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05_force_of_arms-第22部分

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〃I promised in our vows that I would stay by your side; and I will。 From now on; we fight together。〃

And a brief fight it might be; he knew。 The RDF needed every hand it could get; and Miriya's battle skill might be a critical plus。 He took her hand; and they managed an even more loving look than they had exchanged during their vows。

〃Then I guess I have no choice;〃 he said。 〃Even though we may die together。〃

〃Oh; but Maximillian! I would accept no other death!〃

〃Me; either。〃 He kissed her quickly; then they raced off hand in hand。 〃There goes the honeymoon;〃 he said as they ran。

〃I don't think you understand true Zentraedi determination。〃 She smiled。

Alone in the ballroom; the master of ceremonies had no more strength to seek shelter or follow the war over the screens。 The wedding had been the best thing that had happened to him in two years aboard the SDF…1; the thing he was suited to; that he did best。

Now he sank to his knees; head lowered to the forearm he rested on the shambles of the wedding party's abandoned table。 The fortress model; symbol of Max and Miriya's wedding; looked down at him。 He sobbed what everyone in the ship was thinking; as the Zentraedi dreadnoughts moved in in their hundreds of thousands。 〃Please; save us all。〃


CHAPTER ELEVEN

Dolza; my old friend; old watchdog; the naive straightforwardness of the Zentraedi could be your downfall some day。
All things are so simple to you: The eye sees the target; the hands aim the weapon; a finger pulls the trigger; an energy bolt slays the enemy。 You therefore conclude that if the eye sees clearly; the hand is steady; and the weapon functions properly; all will be well。
You never see the subtlety of the myriad little events in that train of action。 What of the brain that directs the eye and the aim? What of the nerves that steady the hand? Of the very decision to shoot? What of the motives that make the Zentraedi obey their military Imperative?
Ah; you call all of this sophistry! But I tell you: There are vulnerabilities to which you are blind。
Remark made by Zor to Dolza shortly before Zor's death…known only to Dolza; Exedore; and Breetai

Again the bays opened; the elevators lifted the fighters to the flight decks。 The SDF…1 and the Daedalus and Prometheus catapult crews labored frantically to launch the all…important fighters as fast as possible。 On the flatdecks; waist and bow cats were in constant operation; and the crews' lives were in constant danger; it was very easy for something as small and frail as a human being to meet death during launch ops; especially in the airlessness of space。

The Veritechs rose to the flight decks; deploying ailerons and wings that had been folded or swept back to save space on the hangar decks。 Their engines screamed like demons; and they hurtled into space in a meticulously timed ballet; avoiding collisions with one another and forming up for bat with the sureness of long experience。


Gloval watched from a tall viewport as Rick Hunter went out; leading Skull Team。 And the rest; scores of them; fell in behind to do battle against the aliens' total attack。

〃May every one of you make it home safely;〃 Gloval murmured; the old briar pipe gripped in his teeth。 But he knew it was too much to hope for。


Rick was running the fighter wing now; even though there were those who outranked him; there was no one with more expertise。

〃Remain in Fighter mode until I give the word;〃 he told them。 〃We are now approaching intercept zone。〃

Flying at his wing was Max; with Miriya in the seat behind wearing an RDF flight suit and 〃thinking cap。〃

The pods were ing in droves to soften up the target and eliminate and suppress as much counterfire as they could before the Zentraedi heavyweights came in for the kill。

Rick's autocannon sounded like a buzz saw multiplied a thousand times; high…density slugs went out in a stream fit by tracers to pierce an oval armored body through and through。 The enemy disappeared in an expanding sphere of red…hot gas and flying shrapnel an instant later。

The Veritechs peeled off; wingmen trying their best to stick together; and threw themselves into swirling; pouncing dogfights against the enemy。 The pods advanced in an unstoppable cloud; as the desperate VTs twisted and swooped。

Gloval agonized over the fact that ongoing repairs and retrofitting made it impossible to fire the ship's main gun。 But the ship's primary and secondary batteries opened up; turrets swinging; barrels traversing; hammering away。

A pod was hit dead center by an armor…piercing discarding…sabot round and blew to incandescent bits。 Another was riddled by kinetic…energy rounds from an electromagnetic rail…gun; projectiles accelerated to hundreds of thousands of g's; hitting at such high speed that explosives would have been redundant。 A VT in Guardian mode spun and tumbled; chopped to fragments by the energy blasts of a pod's plastron cannon。

But more and more pods came at the humans in vast waves; pushing them back。 The SDF…1 was surrounded by the globular explosions of space battle; hundreds of them every second。

Max had a pod square in his gunsight reticle; thumb on his stick's trigger; when Miriya cried; 〃No! Wait! Don't shoot!〃

〃Huh? But they were right in my sights。〃

She took over; maneuvering until the puter…aided sights were centered on a structure behind the articulation apparatus that joined the pod's legs。 Whatever it was; it wasn't on the VT pilots' menu of sure…kill shots。

But Miriya told her husband; 〃Now!〃 Max zoomed in on a close pass; letting a short burst fly。 The target structure disappeared in a burst of flame。

The Zentraedi wobbled and careened out of control; its main thrusters sputtering and coughing every which way; guns going silent after a moment。 Trailing fire; it drifted away; limping toward safety with feeble gusts from its attitude thrusters。

VT pilots were taught to go for the sure…kill shots at areas of the enemy mecha most likely to expose themselves to fire。 He felt like he had just been taught a secret Shao…lin pressure point。

〃But we could've lost him while we were trying for that shot;〃 he pointed out; craning around to look over his seat at his bride of less than an hour。

〃I don't want anybody else to be hurt in this war;〃 she told him。

〃But Miriya; we don't want to jeopardize our own lives; right? Or the ships?〃

She looked him in the eye。 〃Remember what the captain said? Max; it's time to do more than just talk。 We must act。 And now I've given you the key。〃

〃Oh; boy。 You're right。 We'll just have to give this a try。〃

〃Thank you; Maximillian。〃

Max took out two more to make sure it really worked。

〃What in heaven's name is going on in that plane?〃 Rick yelled over the tac net。

He saw Max's face on one of his display screens。 〃Boss; I'm sorry those last few weren't kills。〃

〃Don't bull me; Max。〃 Rick could see what was going on。 〃I think I understand。〃

He dove at a pod; his forward lasers vaporizing the vulnerable ponent that Miriya had revealed。 〃We'll stop this war without bloodshed!〃

Captain Gloval was right。 〃The time has e for peace;〃 Rick muttered。

The secret of popping the enemy pods wi
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