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l over again； trying to punch each other's lights out。 But Rand was nothing if not resourceful； and somehow he managed to get the Invid ship in a kind of full nelson； which left Corg vulnerable to all frontal shots。
〃Okay； I've got him！〃 Rook heard Rand yell over the net。 〃Blast him！〃
Rook tried to depress the HOTAS trigger button； but her fingers simply refused to obey the mand。 If she didn't catch the alien just right； Rand would be destroyed along with him。 Her face was beading up with sweat and the HOTAS was shaking in her grip as though palsied； but she couldn't bring herself to fire with Rand's safety at stake。 He was screaming at her； telling her not to concern herself。。。
Corg was just as confused as Rand： the red Battloid had a clear shot at him； but instead of firing the pilot was throwing herself against him； trying to batter him with the mecha's cannon。 It was a tactical blunder and one that gave him all the time he needed to reverse the Battloid's hold。 Corg grinned to himself and fired off a charge into his opponent's right arm； taking it off at the elbow； then he threw open the mand ship's arms to propel the Human mecha backward。 Engaging his thrusters now； he fell against the red ship； striking it with enough force to stun the mecha's female pilot。
Rook came around as Corg's ship was surfacing in her forward viewport； the hand cannon primed and aimed at her。 But just then Rand rammed the thing from behind； and although he had managed to interrupt Corg's shot； he received the blast that had been meant for her。
Rook could hear his scream pierce the net as his crippled Battloid began a slow backward fall； bleeding smoke and fire and sustaining shot after shot from Corg's weapons。 Rook came up from behind to try to slow his descent； but Rand protested loudly：
〃Rook； it's useless。。。He's ing in for another run。 You've gotta save yourself！〃
〃You're out of your gourd； mister；〃 she told him； 〃I'm not letting you go now！〃
Corg had the two Battloids centered in his sights and was preparing to fire the one that would annihilate them both； when an energy bolt out of the blue impacted against the back of his ship。
Scott's voice came over the tac net as Rook saw the ponent section of the Beta e into view。
〃Get Rand out of here。 I'll take care of things up top。〃
〃Roger；〃 she exclaimed； wrapping the arms of her mecha more tightly around that of her crippled friend。
The Beta and the alien mecha went at it again； only this time both of them knew it would be for keeps。 Enough of Scott's memory had returned to make him aware of what Corg had done to him。
The two ships spun through a series of fakes and twists； drops and booster climbs； slamming each other with missiles and volleys from their cannons。 Again； flocks of projectiles tore into the skies and met in thunderous explosions； throwing angry light across the field。 But then Scott saw a way to prey on the alien pilot's technique： He made a move as though to engage Corg hand to hand； then surreptitiously loosed a full rackful of heatseekers as Corg hovered open…armed and defenseless。
Even Corg wasn't aware of how much damage the Bludgeons had done to his ship and sat for a moment； plimenting the Human pilot on what had been a clever if underhanded maneuver。 But all at once his ship's autosystems were flashing the truth； even as the first explosions were enveloping him； searing flesh and bone from the humanoid form that had been created for his young soul。。。
Scott shielded his eyes。 Fire and green nutrient seemed to gush from the ship at the same instant as the explosion quartered it； arms and legs blown in different directions。 But as important as it had been for him personally； Scott knew it for what it was： a minor battle in a war that was still raging all around them。
Scott put down a few minutes later to see about his friends。 His mecha's missile supply was virtually depleted； and it was time to let the fleet VT squadrons take charge of things for a while。 He asked Rand if he was all right； but instead of the thanks he thought he was due； Rand said： 〃What the heck did you say to Marlene？〃
〃Yeah；〃 added Rook； 〃we can't get a word out of her。〃
〃I'd rather not talk about her；〃 Scott started to say。 But without warning Rand was all over him； head bandage or no； his hands ripping at the armor at Scott's neck。
〃You're gonna tell me whether you like it or not！ You think you can just walk out on this thing？ She's got some crazy idea that she loves you…as if she had some idea of what that means。 But you're gonna see to it that she understands； pal！ I think you would have loved her； too； if you hadn't found out she was an Invid。〃
Rook separated the two of them。 Then she had a few things of her own to say to Scott。 〃Stop torturing yourself over your dead girlfriend and e back to life； will you？〃
〃How can I ever forget that she was killed by the Invid…by Marlene's race？〃
〃So you're going to hold that against Marlene？〃 Rand seethed。 〃It wasn't like she pulled the trigger； you know。 Besides； what about all the Invid you and the rest of Hunter's troops killed？ This war has made victims out of all of us。 When are you going to realize that the Invid are just our latest excuse for warfare？〃
〃Rand； you've lost it…you've gone battle…happy。 They started it； they attacked our planet…〃
〃Listen； there were wars before we even heard of the Invid or the Robotech Masters or the Zentraedi。 You might've lost your Marlene fighting other Humans。〃
Scott shook his head in disbelief； but even so he sensed some rightness in Rand's words。 Not the way he was phrasing it； more in the sentiments he was trying to express； the sensibilities。。。
After a moment； he said： 〃If only we could have avoided this。。。 〃
Scott Bernard might as well have asked to negate his own birth。
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
The so…called trigger point was that point at which Flower production would have provided the Regis with adequate supplies of liquid nutrient for the conversion of her hibernating hive drones to quasi…Human form。 Once this had been acplished； her soldiers with their Protoculture…fueled ships…the Troopers； Pincers； and Enforcers； would have been turned loose to eradicate the remaining Human population； including those who had prised the labor force in the Protoculture farms； which （with more than enough Protoculture on hand to maintain a standing army） would have been shut down。 Presumably。。。But would this then…reformed race have taken up where they had left off on Optera？ Would they continue to employ the Flower that had been central to their society there？ Would they have bee somewhat Humanized by the Reshaping？。。。We are open to suggestions。
Zeus Bellow； The Road to Reflex Point
With the arrival of the Invid legions from the Southlands the tide began to turn on the Expeditionary Force。 It was a matter of sheer numbers。
Even though the Shadow Fighters had been initially successful in decimating the enemy ranks； the odds had now changed。 The alien hordes were now punching through Reinhardt's forward lines and launching strikes against the fleet warships themselves。 Consequently； contingents of Shadow Fighters had fallen back to protect their