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Ringo laughed and slapped his knee。 〃Sorry if I blew your cover。 I keep forgettin' you're too modest to brag about your military record！〃
〃What're you trying to prove？〃 Lunk yelled； muscles and veins standing out like cords in his beefy neck。
〃Nothin'；〃 Ringo returned。 〃Nothin' at all。 'Cept the Invid hate soldiers； and since we don't have much use for them ourselves； we decided to help them along this time。〃
Lunk began to rev his cycle； but Scott gestured to him to hold his ground。 〃Hand over your hostage！〃 Scott demanded of Ringo。
The gang leader turned to his men and laughed。 〃We might just make you part of today's quota； robby！〃
〃Yeah； we ain't picky！〃 the knifer threw in。
〃And we're not afraid of your firepower； neither；〃 the hulk yelled from the sidecar； raising a bazooka…type weapon into view。
〃They're psyching themselves up；〃 Rook cautioned the others。 〃Be ready！〃
On Ringo's word the four cycles leapt forward in a charge； but all at once a round detonated in their midst； throwing some of them off their machines。 Scott； Rand； and Rook exchanged looks； wondering who had fired。 Then they heard Spider and Annie's simultaneous screams and looked up： Three Invid Shock Troopers had appeared over the canopy of the oak tree。 Ringo and his boys were bolting for the shelter of the ranch house as continued flashes from the Troopers' shoulder cannons shook the ground and blew their cycles apart。 Kevin was trying desperately to free himself from the tree trunk； and Annie was shouting； 〃Do something！〃
Scott took the initiative and shot his Cyclone forward； engaging the thrusters and going to Battle Armor mode as the mecha left the ground。 Two of the Invid went after him； while the third dropped in low toward Lunk and the others。 Rand was working the system switches frantically； eager for the mecha to reconfigure。
〃e on！ e on！。。。What the heck's wrong with this thing！？〃 he said to Rook。
〃Just calm down；〃 she told him。 〃Remember what Scott told you…your thoughts have to help it along。 Relax and stop bashing away at it。〃 Rook lowered her head and threw the thumb switch。 Rand watched amazed as the cycle restructured； wrapping itself around her and integrating with her armor。 〃Treat it gently…like it's alive；〃 Rook added； standing now。
Scott meanwhile was off in another part of the grassy fields dancing between the annihilation discs sent his way by the Troopers who had put down on either side of him。 Lunk saw him lift off after half a dozen agile leaps and bounces and return fire from the suit's forearm rocket launchers。
〃I can't escape it！〃 Lunk yelled to no one in particular。 〃I thought I'd never be fighting again！〃
Rook was engaging the third Invid； while Rand continued to struggle with reconfiguration。 He was about to give up on it； when he felt the mecha's reciprocal vibe； and suddenly the damned thing was actually conforming itself to his armor。 He stood up； showing a look of disbelief under the helmet's faceplate； and gently engaged the system's hoverthrusters； searching the skies for signs of Rook or Scott。 At last he saw the red Cyclone rider。 She was powering up through a backflip one minute and dropping like a stiff…legged bomb the next。 But her Invid target leapt away in time； hooking itself overhead and dishing out a blast that nearly caught her。 She avoided the explosion by launching straight up； but the Trooper was sticking close； discharging two more bolts； one of which nicked her armor and sent her into a spinning descent toward a stand of trees。
Scott was handling himself well against the other two Troopers but had yet to land a Scorpion on either of them。 He was down on the ground now； getting off another shot before the Invid surrounded him； pincers swinging； discs cratering the soft earth。 Rand joined him； and together they managed to chase the Troopers off momentarily。
Scott was congratulating Rand on his mechamorphosis when Lunk pulled up alongside on the triplewheeler。
〃You weren't ever a member of the space battalion； were you？〃 Lunk asked Scott。
〃Yeah？。。。〃 said Scott。 〃So what？〃
〃Then you can fly a Veritech。〃
〃Of course I can；〃 Scott said excitedly。 〃Do you have one？〃
Lunk nodded。 〃Follow me。〃
Rand watched them zoom off； Scott running alongside Lunk's cycle。 He dodged an Invid that attempted to flatten him into the ground and brought his forearm up to fire。 But the Trooper was already flying off to link up with the other two； all three headed in the same general direction as Lunk and Scott。
If I hang around with this guy long enough； I'm gonna get myself killed for sure； Rand said to himself。
Then Rook was suddenly beside him； upright in Battle Armor mode and hovering two feet off the ground。 〃What's the matter；〃 she asked him； 〃your joints rusting up on you or something？〃
〃No； I was just trying to…〃
〃You really aren't much use in bat； are you？〃
〃Hey； wait a minute！〃 Rand shouted as she began to hover off in the same configuration。 〃It's not like I'm supposed to be here； you know。 I mean； technically I'm a nonbatant； did you know that？ Did I ever tell you about the time I fought off three Invid patrols at the same time。。。？〃
From the cover of the ranch house； Ringo watched Spider set Kevin free from the ropes that held him to the tree。 Knifer was kneeling by the window； peering over the stool； the hulk was cowering in a corner under a shelf。
〃Stop your whinin'； you lily…livered rogue！〃 Ringo shouted from the window。
Knifer looked up。 〃Hey； Ringo； I think I can hear your knees knockin'。〃
Ringo made an exasperated face and brought his fist down on Knifer's skull。 〃It's because I'm mad； bonehead。 Mad； mad； mad！〃 He punctuated each word with a follow…up blow。
Elsewhere； Annie was asking Yellow Dancer why she was hanging around。 They were in the singer's pink armored vehicle； parked some distance from the scene of the initial fighting。 〃What do you want from them？〃 Annie wanted to know。 〃I'm warning you； I can get very jealous。〃
Yellow turned to her from the driver's seat with an enigmatic smile。 〃Believe me；〃 she assured Annie； 〃there's absolutely nothing for you to be jealous of。〃
〃Well； then； it's okay；〃 Annie said； perking up。 〃You can hang around as much as you want。〃
The Veritech hangar was a dilapidated circular building； holed in numerous places； with a hemispherical red roof sectioned off and reinforced by curved trusses。 A mostly ruined solar windmill rose alongside the structure； which Scott guessed was a barn of some sort。 Up ahead； he saw Lunk give a wave； jump the triple…wheeler from the top of a small grassy embankment； and accelerate through the fallow fields that led to the makeshift hangar。 The Invid Shock Troopers were in hot pursuit overhead； their gleaming crablike bodies filling the sky。
〃Hurry！〃 Scott could hear Lunk shout。
Scott had been expecting to find the rusting shell of a first…generation Veritech； but once inside the building his hopes took a leap forward。 Carefully positioned in the spacious loft was what looked to be a well…maintained Alpha Fighter； sans augmentation pack and boosters； and certainly a leftover from the latter stages of the Second Robotech War。
〃Climb in；〃 said Lunk。 〃She's ready to fly。〃
〃Who's been maintaining it？〃 Scott asked as he struggled out of the reconfigured Cyclone。
〃Listen； I'm not as stupid as you might think；〃 Lunk said； raising his voice above explosive volleys from the Invid。 Discs were striking the fields nearby； loosening dirt and debris from the exposed rafters。 〃I was a certified bio…maintenance engineer。 Trust me； this baby will fly like a dream。〃
Scott climbed into the barn loft and gave the Veritech's radome an affectionate pat。 He threw himself up to the open canopy； got a good handhold； and slipped into the cockpit。 He hadn't bothered to change out of the Cyclone armor； but now he exchanged his helmet for the Veritech's own 〃thinking cap〃 and began a run…through of the systems。 It was so long since he had piloted a VT in atmosphere； he wondered if he could bring it off now。
〃Everything seems in order！〃 he called down to Lunk as an explosion tore out a huge section of wall。
Lunk's hands went to his ears； and he threw himself