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〃Nice shooting！〃 Rick said； relieved。 Then he saw what was ing up fast behind him。 〃No！〃
It was the strange alien attack mecha； the one that had nearly nailed him moments before。 He braced himself to be hit； perhaps killed； then and there。 But it zoomed past； gaining altitude rapidly； pulling away as if the VT were standing still。
Rick realized that it matched the description of that souped…up Zentraedi who had done so much damage to Roy Fokker's Skull Team just before the Skulls recovered the stolen pod in which Lisa； Rick； Ben； and Max had made their escape from the aliens。
Rick cut in auxiliary power； going ballistic； determined to end the warped cat…and…mouse game。
In her special suit of Quadrono powered armor； Miriya laughed scornfully。
Khyron's cruiser was close enough to the SDF…1 that the ship's turret guns were making serious hits on it now。 The remaining Battloids on the deck were also keeping up a steady volume of fire at the suicide ship。 But that was of no matter； in moments； the battle would be over。
In his massively reinforced mand center； Gerao braced for collision。
〃Veritechs； be ready to get clear on my mand；〃 Claudia said； having taken over some direction of fighter ops while Lisa readied the Daedalus Maneuver。
Miriya swept by； only a few feet off the deck。 Rick was right on her tail； chasing her high and low； around and around。
She went into another climb； but the irritating Micronian stayed with her in the six o'clock position； chopping away at her with autocannon fire。
Not that it concerned her very much； Miriya was sure she could turn on him and kill hilm whenever she chose。 But she monitored the ing impact of the enormous ships closely。 〃Khyron； do not fail！〃
〃Daedalus attack in five seconds；〃 Claudia marked。 〃Four。。。〃
The Terrible Trio braced for collision； the enemy cruiser blocked the sky； growing larger every instant。
In one horrifying moment； Claudia realized that Lisa was paralyzed。
Lisa saw Rick's face； saw poor dead Karl's； saw Kyle's。 Over and over； so obsessively that she failed to see the cruiser's bow filling the bridge's forward viewbowl。
〃LISA！〃
Claudia's shout brought her back at the very last moment。 Her hands were reacting even before she could order her thoughts； flying across the controls。 She heard herself responding calmly； 〃Executing Daedalus attack now。〃 It was as if someone else were speaking。
They felt the SDF…1 shift； its bouyancy radically altered； as the supercarrier Daedalus was lifted clear of the water…a battering ram the size of a hundred…fifty story building。 There was the rumble of the dimensional fortress's foot thrusters firing to keep balance。 The sea boiled all around them。
The astoundingly powerful Robotech servos lifted the huge flatdeck clear of the sea； thrusting it at the ining enemy like a titanic warrior throwing a slow…motion punch。
Gerao saw the carrier's prow ing； it was far too late to do anything about it。 He triggered his personal ejection mechanism； to flee the ship while he still could； leaving the rest of his crew to perish。
The Daedalus's hurricane bow and can…opener prow had been reinforced by Lang and his technicians to the point where they were all but invulnerable； even against Zentraedi armor。 Daedalus punched through the cruiser's hull； keelside and forward； as if skewering it。 The carrier burst through armor； structural members； bulkheads； and systemry； smashing everything that was in its path as if it were passing through rotted wood and plasterboard。
The cruiser's velocity carried it into the blow； and the SDF…1's inparable power lifted Daedalus and the enemy vessel high。 The supercarrier's prow emerged from the cruiser's upper side； protruding more than fifty yards beyond。
Lisa； still monitoring the attack and shaken by her near failure； hadn't noticed that protrusion。 She was alarmed that the cruiser's residual momentum was grinding it forward toward the SDF…1 like a wild boar ing up a hunter's spear to deal death before it died。
〃Emergency missiles： Fire！〃 she said； hitting the switch。
High above； the carrier's bow swung open and a thousand missiles screamed out of their launchers。 But instead of seeking targets within the enemy vessel； as they were programmed to do and as they had done in the Battle at Saturn's Rings； they boiled out into the open sky。
Here and there they found a damaged； limping Battlepod or a disabled Botoru tri…thruster； obliterating them； but the majority climbed； searching for targets and rose up at…a Veritech。
He juked and hit his countermeasures and jamming gear； giving his ship everything he had while simultaneously screaming over the mand net。
〃Lisa； this is Rick！ I'm in direct line of our missiles！ Abort firing！ Destruct！ Destroy them！〃
She'd barely begun when he was yelling； 〃Mayday！ Mayday； I'm hit！〃
The jolt to his wing and another to the rear stabilizers； as well as the sudden； uncontrollable spin； let him know that there was no hope of keeping his VT in the air。 He was preparing to eject when another missile hit the fuselage forward of the wing…just below the cockpit。
Above the VT that pursued her and slightly farther away from the missile barrage； Azonia gave her powered armor suit maximum emergency power； dodging and diving。 The explosions of the missiles that had hit Rick's ship had set off fratricide explosions in other missiles； causing them to destroy one another and upsetting the guidance systems of many more。
She turned； dove； shook off the last of the missiles chasing her； and came back past the SDF…1 in a low pass that clipped the tops off the ocean swells heated by the dimensional fortress's thrusters。 Her jamming equipment； the surface clutter； and her own speed and maneuverability had somehow saved her。 Unscathed； she flashed into the sky once more as the missile barrage died away。
Khyron's cruiser was beginning to glow and tremble from massive interior damage and ruptured power systems。 Claudia and the others moved fast to pull the Daedalus free and back away。 They were barely clear when the cruiser's engines overloaded and it became a globe of blinding light； rocking the SDF…1 in the water。
〃The follow…up missile attack on the enemy was a plete success！〃 Claudia crowed。 〃Captain； the enemy ship has been totally destroyed！〃
Looking down from his hovering Battlepod； far out of the radius of battle； missile attack； and explosion； Khyron pounded his metalshod fist against the arm of his seat over and over。
〃No！ My plans can't have failed！ Not again！ I won't have it！〃
Azonia's image appeared on one of his screens。 〃Well； Khyron； it looks as though your perfect plan was slightly less than perfect。 In fact； if it had been any less perfect； you'd be dead too！〃 Her jeering laugh let him know that such an event wouldn't have been so imperfect to her。
The remaining enemy forces withdrew in their big saucer…like amphibious ships。 Gloval vetoed any idea of pursuit。 〃Let's not push our luck or theirs； eh？ The battle is over。〃 He rose to go。 〃Just maintain present position。〃
〃Yes； Captain；〃 Claudia responded； when Lisa didn't。
He paused to look back at Lisa。 〃Oh； and mander Hayes：