fanfic_name = Beyond the Stars

chapter = 5

author = AdmiralPrice

dedicate = for Carl Macek, GPPR, and (last but not least) Carla

Rating = AP15

Type = Action

fanfic = Beyond the Stars: Part Five

By Admiral Price



BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!



“What?” Rick said groggily as he got out of bed. Rather, as he tried to get out of bed. The moment his feet touched the floor and he pulled himself on top of them, he came tumbling down. His head pounded like the drums of war on the battle field; his stomach felt like rollercoaster on a busy afternoon in summer. He looked around as best he could to find the source of the noise, and through the blistering head ache and terrible nauseated feeling, found the phone ringing like it had gone mad. It just didn’t stop! The call would end, and then start again. Rick painfully crawled to it, and finally picked it up.



“Cap” he started, barely able to get the words out of his mouth. “Ri Hute”



“Captain! We’re under attack! Scramble!” an unfamiliar voice yelled from the other side. However, much to her dismay, Rick barely even made out what she was saying.



“Cn ye ple pet tht?” he tried to say, but even that was not well formulated.



“Captain Hunter! We are UNDER ATTACK! Get a hold of yourself you drunk!” the voice yelled as the phone call ended. Again, Rick had no clue what she was talking about. Who was ‘we’ and why had she called him a ‘drunk?’ All he could do was try to get up.



“Who the hell was that?” Greg asked from the other room, obviously annoyed that he was waken up at seven AM by the phone. Rick looked up at him and tried to say something, but all he could make out was groans and babbles. Greg stared at him and realized that Rick should have been dead by this time, but instead was just SEVERELY incapacitated. “No way in hell I’m leaving you with that girl again. I come back and you’re lying there, passed out, with the door swung wide open, and now you can’t even talk!”



Greg picked up Rick from the floor and put him back on his bed, tucked him in, and went to the medicine cabinet. From there he took out three anti-hangover pills and came back, forced them in Rick’s mouth, and made him swallow them with water. Rick almost puked, but had enough sense to hold it in.



“Who was it Rick?” Greg asked again. Rick was still suffering, and it would take him some time to get back to normal. “At this rate, even a week may not be enough.”



BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP! BEEEEEEP!



This time Greg picked up the phone and answered it, wondering who the hell would be calling at that hour.



“Lieutenant Greg Steinberg,” he said.



“Greg! What the hell are you doing there?!” a voice asked, a different one from last time.



“I’m trying to keep Rick alive,” he said casually. “What’s wrong Sabrina? You sound…tense.”



“Well I sure as hell hope I do! We’re under freakin’ attack! Get your butt over here now you bum! Shadow is on its way, and so is Skull. Get Rick and your butts here now!” Sabrina yelled.



“Did you talk to Rick?” he asked, wondering how she could have talked to him and not known that he was completely incapacitated.



“No. Claudia did. She said he was hung over,” she yelled.



“He’s a bit passed hung over. I’ll tell him to get ready, but I doubt he’ll make it. But I’ll be there in about five. Just hang in there Sabby,” he said before putting the phone down. He knew she hated being called “Sabby” and he liked it for that reason.



“Rick, we’re under attack, so if you can get ready, do it. If you can’t, don’t,” he said as he ran off to get to his car.



*                                       *                                       *



“Shadow Leader you are clear for takeoff,” Sabrina chimed into the video monitor.



“Roger that control,” Greg said. “Sabrina, where’s my squadron?”



“They are engaging the enemy in the city’s fourth quadrant, sector five.”



“Hold that thought Lieutenant. The runway’s about to come under attack.”



And he was right. Five or six battlepods made their way towards his runway, and Greg had to think fast. He slid the lever “B” and swiftly converted his modified VF-1J into battloid mode and fired his thrusters. He was lifted a few meters into the air, and the craft began a hover, waiting for the pods. They weren’t going to disappoint either. In a V-wing formation they came, charging like mad dogs. Greg shook his head as he fired the gun from sniper mode, easily picking off the front pod. The others continued their attack, not even flinching, and Greg knew exactly what he would do. Before they began their barrage of random fire, Greg converted to fighter mode and zoomed at high speeds meters above the ground. The pods still charged in V formation- though the tip of the V was missing- and Greg fit the fighter tightly through the opening. Before he whipped through, however, he released a barrage of missles at point blank range. As his fighter sped towards the fighting in the clouds, he left five explosions as gifts for the flight tower at Point K.



“You were saying Sabrina?”



“Nice lift off.”



“Wouldn’t have it any other way.”



“Anyways, your squadron is engaging the enemy in fourth quadrant, sector five. Commander Sterling led Skull is mopping up in sector three, and then they should join you. The other squadrons are taking care of some bigger fighting out in the first quadrant.”



“Why are Skull and Shadow away from the real good stuff?”



“Because those groups snuck up on us and raided warehouses. Also, both squadrons got up late.”



“Wow. Sorry about that.”



“Just get to sector five.”



“Wait…something’s coming up on the radar…SABRINA! IT’S A BOMB!”



Greg turned his fighter around just in time to watch three large blasts rip through the control tower, throwing people from the windows and piling smoke out of the radar tower. All communication between the tower and the fighters was lost, and Greg tried hard to punch through an open communication to all Veritechs. The confusion took its toll on the fighting. Within seconds the winning Robotech Defense Forces were being wiped out. The confusion led to breaks in assignments, inadequate reinforcements, and breaks in security. Finally he got it, and as the battle turned against them, he spoke.



“Skull and Shadow to sector one, now!”



“What about the warehouses?” Kathryn asked.



“No time. Go, or Point K will be wiped out,” Greg commanded.



“Greg, this is Max. We lost communication with the tower a few minutes ago. Is everything okay?”



“Max, the tower just took a direct hit. The reading said it was bombs, but it could have also been close range missiles. Either way, we’re going to need someone to take advantage of short range radar and act as mission command.”



“I’ll do it,” a new voice said over the com.



“Rick! Good timing bud.”



“I’m the one with most battle experience. And after that maneuver I’m sure you can more than take my place.”



“Doubt it kid, but I won’t refuse a compliment.”



“Let’s go already G!”



“Sure thing Kathy. You get Shadow out of Sector Four and I’ll meet you in Sector One.”



“I’ll take Skull to Sector Two and try a flanking action.”



“All right Rick. But who’s going to do the flight control then?”



“Miriya could. She’s had some experience with leading large groups in combat,” Max offered.



“How about it Miriya?” asked Rick.



“I will try not to disappoint you,” she said coolly.



“Then cut the chatter and initiate radio silence to conceal your actions. We’ll have them distracted enough for you,” Greg said.



Rick and Skull signed off the radio, and Greg made a quick fly-by of tower to get a look at the damage. Meanwhile, the Skull positioned itself in Sector two, directly behind the pods, and the Shadow caught up with Greg at Sector one. Miriya re-organized the defense forces and the battle on the ground in front of Point K began to stabilize. The RDF’s Battloids and the many destroids crouched behind cover and returned fire, reinforcing breaches in defense and reestablishing solid lines. Miriya was doing well. Meanwhile, Greg led the Shadow straight into the fray. They transformed into battloid mode and formed three wings, each responsible for another area. Greg gave the order, and the three wings attacked different parts of the rebel formation. Even though most of the defending defense forces were crouched behind cover, the Shadow valiantly raced towards the Zentradi lines. Transforming to Guardian, they released a salvo of missiles to cover their approach, and moved close enough for close range combat in Battloid mode. After five minutes of brutal combat, Shadows three and five were down, and the Zentradi front line had been pushed back.



“Now Rick!” shouted Greg over the comm. Responding to his call, Rick morphed the hiding battloids of Skull into a formidable formation of ferocious fighters. They approached fast, and within seconds had the Zentrendi lines under a full barrage of missiles and gun fire, striking confusion and fear in them. They turned fast, and like raw recruits, began a full fledged retreat. The Shadow and Skull pursued and managed to capture a few pods, and brought them back to Point K. The enemy attack repulsed for the moment, Rick switched his civilian communicator back on.



“Rick Hunter, Captain Rick Hunter!” a voice shouted from it.



“What is it?” he answered, a little concerned.



“Sir! The hospital’s been bombed!” the voice replied.



“What?!” he shrieked.



“Yes sir! The west wing is completely gone! Captain and Admiral Hayes were in the East, but they’re fine. However, Commanders Leeds, Porter, and Valentine are all missing,” the voice said desperately. “We need fighters here to organize a rescue now!”



“What happened there?!” Rick shouted.



“I don’t know sir, but they were bombs, not pods, that’s for certain,” the voice replied.



A little more calm knowing that the hospital was now out of danger, Rick brought his fighter around and shot off towards the hospital.



“Skull, this is Hunter. We are directed to perform a search and rescue operation at the hospital. Form around my wing and follow me,” Rick said. He switched to a private channel and saw Greg’s concerned face. “She’s fine Greg. But…friends are missing.”



“It’s not that Rick,” Greg said somberly. “I just talked to the Lieutenant in charge of the rescue op. at Point K. He said Sabrina’s been badly injured, and Claudia. Rick, Claudia’s dead.”



===========

Author’s Notes

===========



Wow….another big chapter. Oh well, just keep reading to find out what happens, that’s all I can say. This is turning into a VERY intense chapter, isn’t it? More on Greg’s character next chapter. Don’t worry, I’ll work on a Rick/Lisa seen next time too. It’s kinda escaped a little cause they’re a ‘little’ preoccupied, haha. Feedback is requested. Also, I think this is the shortest chapter I’ve written thus far. I don’t know if that’s good or bad…

State = Continuará/To Be Continue

feedback = Sí/Yes

email = AdmiralPrice786ATaol.com