File# 7 "Duty"

The information suppression from the Macross Frontier government was quite good at suppressing almost every video posted from the attack. They couldn't announce the enemy, but the deaths of the countless soldiers, and civilians demanded action. There were so many funerals being held on the colony, and in space. The Illustria had lost a third of the vanguard, and several of the Destroid pilots that were defending the flight deck during the attack. The morale of the crew dropped as did the that of the garrison forces.

The data concerning the Vajra contained within the Illustria Computer was quickly released to the Frontier Garrison after a lengthy discussion between both Earth and Frontier leadership. The Illustria's position still remained the same, but with recent events it would prove ineffective to leave Frontier in its current state.

It was either due to a malfunction or divine intervention, but Island-One's forecast was rain. The funerals went on despite the conditions with several military ceremonies happening all at once in the main fields. Despite being called a cemetery most of the bodies of the dead were either given the option of cremation or recycling. It was a morbid thought, but in the age of space travel without a planet to resupply it was often a method to maintain self sufficiency. Shigeru had attended up to five different ceremonies, and for some reason he was invited by the Admiral, and Newtlet to attend the funeral for the SMS pilot that had died with them.

Shigeru didn't know anything about the second in command of SMS Skull Squadron until he was told by both the Admiral and Newtlet. He had prevented the bridge from being destroyed, and bought time for Newtlet to deploy to the battle. His eyes panned across the funeral to see the grieving wife and daughter standing beside the capsule that contained the body of Henry Gilliam.

It was a bitter-sweet ceremony with the Captain of the SMS unit Jeffrey Wilder giving a speech. There were several SMS personnel in attendance and a few familiar faces to Shigeru. However he frowned at the cold words from the man that his mother called husband. He felt a tug on his uniform sleeve to see Newtlet shaking her head to him.

"Whatever problems you have with your father ends for today. Try to hide that hatred, and show respect for Gilliam."

Shigeru shook his head, "This is me trying..."

Both Newtlet and Shigeru turned to see Admiral Cross walk ahead of them holding a sealed box with a envelope on top. It was an old tradition, and despite SMS being a private military group they weren't privy to the fancy send offs from the Spacy. Mrs. Gilliam looked over at the Admiral with her eyes still filled with tears, and slowly she held her hands out to accept the boxed folded flag.

"The galaxy is smaller following the loss of your husband. He didn't have to do what he did, but he spared countless lives in his duty to protecting this colony. I Admiral Erin Cross of the Earth Branch of the NUNS Spacy will ask if you will accept flag as a token of his service to us. Without his bravery, my crew and I would not be standing here this day. Please accept my deepest condolences ma'am."

Mrs. Gilliam bowed her head, and cleared her throat. "Thank you for honoring my husband. Thank you Admiral Cross."

Wilder looking over at Cross then those attending the ceremony. "Salute!"

Everyone threw up a proper salute while "taps" was played by an SMS soldier. Gilliam's body was committed to the depths below with his body to be recycled and used to bring life to the colony's delicate ecosystem.

Shigeru lowered his salute, and removed his cap that was tucked underneath his arm. He held the cap in his hands and walked over to Ozma sitting in the front with his arm held up in a sling. "How are you handling things Ozma?"

Ozma glanced up to see Shigeru's face, and let out a deep sigh. "It's going to be tough replacing Gilliam. He was a great wingman and subordinate." He got up from the seat letting out a small groan from his healing injury. "How are you guys handling things? You lost a great deal more."

Shigeru nodded, "I don't speak for most of the others, but I've attended far too many ceremonies for one day."

"It's nice to see you here. We didn't have a chance to say our hellos last time."

Michael walked over to the pair, and held out his hand for a quick handshake with Shigeru.

"I was shocked to say the least. I never thought you would take after Jessica so..." Shigeru slowly stopped, and lowered his head for a moment. "I'm sorry...I shouldn't."

Michael shook his head, and placed his hand on Shigeru's shoulder. "It's all in the past. You're the only person who believed in my sister, and I thank you for that." He cleared his throat, "However I was listening to the radio chatter. You were supposed to return to your ship and resupply for sortie outside. What brought you back into the colony?"

Ozma looked over with an inquisitive eye. "You are probably in hot water for disobeying your orders. I should have a question with that woman over there."

Shigeru rubbed his temple, "I guess we should keep our radio traffic on secured bands then. I was sent back in to make sure you guys within SMS could deal with the Victor-3." he looked over where Gilliam's body once was, and turned back to the pair. "I'm glad I got back in time to save your ass."

Ozma rubbed his shoulder softly, and motioned to the exit. "Well I'm more thankful that you saved Ranka, and that kid Saotome."

Shigeru started to walk to the doorway. "That kid has a lot of talent. I don't know anyone that has the bravery to jump into a Valkyrie and do what he did."

Ozma let out a pained laugh, "That kid is lucky the IFF biometric system was damaged or it would have been a piece of junk in the street."

Michael shrugged his shoulders, "It's typical of the princess to do something like that. He's the type of guy who doesn't like leaving tasks to others."

Shigeru paused, "Princess..." He put his hand against his chin, and slowly got the reference with a smile appearing on his face. "I guess that is a suitable nickname for that guy. He does have that feminine look."

Ozma grinned, "Enough about that, did the Frontier Spacy get footage of him in the cockpit?"

Shigeru crossed his arms over his chest, and nodded. "Yeah, and it seems that Frontier Spacy intends to bring him in for questioning. We tried to tell them that he is a contractor for us, but they didn't buy it."

Michael growled, "For what? He helped fend off that thing for help to arrive."

Ozma shook his head, "It's against the law for a civilian to get inside a military craft without proper training. By entering that..." He paused.

Shigeru smiled, "You are forgetting that the VF-25 isn't a official Spacy craft. Also they won't have any idea if Saotome is a recruit of SMS. Surely a senior officer of SMS could swing something like that."

Ozma let out another pained laugh, "You guys don't seem to trust the Frontier Spacy that much."

Shigeru shrugged his shoulders, and adjusted the cap on his head. "Earth Spacy doesn't trust anyone. Last time that happened we lost a Battle Class carrier to terrorists." He looked over at Newtlet, and nodded. "I have to head out. Give Ranka my regards."

As Shigeru walked off Michael turned to Ozma. "Do you think what he said is true?"

Ozma glanced down at his watch and nodded. "Yeah, Earth Spacy doesn't trust many of the colony fleets after what happened nine years ago."

Michael let out a sigh, "Does this mean that Earth Spacy trusts us?"

Ozma scoffed, "Not a chance in hell. They would shoot us down in a heartbeat if we even show a hint of accepting a contract that isn't beneficial to NUNS."

-###-

Outside the funeral, Shigeru walked out to see Newtlet leaning against the wall with her arms crossed. She let out a sigh, and looked at the rain pouring heavily on the roof of the Admiral's rental car. "So did you tell the SMS contact you know about that Saotome kid?"

Shigeru let out a small nod, "Yeah, they'll most likely be able to keep him from trouble. It's odd that you would tell me to do something like that."

Newtlet adjusted her cap over her head, and sighed. "Frontier Spacy has a habit of turning their aces into nothing but a tombstone in the ground. You would probably have met an untimely end if you enlisted here instead of Earth."

Shigeru rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, and a close friend of mine would probably have seen me when I arrived here." he paused, "I'm going to be here awhile longer. I'll return to the ship soon."

Newtlet nodded, "As long as you're not late to duty. You can do whatever you want."

Shigeru grabbed his umbrella from the nearby holder, and started to walk off towards the rows of headstones in the distance. "Thank you ma'am."

-###-

"It's odd that you would come all this way to visit me Ms. Nome. Normally pop idols don't visit medical research buildings on their off time."

Eridase sat on a couch opposite of Sheryl sipping from a cup of tea. She looked at Sheryl with a judging set of eyes while still keeping a fox-like smile on her face.

Sheryl let out a confident smile, and reached over to her untouched cup of tea. "I'm here as a cordial visit. After all I brought Reimi with me to the military shelter during the attack. I want you to tell me more about your son, Shigeru."

Eridase chuckled, "I'm thankful that you escorted Reimi to a shelter. That attack was quite disastrous. Why do you need information about Shigeru?"

Sheryl's face turned red while she sipped her tea nervously. "I just want to know a few things about him that's all. The concert was an utter disaster, and I need to thank him properly for getting my fans to safety..."

Eridase lowered the cup onto the saucer, and turned to the countless photos displayed on the far side wall. "What do you want to know?"

Sheryl took in a deep breath, "I want to get him a gift, but he seems very different from most men I know."

Eridase put a finger against her lips, and thought to herself. "I'm afraid I won't be that much of a help. Shigeru never really asked for much as a child, and was quite rebellious before he left." She paused, "He does like fast things...there is that place near Formo Mall that could pique his interest."

Sheryl leaned forward, "Tell me about it this instant!"

Eridase got up from her seat, and crossed over to her desk. "I'll write down the address, but I want to know something about you." She looked over her shoulder, "How many children do you think would be ideal?"

Sheryl's face turned red, "What...what do you mean by that?"

Eridase walked over with the address in her fingertips, and smiled. "I may be a Meltrandi, but I'm not completely foreign to things like this. Surely you intend to carry my son's children."

Sheryl got up from her chair with her face completely red. "I...I...I have no...no... intention of doing anything of that nature! I just want to tha...thank him. Good day!" She snatched the address from Eridase's hand, and walked out of the office.

Eridase stood in silence for a moment, and let out a deep sigh. "My my that was quite a response was it?" She shrugged her shoulders, and glanced over at the photo resting on the nearby bookshelf. A much younger Eridase stood beside an old woman in a wheelchair, and another doctor all wearing lab coats. "She definitely is your granddaughter...why do I find it so easy to push your family's buttons Professor Nome."

-###-

"So, what happened when you went to the shelter with the famous Sheryl Nome?"

Klan leaned back in the booth with her arms resting behind her head while chewing on a piece of the cake she had been eating.

Reimi removed her glasses setting them aside in an open clamshell case before looking over at her smug looking cousin. "It wasn't that much of an experience. Sheryl is still very amazing, and I'm quite shocked at how much she wants to know about Shigeru."

Klan reached over to take another forkful of cake, and paused halfway. "A woman showing interest in Shigeru? We should check to make sure hell hasn't frozen over."

Reimi let out a small laugh, "It's fun to joke like this, but it's kind of true when you think about it. I didn't know my brother had this much charisma. He always kept to himself most of the time before he left."

Klan shook her head, "You probably weren't noticing, but Shigeru was pretty much like Michael when it came to pretty girls." She paused, "To think that rugged scoundrel was called Prince at once point."

Reimi gasped, "You have to be kidding me? I don't see why people find him so alluring. Like Sheryl asked me what his favorite color was..."

Klan rolled her eyes, "What did she say after hearing you say that blue was his favorite color?"

Reimi smiled, "It looked like she was taking notes, but it could be just her schedule for being on the colony."

Klan leaned in with her expression showing more interest. "I doubt it, what did she ask next? I hardly think she would ask you only one question."

Reimi took a forkful of cake, and started to chew it. She reached for the cup of coffee to the side, and gulped it down. "She asked about Shigeru before he joined the military."

Klan smiled, "Shigeru was a lot different. He was more of a delinquent when not around you guys, but I saw it often. I even asked your mom about it, and she told me it was just his way of acting out against Jeffery and her."

Reimi nodded, "Shigeru does have a heightened aggression index compared to us. I just hope that he has it under control. You know how we lose control of ourselves when we get upset or angry."

Klan crossed her arms over her chest, and chuckled. "It may be the case for you, but I'm always calm. Nothing gets under my skin."

Reimi leered over at Klan, and grinned. "Then why are you so short, and flat in your micron form?"

Klan's face turned red while she slammed her hand on the table. "Hey take that back! That wasn't fair in the least! It's not my fault I have a genetic abnormality, unlike you miss perfect same size in both forms!" She paused for a moment, and cleared her throat. "That totally wasn't me losing control."

Reimi held her hand over her mouth and smiled. "Right...so, are we still going to Formo Mall this coming weekend?" She stretched her arms out. "It's been a while since I was able to go full-size shopping."

Klan frowned, "Did your mom tell you that you needed to stop going back and forth."

Reimi shook her head, "It's not like it's going to harm anything. Sometimes they have cute clothes for full-size compared to micron size."

Klan shrugged her shoulders, "I guess..."

Reimi went to speak only to feel a buzz coming from her purse. "It looks like I'm getting a call. Give me a moment Klan."

"Hello?"

-###-

In the backseat of a limousine, Sheryl sat with the holographic display coming from her bracelet. She glanced at the time while hearing Reimi's voice come through the speaker. "I'm calling to check up on you. How are you today Reimi?"

"I'm doing fine... It was due to you and Brera that I was able to safely get to the shelter. I owe you a lot more than a simple thank you."

Sheryl removed her sunglasses from her shirt, and flicked them open before sliding them over her eyes. "Well I just came from a disheartening meeting. So, what exactly is this place outside Formo that would be a perfect place to treat Shigeru as a proper thank you?"

"You must mean the sky park. It's a really good place that would actually suit my brother."

Sheryl smiled to herself only to hear the rest of Reimi's response.

"However, that place has become a solid scene for couples. So I would go there at your own risk. You can also go check out Formo mall. You've never seen full sized Zentradi have you?"

Sheryl's face became pale for a moment, and pushed her glasses up while looking at the passing scenery of Falkheim Tower. "That would be unfortunate to be seen that way. Maybe I'll take him to this mall, and have him explain Zentradi culture to me. I've never actually seen Zentradi in their natural state..."

"Well there are a few others as well. There is the Mayan Island beach resort on Island Four, but it's on the opposite Island chain. I would recommend a bathing suit, and the food there is authentic if you've ever been to the real pacific islands on Earth."

Sheryl was busy jotting down the series of notes, and let out a confident grin. "Thank you for the information. I'll have to pitch these ideas to my manager and see if she'll approve this. It was nice speaking to you. I may call you again if I have further questions."

-###-

The day quickly progressed with sunset to occur within the next few minutes for those within Island One. Alto stood in the empty Griffith Observatory Park for almost an hour and the automatic lights quickly flashed on further making him drift into a foul mood. He takes a drink from his can of Green Tea, and grumbled to himself. "Why the hell did I accept to meet that bastard here?"

"I guess I've been called worse."

Ozma walked up wearing casual attire albeit with a simple white shirt and his arm resting in its sling across his chest. He approached the railing, and glanced over the edge looking at the stars visible from the dome above.

Alto nearly choked on the tea, and fumbled the can in his hands before grabbing hold of it. "I'm sorry...I wasn't speaking to you. I'm talking about someone else who is supposed to meet me here." He paused for a moment, "Why are you here anyway?"

Ozma rubbed the back of his head, and let out a deep sigh. "You're probably waiting for Kudo aren't you." He reached into his pocket, and removed a half crumpled pack of cigarettes. Ozma lifted the pack to his lips, and removed one out before tucking it away in his pocket. "He's not coming, and it's because of what happened."

Alto looked at Ozma strangely while he lit his cigarette and took a few steps back. "What? Did he get into trouble or something because of what I did?"

Ozma shook his head, "No, you did the right thing. You probably don't know, but Frontier Spacy has video of you piloting that 25F using their traffic cameras. Did you know an interesting tidbit that its illegal for a civilian more less a student to operate a military vehicle?"

Alto shook his head, "I didn't know that..." He paused and instantly grew a little agitated. "but I would do it again if it meant protecting Ranka or anyone. I made a promise to Shigeru that I'd get her to safety."

Ozma smiled to himself, "That's a good answer, and that is why Kudo asked me to come here on his behalf." He looked up at the stars, "This job isn't going to be cushy with fancy sendoffs like the military. You'll break bones, bleed, and at worse be called a sell-sword. What would you say if Strategic Military Services extended you a contract to protect Frontier?"

Alto was speechless after hearing Ozma's pitch. It really wasn't as inspiring as one would see a Spacy recruitment video on TV, but it felt genuine. "Why are you offering me this? Call me skeptical, but this seems like total bull."

Ozma removed the cigarette from his mouth, and tossed it onto the ground snuffing out the half smoked cigarette. "I'm being serious. Let me put it into perspective for you. Shigeru is giving you a way out of joining the Frontier Spacy. Frontier has denied that you are part of the Independent Special Command's task force, and are probably going to send an intelligence officer to pick you up, and force you to sign years of your life away." He cleared his throat, "or you can take this card, and hand it over to that very intelligence officer that will visit you. I saw the video of you piloting that 25F. You have the courage to do better than what the Spacy can do for you. Given training you could probably become a talented pilot."

Alto grabbed the card from Ozma, and glanced at the rather simple looking business card. It had SMS's logo across the top with a black background, and Ozma's phone number across it. "I don't care about glory or accolades. I just want to make sure that people don't get hurt because of negligence."

Ozma started to walk off towards the car waiting off in the distance. "Before I forget, if I see you getting any more friendly with Ranka I'll have to break your legs. Just some food for thought lover boy."

Alto paused for a second, "What the hell? I'm not going out with your sister! We're just really good friends!"

Ozma disappeared towards his car with a smile growling on his face."That kid has quite a bit of bite to him. What was the reason Michael not won't him to join us again?" He shook his head, and climbed into the driver seat.

Alto looked at the car pulling out and turned to the business card held in his hand. "This could be the thing I need to get away from all this, and escape that damned shadow I'm stuck behind." He tucked the business card into his pocket, and started off down the road.

-###-

It was well into the night where boxes of take-out and cups of coffee line the hanger of the Illustria beside several mechanic crews working overtime. Along with the mechanics were the pilots of the Valkyrie being repaired. Wolf Squadron was no exception to this, and each one was getting hands on experience assisting the chief mechanic fixing the internal damage done during the sortie.

There was a look of absolute exhaustion displayed on Shigeru's face while looking at the code flash down the center console. He flipped several switches, and inputted several commands using the side mounted keypad. "Now I remember why Focker's detachment didn't want to be part of Project Prophecy."

Hilda looked up with a smile on her face while flipping through several pages on her tablet. "Colonel Focker would rather spend as much time in the air with his 19A instead of on the ground reporting like we have to do after every sortie. That is probably why he left the Illustria, and had Colonel Newtlet take charge."

Shigeru sighed deeply, "Could you imagine if we were stuck on Earth with the Evolution team? I hear they are trying something different back home."

Hilda nodded, "Yeah, I heard that they're using data from LAI. It's funny how much funding our branch of Spacy has when it comes to fighter development."

Shigeru crossed his arms over his chest, "Well it's nice having Ex-Gear in all our 171s. Could you imagine using the old cockpit configuration? Even the 19 would be a pain in the ass to fly without an Ex-Gear."

Hilda shrugged her shoulders, "I doubt you would have a problem flying anything. Remember that fool hearted idea you wanted when we encountered that Meltrandi fleet a few years back?"

Shigeru chuckled, "Yeah, it's any pilot's dream to fly a Queadluun. You'll never know mobility until you flew one of those." He paused, "You would probably like it Hilda...just you would need to be Micloned to do it."

Hilda shook her head, "No way no how. I like my body the size it is."

"Hey guys, I got the coffee." Hoshimura walked up holding a holder with 3 cups of coffee within. She had a completely refreshed look on her face while looking at the fatigue on her teammate's faces. "I fought off some guys from B Hanger to get to the machine. It was pretty exhausting."

Shigeru peaked over the edge of the cockpit, and let out a sigh. "How do you do it Hoshi? You look like you just got a full eight hours."

Hoshimura shrugged her shoulders, and passed one cup over to Hilda on her way over. "I actually took a few power naps during my breaks. So I'm fit as a fiddle. What do you want me to start on now that I'm back."

Shigeru yawned, "Well we've finished the data tether for units one and two. After we clean up here we can move to your machine, and get everything ready for the Chief."

Hilda took a sip from the coffee, and sighed. "This must be what the gods drank up high on Olympus." She got up to her feet, and stretched once more.

Shigeru shut off Wolf One and quickly climbed down the access ladder. He held his hand out for Hoshimura, and accepted the coffee. "Well it's the only reason why we send Hoshimura to do the coffee is because she makes the best cup on the ship." He took a sip, and grinned. "How do you make the coffee this good anyway?"

Hoshimura shrugged her shoulders, "It's a secret. Maybe if you're nicer to me I'll let you in on it."

Both Shigeru and Hilda all start to laugh drawing attention from the group across the way.

"Hey Wolf Squadron get back to work!"

-###-

Alto didn't get much sleep after having his meeting with Ranka's brother. He had went to look up Strategic Military Services on the net. They were one of many premier private military groups that supplied additional firepower to colony fleets. They were compared to the Special Forces Detachments from planetary Spacy garrisons fielding state-of-the-art technology into battle. Alto was interested as piloting the 25F gave him the excitement he was craving, and a way to 'fly' without a limit on the ceiling.

There was also the thought about telling his friends and Ranka that he was joining up with them. Alto wanted to talk to his classmates about it, but they most likely wouldn't understand it. He sat in the back row of the classroom barely able to keep his eyes open. His hand slowly jots several notes on while his eyes turn to the door opening at the far end of the classroom.

The school principal walked in with the familiar Catherine Glass behind him. "I'm sorry for disrupting your class, but if I can borrow Alto Saotome for a few minutes."

The teacher adjusted his glasses and let out a small sigh. "Saotome, the principal would like to have a word with you." He turned to the class, and clapped his hands. "I'm going to continue the lesson. Everyone please focus this will be on the exam."

Alto's eyes met Catherine's who seemed to penetrate deep within. It seemed that what Ozma told him was coming true. He got up from his chair and walked down the stairs towards the waiting principal and Catherine.

The Principal bowed his head, and motioned for both Alto and Catherine to step out of the classroom.

"Alto Saotome, I am First Lieutenant Catherine Glass with Frontier Spacy. I'm sorry to interrupt you during class, but your presence is needed." She turned towards the Principal, and bowed her head. "Thank you sir, I will be able to handle this from here."

The Principal looked over at Alto, and started to walk off down the hallway.

Alto glared over at Catherine with an inquisitive look. "Why are you pulling me out of class? I don't recall doing anything for the military."

Catherine held her hand towards the elevator leading to the lobby of the Academy. "This concerns your little joyride, and exposure to a certain organism. I would not like to discuss this matter here. So please follow me."

Alto furrowed his brow, and walked behind Catherine. "What does the military have on me to take me in?"

Catherine let out a deep sigh while the elevator doors opened. She motioned for Alto to step in, and took in a breath. "You were caught by traffic cameras piloting a VF-25F Valkyrie. It's a military craft, and you a civilian caused significant damage to a few buildings due to your lack of training. I'm bringing you in to tell me your side of the story. Since you are not affiliated with any group the financial burden would fall on you, or your family."

Alto opened his mouth to speak only for Catherine to stop him.

"Don't utter a word about the Earth Spacy, or the ISC. They adamantly tied to say you were a contractor for them, but we checked their database and there was no record of you ever being affiliated with them."

Alto reached into his pocket and felt the corner of the business card poking his thumb. He removed it and handed it over to Catherine. "I was told to give you this in case you came to fetch me."

Catherine looked down at the card, and all the color seemed to be sucked from her face. She grabbed hold of the card, and immediately pulled out her phone from her uniform jacket pocket. "SMS, you have to be kidding me. I'll call to make sure this isn't..."

-###-

Ozma leaned in his chair inside his office within the SMS building. All operations were canceled due to the funerals, and he had almost nothing to do but stacks of paperwork. His injuries sustained while in combat gave him a little bit of wiggle room from his superiors. He reached over to his desk phone, and quickly picked it up. "This is the desk of Ozma Lee..."

"Ozma, why is it that around every corner SMS seems to lurk in the shadows?"

Ozma let out a smile when hearing Catherine's voice on the other line. "Even after so long you're calling my work phone. Don't you still have my private number? I'm not for one-night stands but..."

"This isn't the time for this Ozma! I want to know something as a member of Frontier Spacy."

Ozma smiled to himself, and moved over to his computer. "What did you want to know?"

"I want you to confirm something for me. Is Alto Saotome affiliated with Strategic Military Services?"

Ozma typed on his keyboard, and whistled to himself. "That sounds unfamiliar, can you spell it out for me?"

"Stop playing around with me Ozma. I can file a report against you if you keep this up."

Ozma groaned, "Always nagging..." He paused while looking at one of his office emails. "Not in an official capacity, but we are planning on meeting with him about piloting our Valkyrie during the attack. What is Frontier Spacy thinking of doing to the poor kid?"

"I can't tell you that Ozma. You know that."

Ozma continued to flip through his emails, and got up from his chair. "Well if you plan on trying to coerce him to joining NUNS because of the piloting the Valkyrie as a civilian you can forget it. That craft belongs to SMS, and if you bring up some sort of structural damage clause. I'm pretty sure our CEO can pay the colony for the damages."

"Ozma, you always had a silver tongue, but this level of intelligence is beyond that of SMS. Who gave you information about this?" She paused, "Never mind that, as being a contributor to Saotome's crime please meet me at St. Joan's Hospital within the next hour."

Ozma smiled, "I can do that. I'll meet you there shortly."

-###-

Catherine tucked her phone into her pocket while walking ahead across the annex of the academy with Alto walking behind her. It would seem that the conversation between her and Ozma put her into a foul mood. She motioned to the car waiting in front of the school, and waved her hand to the guards signaling them to holster their side-arms. She glanced over her shoulder, and let out a deep sigh. "You are a lucky kid to have SMS standing behind you." She paused, "However I want you to ask you something, and this pertains to just the incident at the Budokan. Was it true that Captain Kudo helped get the attendees to safety?"

Alto nodded, "Yes, it was Shigeru that prevented the crowd from panicking. He asked me to help him and if it weren't for him people could have died." He paused, "Can you tell me what the hell those things were?"

Catherine climbed into the rear passenger seat, and sighed. "That's classified information, but they are very dangerous, and it's a miracle that you survived. You should be proud that you didn't meet the same fate as the SMS pilot did."

Alto paused for a moment with his mind replaying the gruesome way of Gilliam's death. He felt slightly nauseous which made his lack of sleep grow worse. He quickly shook the image from his mind, and looked out the window. "Even if it's been classified, why are we going to St Joan's?"

Catherine rubbed her temple, "I will need to get a blood sample from you, to make sure you haven't been exposed to anything you shouldn't have."

-###-

A shuttle slowly comes out of fold space behind frontier. It resembled a standard transport shuttle with four rectangular pods attached to its struts.

"This is Earth Spacy Transport Zephyr to Frontier. We have a re-supply for the Illustria. Sending confirmation code and manifest."

"This is Frontier Control, your access code is valid. Please proceed to the Illustria."

Within minutes the shuttle slowly pulls across into the rear military hanger of Island-One. The holographic landing lights guide it in before it connects directly to the Illustria's homing beacon. The landing struts slowly extend, and the shuttle comes to a slow stop. A group of dock-use Cheyenne roll across the deck towards the first of the four containers.

"This is Alpha, we're unloading the first of the four containers."

-###-

"Are you kidding me this is our new weapon?" Shigeru floated in the dimly lit observation deck with globs of water floating beside his face, and a holographic window displayed in front of his face. He eats one of the globs of water, and flips through the read out on the 'lance' shaped weapon. "The Blaze Lance...it's a pin point barrier reinforced melee weapon for anti Vajra combat. This can't be right..." He swiped his hand and threw the holograph towards Hilda who floated across from him.

Hilda looked at the cut-away of the Blaze Lance, and ran her hand across her chin. She glanced over at Shigeru 'drinking' in Zero gravity, and let out a disgusted groan. "Can you stop doing that it's super creepy."

Shigeru placed his hands behind his head and yawned. "I always do this in Zero gravity, it makes hydrating fun. Anyway what do you think about it?"

Hilda shook her head, and let out a small nod. "It could be useful, but it hasn't been field tested yet. I doubt anyone would be crazy enough to use this except for you."

Shigeru nodded slightly, "It's nice to see you have faith in your captain. It's almost rare to see a weapon like that on a Valkyrie. To think something you'd see construction Destroid use is being scaled to a weapon like that. I don't think that thing is meant to be used against Vajra."

Hoshi floated by the pair, and looked at the blueprint over Hilda's shoulder. "Ka-bar really likes to make upscaled weapons...the glory of Pin-Point Barrier technology. Whoa are you kidding me?" She gasped loudly, and covered her mouth. "That's a pile bunker! Why would we need that inside the lance if it has a PPB on it?"

Shigeru shrugged, "A pin point covered tip like that could pierce through armor easily, but if it penetrates, the pile bunker will send kinetic force increasing the damage." He glanced off at the various ships in the distance. "Remember how some Vajra have a different thickness of carapace? The Blaze Lance cracks the shell, and the Pile Bunker finishes it off."

Hoshi positioned herself above Hilda, and started to look more in depth at the data. "You said earlier that it wasn't designed to be used against the Vajra. What would we be using it against?"

Shigeru flipped himself around kicking of the roof propelling him towards the railing beside the door. "It's to take out the bridges of capital ships without having to use ammunition. do you remember the Dyson Test they made you take in flight training?"

Hoshi glanced towards her captain with a frown growing on her face. "That test was really hard, I could only last about forty seconds and I couldn't destroy the bridge."

Shigeru landed on the ground, and let out a deep sigh. "Yeah, most pilots ran out of ammunition shooting down missiles, and when they reach the bridge all they could do was kamikaze it or PPB Punch it. Now picture the Blaze Lance in that situation."

Hoshi put a finger against her lips, and her eyes quickly lit up. "But how will we be able to carry the Lance and the gunpod?"

Hilda placed her hand against her shoulder and smiled. "Maybe the simulator will get an upgrade, and we'll run the Dyson Test for our daring captain to use the Blaze Lance." She paused, "Also to answer your question it's going to look like the Prophecy has a stingray tail. So yeah it's possible to have both equipped."

Shigeru lowered his head while opening the door into the low gravity corridor. "Sounds like fun, but that will be after we attend a boring briefing about it with Colonel Newtlet." He checked his watch, "We need to get back to the Hanger, our break is over."

-###-

President Glass sat quietly behind his desk while looking over at Admiral Cross, and Captain Wilder sitting across from him. "So, do you know why I've called you here?"

Cross let out a small grin while glancing over at Wilder. "You have something to tell us that causes for the security camera to be turned off."

Wilder looked over at the disabled security camera, and crossed his arms over his chest. "What is so important that it requires you to go to such an extreme?"

Glass lowered his head, and cleared his throat. "The Frontier Garrison isn't pleased that we're outmatched at combating the Vajra. I've spoken with your employer Mr. Bilrer, and Admiral La Salle on Earth. The ISC has more combat experience in combating the Vajra, and both of your superiors have agreed that a joint-training measure should be taken."

Cross chuckled, "That old lady Claudia really likes to share our training with anyone doesn't she."

Wilder closed his eyes, and exhaled softly. "So does that mean that ISC will be training SMS units?"

Glass folded his hands over the other, and sighed. "The information will be relayed this evening. However I have a question for you Rear Admiral Cross, and it's about the shipment you received from Earth hours ago."

Cross's expression grew serious while staring at Glass's intimidating glare. "Do you have a suspicion that we intend to use our resupply for something devious?"

Glass shook his head, "I have every bit of faith in the decision making of the Earth Spacy, but I find it difficult to swallow that both the Saratoga attached to Galaxy, and the Illustria here on Frontier were given High Yield Reaction Warheads."

Wilder's eyes narrowed while looking over at the stern looking coming from President Glass, and kept a rather expressionless look on his face.

Cross reached into her jacket pocket, and removed a small silvery cigarette case. "It's our safeguard. Do you honestly think that the Vajra only come in small, and large varieties? You must have skipped over multiple chapters in the files we sent over to your organization. We are under strict orders that we cannot use them unless a situation demands it. The same applies for our Macross cannon. President Glass you should read your emails. One was sent to you from Admiral La Salle concerning our shipment, and you are the only one capable of releasing the arm-locks. We are not your enemy, so please try to understand that. Because if we were the Illustria would already be flying at the head of Island-One." She stood up, and started to walk off towards the exit. "This concludes what I'm willing to say President Glass. If you wish to communicate with me, you can have Mishima or Rear Admiral Ibanez contact me."

Wilder got up from his seat, and bowed his head. "I will take my leave as well President Glass. Be warned that the training from SMS or the ISC will be difficult for most of the garrison pilots to complete. The Vajra are very different from standard Valkyrie."

Moments later after the heated end of the discussion, Cross stood in front of NUNS-F headquarters smoking. She glanced over at Wilder who sat on the bench next to her, and groaned. "So you don't appear to be shocked that we got those sent to us."

Wilder chuckled, "Weapons are weapons. They were made to be used, but don't you think that it was wise to tell the president about the ship class Vajra and threaten him?"

Cross shrugged her shoulders, "I could care less about that. All I want to figure out is if we can end the conflict without having to use the warheads."

Wilder gave Cross a suspicious gaze. "We all know that communicating with them is impossible, it's that mistake that cost NUNS the Global, and the 117th Fleet."

Cross looked up at the afternoon sky above, and exhaled smoke. "Are you on duty? I could use a hard drink after talking to that pencil dick."

Wilder whistled, "You still have a sharp tongue for a high ranking officer."

Cross scoffed, "This coming from the laid back surfer I once knew back when we wore jump suits not these dress uniforms."

Wilder laughed, "I know a perfect place. I think I'll invite Eridase, it's been a while since the three of us shared a drink."

-###-

The squawking of sea birds and the crashing waves created a calming ambiance within the Island Four Resort. There were multiple hotels, shops, and relaxation facilities all across the island with some movies also being shot at key locations recreated from Earth. Shigeru drove alongside the roadway with a pair of sunglasses on and the wind whipping from his hair.

"Shigeru! Why did you bring us? This could be a super big flag for you." Riha yelled from the passenger seat while both her hands were tightly grabbing the seatbelt. She let out a small scream while the jeep left the ground for a moment.

Shigeru glanced out the corner of his eye to see Riha frightened posture, and chuckled. "Actually I thought this might be another publicity stunt, but when your indebted to someone you have to pay them back..."

Reimi sat in the back seat with one ear bud in her ear, and a frown growing on her face. "You have to be kidding me! Shigeru, you have a chance that most guys would kill to be in. Sheryl Nome isn't just doing this for publicity. I think she may have a genuine..."

Shigeru turned the radio up, and held his hand to his ear. "What did you say Reimi? I can't hear you."

Reimi too in a deep breath, "I said!"

Shigeru turned the music louder, causing her frown to grow larger.

"Whatever I don't care anymore!"

-###-

At the parking lot to the beach there were already a pair of cars that had arrived. Sheryl was sitting in a luxury vehicle with the windows at a full tint while across from them stood Alto, Michael, Luca, and Klan.

Alto wore a simple pair of shorts, and a tee shirt while leaning against the side of the rental vehicle. "So, why did we get invited? Did you see the fairy's face when we showed up?"

Michael tucked his glasses into a case, and laughed. "Well from what Shigeru said he wanted us to come so we had a chance to unwind. It also seems that Sheryl wanted him to see her in that swimsuit. It was pretty risqué..something that Klan couldn't pull off in her micron form."

Klan quickly tapped Michael on the back of the head with a baseball bat, and growled. "Shut it, it's not often that we get to come to Island Four and enjoy the resorts."

Michael rubbed the back of his head, and growled. "Hey you should cut out the hitting heads Klan!"

Luca held his hands up and sighed, "Come on guys, we can't act like this around Sheryl. We're guests here."

Klan scoffed, "Well that is if some people don't make fun of peoples genetic deficiencies."

Michael leaned down to Klan, and grinned. "Maybe some people should just accept the gene therapy and fix that deficiency!"

Alto shook his head, and looked over at the ocean crashing against the white sand of the private beach rented by Sheryl. "It's really peaceful here. It's going to be a nice refresher from all the aptitude tests I had to do."

Luca turned away from Michael and Klan's quarrel, and nodded. "It only begins from there, there is going to be extensive flight training in a simulator before you can get a chance behind the 25 again."

Alto held his hand out and grasped at the air. "I'm going to pilot that machine again, and finally be able to fly without a ceiling."

Luca smiled, "I hope your training goes smoother than mine did."

Alto paused, "Is the simulator that bad?"

Luca poked his fingers together, "Michael will probably be training you since he is the second-in-command. He likes to turn up the difficulty without telling you so watch out for it." His eyes went wide, and he smiled. "Hey how about you ask Shigeru to give you pointers!"

Alto shrugged his shoulders, "I could ask him, but I wouldn't want to bring work up when were supposed to be out here relaxing."

-###-

"That boy with the long hair is also very cute. You should pursue him and leave that hybrid cutie to me."

Talia looked out the window of the limousine at Alto talking to Luca, and gave Sheryl a huge smile.

Sheryl let out a sigh, and looked down at her swimsuit. "It took me four hours to find the best one, and have it tailored to me. What does that idiot do? Go ahead and invite all his sisters, and the acrobats from the concert."

Talia pouted for a second, "Um Sheryl, did you hear me? You should go after that feminine looking boy, and leave Shigeru to me."

Sheryl glared over at Talia, "I don't know what you're talking about? I'm not chasing after that fool! Aren't you supposed to be on guard duty here?"

Talia waved her hand nonchalantly, "Nothing bad is going to happen here. Also would you like me to call Brera?"

Sheryl shook her head, "No, Brera would stick out like a sore thumb here." She looked at the jeep pulling up to the curbside, and adjusted her sunglasses at the sight of Shigeru. "He's finally here. Let's go."

-###-

Shigeru parked the jeep a few spaces away from the others, and turned off the engine before slowly getting out of the driver's seat. He looked over at Riha silently saying a prayer that they arrived safely, and glanced to Reimi who had started to unload the beach gear. "It's been so long since I've seen this place. The crisp air is so great..."

Reimi smiled while motioning for Riha to help her pull the large cooler off the back of the jeep. "Yeah, mom and papa always bring us to the resort across the bay during the summer."

Riha frowned, "Yeah, it's fun for Reimi at the least. Are you going to sit in the jeep or help us unload this stuff?"

Shigeru rubbed the back of his head, and leaped out of the jeep. "Sorry..." He let out a small laugh, and waved over to the group approaching them. "Yo..."

Michael held up his hand in a simple gesture, while Luca walked over to help Reimi unload some of the other items. Klan walked over to Riha and patted her on the head. Alto walked to the edge of the parking area, and leaned on the railing facing the ocean.

The group had all started to unload the items from the back of the jeep, and with a bag full of two ripe watermelons Shigeru crossed over to Alto. "So, I heard from a songbird that you've formally enlisted into SMS."

Alto let out a small nod, "I didn't understand it at first, but I guess you really deserve a thank you." He turned around and extended his hand for a handshake.

Shigeru accepted the handshake, and placed his shoe on the base of the railing. "Yeah, things progressed quickly. When do you begin training?"

"Hey you guys we're going to get set up!" Reimi yelled over to both Alto and Shigeru.

Alto pushed off the railing, and held his hand out for the watermelons. "I'll take them to the group." He glanced over his shoulder to see Sheryl walking with her bodyguard. "You probably have something to explain to her." He paused, "I start flight training in a few days, and my graduation if I make it is going to take place during the Miss Macross Pageant."

Shigeru handed the watermelons over to Alto, and started to walk over to the pair of women. His eyes immediately turn over to catch the rather revealing two piece worn by Talia. Her body was slightly more mature than Sheryl's while she had a tattoo sleeve running down her left arm. Her eyes met him, and a smile appeared on her face. "Hey, I'm sorry, but I had to invite everyone. You don't get a chance for a break like this until the summertime."

Sheryl pulled off her sunglasses, and looked at the group setting up on the beachside. "For a person that owes me a favor you really don't understand do you."

Shigeru bowed his head, "I'm sorry..."

Sheryl glanced over at Talia, and held her hand out to her. "I think you met her before. This is Talia Eifman my bodyguard from Crescent Tactical Solutions."

Talia winked at Shigeru, "Yeah, it's nice to finally meet you when we're not pointing our guns at each other Captain Kudo."

Shigeru's eyes narrowed for a second at Talia, and he slowly exhaled calming himself down. "Yeah...it's a pleasure. So before the press shows up and starts to take pictures what do you want to do?"

Sheryl paused for a moment, "There is a particular part of this beach that I want to see. Apparently it's a recreation of the Mayan Island village."

Shigeru smiled, "Sure, I've actually never bothered to see it even though I used to live here." He turned to Talia, "Are you going to join us?"

Talia shook her head, and motioned over to the nearby bar. "I'm going to have a few drinks. So enjoy your little time away." She looked down at Shigeru with a scary look on her face. "However, I do have great hearing so don't try anything illicit...or I mean don't do it in public okay?"

Sheryl's face went blank while hearing Talia's words. She could barely respond, only to feel Shigeru grab hold of her hand, and start walking off towards the structures down the beach.

Shigeru looked at Sheryl with a smile on his face. "As much as I would like to enjoy playing on our Galactic Fairy, we should proceed to enjoy our day out here."

Sheryl snapped out from the shock of Talia's comment, and slowly her cheeks began to flush red from Shigeru leading her. "I can walk without you holding...holding my hand okay?" She pulled her hand away from his, and walked a few paces ahead of him. "You said you've never seen the place right? How do you know the way?"

Shigeru placed his hands into the pocket of his trunks, and grinned. "Lead on then." He let out a devious smirk. "So why did you invite me to the beach alone in the first place? You know that the press would sniff it up quickly."

Sheryl paused, "Yes...and was inviting all those people...a cover?"

Shigeru nodded, "Yeah, I've learned a-lot of tricks in the art of misdirection."

Sheryl let out a smile, "I've met Reimi before, but the other one the much smaller one. Is she one of your sisters as well?"

Shigeru crossed over to the tide rolling across the wet sand. He let the water wash over his feet, and nodded. "I have three sisters, Reimi, Riha, and Airi..."

Sheryl ran her hand across her chin, "Where is your other sister?"

Shigeru glanced up at the ceiling of Island Four. "She's rather rebellious like I was when I left the colony. Unlike joining the military like I did, she bought a camera, and is probably taking pictures at various planets across the galaxy. I was shocked at first, but she's really good at photography."

Sheryl walked over to the edge of the water, and smiled. "Your family has a lot of potential. Did I mention you were right about your mother. I went to visit her, and let me tell you something she thought I was asking for you."

Shigeru started to chuckle, "Yeah, that sounds a lot like her. My mother likes to do things like that, but if she asked you then she must have already analyzed your DNA."

Sheryl's face turned red and waved her hands dismissively. "It has no bearing on that whatsoever." She turned away to regain her composure, and asked a quick question to change the flow of their conversation. "So the Miss Macross Pageant is happening soon, will you be able to attend it?"

Shigeru shook his head, "I doubt it, not many of us get a day off on important events like that. I had to trade a bunch of days in order to visit my sister on my first day colony-side."

Sheryl frowned slightly, and motioned for them to continue down the beach. "That is disappointing..." She adjusted the earrings on her right ear, and let out a sigh.

"Now that I think of it you always wear those earrings. Are they important?"

Sheryl touched the earring, and nodded. "Yes, these belonged to my mother...and before that my grandmother. They are my most cherished possession."

The village started to come into sight with several people visiting the tourist trap at the same time.

Shigeru started to walk head of Sheryl, and he paused for a moment with his smile growing. "You've been asking me a lot of questions, and know a great deal about my family now. I don't know much about you. You said your earrings belonged to both your mother and grandmother."

Sheryl let out a soft nod while her eyes let out a sorrowful glint within. "I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to feel this way when I'm supposed to entertain you."

Shigeru could get the gist of Sheryl's family by her tone alone. It was rare to hear the proud Sheryl sound genuine and that alone made him seal his mouth about continuing the subject. "I understand...so shall we go ahead and visit the village?"

-Flashback-

Alto sat underneath the beach umbrella while looking at the others play around with a beach ball. The heat here was just perfect, and the whole situation seemed to be out of some novel. His eyes however often drifted to the other guest, Sheryl's bodyguard Talia who had taken it upon herself to nap after drinking several alcoholic beverages. Alto thought to himself contemplating the reasons why Ranka didn't want to come to the beach with everyone.

It had been weeks since the attack, but Ranka seemed to have not recovered enough from the shock following the attack. Alto could remember his chat with Ozma when he was chosen to deliver the invitation to her.

Alto knocked on the doorway with an envelope in hand, and a few beads of nervous sweat rolling down his forehead. He remembered what Ozma said to him a few days ago, and it felt even more like he was asking Ranka out for a date. He waited for what felt like an eternity and when the door opened the anxiety grew while Ozma stood in the doorway with his wound completely recovered from the attack.

"What do you want Saotome? Ranka doesn't want to see anyone at the moment."

Alto tightened his grip on the invitation, and slowly raised it. "I know that Ranka is going through some things, but Shigeru thought it would be good for her to come to the beach. The sun, friends, and the water could calm her down."

Ozma looked at the letter, and motioned for Alto to come inside. "There is a few things that I'll tell you about Ranka, and also now that you are in SMS you'll be privy to some information."

Alto gave Ozma an odd stare, and followed his 'commander' into the house. It was a nice two story home decorated to what one would see a bachelor have around his home. It was tidy of course quite possibly due to Ranka's influence. Alto sat himself down on the nearby couch, while Ozma took the recliner across from him.

"Ranka has had somewhat of a tiring childhood. She was on the 117th Long Distance Research Fleet when the chaos happened."

Alto's eyes went wide while he remembered the disastrous event. "You mean the fleet that was lost due to a fold malfunction?"

Ozma shook his head, "It wasn't a malfunction, the things that attacked the other day. Those were the cause of the fleet's destruction. I was there as a pilot in the fleet's defense garrison. Those things came destroying everything, and even our strongest weapons were unable to push them back. It was on that day that Ranka not only lost her mother, but her brother as well. To a little girl that was too traumatic for her to handle." He leaned back in the chair, and glanced at the ceiling fan. "When we arrived on Frontier, Ranka had no-one to take care of her. I took her in, but she was diagnosed with dissociative amnesia. She doesn't remember much about that attack, but when they arrived...all those suppressed memories surfaced, and she barely could hold it together."

Alto looked at his bandaged hand, and nodded. "That's why Ranka was shaking all the way to the hospital. She was trying to be strong enough to follow Shigeru's orders."

Ozma let out a small nod, "That's because Shigeru was inside the escape pod with Ranka. It's strange to say, but I think they both are dealing with the trauma in their own ways. Ranka has locked herself in her room, and Shigeru is singlehandedly fighting them tooth and nail."

Alto placed the invitation on the table, and glanced up at the stairwell. "It doesn't matter, this invitation still stands if Ranka wants to come. She's a precious friend to all of us, and please tell her that all of our thoughts are with her." He glanced down at his watch, and got up from the seat. "I have to complete an assessment in the next hour. Thank you for telling me Captain Ozma."

Ozma grinned, "I'm not your captain just yet. You have to pass your flight training in order to be formally attached to my squad."

Alto shook his head, "It's not going to matter, I'm going to break through every obstacle in my path."

-Island Four Mayan Resort-

There was a small crowd around the pair while they attempted to make their way through the gift shop. Despite the sunglasses and the sunhat, it was impossible for Sheryl to mask her identity to the people of Frontier. There were journalists and photographers all over the resort taking pictures of the pair while they appeared to be on a date.

Shigeru kept his distance from Sheryl, but he wasn't completely blind that some of the press were getting a bit too close to her. He ended up being somewhat akin to a bodyguard for her having photographers delete photos under the threat of legal action from not only Sheryl, but the entire Falkheim Foundation.

It took only minutes, but it seemed that the paparazzi had stopped for the moment documenting Sheryl and Shigeru's escapade in the Mayan Village. Sheryl sat quietly at a table jotting down lyrics and singing a very familiar tune.

A brief amount of light begins to glow within Sheryl's earrings.

Shigeru's eyes narrowed at the sound, and slowly he feigned a smile while handing over one of two ice cream cones to Sheryl. "That's a beautiful song, I swear I heard it before. Where did you learn that?"

Sheryl shook her head, and licked a bit of the cone. "You're probably mistaken, not many people know this song. My grandmother was the one who taught it to me before my family lost contact with her."

Shigeru nudged the chair out with his sandal covered foot, and positioned it towards the ocean. "Who was your grandmother?"

Sheryl stopped writing the song, and put the pen down. "My grandmother was Mao Nome, a very important figure in the Mayan Island incident, and a great scientists in the years after."

"Then it's no mistake..." Shigeru started to nibble at the waffle cone, and glanced over his shoulder. "Your grandmother was one of the many lives lost during the de-fold incident onboard the 117th fleet right?"

Sheryl's eyes widen while the pen started to roll down the table side. "How do you know this?"

Shigeru exhaled softly, "I thought that your security people would have accessed my private history already." He cleared his throat, "I was one of the survivors from the fold accident that took out the flagship, and all the ships caught in the wake. I don't really remember much from those days, but if you want to know specifics about your grandmother I was aware that she and my mother were close."

Sheryl lowered her head slightly, and thought about her last meeting with Eridase. "I see...your mother is far too intense for me to ask of something like that."

Shigeru shrugged his shoulders, "I don't think that is true Sheryl. If you asked her about your grandmother instead of anything else I'm pretty sure she would open up to you." He got up from the chair, and motioned to the direction across the bay. "We should get back to the others before they think we've eloped."

Sheryl grabbed her half written lyrics, and scoffed. "I would have to suffer head trauma to even be remotely interested in doing that with you. You think too highly of yourself to be in my company so easily."

Shigeru kept quiet, and walked ahead of Sheryl towards the location where the rest of the group was.

-###-

In the distance, Klan wobbles about with a blindfold on her head, and the baseball bat in her hands trying to smash the watermelon in the center of the group. Everyone tells her directions while she misses the watermelon by inches.

Reimi let out a small laugh, and slowly turned to her side to spot Ranka standing a few feet away. "Ranka? You decided to come!"

Michael put his glasses on and nodded. "It seems that you did drop off the invitation. You actually can follow orders Alto."

Alto glared over with his arms crossed over his chest, "Shut up..." He walked over to Ranka, and patted her on the shoulder. "It's nice to see you..."

Ranka's face turned red while she tried to look away. "Thank you..." She looked around to see Talia sleeping under the umbrella with a half consumed bottle of expensive liquor beside her, and then over to Riha. "Where is Shigeru? Wasn't he the one that organized it?"

Riha shrugged her shoulders, "He went off to the Mayan Island village across the bay with our benefactor the great Sheryl."

Ranka let out a loud gasp, "Are you serious? I thought that it was all tabloid news that they were." She turned to Reimi and grabbed her hands. "This is a big scandal. I thought Shigeru was attracted to Zentradi girls."

Reimi frowned slightly, "Seems my brother doesn't discriminate now, but those two are taking their sweet time getting back here."

Ranka walked over to the set of beach towels set under the umbrella, and placed her bag down. "I forgot how nice it was here."

Reimi nodded, "The fresh air is great especially after all that has happened." She paused, "Speaking of which the Miss Macross Pageant is happening soon. Did you finally get your acceptance letter?"

Ranka pulled a folded letter from her bag, and handed it over to Reimi. "I almost wanted to not try this year..." She glanced over at the waves crashing in the distance, and held her hands over her chest. "However something deep inside keeps telling me to do this. I can't explain it..."

Riha looked over at Alto in the distance running away from Michael, and Klan. "Is it because of Alto?"

Ranka's face turned red while she gasped loudly. "No...it's not because of Alto..."

Reimi placed her hand on her little sister's shoulder, and frowned. "Don't tease Ranka about him..." She looked at Ranka with her eyes narrowed. "Did you lose some weight? I guess I'll have to help design a unique outfit for you to sing in."

Ranka turned pale for a moment, and turned away shyly. "I did skip a few meals, but I don't need a unique outfit. I think my regular clothes will be fine."

Riha crossed her arms over making an X. "Nope, you'll need to be super flashy since you don't have huge ones like my sister does." She pointed at Reimi's abundant chest, and sighed.

Reimi's face turned red while she gasped, "Hey, not everyone goes after sex appeal." She nervously looked Ranka. "It's not going to be like that Ranka! I'm going to make you look super cute."

Ranka pouted, "I guess there is no reason to convince you..." she sat herself down on the towels, and let out a deep sigh. "I do need help figuring out what songs to sing. I was thinking of singing some of the classics."

"Hey, it looks like those two are finally back!" The girls look over at Shigeru walking ahead of Sheryl in the distance, and smiles flash on their faces.

-###-

Meanwhile in a world completely made up of virtual data, three silhouettes look at the data coming from the Frontier.

"So it seems that Frontier was given H-Y Type Reaction Warheads as well. It seems that the ISC is catching wind about what we are doing." A female voice echoes from a blue colored avatar.

"The Fold Wave data we got from the concert were higher than ones that took place on Galaxy. We need to find out what is amplifying our doll's Fold Factor." A grizzled husky sounds voice echoed from a glowing red avatar.

"I believe it has to do with the survivors of the 117th Fleet." A few windows display showing the profiles of Eridase, Shigeru, and Ranka in front of the beings known as the Triad. "Doctor Eridase Falkheim-Wilder was a major researcher in genetic manipulation, and it is due to her research that our doll hasn't succumbed to Type-V yet." The last avatar a purplish black orb pulsated, and continued to speak. "Her Son Shigeru is a mystery to us, and despite our attempts to uncover the data lock out on his history pre-117th Fleet we view him as a potential sample."

"The last sample is Ranka Lee, the daughter of the ill fated Doctor Ranshe Mei. The blood data we hacked from Frontier's medical service was quite enlightening. We will be able to monitor her Fold Wave data using the Miss Macross Pageant being held in less than a month. If our assumptions are correct we will have an unbreakable replacement for our doll Sheryl Nome."

The Triad chuckles in unison, and slowly they disappear one after the other.