03_homecoming-第24部分

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More　VTs　were　ordered　to　the　flight　decks；　Rick's　Vermilions　among　them；　and　every　weapon　on　the　ship　concentrated　fire　on　the　invader。　Gloval　spoke　quickly　to　engineering；　preparing　for　other；　desperate　measures。

The　SDF…1's　fire　was　punishing　Khyron's　ship　as　even　the　VTs　couldn't；　but　that　didn't　matter　to　the　Backstabber；　he　needed　only　a　little　longer。　His　cruiser　passed　overhead；　all　batteries　firing；　the　two　heavyweight　ships　hammering　away　at　each　other　with　all　they　had；　inflicting　appalling　damage。

At　the　same　time　the　cruiser　released　more　mecha；　a　virtual　hail　of　Battlepods　that　dropped　down　toward　the　SDF…1。　The　pods　and　the　tri…thruster　pursuit　ships　kept　up　a　heavy　fusillade。　The　VTs　did　their　best　to　turn　back　the　assault　drop；　but　they　were　simply　outnumbered；　there　would　be　many　empty　bunks　down　in　the　squadron　quarters　that　night；　if　indeed　the　SDF…1　lasted　at　all。

Leading　his　troops　in　his　own　tremendously　powerful　officer's　Battlepod；　Khyron　saw　the　carnage　and　grinned　like　a　lunatic。

〃Keep　firing　and　don't　stop　until　we've　destroyed　every　last　one　of　the　miserable　Micronian　vermin！〃


CHAPTER　SEVENTEEN

And　so　the　stage　was　set　by　the　eternal　mandala；　the　yin　and　the　yang…the　good　that　is　in　evil；　and　the　evil　that　is　in　good。　Human　betrayal；　Zentraedi　disobedience　of　several　trends；　and　yes；　that　fanatic　courage　of　the　aliens…these　al！　played　their　part　that　day。
Jan　Morris；　Solar　Seeds；　Galactic　Guardians

Claudia　turned　to　call　to　Gloval。　〃A　mixed　group　of　fighting　vehicles　is　approaching　our　decks；　sir。　The　Veritechs　couldn't　hold　them。〃

〃I　want　Vermilion　ready　for　immediate　launch；〃　Gloval　snapped。

Lisa　found　herself　seeing　Rick's　face　and　shook　her　head　to　regain　her　concentration。　〃Yes；　sir。〃

As　his　ship　and　Max　Sterling's　were　raised　to　the　flight　deck；　Rick　thought；　Well；　here　we　go　again。　And　haw　many　will　die　this　time？　Damn　all　Zentraedi！　You　want　death？

e　on；　then；　we'll　give　you　death！


Claudia　updated；　〃Enemy　breakthrough　heaviest　now　at　blocks　three；　seven；　niner；　and　sixteen。〃

Gloval　turned　and　called；　〃Get　the　tactical　corps　mecha　out　on　deck。　Double…check　to　make　sure　all　civil　defense　mecha　are　in　position　and　have　them　stand　by　for　possible　redeployment！〃

Everybody　knew　what　that　meant：　Gloval　was　practically　admitting　that　the　aliens　might　penetrate　to　the　very　interior　of　the　ship　itself…perhaps　to　Macross　City。

Lisa　shuddered；　but　she　kept　on　at　her　work；　seemingly　calm　and　self…possessed。　〃Vermilion　Team；　stand　by　at　block　number　three　for　protection　and　await　further　orders。〃　From　that　position　a　number　of　the　dimensional　fortress's　functioning　gun　turrets　and　missile　tubes　could　provide　some　cover　for　them　until　Gloval　decided　where　to　mit　them。

〃Roger；〃　Rick　acknowledged。

Almost　all　the　other　VT　teams　were　either　in　the　air　or　waiting　to　be　lifted　to　the　flight　deck；　but　that　didn't　seem　to　be　daunting　the　enemy。　More　and　more　alien　mecha　were　dropping；　an　unbelievable　assault　force。　That　cruiser　must　have　been　packed　cheek　by　jowl　with　them！　Lisa　thought。

She　saw　Vermilion　forming　up　on　an　outboard　pickup。　Enemy　fire　was　sizzling　down　all　around　them；　bluewhite　beams　that　vaporized　the　nonskid　and　scored　the　armor　deeply。

Rick's　voice　came　on　again。　〃Hey　there；　mander　Hayes！　How　many　of　these　things　do　we　have　to　shoot　down　before　they　stop　ing　at　us？　Ten　thousand　or　twenty　thousand？　Or　two　million；　or　what？　Just　checking；　you　understand。〃

A　sudden　volley　hit　right　near　his　VT　and　almost　got　it；　she　could　hear　the　shock　and　adrenaline　in　his　voice　as　he　cried　out；　〃God　damn　you！〃　at　the　aliens。

Lisa　looked　stunned。　〃Hold　position；〃　she　said　slowly；　feeling　her　skin　go　cold　and　her　heart　pounding　so　hard　she　could　feel　it　all　through　her。　She　watched　her　screen；　hypnotized；　waiting　for　the　next　salvo　to　claim　him。

〃Await。。。further　orders。。。〃　she　managed。　She　saw　Rick's　face　before　her；　in　a　cockpit；　but　then　suddenly　Karl　Riber's…or　no；　it　was　Lynn…Kyle's；　wasn't　it？　What　was　happening　to　her？


There　was　such　a　thing　as　personal　initiative；　and　junior　officers…especially　team　leaders…were　expected　to　recognize　a　time　when　it　was　their　duty　to　exercise　it。

〃Well；　I'm　getting　these　fighters　out　of　here　before　it's　too　late！〃　Rick　snapped；　as　much　to　himself　as　to　mander　Hayes。　〃All　right；　Vermilion；　follow　me！〃

There　was　no　time　for　a　catapult　launch；　even　if　the　cat　crews　had　been　able　to　function　in　that　firestorm。　None　could；　and　many　of　the　brave　crews　were　down　for　good。

The　VTs　rolled　behind　Rick；　engines　shrilling；　only　Robotechnology　gave　them　power　to　reach　sufficient　airspeed　in　the　short　space　available。　Rick's　VT　howled　out　into　the　air；　followed　by　Max；　Ben；　and　the　rest。

Even　so；　they　hadn't　gotten　away　fast　enough。　The　fifth　VT　took　a　direct　hit　while　lifting；　crashed　to　the　deck　again；　burning　out　of　control　because　overworked　damage　and　firefighting　crews　were　fully　occupied　elsewhere。　From　the　explosion；　it　was　clear　that　the　pilot　had　died　instantly。

But　the　deck　would　have　to　be　cleared　for　more　launches　and　for　eventual　landings；　assuming　any　Veritechs　came　back　this　day。　A　courageous　cat　crew　officer　named　Moira　Flynn　climbed　into　a　cargo　mover。　Braving　the　flames；　the　exploding　VT　ordnance；　and　the　withering　enemy　fire；　she　began　bulldozing　the　wreckage　to　the　edge　of　the　deck；　to　dump　it　into　the　sea。

Lisa　could　barely　spare　an　instant　in　which　to　watch　the　launch　of　Vermilion；　there　were　a　thousand　other　things　that　demanded　her　attention。　But　she　shut　her　eyes　for　an　instant。　Please　let　him　be　all　right！　But　Rick's　face　was　superimposed　in　her　mind　with　Karl's；　with　Kyle's。。。


Out　on　the　flight　deck；　a　bulky　Gladiator　attack　mecha　from　the　tactical　corps…a　smaller；　cruder　version　of　the　Battloids…fired　its　chest　cannon；　missile　racks；　and　straight…lasers。　It　suddenly　found　itself　confronted　by　a　quintet　of　Battlepods　that　dropped　to　the　deck　almost　simultaneously；　blowing　the　Gladiator　away；　both　human　crewmembers　were　dead　practically　before　they　knew　what　was　happening。

More　pods　landed；　firing　the　heavy　guns　mounted　on　their　plastrons　and；　in　some　special　cases；　missile　launchers；　particle　cannon；　and　other　offensive　armaments。

Two　more　Gladiators　came　forward　to　seal　the　hole　in　the　defensive　lines；　braving　the　enemy　rounds　to　throw　out　a　wall　of　fire　of　their　own。　The　crewmembers　loved　life　as　much　as　anybody；　but　they　were　unswerving　in　the　defense　of　their　ship　and　their　planet。　They　opened　up　with　gatlings　and　missiles　and　lasers。　The　Battlepods　kept　ing　until　the　mecha　were　at　point…blank　range。

Another　Gladiator　went　down。　Amid　the　smoke　and　confusion；　the　third　found　itself　out　of　ammunition　and　standing　toe　to　toe　with　a　pod。

The　Gladiator　crew　reacted　at　once；　as　the　pod　sprang　at　it；　their　war　machine　swung　an　armored　fist；　caving　in　the　lower　half　of　the　Zentraedi's　plastron。　The　Gladiator　ducked；　and　the　pod　crashed　to　the　deck　a　little　beyond。

Unarmed；　the　RDF　mecha　turned　to　grapple　with　the　next　pod；　but　it　leapt　high　in　the　air　like　an　immense　grasshopper；　all　guns　firing。　The　Gladiator　collapsed　in　on　itself；　being　a　fireball。


Rick　lined　up　another　bogey；　one　of　the　small；　fiendishly　fast　Botoru　pursuit　ships。　The　enemy　fired　a　poorly　aimed　stream　of　the　annihilating　energy　discs　that　were　one　of　its　armaments；　then　flared　like　a　meteor　before　the　Vermilion　Leader's　volley。

The　battle　was　the　biggest　fighter　ratrace　yet；　all　the　more　frantic　and　hysterical　because　it　swirled　through　the　relatively　small　area　around　the　battle　fortress。　Speeds　were　therefore　much　lower　than　usual；　but　distances　were　so　short　and　maneuvering　room　so　limited　that　everything　happened　in　split　seconds。

One　dogfight　got　mixed　up　with　another。　Pilots　from　both　sides　collided；　shot　friend　instead　of　foe；　lost　sight　of　their　prey　only　to　find　a　bandit　on　their　tail。

Lisa's　voice　sounded　in　Rick's　headphones。　〃Proceed　to　enemy　penetration　at　block　number　seven。〃

Only　Max　and　Ben　were　left　now。　They　managed　to　make　it　over　to　the　designated　defensive　block；　where　they　were　witnesses　to　something　out　of　an　old…time　Western　movie。

Civil　Defense　mecha　had　been　rushed　up　to　serve　as　reinforcements　for　the　tacticals。　The　thickset　war　machines；　like　walking　dreadnoughts；　stood　straddle…legged　on　the　deck；　blasting　away　at　the　massed　enemy。

Excalibur　Mark　VIs　and　Gladiators；　drum…armed　Spartans　with　their　huge　circular　canisters　of　missile　launchers；　and　multi…barreled　Raider　Xs　swinging　their　beam　cannon　this　way　and　that…they　all　stood　shoulder　to　shoulder　against　the　main　Zentraedi　onslaught　as　enemy　fire　took　them　out　of　the　line　one　by　one。

The　pods　were　closing　in　fast；　the　enormous　losses　they'd　suffered　seemed　to　have　no　effect　on　the　size　of　the　fleet。　They　had　advanced　to　a　point　where　none　of　the　SDF…1's　primary　batteries…and　only　a　few　of　the　remaining　secondaries…had　a　line　of　fire　on　them；　the　batteries　were　primarily　for　air　defense。

The　RDF　mecha　were　standing　their　ground；　laying　down　fire　with　everything　they　had。　They　knew　that　if　their　line　collapsed；　there　would　be　nothing　to　stop　the　aliens　from　getting　into　the　ship…and　winning　the　war。

It　was　truly　the　hour　of　the　attack　mecha；　with　even　the　VTs　taking　a　back　seat。　They　made　their　stand　as　the　Zentraedi　closed　the　distance　by　leaps　and　bounds。　The　killing　in　the　skies　had　numbed　him；　yet　Rick　thought　this　was　one　of　the　most　savage　scenes　ever　seen　during　the　war。

As　Vermilion　came　in　to　see　what　they　could　do　to　help；　two　foremost　Raider　Xs　went　up　like　cans　of　firecrackers。　The　pods　bounded　past　the　wreckage　to　close　in　on　the　last　of　the　defenders。

Khyron　was　gleeful；　nearly　mad　with　the　joy　of　war；　as　he　led　the　final　charge；　addressing　the　cannon　of　his　Officer's　Pod　to　a　new　target。　In　minutes；　the　ship　would　be　his；　and　with　it；　the　universe。

In　the　meantime；　three　of　the　accursed　VTs　made　a　close　strafing　run；　destroying　the　leading　line　of　pods。　But　other　pods　would　soon　be　there　to　deal　with　them；　even　Veritechs　couldn't　keep　Zor's　ultimate　creation　away　from　Khyron　now！

Khyron　was　distracted　by　two　lumbering　Excaliburs　that　were　closing　in　on　him；　t