Lance Scarinci

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.

CONTINUING THE FIGHT...Shrapnel: The Official BattleTech Magazine charges toward victory on the war-ravaged, BattleMech-dominated battlefields of 31st century In these tales, a Republic of the Sphere operative undertakes a personal quest to track down a missing family member, a small, untested mercenary command faces off against vicious pirate raiders, an aging soldier strives to protect an idyllic village on a forgotten world, and Colonel Wayne Waco seeks to exact his revenge against the legendary commander of Wolf's Dragoons. Configure your target-interlock circuits and hold the line with technical readouts, conspiracy theories, in-depth equipment and tactics articles, a planetary digest, and a glimpse into the future of the new ilClan era-all from BattleTech veterans and new authors: Michael A. StackpoleTom LeveenLance ScarinciBryan YoungMatt AlexanderCraig A. Reed, Jr.Paul SjardijnAaron CahallMichael J. CiaravellaJohannes HeidlerChris HusseyDaniel IsbernerMike MillerEric SalzmanJoel Steverson