Author's Intro: Okay, so technically I wouldn't consider this a "Macross Delta Fanfiction". This is a story that I'm writing for my son that is based in the broader Macross universe, but I have decided to place it in the Macross Delta category due to that is the series of the franchise that, in my opinion, has the most connections to this work.

That being said, I want this to be something that could, in theory, stand alone in the Macross universe. Being a stand-alone, it should follow what I believe are the "Three Pillars of Macross". These three ideologies would be variable fighters, music, and a love triangle(s).

'Variable Fighters' is fairly straight-forward and this box is easily checked, especially since one of the main focal points of the story is a particularly unique variable fighter.

'Music' may be a bit harder since I would consider myself "musically illiterate". I may ask the reader to more or less "Insert a Song You Like Here", because I would not consider myself a skilled enough writer to write song lyrics for the songstresses in this piece and integrate those into the literature while maintaining a flow.

'Love Triangle(s)' is probably the part that will bite me in the ass. I would not consider myself good at describing "romance" and despite reading more romance light novels than I could shake a stick at recently to better understand the flow of properly written romance in preparation for writing this, it may not be up to everyone's standards, or in some rare cases, downright cringe-worthy. I apologize in advance.

Please understand that the main protagonist may at points stray into the dreaded "Mary Sue" realm. Although, frankly, since this a piece for my son, that is technically starring my son as the protagonist (with the surname changed to protect identities, obviously), I wouldn't necessarily want him to fail either. The key will be balancing the attributes, but I understand what I see as balance may differ from you.

Also, this will be a re-learning experience for me. This is my first fanfiction in approximately 8-10 years, so some of the writing in the earlier chapters may be a bit… "rusty". Again, I apologize in advance.

I cannot say for certain when I will post updates. I will try for one chapter a week, but no promises. The balancing of work, parenting, social life and other hobbies will dictate this.

Feedback, comments, and constructive criticism is always welcome.

Thank you, and enjoy.

Chapter 1

Theo took in a deep breath of the sweet sea breeze as he crested the ridge of the hill and came upon a small farmhouse. It had been 5 years since the 28th mass emigration convoy, "Macross Arcadia", landed on the surface of the planet of Istria. Arcadia's economy had flourished and the city has grown quickly in past years, and the edges of the city now extended to these distant foothills.

Theo pushed through the door of the farmhouse and was greeted with a familiar sight. His mother, Yussy, was cooking dinner in the kitchen, judging by the smell it was chicken with a plethora of spices that left a slight burning feeling in his nose. Meanwhile, his sister, Camille had her vision glued to the TV. Theodore could barely decipher through his sister's mess of hair the headline "Freyja Immelmann to Retire from Walkure at End of Current Tour due to Health Complications"

"Oh, honey, you have mail," Yussy mused, not looking up from the pan. Theo merely grunted in response and swiped up the holo-pad as he made his way to his room.

"Colonial Van & Storage?" he muttered to himself. "What the hell could they want?" He dropped his bag haphazardly on the floor and flopped lazily onto the bed.

"Dear Mr. Theo Barton," the automated voice of the holo-pad monotoned. "We at Colonial Van & Storage are contacting you regarding storage unit number A312. You are listed as the secondary point of contact and we have not been able to make the primary point of contact, Dr. Henry Barton. Due to expiration of contract, storage unit number A312 must be vacated by close of business tomorrow, November 3rd, 2073. Thank you, and have a nice day."

"Three years and you're still pestering me with shit like this…" Theo mused as he stared up at the ceiling. "Apparently destroying my social life with that damn explosion wasn't enough, was it? Ah, well… I guess I'll get to it tomorrow…"

{The Next Day)

"Hello, and welcome to Colonial Van & Storage!" the receptionist announced, her gleaming smile making Theo feel a bit uneasy. "What can we help you with today, sir?"

"Uh, I'm here concerning unit A312," Theo slowly responded as he approached the desk. He held out the holo-pad that contained the message he had received the day before so that the receptionist could see it.

"You must be Theo, right this way." The receptionist stood up from her desk and gestured for Theo to follow. They walked down a narrow hallway, lined with steel doors. After a short while, they stopped in front of a door in the back of the complex. A faded placard labeled "A312" was positioned next to the door.

The old steel door slowly creaked open as the receptionist strained to push it open. The air was thick from dust and the high stacks of notebooks and half-finished projects cast long shadows across the room. The single, dim light flickered as the age of bulb made itself apparent.

"Please take you time," the receptionist said with a bow as she disappeared around the corner.

"Gee, thanks…" The sighed as he began to sift through some of the notebooks on the table. "What the hell am I supposed to do with shit?" No response. As he shifted through the mess, large wafts of dust were thrown up into the air, causing him to cough. As he took a deep breath after a particularly nasty coughing fit, Theo noticed something from the corner of his eye. Two metal fins stuck into the air in the back of the room.

As Theo approached the fins, the rest of what they were connected to became visible in the faint light. Broad wings, a sleek body, large engines, there was little to doubt in Theo's mind.

"Is that… a variable fighter?" Theo mused to himself. "Why the hell did my father have this thing stashed in here?" He ran his hand along the nose of the aircraft. "Especially such a new model…" The variable fighter was strikingly similar to a VF-31J Siegfried, apart from the two bulbous protrusions on top of the engine nacelles. A ladder was propped against the fore end and the hatch was open, as if inviting him.

Theo slowly climbed the ladder and slid into the seat, the cockpit having piqued his interest. The cockpit appeared devoid of any signs of life as the various switches Theo flipped had no response. Theo sighed in defeat and slouched down in the seat.

"Who am I kidding?" Theo sighed. "This thing is just a piece of shit like everything else in here…" Theo wrenched the throttle as leverage to pull, but as he grabbed the handle, the cockpit canopy snapped shut on his head.

"Biometric data confirmed," a computerized female voice stated.

"Wha?!"

"YF-33, 'Garuda', primary control systems, online. Auxiliary control systems, online. Engines, online. All pilot interface systems initialized. Advanced Remote Interface Assistant, initialization in progress. Executing pre-programmed course of action."

The engines roared to full power and the twin gunpods opened fire, blowing a hole in the agingconcrete. The YF-33 launched itself into the afternoon sky, beginning a new chapter in the Macross saga….