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Lisa couldn't quite believe her ears。 She tried to get a confirmation on the pineapple salad transmission as Claudia laughed behind her hand and Gloval marveled at the resilience of young people。
Roy； Max； and Ben joined another flight of VTs off Prometheus。 In mand； Roy took them up and up； going ballistic； all of them eager for the dogfight that had been forced upon them。
Roy looked at them； a bit dismayed。 None of the VTs had fought with Quadronos on an even footing yet； except for Rick； who hadn't e out of it so well。
But Roy remembered the souped…up Zentraedi better than anyone； and if the SDF…1 was facing a division of them； that was all she wrote。 Endgame。
〃Dogfight？〃 muttered Ben。 〃You Zentraedi ain't hardly been bit yet！ Now； it's lockjaw time！〃
Now。 Where is this great enemy ace that Khyron fears so？ mused Miriya as she and the first few of her armored Quadrono deployed under power to engage a slightly lesser number of enemy aircraft。
She howled a Zentraedi word； a Quadrono battle cry that translated as 〃Smite them from the sky！〃
Immediately the Quadrono battle suits began pouring forth a cascade of fire。 The Veritechs dove up into it eagerly； dodging and jamming missiles； betting their reflexes against the enemy's。
Roy did a wingover and banked as a Quadrono's redhot beams ranged past him。 Skull leader did a loop that would have torn the wings off any other fighter ever built； then centered the bulky； top…heavy…looking Quadrono in his gunsight reticle； and thumbed the trigger。
He had a lot of bad…tasting memories in his mouth of how an armored bogey just like this one had rousted him and cost him men in the attack near Luna's orbit。 A lot of that pain went away as he watched the Quadrono's head module cave in； then be plowed to nothingness by high…density rounds。
The alien mecha fell； leaving a long； curlicuing trail of oily； red…black smoke。
〃Scratch one；〃 whispered Roy Fokker to himself； and went looking for scratch two。
They fought their way up above the cloud cover。 One Quadrono burst through； pursuing Ben's banking VT； a second followed； folding into some sort of bizarre fetal configuration； only to bring forth a hornet's nest of missiles。
The missiles moved faster than the eye could follow； detectable only by their flaming wakes and corkscrewing trails of smoke。 Somehow； though； they weren't fast enough to get Max Sterling； he twisted and rolled his VT through seemingly impossible maneuvers； jamming some of the missiles' guidance systems； getting others to mit fratricide； and just plain outflying the rest。
He was putting his Veritech through mechamorphosis even before the last of them had gone by。 Changing to Battloid mode； he leapt down at his attacker like a cross between a sleek； superswift gunship and Sir Lancelot。
Max fired his autocannon； riddling the Quadrono and blowing it to burning shreds that fell almost lazily。 He turned just in time to catch a Quadrono that was trying to sneak up on him。 The Robotech chain…gun made its howling； buzzsaw sound again； and the alien became nosediving wreckage。
Miriya had seen it all； the blue…trimmed VT's latest victory in its rampage across the sky。 No Zentraedi had been able to stand against it； who else could this be but Khyron's vaunted Micronian champion？
She cut in full power； diving at him like a rocket…powered hawk。 〃Now you die！〃
Except dying wasn't on Max Sterling's agenda today。 He dodged her first volley and got a few rounds into her armor as she zigzagged past。
Miriya turned and loosed a flight of missiles that arced and looped at the Battloid； leaving ribbons of trail as graceful as the streamers on a maypole。 He dodged those； too； while he charged straight at her； firing all the time。 An unbelievable piece of flying。
〃You devil！〃 Miriya grated softly； almost fondly； knowing now what a pleasure it was going to be to kill him。 The powered armor and the Battloid whirled and pounced； the upper hand changing sides a dozen times in a few seconds。 Miriya was astounded； could this Micronian have artificially enhanced reflexes and telepathic powers？ That was certainly the way he flew his aircraft。
She went into a ballistic climb； and Max got a sustained burst into the Quadrono's backpack thrusterpower unit。 Miriya's mecha trailed sparks and flame as it tumbled back down but suddenly straightened out again； she played hurt and turned the tables once more。
Her particle cannon pounded away at the Battloid； knocking it back as several rounds hit home。 Max regained stability by shifting back to Veritech mode and taking evasive action to get a little elbow room before going at it again。
Miriya laughed like some wild huntress and pursued him down through the clouds； crying； 〃You can't dodge forever！〃
〃That's very odd；〃 Lisa murmured。 〃Those alien mecha aren't attacking us。 In fact； they seem to be holding off； covering the one that engaged Max Sterling。〃
Claudia nodded。 〃It seems like the leader； or whoever it is； has a personal vendetta against Max。〃
〃Who can understand the mind of a bat pilot？〃 Gloval shrugged。 〃Especially an alien one？〃
〃There must be some reason Max has been singled out。〃
She was right。 〃Order the lieutenant to retreat。 If they continue to pursue him； it will mean that the target isn't SDF…1。〃
Max received Roy's order with a good deal of bewilderment。 〃Retreat？ Wa…wait； I don't get it！〃
It would not be exactly true to say that he was having a good time； but he was doing what he did best…did better than anyone else alive。 Bashful； unassuming Max Sterling could afford to be deferential and mild…mannered on the ground。 It was a kind of wide…eyed but honest noblesse oblige； because in aerial bat he lived life at lightspeed and ruled the sky。
〃That bandit on your tail is trying too hard；〃 Roy explained。 〃They want to find out what his game is。〃
〃You got it；〃 Max said amicably。 He thought there was something different about this one。 At any rate； whoever this alien was； he was one hot pilot。
Max shoved his stick into the corner for a pushover and dove for the surface of the ocean。 The Quadrono powered armor streaked after。
Watching the instruments on the dimensional fortress's bridge； Gloval came to his feet。 〃So； now we know。〃
Roy's gift box hadn't contained a bathrobe at all but rather his treasured and superb collection of miniature aircraft。
Rick's favorite was also Roy's： a fragile yellow World War I fighter； a German Fokker triplane with black Iron Cross markings； made at the time of that conflict and nearly a century old。 〃Fokker； Little Brother； that's me！〃 as Roy liked to say。
The door opened； and Rick looked to it uninterestedly。 Then； abruptly； he was sitting bolt upright in bed。 〃Minmei！〃
She was looking very stylish in a long； red suede coat with white fur collar and cuffs and a pair of yellow tinted aviator glasses。 〃I hope you don't mind； you didn't look like you were sleeping； so。。。〃
He hastily put the toys aside as she came over to him。 Whatever subtle things the movie makeup and hairstyle people were doing to her looked great。 〃Nice big room；〃 she said brightly； glancing around。 Her eyes fell on the flowers for