Fanfic Name / Nombre del Fanfic: Choices and Aces

Chapter / Capitulo: Chapter Eleven

Author / Autor: Anonymoose_Au

Rating / Clasificacion: AP15 (For Teenagers = Para Adolescentes)

Romance

Action / Accion

Alternate Universe / Universo Alterno

Fanfic: “Cease! I can’t take anymore of this information! My head is spinning, what is it about these micronians?” Lord Breetai, Commander of the Zentraedi, on hearing Rico, Konda and Bron’s spy report. 
 
 
Max Sterling had not actually planned to go to Minmei’s movie, especially not on the premiere, but his new wingman, Joseph Hart had all but dragged him. 
 
“C’mon, Max! This is the opportunity of a life time! The first movie filmed in a space ship,” Joseph had babbled, propelling him down the street to the long line snaking out of the Macross City Entertainment Hall. 
 
“Yeah, yeah, I’ve read the promotional flyers,” he had broken in, then held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. “OK, OK, I’m in, stop pushing me.” 
 
“Success!” Joseph had cheered as they joined half the population of the SDF-1. 
 
“Yeah, if we can get in,” Max had murmured looking about at the mass of people. 
 
“Oh, we will,” Joseph had been sure. 
 
And some how he had been right. 
 
The line had disintegrated once they got in the foyer and the ticket sellers had seemed more inclined to give tickets to RDF personnel than the average Joe. 
 
Max felt slightly guilty, especially since he wasn’t sure if he’d actually enjoy the movie, but it was too late now, he and Joseph were all but boxed in. The theatre was filled to bursting point. 
 
“You know, isn’t there something called a fire code?” He asked Joseph looking around. 
 
“Eh, we’ll be fine,” Joseph had purchased a large tub of popcorn, which he held out to Max. “Help yourself.” 
 
“Thanks,” Max took a handful, as he munched he looked about for Rick; sure his friend would be there. Max had attempted to call him from his and Joseph’s place in the long line, but had got no answer. 
 
“I hope the previews won’t be half an hour long,” Max commented. 
 
Joseph laughed. “I think we can safely say they won’t be.” 
 
Maybe not, but it looked like it would be a while for the movie to start, people were still filing into the theatre, it looked like they were selling ‘standing-room’. 
 
“Wow, this movie is gonna bring in some serious dough.” 
 
“Kinda makes you rethink your choice of a career, hey?” Joseph agreed, taking another mouthful of popcorn. 
 
Max grinned. “No way!” 
 
*** 
 
Miriya had managed to lose the male who had let her in front of him and was now sitting between to females. Each of the females seemed to be with the males beside them…they were holding hands. 
 
Miriya suppressed a shudder; she could not imagine any reason to do such a thing and wished sincerely she was back in her cruiser with her Quadronos. 
 
Then her eyes hardened, if she was back with her Quadronos it would be without her mecha and for that, the micronian ace would pay. 
 
'Soon,' she thought, 'very soon.' 
 
At that moment the long pieces of fabric at the bottom of the large room opened to reveal a large comm. screen. 
 
Miriya leaned forward in her seat, anxious for the footage to begin running, but instead a micronian female walked to the centre of the stage in front of the screen. Whispers erupted around her. 
 
“Ooh, it’s her!” 
 
“It’s Minmei!” 
 
Miriya frowned. 'Minmei is female? Hmmm, I shouldn’t be surprised.' She was though, intel had indicated that the micronians fought with mostly males, doubtless they were more expendable. 
 
“Hi, everyone!” Minmei called waving. “Welcome to the first showing of my movie 'Small White Dragon'!” 
 
A great cheer rose up from everyone. 
 
“A lot of people helped put this film together and I’d like to thank them all, especially my co-star Lynn Kyle!” 
 
There were more cheers as Minmei gestured for someone and a second later a male with a long mane of black hair appeared. 
 
Miriya was confused by all the noise. She had been a recipient of many awards herself, but it had never been like this. The female Zentraedi would stand in a circle around her, silent as Lady Azonia presented the medal. 
 
“The movie is almost ready to go, but before it does I’d like to sing the theme song for you.” 
 
Miriya was startled as the lights in the room dimmed, except for one that illuminated Minmei and then… 
 
Miriya felt a chill run through her…the female…she was doing something…something with her voice… 
 
"He is the Small White Dragon! 
He is the greatest warrior, 
He can fight like no other. 
He can save us all!" 
 
Miriya wanted to put her hands to her ears to block the sound out, but a quick glance around showed that would be a very suspicious move. All around her micronians were smiling and nodding their heads, they enjoyed this, like Miriya enjoyed battle. 
 
Minmei finished and there was wild applause. 
 
“What a great song!” The female beside Miriya cheered. 
 
'Song,' she repeated to herself. 'A weapon?' She speculated. 
 
She didn’t have time to think about it anymore because Minmei left the stage and all the lights went out, the comm. screen lit up. 
 
The footage began. 
 
*** 
 
In Breetai’s ship non-combat movement was going on, word had spread that Rico, Konda and Bron had artefacts from the micronians, amazing artefacts that had to be seen to be believed. 
 
A large group had congregated in the meeting room the three spies had claimed for their presentations. 
 
It was fortunate that this room had a comm. screen, since it enabled them to tune in to the footage that had been picked up from Zor’s ship. 
 
“What is it?” 
 
“It looks like footage from the micronian’s planet.” 
 
“What are those odd uniforms they’re wearing?” 
 
“Now, now,” Bron called above the questions, “the point of this is to watch, if you talk through it all you’ll miss the story.” 
 
“’Story’?” Karita, the macronisation/micronisation tech, looked over his shoulder. 
 
“Yeah, it’s what entertainment is all about, the micronians tell about their adventures, stuff they’ve done before,” Rico explained, “sometimes other micronians re-perform these actions for the others to see.” 
 
“Oooh,” the other Zentraedi’s crowded in the room replied. 
 
Minmei appeared on screen, running up a male and grabbing his arm. 
 
“Why is she doing that?!” 
 
“Ssh!” Konda hissed. 
 
“Is that Minmei?” Mardul asked, pointing. 
 
“Sure is,” Rico nodded, “now be quiet!” 
 
Silence fell except for the faint soundtrack of the movie as it unfolded before their eyes. 
 
*** 
 
“What is this, Exedore?” Breetai leaned forward in his chair, trying to follow the footage.  
 
“It appears to be a battle record m’lord,” Exedore answered, his lips pursed. “A very old one judging from the lack of technology shown in it.” 
 
“Hmmm,” Breetai grunted, watching as a long haired male bowed to another and then launched into a series of kicks and flips. “They are surprisingly agile,” he observed, “I’d have thought their structures would be too weak for such a thing.” 
 
“Perhaps it is something they developed…a weapon,” Exedore mused, his mind full of the old records the Robotech Masters had entrusted with him, and the warning they contained against attacking any micronian planet. Perhaps… 
 
Exedore let his thought trail off as he continued observing the footage. 
 
His small black eyes widened in surprise as suddenly a huge, hulking being appeared on the screen, about the size of a Zentraedi. The being was dressed primitively and ha no weapons, but it fought quite effectively none the less, crushing micronians and destroying buildings in its wake. 
 
'Could it be? Our ancestors?' Exedore examined the footage for clues, but none were forth coming. 
 
“A Zentraedi!” Breetai exclaimed, seeming to have read his aide’s mind. “The war that almost destroyed our race was fought with these same micronians?” 
 
“The records are not specific, m’lord,” Exedore admitted, “but this footage seems to indicate so.” 
 
Breetai put his fingertips together beneath his chin in a pensive manner. “Hmmm…” 
 
On screen the giant being spotted the micronian female, reaching out he grabbed her. 
 
The micronian male, who had been running, stopped in his tracks, whirling to face the giant. 
 
“Zu-Li!” He shouted. 
 
“Forget about me, Ku-Lun!” The female cried in a high voice. “Run! Save yourself!” 
 
The giant turned and ran, the micronian male following, but only until it became clear he would not catch them. 
 
“Zu-Li,” he whispered, strange trails of liquid coming from his eyes. 
 
The footage faded out, then came back showing the male micronian racing through the woods, occasionally leaping up into the branches of trees to track the wake of destruction left by the giant. 
 
“Why is the micronian so willing going to face a far superior foe?” Breetai suddenly demanded. 
 
“It seems to be a habit of theirs, m’lord,” Exedore speculated, “and thus far they have been amazingly successful.” 
 
“But how?” Breetai growled. “How did they defeat us that first time?” 
 
“I believe we will not have to wait long for the answer, m’ lord, all we need do is keep watching.” 
 
*** 
 
In the Macross City Entertainment Hall, Miriya was doing the same thing and was just as confused. 
 
'Evidently that female is no match for a Zentraedi, armed or otherwise, it is the male who is the warrior.' Her eyes narrowed as she watched him on screen, dodging the primitive weaponry of fellow micronians, who appeared hell-bent on stopping him. 
 
'He shows remarkable skills,' Miriya admitted to herself as the micronian in question leapt into the air, executed a back flip onto a tree branch then leapt off it again as a volley of small spears were launched at him. It would stand to reason, though, this footage must be hundreds of nos old. 'The micronians must live for a very long time, no wonder they are such impressive warriors.' 
 
Miriya was also intrigued by the giants in the footage, who by all appearance were Zentraedi. 
 
'So those are our forebears,' she thought, as a group of the giants appeared on screen, she had only ever heard legends about them. 
 
The ancient Zentraedi had taken the female micronian, the one who had ‘sung’ before the footage began, and who oddly went by a different name. He was now showing her off to the other Zentraedi, who were grouped around a fallen cruiser. 
 
They were all intrigued by the female, who took in the whole thing with terrified eyes. 
 
The Zentraedi spoke in an incomprehensible language, the ancient form of their current one, Miriya supposed. The micronians seemed to have translated it, but she could not read the brief flashes of micronian text that appeared when the Zentraedis on screen spoke. 
 
At that moment there was the sound of branches rustling and running footsteps. 
 
The long haired male had appeared and with a defiant shout, he launched himself at the giants. 
 
In the crowded theatre those around Miriya gasped, then groaned as the giant who held the female swatted away the male as if he were a fly, leaving him crumbled on the ground. 
 
With a low rumbling laugh the group of Zentraedi left with the female, who was now sobbing. 
 
*** 
 
Lisa shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot; she was enjoying the movie, at least until her feet started hurting and forced her to shift position. 
 
The manager of the Macross City Entertainment Hall was someone she’d almost call a friend and he had agreed to let her in to the see the premiere when she had had discovered she would be off duty and had called him. 
 
Unfortunately, the crush had been so great she’d been unable to get to her allocated seat, which had no doubt been taken by someone else. 
 
But she had wanted to see Lynn Kyle, the man who so reminded her of her beloved Karl, so she had stayed. 
 
And now, she was distracted from her aching feet by the beautiful shot now on screen of Kyle. He was surrounded by light and was walking through a pristine ancient Chinese village to a temple.  
 
A venerable robed man appeared at the top of the steps and Kyle ran up to him, embracing him and talking in his soft, but strong mannered way. 
 
Lisa closed her eyes and saw Karl, as he read to her from Ghandi’s works, his brown eyes warm and bright, his voice throbbing with conviction. 
 
'Oh Karl, how can I forget you?' Lisa wondered, unconsciously titling her head back. 
 
Her reverie was broken as she was jostled by someone, her eyes snapped open and she was back in theatre, watching as Ku-Lun’s old master coached him on the power of the Small White Dragon from the Great Beyond. 
 
*** 
 
Exedore had lost track of time, something he never did, as he became absorbed in the footage. Much of it didn’t make sense to him, like how it jumped from place to place and how it picked up all the ancient Zentraedis movements. 
 
'I suppose they were tracking the female,' he speculated. 
 
The micronian male, who a moment ago had appeared to be in some building of significance to his race, was now back in the woods and was after the giants. 
 
“What does he hope to accomplish?” Breetai demanded, getting to his feet. “The Zentraedi have all ready shown how easily they could kill him.” 
 
Exedore shook his head. “I am as stymied as you are m’lord, surely they-“ But he broke off as the most unbelievable sight filled the screen. 
 
The male micronian had caught up with giants and with an indecipherable howl; he leapt high in the air, slicing his hand out in front of him. 
 
And from that hand burst a bolt of energy! 
 
It hit the Zentraedi leader square in his chest, causing him to drop the female. 
 
Then the male micronian was in frame, foot outstretched kicking the giant square in the chest and sending him falling to the ground. 
 
“What in Zor’s name was that?!” Breetai cried, his one eye widening in something that was almost fear. “Exedore -?” He turned to him. 
 
“It…it appears to be some sort of energy release, powered by the micronian himself!” 
 
“That’s impossible!” Breetai spluttered. 
 
“Then that must be the weapon,” Exedore said, almost to himself. “The weapon that the Robotech Masters warned us of. Protoculture in its pure form.” 
 
Breetai turned to him, his bluish skin pale. “We must stop them, Exedore; we cannot allow them to rediscover that weapon!” 
 
“It may be too late, m’lord,” Exedore pointed to the comm. screen, “this footage could be a sign they all ready have.” 
 
*** 
 
Had Breetai and Exedore looked beyond their Command Post they would have seen the group of Zentraedi now packed in the room Rico, Konda and Bron had commandeered. 
 
And they would have known that the images from Zor’s ship were just fantasy, a story put together for the benefit of the audience aboard the vessel. 
 
“Wow, how did they do that?” One of the Zentraedi still wanted to know as the micronian on screen decimated the group of giants with energy pulses from his hands. 
 
“They call it ‘Special Effects’,” Konda explained, “it’s not real; they put it in later with their computers.” 
 
The Zentraedi, Kalul, a navigation tech, thought this a particularly odd use of technology, but became too caught up in what happened next to question it further. 
 
The giants defeated, the male micronian ran to where the female had fallen. 
 
She lay in heap, silent and unmoving. 
 
“Zu-Li! Zu-Li!” The male took her up in arms, the Zentraedis watching, except for the three spies gasped in utter astonishment. “Please, speak to me! Tell me you’re all right!” He touched her cheek. 
 
“How- how,” one Zentraedi stuttered. 
 
“Why-“ another began. 
 
“Sssh!” Bron hissed. 
 
The female’s eyelids fluttered, then opened. “Kun-Lu, you came for me…you rescued me.” 
 
“I could do nothing else, oh, Zu-Li, my Zu-Li.” 
 
And then the male placed his lips on the female’s. 
 
A startled shout rose from the crowd of Zentraedi. 
 
“What are they doing?!” Tezel cried. 
 
“They’re pressing lips, it’s a micronian custom,” Rico explained. “They do it all the time, it’s practically required.” 
 
“And…and that is Minmei?” Kalul asked again, pointing a shaking finger at the screen. 
 
“That’s right, we saw her all the time when we were on Zor’s ship.” 
 
“She does not look…quite as we expected,” Furel said, unable to tear his eyes from the screen. 
 
“She’s in costume there,” Konda explained, “she looks much prettier in reality.” 
 
“Did you…did you ever press lips with her?” Asked one of the Zentraedi in the crowd, faintly. 
 
The three spies caught each other’s eyes…surely a little untruth couldn’t hurt. 
 
“Oh sure,” Bron bragged. 
 
Now that the lip pressing on screen had stopped the crowd of Zentraedis had turned around to stare at the spies open mouthed. 
 
“Many times,” Konda affirmed. 
 
“I thought my lips would fall off from been pressed so much,” Rico laughed. 
 
At that moment the battle alert sounded.

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