Robotechnology。 The Cyclones had been rolled into a corner and covered over with a couple of mildewed canvas tarps。
Lancer； Rook； and Rand headed straight for their machines； activated them； and rode off to the sound of the guns。 Annie and Lunk wished them luck and watched as the Cyclones reconfigured to Battle Armor mode。 Lunk was heading back to the van when he heard his name called。 It was Pedro； looking somewhat sheepish and conciliatory。
〃Lunk； you're determined to go through with this？〃
Lunk gestured to the by…now…distant Cyclones and said harshly； 〃That oughta answer your question。〃
Pedro nodded sullenly。 〃Then there's something I want you to see；〃 he said； leading Lunk back into the barn。 Inside； he motioned to an object concealed under a nylon cloth and pulled the cover away。
〃I want you to have this。〃
Lunk knew it by its slang term…a 〃Stinger〃…a lightweight autocannon no larger than a turn…of…the…century M…70 machine gun that ran on Protoculture and delivered piercing bursts of Reflex firepower。 Stingers were the weapon of choice for the resistance early on； but with the Invid's control of Protoculture； the weapon had passed quickly into disuse。 This one looked as though it had never been fired； but it hadn't been well cared for either。
〃This was given to our town by a group of freedom fighters；〃 Pedro began to explain while Lunk inspected the gun。 〃Before I was mayor； when。。。Nader was alive。〃 Lunk straightened up at the mention of the name。
Pedro's voice took on a harder edge。 〃But Nader didn't want it used。 He actually believed we could make a separate peace with the Invid and hid the gun； afraid that fighting back would end in death for all of us。 But many of the townspeople misinterpreted his concern； they accused him of cowardice and worse。 When he still wouldn't reveal where he had hidden the thing。。。they beat him to death。 They burned his home； they。。。〃
Lunk saw that Pedro was sobbing。 〃So that's your dirty little secret。。。the reason why those men attacked us。 You're all ashamed of what happened here。〃
Pedro nodded。 〃May God have mercy on us。 By the time we found the gun； it was too late to do anything。 The Invid had overrun everything。〃
〃And now you're the one who feels responsible for this place。 You've inherited Nader's legacy。〃
〃You could say that。〃
Lunk's hard look softened。 〃Pedro； maybe I've misjudged you。〃
〃And I； you；〃 returned the mayor。 〃A mon enough mistake these days。〃
Out on the flats things were looking grim for Scott and the team。 The arrival of the Cyclones had taken the pressure off him to some extent； but the Invid still outnumbered them three to one。
Shock Troopers again。 Scott wasn't sure why they had showed up。 It was possible that one of the Scouts they had tangled with earlier had gotten away。 He had seen the first of the Troopers just as the team had been entering Roca Negra and had doubled back to deal with it。 But on the tail of the first came a second； then a third and a fourth； and before Scott knew it； he was in the midst of a full contingent of Pincer units。
He dropped the Alpha in for a release run now； going after three grounded Invid who had pinned down Rook and Rand with cannon fire。 The already cratered and fused terrain was being torn up by annihilation discs； the air above superheated and crosshatched by missile tracks launched from the Cyclones' forearm tubes。 Scott loosed a flock of heat…seekers at the bottom of his dive and climbed sharply； looking back over his right shoulder to catch a glimpse of the results of his run。 Two Invid ships were flaming wrecks； collapsed and bleeding green nutrient。 Another was badly damaged but still on its feet； one of its pincers blown away。
Scott swung his head as he thought the Alpha through a roll and saw Lunk's van streaking across the sands； seemingly on a collision course with three more Invid ships。 Alert to the van's approach； the Troopers lifted off； forming up in a triangular pattern to deal with it。
But in a moment it was obvious that they had misjudged Lunk。
Scott caught sight of a brilliant flash at the front of the van an instant before one of the ships exploded in midair。 A second flash and another Invid was blown to pieces。 Scott realized that Lunk had mounted some sort of cannon to the van。 Apparently the Invid also recognized the weapon； because they were suddenly giving the van a wide berth。 Rook； Rand； and Lancer took advantage of the opportunity to deal out death blows of their own； managing to fell two additional Troopers with precision shots to the ships' optic scanners。
Scott smiled broadly and uttered a short； triumphant cry to the skies outside the Alpha's canopy。 Not only had they cut the odds； they had won the battle。
The remaining Invid were actually turning tail and fleeing the area！
It was the first time Scott had ever seen them retreat。
Lunk returned to Roca Negra alone。 He had a longer talk with Pedro and Josh about Alfred Nader。 Both men had known Nader's son； Lunk's friend； and were sorry to hear that he had been killed。
The battle on the flats hadn't affected the rest of the town's attitude toward Lunk； but he understood this and pitied them the cross they had to bear。 He had his own； and the emotional weight of it hadn't been lessened any by this brief stop at Roca Negra。 In fact； he felt even more confused than before。 Would Nader have turned out to be a sympathizer in the end？ Would his town have been just another place where the people were too busy maintaining their separate peace to rally to the cause of a greater one？
Lunk spent some private time at what had once been Nader's ranch； picking up ripened olives from the tree and drinking cool water from the well。 Lunk kept the book。 More than the object of a promise now； it had bee a symbol of confusion； of mistrust and treachery。。。markings engraved upon Earth's tortured and embattled landscape and upon the very fabric of Human life。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Psychohistorian Adler Ripple traces Jonathan Wolff's treachery to his illicit affair with Lynn…Minmei。 He had met her on Little Luna （the Robotech factory satellite）； during the Hunters' wedding and fallen in love with her while the two of them were； for all intents and purposes； stranded on Tirol。 It's likely they would have married had the Sentinels not e between them。 （Minmei had vowed to steer clear of soldiers after her brief and disastrous fling with Rick Hunter。 Ironically； she caught the bridal bouquet at Hunter's wedding and in a sense felt destined to marry Wolff。 The subsequent degradation she fell into can be attributed in part to her learning about the wife and child Wolff had left behind on Earth。） Ripple asserts that Wolff's decision to return to Earth was motivated by the broken engagement with Lynn…Minmei。 Wolff was suddenly convinced that he could take up where he had left off with the family he had abandoned。 When that didn't occur； he turned to drink and drugs and embarked on a campaign of self…destruction。 （Information that has only recently e to light suggests that Wolff also had a brief affair with Dana Sterling…the daughter of Max and Miriya； who took Wolff's ship back into space with the hyperdrive perfected by her former Southern Cross rade； Dr。 Louie Nichols…and that Wolff had learned the Invid were holding hostage both his wife Catherine and his son Johnny。）
Selig Kahler； The Tirolian Campaign
A week of hard riding brought dramatic changes in both the terrain and the social climate of the settlements the team passed through。 The land was thickly forested except where it had been cleared for farm cooperatives and villages。 The road system was well maintained； and food and supplies were readily available。 Lunk knew the reason for this： They were approaching one of the Invid's so…called Protoculture farms； where Human laborers were forced to toil endlessly in vast gardens； maintaining and harvesting the aliens' nutrient plant； the Flower of Life。 But where the team had expected to encounter armies of Scouts and Troopers； they found none； and in place of a downtrodden populace； they found people in a celebratory mood。 The Invid were said to have stopped their patrols a little over a month ago； and there were rumors to the effect that this had something to do with the arrival of a platoon of Robotech soldiers who were currently engaged in an assault on the Protoculture farm itself。
Scott was certain this unit was posed of men and women from the Mars Division attack wing。 One of the predesignated rendezvous points set up by the mission mander was located some five hundred miles north of the team's present coordinates； and it was likely that a splinter group from the main force had moved south to engage the Invid at the farm。 Scott was tempted to take the Alpha north to see for himself； but his sense of loyalty wouldn't permit leaving his friends on their own。 At least not until each of them had found a peace of sorts or； better still； a home。 It was no secret to any of them that the team was more like a family than the invincible military machine each member sometimes imagined it to be。 And it was something none of them took for granted； least of all Scott； the most recent victim of the war's dispassionate savagery。
So they stayed together and eventually found their way to the city where the Robotech soldiers were supposedly garrisoned。 It was an immense place； far larger than any of the places they had passed through thus far； a former military base （whose buildings had been adapted for civilian use） that had grown up within the confines of an enormous depression in the Earth's denuded crust； enclosed by the severe walls of an unnatural escarpment。 The city now had hotels； restaurants； and a thriving population of five thousand or more。
Scott left the Alpha concealed outside the city and rode down into the bowl with Lancer and the others。 As newers； they were questioned and searched at the main gate…an immense security fence watched over by armed guards stationed in nearby ultratech towers…but ultimately permitted to enter。
Scott； already searching for familiar faces； was perhaps a bit more hopeful than the others if no less puzzled。 There were indeed soldiers all over the place； but they were hardly the strac troops Scott had convinced himself he would find。 Nor were they Mars Division。 Their high…collared； belted jumpsuits were the same iceblue color as Scott's own； but the unit patches were unlike any he had seen。 Scott glanced around some more； certain he would find what he was after。 Here were three soldiers stumbling out of a bar； there； three more drinking on a street corner。 Other troops in jeeps and personnel carriers were joyriding through the narrow streets； trash and empty liquor bottles in their wake。 Even Annie was stunned。
〃What's with this place？〃 she asked from the van。 She was standing on the seat in the open back； her arms draped over the vehicle's roll bar。
〃There's no shortage of 'Culture； that's for sure；〃 Rand observed； motioning to the cruising jeeps。
Scott tuned in to a nearby conversation…soldiers； new arrivals by the sound of them： 〃This town's a gas！〃 one of them said。 〃Unbelievable；〃 said another。 〃I didn't think I could ever feel this way again。〃
Scott