Part Five Chapter Four

Index

Part Five Chapter Six

Disclaimer

Macross is owned by or licensed to lots of people - Tatsunoko Studios, Harmony Gold, Studio Nue, Streamline Video...note that none of them are me.

The same can be said of Ranma 1/2 - Rumiko Takahashi, Kitty, Shonen Sunday Comics, Viz Video. Not me.

I didn’t create any of them, and I certainly do not own them. Please don’t sue me.

"Captain?" Doctor Emil Lang’s voice showed some definite tension; this was Gloval’s first hint that things were far less than perfect. He stood, and turned to face his chief science officer.

"Yes, Doctor?"

"I have some information that you and your first officer need to be aware of. We are in need of a command decision, and there is not much time to make it within."

Gloval nodded. "Very well. Lisa, would you please come with us? Claudia, you have the bridge."

"Captain, if I may..." Lang gestured towards Claudia Grant. "Your communications officer brought this information to my attention; she should be present."

Gloval sighed. "Very well. Claudia, with us. Ensign Leeds, you have the conn."

Vanessa Leeds was seventeen years old, and suddenly very scared.

* * * * *

"When the visitor crash-landed on Earth, both the military and the civil government became extremely excited, though over different technologies. The military wanted to get their hands on the new armour, weapon systems and, of course, the reflex system. However, the civil government’s interest was primarily in the faster-than-light drive that the ship possessed."

Gloval coughed. "That’s very interesting, Doctor. I believe you said we were under a time constraint?"

"Bear with me, Captain. This is relevant information. During the ten years following the crash, the civil government spent a lot of time trying to decipher the secrets of the fold system. While they met with a certain measure of success, they were unable to duplicate the navigation systems required to make a successful space fold. However, this did not stop them from creating several drive cores. At the time of our launch, three cores had been built. One was mounted on Armour Ten, with the intent of testing the system. Armour Ten was destroyed, if you recall, on Day One of the invasion. Another was stored on Mars. I believe the one on Mars was destroyed when Commander Hayes overloaded the reflex furnace."

"And the third?"

"The third was stored at Luna Base. It had been brought there for fitting aboard Armour Six. Before that could occur, however, the Armour was attacked by the Zentraedi, and was forced to put down on Luna. No rescue mission was possible, and the crew of the Armour likely asphixiated when their life-support ran out."

Beside the Captain, Commander Hayes gasped in sympathy.

"Four days ago, Lieutenant Grant brought a communication to me. This communication had originated aboard this ship, and was beamed back to Earth. According to this communication, some person was conspiring to launch an unauthorized attack against the Zentraedi. Two days ago, routine message traffic reported the launch of Armour Six from Luna’s surface."

Hayes broke in. "But, Doctor Lang. The weapons aboard an Armour are ineffective against Zentraedi armour. Whoever launched that ship must know this."

"This is true. But remember that even an improperly guided fold operation can--"

"Nichevo!"

"Indeed, Captain, I see you grasp the importance of this information."

Gloval turned to Hayes. "Launch two Cats’ Eyes. I want the area between us and both primary Zentraedi battle groups heavily monitored."

"Aye sir. And when we find Armour Six?"

"If I am not on the bridge at the time, launch a fighter squadron to stop the ship. Don’t use a Ready group; set someone up for this job specifically."

"I know just the team."

Gloval next turned to Grant. "Lieutenant, I want a copy of that message. After I have that, start scanning all stored traffic for any voice-print matches to those in the original message."

"Yes, sir."

Finally, he turned to Lang. "Can you contact anyone on Earth? Perhaps get some hard science behind the possible results of an unguided fold operation?"

"Yes, I can. Doctor Lazlo Zand, my protege."

"Do it." He turned and headed for the hatch. "We have a real shot at peace; I don’t want anything to mess this up."

* * * * *

"Fighter screen is up, my Lady. The Micronian ship has not launched any mecha as of yet."

"Understood. Status on main gun?"

"Main gun is eighty percent charged. Twelve centipulses to full power."

"Acknowledged." Azonia turned back to face the tactical screen. "Gavelo. Any information on the approaching ship?"

"Yes, my Lady. The approaching ship is a heavy cruiser, designated by the Micronians as an Armour-class vessel. They are equipped with eight heavy particle cannons, plus missile batteries. Their firepower is insufficient to damage a Command Cruiser, but they might be able to defeat a Destroyer."

She scowled, and continued to stare at the warship growing in the tactical display.

"What’s on his mind, hmm?"

* * * * *

The screen cleared, and the slightly pudgy face of Lazlo Zand appeared. Like his mentor, Zand’s eyes had gone completely black, a side-effect of exposure to Reflex radiation. But where Lang’s face was expressionless, Zand’s appeared to be locked in a perpetual sneer.

"Ah, Emil. My old friend. And how may I help you today?"

"We have a problem, Lazlo. Somebody has stolen an Armour unit, and possibly a fold reactor as well."

"Yes, so I have heard." Zand tilted his head. "I’m not sure which would prove more worrisome to you and your captain."

"It is the fold reactor for which I am seeking data. I need to know the radius of the field generated by Reactor Three."

"Reactor Three..." He frowned. "As I recall, Reactor Three’s field radius was rather low. Perhaps only sixteen kilometers. Not as small as the reactor on the Dimensional Fortress, but small for our technology."

"Are you certain of that figure?"

"Oh, rather. It took me several days of research and calculation to find it."

"...Several days?" Lang didn’t frown, but his eyes narrowed slightly. "Have you had cause to believe the reactor would be stolen?"

"Oh, yes. Quite definite cause. You see, it was I who informed the Zentraedi Warlord Khyron of its location."

"You what?"

"Ah, to finally break through that wall of unfazability. Yes, my old friend. I gave the Zentraedi the location of the device. I caused a task group, headed by Lieutenant Leonard - surely you’ve managed to deduce that he was involved? - to relocate the device into Armour Six. And I had Armour Six rigged for remote piloting." He smiled. "But I was uncertain of the fold radius. The Armour Unit will maneuver to within five kilometers before engaging the fold device."

"I cannot believe I am hearing this!"

"Oh, trust me, old friend. It’s really for the best. An attack between two different factions of the enemy forces. Between fighting themselves, they will likely leave us alone."

"Your plot won’t work." Lang shook his head. "Already, the Captain is preparing to launch a counterattack."

"That will prove unfortunate. The device has an anti-tamper mechanism in place. Attempting to damage or disconnect it will result in an instant fold." He smiled. "I have really thought of everything, haven’t I? I suggest that you and your captain simply sit back and watch the fireworks."

The screen blanked out. Lang’s grip tightened on the console, until his fingers literally crushed the titanium alloy.

"Zand!"

* * * * *

"Captain, Cat’s Eye Two reports contact with Armour Six. Our bearing three two five mark twelve."

"Understood." Gloval sat down in his chair, and pulled out his pipe. "Lisa, have you ordered your team to stand to?"

"Yes, sir. Captain Saotome reports, however, that he is down one crewperson.22"

"Indeed?"

"Yes, sir. He’d requested Lieutenant Wyatt to replace a lost pilot, but she is still attached to Blue."

"And what about our...guest?"

* * * * *

"Let me give this to you real clear, Parino."

Lieutenant Miriya Parino was at full attention; her commanding officer’s face was inches away from her own.

"I am taking one hell of a huge risk here. We have no free Rapier for you to pilot, so I am giving you a VF-1D, two-seat Valkyrie. I am even being so generous as to give you a full warload, because I cannot spare even a single pilot."

"I understand, my Lord."

"Don’t call me that." He turned and pointed at a Marine. "You see Private Chen over there? He’s gonna be in your back seat. He’s trained in radar ops, so he will be of some help to you. But he also carried a high-powered pistol, and a good-sized bomb. Do you understand what that means?"

"Yes, Captain. If I betray you, I will not live beyond the moment."

"I’m glad we’re clear on that." He stepped back. "I’ve faced you as an enemy before, Miriya. I believe that you are honourable. But I simply cannot take any sort of risk with the safety of the rest of my command."

"Understood, Captain."

"Fine. Suit up. We launch in twenty minutes."

* * * * *

Grel leaned away from the sensor hood. "She still hasn’t committed to an attack."

Khyron scowled. "Perhaps she needs proper incentive. Signal the Third Company."

"Yes, My Lord."

* * * * *

Mecha swarmed from every port on the Armour platform.

"My Lady! Multiple launches, from the Armour. Company strength. They are attacking our fighter screen."

"What unit?" Azonia jumped out of her command chair and strode down to the sensor controls. "Those accursed Angels?"

"No, my Lady. The attacking force is Zentraedi in composition. Unable to determine which company."

"All hands to powered armour. Stand by for immediate launch." One for one, no Zentraedi unit could stand up to the fearsome Queaddlun-Rau Powered Armour. But she was woefully outnumbered; her command cruiser had a mere platoon of powered armour, and no other ship could vector reinforcements.

"My Lady! A second group of mecha is on an intercept for the Micronian ship."

"Good news, I hope?"

"I’m not sure, my Lady. EnCom reports the arrivals are a Valkyrie and Rapier mixed squadron, twelve ships. Plus two transport shuttles."

She pursed her lips. "We can’t risk it...Powered armour squadrons, this is Azonia. You will launch, and assume picket position. Do not engage the Zentran, or the Micrones, unless they approach the command ship. Launch!"

* * * * *

"Captain! I’m showing Amazon powered armour launching."

"Understood, Web Seven." Ranma considered, then decided to stay true to mission. He tapped his controls, editing out the forty-eight Amazon mecha. The battle computer chirped, and redesignated, painting Zentraedi battle mecha only. "Stand by all Valkyries."

The computer came up with an answer it liked, and chirped cheerfully. Ranma checked the range. "Fifteen seconds to breakaway...mark. Master arm on."

"Three."

"Five."

"Flight Two reports master arm on."

Six Valkyries, twelve Swordfish missiles each. At best, seventy-two kills. Hardly enough to make a dent in the nearly three hundred mecha ahead...

"Mark!"

"Breakaway!"

Missiles were punched off the ejector racks, and ignited their engines. Seventy-two contrails streaked away towards the battlefield ahead.

The sky turned molten.

"Multiple detonations!"

"Martin, talk to me."

"Sir, I read sixty hard kills, one that might be a kill. Oh, and they’re coming about."

"Got it." He smirked, and shifted to female form. "Let’s rumble."

* * * * *

Azonia watched with amazed satisfaction as the Micronian missiles swatted better than a platoon of mecha out of the sky. "I didn’t actually expect this, but..."

Gavelo was shaking her head. "I don’t get it."

"Sometimes, my old friend..." She almost giggled. "Sometimes the enemy of my enemy is my friend."

* * * * *

Ranma jerked the trigger repeatedly, sending three tungsten penetrators into the Officer’s Battle Pod. She whirled, ignoring the crippled machine, and put another into the Tactical Pod on her six. Clark was somewhere above him, but it wasn’t Ranma’s job to watch out for her; rather, it was Clark’s job to keep Ranma safe.

It was the biggest furball she’d seen since the Battle of Uranus, and there were a lot more friendly mecha in that battle. She thought the mecha through a snap-kick, terminating a powersuit, then wished herself into the midst of a formation of Artillery pods. Her wrist-mounted Scorpion missiles flew in four directions, and destroyed the enemy mecha before they even knew she was there.

She glanced around the battlefield. The enemy was hardly a sterling example of their warriors, but sheer numbers were going to wear her squadron down. As she watched, Web Twelve, Private Brock Kaase, was blown out of the sky, and Kosuji’s Rapier took a near-miss from a rocket, rendering it unable to reconfigure.

"Kosuji, get back to the ship." She glanced over, at the forty-eight mecha standing on the sidelines. "Web Thirteen. What can you tell me about that bunch? Why aren’t they attacking?"

"Captain, those soldiers are the First Quadrano Battalion, command platoon. And I do not understand why they are not attacking."

"Can you get them on our side? That is, after all, why you’re here."

* * * * *

"Miriya Parino to Azonia."

Azonia’s eyes widened. "Miriya! What in the name of the Protoculture--"

"Azonia, I have discovered the secret of the Protoculture Fortress. But you, and myself, stand to be destroyed unless your Warriors intervene. We need your assistance."

Azonia nodded slowly. "And after we defeat the Zentran, you will tell me why exactly you are fighting alongside the Micrones?"

"Yes, my Lady."

Azonia stepped closer to the monitor, even though the message was voice only. "You ask me to take your word, despite the fact that you sit aboard a Terran mecha, fighting with the Micrones, to all appearances a traitor." She shook her head. "I cannot quite believe this."

"My Lady, the Terrans have discovered something of the secrets that lie within the Protoculture Fortress. I can personally show you the wonders that they have unlocked. But first, both you and I must survive this day."

"Are you willing to swear by the Protoculture you have named? Will you swear by the Protoculture that you are not leading us false?"

"I swear it, my Lady."

As always, there was nothing but purest confidence in her voice. This, as much as her words, made Azonia’s decision for her.

"Very well." She smiled. "I’ve wanted to give this order ever since the Alliance was formed. "All Quadrano units: Engage the Zentraedi forces!"