A/N: HOOYAH! I'm back! Just finished my seven months of Navy boot camp plus job training in Pensacola. I'm back home on leave for a few weeks. That's the good news. What's the bad news, you ask? When my dad sent my laptop to me in Florida the computer decided 'Hey, I haven't pissed Doom357 off for months. I think I'll just have my hard drive commit suicide!' I lost ALL of my files including my updates for Champion of the Razgriz and several other stories I was working on. Now I have to redo it all. Enter long train of profanity here . Any who, hope you all enjoy! GO NAVY!!!
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN ROBOTECH!!! LEAVE ME ALONE!!! But, please, keep reading…
CH. 1: THE RED DEATH
It was his first sortie as group leader and a lieutenant. That probably explained why Rick Hunter was more nervous before this battle than in the previous one. He had more responsibilities now. He had a command, a small one, and two subordinates to look after. Both of which had yet to see combat.
But lo and behold Max proved to be more than capable of handling himself in battle. Ben on the other hand had to have his hand held. "The enemy is on the ship!" Rick called out to his group. "Switch to battleoid mode. We'll fight them off."
"Roger that boss," Ben confirmed.
"I'm with you, sir," Max agreed. The three of them then shot towards the main deck switching to guardian and then battleoid mode as they landed.
"Yeah!" Ben cheered like it was a football game. "I like to fight rough! Let's get 'em! AH!" He cried out as an enemy laser blast hit his battleoid.
"Hey, Ben!" Rick shouted as he blasted the attacking pod. "Are you okay in there?"
"I don't know how," Ben grumbled, "but I guess I survived."
"Well move out of there fast, cause here they come!" Rick and Max then played defense while Ben retreated below deck.
After taking out his fifth pod Rick came across a wrecked Tomahawk. He thought he spotted some movement behind it. He gasped as the pod came out from behind it. This one was different from all the others. It looked customized with twin laser cannons and a heavy cannon on top of the pod. 'Maybe it's an officer's pod?' Rick thought. He didn't think about it long as he fought it, one on one.
Rick fired first but the pod shot over his battleoid, firing its laser cannons as it went. Rick hit his thrusters and moved out of the line of fire as he fired back. When the pod landed Rick took aim again and fired. Once again the pod launched upward and Rick followed it with his cannon. The pilot then made a mad charge directly at him, firing wildly as he got near. "AHH!!!" Rick yelled out as he too fired at his opponent. Laser blasts crossed with cannon fire as the titans drew ever nearer.
One laser bolt shattered part of Rick's battleoid's head unit while another severed its left arm. But he too dealt damage to his enemy, blasting off one laser cannon and the heavy cannon. "Gr," the Zentraedi pilot growled. "He fights extremely well…" He then recognized the red and white color scheme. 'That was the same Micronian who single handedly destroyed an entire squadron of some of my best pilots back on that red planet. He's dangerous…'
"His next shot's got my name on it," Rick said as he held his ground. "You gotta think fast Rick or you're a goner." But before anything else could happen in this duel something unexpected happened. "What the heck is happening out there?" Rick asked as the custom pod and all the other pods suddenly began to withdraw in one fluid, guided manner. "Where are they all going?" He didn't know why it was happening. But Rick also didn't really care. The battle was over and he had passed his trial by fire as a flight leader.
"Damn you, Breetai!" The Zentraedi Field Commander cursed. "You robbed me of my victory!" But he growled at the fact that he was also nearly killed by a Micronian. No doubt that pilot was an ace. Perhaps their best. 'I'll have to keep an eye out for that red fighter.' He didn't know it. But his own men were already becoming dreadfully familiar with that red fighter.
XXXXX
They were attacking again. For the past week these Zentraedi had been launching these harassment raids on the SDF-1. And each time they attacked they fought for an extended amount of time and then backed off. Sometimes it was because the Veritech squadrons had forced them back. Other times they just hit and ran. It was really starting to get on Rick's nerves.
"Max, Ben," he called to his wingmen, "Break right and come at their formation from their flank. I'll hit them head on."
"What for, Lieutenant?" Max asked.
"We can't fight them straight on. We've got to break their formation apart."
"Aye, aye, boss!" Ben cheered. "Let's do it!" The orange and blue fighter then broke off and performed their flanking maneuver while Rick barreled straight into the enemy formation of fighter pods.
"Keep the formation tight!" The commander ordered from his battle pod. "These micronians cannot humiliate us like this!" He maneuvered his pod around and shot down two fighters when he noticed his formation was splitting apart and his fighters were being destroyed. "Blast!" He pounded his console. "Do I have to do everything by my-!?" He stopped when he spotted a familiar red and white Veritech fighter. "It's him!" He growled in rage as he recalled his near death at the hands of the same pilot. He had never suffered that level of damage to his pod from one single fighter.
"It's working!" Rick called out.
"Sheesh!" Ben growled as he took a minor hit to his fuselage. Max quickly rolled in and cleared his six.
"That's one more," the blue haired pilot said as he banked away to target more enemy units. After another pass from the Vermillion squad the enemy formation was in complete disarray.
"Commander," his lieutenant contacted him. "Much of my squadron has been destroyed and my pod is severely damaged. We cannot continue this fight."
"What!?" The commander demanded. "You still have over half of your men!"
"It's that red fighter again, my lord! It brings death to all Zentraedi who face it. The rest of my squadron is afraid to challenge him."
"Damn!" The commander swore as he barely dodged a missile barrage from the red fighter. He looked at his screen and saw that his force was in chaos and had lost cohesion. "That micronian has sent me running in defeat once again! GAH! All units fall back at once!" He looked back at the fighter as he led his men back to their ships. 'I swear. One day I will kill that monster.'
'It's that pod again,' Rick noticed the custom battle pod. 'I wonder if that's the same pilot I fought before. I can't worry about that right now.' "Alright, men," Rick said as the formation began to retreat. "I think we should join up with the Skull team, now." '
XXXXX
Captain Khyron, commander of the 7th Mechanized Division of the Motoro Fleet. He considered himself to be the greatest of all the Zentraedi Field Commanders. And he was in love with his own reputation despite the fact that his own men called him the 'Backstabber'. But despite his best efforts those Micronians have escaped him time and again. One particular thorn in his side was a certain Micronian ace who flew a fighter with a custom red and white paint job.
On board his flagship the Zentraedi warlord was locked in an argument with a Zentraedi ace: Miriya Parina. She had called to taunt Khyron over his most recent failed assault on the SDF-1. To quote her he was "an incompetent disaster".
"Why how dare you question my leadership abilities!" The enraged Khyron shot back at the green haired female. "Just who do you think you are?"
"I am the finest combat pilot of all the Zentraedi forces," Miriya replied evenly and without temper.
"Your ego is going to become the cause of your ultimate destruction, Miriya," Khyron growled.
"Heh," Miriya chuckled. "Just as yours caused you to be downed in the Micronian sea and made you an object of ridicule to all those in your command? Khyron?"
"I can see that because you've never faced a worthy opponent you believe you're something special." Khyron raised a finger in warning. "But take care, Miriya. For there is one aboard that alien ship whom you cannot best!"
"So? An ace aboard the SDF-1? Interesting." Miriya grinned with glee at the thought of a challenger. "I'd like to meet him."
"Those may be your last words," Khyron warned. "I'm telling you Miriya. My experience has proven the Micronians posses but one superb pilot! And believe me. There's a reason my men have dubbed him the 'Red Death'."
"The 'Red Death', eh? My," Miriya chuckled. "This is sounding better by the minute. I don't suppose you could send whatever data you have on this so called 'ace'?"
"By all means, have what you will," Khyron waved it off. "But do not underestimate him. He's nearly killed me every time I've faced him." Khyron growled with a detectable degree of tension in his voice.
"Is that so?"
"Yes. And he personally led the Micronian escape from Breetai's flagship." On her personal screen Miriya saw battle recordings and still images of a white Veritech fighter with red markings.
"So this is the Red Death? Shouldn't be too hard to find with that custom paint job." She then recognized something. "Wait…"
"Hmm?" Khyron looked over his shoulder. "What is it now?"
'This fighter seems familiar…'
Flashback
Miriya shot over the bow of the SDF-1 dodging the cannon fire from two Micronian battleoids on the deck. As she climbed away a third trail of cannon fire shot past her. She looked back to see a Veritech fighter pursuing her. A fighter with red markings.
End Flashback
"I saw this fighter during the last encounter with the Micronians," Miriya realized.
"Is that so?" Khyron smiled. "Then why didn't you destroy him? Aren't you the finest pilot of the Zentraedi forces?" The power hungry warlord chuckled.
"I was trying to avoid crashing into your pitiful ship that was trying to ram the SDF-1, idiot!" Miriya snapped. "In fact its explosion nearly killed me and that pilot." She did see the plane crash but she also saw the parachute the pilot was riding.
"Well now. Looks like you barely survived an encounter with him as well, Miriya." Khyron had himself a little giggle at ruffling her feathers.
"I'd hardly sum it up to his skill. Only your stupidity in sending your ship on a fool's errand, Khyron."
"You insolent woman! I'll-!" Miriya cut the feed. "Blast that arrogant female."
On board Azonia's flagship Miriya reviewed the footage Khyron sent on the enemy ace. 'So, Khyron does feel fear,' she thought slyly. 'And he just happens to be afraid of a Micronian. How pathetic. Poor little Khyron is afraid of one mere Micronian. It's almost amusing. Still…' She watched the recording of Khyron's brief one on one fight with the Red Death on the deck of the SDF-1 while it was orbiting the fourth planet of the system.
Khyron managed to cause minor damage to the battleoid. However its pilot also managed to return the favor. The pilot seemed hardly skilled in battle. But perhaps he was still just a beginner with little experience at that time. Only Breetai's use of the override recall beam prevented either from finishing the duel. She then watched other footage taken from other pods of the same fighter. Indeed he had become more skilled over time. He could even command a formation of fighters with deadly skill. "This Micronian might very well be a worthy challenge."
XXXXX
Meanwhile, the object of Miriya's focus was resting comfortably in his hospital room. Rick played with the model bi-plane Roy had brought him. He was feeling a little better. But he was still in a low mood. Several things were bothering him. All but one revolved around his complicated relationship with Minmay.
The rising pop idol just didn't seemed to have time for him lately. Especially since her cousin Kyle came into the picture. Kyle. That anti-military jerk. What gave him to right to trash talk the defense forces? When he first met Kyle he seemed like a cool, likable guy. And at first he was even friendly to Rick. That attitude turned a full one-eighty when Minmay mentioned that Rick was a fighter pilot. Kyle then lumped him, and all his other friends, into the bin labeled 'warmonger'.
And ever since they returned to the SDF-1 Kyle seemed to be constantly taking up Minmay's time. It was either because he was attached to her or he was just trying to keep her away from Rick. In either case it chapped Rick's ass.
The third reason for his sour attitude was the fact that he was shot down a few days ago. Accidentally by one of their own missiles. Sure it was an accident. But he still felt like an idiot for chasing after that Zentraedi battleoid so closely to the Daedalus' engagement area. 'Some pilot I turned out to be.'
He was snapped out of his moping by the door opening. "Huh?" He looked over and saw what must've been the cutest face in the universe to him. "Minmay."
XXXXX
Outside the SDF-1 Lt. Commander Roy Fokker was on patrol with Max Sterling and Ben Dixon from Rick's Vermillion Group. 'I sure hope Minmay will cheer Rick back up,' Roy said to himself as they continued their uneventful patrol.
"Hey, Commander," Ben popped up on screen. "How long do you figure Rick will be laid up?"
"After a visit from Minmay?" Roy smiled. "I'll bet you Rick will be back to his old self in no time."
"I wonder," Max joined in. "The enemy pilot he was chasing last week was pretty good."
"What brought that up, Max?" Roy asked.
"Nothing in particular, sir. Just wondering if he'd be alright if he hadn't chased after that battleoid."
"Thinking about 'what if's' will not make things better." Roy said. "The best way to handle mistakes and simple accidents is to learn from them. That's how experience teaches you and makes you better. So no more talking about it. Got it?"
"Yes sir," Ben nodded.
"Aye, aye, Commander," Max nodded as well. They continued with their patrol.