(c)1995 Robert Madson and Craig A. Reed Jr.

Duel
by
Capt. Gordon R. Wozniak

A Clan Mechwarrior walks into a bar . . . Sounds like the
beginning of a joke, doesn't it? Well, not this time. When
this joker walked into the bar, it ended with a duel. But I
should start at the beginning.

The Annul Bar is in the city of Mallory's Keep, on
Antietam. It's supposed to be a replica of a type of old
Earth bar that's called a pub. Inside, the oaken beams,
wooden tables and soft lighting combine to give the place a
cozy feeling. The only jarring exceptions to the feel are
certain reminders of the outside world, like the large
Kuritan banner that hangs behind the bar, the spoils of a
raid years ago. Several pieces of 'Mech armor, tarnished by
age, yet still showing the insignia of the dead 'Mech's
unit, were scattered about the walls. To some, it's a little
uncomfortable, but to us it's home.

It's the favorite bar of my outfit, Mallory's Headhunters,
for several reasons. First, it's near the entrance of the
old keep that houses our HQ when we're on planet. Second, it
serves great food and drink at decent prices. And third, and
most important, it's owned by one of us, Sergeant Major
Grady Hachkaser (Ret.), a man who keeps us well-supplied
with drink and advice on anything, asked for or not.

The four of us, Mikki, Tony, Corlin, and myself, had managed
to snag our favorite booth in the back, away from the bar
itself, in order to quietly celebrate several things. One
reason was that we were finally getting some down time at
home after two years of playing tag with Clanners. Another
was that we would be staying for a while, training some
newbies in the fine arts of mayhem and 'Mech-bashing. The
final reason to celebrate was my promotion to Captain.

"How did old 'Happy' Hart take the fact they promoted you?",
asked Mikki with a lopsided grin.

"Major Hart took it the same way she takes everything that
involves me," I replied, sipping my beer. " She scowled at
me in her sweet and gentle way and threatened to shoot me if
I got out of line."

That brought a round of chuckles from everyone, including
Corlin. In the last few years, our ex-Clan warrior had
loosened up a lot, though he was still pretty reserved.
Right now, he was well on his way to snagging the four slot
in my new Command Lance, so the next time we went out, he
would be going with us.

"Who's turn to buy the beer ?" I asked, trying not to look
guilty.

"Yours," replied the three of them in unison.

"Figures," I said in a wounded tone.

"Hey, boss, look at it this way," said Tony as I stood up.
"You're now making enough to pay off your bar tab."

"Not if I have to buy you guys beer all the time," I shot
back over my shoulder, as I made my way through the tables
to the bar.

Grady himself was behind the bar, a short, wiry man with a
bald head and a hook nose. He smiled at my approach, and
asked for my order.

I placed my order, three Golden Lion beers and a bottle of
Fulgar's for myself, and stood there talking to Grady for
several minutes. The conversation had just gotten around to
my bar tab, and when it was going to be paid off, when the
front door slammed open and two giants stepped in. They
stood there like a pair of oversized bookends for a few
seconds, then stood aside to let a normal-size human through
the door. If the two Elementals hadn't been a giveaway, the
joker who strode in couldn't have been mistaken for anything
but a Clan warrior. He was slightly shorter than me, but
broader. His dark hair was cut close to the scalp, which
revealed a mass of fine scars running across his skull. A
green Falcon was tattooed on his left cheek, which didn't
leave any doubt what outfit he was a part of. His features,
battered and scarred from years of combat, were screwed up
as if he smelled something bad. A slim blonde followed him
in, her expression tempered with anxiety, and stood next to
the Elementals by the front door.

The Clanner looked around in disgust, staring at each person
in the room one at a time. He made eye contact with me, and
I stared back at him with a look of disdain, and I smiled as
he broke eye contact first. He finished giving the room and
its occupants the once-over, then headed for my lancemates
in the corner.

By a quirk of fate, we were the only Mechwarriors in the bar
at the time. The rest of the patrons that night were a mix
of techs, off-duty infantry, and others that weren't human
in the eyes of most Clanners. No, this jerk was looking for
a fight, and he picked my lance for it.

He stood there at the table for several seconds, looking
over my friends like he was picking out a clean pair of
socks. He zeroed in on Corlin and spoke in a voice that
dripped scorn. "It is you, Corlin, quiaff?"

"It is," Corlin replied in a low voice, meeting the
newcomer's gaze. "What brings you here, Tosig ?"

Tosig's smile was cold and bleak as he replied, "I am just
looking around. I like to know where freebirth scum hide
when they are not in battle."

"You will not find what you are looking for."

"Are you so certain?" The sneer was completely in place now.
"That is a revelation coming from such a poor excuse of a
warrior."

"I was beaten in battle, in fair fight." His tone of voice
was a clear signal that the poor kid was on the verge of
challenging this joker to combat.

"Perhaps." Tosig look at the others at the table, then
zeroing in on Mikki. "Or perhaps there were . . . other
reasons ?" The tone in his voice left no doubt of what he
was implying.

I saw Mikki's face redden, which meant one of two things.
Either she was embarrassed, which I don't think she's been
since she was twelve, or she was getting mad, which meant in
about ten seconds, this joker was going to be digesting
eight inches of steel the hard way. And with the looks that
Tony and Corlin were giving Tosig, they weren't going to
stop her. Just then, I could see Mikki's hand disappearing
under the table.

The loss of Tosig wouldn't keep me awake, but I really
didn't want to explain to the Colonel why we had a Clan
stiff on our hands. You see, Mallory's Headhunters aren't a
merc unit. We're part of the Household Guard for the Duke of
Antietam, and Colonel Mallory is the Duke's son and heir. We
can get away with a lot in the field, but at home, it's our
duty to act as proper representatives of the Duke's
government. So I did what I thought was right at the time.

"HEY ! TIN FACE !", I yelled. "YOUR FATHER KNEW YOUR MOTHER
!"

That got his attention. He turned slowly, his face twisted
in anger. "Were you talking to me?" he asked in a low,
menacing tone.

"No, I was talking to the wall," I replied. "But the wall's
got more sense then you, and doesn't talk back."

He took two steps towards me, the arrogant sneer replaced by
fury. "You . . . dare . . . speak . . . to . . . ME . . .
like . . . that?" he bellowed, spitting out each word like
an autocannon round. "I am Star Captain Tosig of the--"

"I don't care if you're General Kerensky himself," I shot
back, "You've no right to walk in here, make lewd
suggestions about my people, and generally act like a
spoiled two-year-old. You've got two choices here." I held
up my finger. "You can walk out of here with your pet
Neanderthals, climb back on your dropship, blast off, and
never set foot on Antietam again." I held up a second
finger. "Or you can be carried back to your dropship by your
pet Neanderthals. Now, which will it be ?"

It took him all of two seconds to make up his mind. With a
bellow that would have done an elephant proud, he charged
me. His first kick would have finished me right there had I
stayed. As it was, I barely moved in time, and I heard wood
splinter as his kick connected with the bar. He spun back
towards me in time to catch two hard lefts and a right
uppercut that snapped his head back. He staggered, his eyes
unfocused and glazed. In a flash, they refocused on me, and
the hate and contempt in them burned even brighter than
before.

He attacked me again, this time more deliberately. He caught
me with a hard left to the jaw, followed by a right hook to
the ribs. I stepped back, and as he threw an overhand right
for my head, I stepped inside, grabbed his right wrist and
upper arm and used a good old judo throw to toss him onto a
nearby table with enough impact to collapse it.

As I moved forward to finish the job, a huge pair of arms
pinned my arms to my side. I thought an Elemental had joined
in and began to struggle, but the voice bellowing in my ear
was a familiar one:

"CAPTAIN WOZNIAK! IT'S ME, SERGEANT MAJOR DREGONOV. STOP
FIGHTING. IT'S OVER. "

It took a moment for Dregonov's voice to penetrate my skull,
but when it did, I relaxed. Dregonov slowly released me, and
I turned to him and said, "Thank you, Sergeant Major. I
think I'm all right now."

"That remains to be seen," came a voice from behind
Dregonov, and inside I groaned. The last person I wanted to
see was Colonel Mallory, but he has a habit of being in the
middle of anything that involves the Headhunters, no matter
where or when.

The Colonel stepped around Dregonov and looked at me as if
deciding what to do with me. Finally, after several seconds
of intense scrutiny, the Colonel spoke in a low, calm tone.

"Would you care to explain your actions here, Captain?"
Our Colonel never shouts, but I've seen enough people wilt
under his quiet voice and his cold blue eyes to make me wish
I was somewhere else right now, like a combat drop onto
Luthien.

His eyes never left me as I explained. When I finished, the
Colonel glanced over to Grady, who was still behind the bar.
Grady nodded slowly in agreement, and the Colonel refocused
his attention on me.

"I see.", he said in that same calm voice, looking at me
thoughtfully. "Anything to add?"

"No sir."

"Very well." He turned to Dregonov. "Sergeant Major, see to
the....guests." Dregonov, who's big enough to be mistaken
for an Elemental, nodded his bald head once, and moved of to
take care of the problem.

For the first time since the fight started, I took the time
to look around and get my bearings. Tosig was beginning to
come around, aided by one of our medics and the blonde Clan
Mechwarrior. The twin bookends were standing in the middle
of a group of hard-faced security types who were just
praying for an excuse to get in some target practice. The
rest of the patrons were being herded out into the night,
leaving just my lancemates, the Clanners, and the Colonel's
response team in the bar.

"Captain Wozniak, get cleaned up and report to me in one
hour," said the Colonel. "Bring your lancemates and we will
figure out what happened here tonight."

I nodded, saluted, and walked over to where Mikki, Tony,
and Corlin were. The relief on their faces was clear, as
well as a couple of smiles. Just as I opened my mouth to
speak, a bellow broke the low murmur that had been the only
sound in the room.

"WOZNIAK!"

The medic, his job done, was leaving. But Tosig was already
looking for a rematch. He stood there, bloody, battered, but
still dangerous. In fact, the only thing keeping him from
continuing was the other Clan Mechwarrior. She held him
around the waist, trying to pull him away and not
succeeding. He was screaming my name like a curse, and I
thought we would have round two right there.

"You are a dead man!" Tosig screamed at me, slowly moving
towards me, dragging his companion along like baggage.
His eyes were wild, and his face was a deep red hue. Gone
was any resemblance to the arrogant Clan warrior that had
stalked in here earlier. Instead, a crazed, barely human
killer stood in his place, wanting my blood.

The Colonel stepped between us before Tosig could reach me.
The two of them locked eyes, and stood there for a minute,
each waiting for the other to back down. As I watched, the
mad gleam in Tosig's eyes slowly faded, and sanity flowed in
to replace it. He relaxed and took a step back, and his
partner released her death-grip from around his waist.

"Are you through?", asked the Colonel.

"I am." A touch of the arrogance came back into his voice.
"And who are you ?"

"Colonel Ian Mallory."

"Is he your man?", Tosig asked, pointing at me.

"He is."

"Then I challenge him, here and now, to combat. I am Star
Commander Tosig of the 305th Assault Cluster, of Clan Jade
Falcon. I have participated in four planetary invasions,
seventy-four battles, and have thirty six kills to my
credit. What say you to this ?"

Everyone stared at him in shock, myself included. There was
silence in the room for several seconds before the Colonel
replied. "I say no."

Tosig looked at the Colonel with surprise. "Do you speak for
him ?"

"I do."

"Then shall I challenge you instead, since you claim
responsibility for his actions?" That arrogant smile was
back, as if it hadn't left. "Or are you Headhunters truly
craven cowards, not worthy of an honorable death?" Clearly,
Tosig was in crying need of an attitude adjustment.

The only sign that this insult had struck home was the
Colonel's hands balling up into fists. There are painless
ways of committing suicide, but calling a Headhunter a
coward wasn't one of them, and the Colonel had clearly taken
all he was going to from Tosig. The only thing I could think
was that a smug son-of-a-slug like Tosig wouldn't be so
anxious if he was planning to fight fair, and I was a lot
more expendable than the future Duke of Antietam.

So, before the Colonel decided to cure Tosig of his nasty
habit of breathing, I stepped forward, and stood next to the
Colonel. "I am Captain Gordon Wozniak. I have twenty-six
kills to my credit, three of which were of Clan Jade Falcon.
I accept your challenge. Five days from now, on Battle
Island." Battle Island was the training ground that the
Headhunters used, a chunk of land in the northern sea of
Antietam. It would be the perfect place for a fight, with no
civilians to get in the way.

"Agreed." Tosig's smile was large, and I wondered for a
moment if this wasn't the reason for coming in here in the
first place. He strode past me, the blonde following him
like a lost puppy. The pair of Elementals fell in behind
them and the four Clanners marched out the door and into the
night.

I turned to find almost everyone staring at me as if I had
just declared my undying love for Natasha Kerensky. Even the
Colonel, who is not a man to show any strong emotion in
public, looked at me in surprise. The only three who didn't
look at me like that were my lancemates. Mikki and Tony had
resigned looks on their faces that said "here we go again,"
while Corlin wore an expression that was part concern, part
thoughtful.

"What's the problem?", I asked the Colonel.

"I said no." His eyes were boring through me now, and the
implications of what I had just done sent a chill into me.
But I was in it, and I don't like to back down.

"I'm sorry Colonel," I replied "But there's no way that
genetic freak with a bloated ego is going to walk into OUR
bar and insult all of US with impunity." I shot a glance at
Corlin. "Sorry, Corlin, no offense meant."

"Insults I can live with," shot back the Colonel. "Dead
warriors I can't." He directed his attention to Corlin. "Is
there any way to call this off?"

Corlin shook his head. "Only the combatants can, and not
without good reason. To do otherwise would brand the one who
called it off as a coward, and not worthy to be a warrior."

The Colonel swore under his breath. He then said "How well
do you know this Tosig?"

"I know of him, I do not know him personally. He was
considered at one time a ristar . . . er, a Mechwarrior with
great promise for a Bloodname. But he has somehow failed to
earn a Bloodname. I do know this; there is something is
wrong with Tosig."

"What?"

"His anger that he displayed towards Captain Wozniak. I have
never seen a Clan Mechwarrior become so angry before. Anger
like that would never be permitted in a warrior, because it
is a weakness that a Clan warrior cannot afford."

"For the record, what does he pilot?", I asked.

"A Summoner, or what you would call a Thor. He favors the
primary version." It was my turn to curse under my breath.
I had still my Rattlesnake, but it wouldn't stand a chance
against a Thor one-on-one. I started to speak, but the
Colonel cut me off.

"Enough of this. Captain, go clean up. I want you and the
rest of your happy little crew in my office in fifty
minutes. We've got a long night ahead of us."

***************

I won't bore you with the details of the meeting. It was
long, tiresome, and nothing major came out of it. The only
thing we agreed upon was Corlin volunteering to be the
go-between for Tosig and myself. By the time the meeting
broke up, the sun was just coming up, and we all headed for
our bunks.

After several hours of sleep, a late breakfast, and a very
cold shower, I walked down to the 'Mech bays to have a talk
with the Headhunters' senior tech, Ivan "I. V." MacGregger.

I found him in his office, a small room just inside the main
door of the largest 'Mech bay. The office itself was in its
usual state, which meant paper was everywhere. A pot of the
used coolant which passes for coffee down there was warming
on top of on old-fashioned filing cabinet which was older
then the entire tech force put together. Old pictures and
schematics dotted the walls like wallpaper, and a calendar
that was twenty years out of date hung in the place of honor
over the desk.

MacGregger is short and broad, with a bushy beard shot
through with gray. He was wearing dirty overalls and a
battered baseball cap over his closely cropped hair. He
glanced up at me quizzically, a mass of papers in his hand.

"Yeah?" he growled.

"I need your help. I--"

"You need something that can take on a Thor Primary piloted
by a madman Clansman, right ?"

I nodded slowly, remembering that several of MacGregger's
people had been in the bar. "Any chance of modifying my
Rattlesnake for it?"

"There's no way short of rebuilding the entire 'Mech to even
attempt it. What you need is something bigger. Coffee?"

I declined the coffee. "Like what?"

He leaned back in his chair, the springs protesting every
inch of the way. "Hmm...let's see." His eyes closed for a
moment as he sorted through his mind. Suddenly his eyes open
and he smiled. "Got it."

"What?"

"What you need." He stood up, and strode to the doorway. At
his bellow, a lanky tech came running, and after a quick
conversation in low tones, sprinted off again. MacGregger
turned to me with a big smile on his face, poured himself a
cup of coffee, and sat down again. "It's going to take a
couple of minutes for Jonesy to bring it around, so I'll
tell you something about it."

"What is it?",I asked in irritation.

"It's a 'Mech called the Claymore. It's seventy-five tons,
good firepower, decent armor, almost as fast as the Thor. We
bought one a couple of years ago as a backup 'Mech, and
haven't had a reason to use it yet."

"What do you mean by good firepower?"

MacGregger shrugged his shoulders. "Gauss rifle, LRM
fifteen-rack, extended-range large laser, and four medium
lasers just in case your opponent wants to get in close with
you."

I gave a low whistle, and was about to ask MacGregger more
when Corlin stuck his head in the office door. It was clear
that he was upset about something, so I got up and went
outside to talk to him.

"What is it?" I asked, hoping it wasn't more bad news.

"I talked to Tanni, who is acting as Tosig's second. She was
the one who was with him last night. According to her, on
every planet they have landed on since they left Jade Falcon
territory, Tosig has challenged someone to a duel. So far,
he has won them all, but he has not acted as a warrior of
the Clans."

"So this joker has a death wish and acts like a spoiled
brat, so what?"

Corlin took a deep breath and launched into an explanation.
"According to Tanni, he has violent mood swings that are
becoming more and more extreme. The last duel he fought, he
repeatedly smashed the cockpit of his opponent, long after
his opponent was dead. A Clan Warrior would not do such a
thing, were he sane."

"So you're telling that Tosig is out of his mind ?"

"It is my belief that yes, he is insane."

I cursed for several seconds, none of which are printable.
"Can't Tanni restrain him?"

"She has neither the authority nor the skill to restrain
him."

Just then, a 'Mech made its way clear of the bays and strode
over to where we were standing. It stopped ten meters from
us, and stood there, a monument to technology. I had never
seen this type of 'Mech before, so I figured it was the
Claymore. The massive right arm was sporting a barrel that
just had to be the gauss rifle, and I could see the missile
launcher perched on the left shoulder. Several openings in
the torso marked the positions of the lasers. It was
definitely the right 'Mech for the job ahead.

MacGregger walked up behind us. "What do you think ?"

"It's perfect," I replied. "Don't bother to gift-wrap it,
just sent it over to the training area before tomorrow
morning." I turned to Corlin. "So it's up to me and the
Claymore here to restrain him, is it? Oh, wonderful." I
grabbed Corlin by the arm. "C'mon, first we see the Colonel
about your news, then I need one last drink before I start
training."

**************

The next three days were a blur. The early mornings would
find me in the cockpit of the Claymore, putting it through
its paces. A quick lunch, and I was back in the Claymore,
this time running simulated combats against Mikki and Tony.
In the evenings, Corlin would go over everything he knew
about Tosig and the Thor 'Mech class. Then it was early to
bed, and next morning the whole thing started over.

During that time Corlin ironed out all the details of the
duel with Tanni, who was acting as Tosig's second. The duel
would take place in a narrow canyon near the middle of
Battle Island call Rook's Gash. Tosig and myself would be
dropped off at opposite ends of the Gash, and from there we
would move into the canyon and try to kill each other like
civilized people.

Corlin also discovered how a group of Clan warriors had
gotten past the treaty line in the first place. It seems
they had bribed a minor official on one of the worlds
bordering the Clan zone, who gave them official FedCom
citizenship. When the Colonel heard about this, he headed
straight for the comm center to put a message on the next
Jumpship for New Avalon. That "minor official" would be
lucky if he was allowed an oxygen ration on the way to
prison.

On the day of the duel, I awoke early, took a long hot
shower, and got dressed. Mikki and Tony were waiting for me
outside, both of them somber in the dawn's light. We didn't
say much as we walked to the Leopard dropship that would
take us to the island. At the dropship, a large group had
gathered to see me off, including Corlin, the Colonel, and
even Major Hart. Most murmured encouragement of the "good
luck" and "show that Clanner who's boss" type, while some
just shook my hand in silence. It felt more like a wake then
a sendoff, and I hoped everything would improve from there.

We lifted off and headed north. Seventy minutes later,
Battle Island came into view. It's a barren, desolate place,
mostly rock and dirt, that has nothing to offer farmer,
miner, or homesteader. That's the main reason why it
functions as our full-scale training area, where we can go
all-out without having to worry about civilians.

By the time the dropship reached the northern end of Rook's
Gash, I was already in the cockpit of the Claymore, powering
up. Hooked into the dropship's video feeds, I watched with
one eye as the rocky surface of the landing area grew larger
and larger, finally turning to black as the ship landed. As
the dropship settled, the massive door to my bay opened,
flooding the cockpit with sunlight. I waited until the
canopy adjusted for the light before I stepped outside.

Sheer rock walls rose both to my left and right, framing
the narrow twisting path that lay ahead of me. The entrance
to the Gash itself was hidden in deep shadow, like an
unspeakable creature waiting for its prey. Despite the fact
it was daylight, I felt a chill go through me, the type of
feeling that hides in the back of every person's mind, no
matter how "advanced" they are. For the first time since
that night in the bar, I realized what I had really done. I
had challenged a warrior from a society where "very good" is
considered a disappointment, and average warriors don't even
make it out of training. Had I really lost my mind, to be
doing this ?

"Yo, boss, speak to me." Tony's voice sounded concerned, and
it took me several seconds to respond.

"I'm still here," I replied with more confidence then I
felt.

Tony let a sigh of relief. "I thought for a moment you had
gone south on us."

"Not yet anyway. I was just wondering how I got myself into
this."

"The same way we get into everything, Boss. At full speed
with our eyes closed."

"Tell me about it." I started to move towards the canyon
entrance. "Any sign of our friend?"

"Radar had a dropship landing at the south entrance of the
Gash ten minutes before we touched down.", replied Mikki,
who was up in the dropship's cockpit with the pilot.

"So he's shown up." The entrance slowly defined itself in
the shadows, and I could just make out the path ahead of me.
"How are the odds running ?" I knew that somebody would be
betting on this battle, and I knew that my lancemates would
be right in the middle of it.

Tony was silent for a moment before he spoke. "Not good,
boss. Odds the last I heard were five to two in favor of
Tosig turning you into a memory."

"Well, kick in 50 C-bills for me," I replied.

"Already did, Woz.", said Mikki.

"Any more good news before I go into this ?" I asked in a
sarcastic tone.

"Negatory, boss. Only Mikki, Corlin, and I wish you a lot of
luck, and may St. Cameron guide your aim."

Now I know I'm in trouble, I thought with a small grin, if
Tony is calling in the saints. "Copy, Tony, and thanks."

By now, I had made it through the narrow passage and found
myself in Rook's Gash. The Gash itself is a long, roughly
rectangular canyon with a few low scrub bushes, and a
shallow pond full of scummy water near the middle. Several
dozen rock formations, most higher than a 'Mech, dotted the
landscape like a forgotten set of children's blocks.
I moved through the valley, picking my way slowly. Just as I
reached the middle of the canyon, the sensors warned me to
check to my right. As I did, a glint of metal caught my eye
from some rocks about two hundred and fifty meters away.

Tosig's Thor, painted in a dusty brown to match the
surrounding rock, opened fire first. The particle beam
missed me by scant inches, but the missiles and the
submunitions from his autocannon peppered my armor, sending
me staggering back a step. My reply was slightly off
balance, and only my missiles connected with the Thor,
hitting him in the legs and lower torso as he ran off to my
left.

Before he could fire again, I hit the jump jets and landed
behind a pile of rocks, out of sight. A quick survey of the
monitors showed moderate damage across the front of my
'Mech, but nothing serious. I had just begun to move again
when the tacomm channel Tosig and I had agreed on crackled
to life.

It was Tosig, crowing like a rooster. "Where are you,
coward?" he said in a sickly sweet voice. "You do not want
to play anymore, quineg?"

I didn't answer, but darted out from behind the rocks at a
full run. Three hundred meters to my left, the Thor wheeled
toward me, caught by surprise. In the ensuing exchange, I
took a solid PPC hit in the left torso, as well as more
missiles in the legs. My gauss round struck the Thor in the
right arm, while my missiles peppered his legs and torso.
Before he could fire again, I made the cover of another rock
formation.

For the next several minutes, it was a game of hide and
seek, a nerve-racking experience as we each tried to guess
where the other was. MADs were useless because of the high
metallic content of the rocks, so both of us had to rely on
sight and experience. Both of us were hurting, and it
wouldn't be long before one of us got a decisive shot, but
Tosig had skill and the better 'Mech. I had to rely on the
Claymore's slight advantage in weight, and my knowledge of
the Gash, and that wasn't enough for me. The sniping we were
doing were taking a slow, steady toll on the 'Mechs and our
nerves. After Tosig's first round of insults, the channel
between us remained silent, adding to the eerie feeling this
fight was taking on.

I was standing behind a rock formation, deciding what I was
going to do next, when I heard a growl. I glanced around,
looking for the source, and realized it was coming from the
open channel between Tosig and myself. I felt my pulse
quicken as Tosig, who had forgotten his open mike, growled
again, an inhuman sound that set my teeth on edge. An angry
sound, full of hate . . .

A passage from Sun Tzu, the ancient Chinese war philosopher,
came to me, regarding the five traits that are dangerous in
generals--"Those that are quick to anger can be shamed." The
memories of the bar fight, of his insane rage, only
reinforced the idea that was forming in my mind.

Wasting no time, I turned my mike on. "Hey! Toecheese!" I
yelled. "Call yourself the superior warrior? You're a
superman, alright--super stupid, super irritating, and super
ugly."

The growls got louder, so I continued. "What's the matter?
Can't find one lowly Inner Sphere warrior you can beat up
on?"

A bellow fully the equal of the one in the bar threatened to
puncture my eardrums, and forced me to turn down the sound.
For a second, I felt sympathy, but that was washed away by
the reality of the situation. I stepped away from the rocks,
into the open.

The Thor had its back to me, several hundred meters away. By
the jerky motion of the 'Mech, it was clear that Tosig was
not in control of himself. Part of me wanted to fire without
warning and dump everything into his back, but another part
of me said into the tacomm in a low clear voice, "I'm behind
you, Star Commander."

Tosig turned quickly, firing as he turned. Despite his
anger, or maybe because of it, the Claymore shuddered under
the full assault of the Thor's firepower. The status board
flashed red as several missiles penetrated the weak left
torso armor and took out one of my medium lasers, while the
ERPPC nearly took off my left arm.

It wasn't one-sided, however. The ERPPC and most of his
right arm went spinning away, and the Claymore's ER large
laser bit deeply into the Thor's right leg, sending molten
metal in every direction. My missile swarm impacted high on
the chest of the Clan 'Mech, and his missile launcher slowly
fell away and hit the ground. The Thor staggered back
several steps, smoke and fragments pouring from it.

"Finished?", I asked coldly. "Or do you want more ?"

"Never!" Tosig croaked. "I will not . . . be . . . beaten by
. . . a freebirth !"

"Face facts, Star Commander. You're beaten, only you're too
proud to admit it. Surrender now, and you'll be treated
fairly."

"NOOOOOO!" With that as his battle cry, he charged me,
firing wildly with the only weapon he had left, the
autocannon. I held my ground, part of me not believing this,
the other part coolly lining up the Thor in my sights.

I waited until he closed the gap to less than two hundred
meters before I opened fire. The gauss round blew apart the
right kneecap, dropping the 'Mech onto its face. As the
'Mech fell, the large laser and missiles cut deep into the
torso and finished the job. For several seconds, I just
stood there, watching the fallen 'Mech. Exhaustion, more
than elation, swept over me as I radioed the waiting medevac
teams to come in.

*************

Grady was nice enough to close the bar down for us that
night, so we could privately celebrate my victory. The four
of us were sitting at our favorite table, drinking and
talking about the fight, trying to determine the turning
point. When I explained what happened when I started
insulting him, Corlin shook his head.

"I cannot believe that an experienced warrior would fall to
insults so easily," he said, sipping his beer. "Especially
one who is a Star Commander."

Mikki shrugged "From what I've seen of Tosig, I wouldn't
think him capable of leading ducks to water."

"I mean his anger." Corlin looked puzzled. "Someone who gets
angry like Tosig did would not keep command long, because he
would be killed, be it on the battlefield or in a Circle of
Equals. Also, no one of the Bloodnamed would sponsor him,
for fear of contaminating the gene pool. It is a mystery."

"A mystery that we have an answer for," replied the Colonel,
as he strode over to our table. "May I join you?"

We all turned around in surprise, because we hadn't heard
him come in. Space was quickly made, and soon the Colonel
was sitting with us, a drink in one hand, a folder in the
other. He tossed the folder onto the table.

"What is it?", asked Tony.

"Tosig's medical report," replied the Colonel.

I looked at the folder with distaste. Despite his suicidal
last charge, Tosig had survived, though not without serious
injuries. I remembered watching the techs cutting the
Clanner out of his cockpit and hurrying him to the waiting
VTOL and the hospital. I wondered if I was going to have to
do this all over again once Tosig recovered.

"What does it say ?", I asked, trying not to let my feelings
touch my voice.

"Beside the injuries you inflicted on him? A lot. Like the
reason for Tosig's rages."

"Which is?"

"Brain tumor." he let those two words sink in before he
continued. "Tosig had a malignant tumor that would have
killed him in another year. As it was, the tumor was in the
right place to put pressure on the brain, causing irrational
mood swings, including anger."

"So why didn't the Clan med-techs remove it?", Mikki asked.
"They can't have been so blind to have missed it."

Corlin shook his head slowly. "It would have been seen as a
waste of resources. Tosig is close to the end of his useful
life as a front-line warrior, and would soon be transferred
to one of the second-line units. And not much is wasted on
those units."

"But why this?" questioned Tony. "Why let a terminally-ill
man go around challenging anyone he can find, and killing
them ?"

"Suicide is considered a coward's way out." said Corlin.
"Tosig was not looking for victory, he was looking for a
honorable way to die."

We were silent for a moment, allowing that last simple
statement to sink in. Tosig wanted to die as he had lived,
as a warrior, not in some bed slowly and painfully. No one
should have to make a decision like that, and I hope to the
Higher Being that I never do.

"What about the tumor?," asked Mikki. "Are our docs going to
leave it there too ?"

The Colonel glanced down at his chronometer. "They removed
it an hour ago," he announced. "They expect him to
completely recover."

"Well, that's just fine," I snapped. "Then what do I do ?
Wait for him to insult me into another duel?"

"No need. You beat him in fair combat, so he's in the same
boat as Corlin here. Also, Tanni is staying, as is the
dropship and the Elementals."

I looked at him, puzzled. "Why ?"

The Colonel stared back at me. "Didn't Corlin tell you ?"
"Tell me what?" I had a sneaking suspicion that I wasn't
sure I wanted to hear.

"Because of your victory, the Headhunters are now two Clan
pilots, two 'Mechs, a point of Elementals, and a dropship
better off."

I sat for a moment, mouth open. "Corlin, what did you
promise them if I lost?"

Corlin looked at me seriously and said, "My friend, you do
not want to know."