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the　halves　falling　away　in　opposite　directions。　Dazed；　Kazianna　Hesh　looked　beyond　where　it　had　been。　There　stood　the　great　Breetai；　a　metal　war　god　in　his　personal　battle　panoply；　a　rifle　as　big　as　an　Earthly　artillery　piece　smoking　in　his　gauntleted　fists。

Behind　him　came　a　crack　task　force；　ten　divisions　of　elite　troops；　to　strike　at　the　very　brain　of　the　foe。　Kazianna　learned　later　that　her　own　assault　force　had　been　a　feint；　drawing　Invid　attention　away　from　Breetai's　sword…stroke　raid。　In　moments　the　special　coalition　of　living　puters　that　directed　the　Invid　on　Tawkhan…the　piles　of　brain　tissue　lurking　in　their　vats…would　be　destroyed　in　an　apocalyptic　contest　with　the　invading　foot　soldiers　and　mecha。

In　that　second；　though；　all　Kazianna　Hesh　saw　was　Breetai；　striding　his　personal　domain…the　domain　of　battle…like　an　icon　e　to　life。　The　most　illustrious　and　successful　of　Dolza's　field　manders　and；　after　the　Old　One　himself；　the　biggest　and　strongest　of　the　entire　Zentraedi　race。

It　was　heresy　to　think　this；　but　Kazianna　did　not　care：　He　was　like　some　higher　being；　some　creature　superior　to　other　Zentraedi　and　even　to　the　Robotech　Masters。

But　the　worship　was　not　mutual；　Breetai　was　still　directing　his　raid　and　barely　gave　her　a　glance。　〃You！　Consolidate　your　unit　and　stand　by！〃

Then　he　was　gone；　and　she　was　rushing　to　obey。　Genders　were　usually　strictly　separated　among　the　Zentraedi；　where　neither　physical　love　nor　natural　birth　were　known；　only　the　scope　of　the　Tawkhan　campaign　had　thrown　them　together　so。

Thus；　Kazianna　Hesh　could　not　understand　what　was　happening　to　her…why　did　his　voice　and　his　look　obsess　her　so？　Was　it　madness？


She　studied　and　admired　him　from　afar；　through　an　age　of　conflict　and　conquest。　The　closest　she　came　to　him　was　when　he　presided　at　an　awards　ceremony　for　Miriya　Parino。　Kazianna　was　only　a　few　paces　away；　a　pany　mander　by　then。　Breetai　did　not　even　spare　her　a　glance。

By　that　time　he　wore　the　alloy　half　cowl　as　a　result　of　his　terrible　wounds；　suffered　when　Zor　was　slain。　But　to　her　he　was　only　that　much　more　imperial　looking。　In　those　days　the　Protoculture　supply　was　dwindling；　the　galaxywide　war　running　down　like　clockwork　as　both　sides'　resources　and　infra　structures　declined。　The　central　mission　of　the　Robotech　Masters；　and　thus　the　Zentraedi；　was　to　find　Zor's　vanished　super　dimensional　fortress　and　the　last　existing　Protoculture　matrix。

At　long　last　came　the　end　of　an　epoch；　when　the　terrible　beauty　of　Minmei's　voice；　along　with　human　emotions；　worked　Armageddon　upon　the　Zentraedi。　The　glories　of　their　history　turned　out　to　be　a　tissue　of　lies　concocted　by　the　Robotech　Masters。　Kazianna　and　the　rest　were　a　pitiful　handful　of　survivors。

But　for　her；　something　in　the　human　emotions　had　stirred　dormant　feelings。　For　Kazianna；　the　example　of　Miriya　Parino　and　her　love　for　Max　Sterling　pointed　the　way　to　an　even　amore　audacious　thought。　If　Zentraedi　could　love　human；　why　could　not　Zentraedi　love　Zentraedi？

In　the　humble　home　on　Fantoma　where　Breetai　had　dwelt　at　a　simple　miner　an　epoch　ago；　she　went　to　him。　And　this　time　she　did　not　permit　him　to　ignore　her。

When　death　took　him　from　her　in　bat；　she　was　nearby　and　saw　him　sacrifice　his　life　to　slay　the　Regent；　end　the　war。　There　were　fools　who　looked　at　the　relative　size　of　the　batants…Breetai　nearly　three　times　the　Regent's　height…and　marveled　that　Breetai　had　not　won　outright。　They　understood　nothing　of　the　astounding　power　the　Invid　monarch　had　by　then；　the　strength　beyond　mere　size…or　of　the　debilitating　effects　of　Minmei's　voice；　transmitting　her　torment；　forced　on　Breetai　by　the　malevolent　Edwards。

Kazianna　dismissed　all　fools。　What　Breetai　had　done　with　his　dying　breath；　no　one　else　who　ever　lived　could　have　done。　He　died　in　victorious　bat；　the　highest　Zentraedi　fulfillment。

Watching　him　perish　in　an　explosion　like　the　birth　of　a　star；　she　had　wept　for　the　single　time　in　her　life。


〃Is　anything　wrong；　mander？〃

Kazianna's　executive　officer's　voice　shook　her　out　of　the　reverie；　and　she　realized　that　barely　an　instant　had　gone　by。　The　falling　kite…shaped　leaf　whirled　down　past　her　facebowl。

〃Negative。　Resume　sweep。〃

But　something　on　the　planet　must　have　been　probing　her　thoughts；　scrutinizing　her　memories。　If　it　was　malign；　she　meant　to　destroy　it；　but　for　the　moment　she　almost　felt　grateful　to　have　had　Breetai　back　again　even　for　a　few　seconds。

Then　the　reverie　was　wiped　away　by　a　burst　of　static。　〃All　units；　all　units！　Hold　position！　It's　back！〃


〃I　specifically　told　the　bridge　officer　not　to　inform　you　unless　you　inquired　about　the　children；〃　Segundo　said。　〃I　am　aware　that　you're　dealing　with　other　crises。〃

〃Understood；　Doctor；〃　Lisa　acknowledged　curtly。　Even　over　the　inter　screen　he　could　see　the　strain　on　her　face。　〃What　is　your　assessment？〃

The　pediatrician　stepped　aside　and　let　the　pickups　focus　in　on　Roy；　Drannin；　and　the　other　children。　Once　again　they　sat　in　their　uneven　circle；　the　Zentraedi　children　towering　over　the　human。

But　there　was　no　doubt　about　their　chant　now。　‘　Au…ro…ra；　Au…ro…ra；　Au…ro…ra　。　。　。　'

Aurora　the　psi…child；　the　accelerated…growth　sprite；　the　one　who　reached　across　interstellar　distances。　Lisa　had　always　been　sure　she　would　be　able　to　keep　jittery　mommy　stuff　separate　from　ship's　officer　worries；　but　now　she　was　less　certain。

〃I　don't　think　this　is　a　mental　dysfunction　or　a　behavioral　aberration　in　the　traditional　sense；〃　Segundo　was　saying。　〃I　believe　that　they　are　rational　but　that　they　are　responding　in　a　way　that　we　don't　understand　to　a　difficulty　or　necessity　that　we　can't　perceive。〃

On　the　bridge；　Lisa　heard　people　conferring　behind　her；　the　search　operation…something　was　up。　〃Inform　me　of　any　changes；　Doctor。〃

She　turned　to　Raul　Forsythe。　〃They've　found　Gnea　and　Dante；〃　he　said。


Somewhere　far　away；　Minmei　was　singing；　his　head　on　her　lap；　her　hand　stroking　his　brow。　Rem　knew　it；　as　he　knew　that　her　warm　tears　were　splashing　on　his　cheek；　but　that　was　in　some　other　universe　。　。　。

On　Haydon　IV；　Zor　saw　no　contradiction　to　what　he　had　already　learned；　though　Vard　had　not　yet　reached　the　same　level　of　enlightenment。　Living　matter；　inorganic　matter；　machine；　Protoculture　they　were　all　united　by　certain　basics。　The　fundamental　building　blocks　of　Creation　had　nothing　to　do　with　quantum　foam　any　more　than　they　did　with　plant　sap。

The　key　understanding　was　that　the　universe　was　a　result　of　the　interaction　of　pure　information。　Information　organized　in　a　way　that　was　so　subtle；　all…pervading；　and　elegant　that　in　the　end　all　the　wise　men；　mystics；　and　scientists　had　missed　it。

It　was　not　a　jarring　note；　then；　to　Zor；　to　see　that　fact　manifested　in　the　from　of　an　artificial　planet。

The　expedition　to　Haydon　IV　had　to　be　postponed　twice　while　Zor　gave　his　seeming　obedience　to　the　Masters　and　made　secret　preparations。　By　that　time　he　was　well　along　in　his　quiet　rebellion。

The　Masters；　drunk　on　the　power　of　Protoculture；　were　so　arrogant；　so　sure　of　their　hold　over　him。　What　better　way　to　fight　them　than　to　feed　those　monstrous　egos？　They　understood　no　more　about　Protoculture　than　a　child　knew　of　an　energy　gun　it　might　find　and　brandish　about。

But　now　at　last　he　had　e　to　Haydon　IV　in　his　super　dimensional　fortress；　seeing　that　the　preliminary　surveys　had　not　exaggerated　its　beauty；　its　magnificence。　On　his　own　urgings　and　from　their　hidden　misgivings；　the　Robotech　Masters　spared　the　artifact　world　any　visit　from　their　Zentraedi　giants；　there　was　something　about　its　storied　Awareness　that　made　the　Elders　cautious。　Haydon　IV　rendered　tribute　to　them　from　its　apparently　endless　wealth　and　went　about　its　enigmatic　affairs。

The　Invid；　for　their　own　reasons；　never　made　the　planet　a　military　target。　Maybe　they　saw　it　as　too　desirable　a　prize　to　damage。　Or　perhaps　they　had　heard　the　daunting　stories　of　how　the　planet　dealt　with　invaders。

Zor　was　weled　down　by　the　inhabitants　of　Haydon　IV　with　the　kind　of　remote　courtesy　for　which　they　were　famous。　And　yet　he　felt　their　intense　scrutiny。　The　confusions　and　mental　fogs　that　plagued　the　survey　team　were　no　obstruction　to　Zor；　where　others　had　missed　the　looming　presence　and　central　importance　of　the　Awareness；　he　had　been　attuned　to　it　from　the　first。

As　for　actually　gaining　access　to　the　Awareness；　it　was　like　some　absurd　parable。　Where　the　Haydonites　had　turned　back　all　inquiries　and　all　travelers　before；　they　simply　watched　him。　Facing　a　stupendous　hatch　that　blocked　his　route　to　the　lower　reaches　of　the　planet；　he　reached　by　habit　for　a　handful　of　dried　Flower　petals　from　the　pouch　he　carried　at　his　belt；

He　chewed　the　petals　and　leaves　frequently　now…supposes　his　body　was　addicted　to　them；　though　the　true　craving　stemmed　from　no　physical　need。　As　he　tasted　the　little　quid；　he　felt　himself　probed　by　sensor　beams。　A　moment　later　the　titanic　door　rolled　aside。

The　Haydonites　who　had　flocked　around　him　and　kept　him　under　surveillance　since　his　arrival　came　no　farther　than　the　entrance；　nor　would　he　let　even　the　faithful　Vard　acpany　him。　Zor　passed　into　the　lower　depths　alone。

He　made　his　way　down　through　the　labyrinthine　under　world；　sustained　by　it　and　accepting　the　paths　it　opened　for　him。　At　last　he　walked　calmly　and　unhurriedly　out　into　the　yawning　techno…cavern　where　the　Awareness　waited。

It　was　a　confusion　of　neon　lines　in　strange　patterns；　a　thing　the　size　of　a　cruiser。　By　the　time　he　came　into　its　physical　presence；　he　was　quite　well　acquainted　with　it。

When　he　bespoke　it　now；　though；　the　Awareness　refused　to　answer。　He　had　the　feeling　that　it　was　waiting　for　some　final　proof；　some　bona　fide；　before　it　lowered　its　last　defenses　with　him。

Zor　reached　into　a　pocket　and　drew　forth　an　object　he　has　prepared　after　long；　hard　pondering。　It　was　an　artificial　jewel；　charged　with　Protoculture　power；　formulated　from　his　studies　of　both　the　Haydonites'　dzentile　and…even　more　important　the　organic　gemstones　manifested　by　the　Regis　when　she　has　assumed　humanoid　form。

Zor　lifted　the　jewel　to　his　forehead　in　self…coronation。　A　bio…adhesive　charge　made　it　fast　there。　He　willed　a　mand；　and　a　ray　sprang　forth　to　strike　the　resplendent　cat's　cradle　of　the　Awarenes