THE DREAM DESTROYED… General Aleksandr Kerensky is dead. The Pentagon Worlds are in flames. The dream of a Star League-in-Exile is over, shattered by civil war. Amid the chaos, Nicholas Kerensky leads those who will follow him into a second exodus to the world of Strana Mechty. Yet unlike his father, Nicholas Kerensky must choose a different path: He wants to do away with all that was, and create an entirely new order. However, the bounds of society that go back millennia cannot be shed so easily. Resistance must be overcome, and blood must be spilled before Nicholas' dream can be achieved. But without his brother Andery's help, the entire venture is doomed before it even begins. Brothers, however, don't always share the same goals. And as more aspects of civilization are purged in the relentless forging of this new society, Andery fears the worst of human nature will arise. Can he find a way forward and stay by his brother’s side… or will Nicholas’ ultimate vision be realized as everything Andery stands against?
THE COMPLETE STORY OF THE FOUNDING OF THE CLANS! As the once-glorious Star League crumbles around him, Aleksandr Kerensky, commanding general of the Star League Defense Force, sees a path to prevent further warfare: taking his troops into exile far from the greedy grasp of the five Great Houses. But even in a new, untouched paradise far from civilization, war follows, and the only path to survival requires founding a wholly new society on the ashes of the old… THIS BOX SET CONTAINS THE FOLLOWING NOVELS: FALL FROM GLORY 100 million dead. 500 million wounded. One billion homeless. The worst war in human history is over—and has left the Star League shattered. Jealousy and infighting from the five Great House Lords over who will be the next First Lord has the entire Inner Sphere already teetering on the brink of all-out conflict again. Against this grim backdrop, Aleksandr Kerensky, commanding general of the Star League Defense Force, faces a terrible choice. Stay, and see the mightiest military ever known subsumed into the Great Houses, lighting a conflagration that may burn even brighter than the terrible Amaris Coup. Or do the unthinkable… To save the Inner Sphere, Aleksandr—along with his sons, Nicholas and Andery—must leave it behind. He marshals the largest fleet ever assembled to carry millions of people on thousands of JumpShips to head into the unknown. Exodus! But though the Great General strives to make a fresh start for his people far from the Inner Sphere, old habits and allegiances are difficult to leave behind. Soon the Kerenskys and their followers face threats both external and internal as they search the endless black for a new world upon which they can forge a Star League-in-Exile…or die trying. VISIONS OF REBIRTH General Aleksandr Kerensky is dead. The Pentagon Worlds are in flames. The dream of a Star League-in-Exile is over, shattered by civil war. Amid the chaos, Nicholas Kerensky leads those who will follow him into a second exodus to the world of Strana Mechty. Yet unlike his father, Nicholas Kerensky must choose a different path: He wants to do away with all that was, and create an entirely new order. However, the bounds of society that go back millennia cannot be shed so easily. Resistance must be overcome, and blood must be spilled before Nicholas' dream can be achieved. But without his brother Andery's help, the entire venture is doomed before it even begins. Brothers, however, don't always share the same goals. And as more aspects of civilization are purged in the relentless forging of this new society, Andery fears the worst of human nature will arise. Can he find a way forward and stay by his brother's side or will Nicholas' ultimate vision be realized as everything Andery stands against? LAND OF DREAMS Two thousand light years from Terra, two brothers leave behind the shattered dreams of their father, the great General Aleksandr Kerensky. For a second time, war drives them into the dark and cold of the void, as the raging conflict engulfs the Pentagon Worlds and the nascent Star League-in-Exile. For nearly fifteen years on the world of Strana Mechty—the land of dreams—Andery Kerensky has watched his elder brother Nicholas shape an all-new society of warriors that follows their ilKhan with near religious fanaticism. And despite the costs already paid in blood for that transformation, Andery knows the worst is yet to come. For Nicholas will stop at nothing to mold his followers into something never-before-seen in human history. And all with one singular goal: to return to the Pentagon Worlds and punish those that destroyed their father’s dream. Can Andery continue to be his brother’s conscience, even as Nicholas’ final hammer blows forge the Clans into the great and terrible society it is poised to become? Or will the titanic assault of Operation Klondike, and the Clans’ return to the Pentagon Worlds, shatter what Nicholas has built entirely? And just how far will Andery let Nicholas go to pursue his zealous quest of a united Clan Homeworlds…
FLIGHT INTO THE UNKNOWN… 100 million dead. 500 million wounded. One billion homeless. The worst war in human history is over—and has left the Star League shattered. Jealousy and infighting from the five Great House Lords over who will be the next First Lord has the entire Inner Sphere already teetering on the brink of all-out conflict again. Against this grim backdrop, Aleksandr Kerensky, commanding general of the Star League Defense Force, faces a terrible choice. Stay, and see the mightiest military ever known subsumed into the Great Houses, lighting a conflagration that may burn even brighter than the terrible Amaris Coup. Or do the unthinkable… To save the Inner Sphere, Aleksander—along with his sons, Nicholas and Andery—must leave it behind. He marshals the largest fleet ever assembled to carry millions of people on thousands of JumpShips to head into the unknown. Exodus! But though the Great General strives to make a fresh start for his people far from the Inner Sphere, old habits and allegiances are difficult to leave behind. Soon the Kerenskys and their followers face threats both external and internal as they search the endless black for a new world upon which they can forge a Star League-in-Exile…or die trying.
NEVER BET AGAINST THE KELL BROTHERS… The Kell Hounds are one of the most storied mercenary units in the Inner Sphere. Now, New York Times-bestselling author and Kell Hounds creator Michael A. Stackpole goes back to the Hounds’ beginnings in these three short novels, when Morgan and Patrick Kell were just two smart, ambitious brothers—with a plan to revolutionize the world of mercenaries forever… Not How the Smart Money Bets: Morgan and Patrick Kell land on the mercenary planet Galatea to start their new unit, the Kell Hounds. But a few obstacles in their way, including the biggest one, a ruthless crime lord named Haskell Blizzard. But the Kell brothers have faced long odds before, and come out on top every single time. When the chips are down, the smart money is always on the brothers Kell. A Tiny Bit of Rebellion: Galatea’s capital city, Galaport, is threatened by a new enemy: Bishop Arlington Poore, a religious zealot who wants to bring the entire planet under his repressive theocracy—and is willing to starve millions to do it. The Kell Hounds now have their first job: put down this uprising, and fast. But when a madman has converted thousands of civilians to his side, how will Morgan and Patrick end his misguided crusade without shedding innocent blood? A Clever Bit of Fiction: When the Archon hires the Kell Hounds to provide security for war games with Prince Ian Davion’s forces in a show of combined strength between the Lyran Commonwealth and the Federated Suns, Morgan Kell thinks it’s a chance to relax while getting to know the mercurial leader of the Federated Suns. But when a powerful group of raiders lands on Zavijava, he finds himself facing two threats—stopping the invaders from wrecking the planet while protecting Prince Davion. Trouble is, before the fighting is over, Morgan may have to make a dangerous choice…with the possible fate of three Great Houses lying in the balance… If Auld Acquaintance Be Forgot…: Morgan Kell returns home to find his paramour, Veronica Matova, has vanished without a trace. Desperate to find her, Morgan tasks the Hounds to track her down—and uncovers a conspiracy to destroy the Kell Hounds’ reputation using Veronica as a hostage. But these shadowy enemies don’t realize who they’re dealing with…and no force in the Inner Sphere will help them once Morgan Kell finds them…
RETURN IN TRIUMPH…OR NOT AT ALL… Two thousand light years from Terra, two brothers leave behind the shattered dreams of their father, the great General Aleksandr Kerensky. For a second time, war drives them into the dark and cold of the void, as the raging conflict engulfs the Pentagon Worlds and the nascent Star League-in-Exile. For nearly fifteen years on the world of Strana Mechty—the land of dreams—Andery Kerensky has watched his elder brother Nicholas shape an all-new society of warriors that follows their ilKhan with near religious fanaticism. And despite the costs already paid in blood for that transformation, Andery knows the worst is yet to come. For Nicholas will stop at nothing to mold his followers into something never-before-seen in human history. And all with one singular goal: to return to the Pentagon Worlds and punish those that destroyed their father’s dream. Can Andery continue to be his brother’s conscience, even as Nicholas’ final hammer blows forge the Clans into the great and terrible society it is poised to become? Or will the titanic assault of Operation Klondike, and the Clans’ return to the Pentagon Worlds, shatter what Nicholas has built entirely? And just how far will Andery let Nicholas go to pursue his zealous quest of a united Clan Homeworlds…
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 with—a force three knights must consider as they undertake missions that could save the Republic…or 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 knight—and 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…
ANCIENT EVIL STALKS THE KURAI FOREST... The planet Dumaring in the Draconis Combine had been at peace for decades, until strange raids began against the populace’s livestock. A dutiful warrior and officer of the DCMS, Chu-i Uchida, was tasked with ending the attacks, but his hunt for bandits led him into the foreboding Kurai Forest. What he found in the dark wood would defy explanation and leave him a shadow of his former self. Now, only his son can regain his honor, clear his name, and find the truth…no matter how horrifying it may be...
SOMETHING LURKS IN THE SHADOWS… During the chaos of the Word of Blake’s Jihad, the MechWarriors of the Federated Suns will go to any lengths to defend their nation from the Blakists’ unholy terror—including making deals with the devil. But that devil might just be a literal one: an all-black Marauder, hidden for several decades, that carries an aura of dread that infects everyone who encounters it. Many blame it for causing unexplained disappearances, technical failures, and even madness. But what is the so-called Dark One? Is it merely a ghost story told to scare pirates on the edge of the Periphery, or does something truly evil live beneath its cold, blackened armor? This anthology collects the first three of Lance Scarinci’s stories about the Dark One, along with a brand-new fourth story exclusive to this volume.
A NEW ERA IS DAWNING… The Illician Lancers: a mercenary outfit with centuries of honorable tradition, yet somehow always missing the limelight. Especially recently, after their mission failure during the liberation of New Syrtis in 3147 tarnished their once-sterling reputation and left them languishing on the Capellan border. Can Colonel Luciana Araya Morales overcome the shame of those events and restore the Lancers to their former glory? Meanwhile, as Clan Wolf prepares for its invasion of the cradle of humanity, Ya’el Labov, saKhan of the Sea Fox Khanate, hunts for new opportunities in the currents wafting from Terra. Rumors that the Clan Wolf Khan is using mercenaries as part of his attack plan set the wily saKhan’s mind to spinning. How can he take advantage of this, and make Clan Sea Fox’s star rise even further? Two people with very different goals are about to embark on a shared mission that, if successful, will change much in the Inner Sphere. And if they are not, their alliance may be doomed to failure before it can even begin…
WIN OR FALL… For Douglas, Jade Falcon Elemental cadet, there is no choice—he must succeed in becoming a warrior or die trying. Unfortunately, he is perilously close to falling—right out of his sibko. Consistently at the bottom of his class, everyone around him—from his trainers to his fellow sibkin—believes he will not survive his Trial of Position, and should quit before he is killed. But Douglas knows he is destined to be a Jade Falcon warrior. And when he meets a man with a checkered past who promises to show him the true ways of the warrior, Douglas embarks on a dangerous path that might bring him the victory he craves…or utterly destroy him in a brutal trial where sudden death is everywhere…
