Chapter XXI

Rick slowly moved to an adjacent chair as the guards took his half-sister away to her maximum-security quarters. He was barely aware of a presence next to him as he slowly sat down, crossed his arms, and laid his head down as if to ease a throbbing headache. Lisa moved to stand behind him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. She didn't know how or what to feel just at that moment, but she knew he needed that human touch.

Max looked across the room at Roy, who nodded slowly. "Rick, I'll take your squad up for their patrol next rotation," Roy said, softly and yet sternly. Sensing a protest from his little brother, he held up a hand to placate him as Rick lifted his head to glare. "You've been awake for three days at this point, your reflexes are shot. The last thing I need is you splattering yourself into an asteroid."

Rick sighed and looked away from Roy; he couldn't bear to look his Big Brother in the face at that moment. He had placed the trigger for Minmei's restraints in his coat pocket, and he could feel it bore into his chest. The weighty responsibility of holding another human being in perpetual limbo sank in and he felt his head swim as Roy led his squad from the room.

The exhaustion and weight of command fell heavily on his shoulders, and the bile started coming up his throat. Realizing he needed sleep, he attempted to stand up to go to his bunk, but stumbled against the table. Lisa got under his right arm and steadied him.

He looked at her, slightly stunned, and then kissed her cheek. Lisa, in return, kissed him full on the lips and led him, half staggering, to the door, and, after a short stagger to the lift, made sure he got back to his quarters two decks down. As they got past his doorway, he looked at her, grateful and exhausted, and mumbled, "Stay."

And Lisa, her heart full of emotion, stayed.

Meanwhile, back on Earth…

UN Headquarters, 0800 – Senator Russo stood, stoically withstanding the pain his recent injuries caused him, as he looked out the windows at the harbor vista beneath the United Earth Government headquarters. His right arm was in a sling, and his head was bandaged, but otherwise looked the picture of health, the symbol of resiliency in the face of abject treachery and destruction.

His injuries were, according to his official statement, a result of a turbulent helicopter ride during the debacle at Macross Island. He smiled grimly to himself, recalling how he had been injured in his fight with the late Donald Hayes during that ride, and he chuckled once, softly, recalling the demise of his rival. His wounds would speak to his bravery under duress, as well as generate sympathy, bolstering his image in the public mind. Less than 36 hours since the Macross Incident, as the UEG was referring to it as, the public was sad, upset, angry, and on edge all at once. He could not have concocted a scheme more perfect than this, the first step towards a new direction for humanity.

The waterfront was alive, crawling with tugs loaded with cargo containers and even larger vessels that were designed to carry military materiel. The UEG Omnibus, the most powerful carrier in the fleet, showed signs of sentience as the deck crew were guiding the pilots to safety on the deck, after long patrols over great distances. He smiled as they went about their business, efficient as always.

"The President will see you now," a bland, black-suited aide said, interrupting his thoughts. Russo paused, and then slowly turned towards the aide, whose eyes were hidden by dark sunglasses and whose expression betrayed nothing.

Russo smoothed his suit and tie, for the fifteenth time, as he paused momentarily before entering the Inner Office. "Mister President," he said in his practiced, charming manner, a look of concern and sadness occupying his face, "it is good to see you. How are you on this tragic day?"

The president, a slightly older politician from Japan, stoop shouldered and bespectacled, looked up warily at his visitor. "How can anyone be, Senator, when a hundred thousand souls disappear in an instant? The world wants answers, and I cannot give them what they want. Have we determined what happened yet?"

"I have heard from my sources inside the military that it was an experimental weapon that the traitorous officers on board had set off, destroying all aboard and everyone on the island," Russo replied off-handedly, grinning at the uniformed woman standing behind the president..

"How do you expect the people to believe that," the president retorted.

"The people will believe anything we tell them, Mister President," Russo answered, "if we find the right guilty party to attach blame to. And with Hayes and Gloval both gone, dirty traitors that they were, they provide the perfect scapegoats for this disaster."

The president's face was half outraged and half amused. "I knew you and Hayes had a dirty fallout, Senator, but to the planet, the man was, rather, is a hero. "

"Trust me, Mister President. You will find," Russo said, flashing a grin which the older politician found to be quite unsettling. "…I have my ways."

Oort Cloud, 2345 – Kim sat in the Captain's chair, staring at her feet against the gunmetal deck. She still felt very strange sitting there, even though it had become tradition for the watch officer to sit in the chair no matter who was commanding the watch; she felt like Captain Gloval was going to chase her out of it at any minute.

She began to review the events of the past eight days as the ship finished its daily orbit around the large planetoid they'd made their harbor. They named it Esperanza, an Earth word for hope. The amount of work they'd accomplished in the meantime was astonishing; the first bit of good news was that the captain's refugee census came back, and of the active-bodied work force that they rescued, approximately 4000 men and women, it was a 2/1 split between naval yard workers and recreational pilots. The pilots were mostly private contractors who were hired to fly dignitaries in from all over the world, though some were veterans of the Global Civil War.

They were able to rebuild some of Macross City in the giant hold; though much remained to be done, there were at least a few houses and some businesses and food stores that had been completed as the nucleus of their new existence. Minmei's family's Chinese restaurant was the hub of the new downtown, with the refugees looking to gather, eat and socialize without feeling confined.

Kim still had difficulty thinking positively about her fellow lieutenant, but the admiral had given them all orders, and despite Kim's personal opinions on what Minmei may or may not have done during the war, she would treat the young woman with kindness, respect, and courtesy, until given a reason not to.

In addition to rebuilding the city inside, they appropriated the naval facility and its work force, which shored up the damage and also repaired the Daedalus and Prometheus. The Chief Engineer also made the ships auxiliary flight decks, to launch and recover as many fighters at once as they could.

Not a bad start, Kim thought, though this is only supposed to be temporary; once we get back to Earth, we can get the civilians off on land again. She shook herself out of her reverie as a pair of booted feet came into her view. "Chief Johnson, I presume," she grinned, standing as she raised her face away from the deck.

"The one and the same, Lieutenant," he grinned, saluting her. "You'd better get to your bunk, you look positively tired, Ma'am."

Kim returned the salute and did an about face towards the lift. At one point over the past week, she had worked it out; it was exactly 50 paces from the command chair to the lift. She slowly counted off the paces as she strode, as a small way of keeping her mind alert until she got back to the warmth and peaceful oblivion of her bunk. It was 50 paces to the lift, then it took 2 minutes and 36 seconds to descend to the crew quarters area, and a further 100 paces down the hall to the left-hand door that was now her home away from her post.

Once in the lift, she felt her phone in her pocket and grinned absently at the touch; she had forgotten to leave it at her bunk, as it was forbidden on the bridge, especially while on duty. Since she was now, technically, off shift, and off the bridge, she looked at her phone for messages, and saw a text from her boyfriend, Ben.

-I'm off shift at midnight; are you hungry?-

She giggled to herself; Ben was always hungry. –I can do with a small bite, hon. What did you have in mind?-

-Just pop into the room, you'll see, I have a surprise for you.-

Twenty five more steps, she told herself. She was uncommonly tired tonight, and tried to think of why that would be. Maybe she was still getting adjusted to life in space; the gravity generators, for all their efficiency, were not quite the same as Earth norms. Maybe it was the settling in phase of her new job; it had happened her first week out of the Academy, stationed on Earth, as well. She couldn't tell, but she was exceedingly glad to be headed back to her room.

Opening the door, she had to blink twice as the room was dimmer than the hallway outside. Her other roommates were gone, and Ben stood next to the door, cowboy hat in hand. He had a small dinner laid out for them both, with a fair approximation of candlelight on what passed for the dining room table. She smiled at her boyfriend, and gave him a big kiss. She giggled as he enveloped her in a massive bear hug which, for him, was just a normal embrace.

"Dinner awaits, Milady," he chuckled, pulling her chair out for her. Once she was seated, he poured out the beverage - fruit juice, he apologized; the alcohol was still in storage and they hadn't gotten their still set up in the bunk yet. Kim was impressed, and yet oddly uneasy at the same time. She arched an eyebrow at him, but received a confident smile in return. "We haven't had a date night in a while," he said by way of explanation. "We were due for it the night we launched, but life got in the way."

They bit into their salads (a habit Kim was able to get Ben to adopt early on in their relationship) before making a pass at the main dish, a pair of seasoned, marbled ribeye steaks which was his favorite cut of beef. She saw him fidget a little as each moment passed, like he was harboring some secret anxiety, and she bit her lip as her heart sank. She was afraid to ask him what was on his mind, but was equally apprehensive to know what he had to say.

Ben finished his steak, gently set his utensils at the side of the plate, and looked her in the face. "Kim, is everything okay? I mean, I know this wasn't what I promised you for a date, but…"

She cut him off gently, with a hint of sorrow. "Everything is fine; this is a wonderful meal, Ben. But it seems your mind is a million miles away from me tonight.

Ben stood from the table, and turned away. Then he took a deep breath as he turned back to her, and Kim noticed a steely look in his eyes as he passed from anxiety into resolution. "I'm no good at this kinda thing, Kim…so please, bear with me."

"It's okay, baby. Take your time, I'll be here. I promise not to run," she said, automatically afraid of the next words to come from his lips.

He gave her a shy grin and continued, "We've been together now for, what, five years, between ROTC and the Academy?"

She nodded and grinned in return. "It's been a while," she understated.

"I never thought I'd make it this far," he said, looking off into space. "I'm not a dumb guy, Kim, but you remember how I struggled through Astro-navigation at the Academy. You helped me through it all, and I honestly believe it was your love and patience that helped me to graduate, instead of going home to work in the steel mill."

Kim smiled softly. "It wasn't luck, Ben, and it wasn't me that got you through it. I may have helped, but only to help unlock the skill you had inside. Sure, it took you a few attempts on the coursework, but you aced the final. That wasn't me; that was you."

Ben smiled warmly. "That may be, Kim, but for the last five years, it's been you at my side, through good times and bad. I can't remember a time before I felt your love in my life."

She looked at him as realization dawned in her mind, the lightbulb showing bright and clear. "And I can't remember a time before your love, either, Ben. Guys would usually try and date me, or Sammie, or Vanessa, because we are close with Lisa, and they thought that by being in her circle of friends, it would help improve their careers. After a few months, they usually realized that hanging around with us was not going to achieve what they wanted, so they left. You are the first man who didn't do that, hon. You appreciate me for, well, me."

"You're darn right I do," he said with sincere warmth. "I have, for quite a while. But no matter what I say or do, I feel like I need to express it more."

Kim was flattered; this was definitely not what she had expected him to say at the beginning of dinner. "You certainly do a lot, Ben. You have done more for me than anyone else, especially when my grandfather died right before Finals."

He offered her a soft, understanding nod before finishing what he wanted to say. "During that fight the other day, I realized I wasn't afraid of dying. Everyone who suits up and rides the fire has that concern and fear to deal with…it was my fear of not telling you how much I love you if anything had happened to me that scared the hell out of me."

He fumbled for a small box in his jacket as he said, "I am not telling you this out of fear, or out of guilt, but because it is the right time to say it. Kimberly Young, I want to spend the rest of my life with you."

Kim was giddy, happy, and scared all at once. "Is this a proposal?"

"Not a real one," he conceded, shame-faced, with the opal ring in his hand. "I only have a promise ring tonight. I didn't want to make you feel rushed or uncomfortable with a real proposal. But I'm serious, I want to marry you. I want to do it when the time is right."

Kim smiled, tears in her eyes, as he slipped it on her finger. "For all of your self-perceived flaws, I know you are an honorable, decent man and your respect for my feelings is making me fall even more for you than I did before. Of course I'll accept, Ben." She kissed him passionately, running her fingers through his hair.

He returned her kiss, and chuckled lowly. "I'm glad I got the guys to give us some space tonight."

"Where are they, anyway?"

"I suspect doing the same thing. I think we have a lot of privacy tonight, Kim," he grinned as they curled up next to each other on the couch. Within minutes, they were both fast asleep.

Meanwhile, on the hangar deck, Alan was completing his post-mission inspection of his fighter. It was a duty all pilots did, but Alan, taking a page from his dad's book, went a little further than most pilots. He realized that the hangar crew had to take over at some point to finish with refueling, rearming, and so forth, but he always liked knowing what had happened to his ride before walking away. Unlike most of the guys he flew with, he also checked the tire pressure in the landing gear before walking away. He enjoyed the post-flight inspection; it allowed him to clear his mind before returning to bunk.

Clearing his mind, he reflected, was not something he was good at doing these days. Not since Rick had arrested his half-sister, and the ensuing war crimes hearing. Alan fought bile as he remembered the story gushing from the Lieutenant's lips. He also remembered the cold metal of the sink in the officer's washroom, the feel of the water on his face as he tried pretending it was a dream. He wasn't sure about many things anymore, but he was definitely certain about how he felt about a certain brunette who had helped him through the experience.

In fact, thinking of her was a habit he'd had since their first date, and something that was becoming a positive distraction at times. He grinned to himself at the photo of her that he kept in his cockpit, a devilish grin on her face, decked out in the tiniest bikini that the PX sold. He traced every line in that photo, through multiple missions on Earth, and now through his initial patrols in outer space. He loved the way she playfully bit the tip of her glasses as she looked at him. He blinked one final time as the last tire gave its report, and he stood to leave.

Footfalls greeted his ears as he rose; he grinned as he recognized the sound of high heels on the hangar floor. He hoped it was a certain someone, and the waft of perfume greeting his nose did not disappoint. Vanessa's hair was parade-perfect, but was otherwise out of uniform, which made Alan smile.

She had appropriated a flight suit from his ROTC days, which was now a bit snug on him (and, honestly, on her as well, but looked better that way.) But he saw she was wearing very little underneath it, and gave her a wink. She smiled, and took him by the hand to a jeep on the far end of the hangar deck.

"What if someone sees us," he asked.

"I happen to be friends with a few of the sensor officers, remember," she winked. "I doubt we'll be bothered too much tonight. They owe me a few favors."

Alan looked deep into her emerald eyes and saw her passion gleam within, so strong it took him aback for a moment. Then a wolfish grin filled his face as they drew closer together…

Elsewhere in the ship, two decks below the hangar, Sammie ran playfully through a section of the ship that was slated to be converted to civilian housing, hiding behind walls and climbing the trucks and cranes. Her squeals and giggles, while loud, were lost in the grand scope of the room, which was cavernous and could hold at least half of the civilians on board.

"Sammie? Where are you," Rodney called out.

"Over here," she shrieked back gleefully.

Rodney smiled ruefully in the semi-darkness; it had been many years, even a lifetime ago, since he had played hide-and-seek. And here they were, on an alien ship in space, hiding among construction equipment, flirting and running in the simulated moonlight. From the sound of her voice, Sammie could have been off to his right, down an alley between two new construction projects. He felt time stretch out, elongating into the twilit compartment…