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〃Invid？〃 Lisa said； cocking her head to one side。 〃Some self…mutated form？〃
Rick met his adjutant at the hatch。 〃Maybe someone's shown up to lead us home；〃 he suggested； and was gone。
Belowdecks in one of the fortress's mecha bays； Captain Jack Baker gave a downward tug to his flight jacket as he paced back and forth in front of his small audience of veteran pilots and mechamorph aces。
And not one of them had soared where he had now。 〃You may think the background stuff's unimportant； Captain Phillips；〃 Jack was continuing after a bothersome interruption； 〃but what I'm trying to do is give you a sense of the experience。〃
Sean Phillips threw an imploring look to the high ceiling。 〃No offense； Baker； but I think we've all heard about what happened when you piloted the VT down to Haydon IV。 I just don't see the relevance。〃
Jack's innocent face reddened。 With so many heavy hitters to choose from； he still could not figure out why the admiral had singled him out for the void recon。 He hoped； of course； that Hunter's finger had simply gone right to the top of the list； but then； he supposed that list could have been alphabetical。 Jack nevertheless was determined to make the most of the distinction while it lasted。
〃I'm talking about the unknown； Captain；〃 he told Sean。 〃The importance of state of mind。〃
〃Like going against the Robotech Masters was a given？〃 Sean asked。
Jack grew flustered。 〃I'm not saying that。 I'm just saying that what Haydon IV threw at us was totally unlike anything we'd faced。〃
〃Did we ever tell you about the spade fortress that put down just outside of Monument City？〃 Sergeant Angelo Dante asked in a conversational tone； the only one of the group who had refused to accept a mission。 He swung around to face everyone； elbows flared； large hands on wide spread knees。 〃The Fifteenth ATAC was ordered to recon the ship； see。 So we tank out there and…〃
〃Now who's being irrelevant？〃 Jack cut in。 〃I mean； why don't we just invite some of the Karbarrans in here to entertain us with their war stories？ Or how 'bout getting Gnea in here to talk about hand…to…hand。〃
〃Yeah； I'll bet you'd…enjoy that； Jack；〃 Marie Crystal laughed； affectionately nudging Karen Penn with an elbow。 Black Lion leader during the Second Robotech War； she was just another officer here。 Sean； who had been her fiance three times over the past year； was being his usual arrogant self； and while she rarely approved of his teasing sarcasm； Baker was so easy to put off balance。 〃What d' you think； Karen？ Shall we call the Praxians in？〃 she contributed。
Karen smiled and regarded Jack from her seat。 Lithesome and honey…blond； she appeared to be every bit Marie's opposite； but in fact the two had grown to be close friends。 〃That's up to Captain Baker；〃 she said。 〃It's his show。〃
〃Jeez；〃 Jack muttered； brushing back a recently styled silver…tinted pompadour； 〃et too？〃 He spread his hands in a conciliatory gesture。 〃All right； for cryin' out loud； I'll get on with it。〃
The pilots applauded wildly as Jack called up memories of his brief EVA。
〃It's like flying through a cloud；〃 he began on a serious note。 〃Only there's no vapor around you； no droplets streaking your canopy。 Other times it's like moving toward a cloud you can't seem to reach。 I had a hard time looking forward； because everything started to go solid on me。 But watching your displays doesn't help； because there's absolutely nothing happening on…screen。 I kept feeling like I was close to punching through it； but it just went on and on。 And it never changed； no matter which heading I took。 The SDF…3 is your whole world； the only game in town。〃
He blew out his breath and shook his head。 〃I don't know what more to tell you； really。 The VT performed well； no glitches in any of the systems。 I thought it through a couple of reconfigurations； and there were no problems。 Weapons systems seemed to be fully operational； but I was under orders not to enable。 Dr。 Lang's thinking is that missile propulsion isn't affected。〃
〃When do we get a crack at it？〃 Sean said； rising to his feet for added effect。
As soon as Admiral Hunter figures you're ready； Jack was about to tell him； when hooters drowned out the thought。 The ship was returning to full…alert status。 A female voice； boomed from the flight bay's overhead speakers：
〃We have uncorrelated targets closing on the fortress in all sectors。 Captains Baker； Phillips； Penn； and Crystal report with your teams to assigned launch bays immediately。 Substations November； Romeo； Tango； Zebra； prepare for。 。 。 〃
Jack let the rest of it pass right through him。 Phillips and his 15th cohorts were already up and hurrying toward their VTs； pale…faced but eager wingmen…bat virgins the lot of them…falling in behind。
Jack…stepped down from the missile pallet that had been his temporary stage； Karen was waiting for him； a grin forming。
〃Cheer up； flyboy；〃 she said； linking arms with him as he approached。 〃For what it's worth； you'll still go on file as being the first out。〃
Jack snorted sullenly。 〃Fame's a damned fleeting thing these days。〃
CHAPTER EIGHT
The elderly spokesperson for what remained of the planetside contingent of the Army of the Southern Cross introduced herself tome as 'Regina Newhope。' The woman's associate…as facially scarred and ghoulish…locking a creature as I have ever encountered…went simply by the name ‘Farnham。' I recall thinking at the time that there was something strangely familiar about the pair of them； something I wanted to connect to the deceased Lazlo Zand。 Then； when I subsequently learned that Newhope's real name…her pre…Invid name…was Millicent Edgewick； I realized that the Zand connection was a sound one。 And even now I'm certain that ‘Farnham' was none other than the First Robotech War's most wanted political criminal； Senator Alfonse Napoleon Russo。
Dr。 Harold Penn； quoted in Justine Huxley's I've Been to a Marvellous Party
The REF pilots who had escorted Scott Bernard to New York were ordered to return the colonel and his alien charge directly to Norristown rather than to the launch pad in Venezuela。 The Southlands city…where tech crews ferried down from the orbiting Ark Angel had been working overtime to clear a landing zone for the soon…to…be…arriving dignitaries…had been selected as the temporary site of the reunited Earth governments。
No sooner had the VT set down than Marlene was whisked away to the REF's planetside HQ by three sinister…looking men from G2 dressed in dark suits and opaque glasses。 Scott； too； was hurried off to yet another debriefing； but this time at the hands of the intel directorate chief himself； former Plenipotentiary Councilman Niles Obstat； the balding and stoop…shouldered old…guard ally of Emil Lang。 Unlike the neurometric specialists whose job it had been to evaluate Scott's psychological state； Obstat was interested in learning all he could about the political climate of the Southlands。 Which towns had impressed Scott most？ Who seemed to be in charge？ Who controlled the wealth； the distribution of goods； the private armies and fringe groups？ Who had been partisans； and who had been sympathizers？ And who headed up the quasi…religious