SATURN

"Officer on the deck!"

The pilots in the wardroom fell silent and snapped to attention. Ranma picked up the glass of water from his desk and upended it over her head.

"The slingshot maneuver two weeks ago was successful enough that it shaved a month off of our overall travel time. The CO has decided that it's worth repeating.

"We are now approaching the planet Saturn. The Macross with attempt a slingshot of the planet. Since Saturn is much larger than Uranus, and has a correspondingly higher gravity, we should get a better boost from it. We will not be attempting this maneuver with Jupiter, as it is too far out of arc.

"Angel Squadron will be running interference for the slingshot. We'll be flying through the rings of Saturn. That means a lot of rocks. Yeah, they look real pretty from a distance, but up close, it's not gonna be pleasant. So look sharp out there. We'll be working in conjunction with Skull Squadron, Green Squadron and Blue Squadron--"

SNAP

"Something you want to add to this briefing, Lieutenant?"

Tendo Akane dropped the two pieces of her pencil. "No, sir."

Saotome grinned. "Don't worry, last I heard, Kuno's in the clink."

A chuckle went around the room. Most of the women present had had to fend off Kuno at one point or another.

"Right. Suit up and get ready to launch."

Sergeant Amy Clark, Angel Two, finished her pre-flight, and began taxiing her fighter towards the catapults. Her suit was environmentally sealed, of course, which meant that there was no way for her to wipe the sweat off the palms of her hands. The Flight Net visual flickered, and the CO's helmeted face appeared in the monitor.

"Ready to party, Clark?"

"Uh...yeah. I mean, yes, ma'am."

"Nervous?"

"Ah...yes, ma'am."

"Good. This is your first real mission. We're hopin' for no enemy contact, but if it happens, be ready for it. Stay nervous; it'll help keep you alive. Just remember, though: Your best friend is your jet. Trust in your bird, and it will not let you down."

"Aye, sir."

The CO chuckled. "Don't worry, Clark. The odds are really against our running into bad guys. Skull has a further perimeter to patrol than us, so any aliens that want to party will hit their pickets first."

"Ah...thank you, ma'am."

"Oh, and by the way. Your simulator scores showed a lot of improvement, and your handling of the bird has come a long way. Of the entire team, you've shown the most improvement overall. So I've put myself on your wing for this sortie."

"Ma'am, do you mean I'm wing commander for this sortie?"

"Yep. I'm retaining flight and squadron leader, but I am on your wing, and not the other way around. So don't disappoint me, got it?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Ranma clicked off the Tac Net and grinned to herself. What she hadn't told Clark - and wouldn't, not now and not ever - was that the wingman took the majority of the beating in a real firefight. Clark had improved, but was nowhere near as good as Akane or even Kanzaki. But Ranma recognized that she could improve still further, especially after being blooded.

I just gotta give her a chance to keep on improvin'.

The Tac Net squawked on audio. "Angel One, Macross. Your flight has been demoted to Alert Five Status. Clear the catapults."

Ranma scowled. The voice was that of Lieutenant Grant, commo officer and second officer of the Macross' naval compliment. Ranma slapped open the Tac Net command channel. "Macross, Angel One. What the hell is going on?"

"Angel One, Macross. Skull Squadron has reported contact with alien battle pods in the rings of Saturn. Blue is now scrambling to intercept, on orders of Colonel Maistroff."

Ranma growled. Maistroff was an RDF Colonel, not actually part of U.N. Spacy Chain of Command at all. "And where the hell is Commander Hayes? Why is an RDF officer directing this operation?"

"Angel One, Macross. Commo protocol, Angel One. Commander Hayes is not available at this time."

Ranma cursed, then opened the net. "Macross, Angel One. Angel Squadron confirms Alert Five. Blue Leader, this is Angel One. Good Hunting."

"Angel One, Blue Leader. My thanks to thee, pigtailed goddess."

"HUH? Kuno, thought you were off the flight list."

"Nay, though the evil Saotome thought to place me in an incriminating situation, the forces of law and order saw through his vile scheme and, recognizing my virtuous nature and skill in battle, returned me to active duty. Didst not that vile cur, Saotome Ranma of the thrice-cursed Skull Squadron, deliver my missive to thee? Thou didst not appear at the appointed time and place."

"Blue Leader, Macross. Get off the net and get airborne."

"Macross, Blue Leader. Aye."

Ranma jumped out of the Valkyrie's cockpit the moment she finished taxiing. She pulled off her helmet and stormed out of the hangar.

Commander Hayes met up with her at the hangar's hatch. "Captain Saotome! Please, I need to tell you--"

"What the hell just happened, Commander? Why were we pulled off the cats? And who the hell does Colonel Maistroff think he is? He violated chain of command! Why was he giving orders to Valkyrie pilots? Why was he even on the bridge? What was Grant thinkin', even listening to him? What could a Ground Forces Colonel possibly-"

"Atten-SHUN!"

Ranma involuntarily snapped to attention, and just as involuntarily shut up.

"Now then. I am not prepared to tell you why Maistroff was in command during your flight's duty. Sorry, but that information is classified. Suffice it to say that Captain Gloval's attention, and my own, were needed elsewhere. I will tell you, however, that I'm not pleased with it. A mud-mover, commanding a ship of the line! Second, I don't know why he scrubbed your launch, so I can't tell you that either."

"Can't or won't?"

"I swear to you, Ranma, that if I knew, I would tell you, classified or no. But Maistroff did not give any reason for scrubbing your team. My guess, however, is their lack of experience."

"Dammit, Commander, how the hell are my girls gonna get the experience if they never see action? They need combat time!"

Hayes scowled. "Are you that anxious to have your people killed?"

Ranma flushed. "No. But look. These girls have been trained and polished. They are a fighting team now, a damned good one. I'd put them up against Skull any day of the week. But you can only learn so much, can only get so good during peacetime operations. You know and I know that the only way we're gonna win this one, the only chance we have of getting home, is the Valkyrie pilots. You need every one you can get. And you got eighteen of them sittin' here doin' nothin'."

"Ranma, this bothers me as much as it does you, okay? Don't razz me on this one."

"Look, we were scrubbed. And that Uranus mission, we were slated for deep recon, and we got close patrol. This time, we got to be deck ornaments. You scrub us again, and my girls are gonna get real mad. You tell this to whoever it is who puts these flight schedules together. You do this to us again, and your little project here is toast."

"I'm on your side, Captain. Believe me." Commander Hayes sighed. "We're all trying to do our best. Keep the faith, okay?"

Ranma sighed, and nodded.

Ranma walked into the White Dragon, still in his female form. She dropped into a chair at the Skull Squadron table. Skull was still out there, mopping up bandits and paving the road for the Macross, so for the moment, she had the table to himself.

Minmei walked over with a small teapot and set it down in front of Ranma.

"Huh? I didn't order tea."

"It's just hot water."

"Oh, thanks."

"No problem. Mind if I sit with you?"

"Go ahead."

Minmei sat down opposite him as she poured the contents of the teapot over her - now his - head.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Minmei had a pen in hand and a sheet of paper in front of her, and was scratching something out. "I'm writing a song. I've gotta have a talent to show off for the beauty pageant, and I always loved to sing."

"Yeah? I don't really sing much...used to a bit, though. Wait - you mean you're in this Miss Macross pageant?"

"Yes! I'm sure I can win!" Minmei beamed.

Ranma cracked a grin. "The girls in my squadron got funny on me. They signed me up in my female form."

"Well, don't worry. You aren't going to win."

"Gee, thanks."

The bells rang as the door to the restaurant opened. Ranma glanced up to see Kasumi, Akane's older sister, coming into the restaurant.

"Hi, Kasumi!"

"Hello, Ranma! I'm glad I found you here." Minmei hopped up and Kasumi took the seat across from Ranma. "I need to talk to you about your father."

"Oh, no." Ranma rolled his eyes. "What's he done now?"

"Well, it seems he's insisting on moving into our house. We have a spare room now, since when the house was rebuilt, Akane got her own room. But now she stays at the barracks, and your father insists that he should get that room."

"Stupid old man. Let me deal with him."

"Thank you, Ranma."

"Ranma! Prepare to die!"

Ranma's head swiveled fast enough to give him whiplash, to see Hibiki Ryouga approaching, umbrella on high. He jumped up and kicked the umbrella out of Ryouga's hand.

"Dammit, Ryouga, Kasumi's not a martial artist. You got a problem with me, we can take it outside."

"Fine! Your days of running are over, Ranma!"

The two combatants faced each other in the middle of the street outside the White Dragon. Minmei and Kasumi stood at the door of the restaurant.

"Now, Ranma, you'll pay for making my life a living hell!"

"Yeah, whatever, Ryouga. Let's go."

Ryouga launched himself into the air, aiming the tip of the umbrella at Ranma's head. Ranma dodged the attack, then launched a series of snap-kicks at Ryouga's torso. Ryouga blocked most of them, but Ranma felt at least two solid hits connect. He followed up with two snap-punches to the head.

Ryouga collapsed backward, falling onto the road. Ranma dusted off his hands. "That's that."

"Not so fast, Ranma."

"Huh?"

Ranma watched in amazement as the Lost Boy staggered back to his feet. "I am not yet defeated." Ryouga pulled off his bandanna - revealing another underneath - and snapped it in his hand. The bandanna stiffened, becoming a cloth blade. Ryouga threw the bandanna, spinning, at Ranma's head.

"Yow!" Ranma dodged the bandanna, then felt another wrap around his wrist. He looked down, and saw that the second bandanna had a rope attached. Ryouga was just finishing tying the rope to his own wrist.

"Now you won't be running anymore."

"Are you insane? Is that your problem?" Ranma jumped towards Ryouga, foot extended. Ryouga parried, then swung his massive umbrella at Ranma. Ranma dodged, and was amazed to see the umbrella smash through a concrete lamppost. He kicked the umbrella, and watched it go flying across the road.

Ryouga pulled off three more bandannas, and sent them whirling towards Ranma. Ranma dodged them, then to his horror realized that Minmei and Kasumi lay in their path.

"You two! Move, quick!"

Even as he yelled, the girls were scattering. The bandannas embedded themselves into the front of the restaurant.

"All right! That's it!"

Ranma closed quickly, and lashed out with fist, elbow and knee. Ryouga staggered back, gasping for air, and collapsed. Ranma untied the rope at his wrist, then walked over and picked up Ryouga, slamming him against the restaurant wall.

"You get this straight, Lost Boy. You can attack me, or any member of the U.N. Spacy. We can take care of ourselves. Roy and Kramer proved that on your carcass, but good. But don't ever attack those girls, or anyone like them, as long as I'm around. And I wouldn't recommend doin' it if there's any other soldiers around. Got it, numbskull?"

Ryouga nodded, hate smouldering in his eyes.

"Fine." Ranma dropped him, then turned back towards the restaurant door. "I'm starved. You girls want anything?"

"Oi, old man!" Ranma banged on the door of the apartment. "We gotta talk!"

The door opened, and Genma looked out. "What do you want?" he snapped.

"Hey, what's eatin' you?"

"What's eating me is that you have not come to visit me, have in fact ignored me and missed a great deal of practice, ever since you joined the U.N. Spacy. And I know that the only reason you have for being here at this time is that Kasumi asked you to interfere on her behalf."

Ranma darked. "Look, oyaji, you got a place here, okay? U.N. Spacy gives it to you, free of charge, even gives you meal tickets. I know that the twenty hours of community service has gotta really hurt you, since it means work, but-"

"Ranma! You have gone against your father's wishes in every way! You have abandoned the Art, betrayed your family, joined the army, and refused to honour your family's commitments!"

"Look! I have not abandoned the Art! I still practice every day, and I've been in a few battles and won handily every time! I have not betrayed my family! I'm just tryin' to help out the Tendos. They have enough problems without you. You yourself said that joinin' U.N. Spacy was okay. And what commitments exactly am I not honouring?"

"When do you intend to wed Tendo Akane?"

"Once both of us finish our tour of duty! Now that I've answered all your stinkin' questions, I gotta go."

"You going to the beauty pageant?"

"Yeah, and I only got another hour to register."

Genma scowled. "...Register? Surely you are not entering the contest?"

"Well, yeah. Bit of a challenge, between me and my flight leaders."

"Ranma. Come inside for a moment. This is very important."

"Huh? Okay..."

Ranma walked into the apartment. He looked around - this was the first time he'd ever been in his father's apartment. The room held a futon, a low table, and a few odds and ends. His father rummaged around in his old backpack, eventually producing a small wooden box. He opened the box, pulled out a scroll, and handed it to Ranma.

"Read this."

Ranma unrolled the scroll - it was fairly yellowed, but not particularly old. "'I, Saotome Genma, being of sound mind and body' - yeah, right - 'do hereby take solemn oath to raise my son, Saotome Ranma, to be a true master of the Saotome School of Indiscriminate Grappling, and a man among men, to be judged by Saotome Nodoka, and also swear that should I fail, both myself and Ranma shall give our lives in apology for our failure.'"

The scroll was signed by Genma, and also held a small handprint.

"Who's Saotome Nodoka? An Elder of the Clan?"

"Not exactly. She's your mother."

"...my mother? My mother? You told me she was dead!"

"Well, she's not. Now you think about this. If you enter this contest - as a girl! - and your mother hears about it, what's she gonna think?"