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wever； had apparently seen the two Veritechs disappear from the threat board。
〃Red and Blue leaders； we show two； make that four； missing spacecraft；〃 Vallenskiy said。 〃Can you confirm？ Repeat； can you confirm？〃
〃They're gone！〃 Jack managed。 〃Atomized； dematerialized； disintegrated。 。 。 I don't know what。 The lights； surrounded them； then took them out。〃
〃That's affirmative； 〃 Marie said； answering for the Blue Team。
〃Did you engage？ Any of you？〃
〃Negative；〃 Jack said； counting follow…up denials on the net： Dante； Crystal； Penn； Phillips 。。。
〃Can you verify present UCT positions； Red leader？〃 Jack glanced at his displays and screens； tipping the Alpha starboard with a brief firing of the VT's attitude jets。 The lights had lost interest in the squadron。 Beneath him； the tendrils were like spears gone ballistic； the SDF…3 soon to be pincushioned or worse。
Jack said； 〃You're the center of attention； mand。〃
〃Then you are to engage； full teams；〃 Vallenskiy returned。 〃Stop those things from reaching the ship！〃
Rick stood on the TIC'S mand balcony； listening to Vallenskiy relay mands to the mecha recon teams。 Unless his eyes or the fortress's exterior cams were lying； he had just seen four VTs dematerialized by an enemy light。 And now he had ordered the squadron to counterattack。 With the hope of acplishing what？ he asked himself。 Punishing the light for its omnipotence？ According to the available data； it was not even light they were facing but some animated form of electrical energy。
Something like the synaptic firing of a neuron； Lang had explained。
〃Fortress defensive shields raised；〃 a tech announced from the mand console。 〃Red and Blue Teams falling in to engage； sir。〃
Rick swung around to the monitors in time to see the Blue Team pilots imaging their VTs over to Battloid mode。 Captains Baker and Penn and what remained of the Red Team were configured as Fighters or Guardians。
Rick briefly considered what he would do if he was out there。 He pictured himself strapped into the cockpit seat； one hand clasped on the Hotas； face bathed in display light； scalp tingling from contact with the helmet's neural sensors； the smell of fuel and heated circuitry。 No good to use heat seekers； he thought。 Go right to lasers。
〃Lasers fired； sir；〃 the same tech reported。 Rick squinted at the monitor screens。
And what he saw blinded him for the next ten seconds and left him with a dull ache in the back of his head he knew he would feel for a week。
His eyes opened to the sight of men and women throughout the TIC bent over their consoles in postures of anguish。 The lasers had only fed strength to the light。
Succeeded in angering it。
Sirens wailed： Brace for impact！
Kami deliberately placed himself in the path of the first light tendril to penetrate the hold。 It shook him with all the force of a baleful premonition； a minatory sending from the hin。
And how like the hin it seemed…the source of this light！ Garudan； Kami had an intimate knowledge of such non ordinary states of mind…that which Terrans considered non ordinary was the norm on Garuda。 Credit Haydon or blame him； but his tamperings had resulted in a planet that was hell for those offworlders who chanced to breathe its rarefied atmosphere； a heaven for those fortunate enough to have been born into it。 No； hell for the lupine Garudans was to be deprived of their homeworld's atmosphere。 And it was thanks only to treatments received on Haydon IV that Kami could function aboard the SDF…3 without the transpirator he had worn through the Sentinels' perilous campaign。
Credit Haydon again。 Or blame him。
Kami saw that Learna； his mate and partner those long years of war and tenuous peace； had discerned his intent and was also about to position herself under the full force of the teeming rain of crazed light。 Her sendings were strong as she ventured forth from useless cover； the hin both guide and umbrella。
From across the hold came shouts of concern from their Terran shipmates and Local Group brothers and sisters in arms。 Gnea said something in Praxian neither Kami nor Learns could prehend。 Baldan； Lron； Crysta； and several other Karbarrans were nearby。 There was barely a corner the light had overlooked by then； save for what some called 〃the Pit；〃 where Kazianna Hesh and a dozen or so Zentraedi were suiting up in power armor。
And it was not until the tendrils found the warrior giants that the Garudans' allies in the hin opened a portal to the truth。
Kami realized at once that the SDF…3 was not dealing with some blindly malicious Luciferian strike force but the scouts and emissaries of a powerful but childlike superintelligence。 His encounter was brief by necessity； for he could barely maintain his individual self in the suffocating intoxication of the experience。 The portal had been opened into a realm unlike any he had ever visited in the hin； opened into a soul unlike anything met there。 The call of life's beyond； a siren song of such warmth and transcendence that Kami was tempted to surrender himself and be absorbed。
It was only Learna's presence that saved him； Learna； anchored firmly in the non…ordinary and beckoning him back with her love。
The light in the fortress's belly was retreating； dazzling eye and mind with its speed and brilliance。 It had discovered something in the Zentraedi that filled it with fear； a fear that sent it screaming through the rest of the ship； as though desperate to find a route to its own safety。
〃Please； Rem； hurry；〃 Minmei said； tugging at the flared sleeve of the Tiresian's tunic。 〃I don't like this； I'm frightened of it！〃
Rem was standing in the center of the cabin； arms akimbo and face uplifted to the ceiling。 He looked like a dreamy eyed teen in love with the idea of being caught out in a spring shower。
〃You're a child sometimes；〃 he told her with a laugh。 〃Something wondrous seeks us out； and you'd have me hide under the bed。 What frightens you？〃
Minmei opened her mouth to speak but realized she had so response in mind。 The truth was that she could not articulate what it was about the lights that frightened her； but all her instincts told her that Rem was in danger