AUTHOR'S NOTE: A brief interlude here as we get caught up with what Senefa's doing back at the Clan homeworlds. Seems our antagonist is moving up in the galaxy. For those of you who care, this chapter takes place exactly after page 49 in Blood Legacy.

Why can I get these chapters out two per week and just one for On RWBY Wings? Because here I already have the basic framework, as this is a remix of my older Snowbird stories...

Eyrie of the Falcons

Strana Mechty, Clan Homeworlds

24 January 3051

Cavell Malthus smiled beneath the ornate, falcon-headed mask he wore. The Clan Jade Falcon Hall was stygian dark, lit only by a single small flame and one spotlight that shone on a single warrior, alone and unmasked, kneeling before him. He had done this ritual several times now, but this time he felt particularly proud to do it.

"While all these deeds mark you as special, your taking of a Bloodname exalts you above the mere warriors with and against whom you have fought," he intoned solemnly. "Ten and ten and five are the number who bear the same surname as you do. With it, you become a member of the Clan Council and are eligible for election to even greater office and responsibility." Cavell hesitated for just a moment. "Your Bloodname is a worthy one." He emphasized that with a brief glance around the darkened chamber. "Fifteen have worn it before you, and none have been less than Star Colonels. Twelve have become Khans." There was a brief rustle of feathers at those words—literally, because the assembled Jade Falcons wore green-feathered formal capes. Cavell had broken with tradition, using different words than the traditional "your Bloodname has a proud pedigree," reminding the chosen that they had a responsibility to those that came before. This Bloodname, however, was considered somewhat tainted.

Cavell moved forward and put out his black-gloved right hand. "Your dagger, please." The kneeling MechWarrior withdrew a knife from a sheath on her belt, opposite from where she wore a black cylinder, and handed it to him. She kept her hand outstretched, and Cavell sliced her palm open. Blood trickled from it and hissed as it struck the flame. He cleaned the dagger on a cloth and handed it back to the warrior. "All are to abide by the rede given here. Thus it shall stand…until we all shall fall." The Jade Falcons repeated the words. "Then rise, warrior. From now and for all time, you are known among all the Clans as Senefa Malthus."

The lights came up, and the assembled began cheering, clapping, and letting out the terrifying screech of the jade falcon. The celebration was not as loud as Cavell remembered with other warriors, and only a small number of Jade Falcons pressed forward to offer their congratulations to the newly Bloodnamed MechWarrior; many gathered up their capes and filed out. Cavell took off the heavy ceremonial helmet and hid his scowl: it was not insult enough to merit a challenge to anyone, but it was a subtle way of letting Senefa know her Bloodname was sullied, and so was she for taking it. He noted that Khan Elias Crichell, the leader of the entire Jade Falcon Clan, was quick to make his way to the center of the chamber, where he shook hands with Senefa as a formality, and just as quickly departed—having done just enough to satisfy Clan honor. Vandervahn Chistu, Cavell's rival for the rank of saKhan, did not even bother doing that, leaving with Crichell in what Cavell thought was doglike devotion. Cavell's hands curled into fists, but he commanded himself to relax. One way or another, he would see Vandervahn dead before the invasion of the Inner Sphere was finished. He remembered the old Japanese saying about waiting by the river for rivals' heads to float past.

Once the small crowd had thinned out, Cavell stepped forward and waited as Senefa was congratulated by Marthe Pryde, herself recently Bloodnamed and promoted to Star Colonel. It surprised him that Marthe enfolded Senefa in a comradely hug, alone among the Jade Falcons; neither were from the same sibko, and Cavell wasn't aware the two were friends.

Finally, Cavell and Senefa were alone in the chamber. He studied his protégé for a moment as she picked up her own ceremonial helmet in the crook of her arm. Senefa—now Senefa Malthus—was just shy of twenty years old, making her the youngest Jade Falcon to ever earn a Bloodname, and second only to the infamous Natasha Kerensky in all of the Clans. She was tall, slender and beautiful, wearing her long black hair unbound; as usual, no emotion showed on her face or the hard green eyes. Senefa was well-known in the Jade Falcons for her complete lack of emotion, and Cavell knew that some had nicknamed her the "Vulcan" because of it, after some obscure ancient science fiction series. He had a distinctly unClanlike fatherly pride in Senefa—though she did have some of his genes, her sibko drawn from Cavell's genetic legacy and that of Galaxy Commander Samantha Clees, like all "trueborn" Clan warriors, Senefa did not have a true mother or father. Cavell shook off the feeling and shook hands with her. "Once more, Senefa Malthus, welcome."

"Thank you, saKhan." She gave him a small smile. It seemed to change her entire face from the steely Clan warrior to a very attractive young woman.

"None of that!" Cavell laughed. "You may address me as Cavell. We are of the same blood now, Senefa."

"Thank you, sir." Cavell decided not to press the issue. Senefa fell in with him as they left the Hall. Both were silent as they walked into the crisp air of Strana Mechty, past the two ceremonial Summoners that guarded the winged entrance to the Eyrie. He idly remembered that the Inner Sphere had codenamed them Thors, which he actually liked more than the Clan name for it.

Their attention was draw to a crowd outside the Hall of the Wolves, which like all the Clans' halls surrounded the Clan Grand Chamber at the center. The Wolves were also wearing formal uniforms, all gray uniforms fringed with wolf fur; some wore and some carried the same ornate masks Cavell and Senefa did, though naturally the Wolf helmets were oriented towards their Clan's totem animal. "What is going on over there?" Senefa asked.

"Oh, that." Cavell remembered. "The Wolves are debating whether or not to uphold Khan Ulric Kerensky's adoption of Phelan into the Wolf Clan."

"Phelan?" Senefa paused. "Oh, aff—the freebirth Inner Sphere warrior the Wolves captured on Star's End."

"That is the one." Cavell did not see the young man in the crowd, but likely Phelan was already inside the Hall. Phelan—known as Phelan Kell in the Inner Sphere—was another person Cavell would not mind seeing dead in the near future. Cavell had accepted the Wolves' invitation to participate in Phelan's adoption ceremony, with full knowledge that he, along with the Smoke Jaguars and the Ghost Bears, would not only vote against the idea, but for Phelan's death. It was largely ceremonial—Ulric Kerensky had already made the decision on adopting Phelan into the Wolves, pending the Clan actually voting for the adoption—but Cavell wanted it on record about how the Jade Falcons felt about it. There was no denying Phelan's bravery, as he had been the man that gone onto the depressurizing bridge of the Dire Wolf to rescue Ulric from sharing the same fate as ilKhan Leo Showers, but Cavell saw the young warrior with the arrogant eyes to be a threat to the Clans. Ulric obviously saw potential in Phelan, and even Cavell had to admit the Wolf Khan's use of him to provide the Wolves with valuable information was smarter than simply assuming the Inner Sphere would observe batchall. Calla Bighorn-Vlata was one of the few Inner Sphere warriors Cavell had met that actually played the game by the rules—a thought that brought a smile to Cavell's face. Is it odd that I respect my enemy more than my own Khan? he thought.

"I suppose Phelan has done enough to warrant it," Senefa commented. Her eyebrows came together in thought. "My Khan, where is this Phelan from, originally? In the Inner Sphere?"

"From the Lyran Commonwealth, I believe. Why?"

"Curosity, ovkhan, nothing more…but do you know if he attended the Lyrans' military academy—the Nagelring, I think it is called?"

Warning bells went off in Cavell's mind. Senefa did not ask idle questions; there was a goal she was headed towards. "From the results of the interrogation he was given after his capture, I believe so." Cavell had read the transcripts from that. Interrogation was a nice word for brutal torture in Phelan's case. Still, he considered, sometimes there was a place for such behavior.

Senefa abruptly changed course towards the lineup for the Wolves. Cavell followed, mainly to keep her out of trouble. It was highly unlikely the Wolves would appreciate a Jade Falcon anywhere near their hall.

He was right. "Go away, Jade Falcon!" one shouted at Senefa. "This is Wolf ground, not for a featherbrain!" There were laughs from the Wolves: there was no love lost between the Wolves and the Jade Falcons. Senefa ignored the jibe and started going down the line, searching for Phelan, but Cavell stopped her, grabbing her arm. "Hold, Senefa," he told her. "He is right. This is Wolf territory. We are not allowed here." That was not entirely true, as Clans often invited each other into their Halls, but Senefa hardly had an invitation. To the Wolves, it would appear that Senefa was just looking for a fight, and she would get one.

Senefa did as ordered, but she turned to the gathered Wolves. "My Khan is correct. I am merely looking for Phelan." She did not apologize: Jade Falcons did not apologize to anyone, much less a Wolf.

"Oh, she wants to look at our new freebirth pup!" someone laughed from the crowd.

"That must be it!" A female Elemental stepped forward, looming over Senefa. "The Jade Falcons have an interest in freebirths, quiaff? Or at least in being beaten by them!"

In one fluid motion, Senefa kicked the Elemental in the groin. The effect wasn't quite the same as if the Elemental had been male, but it still caught the other woman by surprise, and she bent over in pain, dropping her mask. That brought her head within range of Senefa's fist, and she delivered a savage punch to the side of the Elemental's head. The woman's eyes glazed over, rolled back in her head, and she fell to the ground unconscious. The two strikes were delivered so fast that it took the Wolves a moment to react, but when they did, the crowd pressed forward to tear Senefa apart.

"Star Colonel Senefa Malthus!" Cavell shouted. His voice was one used to command, and it halted both Senefa and the Wolves. "You will withdraw immediately!" Her Bloodname was tainted as it was: he didn't want the latest addition to the Malthus bloodline to end her days being beaten to death by a mob of Wolf warriors.

"Wolves, enough!" A woman twice Cavell's age stepped from the forward part of the line and marched towards them. The mask she carried under one arm was dulled with age, but Cavell noticed that her formal uniform was edged in actual wolf fur rather than the synthetic type that most of the other Wolves wore, which was a very high honor in Clan Wolf society. Despite her age, the woman still moved with purpose and with no hint of being slowed by it. Cavell recognized her and gave a slight bow of the head. Unlike many Clan warriors, he did not regard age as a detriment, but as proof of the old saying to beware an old person in a young person's job. "House Master Cyrilla Ward."

"saKhan Cavell Malthus." Her smile held very little warmth. "This must be Star Colonel Senefa Malthus. I had heard that Adler Malthus' Bloodname had come open and been claimed. Congratulations, Senefa." It was a subtle embarrassment to Senefa by Cyrilla: Adler Malthus had been the commander of the Jade Falcon Guards, which had been annihilated on Twycross…by a single Inner Sphere MechWarrior and a great deal of high explosives. Adler had marched his crack unit into a trap, which made the Bloodname itself lose respect. Normally there would have been dozens of Jade Falcon MechWarriors fighting over it, but Senefa had only faced seven other opponents.

"Thank you, ovkhan." Senefa's voice was emotionless.

"What is the purpose of this?" Cyrilla motioned to the still-unconscious Elemental.

"She insulted me, quiaff?" Senefa said it as if it was painfully obvious.

"Understandable, Star Colonel, but this is our territory," Cyrilla pointed out. "You do not belong here, unless you are invited."

Cavell saw a slight blush of embarrassment on Senefa's cheeks, and knew she was regretting the confrontation. Cyrilla was right. To his pride, however, she did not back down. "I wished to see this Phelan," Senefa explained. "I understand he saved Khan Ulric Kerensky when the Dire Wolf was hit, among other things, such as defeating an Elemental in single combat." She gave a shrug at that, as if defeating an Elemental was a daily occurrence. "Such a freebirth must be ten feet tall, but I do not see him, quiaff?" Cavell fought back a smile at that. There was going to be a Trial of Grievance from this, which could end up in the Malthus Bloodname coming open again sooner than anyone thought, but Senefa had never lost a Trial—except one.

Cyrilla, however, only continued to smile. "Oh, you wish to meet Phelan. Very well, Star Colonel; that can be arranged. Once our Council is over, you may indulge your curosity, if he is formally adopted into the Wolves." She pointed to the ground. "You will have to wait out here, quiaff? We must have this vote first."

"Aff," Senefa replied tightly. Cyrilla had neatly trapped Senefa: she would get to meet Phelan, but at the price of being forced to wait on him: a Bloodnamed Jade Falcon warrior, waiting on a Wolf freebirth. Most of the Wolves realized it, and were grinning at the two Jade Falcons. There was no way Senefa could back down now. Cyrilla gave her a nod, a more respectful one to Cavell, and left.

They watched the Wolves file in, after a group of them had dragged off the weakly moaning Elemental. Neither side said anything further, just glared at each other. Once the Jade Falcons were alone, Cavell said simply, "I will leave you to it," took her mask to put it away, and walked off. Senefa acknowledged his words; she did not expect the second highest-ranking Jade Falcon to wait with her. She fought down anger, but not at the Wolves—at herself. She wanted to see Phelan for one reason, but that could have waited. This was odd behavior for her, and Senefa knew it.

She waited, walking a beat of twenty paces, back and forth. One of the Timber Wolves guarding the Wolf Hall began tracking her with her weapons, but the amused Wolf MechWarrior grew bored with it quickly enough and the 'Mech went back to its idle position. Senefa ignored the 'Mech. Clouds began to gather on the horizon, heralding a storm later. Her arm began to ache, the one that had been broken by Sheila Arla-Vlata. The Clan doctors on Planting had quickly stabilized it after straightening the bone, and Clan medical technology ensured that it was working perfectly within the three weeks it had taken to reach Strana Mechty. They had warned her that it would still ache on occasion, especially when the weather changed. Yet the arm was a minor annoyance to the fact that Senefa had lost.

There was no dishonor in losing in a Circle of Equals. It was the Way of the Clans. The judgement of the Circle was final, and it did not have to end in death. Senefa had never lost a Trial, much less of a Circle of Equals, dating back to the days of her sibko, when she had killed her own trainer for abusing a sibkin for no other reason than rejecting sexual advances. Senefa had been fourteen. No one in the Clan held that against her—in fact, she had been praised for it. A year later, she had broken both legs of a sibkin in a Circle of Equals, fought over an insult, and two nights later had sex with him, what the Clans called coupling. It was an insult for a trueborn Clan warrior to lose to a freebirth one, and moreso to an Inner Sphere one, but Cavell and other Jade Falcons had assured her that the fight was fair, no different from being forced to eject from a burning 'Mech destroyed by an Inner Sphere warrior. That had happened to more Clan MechWarriors than any Clan liked to admit. She certainly received no reprimand for it. Once healed, she tested out for the Bloodname, knocked out or killed the seven other competitors, and became Senefa Malthus. At the same time, she was promoted to Star Colonel and command of the 133rd Falcon Fusiliers. True, Elias Crichell and others might see the Bloodname as tainted, but that was Adler Malthus' fault, not Senefa's.

All of that was true, but Senefa still felt ashamed, embarrassed, and enraged. It wasn't that her opponent had broken her arm, or even won the fight—Senefa, sitting in a hospital bed, had gone over the fight and admitted that she had more lost the Trial than Sheila had won it, allowing herself to be drawn into the trap of thinking her opponent was beaten. No, what made her filled with shame was that Sheila had made Senefa scream. And that, Senefa admitted ruefully to herself, was why she hated Sheila Arla-Vlata and wanted her dead. It was also why she waited in front of the Wolf Hall.

Finally, after what had been nearly an hour—by which time Senefa's arms were both aching—the doors to the Wolf Hall opened, and a single Elemental marched out. It was another woman, wearing the formal Wolf uniform, her head shaved except for a single red braid drawn over one shoulder. Senefa stopped pacing and readied herself: this could be a challenge. In theory, the Elemental could demand an immediate Trial of Grievance. Senefa only had her dagger and the collapsible staff, but that would be enough.

Instead of challenging her, the Elemental came to attention and saluted. "Star Colonel Senefa Malthus?"

"I am she." Senefa returned the salute.

"I am Star Commander Evantha Fetladral. If you would accompany me, House Master Cyrilla Ward wishes to speak with you."

"In there?" Senefa pointed to the Wolf Hall.

"Aff. That is what I am ordered to tell you." Evantha looked less than happy about it.

"Very well, Star Commander—lead on. I am honored."

"You should be," Evantha said, not quite under her breath. She turned and walked back to the Hall, leaving Senefa to catch up to the Elemental's long strides.

Senefa restrained her curiosity as she followed Evantha through wood-lined walls towards the main council chamber. It was laid out similarly to that of the Jade Falcons, though it was clearly older—it was rumored that Nicholas Kerensky himself, the founder of the Clans, had cut the wood that lined the Wolf main chamber hall. Senefa tended not to believe Clan legends, even those of her own Clan, but this one seemed to have the ring of truth. Still, she was careful not to stare like she was some wide-eyed tourist; instead, she tried to keep her eyes locked on the red braid that swung from the back of the Elemental's head. She was surprised that Cyrilla Ward would allow her to do this, and suspected it wasn't just to satisfy a Jade Falcon's curiosity about Phelan. She wondered if it was part of politics—the thing that Senefa, like many soldiers, hated the most.

Most Clan warriors divided themselves into one of two factions: the Crusaders or the Wardens. The Wardens believed they should stay out of the Inner Sphere, and continue to develop the Clans' own culture, only interfering with their former homelands if some nebulous alien threat appeared. The Crusaders believed that the Inner Sphere was hopelessly flawed, the Succession Wars proving that the Houses would never reunite unless they were forced to reunite. The Clans had to step in and save them from themselves. Senefa disdained both factions: she suspected the Wardens were simply afraid the Successor States were too big for the Clans to effectively rule, whereas the Crusaders wanted to replace five dictatorships with one. Neither faction was willing to admit the truth. Senefa disdained both for that reason. She was part of the invasion because her Clan was: she had her orders, and Senefa was glad of the opportunity to test herself against new opponents. Had the Jade Falcons stayed home, she would've been equally satisfied to fight the other Clans, as it had been for centuries. And yet, once more, she was being drawn into that somehow, a pawn for whatever political games Cyrilla Ward was playing—and worse, she had done it to herself.

The main chamber hall was empty, aside from three people on the center dais. Senefa's eyes drifted up to a center screen over the chamber, in front of the aged banners of Clan Wolf. The screen glowed with 460 AYE, 353 NAY, 187 ABSTAIN. So they adopted him formally, Senefa thought. I suppose the saKhan will not be pleased, but that is none of our concern.

"And if that happens?" It was a male voice, his words echoing through the chamber, which naturally had superb acoustics. His back was to her, so all she saw was tousled short black hair.

"Well, Phelan," answered an older, redheaded woman, "you will be home for Christmas, but don't count on recognizing Arc-Royal or any world between here and there." What are they talking about? Senefa asked herself with alarm. Not recognizing worlds? Surely the Wolves are not considering the use of weapons of mass destruction! That is grounds for a Trial of Annihilation, like the Not-Named Clan. Only the Smoke Jaguars would be so foolish.

Cyrilla was the third person on the dais. She turned at their approach and smiled, but still not with any particular warmth as Senefa stepped out from behind the Elemental. "Ah, Star Colonel Senefa Malthus. I hope you did not wait too long, quineg?"

"Neg," Senefa answered.

"This is Natasha Kerensky, whom I ams sure you have heard of." Cyrilla motioned to the redheaded woman.

"I have," is all Senefa said. The two locked eyes for a moment. Senefa was slightly taller, but Natasha's expression was one of contempt. Senefa thought she looked rather good for a woman that had to be in her seventies, at an age when most Clan warriors were dead or working in nurseries.

"And this is Phelan Wolf, the man you have been wanting to meet."

"Hello," Phelan said hesitantly, unsure if he should shake hands with Senefa or even greet her, as Natasha certainly had done neither. He was about her age, handsome enough with a thin but muscular build, but Senefa found him unremarkable. Still, this man had information she needed, so Senefa decided to be polite. "Phelan Wolf," Senefa said, with a slight incline of her head, "congratulations on being welcomed into Clan Wolf. That is not an honor easily given."

Her politeness seemed to surprise the Wolves. "Thank you, Star Colonel," Phelan replied, then glanced at Cyrilla. Too easy to read, Senefa thought. He is unsure of himself, and of me. He will need to learn if he is to survive among us.

"Star Colonel Malthus was just awarded her Bloodname today," Cyrilla explained. "For some reason she wanted to see you. Knowing her reputation, I doubt it was to gloat or to lord her status over you, Phelan. She felt it was important enough to wait outside for our business to conclude here…as well as start a fight with a Wolf Elemental that will likely end in a Trial of Grievance."

"The Elemental insulted me," Senefa shrugged. "It had nothing to do with Phelan Wolf, quiaff?"

"I see," Phelan said, though it was clear that he didn't. "Well, what can I do for you, Star Colonel?"

"And hurry up," Natasha added. "He's not a slab of beef or a circus animal to be gawked at."

"Certainly not, Natasha," Senefa replied, deliberately omitting the older woman's Bloodname or her rank, assuming Kerensky even still had one. "I merely wanted to ask him a few questions about the Lyran Commonwealth, his birthplace."

"What the hell for?" Natasha fumed.

"That is none of your business." Senefa kept her face placid, knowing it would infuriate Kerensky even more.

"I suspect the Star Colonel is less interested in the Lyran Commonwealth as she is a particular MechWarrior from there," Cyrilla said.

"You are very well informed, House Master," Senefa told her. "Aff, a particular warrior. Sheila Arla-Vlata."

"Oh, I get it." Natasha wore a nasty smile. "You want to know more about the girl who beat the hell out of you in that Circle of Equals on Planting." She nudged Cyrilla. "The Inner Sphere learns fast, don't they, 'Ril?"

Senefa gave another shrug, as if it didn't matter to her one way or another. "It is as they say, Phelan Wolf. I was defeated in a Trial of Possession. As this Arla-Vlata is the only person to ever defeat me in a Trial, I wanted to know more about her." She threw a challenging look to Natasha. That is right, old woman. Sheila is the only person I have never defeated. "I am told that you attended the Nagelring with her."

"You want revenge?" Phelan asked.

Yes, Senefa said to herself, but her face was still expressionless. "We will likely meet again, Sheila Arla-Vlata and I, and I wish to not make the mistake of underestimating my opponent twice. If you choose not to answer, I understand—you are not in my chain of command, so I cannot simply order you to."

Phelan paused, then said, "No, I'll—I will tell you, Star Colonel, though I do not know much. We…we moved in different circles at the Nagelring." There was something there, Senefa noticed, something that Phelan didn't want to talk about. "She is a mercenary, as you likely know."

"Aff. She said that she was the daughter of Calla and Arla Bighorn-Vlata, of the Sentinels regiment. I assumed she was from the Lyran Commonwealth, like yourself…or the Federated Commonwealth, as I suppose they call it now. Anything you may know about her is of interest to me."

"She was not particularly popular, but that is not unusual at the Nagelring for mercenary kids. The Kell Hounds are one of the most respected units in the Inner Sphere, and even I caught hell. Her best friend was a girl named Mimi Stykkis…and there was another Sentinel there, a big, muscular guy named Terrence." Phelan corrected himself. "Tooriu. That's right, he had a weird name. They were nice enough to me, I suppose."

Senefa wondered if the man who had caught her staff then contemptously thrown it at her feet when she was being pulled out of the Circle was this Tooriu. "This is not telling me much, quineg?"

"I did not know her very well, Star Colonel," Phelan shot back. "But she took first in the quarterstaff category at the Nagelring martial arts competition in our junior year."

That caused Senefa to fight down a rueful smile. "Aff, I noticed that."

"I think she was on the school gymnastics team for our freshman year. I remember she was very short and thin at that point, but she, well…filled out." Phelan chuckled. "I do not know about her grades or anything, though I do know she was not a party person." Seeing the confusion in all but Kerensky's face, Phelan explained, "A lot of the Nagelring students like to drink and do rather stupid things on weekends. It is not condoned, but it is part of the academy society, Star Colonel."

"Can't be a warrior all the time," Kerensky stated. "Though I think many among the Clans would disagree." She was looking right at Senefa when she said it.

"So a gymnast, a martial artist, and someone devoted to her studies. Commendable," Senefa observed. "Did you ever face her in simulations?"

"Once or twice. I do not remember who won. She prefers to fight in heavy 'Mechs, whereas I am a light 'Mech pilot, mostly. Most Inner Sphere warriors like to get in close; she is no different, as I recall."

"Personality?"

Phelan was clearly starting to get tired of Senefa's prodding. "As I have said, Star Colonel, I did not know her well."

"There is something you are not telling me, Phelan Wolf." Steel entered Senefa's voice now.

"Maybe it's none of your damn business either," Natasha snapped.

"If it is information that could be vital to myself, and to extension my Clan and yours, then it is my business, Natasha. Quiaff?" Senefa replied.

"You back off, little bird, or I'll clip your wings!" Natasha snarled.

"If you are challenging me, Natasha, then I will accommodate you." Senefa put her hands behind her back. "I am willing to fight you, despite your lack of rank among the Wolves…and given your advanced age." Senefa was able to show no pleasure in watching Kerensky seethe, though she certainly felt it. "However, I must also add that if Phelan Wolf is withholding information, then I must inform my Khans of it. This could come up in the Grand Council, where I now hold a vote." That is right, Wolves, Senefa thought. I may disdain politics, but I will use it when necessary.

"Answer the question, Phelan," Cyrilla sighed.

"I need not know the details, quiaff?" Senefa told him. "I do not seek pleasure in your discomfort."

Phelan took a deep breath. "To be honest, Star Colonel, I didn't like Sheila Arla-Vlata. She tried too hard to be something she wasn't, and won't ever be. We weren't rivals or enemies, but I didn't like her attitude." Senefa noticed that Phelan was no longer trying to control his language, using the contractions that the Clans disdained as uncouth. "As you may know, Star Colonel, I was expelled from the Nagelring. I did something that put me in front of a review board over my actions. Sheila was the deciding vote to the review board finding me guilty of a crime I didn't really commit, and I was expelled because of it."

"Aff, I understand. Do you bear a grudge?"

"Not really," Phelan answered. "I think I'll leave that to you, Star Colonel."

"Your language," Senefa cautioned, though she added to herself that Phelan was learning fast. "I thank you for the information, Phelan—bargained well and done. I wish you luck and skill in your quest to test out as a MechWarrior."

"Don't you want to be one of his opponents?" Kerensky needled her.

"Neg," Senefa answered. "I would hate to deprive the Wolves of a skilled warrior. They will need all they can get, quaiff?" She turned away from Kerensky and bowed to Cyrilla. "House Master, thank you for the honor and opportunity to see this superb Hall and speak with your newest warrior. Good day." She spun on one heel, walked past Evantha, and strode from the chamber. Once she was sure none of the Wolves could see her, Senefa smiled.

AUTHOR'S ADDITIONAL NOTES: Uh oh.

Naturally this messes with Battletech canon (like the rest of these fanfics). Adler Malthus' Bloodname was actually taken by Taman Malthus, the Elemental that allies with Kai Allard on Alyina in Lost Destiny. Of course, that's in the future, and that doesn't mean Taman won't still get that Bloodname. This is also the only time I get to write Natasha Kerensky, though Phelan will show up again.

Next it's back to Outreach for more training. This is a Battletech story and we haven't had a 'Mech fight yet...