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〃Attention； N'trpriz；〃 the voice began。 〃Your vessel is being scanned。 Do not； repeat； do not attempt to arm or deploy any weapons。 〃
K'rrk flashed his weapons officer a paw signal for restraint and patience。 〃Understood； Haydon IV；〃 he directed toward overhead audio pickups。 〃With whom are we speaking？〃
〃You are in munication with Haydon IV's Awareness。 State your purpose； N'trpriz。〃
K'rrk glanced at his crew； then said； 〃We must be permitted to establish a docking orbit around Haydon IV for the purpose of extracting our citizens；〃
Ursine eyes fixed on the forward screen and speakers。 〃That cannot be permitted；〃 the Awareness replied at last。 〃Your citizens are in no danger。 Do not； repeat； do not attempt an approach or your vessel will have to be destroyed。〃 K'rrk bared his fangs in a twisted smile。 If the normally dour Karbarrans had learned anything from the Sentinels' victorious campaigns； it was that fate； destiny； could be grasped as one would a prize piece of fruit。 And just now Haydon IV was that prize； a conquest that would consolidate Karbarra's power among the worlds of the Local Group and reward a certain mander with the dreadnought of his choosing for all subsequent sorties。
〃Nonsense；〃 K'rrk told the Awareness with a gurgling snarl。 〃Release your prisoners at once or suffer the consequences。〃 He hit the …interrupt stud and swung to Lorek。 〃Do we still have a fix on the nerve center？〃
〃Affirmative； mander。〃
K'rrk struck the arm of the mand chair with a huge fist； nonretractable claws finding their usual grooves。 〃Activate all electronic countermeasures and prepare for evasive action。 Mav； prepare to secure us a counterrotational orbit at my mand。 Cano： target primary torpedoes ground zero on nerve center coordinates。〃
〃We're being warned away； sir；〃 Reeza said。
〃Engineering；〃 K'rrk growled across the …line as the N'trpriz began to close on the accelerating sphere that was Haydon IV。
〃Engineering here； mander；〃 a thickly accented Highlander's voice returned。
〃We're going to try a hit…and…run； Rash。 Will your engines back us up？〃
〃By Firrbisst； you know they will； mander。〃 K'rrk grinned。 〃All right； Cano； on my…〃
A blare of two…note warning horns overpowered his words。 〃mander；〃 Lorek reported in an astonished voice。 〃Ship's auto…destruct has been armed and is counting down！〃
K'rrk rose halfway out of the helm chair。 〃What？〃
〃Auto…destruct set for thirty units； sir。〃
K'rrk spit a curse at Haydon IV's on…screen image。 〃Toy with us； you will not！ Mav； plot a course directly for the surface。 I want us in this ship sitting right over the Awareness！〃
〃Twenty units； sir。 〃
K'rrk slammed a paw down on the chair's control panel。 〃Ship's puter；〃 he said； catching a whiff of his own muskiness。 〃Abort auto…destruct sequence。 Priority override； K'rrk…two…K'rrk…one； cancel。〃
Lorek entered a similar verbal code； and the warning horns were silenced。 〃Auto…destruct sequence aborted；〃 Lorek up dated。
K'rrk grinned knowingly。 〃All engines full reverse； Mav。〃 The navigator tapped a flurry of mands into his console； then threw a wide…eyed look over his shoulder。 〃Sir； the ship isn't responding！〃
〃Rash！〃 K'rrk barked over the …line。 〃Get your engines on…line！〃
The chief engineer's reply was panicked。 〃By the UrFlower； we're trying； sir！〃
K'rrk heard Lorek's sharp intake of breath under the blare of reactivated warning horns。 〃Auto…destruct reinitiated； mander。 Counting down from thirty units。〃
〃Haydon！〃 K'rrk bellowed。 〃Mav： Return to previous course heading； all ahead full！〃
〃Twenty units； mander。〃
〃We've got full reverse； sir；〃 Rash said proudly from engineering。
K'rrk's muzzle fell open at the sight of Haydon IV dwindling on…screen。 〃Full ahead！ Full ahead！〃
〃No response； sir！〃 Mav said。 〃Ten units； mander。〃
〃Ship's puter；〃 K'rrk sputtered。 〃Abort auto…destruct sequence。 K'rrk…two…K'rrk…one。 〃
〃You forget to say ‘priority override'！〃 every officer on the bridge cried at the same time。
〃Five units； mander。〃
〃Ship's puter；〃 K'rrk started again。 〃Priority override…No！ I mean Abort K'rrk…two… No； I…〃
〃Four units； mander！〃
〃Ship's K'rrk puter sequence…〃
Mav and Cano had abandoned their duty stations and were approaching him with murder in their eyes。
〃Abort； K'rrk！ Abort？
〃Three units。〃
〃Cancel priority…〃
〃Two units。〃
Even Reeza had joined the mutiny； the claws of her hands poised over the helm chair。
〃Arrrggggg！〃
〃One unit。〃
K'rrk was still butchering mands when the N'trpriz added its brief fireball to the heavenly sweep。
CHAPTER TEN
One of the things I liked about having ＇Sean＇ Phillips around was that his relationship with Marie Crystal was even more confused than mine was with Karen ＇Penn＇。 But we were petitors from almost the first moment he set foot on Tirol。 I had it figured then that the 15th thought they'd done the job the REF had been sent to do…cut the Robotech Masters down to size。 After all； none of us ＇in the REF＇ had dealings with the Masters。 As far as the Invid were concerned； the 15th had left Earth before their arrival and docked on Tirol after the Invid had already left。 So of course I made a thing about talking up the Sentinels and what we'd been through on Praxis and the rest。 But who could blame me when the 15th had gotten a bigger reception in Tiresia than the Sentinels had gotten when we'd returned victorious from Optera。
Jack Baker； Upwardly Mobile
Jack was first out of the launch bay； nine Veritechs formed up on his tail。 Newspace veteran Jack in his scarlet Alpha； out into the fog that was not。
That was the real kicker； he told himself。 That newspace； as Lang's Robotechs were calling it； felt more like a state of mind than a state of matter。 Extravehicular； immersed in vaporless white light； you got the feeling you were not so much 〃out there〃 as you were； well； inside something。
Against the black star…strewn backdrop everyone was used to； you were occasionally overe by the magnitude of it all。 You could sense just how insignificant you were in the grand scheme； and it made for easy bat when one figured your single ship didn't amount to squat。 （But jeez； how it could bring on the night； terrors afterward！ That amoebalike sense of immersion； the loss of self 。 。 。）
That was where newspace was something else。 Because in there…he might not say it； but he could not help but think it…one started to feel just too significant； as though every action one took set into motion a chain of immutable reactions。
The 〃fireflies〃 found by the fortress's bio…sensors were on…screen and closing on all sides。 They winked light just like the real things； here one moment； gone the next； vaguely blue against the colorless； ambient glow of newspace。
〃mand to Red Team leader。 Do you copy； Red leader？ Repeat； do you copy？〃
The SDF…3 was a black slash at nine o'clock； the mecha constituting Red and Blue Teams circumferentially deployed like widely scattered paint flecks chipped from the ship's hull。
Jack chinned into the mand frequency； opening a line to the Tactical Information Center。 〃Red One receiving you loud and clear； mand。 What have you got for us？〃
A video image of Co