BLAINE LEE PARDOE

IMBALANCE OF POWER On the faraway Clan Homeworlds during the Golden Century, Nicholas Kerenskys vision of the Clans has blossomed into a thriving, varied culture where the warrior is esteemed above alland MechWarriors, in their armored war machines, are at the pinnacle of Clan hierarchy. The eighteen Clans have existed in relative technological parity as welluntil the day Clan Coyote fields a radical new Mech that gives them the edge on any battlefieldthe OmniMech. Supremely customizable thanks to its modular design, the OmniMech threatens to upend the delicate balance of power among the Clansand its secrets become a hotly contested prize. In the annual Trial of Possession for the OmniMech technology, the Jade Falcons have won the right to challenge the Coyotes first. But along with the upcoming Mech battle, a shadowy force is willing to do whatever is necessary to ensure that the Falcons succeedeven if it requires the sacrifice of cherished ideals

A RACE TO VICTORYTerra. Birthplace of humankind. Cradle of the Inner Sphere. For centuries, it has been the Clans ultimate prize. As prophesied by their founder, Nicholas Kerensky, the Clan that conquers Terra shall ascend above all others to become the ilClan, ruler over the rest of the Clans. And its leader shall become the ilKhan, and will lead the Inner Sphere into a new era.And now, nearly a century after the Clan Invasion, two Clans race to be the first to reach Terra. On one side is Alaric Ward, Khan of Clan Wolf, a brilliant warrior and complex mix of the best of the Clans and the Inner Sphere. He comes to save the Inner Sphere from itself, intending to construct a new empire among the stars. His main adversary is Chingis Khan Malvina Hazen, the brutal, ruthless leader of Clan Jade Falcon. Forged in a tradition where only the strong survive, she leads her touman not to save the Inner Sphere, but to raze it to ashes and rebuild it according to her own twisted vision.All that stands between them and a decisive victory that will reshape the Inner Sphere forever is the impenetrable barrier shielding Terra from invasion, not to mention the forces of the once-mighty Republic, which has no plans to surrender without a vicious fightthe only question is, who will reach Terra first?

MORE THAN A CENTURY IN THE MAKING Since the Clan Invasion of 3050 ended in failure, there have been those who have not forgotten Nicholas Kerenskys ultimate goal: The conquering of Terra, and the rise of one clan above all othersto become the ilClan, and rule over both the rest of the Clans and the Inner Sphereregardless of what the Great Houses may say about it THE BATTLE THAT WILL RESHAPE THE INNER SPHERE BEGINS Now, in 3151, two Clans make the final jump into the shattered remains of the Republic of the Sphere. Their target: the cradle of humankindand the ultimate symbol of the Inner SphereTerra. But Clans Jade Falcon and Wolf will face a powerful, tenacious enemy in the remaining forces of the Republic, led by their resurrected leader, Devlin Stone. The impending battle will engulf the entire planet, and when it is over, only one shall stand supreme...

AGAINST ALL FOESFor too long, the people of the Lyran Commonwealth have only reacted to attacks by their enemies. Now, Archon Melissa Steiner launches an intricate gambit that will secure the safety of her subjectsand secure her own power against those who wish to take itTrillian Steiner has always been a loyal warrior and supporter of the archon. But when she is ordered to strike against the Free Worlds League, victory is not her only goal. The leader of the campaignthe politician and business magnate Vedet Brewerhas been consolidating power within the Commonwealth for years. And now the archon has decided to rider herself of two threats with one move.For Trillian is there not to ensure success but, through a web of machinations, to guarantee the dukes downfallbefore the worlds he conquers become the foundation of an attempt to take over the entire Commonwealth. And in the chaos of war and the never-ending struggle for power, Trillians strength and devotion will be sorely tested

PLANET OF PERIL...The planet Odessa is caught between two adversaries whose personal antagonism may cost them much more than their lives.On one side is Count Nicholas Fisk, ruler of Odessa and a staunch supporter of Katrina Steiner, the ruler of the Lyran Alliance. In an effort to help stamp out the rebellion against Katrinas rule that has sprouted up across dozens of Alliance worlds, Count Fisk hopes to lure one of the more successful rebels to ultimate destruction. On the other side of the conflict are Leftenant General Archer Christifori and his Archers Avengers, who support Prince Victor and his bid to oust Katrina.Though he knows Odessa is a trap, the possibility of winning the famed mercenary unit Snords Irregulars to the cause is too tempting to pass up. But where peace is expected, battle ensues. And the black and white of friend and foe quickly turn to shades of gray while treachery abounds.

THE BATTLE FOR THE INNER SPHERE RAGES ON...The Civil War rages on, with deposed Prince Victor Steiner-Davions forces bloodied from the recent defeats inflicted by his sister, Katrina. Worse still, Clan Jade Falcon has seized the opportunity to launch a determined offensive into the Lyran Alliance, destroying forces on both sides of the conflict.But Prince Victor has formed a daring plan of his ownhold the Falcons in check on the worlds they have already conquered and unleash a massive force under Major General Archer Christifori deep inside Clan space with the mission to cut the Falcon offensive off at its core.To succeed, Victor and Archer must convince one of Katrinas most loyal warriorsLeftenant General Adam Steinerto join the fight. But how can either side trust the enemy they have sworn to kill?

SEMPER FIDELISIn the year 3060, the reborn Star League has destroyed Clan Smoke Jaguar, conquered their home world Huntress, and scattered the few remaining Jaguar warriors to the winds. Now the League seeks to end the Clan invasion for good by using former Smoke Jaguars against their own people.Meanwhile, two bitter enemies seek to salvage a future for the last Jaguars in existence: Trent, who betrayed his wayward Clan to help them regain their honor, and Paul Moon, a disgraced warrior torn between his pledged loyalty to the Star League and a duty to the Smoke Jaguar civilization he was born to protect. But power-hungry predators lurk in Clan space, waiting for the right time to strike the vulnerable Star League forces. And to the victor will go the spoils: the priceless artifacts of a destroyed Clan and the sacred genetics of the final generation of Smoke Jaguar warriors.Trent and Paul Moon must fight tooth and nail against would-be conquerors to save the soul of the surviving Jaguar people before they are consigned to the annals of history. But will their divergent plans tear the survivors apart, or lead them toward freedom?

For generations, the Clans bided their time, waiting for the right opportunity to appear from the Periphery and conquer the Inner Sphere. They risked all at the Battle of Tukayyidonly to be soundly defeated. The results were deadlier than they could ever imagine.For one devoted warrior of Clan Smoke Jaguar, the disgrace of Tukayyid has scarred him for life. And this tragedy will change the universe forever, culminating in a treachery hidden beyond the Exodus Road...

TOO OLD TO FIGHT, TOO YOUNG TO DIEFor nearly a decade, the relentless warriors of Clan Jade Falcon have held the world of Jangso in the A Place system, using it as a training ground for their next generation of warriors. When the planets garrison departs to join other Falcon forces in the fight for Terra, the Clans ultimate prize, aging Star Commander Hasara is ordered to remain behind. Deemed too old to be worthy of going to Terra, he still embraces his honor, and vows to safeguard the planet and all of the cadets too young to join the fight.The Lyran Commonwealth, still stinging from losing Jangso to the Falcons, resolves to exploit their absence by taking back the planet before the Falcons can return. Armed with military intelligence and smuggled BattleMechs, Lyran natives on Jangso launch critical strikes at Hasara, his ex-MechWarrior partner, and the Falcon cadets under their wings, luring them into a trap.But the Lyrans have greatly underestimated the Falcons indomitable spirit and the lengths they will go to when driven to the brink of desperation. As Hasara wrestles with his own sense of honor, and faces dwindling morale and diminishing returns against troops seeking to exterminate him and his cadets, he must prove there is still enough fight left in his old bones to secure a victory for the future of his Clan.

BETWEEN TWO MASTERSColonel Felix Bluchers orders from the Archon were simple enough: quash the Davion Loyalist uprising on Thorin. But Blucher never planned on facing the fearless Archer Christifori, local militia leader and decorated MechWarrior in the Clan Wars.As tension rise between Bluchers Lyran Alliance and the Davion Loyalist population, Archer is torn between obedience to the Archon or allegiance to his people. But when Bluchers forces go too far, Archer takes up the Loyalist cause and becomes commander of the rebel army. The final confrontation looms and the rebels face long oddsbut it takes more than Mechs to win Thorins freedom. It takes a hero...

FAR FROM HOME Exarch Devlin Stone, hero of the Word of Blake Jihad and architect of the Republic of the Sphere, has returned only to find his beloved nation under siege and in danger of breaking apart. As threats bear down on the Republic from all sides, Stone and his inner circle must move fast to bolster Terras defenses from all who seek to conquer the birthplace of humanity. However, not all of his allies have heeded Stones call to arms. Former Exarch Damien Redburn, who left Terra to defend the Republics borders from the rapacious Clan Wolf, was cut off when the walls of Fortress Republic rose. Without support or reinforcements, Redburn, the Fidelis, and Countess Tara Campbells Highlanders have held the line against the Wolves for years, but the never-ending campaign has pushed all of them to their breaking points. Is Stones return genuine, or a carefully crafted hoax? Can Redburn be brought back into the fold, or has he gone rogue for good? In the end, Stone, Redburn, and their allies must each decide their path before tensions can erupt in a clash that could shake the very foundation of the Republic...

BEYOND THE WALLS They are the Fidelis, a brotherhood of warriors whose devotion to honor and courage on the battlefield is unmatched. Their existence known only to a former exarch, they are a fighting force to be reckoned witha force three knights must consider as they undertake missions that could save the Republicor cripple it.Lady Crystal Synd embodies the vision of the knight-errant. Devoted wholeheartedly to the Republic and its citizens, she believes in her mission. But what she must do to accomplish it will test her mettle as a knightand as a human being.Hunter Mannheim is descended from a long line of military leaders, and feels he must continue the tradition of excellence in service and sacrifice in battle. But what he must sacrifice in the name of duty may be more than he can bear.Kristoff Erbe is a man burdened by shame. His father was a collaborator who served as commander of a "re-education camp" for those who defied the fanatical Word of Blake. To this day, Kristoff searches for a way to redeem his family honor.Three knights. Three dreams. For each, one chance lies outside the walls of the Fortress Republic

A PRIZE WORTH THE RISK Despite years of effort, ComStar has been unable to repair the HPG interstellar communications grid. Now the Republic is taking a hands-on approach to fixing the problem. An active hyperpulse generator can turn its planet into a tempting target. So when ComStar appears close to reactivating the HPG on Wyatt, the Republic takes steps to counter any threats to the worldat a time when ComStar is determined to prove that its once more a force to be reckoned with...Knight-Errant Alexi Holt is assigned to defend Wyatt for the Republic. But her greatest challenge is to protect Tucker Harwella genius possessing unmatched HPG skillsfrom the invaders who will certainly try to capture him. Both the Oriente Protectorate and Clan Spirit Cat have an interest in Wyatt. The first seeks to control the man who can fix an HPG, the other is a safe haven. Unsavory characters will also step forward. After all, though a reactivated HPG makes Wyatt a target, Tucker Harwell is the biggest prize of all

"Authorized to sacrifice your personal honor..."With these words, Chancellor Sun-Tzu Liao dispatched Death Commando Loren Jaffray to the planet Northwind. His mission: to singlehandedly destroy the elite Northwind Highlanders, the mercenaries who abandoned the Capellans in their hour of need thirty years earlier. As the grandson of famous Highlander warriors, Jaffray is the perfect instrument to exact Sun-Tzus revenge. He can win the mercenaries trust, then divide them from within to ignite a war for control of their homeworld.But Prince Victor Davion is not about to give up this key planet without a struggle. And now, while Northwind and the rest of the Sarna March erupt in war, Loren must wage his own personal battleone between honor and duty. A battle that can only be fought alone...

I am a true Jade Falcon The leader of Clan Jade Falcon, Khan Malvina Hazen, is known throughout human-occupied space as a merciless tyrant hell bent on shattering and reforging the entire Inner Sphere in her own bloodthirsty image. The next target for her scorched-earth, take-no-prisoners Mongol Doctrine is the Lyran Commonwealth world of Coventry: a persistent stain on the Jade Falcons history, and a system defended by legendary Lyran heroes.But not all Falcons subscribe to Malvinas twisted cult of personality. Ordered to take Coventry at any cost, Galaxy Commander Stephanie Chistu has no choice but to follow her orders and conquer the planet in Malvinas name. Stephanie wishes to see her Clan victorious, but no victory is worth the Jade Falcons losing their very soul. To stand up to Malvinas tyranny and find an honorable path for her Clans future, Stephanie must balance the razors edge between duty and honoror she will die trying.

THE TRUE FATE OF CLAN WOLVERINEEvery member of modern Clan society knows of the Not-Named Clan, the Clan that was erased from history for perpetrating acts of heresy against the Way of the Clans. But what truly happened to Clan Wolverine?Long before the Clans invaded the Inner Sphere in 3049, their ancestors escaped the brutal Succession Wars by braving uncharted space and forming a new society, only to plunge back into the ravages of war once more.The year is 2822. The Pentagon Civil War is long over, and Operation Klondike saw ilKhan Nicholas Kerenskys twenty Clans victorious over the petty warlords who had conquered the Pentagon worlds. But with no true enemies left to fight, the nascent Clans have lost their laser-sharp focus, and begun straying from the ilKhans vision.Khan Sarah McEvedy, leader of the progressive Clan Wolverine, sees the dangerous path the ilKhan is steering his Clans onto, but she cannot follow them without compromising her beliefs or her honor. Unsure whom to trust among the scheming Clans, she must navigate the political waters of the Grand Council with caution and resolve, or suffer the deadly consequences. As her enemies seek to engineer her Clan into the ultimate scapegoat, Khan McEvedy must do everything she can to ensure her Clan survives, or they will all be hunted down and destroyed.Written by BattleTech veteran Blaine Lee Pardoe, Betrayal of Ideals tells the complete story of the true history of Clan Wolverine.

BROTHERS IN ARMS At long last, the Clans campaign for the Inner Sphere is coming to a head. Khan Alaric Wolf is preparing for his biggest moves yetand is willing to enlist just about anyone who can help him achieve his ultimate goalthe conquest of Terra. To that end, he sends one of his own on a special assignment. Marotta Kerensky is a Clan Wolf warrior unlike any otherthe perfect candidate for a mission unlike any other: convince the legendary Wolfs Dragoons to rejoin the Clan they originally came from. But when Marotta reaches the mercenary unit, he finds them quite different from the storied force of a century ago. Times have changed since then, and the Dragoons have as wellor have they? Driven to accomplish his mission at any cost, Marotta allies with a Dragoons officer on a risky gambit that may help him deliver what his Khan wantsor tear Wolfs Dragoons apart forever.

CLAWS THAT CATCHMajor Loren Jaffray is a soldiers soldier, a hardened professional who made his reputation with the Capellan Confederations legendary Death Commandos. Now serving as an officer in the Northwind Highlanders, Loren longs to prove his loyalty to his new comrades. And hes about to get his chancethe Draconis Combine is hiring his regiment to take on a mission unlike any before it.The ruthless Clan Smoke Jaguar emulate the savagery of their feline namesake with lethal accuracy. Nobody knows this better than the samurai of the Draconis Combine, who fought to the death to save their homeworld. Now Lorens crack Highlanders will be the instrument of the Combines vengeance, striking into the Deep Periphery to crush one of the Jaguars supply centers on a distant world called Wayside V. But the young, confident major is in for a very nasty surpriseand unless he makes a brilliant change in plans, Wayside V will be soaked with Scots blood...