05_force_of_arms-第26部分

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ncies。〃

Then　they　both　watched　in　fascination；　ignoring　the　flashing　of　indicators　and　the　beeps　of　tones。


〃We're　within　firing　range；〃　Vanessa　said　tightly。　〃No　counterattack　detected。〃

〃It's　working！〃　Exedore　cried；　watching　the　battle　at　Gloval's　side。

〃This　is　it；〃　Gloval　said　calmly。　〃All　ships；　open　fire。〃


In　that　first　gargantuan　volley；　the　attacking　force's　main　problem　was　not　to　hit　its　own　fightercraft　or　have　its　cannon　salvos　destroy　its　own　missiles　in　flight。　But　the　Zentraedi　were　used　to　that　sort　of　problem；　and　fire　control　had　been　carefully　integrated　with　the　SDF…1's　systems。

It　was　an　impact　almost　as　damaging　as　the　Grand　Cannon's；　millions　of　Zentraedi；　gaping　at　Minmei's　performance；　died　in　moments。

Alarms　were　going　off。　The　few　Grand　Fleet　officers　who　could　force　their　attention　away　from　the　screens　could　get　no　response　from　their　troops　short　of　physically　attacking　them。

As　many　of　the　Grand　Fleet　crews　were　beginning　to　notice　the　alarms；　though；　Minmei　paused　in　her　song；　the　band　vamped　in　the　background。　A　tall；　dark　figure　stepped　out　into　the　spotlight　with　her。

Lynn…Kyle　wore　a　look　of　burning　intensity；　his　long；　straight　black　hair　swirling　around　him；　taking　her　hand。　〃Minmei…〃

〃Yes；　Kyle；　I　know；〃　she　recited　her　line。　〃You've　e　to　say　good…bye。〃

〃Yes。〃

Minmei　wasn't　exactly　sure　where　the　lines　had　e　from；　everything　was　so　hurried；　so　improvised。　Weren't　they　from　one　of　the　movies　the　two　had　done　together？　But　Kyle　was　putting　more　into　them　than　he　had　ever　managed　on　screen。　He　had　seen　her　run　off　after　Rick。　What　was　going　through　his　mind？

No　matter。　He　took　her　into　his　arms。　She　turned　her　face　up　to　his。　The　camera　cut　from　a　two…shot　of　their　bodies　pressed　against　each　other　to　a　close…up　of　along；　passionate　kiss；　Kyle　no　longer　acting。


In　the　Grand　Fleet；　alien　warriors　groaned　and　made　nauseated　sounds。

〃How　can　they　do　that？〃　〃Most　disgusting　thing　I　ever…〃

And　yet　there　was　something　about　it　that　kept　them　from　looking　away；　an　appalled　captivation。　It　should　be　added　that　among　the　female　units　like　the　Quadronos；　there　was　more　absorption　and　less　repulsion　than　among　the　males。

But　all　through　the　orbiting　fleet；　moans　and　growls　and　other　reactions　to　the　kiss　turned　into　shrieks　of　dismay　and　pain　as　the　alliance's　volley　cut　through　the　enemy　ships；　holing　them；　blowing　them　to　nothingness。


Rick　watched　the　kiss　on　a　display　screen　and　thought；　not　unkindly；　Farewell　Minmei。

Then；　〃Let's　get　'em！〃　he　snarled　over　the　tac　net。

Someone　must　have　managed　to　cut　off　the　Minmei　transmission　from　at　least　some　of　the　Grand　Fleet's　mecha。　There　were　plenty　of　effective　ships；　more　than　plenty。

The　Skull　Team's　armored　VTs　bore　in　at　the　enemy；　releasing　barrages　of　missiles；　fighting　their　way　through　Grand　Fleet　pod　and　tri…thruster　defensive　screens。　Quadrono　powered　armor　came　at　the　VTs；　too；　less　effective　now　that　Miriya　no　longer　led　them。　Miriya　avoided　engaging　those。

VTs　shifted　configuration　according　to　the　needs　of　the　moment；　Battloid　and　Guardian　and　Veritech　modes　were　intermingled。　Pods　and　tri…thrusters　mixed　it　up　with　them　and　opened　fire。　Space　was　one　big　killing　ground。

The　armored　VTs　were　faster　and　more　maneuverable　than　anything　else　in　the　battle　as　well　as　being　more　heavily　armed。　They　pierced　the　enemy　formations；　ripping　a　hole　for　the　rest　of　the　attack　force　to　exploit。

Skull　Team　seemed　to　be　everywhere；　unhittable　and　unavoidable。　Many；　many　Zentraedi　saw　their　Jolly　Roger　insignia…the　skull　and　crossbones…and　died　instants　later。　The　heavy　autocannon　buzz…sawed；　the　missiles　streamed；　leaving　boiling　trails。　But　for　every　enemy　downed；　three　more　dove　in　to　try　to　seal　the　gap。

It's　love's　battle　we　must　win。
We　will　win。
We　can　win！


The　range　was　close　now。　Around　the　bowl　in　which　Minmei　performed；　the　ship's　mecha　opened　up。　The　Destroid　cannon　in　particular　put　out　staggering　volumes　of　fire。　Every　battery　the　ship　mounted…except　for　the　monster　main　gun；　whose　energy　demands　might　have　damaged　the　SDF…1…was　working　overtime。

The　Grand　Fleet's　losses　in　the　first　moments　of　the　battle　were　awful；　but　its　numbers　still　gave　it　a　vast　edge；　and　some　of　the　enemy　ships　were　returning　fire。　The　SDF…1　and　the　armada　dreadnoughts　forged　on；　blazing　away　in　all　directions。　Enemy　mecha　were　starting　to　get　through　to　the　alliance　capital　vessels　now；　despite　the　best　efforts　of　the　VTs　and　the　armada's　pods；　tri…thrusters；　and　powered　armor。

But　slowly；　seemingly　by　inches；　the　allied　force　drew　closer　to　Dolza's　headquarters。


Max　and　Miriya　were　like　avenging　angels；　beyond　any　mortal　power　to　resist　or　stop。　Faced　with　the　redtrimmed　armored　VT　or　the　blue；　all　any　enemy　pilot　could　do　was　resign　himself　to　death。

Rick　had　part　of　his　mo　and　guidance　equipment　tuned　for　signals　of　life　on　Earth；　especially　from　Alaska　Base。　If　there　was　any　sign　of　life。。。

A　light　cruiser　was　trying　to　break　past　the　VTs　for　a　go　at　the　SDF…1。　He　went　in　at　it；　letting　go　a　torrent　of　mixed　ordnance；　aiming　for　the　vital　spots　the　defectors　had　told　the　RDF　about。

The　cruiser　fired　back；　and　Rick　decided　this　was　one　head…on　he　wasn't　going　to　survive。　But　all　at　once　the　cruiser　expanded；　armor　flying　off　it　like　rind　off　a　bursting　melon；　and　then　the　vessel　and　its　crew　were　scattered　atoms　and　little　more。

So　violent　was　the　explosion　that　Rick　was　distracted；　avoiding　being　damaged　by　it。　When　he　looked　around　again；　he　saw　that　a　trio　of　Battlepods　had　loosed　multiple　spreads　of　missiles　at　him；　and　there　was　absolutely　no　hope　of　dodging　them　all。

He　eluded　some；　jammed　some　of　the　others'　guidance　systems；　shot　a　few　right　out　of　existence…and　the　special　VT's　armor　protected　him　from　several　hits。

But　that　left　still　more　to　go　for　his　vitals。　In　Battloid　mode；　he　crouched；　trying　to　shield　himself。　He　nevertheless　took　several；　right　in　the　breadbasket。　VT　armor　was　good　but　not　that　good。

The　damaged　Battloid；　leaving　a　wake　of　flame　behind　it；　spun　and　tumbled　for　Earth；　flopping　lifelessly。


CHAPTER　NINETEEN

When　you're　in　the　upper…right…hand　corner；　pushing　that　envelope；　and　the　〃CANCEL〃　stamp　es　your　way；　you　do　a　lot　of　thinking。
The　Collected　Journals　of　Admiral　Rick　Hunter

The　crescent　moon　filing　low　on　the　horizon；　the　landscape　of　Earth　made　the　two　bodies　like　twins　now。

pared　to　the　barrage　that　had　laid　waste　to　the　Earth；　the　stray　beams　and　rounds　from　the　colossal　battle　above　were　barely　distant　sniper　shots。　But　they　were　enough　to　rattle　an　Alaska　Base　that　was　already　mortally　wounded。

The　shattered　mouth　of　what　had　once　been　the　Grand　Cannon　was　already　ringed　with　bizarre　energy　phenomena。　Crackling　discharges；　wandering　spheres　of　ball　lightning；　and　fireflylike　radiation　nexuses　had　sprung　from　the　tremendous　forces　loosed　by　the　Grand　Cannon　and　their　interaction　with　both　local　fields　and　the　fury　of　the　enemy's　rain　of　death。

〃Earth　Defense　Sector　four…alpha；　e　in　please；〃　Lisa　called　into　her　headset　mike　as　the　room　tossed。　〃This　is　Alaska　Base！〃

The　base　heaved　again；　shaking　down　dust　and　debris　from　the　ceiling。　The　tremors　were　caused　by　stray　shots　from　the　battle　and　by　the　rebellion　of　the　very　planet　against　the　obscene　things　that　had　been　done　to　it。　But　they　came　as　well　from　the　interior　of　the　base　itself。　The　installation　was　dying；　but　from　what　Lisa　could　read　from　her　instruments；　it　would　not　be　a　slow；　quiet　death。

She　had　found　no　one　else　alive　in　the　base。　She　had　been　ordered　to　see　about　a　glitch　in　a　shielded　mo　relay　substation；　had　been　there　just　as　the　cosmic　fireworks　went　off。　Being　the　last　survivor　in　an　underground　charnel　house　might　be　somebody　else's　idea　of　a　stroke　of　fortune；　but　it　wasn't　Lisa's。

She　fought　to　keep　her　voice　and　her　nerve　from　breaking　as　she　tried　another　call。　She　kept　herself　narrowly　fixed　on　the　job　at　hand　to　shut　out　the　ghastly　things　she　had　seen　and　smelled　and　been　forced　to　e　in　contact　with　in　making　her　way　back　to　her　post。

The　place　was　nearly　dark；　lit　only　by　dim　red　emergency　lights。　The　weak　flow　from　the　fallback　power　system　was　barely　enough　to　keep　her　console　functioning。　There　was　plenty　of　power　in　the　base；　power　gathering　itself　for　a　split…second　rampage；　but　she　couldn't　tap　any　of　it。

〃It's　no　use。　They're　all　gone；〃　she　said　numbly。　She　wondered　how　long　she　would　last；　the　only　living　thing　in　the　city　of　the　dead；　perhaps　the　only　human　being　alive。

Not　long；　she　hoped。

Abruptly；　multicolored　lines　of　static　zagged　across　her　screen；　and　her　father's　face　appeared；　broken　by　interference；　only　to　reappear。

〃Is　that　you；　Lisa？　I'm　reading　you；　but　the　transmission　is　very　weak。〃

She　let　out　a　long　breath。　〃Thank　God　you're　alive！〃

She　could　see　that　he　was　still　in　the　mand　station。　A　few　figures　moved　in　the　gloom　behind　him；　lit　by　occasional　flashes　of　static　or　electrical　shorts。　So　others　had　been　spared　by　the　concussion；　the　explosions　and　air　contamination；　the　fires　and　smoke　and　radiation。

〃The　Grand　Cannon　was　severely　damaged；〃　he　admitted。　〃I　don't　think　it　will　fire　again；　but　we　have　to　try。〃

〃Oh；　Father。〃

He　smiled　weakly。　〃It　seems　you　were　right　all　the　time。　The　Zentraedi　forces　are　much　too　powerful　for　our　weapons　to　handle。　I　should　have　listened　to　you。〃

Another　shock　wave　shook　the　base。　Admiral　Hayes　said；　〃Lisa；　you　have　to　get　out　of　here　now！〃

Get　out？　What　was　he　talking　about？　The　surface　was　a　radioactive　execution　chamber　carpeted　with　molten　glass　for　miles　all　around。　She　was　about　to　tell　him　so；　to　make　her　way　to　him；　to　die　with　him　because　it　was　a　better　place　than　the　one　she　was　in　now；　and　she　knew　she　would　die　this　day。

Before　she　could　speak；　there　was　some　sort　of　eruption　from　the　Grand　Cannon　base　equipment　behind　him；　and　the　screen　broke　up　into　rainbow　distortion；　then　went　dark。

〃No！〃　She　threw　herself　at　the　console；　then　sank　to　the　floor；　wracked　by　sobs；　as　the　wailing　of　the　base's　power　plant　built　and　built　for　a　final；　terrible　outpouring。

〃Father。。。Father。。。〃

As　the　battle