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But Claudia was way ahead of him。 〃Target locked in； all missiles； sir；〃 she said。
In his mand post； the looming Dolza tried to believe what he saw before him。 〃What are they doing？ They'll destroy us all！〃
If the reflex furnace went； the resulting explosion would certainly destroy the base and everything in it； and quite possibly all ships in both fleets and even the planet nearby。 But that didn't seem to be daunting the Micronians。
This isn't war！ Dolza screamed within himself。 It's madness！
So the tiny creatures were willing to die in order to avoid the disgrace of defeat。
They are more like us than I thought！ Dolza realized。 They have some source of strength we must learn。 What allies they would snake in a war against the Robotech Masters！
〃Wait！〃 he bellowed。
〃Fire！〃 Gloval roared on SDF…1's bridge。
The missiles gushed from the battle fortress； the smaller； faster ones getting a quick lead and leaving corkscrewing white trails。 The heavier ones took a bit longer to get up to speed； but they quickly overtook and passed their little siblings。 All angled in； on assorted vectors； for the base's reflex furnaces。
But Gloval had dismissed them from his mind as soon as he had given the order to let them fly。 There was no time to spare。
〃All power to barrier shields！〃 he snapped； but again his bridge crew had anticipated。
The ship was standing stock still。 Every erg of power in it was channeled to the shields； producing first a cloud of scintillating lights around the ship； then a green…white sphere like some exotic Christmas ornament。
〃Barrier shield ing to maximum；〃 Kim said calmly。 Then； a second later； just as the first missiles began to detonate on target； 〃Barrier at max； sir。〃
The enemy ships in the base were opening fire now； but their shots glanced harmlessly off the barrier system。 Gloval barely paid attention to confirmation of that； he had little doubt the Robotech shield created by Dr。 Lang could hold out against an enemy bombardment for a few seconds。 The real test was ing up。
Dolza watched the awesome barrage hit home on the reflex furnace area of the ship's interior and knew he was going to die。
Even with the protection of its shielding； even with the defenses of desperate； brave Zentraedi captains who purposely threw their ships in the way of the all…out salvo； enough missiles got through to ensure that the base would be destroyed。 Many times enough。
The reflex furnaces churned； then spewed forth utter destruction。 Dolza； watching from his mand post； had time only for one thought。
Years and years before； he had watched Zor die。 Zor had spoken of some overriding Vision that made the megagenius send the SDF…1 here； to Earth。
Had Zor seen this moment； too？ And things beyond it？
Then a terrible light seared him。 Dolza howled a fierce Zentraedi war cry as he was rent to particles。
The interior bulkhead of the base began to bulge with secondary explosions； nodes of superhard armor being pushed out like putty by the force of the blasts running through the place。 The rift in the reflex furnaces that had destroyed Dolza's mand post was expanding； gushing forth blinding…white obliteration。
Ships only beginning to maneuver for the run to safety were caught in it； wiped out of existence like so many soap bubbles in a blast furnace。
The base swelled like an overfilled football； then split apart along irregular seams that hadn't been there moments before。 Ruinous light spilled out of it； then it lit the sky over Earth like a star。
CHAPTER TWENTY…ONE
Francis Bacon said that 〃In peace the sons bury their fathers and in war the fathers bury their sons。〃 My father warned me when I joined up that this didn't always apply to our family； because we were all military。 He might have had some premonition that I would outlive him； but what he didn't foresee was that his daughter would hear taps played for an entire world。
Lisa Hayes； Recollections
The thick clouds had darkened the Alaskan night to pitch…blackness； but the fighter's night…sight capabilities gave Rick a clear view of what he was doing。 The lurching Guardian barely cleared the rim of the Grand Cannon's shaft without snagging a wingtip。
It might be begging for a crash； but he kept going； nursing the fighter along until he was beyond the blighted； red…hot area around what had been Alaska Base。
He was barely clear of the blast radius when Alaska Base went up like a pyromaniac's fantasy of Judgment Day。
He flew in Fighter mode for a long while； casting back and forth across the charred Earth for safe landing； watching his radiation detectors and terrain sensors。
He swooped in over what had been a major UEDC base； according to the maps。 But there was only a dry lake bed； its water vaporized by a direct hit； and the remains of what had been a major city。 The plane started bucking hard； and he went back to Guardian。 The place showed no signs of radioactivity or fallout； he decided to set down。
It was a little before sunrise on a smoky； darkened world that； it seemed； would never see the sun again。
Rick hit the foot thrusters and brought the VT to an erratic； slewing landing。 The canopy servos had gotten fried in one of those last blowups； so he yanked the rescue handgrip and blew the canopy off。
Rick and Lisa stood up in the cockpit and looked out at the mutilated landscape of Earth。 It was as pockmarked as the moon； with deep cracks and crevasses。 Smoke was rolling into the sky from dozens of impact points and from fires that stretched along the horizon。 The air was hot； thick with soot and dust。 There seemed to be volcanic activity along a chain of mountains to the west。 A scorching wind was rising。
The most frightening thing was that there was no water to be seen anywhere。
There was a patch of open sky； but as they watched； the clouds rolled in； blotting out the stars。 He wondered how the battle had turned out。 From the looks of Earth； it probably didn't matter very much。
Lisa looked at him； pulling the windblown strands of long brown hair away from her face。 〃Thank you for getting me out of there； Rick。〃 She could bear dying on the surface； in whatever form that death might take。 But to endure her last moments among the charred and smoking remains of the base's dead…that would have been more than she could have borne。 She extended her hand。
Rick took it with a grin。 〃Oh； c'mon。 It gave me a chance to disobey your orders again； after all。〃 They shook hands； and she let herself laugh just a little。
Lisa sat on the edge of the cockpit。 〃I'll always be grateful。 I admire you a great deal； Rick。〃
That wasn't what she really wanted to tell him； but it was a start。 It was much further along than Rick had gotten in saying what he was feeling at the moment。 It occurred to him that a world that was a mass grave； very likely smoldering ash from pole to pole； was a strange place to profess love for somebody。
Or maybe not； he saw suddenly。 Maybe it was the best epitaph anybody could ever hope to leave behind。
He had already yielded to the hard lesson that life wasn't worth much without it。
He almost said four or five different things； then shrugged； looking at his feet； and managed； 〃It was。。。it was a pleasure。〃
A ray of light made them turn。 The rising sun had found a slit between clouds； to send long； slanting rays on the two people and their grounded machine。 There was no sign of the stupendous battle。
〃It looks like the fighting's stopped。〃 She felt so peaceful； so tired of war； that she didn't even want to know the oute。
〃Um； yeah。〃
〃I wonder if there's anyone else around？〃
〃Huh？〃
She looked around to him。 〃What if we're the last？ The only ones left？〃
He looked at her for long seconds。 〃That wouldn't be that bad； would it？〃 he said softly。 〃At least neither of us will ever be alone。〃
〃Rick。。。〃
He had his mouth open to say something more； but there was a blast of static from the mo equipment as the automatic search gear brought up the sound on a signal it had located。 There was a familiar voice singing a lilting； haunting hymn to Earth。
We shall live the day we dream of winning；
And beginning a new life！
〃Minmei！〃 Lisa cried。 She didn't know whether she could ever change her feelings toward the singer； but right now that voice was as wele as…well； almost as wele as the pany Lisa was keeping。
〃Up there！〃 Rick shouted； pointing。 Something was descending on blue thruster flames hundreds of yards long； trailing sparkling particles behind it； weird energy anomalies from the interaction of barrier shield and reflex furnace obliteration。
Rick held Lisa to him。 The dimensional fortress settled in toward the lake bed； the two flattops held level； elbows against its own midsection like Jimmy Cagney doing his patented move。
All it needs to do is throw a hitch in its shoulders and sing 〃Yankee Doodle Dandy〃！ Rick thought。
The enormous blasts of its engines kicked up dust； but the SDF…1 was landing with the rising sun directly at its back。 They watched it sink down； silhouetted against the wavering fireball of the sun； until the land was waist high all around it。
Sunrise was throwing brighter light across the flattened terrain。