02_battle_cry-第7部分

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As　if　reading　Gloval's　thoughts；　Lisa　suddenly　came　up　with　an　inspired　plan。　But　first　she　needed　to　know　if　it　was　possible　to　concentrate　and　direct　the　pin…point　barrier　energy　to　the　front　of　the　Daedalus…the　supercarrier　that　formed　the　right　arm　of　the　SDF…1。

Gloval　immediately　contacted　Dr。　Lang；　and　the　reply　came　swiftly：　Yes；　it　could　be　done。

Gloval　ordered　him　to　begin　the　energy　transfer　at　once　and　quickly　set　in　motion　phase　two　of　the　plan。　This　required　that　all　available　Destroids；　Spartans；　and　Gladiators…the　〃ground〃　support　weapons　mecha…be　gathered　together　at　the　bow　of　the　Daedalus。　The　final　phase　would　be　handled　by　the　Captain　himself；　he　reassumed　the　mand　chair；　his　strength　and　confidence　renewed。

〃Ramming　speed；〃　he　ordered。　〃We're　going　to　push　the　Daedalus　right　down　their　throat！〃

Members　of　the　Skull　Team　who　took　part　in　Operation　Blitzkrieg　would　later　report　on　the　spectacle　they　witnessed　that　day　in　Saturn　space。　How　the　SDF…1；　gleaming　blue；　red；　and　white；　engulfed　in　explosions　and　locked　on　a　collision　course　with　the　enemy；　had　executed　a　backward　body　twist；　followed　by　a　full…forward　thrust　of　its　right　arm　that　brought　the　bow　of　the　Daedalus　like　a　battering　ram　squarely　into　the　forward　section　of　the　destroyer。

One　can　only　imagine　the　scene　from　mander　Zeril's　point　of　view：　the　impact；　the　sight　of　the　front　of　his　ship　being　splintered　apart；　cables　and　conduits　rupturing　as　the　destroyer　impaled　itself　on　the　arm　of　the　fortress；　stressed　metal　groaning　and　giving　way；　crossties　and　girders　ripped　from　their　lodgings；　the　mad　rush　of　precious　air　being　sucked　from　the　ship。

Perhaps　Zeril　and　his　second　were　alive　long　enough　to　see　the　forward　ramp　of　the　Daedalus　drop　open；　revealing　row　after　row　of　deadly　Destroids；　thick　with　guns；　missile　tubes；　and　cannons。　Perhaps　the　two　Zentraedi　even　saw　the　initial　launch　of　the　five　thousand　projectiles　fired　into　the　heart　of　the　destroyer；　the　first　series　of　explosions　against　the　hull　and　bulkheads　of　the　bridge。


Rick　couldn't　bring　himself　to　waste　the　enemy　soldier。　His　mind　and　trigger　finger　were　paralyzed；　not　out　of　fear　but　forgiveness。　This　was　no　Battlepod　he　was　face　to　face　with　in　the　airlock　but　a　living；　breathing　creature；　caught　up　just　as　Rick　in　the　madness　of　war。　Remember　what　they　did　to　us　at　Macross　Island；　Roy　had　drilled　into　him。　Remember！　Remember！。。。humankind's　war　cry　for　how　many　millenia　now？　And　when　would　it　end…with　this　war？　the　next？　the　one　after　that？

Suddenly　the　soldier　turned　his　head　sharply　to　the　right；　as　though　he　had　heard　something　unreported　by　the　Battloid's　sensors。　Rick　saw　the　soldier's　face　drain　of　color；　his　eyes　go　wide　with　even　greater　fear。

In　the　next　instant　a　conflagration　swept　through　the　corridor。　The　soldier　was　vaporized　before　Rick's　eyes；　and　the　Battloid　was　thrown　back　into　the　loading　bay　by　the　explosive　force　of　the　firestorm。　The　air　lock　was　sealed；　but　the　chamber　walls　were　already　beginning　to　melt。

Rick　brought　the　Battloid's　top…mounted　lasers　into　action　to　melt　through　the　overhead　latch　controls；　and　soon　enough　the　semicircular　hatch　slid　open。　Foot　thrusters　blazing；　the　mecha　rose　from　the　floor　and　clambered　out　onto　the　destroyer's　outer　skin。

The　ship　was　convulsing　beneath　Rick；　disgorging　a　death　rattle　roar　from　its　holds。　Forward；　he　could　see　the　SDF…1　propelling　itself　away　from　the　crippled　enemy；　its　pectoral　boosters　blowtorching　and　its　Daedalus　right　arm　flayed　of　metal　and　superstructure。

Rick　returned　the　mecha　to　Guardian　for　his　takeoff；　then　well　into　the　launch　he　reconfigured　to　Fighter　mode；　kicking　in　the　afterburners　to　carry　him　away　from　the　destroyer。

A　series　of　enormous　blisters　was　forming　along　the　outer　shell　of　the　ship　as　explosive　fire　launched　by　the　Destroids　was　funneled　front　to　stern。　But　the　hull　could　contain　it　for　only　so　long；　the　pustules　began　to　burst；　loosing　coronas　and　prominences　of　radiant　energy　into　the　void。　A　violent　interior　explosion　then　blasted　the　destroyer's　skin　from　its　framework。　At　last　there　was　nothing　left　but　a　self…consuming　glowing　cloud；　a　war　of　gases　bent　on　mutual　annihilation。　The　energy　flourished　wildly　and　dispersed；　leaving　in　the　end　no　trace　of　itself　nor　its　brief　struggle。


CHAPTER　FOUR

Several　historians　of　the　Robotech　Wars…Rawlins；　Daily；　Gordon；　and　Turno；　to　name　but　a　few…have　advanced　the　claim　that　it　was　Breetai's　decision　＇to　call　up　Khyron's　troops　as　reinforcements＇　that　placed　the　Zentraedi　squarely　on　the　road　to　defeat。　Rawlins；　in　his　two　volume　study；　Zentraedi　Triumvirate：　Dolza；　Breetai；　Khyron；　states：　〃It　was　more　than　a　tactical　blunder。。。Khyron's　use　of　the　dried　leaves　of　the　Invid　Flower　of　Life　had　drastically　affected　his　Zentraedi　conditioning。　Subsequent　research　clearly　demonstrated　that　alkaloids　present　in　the　leaves　had　a　direct　effect　on　the　limbic　system　of　the　brain。　The　Flower　had　the　power　to　stimulate　a　resurgence　of　archaic　patterns　of　behavior。　In　the　case　of　the　Zentraedi；　ironically　enough；　those　behavior　patterns　were　the　ones　which　most　clearly　defined　the　human　condition。。。So　in　this　sense　it　may　be　said　that　Khyron　was　the　most　human　of　them　all。〃
History　of　the　First　Robotech　War；　Vol。　XXXIV

Breetai　was　now　beginning　to　enjoy　this　micronian　battle　game。

〃‘Cat　and　mouse'　did　you　call　it？〃

〃Yes；　my　lord。　Apparently　it　refers　to　a　game　the　stronger　animal　plays　with　the　weaker　before　the　final　kill。〃　

〃Excellent。　You　must　teach　me　their　language；　Exedore。〃

〃Of　course；　sir。　It　is　most　primitive；　easy　to　absorb。

Our　three　operatives　from　surveillance　are　making　rapid　progress。〃

〃Yes。。。I　may　want　to　talk　to　these　Micronians　soon。〃

The　flagship　and　several　of　the　fleet's　scout　and　recon　ships　had　made　a　hyperspace　jump　along　the　projected　course　of　the　SDF…1。　Breetai　had　left　behind　several　cruisers　and　destroyers；　along　with　plenty　of　Battlepods；　to　keep　the　Micronians　busy　while　he　plotted　his　next　move　in　the　game。

The　Zentraedi　mander　smiled　wryly　as　he　viewed　the　traps…vids　of　Zeril's　destruction。　Enhanced…motion　playback　had　captured　the　giant　ship's　final　few　moments　splendidly。　He　had　to　credit　the　Micronians　for　the　unorthodox　nature　of　their　counterattack。　Instead　of　further　depleting　their　power　by　firing　the　main　gun；　they　had　used　one　of　their　oceangoing　vessels　to　ram　Zeril's　destroyer　headlong。　Once　inside；　a　sufficient　amount　of　firepower　must　have　been　unleashed　to　destroy　it。　The　ship　blistered；　glowed；　became　a　veritable　tunnel　of　trapped　photon　energy；　and　exploded。

Yes；　Breetai　was　amused　by　the　challenge　of　illogical　behavior；　it　forced　him　to　step　outside　his　own　conditioning　and　search　for　novel　approaches　to　destruction。

His　thoughts　were　now　interrupted　by　a　muniqu？from　astrogation。　Exedore　relayed　the　message。

〃Sir；　emerging　from　hyperspace…fold。〃

The　posite　projecbeam　disassembled　itself。　Exedore　called　for　an　exterior　view　of　local　space。　Cameras　panned　across　the　unbroken　blackness　and　locked　on　a　small　red　planet；　arid　and　angry…looking。　For　Breetai　it　brought　to　mind　memories　of　Fantoma；　and　the　mining　worlds　he　had　worked　and　patrolled　long　ago。　A　schematic　appeared　on　one　of　the　side　screens　of　the　mand　bowl　showing　the　planetary　system　of　this　yellow　star　the　Micronians　referred　to　as　their　〃sun。〃

〃Mars；〃　said　Exedore；　〃the　fourth　planet。〃

Breetai　turned　to　his　adviser。

〃Has　the　recon　vessel　been　deployed？〃

〃As　you　ordered；　sir。　The　Cyclops　transmissions　are　ing　in　now。〃

The　projecbeam　revealed　an　abandoned　Micronian　base　that　showed　signs　of　an　earlier　battle：　craters　from　explosions　covered　with　the　fine　red　swirling　dust　of　the　planet's　deserts；　a　shuttlecraft　disabled　and　still　in　its　launch　bay；　the　shells　of　buildings　and　fractured　domes。

〃Our　scanners　reveal　no　life　readings；　no　energy　levels　of　any　form　save　minimal　low…level　background　radiation；　mander。〃

Breetai　put　his　massive　hand　to　his　head　and　unconsciously　stroked　the　metal　plate　there。　The　plate　concealed　scar　tissue　that　had　overgrown　the　wounds　received　while　protecting　Zor　from　the　Invid；　now；　it　seemed；　each　time　he　came　close　to　fulfilling　his　imperative…to　capture　the　fortress…the　original　pain　returned。

〃It　would　appear　that　the　Earth　people　abandoned　this　installation。〃

Exedore　studied　the　data　screen。　〃Long…range　surface　scanners　indicate　that　a　military　conflict　took　place　here　and　at　a　neighboring　installation。　Nevertheless；　the　Micronians'　reflex　power　furnaces　are　still　operative；　and　we've　managed　to　tap　into　their　puter　banks　and　access　some　of　the　information。　It　seems　that　most　of　the　inhabitants；　sir；　were　destroyed　in　a　battle　with　their　allied　forces；　and　the　few　that　survived　were　unable　to　escape　the　harshness　of　the　planet　itself。〃

Breetai　continued　to　stroke　his　faceplate。　〃Hmmm。。。see　to　it　that　one　of　the　puters　is　activated　and　the　contents　of　its　memory　transmitted　on　a　hailing　frequency。〃

One　of　Exedore's　eyebrow's　arched。　〃Certainly；　my　lord；　but　why？〃

〃Because　this　abandoned　post　will　make　a　perfect　trap。　I　have　ordered　the　Seventh　Mechanized　Division　of　the　Botoru　Battalion　to　assemble　here　immediately。〃

The　Seventh　had　a　reputation　for　ground…based　savagery　and　more。

〃Impossible；〃　said　Exedore　with　alarm。　〃Surely；　sir；　this　cannot　be；　you　haven't　ordered　up　Khyron's　division？〃

Breetai　smiled　bemusedly　at　his　panion。　〃Indeed　I　have；　and　why　not？〃

〃You're　familiar　with　his　battle　record；　his　reputation。〃

〃What　of　it？〃

〃During　the　Mona　Operation；　he　was　intoxicated　and　ended　up　killing　some　of　his　own　men。〃　Exedore　pressed　his　point。　〃And　in　the　Isyris　battle　zone　he　almost　wiped　out　two　divisions　of　friendly　forces…〃

〃While　successfully　destroying　the　enemy。〃

〃True；　sir；　but　because　of　that　his　own　troops　have　named　him　the　'Backstabber。'〃

Breetai　was　about　to　respond；　when　without　warning　the　bridge　went　on　alert。　Lights　began　to　flash；　and　warning　klaxons　were　sounding　general　quarters。　Exedore　had　already　positioned　himself　at　the　control　pads　of　one　of　the　monitors；　trying　to　ascertain　the　cause。　Breetai　stood　over　him　now　as　data　began　to　fla