"But you have become the real Clan warrior, Aidan Pryde. In this campaign, you may choose your own battles, dictate your own fate. And you have more than just the respect of your warriors. They admire you. You know, do you not, that they are calling your unit 'Pryde's Pride'?"

"So I have heard. But the respect of my warriors is no different than what they would grant any commander."

"You are wrong. My Cluster does its duty, to be sure, but no one has named us 'Marthe's Marauders.' But let that go. It is not what I wish to discuss. I am genuinely curious about your opinion of Clan Jade Falcon at present. Tell me as if I were planning an overthrow."

"Are you? Planning an overthrow?"

"Of course not. But tell me. What has prompted that sour look?"

The back of Marthe's left hand rubbed nervously against her trousers. The lines in her forehead were deep, deeper than his. Her mouth had hardened into a thin line, making the triangular shape of her face seem even more geometric. Once they had looked alike. Now the resemblance had diminished. If she resembled anyone, Marthe looked like that young MechWarrior in Joanna's Star, Diana.

"I was thinking back to our cadet days," Aidan said. "Remember when we arrived on Ironhold?"

"Yes. I recall Falconer Joanna giving you a beating, then saying she thought you had a fine chance of testing out and becoming a warrior. I envied you a bit then, too."

"Did you know that Joanna is in my Cluster now?"

"No, I did not. I thought she must be dead."

He told her about how Joanna had drilled the Falcon Guards into a fighting unit.

"You are evading my question, Aidan Pryde. About this meeting and why it seems trivial to you."

"Back when we were cadets, I had so many ideas about what it meant to be a warrior. In my imaginings, a Clan warrior would never be concerned with looking backward."

"I agree. That is how I thought of it, too."

"Then perhaps you also agree that such a MechWarrior would not be debating over artillery cover. Such warriors would bid for the right to take those bridges, providing their own artillery cover. For that matter, what BattleMech really needs artillery support?"

"None, really. But there are precedents for considering such tactics in major military campaigns, and for dispensing with bidding after the first batchall."

"Perhaps, but that is more like the Inner Sphere way of thinking. What kind of Star League can the Clans build with Inner Sphere thinking?"

Marthe shrugged. "If it is any consolation, many other Clan officers share your views. Something may be done."

"But is that the Clan way? Is it our way to decide matters through political chicanery? Again, Inner Sphere. The present debate, that is Inner Sphere, too. Is this what a few military losses have done to our natural inclination for warfare?"

"What would you wish then?"

"What do I wish? I do not know. I think I want victory or defeat to depend on the skills of warriors and not on complicated designs made by Clan leaders guessing at the complicated designs of our enemy's leaders."

"Well, perhaps you are a bit naive about warfare but..."

"Naive?"

"Idealistic then."

"Watch this, Marthe."

Breaking away from her, he strode toward the center of the grove, where the discussion had degenerated into a series of altercations about how much personnel to commit to the battle for each bridge. Elbowing aside his fellow commanders, Aidan interrupted the debate, shouting, "Dawn is here and there is still argument. Forget artillery cover. Forget how much personnel to assign. I am Star Colonel Aidan Pryde. I bid the Falcon Guard Cluster for the right to take both bridges!"

Khan Vandervahn Chistu held up his left hand for Aidan to hold his tongue. "Star Colonel, I have not authorized bidding for these objectives."

"Yes, Khan," he said, "I understand. Nevertheless the Falcon Guards demand the right to take the Prezno River bridges."

"Falcon Guards! Hah!" said an officer standing a few meters away from Aidan. Aidan recognized the scoffing tone that he had heard so often in his life.

He glanced back, saw Marthe scrutinizing him intently. She nodded just perceptibly, a gesture he took as approval. "If there is to be no bidding, then give the assignment to the Falcon Guards, and you can dispense with all this debilitating discussion."

Screams of protest went up from the other Clan commanders.

"It would bring shame on us to permit the Falcon Guards to lead the Jade Falcons into battle," asserted a Star Colonel whom Aidan recognized as a warrior named Senza Oriega. She was said to have one of the most admirable codexes in the entire Jade Falcon Clan.

Others supported her, including Galaxy Commander Mar Helmer. Aidan immediately sensed that he was fighting a losing battle. To them, to the Khan, to Mar Helmer, Aidan's demand was mere bravado. And he did, of course, understand their point of view. It was important who led the Jade Falcons at this point in the campaign. The bridges represented their first major engagement on Tukayyid. Still, there was no need to judge hisFalcon Guards by the shame brought on the unit by Adler Malthus. Having charged forward with the demand, he could not easily back down.

"If you do not wish to place the Falcon Guards at the head of the bridge attacks, then at least cease this foolish bickering over technicalities. Any Jade Falcon unit may lead the way with proper dignity. We lose time now. Let us end this discussion and go to war!"

Surprisingly, his impassioned rhetoric won approbation from many of the warriors. Some even began to push at one another, on the verge of brawling. Again the Khan raised his hand and demanded quiet.

"Star Colonel Aidan Pryde has spoken well. We must abandon quibbling. It is time to fight!" Turning to Aidan, he said more softly, "I wish to commend you on your leadership of the Falcon Guards, but you can see from the disapprobation of your fellow officers that it is not yet time for the Falcon Guards to lead the charge into battle. That honor goes elsewhere. However, Star Colonel, once contact with the Com Guards is made, your Cluster is authorized to break through at any point possible and head for Olalla. That should be honor enough for your unit even if it does not include being first across the bridges."

Walking back to where Marthe stood, Aidan passed other commanders, some of whom muttered angry taunts at him. He heard the words dezgraand taintmore than once. If the fight for Tukayyid were not so important, Aidan might have demanded several honor duels even before reaching Marthe's side.

"You have not changed so much, I see," said Marthe.

"You refer to my reputation for always overreaching myself?"

"In a way. Perhaps I would say a certain lack of shrewdness. But then, if you had the shrewdness, you might have to adopt some Inner Sphere ways yourself."

Aidan shrugged off any further discussion. Instead, he said, "Once, Marthe, when we were very young, you claimed to love me. Childish talk, you later told me. You said that we of the Clan did not love. What are your thoughts on the subject now?"

"I have no thoughts on the subject. I can say that what I felt in the sibko is still true. We were close then. We went beyond sibko closeness. We were friends, I think."

"Not exactly a Clan word, either—friends."

"No. But I wish for us to be close always. That is not love perhaps. But it is real."