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to face； then put her hands to her head in a gesture of plete shock。 〃No！ No！〃 she screamed； tossing her head back and forth。
Scott left Sue's side to calm Marlene； uncertain himself and denying the evidence with each step。 He put his hand out to touch the wound； to see for himself if this wasn't just some trick of the night。。。
The two of them exchanged looks of dismay as they regarded the blood on his fingertips。 〃Marlene。。。〃 he stammered。 〃I。。。〃
She stared at him； tears streaming down her face； turned； and ran off。 Only Rand made a move to stop her； but Scott restrained him。
〃But we can't just let her leave！〃
Scott's lips were a thin line when he turned to his friend。 〃She'll be back；〃 he promised。 〃I don't know what's going on here。。。this pilot； now Marlene。。。but I know she'll never be able to live among the Invid again。 We're her family； Rand。 We're her family！〃
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Captain； there's something wrong with the engines！ They're just not responding！
Remark attributed to someone in the SDF…3 engineering section
On the far side of the moon； the warships of the main fleet dematerialized from hyperspace…sleek； swanlike destroyers with long tapering necks and sweptback wings。 They were enormous battlecruisers shaped like stone…age war clubs with crimson underbellies； dorsal…finned tri…thrusters and Veritech transports that resembled clusters of old…fashioned boilers； and of course the squadrons of new…generation assault mecha； the so…called Shadow Fighters。
On the bridge of the flagship； General Reinhardt waited for word of Admiral Hunter's arrival； while the rest of the fleet formed up on his lead。 Filling the front viewports was the Earth they had e so far to reclaim。 Reinhardt regarded the world as one would a precious stone set on black velvet。 Almost sixteen years； he thought to himself。 Is this a dream？
He shook his head； as if to clear thoughts of the past from his mind； and turned his attention to the monitors above the mand chair。 Here were displayed views of local space； Earth's silver satellite； and the gleam of a thousand hulls touched by sunlight。 But there was still no sign of the admiral。 Reinhardt slammed his thin hand against the chair's municator button。 〃Anything yet？〃
〃No sign；〃 the astrogation officer responded。
〃That damn ship's jinxed；〃 Reinhardt muttered to himself。 〃I told Hunter something like this would happen。。。〃
The bridge controller flashed him a look across the bridge。 〃Remend we initiate attack sequence； sir。 We can't afford to wait much longer for the SDF…3。 All approach vectors have been plotted and locked in； and conditions now read optimum status。〃
Reinhardt drew his hand across his face。 〃All right；〃 he said after a moment。 〃Issue the codes。〃
The controller swung around to his console and tapped in series of mands； speaking into the mikes while his fingers flew across the keyboard。
〃All units are to proceed to rendezvous coordinates Thomas…Victor…Delta。 Attack group three will remain and await instructions from SDF…3 mand。 Attack group two will continue to objective Reflex Point； activating cloaking device at T minus five minutes and counting。。。Good luck； everyone； and may God be with us for a change。。。〃
Ground force units and their panion VT strike groups had already landed。 Scott and the team had been on hand to greet them； and in the ensuing excitement everyone forgot about Marlene for a few moments。 She hadn't been seen since dawn； when the painful realization of her identity had led to her flight。
Sue Graham was dead。
The Invid hadn't shown themselves either； which in itself was a positive sign。 Scott still didn't know what to make of the Human or humanoid pilots they were apparently using。 He wanted desperately to believe that Marlene was in fact the amnesiac captive he had e to love…that that green blood was something the Invid had done to her…and that they would reunite when all this was finished once and for all。 But there were just too many reasons to think otherwise； and for the first time in over a year he found himself recalling Dr。 Lang's theories concerning the Invid Regis and her ability to transmute the genetic stuff of her children into any form she chose。 These were fleeting thoughts； however； glossed over while preparations got under way for a full…scale invasion of the central hive。
The irregulars had been attached to the ground forces under the mand of Captain Harrington； a darkhaired； clean…shaven young man who thanked Scott for the recon information he had gathered and promptly dismissed it。 They were all in a group now； atop a thickly wooded rise that overlooked Reflex Point's centermost and largest hive； a massive hemisphere of what looked like glowing lava surrounded by five towering sensor poles and a veritable forest of Optera trees…those curious thirty…foot…high stalk and globes that were the final stage of the Flower of Life。 There was no Invid activity； visible activity； except for random flashes of angry lightning； which in their brief displays suggested a domelike barrier shield that enpassed the hive itself。
〃At last。。。we finally made it；〃 Scott was saying。 He was in Cyclone battle armor； as were Lancer； Rook； Rand； Lunk； and most of Harrington's troops。 Veritechs had taken up positions in the woods all around the hive； and the grassy slopes to the rear were covered with squads of Cyclone riders。
〃I don't want to burst your bubble；〃 said Harrington； 〃but we've still got a Protoplex energy barrier and a couple of thousand Invid Shock Troopers to get through。〃
Scott had a defensive reply in store for the captain but let it go。 How could the man be made to understand what Reflex Point meant to Scott's team？ True； the Expeditionary Force had e a long way for this showdown； but Scott reckoned that the distance of the overland journey to this moment as incalculable。
〃I want to make certain that the main Alpha force stays out of this until we punch a hole in the barrier；〃 Harrington was advising his subordinates。 〃We don't want to repeat yesterday's mistake and get them too stirred up。 We'll let them think we're of no consequence。〃 Harrington turned to Scott。 〃Lieutenant； I'm counting on you to be ready with your fly…boys as soon as you receive my word； understood？〃
〃Sir！〃 said Scott。 Lancer and Lunk joined him in a salute。
〃I'm so excited I could just scream！〃 Annie enthused from the sidelines。
〃It's going to be awesome；〃 Rand said beside her。
Scott threw Rand； Rook； and Annie a stern look。 〃Forget it； you're not ing。 This is strictly a military operation。〃
〃You're lucky to be out of it；〃 Lancer added at once and almost cheerfully； hoping to mitigate Scott's pronouncement somewhat。
Rook went from sadness to anger in an instant。 〃Well； we sure don't want to interfere now that the big boys have arrived； do we？ I mean； all that action we've seen together…that was just play fighting； right？〃
Rand； too； was seething but was determined not to show it。 〃Personally； I'm in no hurry to get myself killed； Lieutenant； so it's fine with me。〃
Annie looked up at her two friends； then over at Scott； Lancer； and Lunk。 〃But it's not fair to break us up like this just 'cause yo