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e dropped the VT into a nose dive； expecting concussion where there was none； then executed two rollovers but still couldn't manage to pull the mecha out of its collision course with the destroyer。 Desperately； he reached out for the mode levers and reconfigured to Guardian。 This would at least enable him to extend the 〃legs〃 of the mecha and utilize the foot thrusters to brake his speed。 But the angle of his approach was too critical。 With the nose beginning to dip and the energized foot thrusters threatening to throw him into a roll； Rick again switched modes； this time to Battloid configuration。 Regardless； he was mitted to pleting the front flip； and the Battloid came down with a silent crash； face first on the armored hull。
As on the SDF…1's shell； there was artificial gravity here； but Rick had no time to be impressed： two Battlepods were on him； ing in fast now for strafing runs。 He thought the mecha to a kneeling position and brought the gatling cannon out front。 Blue bolts from the pods were striking the hull around him； fusing metals and blowing slag into the void。 It didn't seem to bother the enemy pilots any that they were firing on their own ship； they were intent on finishing him off； homing in now； bipedal legs dangling and plastron cannons firing like spheroid kamikazes。
Rick was backing away from blue lightning； returning continuous fire。 The big gun was dangerously close to overheating in the Battloid's hands。
Then； suddenly； the hull seemed to give way under him。 Instantly Rick realized that he had stumbled the Battloid through one of the topside semicircular ports。
The mecha landed on its butt； twenty…five meters below the action on the floor of a loading bay。 Rick worked the foot pedals frantically； raising the Battloid to its feet in time to see the overhead hatch close…a shot from one of the pods had probably activated the external control circuitry。 There was a second hatch in the bay which undoubtedly led to the innards of the destroyer。
Rick began to approach this second hatch cautiously； studying the air lock entry controls and feeling strangely secure in the sealed chamber。 Just then the air lock door slid open。 On the other side of the threshold stood an enemy soldier who had apparently heard Rick's fall to the floor。 He was easily as tall as the Battloid and massively built； but although he was armored； his head was bare and he was weaponless。
The alien goliath and the small human in the cockpit of the mecha had taken each other by surprise。 As dissimilar as these potential batants were； their frightened reactions were the same。 The defenseless soldier's eyes darted left and right； desperately seeking an escape route as Rick's did the same。 The alien warrior then stepped back； body language betraying his thoughts。
It was all that was needed to break the stalemate： Rick raised the muzzle of the Battloid's gatling； metalshod fingers poised on the trigger。
The enemy destroyer was bearing down on the SDF…1； peppering her with hundreds of missiles。 Radar scanners located throughout the body of the fortress relayed course headings of the ining projectiles to inboard puters； which in turn translated the data into colored graphics。 These displays were flashed to monitors in the barrier control room； where three young female techs worked feverishly to bring photon disc cover to projected impact points； the spherical gyros of the pin…point barrier system spinning wildly under the palms of their hands。
On the bridge Captain Gloval feared the worst。 The main gun was still inoperable； and despite the effectiveness of the shields； the ship was sustaining damage on all sides。 Skull Team was counterattacking the destroyer； but it was unlikely they'd be able to inflict enough damage to incapacitate it。 Was there ever in Earth's history a mander who had more than 50；000 civilian lives at stake in one battle？ For all these long months Gloval had never once contemplated surrender。 Now； however； he found that possibility edging into his thoughts； draining him of strength and will。
As if reading Gloval's thoughts； Lisa suddenly came up with an inspired plan。 But first she needed to know if it was possible to concentrate and direct the pin…point barrier energy to the front of the Daedalus…the supercarrier that formed the right arm of the SDF…1。
Gloval immediately contacted Dr。 Lang； and the reply came swiftly： Yes； it could be done。
Gloval ordered him to begin the energy transfer at once and quickly set in motion phase two of the plan。 This required that all available Destroids； Spartans； and Gladiators…the 〃ground〃 support weapons mecha…be gathered together at the bow of the Daedalus。 The final phase would be handled by the Captain himself； he reassumed the mand chair； his strength and confidence renewed。
〃Ramming speed；〃 he ordered。 〃We're going to push the Daedalus right down their throat！〃
Members of the Skull Team who took part in Operation Blitzkrieg would later report on the spectacle they witnessed that day in Saturn space。 How the SDF…1； gleaming blue； red； and white； engulfed in explosions and locked on a collision course with the enemy； had executed a backward body twist； followed by a full…forward thrust of its right arm that brought the bow of the Daedalus like a battering ram squarely into the forward section of the destroyer。
One can only imagine the scene from mander Zeril's point of view： the impact； the sight of the front of his ship being splintered apart； cables and conduits rupturing as the destroyer impaled itself on the arm of the fortress； stressed metal groaning and giving way； crossties and girders ripped from their lodgings； the mad rush of precious air being sucked from the ship。
Perhaps Zeril and his second were alive long enough to see the forward ramp of the Daedalus drop open； revealing row after row of deadly Destroids； thick with guns； missile tubes； and cannons。 Perhaps the two Zentraedi even saw the initial launch of the five thousand projectiles fired into the heart of the destroyer； the first series of explosions against the hull and bulkheads of the bridge。
Rick couldn't bring himself to waste the enemy soldier。 His mind and trigger finger were paralyzed； not out of fear but forgiveness。 This was no Battlepod he was face to face with in the airlock but a living； breathing creature； caught up just as Rick in the madness of war。 Remember what they did to us at Macross Island； Roy had drilled into him。 Remember！ Remember！。。。humankind's war cry for how many millenia now？ And when would it end…with this war？ the next？ the one after that？
Suddenly the soldier turned his head sharply to the right； as though he had heard something unreported by the Battloid's sensors。 Rick saw the soldier's face drain of color； his eyes go wide with even greater fear。
In the next instant a conflagration swept through the corridor。 The soldier was vaporized before Rick's eyes； and the Battloid was thrown back into the loading bay by the explosive force of the firestorm。 The air lock was sealed； but the chamber walls were already beginning to melt。
Rick brought the Battloid's top…mounted lasers into action to melt through the overhead latch controls