SMSTSS6: Blue Moon! – By DS Wynne
Disclaimer: SM, R1/2, ST, James Cameron's Avatar and other genres belong to their respective owners.
Note: This is a multi-genre, mini-story.
Special Note: This story takes place after the events set in "The Enterprising Experience", the events after "Blackest Reign and a Dark Night", and after the events of "Spatial Loss". In other words, this is a tandem story.
Part 1
With the end of the evil that contaminated humanity's development into a benevolent society, albeit on a steep learning curve, and the resolution of the fate of the Norse gods, other matters of importance took to the forefront. Since 2009 CE, Earth had to deal with an alien aggressor known as "The Zentraedi", resulting in yet another interstellar war. So far, humanity has won, in spite of having the distinct advantage of not have a superior culture. During this time, the doppelgangers of Ranma Saotome and Usagi Tsukino-Saotome had been stuck in space, with "Ranko Tendo" (Ranma's female doppelganger) becoming a space fighter pilot with UN Spacy, Earth's primary defense forces, while "Serene" (Usagi's amnesiac doppelganger) waging war on the side of the Zentraedi. Over the past year, these two inadvertently fought, until Ranko gained the upper hand and defeated Serene in combat. Now, with her memories back, Serene is a member of the UN Spacy's SDF-1 "Macross" crew, along with Ranko. Still, in the midst of all this, the hands of Fate will bring the past, the present and the future in a collision course…
FWOOSH!
Serene and Ranko were assigned to patrol the area around the polar region of the Moon. With the SDF-1 back from deep space, it stayed close to Earth as much as possible. Patrolling the polar region of any celestial body was necessary, since the magnetic fields could be use to affect the sensors of any monitoring station.
"I'm surprise that Homeworld Security is allowing us to play 'new recruit'," Serene said, as she piloted her Veritech fighter, in tandem with Ranko's. The Veritech fighters were transformable combat machines that can change from a jet fighter into a combat robot. Much of the development of these machines stem from a long association with the so-called machine intelligences of the Transformers and their cousins, the Go-Bots. Coupled with the acquirement of secrets of "proto-culture", the reason why the Zentraedi were attacking Earth in the first place, UN Spacy and Earth's other military organizations had transformable combat machines (called "mechs") that could take on the Zentraedi on an equal basis. They had to, since the Zentraedi were essentially giants.
"Well, as long as Homeworld Security has access to our LMDs ("life model decoys"), we can do this," Ranko said. "And it's not like they can't call our 'amalgamized doppelgangers' for help either…"
The term 'amalgamized doppelganger' refers to those doppelgangers that have merged with someone or something else. For example, a doppelganger of Ranma's merged with a futuristic debutante to become a witch ("Lady Cassandra"), while a doppelganger of Usagi's had merged with a psychopath to become a psychotic anti-hero ("The Orochimaruko")…though other people see that particular more as a 'super-villain'…
The side effect of this is that these amalgamized doppelgangers can act independently, and have distinctive personalities, even if the "parent" of these doppelgangers is incapacitated. In many ways, the existence of these amalgamized doppelgangers allows the parent to stay around, even if the parent suffers a physical death.
"Yeah, well, I prefer to allow those guys to run their own affairs," Ranko said. "Besides, if 'The Orochimaruko' gets recruited by the government, chances are, said government would soon be taken over, and used as a 'front' for super-villainy."
"I resent you implying that my other 'me' is some super-villain," Serene replied. "When I am the Orochimaruko, I am an 'anti-hero'."
"Yeah, keep telling you that," Ranko replied.
"Humph-!"
BEE-OOOB!
"Hmmm?" Ranko said, as she and Serene received a secured communiqué from UN Spacy Command's premier space vessel, the SDF-1 "Macross". Since being put back into space, after a year of space travel from Pluto, the SDF-1 has engaged the Zentraedi's forces, and lost a lot of people in the process. But in the end, it was the crew and soldiers of the single vessel that have emerged victorious. Now, the ship was in orbit around Earth as a part of a security net, in conjunction with SWORD, to prevent further attacks on the planet.
"'HQ' to 'Skull-3' and 'Skull-4'," said a voice over the call. "Please respond."
CLICK!
"This is 'Skull-3'," Ranko said. "Go ahead, 'HQ'."
"HQ to 'Skull-3' and 'Skull-4'," Captain Lisa Hayes replied. Hayes was the XO and Operation Officer aboard the SDF-1 under Admiral Henry Gloval, a former Russian submarine commander who was picked to be the SDF-1's commanding officer as a means of getting Russian support for the creation of the UN Spacy Program.
"We're picking up a bogey at coordinates…longitude 60 degrees, latitude 150 degrees. We believe it to be a reconnaissance craft to monitor the cruiser production facility there."
"Siberia, Russia," Serene said quietly. Although the nations of the Earth still have their respective sovereignty, UN Spacy is one of the few organizations with active membership of all nations. After all, if the Earth is constantly being threatened, some issues have to be put aside for the sake of humanity. In this regard, the United States the Russian Federation and the People's Republic of China have been contracted by the rest of the world to do the heavy lifting, in terms of space ship construction, by the United Nations. And although there have been issues concerning how the newer technologies are being applied terrestrially, everyone is reminded that the United States, along with its partners Japan and the United Kingdom, have a considerable edge in science and technology, much of it acquired through extraterrestrial means. Still, the degree of cooperation between the members of the so-called "G8 Nations" (i.e. the eight most important economies on the planet), in the face of a planetary threat, could lead to a global government. In what form is question…
"Do we have permission from Moscow to investigate and/or engage said bogey?"
"You have permission to investigate and engage bogey. All activities will be monitored in accordance to UN Spacy charter."
"Understood 'HQ'," Ranko said. "'Skull-1': out."
"I wonder if Azonia or Khryon are responsible?" Serene replied.
Azonia and Khryon were Zentraedi commanders who were assigned by their superior, Lord Breetai, to gauge the defenses of UN Spacy, until Breetai's superior, Supreme Commander Dolzer decides on whether or not a "final solution" will be needed…where humanity's fate is concerned.
"Who knows?" Ranko replied, as she shifted gears. "All I know is that we have a job to do."
"Right!" said Serene enthusiastically, as the pair of space fighter pilots went on to investigate the situation…
Sometime later…
"Well, how was your day?" Lt. Richard "Rick" Hunter ("Skull-5") asked, as he and the other Veritech pilots sat around the pilot's lounge.
"Eh, you know, this, that and another," Ranko replied with a shrug.
"Actually, it was a monitoring group from the Shadow Proclamation," Serene replied. "They have been concerned about increase non-terrestrial activity in this sector."
"Personally, these aliens should avoid Earth like the plague," said Lt. Benjamin "Ben" Dixon ("Skull-6"), as he ate his sandwich.
"Then how can you find a girl to date, if you shun all females?" said Lt. Maximillan "Max" Sterling ("Skull-7") jokingly, as he continued to play a flight simulator video game.
"Ha!" Ben replied with a scoff. "Like I see YOU with a girl on your hand."
"Hey, I'm too busy trying to defend Earth to worry about dating right now," Max said. "And besides, I believe that if I am meant to find a girl, I will meet that girl when I least expect it…"
"Achoo!" Miriya Parina said with a sniff, before rubbing her nose. Miriya hoped that she wasn't going to be felled by some "micronian" (i.e. human) germ, before she had her revenge of humiliation on the one who humiliated her in combat. Hiding somewhere aboard the SDF-1, Miriya, formerly a Zentraedi pilot-turned-assassin, upon being referred to, inadvertently, sneezed. She had been studying her target by hacking into the ship's computer system…
"I swear, I will get Max Sterling if it's the last thing that I do!"
Back in the pilot's lounge, Max sneezes.
"Achoo!" Max sniffed. "Ugh, I really hope I don't get a cold…"
Just then, the command of the Skull Squadron, and the commander of the air group aboard the SDF-1 (CAG), walks into the lounge.
"Hey, Tendo and Serene," Captain Roy Folker ("Skull-1") said. "You've been summoned to Conference Room Alpha."
"Hmm?" Ranko said, as she and Serene said, as they walk up towards their commander.
"What's the deal, chief?" Serene asked.
"Don't know, but considering the fact that you've been taken off the roster for a month, in the middle of a war, it must be important."
"Oh."
"Then who are going to be their replacement, 'Big Brother'?" Rick asked.
"You, and Skull-6 and Skull-7 will be pulling 'double-duty'," Roy replied.
"Ah, man!" Ben complained.
"BUZZZZ! You lose," Serene said, as she stuck out her tongue at Ben, causing everyone in the lounge to laugh.
"Well, whatever you will have to do, I wish you two best of luck," Roy said.
"Don't worry, sir," Ranko said. "I'll bring back a souvenir."
"I appreciate that…"
A week later, the USS "Enterprise" (BC-304 Daedalus-class) arrives in orbit over one of the planets that existed in the Alpha Centauri Star System. It was a binary star system that was home to a Terran colony ("New Earth") and a Kabolian colony ("New Kobol"). According to the agreement between Earth and the Twelve Colonies of Kobol (who fled from their creations, the Cylons, in a rag-tag fleet), that allowed the Twelve Colonies to have a new home, the Colonies can have a planet for them to develop, so long as other planets in the system remained off-limits. Although certain factions within the twelve colonies were rubbed the wrong way by these restrictions, the Colonies were convinced that a managed program of expansion was not needed, since the Colonists number less than 100,000. Furthermore, members of the Colonies could immigrate to Sol Star System, even to their ancestral home on Earth, if they wanted to.
It must be noted that with the destruction of BC-305 USS "Enterprise" (Icarus-class) during a recent fight with aliens, Homeworld Security has decided that in light of recent events concerning the safety of the Earth, the Icarus-class would be put on the back burner in favor of the more armored Daedalus-class. Hence, the next Enterprise would be a BC-304 "Daedalus-class" warship. It also must be noted that events in the future would force the Earth to create its own faster-than-light (FTL) technology. This would pave the way for the planet to truly develop its own space-faring path, one that will enable true "first contact" with Earth and its interstellar neighbors. For now, Earth would have to rely upon technology borrowed from its chief benefactors, the Asgards…
"We're here," Colonel Donald "Don" West said, as he turns towards Major Penelope "Penny" Robinson, the ship's executive officer. "In form our 'guests' that we've arrived in orbit around 'New Earth'."
"Aye, sir," Penny replied tiredly. Ever since her brother, Dr. William "Will" Robinson had went missing on his survey mission on one of the planets within the Alpha Centauri System, Penny has been somewhat despondent.
"Penny, you're still a member of the military, and an officer," Don said. "Conduct yourself with this in mind."
"Okay," Penny said with a sigh. "Permission to inform the guest of arrival?"
"Granted," Don replied with a nod, as he sees Penny depart. "Poor kid…"
"Ranma, Usagi," Penny said, as she enters the guest quarters. "We're here."
"Oh, thanks," Ranma replied, as he zips up his duty suit. He was glad to be back in his male guise for a change…
"Mmmph," Usagi said, as she finishes her coffee. She had been reading the mission parameters for their assignment earlier in the morning.
"Ahhh," Usagi said, before turning her attention towards Penny. "Penny, we'll we have time to visit your parents?"
"Yes," Penny said. "Dad made sure that we'll have time for a debriefing before we go after Will."
"Alright," Usagi said, as she looked out into the direction of where Will is. Will's wife Redfire, demi-Tamaranian daughter of Queen Blackfire and Ranma, wanted to lead a search for her new husband, but she was incapacitated by her pregnancy. In fact, she was expected to give birth any day now. However, the reason for Ranma and Usagi's presence was because of their familiarity of one of the worlds within the Alpha Centauri Star System…
"Pandora," Usagi said with a sigh. "Why is it that you always bring me back to your shores…?"
Tbc.