Fan Fic Name: Choices and Aces
Chapter One
Author: Anonymoose_Au
Rating: AP15
Type of Fanfic: Action, Romance, Alternate Universe
Fanfic Text:
Chapter One
“It is said by some that at every decision the
universe spilts, but as mere mortals we can only
experience one path and can only imagine what might
have been.” Dr. Emil Lang, 'The Robotech Journals'
Rick Hunter stared at the ceiling of Macross General
Hospital, wondering if he could ever live this
humiliation down.
Shot down by friendly fire, and if that wasn’t bad
enough, Lisa Hayes, his commanding officer had just
left after apologising to him!
“Ugh!” Rick put his hands to his face and wished he
could go back to the crazy hallucinations he’d been
having just hours ago.
Peeking through his fingers, Rick thought about Lisa,
he couldn’t believe she had apologised, it seemed so
unlike her. Usually, she couldn’t get enough of
telling him how many regs he was breaking.
He also wondered about himself, after all, just a few
weeks ago he would have paid no small amount to have
Lisa Hayes admit she was wrong. Now, though, he just
wanted to forget the whole thing.
“Look alive there, solider!” A voice suddenly barked,
startling Rick almost to sitting up, and cracking his
still sore ribs while he was at it.
“Hey! What’s the big – “he began, but stopped when he
saw who it was lounging in the doorway.
“Roy! Max! Ben!”
Roy Fokker, easily the tallest man on the huge battle
fortress that was their home, had to duck a little as
he came into the room, followed by blue hair Max
Sterling and the large and loud Ben Dixon.
“What’s all this lying around?” Roy continued,
swaggering over. “The rest of us have to work for our
livings.”
Rick made a face. “Believe me, Big Brother, I wouldn’t
be here if I could help it.”
Ben Dixon let out one of his trademark guffaws. “Hey,
I’d be willing to trade places with you, Lieutenant.
The nurses here are BABES.”
Roy rolled his eyes then held out something that he’d
been holding behind his back.
“What’s this?” Rick asked, taking it, it was a white
box, like the kind the Hospital gift shop put
purchases in.
“Scented soaps of course,” Roy drawled, “and
toothpaste, since you could use it.”
Rick made a face at Roy, but quickly checked his
breath by holding his hand over his mouth.
It was pretty bad, so he excused himself, not
bothering to take Roy’s gift with him, the Hospital
had perfectly good toothpaste.
When he returned, Ben had switched on the radio and
was listening intently.
“They’ve got a give-away going,” he explained to Rick,
“three private sessions with Ms. Velvet, you know, the
beauty products girl?”
“Aha, your tan is mysteriously explained,” Roy
remarked from the chair he was sitting on next to
Rick’s bed.
Ben just grinned. “Hey, believe me, if I won, tanning
beds or whatever wouldn’t be any part of my free
sessions.”
Rick shook his head as he sat back on the bed.
“So, Boss,” Max spoke up in his soft voice, “who was
your other visitor?” He gestured to the flowers in a
vase on the bedside table.
Rick stifled a groan, trust Max to notice.
“Hey, they look expensive,” Ben turned from the radio
just as Lynn Minmei, Macross City’s own (and only) pop
sensation’s new song began to play. “Hey! Was it
Minmei? You lucky dog, you!”
Rick grimaced, he only wished it was Minmei, but as
far as he knew Minmei hadn’t even heard he was laid
up.
“My boyfriend is a pilot, now, he’s a piloooot,” Ben
sang, horribly off-key.
“Turn it off!” Rick snapped, more sharply then he
intended to.
Ben looked shocked, but shut his mouth and flicked the
off-switch on the radio.
“It wasn’t Minmei,” Rick said, in a calmer voice, “it
was” – he avoided their eyes “- Commander Hayes.”
“No way!” Ben burst out so loudly Rick almost fell off
the bed.
“Commander Hayes?” Max repeated. “Well, that was nice
of her.”
“Yeah,” Rick muttered, suddenly wishing his friends
would just go away.
“Commander Hayes ain’t that bad looking,” Ben suddenly
remarked, “if she let her hair down once in a while.”
He laughed at his own joke.
Rick glared.
Roy, who had kept quiet ‘til now got to his feet.
“Well, as much as we’d love to stay and chat, some of
us have duties to attend to.” He gave been a silencing
look.
Ben didn’t get it. “Well, wouldn’t you agree,
Lieutenant?” He asked Rick. “After all you ki-“
“Yeah, I’d really like to take a nap,” Rick spoke
loudly over Ben, which was quite an effort. No-one but
he, Ben, Max and Lisa knew everything that had
happened on the Zentraedi ship and Rick wanted to keep
it that way.
“I’m just saying you gotta take ‘em where you can get
‘em, especially-“
“OK, hotshot,” Roy put an arm around Ben’s shoulders
and all but yanked him toward the door, “we get the
picture. You rest up now, Little Brother,” Roy waggled
a finger at Rick. “We can’t have you freeloading for
too long, can we?”
Rick cracked a small smile.
“Oh, I think we’re doing OK-“ Ben began, but stopped
when Roy squeezed his shoulders a lot tighter.
“Enjoy your gift,” Roy continued with a wave, stepping
backward out of the room, with Ben in tow.
Rick laughed at the look on Ben’s face. “Thanks for
coming.”
Max followed, but paused at the door. “Ben’s not that
far off, Boss,” he said, thoughtfully,
“Commander Hayes is a pretty woman, and nice, too.”
Rick almost snorted with laugher. Nice? Lisa?
“See ya, Max,” was all he said.
Max shrugged. “Aye, aye,” he replied, before heading
out the door.
***
Claudia Grant, Communications Officer onboard the
SDF-1 the Battle Fortress, cast a sideways look at
Lisa, her best friend.
Lisa had been a little late to the Bridge that
morning, a fact that was unusual enough in itself, but
now she stood at her station, staring blankly out at
the blue sky and sea.
'What’s with that girl?' Claudia wondered, a little
exasperated, originally she had figured a bad visit
with her father, Admiral Nicholas Hayes, had been
behind her friend’s mood, but this seemed much more
serious.
Claudia looked about, it was all quiet on the Bridge,
Sammy, Vanessa and Kim weren’t on duty yet and their
replacements kept to themselves.
'I think we could chat for a few minutes,' Claudia
decided and walked over to Lisa, touching her on her
shoulder.
“Hmm?” Lisa shook her head, as if in a haze and looked
up.
“OK, spill,” Claudia encouraged, “what’s got you so
down?”
“What?”
“Oh, please,” Claudia rolled he eyes, “anyone could
tell something’s eating you and I’m your best friend,
come on now.”
Lisa wouldn’t meet her eyes. “It’s nothing…I’m
just…tired…”
“Well, we all are,” Claudia acknowledged, “but that’s
not what’s bothering you, come on, you can trust me.”
Lisa heaved a sigh. “Claudia, do you ever wonder if
the military is the right place for you?”
“WHAT?!”
“Because sometimes I think…” Lisa trailed off.
With a flash of insight, Claudia remembere the events
of the battle against the Zentraedi a few days
earlier, the Daedeleus Maneuver had been a success,
but one of the RDF’s pilots had been hit…Roy’s friend…
“Where did you go this morning, Lisa?”
Lisa did not speak, but her shoulders slumped.
“It was Lieutenant Hunter, wasn’t it?” Claudia
prodded.
All of Claudia’s knowledge of Rick Hunter came from
Roy and from various tit for tats between him and Lisa
over the comm net during battles.
“Well, he’s all right isn’t he?”
“He’s fine,” Lisa murmured.
“That’s good then,” Claudia patted her arm, “so why
are you so down? He didn’t blame you for what
happened, did he?”
“No.”
“Well then, it couldn’t be as bad as all that,”
Claudia eyed her friend closely.
“You’re wrong,” Lisa declared, looking up at Claudia
for the first time and there was something in her
eyes…
Claudia knew that the situation was rather serious,
but she couldn’t help, but declare. “And now the
stroke of Cupid’s arrow strikes home!”
“WHAT?!”
Claudia had her hands held to her chest and she smiled
at Lisa. “Well, it’s been coming a long time, I mean,
after all you’ve been through together.”
“What are you saying?”
“You’re in love with Lieutenant Hunter, of course!”
Claudia continued, marveling at Lisa’s niavete in
matters of the heart.
Lisa shook her head. “That’s ridiculous!”
Claudia shrugged. “Well, love doesn’t almost make
sense – in fact it hardly ever does.”
Lisa looked like she was about to make further
denials, but instead blurted. “What should I do,
Claudia?”
“Well, first of all, you can relax, let your hair down
and smile more often!”
“Oooh,” Lisa moaned, clapping a hand to her forehead.
“If only it was that easy-“
“Well, you can only do your best, but you can at least
try.”
Lisa was about to say something, doubtless more
objections, when a shadow fell across them.
“Claudia, Lisa.”
“Captain Gloval, sir!” The two women turned and
saluted.
“At ease,” the mustached man told them in his gravely
voice.
They dropped their arms.
“Now, I could use you two to begin coordinating the
distribution of supplies once they arrive here on the
ship, the Council is not giving us much time to unload
them.”
“Certainly, sir,” Claudia spoke when Lisa stayed
silent, “we were just discussing…combat maneuvers.”
“Hmm, I see,” Gloval raised his eyebrows, not looking
as if he believed it, but choosing to say no more.
As she returned to her station Claudia continued to
wonder about Lisa and her flyboy and made a vow that
she’d do whatever she could to help her dear friend.
***
For once Khyron, leader of the elite 17th Mechanised
Division of the Botoru Battalion wished that male and
female Zentraedi were not separated so he could
strangle the female on the other side of the comm
screen.
“You will desist in this mockery!” He snarled,
instead, shaking his purple fist. “I am your
superior!”
The female tossed her green hair back from her
shoulders with a laugh. “In rank, perhaps, but
certainly not in ability.”
Khyron actually shook with anger. “I warn you,” he
threatened.
“I am not cowered by your threats, after all, who made
a fool of himself in the last combat and lost a
command vessel? You are the laughing stock of the
fleet.”
“Am I now?” Khyron made a note of this, woe to any
Zentraedi he discovered laughing behind his back…
But now to deal with this one.
“Your arrogance will be your downfall,” he warned,
“because you have never been truly challenged you
believe you are something special. But be warned,
Miriya, there is one aboard the Micronian vessel that
even you cannot best.”
To Khyron’s delight Miriya took the bait, if anything
she looked even more arrogant as she lifted her chin
and met his eyes squarely.
“So! A Micronian ace on the battle fortress…” she
mused. “I’d like to meet him!”
Khyron smirked and even the fact that Miriya snapped
off her comm screen without a salute did not bother
him, for he was certain it would be the last time she
disrespected him.
***
The coffee shop 'Variations' was quiet that day to
Claudia's relief, since she was out of breath from
running there, having only an hour break in her duty.
“Hey, there,” he said by way of greeting, "I decided
not to risk ordering for you...after what happened
last time.
“Well, all you need to remember is to ask for only one
shot,” she reminded him.
“I'll try to keep that in mind,” Roy promised with a
wink.
Claudia smiled at him and for a moment they just
looked at each other. It had been a long trip back to
Earth and an exhausting one. Claudia could count the
number of times they’d spent a good amount of time
together on the fingers of one hand. She could only
hope that now they were back on Earth things would be
better, although it was hard to imagine so when the
Brass were being such fools.
“So, what do I owe the pleasure of this lightning
meeting?” Claudia asked after a moment. “Business or
leisure?”
Roy smiled a rakish grin, “A little from column ‘A’
and a little from column ‘B’.”
Claudia arched an eyebrow. “I hope you won’t make me
guess, time is tight.”
Roy pouted a little, but brushing back a lock of hair
said. “I know you Bridge Girls have your finger on the
pulse of everything in this ship, so I have to ask if
you have any idea where Miss Minmei is these days.”
Claudia titled her head. “For business reasons, of
course?” She asked a little challengingly.
Roy took one of her hands in his. “Do you have to
ask?”
Claudia grinned, slightly embarrassed, but then Roy
had always liked to flirt. “Well, then, I can tell you
that Miss Macross is at the eastern corner of Macross
Park, filming for her movie. You’ll find her on the
set every day.”
Although Claudia wondered briefly why Roy wanted to
speak to Minmei, she didn’t dwell on it…she had only
twenty minutes to get back her station.
“Now, do you think we could get onto the personal
stuff?”
“Hmmm,” Roy leaned close, “how personal do y’ wanna
get, Lieutenant Grant?”
“How ‘bout dinner at my place?” She suggested in a low
voice.
Roy grinned broadly at her. “Promise me you’ll make
your famous pineapple salad and it’s a date.”
“Your wish is my command,” Claudia told him.
“OK, then, dinner it is, seven o’clock okay?” Roy was
getting to his feet still holding her hand.
“If you can be on time for once.”
“Hey, I try,” Roy made a show of looking hurt, then he
squeezed her hand. “See you in the general vicinity of
seven o’clock then.”
With a wave he was off.
Reaching across the table Claudia picked up Roy's
still steaming coffee wondering if she should risk a
sip and leaned back in her chair, taking a moment to
bask in her happiness. 'Sure, Commander Fokker,' she
thought, 'dinner tonight and perhaps…breakfast, too.'
****
Roy didn’t get out much in Macross City, being the CAG
gave him less time off duty than just about anyone
else on the ship except the medical teams. But the
city still had the same layout as it had back on
Macross Island, so he found his way to the park easily
enough.
As Claudia had said in the eastern section roadblocks
had been put up, stage lights and sets put up and
dozens of people milling about.
As a military officer, Roy was able to park a lot
closer than any normal civilian could and soon he was
walking towards the cameras and the crowd.
There was shouting and demands all around and frankly
the chaos made Roy wondered how they got anything
done.
“Ugh! Cut! Cut! What are you people doing?! This is an
action movie! You’re moving like it’s an art house
production!”
Roy watched the sunglassed man holding a megaphone
shouting at a small group of people dressed in tunics.
“We’re dancers!” One of them complained. “Not martial
artists!”
“Well, that’s what you’re gettin’ paid for, so shut up
and do it as directed!” Mr. Megaphone snarled.
“Nice fellow,” Roy muttered to himself, looking about
for Minmei, she shouldn’t be too hard to spot…
“Commander Fokker!”
Roy turned with a smile. “Well, hey, if it isn’t the
woman of the hour…or the year more like it.”
Minmei ran down the steps of a fabricated Chinese
Temple to meet him.
“Oh you,” Minmei giggled, “this movie has plenty of
good people in it.”
“But you’re the star.”
“Can you believe it?”
“Why not?” Roy shrugged. “You’re talented.”
“Oh, thank you!” Minmei smiled, then looked about. “So
where’s Rick?”
Remembering the last time he had to break bad news
about Rick to Minmei, Roy didn’t want to make a scene,
so he put his hand on her shoulder and steered her a
few feet away from the set.
“Rick’s not currently mobile,” he began, and catching
the look on Minmei’s face, hastened to add. “He’ll be
just fine, but he’s at Macross General, he took a bit
of a hit a couple of days ago.”
“Oh no! Poor Rick!”
“Well, like I said, he’ll be up and about soon enough,
but in the meantime he’s languishing away in that
hospital room…I’m sure he’d appreciate seeing you.”
Minmei looked about for a moment…obviously this movie
was very important to her and was been filmed at
breakneck speed, but this was Rick.
“Of course, Commander! I’d love to see him.”
“Great, he’s in room 401, I’m sure you won’t need a
pass being-“
“Minmei!” A voice cut Roy off and he turned around to
see a man with long dark hair storming their way.
“Oh hi, Kyle!” Minmei waved to him, seeming not to
notice the angry look on his face. “Do you know
Commander Roy Fokker?”
Kyle glared up at Roy as if he was insulted by the
mere presence of him. “Commander,” he said curtly.
“Hey,” Roy nodded, just as shortly. He’d heard all
about Kyle, the self-proclaimed pacifist who didn’t
mind delivering black belt karate when it suited.
“So what are you doing here?” Kyle demanded, taking
Minmei’s arm.
“Roy came to tell me about Rick, Kyle, you remember
him? He’s in the hospital and I have to visit him.”
“Now?” Kyle demanded.
“Well, as soon as possible. We better go talk to
Vance, I’m sure he can spare me for an afternoon.”
Kyle looked like he wanted to object, but he couldn’t
think of a tactful way to do so.
Minmei turned back to Roy. “It was so nice of you to
visit, will you come by again?”
Roy couldn’t think of anything he felt less like
doing, but he didn’t say so. “I’ll do my best, but
right now duty calls.”
Minmei nodded. “Good luck! Goodbye Commander Fokker,”
she waved to him.
“Later,” he waved back and headed back to his jeep as
fast as he could.
No sooner had he stuck his key in the ignition then
the communication console started beeping.
“Fokker,” he answered pressing the screen.
Lisa’s face appeared. “Commander Fokker, radar reports
that a group of enemy fighters are entering Earth’s
orbit. They’ll make contact in ten minutes, I’m
scrambling the Vermillion Team.”
Flooring the accelerator Roy made a quick turn and
headed for Prometheus. “Roger, I’ll lead ‘em seeing as
Rick is out, I wouldn’t want anything to happen to his
men. Keep the Skulls ready in case we need back up.”
“Roger that,” Lisa said, though her voice seemed
slightly strained, which struck Roy as unusual, but he
didn’t have time to wonder about it. It was time to
focus on one thing…the battle ahead.
***
“Vermillion Squadron, you will engage the enemy in
sector 9-A and will keep them as far away from the
ship as possible,” Lisa relayed the orders almost
automatically. She shook herself though, she had to
concentrate properly, these pilots depended on her.
“Roger,” Max Sterling affirmed
“Aye, aye, Commander,” Ben added.
With that the two were propelled off the Prometheus
and into the air.
“Vermillion team clear. Skull Leader, are you ready?”
“Roger.”
Claudia looked up suddenly from her station. “Skull
Leader - what?”
Lisa looked over, shocked as Claudia left her station
and came right over to look at the information on
Lisa’s console screen. “Is Roy leading that intercept
flight?!”
“He’s covering for Lieutenant Hunter,” Lisa murmured.
Claudia’s expression was something between anger and
fear, and didn’t seem to be able to speak.
“Skull Leader airborne,” Roy’s voice crackled through
the speakers. “We’re heading for the intercept point.”
“Roger,” Lisa turned back to her console, “good
hunting.”
“I’d rather be hunting for a pineapple salad,” came
the reply.
“What?!” Lisa started, confused.
“What was that?” Captain Gloval asked from his command
chair.
“Sir, it sounded like Commander Fokker wants to hunt
for a pineapple salad.” Lisa told him shaking her
head… 'What on earth?'
She noticed Claudia laughing behind her hand, but
there was no chance to ask what was so funny because
Vanessa reported from the threat board.
“It’s a squadron of enemy battle suits.”
Captain Gloval looked pensive. “Lisa we better order
out the rest of the Skulls, one battle suit wrecked
havoc last battle, a squadron of them are going to be
tough.”
“Yes, sir,” Lisa nodded and turning to her console and
passed on the instructions to Captain Kramer.
'Good luck,' Lisa thought as she watched the Skull
Squadron heading into the air.
***
At the head of the Quadrono squadron Miriya observed
her radar screen, certain that the pilot she was
looking for was among the dots headed their way.
“I am looking for one particular pilot,” she spoke to
her squadmates. “When I find him you will withdraw and
cover me, understood.”
“Yes, Captain Miriya,” her second in command answered.
By this time the micronians mecha were clearly in
sight, Miriya smiled viciously.
“Very well, attack!” She ordered.
***
“All right, boys, this is gonna be a tough one,” Roy
warned the men as the squadron of alien battle suits
dived to intercept them. “Attack!”
Their enemy had the same idea soon there were plasma
shots and missiles flying.
The missiles were the deadliest weapon of the battle
suits, two huge protrusions on either side of the
mecha’s body served as a launcher for dozens of them
that arched and looped through the air.
But Roy had spent more years flying aerobatics than
fighter pilot techniques, and he flew arches and loops
of his own that got him through the path of the
missiles and with a shot from the veritech’s gun took
out the battle suit that had fired them.
“Scratch one,” he murmured to himself.
He pulled another tight turn in time to blow another
battle suit out of the air and dodge yet more
missiles.
It gave him no small amount of satisifaction to fly
circles around these guys, one of these suits had
taken out five of his men back in space, but now, he
knew what he was fighting against…and that made all
the difference.
***
Miriya watched from above, looking for the pilot
Khyron spoke of. All of the micronians were good
pilots Miriya had to admit, the proof was in the fact
that they hadn’t all been blown from the sky the
second the Quadronos showed up. She was almost
impressed.
And then she saw him, the one that Khyron must have
spoken of, he flew like none other in the squadron.
Miriya narrowed her eyes and tightened her hands
around her controls.
“Now you die!” She cried as she dived, plasma cannons
blazing.
To Be Continued