05_force_of_arms-第2章
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!
like a ghost; he landed a solid jab to the man's nose; bloodying it; and stepped out of the way as he staggered。
There wasn't much fighting room; and Max's usual style involved plenty of movement。 But it didn't matter very much this time; he didn't want to leave Karita unprotected。
The third vigilante; younger; leaner; and faster than the other two; swung doubled fists at him from behind。 Max avoided the blow; adding momentum with a quick; hard tug so that the man went toppling to his knees。 Then Max spun precisely so that he had his back nearly up against the first attacker and rammed his elbow back。
The man's breath rushed out of him as he clutched his midsection。 Max snapped a fist back into his face; then turned to plant a sidelong kick to the gut of the one in the coveralls。 The incredible reflexes and speed that served him so well in dogfights were plain; he was difficult to see much less hit or avoid。
Karita had struggled to his feet。 〃Stop!〃
The three attackers were battered up a bit; but the fight had barely started。 Max Sterling wasn't even breathing hard。
〃No more fighting;〃 Karita labored; clutching his side。 〃Hasn't there been enough?〃
The first man wiped blood from a swelling lip; studying Max。 Indicating Karita with a toss of his head; he said; 〃Him and his kind killed my son。 I don't care what you…〃
〃Look at this;〃 Max said quietly。 He displayed the RDF patch on his uniform; a diamond with curved sides; like a fighting kite。 〃You think I don't understand? But listen t' me: He's out of the war。 Just like I want to be and you want to be。〃
〃But we're never going to have peace unless we put the damn war behind us! So drop it; all right? Or else; c'mon: Let's finish this thing。〃
The first man was going to e at him again; but the other two grabbed his shoulders from either side。 The young one said; 〃All right…for now。〃
Max supported Karita with his shoulder; and the three stepped aside to let them pass。 There was a tense moment as the pilot and the injured alien walked between the attackers; one of them shifted his weight; as if reconsidering his decision。
But he thought better of it and held his place; saying; 〃What about you; flyboy? You're goin' out there again to fight 'em; aren't ya? To kill 'em if ya can?〃
Max knew that Karita was staring at him; but he answered。 〃Yeah。 Maybe I'll wind up killing somebody a lot like your son tonight。 Or he'll wind up killing me。 Who knows?〃
Max put Karita into a cab and sent him to the temporary quarters where the defectors were housed。 He didn't have time to go along; he was late for duty as it was。
Waiting for another cab; Max gazed around at the rebuilt city of Macross。 Overhead; the Enhanced Video Emulation system had created the illusion of a Terran night sky; blocking out the view of a distant alloy ceiling。
It had been a long time since Max or any of the SDF…1's other inhabitants had seen the real thing。 He was already defying the odds; having survived so many bats。 The EVE illusion was nice; but he hoped he'd get to see the true sky and hills and oceans of Earth again before his number came up。
Elsewhere on the SDF…1; two women rode in an unfortable silence on an elevator descending to a hangar deck; watching the level indicators flash。
mander Lisa Hayes; the ship's First Officer; wasn't at ease with many people。 But Lieutenant Claudia Grant; standing now with arms folded and avoiding Lisa's gaze as Lisa avoided hers; had been a close friend…perhaps Lisa's only true friend…for years。
Lisa tried to lighten the gloom。 〃Well; here I go again。 Off for another skirmish with the brass。〃
That was certainly putting the best face on it。 No previous effort had convinced the United Earth Defense Council to either begin peace negotiations with the Zentraedi invaders or allow the SDF…1 and its civilian refugees to return home。 Lisa had volunteered to try again; to present shocking new evidence that had just emerged and exert all the pressure she could on her father; Admiral Hayes; to get him to see reason and then persuade the rest of the UEDC。
Claudia looked up。 They were an odd pair: Claudia; tall and exotic…looking; several years older than Lisa; with skin the color of dark honey; and Lisa; pallid and slender; rather plain…looking until one looked a little closer。
Claudia tried to smile; running a hand through her tight brown curls。 〃I don't know whether it'll help or not to say this; but stop looking so grim。 Girl; you remind me of the captain of a sinking ship when he finds out they substituted deck chairs for the lifeboats。 It's gonna be hard to change people's minds like that。 Besides; all they can do is say no again。〃
There was a lot more to it than that; of course。 Admiral Hayes was not likely to let his only child leave Earth…to return to the SDF…1 and the endless Zentraedi attacks…once she was in the vast UEDC headquarters。 Neither Claudia nor Lisa had mentioned that they would probably never see each another again。
〃Yeah; I guess;〃 Lisa said; as the doors opened and the noise and heat of the hangar deck flooded in。
The two women stepped out into a world of harsh worklights。 bat and other craft were parked everywhere; crammed in tightly with wings and ailerons folded for more efficient storage。
Maintenance crews were swarming over Veritechs damaged in the most recent fighting; while ordnance people readied ships slated for the next round of patrols and surveillance flights。 The SDF…1's survival depended in large part on the Veritechs; but they would have been useless if not for the unflagging; often round…the…clock work of the men and women who repaired and serviced and rearmed them and the others who risked their lives as part of the flight deck catapult crews。
Welding sparks flew; ordnance loader servos whined; lifting missiles and ammunition into place。 Claudia had to raise her voice to be heard。 〃Have you told Rick about the trip; or have you been too busy to see him?〃
Busy had nothing to do with it; and they both knew that。 Lisa had concluded that her love for Rick Hunter; leader of the Veritech Skull Team; was one…sided。 By leaving the SDF…1 on a vital mission; she was also almost certainly giving up any chance of ever changing that。
〃I thought I'd call him from the shuttle;〃 she said。
Claudia exercised admirable restraint and did not blurt out; Lisa; stop being such a coward! Because Lisa wasn't…she had the bat decorations to prove it; medals and fruit cocktail that any line officer would respect。 But where emotions were concerned; the SDF…1's petent and capable First always seemed to prefer hiding under a rock someplace。
The shuttle was near the aircraft elevator…air lock that would lift it to the flight deck。 Lisa's gear and the evidence she hoped would sway Admiral Hayes and the others at the UEDC were already aboard。 The crew chief was running a final prelaunch check。
〃The shuttle is nearly ready for launch; Captain;〃 a female enlisted…rating tech reported。 〃Launch in ten minutes。〃
Captain Henry Gloval crossed the bridge to glance at several other displays; stroking his thick mustache。 〃Any signs of Zentraedi activity in our area?〃 His voice still carried the burred r's and other giveaways of his Russian mother tongue。
Vanessa answered promptly; 〃There's been absolutely no contact; no activity at all。〃
The stupendous Zentraedi armada still shadowed and prowled around the wandering battle fortress。 Time and again the aliens had attacked; but in paratively insignificant numbers。 The defectors' information was only now beginning to shed light on the reasons behind that。
〃There's been nothing at all?〃 Gloval asked again; eyes flicking across the readouts and displays。 〃Mm。 I hope this doesn't mean they're planning an attack。〃 He turned and paced back toward the mand chair; a tall; erect figure in the high…rolled collar of his uniform jacket; hat pulled low over his eyes。 He clenched his cold; empty briar in his teeth。 〃I don't like it; not a bit。。。〃
Lisa was his highly valued First Officer; but she was also much like a daughter to him。 It had taken every bit of his reason and sense of duty to convince himself she was the logical one for this mission。
The first enlisted tech turned to Kim Young; who was manning a position nearby。 She knew Kim and the two other enlisted regulars on the bridge watch; Sammie and Vanessa; were known as the Terrible Trio; part of what amounted to a family with Gloval; Lisa Hayes; and Claudia Grant。
〃Kim; does the skipper always get this。。ncerned?〃
Elfin…faced Kim; a young woman who wore her black hair in a short cut; showed a secret grin。 She whispered; 〃Most of the time he's a rock。 But he's worried about Lisa; and; well; there's Sammie。〃
Sammie Porter; youngest of the Terrible Trio; was a high…energy twenty…year…old with a thick mane of dark blond hair。 She usually didn't know the meaning of fear。。。but she usually didn't know the meaning of tact; either。 She was conscientious and bright but sometimes excitable。
Lisa's departure had meant a reshuffling of jobs on her watch; and Sammie had ended up with a lot of the coordinating duties Claudia and Lisa would have ordinarily handled。
〃Yellow squad; please go to preassigned coordinates before requesting puter readout;〃 she ordered a unit of attack mecha over the circuit。 The mammoth Robotech war machines were part of the ship's defensive force。 Excaliburs and Spartans and Raidar Xs; they were like some hybrid of armored knight and walking battleship。 They were among the units that guarded the ship itself; while the Veritechs sortied out into space。
Gloval bent close to check on what she was doing。 〃Everything all right? No trouble; I hope。〃
Sammie whirled and snapped; 〃Captain; please! I have to concentrate on these transmissions before they pile up!〃 Then she went back to ordering the lumbering mecha around; making sure that the gun turrets and missile batteries were alert and that all intel data and situation reports were up to date。
Gloval straightened; clamping his pipe in his teeth again。 〃Sorry。 I didn't mean to interrupt。〃 Kim and Vanessa gave him subtle looks; barely perceptible nods; to let him know that Sammie was on top of things。
Gloval had e to accept Sammie's occasional lack of diplomacy as a ponent of her fierce dedication to duty。 Sometimes she reminded him of a small; not…to…be…trifled…with sheep dog。
Gloval considered the Terrible Trio for a moment。 Through some joke of the gods; it had been these three whom the original Zentraedi spies…Bron; Konda; and Rico…had met and; not to put too fine a point on it; begun dating and formed attachments to。
The normally clear lines between personal life and matters of concern to the service were being quite muddied。 The Zentraedi seemed decent enough; but there were already reports of ugly incidents between the defectors and some of the SDF…1's inhabitants。 Gloval worried about the Terrible Trio; worried about the Zentraedi…was apprehensive that; after all; the two races could never coexist。
On top of that; he couldn't shake the feeling that he ought to be setting curfews; or providing chaperones; or doing something paternal。 These things troubled him in the brief moments when he wasn't doing his best t