The SDF-3 was leaving now. With a great shudder, the engines came to life
and the great hulking ship took the fateful first steps of its journey, a
journey that would take its occupants across the galaxy, tearing them far
away from all that they once knew and loved. Miriya pressed her hands
against the window on the observation deck and stared intently back at the
Robotech Factory Satellite and the earth. With each second, the satellite
receded further and further from view. Each second took them one more step
away from Dana. She leaned in so close to the glass that she could see her
breath condense and vanish on the pane.
"I love you, mom," the precious voice replayed itself in Miriya's head. She heard that small voice again and again, and the emotions evoked in her heart were so powerful that she trembled. It was all she could do to suppress the urge to stop the ship and turn back, sweep her daughter into her arms, and hold her against her breast. Yes, Miriya would bind her close to her heart and never let go. She would express in words what she failed to say at the final moment of their parting.
How could I think of letting you go, Dana? How could I conceive of leaving you behind? How could I release you from my loving arms, after all that you brought into our lives?
In a flash, Miriya conjured a hundred images of moments she had shared with Dana and Max. They were walking down the streets of New Macross together, pushing little Dana in a stroller. It was a beautiful day, and Max, scooping Dana out of the stroller, lifted her into the air with both hands, so that Dana was between himself and Miriya. There was so much joy in that moment. For an instant, Miriya fancied that she would give up a lifetime without Dana for just one more moment like that with her. One more moment in time that would live forever and always bring a smile to her when she remembered it.
"I love you, Dana," Miriya whispered into the glass, her eyes still focused on the world they were leaving behind. "I love you so much."
Every breath you took, every smile I saw on your face, and even every tear of sadness was precious to me. For you were once a part of me, Dana. We raised you in our image. We showered our love upon you, for you were born out of our love.
Without even looking, Miriya sensed Max step in behind her and slowly wrap his arms around her waist. She smiled and pressed her hands on his. They stood together in silence.
"I know what you're thinking about," Max broke the silence. "And I'm thinking the same thing."
"Isn't that why we're so good together?" Miriya said with a bittersweet smile. "We know what each other is thinking, without even saying anything."
"Mmm, hmm," Max murmured, bending his head toward hers and gently kissing her on the neck.
"Tell me what I'm thinking," Miriya said.
"You're worried," Max offered calmly, "You're worried that you've made a terrible mistake. Nothing in your life has ever been harder for you to do."
Miriya smiled. It was true. Compared to the challenge of shooting down Max Sterling's blue Veritech, leaving her daughter behind was infinitely more painful and difficult.
Who would have thought, Miriya mused. Who would have thought my heart would be transformed so?
"She's our daughter," Miriya said. "What if we never see her again?"
Miriya lost her composure and felt her body racked by sobs. She turned around and buried her face in Max's shoulder. Max shut his eyes and held his wife close to his heart.
"Miriya, we're at a crossroads in our life together. Sometimes there's no way to know for sure what is the right or wrong thing to do. If we brought Dana with us, she might have been killed. Of course she could still be in danger on earth, too. We weighed the risks and played the odds. All we can do now is hope that we did the right thing. We'll find a way, darling. Somehow, we'll find her again."
* * *
"All right, we're all here," Angelo Dante announced to Marie Crystal, who was assigned the task of piloting their ship away from earth.
Marie Crystal, seated in the pilot's seat in the cockpit, looked over to Sean Phillips, who sat lounging in the copilot's chair. Sean cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Well, take her away, darlin,'" he drawled.
Marie smiled at her newfound love and, with a series of activated switches, the engines roared to life, and the countdown to takeoff began. Everyone on board strapped themselves in. In the passenger hold, Dana sat next to Angelo and Louie. Seated across from her were Bowie, Musica, and Allegra. As the countdown ticked down to zero and the ship blasted off into space, Dana shut her eyes and remembered her last conversation with Vanessa Leeds.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since the destruction of Monument City and the deaths of Vanessa's husband Bron and daughter Samantha, the two people she had loved more than anyone on earth. A harsh wind blew across the pitiless landscape. The train waited silently on the track, ready to take Vanessa south, to a new life.
As Dana stood alone outside of the train with Vanessa, she could not help but be reminded of a similar moment of farewell in her life. Except this time, there was no held out promise of an eventual reunion. This time, it was goodbye forever. As she gazed into Vanessa's eyes, Dana thought about the woman she had come to call her Aunty. She and Vanessa had spent a great deal of time together. In her childhood, Vanessa had almost been like a mother to her. As more and more time passed since the departure of the SDF-3, Dana's memories of her parents grew increasingly distant. But Vanessa, who had known both Max and Miriya, was her one true link to her parents. Dana used to come over to Vanessa's house and play with little Samantha. Vanessa would tell funny and touching stories about Max and Miriya.
Dana, did your father ever tell you that he once asked me out? This was long before he and your mother even met. Max asked me out and I turned him down, can you believe it?
Dana, your parents had the most beautiful wedding. They were so happy and so young.
Dana, when you were born, your mother was so beautiful and so radiant. When Kim, Sammie, and I went over to their place to see you for the first time, your mother held you like a precious treasure. She was so proud of you. Look at this wonderful child Max and I created, she'd say. Isn't she amazing?
Dana felt a lump forming in her throat. A lifetime of memories flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds.
"I'm leaving, Aunty," Dana said. "I'm going to go and find my family. I have a sister now, did I tell you?"
Vanessa smiled. "I'm very happy for you," she said sweetly.
A thought that had long lingered in Dana's mind at last came to the fore.
"Aunty," she said.
"Yes?"
"What do you think? Do you think I measured up? After everything that my parents accomplished, I must be a pretty big letdown, huh?"
"Don't ever think that," Vanessa said with sincerity and gentleness. "Your parents left you here for a reason, though not one that they had in mind. You had a role to play in the war with the Robotech Masters, and you played the part you were meant to play. You might not feel like it, but you made a difference here. You're a hero, Dana. You'll always be a hero in my eyes. If your mother and father were here, they would be so proud of you, I know they would."
Dana smiled bitterly.
"But I failed," she said. "The Invid are coming, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm leaving, but I feel guilty. I feel like I'm running away."
"You did everything you could," Vanessa replied. "We'll make it through somehow. I know we will. And I know you'll come back someday."
"I wish you didn't have to leave here so soon," Dana said. "I wish you could stay with me. If you came with us, you could be with old friends again. You don't have to be alone. You've always been like family to me."
"This city," Vanessa gestured to the ruins of Monument City where the last battle had been fought and where her family had died, "is too painful for me now. I am constantly being reminded of the family and friends I lost. My old life is gone. It's time to start over, and leave my old life behind. That's why I have to leave this place."
"You could come with us. You could still change your mind."
The sad look in Vanessa's eyes broke Dana's heart. The woman had lost so much. Dana wished above all that Vanessa would find happiness, if such a thing were still possible in a war-torn world like this one.
"My place is here. I'm getting too old for space adventure, anyway."
"You know what will happen if you stay."
Dana looked around. Monument City was a city of ruins. Around the barren plains, Dana could still see spores of the Invid flower of life floating through the air, carried by the wind. It was a portent for the future. The Invid would come, in spite of Zor Prime's misguided sacrifice. The Invid would come and humanity would be overwhelmed. After the war with the Robotech Masters, the fight was gone from humanity. How would the earth survive this ordeal? How would Vanessa be able to go on with her life?
"This is my home," Vanessa said. "If the Invid are coming, then let them come. I'm not afraid of anything, anymore. I want to be here when it happens. Maybe I can be of some help."
Dana gazed at Vanessa with newfound admiration. It seemed to her that every time Dana spoke to her, she found something new in her that she hadn't seen before. Vanessa's heart was broken, but she remained strong. No painful loss was too great for her to overcome. And in that moment, Dana instinctively knew that Vanessa would end up in a place where she belonged, a place where she would make a difference in the lives that she touched.
Stepping forward, Dana held out her arms and embraced Vanessa for the last time. She held the friend whom she fondly called "Aunty" and whom she had loved as a mother. Dana tried her best to imprint in her mind all the sensations and emotions of their last moment together.
"Goodbye, Aunty," Dana said.
I will carry my memory of you wherever I go. I will always honor and love you. I will always cherish our relationship, Vanessa. Always.
So many words remained unspoken, expressed only in the simple gesture of Dana's hug.
"Take care of yourself, Little Dana," Vanessa said, evoking memories of Dana's childhood, "I love you."
As Dana watched the train carry Vanessa away to a new life, her thoughts turned to the journey she would soon be making. She would find her parents and meet her new sister. The little girl who had spoken to Dana in her dream was such a cute little thing. She seemed so smart. What was her name? What was she like?
We'll be together again, the words once spoken by Miriya echoed in Dana's mind. I promise.
"I love you, mom," the precious voice replayed itself in Miriya's head. She heard that small voice again and again, and the emotions evoked in her heart were so powerful that she trembled. It was all she could do to suppress the urge to stop the ship and turn back, sweep her daughter into her arms, and hold her against her breast. Yes, Miriya would bind her close to her heart and never let go. She would express in words what she failed to say at the final moment of their parting.
How could I think of letting you go, Dana? How could I conceive of leaving you behind? How could I release you from my loving arms, after all that you brought into our lives?
In a flash, Miriya conjured a hundred images of moments she had shared with Dana and Max. They were walking down the streets of New Macross together, pushing little Dana in a stroller. It was a beautiful day, and Max, scooping Dana out of the stroller, lifted her into the air with both hands, so that Dana was between himself and Miriya. There was so much joy in that moment. For an instant, Miriya fancied that she would give up a lifetime without Dana for just one more moment like that with her. One more moment in time that would live forever and always bring a smile to her when she remembered it.
"I love you, Dana," Miriya whispered into the glass, her eyes still focused on the world they were leaving behind. "I love you so much."
Every breath you took, every smile I saw on your face, and even every tear of sadness was precious to me. For you were once a part of me, Dana. We raised you in our image. We showered our love upon you, for you were born out of our love.
Without even looking, Miriya sensed Max step in behind her and slowly wrap his arms around her waist. She smiled and pressed her hands on his. They stood together in silence.
"I know what you're thinking about," Max broke the silence. "And I'm thinking the same thing."
"Isn't that why we're so good together?" Miriya said with a bittersweet smile. "We know what each other is thinking, without even saying anything."
"Mmm, hmm," Max murmured, bending his head toward hers and gently kissing her on the neck.
"Tell me what I'm thinking," Miriya said.
"You're worried," Max offered calmly, "You're worried that you've made a terrible mistake. Nothing in your life has ever been harder for you to do."
Miriya smiled. It was true. Compared to the challenge of shooting down Max Sterling's blue Veritech, leaving her daughter behind was infinitely more painful and difficult.
Who would have thought, Miriya mused. Who would have thought my heart would be transformed so?
"She's our daughter," Miriya said. "What if we never see her again?"
Miriya lost her composure and felt her body racked by sobs. She turned around and buried her face in Max's shoulder. Max shut his eyes and held his wife close to his heart.
"Miriya, we're at a crossroads in our life together. Sometimes there's no way to know for sure what is the right or wrong thing to do. If we brought Dana with us, she might have been killed. Of course she could still be in danger on earth, too. We weighed the risks and played the odds. All we can do now is hope that we did the right thing. We'll find a way, darling. Somehow, we'll find her again."
* * *
"All right, we're all here," Angelo Dante announced to Marie Crystal, who was assigned the task of piloting their ship away from earth.
Marie Crystal, seated in the pilot's seat in the cockpit, looked over to Sean Phillips, who sat lounging in the copilot's chair. Sean cocked an eyebrow at her.
"Well, take her away, darlin,'" he drawled.
Marie smiled at her newfound love and, with a series of activated switches, the engines roared to life, and the countdown to takeoff began. Everyone on board strapped themselves in. In the passenger hold, Dana sat next to Angelo and Louie. Seated across from her were Bowie, Musica, and Allegra. As the countdown ticked down to zero and the ship blasted off into space, Dana shut her eyes and remembered her last conversation with Vanessa Leeds.
* * *
Two weeks had passed since the destruction of Monument City and the deaths of Vanessa's husband Bron and daughter Samantha, the two people she had loved more than anyone on earth. A harsh wind blew across the pitiless landscape. The train waited silently on the track, ready to take Vanessa south, to a new life.
As Dana stood alone outside of the train with Vanessa, she could not help but be reminded of a similar moment of farewell in her life. Except this time, there was no held out promise of an eventual reunion. This time, it was goodbye forever. As she gazed into Vanessa's eyes, Dana thought about the woman she had come to call her Aunty. She and Vanessa had spent a great deal of time together. In her childhood, Vanessa had almost been like a mother to her. As more and more time passed since the departure of the SDF-3, Dana's memories of her parents grew increasingly distant. But Vanessa, who had known both Max and Miriya, was her one true link to her parents. Dana used to come over to Vanessa's house and play with little Samantha. Vanessa would tell funny and touching stories about Max and Miriya.
Dana, did your father ever tell you that he once asked me out? This was long before he and your mother even met. Max asked me out and I turned him down, can you believe it?
Dana, your parents had the most beautiful wedding. They were so happy and so young.
Dana, when you were born, your mother was so beautiful and so radiant. When Kim, Sammie, and I went over to their place to see you for the first time, your mother held you like a precious treasure. She was so proud of you. Look at this wonderful child Max and I created, she'd say. Isn't she amazing?
Dana felt a lump forming in her throat. A lifetime of memories flashed through her mind in a matter of seconds.
"I'm leaving, Aunty," Dana said. "I'm going to go and find my family. I have a sister now, did I tell you?"
Vanessa smiled. "I'm very happy for you," she said sweetly.
A thought that had long lingered in Dana's mind at last came to the fore.
"Aunty," she said.
"Yes?"
"What do you think? Do you think I measured up? After everything that my parents accomplished, I must be a pretty big letdown, huh?"
"Don't ever think that," Vanessa said with sincerity and gentleness. "Your parents left you here for a reason, though not one that they had in mind. You had a role to play in the war with the Robotech Masters, and you played the part you were meant to play. You might not feel like it, but you made a difference here. You're a hero, Dana. You'll always be a hero in my eyes. If your mother and father were here, they would be so proud of you, I know they would."
Dana smiled bitterly.
"But I failed," she said. "The Invid are coming, and there's nothing I can do about it. I'm leaving, but I feel guilty. I feel like I'm running away."
"You did everything you could," Vanessa replied. "We'll make it through somehow. I know we will. And I know you'll come back someday."
"I wish you didn't have to leave here so soon," Dana said. "I wish you could stay with me. If you came with us, you could be with old friends again. You don't have to be alone. You've always been like family to me."
"This city," Vanessa gestured to the ruins of Monument City where the last battle had been fought and where her family had died, "is too painful for me now. I am constantly being reminded of the family and friends I lost. My old life is gone. It's time to start over, and leave my old life behind. That's why I have to leave this place."
"You could come with us. You could still change your mind."
The sad look in Vanessa's eyes broke Dana's heart. The woman had lost so much. Dana wished above all that Vanessa would find happiness, if such a thing were still possible in a war-torn world like this one.
"My place is here. I'm getting too old for space adventure, anyway."
"You know what will happen if you stay."
Dana looked around. Monument City was a city of ruins. Around the barren plains, Dana could still see spores of the Invid flower of life floating through the air, carried by the wind. It was a portent for the future. The Invid would come, in spite of Zor Prime's misguided sacrifice. The Invid would come and humanity would be overwhelmed. After the war with the Robotech Masters, the fight was gone from humanity. How would the earth survive this ordeal? How would Vanessa be able to go on with her life?
"This is my home," Vanessa said. "If the Invid are coming, then let them come. I'm not afraid of anything, anymore. I want to be here when it happens. Maybe I can be of some help."
Dana gazed at Vanessa with newfound admiration. It seemed to her that every time Dana spoke to her, she found something new in her that she hadn't seen before. Vanessa's heart was broken, but she remained strong. No painful loss was too great for her to overcome. And in that moment, Dana instinctively knew that Vanessa would end up in a place where she belonged, a place where she would make a difference in the lives that she touched.
Stepping forward, Dana held out her arms and embraced Vanessa for the last time. She held the friend whom she fondly called "Aunty" and whom she had loved as a mother. Dana tried her best to imprint in her mind all the sensations and emotions of their last moment together.
"Goodbye, Aunty," Dana said.
I will carry my memory of you wherever I go. I will always honor and love you. I will always cherish our relationship, Vanessa. Always.
So many words remained unspoken, expressed only in the simple gesture of Dana's hug.
"Take care of yourself, Little Dana," Vanessa said, evoking memories of Dana's childhood, "I love you."
As Dana watched the train carry Vanessa away to a new life, her thoughts turned to the journey she would soon be making. She would find her parents and meet her new sister. The little girl who had spoken to Dana in her dream was such a cute little thing. She seemed so smart. What was her name? What was she like?
We'll be together again, the words once spoken by Miriya echoed in Dana's mind. I promise.