Track 1: The New Hope
Her voice rose to a crescendo and the buzzing of wings began to cease their furious beat. One by one, the Vajra stopped their mad flight and slowly descended from the sky. Ever since the mother queen left, the Vajra that stayed behind would fly around aimlessly until they exhausted themselves or died. The most problematic groups were those that would attack random objects, which unfortunately, included the colony.
Ranka took a deep breath. At least, this group was easy to calm down. She grabbed her canister from its makeshift holster and took a sip. Since they arrived three days ago, she had been singing most of the songs since Sheryl had not fully recovered from her illness. Looking up at the alien sky, she prayed, "If there's a god out there, please let her get well soon."
She felt something on her shoulder. Her hand reached up to cup that chitinous claw. "At least, you're with me, Ai-kun."
Somehow, Ai-kun was able to sense which Vajra were going berserk. With his guidance, she and her brother flew to different places on the planet to calm them down. Ranka yawned. She wished that they would go mad during daylight hours. On average, she only got two or three hours of sleep at night before Brera woke her up to sing to another group.
"Are you ok?"
Ranka touched his arm. It was good to have him back. "I'm fine... just a little tired."
His eyebrows knit together. "They have you working night and day. It's not fair. I'll demand that they increase their efforts to finish that recording."
She waved her hands. "No, no... I'm fine really! They should be working on getting the colony up and running." Yes, it was more important to get the food production facilities working. Although the air was breathable, the colony still needed purified water and edible food. The last battle damaged many of the islands and a lot of scientists were needed to repair them. It was only through her brother Ozma's insistence that the government spared two scientists to find a way to record Ranka's song properly so that the song could be played to calm down the Vajra.
Everyone was doing his or her best, so she should too. She squared her shoulders. "Besides, I love singing! I don't mind it at all."
He reached out and squeezed her shoulder. "I know... but you have to take care of yourself too. Even I can see that you're tired."
She stiffened and covered her chest with her arms. "Onii-chan! You said you wouldn't use that!"
Confusion reigned on his face for a moment before he burst out in exasperation. "I told you, I don't have x-ray vision! So just forget what Luca said!"
"But how could you tell that I was tired?"
He sighed. "I'm a cyborg, and even I feel a bit tired. We've only had 9.37 hours of sleep for the past three days, so you must be pushing yourself and staying awake with zencoffee and sweets."
Ranka smiled sheepishly. "I guess, I can't fool you. You're my brother after all."
"Yeah..." He looked around at the Vajra resting on the ground. "Are they ok now?"
Her hands reached up to hold Ai-kun's claws. "How are they, Ai-kun?"
Ai-kun responded with small high-pitched chirps. At the same time, Ranka felt a soothing warmth near her belly. "He thinks they're fine."
"Good! Let's go back and try to get some rest."
They were climbing into his valkyrie when the alert siren blared from the cockpit. Brera scrambled up and answered, "Brera here."
Monica Lange's image appeared on the communications screen. "Major, we've detected a large fold with a Vajra energy signature. The captain has raised red alert."
"Understood."
He swiftly moved to Ranka's side and assisted her towards the co-pilot's seat. "Company's coming. We're going to meet up with Macross Quarter."
Once Ranka was secured, he hopped into the pilot's seat and started the engines. As they flew to Macross Quarter, he could see the faint outline of a fold gate in the sky. He opened a channel to the bridge. "It's Brera. Do you have visual?"
Monica responded, "Yes, transmitting..."
The screen displayed a large Vajra mothership. "What's the status of Galaxy?"
"They're still trying to break the encryption on the ghost command programs, but the crew has managed to unload the fuel cells on about 70% of the ghost fighters."
"Ask them if they can override the docking control systems. If they clamp the landing gears manually, the fighters won't be able to fly out."
"Roger. I'll relay that to the crew."
Macross Galaxy remained in orbit due to the security lock on its bridge by Grace and her cohorts. Thankfully, the colonists and crew were left unharmed. Instead, Grace trapped them in the city quarters and sealed off all routes to the bridge. Once released from their prison, the crew set out to reclaim Galaxy.
Brera watched the screen for signs of attack from the mothership or from Galaxy. The mothership was advancing towards the planet. Judging from the estimated velocity readings on the screen, it would be within Galaxy's range within two minutes. Hopefully, the crew's preparations would be good enough to prevent the ghost fighters from launching accidentally. The colony was very vulnerable at the moment and provoking the Vajra to attack would undermine their efforts.
"No, Ai-kun! You don't have to come with us! It might be dangerous!"
Brera turned to see Ai-kun clinging to the wing. "It's ok, Ranka. We'll bring him on board and I'll be on escort duty."
"But... what if you have to fight?"
"I can't protect him if he's on the planet and the Quarter is no pushover. Besides, what if he wants to come?"
Silently, she tried to think of reasons why. When none came up, she sighed. "I guess, we'll be in your care."
He returned his attention to the screen. There were no attacks from either side so far. Meanwhile, Macross Quarter was ascending to orbit. They would rendezvous in about a minute. When they docked, members of SMS gathered around their valkyrie. Ozma helped Ranka down from the cockpit and hugged her tightly.
"How're you doing?"
"I'm doing fine, Ozma-nii."
"Yo, Ranka," greeted Alto.
She smiled wildly. "Alto! How are you?"
"Busy... between patrols and repairs, I've barely had time to sleep. Hey, how's Sheryl?"
At Sheryl's name, she looked away. "He must really miss her..." she thought.
"She's still a bit sick and she's resting right now."
"Give her my regards when you see her."
"Lieutenant Alto, the captain is expecting us on the bridge," said Brera flatly.
Alto glared at him, but stepped aside. With Ai-kun in tow, they headed for the bridge. Once there, Monica reported the current status.
"Based on their descent, they're headed for the queen's nest."
On the huge screen, they could see that the mothership and its entourage had passed Galaxy without any attacks. Excluding the mothership, there were about fifty fighters and two carriers.
"Any ideas, Miss Lee?" asked the captain.
"That mothership... it looks like the one from Galia 4." An uncontrollable shiver swept down her spine as images of her captivity in a mothership flashed through her mind. "It might have a queen."
"Does this mean that they want their planet back?"
"I don't know..."
Suddenly, Ai-kun grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the screen.
"What is it, Ai-kun?"
He pulled her as close as possible and then flew up to rest his claws on the image of the mothership.
Ranka's lips quivered as she tried to ask the question. "Do you... do you want us to go there...?" Internally, she prayed for a negative response.
Her heart skipped a beat when she heard him chirp a positive answer.
"Captain, I request permission to escort Ranka and Ai-kun to the mothership."
The captain eyed Brera for a moment before replying, "Permission granted. Use of armor packs are allowed as well. At the first sign of trouble, get out of there. We'll back you up."
"Understood. If you want to go, Ranka, just meet me in the hangar." He saluted the captain and left.
Ranka gulped and clenched her hands. Meanwhile, Ai-kun hovered near the image excitedly. After several tense seconds, she turned around and left the bridge. Ai-kun followed her right away.
She walked aimlessly until she entered a lounge area with large windows. In the distance, she could see the mothership descending. For several minutes, she stood next to the window and watched it. Meanwhile, Ai-kun hovered around her excitedly. A warm feeling rose from her belly and eased her anxiety a little.
"You don't have to go, Ranka." Ozma walked up to stand next to her. "You've done too much already. You're not some tool they can use."
Ranka lowered her eyes and leaned on the glass. "Tool or not, I think I may have to. Ai-kun really wants me to."
"If you have to go, then half the squad will come with you and Brera." He glanced up at Ai-kun. "Could you tell it to heel or something? The buzzing is kinda annoying."
She let out a little laugh. "He's very happy right now, so he probably won't listen."
"Is it because more of his friends dropped by?"
Ranka brightened at the word. Perhaps these would be friendly Vajra, and not like the ones in Galia 4. "Yeah, that might be it."
Ozma sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "I guess we're going then."
They walked back to the hangar. Ozma adjusted her suit and assisted her into Brera's cockpit. Then they remained on standby until the Quarter was within range.
Finally, the hangar doors opened and they flew out towards the mothership. Ranka steeled her nerves as Vajra fighters flew next to them. Suddenly, Ai-kun tapped on their window and flew in front of them.
"Follow?" asked Brera.
"Yes."
Brera relayed a message to the rest of the squad and they followed Ai-kun to a large opening on the side of the mothership. They flew through several corridors and transformed to battroid mode when the corridors narrowed. Soon, they reached a large arena. In the center was a queen about the same size as the one Galia 4. Ai-kun hovered around her for a few moments before flying back and tapping on Brera's cockpit window.
"What is it, Ai-kun?" asked Ranka.
Ai-kun flew away and landed on a pod similar to the one that imprisoned her in Galia 4. When she realized that he wanted her to be in the pod, her skin broke out in goosebumps.
"I'm here, Ranka. I rescued you before and I can do it again."
She tried to swallow her fear, but her words shook out her throat. "Th--thanks, onii-chan. Can you get us closer?"
He shifted into gerwalk mode and moved carefully near the pod. The cockpit opened and the valkyrie's hand moved next to her seat. She unbuckled herself and floated into the hand. The hand moved to the pod and she floated onto it to stand next to Ai-kun. Once again, a green sphere formed around the pod to enclose them. The queen extended a large tentacle that attached to the surface of the sphere.
Their surroundings melted into dimensionless space and she felt that she was standing in a sea of stars. Unconsciously, her hand grabbed Ai-kun.
A projection of her mother appeared before her, just like she saw in Galia 4. "We have come to help."
"To help?"
"We will teach Sheryl, Ai-kun and you to be queens."
"But I'm not Vajra!"
Images of the Vajra on the planet filled the space around them. "They listened to you, so you became their queen. When Ai-kun becomes a queen, they will listen to her too."
Ranka turned towards Ai-kun and was surprised to see a younger version of herself with green skin and red eyes. "Ai-kun can become a queen?"
"Yes. When you stop speaking to them, Ai-kun can speak for you."
Her mind was trying to make sense of what she told her. During the battle, a large swarm of Vajra protected Island 1. A gasp escaped from her lips when she realized that they stayed because of her even though the mother queen and the other Vajra left the planet. "If... if I'm their queen, what will you do?"
"We will speak to them, since you do not continuously speak to them. We will speak until you learn how to speak and listen."
"I see..." She was able to sing to them, to convey her feelings. However, it did not occur to her that they needed continuous communication from the queen and vice-versa. As the images of the Vajra swirled around her, the enormity of the queen's responsibility stifled her breath.
"This is too much... Can Ai-kun do it without me?"
The projection looked so sad that she almost wanted to retract her reply. "Then Ai-kun will be their queen. But please, will you learn?"
With the burden of being queen lifted from her shoulders, her request seemed reasonable. "Yes, I will learn."
The projection of her mother smiled so warmly that Ranka wished that she really were her mother. "Sheryl and you are different. We want to listen to both of you more. We want to understand. Will you bring her to us?"
"She's sick right now. When she's better, I'll bring her to you."
"Bring her soon."
The sea of stars melted away and she was standing on the pod without the green sphere. Brera stood on the hand nearby. The speaker in her helmet crackled to life.
"Are you ok?" asked Brera, Alto and Ozma simultaneously.
Her lips curved in amusement over their timing. "Yeah..." She reached out clumsily and Brera grabbed her hand to guide her back to the valkyrie.
"They didn't do anything weird, did they?" asked Ozma.
"No, Ozma-nii. They just explained a lot of things. I think I'll have to tell everyone when we get back."
Once again, Ai-kun led them out of the mothership. After they got out, they headed back to the Quarter. As soon as they got back, they assembled in the bridge's meeting room. Ranka told them about her conversation with the queen.
"Cathy... I mean, President Glass will want to hear this." said Ozma.
The captain nodded. "I'll have Officer Hoa arrange a meeting with her, Sheryl and Ranka. Miss Lee, since you're a civilian, it's not your duty to follow any orders from the army. So I'd like to ask you a favor instead. We'd like to monitor the mothership just in case. If you don't mind, can you stay on board for a while?"
"No, I don't mind at all."
"Thank you very much. Officer Lange, can you find her the best guest quarters on the ship and make sure she gets some rest?"
Monica saluted. "Yes, sir! Leave it to me." She turned to Ranka. "Please come this way. I have the perfect cabin for you."
"Yes." She faced the SMS crew once more and bowed. "Please excuse me and thank you for protecting us!"
"No problem. Rest well, Miss Lee."
They left the meeting room. Monica led her to a cabin near the center of the ship. Once inside, Ranka was surprised at how quiet it was.
"Unlike crew cabins, this cabin is specially soundproofed for guests." She opened a cabinet. "There are spare crew uniforms here if you want to change, and towels if you want to take a bath." She opened a side door. "The bathroom is over here. If you need anything, the intercom is near the bed." She pointed to a viewpanel. "Please make yourself at home."
Ranka bowed. "Thank you."
After Monica left, Ranka took a quick shower and went to bed.
Eager to get out of the hospital, Sheryl quickly agreed to meet with President Glass when Officer Hoa asked her. Although she still felt light-headed, she wanted to get some fresh air and to stretch her limbs. As Hoa drove her to the new city hall, she was amazed at the amount of construction going on. It was hard to believe that this was going to be the new home of the colonists from Frontier and Galaxy.
At city hall, they were escorted to a waiting room. A few minutes later, the door opened to admit Ranka and Brera. Sheryl felt glad that she was not with Alto. At the thought of Alto, resentment mixed in with her relief. Since they arrived, that idiot had not spared a moment to visit her in the hospital. Only Ranka's visits broke the up the boring hours of lying in bed with only the beeping of the monitoring equipment to keep her company.
"Ranka!"
"Sheryl!"
They hugged each other tightly. Sheryl pulled away. Ranka looked cheerful, but there seemed to be circles under her eyes.
"How are you?"
"I'm fine. And you?"
"I'm already better, but the doctors seem to think otherwise. I'll convince them eventually. So please hang in there for a little longer. I'll do my share as soon as possible."
Ranka waved her hands. "Ah, don't worry about me. I'm quarter zentradi, so my stamina's above average. In fact, I finished second place in the long distance run at my old school..."
While Ranka chatted away, Sheryl could not help but giggle at her silly stories. The way she told them was so refreshingly innocent that she did not notice when President Glass entered.
"I hate to break your amusing conversation, ladies, but I believe we have a meeting to attend." Catherine Glass stood before the two prima donnas of the colony and nodded in Sheryl's direction. "It's good to see that you're feeling better, Sheryl. I wish you continued recovery." Then she turned to Ranka. "Once again, thank you for your efforts regarding the Vajra. We'll put this on the news. The colonists will definitely be convinced that you didn't betray us."
Sheryl narrowed her eyes. She thought that Ranka willingly volunteered to sing. Was she blackmailed into singing for them? Was this a ploy to keep her under their control? All sorts of scenarios raced through her mind as they were ushered into the president's office.
They sat down on the leather couches and exchanged quick pleasantries before Cathy asked about the mothership. Sheryl filed away her conspiratorial scenarios and listened to Ranka's story. When she heard about them being trained as queens, she blurted out, "But why me too?"
"I don't know. You'll have to ask her. She wants to see you."
"Sheryl, let's allow Ranka to finish her story, so we can get the big picture. Please keep your questions until she's done," said Cathy.
She had a point. Sheryl leaned back on the couch and listened to the rest of the story. After she was done, it still did not answer her previous question. Obviously, Ranka did not know either and even looked more troubled than before. If she wanted any answers, she would have to get it herself. "How long do I have to be there?"
"I don't know. Brera said that they waited for around 15 minutes."
"If we can limit my visit to two hours, then I can go this afternoon." The medication that she took had to be taken every three hours, and if she missed a dosage, she would experience severe nausea. Throwing up in front of an alien queen was not her style.
"At least, they're not attacking us. Ranka, did they show any aversion to having other people with you?"
Ranka shook her head. "Ozma-nii and half the squadron were with me. They didn't mind at all."
Cathy brightened with relief. "Since they're very receptive, let's take the opportunity to study them. I'll send a couple of scientists with you." She checked her watch. "I need some time to get a team together. So... let's meet here again around 4 PM. Is that all right, Sheryl, Ranka?"
"That's fine," replied Sheryl.
"Yes, that's ok," responded Ranka, nodding.
"Thank you for coming, ladies," said Cathy, shaking their hands in turn. "Please excuse me. I have a colony to attend to."
With that, they filed out of the office. As they walked out of city hall, Sheryl asked, "Ranka, what are your plans for the day?"
"At the moment, I'm sort of on standby."
So that explained why Brera was here. At least, it was not Alto since she could not bear the thought of them being alone together. However, she had to confirm it. "It's nice of them to assign your brother with you. I hope you two have been able to catch up over these past three days."
"Yes, it's good to have him back. He's taken really good care of me."
A wave of relief washed over her. So far, so good. "So as long as there's no trouble, you have nothing to do, right?"
Ranka shrugged. "I guess so..."
"Officer Hoa, since Brera's with us, you don't have to follow me around."
"But my orders were to escort you as necessary."
"As. Necessary," emphasized Sheryl. "Someone had to drive me to city hall, but since Brera can drive us around, there's no need for additional escorts. Besides, I heard that you've hardly gotten a break on Macross Quarter. I'm sure that there's things that you want to check up on in the colony."
"That's true..." She paused a moment to consider. "Very well... but if you need me, call right away. Major Sterne has my number."
"Of course! Just let me get my stuff from your car and then we'll meet up again at 4."
When they got to Hoa's hovercar, Sheryl took out a basket from the trunk and handed it to Brera who took it without question. After Hoa left, she turned to them and smiled brightly.
"All right then, let's have lunch! I know just the place."
With her directions, they drove near a grassy cliff overlooking the ocean. They got out of the hovercar and she led them up the hill to a shade under a tree.
"Wow! This place is nice, Sheryl!" exclaimed Ranka as she looked at the scenery. "How did you find this?"
Sheryl spread a blanket under the tree. "A geologist set up a video feed of the surveys that he was taking. I met him when I was in a bomb shelter during the battle. He visited me in the hospital and when we were talking, I mentioned how bored I was and that I wanted to go out. He offered to broadcast his surveys to the monitor near my bed. With it, I was able to review all his surveys."
"That's nice of him." Ranka knelt down to help unpack the basket. There were various sandwiches, dumplings and fruit drinks. When Sheryl lifted a pie container out of the basket, her mouth began to water. For the past three days, bland army rations made up most of her meals. Today, she would finally get some real food.
They picked out portions and put it on their plates. With quick glances, Sheryl watched Ranka eat her food. At one point, she almost burst out laughing at her expressions. She took such quick bites as if she were starving. Furthermore, her hair bobbed up and down in time with her expressions. It was said that a zentraedi's hair could sometimes be affected by his/her emotional state. Right now, that statement truly applied to Ranka.
"Slow down, Ranka. There's a lot."
"Mmmph... shiis ish weely gooo..." She swallowed. "Where did you get this?"
Her hand flew to her mouth in a vain attempt to stifle a chuckle. "My nurse is a big fan of mine. She offered to make me home cooked meals instead of serving me the standard hospital food. I asked her to make some lunch for at least two people. Looks like she went overboard."
"Pweesh thank her fooo me." She finished the last of her sandwich.
"Here, have some." She offered a slice of pie on a plate.
"Thanks!" Ranka slipped a big chunk into her mouth. At the taste of the pie, tears began to flow.
"Ranka! What's wrong? Is it bad?"
She swallowed. "No... no... it's really good. It's just... it's just... it reminded me of the time onii-chan made pineapple pie... it was so bad... this is good... why am I crying...?"
Sheryl wiped away her tears with the tips of her fingers. "There, there... it's okay..." If she knew that Ranka would cry over the pie, she would not have served it to her. She had to think of something to cheer her up. "It's good, isn't it? So savor it as much as you want... you'll forget about that bad pie."
"It was really bad... but onii-chan took really good care of me back then... He is so nice to me... He introduced me to so many new friends... So many people are nice to me... Nanase... Michel... Luca... Alto... and you..." She looked up from the plate. "I'm so glad to have met all 0f you."
Thank god that she was not cause of her tears. Sheryl offered her a tissue to blow her nose. "I'm very glad too. So cheer up, ok? Eat as much pie as you want. You too, Brera."
Her cheeks flared in embarrassment. Her brother was here. She took the offered tissue and tidied up. Meanwhile, Brera merely grunted and took another slice.
After they had their fill, Sheryl took her medicine and laid down on the grass. Her hands reached for the alien sky and framed it with her hands. After living in Galaxy for so long, she took the simulated sky for granted. However, the sky above was amazing and inspiring in its beautiful simplicity. Her lips curled to a smile and she just let go.
Baby, what do you want to do? I'm driving. [1]
My hands are on the handlebars and I'm standing by.
(Do you) want my heart & want my love?
NO!? Forget that, let's swing and KISS!
Then Ranka's voice joined in for the second stanza.
I say "NO" to a half-baked style.
A LOVE that makes me soar is for me.
Beautiful! Excuse me!
If you wish for them, lalala, possibilities.
A shuffle next to her indicated that Ranka sat down on the grass. When it was time to sing the chorus, Sheryl tilted her head and winked at her. Ranka took the cue and sang the chorus with her.
What 'bout my star?
Their voices mingled in harmony. For the next twenty minutes or so, they sang several songs together while Brera accompanied them with his harmonica. They continued to sing until Sheryl stopped when she saw some Vajra approaching. Some Vajra flew around them and others landed in the grass. She felt a hand on her shoulder.
"It's ok. They're just here to listen," assured Ranka.
Ashamed to show her fear, Sheryl resumed singing. For the next thirty minutes, they sang more songs. Sheryl was amazed that Ranka knew all the lyrics to her songs, and a majority of other popular tunes.
"Wow, you really know your lyrics," remarked Sheryl.
"When I like a song, I'd sing it all the time. Walking, skating and even in the shower!"
She chuckled. "That's right! When I met you, you were singing 'Don't be late'. Speaking of which..." She checked her watch. "We still have an hour to kill. Wanna go down to the beach?"
"Sure!"
They drove down to the beach and played in the sand or in the shallow water. Sheryl was trying not to get wet, but a colorful seashell caught her eye. As she bent to pick it up, she did not notice the wave coming.
"Sheryl!" warned Ranka.
The wave swept her off her feet and she scrambled to remain upright. Quickly, she waded to shore. Brera rushed over and steadied her.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes... but..." She looked down at her drenched clothes.
"Oh no! Should we go back to the hospital?"
"No, I don't have any clean clothes there. We'll have to go to my quarters."
"We may not have enough time for that. Ranka, do you have any spare clothes in my valkyrie?"
"Yes, I think I do."
"I'll call for it. Then all we have to do is go to the nearest shelter and shower."
Ranka took off her sweater and put it around Sheryl's shoulders. "There's a bit of a breeze. Let's get in the car until onii-chan gets his plane here."
"All right."
As they waited in the car, Ranka could not help but notice how Sheryl's wet clothes molded against her lithesome body, revealing its graceful contours. Her eyes wandered over shapely breasts and the dainty nub that crowned it. Her face warmed and she tore her eyes away. In an effort to preoccupy her mind with something else, she remarked, "It's so cool that onii-chan can call his plane like that."
"It's slave mode. It's standard equipment for valkyries these days."
"Wow, you know about these things, Sheryl?"
"Of course! I wasn't goofing off in that pilot course. I'm actually a pretty good student."
Ranka giggled. "But it sure looked like you were goofing off when you were trying to hold those eggs!"
A mischievous glint flashed from Sheryl's eyes. "So you think that's funny, hmmm? I'll show you the true meaning of funny!" Her hands reached out and tickled her.
"Wait... no! Stop! Hahahaha! You're... ahahahaha... weeet... ahahahhahaha!"
Meanwhile, Brera concentrated on remotely navigating his valkyrie. He landed it carefully and climbed up to the storage compartment to fetch Ranka's duffel bag. Then he walked back down to the car. A series of raucous laughter assaulted his sensitive cybernetic ears as he drew near. With his telescopic vision, he saw Ranka lying on the backseat and Sheryl sitting on her legs with one hand trapping her arms over her head and the other tickling Ranka's torso. He stopped in his tracks and wondered whether he should rush over and stop it. Another series of high-pitched giggles came. He chuckled. His sister seemed to be enjoying herself, so he waited for a couple of minutes before coming over. He assumed his usual stoic facade and opened the driver's door.
"I got the bag," he announced.
With that, the tickle fest ended. He waited for Sheryl and Ranka to buckle up before driving to the nearest newly constructed shelter. Soon, they reached their destination and he acquired permission for Sheryl shower in its bath facilities. While Sheryl showered, he programmed his valkyrie to head over to city hall on his signal.
After showering, Sheryl rummaged through the duffel bag for something that could fit her. She selected a blouse and a dress. With a bit of wriggling, she managed to squeeze into the blouse. It was a bit tight around the chest. With a pin to serve as an extension, the skirt fit around her waist. A sweater served to hide the pin and complete the outfit. When she was ready, they headed back to city hall.
President Glass met them at the lobby this time. Three scientists were with her and she introduced them in turn.
"This is Exedor Jenus, head of the Protoculture and SETI studies department. His assistants are Miles Zore and Clare LaSalle."
Dr. Jenus shook their hands in turn. "I'm so honored to meet such young and beautiful heroines! I definitely look forward to working together on this project."
"Dr. Jenus, I leave them in your care."
"Don't worry, Madame President. I'll take good care of them."
"Well then, good luck." With that, President Glass left with her aides.
He rubbed his hands gleefully. "We have a shuttle ready. It will take us to the mothership. Please come this way."
Dr. Jenus' eagerness reminded Sheryl of a rabid fan about to get his hands on her. Furthermore, he looked creepy with his zentran facial features and completely black eyes. Warily, she placed herself between him and Ranka and tried to maintain a cool, professional demeanor. "Please lead the way."
They followed the scientists to the shuttle in the parking lot. Sheryl and Ranka boarded shuttle while Brera got into his valkyrie. Valkyrie and shuttle ascended to the sky and flew towards the mothership that had landed in the huge crater where the mother queen used to be. Along the way, the skull squadron joined up with them. From the shuttle window, Ranka saw Ozma fly near and give a thumbs up sign. She waved in response.
Eventually, they reached the mothership and navigated to the large arena where the queen was. The shuttle landed and they got out. When Sheryl saw the queen before her, her mouth dropped open. Up close, she was both terrifying and beautiful to behold. It did not help that she had numerous tentacles that were busy hovering over little compartments. Each compartment contained cocoons that gave off an eerie purple or green light. The scene before her would be perfect for the set of a horror film.
"Sheryl... umm... Sheryl...?" Ranka stared at her inquiringly. When she did not respond, she reached for her hand. "Sheryl..."
"Huh? Oh... Ranka... what is it?"
"To talk to her, we'll have to stand over there, where Ai-kun, er... Ai-chan is sitting."
Sheryl followed her to the pod. As soon as they stood in the center, a green sphere enveloped them. A surprised gasp escaped from her lips and she felt Ranka's hand squeeze gently.
"It's all right. This is how she'll talk to us."
A tentacle attached itself to the green sphere. Suddenly, the arena melted away into space, and she reeled with vertigo. Ranka's hand squeezed again and somehow, she managed to reorient herself.
Beads of light gathered before her and coalesced into a person. Her heart skipped a beat when she recognized her.
"Maman...?!"
"Finally, we can speak to you. Will you learn from us?"
Tears threatened to spill out of her eyes. How cruel of them to use her mother. She blinked several times to hold them back. For now, she must be strong. There were questions that needed answers.
"Why do you want to teach me?"
"We want to know more about humans and we want humans to know more about us. If we understand, then we will not fight you."
"But why me too? I'm sure Ranka can answer your questions."
"You are not Ranka. You are not Grace. You are different. Humans look alike, but are different. You and Ranka must tell us why."
"Well... that's... going to be a long story."
"Tell us. Learn from us."
"Wait... wait... I can't do both at the same time. What do you want me to do first?"
"Learn from us. The ones who want you to listen are waiting."
Images of the Vajra on the planet flashed around her. From Ranka's story, she assumed that Ai-chan was supposed to become their queen. However, the queen was implying that she was involved in communicating with them. Why should there be two queens?
"I don't understand. Ranka said that Ai-chan is going to be their queen. Why should I listen to them?"
"Because we want you to understand."
From her statement, she realized that she was supposed to learn about Vajra by becoming part of them. "It seems like they're a hands-on type of teacher," she thought wryly. She drew a deep breath.
"Very well. Please teach me."
The image of her mother glowed warmly and a euphoric sensation flowed from her abdomen and filled her body. On reflex, her muscles spasmed and her eyes closed as she savored the feeling.
"We are glad. Let's begin."
Meanwhile, the scientists set up equipment around the pod and monitored them from the shuttle. From his valkyrie, Ozma noticed that Sheryl was wearing Ranka's clothes. As he wondered why, he was reminded of a particular story among those naughty H doujinshis that he borrowed from Luca during break. In that story, a girl slept over at her best friend's house and accidentally wore her friend's clothes in her haste to leave the next morning. He shook his head to get rid of his thoughts and berated himself for even remotely associating those stories with his sweet and innocent sister.
After about twenty minutes, Sheryl and Ranka sat down. For the next hour, they merely sat with their eyes closed and their hands clasped together. Ozma went over to the shuttle.
"Hey, what's going on?"
The zentran scientist responded glumly, "Nothing much. Our instruments are unable to penetrate that sphere. We can only measure minute flow waves and heat. The best we can do is scan the queen and the sphere. If we gather enough data, maybe we can make something that will give us more measurements in the future. By the way, are you Miss Lee's father?"
"No, I'm her brother. Wait, how did you know...?"
"Your name is embossed on your valkyrie. Since your last name is Lee, I assumed that you're related. Anyway, if we find out anything, you'll be the first to know, Mr. Lee. Now if you excuse me, I have some analysis to run."
Ozma knew a dismissal when he heard it, so he went back to his valkyrie to wait. The minutes ticked into another hour before the sphere dissipated. He jumped out of his cockpit and elbowed his way to front of the pod where Brera was. Everyone seemed anxious as they watched Sheryl and Ranka open their eyes. Ranka's pet took to the air and hovered over them.
When Sheryl opened her eyes, a mixture of surprise and confusion raced through her mind at the number of faces before her.
"Yo, Sheryl... you all right?"
"Alto! Yes, I'm fine... just a bit dizzy." She took Alto's offered hand. From the corner of her eye, she glanced at Ranka. Brera and Ozma were helping her up. At that moment, Sheryl was envious that she had relatives to depend on. She still remained an orphan with no one related to her. But despite that, she moved forward. With her own strength, she became the Galaxy Fairy. Besides, it was too much to hope that someone could be by her side. That strength was all that she could rely on, and it was enough. It had to be enough.
As she took a step toward Alto, she felt a tug on her other hand. Then she remembered that Ranka was holding her hand. She turned her head and caught Ranka's eyes. Those eyes seemed filled with uncertainty and perhaps, fear. But of what? A part of her wanted to erase that fear, and to reassure her that everything would be all right.
A few moments passed while she tried to sort her thoughts. Then Ranka released her hand and turned towards Brera and Ozma. At that moment, a fleeting feeling that she lost something welled in her heart. She returned her gaze to Alto.
"You haven't visited me at all," chided Sheryl. "The nerve of him," she thought. "He didn't even return my earring in person." Instead, she received it from an SMS messenger with a hastily scrawled note that said, "Thanks for your help. Get better soon. --Alto."
"Sorry. I've been really busy." He helped her down from the pod.
Sheryl stretched her cramped muscles. "How long has it been?"
"Over two hours. A lot of people were starting to get worried." His eyes shifted towards Ozma and Brera.
She rubbed her neck. "God, it feels much more than that. She totally made us work. I could use a good nap right now. But before that, there's one more thing I have to do."
She looked around and spotted the group of larvae that the queen gathered. She walked over and sang.
Aimo aimo [2]
Ne-deru ru-she
Noina miria
Enderu purodea
Fotomi
As she sang, one of the larvae crawled in her direction. She knelt down and allowed it to crawl in her hand. Meanwhile, the scientists gathered around her at a respectable distance. When she saw them, she knew that they were curious.
"The queen wanted me to take one. Like Ai-chan, this one will learn about humans by being with me. I'm sure you want to know what happened, but Ranka and I are tired and hungry, so I must ask that you wait until tomorrow morning for our story."
Obviously, they were disappointed, but they agreed to meet them at the Protoculture lab at 10 AM tomorrow. While the scientists loaded their equipment into the shuttle, Sheryl took the opportunity to talk to Alto. As usual, he was not very talkative and merely mentioned where he patrolled or the manual labor that he was forced to do. In the end, she ended up talking about the exercises that the queen made them do.
Meanwhile, Ranka glanced in Sheryl and Alto's direction as she told Brera and Ozma about her experience. "They look good together," she thought. However, her heart did not feel like losing. "I'm going to win this challenge for sure."
When the scientists were done, they boarded the shuttle. Alto and Ozma bid them goodbye since they have to do more patrols. After taking her seat, Sheryl let the larva crawl on the empty seat next to her since she did not want to hold it on her lap.
"Have you given her a name yet?" asked Ranka who sat on the other seat next to her.
Naming pets was something Ranka would do. But she was not Ranka. "Hmm, I didn't feel like naming it," she replied airily.
"Then how will you call it to you?"
"I'll just say, 'Hey, you! Come here!'"
Ranka's face scrunched up to a frown. "How mean!"
Sheryl chuckled at that funny face. "I don't need to give her a name. She already has one."
"She does?"
She offered her hand to crawl on. The larva rolled over onto it. "Don't you, Hope?"
"Hope..."
"Yes... isn't that what she represents?" She lifted Hope to the level of their faces.
Her eyes lit up when she remembered the queen's request for Sheryl to pick a Vajra. The memory spurred her thoughts. "Her hope for the day when Vajra, humans and zentraedi would truly understand each other and live in peace."
Ranka nodded. "You're right... she is." A movement near the window caught her eye and she saw Ai-chan clinging to the wing of the shuttle. "Hope... and Love..."
The shuttle stopped at Ranka's house first. Then Sheryl remembered how Ranka ate during lunch. She caught Ranka's hand as she stood up to leave.
"Say, do you mind having dinner at the hospital with me? The nurse always makes a lot of food. I'd hate to waste it."
Ranka's face glowed at the thought of food. "If it's not a bother, then please let me come!"
"Of course!" Sheryl strode over to the pilot. "Ranka's having dinner with me, so please take us to the hospital."
"Of course, Miss Nome."
They disembarked at the hospital. Since people might panic if they saw Ai-chan, Brera offered to look after him.
"With this body, I don't need to eat as many meals. I'm still full. Besides, I need to check on the status of Galaxy. So go and have dinner. I'll be right here."
"Really? Thanks, onii-chan!"
Together, they walked to Sheryl's room. After Sheryl slipped into her hospital clothes, the nurse came in with her dinner. At the sight of Ranka sitting near her bed, she stopped.
"You! Ze traitor!" exclaimed the nurse.
"Non! Non!" said Sheryl, trying to persuade her. "She's my friend! Mon amie!" To emphasize her point, she hugged Ranka.
Ranka was doubly apprehensive because of the nurse and because of Sheryl embracing her so closely. She managed to gather her wits and waved a feeble, "Hi..."
The nurse stood still for a few seconds before placing the dinner tray on the bedside table. "Please enjoy your meal." Then she left hurriedly.
Sheryl sighed. Her nurse's reaction proved that there were people who thought Ranka betrayed them. Shame filled her heart for doubting Cathy's intentions. She was just trying to improve Ranka's reputation. As she wondered if there was anything she could do to help her, her voice whispered near her ear.
"Sheryl... your dinner is getting cold..."
Embarrassed for hugging longer than necessary, she quickly pulled away. "Oh... sorry about that. She was freaking out... so I wanted to show her that you're not a threat."
Ranka clasped her hands and shook her head. "It's ok."
Sheryl pulled the adjustable tray so that it was between them and put her dinner on it. Since there was only one set of utensils, she called another nurse to bring her a plate and another set of utensils. Once armed for dinner, she announced, "Let's eat!"
Ranka picked a piece of what seemed to be chicken and took a bite. A myriad of flavors assaulted her palate and she swirled it around her tongue to savor it.
"This is great, Sheryl! What is it?"
"Coq au vin... chicken in wine sauce. It's her specialty."
They devoured the entree and moved on to desert which was a mouth-watering chocolate mousse cake. Meanwhile, Hope was sampling the crumbs left behind.
"Sheryl..."
"Hmmm?"
"If she didn't hate me, I'd ask to have dinner here everyday."
She laughed. "Don't count on it. Remember what I said? I'll be getting out of here in a few days."
"In that case, how about coming to my house for dinner?"
"Sure! I'd love that!"
Just then Ranka's phone rang with Brera's ring tone. For a moment, Ranka hesitated to answer it, afraid of the reason for his call. Then her hand dove down and squeezed it.
"Hello?"
"Sorry, the captain wants to see you. Come over as soon as you can."
The heavy sigh from her lips pulled her shoulders down. "I'll be right there." It blurted as she squeezed to hang up.
Assuming that the Vajra were going berserk, she offered, "I'll go with you."
Her statement surprised Ranka. "No, please rest, Sheryl! It's just the captain. Besides, we've had a busy day today. Don't overexert yourself. When you're fully recovered, you can spend as much time with me as you want!" The words were out of her mouth before she realized what she just said. "I mean... that is... we have to do our best to do our duties together! So... if you're better, you can stay out longer..." Hopefully, she would ignore what she said earlier. Anxiously, she watched Sheryl's reaction.
Sheryl blinked. Her thoughts were weighing the implications of her words. "Did she just say...? If she really meant that... god... what should I say?" For now, she decided to play it safe and tried to sound disappointed.
"I guess you have a point... my doctor didn't want me to go today, since he was afraid of a relapse." Ever since she fainted after singing to the Vajra the day before yesterday, her doctor had been on her case. When she decided to meet with Cathy, he immediately came to her room and tried to persuade her not to go by giving a long lecture about her health. Thankfully, Cathy called to convince him of the importance of the meeting.
Ranka smiled warmly and bowed. "Thanks for dinner! I'll see you tomorrow. Good night!"
"G'nite... and don't forget your clothes!" She reached over the side of the bed and handed her a paper bag with her clothes.
After Ranka shut the door, her world returned to the sterile emptiness of her hospital room. She leaned back on her pillows and felt something wiggling underneath her. With a surprised yelp, she jumped off her bed. Hairs prickling, she peered warily at the lump under the sheets. A green head poked out. She exhaled in relief. Scooping up Hope, she sat on her bed and stared into those beady black eyes. At least, her world did not feel as lonely anymore.
Meanwhile, Ranka and Brera met the captain in his meeting room. "Thank you for coming, Miss Lee. I'll make this brief. The colony needs more biogenerators. To get them here faster, the Quarter will meet Macross 11's supply carrier halfway. If we leave right now, we'll be back in a week. So, I'd like to know... could the queen be trusted to keep the Vajra calm?"
"I think so..."
"Do you see any threats at all?"
"She's very nice. I don't feel any violence from her."
"Please give me your honest opinion. If your brothers left right now, would you still feel safe?"
Ranka paused for a moment to recall her experience with the queen. "Yes. But I'd definitely miss my brothers."
"I'm very glad to hear that. Your brothers will be back as soon as possible."
"Thank you. But..."
"Yes?"
"If you're just going to meet the carrier, why do you need my brothers?"
"Humans aren't alone in the universe. If we meet something else out there, I want to be prepared. Anyway, I'll tell the crew to get ready. Major Sterne can take you back. Once again, thank you for coming and good night."
"Good night."
They left the room and walked quietly down the hall. When they reached the hangar, Brera asked, "Are you really ok with this?"
"Yes, I'll be fine."
Ozma and Alto came over to bid her goodbye. As she hugged them, she fought the urge to cry. After they were done, Brera helped her into her seat before getting into his. Then they flew towards Island 1. Within minutes, they arrived at the Lee residence.
Although Ozma had welcomed him as a new member of the family and given him his own room, he still had not gotten a chance to stay in the house. Despite that, he was happy to hear his sister's song once more. Before she went into the house, he pulled a purple phone from his pocket.
"Here. Even if I'm off-planet, press this button and it'll connect to my valkyrie. If anything happens, just call me and I'll do my best to come over right away."
Ranka threw her arms around him. "Thanks, onii-chan! Thanks for everything!"
He hugged her tightly. "Yeah... anything for you. I'll be back soon, so take care of yourself."
"Bye..."
Ranka watched as he got into his valkyrie and flew it away. Then she went in with Ai-chan and headed toward her bedroom. She flopped down on her bed and Ai-chan landed next to her. Her hand stroked her smooth green shell. "Looks like it's just you and me tonight, Ai-chan."
Ever since the queen came, the Vajra have been well behaved. Closing her eyes, she allowed herself to relax and promptly fell asleep.
Continued in Track 2: The Return of the Queen
Author's note: For related Sheryl/Ranka stuff, see my website listed in my profile.
Music references:
[1] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD1, What 'bout my star Formo
[2] Macross Frontier Vocal Collection - Nyan Tama CD2, Sheryl no Aimo