Fanfic Name / Nombre del Fanfic: Choices and Aces

Chapter / Capitulo: Chapter 17

Author / Autor: Anonymoose_Au

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

Romance

Action / Accion

Alternate Universe / Universo Alterno

Fanfic: “Sometimes I wonder about us as a species, Lisa, do we really care about love so much? Or is it violence we aspire to?” Karl Riber in a letter to Lisa Hayes, January 12th, 2004 
 
*** 
 
"Captain! One of the cruisers is heading directly for us!” Vanessa relayed in a tight voice. “It looks like it’s going to ram us!” 
 
“What?” Gloval got to his feet and hurried over to the threat board to see for himself. 
 
Sure enough, one of the radar dots had picked up speed, heading directly for them, the other twenty-nine ships still firing. 
 
Gloval debated his options. “Lisa, status report on the veritechs?” 
 
“They’re all in our firing range, Captain,” she reported, tersely. “Fighting is two heavy for them to retreat.” 
 
“High energy weapons are been fired at us every fifth of a second,” Claudia called. 
 
“Well, then, it looks like there’s only one way,” Gloval muttered, nodding. “Lisa prepare to execute the 'Daedeleus Manoeuvre'. If we have to, we’ll punch each and every one of those ships to bits.” 
 
Lisa nodded and immediately began relaying the instructions to the Destroid pilots and the technicians aboard the Daedeleus. 
 
Claudia meanwhile issued orders to the ship’s engine room and the Barrier HQ, while Sammie and Kim warned and directed all sectors. 
 
Vanessa kept her eyes glued to the board. “Cruiser will be in range in one minute.” 
 
“We’ll be ready,” Gloval replied with steely resolved, turning to watch the approach cruiser as it bore down on them. 
 
*** 
 
In amongst the trails of missiles and dazzlingly lines of lasers, Roy fought tooth and nail. 
 
The enemy pods certainly didn’t contain the cream of the alien forces crop, but there was so many of them it almost made up for that. 
 
Roy looped around one pod taking it out from behind, then snapped into a turn to take out another coming from his nine o’clock. 
 
“Gibson, you holding up?” He asked over the tac net, having lost sight of his wingman. 
 
There was no answer. 
 
“Skull Two, report position,” he tried again. 
 
There was still no response. 
 
“Shit,” cursed Roy, hoping the guy was just caught up in fighting and not dead. He mightn’t care for the man personally, but that didn’t mean… 
 
Roy shook his head to clear the thoughts, there was no time for this, he had to keep his mind on the battle at hand. 
 
Out the corner of his eye he noticed the sudden movement of the SDF-1. 
 
'Ah, good ol’ Daedeleus,' Roy thought as the huge fortress moved as if it were alive the Daedeleus moving back like a boxer’s arm then thrusting forward towards a break away alien ship. 
 
Roy threw himself back into the fighting; three more pods were heading right for Skull Three and Four. But having dispatched them noticed a bizarre sight. 
 
Usually the Daedeleus entered the enemy ship, the Destroids set off their missiles and the SDF-1 moved clear. 
 
But this time…it seemed to be hanging their, the carrier inside the cruiser, but no great explosion signally the latter’s imminent destruction. 
 
“I have a bad feeling about this,” Roy muttered to himself, shaking his head. 
 
*** 
 
The atmosphere at the Star Bowl had descended into near panic. The typical shakes and shudders of battle had increased more and more, now the floor beneath seemed to shake as if something large an ominous was coming their way. 
 
But no warnings had gone out to evacuate, in fact no word at all had come from the Bridge. 
 
Minmei broke off singing as there was a deafening explosion and the power gave out, plunging the stage into darkness. 
 
She looked about in terror, wanting to run, but Kyle put an arm around her shoulders. 
 
“Minmei, you can’t stop, you’ve got to sing, it’s the only way to keep everyone calm,” he urged her. 
 
“Bu-but Kyle, I’m so scared,” she whimpered. 
 
“I know, but so are they,” he gestured to the crowd. “Minmei, you have to sing, sing with your whole heart and soul.” 
 
Kyle’s words struck a cord in her and she nodded. “O-OK.” 
 
At these words Kyle gave her a wide smile then turned to the crowd, cupping his hands around his mouth, he shouted. “Everyone, resume your seats! We’re gonna continue the concert, so please remain calm! We’re safe here!” 
 
The concert production team got the power back on the line and Minmei began singing 'Small White Dragon', perhaps its lyrics would provide hope and calm. 
 
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kyle smiling and nodding her on. 
 
*** 
 
“Section A to Bridge! Alien pods are aboard we can’t – ugh!” 
 
“They’ve breeched levels 15 to 10! We’re trying to hold them –“ 
 
“Bridge, they’re heading for the city!” 
 
“Turn it off,” Gloval shouted, Claudia immediately cut the transmissions. 
 
“I can’t believe this,” he shook his head, berating himself for not having seen this possibility. 'They’ve always fought so conservatively,' he thought, 'what brought on this ingenuity?' 
 
“Captain!” Kim called from her screen, which still showed the carnage been wrought by the invading pods. “They’re almost into Macross City!” 
 
“There’s not enough Destroids in the ship to stop them!” Sammie cried. 
 
Gloval whirled to face Lisa. “Lisa, call the veritechs, we need as many in the ship as we can get!”  
 
Lisa nodded. “SDF-1 to all veritechs, we are under attack from within! Repeat, there are aliens inside the ship! Skull Leader send as many fighters as you can spare to the bay doors, over!” 
 
“Roger, SDF-1,” Roy’s voice crackled over the tac net. “Vermillion and Black Teams proceed to the SDF-1.” 
 
Lisa watched as Rick’s team flew into view and Claudia ordered the bay doors open to allow access. It was up to the Vermillion and Black now. 
 
*** 
 
For the second time, Miriya was almost sent catapulting over the half-wall to her death. 
 
This time though, it wasn’t from lasers hitting the ship, but from battle pods themselves bursting onto the city streets. 
 
Miriya was stunned, last she knew the command had all but banned any direct attack on Zor’s Fortress, but now here they were. 
 
She caught a flash of an Officer’s Pod letting loose beams of laser fire every which way and smiled grimly. 'So, Azonia DIDN'T behead him,' she thought, wryly. 
 
One thing was for sure, she could not remain in such a vulnerable position, loathe as she was to let the ace who had bested her out of her sight again she turn and ran to the ladder that would take her back down the building. 
 
As soon as her feet hit the ground she ran, looking for a safe spot to observe her fellow Zentraedi and see how they matched up against the micronians. 
 
It didn’t really seem to be a fair fight, the pods, towering above the enemy and their buildings, simply smashed on through regardless. 
 
All of a sudden there was a different sound in the air and Miriya looked up, the micronians had brought in their mecha. She watched as they converted into that body like configuration and trained their gun and laser turrets on the invaders. 
 
Miriya wondered could the micronian ace have got to his mecha so quickly? 'What speed he must have!' 
 
She didn’t see him among the micronian mecha and it would be hard to miss with its distinctive yellow and black colour scheme and the skull and crossbones that accompanied them. 
 
Miriya decided to keep searching, he and his mecha must be somewhere, and she would find him. 
 
*** 
 
Rico, Konda and Bron looked for a good place for themselves and the five accompanying pods to ditch their mecha. 
 
“We have to get out of these things,” Konda spoke over the radio, “otherwise we’ll probably be taken out by the micronians!” 
 
It proved difficult to keep their comrades in order, as their first sight of the micronian society so overwhelmed them. 
 
“What ARE all these structures?” 
 
“Why are there so many different coloured lights?” 
 
“What are those oddly shaped organic structures?” 
 
“Where’s Minmei?” 
 
“Look!” Rico all but yelled into the radio. “We’ll explain about all this stuff once we’re safe. There’s no time now, just follow us all right?” 
 
The Zentraedi in the five pods fell silent and followed after the three spies pod; they ducked their mecha into what seemed to be a deserted hallway. 
 
“All right,” Rico nodded, “this will do, all Zentraedi, leave your pods.” 
 
It was with excitement on the defectors part and apprehension on the spies’ that the latches a top of the battle pods opened and Zentraedi string the thickness of micronian rope was thrown over and the micronised Zentraedi climbed down to the metal floor. 
 
As the floor shook with the pounding of giant mecha’s feet and the firing of weapons. Konda held up a hand. 
 
“We better keep out of sight for the time being,” he instructed, “with the battle going on all the micronians will be in shelters. We’ll have to wait ‘til they come out to declare ourselves.” 
 
The renegade Zentraedi agreed, but deep down Rico, Konda and Bron wondered if at the end of this there would be anyone to declare themselves to. 
 
*** 
 
Most of the people in Macross City were nowhere near a shelter; they were still in the Star Bowl trying to remain calm in the face of silence from the Bridge and the explosion from the battle raging inside their ship. 
 
“To be in love,” Minmei and the crowd sang, “my hero, he must take me where no other can…” 
 
“Come on, Minmei, keep going,” Kyle urged her; “you’re doing great.” 
 
But all of a sudden, Minmei stopped with a horrified gasp. 
 
Two enemy battle pods had appeared just over the top of the Bowl. A shudder ran through her as she recalled the last time she had been so close to the aliens…she almost hadn’t made it. 
 
The crowd was turning in their seats to see what was happening, many letting out screams and cries of horror. 
 
Kyle ran to Minmei’s side again, pushing the microphone towards her. “Don’t stop now, Minmei! You HAVE to keep singing, you have to!” 
 
Her voice trembling and tears in her eyes, Minmei picked up the song. 
 
And amazingly, it seemed to be working! 
 
“Yeah, that’s right, they won’t hurt us, just keep going!” Kyle urged her on. 
 
“Where we will find a brand new world,” Minmei’s voice picked up strength. “A world of things we’ve never seen before-!” 
 
At that moment a giant explosion nearby set the ground shaking with the intensity of an earthquake and loosed from the top of the stage one of the heavy spotlights. 
 
It all seemed to happen in slow motion, the microphone seeming to float rather than fall as she dropped it, but Minmei seemed unable to move. 
 
Suddenly, Kyle was there, pushing her out of harm’s way, but getting caught in it himself, the spotlight thudding violently against his skull, knocking him out instantly. 
 
As he slumped onto Minmei she couldn’t hold his weight and they both fell to the floor, Kyle pinning her down. 
 
The crowd in the Bowl had leapt to their feet as one and were now running every which way to escape. 
 
“Kyle!” Minmei shook his shoulder, trying to move him off her. “Kyle, wake up! Oh, somebody, help us, please!” 
 
*** 
 
Khyron was in his element, his blood pounding through his veins, his eyes bright with conquest. 
 
“Show no mercy!” He yelled to his troops. “Destroy everything that moves! There’s nothing to stop us now, we can do as we wish!” 
 
He took pleasure in crushing the small vehicles that lined the pathways and shooting into the structures on either side. 
 
He had all but forgotten the primary objective of securing micronians for Dolza to interrogate, but figured he’d cross that hurdle when he came to it. 
 
Suddenly, he saw an odd sight…three pods had broken formation and almost ran him down, crossing the pathway in front of him.  
 
“What’s the meaning of this?” He demanded, shaking a fist at them, though they could not see him do so. “Where do you three think you’re going? Get back into ranks!” 
 
“Sorry m’lord,” one answered, “but we were trying to find Minmei.” 
 
“Minmei?” Khyron repeated, unfamiliar with the term. “What is this ‘Minmei’? What are its ballistic capabilities?” 
 
The three Zentraedi actually laughed! 
 
“Oh no, m’ lord, Minmei’s not a WEAPON,” one said. 
 
“She’s a micronian female!” The Zentraedi behind the first informed him. 
 
“We can’t wait to see her and hear her sing!” The high voice of the third Zentraedi seemed to be shaking with excitement. 
 
“ ‘SING?’ “Khyron demanded. “What the devil-?!” 
 
“It’s a micronian activity and Minmei is the one who sings for the rest of them.” 
 
“We have to see for ourselves.” 
 
Khyron’s eyes were wide and he shook his head. “This is madness,” he hissed almost to himself. 
 
*** 
 
“It IS him!” Miriya gasped, stopping in her tracks. 
 
She was before an observation window where a battle still raged outside the ship. 
 
And there in amongst the score of battle pods was the ace. He flew rings around his enemy, dispatching them with well-placed laser and gun fire. 
 
Miriya winced at the pathetic showing of her race, no wonder they were losing! 
 
Her fingers curled into fists as she watched him, her nails digging into her palms, memories of her defeat fresh and searing. 
 
“There is no doubt,” she added to herself, darkly. 
 
*** 
 
Rick was fighting his heart out, and icy terror had gripped it since hearing the report that the aliens had entered the SDF-1. 
 
Now he was in the nearly unrecognisable street of Macross struggling against the enemy as the sought to destroy him. 
 
Max and Joseph Hart had disappeared, leaving him entirely on his own. 
 
Somersaulting over the heads of two pods that tried to pin him in, he converted to Guardian and hit the thrust, screaming down the streets, the pods in pursuit. Quick as a flash he returned to Battloid mode and spun around, Gatling blaring sending his two pursuers into oblivion. 
 
“Hold on, Minmei!” He yelled, running the Battloid at full tilt for the Star Bowl. “I’m coming!”  
 
He met little resistance as he raced to the stadium and was surprised and immensely relieved when he saw how little it was damaged. 
 
Two pods were there, it was almost as if they were guarding the place. Rick opened fire on them, but they scattered, unwilling to face him it seemed. 
 
His way now clear, Rick searched for Minmei inside the Bowl. 'Where is she? Is she in a shelter all ready, or is she…' 
 
Then he spotted her, she was kneeling below the stage in front of someone who was leaning back against it, as if for support. 
 
Rick suddenly realised it was Kyle and he appeared to have been injured, Minmei had a handkerchief in hand and was mopping at an oozing gash on his forehead. 
 
Rick was about to open the tac-net and announce his presence and offer to get them to a shelter when suddenly Kyle got a strange, dreamy look on his face. 
 
And he reached out, enfolding Minmei in his arms and pressing his lips to hers in a passionate kiss. 
 
Rick reeled in his seat, stomach churning, he couldn’t believe it. 'This is worse than her movie! Minmei how COULD you?' 
 
She didn’t answer him, she didn’t even know he was there after all; she was too absorbed with Kyle to care. 
 
“Lieutenant Hunter! Vermillion Leader, this is the Bridge, come in!” Suddenly Lisa’s voice came through the speaker, jolting Rick from the spectacle before him. 
 
“Vermillion Leader, roger,” he answered, blandly. 
 
“You haven’t been reporting in, where are you?” Lisa demanded, sounding concerned, but Rick barely noticed. 
 
“I’m at the Star Bowl, Minmei and Kyle are here, you better alert the medics to come help them.” 
 
“What?!” Lisa’s voice shot up. “Why? What’s happened? Tell me! Has something happened to Kyle?! Answer me, Rick!” 
 
But Rick was too deep in despair to notice Lisa’s panic and merely said. “I’m heading to intercept boogies still aboard.” With that he snapped off the tac-net. 
 
With his blood pounding through his veins, Rick whirled the Battloid around and with a yell that was more like a primal scream raced off into the streets to find and destroy the enemy. 
 
*** 
 
“What the devil is going on in there, Exedore?” Breetai demanded. 
 
The assault on Zor’s Fortress seemed to have completely collapsed, Khyron has not reported in for some eighty mil. 
 
Exedore, receiving reports from the techs, was shaking his head. “I don’t believe this m’lord,” he spoke, “I don’t know how it’s possible!” 
 
“What? What is it?” 
 
“Reports are showing the 1st and 7th Battalions attack formations have completely broken up! And Khyron appears to be attacking his own men!” 
 
“WHAT?!” Breetai’s furious roar was so loud it almost shook the command centre. “Patch me through! I don’t care how you do it!” 
 
The Command vessel sent out a high-frequency wide-ranging radio signal that got Khyron and probably the whole of the 1st Imperial Fleet and Zor’s Fortress as well. 
 
“Khyron, stop this immediately or you’ll be executed the mil you return to your ship!” Breetai ordered. 
 
“Traitors,” Khyron hissed, as though through clenched teeth. “Deserters! Cowards!” 
 
Exedore backed away as Breetai’s blue face became a mottled purple. “Say that again,” he spoke in a deadly calm voice. 
 
“My troops are deserting!” Khyron clarified. “They’ve broken ranks! They claim to want to experience micronian life!” 
 
“I don’t believe it!’ The colour drained from Breetai’s face, leaving him almost white. 
 
“You don’t, well just listen!” Khyron growled, patching him in to the battle frequency. The sounds of terrified Zentraedi came through the comm. 
 
“I beg of you, Lord Khyron, stop!” 
 
“We mean no disrespect; we just want to see what its like!” 
 
“See? See?!” Khyron demanded, sounding as if he was punching at his control panel. “Base cowards!” 
 
“Cease firing to kill!” Breetai demanded, shocking Exedore. “I want you to round up the would-be-deserters and lock them up. We’ll get to the bottom of this behaviour.” 
 
Khyron was incredulous. “Lock the up? They are traitors, Breetai, traitors to the Zentraedi!” 
 
“Do it, Khyron, or I will kill you myself.” 
 
*** 
 
“Sir, the enemy is retreating back towards the Daedeleus!” Vanessa’s voice shook with disbelief. 
 
Captain Gloval himself was weak at the knees. 
 
“They’ve done it again,” Claudia was shaking her head, “they nearly had us and they pulled back!” 
 
“We can only thank heavens for small favours,” Gloval commented, all but crumbling into his command chair with relief. 
 
“Sir, reports are coming in from City Blocks A, K and L,” Sammie’s voice penetrated his relief. “They’re reporting extensive damage.” 
 
“Reports of heavy casualties in the Daedeleus, sir,” Kim added, sombrely. 
 
“Vanessa, is the enemy clear?” Gloval looked over at her. 
 
“Yes, sir.” 
 
“Claudia, move the SDF-1 hard astern and isolate the Daedeleus, we can’t risk depressurisation.” 
 
Claudia flinched, knowing that if anyone in the Daedeleus had survived the aliens’ onslaught, they wouldn’t for much longer, but it was the only way. “Roger, sir,” she nodded and began relaying the orders. 
 
Within seconds the SDF-1’s massive thrusters were pulling them away from the alien ship, leaving a massive hole and a tangle of cables in its wake. 
 
“Withdraw to Sector Sigma,” Gloval ordered, “keep Earth in battle range, there’s no telling, after today’s display, the enemy could try attacking it next.” 
 
There was a sharp intake of breath from the Bridge Bunnies. 
 
“Lisa,” Gloval turned to her, noticing with concern how quiet she had been. “Please call the veritechs home.”  
 
She complied, but her voice sounded lost and faint. 
 
Gloval got to his feet, walked over and put his hand on her shoulder. “It’s been a rough battle; do you wish to be relieved of your post now?” 
 
He was shocked not only by her words, but by the lost look in her eyes when she turned to him. 
 
“Thank you, sir.”

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