fanfic_name = What If

chapter = Chapter X

author = Knights Temnplar

Rating = AP15

Type = Adventure

fanfic = What If


A/N: Sorry about the last chapter, it was short but I needed it to fill the story out. In this chapter I think I will set the scene for the Miss Macross Two contest, an a few other...surprises Laughs Evilly. Anyway this is gonna be a fun chapter to write MWAHAHAHA.

A huge fist slammed down onto a communication's console and the men around it cowered further down into their seats. Everyone knew not to mess with Khyron when he was in a foul mood.

"Damn that Breetai, he doesn't see that if we don't destroy that damned SDF-1 that it will just get stronger!" Khyron had just finished a rather heated argument with Breetai that ended with Breetai threatening to have Khyron sent back to the Grand Fleet.

Khyron slammed his fist down on the console once more got up and walked around, all the while Grel sat by watching from a distance. He had been serving under Khyron for many years and knew when to stay away from him, and now was one of those times.

Reports had just come in that the SDF-1 had been reinforced by three additional destroyer class ships from the planet they sat orbiting. This took the grand ship total to five; The SDF-1, a Cruiser class ship, and four Destroyer class ships, and a goodly number of Frigates and Corvettes and an untold number of those damned Veritechs.

"Grel," Khyron snapped, "how long would it take for us to prepare two cruisers for an attack on the SDF-1 and its flotilla?" Grel was quick to answer, for those who weren't didn't live long with a master like Khyron.

Grel feared among anything Khyron's temper and this was only fueled by his ingestion of the Flower of Life, an among other thing's Khyron was known as the Backstabber for his actions in the Mona Operation where he himself killed more Zentraedi then where killed by the enemy.

"Well sir it would take about four hours to fully equip two cruisers for combat, shall I ready them for you, an should I also have them ready your personal Officer's Pod?" Grel asked knowing that it was better to ask and be told no then to forget.

Khyron smiled, "No Grel I have a much more sinister use for these Cruisers, they are going on a one way trip to destroy the SDF-1." Grel wasn't surprised; Khyron was going to use the cruisers as kamikaze units to destroy the SDF-1.

"So Grel," Khyron said menacingly, "we will have two cruisers ready in four hours time?" Grel nodded his head, "Yes milord, your cruisers shall be ready in four hours time." Khyron nodded his head in demonic satisfaction.

Lisa sauntered into the Officer's Mess; it had been a long last two months since the fight at Little White Dragon. She went to the coffee machine that ran at all hours of the day for the constant men and women on duty at all hours of the day.

She poured herself a cup of coffee and reflected on the last six weeks. The SDF-1 had received reinforcements from Earth in the form a few destroyers, a cruiser, dozens of Close Support Frigates (CSF's), and had received thousands of VT's from what seemed like every major industrial facility on Earth: Detroit, New York, San Francisco, Kansas City, St. Louis, Chicago, The Ruhr in Germany, Berlin, St. Petersburg, Moscow, and the list went on and on.

The SDF-1, which had at one point in time been greatly strained to keep just enough pilots in rotation to fight one Zentraedi attack at a time, now had more then enough pilots to counter attack a Zentraedi battleship. While the Cruiser and Destroyers where a welcome sight, Lisa doubted their effectiveness in a fight since they had never been forced to go into combat.

Lisa took another sip of her coffee. Then their was Jacob and Wendy who where getting very close and seemed, to Lisa, that they were dating. This made Lisa smile, because when she had first met Wendy Bowers, she was more then just a little skeptical of her and how she would interact with her brother.

But as it turned out, they treated each other with a lot of respect and dignity and never made one another do anything they didn't have to unless it was necessary. Lisa set down her coffee mug and looked out the window at the Earth. It had seemed so long ago, years and years ago that they had left Earth. But it had only been one year.

Lisa sighed sadly, she and Rick hadn't been seeing a lot of each other lately and last time they had seen each other they had gotten into an argument about pilot rotations and requisitions. It ended with Rick storming out and, as Lisa found out later, went and got drunk with Jacob, who she thanked stayed just sober enough to get Rick back to his place.

Then there was the rumor of a second Miss Macross contest. Lisa wasn't exactly sure why, but the rumor was so that all the new men and women who had arrived could have a chance to select a new Miss Macross and there was also the problem that Minmei had gone bad.

Ever since her rejection by Rick and beating by Lisa, Minmei had begun to drink a lot, and was seen with dozens of different guys, blowing off her performances and all the rest. It seems that Rick dumping Minmei for her had done more damage to her psyche than anyone could have imagined. Lisa felt pity for a moment, but only for a moment, Rick was hers now, or she hoped, she needed to talk to him or else he might not be as hers as she thought.

But as Lisa got up to find Rick she remembered that Wendy had wanted to talk to her. She smiled, Wendy was a great person, though she'd never admit it, Wendy loved Jacob dearly. Lisa got up and looked around for a minute and saw a somewhat sick looking Wendy.

Lisa walked quickly over to Wendy and grabbed her arm and helped her to a chair. "Wendy what's wrong? You look terrible." Wendy looked up at Lisa and smiled faintly, "Gee, thanks that makes me feel better," Wendy said with mock hurt in her voice.

"Sorry Wendy," Lisa said sitting down next to Wendy, "I was just stating the facts. Are you ok, I mean you look a little green." Wendy sat down took a deep breathe and looked at Lisa with a very serious face, "We need to talk, an it can't be here, we need to go somewhere private."

Lisa noticed the look and shook her head and told Wendy to follow her, "Lets go to my quarters, we can talk there."

Not to far from Lisa's quarters Jacob, Roy, Max, Ben and Rick all sat enjoying some nachos in Rick's quarters. The conversation had started out with how everyone felt about the new ships, but quickly took a turn for the other direction when everyone began talking about the Second Miss Macross contest.

"Well I think my Claudia would win if she entered, she has it all, brains, looks, and a fierceness and determination to make any man stay." The friends all laughed and went back to the huge plate of Nachos, "Well I think that Lisa would be a better entry, she has it all just like Claudia, except better," Rick said with a note of pride.

Jacob laughed and put a chip in his mouth, "Well you better talk to her and tell her that, she still thinks you are mad about that last little argument you guys had. AnD lemme tell ya, I know plenty of guys who are just dying for you to mess up so they can have a shot at Lisa," Jacob put another chip in his mouth and looked at Rick who had lowered the chip from his mouth.

Rick got up and went into the kitchen; "Hey can you guys excuse me for a few minutes?" Roy looked in Rick's direction and laughed, and everyone else muttered a "yeah."

Roy looked up at Jacob, "So how are things with you and Wendy?" Jacob cursed as the beef that had been in his chip was now on the front of his uniform, "Things are going great, she's been feeling kinda bad lately but she insists that it's nothing."

Ben chuckled, "Yeah, I thought she looked a little sick when I see her around, she looks almost pregnant." Jacob froze, that possibility hadn't come to him until he just heard Ben say it. Roy saw the look as did Max.

"You did make sure you two were protected right?" Roy asked cautiously, Jacob looked up and a look of terror and joy seemed to be in his face. "I'm sure I did I don't remember ever actually having sex with her." Jacob stammered, he hoped he was right.

"Well if you've never actually slept with her then you should be fine. Cause like you all know it take two to tango," Roy said with his dashing smile and usual look. "I wonder what Rick is doing in there anyway, he's been awhile," Roy said standing up and walking to the kitchen.

Roy came back to his seat, "He's on the phone, but anyway, so Jacob, you and Wendy seem to be very close. By the looks of things it would seem to me that you look like you're going to ask her to marry you any time now."

Jacob was silent he had thought about asking Wendy to marry him, but then again he was only in his early twenties, it also seemed a bit early to ask him to marry him. The others noted Jacobs's pensive mood and decided to talk among themselves.

Back in Lisa's quarters Wendy and Lisa had sat down and were drinking tea and talking about everything, avoiding what Wendy had asked Lisa to talk about. Lisa listened as Wendy went on and on about her and Jacob and Lisa knew that Wendy was one of the few people that would keep Jacob on the straight and narrow.

Lisa finally felt that it was time to discuss what they had come to her place to talk about, "Wendy, what did you need to talk about, because all we have been talking about is casual things that we could have talked about in the officer's mess."

Wendy knew it was time, she sighed and put down the cup of tea, "Well Lisa, I don't really know how to say this, an I don't know if you are going to get mad about it or not, so I will just say it: Lisa I'm pregnant and the baby," Wendy stopped and she started to cry. Lisa moved to comfort Wendy and patted her on the shoulder.

Lisa was awestruck, here was Wendy telling her that she was pregnant with his child. An she was the second to find out, or somewhere close. "Wendy, Wendy, settle down, I am sure Jacob won't be too mad, does he even know yet?" Wendy got up and walked away from Lisa.

"I don't want your damn sympathy, you don't understand," Wendy paused again, "the baby isn't Jacob's Lisa, it's another guys. I was pregnant before I met Jacob again, an I figured that if he found out I was pregnant that he would take care of me. But that didn't work, an now I feel horrible so I am going to go now."

Lisa stood up and walked over to her door and opened it, "Yes, I think it is a good thing that you leave now," Lisa said in a calm voice. She knew what this meant, Wendy still might try to convince Jacob that the child was his and guilt him into taking care of the child.

Lisa watched as Wendy walked down the hall and closed the door. She went and sat down on her couch when the phone rang, she picked up the phone and heard a familiar voice that made her breathe catch in her throat and her heart skip a beat.

"Hey Lisa," Rick said.

"H-hey-hey Rick," Lisa managed out.

"So how have you been Lisa," Rick asked cautiously hoping that she wouldn't be mad at him for not calling in a while.

"Fine, I've been fine, just a bit tired is all," Lisa said truthfully.

"Hey look, Lisa I want to apologize for the last time we were together, I shouldn't have been such an ass, if you can forgive me, I promise I will try not to be such an ass." Rick pleaded; he just wanted Lisa to be happy with him.

Lisa smiled, she knew Rick was sorry, "I know Rick, it wasn't all your fault I was being a little bit harsh, so can you forgive me? I forgive you." Lisa said.

Rick smiled also, "It's all good then. So Lisa, how have you been?" It had been a long time since they had talked and Rick wanted to make up for it.

"Good Rick, it's been busy with the new ships and now the Zentraedi attack more, an Wendy," Lisa stopped, she shouldn't have said anything yet but she had.

"What about Wendy?" Rick's voice went down to a whisper as if trying to hide a dirty little secret.

"Nothing that I can tell you now, but I will tell you later," Lisa bit her lip and hoped that Rick would drop it, an he did.

"Ok, well, anyway-" Rick was cut off by the wailing of klaxons and the sound of one of the people covering for Lisa during her off duty time, "Oh shit an attack, Lisa, before I go I just want to say I love you and be safe."

Lisa smiled and felt her eye's water, "I love you too Rick, and you be careful," with that said Lisa and Rick hung up the phones and made for their respective duty stations.

Rick got to his VT and saw Jacob and Max already giving it a final once over to make sure it was combat ready before they went and jumped into their VT's. Rick started to taxi his VT for the Prometheus and saw the rest of Vermillion Squadron start to move in behind him.

'Squadron,' Rick thought, 'Who'd have ever thought I'd have a squadron?' Rick could only shake his head and start to warm up the engines of his VT. The only reason Rick had a squadron was because of the replacements that had arrived along with the rest of "New Hands."

As Rick's VT lined up for take off he once again got that feeling in his stomach That apprehensive feeling of, "Will I survive this time,' Rick told himself determinedly. Rick was a veteran, one of the few who knew the tricks of the trade.

Rick felt himself forced into his seat and saw that the CSF's forming up to support the VT squadrons. Rick rendezvoused with Yeager Squadron and their commander Ian Powell, a bloody Englishman, as he himself stated many times.

"So Ian you ready for this one?" Rick prodded Ian knowing that Powell was always ready for any fight that came his way. Powell had been a mercenary and had finally gotten tired of fighting for whoever paid him the most.

"You bet I am you bloody Yank, I am ready for anything." A laugh went through Vermillion and Yeager squadrons. Everyone knew that Powell had always been enthusiastic to fight for something and now he could fight with all his body and soul for the RDF.

"Well you Limey, you won't have to wait long. They are getting within CSF range, so lets go to bag formation." The squadrons began to move into formation with the CSF's in the center of the line so they could hammer away at the BP's with their missiles and lighter caliber guns. Thought they were lighter caliber, they were just as devastating due to the high volume the CSF's could fire them at and the amount of lead they could fire.

While the CSF's fired from the center the VT's formed the flanks so they could "bag" the enemy when they engaged the CSF's. The CSF's their first salvo of missiles and seconds later fired off their second salvo. Vermillion and Yeager squadrons watched at the missiles streaked towards the BP's and watched as many BP's went up in fireballs.

As the BP's closed the distance the VT's fired their weapons and more of the attackers fell before they ever got close enough to fire off a round at the human forces. Rick noticed out of the corner of his eye as the CSF's went into a transformation of sorts.

They started to coat themselves with a very tough and very durable form of armor that had started to appear on certain VT's. An Rick noticed they more weapons started to appear also. Then the two forces met.

Rick watched to his utter amazement as the CSF's practically tore a hole into the BP formation. An whatever BP's weren't destroyed by fire from the CSF's they were rammed by the CSF's like a battering ram, an yet the CSF's didn't slow down until they started to encounter some heavy fire from the heavier form of BP's.

Rick found a pilot from Vermillion and signaled him to follow him as they moved in to help a floundering CSF that was being hounded by a dozen or so BP's. Rick swooped down and pulled the G lever and felt the ship start to transform into the Guardian mode.

The CSF seemed to be taking the damage quite well and was giving back just as much fire as it was receiving. The CSF was built for space combat like this to hang in space and if need be become isolated and hold their position against enough enemies.

Rick came up beside the CSF and found a BP coming up on it's blindside and fired his gatling cannon at it. The BP stood up to the withering fire for only a few seconds before it went up in a fireball.

Rick watched as the BP's cut off his wingman and tried to finish him off but was amazed to see a turret swivel towards the group of pods closing in and fired. Most of the pods in the group were struck and all those that were exploded and Rick knew what it was, it was like a shotgun blast.

Rick pulled the B lever and transformed to Battloid mode he retroed to the top of the CSF and started to fire at the BP's closing in around them. Rick watched as his friend came to his position and they started to shoot at the BP's that got too close to the CSF.

But just as it looked as if the BP's would overwhelm their position a flight of 3 CSF's and 12 VT's came sweeping and cleared the area of BP's and Rick could clearly see Max's white and blue trimmed VT and Jacob's gray and gold trimmed VT among those coming to his rescue.

Rick turned his Battloid towards the SDF-1 and saw to his utter horror a Zentraedi Cruiser making a run for the Bridge. "No!" Rick screamed, "All Vermillion and Yeager Squadrons we have a problem, a Zentraedi cruiser is making a run for the SDF-1 Control Bridge, we have to hurry if we are going to get their in time."

All the men and women understood and pushed the throttles if everything they had to full military power. 'Oh shit, we aren't going to get their in time. No this can't be happening, it can't! Lisa is you die, I am going to die with you!' Rick's sub-conscious screamed.

Lisa looked out in horror as she saw the Zentraedi cruise making it's way towards the bridge. As Lisa and the rest of the Bridge Crew stood there watching the missile ports open they saw one of the destroyers moved right in front of the bridge.

The Zentraedi Cruiser fired its missiles and they made their way with deadly accuracy towards the destroyer that had positioned itself in front of the bridge. The poor destroyer shuttered under the barrage. But to the amazement of both the Zentraedi and the Bridge Crew the destroyer did not explode, but instead opened up with whatever weapons it had left and fired on the Zent Cruiser.

Thought the Destroyer was half the size of the Zent Cruiser it had enough firepower to inflict enough damage to start to drive the Zent Cruiser back. But then something changed about the destroyer and it seemed to take a turn for the worse. Then the Bridge Crew realized that the only reason the destroyer fired back was to be able to close the distance.

The destroyer was going to ram the Zent Cruiser in order to buy the SDF-1 time. AnD the Bridge Crew watched as the brave men and women rammed the Zent Cruiser and lodged itself half way into the Cruiser and went up in a fiery explosion. The Zent Cruiser too went up in a massive fireball.

But the Bridge Crew didn't have time to mourn; Captain Gloval had just given the order to make for the secondary bridge. The Bridge Crew moved fast down the to secondary bridge and got everything warmed up.

They watched as the RDF forced poured all the fire they had into the second cruiser but it got to where to first cruiser had been and opened it's missile ports and despite the heavy fire from almost the entire VT wing out in space and dozens of CSF's and the Destroyers and Cruiser it managed to get it's missiles off before succumbing to the withering fire.

The SDF-1 shuttered violently as the missiles struck where the Bridge Crew had been causing massive damage to nothing. Everyone who would have been working in those positions had been moved to their secondary positions.

Rick was frantic as he landed and ran at a full sprint towards what had been the Bridge. Rick was scared out of his mind and didn't know what he would do if Lisa had been killed. Rick got as far as the damage control teams, only to find out that theRE weren't any body's.

Rick felt light headed, there weren't even any bodies, he couldn't even hold her one more time no matter how badly mangled or mauled. Rick turned around and started to stumble down the halls towards Lisa's quarters.

He stopped at the door and felt across where her name was on the side of the door and felt the tears start to well up in his eyes. Rick couldn't help it, he started to cry right there in the hall and right in front of Lisa's door.

Rick put his hands up to his face and started to cry and didn't hear the door open until he heard a voice, "Rick, what's wrong?" Rick looked up and saw Lisa standing there in her uniform with a concerned look on her face.

Lisa took Rick in her arms and stroked his hair, "Rick baby, what's wrong?" Lisa asked cooing in his ear, and Rick looked up through his tear streaked face with a huge smile on his face, "You're alive," Rick managed to get out.

Rick gave a shudder and wrapped his arms around Lisa and pulled her in close, "I thought I had lost you, I was so scared. I was absolutely frantic. I saw the Bridge get hit, I saw the Destroyer go up, an all I could think about was getting to you an if you were dead I was going to be with you."

Lisa felt as if she was going to faint, of all the death all Rick could think about was being with her at any costs. Lisa looked at Rick and kissed him on the mouth lightly. "Rick, I love you, an if that was the last thing I ever told you before I died, I would be the happiest women ever."

Rick looked down at Lisa and smiled and bent down and picked her up and carried her into her room. He made his way for her room intent on making her the happiest women ever now, because today showed exactly how much they meant to each other and that either one could die at any moment.

Rick looked down at Lisa as he stood at the door to her room, "You sure you want to?" Rick asked. Lisa smiled broadly and looked up at him, "Rick, I have been ready since we got back from Breetai's so you just better get ready now cause it's gonna be a long night for you," Lisa said with a grin as Rick put her down and she closed the door.

An as the SDF-1 descended down towards the Earth to effect repairs on the shattered bridge a couple showed their intense love for each other. But as one couple made the next step in their relationship, Wendy Bowers was in the OR having surgery for her wounds and to doctors noticed that she was pregnant.

"Doctor, this pilot is pregnant," the surgeons did a little more work and noted that the baby was dead. "Well take care of the fetus, and sew her up we have more incoming wounded. Wendy though comatose heard every word and felt something snap in her head. She went crazy.

A/N: Ok, well that was lot for one chapter. I had a lot to make up for with the last few chapters. This is fun to write these. Anyway, yes Wendy is crazy, and Jacob will find out the rest later, an as for Rick and Lisa, well I want to see if you can figure it out. Next episode the Second Miss Macross contest starts, anyway enjoy.

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