TROUBLE ON THE FRONTIER... Using fast and furious hit-and-run tactics, Marcus GioAvanti and his Avanti's Angels mercenaries have earned a tough reputation throughout the Inner Sphere. But the Inner Sphere isn't where their newest job is taking them—because their latest employer resides in that remote and mysterious region of space known as the Periphery... The Magistracy of Canopus has been the target of aggression by the Marian Hegemony, and in hiring Marcus and his gutsy band of can-do commandos, it hopes to retaliate. But the fact that the Canopians are armed with technology that is considered rare in the Periphery is the least of Marcus's problems. Marcus and his "Angels" will have to face the real force behind the hostilities—the religious cult known as Word of Blake. This fanatical group has a scheme deadly enough to trap even the amazing Avanti's Angels...and even all their skills might not prevent their complete annihilation...

A DANGEROUS DECEPTION... Truebirth: Born in the laboratory, these genetically engineered soldiers train to be the ultimate warriors. They are the elite pilots of the Clan's fearsome BattleMech war machines. Freebirth: Born of the natural union of parents, these too are soldiers, but pale imitations of their Truebirth superiors. Despised for their imperfections, they fight where and when their Clan commands. Aidan has failed his Trial of Position, the ranking test all Truebirth warriors of the Clan Jade Falcon must pass. He is cast out. Disgraced. His rightful Bloodname denied him. But with a Bloodname, all past failures are forgiven. With a Bloodname comes respect. With a Bloodname comes honor. Aidan will do anything to gain that name. Even masquerade as the thing he has been taught to despise. A freebirth.

A GREAT HOUSE IN UPHEAVAL... Melissa Steiner's assassination ignited the fires of civil war, and now secessionist factions clamor for rebellion against the Federated Commonwealth. The rebels' plans hinge on gaining control of the Skye March, and thus controlling the crucial Terran Corridor. Throughout the March, civil and military leaders plot to take up arms against Prince Victor Steiner-Davion. The final piece of the plan requires the secessionist forces to gain access to the planet Glengarry and the legendary mercenary group that calls it home: the Gray Death Legion. A HOMEWORLD UNDER SIEGE... When Prince Davion summons Grayson Death Carlyle and his wife, Lori Kalmar-Carlyle, to the Federated Commonwealth capital, the rebel forces seize their chance to establish a garrison on Glengarry. But they didn't expect the legion's newest members to take matters into their own hands...and soon these rebels will learn what countless adversaries across the galaxy have learned...never, but never try to defeat the Gray Death Legion.

LYING IN WAIT… The Highlanders defeated Anastasia Kerensky the last time she attacked Northwind—although she retreated with most of her troops intact. Now dispersed among several planets, the Highlanders will need a bigger edge if they are to end Kerensky's threat completely. A rumor places Anastasia Kerensky on Northwind. If that's true, the Steel Wolves must also be close by. Determined to locate them, Paladin Ezekiel Crow and Countess Tara Campbell order a reconnaissance—unaware that their enemy may be closer than they think. With her forces on standby, Anastasia believes there is little the embattled Republic can do to stop her from finally conquering Northwind. What she doesn't realize is that she has allies she never imagined—and enemies she never suspected. It's a moment of truth for Crow, Campbell, and Kerensky, when lies emerge from the shadows, and the fate of a world hangs in the balance.

PAWNS ARE MEANT TO BE SACRIFICED… After his victory on New Aragon, Duke Aaron Sandoval has the embattled Republic in his debt. But Sandoval's hidden agenda has more to do with his own power than any loyalty to the Republic of the Sphere, and he'll spare no expense to achieve his ultimate goal. When the Duke becomes the target of an assassination attempt, he realizes his efforts to build a coalition against the invading House Liao are failing. Many planetary governors prefer capitulation to war. What he needs is a new ship and a new approach. To launch his campaign, Sandoval sends his nephew Erik, fresh from the front lines of the campaign against the encroaching Capellan Confederation, to Shensi. His job is to convince the governor to join his uncle’s alliance instead of making peace with Liao. Although Erik is honored to be the Duke’s strong right hand, he's convinced that Aaron’s arrogance is getting the better of him. But what Erik doesn't yet realize is that his own uncle will sacrifice anyone to achieve his dreams of glory...even a member of his own family…

A MASTER OF MILITARY TACTICS GOES TO WAR... Sun-Tzu Liao is the First Lord of the resurrected Star League. In the last year of his reign, he decides to milk his power for every ounce of benefit for himself. His dream to rebuild his Capellan Confederation at any cost is about to become a reality. His first victim: his own aunt, Candace Liao, who deserted the Confederation in the Fourth Succession War, taking the St. Ives Compact with her. AND THE UNIVERSE TREMBLES... Answering Sun-Tzu's call to battle is Warrior House Hiritsu, always ready to serve, and the Hustaing Warriors, who will do whatever is necessary to get the job done. As border skirmishes between BattleMechs turn bloody, military units rally to Candance Liao's call to hold the line. Both sides are unyielding in this hard-fought war. And as Capellan fights Capellan, the high price of glory will be paid in full...

THE CLAN INVASION COMES TO A HEAD... In 2786, the elite Star League Army fled the Inner Sphere, abandoning the senseless bloodshed ordered by the Successor Lords. Now, almost three hundred years later, the Clans, heirs of the Star League Army, turn their eyes back upon their former home. Nothing will stop them from raising the Star League banner over Earth once again. For two years, the Clans BattleMech war machines have overwhelmed the armies of the corrupt Successor Lords. Now, at the gates of Earth, the Clans must fight one final battle, a battle that will decide the fate of humanity for all time. For Star Colonel Aidan Pryde of Clan Jade Falcon, the battle is more than a question of military conquest. It is an affirmation of the superiority of the Clan way, a way of life that he has sworn to uphold despite his fear that the noble crusade has fallen prey to the lust and ambition of its commanders.

THE SWORD OR THE PLOWSHARE... The destruction of the interplanetary communications net has isolated planets across the Republic of the Sphere. On Mirach, a widening schism in the military between those who would remain loyal to The Republic and those who would break away threatens the peace and prosperity that have lasted for generations. Once a formidable MechWarrior, governor Sergio Ortega now believes that diplomacy will win the day. His sons, Dale and Austin, are also stalwarts of The Republic and aspiring MechWarriors. Facing growing civil unrest, they urge a military show of force before events spiral out of control. But Mirach has no BattleMechs, and their pacifistic father is slashing military spending. But when power-hungry forces within the government begin plotting to overthrow it by any means necessary—including assassination—Austin must rebel against everything he’s known to fight for the safety and freedom of Mirach…even if that means facing off against his own father...