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lex firepower。 Stingers were the weapon of choice for the resistance early on； but with the Invid's control of Protoculture； the weapon had passed quickly into disuse。 This one looked as though it had never been fired； but it hadn't been well cared for either。
〃This was given to our town by a group of freedom fighters；〃 Pedro began to explain while Lunk inspected the gun。 〃Before I was mayor； when。。。Nader was alive。〃 Lunk straightened up at the mention of the name。
Pedro's voice took on a harder edge。 〃But Nader didn't want it used。 He actually believed we could make a separate peace with the Invid and hid the gun； afraid that fighting back would end in death for all of us。 But many of the townspeople misinterpreted his concern； they accused him of cowardice and worse。 When he still wouldn't reveal where he had hidden the thing。。。they beat him to death。 They burned his home； they。。。〃
Lunk saw that Pedro was sobbing。 〃So that's your dirty little secret。。。the reason why those men attacked us。 You're all ashamed of what happened here。〃
Pedro nodded。 〃May God have mercy on us。 By the time we found the gun； it was too late to do anything。 The Invid had overrun everything。〃
〃And now you're the one who feels responsible for this place。 You've inherited Nader's legacy。〃
〃You could say that。〃
Lunk's hard look softened。 〃Pedro； maybe I've misjudged you。〃
〃And I； you；〃 returned the mayor。 〃A mon enough mistake these days。〃
Out on the flats things were looking grim for Scott and the team。 The arrival of the Cyclones had taken the pressure off him to some extent； but the Invid still outnumbered them three to one。
Shock Troopers again。 Scott wasn't sure why they had showed up。 It was possible that one of the Scouts they had tangled with earlier had gotten away。 He had seen the first of the Troopers just as the team had been entering Roca Negra and had doubled back to deal with it。 But on the tail of the first came a second； then a third and a fourth； and before Scott knew it； he was in the midst of a full contingent of Pincer units。
He dropped the Alpha in for a release run now； going after three grounded Invid who had pinned down Rook and Rand with cannon fire。 The already cratered and fused terrain was being torn up by annihilation discs； the air above superheated and crosshatched by missile tracks launched from the Cyclones' forearm tubes。 Scott loosed a flock of heat…seekers at the bottom of his dive and climbed sharply； looking back over his right shoulder to catch a glimpse of the results of his run。 Two Invid ships were flaming wrecks； collapsed and bleeding green nutrient。 Another was badly damaged but still on its feet； one of its pincers blown away。
Scott swung his head as he thought the Alpha through a roll and saw Lunk's van streaking across the sands； seemingly on a collision course with three more Invid ships。 Alert to the van's approach； the Troopers lifted off； forming up in a triangular pattern to deal with it。
But in a moment it was obvious that they had misjudged Lunk。
Scott caught sight of a brilliant flash at the front of the van an instant before one of the ships exploded in midair。 A second flash and another Invid was blown to pieces。 Scott realized that Lunk had mounted some sort of cannon to the van。 Apparently the Invid also recognized the weapon； because they were suddenly giving the van a wide berth。 Rook； Rand； and Lancer took advantage of the opportunity to deal out death blows of their own； managing to fell two additional Troopers with precision shots to the ships' optic scanners。
Scott smiled broadly and uttered a short； triumphant cry to the skies outside the Alpha's canopy。 Not only had they cut the odds； they had won the battle。
The remaining Invid were actually turning tail and fleeing the area！
It was the first time Scott had ever seen them retreat。
Lunk returned to Roca Negra alone。 He had a longer talk with Pedro and Josh about Alfred Nader。 Both men had known Nader's son； Lunk's friend； and were sorry to hear that he had been killed。
The battle on the flats hadn't affected the rest of the town's attitude toward Lunk； but he understood this and pitied them the cross they had to bear。 He had his own； and the emotional weight of it hadn't been lessened any by this brief stop at Roca Negra。 In fact； he felt even more confused than before。 Would Nader have turned out to be a sympathizer in the end？ Would his town have been just another place where the people were too busy maintaining their separate peace to rally to the cause of a greater one？
Lunk spent some private time at what had once been Nader's ranch； picking up ripened olives from the tree and drinking cool water from the well。 Lunk kept the book。 More than the object of a promise now； it had bee a symbol of confusion； of mistrust and treachery。。。markings engraved upon Earth's tortured and embattled landscape and upon the very fabric of Human life。
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Psychohistorian Adler Ripple traces Jonathan Wolff's treachery to his illicit affair with Lynn…Minmei。 He had met her on Little Luna （the Robotech factory satellite）； during the Hunters' wedding and fallen in love with her while the two of them were； for all intents and purposes； stranded on Tirol。 It's likely they would have married had the Sentinels not e between them。 （Minmei had vowed to steer clear of soldiers after her brief and disastrous fling with Rick Hunter。 Ironically； she caught the bridal bouquet at Hunter's wedding and in a sense felt destined to marry Wolff。 The subsequent degradation she fell into can be attributed in part to her learning about the wife and child Wolff had left behind on Earth。） Ripple asserts that Wolff's decision to return to Earth was motivated by the broken engagement with Lynn…Minmei。 Wolff was suddenly convinced that he could take up where he had left off with the family he had abandoned。 When that didn't occur； he turned to drink and drugs and embarked on a campaign of self…destruction。 （Information that has only recently e to light suggests that Wolff also had a brief affair with Dana Sterling…the daughter of Max and Miriya； who took Wolff's ship back into space with the hype