luded that Max had gotten it。
〃Strange； strange day；〃 Rick sighed。
He caught snatches of their conversation without meaning to。 What had she done？ Just used a dash of that liquid； the cooking oil。 Nothing on the bottle said it shouldn't be used in the coffeepot。
Max would be perfectly willing to do all the cooking for a while； Miriya insisted that she wanted to do her share。 That was what rades in arms and lifelong mates did； she insisted。
After a bit longer； they were both giggling and the hatch to the bedroom closed。 Rick slugged his pillow like he was in a title fight； then threw his head against the mattress and pulled the pillow over it。
I hope they'll be happy； he forced himself to think。 Then he found himself thinking about Minmei； and of Lisa； and then of Claudia； grieving for Roy Fokker…so brave； stronger than Rick would be in her place。
Roy had tried to tell him something once； something the original Skull Leader had discovered during the course of his tempestuous love affair with Claudia Grant。
Before you can love someone； you have to like them。
The thought came into Rick's mind unbidden； along with the image of long； light brown hair and a slender form…a quick； disciplined mind and a mitment to a set of beliefs that Rick found mare worthy every day。 And…there was the remembrance of a kiss before alien captors； a kiss that had been so much more than he had expected and had haunted him since。
I like Lisa； maybe I even…
He tossed on his bunk； head on top of his pillow now； staring out at space through his cabin's viewports。 Next door there was still silence。
In a few moments he was blinking tiredly before he could sort out just what it was he felt。
I'm so beat。 I feel like just…
He fell asleep with Lisa's face before him。
CHAPTER TWELVE
Khyron was always different from the rest of us； and the ways of the Micronians held some dark fascination for him； however much he fought it。
But the Micronians are mad！ Is it any wonder this drove him over the brink； so that as he perceived it his only relief was to liquidate them all？
Grel
〃Alien vessel； battleship class； sir。〃 Vanessa said tightly from her monitoring station on the bridge。
This time Gloval was ready。 〃Prepare to fire main cannon！ Lock all tracking systems to target！〃
In the respite that had followed the last attack； engineers had pleted retrofitting and new installation。 At long last； the SDF…1 had been brought into Attack mode without major damage to Macross City and acpanying loss of life。
The ship could use its fearsome main gun in this configuration； standing like a monumental armored gladiator in space with the two tremendous supercarriers held out like menacing forearms。
〃All systems go； booms now moving into position；〃 Claudia said in clipped tones。 The booms had stood like hours above the fortress； now； brute servomotors swung them down so that they pointed out straight from both of the ship's huge； bulky shoulder structures。
〃Main gun standing by to fire on your mand； Captain；〃 the message was patched in from engineering。 Claudia couldn't help but wish Lisa were back （on the bridge。 The Terrible Trio and the other techs were good and were doing the best they could； but nobody except perhaps Dr。 Lang knew as much about the ship as Lisa。
Sammie watched the preparations； wide…eyed。 〃I bet this is a trick or something；〃 she declared in her young； breathless voice。 〃A Trojan horse！〃
Kim spared a moment from her own problems to gaze at Sammie dubiously。 〃Trojan horse？ They know we'd never fall for that！ Where on Earth would you get an idea like that from？〃
〃The Trojan War！ Besides； that's the way it always happens in the movies。〃
For two years now； they've been trying to wipe us out； and she still thinks about movies！ Kim groaned to herself and went back to her job； resolving to slug Sammie later。
Sammie said with high acrimony； 〃Okay； if you've got a better theory； let's hear it！〃
Vanessa cut through the squabble。
〃Captain；〃 Vanessa said； 〃I have a message ing in in cleartext from the alien ship。〃
Gloval came halfway out of the mand chair。 〃What？〃 He tried not to let himself hope too much。
〃They're asking permission to approach the SDF…1。 Shall I put it up on the monitor； Captain？〃
Gloval grunted approval； and Vanessa plied。 Suddenly； Sammie's flight of fantasy didn't sound so zany。
〃I say again： We are sending an unarmed ship to dock with your battle fortress。 We request a cessation of hostilities。 Please hold your fire。〃
The enemy flagship drew near at dead…slow speed； straight into the line of fire of the main gun。 The battleship might be nine solid miles of supertech mayhem； but surely by now the Zentraedi knew that it would be as defenseless as a helium blimp before the holocaust blast those massive booms could generate。
〃Let them e；〃 Gloval told Claudia。 〃But stand ready to fire。〃
Claudia flipped up the red safety cover with her thumb； exposing the trigger of the main gun。 Sweating； she watched the battlewagon close in； ready to fire the instant Gloval gave the order but forcing herself to be calm。 She was unaware that everyone else there； captain and enlisted ratings alike； was glad that Claudia…whom they saw as a tower of strength…was trigger man that day。
Gloval let the flagship e at him； e at him。 Sammie's Trojan horse remark was much in his mind。 He wondered about this Breetai； whom Lisa and Rick had described to him。 The three Zentraedi spies and the deserters who had e after them had contributed more； as had Miriya。 Gloval wondered and hoped the vagaries of war would let him meet Breetai face to face； he suspected that the alien mander felt the same。
The flagship slowed to a stop； a sitting duck of a target； reassuring him。 But abruptly there were dozens of streamers of light swirling from behind it； bearing in on the fortress at high speed。 Gloval didn't have to look at the puter displays； he had seen these performance profiles before。
Vanessa yelled； 〃Picking up large strike force of tri…thruster pursuit ships； closing rapidly！〃
The tri…thrusters were right in the line of fire； Claudia's forefinger hovered by the trigger。
What are they up to now？ Gloval thought with dismay。 Peace had seemed so suddenly； tantalizingly close。 But what could this be except betrayal？
The tri's were out in front of the flagship； closing in on the SDF…1； their drives leaving bright swirling ribbons of light behind them。 The mand to fire was on Gloval's lips。
But all at once a hundred batteries in the enemy flagship's forward section opened up； and the tri…thrusters were blown into fragments； dozens disappearing per second in ballooning clouds of total annihilation。 The bluewhite lines of energy from the enemy dreadnought； thread…fine against its enormous bulk； redirected immediately upon destruction of a target； to the next。 In moments； the massive sortie fell apart and space was full of briefly flaming junk。
Gloval swallowed。 〃Secure the trigger but stand by；〃 he said。
Claudia closed her eyes for a moment； breathing a prayer； thumbing the safety cover over the trigger。 But as he had ordered； her thumb rested on it still。
Breetai stood at his mand station； hands clasped at the small of his back。 As he expected； Khyron the Backstabber didn't take long to appear by projecbeam image。
〃Breetai； have you gone mad？〃
Breetai studied him coldly。 〃Your ships were interfering with a diplomatic mission； as you well know。 And so I disposed of them。 Henceforth you will address me by my proper rank。〃
Khyron fought a fierce internal battle； then managed； 〃mander； what happens now？ I refuse to spare the Micronians！ We all know Dolza's orders！〃
〃You know nothing； Khyron！ And I will hear no further word from you on the subject。 Just consider yourself lucky you didn't choose to lead your troops this day！〃
〃Ridiculous！〃
Breetai swung his mand chair away from the screen； cutting the munications circuit； muttering； 〃Hardly。〃
Like some immense killer whale； the flagship came to a stop directly in front of the SDF…1's most powerful weapon。
〃They're just sitting out there； Captain； I guess they're waiting for us to make a move。〃 Claudia's thumbnail stood under the edge of the trigger's cover。
If they don't want peace； why would they destroy their own fighters？ Why would they not overwhelm us； as they so easily could？
〃They wish to send an emissary。 Very well；〃 he decided。 〃So be it。〃
The Veritechs flew forth acpanied by other mecha； like the cat's…eye intel ships； detector…loaded and studying everything about the emissary pod。
The pod was standard except that it mounted only auxiliary mo gear： no weapons。 The cat's…eyes and other emissions…intelligence detectors said that it wasn't the Trojan horse of Sammie's nightmares。
Rick Hunter quieted his Skull Team； telling them he knew it was weird and getting weirder all the time but reminding them the team hadn't suffered any casualties in a while。
That strangest of all convoys came to rest in an SDF…1 bay； the VTs now in Battloid mode with their chain…guns leveled at the pod。
Things moved quickly to the hangar deck； while PA voices went on about the normal checklist procedures and the extraordinary precautions surrounding the emissary's arrival。 No one wanted to take any chances on a double…cross or； perhaps worse； on a vengeful human's violent act robbing the SDF…1 of this chance for peace。 Security was…in some ways literally…airtight。
The enemy mecha knelt； its prow touching the deck as the rear…articulated legs folded back。 A rear hatch swung open； a Brobdingnagian enemy trooper stomped forth to glare around。
〃Aren't you forgetting something？〃 called a reedy； highly miffed voice from within the pod。
The mountainous trooper was immediately contrite； almost afraid。 〃Oh； please forgive me； your Eminence！ My humblest apologies！〃
The trooper reached carefully into the pod and came out with a small figure； which he set down with exaggerated； painstaking care。 It had been explained exactly what would happen to him if he allowed his micronized passenger to e to any harm。
Exedore； dressed in the blue sackcloth robe that was all the Zentraedi had to give their microni