Fanfic Name / Nombre del Fanfic: Shooting Stars

Chapter / Capitulo: Chapter XII

Author / Autor: Cicero_Phelps

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

Romance

Action / Accion

Adventure / Aventura

Alternate Universe / Universo Alterno

Fanfic: Chapter XII 
 
The lights in the auditorium rose sharply, causing the cadets to blink. Commandant Jameson turned the projector off and strode to the podium. “Cadets Hayes and Hunter, front and center,” he barked. 
Rick and Lisa both stood up and marched to the front of the floor, standing at attention. 
“About face, cadets, and look into the eyes of your teams.” 
They obeyed, and stared directly into the faces of their crews, all of them sharing the same soot, grime, and sweat that their leaders wore. The commandant’s booming voice echoed from behind them. “Look deep into their eyes, and tell me if you think you have succeeded or failed this little simulation.” 
Lisa looked glumly out towards where her bridge crew was, sore, tied, and grimacing, but with a sense of pride that radiated outward like an unspoken and unshakable vote of confidence. Rick, likewise, looked at his pilots and saw them carefully shifting in their seats, trying to find a comfortable spot where their muscles wouldn’t hurt them. They all smiled at him, and he knew they supported him fully. 
Executing a perfect about-face, they saluted the commandant and said, simultaneously, “We passed, sir.” 
Jameson looked at them both and scowled. “How can you say you passed? Lieutenant Hayes, the ship under your command was lost in action, killing all hands, and Lieutenant Hunter, only three men from your squadron of 12 survived. High casualty rate, low mission success rate, and you consider that a success?” 
Lisa spoke first. “If success was a possibility, sir, you would not have programmed that simulator to be so relentless and unforgiving.” 
Rick added, “I thought this scenario was supposed to test out creativity in the face of overwhelming odds, so how can it be a failure to explore creative tactics?” 
The commandant shook his head and said, “I’ve been running this simulation for the United States Navy for over ten years, and you are the first cadet class to stand up to me and point that out. I’m frankly amazed. Maybe you have the courage to be the leaders of tomorrow, after your graduation from this Robotech Academy.” He stepped away from the podium, snapped a salute to the cadets and said, “You passed. Class dismissed.” 
Rick and Lisa whooped with glee, and their squads formed circles around them on their way out of the auditorium. “Nice to be back in the land of the living, isn’t it, guys,” Rick asked the two ghosts next to him. 
Alan said, “Now I can say, ‘death, been there, done that.’” 
Rodney smirked and reserved his remarks, scanning the crowd for Sammie. She came running over to him like a bolt out of the blue, almost knocking him over in the process. “I’m glad that’s over,” she said, her voice almost muffled by his chest. 
He stroked her hair gently and said, softly, “Sammie, that wasn’t the easiest thing in the world for me, either, but it’s over, we all graduated the simulator, and the final graduation is the day after tomorrow. Aren’t you excited?” 
Rick turned away from the proceedings and pretended to gag at his friends’ expense. Lisa saw his expression and punched him lightly in the arm as she checked her voice mail. Her eyes opened in pleasant surprise when she heard her father’s voice. “Lisa, it’s dad. I was wondering if you and your friends were available to come over for dinner tonight. Call me back. Love you.” 
“Guys, we have a dinner invite tonight,” Lisa announced to the group. “Anyone want to come to my dad’s house for real food instead of what the base offers?” 
They all shouted enthusiastically and she smiled, dialing the number she knew so well. “Hello, dad? Yeah, it’s me. Just calling to let you know you can set a few extra place settings for dinner tonight. Yeah, the whole brood will be there. Count on it, love ya, dad. Bye.” 
Rick looked at Lisa as she hung up. “Get dressed all nice, guys,” she drawled. “We’ve got a 6pm reservation.” 
Rick clapped his hands. “Okay, dudes, we’ve got less than two hours to get all purtied up, and we only got one shower in the apartment. Unless y’all wanna conserve water,” he winked at Lisa, who stuck her tongue out at him, “we’ve got to make time. So break ranks and giddyap!” 
Lisa made similar hand gestures to the ladies, and they all returned to their different apartments, gearing up for the evening to come. 
******** 
The limo pulled up to the Hayes family’s ancestral hall, where five generations and more of Lisa’s ancestors had lived, eaten, grown old, and died. The White Mountains were pretty in the summertime, with its open air vistas and endless views. 
Donald Hayes looked up from his desk and into the faces of six young cadets. He smiled and rose from his chair, glad that he would have additional company this evening. “Hey, guys,” he greeted them. “How was the simulator this afternoon?” 
Muffled affirmations of success greeted his ears. “Excellent. Dinner will be served shortly,” he said. “Go, make yourselves at home. Rick, may I talk to you for a few moments?” 
The rest of the crew excused themselves, as Admiral Hayes pushed a button. The heavy leather door opened up, and Captain Gloval strode through, clearly expecting the young officer before him. Donald smiled tightly by way of introduction, and Rick gulped. He wasn’t sure this was a good thing. 
“Relax, Rick,” Henry began. “We have a few simple questions for you. I understand that you have a nice, tight-knit team here.” 
“Yes, sir, we’ve been flying together for five years; we’re family,” Rick replied. 
“If you were required to, by virtue of your rank, could you keep something a sworn secret from your group,” Admiral Hayes asked. 
Rick thought for a moment. “I suppose so, sir, why do you ask?” 
“We’ll get to that in a moment,” Henry said. “If you received an order from a superior officer, one that was odious and violated your sense of common decency and was contrary to the rules of conduct and good discipline, what would you do?” 
Rick frowned. “Adhering to the chain of command is what keeps order and separates the professional from the amateur. That being said, orders are only acceptable if there is moral authority behind them to back it up. I did not join the service to become a criminal, sir.” 
“What I’m about to ask of you violates the chain of command and risks the career and freedom of everyone in this residence right now, Lieutenant,” Hayes said. “If that is unacceptable or uncomfortable to you, then you may leave now without recrimination, but sworn to complete secrecy about what I had just asked of you.” 
Rick gulped again. The fun mood of the evening had just evaporated, and a sinking weight of responsibility filled his stomach. He hesitated a moment as he realized the enormity of the situation. “I’m not a quitter, Admiral. If you need me to do something, ask away, and I shall do my utmost to fulfill it.” 
Donald grinned. “That’s the old Pop Hunter spirit, there, Rick,” he said. “Okay. The SDF-1 is being given clearance to launch in less than a month, that is information you know. 
“What you don’t know is that my superiors in the UEG feel that this is a pure waste of time, a suicide mission, if you will. They’ve invested the time and money into this project, just enough, to make it work, but they do not intend it to succeed,” Donald Hayes said. 
Rick rose to his feet. “You mean, all this training, all this effort, is just so we can lead our friends off to die? What am I supposed to do, Admiral, let this little happy fact not get in my way and go about normally?” 
“In fact, Lieutenant, that is what I’m asking you to do,” Donald said, his cheeks flushing with redness. “However, before we both lose our cool, let me explain something. I am not asking you to lead these fine men and women into fire and death needlessly. What I am asking you to do is to do your best to thwart the intentions of the high command.” 
Rick swallowed visibly and nodded. “Only a fool thinks that the house odds are in his favor when he rolls the dice,” he said. “What do you need me to do?” 
******** 
 
The young officers filed into the grand dining room, and stood patiently behind their chairs, and Lisa smiled at each of her friends in turn, as she wondered what was keeping Rick and her dad. Finally, the two men exited the study and rejoined the dinner party, but with another guest, Captain Henry Gloval. Where did he pop out from, Lisa pondered. 
Donald made a gesture to one and all to sit, and when they did, the food began to come out of the kitchen and onto the dining table. First, the bread and then the salads. Donald looked up at his daughter, smiled, and lifted his water glass, saying, “Here’s to the first graduating class of a new dawn. May you all succeed beyond our dreams.” 
The entourage chanted, “Here, here,” at the conclusion of his toast. 
The doorman entered the dining room and whispered into Admiral Hayes’ ear. “Please excuse me, I’ll be right back. Belmont, please put another setting at the table” 
Lisa looked at Rick, her eyes full of inquiry, as her father left the table. Obviously, Rick noted, this was not his normal dinnertime behavior. 
Donald Hayes returned to the dinner table and asked, “Rick, would you mind stepping out into the hall with me for a moment?” 
Rick wiped his mouth with the white linen napkin and stood up from his chair, following the Admiral into the hallway. “Yes, Admiral,” Rick asked, unable to hide his curiosity. He saw a young, lithe, raven-haired Asian girl of approximately the same age as himself. He looked into her eyes and saw a flicker of familiarity.  
“It’s okay, honey,” the admiral was saying to her. “Come on in.” 
Rick offered the young woman his hand, and she shook it politely, if a little hesitantly. “My name is Rick, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Miss…?” 
She worked her jaw a bit, uncertain how to articulate what she wanted. She looked to Donald with uncertainty and a little fear in her eyes. 
The admiral took the hint. “Rick, I know this isn’t exactly the best timing in the world, but I just found out where our visitor here was a few hours ago…” 
Rick’s eyes widened, wondering where he was going with this. 
“Her name is Lynn MinMei, and she is your sister.” 
 
*********** 
Rick worked his jaw a few times, his mind stunned by this fresh news. “What…? How…?” 
“Your father and I were close friends in the service, Rick. We went to Hong Kong for leave once, and got drunk as heck, as lots of servicemen on leave tend to do. Well, this one occasion was in a karaoke bar, and he grabbed a microphone and started serenading one of the barmaids.” Rick’s cheeks flushed at the memory of his own singing scene a few years prior. Then he felt another surprise reaction. 
“Was this before or after he married my mother,” Rick asked hesitantly. 
Donald’s eyes were hooded and he looked away from Rick. 
“So, you’re telling me that my father had an affair with some lowlife bar girl and I have a bastard sibling,” Rick yelled. 
“It wasn’t like that, Rick. It wasn’t like your father was a cold hearted bastard or didn’t love your mother; guys get lonely when they’re away from home. He told me afterwards that he regretted it, but he had felt alive for the first time in a long time, after flying endless missions and dropping countless bombs. He felt like a human for the first time since he left home.” 
Rick wasn’t buying it. “So it’s okay for him to cheat on my mom, to chest on me, and bring another life into this world when he wasn’t going to have anything to do with it?” 
Without waiting for the older man’s response, and afraid that the tears building in his eyes were going to explode forth at any moment, Rick raced out of the house.  
Lisa heard the commotion from the dinner table, wiped her mouth, and excused herself. With a solemn look at her father, and concern for Rick foremost in her mind, she raced after him.  

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