〃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