15_death_dance-第23部分

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〃How's　this？〃　he　asked　at　last；　swinging　around　to　face　Jack；　Cabell；　the　chief；　and　a　few　others。　〃Divert　attention　away　from　the　farm　by　initiating　a　raid…〃

〃We're　one　step　ahead　of　you；　Tesla；〃　Max　said；　interrupting。　〃Infiltrate　a　small　party　at　the　same　time；　and　end　up　giving　your　troops　more　hostages。〃

〃It　doesn't　have　to　end　that　way；〃　Tesla　argued。　〃Not　if　I'm　with　the　mando　team。〃

Jack　grunted。　〃What　do　you　know　that　Rick　didn't　know？　We　went　in　quiet　as　mice　and　they　nailed　us。〃

〃It　was　the　mecha…your　Hovercycles…that　gave　you　away。　The　farm's　defenses　can　sense　Protoculture　activity。　So　even　though　you　got　past　the　Inorganics。。。〃

Tesla　left　the　sentence　unfinished；　pleased　to　see　that　the　Sentinels　were　offering　one　another　surprised　glances。

〃No　wonder　they　got　the　jump　on　us；〃　Jack　remarked。

〃What　about　weapons；　Tesla？〃　Cabell　thought　to　ask。

〃Weapons；　too；〃　the　Invid　answered　him。

Max　looked　around　the　longhouse。　〃Where　does　that　leave　us？〃

〃Swords；　crossbows；　spears；〃　Gnea　said　proudly。

Cabell　shook　his　head。　〃They're　no　use　against　Inorganics。〃

〃Grenades；　then；〃　Learna　chimed　in。　〃Rocket　launchers…〃

〃And　these；〃　said　the　chief；　as　two　of　his　tribesmen　dragged　an　odd…looking　crate　into　the　hut。

Inside　were　a　dozen　Karbarran　firearms　not　unlike　Lron's　own　small…bore。　Each　wooden　and　metal…fitted　rifle　had　a　large　globular　fixture　forward　of　the　trigger　guard　and　forestock　lever。　〃We　received　many　such　crates　during　the　final　days　of　the　Masters'　empire；〃　the　chief　went　on　to　explain　as　Lron　hefted　one　of　the　weapons。

〃Yes；〃　Lron　said；　〃Karbarra　was　exporting　rebellion　then。〃　He　glanced　over　at　Tesla。　〃Until　the　Invid　appeared。〃

Max；　too；　was　studying　the　Invid。　〃All　right；　Tesla；〃　he　said；　ing　to　his　feet。　〃We'll　play　this　one　your　way。　But　all　deals　are　off　at　the　first　sign　of　any　monkey　business。〃

Tesla　regarded　Max　and　the　others　through　his　hastily　fashioned　mask。　〃Now；　why　would　I　want　to　do　that　when　I've　had　enough　trouble　just　trying　to　act　Human？〃


This　time　the　team　was　principally　XT…Lron　and　Crysta；　Gnea　and　Bela；　with　Learna　as　guide。　That　Jack　would　acpany　them　had　been　taken　for　granted；　and；　after　Tesla's　plan　had　been　given　the　okay；　Janice　signed　on。　The　Praxians　felt　more　fortable　with　their　one…handed　crossbows；　shields；　and　shortswords　than　anything　else　the　Sentinels　could　offer　in　the　way　of　weaponry；　and　Gnea　wouldn't　part　pany　with　her　spearlike　naginata。　But　the　others　carried　Karbarran　air　rifles；　satchels　of　mand…detonated　explosives；　conventional　fragmentation　grenades；　and　rocket　launchers。　Shortly　after　Garuda's　midnight；　the　eight…member　team　was　inserted　by　Garudan　flitters　to　within　twenty　miles　of　the　crater；　allowing　them　ample　time　to　reach　the　farm…hive　before　sunrise。

At　the　same　time；　Wolff　and　the　Sterlings　met　back　at　the　shuttle　to　coordinate　plans　for　their　joint　diversionary　raid　against　two　neighboring　farms。　It　was　decided　that　the　Veritechs　and　Hovertanks　would　mence　their　strikes　at　sunrise；　when　the　Garudan　slaves　would　still　be　in　the　camps。

〃We're　going　to　concentrate　our　fire　against　the　orchards；　here　and　here；〃　Max　briefed　his　squadron　later　on；　pointing　to　areas　on　the　maps　Learna　had　provided。　The　hives　themselves…processing　plants　really…were　almost　certainly　protected　by　energy　shields　like　the　one　the　Invid　had　thrown　over　Tiresia's　Royal　Hall　during　the　battle　for　Tirol。　But　since　the　Sentinels'　main　objective　was　to　draw　out　the　enemy　mecha；　Max　saw　no　reason　why　targeting　the　precious　Optera　tree　plantations　couldn't　achieve　the　same　result。

〃Colonel　Wolff's　tankers　will　position　themselves　along　this　ridgeline　and　move　in　after　you've　pleted　your　initial　runs。　Then　you're　to　pulverize　that　hive。　If　we　dump　enough　into　that　shield　we　might　be　able　to　punch　through。〃　Similar　all…out　bursts　had　worked　against　the　Karbarran　hives。　Max　scanned　his　small　audience。　〃Any　questions？〃　When　all　the　headshaking　was　over；　he　added；　〃All　right　then；　let's　saddle　up。〃

Outside　the　shuttle；　he　caught　sight　of　Miriya；　who　had　been　off　briefing　the　Skull's　Red　contingent；　and　hurried　over　to　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…g