03_homecoming-第23部分

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It　couldn't　be　anything　but　trouble；　the　war　was　on　again；　and　if　peace　had　seemed　too　good　to　be　true；　that　was　because　it　was。　But　Gloval's　broad　hand　patted　Donna's　shoulder　for　a　moment；　transferring　what　felt　like　an　infinite　calm　even　while　he　was　calling　orders　to　other　bridge　personnel。

〃Order　up　a　B　status　encrypted　line　to　headquarters　immediately！　And　one　of　you　find　mander　Hayes　and　get　her　up　here　on　the　double！　Somebody　else　tell　Ghost　and　Skull　teams　to　get　ready　for　a　hot　scramble！〃

People　were　doing　all　of　that；　and　still　the　bridge　was　as　quiet　as　a　well…run　switchboard。　Gloval　told　Donna　Wilhelm；　〃Well　done。　Give　me　updates　every　fifteen　seconds；　understood？　And　if　you　see　I'm　not　listening；　e　stand　on　my　foot。〃

Then　he　was　gone；　and　the　SDF…1　bridge　was　quietly　chaotic　with　a　general…quarters　bat　alert。　Arm　Hammerhead　missiles　and　Deca　missiles　and　Scorpion　missiles；　power　up　to　main　gun　batteries；　secondaries；　to　all　firing　positions。　Hot　scrambles；　ready　on　go；　aye。

Donna　looked　at　her　screens　and　got　ready　to　relay　the　first　update　to　Gloval。　Over　a　year　ago；　her　family　had　been　one　of　those　that　were　simply　vacuumed　up　in　the　catastrophic　first　encounter　between　Zentraedi　and　human。　Now　her　father　was　an　emergency　team　specialist；　her　mother　supervised　an　elite　EVA　squad；　and　her　younger　brother　was　dead；　one　of　Ghost　Team's　KIAs　back　in　that　big　blitzkrieg　in　Saturn's　rings。

So　Donna　did　her　duty。　The　aliens　had　followed　SDF…1　to　Earth；　the　aliens　would　follow　the　SDF…1　everywhere；　hound　the　ship　and　hound　those　within　it　until　this　fight　was　settled　one　way　or　the　other。　Only；　there　was　one　thing　that　the　aliens　didn't　seem　to　understand：　The　SDF…1's　crew　would　never　surrender　now。

No　matter；　it　was　war　again。　And　the　Zentraedi　didn't　know　that　they　themselves　were　refining；　like　precious　metals　in　some　torturous　crucible；　a　counterforce　within　the　human　race　that　was　their　match…in　willpower　if　not　in　firepower…and　more。

Much　more。


In　the　vast　mand　center　under　the　Alaskan　wilderness；　an　operator　called　out　over　his　headset；　〃Confirmed　enemy　craft　continues　descent；　sir。　Will　touch　down　at　point　K…32；　R…56　Bravo。〃

The　duty　officer；　Brigadier　General　Theroux；　leaned　forward；　staring　up　at　the　immense　display　screen。　〃Are　you　certain？　Are　you　positive　that　that　craft　is　confirmed　as　the　enemy？〃

〃That's　affirmative；　sir。〃

Theroux　got　to　his　feet；　squaring　away　his　cap。　This　was　mand's　worst　fear　made　real。　The　Grand　Cannon　wasn't　yet　ready　to　fire；　and　even　if　it　had　been；　the　approaching　alien　warship　wasn't　in　its　range。　Until　the　planned　network　of　unique　dish　satellites　was　in　place　to　redirect　the　Grand　Cannon's　superbolts　as　needed；　it　was　virtually　useless。

Theroux　opened　an　emergency　　channel；　sure　that　the　ruling　council　would　want　to　reconsider　standing　instructions　under　the　circumstances。　But　he　could　reach　only　General　Herbert　and　Marshal　Zukav。

〃And　the　enemy　is　headed　straight　for　the　SDF…1；〃　Theroux　finished　his　brief　situation　report。

General　Herbert's　face　blinked　at　him　out　of　the　screen。　〃And？　You　mean　you　haven't　carried　out　Special　Order　Seventy…three　yet？〃

Theroux　said　desperately；　〃But　sir；　that　will　only…〃

〃Carry　out　your　duty！〃　Zukav　screamed；　florid…faced；　from　another　screen。　〃Do　it　this　instant　or　I'll　personally　see　you　hanged　for　mutiny！〃　The　screens　blanked。

That　will　only　goad　them　into　attacking　the　SDF…1；　and　the　SDF…1　is　a　sitting　duck；　Theroux　had　been　about　to　say。　But　Herbert　and　Zukav　knew　that　as　well　as　he。　It　was　as　if　they　wanted　the　battle　fortress　obliterated。

Brigadier　General　Theroux　forced　his　thoughts　away　from　that　line　of　contemplation。　He　had　his　orders。

He　addressed　his　launch　control　officer。　〃Very　well；　then：　execute　Special　Order　Seventy…three。　Launch　missiles　immediately。〃

And　as　techs　were　acknowledging　and　carrying　out　the　mand；　he　murmured；　〃And　heaven　help　us。〃


〃We　are　now　monitoring　all　base　　signals　and　telemetry；〃　Claudia　reported。

〃Very　good；〃　Gloval　said。　While　he　had　no　direct　orders　not　to　eavesdrop　on　his　superiors；　it　went　against　all　operating　procedure。　But　he　had　so　few　things　working　to　his　advantage　in　this　crisis；　if　a　man　with　cloven　hooves；　smelling　of　brimstone；　had　appeared　on　the　bridge　at　that　moment；　it's　very　likely　that　the　captain　would　have　struck　a　bargain　with　him。

Claudia　looked　over　to　Lisa；　who　seemed　lost　in　thought　even　though　her　boards　appeared　to　be　registering　a　lot　of　activity。　〃Lisa？〃　Claudia　called　softly。　〃Lisa！　Girl；　what　seems　to　be　the　problem？　You've　been　in　some　kind　of　daydream　ever　since　you　got　back。　Tell　me；　is　it　Kyle？〃

For　a　moment　Lisa　looked　like　a　startled　deer。　Then　she　became　very　defensive；　even　though　she　should　have　been　used　to　her　best　friend's　teasing　by　then。　〃Claudia；　you　know　that's　just　not　true！〃

〃Ahem；〃　Gloval　said　softly；　materializing　behind　them。　〃Ladies。。。〃

They　both　got　back　to　work；　but　Claudia　was　chuckling　and　an　angry　red　spot　appeared　on　each　of　Lisa's　cheeks。

Kim　shattered　the　gentle；　joking　atmosphere　for　good。　〃Captain；　headquarters　had　just　launched　defense　missiles。　Our　instruments　show　approximately　fifteen　seconds　to　impact。〃

Gloval　settled　into　his　chair。　〃Fifteen　seconds；　understood。〃　What　in　blazes　can　those　fools　be　hoping　to　acplish？　Conventional　weapons　are　totally　useless　against　the　Zentraedi。

〃Prepare　to　send　in　the　Veritechs；〃　he　said。


With　the　disappearance　of　Dr。　Lang　and　the　SDF…1　and　the　destruction　of　its　orbital　force　in　the　wake　of　the　initial　Zentraedi　attack；　Earth's　defense　mand　had　been　forced　to　fall　back　on　older　technologies；　at　least　until　their　Grand　Cannon　was　pleted。

Even　the　production　of　VTs　was　impossible；　since　most　of　the　necessary　fabricating　and　power…plant　replicating　devices　were　on　the　battle　fortress；　the　earthly　RDF　fighters　who'd　greeted　the　ship　on　its　return　were　just　that；　ordinary　fighters；　even　though　they　looked　like　VTs。　The　only　real　Robotech　weapons　now　in　the　Council's　possession　were　the　handful　of　Battloids　that　had；　predictably；　been　preempted　to　guard　the　Council's　own　Alaskan　warren。

The　huge；　silvery　missiles　that　rose　up　from　the　planet's　surface　now；　recently　manufactured　and　bearing　the　kite…like　delta　insignia　of　the　Robotech　Defense　Forces；　were　nevertheless　primitive　in　parison　with　Robotechnology。　But　the　order　to　fire　was　in　place；　and　the　workings　of　mand　structure　spun　and　reacted　automatically。


Khyron's　great　cruiser　moved　more　slowly　in　the　thick　lower　atmosphere。　He　didn't　even　bother　trying　to　evade　the　missiles　or　shoot　them　down；　he　relished　the　shudder　and　thunder　of　their　harmless　detonations　against　his　vessel's　massive　armor。　He　loved　toying　with　his　prey；　loved　to　pretend　that　slaughter　was　battle。

Hellish　fire　washed　across　the　ship's　armor　and　swirled　away　behind　it；　like　foam　off　a　killer　whale；　having　no　effect。

Behind　the　big　transparent　bubble　of　his　mand　post；　Khyron　looked　down　contentedly　at　the　activity　on　his　warship's　bridge。　Grel；　his　second　in　mand；　growled　in　a　fierce；　deep　Zentraedi　guttural；　〃Khyron；　what　about　a　counterattack？〃

It　was　Khyron's　pleasure　to　speak　differently　from　his　fellows；　to　be　unique　in　all　things。　His　accent　was　overrefined；　almost　foppish；　though　the　Zentraedi　lacked　such　a　concept　except　in　his　case。　But　few　people　had　ever　dared　call　the　Backstabber　on　it；　and　all　of　those　had　met　with　grief。

〃A　brilliant　idea；　Grel！　But　just　what　are　we　counterattacking？〃

Greys　thick　brows　met　as　he　pondered　the　question。　〃You　mean；〃　he　said　slowly；　〃that　this　planet　is　not　the　actual　main　objective。〃

Khyron's　handsome；　sinister　face　lit　with　a　predatory　smile。　〃You're　beginning　to　see　the　light。〃　Another　glorious　victory　for　Khyron！　And　oblivion　for　the　hated　SDF…1；　things　were　going　perfectly。


〃Veritechs；　you　have　permission　to　engage　the　enemy；〃　Lisa　said。　〃Fire　at　will。〃

A　swarm　of　angry　VTs　swooped　in　on　the　descending　alien；　lances　of　bright　blue　energy　stabbing　from　their　pulsed　laser…array　cannon；　another　of　Lang's　developments。

〃SDF…1　to　United　Earth　mand；〃　Lisa　transmitted。　〃Our　fighter　squadron　has　initiated　contact。〃　Chew　on　that；　you　burrowing　moles！

The　VTs　were　in　close；　flown　by　veterans　who　knew　where　to　aim　and　how　to　avoid　the　bigger　ship's　clumsy　cannon　volleys。　They　did　only　minor　damage　on　the　first　few　passes；　but　there　were　dozens　of　them；　so　more　serious　damage　would　be　inflicted　if　they　were　allowed　to　have　their　way。

Gloval　was　counting　on　something　he'd　noticed　before：　There　were　definitely　differing　factions　among　the　enemy；　sometimes　working　at　cross…purposes。　One　faction　seemed　to　be　manded　by　an　injudicious　hothead；　and　this　attack　smacked　of　him…or　her。

Gloval　was　right。　Even　as　the　enemy　cruiser　closed　on　the　dimensional　fortress；　fighter　bays　opened　and　alien　mecha　poured　forth　to　battle　for　the　skies。　For　this　engagement；　Khyron　had　elected　to　use　a　mix　of　his　best　fighting　machines；　the　VTs　swooped　in　to　find　themselves　facing　stubby　triple…engine　fighters　with　fuselages　like　narrow　eggs：　tri…thrusters…Botoru　pursuit　ships；　agile　and　spoiling　for　a　fight。

But　no　more　so　than　the　RDF　fliers；　who　were　now　on　their　home　planet；　their　backs　literally　to　the　sea。　There　was　nowhere　to　run；　no　thought　of　surrender；　and　no　battle　plan　needed　except　to　make　the　aliens　pay　very；　very　dearly　for　each　moment　they　spent　in　Earth's　atmosphere。

〃I'm　getting　heavy　contact　reports　and　increased　readings　of　enemy　activity；　sir；〃　Claudia　relayed。

Out　where　war　mecha　jousted　with　spears　of　pure　ruin　for　the　fate　of　the　SDF…1　and　the　human　race；　lines　of　fire　and　counterfire　crisscrossed　ferociously；　taking　a　heavy　toll　on　both　sides。

Despite　a　steady　rain　of　blasts　from　the　SDF…1's　primary　and　secondary　batteries；　Khyron's　cruiser　swung　in　a　low　pass　toward　the　battle　fortress。　Gloval　wasted　no　time　wishing　that　the　all…powerful　main　gun　could　be　fired。　That　wasn't　possible；　damage　to　the　main　gun　mechanism　suffered　on　reentry　hadn't　been　repaired　yet。　So　the　battle　would　have　to　be　won　another　way。

More　VTs　were　ordered　to　the　flight　decks；　Rick's　Vermilions　among　them；　and　every　weapon　on　the　s