Phelan took Myndo's hand and brushed the knuckles lightly with his lips. "I am most honored that you take notice of me, Primus."

She continued to smile at him as she withdrew her hands into the sleeves of her robe. "Who could forget a warrior who negotiated the surrender of a whole world without a shot fired? Especially when that world was governed by a sworn enemy. I think you belong not in the Wolf Clan's warrior caste, but in a clan of sorcerers."

Myndo's gaze shifted from Phelan to Ragnar. "And this is the former Prince of Rasalhague. I see, from the bracelet, that you have made him your slave."

Phelan shook his head. "He is no more a slave than was I when captured by the Clans."

Ulric agreed. "His status relative to Phelan or any other warrior is roughly equivalent to the Precentor Martial's position in relation to your own, Primus."

"Ah," she said, clearly dubious of the explanation. "I hope, then, he will be as helpful to you, Phelan, as you were to Ulric." She smiled at the ilKhan. "And I trust Phelan will be yet even more useful in the future."

Ulric lifted an eyebrow. "I have no doubt of that, Primus."

Obviously pursuing her own agenda, the Primus pressed on with that line of thought. "You can't let the defeat at Luthien cripple this strategy of yours. I can provide all the information you need, and with Phelan's help, your next target should fall easily."

"Next target?" To Phelan's eyes, Ulric, Natasha, and the Precentor Martial were as ignorant of her meaning as he was.

"Yes, the plan is so simple and daring that it cannot fail." Myndo smiled with the confidence of one divinely inspired. "I say, ilKhan, that we move now and strike at Tharkad!"

"Tharkad?" The panic in the Precentor Martial's voice doubled the dread gathering in Phelan's heart. "The capital of the Lyran Commonwealth. That Tharkad?"

Myndo fixed Focht with a look of surprise. "Of course, that Tharkad. What other?" She looked at Ulric. "You have the force to take it. With Phelan's knowledge of the world from his time at the Nagelring, and with the Precentor Martial's help, it should be far easier to take than the attempt on Luthien."

Ulric's face wore a look of amusement. "An interesting proposition, to be sure, but I am afraid it is not possible, Primus."

She smiled confidently. "Believe me, ilKhan, you have the troops and experience necessary to take Tharkad."

Ulric nodded. "Oh, I believe you, but taking Tharkad would deflect us from our goal and that I cannot allow to happen."

The Primus frowned and shot a quick, reproving glance at the Precentor Martial. "Your goal?"

"You did not know?" Ulric feigned great surprise while the Precentor Martial's expression changed to pure puzzlement. "You truly do not know?"

The Primus shook her head. "I do not."

A predatory smile flashed across Ulric's face at Myndo's petulant tone. "Our goal is the conquest of Terra, my dear Primus. It was once the seat of the Star League, and it will belong to the Star League again. This is our will, our goal, and no one in the Inner Sphere can stop us from achieving it."

Epilogue

Bethel

Capellan March, Federated Commonwealth

17 March 3052

 

Nicholas Chung nearly jumped out of his skin when the gloved hand touched his shoulder. Dropping the small cargo crate to the spaceport's ferrocrete desk, he whirled and reached for the knife hidden at his back. His eyes focused as best they could on the face shrouded by the hooded cloak. He felt his heart flutter, then he leaned forward for a second, harder look.

"My God, I thought you were dead."

"As I recall, you thought the same thing on Spica."

Chung nodded slowly. "But you surprised us then, as you have done many times since. Why are you here?"

The cloaked figure pointed to the egg-shaped DropShip on the landing pad. "You have a ship and I must make a journey without anyone knowing who I am or where I am going."

Chung's welcome died as he guessed the intent of those words. "You can't mean to go therelThat would be sheer madness. I have known you to be audacious before, even reckless at times, but never crazy."

"She called the tune, Chung, and now she must pay the piper." The figure reached its leather-sheathed left hand inside the cloak and withdrew it holding a sheaf of C-bills.

'This is enough to buy you a jump to Daniels and from there into the Compact. This must be done and there is no one else to do it."

Chung accepted the money and bowed. "You saved me on Spica, so I owe you this. But you will find much has changed."

"Twenty years for some is a lifetime for others. I was born in the Confederation and part of me never left it." The cloaked figure's voice was low and even, a kind of deadly calm. "It's time for a homecoming, and I'll wager it's one Romano Liao will never forget."

EQUIVALENT RANKS IN INNER SPHERE MILITARIES, 3050

                                                                    FREE

 STANDARD    FEDERATED        DRACONIS  RASALHAGUE

MERCENARY   COMMONWEALTH COMBINE    REPUBLIC

OFFICER RANKS:

                      Marshal of the        Tai-shu        Överbefälhavere

                      Armies                  (Warlord)

                      Field Marshal          Tai-sho        General

                      Marshal                 Sho-sho      Generalmajor

Colonel           Hauptmann General                  Tai-sa       Överste-Lojtnant

Lieutenant       Leftenant General   Chu-sa        Överste

  Colonel

Major              Kommandant         Sho-sa        Major

Captain           Hauptmann            Tai-i            Kapten

Lieutenant       Leftenant               Chu-i          Ldjtnant

ENLISTED RANKS:

Sergeant Major                            Sergeant Major            Sho-ko  Fanjunkare

                      Kashira

                      Shujin

Sergeant         Sergeant               Gunso         Sergeant

Corporal          Corporal                Go-cho        Korpral

                      Gunjin

Private            Private                  Heishi         Menig

                                                  Hojuhei

Glossary

AUTOCANNON

The autocannon is a rapid-firing autoloading weapon. Light vehicle autocannon range from 30 to 90 mm caliber, while heavy 'Mech autocannon may be 80 to 120 mm or more. The weapon fires high-speed streams of highexplosive, armor-piercing shells. Because of the limitations of 'Mech targeting technology, the autocannon's effective anti-'Mech range is limited to less than 600 meters.

BATTLEMECH

BattleMechs are the most powerful war machines ever built. First developed by Terran scientists and engineers more than 500 years ago, these huge, man-shaped vehicles are faster, more mobile, better armored, and more heavily armed than any 20th-century tank. Ten to twelve meters tall and equipped with particle projection cannons, lasers, rapidfire autocannon, and missiles, they pack enough firepower to flatten anything but another BattleMech. A small fusion reactor provides virtually unlimited power, and BattleMechs can be adapted to fight in environments ranging from sunbaked deserts to subzero arctic icefields.