fanfic_name = What If

chapter = Chapter I

author = Knights Templar

Rating = AP15

Type = Adventure

fanfic = What If

This story is going to start place roughly between the Battle Cry and Homecoming and take on the normal course of the Robotech saga...well as normal as it can be with me navigating it in the manner and for that I want it to. An this will be a lot like the last "What If" but not restricted to be like it in too many ways, for instance I plan to make some of the characters I introduce with different names (Ellis Westmoreland is no longer a character in this story (sorry!) which I pulled from FanFiction.com because it was a bleeding wreck of a story. The grammar was all shot to hell and now I have a lot of idea to make it much better. So now all I can say is...enjoy the new and hopefully improved What If.

A dark shape moved through the vast endless reaches of space, deftly maneuvering the treacherous new frontier. The ship didn't look like anything conventional, or any ship that you would see anywhere for that matter. A tall heavily armored techno-knight prowled through space making it's way towards a small blue-white orb from which the ship has been launched...again.

The SDF-1 had managed to fight it's way from Pluto facing many harrowing dangers such as the Saturn Blitzkrieg, and the heavy pitched battle on Mars where the Zentraedi had almost achieved their objective of capturing the SDF-1, Zor's greatest creation. An now the crew and civilians of the SDF-1 where going to make it home no matter the cost. It had been too long and too far a road to just quit now.

As the SDF-1 glided effortlessly through space it's demeanor changed, the ship came to a halt and shifted itself towards what had startled the large ship. Three large forest green ships that looked like whales in space made their way for the techno-knight. The incoming ships where huge, almost seven miles long and bristling with guns and enough fighters to put the pre- Global Civil War Air forces to shame and defeat.

The large green ships started to spew smaller ostrich like ships that made their way for the SDF-1 and the SDF-1 in response began to launch jet fighter like aircraft to meet the enemy head on and keep them away from the crew and precious cargo of the SDF-1. An soon a huge battle in space began and death came swiftly and silently in space.

Rick Hunter banked hard in his VT, the fighter groaning all the while in response to the stress and demands put on it by the pilot at the controls. The Battlepod wasn't going to give up that easily and kept coming for him and a almost suicidal manner. Blue blots of death chomped at the fighter and Rick desperately tried to lose the enemy and was beginning to think that this was the end for him, this damn pod was going to get him and that would be it for Rick Hunter.

But that would not be the case today as the offending Battlepod was blown to smithereens by another Veritech seemingly unstoppable in it's flight and dealing out death left and right. The rescuing Veritech pulled up the Hunter's and a familiar voice came over the tac net, "That was a close one their little buddy, he almost had you if it wasn't for me," Roy Fokker announced.

"Yeah well, I would have figured something out but you came over and stole my kill, but thanks anyway." The conversation might have lasted longer had there not been a war on and alien trying desperately to kill them, so the talking ended there and the two fighters went off to do their job, kill the bad guy.

The battle thought intense, never lasted longer then half an hour. This time the RDF Forces had come out better than they usually did after a battle of that magnitude with the enemy. As the Veritechs came in landing on the twin super carriers mounted on the SDF-1 the bridge crew gave a collective sigh of relief. The battle was over and the Zentraedi had been beaten back again for the god-knows-how-many time.

But the feeling of relief was not felt everywhere as it was on the SDF-1. On Earth, the very place the brave crew an civilians of the SDF-1 where fighting to get to, a huge debate on whether the SDF-1 should be allowed to get anywhere near the planet was raging between the leaders of the planet.

Admiral Hayes stood up his hands hitting the desk hard as if to emphasize his anger over the decision that seemed to be forming in front of him. They weren't going to let the SDF-1 land on Earth, his mind screamed. "But why?!" Hayes yelled at the monitors of the other leaders of Earth. One of the nameless men on the other end of the screen piped up, "Because Admiral," he began his voice steady, "it would bring untold amounts of destruction and death to the people of Earth, and furthermore, the inhabitants of Earth have no idea that the SDF-1 is even still a ship."

Admiral Hayes head drooped and he knew that he had been beaten and that the SDF-1 would not be coming home and that the sixty thousand plus civilians and RDF personal would be fodder for the planet that he hoped to defend with just the Grand Cannon. "I...I understand," Hayes managed to get out, he bowed his head to the other members of the council and told them that that was all, he didn't want them to see the tears that streamed down his face; Lisa, my little girl, I'm so sorry.

As Admiral Hayes fought with his inner emotions a messenger came to the conference table and whispered something to him, Hayes head picked up immediately. He got up and hurried to a secure line that had been set up in case of an emergency. "This is Admiral Hayes," he managed into the speaker.

"I know who this is an I have a proposition for you, if you willing to listen," The unknown voice said over the line. Admiral Hayes had to think, was this person serious had he really found what he said he had. "Do you really have what you claim to have or are you just saying this so I would listen?" Hayes asked inquisitively. Hayes knew he was pushing his luck by asking too many questions but he had to know.

The man on the other line exhaled and knew that if he didn't answer this question that he wasn't going to get anywhere with this man, "Yes we really have a protoculture matrix, and we have also managed to find the remains of some fabricators so we can start to replicate some of those and begin to manufacture what the Earth really needs, Veritechs and protoculture driven ships to fight the Zentraedi."

Hayes eyes had widened and he had begun to get light headed and his breath came in short quick gasps. He tugged at his collar and he suddenly realized that he was sweating profusely. "Well, what are your demands, what do you want for this?" Hayes was deathly afraid that he would demand something he couldn't deliver on.

"What I want from you," he started out, "is to take this gift and put it to good use, don't sit on your thumbs and burrow a deeper hole. You must use this to take the fight to the Zentraedi." Hayes was stunned by what this man was telling him this man didn't want a thing for the huge gift that he was about to bestow upon him, "So, you don't want anything?" Hayes asked incredulously.

There was silence on the other end of the line and Hayes could tell the man was thinking for a moment, "Yeah there is one thing," he began and Hayes was eager to hear it, "Well what is it?" Hayes asked glad to please because he would be willing to do anything to get his hand on that Matrix.

"I want you to protect and save as many people as you can, an I know how you can, but that would mean you'd have to come and meet me in person. I have a design that will allow you to theoretically shield a city from even the heaviest bombardment. But I haven't perfected it yet or tested it thoroughly yet. But those are my conditions and if you want to get your hands on the matrix, you have to come and meet me personally. I want to make sure that you put this thing to good use."

Hayes didn't need a second to think about it; it was an easy decision. He would go and meet this man and get the Protoculture Matrix that would help the Earth so much. "Alright I'll meet you, but where are you?" The man was silent for a moment and said, "Come to Macross Island, meet me there and we will talk about this more in depth." An with that the man hung up.

Admiral Hayes stood there for a moment, still sweating, and now he had a new problem, 'Should I tell the council?'. Hayes wrestled with this question, and he finally came to a faithful decision, he wasn't going to tell the council. This was his chance to save the only thing in his life: Lisa his daughter.

Rick Hunter sat in the lounge of the SDF-1 looking out the huge panoramic view that you got just from sitting there. He was drinking coffee and toying with the idea of getting something stronger to "settle" his nerves. He thought about it for a minute more an realized that it would have been a bad idea anyway. That was the last thing he needed, to be drunk and god knew Lisa would bust his ass.

An as luck would have it Lisa was making her way towards him an for the first time he noticed that she was very attractive. Athletic and plainly pretty with her shoulder length blonde hair he found that she was something to look at even thought he had never noticed it before.

Lisa came up to him and asked him if she was intruding and he said no and she sat down, "So Lisa what brings you here," Rick asked nonchalantly. Lisa looked up and smiled, she still felt grateful for him saving her and trying to protect her when they had been captured. "Rick I just wanted to say thank you again for trying to protect me when we where captured," Lisa looked up and made eye contact with him and he gave her a dismissive gesture, "Lisa, it was nothing, I'm sure you would have done the same for me."

Lisa looked up and realized that this was the moment of truth, "Rick the real reason I came here is because I wanted to ask what you are doing later this week," Lisa's normally strong voice seemed to waver. Rick looked her, or tried to, straight in the eyes and she seemed to avert her gaze and he realized that she was trying to ask him out in a date, "I've got nothing planned. Why do you ask?" Rick knew why she was asking but he wanted her to ask him.

"Well," Lisa began, but she couldn't get the words out, "oh never mind Rick, forget I asked." An with that Lisa got up and began to walk away and Rick got up and walked up behind her, "I do believe Commander Hayes, that you where going to try and ask me out on a date, hmm?" Rick gave her a sly look and she knew that she had been caught.

"Well, if you didn't have anything planned, I was wondering if that'd be ok with you?" Lisa asked her voice full of hope. Rick considered it for a few seconds and came up with his decision, "Why not Lisa, meet me when you get off Friday at Reverie's. If that's ok with you Lisa?" Lisa looked at him and realized that he had just picked up where she had left off, "Yes Rick, I'd like that very much."

With that said Lisa did an about face (old habit die hard) and walked away from Rick an he stood there watching her go. True he still cared for Minmei, but she was a celebrity now and Lisa was nice enough, who knows maybe he and her could get to know each other better.

Sorry that I took the other What If off, but that was a bleeding wreck, and I think all those who have read the other What If will agree with me that this is a much better first chapter and sets up for much more than I had going in my other one. But anyway, I hope you like this one, I think it is a much better start, and longer. Anyway R&R!!!

State = Continuará/To Be Continue

feedback = Sí/Yes