Scott took hold of a soldier within reach and spun him around。
〃Who's Wolff？〃 he demanded of the man。
〃The Wolff； bro；〃 the man slurred。 〃The Wolff。〃
〃Jonathan Wolff？〃 said Scott。
The man snapped his fingers； pointed； and winked at Scott； then shuffled off toward the door。
Rand saw the look of disbelief surface on Scott's face； but before he could ask about it； Scott was shoving his way through the exiting crowd and making for the street。
Rand and the others followed Scott out and found him amid a mob that had gathered around a jeep。 Scott was standing rigidly by the curb； mouth half…open in amazement； staring at the man who was climbing out from the driver's side of the vehicle。 A celebrity； Rand thought。 Either that or a Robo officer who fancied himself one。 The man was of medium build but square…shouldered and muscular。 He had brown hair； thick and bed straight back； well…defined eyebrows； and a mustache； clipped clear in the center。 He was wearing dark glasses and a gray uniform offset by a wide black belt and a red ascot。 There was； however； something stern and humorless about him that made Rand wonder at the reception he was getting。
People in the crowd were firing questions left and right； some of which Wolff took the time to answer and others he ignored。 At the same time； a wounded soldier in the rear of the jeep was singing Wolff's praises。 〃He saved my life；〃 the man bit out。 〃Picked me up and carried me on his back through the Invid fines。。。then went back for the Protoculture canisters he knew we needed。。。〃
〃Celebration time！〃 yelled a black man behind Rand。 〃Drinks on the house！〃
But Rand heard someone else mutter： 〃Wolff's a damn hero every time he es back。 How d' ya figure it？〃
Scott swung around at the ment； his face dark and angry； but said nothing。 Until he turned back to Jonathan Wolff。 Then Rand heard him say： 〃I can't believe he's alive…alive！〃
Colonel Jonathan Wolff。。。Graduated first in his class from the Robotech Academy on Macross Island but missed the SDF…1's inadvertent jump to Pluto and the two…year odyssey that followed。 Nevertheless； he had distinguished himself during that period by openly criticizing the Council's decision to turn its back on the fortress's crew and unwitting civilian population and was resolute in his opposition to Russo； Hayes； and Edwards and their plan to use the Grand Cannon against the Zentraedi。 He rose to the fore again during the planet's two…year period of reconstruction and was finally handpicked by Admiral Hunter to head up the ground…base division of the Robotech Expeditionary Force。
But it was on Tirol that Wolff's name became legend and his special forces…known by then as the Wolff Pack…rode to glory。 Throughout the Tirolian campaign against the Invid； it was Wolff's forces who turned the tide of battle time and time again。 And it was Wolff who came to play a crucial part in the schism that all but destroyed the Pioneer Mission。
Even that wasn't enough for the man。 Leaving Dr。 Lang and his Saturn group in charge of things on Tirol； Wolff had gone off with Hunter and that group of galactic freedom fighters who called themselves the Sentinels。 To Spheris； Garuda； Haydon IV； to every world that had fallen to the Invid； to every world reduced to slave colonies by the Regent and his limitless army of Inorganics。
Then； for reasons few understood； he had volunteered for a more hazardous assignment： to follow in the tracks of Major John Carpenter in attempting to return a warship to the Earth all of them had left behind。 An Earth that had been ravaged by the very Tirolian Masters the Pioneer Mission had aimed to disempower and now faced an even greater threat from the race those same Masters had turned savage and indomitable。
Wolff left Tirol； but not before he had saved the life of a young man who idolized him from afar。。。an assistant to the celebrated Dr。 Lang named Scott Bernard。。。
Silently； Scott ran over the facts and memories while waiting for a chance to speak with Wolff。 It was incredible enough that the man had made it back from Tirol； given the then primitive state of the hyperdrive units； but for Scott to find him now； after all these years； was nothing less than miraculous。
From what he had managed to piece together since first seeing Wolff earlier in the day； Scott learned that Wolff had arrived on Earth shortly after the destruction of the Robotech Masters' fleet； approximately two years before the arrival of the Invid。 His Wolff Pack had led the counteroffensive but had been decimated along with most of the Army of the Southern Cross。 But Wolff himself had survived。 Driven underground； he had spearheaded the resistance and ever since had been on the go continually； moving from place to place to recruit and reconnoiter； waiting for the moment when the rest of the Expeditionary Force returned to wage the final battle。
Still； the boisterous atmosphere of the town disturbed Scott。 Where was the discipline that had made the Pack such a respected outfit？ And why weren't the troops being organized for a coordinated assault against Reflex Point？ Why； in fact； was Wolff here； so far south of the central hive； and where were the survivors of Mars Division？
Scott had all these things on his mind when he stepped into Wolff's personal quarters that night and offered salute。
〃Lieutenant mander Scott Bernard； Robotech Expeditionary Force； Mars Division。〃
Wolff was on the bed； his shirt…sleeves rolled up。 〃Mars Division？〃 he said； reaching for his dark glasses； then he laughed shortly： 〃Well； one of you made it through after all。〃
Scott lowered his hand from his forehead； somewhat stunned。 〃Then you haven't rendezvoused with any of the survivors； sir？〃
Wolff got off the bed and walked over to the bureau。 〃Lieutenant…Bernard； you said？…you're the first I've seen。〃 When he saw Scott agape； he laughed again。 〃Wele to Earth； Lieutenant。 Care for a drink？〃
Scott declined and watched Wolff pour a tall one for himself。 The small room reeked of stale sweat and liquor and was littered with the remains of half…eaten meals and empty bottles。 Scott noticed that Wolff's hand shook as he downed the drink。
〃Well； let's not stand on ceremony； Bernard；〃 Wolff said exuberantly。 〃Have a seat。 You can tell me about your ill…fated offensive and I'll tell you about mine。〃
〃Sir； I'm not really here to socialize。。。〃
〃Oh； I see；〃 Wolff said from the couch； with mock seriousness。 〃What's this about； then？〃
Scott stared at the man before replying； fighting an impulse to turn around and leave the room before matters got worse。 〃You don't remember me； do you； sir？ I knew you on Tirol。 I was part of the Saturn group； an assistant to Dr。 Lang。〃
Wolff's grin straightened； he turned his face away from Scott。 〃That was a long time ago； Bernard。 And a lot of miles from here。〃 He put the drink glass aside。 〃I'm sorry about this； Bernard。 We lost quite a few good men today。 And there's damn few left。〃
〃Sir； about this town。。。The Wolff Pack…〃
〃This isn't the Wolff Pack； Lieutenant！〃 Wolff barked。
〃The Wolff Pack is dead； every last one of them。〃 He got up and returned to the bottle。 〃I know what you're thinking； Bernard。 That the noble Jonathan Wolff is but a ghost of his former self and that he can't even control his troops。 But you don't know the full story； Bernard。 Not the half of it！〃
Wolff scowled and set the drink aside without tasting it。 〃These men aren't soldiers…they're rogues and thieves and Foragers and every other kind of riffraff this planet has spawned during the past fifteen years。 I do what I can with the few real soldiers I cross paths with。 But this is Earth； not Tirol。 And our enemy behaves differently here。。。As we all do。〃
Scott wasn't sure what to say； so he simply came to the point。 〃I'd like to be part of your team； sir。〃
Now it was Wolff's turn to stare。 〃You obviously know what you're in for； Bernard。〃
〃I've fought my way through a thousand miles； if that's what you mean。〃
Wolff's eyebrows went up behind the dark glasses。 〃Impressive。〃
〃In fact；〃 Scott said excitedly； 〃if it's good troops you're looking for…〃
〃No；〃 Wolff cut him off firmly。 〃I don't care how good they are。 If they're not Robotech…trained； I don't want them。〃 He turned his back to Scott to stare out the window。
〃But； sir…〃
〃That will be all for now； Bernard。〃
Scott buttoned his lip and saluted。 〃Your orders？〃
〃Oh…five…hundred sharp at the main gate；〃 Wolff said without turning around。
Four Cyclone riders suited up in battle armor left the basin base at sunrise； ascended the escarpment； and headed into the lush forests an hour's ride east。 Wolff； Todd； Wilson； and Bernard。 Scott had made no mention of his meeting with Wolff to Rand or the others。 He had gone as far as bunking with them in a room they had managed to secure in one of the base's barracks turned hotels and had crept out under the cover of darkness after leaving a scrawled note of explanation on his bedroll。 He had to admit that it felt strange and disforting to be without them； his surrogate family and personal 〃wolf pack。〃 But he told himself it was time to begin distancing himself from them； his new loyalties would have to lie with W