Episode 10: First Contact
As the concert start, a lone Messiah unit flew a little bit further from the other. Inside the red unit, Kazumi watched as his fellow pilots deploy a multitude of triangular drones from the leg compartment of their Siegfried. These drones are one of the feature that makes the Siegfried different from their Kairos counterpart. The boomerang-like drones flew towards Walkure, coming under their control from the moment the drones were activated. They sure have some fancy equipments.
The Delta Flight began taking their position, flying around the perimeter of the concert area. Once everyone is in position, the whole scenery changed as floating cubes appear in the air through the use of holographic projection. Inside the cubes are the Walkure in their Vor Stoß uniform.
'Genwaku sarete yurasarete
mouretsu GIG reboryuushon
kimi ni ai jerashii moodoresukyuu'
The five of them began singing and dancing in coordination. This is the first time Kazumi watched one of Walkure's concert live, one that is not done in the middle of the battlefield so that means they went all out with the special effect using the drones released earlier. Kazumi knew that those drones have holographic projector capability but to think it's this advanced, those things are really versatile.
'Chou ga shita wo dasu uzumaki wo nobasu isshun de kouzui
yami ga ochite kuru mae ni subayaku'
As the concert finally began in earnest, the audience cheered loudly in excitement while holding up their glowstick. He could see the light from up above. Now that he's watching their concert, he realized that they really are idols with fans from many star system. They don't look like it back on Ragna but now that he's seeing it with his own eyes, he's starting to realize that he really is working with idols.
Seeing them in their everyday life and wearing uniforms made him forget that they are idols, what with one being a mechanic and another being a genius hacker from what he heard. Their leader also act like a military officer, or a secretary. Their lead singer pointed a gun at his head. He hadn't seen their youngest member's daily persona but with all those combined, yeah, he could forget that they are actually an idol group.
'Torori torokesasechau wa
chirichiri chiguhagu sase na
nakunaku nagusamemasu wa
hirihiri hi wo tsukechatte
harari hajikete tondeke'
All five of them danced in harmony. They don't miss a beat and they didn't overlap with each other when singing unless intended. All five are perfectly coordinated, knowing which part is theirs individually and which part is meant to be sung as a group. They are professional idols who knew what they are doing.
'Jirettai jirettai
jirashitai jirasaretai
nozoite watashi no honshin
I-YA I-YA I-YA I-YA yo
genwaku sarete yurasarete
mouretsu GIG reboryuushon
kimi ni ai jerashii moodoresukyuu
massakasama massakasama'
The cubes would project one of them when it's their part and all of them when they sing together. Their dancing movement are so coordinated, and not only because of practice but also familiarity with each other. This is their stage, and all of them look so dazzling, so alive!
'Honrou sarete sarete mo
nenshou JAB rabu mooshon kimi to
ai datenshi shoudoukakokyuu
kyuu senkai kyuu senkai
Kazumi's eyes then went to the lead singer, the girl he was told to protect. The Star Singer look very lively compared to her usual reserved self as she sings together with her friends. Truly the stage is where she belongs. But that is obvious. Only such person can shake the very galaxy with their song. Like Lynn Minmay, like Nekki Basara and Mylene Jenius, like Sheryl Nome and Ranka Lee, like Mina Forte.
chouhatsu sarete midasarete
nekkyou GIG eboryushon
kimi ga ai tamashii moodoGet you'
The concert is going smoothly, much to Kazumi's delight. Which is why he is determined to keep it that way. Really, there are so many people in the galaxy that likes to interrupt concerts like these. It might not be all the time, but often enough to make him be on guard. Though he have his attention on the concert, his eyes are still watching the sky as well and his sensors are all working full time, though he doubt his sensors could pick things faster than Chuck's unit could.
Everything look perfect… but Kazumi has this nagging feeling that something is about to happen. Or maybe he is expecting something to happen. It won't be the first time that a concert like this came under attack. Walkure is a high-profile target, not to mention Mikumo's status as the Star Singer. It would in fact be strange if nothing happened with Mikumo out in the open. But if their opponents are black ops agent…
Kazumi pressed a few buttons on his console. A keyboard came out from a slot right above his right controller. He began typing on it and several screens appear on his monitor. He is watching the live security feed. There's a possibility that an enemy agent is watching from among the audience. Threats won't just come from the sky riding VFs. He need to keep a watchful eyes on the ground too.
His VF is equipped with extra programs and hardware to help him conduct his operations more smoothly. One such thing is access to security system he has a clearance on… or he can just hack them but that one is for emergency. Kazumi connect his VF to the concert venue's security system, making sure that nobody suspicious infiltrated the audience. His systems are working fulltime to show him the security feeds in the area around the venue.
This will be a long day.
"Gerald and Lilium had launched ma'am. Should we start the first phase?"
A young man who looks to be around nineteen years old with short black hair asked an older woman with long, curly brown hair with a scar running diagonally across her face. Both of them are dressed in civilian clothing and they are watching Walkure's concert venue from several kilometers away, far enough that Kazumi wouldn't notice them. The young man, Jack O'neil, is feeling quite eager to start.
"I suppose it's about time."
The woman nodded in agreement. Jack then pulled out a communicator to inform their commander that everything is ready. Once he had done so, the two of them went to where they stored their VF. Before they go though, the woman look up one last time at the bright red Messiah unit with a scowl adorning her face.
"We'll meet soon enough, captain."
Wynn D Fanchon swore to herself as she left the perimeter with her squadmate.
'Wynn has called. Everything is set. It's time.'
Mary informed her subordinates who nodded in response as they increase their flight speed, activating the thrusters in their super packs and wings that they did not use to maintain cruise speed. The two units are heading straight towards the planet where their target is currently in.
"We will be entering Al Shahal's airspace in a minute. Are you ready Gerald?"
The female of the two, a young woman around mid twenties with medium-length brown hair, ask her squadmate. Under the tinted helmet, a muscular man in his mid twenties with short blonde hair and a scar over his left cheek grinned as they approach the planet's defense fleet.
"Do you even have to ask, Lilium?"
Gerald Gendlin answered cheekily, making his squadmate, Lilium Wolcott sigh in exasperation at his attitude. Lilium is always the more serious of the two.
"Remember the mission. We are to TEST them ONLY."
Lilium emphasized the two keywords of the mission to her fellow pilot who rolled his eyes. Just because he like a good fight doesn't mean he'd jeopardize the mission, unlike a certain senior with anger issues. He knows when it's time he can have fun and when it's time for him to act seriously.
"Right. Anyway, are you sure this would work?"
Gerald asked his squadmate, making her sigh.
"You were there when we tested it. Alright, activate Fold Speakers!"
On cue, both pilots activated the miniaturized fold speakers attached to the underside of their unit's wings alongside with the fold wave projector attached to their super pack. Following that, they fire all their missiles all over the fleet. The micro missiles was fired towards the whole fleet. The ships' ciws opened fire to shot the missiles down. This is anticipated. That is why their units have been loaded with three times more micro missiles stored in disposable launchers throughout their super pack.
While Lilium is acting all calm, Gerald is crossing his fingers. He never did put much faith in the power of song. It doesn't make much sense to him. But then he is the kind of guy who only knew how to shoot. Just point him at the target and he'll do the job. His current job though involves no shooting, or at least shooting anything lethal.
The micro missiles they fired at the fleet are not loaded with explosive warhead. These missiles were loaded with speakers, and they have confimed that at least a third of the missiles have been lodged into the hull of of every ship in the fleet, which is not that many since Al Shahal lost a lot of their forces during the conflict with Windermere.
"Fold speakers are active. It's all yours commander."
Lilium reported. As if on cue, music began to blare throughout the battlefield coming from the speaker missiles and their own VF-29. The fleet is starting to mobilize their VFs but it's too late. Back in their ship, their commander is standing in front and under the bridge of Macross Styx. A pair of jewels hanging from her ears glitter as she took a deep breath… and began singing.
'You know how to get eternal life
In the center of the lightning-speed waltz
Feel your soul cut by a rusty knife
As you head down for the self destructive edge'
The moment Mary began singing, everyone in the fleet, from battleship crews to Valkyrie pilots, began to clutch their head in pain and stop fighting. Noticeable veins were seen on their faces, indicating that the Var syndrome have taken over. Though they knew and expected this to happen, Lilium and Gerald are still surprised that the song is actually working. Their commander is controlling the Var infected. Of course, there are those who are not affected but their numbers are very few and are immediately subdued by the var infected under Mary's command.
Using the data from Sharon Apple incident, Vajra War, and the Windermere conflict where songs have been used continuously to influence the mind of many species from humans, Zentran, to even other aliens, their forces have developed equipments utilizing fold technology to influence the masses using song.
It is still far from complete brainwashing but thanks to the data obtained from the Windermere conflict, especially pertaining the Wind Singer and Star Singer, they have managed to create a fold amplifier device that could control the var infected like Windermere could, although they can only do it by using special fold speakers at close range instead of from planets away but it is progress for them.
'Our satori is just floating in the core
Where we can spiritually go throught the door
We'll know how to get eternal life
While we catch the pulse from unknown satellites'
It took them less than five minutes to subjugate the whole fleet. With a forces of var infected ready to fight, they begin their operation to gauge the strength of Walkure and the Delta platoon. Sending the Valkyries and some ships down to the surface, Gerald and Lilium sat back and watch.
The concert had just begun with the end of the first song. The audience are cheering and everyone, including the Walkure, is in high spirit. It has been a while since he last watched a live concert, and it has been even longer since he last became a security guard in one. He is wishing that he's down there with the audience, listening and jumping to the rhythm of the song, but he has a job to do.
That was when he picked up something in his sensors. There's a spike in fold wave activity and it is not coming from the concert venue. Overpowering the sound coming from their speaker, a new music blared throughout the city, and it is a song that he recognized.
'You know how to get eternal life
In the center of the lightning-speed waltz
Feel your soul cut by a rusty knife
As you head down for the self destructive edge'
Information High, possibly the most recognizable of Sharon Apple's song. But the voice that is singing it is not Sharon Apple's. He doesn't know if that makes it better or not since he knew what Sharon Apple can do. Either way, someone is definitely interrupting Walkure's concert and he has a feeling that this is not Windermere's action.
"Shinomiya, what is happening?!"
Arad asked through the comm. Kazumi was about to reply when he had to force his unit to move by instinct. His sensors picked up several machines coming at high speed along with another reaction.
"Var! A var outbreak is happening!"
Kazumi said through the comm, surprising everyone. And this is not just a simple outbreak. It is artificially caused through numerous fold speakers throughout the city. How did they not notice this?! There are so many fold speakers that his radar is going crazy just from picking up their signals! How did someone set this up without anyone noticing?! This is all planned, there's no doubt about it!
'Our satori is just floating in the core
Where we can spiritually go throught the door
We'll know how to get eternal life
While we catch the pulse from unknown satellites'
"How can that be?! It's not even the Song of the Wind!"
Hayate yelled as he and the rest of the Delta platoon mobilize to take care of the var.
"It doesn't need to be the Song of the Wind. You just need a singer with high enough fold receptor value and the proper equipment to instigate a var outbreak."
Kaname explained. This gave all members of the Delta platoon a grim look. Kazumi in particular is getting a very bad picture of their situation and possibly, the enemy's intent, especially since they actually manage to pull it off. While Kaname made it sound like it is something simple, in reality, finding a singular diva with the ability to actually influence the fold bacteria to cause var is extremely hard. In reality, not even Walkure could do that singularly. Among them, the only ones who can are Mikumo and Freyja.
'If we get the transient facts
Then we feel the info-high
If we get the transient facts
Then we are really free
To fly high
In space'
'This is possibly a test. I've heard that many groups wanted to weaponize song after so many instances of songs changing the tides of battle throughout history but so far none have made any meaningful success, mostly because they always lack one key component that is extremely rare. A powerful songstress is extremely rare and nurturing their capability takes time. This enemy appear to have one though and this is bad.'
Kazumi thought as he dodged a shot from a var infected VF-171 and disable it with a single shot from his MDE cannon. Finding someone on the level of Kaname, Makina and Reina alone is already hard. To find someone on whose voice are on the same level as Mikumo or Freyja is near impossible without the hand of fate interfering. While he doubt that this singer is on the same level of Mikumo or Freyja, this singer is at least above the other Walkure in terms of fold receptor value. Maybe around Sheryl Nome's level, receptor value-wise. Though she doubts that this singer's singing skill is on the same level as the Galactic Fairy.
A few press of his unit's trigger and another enemy is disabled. He tries to aim for the wings and weapons, aiming to disable instead of killing. It's part of the problem with fighting var. He's not really willing to kill them unless he absolutely have to. He's got enough blood on his hand as it is. Fortunately, he is skilled enough to disable his enemies without putting himself into much danger.
The ace pilot then checked up on his fellow pilots. All of them also aim to disable instead of killing and they are good enough to be able to afford to do so. That's another piece of good news. Kazumi shot at another group of var infected approaching him using his MDE cannons and gunpod.
'We know how to get eternal high
In the center of the lightning-speed waltz
See our soul struggling to survive
As we head down for the self distructive edge'
Kazumi fly low when he saw more rampaging var infected pilots, both miclone and zentran. Three Glaug are shooting missiles all over the place and when they noticed him coming, they opened fire at him. Easily avoiding their shots in his fighter mode, he immediately transform to battroid mode once he reached the ground, using his thrusters to cover the remaining distance as he draw out his knives and disable the three Glaugs in close combat, cutting their legs and damaging their weapons as well as thrusters.
The ace pilot grins. Fighting Zentradi is much more straightforward than fighting a VF. When fighting a Variable Fighter, half the fight consists more of chasing and herding them than actually fighting. Against Zentran armors though, you just need to get close and fight them. Most VF are faster than most Zentran armors so getting closer is easy. The rest is more of a contest between each's combat skill.
Kazumi switched to gerwalk mode and was about to move on to another area when he noticed that a fold wave signal is coming from a nearby location. He turn to the next block where the signal came from and discovered one of the fold speakers attached on top of a tall building. He destroyed it before moving on to another location.
When he went up, he saw his fellow pilots easily taking care of the var infected. Some fold wave signals have also disappeared from his sensors. It seems that his fellow pilots are also destroying the fold speakers as they fight.
'Sayonara to intrusive noise
No more childish play and no more toys
We know how to get eternal life
While we feel and sense mother nature's strong might'
Hayate and Mirage, working together, quickly dispatched at least half a dozen units in an instant. No var infected units could stop the duo as they defend the concert venue where everyone is taking shelter alongside the Walkure. The duo have been sweeping the area around the stage. The two have decided to work on defense.
Chuck and Arad though are flying all over the place as if in random, that is until Kazumi realized that the two of them are aiming for the fold speakers while taking down whatever oppositions facing them. By now, around a third of the speakers have been destroyed. There's still more to go but the ones left are further outside the concert area.
At least the battle is progressing smoothly. Fighting var infected is not as hard as fighting a sane enemy. Their skill dropped considerably due to the virus' effect and became mere berserkers following their base instinct. They can still be dangerous but without proper tactics, these var infected are no threat to aces like him and the rest of the Delta platoon.
'If we get the transient facts
Then we feel the info-high
If we get the transient facts
Then we feel the info-high
If we get the transient facts
'Alright, let's clean up the fold speakers.'
Kazumi decided his next course of action as he head to the next speaker, shooting a pair of VF-171 sneaking behind him with his MDE cannons without looking. If they destroy all the speakers, Walkure can start singing and calm down the var infected without interference.
But still, Kazumi is worried. This new enemy have enough skill and resource to set up numerous fold speakers throughout Shahal City without anyone noticing and have access to a singer with high level of fold receptor value. Just what kind of opponent are they facing?
Then we feel the info-high
If we get the transient facts
Then we are really free
To fly high
In space'
While Kazumi is pondering about their current enemy, his sensors alerted him of of an incoming attack. He quickly roll to the left, allowing a beam to pass through his previous position and hitting a building not far behind him. This made him alert because that kind of shot was too well-placed to come from a var infected. That and there are not many units in Al Shahal that carry that kind of firepower.
Another shot came and this time he transformed his unit into battroid mode, taking the hit using his shield. He followed his instinct and shot at where the beam came from with his gunpod. He knew he missed. From the two shots alone, he knew that his opponent has some skill and definitely not a var infected. Then he saw it, a battroid flying in front of him. A pitch black unit that reminds him of an old group he was with several years ago. Not to mention that it is a familiar unit.
"A Durandal? Here in Al Shahal?"
The familiar form of VF-29 is aiming its rifle at him. It is a unit that should not be in Al Shahal. The Durandal is a limited production unit reserved for ace pilots and special force or large groups that can afford to manufacture or purchase one. That can only mean one thing. He had found the perpetrator behind this attack, or at least one of them.
From inside the cockpit of the VF-29, Wynn D Fanchon glared at the crimson VF-25S. Her finger hovered slightly above the trigger, ready to shoot at any moment. But she kept her calm. She knew that the Raven is a dangerous opponent and their objective right now is not to kill but gather data. She must focus.
"Hmph, let's see if you're still as good as you were back then, captain Shinomiya."
This... was supposed to come out last month but I couldn't get it right until now... well, to be honest, I'm still not quite sure about this episode but this version is the best I could make so far and it does have everything I need to make to continue the story but honestly, it's not very satisfying. I'll probably revisit this episode and make a 'remastered' version if I can make it better but for now, I think this will do.
Anyway, I mixed up a lot of things to make this scenario happen, making things similar to the first introduction of the Aerial Knights in the series but still very different to make it distinctive. For one thing, our friends in the Thanatos squadron is not using a protoculture ruin to control var. Instead, they use technology to simulate what Heinz did through the use of fold speakers. Those are a thing since we see a lot of their use in Macross 7 and some more fold technology that influence the mind in Frontier like the implants used on the Vajra. I was worried that I am taking so many liberties with the technologies but I'm sure that these are all actually possible since the base technology themselves have appeared in previous series. I also use Sharon Apple's famous song as a tribute and because when I wrote that part, Uta Macross was having the Information High song event and I managed to unlock both Excalibur and Strumvogel at the end of the event.
Now, there are several more changes I made compared to the previous first encounter. For one thing is that I no longer use codenames for the Thanatos squadron. I also make Wynn have more control over her emotion and will actually be a problem to Kazumi but that one can be seen later. As for the concert, I really couldn't write a concert in details but if anyone want to see what it looks like, it's basically the Walkure concert in the movie with the song 'Change!'. Or you guys can see the Uta Macross version of the concert, whichever works best.