"Here aboard the SDF-1 dubbed new Macross City we need your help making the city safe. Join the Galaxy Garrison, fly with our boys in white, and keep the ship safe when Voltron is away." The screen changed to a scene of voltron standing on the flight deck of the SDF-1 with a row of destroids in front of it and Garrison flight teams standing in front of them...Lynn Minmei as always was standing in the foreground.
"Sure thing Minmei, join the Garrison fly with the big guy...whatever you say." Rick Hunter strolled down the street laughing to himself that the girl he once knew, who he was trapped in the belly of the ship was now the literal poster girl of the military. The girl who once worked at her uncle's Chinese restaurant was now telling guys like him they could be heroes and fly by Voltron. "Fat chance of that happening, could you just imagine that happening? Me flying one of those...things again zipping around Voltron like nothing" The screen changed again and was now displaying an advert for the upcoming Mayoral race.
The klaxon alarm began to blare, the interior environmental light turned a crimson red, and the streets emptied of people. Rick raced toward the closest building still open running past the man standing at the door beaconing Rick in off the street. On the far wall of the establishment was a massive window that looked across the flightdeck, Rick watched the Veritechs launch in rapid succession, he knew the tail colors and codes. He watched as Red squadron was launched, Silver squadron was launched with the exception Silver five, and then Skull Squadron with Skull two in command. "Why isn't Roy leading the squad? He's always going on that he's the garrison's best pilot" Rick mumbled out loud as he watched the fighters streak off the deck and into the mostly dark void of space. It always caught him off guard, that for how loud the fighter are in atmosphere they are silent in space. He couldn't see the enemy craft yet but as he understood from one of Roy's lectures about why the bridge crew was the best in the Garrison, the ship's long range sensors could detect space fold anomalies anywhere in the solar system, however the enemy known as the Zentradi had been getting smart. The enemy would fold several of their ships into the system at a time in multiple locations to throw off where the main attack will come from. Suddenly out of the ink-like void several enemy ships emerged into view, without standard running lights the ships were basically invisible to the normal eye.
"This is my favorite part, our boys meet the enemy head on and due to our more maneuverable fighter we slip past their lines and wreck 'em". The establishment owner stood behind Rick looking out at the fight transpiring seemingly right over the flightdeck, but in reality was miles off. "Why doesn't a fine young man like you fly with them? I hear they need all the help they can g-"
"Ya I know the advertisements on the board, I've seen them too. Fly with our boys, fly with Voltron...it's not for me, I don't want to be some big damn hero" Rick cut the owner off abruptly.
"It's not about being a hero, I don't care for those signs either...it's about doing what you can. Have you read the Garrison updates?" The man pursed his lips and pulled out a datapad that was open to the Garrison update.
"No why would I why-" Rick was cut off and the datapad was shoved into his hand.
"Read it" The man let go of the datapad and walked behind the bar. He pulled out two low tumblers and poured an amber liquid into the glasses.
"We regret to inform our small city that the following service member have given their lives for the ship and our city this month:
C. Allison
Z. Daniels
G. Zardari
S. Tagachi
L. Sokol
E. Toli
M. Whitman
All service members will be memorialized on the bridge and on the center circle park pedestal." Rick set down the pad and looked out at the window, he knew that this was a war but it never truly hit him. This wasn't the flying circus where if someone died it was due to malfunction or pilot error, this was men and women the same age as him fighting an unknown enemy millions of miles from their home...their planet. This war wasn't like any other war either, it wasn't about land or resources it was survival, if they didn't fight the ship would be destroyed and the next target would be Earth...provided it was still there. Rick turned and sat at the counter with his head held in his hands, the bar owner cleared his throat and placed one of the glasses by Rick's arm.
"None of those kids wanted to be as you called it 'Big Damn Heroes' they just wanted to keep what may be the last surviving humans in existence" The man stood behind the counter watching the twinkling battle outside the window. "Now drinks on the house". Rick and the man sat in silence as the battle raged for a bit then died down, some of the fighters barely landed on the flight deck in a single piece.
Rick sat mindlessly looking out the window as he contemplated what he would do; he wanted to do what he could, but he had promised his father that he would take over the flying circus after getting Roy back from Macross Island. Things were different now though, he was living in a spaceship that is the fusion of alien technology and human engineering that holds a city in its belly, under threat of extraterrestrial origin...oh ya and there existed a giant mech made from five smaller mechs that looks like lions. He stopped at the vid-phone, in the park opposite the memorial pedestal, threw in a couple coins and dialed Roy.
"Hey...Roy...Is it worth it?" Rick didn't know what to say. He wanted to know what he should do, he wanted Roy to tell him to enlist or to leave...he didn't know which. "Is it worth jumping in the cockpit everytime the alarm sounds?"
"Of course it is, besides who else is gonna protect your scrawny ass?" Roy laughed loudly causing a figure in the background to roll over in the bed and grumble loudly.
"Roy Fokker, it is ten in the damn evening...You know I have to be on the bridge in the morning. Can you please either take the call out of the room or keep it quiet?" By the sound of the voice it was Claudia Grant, Roy's Fiancee and commanding officer.
"Ya..sorry babe, you get some sleep. I'm gonna go meet Rick at the park I'll be back" Roy slipped on his jacket and hung up the phone.
"Ooookay guess I'll wait here then." Rick slowly stepped away from the phone, now with time to kill and nowhere to go he wandered the park. Eventually he found himself in front of the memorial looking at all the names. The pedestal was made of a rock that was found floating aside the SDF-1 after the fold and turned into a memorial with the quote "The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him." followed by the names of the servicemen and women who fought and died since the fold. Rick traced his hand across the names, some of the names he knew.
"Rick! I got here as soon as I could what up little brother?" Roy came jogging up behind Rick.
"Roy...I'm gonna do it. I'm going to enroll in the Garrison." Rick turned and looked at Roy dead in the eyes