〃How can they do that？〃 〃Most disgusting thing I ever…〃
And yet there was something about it that kept them from looking away； an appalled captivation。 It should be added that among the female units like the Quadronos； there was more absorption and less repulsion than among the males。
But all through the orbiting fleet； moans and growls and other reactions to the kiss turned into shrieks of dismay and pain as the alliance's volley cut through the enemy ships； holing them； blowing them to nothingness。
Rick watched the kiss on a display screen and thought； not unkindly； Farewell Minmei。
Then； 〃Let's get 'em！〃 he snarled over the tac net。
Someone must have managed to cut off the Minmei transmission from at least some of the Grand Fleet's mecha。 There were plenty of effective ships； more than plenty。
The Skull Team's armored VTs bore in at the enemy； releasing barrages of missiles； fighting their way through Grand Fleet pod and tri…thruster defensive screens。 Quadrono powered armor came at the VTs； too； less effective now that Miriya no longer led them。 Miriya avoided engaging those。
VTs shifted configuration according to the needs of the moment； Battloid and Guardian and Veritech modes were intermingled。 Pods and tri…thrusters mixed it up with them and opened fire。 Space was one big killing ground。
The armored VTs were faster and more maneuverable than anything else in the battle as well as being more heavily armed。 They pierced the enemy formations； ripping a hole for the rest of the attack force to exploit。
Skull Team seemed to be everywhere； unhittable and unavoidable。 Many； many Zentraedi saw their Jolly Roger insignia…the skull and crossbones…and died instants later。 The heavy autocannon buzz…sawed； the missiles streamed； leaving boiling trails。 But for every enemy downed； three more dove in to try to seal the gap。
It's love's battle we must win。
We will win。
We can win！
The range was close now。 Around the bowl in which Minmei performed； the ship's mecha opened up。 The Destroid cannon in particular put out staggering volumes of fire。 Every battery the ship mounted…except for the monster main gun； whose energy demands might have damaged the SDF…1…was working overtime。
The Grand Fleet's losses in the first moments of the battle were awful； but its numbers still gave it a vast edge； and some of the enemy ships were returning fire。 The SDF…1 and the armada dreadnoughts forged on； blazing away in all directions。 Enemy mecha were starting to get through to the alliance capital vessels now； despite the best efforts of the VTs and the armada's pods； tri…thrusters； and powered armor。
But slowly； seemingly by inches； the allied force drew closer to Dolza's headquarters。
Max and Miriya were like avenging angels； beyond any mortal power to resist or stop。 Faced with the redtrimmed armored VT or the blue； all any enemy pilot could do was resign himself to death。
Rick had part of his mo and guidance equipment tuned for signals of life on Earth； especially from Alaska Base。 If there was any sign of life。。。
A light cruiser was trying to break past the VTs for a go at the SDF…1。 He went in at it； letting go a torrent of mixed ordnance； aiming for the vital spots the defectors had told the RDF about。
The cruiser fired back； and Rick decided this was one head…on he wasn't going to survive。 But all at once the cruiser expanded； armor flying off it like rind off a bursting melon； and then the vessel and its crew were scattered atoms and little more。
So violent was the explosion that Rick was distracted； avoiding being damaged by it。 When he looked around again； he saw that a trio of Battlepods had loosed multiple spreads of missiles at him； and there was absolutely no hope of dodging them all。
He eluded some； jammed some of the others' guidance systems； shot a few right out of existence…and the special VT's armor protected him from several hits。
But that left still more to go for his vitals。 In Battloid mode； he crouched； trying to shield himself。 He nevertheless took several； right in the breadbasket。 VT armor was good but not that good。
The damaged Battloid； leaving a wake of flame behind it； spun and tumbled for Earth； flopping lifelessly。
CHAPTER NINETEEN
When you're in the upper…right…hand corner； pushing that envelope； and the 〃CANCEL〃 stamp es your way； you do a lot of thinking。
The Collected Journals of Admiral Rick Hunter
The crescent moon filing low on the horizon； the landscape of Earth made the two bodies like twins now。
pared to the barrage that had laid waste to the Earth； the stray beams and rounds from the colossal battle above were barely distant sniper shots。 But they were enough to rattle an Alaska Base that was already mortally wounded。
The shattered mouth of what had once been the Grand Cannon was already ringed with bizarre energy phenomena。 Crackling discharges； wandering spheres of ball lightning； and fireflylike radiation nexuses had sprung from the tremendous forces loosed by the Grand Cannon and their interaction with both local fields and the fury of the enemy's rain of death。
〃Earth Defense Sector four…alpha； e in please；〃 Lisa called into her headset mike as the room tossed。 〃This is Alaska Base！〃
The base heaved again； shaking down dust and debris from the ceiling。 The tremors were caused by stray shots from the battle and by the rebellion of the very planet against the obscene things that had been done to it。 But they came as well from the interior of the base itself。 The installation was dying； but from what Lisa could read from her instruments； it would not be a slow； quiet death。
She had found no one else alive in the base。 She had been ordered to see about a glitch in a shielded mo relay substation； had been there just as the cosmic fireworks went off。 Being the last survivor in an underground charnel house might be somebody else's idea of a stroke of fortune； but it wasn't Lisa's。
She fought to keep her voice and her nerve from breaking as she tried another call。 She kept herself narrowly fixed on the job at hand to shut out the ghastly things she had seen and smelled and been forced to e in contact with in making her way back to her post。
The place was nearly dark； lit only by dim red emergency lights。 The weak flow from the fallback power system was barely enough to keep her console functioning。 There was plenty of power in the base； power gathering itself for a split…second rampage； but she couldn't tap any of it。
〃It's no use。 They're all gone；〃 she said numbly。 She wondered how long she would last； the only living thing in the city of the dead； perhaps the only human being alive。
Not long； she hoped。
Abruptly； multicolored lines of static zagged across her screen； and her father's face appeared； broken by interference； only to reappear。
〃Is that you； Lisa？ I'm reading you； but the transmission is very weak。〃
She let out a long breath。 〃Thank God you're alive！〃
She could see that he was still in the mand station。 A few figures moved in the gloom behind him； lit by occasional flashes of static or electrical shorts。 So others had been spared by the concussion； the explosions and air contamination； the fires and smoke and radiation。
〃The Grand Cannon was severely damaged；〃 he admitted。 〃I don't think it will fire again； but we have to try。〃
〃Oh； Father。〃
He smiled weakly。 〃It seems you were right all the time。 The Zentraedi forces are much too powerful for our weapons to handle。 I should have listened to you。〃
Another shock wave shook the base。 Admiral Hayes said； 〃Lisa； you have to get out of here now！〃
Get out？ What was he talking about？ The surface was a radioactive execution chamber carpeted with molten glass for miles all around。 She was about to tell him so； to make her way to him； to die with him because it was a better place than the one she was in now； and she knew she would die this day。
Before she could speak； there was some sort of eruption from the Grand Cannon base equipment behind him； and the screen broke up into rainbow distortion； then went dark。
〃No！〃 She threw herself at the console； then sank to the floor； wracked by sobs； as the wailing of the base's power plant built and built for a final； terrible outpouring。
〃Father。。。Father。。。〃
As the battle draws on； we feel stronger；
How much longer must we go now？
Rick recognized the voice at once； even in the daze he was in from the missiles' pounding。 He blinked and saw the Earth whirling before him。 His flying sense told him his ship was spinning and sprawling toward the ground； its thrusters only marginally effective in slowing it。 He was inside a big； loose…limbed fireball meteor。
Where am I？ What happened？ Then it came back to him in a rush。 As he gained a little control over himself； his VT； taking its impulses from the receptors in his helmet； did the same。
Gotta go to F mode！ The bucking and spinning of the dive made it difficult reaching for the one close control。 He knew that if the ship hadn't made minimal attempts to control the crash； he would likely never have woken up。
It was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life； but he got his hand to the F lever and yanked it。 Damage co