felt I could make a case that a simple message would fail to convey.a Suddenly Mikel leaned across the table, a hard expression falling into place like a sheet of armor moved into position over a aMechas chest, ready for welding. aThen you have wasted your time, when you could have finalized the issues on Adhafera. The Khan is nearing this region, and I want it on a platter in front of him.a The implied rebuke that Petr also had wasted his time hung between them. Mikel rose from his chair and moved toward the hatch. The meeting was terminated.

But why! I do not understand. He knew saKhan Sennet well enough to know that once he had reached a decision, you might as well try to shift a staras...o...b..t with the thrust from an aeros.p.a.ce fighter.

Confused and angry, Petr slunk toward the hatch. Mikelas voice followed him out. aovKhan, next time do not be so foolish as to a.s.sume I am not aware of what my ovKhans are doing. They are mine, after all.a The hatch swung home with a bang, a sc.r.a.pe of metal as it cycled.

What did he mean by that? That he knew I was coming and what I would say? Or that he already knew about the events on Adhafera? With the HPG down, it did not seem likely. But he had learned never to underestimate the crafty saKhan.

As he traveled the corridors back toward his ship, a new thought surfaced, shocking him so that he stopped abruptly and sent a pa.s.sing civilian careening into the wall.

He knew about Sha. About his plans to try to break away Spina Khanate.

Though he tried to shake the feeling, his instincts sunk their teeth into it and locked their jaws. Not only was he aware of it, but he allowed it to continue.

Why?

He hesitated, felt compelled to return and confront him over this revelation, but knew a trial would be the only result. He would suffer defeat in such a hand-to-hand conflict, especially with Petr still less than one hundred percent.

As he launched himself back into the stream of humanity, his spirits sank further. Not only did he have to stop Sha, but the possibility existed he would have to stop saKhan Sennet as well.

His anger washed away in the cool waters of despair.

20.

Beta Aimag Encampment, Halifax Vanderfox, Adhafera Prefecture VII, The Republic 15 August 3134 Sha Clarke stared at the hard copies, his eyes unseeing.

Innumerable thoughts tumbled through his head with failed entry trajectories, dead stick and tumbling endlessly, end over end, burning up in the arctic chill of his cerebral atmosphere.

He could not focus, his thoughts too disjointed from the reports in front of him.

To top it off, he only recently learned that Petr lifted off-planet weeks ago. Weeks!

Shaas aide would not make such a mistake again soon. Regardless of how well Delta hid the information, his aide existed to provide information. If he could not rely on her to obtain it, especially during such a critical time, then she could deexist.

He rubbed his tired face with both hands, blinked several times to moisten his scale-dry eyes and leaned back, throwing a casual arm across his closed eyelids; his subordinates wouldave been shocked to see such la.s.situde.

The aromas of this world worked their way under multiple seals and down long corridors, wafted through endless eddies until they moved sluggishly through his office, their scents tickling his nose and bursting images of alien flora and fauna before his closed lids like a holoprojector.

aJava. Java,a he spoke slowly. Rhetorically, really, since a half-empty cup steamed on the table. A brewing pot lurked in the corner on the roomas only furniture other than the desk and chair, which swallowed the remaining s.p.a.ce in dark wood and exquisite whorls of local design.

He leaned forward once more, red eyes open, and picked up the first report again, re-read it for the third time.

< p="">

The rest of the flock have begun to gather toward the clouds.

Sha willed himself not to crumple the paper in frustration. He should have known the Jade Falcons would be his weak link. Should have foreseen they would hood themselves with shortsightedness, as they always did.

A Clan-wide inferiority complex? Centuries later, did their feathers still ruffle and their beaks click despairingly over the Founderas decision to mix his blood with that of Clan Wolf in place of their own?

He snorted mockingly. To be tied to such an event, when every day brought new currents and new opportunities to launch toward glory. They have declawed themselves for so long, they cannot even recognize that their talons no longer can make a lasting impression on their prey, momentarily damaging, leaving the enemy to rise again and destroy them. Or at least drive them back.

Head read the reports on Kimball II several times. How they could fail to pacify the world boggled the mind. And not having their full forces for Skye?

Sha reached over and tossed back the remains of his Ulan Bator Java, the cooling burned-bean liquid shriveling his tongue, but shaking him awake.

No, they just might fail. Despite their self-declawing, the Falcons could and would hurt their prey in the short term. But Sha had traveled the s.p.a.ce lanes of The Republic and the Inner Sphere for too long not to recognize that the Falcons kept their own brand of honor and prowessa though theirs was lesser than Clan Sea Fox. Neg, when push came to shove, if the Falcons could not bring enough force to bear, Skye might just succeed.

And if they did, then what of his deal with Jade Falcon?

He slapped the paper down and picked up the next sheet, ignoring the stinging in his hand.

< p="">

If you are dedicated to the greater good of Spina Khanate, then you have nothing to fear.

Petr leaned back once more and held the report up to the fluorescent light above. Noticed the slightly mottled look all paper showed when held to a strong light source; felt the rough edges and recognized the low quality of indigenous paper stock. Peered steadily, as though trying to find something that did not exist. Some extra meaning hidden within the paper itself; the words remained as opaque as a Nova Cat.

What in the world could the Khan have meant?

His activities here? Trying to deny Delta its prey and subvert Kalasa? Or perhaps his attemptsa"none of which head discussed with the saKhana"to finally crack the Regulan Fiefs?