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hen realized why the rest of the team had disappeared so quickly。 Under a thin layer of snow the chute was a solid sheet of glacial ice。
Sera saw the apparent leader of the group whipping down the slope and lifted off to pursue him。 She paused briefly on the edge of the slide to issue instructions to her troops； then engaged the thrusters that would send her down toward the tree line along the Humans' course。
Although Lancer might have given Sera pause； she had no bonds with the rest of the team。 She came alongside Scott； realizing that he could see her through the mand ship's transparent bubble； and trained her cannons on him。 But at the last minute； Scott's heels found a bit of purchase and he suddenly ended up somersaulting out of harm's way； each of Sera's shots missing him as he rolled down the slope。
The Invid princess came to a halt at the bottom of the chute where the others had taken up positions behind groupings of terminal moraine boulders。 Lunk was loosing bursts against the cockpit canopy that made it impossible for Sera to tell in which direction the leader had headed。
Sera allowed the brutish Human to have his way for an instant； then turned on him； aware of the blood lust she felt in her heart。 But all at once one of the Human's teammates ran from cover and pushed the big one off his feet and out of the path of her shots。 Angered； Sera traversed the mand ship's cannons to find him； realizing only then that it was the lavender…haired Human。
Her hand remained poised above the weapon's ovalshaped trigger； paralyzed。
Elsewhere； the rebels and Shock Troopers continued to trade fire。
Marlene cowered behind a boulder as lethal packets of energy crisscrossed overhead； her hands pressed to her head； as if she were fearful of some internal explosion。
〃Fight or die！〃 she screamed； her words lost to the storm。 〃There must be another way。。。another life！〃
Then； a moment later； the fighting itself surrendered。 Scott heard an intense rumbling above him and looked up in time to see enormous chunks of ice fall from the buttresses surrounding the cirque； avalanching down into the basin； scattering the Invid Troopers and burying the Cyclones and Veritechs under tons of crystalline snow。
CHAPTER TWO
Scott had assumed that the 〃waning〃 ＇sic＇ of Yellow Dancer had something to do with Lancer's infatuation with Marlene； but while Scott was certainly on the right track； he had the wrong cause…a fact that contributed to the rivalries that arose later on。 Had the two men sat down and talked things out； perhaps they would have realized that Marlene was not the amnesiac Scott wanted to believe she was； nor Sera the Human pilot Lancer assumed her to be。 Time and time again this failure to municate would undermine the team's movement toward unity； right to the end。
Zeus Bellow； The Road to Reflex Point
It was Scott's idea that they separate into three groups。 The avalanche had indeed buried the VTs and Cyclones； but at the same time it had forced the Invid out of the basin area and bought some breathing space for the team。 Reunited； they had picked their way farther down the mountainside； splitting up when they reached the tree line。 There they left obvious evidence of their separate paths in the snow； hoping the Invid mander would similarly redeploy her Troopers。 This way； Scott hoped； his irregulars would stand a better chance of circling back to the chute and retrieving the mecha。
Somehow。
The squall had moved through； but the temperature had actually risen a couple of degrees。 Nevertheless； the freedom fighters were soaked to the skin and feeling the chill。 Annie felt it more than the others…her jumpsuit had little of the thermal protection afforded Rook by the Cyclone bodysuit； and she simply wasn't as inured to the cold as Rand。 As a result； she had ridden piggyback into the woods； her shaking arms draped around Rand's neck。
〃It'll get better when we get into the trees；〃 Rand had assured her。 〃I can't promise you a fire right away； but at least you'll be out of this wind。〃
At this point Rand had no real plan beyond finding temporary shelter where they could regain some of their strength。 All of them had taken a beating； and Rook had some severe facial burns。 Rand didn't imagine that Scott and Lunk were in much better shape； and even though Lancer had been spared real harm； he had Marlene to look out for； which was in some ways worse than being out there alone。 Rand had berated himself for having left his survival pack in the Alpha。 For the past few weeks he had been plaining to Scott that everyone was being too reliant on the mecha systems for survival； and now here he was out in the woods with nothing more than a handgun and his fenceman's tool。 But a few steps down the； forest's wide trail his attitude began to improve considerably； especially after he spied the snare。
Evidently at one time the place had been occupied by others who were less than sympathetic to the Invid。 There were three small； almost igloolike shelters containing foodstuffs； tools； and lengths of cord and cable； but more important； the trees along the trail had been rigged to repel intruders。
Rand left Annie in Rook's care in one of the shelters and went off into the moonlight to investigate。 That the designers of the traps had been after big game was immediately obvious； but each of the tree and cable mechanisms was in need of attention； and Rand realized that he was going to have to work fast if the snares were to serve their purpose。 So while Rook and Annie warmed themselves； he went to work replacing worn cables； resecuring counterbalances； and sharpening stakes。 He had to fell several medium…size trees； but he had been careful to select only those that would topple with the least amount of noise。 And thus far there had been no sign of the Invid。
He was busy on a final piece of handiwork now； down on his knees in the snow using cutters on the cable that guyed the central snare。
〃Aren't you finished yet？〃 he heard Rook ask behind him。
He turned from his task to give her a wry look。 She was ten feet away； arms folded and a smirk on her face。 〃Hope you and Mint have been fortable；〃 he answered with elaborate concern。
Rook made an affected gesture。 〃Oh； we'll manage until the servants arrive。 Have you been having fun with your cat's cradle？〃
Rand twisted a final piece of cable around itself and stood up； regarding the contraption in a self…satisfied way。
〃Sometimes I amaze myself。〃
Rook walked over and gave the wire a perplexed tug。 〃This is the better mousetrap you promised us？〃
〃You two just stay put in the shelter and leave the metal nightmares to me； okay？〃
She scowled。 〃Your confidence is underwhelming。〃
〃Pretend to believe in me；〃 he quipped。
Just then Annie ran into the clearing； breathless and pointing back toward the foot of the chute。
〃They're ing！〃
Rand told Rook to see if she could do something about the tracks they had left in the snow； so she and Annie went to work with conifer switches while he smoothed the snow around the snare。 He briefed his teammates on its workings and ran rapidly through the contingency plan he hoped they wouldn't have to resort to。 F