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Polly's hide showed through the molting white pelt as the creature grew： black； smooth； and hard…looking。 Polly heightened and broadened； bigger than Dana already； rearing back on two lengthening hind legs。
Dana had hesitated to give the alarm； fearing that someone would shoot her dog； but that ceased to matter。 The Pollinator let out an eerie inorganic sound； like a processed challenge roar。
〃Polly； stop！ Stay back！〃 She had the Wolverine up； centered； backing away herself。 The thing in front of her took a step toward her； though； and when its massive black foot pouched down； there was a distinct metallic sound。
It leaned toward her； and from its sheepdog face there appeared a single red…yellow lens。
Dana howled fiercely for a universe that would turn a dear pet and friend into a deadly foe。 She brought the Wolverine up and fired a sustained burst at the thing that had been the Pollinator。
Farther up the line； everybody froze。 Harry Penn blinked； caning out of his distraction； getting his bearings。 〃It's Dana！〃 he yelled to those ahead of him； and turned back； drawing his Badger。
Max； farther toward the front of the column； caught the news as it was passed along。 People were yelling conflicting questions； answers； and orders。
Max moaned aloud。 〃Dana！〃 He pressed Aurora into Miriya's arms。 〃Hang on to her！〃 Rick and Lisa had e hurrying back down the column； berating people to set up security and guard against a surprise attack from another quarter。 Lisa was calling in air cover； Rick was trying to find out what was going on at the rear。
People formed up to defend the children； Kazianna towering among them and unlimbering her oversized weapons。 Max shoved his wife and daughter toward them。 〃Vince！ Don't let anything happen to them！〃
Then he was off to the rear； leaving Louie and his cyberteam where they had set up rifle positions； dodging Scott Bernard； who had Marlene clasped to him protectively。
Max broke through the final screen of foliage to see something immense and black standing with its back to him； the sun of Omphalos doing little to relieve its intense darkness。
Those who had already gotten to the scene Harry Penn； Bowie； Lron； and a few others wavered； holding their fire； not sure what was going on。 The black mecha had bent to pick something up。 It turned toward them； straightening to its full height； with Dana in its armored fist。
Lron raised the squad laser weapon that he carried like a rifle and would have fired into the black mecha's leg in hopes of bringing it down； Max knocked the laser's thick barrel down。 〃Hold your fire； all of you！〃
The thing clutching Dana raised its free hand； pointing at Max。 She was struggling determinedly but weakly to break out of its grip； the effort was hopeless； and she did not seem to have the breath to yell to those below。 Huge； humped； and misshapen as a giant troll； the black mecha leaned toward Max as if about to speak。
But before it could； thrusters shook the ground and one of the escort Veritechs arrived； a Beta in Guardian mode。 It landed like an eagle ready to do battle； its balled armor fists cocked。
Its pilot couldn't open up； though； since Dana was in the line of fire。 The pilot began to shift his VT through mechamorphosis； going to Battloid； but before he could； the black mecha leapt at him and with one swing of its fearsome fist smashed the VT down。
The Guardian/Battloid crashed to the ground； broken and smoking。 Even as people raced toward it to rescue the pilot； the black mecha hit its foot thrusters and shot away into the sky； still clasping Dana。
In the middle of the confusion another escort VT； an Alpha； appeared； called back from its CAP flight； requesting instructions。 As boss of the SDF…3's fighter mand； Max got on the net。
〃Get down here right now。〃
〃But mander Sterling； shouldn't t？
〃I said land！〃
With a dozen different matters vying for his attention guarding against further attack； counting heads to see if anyone else had been taken； checking whether the Beta pilot was still alive； raising the dimensional fortress for reinforcements and to arrange a safe pullback Rick didn't realize what Max was doing until it was too late。
Max was gone； the second…generation Alpha shrieking away in Fighter mode； going supersonic in its ballistic climb； its sonic booms shaking the ground of Omphalos。 The VT's pilot was standing there bareheaded Max having appropriated his thinking cap helmet staring after his departing craft。
He saw Rick。 〃Sir； he didn't even stop to call for reinforcements。〃
〃I know； it's being done。〃
Of course； it would be precious minutes before more VTs could get there from the low…orbiting SDF…3。 The fighter jock nodded。 〃No way was he gonna wait； sir。〃
Rick； watching the spot where Max had disappeared in the distance； agreed。 〃No； the gauntlet's been thrown； Lieutenant。〃
The Alpha was one of the best in the SDF…3 inventory； a souped…up new armored Alpha version of a second…generation VT that was why Max had assigned it to fly security for the ground party but it was all he could do to keep the Black Knight in view。
〃Black Knight〃 was the way he had e to think of his antagonist。 Supposedly； that made him the White Knight； but he felt a poor excuse for one。
And a despicable failure as a father。
He had worried about Miriya from the first； always apprehensive because she had gone through the sizing chamber； had been subjected to so many dangers； had nearly died in battle and childbirth alike…he himself had nearly killed her！ And for Aurora； otherworldly entity from the very start； with her mind powers and unnatural maturation rate； Max had had constant concern。
But Dana； Dana 。。。 what malign brilliance for the being that ruled newspace to test him this way！ He had left Dana behind on Earth against his own better judgment when the SDF…3 set forth。 No one but Miriya…except perhaps Aurora…knew how bitterly he'd condemned himself when he'd heard about the suffering and hardship she had had to bear。
Never knowing a true home； growing up in war； her heart wounded terribly by Zor Prime and her very essence nearly raped by the madman Zand…Max could barely bring himself to think of those things； for when he did； he wished he had never been born。
His love of his family and the sense of calm Miriya and Aurora gave him were the things that had made Earth's greatest Robotech fighter gradually put aside bat over the years。 So of course； what better way to draw him back into war in all earnest than this？ And again it was Dana； poor Dana； suffering because of Max。
What pitiless genius！ The Regis would have her fight。
Max realized he'd been rasping an endless string of soft； monotonic obscenities and stopped。 He monitored the fighter ops and tac nets only to discover that none of the other VTs could get a fix on the Black Knight。 Nor could the SDF…3； even though the bandit was making a paint as big as a house on his scopes。
He was not surprised。
With his burners wide open； he gained slowly on the grotesque mecha。 It was not going at multimach…which it certainly seemed capable of doing…and it was staying at low altitude。 He prayed that that meant Dana was still