16_world_killers-第7章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃Attention；　Valivarre！〃　came　the　Human　voice。　A　face　appeared　on　a　screen　above　Breetai；　a　middle…age　Human　male's。　The　man　was　round…faced　and　florid；　wearing　a　braided　officer's　cap。

〃This　is　modore　Renquist　of　the　REF　cruiser　Toku…gawa。　On　behalf　of　the　Plenipotentiary　Council；　I　order　you　to　heave　to　and　surrender　yourself；　your　ship　and　crew；　and　the　monopole　ore。〃

The　two　cruisers　were　both　of　the　latest　type；　designed　and　built　by　Lang's　people。　Breetai　was　a　bit　surprised；　he　would　have　thought　Edwards　was　too　unsure　of　his　own　position　on　Tirol　to　send　so　many　of　his　faithful　off　on　the　mission　to　bring　back　the　Valivarre。

As　for　Renquist；　Breetai　recognized　the　man's　name。　A　lickspittle　who　had　bee　one　of　Edwards's　servants　and　been　promoted　over　far　more　capable　officers。　Breetai　had　half　expected　Adams　or　Benson　or　one　of　the　others　from　Edwards's　inner　circle　to　be　in　charge　of　any　force　sent　against　him；　but　Edwards　must　have　realized　that　those　traitorous　vermin　were　nothing　to　send　against　the　Valivarre　and　its　hundred…strong　Zentraedi　warriors。

〃You　are　guilty　of　piracy　and　mutiny　as　well　as　treason；〃　Renquist　was　saying；　voice　shaking　a　little。　〃I　will　remind　you　of　your　oath；　and　give　you　one　and　only　one　chance　to　surrender。〃

〃My　oath　and　loyalty　were　given　to　the　duly　constituted　Earth　government；　and　to　Admiral　Hunter；〃　Breetai　boomed。　〃Not　to　your　stinking　General　Edwards；　or　to　you　either；　coward！〃

Renquist's　face　took　on　the　pallor　and　distortions　of　molten　candlewax。　Sweat　started　from　his　brow。　〃You　misbegotten　freak！　I'll　have　you　blown　to　atoms！〃

Too　bad　the　Valivarre　hadn't　gotten　more　of　a　head　start；　Breetai　reflected。　His　chances　of　ducking　the　cruisers　would　have　been　good；　and　he　thought　it　unlikely　that　Edwards　would　let　half　of　his　main　line　of　defense　roam　far　from　Tirol；　or　be　gone　for　too　long。

Of　course；　Breetai　could　try　to　evade　them；　but　the　faster　SDF　escort　ships　would　dog　his　track　easily。　Furthermore；　fighting　a　deepspace　battle　at　superluminal　speeds　was　tricky；　and　the　advantage　would　lie　with　Renquist　and　his　cruisers　and　Lang's　new　generation　of　weapons。　It　would　be　better　to　settle　things　here。

Breetai　crossed　his　arms　on　his　enormous　chest。　〃I　hardly　think　that's　likely；　since　you　would　destroy　all　the　monopole　ore　left　in　this　region。　And　none　of　you　will　ever　get　home　to　Earth；　will　you？　Nevertheless；　if　battle　is　what　you　seek；　the　Zentraedi　will　gladly　acmodate　you。　Breetai　has　never　run　from　a　fight。　e；　then！〃

Renquist's　throat　worked　as　he　swallowed　laboriously；　the　bluff　had　failed；　and　both　manders　knew　it。　In　destroying　the　ore；　Renquist　would　be　sealing　his　own　fate。　He　tried　to　show　determination；　but　it　only　came　out　as　a　weak　bluster。　〃By　god；　we　beat　you　devils　once；　and　we'll　beat　you　again！　If　you　don't　surrender　instantly；　I'll　give　the　order　to　launch！〃

Breetai　nodded　gravely。　〃Let　us　not　keep　our　pilots　waiting；　modore。〃

What　Renquist　had　said　was　undeniable：　the　Humans　had　defeated　the　giant　warriors　years　before。　But　this　time　Minmei　wasn't　there　with　her　songs　to　turn　Zentraedi　against　Zentraedi；　and　this　time　there　was　no　SDF…1　with　its　final　Barrier　Shield　explosion。

Breetai　thought　of　an　expression　he　had　heard　Max　Sterling　use：　We've　got　'em　over　a　barrel；　and　soon　we'll　have　'em　in　the　barrel！　Only；　who　would　be　thus　vanquished　this　time？

〃He's　launching　mecha；　my　lord；〃　a　bridge　tech　said。

But　not　many　of　them…certainly　not　as　many　as　the　cruisers　carried。　Perhaps　it　was　a　probe；　or　it　might　be　that　Edwards　hadn't　really　spared　as　many　of　his　Ghost　Riders　as　it　seemed　at　first。　And　maybe　there　was　another　element　in　this　situation。

〃Order　forth　our　Battlepods；〃　Breetai　said　in　his　super…basso　voice。　〃And　order　the　gunners　to　fire　at　will　at　the　mecha；　but　not　at　the　cruisers；　is　that　clear？〃

Alphas；　Betas；　and　Logans　rode　trails　of　blue　thruster　fire　across　the　eternal　night；　bearing　down　on　the　Valivarre。　The　huge　Battlepods　of　the　Zentraedi　came　out　to　meet　them。

The　giants'　mecha　were　like　gargantuan　headless　ostriches…torsos　suggesting　alloy　light　bulbs　mounted　on　two　long　reverse…articulated　legs。　The　chest　plastrons　were　bristled　with　cannon　and　missile　racks。　Officers'　pods　had；　in　addition；　extra　two…barrel　gun　mounts　that　they　brandished　as　if　they　were　huge　derringers。

The　Human　fliers　were　Ghost　Riders；　loyal　only　to　Edwards；　more　than　willing　to　slay　the　giants　who　had　been　Humanity's　staunch　allies　not　so　long　ago。　They　had　been　briefed　on　the　pods'　vulnerable　spots　and　performance　profiles；　they　swept　in　confidently。

One　of　the　tactics　that　had　given　the　Humans　the　upper　hand　in　the　Robotech　War　was　developed　when　Miriya　Sterling　revealed　a　weakness　in　the　pods'　design。　Concentrated　fire　on　a　spot　just　aft　the　junction　of　the　legs　would　disable　the　pods　and　leave　them　drifting　and　helpless。

The　first　surprise　the　Ghosts　got　was　in　discovering　that　the　pods　had　been　retrofitted　to　overe　the　Achilles'　heel；　and　the　second　was　that　the　pods'　own　weapons　and　accuracy　were　deadlier　than　ever。　Furthermore；　Breetai's　pilots　had　plenty　of　experience　in　fighting　VTs；　while　the　young　Ghost　fliers　had　been　trained　after　the　end　of　the　Robotech　War。　And　these　Zentraedi　were　among　the　very　best。

The　end　result　was　that　the　first　few　moments　of　bat　saw　Ghosts　exploding　in　fireballs　and　erupting　in　white…hot　wreckage；　as　the　outnumbered　Battlepods　took　an　immediate　upper　hand。　Once　again；　missiles　lit　the　blackness；　and　beams　of　raging　energy　bickered　back　and　forth。

Breetai　watched　a　Logan　e　apart　at　the　seams　like　a　bursting　melon；　light　and　explosive　force　gushing　from　it。　〃We　vowed　to　be　your　allies；〃　he　muttered；　〃but　never　your　slaves　or　your　victims。〃

On　the　bridge　of　the　Tokugawa；　Renquist　watched；　mortified；　as　the　Zentraedi　drove　off　his　first　attack　wave　with　heavy　casualties；　though　the　giants　had　taken　a　few　hits　themselves。　Operations　and　intel　officers　and　their　puters　had　a　dozen　poor　excuses　and　supposed　analyses；　but　he　brushed　them　aside。　The　Ghosts　were　simply　being　outflown。

A　face　appeared　on　one　of　the　side　screens；　a　young　flying　officer。　〃modore；　with　all　due　respect；　I　must　protest！　We　were　given　definite　orders　by　the　council　to　negotiate　with　Breetai　before　any　direct　action　was　taken！〃

Renquist　narrowed　his　eyes；　his　jowls　quivering。　〃Negotiate；　hell！　How　dare　you？　One　more　word　from　you　and　I'll　have　you　executed　for　mutiny！〃　At　an　angry　gesture　from　the　modore；　the　connection　was　broken。

But　it　reminded　Renquist　of　another　unfortunate　aspect　of　his　mission。　As　Breetai　had　guessed；　Edwards　was　too　wary　to　strip　REF　Base　Tirol　and　SDF…3　of　the　bulk　of　his　Ghosts　and　leave　himself　at　risk。　Therefore；　nearly　half　the　flying　group　assigned　to　Renquist　was　posed　of　elements　drawn　from　the　various　other　units　remaining　after　the　Skulls　had　been　tapped　for　duty　with　the　Sentinels。　And　the　Jokers；　Diamondbacks；　and　the　rest　were　less　eager　to　follow　this　departure　from　council　instructions。

But　Renquist　felt　he　had　now　seen　the　enemy's　total　strength。　After　all；　there　were　only　slightly　more　than　one　hundred　Zentraedi　altogether！　All　he　had　to　do　was　to　make　sure　the　Human　numerical　advantage　was　absolute。

The　Zentraedi　had　won　in　a　limited　matching；　but　even　after　the　initial　defeat；　Renquist　could　double　the　odds　without　resorting　to　any　but　the　Ghost　Riders　and　surely　overwhelm　the　giants。

He　turned　to　a　bridge　officer。　〃Launch　the　rest　of　the　Ghosts　immediately　and　reform　the　survivors　of　the　first　attack　wave。　This　time　we're　going　to　crush　those　alien　scum！〃

Breetai　had　expected　no　less。　The　Alphas　and　Betas　and　Logans　thronged　at　the　Battlepods；　driving　them　back　or　blowing　them　to　smithereens；　some　of　them　breaking　through　and　ing　for　the　Valivarre。

The　ore　vessel's　gun　batteries　and　missile　racks　opened　up；　but　she　was　a　mining　craft；　not　a　warship；　soon；　shots　threatened　to　penetrate　her　shields。　Breetai　noticed　that　the　Ghosts　were　being　very　deliberate；　shooting　for　the　engines　and　control　sections；　seeking　to　disable　rather　than　destroy。

The　pods　could　no　longer　protect　the　ore　ship。　Breetai　saw　a　badly　damaged　officer's　mecha；　beset　by　two　Logans　in　Guardian　mode；　try　to　ram　one　of　them。　But　the　Logan　avoided　the　kamikaze　run　and　the　two　Humans　got　the　pod　in　a　crossfire；　turning　it　into　a　fireball。

Then　they　turned　and；　with　others；　formed　up　to　add　their　firepower　to　the　final　assault　on　Valivarre。　Breetai　watched　them　dive　in　at　him；　his　face　like　a　graven　idol's。


CHAPTER　FIVE

She　was　too　brilliant　not　to　see　the　ramifications　of　her　act。　In　taking　half　her　race　off　on　the　pursuit　of　the　Ultimate　Invid　Form　and　the　New　Optera；　she　would　be　forcing　her　husband　to　fend　for　himself　in　many　ways…to　confront　certain　things；　to　learn　certain　things。　Things　that…it　isn't　inconceivable…could　force　deevolution　to　turn　end　for　end。
One　possible　motive　for　this　is　that　there　was　some　love　for　him　in　her　still。
Gitta　Hopkins；　Queen　Bee：　A　Biography　of　the　Invid　Regis

A　low；　angry；　chainsaw　growl　from　the　Hellcat　made　Cabell　glance　warily　toward　the　thing；　but　Veidt　seemed　not　to　register　its　presence。　The　Regent　reach