ns； then the image of Marlene hung there； a Marlene perhaps six inches tall。 Her uniform with its short skirt and boots showed off coltish legs。 She was gamine and graceful； pale； wide…eyed； with long brown hair。 Not beautiful； but very attractive。
The brief loop began playing in mid…message。 〃My love； I accept your marriage proposal with all my heart。 I can't tell you what this means to me； or how long I've dreamt you would ask。 Yes； Scott： I'd be proud to spend the rest of my life with you。〃
He had looked at it once； in the cockpit； just after she had given it to him； with nova…bright joy。 But in the countless other times he had opened it； Marlene was superimposed on a scene of a flaming； plunging warcraft。
He clamped the locket shut once more； cutting off the loop。 Marlene！ Suddenly he heard the sound of powerful engines and looked up。 The APC was returning with Rook at the wheel and Annie crouched nervously in the back seat。 Rand was playing outrider on his Cyclone。 The Alpha was playing mother hen to the bulky Beta Fighter。 Scott figured Lunk was babying the Beta along； the big ex…soldier had some flight time； although he preferred the ground。 But who was that in the APC's shotgun seat？
He got a better look and leapt to his feet without realizing it。 Marlene！
The hair was a different color； but the face； the skin； the eyes…the very posture of her…these things were those of his dead fianc閑。
It's finally happened。 I've driven myself mad。
〃It's like she's just learning to talk；〃 Rook finished her story； 〃but she learns very quickly。〃
〃How terrible the thing that happened to her must have been；〃 Lancer said somberly。
Annie was sniffling。 She wiped her eyes on the floppy sleeve of her battle jacket。 〃Well； I think it's awful！〃
Rand looked grim。 〃The Invid did this to her； you can bet on that。〃
Lancer had assured himself that there was nothing obviously wrong with the young woman。 There were no signs of bruises； wounds； or sexual assault。 〃We'd better get her to a town； somewhere where she can be helped。〃
The Simulagent had been staring at Scott； unnerving him； so that he stole only intermittent glances at her。 Now though； still watching him； she shivered and groaned； then went down on one knee。 Scott couldn't escape the feeling that it had something to do with him。 Or maybe I just want to believe that？
It seemed impossible that anyone could be such a close match of another Human being。 He had no faith in miracles； but he was beginning to think he would have to change his mind； because there was no other logical explanation。
But there was no time for insights； seconds later a deep thrumming vibrated the air； and the freedom fighters whirled to see a flight of Invid mecha heave into sight from behind a crashed battlecruiser。
The war machines spread out into a skirmishing line and began their slow approach； gliding some thirty feet above the ground。 Rand and Rook sprinted off toward their Cyclones。 After a moment's confusion； Lunk and Annie knelt to gather up the young woman； as Lancer prepared to get to his Robotech bike as well。
Rand halted to look back at Scott； who still stood rooted。 〃e on； Scott！ Hurry！〃
Lancer seized Rand's arm。 〃Forget about him and get to your Cyclone！〃
Rand gave Scott a brief； bitter look。 〃Big talker。〃 Then he rushed to battle。
Lunk and Annie got Ariel to take cover behind an exploded cruiser's hull。 The three Cyclones raced out to meet the enemy。 We're lucky they didn't simply open fire； Lancer thought。 With all of us caught in the open like that； it could have been a turkey shoot。
The Pincer Ships and Shock Troopers laid down an advancing barrage of fire； patterning toward the oning riders。 The annihilation discs from their shoulder cannons streamed down； fountaining sand and fire and debris wherever they hit。
Scott watched numbly。 Part of him wanted to fight and part of him simply wanted to end it all。 He wanted to give in to the seemingly endless weariness and bloodshed and pain； and accept his fate then and there。 Then he realized that the woman was on her feet。
She seemed to be about to break down into tears。 She stepped out of the cover into which Lunk had carried her and strode like a sleepwalker out onto the hot sand。 She stared up at the oning Invid sortie； and whimpered。 Lunk started to go after her and drag her back； but the nearby impact of two discs sent him falling backward。
Scott screamed； 〃Hey； what are you trying to do； get killed？〃 It occurred to him that someone else might as well ask the same question of him； standing out there in the open。
Lunk and Annie braved the alien volleys to reach her and try to carry her back to safety。 But she was frozen there； and the Invid closed in； their fire sending up columns of flame to all sides。 She put both hands to her ears and screamed； screamed。
As Scott watched her face； it was as though Marlene were screaming。 The sound of it struck through every cell of him。 It was the sound he had imagined a thousand times…her last scream as she died in the enemy onslaught。
Marlene！
Before he knew what was going on； he was vaulting for the Alpha's cockpit。 He howled away into the air； pulled on his thinking cap； and buckled his harness。 Scott changed to Alpha to Veritech mode； wings swept back for high…speed atmospheric dogfighting。
He had remembered what he was fighting for。
CHAPTER EIGHT
People are mostly stupid and hateful and cruel to one another but…hell； let's save the world's ass anyway。 It's better than being bored。
Rook
The three pincer ships came at scott in a tight V formation。 He tagged the starboard wingmate with an air…to…air missile and banked past the falling； burning bits of it as the surviving two broke to either side to avoid him。
He read the displays； the target acquisition puters were working overtime。 He launched another flight of missiles； a Pincer dodged one only to be skeeted head…on by another。
〃All right； who's next？〃
The third personal…armor Pincer was the next one to e in at him； Frisbeeing the white…hot discs。 Its claws were bent close to it to decrease wind resistance and increase airspeed。 Scott missed with a burst from his wing cannon。
How the blazes do they manage to maneuver so fast？
But he knew he had been lucky； his whole team had。 It was miraculous that the Invid； catching them unprepared and out in the open like that； hadn't incinerated them。
He looped； trying to get into the Invid's six o'clock position for the kill。
Rand brought his Cyc through a skidding 180？turn； throwing up a shower of grit； as annihilation discs registered hits to all sides。 The Shock Trooper stumped toward him； raising its immense claws； its two shoulder cannons pointing in his direction。 Rand got off one round from the front…hub…mounted gun； cursing the fact that he hadn't had time to don his armor。 Then he was flung back as a near miss from the Trooper's heavy guns blew him and his Cyclone backward through the air。
He landed in a shallow pit； stunned； waiting for an alloy claw to close around him and snip him in two or for a disc to burn him to ash。 Instead he regained full consciousness in moments； spitting out sand and swearing。 A thunder in the sky made him look up； the Shock Trooper roared by overhead； with Scott rocking it with cannon salvos。
Scott lost track of the Trooper； though； as the last Pincer Ship got on his tail and raked him with near…miss fire。
Rand； standing up in the pit； wiped the dirt off his face and invoked an all…embracing line from one of his favorite prewar motion pictures； shaking his fist at the sky。 〃I'm mad as hell and I'm not gonna take it anymore！〃
Then he spotted the grounded Beta。
Lunk and Annie had the young amnesiac back under cover。 〃Don't worry；〃 Annie told her。 〃The Invid won't hurt you； I promise！ We won't let them！〃
The Simulagent's face was warm and slick with tears。
Rand was studying the manual while he pulled on his thinking cap and warmed up the ship。 He was trying to forget the fact that； except for a few hours in the Alpha under Scott's tutelage； he had never flown at all。
But the engines came up； deeper and more powerful than any Alpha's engine。 Although the Beta was light on sensor gear and countermeasures equipment and certainly less maneuverable than an Alpha； it was fearsomely armed。
He was debating the best way to lift off when the heavy fighter rocked and nearly overturned。 He saw through a stern monitor that a Shock Trooper had landed to take a swipe at it。 Only the Beta's reinforced Robotech alloy armor had saved it…and him。
Rand grabbed the control grips； wrenched the stem back； and imaged the move to the receptors in the flight helmet。 The Beta's engines erupted； the Shock Trooper was knocked backward tumbling； cracking open； being a pinwheel of flame。 The Beta arrowed away from the standing start； riding a column of smoke； fire； and ground…shaking thunder。
Rand laughed to himself nervously。 〃Now！ That's what I call…huh？〃
The last Pincer Ship dove in at him； skimming annihilation discs from both shoulder mounts。 He juked his ship inexpertly； trying to evade the Pincer； wondering if this was to be the briefest solo on record。
Then he heard Scott's voice； 〃Hold on； Rand！〃 These were the most wele words he had ever heard in his life。 Above and behind the Invid and closing in fast； Rand saw the Alpha launching a spread of missiles。
The Pincer Ship dodged and juked like a demon； but one air…to…air got a piece of it。 The knee juncture of one of the monstrous； crablike legs exploded。 The Pincer cut in all thrusters and went off； tumbling and blasting across the sky like some erratic et。
Scott let it go； and fell in with Rand to try to talk him down。 But there wasn't time。 The Beta was flying upside down。 Rand held his breath； fought off the impulse to close his eyes； and went in for a landing。
He managed to get rightside up at the last moment； but that was about all。 The massive armor of the Beta got him through a landing that would have demolished on Alpha； or almost any other mecha。 The ship skidded； punched pletely through an empty troop carrier； skidded some more （while Rand recalled prayers he hadn't thought about in years） and ended up penetrating the hull of a tanker。 She finally came to rest in the shadowy main hold； lit by the few rays of sunlight that found their way in through hull punctures。 She was nose…down but intact。
Rand lay with his chin on the instrument panel； the rest of his body piled up behind； the operating manual on his head like an A…frame roof。
A perfect landing。 In the sense that I'm gonna be able to walk away from it。 Or at least be carried。
Extraction of the Beta and reactivation of the other Alphas took most of the rest of that long day。 The team wanted to stay longer to get everything they could from the battlefield； but they didn't dare； there was no telling when the Invid would be back。 They gathered what supplies； ordnance； Protoculture； and equipment they could and prepared to move out。
〃Good fight；〃 Scott told them； meeting everyone's gaze。 But something showed in his eyes that hadn't been there before： an awareness that people had their limits； and that those limits were not so confining