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〃Well？〃 Jack shouted。 〃What's he saying？〃
Tesla waited for the scientist to repeat it； nodding as he listened。 〃Rem is Tiresian。 His dreams were less； shall we say； monplace。 So he was sent elsewhere for further tests。〃
〃Where？〃 Janice asked； walking over to him。
Tesla listened for a moment。 〃To Haydon IV。 In fact； the Regent himself is on his way…〃 Tesla eyes went wide and the words caught in his throat。
〃Go on。。。〃
He swallowed and found his voice…raspy as it was； all at once。 〃The Regent is on his way to Haydon IV as we speak。〃
〃Then that's where we're bound；〃 Bela said evenly； her eyes narrowed to slits。
Tesla gulped； loud enough for everyone to hear。
〃We've got to get them to Jean's med team；〃 Learna announced； still holding on to her mate。
Bela lifted Lisa from the floor。 〃We have no time to lose。〃
Lron and Crysta moved in to take hold of Rick and Karen。
Max and Miriya received Cabell's good news/bad news update over the net： Rick and the others had been rescued； but they were still under the effects of the planet's microbe…laden atmosphere and delirious with fever。 Moreover； the mission had gone smoothly with no casualties among the team； but Rem was no longer on Garuda。 Jack's team was out of the crater hive now and awaiting extraction； Jean claimed that Rick； Lisa； and Karen were too weak to endure the trip back to the med group's temporary hq by Hovercycle or Garudan flitter。
Max signed off and immediately raised two of his wingmen on the tac； ordering them to rendezvous with Skull One at the crater hive。 Reconfiguring the media to Guardian mode； he imaged the Alpha into a vertical takeoff and set his course northeast for the basin。 As the VT rose； Max had a full view of the forests and steppes the Skull and Wolff Pack had turned to wasteland。 Not since the battle on Karbarra had he seen so much death； such extensive destruction。 The dome…shaped hive was in ruins； collapsed and in flames； the Optera tree forests； along with patches of grassland and evergreen； were burning out of control。 The terrain was ravaged beyond belief…pockmarked； holed； cratered； littered with legless or pincerless Invid mecha； bits of Hovertank and Veritech； Bioroid and Inorganic。 An entire hillside was covered base to summit with Hellcat husks and Invid and Garudan corpses。 Hundreds； perhaps thousands had died。 And from what Max was hearing over the net； the same scene had played at each and every Invid farm and installation throughout the planet's equatorial belt。 But Garuda had freed itself from the offworlders' yoke。
Good news。。。bad news。
Max said as much to Miriya as the VT covered the fifty or so miles to the crater。 She was still in the Beta module and apparently all right； in spite of her ordeal。 Max was cautiously optimistic； he had yet to quiz her about how her fighter had been brought down in the first place。
The crater hive was for the most part intact； but Max didn't expect it to last much longer。 Fires encroaching on it from all sides。 Skull One dropped out of the smoke and clouds onto a battleground much like the one they had just left； dead and wounded strewn across the field； a palpable mingling of triumph and loss。 Those Invid who had survived were seeing the Garudan's barbaric side； but Max didn't suppose he could fault Kami's people for the day's bloody aftermath； this requisite catharsis。
Masked again； Jack； Gnea； and Bela directed Max and his wingmen in； and got Rick and the others into the VTs as fast as they could。 Lron； Crysta； and Janice were keeping Tesla and a few Invid scientists under guard inside the hive…protected from the Garudans' bloodlust for the time being。 Kami； still weak but ambulatory now； was off somewhere sharing the bittersweet taste of victory with Learna and their fellow warriors。 Mopping up； Max ventured； much as the Wolff Pack was doing in other quarters。
Max caught a brief glimpse of Rick as he was being lifted into the cargo space of Blue Danube's Beta module。 The transpirator prevented Max from being able to see his friend's face； but Rick looked as though the Invid had robbed him of his bones。
The three VTs raced for Kami's village； where Jean's team took over and carried Rick and the others to the safety of the geodesic med dome。 Max couldn't help but see it as a miniature version of the Invid hives they had just destroyed。
He and Miriya entered on Jack's heels； doffed their masks； and took in a lungful of the dome's artificial atmosphere。
〃Sweet； isn't it？〃 Max said； trying to sound cheerful。 Miriya gave him a weak smile； but said nothing。 He was reaching for her hand when she suddenly stumbled and collapsed into his arms。
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Use your discretion； but try to have your men hold off until you're certain that at least half of them ＇ed。 note： the Zentraedi＇ are inside…that includes Breetai and that kingsize bitch； Kazianna。 Instruct the demo team to use more charges than they think necessary； I don't want any of them ing out alive。 In fact； it might be worthwhile to sabotage as many of their environment suits as possible beforehand。 Neither of us believe in accidents； Adams； but we're going to call it that no matter what。
A 〃Code Pyramid〃 muniqu？from T。 R。 Edwards； as quoted in Wildman's When Evil Had Its Day
A tight cluster of lights was descending out of Fantoma's perpetually brooding skies。 Breetai watched them for a moment； then turned away from the mand center's blister viewport to face his lieutenant。
〃They've arrived； my lord。〃
〃So I see；〃 Breetai said soberly。 He glanced back over his shoulder； snapped the faceshield that sealed his pressurized armor closed； and moved to the hut's airlock。 The lieutenant and two armed soldiers followed him out into Fantoma's night。
A constant debris…filled wind had been scouring the ringed giant's surface for the past three days； and Breetai instinctively raised an arm against it as he marched in lumbering high strides toward the landing zone's illumination grid。 Nearly all of the Zentraedi cadre had turned out for the confrontation； and Breetai spied Kazianna Hesh among them。 Nearby were a dozen or so Micronians in environment suits…some of Lang's Robotechs。 Edwards's Ghost Riders were reconfiguring their Veritechs now； imaging over from Guardian to Battloid as they touched down。
〃He apparently has more on his mind than a friendly chat；〃 Breetai said to his lieutenant while the last of the squadron was snapping into upright mode。 As murmurs of discontent reached him over the tactical freq； Breetai instructed his first officer to pass the word along that he wouldn't tolerate any incidents； no matter what Edwards said or did； his troops were to keep silent。
Edwards stepped his Battloid off the grid and began to move across the field in Breetai's direction。 The Zentraedi knew better than to regard this as some gesture of promise。 Four of the Ghosts flanked Edwards； with a kind of threatening casualness to the way they cradled their rifle/cannons。 Breetai threw his lieutenant a knowing glance。 The show of force came as no surprise； Dr。 Lang had already given him an idea of what to expect。
〃New Zarkopolis weles General Edwards；〃 Breetai said with practice