15_death_dance-第29部分

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　her　just　as　she　was　scampering　up　into　the　Alpha's　cockpit。　She　had　seemed　preoccupied　during　the　meeting　with　Wolff；　and　absent　even　now　when　he　asked　her　if　everything　was　all　right。

〃Yeah；　fine；〃　she　said；　offering　him　a　weak　smile　beneath　her　transpirator。

〃You　don't　look　fine；〃　he　told　her；　touching　her　hair。　〃Maybe　you　should　sit　this　one　out。〃　She　laughed　at　the　suggestion；　more　out　of　surprise；　he　suspected；　than　anything　else。　A　former　Quadrono　sit　out　a　fight？

〃Max；　I'm　just　a　little　tired。〃　She　donned　the　thinking　cap；　climbed　the　notch　ladder；　and　settled　herself　in　the　cockpit　seat。　〃Now　wipe　that　concerned　look　off　your　face；〃　she　told　him　before　lowering　the　canopy。

He　forced　a　smile　her　way；　readjusted　his　mask；　and　ran　to　his　own　mecha。　In　five　minutes　both　squadron　teams　were　up；　tearing　through　Garuda's　crimson　predawn　skies。

The　farms　they　had　chosen　to　hit　were　some　fifty　miles　southwest　of　the　crater　farm；　surrounded　by　extensive　forests　of　Optera　trees；　which　from　Max's　point　of　view　resembled　outsized　melon　patches；　the　hive　itself　was　a　freeze…frame　shot　of　a　hydrogen　bomb's　first…stage　canopy。

He　took　hold　of　the　stick　and　ordered　the　Skull　to　follow　him　in；　loosing　a　dozen　napalm　torpedoes　from　the　Alpha's　undercarriage　pylons　at　treetop…level。　Angry　plumes　of　liquid　fire　fountained　above　the　ground　fog　behind　him　as　the　VT　went　ballistic；　Max　turned　to　look　over　his　shoulder　as　the　rest　of　the　squadron　dove　in　for　their　runs；　each　explosion　spreading　dollops　of　burning　stuff　from　tree　to　tree。　Skull　One　rolled　over　and　went　in　again；　incinerating　a　patch　of　forest　west　of　the　hive　now；　while　Miriya's　team　gave　the　east　quadrant　hell。　Then　all　at　once　there　were　Invid　Shock　Troopers　in　the　air；　rising　out　of　the　leaping　flames　and　black　smoke　like　a　swarm　of　angry　hornets。

〃We've　got　pany；　Skull　Leader；〃　one　of　Max's　wingmen　reported。　〃Multiple　signals　at　eight　o'clock。〃

Max　turned　his　attention　from　the　ascending　mecha　and　twisted　around　to　his　right：　twenty　or　more　Pincer　Ships　were　approaching　from　the　direction　of　the　crater　farm。

〃ing　around　to　zero　one　zero；〃　Max　said　into　the　tac　net。　〃Help　me　engage；　Blue　Danube。〃

〃On　my　way；　Skull　One。　Rolling　out。。。〃

Max　went　for　missile　lock　on　the　lead　Pincer　and　thumbed　off　two　heat…seekers；　they　found　the　ship　as　it　climbed；　quartering　it　and　a　second　Pincer　in　the　process。　But　the　Invid　were　answering　the　challenge；　and　Max　was　forced　to　break　high　and　right　as　streams　of　annihilation　disks　screamed　into　the　pocket　he　had　vacated。　His　wingmen　split　and　boostered　out　in　the　nick　of　time；　chased　by　clusters　of　Shock　Troopers　from　the　Invid's　counteroffensive　group。

Max　imaged　the　Alpha　over　to　Battloid　mode　at　the　top　of　his　climb；　targeting　data　scrolling　across　his　display　screens　now；　and　the　net　a　tangle　of　requests　and　mad　shrieks。　A　hail　of　missiles　tore　from　the　VT's　open　shoulder　racks　and　dropped　into　the　midst　of　the　Invid　pursuit　group；　wiping　out　five　of　their　number。　Max　went　to　guns　with　the　remaining　two；　hands　clenching　the　HOTAS；　trapshooting　the　Invid　with　the　Alpha's　rifle/cannon　as　they　streaked　by　him。

Elsewhere　in　the　field；　Miriya's　team　was　holding　its　own　against　the　mecha　born　in　that　inferno　below。　Half　the　trees　were　on　fire　now；　thick　smoke　roiling　in　Garuda's　dawn；　while　Humans　and　Invid　exchanged　salvos　of　death。　Battloids　and　Troopers　grappled　gauntlet　to　claw。

〃Guess　we　succeeded　in　getting　their　attention；〃　Max　said　to　no　one　in　particular。　He　chinned　Miriya's　frequency　and　asked　for　an　update；　he　repeated　the　request　when　she　didn't　respond；　then　reconfigured　his　ship　and　dropped　down　to　have　a　look　for　himself。

Miriya　had　gone　to　Battloid　and　was　executing　her　own　version　of　a　Fokker　Feint　when　Max　caught　up　with　her。　There　were　four　Shock　Troopers　hovering　around　her　mecha；　pulling　sting…and…runs。　He　smiled　as　he　watched　her　ace　one　of　them　with　the　autocannon；　but　that　look　collapsed　when　he　realized　how　slow　she　was　to　react　to　follow…up　energy　Frisbees　delivered　by　the　remainder　of　the　group。　Max　was　close　enough　now　to　throw　himself　into　the　fight；　but　the　sight　of　her　sloppiness　had　left　him　shaken；　and　he　almost　got　himself　dusted。

〃Miriya；　what's　wrong？〃　he　said　when　the　last　of　the　four　had　been　dispatched。　〃Miriya！〃

〃I。。。don't　know；　Max；〃　she　answered　him　after　a　moment。　〃Dizzy　spell。〃

〃I　want　you　to　return　to　base。〃

Miriya's　face　came　up　on　Skull　One's　mo　screen。　〃I'll　be　all　right。　It's　better　now。〃

〃Forget　it…〃

〃Max！〃　Wolff's　voice　suddenly　boomed　through　the　net。　〃We've　got　troubles！　Inorganics…hundreds　of　them！〃

Max　looked　away　from　Miriya's　image　and　chinned　the　　freak。　〃Your　Pack　should　be　able　to　handle　those　things；　Wolff；〃　he　said。

〃It's　not　us　they're　after；　mander；〃　Wolff　said；　just　as　gruffly。　〃The　sons　of　bitches　have　turned　them　loose　on　the　camp…they're　attacking　the　Garudans！〃


A　short　distance　from　the　besieged　orchard；　Wolff's　Hovertank　team　was　well　into　the　forests　surrounding　the　second　farm。　From　the　ridgeline　above　the　dome…shaped　hive；　where　the　Pack　had　been　Guardian…configured；　Wolff　had　been　able　to　observe　the　Skull's　fiery　treetop　passes。　He　had　then　given　the　order　for　his　tankers　to　open　fire。　They　hadn't　lobbed　five　minutes'　worth　of　projectiles　into　the　forest　when　the　first　wave　of　Inorganics　had　appeared…Hellcats；　galloping　across　Garuda's　tundra　and　heading　straight　for　the　ridge。　They　were　followed　a　minute　later　by　ranks　of　the　bipedal　demonic…looking　Robo…trolls　known　as　Cranns　and　Odeons。

Wolff　had　hated　the　things　ever　since　he　went　up　against　them　on　Tirol；　and　had　been　looking　forward　to　engaging　them…anything　to　get　Minmei　off　his　mind　for　a　while；　to　keep　his　hand　from　reaching　out　for　a　bottle。。。So　he　had　ordered　the　Pack　over　to　standard　mode　and　led　the　charge　down　the　rocky　slope；　only　to　find　that　the　Inorganics　had　changed　course。　And　it　had　only　taken　a　moment　to　figure　out　the　reason　behind　the　tactic：　the　Invid　were　planning　to　use　the　Garudans　as　the　Sentinels　had　the　Invid's　life…giving　trees…for　diversion。　The　XT　labor　force　was　strung　out　for　more　than　a　mile　along　a　sparsely　wooded　hillside　guarded　by　a　pany　of　armed　and　weapon…wielding　Invid　soldiers。　It　was　then　that　Wolff　had　opened　the　net　to　Max。

The　Skull　fighters　were　overhead　now；　Wolff　could　see　them　through　breaks　in　the　trees'　clustered；　billiard…ball　canopies。　Shock　Troopers　and　Pincer　Ships　were　right　on　their　tails。

Wolff's　Hovertanks　broke　out　of　the　forest　a　moment　after　Skull　One　Touched　down；　the　Alpha　was　in　Guardian　mode；　with　the　rifle/cannon　gripped　in　one　gauntlet；　stammering　its　harsh　greeting　to　the　Hellcats。　Dozens　of　Inorganics　burst　apart　as　armor…piercing　rounds　ripped　into　the　pack；　but　five　times　that　number　made　it　through　the　VT's　still…forming　line；　bounding　over　the　mecha　and　continuing　their　mad　rush　for　the　Garudans。　Aware　of　the　situation　now；　the　helpless　slaves　had　broken　ranks　and　were　attempting　to　flee；　most　of　them　were　cut　down　instantly　by　bursts　from　the　soldiers'　forearm　guns；　while　others　fell　to　the　first　wave　of　Inorganics；　torn　apart　by　Hellcats　or　roasted　by　bolts　from　the　Cranns'　orifice…dimpled　weapons　spheres。

Wolff　ordered　the　Pack　to　spread　out　and　form　a　second　line；　the　Hovertanks　reconfigured　and　began　to　fire　at　will；　decimating　much　of　the　second　sortie　wave；　but　suddenly　forced　to　deal　with　the　Shock　Troopers　as　well。　Annihilation　disks　stormed　into　the　tankers'　midst；　tearing　up　the　land　and　overturning　two　of　the　mecha。　Wolff　could　see　that　members　of　Max's　blue　team　were　going　over　to　Battloid　and　repositioning　themselves　opposite　the　Pack　to　form　the　second　leg　of　a　V　formation。　Wolff　called　for　a　cannonade　as　the　Inorganics　rushed　into　the　notch。　Pounded　with　explosive　rounds　the　tundra　shook　and　bellowed；　the　ridge　trapped　the　concussive　sounds　and　hurled　them　back；　as　Inorganics　and　Shock　Troopers　alike　were　reduced　to　gobs　of　white…hot　metal；　geysers　of　fire　in　the　already　superheated　air。

Miriya's　Red　team　came　in　just　then　to　add　their　deafening　movement　to　the　score。　Pincer　Ships　and　VTs　went　face…to…face；　hammering　away　at　one　another；　while　miss