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…giving trees…for diversion。 The XT labor force was strung out for more than a mile along a sparsely wooded hillside guarded by a pany of armed and weapon…wielding Invid soldiers。 It was then that Wolff had opened the net to Max。
The Skull fighters were overhead now； Wolff could see them through breaks in the trees' clustered； billiard…ball canopies。 Shock Troopers and Pincer Ships were right on their tails。
Wolff's Hovertanks broke out of the forest a moment after Skull One Touched down； the Alpha was in Guardian mode； with the rifle/cannon gripped in one gauntlet； stammering its harsh greeting to the Hellcats。 Dozens of Inorganics burst apart as armor…piercing rounds ripped into the pack； but five times that number made it through the VT's still…forming line； bounding over the mecha and continuing their mad rush for the Garudans。 Aware of the situation now； the helpless slaves had broken ranks and were attempting to flee； most of them were cut down instantly by bursts from the soldiers' forearm guns； while others fell to the first wave of Inorganics； torn apart by Hellcats or roasted by bolts from the Cranns' orifice…dimpled weapons spheres。
Wolff ordered the Pack to spread out and form a second line； the Hovertanks reconfigured and began to fire at will； decimating much of the second sortie wave； but suddenly forced to deal with the Shock Troopers as well。 Annihilation disks stormed into the tankers' midst； tearing up the land and overturning two of the mecha。 Wolff could see that members of Max's blue team were going over to Battloid and repositioning themselves opposite the Pack to form the second leg of a V formation。 Wolff called for a cannonade as the Inorganics rushed into the notch。 Pounded with explosive rounds the tundra shook and bellowed； the ridge trapped the concussive sounds and hurled them back； as Inorganics and Shock Troopers alike were reduced to gobs of white…hot metal； geysers of fire in the already superheated air。
Miriya's Red team came in just then to add their deafening movement to the score。 Pincer Ships and VTs went face…to…face； hammering away at one another； while miss