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〃I have Skull Leader on the horn；〃 said Claudia。 〃He reports heavy fighting in the Third Quadrant。 He's requesting backup； mander。〃
〃Negative。 Give him the situation here。 Tell him to stand by for recall。 In a minute we're going to be defenseless。〃
Vanessa； Sammie； and Kim stumbled onto the bridge as Gloval was issuing course correction coordinates。 The three women strapped in and began to monitor ship systems status。
It was Vanessa's threat board that revealed the enemy ships。
〃Enemy destroyers！ They're moving into firing position。〃
〃Those bastards！〃 yelled Gloval。 〃Reroute power to the main gun。〃
〃Sir； Macross City will be destroyed if we lower the shields；〃 said Sammie。
〃You have your orders；〃 Claudia reminded the young tech。 〃Without defenses there won't be any Macross City！〃
〃Confirm enemy fire…laser…bolt signatures！〃
〃Brace yourselves！〃 said Gloval。
But no shock came。 The SDF…1 was fenced in by blue lightning but left unstruck。 And Gloval didn't know what to make of it。 All at once； however； it became a moot point： The ship sustained a terrible direct hit。 All systems failed on the bride。 Presently auxiliary power brought some of them back to life。 Gloval requested damage assessment from all stations。
Lisa reported the worst news： The conning tower had been hit。 The entire radar control crew had been wiped out。
Gloval ordered all engines stopped。
The dimensional fortress shut down。 The enemy had ceased their fire； but chunks of rock continued to impact against it。 Debris from the conning tower drifted by the front and side bays。 Lisa averted her gaze from the sight of a human body hanging lifeless in the void； a redtrimmed Battloid。。。
〃Can we raise Skull Leader？〃
〃Negative； sir；〃 said Claudia。
〃Do we have any radar functioning…wide…range； perhaps？〃
〃The report from the technical repair unit is ing in now；〃 said Lisa。 She listened a moment。 〃Estimates of ten hours to effect minimal repairs。〃
Gloval said nothing； his silence was unnerving to the rest of them。
Ining data to Sammie's station broke the stalemate。 It registered as code； but unlike any encrypted transmissions they were familiar with。 Gloval ordered her to patch it through the speakers。 The ever…present static of deep space infiltrated the bridge； then； a voice： deep； resonant； menacing。
〃In the name of the Zentraedi forces； I order you to surrender。 The last attack on your ship was a warning of what we will do。 You cannot escape。 If you wish to save the lives of your crew； you must surrender at once。〃
〃My God；〃 said Claudia。 〃It's the aliens！〃
〃We repeat；〃 the voice continued； 〃in the name of the Zentraedi forces； I order you to surrender。 The last attack on your ship。。。〃
Gloval listened carefully to the message。 The Zentraedi； he said to himself。
Now at least he knew what to call them。
CHAPTER TWELVE
It was only during the final stages of the ＇Global＇ War that women were assigned to active military operations。 Up until that time most women held rear…echelon positions； but as casualties increased among the men unilaterally； these positions came to be of paramount importance。 Indeed； by the time of the First Robotech War those positions could only be filled by women。 True； there were no women on the United Earth Council； but the entire bridge crew of the super dimensional fortress； the SDF…1； was female。 One recalls the postfeminist claims that women were now not only victimized by male aggressive instincts but instrumental in carrying them out； that women （especially in the case of the SDF…1） had exchanged the traditional pots and pans for the keyboards and consoles of the bridge。 But those claims not only simplify the issue but malign those women who contributed their unique skills to the war effort。 What is most disconcerting is the fact that although women had finally achieved their long…sought…after goal of equality； the Global War had introduced a new set of polarizing issues which now had to be taken into account…there was mutual respect between the sexes but a continued sense of the same old bugaboo about knowing and adhering to 〃one's place in the world。〃 In terms of male female relationships； the attitudes of twenty…first…century society suggested those prevalent in the middle of the previous century。
Betty Greer； Post…Feminism and the Global War
The Cat's…Eye recon unit； escorted by Rick Hunter's Vermilion Team； was launched from the flight deck of the Prometheus。 Fragments of the exploded planetoid littered local space。
Where only hours before they had been ordered to buy time for the United Earth Defense Council； Captain Gloval was now buying time for the SDF…1。 The enemy's offensive strength had to be ascertained…the Zentraedi's strength…and with the ship's radar down this could be achieved only by deploying the recon vessel。
Lisa Hayes had the stick…the unit's former pilot had been a casualty in the latest Zentraedi offensive。 Her copilot was an inexperienced second lieutenant on loan from the Gladiator Defense Force。 Most of the air wing strike teams had been deployed to guard the badly damaged SDF…1； looking crippled and deathly still now on the Cat's…Eye's rear mo screen。
Lieutenant Hunter was on the forward screen。
〃Ironic； isn't it； mander；〃 he was saying； 〃that I should end up your wingman？〃
Lisa knew what he was referring to； less than twenty…four hours ago they had gotten into yet another tiff。
One of Vermilion squadron's VTs had taken a hit； and Hunter had informed the bridge that he was taking his group home。 The pilot of the stricken VT maintained that the damage was only slight； and scanners showed continued fighting in Hunter's quadrant； with only the Skull Team left to take up the slack； so Lisa had denied him permission to e in。
〃I'll be the judge of that；〃 Hunter had said。 〃I'm group leader； and I'm responsible for the safety of my men！〃 Then he went on to lecture her about the dynamics of space dogfighting； how seemingly insignificant damage could quickly prove fatal； how she was safe and sound on the bridge while the big brave men of the VT strike force were constantly in jeopardy。。。On and on。
She dismissed it as battle fatigue。 But instead of letting it go； she had vented her own anger and frustration。 After all； she was his superior。
Then Roy Fokker； guitar…strumming darling of the Defense Force； had stepped in on Hunter's side。 They went right into their big brother…little brother act； and the next thing Lisa knew； Fokker was ordering the Vermilion Team home。 He did； however； scold Hunter for talking too much。
If the incident had ended there； she would have forgotten it by now。 But among the space debris that had floated past the bridge bays following the Zentraedi attack there was a disabled Battloid she had been certain was Hunter's red…trimmed own。 She had even imagined （or； more likely； hallucinated） that she saw Rick's lifeless form drift from the shattered cockpit module。。。
Even now the image was too painful to recall。
Hunter had rescued her on Mars。 But so what？ He'd been ordered to do it。 Any of the VT pilots would have done so； it certainly didn't mean that she had to feel anything special for the guy。