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…

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?

ALWAYS READ THE FINE PRINT Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine is your go-to source for brutal, heavy-metal BattleMech action across the battlefields of the 31st century and beyond—and now it’s bigger than ever before! This special double-size issue is jam-packed with the true currency of the Inner Sphere: mercenary troops! To reclaim a priceless personal memento, the Gray Death Legion must teach a young noble an invaluable lesson. The Northwind Highlanders, facing the loss of everything they hold dear, must defend their homeworld by forcing House Davion to pay in blood for every centimeter they gain. When the Crescent Hawks discover a lost family member might still be alive, they will stop at nothing to find her and bring her home. In this issue, you’ll search for the fabled city of gold in the former Rim Worlds Republic, witness the Kell Hounds interview a new recruit with an unusual connection to Morgan Kell himself, and learn the trials and tribulations of a novice mercenary on a long-haul space journey for the first time. Experience the true cost of losing a personal ’Mech in battle, evade competing mercenary units fighting over your secret cargo, and raid a lost vault for invaluable treasure on behalf of a prestigious collector. Whatever the job, there’s always soldiers of fortune ready to sign on the dotted line, and they can build their legend with content such as advice articles on how to run a mercenary unit and negotiate favorable contracts; Unit and Planet Digests for intel on the competition; technical readouts on unique ’Mechs; various downtime entertainment options; playable scenarios to test your tactical chops; and much more—all by veteran BattleTech authors and a new addition to the roster: Michael A. Stackpole Bryan Young Chris Purnell Jason Schmetzer Daniel Isberner Alan Brundage James Kirtley Robin Briseño James Bixby Giles Gammage Jason Hansa James Hauser Tom Leveen David Martin Lance Scarinci Jaymie Wagner Russell Zimmerman Alex Fauth Stephan Frabartolo Johannes Heidler Ken’ Horner Wunji Lau Lorcan Nagle Eric Salzman Zac Schwartz Ed Stephens Stephen Toropov

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.

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.