Rick watched with satisfaction as his new squadron prepared for landing on the mighty space fortress. 'It really feels weird to be in charge. It feels scary having to be responsible for someone else's life besides your own and knowing that they look to you for guidance in battle, and yet, I feel honored and proud at the same time, knowing they chose me to be a leader of men' Rick thought as he watched Ben land on the Prometheus. Suddenly Max appeared on the screen, breaking though Rick's train of thought.
"Well, at least it looks like he didn't land too hard this time skipper. The chief probably wouldn't like to have to replace the suspension again" said Max good naturedly.
"True, I just become a squad leader and I've already had my butt chewed out because of him" Rick said slightly amused at the memory of Ben's landing earlier that day.
"So skipper, can I ask you a question?"
"Go ahead"
"What was that all about with you and the commander on the tacnet just now?"
Rick's smile dropped just a little but enough for Max to notice. 'Great, I forgot about Max and Ben watching me when I called the bridge. I really don't want to tell Max, and definitely not Ben, but I'm sure Max can keep it under his hat at least' Rick thought. "I'll tell you about it when we land, ok Max?"
"Sure, skipper" Max said and lined up for his landing. Max could see the reluctance in Rick's face, but knew he would get Rick to talk when they landed.
Soon after Max landed, Rick landed himself and slowed his veritech to a stop, raised the canopy, and carefully climbed out of the fighter. When he reached the deck, he saw a flight crew member begin to ready his fighter to be moved into the hangar for inspection and repair. Meanwhile, he noticed Ben and Max already out of their fighters and walking to him. 'Well, here it goes' Rick thought.
Ben was the first to speak when he and Max arrived at Rick. "So what was the argument with the commander about Lt.?" Ben asked with a slight smile on his face.
Rick wasn't about to tell him the whole truth about what the argument was about. He could probably tell it to Max and be safe, but if Ben found it out, he wouldn't be able to show himself in the pilots' locker room again. Not to mention what Lisa would do to him. She had been in a lingerie shop after all and that just had gossip written all over it.
"When Commander Hayes and I first met in person, it was not on favorable circumstances, and I told her my side of the story to get things straightened out. End of story" Rick said with the last part being in a "don't ask anymore" tone.
Ben actually took a step back at the last of Rick's statement. Even though he may act stupid sometimes it didn't mean he didn't know when to shut up. "Sorry Lt." Ben said guiltily
"It's ok Ben. It's just something I had to work out with the commander and you don't need to have to worry about it"
"How about I go to the mess and grab some sodas and sandwiches since we are going to be here for awhile?" Asked Ben when his stomach started growling.
"Thanks Ben" Rick said politely. 'Ben can actually be smart and useful at times, imagine that!'
Max also nodded his thanks and Ben started walking to the mess hall. When he was out of sight Max turned to his Lt. and spoke. "Rick?"
Rick was slightly surprised when Max said his name. Even though they had just recently met each other they had already formed a friendship close to brothers, but Max would still always call him skipper in public unless he was concerned. "I guess you want the whole story then?" Rick asked, hoping the answer would be no.
"I kind of figured you wouldn't want to tell Ben because of his mouth, so I waited until he left before I said anything, but yep, I am kind of curious"
"You know curiosity killed the cat?" Rick asked hoping to still avoid the conversation.
"With what we do for a living it is a risk I think I can handle"
Rick sighed heavily. Rick knew if Max was as good at getting the truth out of him as he was at flying, then Rick didn't have a chance at winning this war. "What do you want to know?"
"Well just start from the beginning. What happened when you called the bridge?"
"When I called the bridge I noticed Commander Hayes with her back turned towards me. I was about to say something when I heard her talking about me"
"What about?"
"She was calling me arrogant, reckless, disrespectful, loud-mouthed and probably a couple other things I didn't catch"
"But why would she do that?"
"Commander Hayes has never seemed to like me that much since we first met" Rick then proceeded to tell Max about when he first arrived on Macross Island, to rescuing Minmay and calling Lisa an old sourpuss, and all the way to the episode in the lingerie shop, and when he saw her shortly after he joined the RDF. All through the story Max's expressions varied from shocked, amused, understanding, to even laughing, at the end of the tale.
"What is so funny?" Rick asked, a little peeved.
"Sorry Rick, but you sound like you have gone though hell and back" said Max between laughs.
"No kidding"
"So, I take it you tried to straighten it out with her and the bridge crew"
"Yeah, I finally got it straightened out, and even made the stone cold Lisa Hayes blush like a school girl." Rick said, smiling a bit when he remembered Lisa's face looking bright red. Rick then told Max what he had heard from Lisa and the girls and what he had said, even about taking Sammie up on the date offer and calling Lisa "his" personal nickname for her.
"I don't know Rick. You may regret calling the commander that again"
"What do you mean?"
"It may come back to bite you"
"What you mean is the all rules and regulations Lisa Hayes may do something to get back at me? Please!"
"Just warning you"
"Thanks for the warning, but I don't think I'll have to worry about her except for her usual nagging at me. Anyway, Ben should be back with the grub soon, so lets go ahead and start doing our post inspections and repairs or we'll be here all night"
"Ok skipper" and with that Max walked off to his fighter to start checking the instruments.
Feeling relieved to have that off his chest Rick walked to his own plane to start his inspections. The captain had started doing an experimental training period, which was the reason Rick was still in the hangar. Captain Glovel thought that with all the deaths the RDF was taking on their way back to earth, that everyone in the RDF needed to start learning other jobs. That way if any of the crew, like the mechanics, were rendered incapacitated, the pilots for example, could repair their own planes and continue to fight. Rick wasn't exactly complaining, since he used to work on his own plane in the flying circus, but his fighter was a lot more advanced than his mockingbird.
Ben finally returned with their food and went to work on his own plane. After popping the top on a can of soda and taking a bite out of his sandwich, Rick went to work on his plane. While he was working on the underside of the plane Rick started wondering if maybe Max's words were true. 'Lisa may be hot headed sometimes, but she wouldn't try to get back at me would she? She may think about writing me up for something like disrespecting a superior officer probably, but nothing too drastic, right? Maybe I did go a little too far when I called her an old sourpuss'
Rick was starting to worry. He started to sweat so much he decided to peel off the top half of his flight suit and tie it around his waist leaving only a white muscle shirt on his chest, hoping that the temperature was doing it and not the fear of an angry Commander Hayes. Rick crouched down and went back to working on the under side of his plane. As he started working on his plane again, Rick couldn't shake the feeling that Lisa was staring him down like she was doing when he signed off before landing.
'That's just my nerves. She would never do anything to cause a scene in front of people. Well, maybe in front of the bridge crew, but not in here. Besides she is probably still on the bridge fuming over what I said.' Finally feeling relaxed enough to get back to work Rick said humorously, "Good thing she is on the bridge right now or I would be toast"
"Good thing that who is on the bridge Lt.?" Came a rather stern voice.
Rick's breath suddenly left him, making him gasp loudly, and he froze as if ice had just been dumped on top of him. He knew that voice because he had become more familiar with that voice, especially in that certain tone, than just about anyone else. Rick slowly turned his head to look up at the face of his worst fear come true, Commander Lisa Hayes.