02_battle_cry-第15部分

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　our　failures。　But　we're　going　to　turn　this　opportunity　to　our　advantage。　We're　going　to　take　that　ship；　if　it　takes　every　last　piece　of　mecha　in　the　Zentraedi　armada！〃


Things　were　quiet　on　the　bridge　of　the　SDF…1；　a　little　too　quiet　to　suit　Claudia　Grant。　The　ship　had　been　in　a　deep…space　orbit　around　Mars　for　scarcely　a　week；　but　that　week　felt　like　an　eternity。　And　it　had　been　that　long　since　Lisa　had　exchanged　more　than　three　words　with　Claudia　or　any　of　the　others　on　the　bridge。　Something　had　happened　to　Lisa　down　there；　but　even　Claudia　couldn't　pry　any　of　the　details　from　her。　To　be　sure；　it　had　something　to　do　with　Karl　Riber。　Claudia　figured　that　he　must　have　been　quite　a　man　to　keep　Lisa　in　limbo　for　eight　years。　For　most　of　the　ship's　crew　and　the　population　of　Macross　City　the　red　planet　afforded　some　sense　of　stability　and　center；　but　for　Lisa　it　was　a　constant　reminder　of　loss；　an　orbit　of　pain。

The　enemy　had　been　hammering　away　at　them　for　the　past　week；　determined　to　keep　them　from　making　any　progress　toward　Earth。　But　the　launch　window　for　a　return　to　Earth　was　still　two　weeks　away；　so　they　would　have　remained　here　regardless。　Conserving　fuel；　making　repairs；　and　using　Mars's　gravity　to　throw　them　toward　Earth　when　the　right　moment　came。　Nevertheless；　they　had　attempted　to　keep　the　planet　between　themselves　and　the　enemy；　until　yesterday；　when　long…range　recon　units　had　reported　that　a　sizable　contingent　of　enemy　ships　had　dropped　to　an　inner　orbit　near　the　Martian　moon　Phobos。　The　enemy　was　sandwiching　the　fortress　between　their　forces。　Claudia　was　worried；　and　Lisa's　continued　silence　and　sulking　were　not　helping　at　all。

Claudia　held　something　in　her　hand　she　thought　might　break　her　friend's　distracted　mood：　It　was　a　dispatch　from　Maistroff's　office　listing　the　new　field　promotions。　Rick　Hunter's　name　was　on　the　list。　Claudia　tapped　the　dispatch　against　the　palm　of　her　left　hand。　Maybe　anger　was　just　what　the　doctor　ordered。

She　sidled　over　to　Lisa；　suppressing　a　grin　as　she　handed　over　the　dispatch。

Lisa　accepted　it　disinterestedly　and　scanned　the　short　column。　Claudia　watched　her　expression　change　as　the　name　registered。　Lisa　crumpled　up　the　paper　and　slammed　both　her　palms　down　on　the　radar　indicator　board。

〃I　can't　believe　it！　I　just。。。I　can't　believe　this！　It's　unbelievable！〃

〃What　is　it；　Lisa？〃　Claudia　was　still　playing　dumb；　and　not　very　effectively。

〃Don't　be　coy　with　me；　Claudia。　You've　seen　this　list。　How　does　Hunter　rate　a　promotion　to　group　leader？〃

Claudia　stroked　her　chin。　〃Uh；　let's　see；　I　think　he　was　involved　in　some　sort　of　rescue　operation…〃

〃That's　a　matter　of　opinion；　Claudia。　Oh　oh。。。〃

Lisa　was　staring　at　the　radar　screen　and　fiddling　with　the　control　knobs。　Claudia　went　over　to　her。

〃What's　up？〃

She　was　working　the　dials；　trying　to　tune　something　in。　〃I　guess　I　shouldn't　have　slapped　this　thing　so　hard…it's　all　static。〃

〃Try　switching　over　to　the　backup　overrides；〃　Claudia　suggested。

She　did；　but　the　static　remained。

〃I'm　going　to　run　this　through　puter　analysis；〃　said　Lisa。

The　two　women　waited　for　the　system　to　display　its　diagnosis。　They　sucked　in　their　breath　when　it　appeared：　It　was　a　jamming　pattern。

〃Put　us　on　yellow　alert；〃　Lisa　said　with　newfound　enthusiasm。　〃Notify　all　VT　teams　to　report　to　their　fighters　and　stand　by。〃


Things　at　Minmei's　party　had　gone　from　bad　to　worse；　and　for　Rick；　the　yellow　alert　siren　blaring　in　the　streets　of　Macross　City　felt　like　a　reprieve。

By　the　time　he　and　his　new　cohorts　had　arrived　at　the　party；　the　restaurant　was　already　packed。　In　addition　to　scores　of　Veritech　defenders　and　a　few　of　Minmei's　show　business　friends；　the　mayor　and　his　cronies　were　circulating　around；　pressing　the　flesh。　At　times　it　seemed　to　Rick　that　Mayor　Luan　harbored　some　secret　plan　for　Minmei；　as　if　she　was　some　pet　project　or　secret　weapon　he　was　going　to　unleash　on　the　world。　Minmei；　dressed　to　kill　in　her　purple　mandarin　tunic　was　at　her　butterfly　best　flitting　from　table　to　table；　center　stage　no　matter　where　she　was　in　the　room。　She　was　hard　on　Rick　for　arriving　late。　Moreover；　he　had　forgotten　to　pick　up　a　present。　She　was　duly　impressed　with　the　new　lieutenant's　bars　but　an　instant　later　had　taken　an　immediate　shine　to　shy　Max　and　was　at　that　very　moment　singing　harmony　with　him　to　guitar　acpaniment。　And　the　mayor　hadn't　helped　matters　any　when　he　came　over　to　Rick　and　in　a　conspiratorial　whisper　warned　him　about　letting　Minmei　get　too　far　out　of　sight…〃She　seems　quite　taken　with　your　new　corporal；　Rick〃…as　if　Rick　could　influence　what　she　did　and　where　she　went。

Rick　had　quickly　bee　withdrawn　and　moody；　non…municative　even　when　Minmei's　orbit　took　her　past　his　table　or　her　wink　from　across　the　room　was　meant　to　single　him　out　as　some　sort　of　acplice　in　her　performance。　Rick　stayed　close　to　the　mildly　intoxicating　punch　and　kept　his　eyes　down　for　most　of　the　afternoon。

But　then　the　alert　had　been　sounded。

And　now　all　the　flyboys　were　gulping　down　their　drinks　and　racing　for　the　door；　leaving　Minmei　standing　alone；　her　song　left　unfinished；　center　stage　stolen　from　her　by　the　war。　And　even　though　Rick　couldn't　approve　of　her　petulance　and　spoiled　behavior；　he　couldn't　help　being　moved　by　her　innocence　and　naivet？　He　wanted　to　run　to　her　and　promise　her　that　this　war　would　go　away　soon　and　that　all　her　dreams　would　e　true。　But　the　best　he　could　promise　was　his　return　later　with　the　gift　he　had　for　her。　He　gave　her　his　kerchief　to　wipe　the　tears　from　her　face；　and　she　put　her　arms　around　his　neck　and　thanked　him　with　a　hug。

〃What　would　I　do　without　you；　Rick？〃

He　pulled　away　from　her　embrace；　Max　and　Ben　were　calling　to　him　from　the　hexagonal　doorway；　motioning　for　him　to　get　himself　in　gear…after　all；　there　was　a　battle　to　be　fought；　a　war　to　be　waged！

〃e　on；　Lieutenant；　we　don't　want　to　keep　the　enemy　waiting；　do　we？〃

Rick　looked　at　Ben　and　felt　a　sudden　urge　to　strangle　him。　No；　he　thought；　we　mustn't　keep　them　waiting。


CHAPTER　EIGHT

One　must　now　address　the　reasons　for　Khyron's　failures。　Was　he　defeated　on　each　occasion　by　the　Earth　forces；　or　was　he　in　fact　defeated　by　his　own　manders？　So　often　recalled　from　the　very　brink　of　success；　so　often　within　reach　of　victory。　Why　wasn't　he　allowed　full　rein？　Again；　there　is　wide　disagreement　among　the　mentators　we　have　been　discussing　throughout。　Gordon　（along　with　several　of　his　psychohistorian　disciples）　wants　to　convince　us　that　Dolza　and　Breetai　had　so　misread　Gloval's　tactics　as　to　believe　that　he　would　have　destroyed　the　ship　rather　than　allow　it　to　fall　into　Zentraedi　hands。　And　yet；　Exedore　himself　has　stated　that：　〃。。。rivalry　had　pletely　splintered　the　Zentraedi　high　mand。　Continued　contact　with　Human　self…initiative　had　by　this　time　fostered　unrecognized　and　certainly　inprehensible　petitive　drives　in　the　manders　themselves。　Dolza；　Breetai；　and　even　Azonia　（who　had　reasons　of　her　own　to　behave　otherwise）　were　unconsciously　mimicking　an　emotion　they　had　never　experienced。　‘For　the　greater　glory　of　the　Zentraedi'　had　already　bee　an　archaic　phrase。〃
Rawlins；　Zentraedi　Triumvirate：　Dolza；　Breetai；　Khyron

Rick；　Ben；　and　Max…the　newly　formed　Black　Team…were　ordered　to　defensive　positions　in　the　Fourth　Quadrant；　close　to　the　fortress　and　too　far　from　the　main　fighting　to　suit　Dixon。　He　was　anxious　to　get　into　the　thick　of　it。

Below　them；　between　the　SDF…1　and　Mars；　Skull；　Red；　and　the　other　squadrons　were　engaging　enemy　pods。　From　his　vantage　point；　Rick　could　make　out　a　cat's　cradle　of　interlacing　laser　light　punctuated　by　brief　spherical　flashes　of　death；　but　most　of　the　battle　information　came　to　him　via　the　air　net。　It　was　beginning　to　sound　like　the　boys　had　the　enemy　on　the　run；　indeed；　the　explosive　bursts　seemed　to　indicate　that　the　pods　had　fallen　back　to　positions　closer　to　the　planetary　rim。

As　the　exchanges　continued　to　diminish　in　size　and　frequency；　Rick　began　to　worry　that　Gloval　was　permitting　the　VTs　to　fly　right　into　a　trap；　or　worse；　that　he　had　ordered　offensive　action　against　one　of　the　mother　ships。　Dixon　was　ready　to　join　them　nevertheless。

〃Can't　we　get　into　some　of　that？〃　he　wanted　to　know。

〃We　have　our　orders；〃　Rick　told　him　sharply。　〃Now；　stick　close　to　me　and　stay　alert。〃

On　the　bridge　of　the　SDF…1；　Gloval　was　studying　the　deployment　of　pods　and　Veritechs　on　the　threat　board。　The　enemy　was　trying　something　new。　Instead　of　assaulting　the　fortress；　as　was　their　usual　routine；　they　were　keeping　their　distance；　perhaps　fearful　that　the　main　gun　had　been　repaired。　Would　that　that　were　the　case；　thought　Gloval。　But　the　more　he　studied　the　screen；　the　more　suspicious　he　grew。　The　enemy　wasn't　turning　tail　to　avoid　battle。　Gloval　shook　his　head　in　amusement。　Did　they　really　think　him　such　a　fool？　It　was　obvious　that　they　were　hoping　to　lure　the　VTs　away　from　the　fortress　in　order　to　open　up　a　second　front。

He　was　ready　to　issue　a　recall　order　when　new　data　verified　his　hunch。

Vanessa　announced；　〃We　have　an　attack　force　of　enemy　pods　at　our　stern。〃

Gloval　ordered　that　the　Gladiator　force　be　called　up；　and　Dr。　Lang　was　requested　to　shunt　sufficient　energy　from　the　shields　to　arm　the　main　batteries　aft。　The　second　enemy　wave　was　ing　in　from　the　relatively　unguarded　Fourth　Quadrant；　where　Hunter's　Black　Team　was　on　defensive　patrol。　As　this　sector　was　put　up　on　the　screen；　the　bridge　crew　readied　themselves　to　render　assistance。

Rick　received　the　muniqu？from　the　bridge　and　moments　later　had　the　enemy　assault　team　on　his　cockpit　radar　display。

〃pany's　ing；〃　he　told　Max　and　Ben。　〃Let's　show　them　how　we　treat　party　crashers。〃

Locked　into　the　bridge　mand　center；　the　three　Veritech　pilots　swung　their　fighters　toward　the　advancing　pods。　They　were　still　too　distant　for　visuals；　but　Rick　was　soon　facing　those　characteristic　pinpoints　of　explosive　light　that　signaled　laser　bombardment。

A　nanosecond　later　the　bolts　reached　them。　Rick　ordered　his　men　to　begin　evasive　maneuvers　to　lessen　the　staying　power　of　the　charge。　Some　of　his　own　circuits　were　already　fried；　but　it　was　nothing　he　needed　to　worry　about。

And　then　they　had　a　visual　on　the　pods：　There　were　only　a　dozen　of　them；　including　an　Off