18_the_end_of_the_circle-第65章

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's　Dana！〃　he　yelled　to　those　ahead　of　him；　and　turned　back；　drawing　his　Badger。

Max；　farther　toward　the　front　of　the　column；　caught　the　news　as　it　was　passed　along。　People　were　yelling　conflicting　questions；　answers；　and　orders。

Max　moaned　aloud。　〃Dana！〃　He　pressed　Aurora　into　Miriya's　arms。　〃Hang　on　to　her！〃　Rick　and　Lisa　had　e　hurrying　back　down　the　column；　berating　people　to　set　up　security　and　guard　against　a　surprise　attack　from　another　quarter。　Lisa　was　calling　in　air　cover；　Rick　was　trying　to　find　out　what　was　going　on　at　the　rear。

People　formed　up　to　defend　the　children；　Kazianna　towering　among　them　and　unlimbering　her　oversized　weapons。　Max　shoved　his　wife　and　daughter　toward　them。　〃Vince！　Don't　let　anything　happen　to　them！〃

Then　he　was　off　to　the　rear；　leaving　Louie　and　his　cyberteam　where　they　had　set　up　rifle　positions；　dodging　Scott　Bernard；　who　had　Marlene　clasped　to　him　protectively。

Max　broke　through　the　final　screen　of　foliage　to　see　something　immense　and　black　standing　with　its　back　to　him；　the　sun　of　Omphalos　doing　little　to　relieve　its　intense　darkness。

Those　who　had　already　gotten　to　the　scene　Harry　Penn；　Bowie；　Lron；　and　a　few　others　wavered；　holding　their　fire；　not　sure　what　was　going　on。　The　black　mecha　had　bent　to　pick　something　up。　It　turned　toward　them；　straightening　to　its　full　height；　with　Dana　in　its　armored　fist。

Lron　raised　the　squad　laser　weapon　that　he　carried　like　a　rifle　and　would　have　fired　into　the　black　mecha's　leg　in　hopes　of　bringing　it　down；　Max　knocked　the　laser's　thick　barrel　down。　〃Hold　your　fire；　all　of　you！〃

The　thing　clutching　Dana　raised　its　free　hand；　pointing　at　Max。　She　was　struggling　determinedly　but　weakly　to　break　out　of　its　grip；　the　effort　was　hopeless；　and　she　did　not　seem　to　have　the　breath　to　yell　to　those　below。　Huge；　humped；　and　misshapen　as　a　giant　troll；　the　black　mecha　leaned　toward　Max　as　if　about　to　speak。

But　before　it　could；　thrusters　shook　the　ground　and　one　of　the　escort　Veritechs　arrived；　a　Beta　in　Guardian　mode。　It　landed　like　an　eagle　ready　to　do　battle；　its　balled　armor　fists　cocked。

Its　pilot　couldn't　open　up；　though；　since　Dana　was　in　the　line　of　fire。　The　pilot　began　to　shift　his　VT　through　mechamorphosis；　going　to　Battloid；　but　before　he　could；　the　black　mecha　leapt　at　him　and　with　one　swing　of　its　fearsome　fist　smashed　the　VT　down。

The　Guardian/Battloid　crashed　to　the　ground；　broken　and　smoking。　Even　as　people　raced　toward　it　to　rescue　the　pilot；　the　black　mecha　hit　its　foot　thrusters　and　shot　away　into　the　sky；　still　clasping　Dana。

In　the　middle　of　the　confusion　another　escort　VT；　an　Alpha；　appeared；　called　back　from　its　CAP　flight；　requesting　instructions。　As　boss　of　the　SDF…3's　fighter　mand；　Max　got　on　the　net。

〃Get　down　here　right　now。〃

〃But　mander　Sterling；　shouldn't　t？

〃I　said　land！〃

With　a　dozen　different　matters　vying　for　his　attention　guarding　against　further　attack；　counting　heads　to　see　if　anyone　else　had　been　taken；　checking　whether　the　Beta　pilot　was　still　alive；　raising　the　dimensional　fortress　for　reinforcements　and　to　arrange　a　safe　pullback　Rick　didn't　realize　what　Max　was　doing　until　it　was　too　late。

Max　was　gone；　the　second…generation　Alpha　shrieking　away　in　Fighter　mode；　going　supersonic　in　its　ballistic　climb；　its　sonic　booms　shaking　the　ground　of　Omphalos。　The　VT's　pilot　was　standing　there　bareheaded　Max　having　appropriated　his　thinking　cap　helmet　staring　after　his　departing　craft。

He　saw　Rick。　〃Sir；　he　didn't　even　stop　to　call　for　reinforcements。〃

〃I　know；　it's　being　done。〃

Of　course；　it　would　be　precious　minutes　before　more　VTs　could　get　there　from　the　low…orbiting　SDF…3。　The　fighter　jock　nodded。　〃No　way　was　he　gonna　wait；　sir。〃

Rick；　watching　the　spot　where　Max　had　disappeared　in　the　distance；　agreed。　〃No；　the　gauntlet's　been　thrown；　Lieutenant。〃


The　Alpha　was　one　of　the　best　in　the　SDF…3　inventory；　a　souped…up　new　armored　Alpha　version　of　a　second…generation　VT　that　was　why　Max　had　assigned　it　to　fly　security　for　the　ground　party　but　it　was　all　he　could　do　to　keep　the　Black　Knight　in　view。

〃Black　Knight〃　was　the　way　he　had　e　to　think　of　his　antagonist。　Supposedly；　that　made　him　the　White　Knight；　but　he　felt　a　poor　excuse　for　one。

And　a　despicable　failure　as　a　father。

He　had　worried　about　Miriya　from　the　first；　always　apprehensive　because　she　had　gone　through　the　sizing　chamber；　had　been　subjected　to　so　many　dangers；　had　nearly　died　in　battle　and　childbirth　alike…he　himself　had　nearly　killed　her！　And　for　Aurora；　otherworldly　entity　from　the　very　start；　with　her　mind　powers　and　unnatural　maturation　rate；　Max　had　had　constant　concern。

But　Dana；　Dana　。。。　what　malign　brilliance　for　the　being　that　ruled　newspace　to　test　him　this　way！　He　had　left　Dana　behind　on　Earth　against　his　own　better　judgment　when　the　SDF…3　set　forth。　No　one　but　Miriya…except　perhaps　Aurora…knew　how　bitterly　he'd　condemned　himself　when　he'd　heard　about　the　suffering　and　hardship　she　had　had　to　bear。

Never　knowing　a　true　home；　growing　up　in　war；　her　heart　wounded　terribly　by　Zor　Prime　and　her　very　essence　nearly　raped　by　the　madman　Zand…Max　could　barely　bring　himself　to　think　of　those　things；　for　when　he　did；　he　wished　he　had　never　been　born。

His　love　of　his　family　and　the　sense　of　calm　Miriya　and　Aurora　gave　him　were　the　things　that　had　made　Earth's　greatest　Robotech　fighter　gradually　put　aside　bat　over　the　years。　So　of　course；　what　better　way　to　draw　him　back　into　war　in　all　earnest　than　this？　And　again　it　was　Dana；　poor　Dana；　suffering　because　of　Max。

What　pitiless　genius！　The　Regis　would　have　her　fight。

Max　realized　he'd　been　rasping　an　endless　string　of　soft；　monotonic　obscenities　and　stopped。　He　monitored　the　fighter　ops　and　tac　nets　only　to　discover　that　none　of　the　other　VTs　could　get　a　fix　on　the　Black　Knight。　Nor　could　the　SDF…3；　even　though　the　bandit　was　making　a　paint　as　big　as　a　house　on　his　scopes。

He　was　not　surprised。

With　his　burners　wide　open；　he　gained　slowly　on　the　grotesque　mecha。　It　was　not　going　at　multimach…which　it　certainly　seemed　capable　of　doing…and　it　was　staying　at　low　altitude。　He　prayed　that　that　meant　Dana　was　still　unharmed。

The　Black　Knight　went　all　the　way　down　to　the　deck；　and　Max　lost　it　in　terrain　obstructions　and　ground　scatter。　He　brought　up　a　detailed　topo　display　from　the　SDF…3's　orbital　mapping　memory　but　couldn't　guess　what　the　kidnapper's　next　move　would　be。

He　was　so　intent　on　it　that　he　almost　died；　the　night…dark　mecha　came　howling　out　of　a　mountain　rift；　firing　a　spread　of　missiles　at　him　from　the　bulbous　pods　under　its　strangely　articulated　arms。

Max　reacted　instantly；　plying　the　Hotas　but；　more　important；　imaging　through　his　thinking　cap。　The　uncanny　instincts　and　nearly　instantaneous　reflexes　that　had　made　him　a　living　legend　were　as　sharp；　as　apt；　as　ever。　The　Alpha　rolled　vertical；　two　missiles　boiling　by　just　beneath　his　overturned　canopy；　then　rolled　again　into　a　power　dive；　narrowly　avoiding　another　spike…snouted　killer。

Max　banked；　nearly　tearing　the　VT's　wings　off；　as　the　enemy　came　charging　straight　for　him。　The　fist　that　had　held　Dana　was　enclosed　now；　a　smooth　armored　globe；　there　was　no　way　to　tell　whether　she　was　alive　or　dead　in　there。

The　Veritech　dodged　the　Black　Knight；　then　Max　went　ballistic　and　poured　on　full　emergency　military　power　as　his　antagonist　launched　another　spread　at　him。　He　twisted　and　jinked；　cutting　in　his　jamming　and　countermeasures　gear　as　missiles　seared　by　and　left　their　fiery　corkscrews　all　around　him。

Swathed　in　their　trails；　he　mechamorphosed　on　the　fly；　went　to　Battloid；　turning　and　ing　to　bay　with　his　rifle/cannon　in　his　mecha's　alloy　fist　as　the　enemy　came　howling　up　after　him。

Max　was　about　to　open　up　with　the　heavy　pulsed　laser　buttery　but　stopped　himself　at　the　sight　of　the　globed　fist。　The　famed　top　ace　reflexes　failed　him；　and　he　froze；　unable　to　use　his　weapons。

The　Black　Knight　opened　up　with　a　mecha　hand　weapon　of　its　own；　an　affair　shaped　like　a　dory；　from　which　purple　lightning　broke。　Max　feinted；　jetted　the　other　way；　and　nearly　eluded　the　shot。　But　a　snapping　tongue　of　discharge　caught　the　Battloid's　left　leg；　blasting　a　rent　in　the　armor