Ratatattat-tat. “I still don’t see how this helps us.” Rat-tattatat-tat.

“Will you quit that?” asked Parks.

“It helps me think,” said Crawford, but he tossed his chopsticks onto the table before him. “There. Satisfied?”

“Very.”

“Guys, put a sock in it,” said Katana. “Go, Fusilli.”

“Like I was saying, I think this helps us,” said Fusilli. “I heard that the guys on Homam and Matar are really pissed off. Morale’s in the toilet.”

“So you’re saying they might be turned.” Katana smoothed her lips with her forefinger, thinking. “Interesting idea.”

“Criminals?” said Rusch again, sounding even more disparaging than before. “Gangsters?”

“Soldiers,” Katana corrected. “Personally, I have no objection to anyone who wants to join the party. It’s not as if we’re just overflowing with troops.”

“So it’s an interesting idea,” said Parks. “So how do we test it?”

“I’m not sure. In the meantime, let’s play it safe but smart. Andre, you and Magruder send what reinforcements you can to Proserpina. Don’t gut yourselves, but if Sakamoto’s men strike Proserpina, I want to have a little bit more muscle, maybe make them think twice. Your border’s been pretty quiet anyway, what with the Steel Wolves and Swordsworn having deserted Shinonoi, Deneb Algedi and Telos IV.”

Magruder nodded, but Crawford was shaking his head again. He began twirling one of his chopsticks like a baton. “You’re banking on The Republic being deaf, dumb, blind and stupid.”

“Well, they are,” said Parks.

Crawford ignored him. “They could turn right around and launch a push to retake Ancha and Sadachbia. And don’t say it.” This he directed to Parks, who was eyeing the twirling chopstick. “I haven’t tapped it once.”

“I was just making sure.”

Katana cut in. “We’ll just have to take our chances that they don’t want to, or can’t. War’s about risk; you want something nice and safe, then you didn’t read the job description. Fusilli, I want you to go back with Magruder to Sadachbia. Our job now is to consolidate and get ready for a fight.”

Parks’ fingers were busy in his beard. “Well, now that you mention it, Tai-sho, there’s been a lot of channel chatter down our way from Prefecture V, about action down by Poznan, even Liao. Nothing definite, you understand, but from the sounds of things, there’s thinning of Republic ranks on Liberty and Eridani. We could make a stab at those worlds, try and get them under our belt.”

“I don’t like it,” said Crawford.

Parks glared. “I didn’t ask you.”

“And I still don’t like it.”

“Andre,” said Katana, and then gave Parks a rueful shake of the head. “Nice as it sounds, no can do, Parks. We’re going to have our hands full when and if Sakamoto shows up. But if what you say is true, Parks, then Bannson’s Raiders on Saffel and Athenry might push into Prefecture X based on the same information.”

“Meaning we get to stay put,” said Parks, and then nodded at Rusch. “You, too.”

“Just as well.” Rusch snorted. “We’re already down a ’Mech and not a shot fired. Tai-sho, I told you the BH wasn’t reliable.”

Crawford’s eyebrows reached for the hairline of his ruddy mane. “You mean, he’s gone?”

“Vanished,” said Rusch. “Poof.”

It was on the tip of her tongue to mention the Bounty Hunter’s early-morning visit to her bedroom, but Katana bit it back. What had he said? Something very odd: A lot of bad eggs floating around. A turn of a phrase she’d dismissed, but now, getting conflicting reports and confusing signals, she wasn’t at all sure that the Bounty Hunter wasn’t trying, in his own inimitable fashion, to warn her about something. A traitor, perhaps? “One MechWarrior more or less isn’t going to turn the tide of any battle, Rusch.”

Rusch looked unconvinced, but Parks said, “So I guess I’m not going to fight. Damn, I was kind of hoping for one.”

“You might just get your wish,” said Katana with a grim smile. “And, Parks, it’s never a good day to fight. It’s only a good day when you’ve won.”

Katana dismissed her field commanders. “All except you, Andre,” she said, then waited until the rest filed out, Parks shooting Crawford a look: I told you to stop tapping with those damn things and now see what happens. The Old Master pulled the squalling shoji shut and returned to his post.

Katana took a moment, debating how to begin. Crawford didn’t help her, just sat, arms folded, damn him. “So how is Toni doing?” she said, forcing a lightness into her tone that she didn’t feel.

“She’s angry,” said Crawford. “She’s hurt. About what you’d expect.”

Katana felt her cheeks flush. “I understand that, but what I want to know is how she’s doing, MechWarrior-wise.”

“Ooohhhhhh. That. She’s doing much better, thanks. Not enough so I’d stake my life on it, but she’s getting there. I think she’ll be okay when the going gets tough. And speaking of going, what are you going to do next?”

Sighing, Katana pushed to her feet and began to pace in the space backed by an elaborate tapestry: an embroidered dragon with an amethyst eye. “I don’t know. Just when I think I understand Sakamoto’s strategy, it gets away from me. You said it. It’s that damn distance between the forces.”

“Put yourself in his shoes. It may be no more complicated than that he’s installed commanders he trusts to get the job done.”

“Mmmm,” said Katana. “And there was something else really weird. What’s the only planet Fusilli didn’t mention? Across the border, I mean?”

Crawford thought for a second, said, “Klathandu IV.”

“Klathandu’s just as close. Maybe closer than Homam and Matar.”

“And your point?”

“Why aren’t those forces on Klathandu?”

“Maybe there aren’t.”

“But maybe there are. Think about it. Fusilli knows about the Ghost Regiments; he knows about the drive for Vega; he knows the names of very specific planets. So how come he doesn’t know this?”

Crawford pushed out his lower lip. “Well, now you put it that way, okay, I see your point. Doesn’t mean his information’s wrong.”

“But maybe he was compromised; maybe someone found out he works for us. So maybe…”

Crawford’s face brightened. “Maybe information got leaked with an eye toward forcing our hand, or baiting a trap. We get all hot and bothered about Homam and Matar, and then the guys on Klathandu slip in behind and clobber the hell out of us. Or Sakamoto takes Vega while you hunker down on Proserpina. Once Vega’s in Sakamoto’s hip pocket, then Sakamoto goes back to the coordinator and says, see, here I’ve brought you all this glory and Katana’s been too chicken to join in the fun. Okay,” said Crawford, giving a slow nod. “I can buy that. Still doesn’t answer the question about Klathandu IV, though. I could go to Klathandu… why the hell not?”

Katana was shaking her head. “Because I need you on Ancha. No arguments,” she said when he opened his mouth to protest. “Whoever planted this information for Fusilli to pick up aimed to have me steer away from Klathandu. Makes sense. But Klathandu is the closest and most isolated of the three planets on the border. So I’ll go there.”

“Let me go with you.”

“Nope. Just me and”—she glanced over her shoulder—“and the Old Master. When he speaks, they’ll listen.”

She saw that Crawford struggled with this one; his face had turned a shade of red only slightly lighter than his mane of fiery hair. “I don’t think that’s wise,” he said, finally and pushed to his feet. “If the commander on Klathandu isn’t on the up and up, you’ll be in front of the coordinator in ten seconds flat and, twenty seconds later, your head will be looking at the inside of a refrigerated box. If something happens to you…”

“If I’m taken, you go to the head of the class. You’re the one man I trust to do this right. I’ll give you all time to get back to your various posts. Then I’ll head for Klathandu IV and see if I can persuade their commander to see things our way.”