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ask from his mouth； determined to keep a straight face。 Still wary； he sniffed at the air； found it slightly dank but breathable； and gave the all…clear for the others to follow his example。 〃Which way？〃 he demanded； leading with his chin。
Tesla pointed to the circular shaft directly overhead。 〃There。〃 With a theatrical gesture； he motioned the team to gather round him。 No sooner had they done so than they found themselves imprisoned by some sort of tractor beam that was lifting them en masse toward the overhead shaft。 Gnea brought the tip of her lance to the ribbed underside of Tesla's neck。
〃No；〃 he told her； up on tiptoes to ease the contact。 〃You have it all wrong。 This is simply our。。。elevator system。〃
Jack and Janice were down in a bat crouch； weapons drawn； searching the beam's translucent circumference for any sign of danger。 Lron； Crysta； Bela； and Kami were similarly postured； Karbarran air rifles at high port； crossbows armed。 Tesla continued to protest for the duration of the thirty…second ascent into the dome's upper reaches。
Slowly； the tractor field began to de…rezz。
Jack had relaxed some by the time the beam shut down； then all at once he saw four Invid sentries swinging around to face them； forearm cannons raised。
Max had seen Miriya's Alpha go down。 He had his own VT in Battloid mode now； and was running it toward the crash site through a section of burning forest。 Two of his team were dead； at least that many of Miriya's had died as well。 He wasn't sure how Wolff was doing； but he had seen more than one Hovertank overturned by Shock Trooper anni disks。 Max didn't even want to think about the Garudan slaves。 And suddenly there was Miriya to worry about。
The mecha's scanners caught sight of something up ahead； and Max called for increased intensity； studying the biosensor data displays。 A minute later he had visuals。 It was Miriya's Red Alpha alright； in lopsided Guardian configuration； radome tipped to the ground…a wounded bird。
Then Max spotted the Hellcats…four of them； attacking the VT's canopy with a frenzy； battering it with downward blows of their armored heads。 He could see that one Inorganic had managed to get a claw inside； and was waving it around； presumably hoping to slice Miriya to shreds。 The four turned at the same moment to show Max their gleaming fangs and sword…edged shoulder horns； two hunt…mates leaped for the VT straightaway； but he already had the rifle/cannon locked on them。 They came apart in midair like clay pigeons。 Max holed a third where it stood glaring at him； and now the final 'Cat snatched its paw from the punctured canopy； reared up； and came at him。 Max tried to sidestep the Battloid when the Hellcat jumped； but his timing was off； the Inorganic latched on to the mecha's ablative head shields and began to ram its snout against the permaplas visor。 Reflexively； Max pressed himself back into the cockpit seat； he had a larger…than…life view of the crazed thing's snapping mouth and false gullet。 The 'Cat was snarling； trying desperately to slice open the Battloid's belly with the churning motion of its razor…sharp hind claws。 Max shut down the external pickups and armed the head lasers。 The angle was almost too oblique； but the Hellcat's back was heaving in and out of the targeting brackets and Max thought he might have a chance。 He raised the Battloid's left arm； gripped the 'Cat around the waist； and tugged it into the lasers' field。 Then he triggered the in…close guns。 The Inorganic brought its head up as the light beams seared into its backside； it took Max's follow…up pulse right through the eyes and dropped to the ground； lifeless。
Max stomped the thing twice。 He imaged over to Guardian mode and pulled his mask tight as he popped the media's canopy。 Miriya had yet to show herself。 Scampering up along the Red's downswept wing； he peered into the shattered cockpit and began to fumble with the manual…release levers。
〃Miriya！〃
He called her name twice more before he succeeded in springing the ship's protective blister。 She appeared unharmed； but unconscious。 More troubling； however； was the fact that the Hellcat had ripped off her mask； she had been breathing Garuda's atmosphere for a dangerously long time。
CHAPTER TWELVE
Several mentators have felt pelled to point out that Jonathan's Wolff's 〃slip〃 ＇sic： see Mizner's Rakes and Rogues； The True Story of the SDF…3 Expeditionary Mission＇ was perhaps the pivotal event of the Third Robotech War。 The reasoning goes something like this： If Wolff had fired on the Invid ship； Rem would never had reached Haydon IV； and without Rem； the Regis would not have been as likely to instruct her Sensor Nebulae to search the Galaxy's outermost arms for evidence of the matrix； and would not； therefore； have found Earth until years after the Expeditionary mission returned。 The reader must decide for him or herself whether anything is to be gained by such speculation； but I would point out that ＇Mizner's＇ reasoning can be made to apply in both directions。 It is as easy to blame Lynn…Minmei as it is Jonathan Wolff。
Footnote in Zens Bellow's The Road to Reflex Point
An Invid ship； a small shuttle； had docked at Haydon IV's spaceport facility。 The Regis had been told that it was from Garuda…and bearing gifts。
She was in her temporary headquarters high atop one of the city's ultratech architectural wonders when news of the ship's arrival was delivered to her。 Out of reach； she liked to think； distanced from the cold； unsettling presence of the planet's armless； hovering creatures； the displaced and still discontent Praxian Sisterhood； her own disforting discoveries。。。And out of the Regent's reach； his dark schemes and mad plans。
But if anything； Haydon IV had only pounded the misery she had carried here from Optera and Praxis。 She felt at the mercy of a confused longing she could not define； a need to break free of this horizonless condition。
She supposed that she should have been grateful that Haydon IV's inhabitants hadn't in any way trifled with her or denied her anything； but neither had they accepted her as the evolved being she fancied herself to be。 It was more accurate to say they had tolerated her presence…as if they were all privy to some grand arcane mystery she couldn't even discern； much less unravel。 And furthermore she sensed that this had something to do with the world's equally mysterious founder/creator…Haydon。 The databanks she had searched for answers to her own evolutionary puzzles gave some glimpse into his life； but hardly enough to form a plete portrait of the being。 And she confessed to a certain trepidation at expanding her efforts along these lines。 Already the very foundation of her own life's work had been shaken by what she had uncovered in Haydon's transphysical musings； and all at once she felt too unsure of herself and her ambitions to permit much more in the way of contradiction。 There were hints； though； that she was not； as she had imagined； in control of things； that the theft of the Flowers； the Invid's quest； even Zor's misdeeds； were but part of a much grander design…one in which she； too； did little more than play out a role。 And that role。。。that role demanded s