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〃HQ building partially secured but still putting up resistance； sir；〃 Adams repeated。 〃I think we should stand fast and wait till…〃
〃We're going in；〃 Edwards cut him off。 〃Where's that SDF escort？〃
Adams told him calmly； 〃Rendezvous is still on schedule。 They're beginning orbital insertion now。 We only have twenty…three minutes； General。〃
More than enough time。 〃Drive on！ Hit hard！〃 Edwards hollered over the tac net。 〃I want some results； people！〃 Relaying orders back to the Living puter by means of a receptor band that looked something like an Invid slave headband； he worked the Inorganics into a killing frenzy。
He left the limo behind to take personal charge of the raid。 His forces mowed down all opposition； slew and demolished； melted superalloy and blew apart walls。 At the entrance of the brig section； he was obliged to leave his Inorganics and Ghost mecha behind because the corridors were too small。 Ghost Riders deployed with rifles leveled； securing the area。
Minmei had imagined the cell door opening； had imagined it so many times that she thought her mind was playing tricks on her now that it was happening。 Oh； God！ I'd rather be dead than crazy！
But when Edwards stepped into the open doorway； she knew she wasn't imagining it and started to scream。 Sinking her fingers into the black hair that hung around her face； squeezing her eyes shut； she shrieked。
Edwards pounced on her as Adams and two lesser officers brought up the rear； guarding the door。 The general cuffed her face； back and forth。 〃Shut up； shut up！〃
Then he had her shoulders； shaking her； as she shuddered with long； wracking sobs。 〃Minmei； you're ing with me！ Do you hear？ You're mine！〃 He slapped her again。 〃Not Hunter's！ Not Wolff's！ Mine！
Somehow she stopped crying。 Minmei raised her eyes to Edwards with a look he had never seen from her before。 She wiped away the tears and saliva and mucous with the back of her hand。
She looked her foe in the eye。 〃If you don't leave me alone you'd better kill me； T。 R。 Or else I am going to kill you。〃
He felt such sudden misgiving that he raised his hand to hit her again； expecting her to flinch。 But she kept her eyes fixed on him。 〃I'm going to make you beg me to forget what you just said；〃 he whispered。
Minmei drew a deep breath。 揘o； you're not。〃
A hand closed around Edwards's upraised wrist from behind； a voice told him； 揘o； you're not。〃
Edwards was pulled aside； his wrist nearly broken。 He was spun at the cell wall like a child's top； his burnished facemask ringing against it； his nose banged so that he smelled metal and blood。 He clawed for purchase but found himself sliding down the cold alloy； leaving a red stain。 A foot pressed his head to the deck； nearly crushed it； then relented。 Then the foot was abruptly gone。
The general shook his head to clear it； glancing about drunkenly。 Adams lay sprawled in the doorway； perhaps unconscious； perhaps dead。 Edwards could see the upturned toes of one downed guard's boots in the corridor beyond。 Minmei was on her feet with a look on her face that Edwards had always longed to force her to direct at him。 But it was for the man in the REF flight suit who had appeared out of nowhere。
Edwards felt numbed in certain ways； superalert in others。 The light danced in Minmei's eyes as she slowly raised her hands to her rescuer。
〃Lynn…Kyle！ Oh； Lynn…Kyle。。。〃
Her distant cousin and； in the opinion of some； a reflection of the dark side of Minmei herself； her onetime lover and the most renowned martial arts fighter of the Robotech age。 The haunted and saturnine； the brilliantly gifted but ill…starred； the undefeated and cursed Lynn…Kyle。
Kyle's face was thinner than when he had been a movie star。 The fine； silky black shag was showing some gray。 He kissed his cousin's forehead； then took her hand。 〃I'm taking you home。〃 There was something as much penitent as loving in his voice。
Home！ She couldn't really think what the word meant anymore。 But she felt weightless； her hand and her body and her soul buoyant beyond belief； as she entrusted her grip to his； her feet seemingly free of the cell floor。
Edwards lurched and grabbed her ankle with a failing grip。 〃No！ I won't let you go！〃
Kyle was kneeling on Edwards's biceps； Edwards's head clamped in his hands； so quickly that there was no sense of transition。 The general heard the bones of his upper spine creak and knew that his life lay on the line。
The dagger in Edwards's boot； the energy derringer in his jacket pocket…those might as well be on the SDF…3； or back on Earth； for all the good they could do him。 Kyle was as quick as a lightning bolt； and there was simply no defense against him。 He was more like an elemental force than a man。
〃I've never taken a human life。〃 The words seemed to e so slowly； though Edwards knew Lynn…Kyle was speaking very fast。 〃But I'll kill you if you don't lie still！〃 The heel of Kyle's hand lay； pressing upward in warning； under the general's nose； poised to execute him in an instant。
Edwards； defeated； kept still。 In Kyle's place； he would have killed； but he would never be in Kyle's place； he knew now。 He had lost。
But he couldn't resist croaking； 〃Go ahead； take the little slut； then。 She's a waste of time in bed anyway。。。〃
Kyle seized a handful of Edwards's hair； preparing to kill him。 His fist hovered； middle knuckle cocked forth； and Edwards's eyes nearly crossed； focused on that single Damoclean striking surface hanging over him。
〃Kyle； no；〃 Minmei said； as her cousin drew quick breaths and gathered his resolve。 〃Kyle； we need him！〃
〃I don't need him。〃 The wrist turned upside down； the cocked knuckle drawn back tight and high under Kyle's right armpit； aimed at Edwards's Adam's apple。 The general squirmed； trying to move his arms； but he was helpless。
〃Kyle； the war's over。 Just hang onto him； and we can end it all today。〃 She swiped the long； damp night…black hair out of her eyes。 〃Kyle； you're not a murderer。 The war's over。〃
〃The war's over。〃 Saying it didn't give Kyle the satisfaction he thought he would have back at the beginning…back when the SDF…3 mission was recruiting； back before he and Minmei and the rest had passed into the flames once more。
But it was enough。 He would settle for it。 〃War's over； General。 You're going to stand up and order your troops to surrender。 We'll strike a peace with the Regent。 And then we're all going home； right？〃
Edwards's mouth moved； but he was unable to speak。 Yet he was careful to nod unmistakably； his hair pulling against Kyle's grip； as he looked up at that one single knuckle that jutted out like a battering ram。 〃Urr。 R…right。〃
Kyle smiled； nodding。 〃扵he wolf shall dwell with the lamb。'〃 He grabbed the front of Edwards's dress uniform jacket； ready to lift him up。
〃扐nd the leopard shall lie down with the kid。'〃 Kyle stuck his fist close to Edwards's face again。 The fist was like some gnarled piece of iron with a scruffy skin…covering on it。 〃And we're all going to live happily ever after； isn't that right？〃
Edwards almost said something； but thought better of it。 He swallowed； then nodded。 Kyle leaned forward to pull him to his feet。
There was a