Disclaimer

Macross is owned by or licensed to lots of people - Tatsunoko Studios, Harmony Gold, Studio Nue, Streamline Video...note that none of them are me.

The same can be said of Ranma 1/2 - Rumiko Takahashi, Kitty, Shonen Sunday Comics, Viz Video. Not me.

I didn't create any of them, and I certainly do not own them. Please don't sue me.

SACRIFICE

The laser pistol had cauterized the wound, so Claudia wasn't bleeding, but it had also wreaked serious internal damage. Kim closed the first aid kit, and scowled up at Kyle.

"We need to get her to the sickbay, or she's going to die."

Kyle shrugged. "What does the life of a soldier matter?"

It was Gloval who answered him, through gritted teeth. "The men and women who serve on this ship have fought and died to protect people like you. So that you need not fight."

"If it weren't for the military," countered Kyle, "the civilians on this ship would be safely at home."

"Safe?" Gloval laughed unsteadily. "Have you looked at the planet recently?"

Vanessa quietly punched up a picture of the Earth. Fires still raged across the surface, brilliant enough to see from space. Kyle stared at the screen in horror.

"You see? The Zentraedi are not playing a game. If you had not paralyzed this ship at this point, we might have prevented this." Not exactly the truth, but...

Kyle turned back to him, face twisted in anger. "You have the blood of billions of people on your hands now. You could have just given them this damn ship, and prevented all of this."

Gloval shook his head. "No. They would have destroyed Earth utterly if we had done so."

"You have no way of knowing this!"

"Actually, I do. Minister Exedore of the Zentraedi told us that those were his orders." Gloval sneered at the teenager, and twisted the knife a bit more. "So the blood of billions of people rests on your hands."

- - - - -

The red and black Valkyrie reconfigured to fighter mode, leaving the surface of the Zentraedi command cruiser behind as Ranma firewalled the engines. As usual, the Kustonov Heat-Piles gave him less than desired speed, but he didn't care. He only needed to be ten kilometers distant.

Be there.

Space warped around the fighter, the rage and desperation of its pilot fuelling the fold as much as the Protoculture engines, and the jet vanished in a burst of golden light.

- - - - -

"Major Saotome is en route to the Macross." Captain Clark looked down at her commo screen. "It might take some time to recover control of the Macross. Can we begin Phase Two of Schedule Minmei at this time?"

"We can." Maistroff nodded. "It will not be as effective as Phase Three, but it may buy the Major a bit more time."

"Lieutenant Parino. Are we live?"

"Sixteen more centipulses."

"Got it." She turned back to Maistroff. "Get the tape ready."

"Yes, ma'am." Maistroff grinned.

"Colonel, if I may..." Clark hesitated. "You appear to be placing great confidence in Major Saotome. I thought that you didn't like him?"

"I think he's an arrogant, self-centered jerk. He's disgustingly overconfident, and insubordinate to boot. Plus, he's a sex-changing freak. No, I don't like him at all." Maistroff shrugged. "But there's no denying that he's one of our best."

- - - - -

"My Lord." The commo technician turned to face Dolza. "Tactical network is restored.".

Dolza nodded. "Open communcations to all ships."

"Yes, My Lord." The commo tech paused. "My Lord...there is a signal coming through the tactical net."

"From where?"

"Breetai's flagship."

"Attention, all Zentraedi ships." Breetai's voice filled the Zentraedi Tactical Network. "You have been led astray from the Imperative. Supreme Commander Dolza has violated our most sacred orders, and led you to do the same."

"Cut him off!"

The commo tech hammered at his keyboard. "I can't. He's right in the system, tied into the commo net at the core. When I rebuilt the net, I linked all command ships in at the core, it was the only way to make it happen."

"Why did you link in his ship?"

"I didn't."

Dolza scowled. "He must have captured a command ship, while our commo net was down. Can we isolate him from the network?"

"I do not see how, not without crippling the communications net for almost a kilopulse."

"Then it seems he shall have his say." Dolza leaned back and smiled. "Let us see what he can accomplish with it."

On the commo screen, Breetai's voice continued. "...revealed to me that the Protoculture were not destroyed, as he stated, by the Inspection Army, but by Dolza himself."

The commo tech whirled in shock. "My Lord! Is this true?"

"It is true." Dolza nodded. "But the Protoculture were Micronians, with a culture that had the potential to corrupt our own."

"...acted against the Imperative, and has admitted such freely." Breetai paused. "Hear him admit it in his own words."

- - - - -

Space rippled, and the VF-1S appeared a thousand kilometers from the Macross. Ranma cursed; it was a little farther away than she'd hoped. She firewalled the engines, aiming the fighter towards the bridge of the Macross.

"Macross, this is Six-six. Respond."

Nothing but dead air. She scowled, and triggered the change. In the very saturated region of the fighter, Protoculture energy was easily available. He tapped the controls, and quickly discovered the problem; all communications relays to the bridge had been severed.

"Macross auxilary control, this is Six-six. Respond."

There was a brief pause, then a familiar voice came on the Tac Freak. "Major Saotome, this is Commander Hayes."

"Lisa. Thank God. What the hell is going on over there?"

"Lin Kyle has seized the bridge, and has jammed all communications."

"I know that. Can you execute Phase Three without direct control from the bridge?"

"Yes, but while the bridge is held, I cannot broadcast. We need to re-take the bridge, or else destroy it."

- - - - -

Kyle glanced over at one of his companions. "Have you figured out what that flare was?"

"No idea."

"I could figure it out," offered Vanessa. "Just need a few seconds on the computer."

"So you can bypass all of our hard work?" Kyle sneered. "What kind of idiot do you take me for?"

"Oh, I dunno," replied Vanessa. "The mass-murderer and insane tyrant kind?"

Kyle stepped forward and slapped her hard enough to rattle her teeth. "You'd best be advised to watch your tongue, bitch, or I'll rip it out."

"Got it!" Jimmy looked up from the computers. "Defold, according to this. One Valkyie-type fighter, reflex readings off the scope..." He shook his head. "This is nuts. I've never seen a fighter with this configuration."

"So is it alien, or human?"

"It's definitely a Valkyrie, but..."

"Ranma," breathed Claudia.

"Oh, the Soldier Boy who corrupted Minmei." Kyle grinned. "Jimmy, can you patch me through to him without giving away the whole store?"

"Do my best." Jimmy picked at the controls, scowling, then said, "Okay, I can give you visual right into his cockpit."

The screen cleared, to show the visored face of Major Ranma Saotome.

"Kyle. I hereby order you to cease and desist. Release your hostages, and return yourself to custody."

"You know, Saotome, I do believe that Captain Gloval outranks you." Kyle swaggered forward. "He's already given me similar orders, that I have ignored. Why should I listen to you?"

"Because Gloval would merely order you shot for this. Minmei would be unhappy with me if I killed you." Ranma smiled nastily. "But you'd be amazed what you can live through."

"From there, you cannot accomplish much."

"I don't have to stay here. You no doubt detected my fold into the area. I can fold myself straight into the bridge, and take you out from there."

"You might indeed be able to do that." Kyle nodded. "It would not surprise me. But we have six people here with laser pistols. Do you think you can take them all down before one of them burns you down? Are you faster than light?"

Ranma scowled. "I guarantee I will make sure you go down. How well would your little team be co-ordinated if I take you out?"

"Kyle, I got some signal leakage." Jimmy fought with his controls. "He ain't the only one getting this message."

Kyle turned to the former RDF electronics tech. "Can you close it up?"

"No. He's broadcasting." Jimmy jerked his chin towards the display. "And with only the bridge systems, I can't jam a Super's commo net."

"Okay." Kyle turned back towards the screen. "Saotome, who are you broadcasting this to?"

"Anyone in range. And don't tell me to stop. Your buddy there can tell you that directional comms aren't available with radio."

"And who's listening in?"

"Probably Commander Hayes, and my plane captain. Oh, and Minmei."

Kyle's jaw dropped. "You bastard."

"Oh, is that a problem?" Ranma smirked. "Shoulda thought about that before you started this little adventure."

"You just can't help turning her against me, can you?"

"You've managed it fine on your own."

"Major." Ryouga's voice broke into the Tac Net. "I've isolated the damaged circuits, and I am afraid that there's no way I can repair them in time."

"I kinda figured that."

Kyle's smirk slipped back into place. "All this effort, and you'll still lose. What a pity."

Ranma shifted the Valkyrie to Soldier Mode and locked onto Kyle through the observation deck's transparent steel. He triggered the head laser, and watched in dismay as it splashed harmlessly off the plate.

"Why would they put a huge window here unless they could make it resistant to lasers? You're grasping at straws, Saotome."

"Kuso..." Ranma paused, then readied the battle rifle.

"Going to kill us all?" Kyle grinned. "That would look good on your career file."

"If I destroy the bridge, auxilary takes over, and Phase Three can go ahead."

Kyle paused at that, and looked over at Jimmy again. "Is that true?"

"Yeah." Jimmy nodded. "Told you that earlier. That's why we had to hold the bridge. But that popgun of his won't do the job."

"Major!" Gloval yelled. "I order you to destroy the bridge of this ship!"

Kyle stepped forward, and snapped a kick into the Captain's face. Ranma jetted back a few meters, and held down the trigger.

The massive 966-PFG chaingun roared, firing into the plate steel. Proximity-fused shells exploded against the hardened material, but failed to damage it in the slightest. The gun ran dry, and Ranma slowly slung it.

"You see?" Jimmy chuckled. "Even a 100mm slug from a GU-12 couldn't penetrate that steel."

"Looks like he's out of missiles, too." Kyle stepped forward, closer to the screen. "Well, Saotome. Looks like this is one jam you can't fight your way out of."

"Ranma." Commander Hayes' face appeared in the screen. "We can start Phase Three as soon as the bridge is retaken or destroyed. You need to find a way."

"I--"

"Please, Ranma." Minmei crowded onto the screen beside Lisa. "If you can stop Kyle, I can stop this war. I believe in you."

Ranma shook his head. "I can't. The armour is too strong for my guns, and I'm out of ammo now anyway. And we need the Captain."

"Major Saotome." Gloval rubbed his jaw. "I can be replaced. Minmei cannot. We need her to win the war."

"Captain, I cannot--"

"Lisa!" Gloval struggled to his feet, leaning heavily against the bulkhead to support his damaged leg. "You know fully well that you can."

Kyle took an angry step towards Gloval, but the older man merely sneered at me.

"What, do you intend to kill me to shut me up, Kyle? Or merely cause me more pain?" He snorted. "Pacifist my ass."

Kyle ground his teeth. The situation was falling apart around his ears, and he could not recover it.

"Major, I reiterate my order. Destroy the bridge. Lisa?"

"Yes, sir?" Her voice was broken with tears.

"Fight your ship, Captain."

- - - - -

Destroy the bridge. But how?

One nuke would do the trick. But he'd expended all of them during Schedule Trap Door. His 966-PFG was empty, and worthless anyway; he'd emptied an entire ammo drum, to no effect. The lasers were being detuned by the material of the viewport; he could fire at it until his reflex batteries ran dry, and do nothing.

The reflex batteries.

Of course. The Macross' main guns fired pure reflex energy. The gravitic distortions caused by reflex energy were what destroyed a ship, not any energy transfer. If he could somehow tune the energies so that he could fire it...

You are mutable. Your machines are mutable.

He brought the Valkyrie's arms forward, and concentrated. The arms reshaped, splitting and extending. Reflex energy crackled between them, so much that he felt the change wash over her, regardless of her will.

Kyle gaped at him through the Tac Net. "No!"

A torrent of energy leaped from the mecha, slamming into the bridge port. Shattered steel exploded outwards, blowing his jet away from the bridge, and decompressing the bridge completely. Microseconds afterwards, the gravitic wave smashed all circuitry within the bridge beyond repair.

- - - - -

Lisa stared at the telltales before her. She fought back the tears. Grief would come later.

For now, she had duty to fall back upon.

"Open all channels. Link into the Zentraedi command network." She turned to Minmei. "It's time."

She nodded, and stepped forward to the microphone.

- - - - -

"I have a tale to tell

Sometimes it gets so hard to hide it well

I was not ready for the fall

Too blind to see the writing on the wall..."

Hunter tapped his earpiece. "Is that...singing?"

"Sounds like Minmei!"

Max grinned. "All right. Phase Three is back online. Let's roll them up."

- - - - -

Dolza stared in disbelief as his units fell into disarray.

"Why the hell are they falling out of formation?" He turned to his communications officer, who had his head down on the console. "What is wrong with you?"

"On the commo net...there is noise..." The commo officer shook his head. "I've never heard anything like it. It makes me feel..."

"Put it on the overhead!"

The commo officer shakily stabbed a switch, and the bridge of the Zentraedi flagship was filled with song.

"A man can tell a thousand lies

I've learned my lesson well

Hope I live to tell

The secret I have learned

´till then

It will burn inside of me..."

"Cultural contamination!" Dolza shook his head. "Close all channels, now! Seal the net!"

The commo officer was too far gone to respond, or to obey.

- - - - -

Across the Zentraedi fleet, warriors and officers alike fell back, horrified by the terrible psychological warfare being wreaked by the humans. Save for the Botoru Battalion and the Quadrano Battalion. Exedore and Azonia had been careful to expose all of their warriors to music. Those that had not already experienced it themselves.

Throughout the Zentraedi defectors' fleets, the soldiers cranked the tunes.

But the Zentraedi of Dolza's armada had not had exposure to music. The Imperative had already been weakened when they learned of their leader's violation. It collapsed completely under the emotional assault of the music. Feelings that had been forcibly repressed burst forward, and the Zentraedi found themselves unable to fight.

The Macross leaped forwards, its subluminal drive at maximum power. Mecha were brushed aside like chaff by its passage. Screening ships ignored it, caught in the music, unable to effectively fight. The main gun roared, carving a hole through Dolza's flagship, but even this battery could not destroy the titanic Zentraedi fortress. The Macross sailed through the open hole, and raised its omnidirectional barrier.

Once before, this barrier had overloaded, laying waste to an entire city. Now, as before, it exploded, the destructive wave of energy smashing through the fortress. The fireball roared outward, consuming a hundred thousand ships, before fading away.

Through the ionized plasma, the Macross sailed, burned and battered, but still alive.

- - - - -

Ranma's instruments were dark.

Guess I overloaded the fighter completely. She tried to shift back to male form, but the Kustonov Heat-Piles lacked the reflex power to allow even that.

Can't manoevre, can't fold back to the ship... She smiled bitterly. Guess this is finally where it ends. The Shaping is complete, the Zentraedi will never be the same. The Regis' hopes for her people's evolution are back on track, and the Earth is saved. All it cost were the lives of almost every Human, my own included.

I hope it was worth it.

The headset crackled.

"If I ran away

I'd never have the strength

To go very far..."

"Huh?" She tapped the controls, but they remained dark. "What the hell?"

"How would they hear

The beating of my heart..."

"How am I hearin' this music?" She glanced down. "Backup batteries, just enough for commo..."

"Will it grow cold

The secret that I hide, wil I grow old..."

"Blue Lead to Six-six."

Ranma's heart leaped.

"Six-six. God, am I glad to hear your voice, Captain Tendo."

Blue Lead slipped alongside Ranma's crippled Valkyrie, and took one of its shattered arms. On the other side, Shampoo's custom Queadlunn-Rau took the other.

"Looks like you need a tow, sir."

"Shampoo happy to help."

Ranma smiled. "Okay. Let's go home."

"How will they hear

When will they learn

How will they know..."