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the guy。 Of course； it might have been different if she felt something ing from him； but…
〃I show four bogies at four o'clock relative；〃 her copilot informed her。
〃I see them；〃 Lisa heard Rick say。
〃There going to try a surprise attack；〃 said Ben Dixon。 〃Let me at 'em。〃
〃Negative； Ben；〃 Hunter countered。 〃Do not give pursuit。 We're going to stick to the Eye。〃
Here he goes； thought Lisa。 He was doing it again； making her feel like she couldn't take care of herself。 He infuriated her with his unsolicited protection。 She went on the tac net。
〃I can protect myself； Lieutenant Hunter。 Give pursuit。 That's a direct order； do you copy？〃
Hunter was silent for a moment； then said； 〃All right； boys； you heard the little woman。 Let's go get 'em。〃
The three VTs of Vermilion Team broke formation and went after the Battlepods。 The Cat's…Eye was relaying positional data to them； but the enemy bandits were still too far off for visual contact。 Rick called up full magnification on his port and starboard screens； and suddenly there they were： guns bristling； extended claw thrusters radiant in the perpetual night。
〃I see them；〃 said Max Sterling。 〃Going in。。。〃
Max and Ben； both of them anxious to post a few more pod decals on their fighters； hit their afterburners and passed Rick。 by。 Rick found himself holding back； thinking about Lisa's safety。 Damn her； he thought。 Let her go ahead and get herself atomized。 What did he care？ He shook his head as if to clear it and threw his VT into the fight。
A Battlepod had swooped in and fixed him in its lasers。 Rick in turn engaged his starboard thrusters； then cut his forward speed and fell away from the laser lock。 At the same time； he loosed aft heat…seekers； which caught the pod where the legs met the spherical body。 The pods were highly vulnerable there； and this one went into an uncontrolled accelerated spin as the legs blew away。 Rick saw two quick flashes ahead of him； and soon his fighter was sailing through more pod debris。
It was easy if you let yourself think of the pods themselves as the enemy。 Remind yourself that there was a fifty…foot humanoid giant in each of them though； and your brain began to short…circuit。 In Battloid mode； Rick had been face to face with Zentraedi warriors on two occasions。 And each time he had been paralyzed with fear。 The Robotech Defenders who had trained on Earth before the invasion had been shown the skeletons and had been conditioned to accept the reality； but Rick had to learn it the hard way。 Rick； however； was one of the few men who had actually met a live Zentraedi and lived to tell about it。
Battloids were the perfect mating of mind and mecha and were ideally suited to a war with giants。 But what would it be like to confront a Zentraedi without the mecha？ What could you do against something ten times your size？ There was a seventy…year…old film on videotape in the ship's library about a giant ape who had been found on a remote Pacific island。 The ape had terrorized New York City the way later mutants and giants would wreak havoc on Tokyo。 But there was something about that old film。。。it had somehow managed to municate the mixture of awe and terror Rick felt when he faced the giants。 There had been a woman in that film； he recalled。。。
The Battlepods destroyed； he switched on the tac net and tried to raise the Cat's…Eye。 But there was no response。
The recon ship was in trouble。
In pursuit of their surveillance mission； Lisa and her copilot had entered into an area filled with massive chunks of what had once been the planetoid Pamir。 They had their hands full dodging these while at the same time reporting on enemy locations。
〃We have multiple radar contacts； picking up four； five； six； eight； and twelve heavy；〃 the copilot said。
Lisa watched the radar hand sweep across the color…enhanced screen。 There was something enormous ahead of them。 It would have to measure more than fifteen kilometers in length。 Possibly a piece of Pamir； but the shape was all wrong。 This thing was like an elongated ellipse； a zero stretched at its poles。 It had to be an enemy ship！
She began maneuvering the Cat's…Eye in for a closer look； her attention fixed on the radar screen。
She didn't see the island of space rock they collided with。
The radar disc was torn from the ship； and one by one the life support systems began to fail。 The forward portion of the canopy was damaged but intact。 But the copilot had not been as fortunate； his limp form hung in space； still tethered to the ship by an untorn length of seat strap。 There's no atmosphere in space； Hunter's words came back to her before she slipped from consciousness。
The smallest damage could prove fatal。
Exedore watched his mander pace the bridge。
Continuous setbacks and defeats at the hands of the Micronians were beginning to take their toll。
When the projecbeam field formed itself for viewing； the now crippled SDF…1 could be discerned amid the asteroid field。 Scanners indicated that Micronian fighters had taken up defensive positions in all quadrants in anticipation of a second offensive。
〃Look at that ship；〃 said Breetai。 〃We're fortunate that it survived the attack。〃
〃No thanks to Khyron。 This time he has gone too far。
〃Too far； indeed。 And do you see how the Micronians react to our demands for surrender； Exedore？ They ignore us。〃
〃Yes； mander。 I fear that they have seen through our strategy。 There is in fact a word for it in their language…bluff。 It means to mislead or intimidate through pretense。〃
The link tone sounded on the bridge； followed by the voice of the duty officer。
〃mander Breetai； we have mander Khyron standing by。〃
Breetai dissolved the projecbeam and hit the municator switch。 〃Patch him through…immediately！〃
Khyron wore his familiar expression of slight bemusement。 Exedore had heard rumors to the effect that he was addicted to the Invid Flower； if this was true； Khyron was even more dangerous than Breetai realized。
〃You will be pleased to learn that the matter has already been settled；〃 the Backstabber was saying。
A frightened junior officer was then shoved forward into the screen's field of view。 His shackled hands managed a two…handed breast salute as Khyron ordered him to speak。
〃mander Breetai； I take full responsibility for the misplaced laser bolt which destroyed the radar tower of Zor's ship。 My aim was untrue； and I humbly await your judgment。〃
The officer hung his head in shame。
Breetai stared at the screen with a look of disbelief that quickly refocused as anger。
〃Khyron； do you take me for a plete fool？！〃
Khyron smirked； 〃Not plete； Breetai。〃
Exedore's mander was enraged； he shouted； 〃You have not heard the end of this！〃 and shut down the link。 He resumed his pacing as a second message was fed to the bridge： An enemy recon vessel disabled by a collision with an asteroid had been captured and was being brought to the flagship。
So something had been salvaged from this operation； after all； Breetai told himself。 He heard Exedore give the order that all survivors were to be left unharmed。
〃Well； Exedore； it looks like you'll have the specimens you wanted。〃
〃So it would appear；