"Michael A. Stackpole - Battletech - Mechwarrior - Dark Age 12 - Hunters Of The Deep" - читать интересную книгу автора (Stackpole Michael A)

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the authorтАЩs
Imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business
establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.



The Penguin Putnam Inc. World Wide Web site address is
http://www.penguinputnam.com




To Loren and Heather Coleman.

In the bleakest times, a friendтАЩs true colors are revealed. In one of my familyтАЩs darkest hours, you
both showed the brilliance within: a hand in aid, a shoulder for comfort, an ear to listen. True
friendship is a rare and precious gift, and in that circle, you are both counted highly.

Thank you.


Acknowledgments
To my first readers, for catching some great stuff: Herb Beas, David McCulloch, Jeff Morgan, Oystein
Tvedten, and especially Jason Hardy.

To Michael Miller, for the help on the spinning DropShips.

To Loren Coleman, who kept tossing additional writing projects at me during this novel and helped to
prove I can do it.

To Jim Long and Janna Silverstein, for going to bat for me when they didnтАЩt need to; I hope the novel is
worth the hassles that may have followed.

To Sharon Mulvihill: eight years and counting; thanks for the friendship and the constant help along the
way in improving my writing.

Finally, to my magnificent wife, Tara, and beautiful children, Bryn Kevin, Ryana Nikol, and Kenyon
Aleksandr: I simply couldnтАЩt write without their love, support and understanding . . . nor, I imagine,
would I want to.


Prologue
Clan Sea Fox CargoShipVoidswimmer
Zenith Jump Point, Berenson System
Prefecture VI, The Republic
19 June 3134
 The data cube fit in the palm of his hand, its sharpedged, angular realness a harsh contrast to the dark
secrets it so jealously guarded.

And the day had dawned with such promise.