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She sighed。 〃Love is so inconvenient。〃
Veidt had also insisted on ing along on the continuation of the mission； saying that Haydon IV held too many sad memories。 No one had any objections； but every other Haydonite had elected to stay behind and rebuild the planet。 Rick suspected Veidt preferred it that way。
Getting the new Praxian recruits squared away was something the Hunters felt safe in delegating to Gnea； Bela； and the other amazon veterans； plus ship's officers。 The couple managed to get free of other official responsibilities after the initial confusion and returned at long last to the quarters they shared。
Rick leaned his head back against the hatch once it closed。 〃A lo…oong day at the beach； babe。〃 Lisa chortled tiredly and nodded。
They hadn't been there since the start of the Garudan mission； it was odd to be back in the quiet； by the bed they had shared too long a time ago。
A change was apparent in Lisa。 Though she still wore the body…suit uniform of the REF； her damaged government…issue boots had been replaced with a pair of Praxian footgear； like over…the…knee moccasin wrappings； of soft hide resembling chamois。 Her long hair was held back with a knotted band of crimson； satiny fabric Bela had given her。
She also wore a weapons belt around her hips； with a pistol tied down to one thigh and a long Praxian fighting knife to the other。 Many Sentinels wore sidearms as a matter of course； but this was something new in Lisa。
In fact； Rick was packing； too。 〃We're a little overdressed； aren't we？〃 he asked； unbuckling his gunbelt。
His piratical…looking wife gave him a heavy…lidded gaze。 〃Well； surely some up…and…ing young Robotech admiral can figure out an appropriate plan of action to solve that problem； can't he？〃
He smiled。 〃Haven't you heard？ Night maneuvers are a Hunter specialty。〃
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
He had his own personal bestiary of unacceptable words； and chief among them was 〃defeat。〃
Constance Wildman； When Evil Had its Day： A Biography of T。R。 Edwards
Spheris presented a plicated skein of problems unlike those of any other Invid…held planet on the Sentinels' hit list。
〃We can't take any Protoculture weapons down there；〃 Teal explained at a strategy meeting。 〃To do so would mean disaster。〃
〃What're we supposed to fight 'em with； spit？〃 somebody groused from the sidelines。
Teal looked around toward the source of the voice； her eerie transparent eyes flashing。 〃Spheris is a planet of crystal structures；〃 she snapped。 〃Protoculture…weapons emissions evoke certain harmonics from the very texture of my homeworld。 Fire a beam and you're very likely to find that it will e back to hit you。 Or it could sunder some of the delicate latticework that makes up the planet； and cause great death and destruction among my people。〃
〃Hold； hold；〃 Lron grumbled。 〃How then do the rattering Invid operate？ Do they not use mecha？〃
Teal nodded。 〃As I said in the intel debriefing； Protoculture…based mecha do no damage； because they're not as focused； as concentrated； as a weapons beam。 But even the Invid dare not use weapons actuated by Protoculture； and so they employ a variety of conventional armaments。 But those armaments are very effective。〃
〃So are ours；〃 Bela put in； casually flicking her thumb across the razor edge of her shortsword。 She was also wearing a Badger assault pistol and a few grenades to plement her Praxian arms。
Others seconded what she had said： the Karbarrans with their pneumatic long…guns； the Garudans who had taken so quickly to REF conventional infantry weapons； Jack and Karen； who had seen for themselves that Invid could be hurt or stopped with projectile firearms if those firearms were used just right。
〃You're not listening！〃 Teal barked。 〃The Invid will have the advantage in firepower。 So； we must exploit our advantages to the fullest。 And the Sentinels' main advantage is my and Baldan's access to the Crystal Highways。〃
With this Teal put her hand on the shoulder of her son； Baldan II。 He sat by her side； gazing around at the Sentinels gathered at the meeting table and standing in ranks around it。
In mere weeks； he had grown until he was nearly his mother's height； a broad…shouldered； lean…waisted； post…adolescent wearing a loincloth。 People had simply taken to calling him by his father's name； leaving out the numerical。 Talking to him； Lisa had found； was uncannily like talking to the original Baldan at times； but at others it was like conversing with a newborn。
〃But you won't be going in blind；〃 Teal said。 〃My son and I will descend first； to scout the way and ferret out our enemy's weaknesses。〃
There were some low…decibel remarks when the gathering heard that。 Teal had never been very enthusiastic about the Sentinels' war…had stayed out of most of the fighting with a demeanor that had won her the nickname 〃Permafrost Princess。〃
But here was the Permafrost Princess； in the wake of Baldan's death and a motherhood she had detested at first； ready to take her son down on a first…in team op。 Ready to lay her life and her son's； most emphatically； on that well…known line。
Rick rose now； in the midst of a lot of murmured debate among those present。 〃We have to apply everything we've learned to beat the Invid； because they've had us outgunned and outnumbered at every turn。 Now； the subject populations of the planets we've liberated have always worked in our favor； and they've tipped the balance at least twice； maybe three times。 So our most important trump cards here are Teal and Baldan。
〃They will be delivered to the surface of Spheris by a stealth…insertion drop capsule and employ their innate skills to merge with the Crystal Highways。 They will gather information and attempt to raise popular resistance； while we hold station and wait。？
〃They will municate the results to us and coordinate our assault。 If anyone has objections to this general outline； I want to hear them now。〃
Moments passed'； while the Sentinels looked at one another and at Teal and Baldan II。 But no one spoke。
Baldan； for his part； looked over to where Karen Penn was sitting with some of the younger REF turks along the sidelines。 He had already heard of her deeds； his mother was rather taken with them。 Karen was talking with Gnea and another young amazon。 She suddenly looked up to meet Baldan's gaze； and he turned his face away； a radiance rising in his cheeks for no reason he could understand。
Rick Hunter was still speaking。
〃You all know the tactical importance of this planetary objective。 The Invid have found a way to mass…synthesize their nutrient fluid here…the best they have。 Apparently； it's like high…octane to them。 If we can cut off that supply； we'll be nailing the lid on their coffin。〃
He looked over to where Burak sat； at the edge of the shadows。 The thing that was Tesla； the thing that made every Sentinel uneasy no matter how it protested its faith to their cause； had failed to appear for the planning session。
〃And so at last we will have crippled their sources of new mecha〃…Rick ticked off on his fingers…〃their sources of new technology； their shipyards and their life…support supply line。 We'll be set up for the campaign on Pe