Gloval gave the order but forcing herself to be calm。 She was unaware that everyone else there； captain and enlisted ratings alike； was glad that Claudia…whom they saw as a tower of strength…was trigger man that day。
Gloval let the flagship e at him； e at him。 Sammie's Trojan horse remark was much in his mind。 He wondered about this Breetai； whom Lisa and Rick had described to him。 The three Zentraedi spies and the deserters who had e after them had contributed more； as had Miriya。 Gloval wondered and hoped the vagaries of war would let him meet Breetai face to face； he suspected that the alien mander felt the same。
The flagship slowed to a stop； a sitting duck of a target； reassuring him。 But abruptly there were dozens of streamers of light swirling from behind it； bearing in on the fortress at high speed。 Gloval didn't have to look at the puter displays； he had seen these performance profiles before。
Vanessa yelled； 〃Picking up large strike force of tri…thruster pursuit ships； closing rapidly！〃
The tri…thrusters were right in the line of fire； Claudia's forefinger hovered by the trigger。
What are they up to now？ Gloval thought with dismay。 Peace had seemed so suddenly； tantalizingly close。 But what could this be except betrayal？
The tri's were out in front of the flagship； closing in on the SDF…1； their drives leaving bright swirling ribbons of light behind them。 The mand to fire was on Gloval's lips。
But all at once a hundred batteries in the enemy flagship's forward section opened up； and the tri…thrusters were blown into fragments； dozens disappearing per second in ballooning clouds of total annihilation。 The bluewhite lines of energy from the enemy dreadnought； thread…fine against its enormous bulk； redirected immediately upon destruction of a target； to the next。 In moments； the massive sortie fell apart and space was full of briefly flaming junk。
Gloval swallowed。 〃Secure the trigger but stand by；〃 he said。
Claudia closed her eyes for a moment； breathing a prayer； thumbing the safety cover over the trigger。 But as he had ordered； her thumb rested on it still。
Breetai stood at his mand station； hands clasped at the small of his back。 As he expected； Khyron the Backstabber didn't take long to appear by projecbeam image。
〃Breetai； have you gone mad？〃
Breetai studied him coldly。 〃Your ships were interfering with a diplomatic mission； as you well know。 And so I disposed of them。 Henceforth you will address me by my proper rank。〃
Khyron fought a fierce internal battle； then managed； 〃mander； what happens now？ I refuse to spare the Micronians！ We all know Dolza's orders！〃
〃You know nothing； Khyron！ And I will hear no further word from you on the subject。 Just consider yourself lucky you didn't choose to lead your troops this day！〃
〃Ridiculous！〃
Breetai swung his mand chair away from the screen； cutting the munications circuit； muttering； 〃Hardly。〃
Like some immense killer whale； the flagship came to a stop directly in front of the SDF…1's most powerful weapon。
〃They're just sitting out there； Captain； I guess they're waiting for us to make a move。〃 Claudia's thumbnail stood under the edge of the trigger's cover。
If they don't want peace； why would they destroy their own fighters？ Why would they not overwhelm us； as they so easily could？
〃They wish to send an emissary。 Very well；〃 he decided。 〃So be it。〃
The Veritechs flew forth acpanied by other mecha； like the cat's…eye intel ships； detector…loaded and studying everything about the emissary pod。
The pod was standard except that it mounted only auxiliary mo gear： no weapons。 The cat's…eyes and other emissions…intelligence detectors said that it wasn't the Trojan horse of Sammie's nightmares。
Rick Hunter quieted his Skull Team； telling them he knew it was weird and getting weirder all the time but reminding them the team hadn't suffered any casualties in a while。
That strangest of all convoys came to rest in an SDF…1 bay； the VTs now in Battloid mode with their chain…guns leveled at the pod。
Things moved quickly to the hangar deck； while PA voices went on about the normal checklist procedures and the extraordinary precautions surrounding the emissary's arrival。 No one wanted to take any chances on a double…cross or； perhaps worse； on a vengeful human's violent act robbing the SDF…1 of this chance for peace。 Security was…in some ways literally…airtight。
The enemy mecha knelt； its prow touching the deck as the rear…articulated legs folded back。 A rear hatch swung open； a Brobdingnagian enemy trooper stomped forth to glare around。
〃Aren't you forgetting something？〃 called a reedy； highly miffed voice from within the pod。
The mountainous trooper was immediately contrite； almost afraid。 〃Oh； please forgive me； your Eminence！ My humblest apologies！〃
The trooper reached carefully into the pod and came out with a small figure； which he set down with exaggerated； painstaking care。 It had been explained exactly what would happen to him if he allowed his micronized passenger to e to any harm。
Exedore； dressed in the blue sackcloth robe that was all the Zentraedi had to give their micronized warriors； stepped off the warrior's armored palm。
His toes clenched； and his arches arched a bit higher against the cold deck。 〃Hmph！ How do these Micronians survive with such frail little bodies？〃
He turned to regard the huge flight deck； but it made little impression because its size would have been imposing for human or Zentraedi。
Exedore's pilot was another matter； staring eye to eye with a chain…gun…wielding Battloid。 〃Rather an imposing sight； aren't we； hah？〃 he said； rubbing his jaw。
Still； he was one among the Zentraedi to know that size didn't count for everything…counted for nothing； in some cases。
〃Ten…HUT！〃 the PA said as a line of military vehicles came screeching up。 The Battloids snapped to presentarms； and to Exedore's great pride； the Zentraedi pilot stood at perfect attention。 Exedore abruptly noticed that there were Micronian personnel； ground crew and whatnot； scattered around the partment as they； too； came to attention。
Men leapt from the cars to form ranks smartly； and a man in a uniform not so different from the Zentraedi's own came toward Exedore； hand extended。
〃Colonel Maistroff； Robotech Defense Forces； sir。 I bring you greetings from the super dimensional fortress mander； Captain Gloval。〃
Exedore sighed a bit to see that Maistroff was taller than he； to see that all of them were。 Perhaps there was something in the micronization process that dictated that； or perhaps it was just something about destiny。
Anyway； Maistroff's open hand was out to him。 Exedore blinked at it in bewilderment。 〃This is how we greet friends；〃 the human said。
Ah； yes！ The barbarian custom of showing that there was no weapon！ Exedore put his dark mauve hand into the other's pale pink one； trading the grip of friendship。
〃I am Exedore； Minister of Affairs。〃
Maistroff； a former martinet and xenophobe who had been salted and wisened up a bit in the course of the Robotech War； looked him over。 〃That sounds rather important； sir。〃
Exedore shrugged blithely。 〃Not really。〃 He smiled； and Maistroff found himself smiling back。
The colonel indicated his staff car。 〃If you're ready； we'll get you some more fortable clothes and then take you to the captain。 Have you eaten？〃
Exedore sorted that out； recalling the wedding transmissions and dreading a lot of ceremonies stalling the beginning of the peace talks。 〃Ah； yes； yes。〃
As they walked； ground…shaking impacts began on the deck behind them； jostling them as they moved。 They turned to see that the Zentraedi pilot had naturally fallen in to follow his lord。 The Battloids hadn't quite brought their chain…gun muzzles back up。
Exedore was quick to see the problem and also to understand some of the humans' apprehension。
Maistroff kept his posure。 〃Excuse me； Minister Exedore； but…could you ask him to wait here on the hangar deck？〃
〃Oh！〃 It didn't take a genius of Exedore's caliber to see that those little hatches wouldn't allow for much fullsize Zentraedi wandering。 Clever！
He turned to look up at his pilot。 〃Stay here and guard the pod。〃 It did irritate him how much higher and less forceful the transformation had made his voice。
The pilot pulled a brace； biting out； 〃Yes； sir！〃
Maistroff turned and jerked a thumb at two aides。 〃You men find him something to eat。〃
They saluted as one； 〃Yes； sir！〃 under the eyes of the Zentraedi warrior； just as precise as he。 Then they watched as Maistroff cordially aided Exedore in boarding the staff car； just about as unlikely a sight as anything yet in the war。 Motorcycle outriders led the way； and the motorcade moved off。
The two staff officers relaxed； looked up at the Zentraedi； then looked back at each other。 〃Something to eat？〃 the first one exclaimed。 〃He's got to be kidding！〃
〃Maistroff never kids；〃 his panion answered。 They both had rigs in their jeeps； and the second staff officer reached over now to get a handset； telling his friend； 〃You call ration distribution and break the bad news。〃
Then he turned to his own mission。 〃Hello； transportation control？ Listen； I'm gonna need a coupla flatbeds。。。〃
The thoroughfares of Macross City were as confusing to Exedore as they had been to the spies。 So much undisiplined； disorganized activity！ So much aimless milling about！ There seemed to be no point to a lot of it…all this gaping through display windows and strolling haphazardly。 He wondered if it was some deceptive show that had been mounted for his visit。
And； of course； he averted his eyes from the males and females wandering the city holding hands or with arms around each other's waists。 Of the tiny…model Micronians； the noisy； poorly regimented smallscales that the human called 〃children；〃 Exedore could make neither head nor tail。 Just seeing them gave him a shuddery feeling。
But he had to admit the ship was in a good state of repair； especially after two years of running battles with the warrior race。 There would have been no hiding the damage in a Zentraedi ship； no fixing it。 Intelligence reports had already indicated what Exedore saw evidence of all around him： The Micronians knew how to rebuild…perhaps how to create。 It was an awesome advantage； a critical part of the war's equation。
Very few Micronians were in uniform； none of them appeared to be under close supervision。
〃Why； this is our shopping district；〃 Maistroff explained when Exedore asked。
〃Ah； yes！ I believe this is where you use something called money to requisition goods。〃
Maistroff scratched his neck a bit。 〃Um。 That's not too far off； Minister。〃
They cruised along a broad boulevard； and Exedore suddenly broke out into a cold sweat and began to shudder。 Maistroff sat up straight； wondering if something about the ship's life support was inpatible； but that was impossible。
Then he saw that Exedore； teeth clenched； was staring up at a billboard。 The billboard advertised the Velvet Suntan Clinics； with a photo of the languorous Miss Velvet； a voluptuous； browned； barely clad； supremely athletic looking young woman whose poster popularity in Macross City was second only to Minm