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er Ship pilots saw this； they broke formation and fell on the Humans； but by now Rand and Rook were back to back； with the VTs' weapons systems synchronized。 On Rand's mand they launched all their remaining cluster rockets； and in the fireworks display that followed； every Invid ship was destroyed。
At the same time； Lancer was seeing fireworks of his own。 The first to attack Ayres； he was the first down； toppled by a blow from the outlaw's bionic arm。 Lunk was already out…he had fainted from shock…but Scott stepped forward now； raising his weapon and cautioning Ayres not to move。 Confident inside the reconfigured mecha； Scott reasoned that Lancer's battle armor hadn't been enough to withstand the Human monster's strength； but surely Ayres couldn't bring a Cycloner down。。。
Scott tried to reason through it again a moment later； when he found himself flat on his back with Ayres standing over him aiming a blaster at his heart。 He couldn't even recall the punch Ayres had thrown。
〃Stay there；〃 said Ayres。 〃Don't get up。〃
Who is to say what he might have done had the two Veritechs not put down on either side of him just then？ Rook and Rand had the fighters in Guardian mode now； Rand leveled the rifle/cannon on Ayres while Rook leaped from her cockpit to face off with the gleaming half…Human outlaw。
〃You told me it was just revenge； Dusty。 That you weren't after the rest of us； remember？〃
〃They tried to kill me；〃 Ayres threw back； training his hand weapon on her。 The implication was clear： if Rand fired； Rook was going to die as well。 No one was even certain at this point that the VT could really take Ayres out。
〃Well； what did you expect them to do？〃 Rook screamed。 〃You're a murderer。〃 She took two steps toward the muzzle of the weapon。 〃So you might as well start with me； because these people mean more to me than life itself。 And if I thought that my helping you had contributed to their deaths； I couldn't live with myself。〃 She gestured to her breast。 〃Go ahead； Dusty： right here； right here。。。〃
Scott； Lancer； and Lunk were urging Rook to get back； but she stood her ground。
Ayres glowered at her and extended his weapon； but a moment later； much to Rand's amazement and everyone else's relief； he lowered it。
〃I couldn't do that；〃 he said； unable to meet her eyes。 〃I just couldn't。。。Maybe if I'd had friends like you； none of this would have happened。 I told you： I've got no argument with any of you people。〃
In the midst of all this； the Invid Enforcer had struggled to its feet and was now taking halting steps toward the Humans。 Scott and the rest of the team swung their guns off Dusty to train them on the approaching ship。 But Ayres told them not to worry about it。 〃I can tell by the way it's moving that it's no threat to us anymore。〃
Scott； who figured he knew the Invid just about as well as anyone； disagreed and told his team as much。 So it seemed that only Dusty was surprised when the ship's cannons flared to life。 He pushed Rook aside； raised his handgun； and fired； bull's…eyeing the ship's scanner。
Rook hid her face from the ensuing blinding flash and follow…up explosion。 She thought she heard a bloodcurdling scream pierce through it all； one of agony and release； and when she looked up Ayres was gone； disintegrated along with a great portion of the Invid ship itself。
The team spent the rest of the night picking up the pieces。 Rook filled everyone in； grateful for Rand's efforts to support her but in the end overriding his objections。 No one blamed her； really； they had all seen so much in the way of revenge； betrayal； and deceit this past year that Ayres's story was nothing new。
〃I told him his real enemies were the Invid；〃 Rook explained。 〃I'm sure they put something in his head； they had more control over him than he realized。〃
〃More than he wanted to admit； that's for sure；〃 said Lancer。 〃Those ships pulled back to see what we'd do up against their toy。 He was probably an early experiment to see if they could use us against one another。〃
〃And it's obvious they can；〃 Scott added。 He exchanged a brief look with Lancer。 They were both thinking about the blond pilot they had seen in the tropics and then again in the snow…covered Sierra pass。
And they were thinking about Marlene。
〃Well； at least he had a friend in his last moments；〃 Lunk said to Rook。
She gave him a wan smile。 〃He died for us。。。〃
〃Stop it； Rook；〃 Scott said harshly before she could continue。 〃Don't make him out to be some kind of hero。〃
Rand saw the hurt look surface on his friend's face and moved quickly to Rook's side to take her hand。 〃Scott's right；〃 he said softly。 〃Dusty wasn't a hero； Rook。〃 〃Then what was he； Rand？〃 she wanted to know。 Rand's lips pressed to a thin line。 〃He was a victim。〃
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Oh； what a place this was！ A city？ The city。 These nine foot techno…horse…headed gestapos with their black armor and fancy blasters。。。They wouldn'a drawn second looks in this town。
Remark reported by Rand in his Notes on the Run
Another week went by and there was still no sign of advance units from the Expeditionary Force。 Nevertheless； Scott and his team put the time to good use reconning the southern and eastern perimeters of the central hive plex。 Thanks to information supplied to him by the Robotech officer （whose remains were now housed in the same graveyard Dusty Ayres helped to fill）； Scott was beginning to form an overview of Reflex Point； it was not； as initially believed； a single hive but rather a group of hives； at the hub of which was the Regis's stronghold。 The plex covered a vast territory that stretched from the Ohio River Valley to the Great Lakes and from what had once been Pennsylvania west to Illinois。 The week's recon had established that the perimeter was most penetrable from the northeast； this constituted something of a lucky break for the team； as it placed Mannatan （formerly New York City） close enough to their route to justify a short detour。 Burdette； the late Robotech officer； had furnished Scott with the location of a relatively unpoliced Invid storage facility within the island city； where there was more than enough canister Protoculture to restock the team's dwindling supplies。
Mannatan was the largest surviving city in the Americas； Northlands and Southlands。 It had been shaken and scorched by Dolza's annihilation bolts； but many of its enormous structures had survived intact。 So much death had been rained around it； however； that the city had had to be evacuated。 Few of the millions of evacuees who had fled into the irradiated surroundings had survived； but by the end of the Second Robotech War； people and mutant birds with condorlike wingspans were finding their way back to the cracked and fissured towers； and the abandoned city slowly began to repopulate。 Before the Invid arrived； hopes ran high that the city would rise once again to bee the great center it had been in the previous century； but those plans were dashed with the aliens' first wave。 Still； the Regis saw no reason to destroy the place； she merely constructed one of her hives atop the tallest structure…the 1；675…foot Trump Building； which the hive encased like a wasps' nest just sho