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Robotech：　Battle　Cry
Book　Two　of　the　Robotech　series
Copyright　1987　by　Jack　McKinney

arranged　by　dayuan　＇　robotech　zone　＇



CHAPTER　ONE

If　there　was　any　one　thing　that　typified　the　initial　stages　of　the　First　Robotech　War；　it　was　the　unspoken　interplay　that　developed　between　Captain　Henry　Gloval　and　the　Zentraedi　mander；　Breetai。　In　effect；　both　men　had　been　created　for　warfare…Gloval　by　the　Soviet　GRU；　and　Breetai；　of　course；　by　the　Robotech　Masters。　When　one　examines　the　early　ship's　log　entries　of　the　two　manders；　it　is　evident　that　each　man　spent　a　good　deal　of　time　trying　to　analyze　the　personality　of　his　opponent　by　way　of　the　strategies　each　employed。　Breetai　was　perhaps　at　an　advantage　here；　having　at　his　disposal　volumes　of　Zentraedi　documents　devoted　to　legends　regarding　the　origin　of　Micronian　societies。　But　it　must　be　pointed　out　that　Breetai　was　severely　limited　by　his　prior　conditioning　in　his　attempts　to　interpret　these：　even　Exedore；　who　had　been　bred　to　serve　as　transcultural　adviser；　would　fail　him　on　this　front。　Gloval；　on　the　other　hand；　with　little　knowledge　of　his　ship　and　even　less　of　his　opponent；　had　the　bined　strengths　of　a　loyal　and　intelligent　crew　to　draw　upon　and　the　instincts　of　one　who　had　learned　to　function　best　in　situations　where　disinformation　and　speculation　were　the　norm。　One　could　point　to　many　examples　of　this；　but　perhaps　none　is　so　representative　of　the　group　mind　at　work　inboard　the　SDF…1　than　the　Battle　at　Saturn's　Rings。
〃Genesis；〃　History　of　the　First　Robotech　War；　Vol。　XVIl


Zor's　ship；　the　SDF…1；　moved　through　deep　space　like　some　creature　loosed　from　an　ancient　sea　fable。　The　structural　transformation　the　fortress　had　undergone　at　the　hands　of　its　new　manders　had　rendered　it　monsterlike…an　appearance　reinforced　by　those　oceangoing　vessels　grafted　on　to　it　like　arms　and　the　main　gun　towers　that　rose　now　from　the　body　like　twin　heads；　horned　and　threatening。

What　would　the　Robotech　Masters　make　of　this　new　design？　Breetai　asked　himself。　Even　prior　to　the　transformation；　Zor's　ship　was　vastly　different　from　his　own…indeed；　different　from　any　vessel　of　the　Zentraedi　fleet。　Protoculture　factory　that　it　was；　it　had　always　lacked　the　amorphous　organic　feel　Breetai　preferred。　But　then；　it　had　not　been　designed　as　a　warship。　Until　now。

The　Zentraedi　mander　was　on　the　bridge　of　his　vessel；　where　an　image　of　the　SDF…1　played　across　the　silent　field　of　a　projecbeam。　Breetai's　massive　arms　were　folded　across　the　brown　tunic　of　his　uniform；　and　the　monocular　enhancer　set　in　the　plate　that　covered　half　his　face　was　trained　on　the　free…floating　screen。

Long…range　scopes　had　captured　this　image　of　the　ship　for　his　inspection　and　analysis。　But　what　those　same　scopes　and　scanners　failed　to　reveal　was　the　makeup　of　the　creatures　who　possessed　it。

The　bridge　was　an　observation　bubble　overlooking　the　astrogational　center　of　the　flagship；　a　vast　gallery　of　screens；　projecbeam　fields；　and　holo…schematics　that　gave　Breetai　access　to　information　gathered　by　any　cruiser　or　destroyer　in　his　mand。　He　could　municate　with　any　of　his　many　officers　or　any　of　the　numerous　Cyclops　recon　ships。　But　none　of　these　could　furnish　him　with　the　data　he　now　desired…some　explanation　of　Micronian　behavior。　For　that；　Breetai　counted　on　Exedore；　his　dwarfish　adviser；　who　at　the　moment　seemed　equally　at　a　loss。

〃mander；〃　the　misshapen　man　was　saying；　〃I　have　analysed　this　most　recent　strategy　from　every　possible　angle；　and　I　still　cannot　understand　why　they　found　it　necessary　to　change　to　this　format。　A　structural　modification　of　this　nature　will　most　assuredly　diminish；　possibly　even　negate；　the　effectiveness　of　the　ship's　gravity　control　centers。〃

〃And　their　weapons？〃

〃Fully　operational。　Unless　they　are　diverting　energy　to　one　of　the　shield　systems。〃

Breetai　wondered　whether　he　was　being　overly　cautious。　It　was　true　that　he　had　been　caught　off　guard　by　the　Micronians'　unpredictable　tactics　but　unlikely　that　he　had　underestimated　their　capabilities。　That　they　had　chosen　to　execute　an　intraatmospheric　spacefold；　heedless　of　the　effects　of　their　island　population　center；　was　somewhat　disturbing；　as　was　their　most　recent　use　of　the　powerful　main　gun　of　the　SDF…1。　But　these　were　surely　acts　of　desperation；　those　of　an　enemy　running　scared；　not　one　in　full　possession　of　the　situation。

In　any　straightforward　military　exercise；　this　unpredictability　would　have　posed　no　threat。　It　had　been　Breetai's　experience　that　superior　firepower　invariably　won　out　over　desperate　acts　or　clever　tactics。　And　there　were　few　in　the　known　universe　who　could　rival　the　Zentraedi　in　firepower。　But　this　operation　called　for　a　certain　finesse。　The　Micronians　would　ultimately　be　defeated；　of　this　he　was　certain。　Defeat；　however；　was　of　secondary　importance。　His　prime　directive　was　to　recapture　Zor's　ship　undamaged；　and　given　the　Micronian　penchant　for　self…destruction；　a　successful　oute　could　not　be　guaranteed。

With　this　in　mind　Breetai　had　adopted　a　policy　of　watchful　waiting。　For　more　than　two　months　by　Micronian　reckoning；　the　Zentraedi　fleet　had　followed　the　SDF…1　without　launching　an　attack。　During　that　time；　he　and　Exedore　had　monitored　the　ship's　movements　and　audiovisual　transmissions；　they　had　analyzed　the　changes　and　modifications　Zor's　ship　had　undergone；　they　had　screened　trans…vids　of　their　initial　confrontations　with　the　enemy。　And　most　important；　they　had　studied　the　Zentraedi　legends　regarding　Micronian　societies。　There　were　warnings　in　those　legends…warnings　Breetai　had　chosen　to　ignore。

The　SDF…1　was　approaching　an　outer　planet　of　this　yellow…star　system；　a　ringed　world；　large　and　gaseous；　with　numerous　small　moons。　A　secondary　screen　on　the　flagship　bridge　showed　it　to　be　the　system's　sixth　planet。　Exedore；　who　had　already　made　great　progress　in　deciphering　the　Micronian　language；　had　its　name：　Saturn。

〃My　lord；　I　suspect　that　the　spacefold　generators　aboard　Zor's　ship　may　have　been　damaged　during　the　hyperspace　jump　from　Earth　to　the　outer　planets。　My　belief　is　that　the　Micronians　will　attempt　to　use　the　gravity　of　this　planet　to　sling　themselves　toward　their　homeworld。〃

〃Interesting；〃　Breetai　replied。

〃Furthermore；　they　will　probably　activate　ECM　as　they　near　the　planetary　rings。　It　may　bee　difficult　for　us　to　lock　in　on　their　course。〃

〃It　is　certainly　the　logical　choice；　Exedore。　And　that　is　precisely　what　concerns　me。　They　have　yet　to　demonstrate　any　knowledge　of　logic。〃

〃Your　decision；　my　lord？〃

〃They　have　more　than　an　escape　plan　in　mind。　The　firepower　of　the　main　gun　has　given　them　confidence　in　their　ability　to　engage　us。〃　Breetai　stroked　his　chin　as　he　watched　the　screen。　〃I'll　let　them　attempt　their　clever　little　plan；　if　only　to　gain　a　clearer　understanding　of　their　tactics。　I'm　curious　to　see　if　they　are　in　full　possession　of　the　power　that　ship　holds。〃


Henry　Gloval；　formerly　of　the　supercarriers　Kenosha　and　Prometheus　and　now　captain　of　the　super　dimensional　fortress；　the　SDF…1；　was　a　practical　man　of　few　words　and　even　fewer　expectations。　When　it　came　to　asking　himself　how　he　had　ended　up　in　mand　of　an　alien　spaceship；　1；500；000；000　kilometers　from　home　base　and　carrying　almost　60；000　civilians　in　its　belly；　he　refused　to　let　the　question　surface　more　than　twice　a　day。

And　yet　here　was　the　planet　Saturn　filling　the　forward　bays　of　the　SDF…1's　bridge；　and　here　was　Henry　Gloval　in　the　mand　chair　treating　it　like　just　one　more　Pacific　current　he'd　have　to　navigate。　Well；　not　quite：　No　one　he'd　encountered　during　his　long　career　as　a　naval　officer　had　ever　used　an　ocean　current　the　way　he　planned　to　use　Saturn's　gravitational　fields。

The　SDF…1；　spacefold　generators；　which　two　months　ago　had　allowed　the　ship　to　travel　through　hyperspace　from　Earth　to　Pluto　in　a　matter　of　minutes；　had　vanished。　Perhaps　〃allowed〃　was　the　wrong　word；　since　Gloval　had　had　his　sights　on　the　moon　at　the　time。　But　no　matter…the　disappearance　remained　a　mystery　for　Dr。　Lang　and　his　Robotechs　to　unravel；　it　had　fallen　on　Gloval's　shoulders　to　figure　a　way　back　home　without　the　generators。

Even　by　the　year　2010　the　book　on　interplanetary　travel　was　far　from　plete；　in　fact；　Lang；　Gloval；　and　a　few　others　were　still　writing　it。　Each　situation　faced　was　a　new　one；　each　new　maneuver　potentially　the　last。　There　had　been　any　number　of　unmanned　outer…planet　probes；　and　of　course　the　Armor　Series　orbital　stations　and　the　lunar　and　Martian　bases；　but　travel　beyond　the　asteroid　belt　had　never　been　undertaken　by　a　human　crew。　Who　was　to　say　how　it　might　have　been　if　the　Global　Civil　War　hadn't　put　an　end　to　the　human　experiment　in　space？　But　that　was　the　way　the　cards　had　been　dealt；　and　in　truth；　humankind　had　the　SDF…1　to　thank　for　getting　things　started　again；　even　if　the　ship　was　now　more　weapon　than　spacecraft。　All　this；　however；　would　be　for　the　historians　to　figure　out。　Gloval　had　more　pressing　concerns。

Relatively　speaking；　the　Earth　was　on　the　far　side　of　the　sun。　The　fortress's　reflex　engines　would　get　them　home；　but　not　quickly；　and　even　then　they　were　going　to　need　a　healthy　send…off　from　Saturn。　Engineering's　plan　was　for　the　ship　to　orbit　the　planet　and　make　use　of　centrifugal　force　to　sling　her　on　her　way。　It　was　not　an　entirely　untested　plan　but　a　dangerous　one　nonetheless。　And　there　was　one　more　factor　Gloval　had　to　figure　into　the　calculations：　the　enemy。

Unseen　in　full　force；　unnamed；　unknown。　Save　that　they　were　thought　to　be　sixty…foot…tall　humanoids　of　seemingly　limitless　supply。　They　had　appeared　in　Earthspace　a　little　more　than　two　months　ago　and　declared　war　on　the　planet。　There　was　no　way　of　knowing　what　fate　had　befallen　Earth　after　the　SDF…1's　hyperspace　jump；　but　some　of　the　enemy　fleet…or；　for　all　Gloval　knew；　a　splinter　group…had　pursued　the　ship　clear　across　the　solar　system　to　press　the　attack。　The　SDF…1's　main　gun　had　saved　them　once；　but　firing　it　had　required　a　modular　transformation　which　had　not　only　wreaked　havoc　with　many　of　the　ship's　secondary　systems　but　had　nearly　destroyed　the　city　that　had　grown　up　within　it。

For　two　months　now　the　enemy　had　left　the　ship　alone。　They　allowed　themselves　to　be　picked　up　by　radar　and　scanners　but　were　careful　no