Disclaimer: I do not own Destiny, Robotech, and/or Macross. Those are owned by their respective (and for one use the term loosely) companies. I therefore claim no monetary compensation nor intent for monetary compensation of the three with this story.
(And the above is the ONLY disclaimer I'm writing, because it covers the whole story.)
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Valkyries' Destiny
Prologue
Hunter's Moon
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She looked to the stars, so visible high above. So far and distant, that they look so small. Yet, for how they look now, they are in fact, much larger. Much like Sol's Sun.
And just as old and mighty, younger and growing, elderly and long since passed from this world.
A loose pebble stumbled as her foot came to rest. Its slow tumble turned into an outright fall as it left the barely illuminated surface for the ghastly green lit world that now exists below.
Shattered rock and old stone. That was where she is. The wreck of a gem that once hung so beautifully.
Luna, had been the jumping off point for humanity once, so long ago. It once hosted multiple installations. From aboveground to underground, facilities of all sorts and shapes once existed. Like the wreck of the Mass Driver whose broken length she can see from her position, part of it sunken into an older underground base that had been abandoned long prior, despite the need for it.
A need the old base was never allowed to fulfill as it had been decommissioned long before The Collapse.
And because of that, ancient records, ones predating the arrival of the Traveler no less, indicate she might still have something to offer to the Last City.
That she has one, great hope to offer.
A ship. A warship no less. One whose great power and size might just be enough to turn the tide.
The positively ancient records tell that the ship was so large, as to have its own manufacturing capabilities.
Everything from small arms and armor to large weapons of war. The ability to manufacture it own munitions. Even potentially grow crops to support itself. It came complete with mining and refining capabilities able to recover resources on its own to produce its weapons and armor.
If true, then it would be a major boost to the City's capabilities. The Guardians would even have the ability to go out and stay out, well beyond the City's ability to support them, to finally take the fight back to the Darkness!
She needed to confirm if that was true or not. If there was such a hope, safe and sound in a long forgotten dock, all but fitted out for battle.
The dock was said to be constructed of such material, that not even the best the Darkness had to offer could hope to break into the facilities and get to the ship.
If true, then perhaps it has long survived unmolested. Untouched by the Fallen and Hive. That not even the Awoken have touched the sleeping warrior maiden that waited to be summoned for battle.
Perhaps, as she walks across the barren surface of Luna, she would be like a Guardian waking up for the time in a long time. Disoriented at first, but then with a little prodding and training, ready to fight. Needing only a spark to awaken the Light deep within.
Light deep within.
The Hive have mastery over Luna. So far, she had seen only Fallen, wandering about and looking for anything they might use. Yet they scavenged with care and consideration. They knew the Hive are the masters here, not them.
And if they are tolerated squatters, what about her?
An intruder, no doubt. A trespasser upon what is theirs. An invader to be smited as soon as she is discovered.
And with those thoughts, the Lunar dust rising with each step, only to fall so slowly and gently, like snow upon Mother Terra, she feels the stab of failure each time.
The loss of Luna was a terrible blow in those days. Still is today. For it was the last shield to defend Mother Terra. To defend Earth.
The shattered and scarred surface gives moot testament to those down below to the force that took it from them. Took their last defense line and shield and made it a stronghold they couldn't hope to reclaim. Then and perhaps… Now.
Unless…
Unless that one hope, that one Battle Fortress, still slumbers peacefully, waiting, within her dock.
Arriving at the location of the entrance she seeks, she is not surprised to find that the ancient gateway is buried in debris. Boulders, Luna Dust, and even an old wrecked escape shuttle, cover the passage inside. It is an obstacle, but she is also a patient one herself.
True, she could have waited earlier. Formed a team. But the leaders of the Vanguard were greatly concerned that it might be more dangerous to rush, then to wait.
Things are still difficult on Earth.
Battles with the Fallen are increasing everyday. The small bastion, an outpost the Guardians had managed to carve out in the sunken city of Chicago, had nearly been lost only two weeks ago. Only the commitment of a sizeable part of their reserves, had seen the outpost not lost and still the deadly fighting is grinding on.
They had lost their hold in Winnipeg over a year ago. Before that, it had been the outpost in Montevideo.
New fighting had erupted at the outpost in Mumbai only hours ago. The messages were short, but to the point.
'Heavy Fighting, Heavy Causalities. Losing ground. Supplies critical.'
So she had left alone. Left to find this ancient base and see if there was one last defender left for Earth within. She had to-
She spun while dodging into cover. The passing shadow had been her only warning.
The airless vacuum was filled with the Screams of the Damned. The Hive had found her!
Thralls rush her, their screaming grinding on her nerves. Many used to be Guardians, others were innocence that were caught and changed. The Light sucked from them, their bodies painfully altered. They are now nothing more than mindless dried out husks. Kept alive by foul powers that reside above them in the hierarchy of the Hive. Their only purpose now, to rend all Hive enemies, driven by a lustful vengeance for the living.
She would never stand a chance. Knights were behind them, already bombarding her position.
It must have been the pebble. It must have alerted them. By the Traveler, why hadn't she thought of that!
Now she is trapped, alone, in a fight more suited to the Titans than to her and her fellow Hunters.
The end is here and it is her own fault.
The end is here and there is nothing she can do.
The end is-
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He had been flying, rounding the once pristine and beautiful Moon. His mission simple as he flew by with full thrust engaged. A few, ugly ships had risen up to challenge him and his escort.
It had been no challenge.
Though they would be hard to challenge for the title of 'Ugliest Starships Ever!'
And given what they've been up to for some years, that is saying something.
He could hear the RIO typing away at her panels. Making sense of the data she is receiving and sending it on. His job is just to fly. Fly them into danger and safely back again.
After checking his own panels, seeing they are clear for the moment, he turns his head to see the battered landscape.
The deep gouges, the shattered and uplifted surface layers, a number of broken Mass Drivers, abandoned stations and habitats. There are even wrecked ships laid out on the surface.
Sorrow grabs his heart and squeezes.
If only they had been here, at the time most needed.
That is the one thing looping its way through all of their minds. Their mission… A complete failure as far as the eye could see.
And there, he could see a few pinpricks of color. A sudden fireball. From this high up, at these speeds, he would have missed it.
Except for the beauty that is the most advanced sensor systems they have.
And he wasn't the only to see.
The escort leader saw it too. Already he's calling his two best pilots to break off and standby while he himself does a high speed pass to see what's going on. The three planes breaking from the formation after command is passed and the escort arrangement reorganized as the three power burn their way to the site.
Already his RIO has powerful scanners sweeping that area. Sure enough, she informs the three of what appears to be a skirmish. An old shuttle having exploded from the shooting.
But then something else grabs her attention. Something so powerful that she gasps in surprise.
In seconds, they are following the first three, active scanners peeling back layers of undisturbed surface and rock.
And sure enough, a query suddenly finds itself coming to them.
Moments later, their answer is accepted. A report then appears. As they read it, they learn that there is still some hope. That there is something they can use. A great defender, asleep when she was needed, will soon awaken and fulfill her mission, long denied.
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Receiving the updated orders, the escort leader orders his pilots to break off and go to the nearest opening. They would be the first recon units. If they move swiftly enough, perhaps they can have her out before the enemy gets wise to just what exactly is buried beneath the surface.
In the meantime, he has arrived and sees one lone figure, fighting against a horde of… Well damn.
His scanners appear to be not kidding him. It's as it appears, his eyes able to see thanks to the systems in the helmet and cockpit. The imaging systems painting a picture he'd rather not see.
At least he can tell the figure in distress appears to be a female. Human too. One that needs his help, despite how well she is fighting.
He toggles his missiles. He empties two boxes. The ten multirole missiles streaking in, right on target.
The big bastards at the back with their floating, ugly, whatevers that appear to be hurling what looks like balls of magic, but his computer tells him they are some kind of electrical energy release that it states of an unknown origin. Possible plasma mass too, it's unsure.
Whatever.
The missiles do their thing as he flicks his controls and he gets jerked forward in his straps as the transformation begins.
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Her cover blown away yet once more. She knew she was going to die. She had held them well enough. It's just that their numbers are nigh endless.
Especially with the higher ones summoning more and more for every one she took out.
The end is here and it is her own fault.
The end is here and there is nothing she can do.
The end is-
And then the world exploded behind them. Erupting flames consuming the servants of Darkness, purifying the the area of their taint in the process. The Wizards vanishing as they screech their unholy death cries.
Only a few Knights survived, staggered and stunned. Injured too as near as she could tell. Dazed and confused.
Truly, they had not been expecting that.
Then her Ghost suddenly begins to speak. Stating how levels of energy are being directed for scanning. Multiple craft of ancient design bearing down on three vectors.
One of those vectors is right towards them.
Looking up as it came out of the Sun's light, a polished white body gleaming with a red strip and vermilion painted tail fins and wing tips.
She could see, just barely, as it began transforming as it came in. Going from what appeared to be a small fighter into a large robot before her eyes.
It started out growing legs and arms. The legs swinging forward as the arms appear to unlimber themselves from beneath the body. The body itself split in two, half swinging up and half swinging down. A head rose up, twisting itself as both hands clutched a large rifle in hand. Panels slid closed as the wings opened up, missiles and boxes attached to hardpoints. The body folded in on its, sealing itself front to back as the feet split open to form.
Then it touched the surface of Luna with a grace and gentleness she had not been expecting. Already the rifle was being brought up, a stock sliding back to enable steady and accurate fire. Two antenna swung forward and pointed downward, the Sun's rays glinting off the polished metal.
The Knights began to respond to the unexpected threat, but they weren't fast enough. From three points, bursts of light flashed into existence. The Knights were dead before they could bring their weapons to bear. The gunfire walking itself into the ranks of the suddenly confused Thralls. Bits and pieces of them flying off into the void as others were either vaporized or scattered across the Lunarian landscape.
As sudden as the arrival of her savior, the firing ceased.
There were no more Hive left to shoot at.
As she limped out of her cover to look up in ah, she could see a glowing green light turn to her.
But unlike the hazy, yellowish green of decay of the Hive, this one is a solid, verdant forest green full of vitality and life.
As it steps forward, each step felt softly through the ground beneath her feet, she could tell it means no harm to her.
It suddenly changes again, into a half form of both fighter and robot. Shifting here and there, reverting in a way, to what it is at its core.
A giant metal hand gently lowers itself before her. Without hesitation, she steps upon it and sits down, holding onto the upraised thumb as the fingers curl a little, giving her a good seating spot with her legs safely tucked atop them.
The hand lifts up as the cockpit opens itself and she is brought to it. There, she can see a person, unarmored, but sheltered and protected from the vacuum around them, as he reaches a hand out to her. She takes it delicately, careful of her own strength and suddenly worried about this person.
That is, until she reads the glossy name under the lip of the canopy's rail:
SQ/LT Richard 'Racer' Hunter
Hunter.
It has to be fate that they would meet.
For that is what she, herself is.
A Hunter.
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A/N:
Welp! That one is done. This is the prologue of a new story and yes, yes I know. I got a track record, right? Yes, the Code Geass/Tenchi one is still being worked on. Yes again to the Gundam SEED/MS Gundam as well.
Even working on Gear of Zero right now too.
Anyways, no this won't be the mysterious Hunter and Rick story. Well… Maybe. Haven't thought on that yet. Pairings, though, will not be canon or will be canon, depending on how this one goes.
Expect different elements too, from all of the Macross and Robotech parts.
Fusion is the name of this game!
As for Rick's rank, SQ/LT, it stands for Squadron Lieutenant. I pulled up the old Royal Naval Air Service's ranking structure and have been working on a modified system for years now. Still a work in progress, the Enlisted Ratings need some fine tuning, especially the Non-Commissioned Officer ones.
Now, the summary will be put into the next chapter. So you'll have to wait for a full idea until then. But it can be easily summarized what's happening.
At least those of you who are old enough to remember Robotech and Macross from back in the day.
Sheesh! Do I feel old!
When the hell is the remake of Macross coming out? We could really use that. The story should stay the same, it's just perfect that way. Though maybe a few more episodes, some more character building perhaps? We never did get a whole heck of alot Roy/Claudia building, other than a few bits here and there and one episode of a flashback sequence.
