05_force_of_arms-第39部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！



Grel　couldn't　help　bursting　out；　〃What？〃

Khyron　looked　at　him　coldly。　〃Get　me　the　position　of　Breetai's　flagship。〃　Then　he　was　smiling　up　dreamily　at　Minmei's　projecbeam　image　once　more。

Grel　didn't　know　what　to　say　and；　moreover；　knew　that　saying　the　wrong　thing　to　the　Backstabber　had　cut　short　quite　a　number　of　otherwise　promising　careers。　He　couldn't　help　blurting；　though；　〃But　my　lord！　Breetai　is　one　of　us！　You　cannot　do　th…〃

Khyron　whirled　on　him　in　a　murderous　rage。　〃How　dare　you？　You　will　follow　my　orders　or　else！〃

Grel　turned　very　pale　and　hurried　to　obey。　Khyron　turned　back　to　his　enjoyment　of　the　song。

But　his　enjoyment　was　sinister。　He　felt　a　physical；　languorous　pleasure　as　he　concluded　that　he　was　at　last　ing　to　a　clear　understanding　of　a　pure　true　definition　of　conquest；　something　more　pleasure…giving；　if　he　was　right；　than　all　the　victories；　booty；　and　worlds　the　Zentraedi　had　ever　taken。

In　seconds；　Khyron's　flagship　was　underway；　followed　by　the　tiny　flotilla　of　those　still　loyal　to　him。


People　in　the　control　booth　and　even　members　of　the　band　had　sent　the　inquiry　up　the　line：　Shouldn't　Minmei　go　to　another　song？

In　the　midst　of　the　most　important　battle　of　his　career；　Gloval　had　taken　time　to　give　the　order　personally：　no！　This　song；　this　song　was　the　one！

Now；　with　Minmei's　voice　ringing　through　it　everywhere　that　battle　damage　hadn't　silenced　the　PA　system；　the　SDF…1　waded　deeper　and　deeper　into　the　massed　Grand　Fleet。　Out　on　the　decks　and　outerworks；　enemy　fire　was　taking　a　vicious　toll　of　the　exposed　attack　mecha；　but　the　crews　of　the　war　machines　still　kept　up　intense　fire。


Breetai's　armada　had　suffered　badly；　too；　but　hadn't　slowed。

〃Keep　all　power　levels　at　maximum！〃　he　bellowed　as　systemry　and　power　conduits　blew　all　about　him。

His　flagship　and　its　escort；　the　SDF…1　side　by　side　with　them；　pressed　on；　their　volume　of　fire　enormous；　the　rest　of　the　armada　striking　after　in　a　wedge；　probing　their　way　through　the　disorganized　foe。

Many　of　the　smaller　fightercraft　and　mecha　on　both　sides　had　been　snuffed　out　of　existence　by　the　overwhelming　volleys　being　traded；　most　of　the　rest　had　quit　the　battle's　fairway。

〃Hell　or　glory！〃　cried　Azonia；　holding　her　fist　aloft；　ing　in　to　shore　up　the　alliance's　badly　crumpling　left　flank。　Her　forces　threw　themselves　into　the　engagement　with　fanatic　zeal。

Dolza's　faithful　leapt　at　them　with　an　equal　thirst　for　death　and　triumph。


Inside　the　SDF…1；　a　direct　hit　pierced　the　hold　in　which　Macross　City　lay。　Atmosphere　roared　out　at　once　like　a　great　river；　and　more　missiles　penetrated　the　hold　to　score　direct　hits　on　the　streets　of　the　city。　Armored　curtains　and　sealing　sections　swung　into　place　at　once；　but　still　there　was　grievous　damage　to　the　city。　Rebuilt　a　half　dozen　times；　it　was　fast　being　rubble　again。　Loss　of　life　was　relatively　low　because　most　of　the　inhabitants　were　on　emergency　duty　elsewhere　and　practically　all　the　rest　were　in　shelters。

Just　before　the　last　curtain　rolled　into　place　to　seal　the　partment　and　allow　it　to　be　repressurized；　a　last　heavy　enemy　missile　somehow　sizzled　through　the　gap。　By　chance；　it　found　a　shelter　in　a　direct　hit；　and　the　carnage　was　nothing　that　belonged　in　a　sane　universe。

Repair　and　rescue　crews　and　medical　teams　wanted　the　ship　to　drop　back　to　give　them　time　to　do　their　work。　Gloval　bit　his　lower　lip　but　refused；　perhaps　all　that　was　left　of　humanity　was　aboard　the　SDF…1；　and　if　Dolza　wasn't　smashed　now；　in　this　moment；　none　of　them　would　survive。

The　request　was　denied。　The　battle　raged　on。　It　was　not　the　first　agonizing　time　Gloval　had　felt　himself　something　of　a　villain。


CHAPTER　TWENTY

Aside　from　Gloval；　very　few　of　our　senior　military　people　seem　to　be　able　to　grasp　the　simple　truth：　The　Zentraedi　do　not　truly　understand　Robotechnology。　They　use　it　without　prehending　how　it　works；　as　many　humans　use　television；　laser　devices；　or　aircraft　without　the　slightest　idea　what　makes　those　technologies　function。　The　Zentraedi　were　given　their　weapons　and　equipment　by　the　enigmatic　Robotech　Masters。　Their　control　over　the　Zentraedi　is　due；　in　part；　to　the　giants'　own　ignorance。
This　means　that　the　Zentraedi　are　vulnerable　in　ways　of　which　they　are　unaware。
Dr。　Emil　Lang；　Technical　Recordings　and　Notes

More　disturbances　shook　the　underground　corridors　of　Alaska　Base　as　a　terrier　might　shake　a　rat　in　its　teeth。　The　titanic　supports　plained；　and　the　ceilings　showered　rock　dust。

Through　it　flew　the　Skull　Guardian；　maneuvering　in　very　confining　space　to　avoid　exploding　power　ducts　and　ruptured　energy　mains。　Rick　brought　the　ship　to　an　abrupt　halt；　hitting　the　foot　thrusters　hard　so　as　not　to　collide　with　a　thick　shield　door　that　dead…ended　the　cyclopean　corridor。

But　he　was　in　no　mood　to　be　stopped。　He　lowered　a　phased…array　laser　turret　and　aimed　with　his　gunsight　reticle。　The　fearsome　power　of　the　quad…mount　sent　armor　flowing　in　rivulets；　but　not　as　quickly　as　he　hoped。　He　cut　back　his　ambitions　and　tried　for　a　man…size　opening　instead　of　a　VT…size　one。

In　a　few　moments　a　circular　plug　of　armor　two　feet　thick　fell　back　from　the　shield　door；　leaving　a　makeshift　hatch。　Rick　gave　mands　with　his　controls　and　with　mental　images；　the　Guardian　bowed；　its　nose　touching　the　corridor　floor　so　that　he　could　disembark。

He　was　barely　at　the　smoking；　red…hot　opening　when　he　heard　her。　〃Rick！〃　Lisa　was　waiting　for　him　patiently　at　the　far　end　of　the　short；　small　connecting　passageway。

He　felt　like　sinking　to　his　knees　with　relief　and…something　else。　But　there　was　no　time　for　it；　and　so　he　tossed　his　thick；　unruly　black　hair　out　of　his　eyes　and　flickered　his　eyebrows　at　her。

〃You　the　lady　who　called　for　the　cab？　I'm　your　man。〃

She　laughed　fondly；　nodding。　〃It's　about　time。〃　She　ran　to　him；　laughing；　and　he　caught　her　up　in　his　arms；　whirling　her。

In　another　few　seconds　they　were　in　the　Guardian's　cockpit；　Lisa　seated　across　his　lap；　Rick　trying　to　concentrate　on　his　flying。　Strange　energy　phenomena　coruscated　and　spat　all　around；　a　poltergeist　zoo　of　deadly　short…term　exotica。　Purple　lightning　grasped　for　them；　and　green　rays　ricocheted　from　surface　to　surface。　Walls　blew　out　into　the　corridor；　sending　pieces　of　shredded　armor　plate　whirling　like　leaf　fragments。

〃The　reactor's　overloading！〃　she　yelled　over　the　din。

Rick　somehow　ran　the　dimly　lit　obstacle　course；　Lisa's　head　buried　against　his　chest　in　case　the　canopy　shattered。　After　several　centuries'　time　juking　and　sideslipping　through　the　maze　of　Alaska　Base；　the　Guardian　was　back　into　the　vertical　shaft　of　what　had　been　Earth's　greatest　weapon　less　than　an　hour　before。


The　last　layer　of　defensive　ships　was　riven　apart　by　the　irresistible　wedge　of　the　allied　force。　Before　them　hung　Dolza's　headquarters　like　some　lumpy；　dangling　overripe　fruit。

But　Dolza　didn't　run；　that　wasn't　the　way　of　the　true　Zentraedi　warrior；　and　Dolza　embodied　the　Zentraedi　warrior　code。　It　was　as　Breetai　had　known　it　would　be。　Instead；　the　moonlet…size　headquarters　came　straight　at　its　enemies；　surrounded　by　such　escort　vessels　as　it　could　gather　around　it。

〃Objective　now　approaching；〃　Vanessa　reported。

〃All