18_the_end_of_the_circle-第47章

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planet；　the　incandescent　bursts　flashed　bright；　far　overhead。

The　giants　had　never　had　music　of　their　own；　the　Robotech　Masters　had　reserved　the　arts　of　the　Muses　and　the　Cosmic　Harp　to　themselves　and　their　clone　triumvirates；　yet　how　the　blood　sang　in　the　veins　of　the　Zentraedi　that　day！　Fired　by　the　eons…old　traditions　and　honor　that　Exedore　had　taught　them；　they　hurled　themselves　at　the　Invid　with　a　will。
This　was　what　the　Zentraedi　had　been　born　for。　They　followed　their　Imperative。

Oyster…shaped　Invid　troopships　blotted　out　the　sky。　The　entire　planet　was　a　theater　of　war。　Whole　armies　were　thrown　against　each　other　as　if　they　were　mere　panies。　Nearly　eight　million　Zentraedi　eagerly　locked　in　mortal　bat　with　over　twenty　million　Invid。
Battlepod　went　muzzle　to　muzzle　with　Shock　Trooper；　weapons　vomiting　forth　death。　Powered　armor　suits　darted　in　aerial　bat；　fought　as　infantry；　and　even　rolled　and　tore　with　the　enemy　hand　to　hand。　There　were　massed　charges　of　entire　corps；　met　by　equal　or　greater　numbers　of　teeming　Invid。

bat　heated　the　atmosphere　of　Tawkhan　itself。　Explosions　and　energy　volleys　opened　crevasses　and　shattered　glaciers；　undersea　onslaughts　made　the　oceans　boil；　beams　of　raw　power　melted　ice　fields　and　shook　loose　immense　avallanches。　All　across　the　planet　the　warfare　raged　in　thickening　smoke　and　rain。

The　stupendous　barrages　awoke　the　resentment　of　Tawkhan　itself；　jarring　its　tectonics。　Volcanoes　blasted　to　life；　and　fissures　poured　lava　up　through　ice　cap　and　seabed。　Quakes　crushed　or　swallowed　Invid　and　Zentraedi　alike。　Mud　and　superheated　water　rained　down。　Floods　swept　mecha　away　like　bits　of　straw。

Through　it　all；　Kazianna's　unit　made　its　way　toward　the　very　heart　of　the　foe's　central　hive；　a　daring　thrust　to　end　the　campaign　with　one　telling　blow。　But　it　met　with　failure；　and　what　was　left　of　her　unit　was　about　to　be　totally　annihilated。
Kazianna　braced　herself　to　grapple　unarmed　with　a　Shock　Trooper；　her　weapons　were　exhausted。　Then　the　Trooper　was　gone；　burned　in　half；　the　halves　falling　away　in　opposite　directions。　Dazed；　Kazianna　Hesh　looked　beyond　where　it　had　been。　There　stood　the　great　Breetai；　a　metal　war　god　in　his　personal　battle　panoply；　a　rifle　as　big　as　an　Earthly　artillery　piece　smoking　in　his　gauntleted　fists。

Behind　him　came　a　crack　task　force；　ten　divisions　of　elite　troops；　to　strike　at　the　very　brain　of　the　foe。　Kazianna　learned　later　that　her　own　assault　force　had　been　a　feint；　drawing　Invid　attention　away　from　Breetai's　sword…stroke　raid。　In　moments　the　special　coalition　of　living　puters　that　directed　the　Invid　on　Tawkhan…the　piles　of　brain　tissue　lurking　in　their　vats…would　be　destroyed　in　an　apocalyptic　contest　with　the　invading　foot　soldiers　and　mecha。

In　that　second；　though；　all　Kazianna　Hesh　saw　was　Breetai；　striding　his　personal　domain…the　domain　of　battle…like　an　icon　e　to　life。　The　most　illustrious　and　successful　of　Dolza's　field　manders　and；　after　the　Old　One　himself；　the　biggest　and　strongest　of　the　entire　Zentraedi　race。

It　was　heresy　to　think　this；　but　Kazianna　did　not　care：　He　was　like　some　higher　being；　some　creature　superior　to　other　Zentraedi　and　even　to　the　Robotech　Masters。

But　the　worship　was　not　mutual；　Breetai　was　still　directing　his　raid　and　barely　gave　her　a　glance。　〃You！　Consolidate　your　unit　and　stand　by！〃

Then　he　was　gone；　and　she　was　rushing　to　obey。　Genders　were　usually　strictly　separated　among　the　Zentraedi；　where　neither　physical　love　nor　natural　birth　were　known；　only　the　scope　of　the　Tawkhan　campaign　had　thrown　them　together　so。

Thus；　Kazianna　Hesh　could　not　understand　what　was　happening　to　her…why　did　his　voice　and　his　look　obsess　her　so？　Was　it　madness？


She　studied　and　admired　him　from　afar；　through　an　age　of　conflict　and　conquest。　The　closest　she　came　to　him　was　when　he　presided　at　an　awards　ceremony　for　Miriya　Parino。　Kazianna　was　only　a　few　paces　away；　a　pany　mander　by　then。　Breetai　did　not　even　spare　her　a　glance。

By　that　time　he　wore　the　alloy　half　cowl　as　a　result　of　his　terrible　wounds；　suffered　when　Zor　was　slain。　But　to　her　he　was　only　that　much　more　imperial　looking。　In　those　days　the　Protoculture　supply　was　dwindling；　the　galaxywide　war　running　down　like　clockwork　as　both　sides'　resources　and　infra　structures　declined。　The　central　mission　of　the　Robotech　Masters；　and　thus　the　Zentraedi；　was　to　find　Zor's　vanished　super　dimensional　fortress　and　the　last　existing　Protoculture　matrix。

At　long　last　came　the　end　of　an　epoch；　when　the　terrible　beauty　of　Minmei's　voice；　along　with　human　emotions；　worked　Armageddon　upon　the　Zentraedi。　The　glories　of　their　history　turned　out　to　be　a　tissue　of　lies　concocted　by　the　Robotech　Masters。　Kazianna　and　the　rest　were　a　pitiful　handful　of　survivors。

But　for　her；　something　in　the　human　emotions　had　stirred　dormant　feelings。　For　Kazianna；　the　example　of　Miriya　Parino　and　her　love　for　Max　Sterling　pointed　the　way　to　an　even　amore　audacious　thought。　If　Zentraedi　could　love　human；　why　could　not　Zentraedi　love　Zentraedi？

In　the　humble　home　on　Fantoma　where　Breetai　had　dwelt　at　a　simple　miner　an　epoch　ago；　she　went　to　him。　And　this　time　she　did　not　permit　him　to　ignore　her。

When　death　took　him　from　her　in　bat；　she　was　nearby　and　saw　him　sacrifice　his　life　to　slay　the　Regent；　end　the　war。　There　were　fools　who　looked　at　the　relative　size　of　the　batants…Breetai　nearly　three　times　the　Regent's　height…and　marveled　that　Breetai　had　not　won　outright。　They　understood　nothing　of　the　astounding　power　the　Invid　monarch　had　by　then；　the　strength　beyond　mere　size…or　of　the　debilitating　effects　of　Minmei's　voice；　transmitting　her　torment；　forced　on　Breetai　by　the　malevolent　Edwards。

Kazianna　dismissed　all　fools。　What　Breetai　had　done　with　his　dying　breath；　no　one　else　who　ever　lived　could　have　done。　He　died　in　victorious　bat；　the　highest　Zentraedi　fulfillment。

Watching　him　perish　in　an　explosion　like　the　birth　of　a　star；　she　had　wept　for　the　single　time　in　her　life。


〃Is　anything　wrong；　mander？〃

Kazianna's　executive　officer's　voice　shook　her　out　of　the　reverie；　and　she　realized　that　barely　an　instant　had　gone　by。　The　falling　kite…shaped　leaf　whirled　down　past　her　facebowl。

〃Negative。　Resume　sweep。〃

But　something　on　the　planet　must　have　been　probing　her　thoughts；　scrutinizing　her　memories。　If　it　was　malign；　she　meant　to　destroy　it；　but　for　the　moment　she　almost　felt　grateful　to　have　had　Breetai　back　again　even　for　a　few　seconds。

Then　the　reverie　was　wiped　away　by　a　burst　of　static。　〃All　units；　all　units！　Hold　position！　It's　back！〃


〃I　specifically　told　the　bridge　officer　not　to　inform　you　unless　you　inquired　about　the　children；〃　Segundo　said。　〃I　am　aware　that　you're　dealing　with　other　crises。〃

〃Understood；　Doctor；〃　Lisa　acknowledged　curtly。　Even　over　the　inter　screen　he　could　see　the　strain　on　her　face。　〃What　is　your　assessment？〃

The　pediatrician　stepped　aside　and　let　the　pickups　focus　in　on　Roy；　Drannin；　and　the　other　children。　Once　again　they　sat　in　their　uneven　circle；　the　Zentraedi　children　towering　over　the　human。

But　there　was　no　doubt　about　their　chant　now。　‘　Au…ro…ra；　Au…ro…ra；　Au…ro…ra　。　。　。　'

Aurora　the　psi…child；　the　accelerated…growth　sprite；　the　one　who　reached　across　interstellar　distances。　Lisa　had　always　been　sure　she　would　be　able　to　keep　jittery　mommy　stuff　separate　from　ship's　officer　worries；　but　now　she　was　less　certain。

〃I　don't　think　this　is　a　mental　dysfunction　or　a　behavioral　aberration　in　the　traditional　sense；〃　Segundo　was　saying。　〃I　believe　that　they　are　rational　but　that　they　are　responding　in　a　way　that　we　don't　understand　to　a　difficulty　or　necessity　that　we　can't　perceive。〃

On　the　bridge；　Lisa　heard　people　conferring　behind　her；　the　search　operation…something　was　up。　〃Inform　me　of　any　changes；　Doctor。〃

She　turned　to　Raul　Forsythe。　〃They've　found　Gnea　and　Dante；〃　he　said。


Somewhere　far　away；　Minmei　was　singing；　his　head　on　her　lap；　her　hand　stroking　his　brow。　Rem　knew　it；　as　he　knew　that　her　warm　tears　were　splashing　on　his　cheek；　but　that　was　in　some　other　universe　。　。　。

On　Haydon　IV；　Zor　saw　no　contradiction　to　what　he　had　already　learned；　though　Vard　had　not　yet　reached　the　same　level　of　enlight