05_force_of_arms-第17节

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NCOs　and　officers　were　yelling　at　various　scurrying　units　to　move　it；　move　it；　move　it。　Go！　Go！　The　deckplates　thundered。

But　one　body…armored　NCO；　having　caught　a　bit　of　the　exchange；　skidded　to　a　halt；　his　disrupter　rifle　gripped　in　one　hand。

〃D'　you　realize　what　the　penalty　is　for　disobeying　orders　in　bat？〃

Others　had　been　listening　to　the　two　pod　manders；　half　swayed　by　what　they　were　saying；　recalling　Gloval's　words　and　Minmei's　song。　But　all　of　them　knew　the　dreadful　punishment　the　NCO　was　talking　about。　Death　would　be　preferable。

One　of　the　bystanders　declared；　〃He's　right！　We　will　have　to　fight！〃

〃Let's　move！〃　someone　else　cried；　and　with　that　they　were　in　motion；　scrambling　to　prepare　and　race　to　their　battle　stations。　Everyone；　that　is；　but　the　first　PC。　He　watched　the　others　go　as　he　reclined　back　on　his　bunk；　hands　behind　his　head；　brooding。　At　last　he　brought　his　hand　forth　and　spent　a　long　time　looking　at　the　tiny　Minmei　doll。

The　vast　armada　began　shifting　formation；　spreading　and　realigning　for　the　attack。


At　the　wedding　reception；　alert　sirens　began　sounding　at　just　about　the　same　time　Gloval　took　the　call　on　a　mobile　　handset　and　got　the　crowd's　attention。　With　the　banshee　song　of　the　sirens　behind　him；　he　announced；　〃Ladies　and　gentlemen！　It　grieves　me　to　say　this；　but　we　are　now　on　red　alert。〃

He　had　to　raise　his　voice　to　speak　over　the　confusion　and　outcries　of　the　crowd。　〃All　military　personnel　report　to　battle　stations　at　once。　Civilians　proceed　to　emergency　duties　or　to　designated　shelters。　The　SDF…1　is　about　to　e　under　full…scale　attack。〃

He　swallowed　once；　with　effort。　It　was　the　first　time　the　enemy　had　thrown　its　massed　strength　at　the　fortress；　and　there　was　little　question　as　to　what　the　final　oute　would　be。

〃God　be　with　you　all。　Now；　move　quickly！〃

Only　a　few　actually　lost　their　heads　and　bolted；　everyone　aboard　had　been　through　the　fire　of　battle；　and　most　moved　swiftly　but　with　a　deliberate　calm。

The　Terrible　Trio　finished　what　they　were　eating　and　swapped　hugs　with　the　Zentraedi　spies　before　dashing　off　to　the　bridge。　Striding　for　the　door；　Rick　Hunter　exchanged　a　brief　glance　with　Minmei　but　had　no　time　to　stop　and　talk　to　her；　though　he　wanted　to　do　that　more　than　anything　in　the　world。

A　VT　duty　officer　halted　amid　the　flow　of　people　and　looked　back　to　the　wedding　party's　table　as　Max　came　to　his　feet；　unable　to　believe　what　was　happening。

〃Max；　you're　excused　from　duty。　Captain's　orders！　You　sit　this　one　out！〃　Then　he　was　on　his　way。

Max　slowly　tugged　his　bow　tie；　opening　his　collar。　He　sighed　deeply；　feeling　Miriya's　eyes　on　him；　and　turned　to　her。　〃I　can't　let　them　down　when　they　need　me　the　most；　love。〃

She　drew　off　her　wedding　veil。　〃Of　course　not；　Max。　I'll　go　with　you。〃

He　stared　at　her。　〃Huh？〃

Miriya　came　to　her　feet。　〃I've　seen　your　Veritechs；　even　flew　yours　for　a　bit；　remember？　I　can　handle　one　was　well　as　any　of　your　pilots。〃

〃No…〃

〃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