03_homecoming-第26部分

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He　shook　his　head　clear　just　in　time　to　send　the　Battloid　rolling　to　the　side。　He　avoided　the　pod's　next　fusillade；　rolled　again；　and　brought　the　Battloid　to　its　feet　dexterously。　And　now；　the　chain…gun　was　reloaded。

Rick　fired　a　long　burst；　taking　the　pod　dead　center；　he　watched　it　dissolve　and　fly　into　pieces；　an　expanding；　blazing　sphere。　But　out　of　the　ballooning　explosion　zoomed　a　new　enemy；　one　of　those　strange　alien　mecha　that　had　been　mostly　staying　out　of　the　fight　up　until　now。

Whoever　was　flying　it　was　either　a　masterful　pilot　or　crazy　or　both。　The　battle…armored　figure　came　through　the　fireball　in　one　piece；　though；　and　nearly　bowled　Rick　over。　Its　weapons　came　close　to　downing　Max　on　one　side　and　Ben　on　the　other　as　the　two　Vermilion　wingmen　dove　for　cover。

The　lightning…fast　attacker　was　gone　before　they　could　fire　at　it；　since　the　SDF…1's　surviving　batteries　were　hopelessly　slow　in　tracking　it。　The　three　Vermilion　fliers　got　their　Battloids　to　their　feet；　shaken　but　unharmed。

〃Let's　finish　this　thing！〃　Rick　said　in　clipped　tones。　At　his　mand；　Vermilion　went　into　Veritech　mode；　skimming　the　deck；　turning　pods　into　expanding　balls　of　incandescent　gas　with　intense　autocannon　fire。

The　last　few　pods　leapt　high；　thrusters　cutting　in；　trying　for　a　slim…chance　vertical　escape　while　the　remaining　Botoru　pursuit　ships　dove　to　try　to　cover　them。　The　lower　battle　and　the　upper　became　one　as　the　mecha　swirled　and　fought。　Rick　peeled　off　to　go　after　two　escaping　pods。


〃So　they　think　they　have　won；　eh？〃　Khyron　mused；　his　pod　standing　in　the　shelter　of　a　superstructural　feature　of　the　dimensional　fortress's　flight　deck；　hidden　and　waiting。


Rick　bagged　the　pods；　and　Ben　and　Max　went　back　down　to　take　care　of　an　insistent　pursuit　ship　that　was　still　strafing　the　SDF…1。　They　returned　to　Battloid　mode；　blasting　it　into　ten　thousand　pieces。

Meanwhile；　Rick　had　picked　up　two　more　tri…thrusters　on　his　tail。　He　led　them　down　to　deck　level；　and　Max　and　Ben　bagged　them　from　behind　with　streams　of　high…density　slugs。

〃Nice　shooting！〃　Rick　said；　relieved。　Then　he　saw　what　was　ing　up　fast　behind　him。　〃No！〃

It　was　the　strange　alien　attack　mecha；　the　one　that　had　nearly　nailed　him　moments　before。　He　braced　himself　to　be　hit；　perhaps　killed；　then　and　there。　But　it　zoomed　past；　gaining　altitude　rapidly；　pulling　away　as　if　the　VT　were　standing　still。

Rick　realized　that　it　matched　the　description　of　that　souped…up　Zentraedi　who　had　done　so　much　damage　to　Roy　Fokker's　Skull　Team　just　before　the　Skulls　recovered　the　stolen　pod　in　which　Lisa；　Rick；　Ben；　and　Max　had　made　their　escape　from　the　aliens。

Rick　cut　in　auxiliary　power；　going　ballistic；　determined　to　end　the　warped　cat…and…mouse　game。

In　her　special　suit　of　Quadrono　powered　armor；　Miriya　laughed　scornfully。


Khyron's　cruiser　was　close　enough　to　the　SDF…1　that　the　ship's　turret　guns　were　making　serious　hits　on　it　now。　The　remaining　Battloids　on　the　deck　were　also　keeping　up　a　steady　volume　of　fire　at　the　suicide　ship。　But　that　was　of　no　matter；　in　moments；　the　battle　would　be　over。

In　his　massively　reinforced　mand　center；　Gerao　braced　for　collision。


〃Veritechs；　be　ready　to　get　clear　on　my　mand；〃　Claudia　said；　having　taken　over　some　direction　of　fighter　ops　while　Lisa　readied　the　Daedalus　Maneuver。

Miriya　swept　by；　only　a　few　feet　off　the　deck。　Rick　was　right　on　her　tail；　chasing　her　high　and　low；　around　and　around。

She　went　into　another　climb；　but　the　irritating　Micronian　stayed　with　her　in　the　six　o'clock　position；　chopping　away　at　her　with　autocannon　fire。

Not　that　it　concerned　her　very　much；　Miriya　was　sure　she　could　turn　on　him　and　kill　hilm　whenever　she　chose。　But　she　monitored　the　ing　impact　of　the　enormous　ships　closely。　〃Khyron；　do　not　fail！〃


〃Daedalus　attack　in　five　seconds；〃　Claudia　marked。　〃Four。。。〃

The　Terrible　Trio　braced　for　collision；　the　enemy　cruiser　blocked　the　sky；　growing　larger　every　instant。

In　one　horrifying　moment；　Claudia　realized　that　Lisa　was　paralyzed。

Lisa　saw　Rick's　face；　saw　poor　dead　Karl's；　saw　Kyle's。　Over　and　over；　so　obsessively　that　she　failed　to　see　the　cruiser's　bow　filling　the　bridge's　forward　viewbowl。

〃LISA！〃

Claudia's　shout　brought　her　back　at　the　very　last　moment。　Her　hands　were　reacting　even　before　she　could　order　her　thoughts；　flying　across　the　controls。　She　heard　herself　responding　calmly；　〃Executing　Daedalus　attack　now。〃　It　was　as　if　someone　else　were　speaking。

They　felt　the　SDF…1　shift；　its　bouyancy　radically　altered；　as　the　supercarrier　Daedalus　was　lifted　clear　of　the　water…a　battering　ram　the　size　of　a　hundred…fifty　story　building。　There　was　the　rumble　of　the　dimensional　fortress's　foot　thrusters　firing　to　keep　balance。　The　sea　boiled　all　around　them。

The　astoundingly　powerful　Robotech　servos　lifted　the　huge　flatdeck　clear　of　the　sea；　thrusting　it　at　the　ining　enemy　like　a　titanic　warrior　throwing　a　slow…motion　punch。

Gerao　saw　the　carrier's　prow　ing；　it　was　far　too　late　to　do　anything　about　it。　He　triggered　his　personal　ejection　mechanism；　to　flee　the　ship　while　he　still　could；　leaving　the　rest　of　his　crew　to　perish。

The　Daedalus's　hurricane　bow　and　can…opener　prow　had　been　reinforced　by　Lang　and　his　technicians　to　the　point　where　they　were　all　but　invulnerable；　even　against　Zentraedi　armor。　Daedalus　punched　through　the　cruiser's　hull；　keelside　and　forward；　as　if　skewering　it。　The　carrier　burst　through　armor；　structural　members；　bulkheads；　and　systemry；　smashing　everything　that　was　in　its　path　as　if　it　were　passing　through　rotted　wood　and　plasterboard。

The　cruiser's　velocity　carried　it　into　the　blow；　and　the　SDF…1's　inparable　power　lifted　Daedalus　and　the　enemy　vessel　high。　The　supercarrier's　prow　emerged　from　the　cruiser's　upper　side；　protruding　more　than　fifty　yards　beyond。

Lisa；　still　monitoring　the　attack　and　shaken　by　her　near　failure；　hadn't　noticed　that　protrusion。　She　was　alarmed　that　the　cruiser's　residual　momentum　was　grinding　it　forward　toward　the　SDF…1　like　a　wild　boar　ing　up　a　hunter's　spear　to　deal　death　before　it　died。

〃Emergency　missiles：　Fire！〃　she　said；　hitting　the　switch。

High　above；　the　carrier's　bow　swung　open　and　a　thousand　missiles　screamed　out　of　their　launchers。　But　instead　of　seeking　targets　within　the　enemy　vessel；　as　they　were　programmed　to　do　and　as　they　had　done　in　the　Battle　at　Saturn's　Rings；　they　boiled　out　into　the　open　sky。

Here　and　there　they　found　a　damaged；　limping　Battlepod　or　a　disabled　Botoru　tri…thruster；　obliterating　them；　but　the　majority　climbed；　searching　for　targets　and　rose　up　at…a　Veritech。

He　juked　and　hit　his　countermeasures　and　jamming　gear；　giving　his　ship　everything　he　had　while　simultaneously　screaming　over　the　mand　net。

〃Lisa；　this　is　Rick！　I'm　in　direct　line　of　our　missiles！　Abort　firing！　Destruct！　Destroy　them！〃

She'd　barely　begun　when　he　was　yelling；　〃Mayday！　Mayday；　I'm　hit！〃

The　jolt　to　his　wing　and　another　to　the　rear　stabilizers；　as　well　as　the　sudden；　uncontrollable　spin；　let　him　know　that　there　was　no　hope　of　keeping　his　VT　in　the　air。　He　was　preparing　to　eject　when　another　missile　hit　the　fuselage　forward　of　the　wing…just　below　the　cockpit。

Above　the　VT　that　pursued　her　and　slightly　farther　away　from　the　missile　barrage；　Azonia　gave　her　powered　armor　suit　maximum　emergency　power；　dodging　and　diving。　The　explosions　of　the　missiles　that　had　hit　Rick's　ship　had　set　off　fratricide　explosions　in　other　missiles；　causing　them　to　destroy　one　another　and　upsetting　the　guidance　systems　of　many　more。

She　turned；　dove；　shook　off　the　last　of　the　missiles　chasing　her；　and　came　back　past　the　SDF…1　in　a　low　pass　that　clipped　the　tops　off　the　ocean　swells　heated　by　the　dimensional　fortress's　thrusters。　Her　jamming　equipment；　the　surface　clutter；　and　her　own　speed　and　maneuverability　had　somehow　saved　her。　Unscathed；　she　flashed　into　the　sky　once　more　as　the　missile　barrage　died　away。


Khyron's　cruiser　was　beginning　to　glow　and　tremble　from　massive　interior　damage　and　ruptured　power　systems。　Claudia　and　the　others　moved　fast　to　pull　the　Daedalus　free　and　back　away。　They　were　barely　clear　when　the　cruiser's　engines　overloaded　and　it　became　a　globe　of　blinding　light；　rocking　the　SDF…1　in　the　water。

〃The　follow…up　missile　attack　on　the　enemy　was　a　plete　success！〃　Claudia　crowed。　〃Captain；　the　enemy　ship　has　been　totally　destroyed！〃


Looking　down　from　his　hovering　Battlepod；　far　out　of　the　radius　of　battle；　missile　attack；　and　explosion；　Khyron　pounded　his　metalshod　fist　against　the　arm　of　his　seat　over　and　over。

〃No！　My　plans　can't　have　failed！　Not　again！　I　won't　have　it！〃

Azonia's　image　appeared　on　one　of　his　screens。　〃Well；　Khyron；　it　looks　as　though　your　perfect　plan　was　slightly　less　than　perfect。　In　fact；　if　it　had　been　any　less　perfect；　you'd　be　dead　too！〃　Her　jeering　laugh　let　him　know　that　such　an　event　wouldn't　have　been　so　imperfect　to　her。


The　remaining　enemy　forces　withdrew　in　their　big　saucer…like　amphibious　ships。　Gloval　vetoed　any　idea　of　pursuit。　〃Let's　not　push　our　luck　or　theirs；　eh？　The　battle　is　over。〃　He　rose　to　go。　〃Just　maintain　present　position。〃

〃Yes；　Captain；〃　Claudia　responded；　when　Lisa　didn't。

He　paused　to　look　back　at　Lisa。　〃Oh；　and　mander　Hayes：　I　want　to　mend　you　on　the　excellent　job　you　did　this　afternoon。〃

They　all　saw　her　shoulders　shaking　as　she　bent　over　her　console；　heard　the　sobs　in　her　voice　as　she　replied；　〃Thank　you；　sir。〃

Later；　as　she　sat　in　her　cabin；　her　head　whirled　with　bits　and　pieces　of　the　things　that　were　tearing　at　her：　Rick。　Karl。　Kyle。　Her　father。　Gloval。　And　the　fate　of　all　the　innocent　people　on　the　SDF…1。。。The　cruel　faces　of　the　UEDC　councilors。

And；　more　than　anything；　what　she　should　do　about　it　all；　because　Lisa　Hayes　wasn't　anybody's　crybaby。

But　she　spent　most　of　the　time　thinking　about　Rick's　frightened　voice　as　the　missiles　closed　in。　There's　been　no　word　yet　of　any　sightings　by　the　air…sea　rescue　teams。

In　the　end　it　was　Rick's　voice　she　heard　over　and　over；　Rick's　face　she　saw。　Then　for　a　while　she　did　cry；　wondering　if　she　would　go　insane。

〃I　didn't　know！　I　just　didn't　know；〃　she　wept。　Didn't　know　she　would　be　putting　him　in　danger　with　the　missiles；　didn't　know　how　deep