Alexis sat tiredly on one of the rocks at the summit of the ridge; her head hanging down so all that she could see was the tenuous soil and grass at her feet. She wasn't so much embarrassed or anything, but simply exhausted from the day's events, and from the recent brush with death she had had. Gods, I just want to lay down and sleep, she thought with a weak sigh.

Around her, she heard the sounds of the Republic taking care of what post battle duties that needed attending to. Casualties – thankfully light, but one trooper was dead and another couldn't fight anymore – were taken care of, prisoners – none, the Blakests were committing suicide again – needed to be rounded up, and ammo and power packs for the battle armor needed replacing.

Thus, it was no surprise when she heard someone walking up, though it was a bit of a surprise when a hand lay on her shoulder gently. Looking up, Alexis blinked her eyes a few times to make sure she wasn't seeing things. "Mikula?"

Mikula smiled as he let go of Alexis and sat down next to her. "Yes. I hope I'm not intruding?" He asked in English.

Alexis shook her head, and she smiled as broadly as she could, given the situation. "Never," she said and then reached out and wrapped her arms around her love. Mikula gently returned the embrace and they sat there for a moment. "I'm so glad you're here," Alexis said softly.

"As am I," Mikula returned. "Especially since I see you're back to bad habits again."

Alexis drew back from Mikula and gave him a look. "What are you talking about?"

Mikula grinned at her. "You were standing in front of a big gun again."

Alexis opened her mouth and then closed it. Then she grinned sheepishly and lightly smacked Mikula's arm. "You tease!"

Mikula's grin only widened a bit. "Perhaps. Or maybe I'm just too happy at seeing you again."

Alexis shook her head and sighed at that. "As am I," she said, and she turned a bit to lean on Mikula, who shifted his torso a bit so he could lay an arm around her shoulders. "Although I must admit to being selfish in that I hope you can help with the people we're evacuating."

Mikula grumbled slightly at that, and Alexis could feel the vibrations in his chest. "I've met a few of the officious types. They were trying to raise a ruckus with Tanaka and Williams. I had to politely tell them to fuck off."

Alexis giggled a bit at the phrase. "I'm sure you didn't really say that."

"No, but I wanted to," Mikula admitted. Then he rubbed his hand along Alexis' arm. "But I heard from Captain Tanaka that you did give them quite a talking to."

Alexis blushed a bit, though her right ear was blocked by Mikula's chest. "They needed to be reminded of a few things," she said, and then yawned. "Excuse me."

"No excuses needed," Mikula quipped easily. "For either subject. From what I've heard, you've also made some friends." He paused to chuckle lightly. "Hell, a few of their militia seemed ready to beat the loudmouth one senseless for talking bad about you."

Alexis shifted nervously at that. "There's actually a story there…" She started, and then yawned again.

"Perhaps another time," Mikula suggested. "Right now, I think it's best if you just conserve your strength."

Alexis just murred and shifted in his arms. So nice just to be near him…

Van Horn hustled over to where, again, the leaders of the small Republic force had gathered. This time, though, there were no natives in attendance; there simply wasn't time to bring them in and brief them. Instead, van Horn was to hear the commanders' decisions and then relay them to the locals. At least the Wobbies are stopping for the night, he thought, remembering the report that had came in a short time before. We can at least rest ourselves.

Then he arrived next to Lieutenant Peterson's command tank, where the black tanker was standing along with two very disheveled MechWarriors dressed in their cockpit garb – Tanaka and Williams – and Lieutenant Vickers in his armor. Missing was Sergeant Renard, but van Horn knew that the commander of the 3rd platoon's detachment was seeing to post battle organization.

All of the commanders looked at van Horn when he walked up, and the anthropologist-soldier took his helmet off and nodded. "Reporting as ordered," he said neutrally.

Peterson just grunted. "Good, now we have the man who can tell the locals how everything's FUBAR," he said sarcastically.

Tanaka gave the tanker a withering glance. "Easy there, Peterson. Let's not get all defeatist just yet."

"You gotta admit, captain," Vickers spoke next. "We ain't in much of a good position at the moment."

"So I noticed," Tanaka commented icily, crossing her arms. "What I'd like is to hear some ideas, rather than laments."

"Captain, what's the big problem?" Williams spoke up next. "I mean, I know there's still a crapload of Wobbies on your tail – well, our tails now – but we still have a head start and a slight edge in mobility."

"All of which we are giving up because of the locals we're guarding," Tanaka replied with a shake of her head. "They can only go so fast."

"Not to mention, they're all tired as Hell," van Horn added in, knowing that the officers wouldn't mind the breech in protocol given the situation. "I mean, I'm tired myself, even, from traveling, and I've had strength-enhancing power armor." He then gestured off to his right, where the native Kaytorians still sat where they had taken shelter from the battle earlier. "And they're smaller than us, their bodies have less reserves. Humans may be able to press on for a while, and even the younger lupar might be able to go on for a bit, but the majority are just too tired to move much anymore."

"Y'all can join the club, then," Vickers added in, his helmet cradled in his right arm so that he could talk freely without the tinny effect of his suit's speakers. He then turned to look at Tanaka. "Not that I'm bitchin,' captain, but we all need a bit of a rest. Even you mechjocks can't go ridin' them overgrown beasts of yours forever."

Tanaka sighed, bringing up a hand to her forehead so she could rub a growing headache. "Don't you think I know these things?" She asked rhetorically and then looked back up at those around her. "The sad fact is that the Blakests aren't going to wait. Even if they're tired, too, they've only been at this for far less than we have. All they need to do is wait until we break down and stop in order for them to pounce on us."

Van Horn frowned. "Well, excuse my ignorance, but why can't we just call in some dropships, or even some shuttlecraft, and start evacuating the locals?"

"Oh?" Tanaka gave van Horn a sarcastic look. "And, pray tell, have you seen any nice, flat areas in the last ten hours where we could land such craft?"

"Not to mention the Wobbies would catch us while we're loading," Vickers spoke up again. "Have you ever been in a withdraw under fire before, doc?"

Van Horn blushed, first at Tanaka's comment, and then at Vickers.' "No. I never saw any real combat during my first stint in the military."

Vickers grunted. "Well, I've had more than one occasion to get on a boat while being shot at. Even in the best of circumstances, with fully-trained men and women, and fire support from fighters, it's still a hairy proposition." Vickers then gestured towards where the balance of natives sat two score meters away. "With civilians, it would be a bloodbath. Not only from the enemy, but also from the civvies trampling each other in a panicked rush for safety."

A silence fell over the group then, and van Horn turned his head and looked down at the ground, feeling a bit ashamed that he hadn't remembered such a basic problem as mob psychology. Hell, it's one of the first things you have to learn before you get a degree in my field.

It was then that Williams cleared his throat, a noise that brought everyone's head up to look at him. "Well, captain, what if we had a way to fight the Blakests on our terms?"

Tanaka frowned at the front-line MechWarrior. "I'm afraid I don't get you, lieutenant."

Williams shifted on his feet. "What I mean is that the major problem with the enemy chasing us is that they outnumber us, correct?" He paused while Tanaka just nodded. "Okay, so we have the tech edge, but being outnumbered negates that and allows the Wobbies to get at the natives, perhaps use them to force our surrender.

"However, what if we could find a way to negate those numbers? Like, say, by using a certain valley my lance passed while comin' here to save y'all's asses?" At the last, Williams smiled.

Tanaka blinked then. "Valley? We're talking 'mechs here, lieutenant, not tanks. They can just climb on over."

Williams shook his head. "Not with this one. It's an old glacier valley, one of those shaped like a big 'U,' or it used to be." He shrugged then. "The sides are a bit more weathered from time, but you can still see the basic shape is pretty much set up for defense. The walls are high and steep, and they meet a plateau of barren rock that makes for good aerospace strafing. Hell, that's even if they have jetters that can get up there. Nice, narrow opening, too, from rockslides coverin' about half the floor, and a small river that pours out of the valley takes about half of what's left for entry space."

Tanaka just stood there for a moment. "This sounds too good, lieutenant. Way too good. What's the catch?"

Williams sighed. "We didn't have time to investigate, but we think there's already inhabitants there. At least, there wee signs of intelligent activity, such as slaughtered game carcasses and campfire spots."

Tanaka sighed and shook her head. "Great, just great. I don't suppose you've read your history, Williams? Specifically, the ones that tell about how mountain people tend to be xenophobic?"

Williams frowned a bit. "It can't be that bad."

"Actually, it can," van Horn spoke quietly, bringing the group's attention to him. "Captain Tanaka is right. People in extreme locations often tend to develop extreme societal irregularities, with xenophobia being common, given humanity's predilection to it already." He sighed then. "And I'm afraid that our friends on this planet are enough like us in that regard as to make the captain's suspicions valid."

Vickers groaned, and Williams frowned. "Well, no offense, doctor van Horn, but isn't that what you're here for? To smooth over relations so that we can operate effectively?"

Van Horn frowned a bit. "Yes and no…" He said carefully. "I'm also here as an 'observer' to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the natives of Bowman's Planet." He paused and shook his head at Williams' suspicious look. "Don't worry, lieutenant, we're on the same side. I'm just also on the natives' side."

"Be that as it may, doctor," Tanaka interjected. "Your duties still include diplomacy with the goal of letting us hunt the Wobbies down unhindered. I think you can sweet talk a few natives into letting us use their valley for a short period of time."

"Just how much time are we talking about here, anyway?" Van Horn asked then, looking around at the others. "I mean, how long can we even stay away from our support facilities before things start to break? What about food and medicine?" He looked back at Tanaka then. "Unless that valley has a nice landing zone set up, we won't be able to stay there for very long. The Wobbies could just wait us out."

Tanaka frowned, but she also nodded. "You have some damn good points there, doc," she said and then shot Williams a questioning look.

The other MechWarrior nodded. "Good points, but in this case, we also have advantages to counter them. First, we have aerospace superiority," he held out the index finger on his right hand. "The Wobbies will have to come for us, otherwise our aerojocks will keep chiseling at them 'til they're nothing but scrap metal and protein paste.

"Two," his middle finger came out to join the other. "The longer the wait, the worse off the Wobbies will be, as well. They're stuck in the same boat as us concerning supplies and the like. And remember, they'll still going to be attacked from the air all the time.

"And finally," he stuck out his ring finger. "There does happen to be an area up the valley that appears to have a nice, wide area. I'd wager that it's possible to land an assault transport, perhaps even a small spheroid dropship there."

Silence came over the group for a moment, and Williams lowered his hand. Finally, Tanaka sighed. "Lieutenant, you are again making this sound too good to be true. How far is this valley?"

Williams winced. "That's the part where it gets bad. It's at least a half day's march from here at 'mech speeds. With civvies, probably twenty-four hours or more."

Muted sounds of disappointment came from the others in the group, though Tanaka just nodded. "Well, we're up shit's creek without a paddle, ain't we?" She asked rhetorically. After another moment of silence, she sighed again. "Well, unless anyone else has a suggestion, we're going to go for that valley. Any ideas?" No one spoke up.

The next morning broke over a scene that brought an ache to van Horn's heart, despite its necessity. The thought brought a sigh from his chest, and the anthropologist-soldier shook his head in frustration.

The procession had once again started, though, now at least, the natives had had several hours of sleep and a small meal furnished by their food supplies supplemented by another Republic airdrop.

But it's not quite enough, though, van Horn worried as he marched alongside the second Abrams in Checker Lance, which was again helping to break trail by flattening anything in the way with their tanks' treads. The two 70-ton tanks in the lead were the most battered, and van Horn could see where armor had been chipped, blasted, and melted away all along the angular surfaces of the war machines. The tanks were well armored, however, so they were still operational, but it was only a matter of time before the next shout would break through. Yet another problem that can only be resolved through proper facilities.

The group was winding its way down the small mountain range that formed the outermost limits of a series of such ranges that had been built up eons ago by a buckling of the continental plate. Fortunately, the next mountain range was the one that contained the valley that was their destination, and the descent to the valley between the two ranges was a short one, the 'valley' being little more than a dip between the two mountain chains.

Still, it might as well be an oceanic trench, van Horn mused darkly as he glanced at the tank by his side again, this time looking at the three natives who were riding on top of the turret. Two of them were a pair of lupar who had fallen and been injured during the last rush up the ridge the night before, while the third was Alexis, who had decided to help with their care.

Insisted is more like it, van Horn thought. He had wondered just what had impelled that gatón to be almost forceful in helping with the two and the others wounded from the traveling (most of whom rode on one of the tanks trailing the line of natives). Still, I won't look a gift horse in the mouth, 'cuz at least now she's not wearing herself out trying to prove she can be as good as any of the lupar. Van Horn had seen the behavior, but he hadn't commented on it at the time. As much as it's tearing her up physically, mentally, and emotionally, this is something she has to do. Although anthropologists weren't necessarily considered psychologists, they nevertheless received some training in that field, given the overlapping science involved. Which is why I can see what I see. Alexis would feel worse if she couldn't at least try.

Van Horn sighed then. I just hope that 'try' isn't going to be the only word used in describing our little adventure here.

They stopped just past midday, having ascended the next mountain range and begun a trek through the larger passes and valleys that would lead to their ultimate destination. And, hopefully, not out final destination, Alexis mused as she adjusted the balled-up jacket under the head of the female lupar sitting on the tank.

The lupar was, in fact, the same one Alexis had tried to defend last night, and she sighed a bit. "That's better. Thank you, Miss Hurano."

Alexis just shook her head. "I told you, Aslada, call me Alexis," she said with a faint smile.

The lupar – Aslada – frowned a bit. "I know, but I still don't feel comfortable calling you that," she replied with a brief shift on top of the tank's broad turret. "I mean, you're such an important person, it doesn't seem right."

Alexis blushed a bit at the comment. "I'm not that important, though I thank you for the compliment that I could be such a person," she said and smiled briefly and weakly. "In any case, our friends will undoubtedly be breaking out what rations are left. Do you want anything?"

Aslada shook her head a bit. "No, that's alright. I'm not very hungry at the moment, though," she turned her head and looked at the male lying asleep next to her. "If you could get Paerko something, I'm sure he'd be able to get it down."

Alexis smiled a bit at that. "I'm sure he would," she said and then half stood so she could crawl over the tank's surface. "I'll be right back, then." With that, she clambered over and off of the main battle tank, and then turned and walked to where many of the natives were sitting down in groups along the trail. Battle armored troopers carrying the packs of MREs that had been dropped earlier in the day were walking along, handing out the packages to natives who then passed them on so that the armored troopers wouldn't risk stepping on anyone.

Seeing a familiar gait in one of the Marauder suits, Alexis carefully walked up and stood behind the person, standing about a meter back, knowing that the suit's HUD would allow the soldier to see that Alexis stood near.

The soldier handed out a few MREs, and then turned and nodded at the gatón. "Alexis, can I help you?" Came the familiar voice of Jennifer Marks.

Alexis nodded. "I was hoping for a pair of MREs for myself and the wounded on the tank up front," she said and then gestured to the aforementioned Abrams. "That is, if there's enough?"

"For now, there is," Marks said politely, and she reached into the large sack she carried and rustled in it. "Actually, I've got five left. So could you take the other three up to the crew of that tin can you're riding?"

"Oh, certainly," Alexis replied, nodding again as she took the offered sack from Marks' armored hands. "Thank you, Jennifer."

"No problem. Just keep yourself safe, ya hear?"

Alexis smiled and nodded a third time. "I will," she said, and then turned around and walked for the tank that she had been riding. Along the way, she noticed that many of the Kaytorian lupar were giving her strange looks, which surprised her a bit since she had thought that those had stopped the day before. Well, no matter, she thought and shrugged the looks off.

The short trip only took a little amount of time, and soon Alexis was clambering back up the tank, and she crouch-walked over to where the two wounded lupar lay down. The man had been awakened, and he was sitting up, though he was mindful of the splint on his leg. He was not the same lupar who was with Aslada, but rather another who had broken a walking limb while falling down the side of the ridge.

"Well, glad to see you finally woke up," Alexis spoke to the man with a small smile. "I was beginning to think that we'd have to drag you off the tank when we get to where we're going."

The male – Paerko Talug – smiled back, though in his face was the look of pain from his leg. "I'll admit that I am tired, though I doubt that you would have to drag me to get me off of this thing."

Alexis shrugged as she opened the bag she carried. "Well, in any case, I hope that you still have an appetite," she said and reached in. Then she pulled out two of the MREs and handed one to each of the native lupar.

Aslada looked surprised. "Miss Hurano, really, I said I wasn't hungry."

"And I am not deaf, Aslada," Alexis countered intently. "I've heard your stomach rumble for the last half hour," the gatón added with a slight smirk, and she tapped the MRE. "Now, I don't want to see more than half of the food in this package left." With that, Alexis turned and walked the half-meter to the hatch in the turret.

Alexis rapped on the hatch with her knuckles, and she was soon rewarded with the handle turning and the hatch being pushed up from the inside. From below, a helmeted head stuck up and blinked at the glare of the sun before it turned and smiled. "Miss Hurano, what can I do for you?" The swarthy man asked.

Alexis smiled and held up the sack she still carried. "Lunchtime," she said and held the bag near the hatch. "Got three MREs in here for y'all."

"Well, ain't you nice today," the human replied as he pulled himself up to sit on the edge of the opening. Then he reached out and took the offered bag and lowered it into the hatch before letting it drop the rest of the way.

"What the Hell?" A gruff voice came from below.

"Lunch, Hector. Don't hog it all," the tank commander replied, addressing himself to the space below in the turret.

"Oh. Okay then, sarge," the voice below replied, and some noises could be heard that indicated the gunner was moving around.

The commander looked back up and glanced around the outside, his gaze eventually coming to a rest on the two native lupar, who were trying to eat and eavesdrop, despite the fact that they didn't know English. "Damn," the tanker muttered.

"Is there a problem, sergeant?" Alexis asked, a bit confused.

The man looked at her and blinked a second. "Oh, sorry. No, no problem." He paused and waved a hand over the scene behind his tank. "It's just that this ain't exactly the kind of thing they put in the recruitment pamphlets."

Alexis sighed a bit. "And it's nothing like the stories I heard as a child."

The man looked at her and his face appeared pained. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to make my situation sound worse."

"You didn't," Alexis replied with a shake of her head. "I'm just saying that I'm as flustered by this as you are."

The tanker smiled faintly and nodded. "Too true. In any case," he said as he started to slide back into the turret. "I'd better get to eatin' before those two fat assess hoover everything down."

"I heard that!" The gruff voice sounded from below, and the tank commander chuckled as he slid through the hatch and disappeared below.

Alexis shook her head a bit and smiled at the way the human soldiers seemed to be able to find some mirth despite the situation. Then she turned around and moved back to where the two lupar were digging into their food. I just hope they won't mind sharing, she thought as her belly rumbled.

The group pushed on, passing through the small valley and the stream at its center, eventually moving up the far mountain range, working up the paths that became more rocky as the group gained higher ground.

Alexis had finally climbed off of the Abrams she had been riding; tired as she was by constantly sitting when she was, in actuality, fine. Just a little tired, she thought. But nothing like the Kaytorians. At this, she turned and glanced back, looking over the line of locals following up the mountainside, stretched out from the climb and also from the fact that van Horn and Alexis encouraged them to do so. Less likely for all to be killed in one attack this way.

The callous thought made the gatón shiver. Gods, I don't want to think that way… But I must! She turned back to watching her footing so she wouldn't have to look at the natives behind her. I can be ignorant and self-delusional, thinking that such things don't happen, or that they're freak circumstances… But if there's anything I've learned these past few months, it's that one must be ready for the worst that life can throw at you. Alexis sighed then. It's the only rational thing to do.

"Are you getting tired again?" A voice asked from the side, and Alexis turned to see van Horn striding next to her. She put on a small smile and shook her head a bit. "A little, perhaps, but not nearly as bad as last night." She blushed a bit then, remembering being told by Mikula how she had fallen asleep laying on him and had to be carried to a safe place to sleep.

"Then why the sigh? Or am I prying too much?" Van Horn asked, clearly concerned.

"You're not, I suppose," Alexis began. "It's just… I was thinking of how we have everyone stretched out, and the reason for it…" She sighed again. "I just felt strange, thinking of the cold reason for it, like I'm someone I'm not…" Her voice trailed off as Alexis wondered whether she sounded crazy or not.

She needn't have worried, as van Horn shook his head then. "Alexis, only a smart person can be able to determine the difference between clear thinking and wishful thinking," he said with a sigh of his own. "I know, it may seem cold and uncaring, but this way, we retain our sanity in the face of what can be overwhelming despair."

Alexis nodded. "I understand that, and it's what I keep remembering…" Her voice trailed off.

"I sense a 'but' in there," van Horn replied half-questioningly.

"Yes. 'But,' I worry that I'm losing my touch with who I am when I think that way…" She shook he head. "I know, it sounds silly."

"No, no it doesn't, Alexis," van Horn said quickly, quietly. A momentary pause came and went before he spoke again. "I didn't really want to worry you about this… But then, I suppose I was being foolish, thinking that a smart person like you wouldn't figure such a thing out on your own." He shook his head. "But I won't lie to you, either.

"The life of a soldier is a tricky one at times," van Horn continued, talking in a low tone so as to not be overheard. "A soldier is trusted with a lot of power, as you've undoubtedly seen by now." He paused for a second while Alexis nodded. "My people have a saying, Alexis: 'Power Corrupts.' The power a soldier has is that of life and death, and it takes a very strong person to handle that responsibility day in and day out.

"Some people, however, cannot handle it. Some just break down; some just refuse to handle it anymore… But a few abuse it." Van Horn paused to take in a breath, then, and though his helmet was still in place, Alexis could almost see the consternation on his face. "My people, those in the Republic, at least, take great pains to ensure that only the best people can get that power. But even then, we watch each other a bit. Yanno, keep an eye out for any problems… But the greatest watch is the one we place on ourselves."

Alexis looked up at her human friend and frowned. "I don't think I understand."

Van Horn shook his head. "Alexis, do you honestly think any of us want to turn out like the Wobbies, drunk on power? We don't, and the idea that we could become that way is enough to scare people straight." He sighed then. "And that's the rub; you're scared, Alexis, because you're worried over losing that which makes you- makes you a person." Van Horn had to halt himself in mid sentence when he had almost used the phrase 'makes you human.' Gotta watch that around these folks, he mused as he shrugged. "But on the other hand, Alexis, to be a good soldier, you need to be able to distance yourself.

"It's a tricky balance, and I won't lie to you and say it's not difficult to maintain, because it is. A wise man once said, 'anyone can handle adversity, but to truly test a man's character, give him power.'"

Alexis blinked at the statement. "Who said that?"

Van Horn grunted. "A good man, named Abraham Lincoln, who led our country's ideological ancestor through a period of civil war. And he has the right of it, because only a person with real character can withstand the temptations of power. And yet, to be such a person is to constantly question your use of that power."

At that, the pair fell silent, van Horn because he had run out of things to say, and Alexis because she had to think these new words over. After some time, Alexis cleared her throat. "Earl, no offense, but power isn't what I was speaking about."

"Isn't it?" Van Horn asked rhetorically. Then he pushed on. "What you seem to be wrestling with, Alexis, is the idea that you may start to be cold hearted and callous simply because you have to think in such ways at times. Am I right?" He paused again while Alexis nodded. "Well, Alexis, thinking like that is because you know what sort of things can happen, and knowing what can happen is trying on one's soul. Furthermore, knowing about such things is a form of power, and the responsibility to use that power correctly is also another weight upon anyone's shoulders.

"I guess what I've been trying to say, in my own roundabout way, is that I understand what you're going through. But Alexis, the simple fact that you are going through such troubling thoughts shows that you have the ability to handle such a burden."

Again, a silence fell across the pair, and Alexis thought hard on what had been said. Knowledge, power… The humans have a saying, 'knowledge is power.' But they also say 'power corrupts.' Does this mean that I'm corrupted? Is that why I'm feeling this way?

She shook her head then. No, that's not what Earl's saying at all. What he's saying is that knowledge and power are not only the same, but that they can weigh heavily upon someone… And that by doing so, it tests a person. Alexis looked up at that, and she glanced around and back at the line of lupar stretching behind the lead tanks. I'm having these thoughts because I'm worried about losing that which makes me a good person… But by worrying, I'm proving that I can handle such things after all. Or, at least, for a little bit. Alexis knew that the various soldiers of the Republic, though strong in mind and body, couldn't take their jobs if they had to do it constantly. Perhaps that is what that tank commander meant when he said that 'this isn't what they tell us about.' Maybe he means the constant, soul-worrying tasks one must endure as part of being a soldier?

Alexis thought long and hard on this as the group walked up the grade, finally reaching the beginning of a pass that lead into the more craggy mountains beyond. Here the ground leveled out, and Alexis found herself grateful for the more level terrain.

Apparently, she wasn't the only one, as van Horn turned and looked at the gatón. "I think we should give our friends behind us another rest, don't you think?" He asked of her.

Alexis nodded. "I think that would be a good idea."

Mikula climbed down the side of Nguyen's Hellbringer II, taking advantage of the temporary respite in the long march to stretch his legs, and also to see Alexis. 'Stretch my legs.' How ironic when so many are so tired from marching that they cannot stay standing unless they're moving.

This last thought had been precipitated when the lupar had finally reached the rocky ground and turned to look over the small, temporary rest area that the Republic had cordoned off with their war machines and battle armored troops. Clumps of tired lupar from Kaytor sat or lay down on the various patches of ground that were more soil than rock, many resting against some larger rocks that had been clearly cast down from the tall peaks nearby. The air was chilly with autumn and altitude, though the fur on the lupar was enough to keep them warm. That and the marching, Mikula gloomily remembered.

The terrain was devoid of trees, though the ground had numerous patches of grass, sparse though it was thanks to the environment. A small stream that was a tributary to the one that ran through the valley the group had just left flowed through the pass, and along it small bushes and other hardy plants grew.

Mikula, however, cared not for them, but rather, for the single native who's fur color was most definitely not suited for such environs. Alexis certainly stands out now, he thought with a smile as he walked towards where the gatón sat on a rock some distance apart from the other natives. Though to be fair, she always did stand out.

He reached lexis just as she looked up to see who had approached her, and the gatón managed a weak smile. "Hey," she said, using English.

"Hello," Mikula replied as he sat down next to Alexis, reaching his left arm around to again wrap along her shoulders. "I hope you're not getting too tired?"

Alexis shook her head. "Tired? Yes, but not overly so," she said, and then sighed as eh turned to look over the other lupar. "And I really shouldn't say anything."

Mikula looked over the same people, and he nodded, bringing his arm back to his side in a show of his understanding of the gravity of the situation. "And I should be down here, helping you out with everything," he said somewhat bitterly.

Alexis looked at her love and frowned slightly. "Now Mikula, you know that both Tanaka and Williams want you up there for a good reason."

"Yeah, I know," Mikula grumbled. "In case you and Earl… Well…" He blushed a bit at this, refusing to voice the full reason. "It grates on me, knowing that I'm almost useless until something terrible happens to a friend and you."

Alexis put her right hand on Mikula's left, and she looked into his face. "I know, love. Such thoughts worry me, as well…" Her voice trailed off as Alexis considered the recent conversation she had just had. "But I think there's more to it than just feelings, as important as those are."

Mikula gave her a questioning look, an ear flopping down to enhance it. "Oh?" He asked neutrally.

Alexis nodded. "Well, yes," she said quietly, and then squeezed Mikula's hand reassuringly. "There is duty, after all, and that's important too, since by doing our duty, we help to preserve lives."

Mikula blinked at her, and then he nodded. "You're right, of course," he replied, and then smiled faintly. "I must admit, I keep forgetting how strong you are inside. So strong that you help everyone else even when you're already tired."

Alexis blushed then. "Maybe…" She said, and then let her voice trail off as music started to play. Mikula heard it too, and they both glanced to where one of the Abrams tanks sat, the top hatch on the turret open. Alexis recognized it as the same tank she had ridden on earlier, and she also recognized the tank commander, who was holding a musichip player. He was holding it up for the two wounded lupar riding on his machine, and apparently the music was intended to help buoy their spirits.

It's certainly helping mine a bit, Alexis mused as she heard the ethereal, booming orchestra and the sounds of a chanting chorus. It sounds so grand… Almost as if the music itself is telling a story. At this, Alexis sighed and closed her eyes. "It sounds beautiful."

"It does, doesn't it?" Mikula asked as he again reached out and half-hugged Alexis with his arm." It makes you feel like you're somewhere else."

"That sounds like what we need now," Alexis said as she opened her eyes and looked around. She noticed that several Kaytorians were listening intently to the music, though a good number more were also looking at her and Mikula.

Mikula followed her vision, and he grumbled again. "You know, more and more I understand just how Earl must have felt when he first arrived amongst us."

Alexis chuckled lightly at that. "Well, you can, as our friends say, 'join the club.'" She said and smiled faintly. But it died soon, and she yawned. "I suppose that we shouldn't be making jokes, though."

"Perhaps not," Mikula said and shrugged, letting his arm again fall back to his side. "In any case-"

He was interrupted then, as a voice blared out from Tanaka's Guillotine IIC. "Everyone, get off your asses, now," she said intently. "Aerial recon shows that the Wobbies are catchin' up. Let's get a move on."

They marched long and hard, moving deeper into the mountain ranges, passing through wide, open valleys that offered little protection from the chasing enemy. Food was dropped again by assault transport, and another two hours' worth of rest during mealtime had bought the natives enough time to push into the night again.

Even so, I don't think we can go on much longer, Acryu thought tiredly from his position towards the rear of the column of natives. He paused in his movements to stop and rest for just a moment, looking over the long line of Kaytorian lupar. The sight made his heart ache, but at the same time, he knew that this was necessary to save their lives.

"Feeling tired?" A voice asked from his side, and Acryu turned to see his old friend Hurg standing next to him. At this, Acryu smiled faintly. "Now now, Hurg, if you want to rest, just ask."

Hurg snorted. "You can't be too tired, if you're joking," the other lupar said, and then he started walking again, and Acryu found the fortitude to catch up. "I feel like my legs are going to fall off."

Acryu sighed. "I as well, but I've talked to our friends, they say it is not too much longer."

Hurg grunted then. "I certainly hope so! Why, I was talking to Joku Ranal earlier, and his wife is about ready to keel over from exhaustion."

Acryu frowned at his friend. "Really? When was this?"

"About an hour before we ate the evening meal," Hurg replied, not wanting to call what they had eaten 'dinner.' "Why do you ask?"

"Because I haven't seen the Ranals in about that time," Acryu spoke quietly. "In fact, has anyone?"

Hurg blinked at his friend. "Huh? What do you mean? I thought they managed to catch a ride with one of those so-called 'humans.'"

Acryu frowned. "No, they were back here at the tail end for a while, just after you talked with them I think…" He started to look around. "I think we should see about finding them."

Alexis was trudging along just behind the second of the leading tanks when she heard some commotion coming from the natives behind her. Curious, she turned around in time to see Acryu speaking with the foremost family in the procession, the two young heads of the family holding a child each.

Acryu finished speaking with them and nodded a goodbye, then he turned and, seeing Alexis looking back, he hustled up to where she walked. "Do you have a moment?" He asked.

"Always," Alexis replied sincerely. "What is the matter?"

Acryu panted a bit to catch his breath before he replied. "I am afraid that some people may be missing."

Alexis slowed at that, almost coming to a stop before she remembered the situation and caught back up with Acryu. "Are you sure? Who is it?"

"The Ranal family. They are only recently married, but are expecting their first child," he sucked in air through his teeth. "No one has seen them since before we ate last."

Alexis felt her face drop into an expression of shock. "What?" She almost yelled. "Why didn't you say so?"

Acryu blinked in surprise. "I thought I just did?"

Alexis scowled at him, and then reached up to trigger her helmet radio. "This is Oscar One to Oni One, please come in."

"Oni One to Oscar One," Tanaka's voice rolled in after a second. "What's up?"

"Captain, there appears to be some missing individuals from the natives we're escorting." Alexis used the Republic term for the lupar automatically, thinking only in a businesslike manner.

"How many and how long since they were seen?" Tanaka asked quickly. Alexis replied just as quickly. "A male and a female, the woman is pregnant. Last seen before we stopped and ate dinner, exact time undetermined."

Alexis heard an unintelligible curse come from the radio, then "All right. Are you up for a ride, Alexis?"

Alexis nodded as she replied. "Definitely, captain."

"Good. Stand by while I confer with Williams." With that, the radio cut out, and Alexis glanced over to Acryu, and she switched languages. "I've told Captain Tanaka. She's working out a way to send some people back to look for our lost friends."

Acryu looked stunned. "Really?"

"Yes, really," Alexis said incredulously. "What, you think we want to leave anyone behind?"

Acryu changed expressions to that of embarrassment. "Well, not exactly… I just didn't expect such a rapid response."

Alexis snorted lightly. "And why not? Lives could be at stake."

Acryu didn't respond, but he simply followed Alexis as she walked to the side of the procession and stopped. These new people are so much like the invaders in appearance… Yet they keep showing themselves to be far better then even many of my own people. He sighed lightly then. I am just amazed.

Just then, he saw one of the bird-legged war machines pull out of their own formation and amble forward to where he and Alexis stood, and Acryu had to fight down an urge to run away. It's not going to hurt you… The person inside, rather, is not going to hurt you.

The 'mech brought itself to a careful halt in front of the pair of natives standing to the side. "Miss Hurano, I'm Sergeant Ferguson. It seems I'm your ride for tonight."

Alexis nodded to the 'mech as easily as if it were a real person. "Thank you, Sergeant," she said and then turned and spoke quietly to Acryu. "Did you want to come along?"

Acryu blinked a bit in surprise, and he looked from Alexis to the 'mech and back. "Wait, on that thing?"

"Sort of," Alexis returned with a small smile. "I think we can both squeeze into the cockpit for a quick trip to find our missing friends."

"The what?" Acryu asked, confused by the name.

"Oh, I mean the little room from which the pilot controls the machine," Alexis said and then nodded towards Ferguson's Mad Dog II. "It's normally only made for one, or maybe two uncomfortably, but we're smaller than humans and we'll not be riding for a long distance."

Acryu looked up at the 'mech again, and he thought for a moment before he gulped and nodded. "Well, I suppose if it's to find the Ranals."

Alexis nodded back. "Good," she said, and then turned to look at the 'mech and switched languages. "Sergeant, my friend here will be coming along."

"Fine," Ferguson said gruffly. "But let's not dawdle; the Wobbies are still comin' so we'd better get this done fast."

A short time later, Acryu found himself stuffed in behind the command chair of the 60-ton Mad Dog, holding onto it for stability as the odd gait of the 'mech tried to toss him about. He looked around the right edge of the seat, watching the amazing view of the interior of the cockpit, the holographic HUD, and the ground outside as it swept by.

"Do you think we're close?" Alexis asked from where she had buckled herself into the fold-down jump seat, and Acryu looked across the human MechWarrior sitting in the couch to nod. "Yes, I think that this is about where we lost track of them."

Alexis nodded and she translated this for Ferguson, who grunted. "Well, IR didn't show anything on the way back here," he said quietly, and then opened a radio channel to the infantry riding his omnimech. "Whiskey Four to Sierra Eight, do you have anything?"

"Negative, sergeant," van Horn replied. "Course, I've been a bit busy holding on for dear life."

"Smart ass," Ferguson breathed before he triggered the radio again. "Well, we're stopping. Y'all can get off and spread out and find those folks." Even as he spoke, the MechWarrior brought the massive war machine to a halt.

"Copy that," van Horn replied as he saw and felt the heavy omnimech come to a stop. As soon as it did, he jumped off from his position on the front right torso, goosing his jump jets just enough to soften his landing from limb breaking to merely bone jarring. Around him, the other four volunteers for the search party also hopped off. They included Private Stuger, Corporal Castellano, Jennifer Marks, and a trooper from the Red Dogs, the 3rd platoon. Although the others had more experience than he did, Tanaka and Vickers had agreed to place van Horn in temporary command of the infantry volunteers given his performance to date.

As if I need more worries on my mind, van Horn grumped mentally before he spoke over the radio again. "Okay, everyone spread out, scanners on full! Stuger, take left flank, Dan, take center, and I'll go right. Marks and Fredericks, fill in the gaps. We head back along the marching path towards the valley, and keep your scanners and eyes wide open." The others responded with a chorus of "yes sir," and then went about on the plan. Van Horn himself hit his jump jets to take the far side of the pass.

After two jumps, van Horn reached what he thought was a good distance, and he made sure to check his HUD fully, taking a few extra seconds to read his sensors more effectively. Nothing, damn, he thought, as he saw nothing but flat IR. Well, nothing save for the others, van Horn mentally added as he turned and hit his jets to move south, towards the valley the group had left hours ago. I can pick up the Mad Dog and the other troopers just fine. Unfortunately, infrared detection was the only system that had any real chance of finding the lost lupar, as they had no significant metal sources for magscan, and it was, of course, quite dark.

Of course, one could find them using light amplification… But if they don't show up on infrared, it won't matter if we find them with lightamp or not. Van Horn felt a chill at this thought, but another popped into his head. Check it with lightamp anyway… Better to find them dead than to waste time looking for them.

Van Horn paused after his jump to cycle through a few commands, quickly and expertly changing the HUD display so that light amplification was overlaid by an IR image that would show up only if it found unusual concentrations. There, a bit better, he thought as he again glanced around and looked for something, anything that would lead him to the missing lupar.

On and on this went for fifteen minutes, until finally a call came over the radio. "This is Sierra Seven, I've found them!"

Van Horn snapped his head around at that, and he quickly cycled his HUD to bring up Stuger's beacon. Damn, almost at the mouth of the pass, he thought with some worry even as h hit his jump jets. "This is Sierra Eight, you sure about this, Stuger?"

"Absolutely! Now you get your ass over here and tell them to stop cringing when I move an arm."

Van Horn smirked as he saw the light from the other troopers' jets converging on the location. "I hear that, you just hold on and keep your sensors on. Check for magscan now; I don't want to be caught off guard by the Wobbies."

"Aye sir," Stuger replied, her voice level. "Just be prepared for a big surprise when you get here."

Van Horn frowned then. "What do you mean?"

"You'll see."

Alexis climbed quickly but carefully down the side of the Mad Dog II, wanting to reach the two lupar as soon as she could so that they wouldn't need to fear the large, metal figures around them.

Of course, they should know that by now, the gatón thought as she hopped the last half meter to the ground before turning to run for the pair laid out on a slab of rock. But they might be scared or delirious and not thinking properly.

Then her thoughts stopped as she came upon the two lupar sitting on the ground. No, make that three, she thought as she walked the last few steps trepidly. Laying against a rock outcropping was who Alexis assumed to be Mrs. Ranal, who held in her arms a small cub, barely large enough to fill her arms, looking all the smaller because it was wrapped up in a cloak. The mother was obviously exhausted, as she barely looked up at the figure that approached.

The man, however, looked up at Alexis with hopeful eyes. "You," he said, standing up from where he had been crouched next to his wife. "You're the gatón who knows our language, right?"

Alexis nodded. "Yes, yes I am," she said in a small voice as she looked back between mother and father. "I, ah, assume this is why you two haven't been keeping up?"

The male lupar nodded. "Yes, Finora, my wife, she wasn't feeling well," he began to wring his hands. "She just wanted to wait a bit, and I thought that it wouldn't hurt. Then she refused to move, and by then, everyone was past."

Before Alexis could think of anything to say, she heard footsteps behind her, and she glanced back to see Acryu walking forward, his own face a study in shock. "By Grakia…" He muttered before looking from Finora to her husband. "Joku…" He blinked then and then smiled a bit. "Congratulations, I think."

Joku managed a ghost of a smile. "Thank you my friend," he said, and then his face turned serious. "She was in so much pain, and the baby, he came so fast, we just… Just…" He paused then and looked helplessly at his wife. "Finora is so tired, she's barely awake."

Just then, the light and noise from a set of jump jets could be heard, and Alexis glanced back to see van Horn landing ten meters away. Looking back at the Ranals, Alexis was somewhat disturbed to see that this elicited no reaction from Finora. That's not good, she remembered from her time as Shaman Forbasa's apprentice.

"What's going on he- Oh wow." Van Horn's voice intruded on Alexis' thoughts just as he walked up to where the gatón stood. "Jumpin' Jesus on a pogo stick," he muttered in English.

Alexis ignored this as she walked forward to kneel by Finora, checking the vitals of the lupar woman. Behind her, she heard Joku move a bit, but Acryu said something that made him stop. Alexis only noted this in an abstract way, however, as she checked the mother, and then the child.

After a moment, she turned and looked at Joku. "They're both fine for now, but your wife is extremely exhausted," she said quickly. Then she turned to van Horn and nodded. "We need to get her someplace where she can rest."

Van Horn nodded back. "Damn straight," he replied and then switched languages and spoke over the radio. "Dan, Dianna, get over here and help us carry these folks."

In response, two sets of jets lit up the area from opposite directions, and the two scout-armored troopers flew in low arcs to land nearby. A few quick steps and an explanation later, and Castellano was picking up the new mother in his arms while Alexis explained to him that she had to be carried.

Typically, the relatively peaceful scene was interrupted as a hail of LRMs raced in from the mouth of the pass to crash amongst the rocks only a few hundred meters distant from where the small group of natives and infantry stood. The dirty-orange explosions ripped their noise across the relatively open terrain.

"Shit!" The curse came unbidden from van Horn's throat. "Everyone! Grab a civvie and scatter!" He called as he reached down and grabbed there nearest native to him, who happened to be Alexis. Without explanation, he picked her up and ran a few meters until he was clear, and then he hit his jump jets.

Via his HUD, van Horn could see behind him that the other armored troopers were doing as instructed. Castellano already had the new mother and child in his arms, and he was already away, while Stuger and Fredericks were manhandling Acryu and Joku, respectively. Marks was also falling back, as was the Mad Dog, though the latter returned fire with stuttering pulse lasers at their unseen attacker.

Then the HUD painted a new, darker picture, as the icon for a Charger assault 'mech came up on the screen. Obviously, it was a refitted version, as it had LRMs. Then it took to its jets, hurling forward two hundred fifty meters, putting to rest any doubt about it's equipment.

Ferguson backed his Mad Dog II Prime up the pass, facing towards the 80-ton design and unleashing another set of pulse laser blasts that ate into the enemy 'mech's torso. The Charger responded with another LRM barrage, this time homing in on the Republic 'mech, its Artemis IV fire-control system ensuring that all but two missiles hit.

"Ferguson, get your ass out of there!" Van Horn called over the radio as he jumped again, careful not to loosen his grip on Alexis.

"Mebbie in a sec, doc," Ferguson replied as he continued to calmly back his 'mech up, even as the Charger lived up to its name and drove towards his 'mech at eighty six kilometers pr hour. "This boy is as fast as me, and he can jump farther than you grunts. Just go and I'll catch up!"

Van Horn didn't reply then, concentrating as he was on landing from his second jump. Then he clicked his radio over to the force-wide frequency. "This is Sierra Eight, Task Group Zulu is under attack!"

"We got that, doc," Williams' voice rang back over the channel. "I'm commin' back to cover y'all and get Ferguson out. Keep headin' for the convoy and don't stop to smell the roses."

"Roger wilco," van Horn replied quickly, though at the end of his next jump he did pause to check the HUD for how his friends were deployed.

To his right and left, Stuger and Castellano were keeping up with him, and even then they started their next jump. Lagging ninety meters behind was Marks and Fredericks, who were in slightly slower Marauder suits.

"Damnit," van Horn muttered. Then he looked down at the gatón in his arms, who was deathly still from shock and fear. "Alexis, I'm going to wait for the others to catch up."

Looking up at the man who still gripped her around her arms, Alexis nodded sagely. "Of course," she replied. "Though, if we're going to wait, shouldn't we at least wait in a better stance?"

Van Horn almost grinned, though Alexis would have never seen it. "Sounds good," he said and released her from his hold. Settling on the ground in a crouch, Alexis pulled her laser rifle out and went to wait by a rock.

Van Horn swung his own Heavy Gyrojet Gun out and took a position five meters to Alexis' right. She can sure keep her head in a fight, he mused warmly before he settled down and triggered the radio. "Marks, Fredericks, I'm holding on your left. Keep movin' past and we'll cover you."

"Thanks doc," Fredericks replied quickly. "Just don't get stepped on." Then he hopped on by even as more lights from the 'mech battle in the distance flashed across the mountain pass.

Marks, however, hopped over to where van horn and Alexis kneeled. "Doc, you commin?'" She asked.

"In a minute," van Horn replied, unsure of why he was saying the words he was using. "I'm just gonna wait an' see if Ferguson needs a distraction."

Marks paused in her movement, and then shrugged and went and found a spot to kneel in line with the other two. "Sounds like a plan," she said simply.

Van Horn frowned. "You know, you should be moving on."

"So should you doc," Marks replied mildly. "If you think I'm going to let you two get killed out here alone, then you got another think coming."

Van Horn shook his head as he replied. "You're nuts."

"Takes one to know one."

Alexis had left her helmet radio on during the time from when she had climbed down the Mad Dog's leg, and so it naturally logged onto the radio channel that was being used. She had overheard Williams' orders and the conversation between van Horn and Marks easily.

What does it mean, though? She wondered, confused as she was at the apparent disregard of orders. I thought that a military unit followed the chain of command strictly to avoid problems?

Then again, Alexis, a voice in her head spoke up. You've seen by now that your friends don't always follow the rules one hundred percent. Memories of the past few months flittered through her mind briefly, including those about her estrangement from her family. In fact, sometimes breaking the rules is needed in order to do the right thing.

Then she didn't bother to think of such things then, as the fight between the two battlemechs at the mouth of the pass had become a running battle, with Ferguson's Mad Dog zigzagging back and forth across the valley at high speed to avoid being hit with LRM salvos, while the Blakest Charger continued to hit its jump jets in a vain attempt to close the distance so that he could bring his pulse lasers and superior mass into play.

Although she didn't have the trained eye of a MechWarrior, nor the advanced HUDs of her friends on either side, Alexis could still tell that the Mad Dog was giving as good as it was getting. However, the fact that it was out massed was not helpful, and neither was the fact that much of what it got was tearing up its rear armor as Ferguson tried to disengage.

"This is Whiskey Four to anyone!" Ferguson called over the radio in a steady but excited voice. "The Wobbies have four 'mechs at the pass already, all jumpers ahead of their main column." He paused then, which Alexis soon saw was from the fact that he brought his 'mech to an abrupt stop that threw off the Wobbie's aim, and LRMs flew past the 60-ton 'mech to slam into a mountainside. "Only this fucking Charger is keepin' up, but I still need help!" With that, he unleashed a twin barrage of his own LRMs, sending forty missiles to sail towards the enemy 'mech. Only one rack managed a solid lock, and about fifteen missiles slammed around the Charger's upper torso, bathing it in flame even as the second stream of missiles passed it by.

Then, from out of nowhere, a huge explosion blasted on the ground next to the Mad Dog. The blast shook the entire pass, and Alexis felt her ears flatten against the noise as it reverberated back and forth in the narrow confines. Before she could comprehend, a noise like a cross between an industrial rock tumbler and thunder came from above, and Alexis was astonished to see a landslide begin on the opposite side of the pass.

She didn't have much time to think this over before the rocks swept in and headed for where Ferguson's 'mech was standing. Although the slide wasn't humongous, a layer of rock and soil two meters deep swept into and around the 60-ton 'mech's legs. Although he fought it mightily, Ferguson couldn't keep his 'mech upright, and it soon fell underneath the rushing slide. A slight bit of fortune came to the beleaguered MechWarrior as the torrent of rock and dirt had already slowed and stopped almost right after the Mad Dog collapsed.

Even as silence began to fall over the pass, Alexis heard van Horn and Marks leap up from their positions and race forward. Before she could form a conscious idea, Alexis found herself racing along after the two troopers as they dashed for Ferguson's 'mech. This is quite possibly the stupidest thing I've ever done, she thought/ Running for a landslide in a combat zone where the enemy is a giant walking death machine! And despite this thought, she pushed herself harder.

It was only when she got to the edge of the rockslide did she slow down, and Alexis soon had to sling her rifle on her back so that she could clamber over the rocks and loose soil. The armored infantry, she noted, simply hit their jump jets and flew in a low arc until they reached the stricken Mad Dog.

This prompted a sudden though in the gatón's brain. Wasn't someone shooting at it a few seconds ago? Alexis quickly turned and looked towards the direction of the last valley, and she saw that the Charger was holding back, apparently happy to wait for now.

A ball of ice materialized in Alexis' stomach as she recognized the behavior even from her own people's hunters. It's waiting for reinforcements. At this idea, the gatón turned and redoubled her efforts to reach the stricken Republic 'mech.

Van Horn landed on top of a particularly large boulder that had come to rest against the Mad Dog's right front torso, and he turned to study the cockpit while he opened a channel. "Ferguson! Are you all right?"

Marks landed a second later, coming to rest next to the Mad Dog's head. Van Horn heard nothing from the radio for a second, and was about to hop down and dig out the access hatch when he heard a moan come over the radio. "Ferguson!"

"Don't yell," Ferguson's voice came back weakly. "I've got a splitting headache."

Van Horn checked his HUD and saw that the Charger was sill nearby. "You'll have more than a headache if you let that Wobbie come blast us."

At this, the 'mech underneath stirred a bit as Ferguson became more active. "What? Oh… Oh fuck me!" At this, the 'mech tried to shift, but the rock and soil around it made such a proposition difficult at best.

Van Horn quickly jetted about a dozen meters away, soon followed by Marks, thus escaping the sudden, miniature landslide that came from the Mad Dog as Ferguson tried to right it. Unfortunately, a rather large boulder was lying over the legs, and the best he could do was prop the 'mech up on its left elbow.

"Sweet Jesus," Ferguson muttered. "I'm stuck!"

"Okay, hold on," van Horn said, trying to sound reassuring. Yeah, right, like I have any fucking idea on what to do now, he derided himself. That boulder's too big to move with just Jennifer and me, even with our suits, and neither Ferguson nor Williams' 'mechs have hands.

Wracking his brain, van Horn didn't see Alexis crawl up onto a nearby rock until Marks spoke. "Alexis, what the Hell are you doing here?"

"Trying to help, if possible," the gatón replied quickly. "What's wrong with the sergeant's mech?"

"It's stuck," van Horn said for lack of anything better. "So unless you have an industrialmech hidden in your pocket, we're up shit's creek without a paddle."

Alexis frowned, not quite understanding the vulgar phrase, but ignoring it for the sake of expediency. "All right, then why doesn't he just climb out?"

Van Horn blinked so hard that he wouldn't have been surprised if someone heard it over the radio. "God, am I dumb!" He said. "Ferguson-"

"I heard, doc," Ferguson replied over the radio. "Got my external mikes on, though the speakers're shot."

"Well?" Van Horn asked impatiently as he glanced back on his HUD and saw three more blips start to join the Charger.

"Well, there's a problem," Ferguson replied slowly.

"And that is?" Marks asked testily.

"Well, if you hadn't noticed the rather large enemy 'mechs gathering over yonder," he paused and waved his 'mech's free arm towards where the four Blakest 'mechs stood. "They're kind of holding their distance for now. I suspect it's because they know I'm still dangerous. Now, suppose that I wasn't?"

Van Horn frowned in his helmet. "So, what? You want us to leave you here to face them alone, like some sort of samurai with a death order?"

"You have anything better to offer?" Ferguson asked harshly as he aimed his 'mech's free arm more carefully.

"Yes! We jump and get the fuck away from here!"

"How the hell you gonna do that when that Charger is faster than you, even using jump jets?" Ferguson asked, his voice clearly full of emotion now. "It's got enough pulse lasers to slice you three up, and that Catapult with it has its own share too, I reckon."

It was then, as if bidden by Ferguson's comments, that the Catapult crouched down, angled its torso back, and fired an exceptionally large missile. The flame from the heavy weapon allowed van Horn and the others to react quickly, with Marks jumping behind the Mad Dog and van Horn running over to where Alexis was trying to squeeze between a rock and the dirt below. At the last second, van Horn threw himself over the curled-up gatón, just in time for the artillery missile to impact nearby and shake the world with light and noise.

Van Horn felt his whole body vibrate, and he could have sworn that he felt a filling come loose. He didn't pay it much attention; however, as the noise from the heavy missile stopped, and he raised himself up to look at the scene.

The Mad Dog was laying on its side, apparently having taken the brunt of the nearby explosion, which had, unnervingly, happened about five meters from where van Horn had been standing before he had gone to protect Alexis. If I had stayed there, I'd be dead. At this, van Horn shuddered.

Then Alexis started to stand up uneasily, and van Horn reached down to help her up. "Are you all right?" He asked of the gatón.

Alexis nodded. "I… I think so," she said. "What happened?"

"The same thing that started the landslide," van Horn said quietly, as if he was afraid the mere mention would start a new one. "It was an Arrow IV artillery missile. That bloody Catapult's been retrofitted with a launcher."

"Doc," Ferguson muttered via the radio. "I think I'm gonna take your advice now."

"Quit wasting those missiles, you idiot!" Adept VIII Richard Mandrake half-yelled over the radio. "We only have three tons left!"

Adept III Jorgensen growled before he triggered his own radio. "The infidels need to die!"

"And they will, but I will not have you waste irreplaceable ammo because your have a grudge!" Mandrake replied hotly. "I am ordering you to hold fire on your Arrow IV until I countermand that order. Is that understood?"

Jorgensen only barely managed to control his anger. It was a control that allowed him to press the 'close' control for the Arrow IV launcher. "Understood, commander."

"Good. Now, everyone form up on me. We'll move forward and plaster the infidel 'mech with energy weapons only. The main body is moving up, and we will cleanse the path before them of any stragglers. Is everyone clear on this?"

A chorus of confirmations came through, and Mandrake started moving his older Victor battlemech along, and soon the rest of the ad-hoc Level II formed up in a line abreast. Jorgensen still steamed, but being able to finally close with at least one infidel mollified him. There is no way you're getting out of this one!

The range inched down as the four Blakest 'mechs moved closer and closer to the stricken 'mech, known to the Inner Sphere as the Vulture. How ironic that a 'mech named after a carrion eater should find itself at the mercy of circling enemies, Jorgensen thought with a grim smile.

Suddenly, two shapes leapt up and away from the stricken Vulture, and Jorgensen blinked in surprise. "No!" He screamed in his cockpit. "You'll not get away again!" With that, he throttled his Catapult up to its maximum ground speed, which, despite the cluttered floor of the pass, was still fast enough that he started to catch up with the fleeing Republic troopers.

"Jorgensen! What in the name of Blake are you doing!" Adept Mandrake called over the radio.

Jorgensen ignored that and the other calls from his teammates. He also ignored when they started after him, apparently trying to stop his 'mech. I will not be dissuaded! Jorgensen thought resolutely as he approached the rockslide. This was the only time he slowed, as he had to figure out whether to go around or use his jump jets to hop over the slide. He made the decision to jump over the slide when the disabled 'mech in the rubble turned into a miniature star.

The sudden, mind-numbingly loud explosion of a fusion reactor set to deliberate overload roared through the mountain pass. Even expecting it as he was, van Horn had to struggle with his own suit to keep his gyros from tumbling, as he was caught in mid-jump. Come on come on! He mentally asked, demanded and begged of his suit all at the same time.

Someone or something listened to him, and van Horn managed to land without falling over or crushing Alexis, whom he cradled carefully in his arms. Touching down carefully, van Horn spun about to see Marks landing nearby with he own load; Ferguson, riding similar to how Alexis was being carried, though his arms and legs were enough that he stuck out a bit more.

"Goddamnit, get your foot away from my head!" Marks grumbled at her charge.

"You don't want my foot in your face? Then jerking about!" Ferguson replied testily.

"That's enough!" Van Horn shouted over his speakers. "We need to move, otherwise-" He never got to finish that thought; as he heard the rumbling noise he had been fearing. Together, he and Marks turned around so that all four of them could look back towards where the smoldering remains of three 'mechs, Ferguson's Mad Dog, the Blakest Catapult and Charger, lay on the ground. Near them the shapes of the two other Blakest 'mechs were trying to stand up from where they had fallen due to the blast.

They never got that chance. Van Horn had, correctly, judged that, if one landslide was possible, than many more were likely. He was, however, unprepared for the two massive torrents of rock and dirt that poured down each side of the pass in a broad front.

Even as the four watched, the Blakest 'mechs were overrun by a much larger slide than that which buried Ferguson's 'mech, and soon they disappeared as tons of earth slammed into them.

The rumbling continued, however, and van Horn and the others looked closer to their own position. They were all shocked to see that the landslides continued to expand their area, much as an ocean wave, one breaking, would continue to spread the white foam across its breadth.

"RUN!" Van Horn screamed, and he turned and, instead of running, hit his jump jets full out. Behind him, Marks did the same, and the pair bounded as fast as their jets could recycle, running in between jumps.

This pattern of run and jump continued on for an indeterminate amount of time, though to van Horn it felt like an eternity, one in which he couldn't even stop to look around or even fully plan out his next jump. He just hit the juice and prayed that the landing spot would be flat enough.

Finally, the rumbling began to dim and slow, and van Horn spared a glance backwards during a jump to find out that he and Marks had passed through a rockier area of the pass, one with solid formations that prevented the landslide from continuing on. They were safe.

"Whew!" Van Horn let out an explosive sigh, and he felt his legs give out. In a second, he hit the ground with his rear end, and he just sat upright while he waited for Marks to catch up. Alexis then stirred a bit, and van Horn relaxed his grip so that the gatón could climb out and walk unsteadily to sit on a nearby rock.

They sat there silently as Marks landed nearby, and she too released the person she was carrying. Ferguson, like Alexis, found a seat on a rock before his unsteady legs could tip him, and Marks just stood and stared mutely back at the simmering dust cloud kicked up by the landslide.

Then, slowly, she turned and stared at van Horn- well, seemed to stare, since her helmet was on, but it never moved from an apparent focus on the anthropologist-soldier. "You are," she began quietly, "quite possibly, the most insane person in the Republic!"

Van Horn tilted his head up so that his helmet visor would meet Marks' own. "Yeah, well, it takes one to know one."

Marks just seemed to stare for another minute. Then, suddenly, she began to giggle. That giggle then erupted into full laughter, which van Horn, Ferguson, and even Alexis shared in.

"Oh God," Ferguson said, wiping a tear from his eye once the bulk of the laughing fit was over. "We're totally insane."

"You got that right," an amplified voice came from deeper in the pass, and everyone started and looked to see Williams' Timber Wolf A standing a careful sixty meters away. The group on the ground stood up and sheepishly started to walk towards the 'mech even as Williams continued. "I get here and what do I see? Two M.I. jumping for their lives while carrying a pair of non-armored folk, being chased by an avalanche."

"Actually, it was a landslide," van Horn quipped, raising his voice a bit to be sure he was heard.

"Whatever! Just get your asses over here; I'll give the lot 'o ya a ride back to camp."

"Camp?" Ferguson asked. "You mean they're calling those stopovers camps now?"

"For now, yes," Williams replied sadly. "Don't worry. We rest now, and we should be at the destination by mid-morning."