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〃Easy as shooting fish in a barrel；〃 Rand said from the perimeter。
Lunk； too； was yahooing from the window of the house。 The women had joined him in the front room； clad only in bath towels。 Annie was so excited； she leapt clear out of her towel； breasts bobbing up and down； but Lunk was too preoccupied with the explosions to notice。
〃Ka…boom！ Yeah！ I love this stuff！〃
〃Wow！ This is the best birthday present of all！〃
Meanwhile the few remaining Invid ships； including the mand ship； were taking to the skies in retreat。
〃Okay； we're free to use the Alphas；〃 Scott told Lancer and Rand。 〃Let's move it！〃
The three men ran past the house to the concealed fighters； waving back to Lunk and their towel…clad teammates。 Lancer stopped to say： 〃Don't anyone go to bed yet； because we fly…boys have one more surprise in store！〃
〃Another surprise？〃 Annie asked him； adjusting her towel。 〃Just what are you guys up to now？〃
〃Just you wait and see；〃 Lancer said； running off to catch up with Scott。
Lunk had jumped out of the window and was showing Annie an enigmatic grin。 〃I've got one of my own；〃 he added； rushing away。
The women exchanged puzzled looks and then some as the sky began to fill with starburst explosions。
Rook laughed。 〃He wasn't kidding： they really are Roman candle launchers。〃
Annie looked at her。 〃You mean you knew all along？〃
〃Only some of it。〃
Scott was glad to see that the fireworks had only added to the enemy's confusion。 The Invid ships were streaking away； trying desperately to evade the fireworks； fooled into thinking they were some sort of lethal missile。
In fact； Corg was reporting as much to the Regis while he led his ragtag troops back toward the hive。
But Scott didn't call for pursuit。 Instead； the Alphas formed up on his lead and went through the unrehearsed moves they had discussed earlier that day。
〃It's wonderful； isn't it； Annie？〃 Marlene said from the window of the house。
〃I've never had a birthday like this；〃 the teenager was saying。
〃I don't think any of us have had a birthday like this；〃 said Rook。
And it's really happening。。。it's not a dream！
The women could see the skywriting now； and Rook read the words： 〃Happy。。。Birthday。。。〃
Up above； Rand said： 〃I'll bet Admiral Hunter never had you guys doing this with your Alpha Fighters； huh； Scott？〃
Scott smiled； then realized that Rand was off course somehow。 〃What are you doing down there？〃 he asked。
Rand made no response and pleted his part of the skywriting moves。 From the window； the three women watched as his Alpha spelled out 〃Mint〃 under the birthday greeting。
Rook snorted。 〃So that's why Rand wanted to write your name。〃
〃Oh； well；〃 Annie sighed； turning away from the window for a moment。 〃I guess it's a lot better nickname than ‘Peewee。'〃
CHAPTER NINE
The planet ＇Earth＇ secured； the Regis then had to decide what to do about the surviving Human population。 She knew from past experience that Humans could be a dangerous lot； even these Terrans； who seemed somehow inferior to the Tirolian species。 Eventually it would occur to her to use a percentage of the survivors as laborers in the Protoculture farms； but that was only after what can best be described as a trial…and…error period； during which an unlucky assortment were subjected to experiments too gruesome to dwell on。 Fortunately； most of the laboratory cases died outright or soon thereafter； though a scant few remained to wander their ravaged homeworld less than Human。
Bloom Nesterfig； Social Organization of the Invid
As Rand told it：
〃The soldiers had been dead a week； but the town was just getting around to burying them when we rode in。。。I have to admit that I had put no stock in the rumors we had been hearing on the road； but sure enough； the town had its own contingent of Robotech soldiers； Mars Division； like Scott； survivors from that same ill…fated assault on Earth。 It was remarkable enough to e across a populated village so near the Invid control zone； but to find fellow soldiers as well was almost more than Scott could bear。 I still have an image of him parked in the middle of that town's dust bowl of a main street； straddling the Cyc with a big grin on his face and broadcasting our arrival to one and all over the mecha's externals。 When only a handful of folks wandered out to greet us； I remember thinking： Here we go again； just another ghost town run by a bunch of rubes and rogues。 But then we learned that everyone that counted was at the graveyard。〃
〃That's where Scott ran into the robbies。 Not straight away； though； there was a funeral service in progress； so we all just hung around on the outskirts of the action until the crowds thinned。 There were church bells ringing in the distance。 After that； Scott went in to introduce himself to the one soldier who seemed to be in charge…a tall officer； wearing shades and a high…collared gray uniform like Scott's。 I never did catch the dude's name； e to think of it； I don't think the two of us exchanged more than a brief handshake the whole time we were in town。〃
〃It turned out that they had been there for some months； they had put down as a unit somewhere south of Reflex Point and worked their way into the Northlands； hoping to e across other Mars Division survivors。 They saw a lot of action early on； but now they were just hanging on； waiting for the big one to go down。 They had all heard of Scott and were excited to learn that the Expeditionary Force was indeed on its way。 They had a good deal of intelligence dope on Reflex Point； but there was something they needed to talk about before getting down to basics。〃
〃There were three fresh graves in the cemetery； marked by simple wooden crosses； one of which was crowned with a ‘thinking cap；' its faceguard shattered。 I naturally assumed that the Invid had paid the town a visit and left their usual calling cards； but that wasn't the case。 It seems that the three had been gunned down by some lone biker who went by the name of Dusty Ayres。 These latest murders brought the total to eleven。〃
〃Scott was flipped out to learn that someone other than the Invid were killing soldiers； he asked the officer about Ayres。〃
〃‘We don't know much about him；' the man replied。 ‘Except that he seems to have it in for soldiers。' The officer threw his men a dirty look。 ‘Some people claim he can't be killed。'〃
〃I didn't like hearing this； but for Scott it explained how three soldiers could be brought down by one loner。 I didn't bother to point out that a man needn't be invulnerable to get the better of a group； because it was obvious that Scott was already thinking Invid。 No Human could do such a thing。 As if he had to be reminded about the sympathizers we had met along the way。 Wolff； to name just one。。。〃
〃‘Sounds like a real mystery man；' Lancer offered。 ‘And nobody knows why he's here； huh？'〃
〃Scott said more firmly； ‘You must know more about this guy。'〃
〃I was glad to see that I wasn't the only suspicious one among us。 But the officer wasn't swayed to say any more about Ayres。 ‘I wish I had more。' The man shrugged。 ‘Everything's just rumors right now。'〃
〃‘Dusty Ayres； you say；' Scott repeated。〃
〃‘That's t