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red beast。
〃Captain；〃 Vanessa managed to shout above the noise； 〃the seismic sensor indicates an intense gravity field underlying the base！〃
Gloval leaped from his seat to study the threat board。
〃Gravity mines！ So this is what the enemy has in mind…they mean to pin us down like a trapped insect。 Shut down all engines before she es apart at the seams！〃
〃Battlepods！〃 said Claudia。
Gloval and the bridge crew turned to face the front bays： The Martian sky was filled with enemy mecha。
CHAPTER SIX
It's bee my routine these past two months to wander over to the observation dome and spend hours at the scope watching our beautiful blue and white world transit the Martian night。 How bright； how incredibly alive and tranquil； Earth appears from afar！ And how misleading that impression is。。。I often think about our last night together。 It was more difficult for me to leave you than to leave our planet； the global madness； the small minds at work who have robbed us of our dreams。 But I don't want to get started on all this again； I want to talk about this place； and how happy I know you will be here。 The stars seem close enough to touch； our distant sun no less warm； and even these incessant winds do not disturb。。。Base Sara is a new experiment in peace； a new experiment in the future。。。
Karl Riber； Collected Letters
The battlepods and carapace fighters of the Botoru Seventh left the cover of the mountain chasms and descended on Sara Base。 Khyron led the assault； screaming into his municator； 〃Kill them； kill them all！〃
The Robotech forces threw everything they had into the Martian sky。 Battloids and Spartan defenders took up positions on the base； while squadrons of Veritechs went up to meet the enemy one on one。 The main batteries and CIWS Phalanx guns of the grounded space fortress rotated into position and filled the thin air with orange tracers； armor…piercing discarding sabot rounds； and deadly thunder。
In an attempt to cut off the supply line to the SDF…1； Khyron and his forces went after the transports first。 The pods fell from the Martian sky unleashing a torrent of energy bolts and missiles。 The all…terrain trucks bounded off the gravel highway to evade fire； but scarcely a dozen made it to the fortress intact。 Explosions tossed the vehicles off the ground like toys； and soon there was only a pathway of fire where the vehicles had once traveled。
The Destroids were next on Khyron's list； then he turned his attention to the Battleloids and Guardians。
The Battloids of the Skull Team were positioned along the SDF…1's defensive perimeter when they received launch orders。 Roy and Rick transformed their mecha to Guardian mode and lifted off from blasting carpets to engage the enemy。
Rick retracted the legs and threw the fighter into a long vertical climb； exchanging fire with three pods on the way up。 The three gave chase while he banked at the crest of his ascent and dropped off into a fusillade fall； weapons blazing as he came back down on them。 Heatseekers ripped from his mecha； scoring hits against two pods。
Rick and the remaining enemy raced above the rough terrain； trading shots。 At the foot of the mountains they split apart； only to encounter each other at the craggy summits。 It was a game of aerial chicken； pod and fighter on a collision course； Zentraedi and Terran pilots emptying their guns。
Rick yo…yoed and took the fight deeper into the mountains。 The enemy pursued him； launching rockets which Rick's mecha successfully evaded with breaks and jinks and high barrel rolls。
Skull twenty…three banked sharply now and fell away into a narrow valley； luring its opponent toward a forest of wind…eroded rock spires。 Rick used two of his rockets to blast an opening for himself and dove in。 The pod stayed with him but was having trouble negotiating the forest's tight groupings of columns。 Too late； the enemy pilot attempted to pull out； one of the pod's clawlike legs snagged on a spire； and the pod suddenly became a highspeed pinball； careening from tower to tower。 Flames and debris from the resounding explosion tore past Rick's mecha as he climbed from the canyon。
This was more like it； he told himself； rejoining his battle group on the Martian plain。 Sky above； ground below。 Sound and light； explosions of finality。 No clouds for cover； but it seemed as though you could see forever through the thin air。
Just then Roy's face appeared on the left screen of his cockpit。
〃What d' ya think； Little Brother？ It's a little like the old days； isn't it？〃
〃The ‘old' days； yeah； four months ago！〃
Roy laughed。 〃Let's get 'em； tiger！〃
Rick watched his friend's fighter face down two of the pods and dispatch both of them。 He quickly scanned the busy sky： If each Veritech could take out two pods； the enemy would only have them outnumbered four to one。
From the bridge of the SDF…1； Gloval and his crew had a clear view of the ongoing massacre。 Brilliant strobelike flashes of explosive light spilled in through the forward and side bays as the enemy continued to pour fire at the ship。 The fortress rocked and vibrated to the staccato beat of battle。 The Martian landscape had bee an inferno。
〃The sixth and eighth Spartan divisions have been wiped out； Captain；〃 Claudia reported。 〃Veritech squadrons are sustaining heavy casualties。〃
Gloval paced the deck； fingers of one hand tugging at his thick mustache。 〃There must be a way out of this。。。〃 He turned to Vanessa。 〃Put the seismic schematic on the screen again。〃
Gloval studied the puter graphic display as it came up。 The source of the induced gravitation that held the ship captive was located some three kilometers beneath the surface。 Gloval now had Kim project a schematic of the underground power center that fueled Sara Base。 He stepped back to take in both screens； folded his arms across his chest； and nodded。
〃It's just as I thought。 There is a reflex furnace beneath Sara。〃 Reflex power was one of Robotechnology's first by…products…back in more peaceful times。 〃If we were to overload it； the explosion that would result might take out the enemy's gravity mines as well。〃
Gloval instructed Vanessa to run a puter simulation based on the available data。 Then he turned to Claudia： 〃Contact Lisa； immediately。〃
Lisa was trying to figure a way out of Sara Base when Gloval's call came through。 With what she recalled from her engineering courses and the technical assists the SDF…1 onboard puters would provide； there was a good chance that she'd be able to shut down the reflex furnace as Gloval requested。 He instructed her to keep her radio tuned in to the bridge frequency so that they could monitor her location and position。
The first step would be to get herself safely from the munications center to the main power station； which meant an unescorted trip through the thick of the fighting。 There was one other option； though； and it would require her to be out in the open only for a short time。 The power center was linked to the barracks building through a system of underground tunnels and access corridors。 And the barracks was just a short hop through hell。
Lisa poised herself on the threshold of the munication building's blow