long reverse…articulated legs so that they resembled headless ostriches。 Most would have been considered 〃armless；〃 but the Officers' Pods mounted heavy guns that suggested gargantuan derringers。
In the lead pod was Khyron the Backstabber。
He didn't fit most stereotypes of the brutal warlord。 Quite contrary to the Zentraedi conventionalities…their Spartan simplicity； their distaste for mannerisms…Khyron would have been called a fop if such a word or concept had existed among his race。
Youthful…looking and sinisterly handsome； he gazed into the screens of his pod's cockpit； contemplating the kill。 He had been forbidden to attack the SDF…1 again on pain of immediate execution； but no one had issued any orders with regard to a juicy little convoy。
Four times now； the Micronian vermin had humiliated him。 With each defeat； his hatred had grown geometrically。 It went incandescent when he saw the sorts of perversions the humans practiced： males mingling with females； the sexes somehow ing into contact and expressing weak…willed affection for each other。 They behaved seductively； something unknown to the Zentraedi。 The Micronians paired off； sometimes forming lifelong bonds； driven by impulses and stimuli Khyron was only beginning to perceive。
It repelled and fascinated him； it obsessed and possessed him。 So he knew he had no other choice but to destroy the Micronians utterly or go pletely insane。
〃Nothing can save them；〃 he gloated。 〃All units： Attack immediately！〃
The pods closed in； riding the bright flames of their drives； guns angling； answering their targetting servos。 The VTs swept out to meet them。
〃Captain； the shuttle has reached coordinates Lambda thirty…four；〃 Sammie called out。 〃Should we send reinforcements？〃
The bridge crew watched Gloval； hoping he would say yes as much as he himself wanted to。 But that would have left the SDF…1 underprotected； the Zentraedi had already tried similar diversionary maneuvers to set up a major attack。
With the number of spaceworthy VTs critically low until the Robotech fabrication machinery could produce replacements； he simply couldn't risk sending out another team of fighters or risk the pilots who were so crucial to the ship's survival。
〃Not unless we absolutely have to；〃 he said stonily。 The women turned back to their jobs in silence。 Gloval did not elaborate on the question of reinforcements； but he had already decided： He couldn't risk a flight of VTs； but there was one desperate gamble he could take if the shuttle's situation got worse。
In the volume of empty space designated Lambda thirty…four； Max Sterling's Veritech went through a lightning change。 It was what Dr。 Lang； the eerie Robotech genius； termed 〃mechamorphosis；〃 the alteration of the fighter's very structure。
Max had pulled the lever that sent the ship into Battloid mode； thinking the mecha through its change。 The VT shifted to Battloid； looking like a futuristic gladiator in bulky； ultratech armor； bristling with weapons。 Two pods drove in at him； cannon blazing。
CHAPTER THREE
That undisciplined showoff？ That wet…nosed civilian joystick pilot？ What a waste of time and effort！
Remark attributed to Lisa Hayes upon being informed that trainee Rick Hunter had qualified as a VT pilot 2009 A。D。
The pods fired away with the primary and secondary guns that protruded from their armored plastrons； but the blue bolts converged on utter vacuum。 Max's Battloid wasn't where it had been a split second before。
The Battloid had its autocannon in its metal fists； riding its backpack thrusters with the agility of a gymnast； darting like a dragonfly。 It whirled on one pod； opening up。
The chain…gun was loaded with depleted transuranic rounds； big as candlepins and much heavier…high…powered； extremely dense projectiles that delivered terrific amounts of kinetic energy。 The pod's armor flew like shredded paper； it exploded in an outlashing of energy and debris。
Max was still dodging with blinding speed； turning his sights on the second pod。 He riddled it before the enemy pilot could draw a bead on him； putting a tight shot group of holes in the center of the egglike alien mecha。 The pod became a brief fireball。
No system of manual or puter controls could have e up with such astounding maneuverability； such instantaneous responses and deadly shooting。 Only the 〃thinking cap；〃 the interface of mind and mecha； could work the seeming magic of the RDF。
Other VTs had already paired off against the foe。 The mecha swirled and pounced； their missiles corkscrewed and sizzled while energy bolts and powered gatling rounds lit the darkness。 But the pods had the advantage of numbers by more than two to one； enough to occupy every Veritech and leave more pods to go after the shuttle。
The shuttle pilot was taking evasive action and running for safety at full emergency power。 But there was no safety； the shuttle was no match for the pods' speed； and the Zentraedi closed in； firing。 The shuttle's light armaments and lack of maneuvering ability made it easy prey； but the shuttle skipper did his best； trying to evade。 He was hoping he could eventually make a dash for the tantalizingly nearby Earth； knowing that the UEDC would never allow any of its forces to intervene or otherwise risk turning the Zentraedi wrath on Earth itself。 He could hope for no help from that quarter。
A Zentraedi cannon burst stitched holes in the shuttle's port wing in a line of three； ringed by molten metal。 Lisa felt the ship rock in her armored cocoon； and gripped the padded armrests； waiting to see what the oute of the battle would be。
The attacking pod was a modified standard type； carrying augmentative particle…beam cannon for added firepower。 It turned to e back for the kill； but just then Max arrived； his Battloid diving headlong into the fight。 The Battloid knocked the pod aside like a football player； driving a huge； armored shoulder into it。
Then the Battloid that was Max Sterling flipped neatly on foot thrusters and fired。 The rain of armor…piercing slugs punched a dozen holes in the enemy； and it was driven back like some wounded living thing。 There was no secondary explosion…very unusual； since the enemy mecha's power systems usually turned them into firecrackers once their armor had been pierced。
Two more pods came in at him； one with extra missile racks and another with the strange rabbit ears of a Zentraedi signal…warfare ship。 Max went at them； juking and evading to stay out of their cross hairs； his Battloid firing short bursts from the autocannon。
One of the escort VTs had been lost； another damaged by the first onslaught。 Several more were still engaged in bat； but the rest； like Max； had e through their first duel and were taking on new opponents。 Some help arrived； and Max began to feel confident that he could keep the pods away from the damaged shuttle。
But just then； Elkins yelled over the tac net； 〃More pods！ We've got more pods ing at us…half a dozen！〃
Max's mouth became a thin line as he drove in to deal with his current opponents as quickly as he could。 He thought back with a certain pilot's superstition on what he had said to the men in the alley。 Perhaps the taboos were right and it was lethal bad luck to talk about not ing back。
〃The escorts are outnumbered；〃 Kim called over her shoulder without taking her eyes from her instruments。
〃More pods closing in on them！〃 Vanessa added。 〃Cutting off the shuttle's escape。〃
Gloval sat slumped in his mand chair with his cap visor pulled down low over his eyes。 A Veritech flight couldn't possibly get there in time； and he didn't have them to spare。 But。。。
〃How long would it take the armored Veritech prototype to make it there？〃
Sammie already had the figures。 〃Approximately four minutes from launch at max boost。〃
Claudia bit her lower lip； watching Gloval。 The captain's head came up。 〃Prepare it for launch！〃
Claudia relayed the order； sending up a silent prayer； while Sammie asked； 〃Who'll be flying it； sir？〃
〃Get Lieutenant Hunter to the hangar deck at once。 Tell him we don't know how much longer Sterling can hold out。〃
The ship's PA and a few seconds on a circuit had Rick on his way； anxious and very intense； in a mandeered jeep he flagged down in the middle of a Macross boulevard。 The enlisted driver was a capable man who liked having an excuse to break all traffic laws。
Rick suited up virtually on the run； and minutes later the aircraft elevator was lifting the humpbacked…looking armored VT to the flight deck。
〃Lieutenant； your destination is Lambda thirty…four；〃 Sammie told him over the mand net。
〃Lambda thirty…four？ What're you talking about？〃
On the bridge； Claudia turned to Sammie。 〃Didn't you see to it that all pilots had the new map…reference codes？〃
Sammie looked devastated。 〃I was so swamped…I didn't think he'd need one until he went on duty later。〃
Aircraft status was relayed； the armored VT was boxed and ready for launch。 Sammie gritted her teeth； ignoring the silent stares of the rest of the bridge watch； especially the ominous quiet from Gloval。 She couldn't let her mistake spell Lisa's death！
Sammie opened the mike again； concentrating； eyes shut； matching coordinates and codes by memory。 〃Coordinates in superseded code are at Weasel twenty…one！〃
Rick launched without taking time to acknowledge。 The armored VT poured on speed like nothing any other human…produced mecha had ever demonstrated。 A single man in an untested ship； flying out against terrible odds…and if he lost； the woman who was humanity's best hope for peace would die too。
From the first； Max had known that the chances of help arriving from the SDF…1 were slim。 Now he was resigned to the fact that there would be no help； though he didn't let on to the dwindling survivors of the escort flight。
The other VT pilots had flown well and bravely； their kill ratio was high； but still they went down to oblivion； one by one； in the silent globular explosions of a space rat race…a mass dogfight。 Max Sterling flew like no pilot before him； a grim reaper； a deadly wraith； an undefeatable mecha demon in the form of a Battloid。
The Battloid changed vectors and zoomed out of a pod's salvo； jamming some of its missiles with ECM equipment and dodging the rest； a masterful performance。 Max turned the gatling on it and hosed it with a tracer…bright stream of heavyweight rounds； blowing it away。
But still the enemy came； and more were arriving。 It looked like a day for dying。
He turned to get back with Elkins； to stick together and protect the shuttle to the last。 But Elkins's ship vanished in an ugly blossom of fire and shrapnel。 The escort had been whittled down to five。 Four times that number came in at them now。
Hanging back from the action in his Officer's Pod； Khyron watched gleefully。 He suspected that the enemy leader； the amazingly fast and deadly blue…trimmed Veritech； was the same one who had sent so many Zentraedi to defeat and death…had even humbled the vaunted Miriya； female ace of aces of the Quadronos。
Khyron was in no hurry to lead the attack and tangle with the Micronian devil in person； it would be enough to dispose of the rest of his mand by attrition and pull the Veritech wizard to bits