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showdown on a western street. Rick worked frantically at the controls, trying
to divert power from the main mechamorphosis systems into the main gun, but
all his efforts proved futile. He stared out of the cockpit faceplate of the
Battloid as the enemy manning the Officer's Pod raised the muzzle of the one
good arm and prepared to fire...
Onboard the Zentraedi flagship Breetai was informed of the battle being
waged against the SDF-1, in direct violation of his orders. He rushed from his
quarters to the command bubble, where Exedore was waiting for him, watching
images play across the projecbeam field with growing disgust.
"It is as I feared, Commander. Khyron has taken matters into his own
hands once again."
Breetai stood, arms akimbo, regarding the action as explosive flashes of
light reflected in his faceplate.
"So this is Khyron's idea of war games?" Breetai snorted. "Again he has
the temerity to disobey my orders!"
"I suggest that we recall him...before he succeeds in destroying the
ship."
"The fool, I warned him." Breetai turned away. "Use the nebulizer to
override the astrogational systems of his attack force. We'll pull this
offensive out from under him."
Exedore moved to the nebulizer controls. "Ready to initiate on your
command."
"Mark!" Breetai shouted to the screen.
Warning lights were flashing on the bridge of the SDF-1. Sensors were
picking up energy readings of an extraordinary type. Astrogational and
engineering were reporting dangerous fluctuations in the drive systems; it was
as if all control had been lost.
Meanwhile, on the skin of the ship, Khyron was taking aim at Rick's
Battloid.
The Zentraedi commander felt the pod suddenly surrender itself to a
higher power and knew at once what had happened: Breetai was recalling them.
On the very brink of victory, and the fool was recalling them! He could do
nothing; the nebulizer had even neutralized the weapon system of the pod. This
fortunate Micronian pilot would live to fight another day, Khyron said to
himself as the Officer's Pod rose involuntarily from the skin of Zor's ship.
He could see the Battloid lift its head in some gesture of wonder or amazement
and could only guess how the pilot inside was reacting
Rick would recall his feelings later, too stunned at the moment to
analyze his reactions.
In the aftermission debriefing room they would all report the same
thing: that the pods had suddenly abandoned their attack and lifted off, as
though they had been given some sort of recall signal.
While Dr. Lang tried to postulate the cause of the strange readings he
had received and Gloval asked himself why the enemy had called off its attack,
Lieutenant Hunter had a private session with his two new charges in the mess
hall of the Prometheus.
Ben's head was bandaged. On the positive side, it seemed that one of
those blasts had finally gotten it through the corporal's thick skull that
discretion was the better part of valor. Max, on the other hand, credited with
at least nine kills, was basking in self-adulation, wondering only half in
jest whether the brass might not end up promoting him from corporal to general
overnight.
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Still amazed by what he had seen Max accomplish during the battle, Rick
found that his respect for his fellow pilot was marred by feelings of
jealousy. But he was too exhausted to dwell on it; he had just enough residual
energy to carry him to his quarters. He was already thinking about crawling
into his bunk and courting sleep.
An hour later he was standing in the doorway to his room, reaching in to
hit the light switch. One step inside and his eyes fixed on the bed and the
invitation laying there, paste-on red heart seal still unbroken. He groaned:
Minmei's birthday present! It was like a bad dream, like being up in your
Veritech and suddenly realizing you'd forgotten to ammo up.
Rick started pacing the room, trying to recall the mental list of gift
possibilities he'd composed earlier. What was it-shoes, jewelry, clothes? He
checked his watch: twenty-two thirty. He knew he didn't stand a chance, but he
had to give it a go.
He rode an empty tube into Macross City and ran up and down the streets [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]