09_the_final_nightmare-第18章

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plete　rout。

Three　of　them　went　for　a　tank　that　had　gone　low；　like　cowboys　chasing　a　wandering　heifer；　bringing　their　discus　sidearms　to　bear。　Dana　saw　with　a　start　that　the　Hovertank　was　Zor's　Three…In…One。


CHAPTER　NINE

The　politicians　who　kill　troops
But　leave　no　babe　unkissed！
They'd　none　of　them　be　missed；
They'd　none　of　them　be　missed！
Bowie　Grant；　〃With　Apologies　to　Gilbert　and　Sullivan〃

Dana　yelled；　〃Zor；　get　out　of　there！〃

Zor　had　the　presence　of　mind　to　retro；　rather　than　try　some　fancy　maneuver　or　an　uneven　firelight。　The　reds'　shots　stitched　the　flagship's　hull；　passing　through　the　airless　spot　where　Zor　would　have　been。　He　escaped　with　only　a　spiderwebbing　of　his　canopy；　the　effect　of　a　grazing　shot。

〃That　was　close；　but　I'm　all　right；〃　he　said　calmly。

An　A…JACs　unit　had　found　a　bowside　cargo　lock　blasted　open　by　another　Terran　barrage；　the　mechachoppers　zipped　in　at　it　like　angry　wasps；　under　the　same　romp…and…ruin　orders　as　the　ATACs。

The　mand　came　to　the　Vada　Primes　from　Dovak。　〃A　new　enemy　bat　group　is　attempting　to　enter　the　flagship。　Readjust　battle　plan　and　destroy　them　at　once。〃

It　took　the　A…JACs　a　fatal　few　moments　to　realize　that　they　were　being　attacked　by　mecha　far　superior　to　their　own。

One　A…JAC　was　blasted　as　soon　as　it　came　in；　going　up　like　a　Roman　candle。　A　second；　already　standing　by　the　opened　hull；　was　riddled　and　fell　apart　in　fragments。　The　reds　came　in；　maneuvering　and　firing　in　perfect　cooperation。　The　A…JACs'　counterfire　had　no　effect　on　the　Triumviroids'　battleshiplike　armor。

〃We're　no　match　for　them　in　these　A…JACs！〃　Lieutenant　Brown　yelled　to　the　few　survivors　left　in　his　team。　〃Everybody　pull　back！　Evasive　maneuvers！〃


Dana　had　her　own　plan　of　action。　She　sent　her　Valkyrie　leaping　high；　imaging　a　change；　her　helmet　sensors　picking　up　the　impulses　and　guiding　her　tank　through　mechamorphosis。

ponents　slid；　reconfigured；　rearranged；　the　tank　went　to　Battloid　mode。　It　stood　in　space；　a　Robotech　Galahad；　taking　as　its　rifle　the　altered　cannon　that　had　rested　along　the　tank's　prow　moments　before。　She　landed　on　the　hull　to　make　her　stand；　feet　spread；　rifle/cannon　strobing。　Angelo　and　Bowie　landed　next　to　her　in　the　same　humanoid　mode。

Three　reds　swept　in　in　echelon；　their　fire　well　coordinated；　promising　to　sweep　the　Battloids　before　them。　Angelo　remembered　what　he　had　learned　about　the　blue　Bioroids。　He　stopped　pouring　out　heavy　fire　and　took　deliberate　aim。

He　hit　the　lead　Triumviroid's　faceplate；　it　shattered；　spilling　atmosphere　and　ruin。　The　thing's　Hovercraft　began　to　waver　gently；　and　the　red　itself　went　immobile。

〃I　got　one！　Hey　Lieutenant；　go　for　their　faceplates！〃

But　as　Dana　looked　around　to　see　what　was　going　on；　the　red's　ball　turret　exploded；　the　body　of　its　Vada　Prime　pilot　tumbling　out　into　vacuum；　breath　and　blood　stolen　away　in　a　red　mist。

They're　humanoids；　she　saw。　They　look。。。just　like　Zor。

But　she　said；　〃You　all　heard　Angie！　Faceplates！　And　make　every　shot　count！〃

Bowie　prepared　to　fire；　but　a　vision　of　Musica　called　him；　and　he　froze。　Three　more　reds　came　in　low　over　a　hull　projection；　firing　so　as　to　scatter　the　gathering　Battloids；　and　one　burst　knocked　Bowie's　tank　from　its　feet。

Dana　and　a　trooper　named　Royce　were　almost　shoulder　to　shoulder；　putting　out　a　heavy　volume　of　fire；　to　cover　him。　The　red　broke　off　and　banked　away。

〃You　all　right；　Bowie？〃

His　Battloid　began　to　lumber　to　its　feet。　〃I　think　so。〃

〃Then　start　shooting；　god　damn　you！　Bottom　line：　They're　programmed　to　destroy　you。〃

Sean　was　isolated；　his　fireteam　partner　just　a　conflagration　and　a　memory；　the　enemy　closing　in。　〃Somebody　get　these　'roids　offa　me！〃

The　answer　came　in　the　form　of　an　angel　of　death；　the　Triumviroid　so　close　to　nailing　him　flew　apart　in　a　coruscating　detonation。　He　picked　himself　up　off　the　hull　to　see　an　A…JAC　hovering　loose。　〃Huh？　I'm　dreaming！　I'm　dead！〃

Marie　Crystal　was　on　the　15th's　freq。　〃Neither；　hotshot。〃

〃Marie？〃

〃That's　right；　Phillips；　you　lucky　swine　you。　You're　about　four　hundred　yards　from　your　squad；　at　one　hundred　seventy　degrees　magnetic。　Get　back　to　'em　and　stay　alert！　I。。。I　don't　want　to　lose　you；　Sean。〃

〃I　won't　forget　you　said　that。　And　I　won't　let　you。　What　d'you　wanna　name　our　first　kid？〃　She　could　hear　the　smugness　in　his　voice　but　didn't　mind　a　bit。　His　Battloid　dashed　away　at　top　speed　as　Dana　rallied　her　mand。

Marie　switched　off　her　mike。　〃I　won't　forget；〃　she　whispered。　Then　she　broke　left；　to　try　to　help　suppress　the　murderous　AA　fire　from　the　teardrop　cannon。

The　interior　of　the　flagship　was　a　Hovertank　job；　and　A…JACs；　Veritechs…no　other　mecha　had　any　place　in　it。


Dana　and　the　first　of　her　15th　leapt　right　down　into　a　cobra　pit。

Her　transmissions　were　patched　directly　through　to　Emerson；　the　ATACs　were　Earth's　best　hope　now。　〃General；　we're　pinned　down　in　the　entrance　gap　by　heavy　fire　from　red　Bioroids！　We're　about　at　a　standstill　and　request　assistance…A。　S。　A。　P！〃

Emerson　was　out　of　his　mand　chair。　〃We've　got　to　force　the　enemy　mecha　back　and　make　that　entrance　bigger。　Any　suggestions？〃

Green　was　giving　him　a　dead…level　look。　〃Ramming　them　is　the　only　way；　Rolf。〃

It　didn't　even　take　Emerson　a　second　to　make　up　his　mind；　Earth　could　never　mount　another　assault　like　this；　and　it　was　make…or…break　time。　〃Then　make　ready　to　use　this　ship　as　a　battering　ram　at　once。〃

Emerson's　crew　acted　instantly；　and　still　it　looked　as　though　it　wouldn't　be　soon　enough。

If　the　enemy　mother　ship's　fire　had　been　as　intense　as　it　was　when　the　Masters　first　arrived　in　the　Solar　System；　the　Human　battlecruiser　would　have　been　holed　and　immolated　as　soon　as　it　came　close　to　the　invader。　But　great　hunks　of　armor　and　superstructure　were　blasted　away　from　the　enemy　ship；　and　Emerson's　flagship　was　able　to　stay　on　course；　bearing　down　on　its　enemy。

And　it　provided　a　wele　diversion；　permitting　Dana's　troops　to　break　contact　with　the　devilishly　fast　and　powerful　Invid　Fighters　and　scatter。　Even　the　Triumviroids'　power　wasn't　enough　to　stop　the　heavyweight　Earth　dreadnought。

The　wedge…shaped　bow　drove　into　the　long　rift　in　the　invader；　the　impact　sent　Bioroid　and　Battloid　alike　sprawling　and　bouncing　across　the　hull。　Dana　had　no　idea　what　power　it　was　that　generated　gravity　on　the　surface　of　the　enemy　ship；　but　she　was　grateful　for　it　then…grateful　not　to　be　sent　spinning　into　infinite　blackness。

With　the　outer　armor　breached；　the　battlecruiser　experienced　less　resistance　from　the　mother　ship's　internal　structure。　Bulkheads　and　decks　and　vast　segments　of　systemry　were　crushed　or　bashed　aside　as　secondary　explosions　foamed　around　the　cruiser　like　a　fiery　bow…wave。

Then　Emerson's　ship　was　through；　having　lengthened　and　deepened　the　hull　breach　to　three　times　its　former　size；　all　the　way　through　to　the　mother　ship's　port　side。　As　the　battlecruiser　lifted　clear；　more　explosions　from　the　alien　lifted　the　armor　even　further；　as　if　peeling　back　aluminum　foil。

Dana　got　word　from　the　cruiser　that　the　entryway　was　clear；　and　for　the　moment　the　reds　were　nowhere　to　be　seen。　She　hated　the　thought　of　leading　her　mand　down　there　where　so　many　explosions　had　already　gone　off；　but　this　was　the　only　chance　to　go　through　the　opening。

〃Let's　do　it；　Fifteenth！　Follow　me！〃　The　15th；　all　in　Battloid　mode；　dashed　toward　the　opening；　huge　metal　feet　pounding　against　the　hull；　rifle/cannon　ready。　Angelo　was　close　behind　Dana；　and　then　Bowie。　Sean　Phillips；　Zor；　Louie　Nichols…those　were　all　of　the　squad　that　got　through。

Several　others　were　annihilated　right　at　the　verge　of　the　gap。　Still　more　raced　for　cover。　The　sum　acplishment　of　the　biggest　Human　offensive　of　the　Second　Robotech　War　was　to　get　exactly　one　officer　and　one　NCO　and　four　enlisted　men　of　ATAC　aboard　the　enemy　mand　vessel。


Aboard　his　flagship；　Emerson　was　hoping　he　had　given　the　15th　the　margin　it　needed。　No　other　mecha　had　succeeded　in　reaching　a　position　that　would　allow　them　to　board；　and；　for　the　time　being　at　least；　none　seemed　likely　to。

Emerson　was　calling　for　more　diversionary　strikes；　to　keep　the　Masters　busy　and　eliminate　as　many　red　Bioroids　as　possible；　when　his　flagship　was　battered