05_force_of_arms-第25节

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to　lose。　Okay：　A　fight　it　would　be。


Breetai；　staring　up　at　the　displays　that　were　still　functioning　on　his　bridge；　watched　in　awe。　It　was。　the　greatest　single　bat　fold　jump　operation　in　history；　and　it　came　off　meticulously。　Dolza　was　doing　everything　right　so　far。

Breetai's　clifflike　jaw　set。　Opening　moves　and　endgame　were　two　different　things。


The　night　sky　over　the　Alaska　Base　was　lighter；　with　the　reflections　of　sunlight　from　the　light　underbellies　of　the　warships　taking　up　orbit。　The　stars　were　obscured；　hundreds　at　a　time。

Watching　the　screens；　Lisa　heard　her　father　moan。　She　turned　and　saw　by　his　expression　that　he　realized；　far　too　late；　that　the　reports　of　the　aliens'　strength　were　accurate　and　that　five　million　ships　were　so　many　more　than　he　had　ever　envisioned。


CHAPTER　SIXTEEN

And　so　the　Great　Mandala　spun；　Two　halves　had　learned　They　both　were　one
Mingtao；　Protoculture：　Journey　Beyond　Mecha

Among　all　the　announcements　of　the　loading　of　Decamissiles；　the　manning　of　gun　turrets；　the　frantic　coordinating　of　target…acquisition　and　threat…priority　puters；　there　came　word　that　Skull　Team　was　to　report　to　its　fighters。

〃Well。　That's　us；〃　Max　said；　looking　at　the　deck　and　then　up　at　his　wife。　He　was　really　at　a　loss。　Some　traditionalism　said　that　he　should　shield　her　from　harm；　but　Miriya　was　a　better　flier　than　anyone　else　aboard　except　relax；　and　there　was　no　safety；　anywhere。

More　to　the　point；　she　would　never　have　allowed　him　to　leave　her　behind。

〃Yes；　Maxmillian；〃　she　said；　watching　him。　Rick　noticed　that　in　an　amazingly　short　time；　they　had　both　learned　to　smile　exactly　the　same　slow　smile　at　each　other　at　exactly　the　same　moment。　He　did　his　best　to　suppress　his　envy。

Max　put　his　arm　around　his　wife's　slim　waist　and　gave　Rick　a　wave。　〃See　you　out　there；　boss。〃

〃Count　on　it。〃　Rick　waved　at　them　with　phony　cheer；　watching　them　go　off　to　suit　up。

Others　were　finding　their　way　out　of　the　hearing　chamber；　Gloval　and　Exedore　and　the　other　heavy…hitters　were　already　gone。　The　recording　techs　were　wrapping　things　up　quickly；　preparing　to　double　in　brass　on　bat　assignments。

Only　Kyle　and　Minmei　were　left；　uncertain；　with　no　place　to　go。　Rick　looked　up　at　them　and　thought　about　what　was　happening　out　there　where　the　void　met　Earth's　atmosphere。　Millions　of　ships　were　forming　up　for　a　greater　battle　than　even　the　Zentraedi　had　ever　seen　before。

Which　meant　the　future　looked　very　dim　for　one　little　VT　leader　who　had　e　late　into　the　business　of　war。　Rick　decided　in　an　instant　and　sprinted　off　to　where　Minmei　stood。

She　was　at　the　top　of　the　steps　leading　to　the　table　podium；　he　stopped　a　few　steps　below。　〃Minmei！〃

She　looked　at　him　oddly。　〃Yes；　Rick？〃　He　couldn't　read　her；　couldn't　understand　what　was　going　on　behind　the　startling　blue　eyes。　Kyle　was　at　her　shoulder；　cold　and　angry；　glaring　down　at　him。

Not　that　Kyle　mattered　anymore；　very　little　did。

Rick　fumbled　for　words；　not　ing　up　with　any　that　would　express　what　he　wanted　to　say；　not　even　managing　to　get　started。　At　last　he　got　out；　〃You　know　I'm　not　good　at　this　sort　of　thing。〃

She　did；　knew　it　from　the　long　days　and　nights　they　had　spent　stranded　together；　knew　it　from　more　recent　times；　when　he　had　been　all　but　inarticulate。

〃But　I　might　not　see　you　again；〃　he　went　ahead。　〃I　want　to　say　that…that　I　love　you。〃

Her　hands　flew　to　her　mouth　like　frightened　birds。　She　mouthed　words　that　made　no　sound。

〃Had　to　tell　you。〃　He　smiled　bitter…sweetly。　〃Take　care。〃

Then　he　left　to　suit　up；　already　late　in　the　massive　launch　schedule　of　the　apocalypse；　heels　clicking　emptily　on　the　deck。

She　was　frozen　by　his　words；　she　could　move　again　only　when　he　was　out　of　the　hatch；　out　of　sight。　Minmei　hurried　down　the　steps　to　catch　up。

Kyle　was　next　to　her　in　an　instant；　catching　her　arm；　bringing　her　up　short。　〃Don't　try　to　stop　him！〃　The　doings　of　the　warmakers　were　their　own　concern；　Kyle　had　loved　Minmei　too　long　to　lose　her　to　them　now。

She　struggled　hopelessly　to　free　her　arm；　the　black　hair　whipping。　〃Let　go！　I'　have　to　tell　him！　Kyle；　let　me　go　or　I'll　hate　you　forever！〃

Fingers　that　could　have　tightened　like　a　vise　released　instead。　He　knew　a　hundred　ways　to　force　her　to　stay　there　but　not　a　single　one　to　take　away　her　feelings　for　Hunter　or　to　keep　her　from　the　pilot　without　making　her　hate　him。

The　grip；　strong　as　steel；　went　limp；　letting　her　go。　Minmei　wrenched　her　arm　free　and　raced　off　after　Rick。　Kyle　stood　alone　for　a　long　time　in　the　deserted　hearing　chamber；　listening　to　the　emergency　directives；　the　RDF　announcements；　the　preparations　for　battle。

Battle；　death；　oblivion…those　were　so　easy　to　face；　didn't　the　military　war　lovers　understand？　Living　without　the　one　who　meant　everything　in　life　to　you；　that　was　the　fear　that　couldn't　be　overe；　the　abyss　no　courage　could　see　you　across。


In　the　hangars　and　bays　and　ready　rooms　of　the　bat　mecha；　thoughts　of　love　and　grief　had　been　left　behind。　Now　it　was　only　kill　or　be　killed。　Men　and　women　emptied　their　minds　of　everything　else　in　a　way　no　outsider　would　ever　understand。

〃Arm　all　reflex　warheads；〃　the　mand　came　over　the　PA　from　Kim　Young。　The　missiles…Hammerheads；　Decas；　Piledrivers　and　Stilettos…became　alive　in　their　pods　and　racks。

The　attack　mecha　stood　to　readiness：　lumbering　giants　heavy　with　laser…array　and　x…ray　laser　cannon；　missiles；　chain…guns；　and　rapid…fire　tubes　loaded　with　discarding…sabot　armor…piercing　rounds。

The　Destroids　stumped　out　first：　waddling　two…legged　gun　turrets　the　size　of　houses；　running　their　clustered　barrels　back　and　forth　in　test　traverses；　ready　to　bunch　up　shoulder　by　shoulder　and　concentrate　fire。　Forming　up　behind　them　were　the　Gladiators；　Excaliburs；　the　Spartans　and　Raidars；　all　making　the　reinforced　decks　resound　to　their　tread；　weighted　with　every　weapon　Robotechnology　could　give　them。

The　March　of　the　Robotech　Soldiers。

The　SDF…1　gun　turret　and　casemate　barrels　swung　and　readied；　men　and　women　sweating　as　they　settled　into　the　gunners'　and　gunners'　mates'　saddles。　Targeting　reticles　were　checked　for　accuracy；　triggers　were　dryfired。

The　stupendous　warrior　that　was　the　SDF…1　itself　stood　ready；　covers　lifted　from　its　many　weapon　ports。　The　two　suppercarriers　that　were　the　ship's　arms；　Daedalus　and　Prometheus；　set　for　battle　and　for　the　harrowing；　fiercely　dangerous　business　of　bat　launches　and　retrievals。

On　the　hangar　deck；　Skull　Team　warmed　up。　They　would　be　one　of　the　few　teams　flying　the　new　armored　Veritechs。　Max；　running　things　until　Rick　could　get　there；　threw　his　wife　a　quick　smile。　Miriya　blew　him　a　kiss；　as　she　often　did　when　no　one　else　was　looking。　Kissing　was　still　an　amazing　thing　to　her；　lovemaking　left　her　at　a　plete　loss　for　words。　But　then；　it　did　the　same　to　Max。

She　turned　back　to　a　final　check　of　her　VT。　bat　was　something　she　knew　intimately；　too。　Max　got　the　rest　of　Skull　saddled　up；　resisting　the　urge　to　be　bitter　and　preoccupied　with　regret　that　he　had　had　so　little　time　with　her。

Those　were　the　distractions　that　got　fighter　pilots　killed。


On　the　bridge；　Gloval　arrived　with　Exedore　at　his　side；　and　no　one　thought　to　say　it　should　be　otherwise。

The　reports　of　the　ship's　fighting　status　came　to　him　from　the　Terrible　Trio　and　from　Claudia。

Gloval　led　Exedore　to　the　great　bubble　of　the　forward　viewport；　thinking；　Who　would　have　dreamed　we'd　be　fighting　side　by　side？

But　there　was　an　answer　to　that。　It　was　Gloval；　always　Gloval…and　sometimes　only　Gloval…who　had　anticipated　this　day　from　the　moment　he　had　heard　of　the　enemy　defections。


Over　the　UEDC　Alaskan　headquarters；　fighters　looking　a　lot　like　VTs　but　lacking　their　superlative　Robotechnology　screamed　into　the　air　on　alert。　It　was　a　brave　show　that　everyone　knew　to　be　hollow；　Earth's　only　real　hope　lay　with　the　dimensional　fortress。

Admiral　Hayes　and　several　other　senior　officers　stood　on　a　balcony　overlooking　the　vast　situation　room。　They　heard　echoing　updates　on　the　Grand　Cannon's　firing　status；　the　enemy　fleet　that　was　still　pouring　out　of　spacefold；　the　posite　picture　that　made　it　unlikely　that　a　single　member　of　species　Homo　sapiens　would　live　through　the　day。

〃The　projections　turned　out　to　be　in　error；〃　an　intel…analysis　officer　confessed；　zombielike。　〃Against　a　force　that　big；　we　can't　hope　to　win。　We　couldn't　do　it　even　if　the　Grand　Cannon　satellites　were　in　place。〃　He　was　shaking　his　head　slowly。　〃No　way；　sir。〃

Hayes　was　used　to　hiding　his　dismay。　He　called　down　to　a　munication　officer；　〃Lieutenant！　Have　we　been　able　to　establish　contact　with　the　aliens？〃

Hayes　burned　at　the　thought　of　why　his　superiors　were　suddenly　so　eager　to　talk　to　the　Zentraedi。　He　avoided　any　contemplation　of　how　Earth's　rulers　sounded　now　that　reality　had　at　last　been　forced　upon　them。　The　brave　words　and　the　bold　posturing　had　been　blown　away　like　smoke　in　the　wind；　and　UEDC　was　eager；　cringingly　eager；　to　make　any　deal　it　could；　starting　with　an　offer　to　make　itself　an　overseer　government　under　alien　rule。

Except　the　Zentraedi　weren't　making　deals　today；　and　Armageddon　was　apparently　the　only　item　on　the　agenda。

〃We're　trying；　Admiral；　but　so　far　it's　a　no…go；〃　a　　officer　calle