emain on Tirol。 He was eager to see them again； plans for a meet having already been firmed up during a short ship…to…surface conversation earlier on。
Cabell…the bald and bearded wizard who had seemed such a sinister figure to an eleven…year…old Scott Bernard…was on hand to wele the landing party and escort them； in a caravan of surface…effect vehicles； to that part of the Royal Hall given over to Local Group affairs。 There； Vince and Jean Grant； Harry Penn； and the rest were greeted by planetary envoys from Karbarra； New Praxis； Spheris； Garuda； Peryton； and several emerging worlds once dominated by the Robotech Masters and Invid that had never been visited by the Sentinels。
The Haydonite foreign minister and the whole of the ambassadorial legation had been placed in custody。
〃They haven't revealed so much as a thought since their arrest；〃 Scott heard Cabell inform Vince while a Karbarran representative had the chamber's floor。 〃And of course we know of no way to force them to send。 I'm certain they've fallen victim to the same programming that has set their homeworld in motion。〃
〃First the Invid； then the SDF…3； now Haydon IV；〃 Jean whispered back。
Cabell nodded； flaring white eyebrows bobbing。 〃And these disappearances are only the beginning。〃
〃How so？〃 Vince asked。
The Tiresian voiced a note of frustration。 〃The very fabric of the continuum has been affected in some way。 It would require a plex array of instruments and measuring devices to demonstrate my findings。 But I will say this much： Our universe appears to be shrinking。〃
Penn blanched。 〃But…〃
〃Wait。〃 Cabell cut him off； holding up a graceful hand。 〃Hear this one out。〃
There was motion on the floor。 Scott saw that the Karbarran who had been growling demands at everyone had been issued a message of some sort and was pacing before the amphitheater seats； waving the crumpled thing overhead in a clenched paw…hand。
〃Let it be known to all members of the Local Group that Karbarra is fully prepared to go to war unless reparations are made for the capture of our citizens and the destruction of three of our vessels。〃
The audience of diplomats and staffers muttered among themselves。
〃And how many more ships will you have to lose before you see the error of interference？〃 a Spherisian shouted from the hall's upper tier。
〃The next time it won't be a single ship but a fleet we mit；〃 the Karbarran snapped。
〃Fleets have been destroyed in the past； Nal；〃 a Praxian said。
〃Legends；〃 Nal scoffed。 〃Karbarra has outgrown such things。〃
〃And Karbarra would like nothing better than to see Haydon IV added to its growing list of indentured worlds；〃 sneered someone from the Perytonian contingent。 〃You try the patience of the mittee； Nal。〃
Nal gestured with a paw…hand。 〃Such accusations from the chief debtor world in the Local Group。 Peryton tries our patience； Minister Marak。〃
〃Silence！ All of you；〃 Cabell said loudly enough to quiet a score of separate arguments that had broken out。 He looked to Nal。 〃Talk of reprisals and reparations is not only premature but pointless； given the fact that Haydon IV has managed to elude us。 I strongly suggest…〃
〃No longer； Tiresian！〃 Nal waved the message sheet in Cabell's direction。 〃Our recon forces report that Haydon IV has emerged from fold and inserted itself in orbit around Ranaath's Star。 〃
〃Ranaath？！ 〃 Cabell said； struggling to his feet。 〃Are you certain of this？〃
〃Our reconnaissance forces pride themselves on their accuracy；〃 Nal told him。
〃But Ranaath is a 。。。 black hole system；〃 Cabell said for the benefit of the Terran contingent。 He had yet to tell Penn or Grant about Exedore's determination that Ranaath had been at the receiving end of the energy pulse that had acpanied the Invid departure。 〃Why would the Haydonites willingly place themselves in such a godforsaken place？〃
Nal folded powerful…looking arms across his massive chest。 〃We'll be sure to ask them；〃 he said； hurling the message b the floor and storming from the room。
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
At 66：18：740； mander in Chief Dolza mitted the last of the Golthano Fleet ships to the dark maw of Ranaath's Star； and once more the ships were torn asunder by （translator's insert： tidal forces encountered at the event horizon）。 Losses to this date number 670 ships； 42；000 Zentraedi lives。 It would appear that the Zentraedi ships are of insufficient durability to negotiate penetration of the （horizon） or the （realm jump） that is a suggested probability should such a penetration be effected。 Be aware that mander Khyron of the Botoru Battalion is fully prepared to undertake the next attempt。 He would have it made known to you that he in fact requests to be afforded the honor。
Exedore； in a munique to the Robotech Masters； as quoted by Rawlins in his Zentraedi Triumvirate： Dolza； Breetai； Khyron
Max Sterling watched Exedore play the console Veidt had delivered to their cell； stubby fingers pecking away at mand keys。 To offset any suspicion that the furtive delivery might have aroused among level four's cadre of humorless； hovering overseers； the terminal had been designed to include an archaic touchpad。 The armless Haydonites had no call for such a tedious approach； and in truth neither did Exedore； who had grown accustomed to the Awareness data lab's neural headbands。 The console consequently resembled nothing so much as a child's learning aid； which was exactly what the jailers were meant to make of it。 To buoy the ploy； Aurora was seated alongside Exedore； ostensibly under the Zentraedi's tutelage； issuing appropriate sounds of excitement and discovery as the screen displayed responses to Exedore's prompts。
Miriya and Dana were in the Praxians' quarters； trying to reassure the four Amazons that Veidt's sudden turnaround was genuine。
Well； Miriya was； Max thought。 Dana was probably encouraging everyone to tunnel beneath the walls。
The former Skull Squadron ace found himself thinking about twentieth…century prison escapes as he cast a wary eye at the cell's laser…barred threshold。 It had been pastry surprises back then； files and hacksaw blades concealed in cakes and long loaves of bread。 But breakouts now required break…ins of a sort； direct data links to the security system's keymaster…in this instance； Haydon IV's artificial sentience； the Awareness。
Exedore voiced a plosive sound of frustration。 〃Another mistake。 My fingers have forgotten just who it is that does the thinking for them。 They seem convinced they have a mind of their own。〃
〃Take your time；〃 Max advised under his breath。 〃Remember； you're supposed to be a teacher； not some interloper。 〃
〃Teachers have been known to lose patience；〃 Exedore retorted。 〃In any event； keeping watch on the front door such as it is…does little more than draw attention to us。 I suggest to you that the Haydonites would have filled these rooms with monitoring devices if they for one moment suspected wed be foolish enough to attempt an escape。〃
Max glanced at the alloy partitions and ceilings。 Veidt had been responsible； too； for the holo…views that adorned the long； rear walls…vistas of rolling hills crisscrossed with hedgerows and low stone walls。 A sun shone in the false sky； rising and setting in breathtaking colors； if nothing else； it had at least returned the captives to a semblance of circadian normalcy。 Max sometimes felt as though he were back in the SDF…1； carousing after a mission with Rick and Ben in downtown Macross under EVE'S projected cloudscape。
And there he was； the only full…blooded Terran in the room。 〃I'm certain of one thing；〃 Exedore resumed。 〃Haydon IV has defolded。〃
〃I guessed as much；〃 Max told him； gratified that he could still rely on his own senses to differentiate between real time and hyperspace。 〃Can you find out where we are？〃
〃I have already established that。 Although I'll confess I should have suspected it all along。〃
Max laid a protective hand on Aurora's shoulder； the doe eyed child looked up at him and smiled as Exedore took a deep breath。
〃We are inserted in orbit around a small； carbonaceous moon that circles this system's sixth planet…an equally desolate place； I might add。 The Zentraedi knew the system's dying primary as Qalliph； a word approximated by the Panglish term dread。〃
Max raised an eyebrow。 〃Go on。〃
〃Actually； it isn't so much the star itself that inspired the name but the phenomenon to which it in turn pays gravitational obeisance。 The Masters named it Raanath's Star； after an especially barbaric warlord from Tirol's pre…Transition past。 Your own astrophysicists have labeled such phenomena black holes。〃
Max whistled lightly。 〃I've always wanted to get a look at one of those things。〃
Exedore frowned at him。 〃Yes； I recall from my delvings into Terran literature that your race has endowed these black holes with near…mystical importance。 This was especially true among your so…called science fiction writers； I believe。 A blend of romantic fascination and morbid curiosity。 But I can assure you； as one who has seen an entire battle group swallowed by these sinister portals； that even the most ghoulish of your imaginings doesn't e close to detailing the horrors of the experience。〃
〃So what are we d