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She used the homing device to direct her to the source of the transmissions received by the SDF…1。 They emanated from a large building； central to the plex； that had served as the munications center。 She entered this through the blown front hatchway and made her way through deserted halls to the puter room； the sound of her own breathing heavy in her ears。 Everywhere she looked there was evidence of the disaster。 The scientists who were stationed here must have had some sort of warning； though； because there were no bodies lying about…how she had feared that！…just general disarray； as if there had been a last…minute effort to collect what they could and leave this place before the sky fell。
At last she reached puter control。 She stood motionless in the doorway and peered into the deserted room： chairs tipped over； papers strewn about； a carpet of glass shards from blown monitor screens wall…to…wall。 But at the far end of the room there were flashing console lights； greens and reds； and an on…line puter frantically emptying its memory banks across a monitor screen no eyes were meant to read； like an infant left crying in a crib。 Lisa walked over to the machine and shut it down。 She turned and took another look around the room； puzzling over its emptiness。
So there was no half…starved band of survivors huddled in one sealed room using the puter as shipwrecked sailors would a signal fire。 Just a machine that had somehow activated itself。
The way memories did。
Hidden in a deep chasm fifteen kilometers from Sara Base； Khyron and his attack force of 200 Battlepods waited。 The Backstabber himself occupied his Officer's Pod； a mecha different from the rest； with lasers protruding like whiskers from its elongated snout and two arms that were deadly cannons。 He ingested the dried and intoxicating leaves of the Invid Flower while monitoring reports from his squad leaders who were holding at other points along the perimeter。
A Micronian recon ship had already overflown the canyon and failed to detect the presence of his troops。 The abandoned base was surrounded； the gravity mines were in place； and the fortress had set down just where he had predicted it would。 The foolish Micronians had taken the bait…an on…line puter…and the trap was almost ready to be sprung。 Soon he would capture Zor's ship； for the glory of the Zentraedi！ And for the honor of Khyron。 It would be a shame if he was forced to take on the fortress himself。 He did so want the credit to go to Breetai。 If only things weren't going so slowly。 The leaves always made him somewhat impatient。
〃Gerao； aren't those gravity mines ready yet？〃 he shouted into his link mike。
The Battlepod speaker crackled with static and the monitor erupted into patternless noise bars before Gerao's face appeared on the screen。 His droid team was operating at almost three kilometers below the surface。 Gerao may have won the collision bet； but it didn't pay to best one's mander。 Khyron laughed to himself。
〃The energy accumulation is up to seventy percent； my lord。 Not much longer。〃
〃Blast it； this waiting is irritating me！ Drive those droids harder； Gerao； or I'll leave you buried on this godforsaken world。 You have my word on it！〃
Gerao's emphatic salute signaled that he understood Khyron's threat pletely。 He signed off。 Khyron began to drum his fingers on the console。 Zor's ship； he thought to himself。 Why was mander in Chief Dolza wasting his time with this one when there were countless worlds left to conquer？ Since when were the Zentraedi errand boys？ If the Robotech Masters were so desperate about getting Zor's Protoculture matrix back； they could go retrieve it themselves。 What did Khyron care about Protoculture？ It was the Invid Flowers that were important to him。。。He picked up one of the dried petals and regarded it lovingly： Here was the true power。
As Khyron was placing the petal in his mouth； the face of one of his troops surfaced on the Officer's Pod mo screen。
〃We've waited long enough； mander；〃 the soldier said。 〃I'm going in now。 Any longer and we will jeopardize our mission。〃
To Khyron's amazement； the soldier's Battlepod fired its thrusters and began to lift off from the chasm floor。 Was he seeing things or had this fool actually decided to use his own initiative？ Khyron was as fond of insolence as anyone； but this was pushing things too far。 He allowed the pod to climb almost to the rim of the chasm before bringing up one of the cannon arms of his mecha and firing。 The Battlepod took a direct hit； turned end over end； and plummeted and crashed on the chasm floor。
The pilots of two other pods hopped their crafts over to their fallen rade and checked his status。
〃He's still alive； my lord。〃
〃So much the worse for him； then；〃 yelled Khyron。 〃If I can wait here patiently； so can the rest of you。 The next one who disobeys my orders will meet a worse fate。 I promise you that！〃
Khyron was imagining his underlings stiffening into postures of salute inside the pods when the voice of Gerao entered the headset。
〃My lord； I fear that use of the cannon may have promised our position。 The Micronian recon plane is circling back in this direction。〃
〃The recon plane！ Gerao； are you ready with the mines？〃
〃Just ten percent more to go。〃
Khyron slapped his hands down on the pod console。 〃Ninety percent will have to be good enough。 You have my permission to attack！〃
Claudia was worried： There had been no word from Lisa for almost an hour now。 The ining data from the base had terminated； but the seismic sensors were picking up something new。 Captain Gloval and Vanessa were trying to make sense of the readings。
〃Nearby in the mountains； I think…a disturbance or explosion；〃 said Vanessa。
〃A landslide； perhaps。〃
〃No； there's too much sonic attached to it。 It must have been an explosion。〃
Gloval turned to Claudia。 〃Instruct the Cat's…Eye to make another pass over the eleven o'clock zone at the fifteen…kilometer perimeter。 And see to it that recon readings are patched into the main screen here。〃
Claudia contacted the Cat's…Eye； and within minutes new data was filling the screen： The sensors indicated hundreds of individual mecha units moving in from the cavernous mountains that surrounded Sara Base。
〃Battlepods！〃 said Gloval。 He ordered Claudia to sound general quarters。 〃Recall all transport vehicles immediately and scramble the Veritech fighters！ They won't catch us napping this time！〃 Gloval paced the bridge； then threw himself into the mand chair。 〃Activate the gravity control system and prepare the ship for takeoff。〃
Claudia swung around from her terminal。 〃But Captain； Lisa's still out there。 She'll never make it back in time。〃
Gloval waved his hand in a gesture of dismissal。 〃I told her I didn't want her to enter that base。 Now she'll have to e up in one of the VTs。〃
Claudia hid a look of concern from Gloval and carried out her orders。 But something was wrong： The ship wasn't lifting off。 The gravity control system wasn't damaged； there were correct readings on all the sensors； but the SDF…1 would not rise。 It bellowed and shuddered like some captured beast。
〃Captain；〃 Vanessa managed to shout above the nois