Mannimoto turned, saw raised rifles, and scrambled over to the Sergeant. ‘It is not I who am without honor. We must fight!’

‘You're right. Mannimoto ..But not in open desert.’ Toshira grabbed the Corporal's jerkin and spun him to face the burning APC. ‘This is not a time for mushin !Being of the no-mind will not kill a 'Mech!’

At that moment, Naiku started back toward the battle. Loping along, he pointed at a smoldering Scorpion and the lone figure limping away from it

Toshira released Mannimoto and scanned the battle scene. Two Scorpions fired and hit the same point on one Marauder.Smoke issued from its underside.

Wanabe pushed out of the sand. ‘Lords of the House. They're perfect’

‘You are blinded by desire, woman.’ Mannimoto pushed her back down. ‘One of them is burning!’

Flames belched front and rear, then the canopy flew off, followed by the reports from several small explosions. The 'Mech folded forward and fell into a burning heap.

‘See. It falls.’

‘No, the armor’

Toshira sensed something in Wanabe's voice. ‘Explain.’

‘No patches’ Wanabe gulped down dusty air. ‘ Maraudershave special armor no one knows how to make anymore. Any time one is hit, it must be repaired with lesser armor. These Mechs show no patches.’

Touching Toshira's arm, Mannimoto added. ‘And no insignia.’

Toshira shook his head. ‘All your Mech studies pay off, eh, Miko?’

‘She dreams the impossible.’ Mannimoto glared at Wanabe. ‘You do not understand the Kurita ways. A woman of your status will never, never pilot a 'Mech.’

Naiku and the Injured soldier, a woman nearly his height, approached.

Toshira broke cover, met them, and positioned himself under her free arm. ‘Lance Corporal Gudmansen. isn't it?’

‘Edith A.. Sergeant Toshira.’

‘Glad you could make it Let's move.’

They watched the fighting as they ran.

Only the three remaining Maraudersstill moved, and one hobbled with a damaged leg. All of the armored vehicles were stopped, abandoned, or destroyed.

Red and blue streams played over the previously untouched Scorpion. Its front end ruptured, the turret lifting off the body and gouging into the sand behind.

Naiku wiped sweat from he eyes. ‘We cannot stop them.’

‘It has been done before.’ Wanabe turned her head in time to watch a Marauderrake autocannon fire across a burning Scorpion. ‘On Garrison, when Katrina Steiner pulled her 'Mechs, the ground forces still destroyed fifteen of our lances.’

‘A lie,’ Mannimoto spat out ‘Propaganda. And our woman believes it.’

Gudmansen clenched her teeth. Wanabe just stared ahead.

‘Even Kuritans can learn the hard lesson. Mannimoto.’ Toshira shrugged under Gudmansen's extra weight ‘We'll get to station and see if we can teach them one.’

The station's outline finally appeared, a dark line that the fading sunlight could not reach. The line accented the base of the mountains that rose to become an expanse of black wall.

Naiku unslung his rifle. ‘Should I fire shots to get their attention?’

‘Wait’ Toshira resorted to binoculars. ‘That won't be necessary. The 'Mechs have already been there.’

They continued cautiously. As they approached, the scene became clearer. There was a breach in the six-meter high wall south of the gates. The front gates were twisted open, another broken Hunter just inside.

The remnants of the squad passed through the gates, greeted by concrete-gray debris scattered on concrete-gray streets.

‘This place would look dead even without the rubble.’ Gudmansen shrugged free of her support and hobbled over to the cold Hunter. She sat and examined her leg.

Toshira nodded. ‘Economics. The material for making the marking dyes was abundant, so the base was built here instead of having to haul the materials across the desert.’ He moved to the Hunter and leaned against a heavy tread. ‘And built cheaply.’

‘And ugly.’ Naiku pulled his camera free, and focused on a blown-out section of wall, but did not press the button.

‘And ugly.’ Toshira pulled out his field phone, wishing he had more advanced equipment. ‘Let me try this antique again. Keep your heads up.’

Wanabe pivoted and aimed binoculars through the gate.

Mannimoto crouched by Toshira and the tank tread, rifle ready.

‘Aragi.’ Toshira pointed up. ‘Check the base for movement.’

The lanky Recruit scaled the Hunter, sat, and scanned.

Keeping his own eyes to the east, Toshira squeezed the phone button. ‘Sibitsu Station. Sibitsu Station, replacement unit at— replacement unit inbound...Anyone at Sibitsu. reply please.’

Everyone waited quietly. The only noise was the crackle of static.

Then it changed The fuzzy sound became more intense, louder.

Toshira stood. ‘Aragi. look outward.’

Naiku swiveled a half-circle left, then swung back. ‘Incoming! From the south!’ He leaned for a better look. ‘One—no—two Marauders.I can just make them out’

Mannimoto hunted for a better position. ‘Now we know why it took so long.’

Wanabe turned to Toshira. ‘They probably have support and reload down south.’

‘Makes sense. Judging from the hole in the wall, at least one of them came from the south the first time.’ Toshira tilted up his head. ‘Aragi, get down here. Time to move.’

‘Why?’ Mannimoto demanded. ‘Let's end it here. Next you'll suggest surrender.’

‘Toragi—’

‘No. No more talk. My father's told me stories of Steiner prisons. It's not the place for a soldier to die.’

Gudmansen hobbled in front of Toshira and shrugged ‘I've heard stories, too.’

Recruit Naiku landed in the sand beside them. ‘What can we do? We don't have the arms to stop them.’

‘We'll check the armory.’

Mannimoto slapped his hand against the tank. ‘Think we'll find one of these?’

‘Let me ask you something. Mannimoto.’ Toshira tightened the circle. ‘How old were you when you were named?’

‘five. Like everyone else But—’

The Sergeant gently pulled Wanabe around to face the others. ‘Miko. how many districts in the Draconis Combine?’

‘Five. Serg—’

‘How many Pillars, Mannimoto?’

‘Five—’

‘Wanabe. virtues?’

‘Five.’ Wanabe nodded, smiling. ‘Gudmansen, the winning number in House Dice is...’

She nodded. ‘Five.’

What?’

‘Five, Sergeant!’

The Sergeant swept his hands, palms up, inside the circle. ‘Aragi. how many soldiers here?’

The lanky Recruit's face stretched into another grin. ‘We are five, Sergeant.’

Toshira looked again at a thoughtful Mannimoto. ‘We are five.’

Toshira and Mannimoto had guarded the base before and suggested the armor repair shop as a base. The front of the twelve-meter high building had collapsed in the earlier battle, but there was an opening large enough for Humans to pass through. A smaller passage through rubble led to a connecting warehouse in the rear.

The sprawling repair area was clear of vehicles, except for a functional industrial exoskeleton. Unable to put weight on the wounded leg, Gudmansen resorted to the machine for movement.

‘Too bad we don't have a tank,’ Gudmansen said, lifting a paint sprayer. ‘We've got enough chemicals to fix one.’

Toshira stepped back from a large pit used for working under armored vehicles. ‘Like what?’

‘Got it all here. Dozens of sprayers. Ther-mo-chem, softens armor with heat. Isotherm, cools and hardens It. Even acid to melt wreckage away.’

Toshira hurried to the workbench. ‘Show me.’ Over his shoulder, he called, ‘Miko, does this work on 'Mechs. too?’

‘Yes. Sergeant.’

Mannimoto appeared in the front opening carrying two empty inferno launchers. ‘Armory's gone. Found these in the street.’

Naiku ran through the opening. In his haste, he bumped into Mannimoto. ‘ Sorry, but look what I found.’ He held up a bulging satchel. ‘Grenades, thousands of them!’