"Yes, I am. Can I help you?"

Rose was surprised by the man's reaction. Taking Rose by the arm, he beckoned him closer with a crooked finger.

"I'm a Mech Warrior in need of a unit. I thought we could discuss the matter." The man looked over his shoulder. "This is not a good place. Perhaps lunch is in order? I know a quiet spot near the spaceport."

Rose's better judgment counseled against it, but he was intrigued. He gave a slight nod of the head, and the two were off.

Rose's lunch companion had his own car and insisted on driving, which was fine with Rose. The unit's rented car had already gone back with Rianna to the repair bay where she would help out with the final work on the Charger.

The man drove in silence, giving Rose the opportunity to look him over. He was barely over a meter and a half tall. Rianna—not to mention Hawg—would have towered over him. Despite the heavy traffic, the man seemed perfectly at ease driving through the crowded city. He glanced at Rose several times during the trip, but never spoke, which was also fine with Rose. By the time the car pulled into the parking lot of a small Mandarin Chinese restaurant, Rose would have known the man was a Mech Warrior even if he hadn't been told. His movements at the controls of the car were precise and efficient, the way only a warrior could be.

Still following the man's lead, Rose passed into the restaurant, where they took a rear booth. Rose didn't like to sit with his back to the door, but he had no choice because his host slid silently into the seat facing it. He mentally shrugged and sat down opposite. Just when Rose was beginning to believe he must have imagined his companion's ability to speak, the waitress appeared and accepted his order. Lacking a menu and any knowledge of the Mandarin tongue, Rose gestured that he would have the same. At last, the man addressed him.

"You are a patient man, Captain. A most desirable trait in a leader."

Rose nodded at the compliment, but decided that if he was going to play the listening part, he would do it to the hilt.

"My name is Ajax. It is a colorful name given to me by wishful parents. I think they thought it would inspire me to become a great warrior like the ancient Terran hero. I fear I have fallen short of their lofty dream.

"As I have recently become unemployed, but not dispossessed, I came to Outreach seeking to serve a commander of both honor and ability."

"And you believe I am such a man?"

"I do, but I can see you do not understand." Ajax paused as the waitress returned to serve two bowls filled with large, flat noodles and steaming, aromatic broth. Ajax picked up his spoon as he continued.

"I've been going to the Hiring Hall for more than three weeks, and on several occasions Angus and I have talked about you and the kind of unit you plan to form. From what he's told me, I believe I would fit in well with your plans. I also believe you are a leader I could willingly follow." He paused to let Rose absorb the words.

"You must consider yourself an excellent judge of character," Rose said, to which the man nodded with a slight smile. "Be that as it may, I should probably warn you that what little Angus knows of me he has learned from my sister, the unit executive officer, and she barely knows me at all."

"Yet they both trust you."

Rose reflected briefly, then finally allowed that it was true. "You're right, but I'm still not sure why they believe as strongly as they do."

"Force of personality? Charisma? Perhaps divine favor. I cannot say, Captain. I can only say that I have seen its effects.

"You are listed as a potential company. You started with three members and have doubled in size within two days." Ajax held up a restraining hand. "I know you would dismiss this as planning on the part of your sister, your executive officer, but still it happened. You have also been approached by the Borghese delegation."

Rose choked on his soup and reached for his napkin before further embarrassing himself.

"Please, Captain, no need for alarm. I was with Angus when the Borghesians arrived to meet him yesterday for the trip to the spaceport. The civilians announced themselves before I could excuse myself."

Rose tried to catch his breath. He had assumed that the two men were probably careless in the way most civilians were, but the casual manner in which they were conducting business was almost criminal. Whatever little thought Rose had entertained about making Borghese his first employer disappeared like the steam of his soup.

Ajax waited a respectable time for Rose to compose himself, then continued. "I would like to offer my services to your company." He reached into his shoulder pocket and withdrew a memory disk. "Here is a copy of my personnel file. It is current, as of three months ago. If you have the time and are interested, I can go over the highlights now."

"Please continue." Rose set down his spoon and relaxed slightly. He wanted to concentrate on the man's story and be able to remember it when he made his decision later today.

"I was raised to fight with the Warrior House Hiritsu of the Capellan Confederation. For my entire life it was all I ever wished for. It was all I ever wanted to be.

"I was with House Hiritsu for ten years, all of them troubled. From the beginning there was no talk of honor or glory, as I had expected. There was only hate for the Federated Commonwealth and Hanse Davion. We fought engagements of all types, almost exclusively against Davion. As I fought, I watched my lancemates throw themselves at their F-C opponents with complete disregard for their lives. So many died, and in many cases, I suspect they wanted to die locked in combat.

"At twenty-eight, I was the old man of my lance. Despite new recruits, we were constantly under-strength. Eventually I could hate no more. For the sake of my spirit, I had to break from Hiritsu. Outreach was close and I managed to make it here after only minor difficulties."

Rose looked across the table at the other man and wondered what he'd been forced to do to escape his Warrior House. Rose had never seen any of the famous Capellan Warrior Houses in action, but he knew of their tradition as able Mech Warriors and fierce fighters. Fanatical devotion to the celestial office of the Capellan Chancellor was expected from all members of the Warrior Houses, both on and off the battlefield. To leave Capellan space at all must have taken tremendous courage and sacrifice.

Rose regarded the man with a carefully neutral expression. Inside he had already made his decision, however. If the warrior's records could be certified, Rose would be glad to have Ajax as a member of the Black Thorns.

"We are drilling tomorrow for the first time as a unit. If accepted, can you practice with us?"

"I regret, sir, that I cannot."

Rose was surprised by the response. He had understood that Ajax had his own 'Mech, and assumed that it was here on Outreach. His eyebrows went up in silent question.

"It is my 'Mech, sir," the man said. "When I left House Hiritsu, I took it with me, although it was undoubtedly the rightful property of the House. I am no thief, sir, and was therefore obligated to inform my commanding officer of my actions."

"I see."

"Before I left No Return."

"Are you telling me that you told your commanding officer you were going to take your 'Mech and leave the planet before you actually did so?"

Ajax nodded his head solemnly.

"It's a wonder you're still alive," Rose commented dryly.

"It is no wonder, sir. My commander refused to act on the information for one day." Ajax's eyes lost their focus, as if he were seeing something very far away. "She was, like me, an old-timer. I had already jumped by the time House Master York knew.