With a feeling of abject despair and helpless anger, Dana Sterling silently
watched the terrifying pillar of light descend upon the earth. She stood
on the observation deck of the ship she had commandeered, along with the
friends she had made during her time in the 15th Squadron. Dana's fists
shook with rage as she pounded on the thick glass window, and her eyes were
blinded by her tears. Many miles away, the Invid hordes were descending
upon the earth, lusting for the Flower of Life and thirsty for conquest and
domination. Like an avenging angel of doom, the blinding light had
streaked past Dana's ship as it passed the orbit of Mars, paying the ship
no mind, interested in one thing and one thing only. When Marie called out
on the intercom that the Invid invasion had arrived at last, Dana had raced
to the observation deck.
"No!" Dana cried for what seemed like the one hundredth time as everyone else arrived on the deck behind her to witness the Invid invasion.
For a long time, the whole group stood there, Dana pressing her hands against the window, and the rest of the group standing in shocked silence. Finally, Angelo stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Dana's shoulder.
"Dana-" Angelo began.
"I was afraid, Angie," Dana said at last.
"Afraid?"
"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bring myself to watch. Look at that," Dana gestured to the distant flashes of light, which signified the destruction taking place so far away.
"There's the world my parents fought so hard to protect, the world WE fought so hard to protect, and now it's being destroyed. I could have done more."
Whatever remained of Dana's emotional defenses finally crumbled to dust as she turned and threw herself into Angelo's surprised arms, sobbing into his chest. Speechless, Angelo could think of no other course of action except to put his arms around her and rub her back with his hands in a comforting motion.
"Don't say that, Dana," Angelo said tenderly as Dana continued to cry into his chest. "We all know you did the best job you could. Why, we'd all been lost without you. It might seem like we're running away with our tails between our sorry legs, but that ain't the truth. Truth is, we're not running away; we're staging a 'strategic withdrawal.' One day we're gonna come back with a fleet that's gonna bring the Invid to their knees, and we'll take back our world. Ain't that right, everyone?"
The rest of the group, Louie, Marie, Sean, Bowie, Musica, and Allegra, watched in bittersweet sadness. They tried their best to smile for Angelo when he turned his neck slightly to meet their eyes. The sight of Angelo Dante and Dana Sterling in a prolonged embrace was making the rest of the group a bit uncomfortable, to tell the truth.
"Uh, I think I'll make us some dinner," Marie said awkwardly.
"Great idea, I'll help," Sean said.
Wishing to leave the two alone, each member of the group uttered one excuse or another to leave the observation deck, claiming that they had chores to do on the ship or some other such business.
Alone at last, Dana and Angelo moved away from each other a little. Angelo still had his arms around her, although he had relaxed his embrace of Dana, who blinked away her tears and smiled.
"I'm a wreck, aren't I?"
"You? Ma'am, you're still the toughest lady on this ship."
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana observed. It was the first time Angelo had addressed her as 'Ma'am' since the end of the Second Robotech War.
"Yeah? So I did."
"You know, you're the only one who ever called me that. It's so old fashioned and gentlemanly."
"Gentlemanly? I don't believe anyone has ever accused me of that before."
"Yes Angie," Dana smiled, blushing and averting her eyes shyly, "you are a gentleman to me."
Dana's heart was beating so fast. She was suddenly aware of her physical closeness to the tough old career sergeant. Even more startling to her was the realization of their emotional intimacy as well. She was sharing her innermost feelings with Angelo now, and he was listening to her with infinite patience. It filled her heart with gladness. Could it be? Dana thought back to all her adventures with Angelo. With a sense of wonder, she felt as if she were looking back on her experience with Angelo with new eyes, eyes that were conscious of a growing feeling toward him. They had survived so much together, and through it all, Angelo had always been there for her. Even their disastrous date, when she had dragged him to the theater to see some horrible B movie, and he had embarrassed her by laughing out loud at the film, brought a smile to her heart.
Could it be? Could it be that I love Angelo?
"Thank you, ma'am," Angelo said softly.
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana said.
"Yeah, I did."
"Call me Dana."
Dana's hands rested on Angelo's shoulders. Their faces had drawn so close, almost unwittingly, that they were surprised at how close their lips were to touching.
"Dana," Angelo breathed with affection as they kissed on the observation deck. Dana leaned in and tilted her face upward to meet Angelo's, and she poured into her kiss all her grief and all her love. Only the stars before them bore witness to the truth of their feelings for one another.
"No!" Dana cried for what seemed like the one hundredth time as everyone else arrived on the deck behind her to witness the Invid invasion.
For a long time, the whole group stood there, Dana pressing her hands against the window, and the rest of the group standing in shocked silence. Finally, Angelo stepped forward and put a reassuring hand on Dana's shoulder.
"Dana-" Angelo began.
"I was afraid, Angie," Dana said at last.
"Afraid?"
"I was afraid I wouldn't be able to bring myself to watch. Look at that," Dana gestured to the distant flashes of light, which signified the destruction taking place so far away.
"There's the world my parents fought so hard to protect, the world WE fought so hard to protect, and now it's being destroyed. I could have done more."
Whatever remained of Dana's emotional defenses finally crumbled to dust as she turned and threw herself into Angelo's surprised arms, sobbing into his chest. Speechless, Angelo could think of no other course of action except to put his arms around her and rub her back with his hands in a comforting motion.
"Don't say that, Dana," Angelo said tenderly as Dana continued to cry into his chest. "We all know you did the best job you could. Why, we'd all been lost without you. It might seem like we're running away with our tails between our sorry legs, but that ain't the truth. Truth is, we're not running away; we're staging a 'strategic withdrawal.' One day we're gonna come back with a fleet that's gonna bring the Invid to their knees, and we'll take back our world. Ain't that right, everyone?"
The rest of the group, Louie, Marie, Sean, Bowie, Musica, and Allegra, watched in bittersweet sadness. They tried their best to smile for Angelo when he turned his neck slightly to meet their eyes. The sight of Angelo Dante and Dana Sterling in a prolonged embrace was making the rest of the group a bit uncomfortable, to tell the truth.
"Uh, I think I'll make us some dinner," Marie said awkwardly.
"Great idea, I'll help," Sean said.
Wishing to leave the two alone, each member of the group uttered one excuse or another to leave the observation deck, claiming that they had chores to do on the ship or some other such business.
Alone at last, Dana and Angelo moved away from each other a little. Angelo still had his arms around her, although he had relaxed his embrace of Dana, who blinked away her tears and smiled.
"I'm a wreck, aren't I?"
"You? Ma'am, you're still the toughest lady on this ship."
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana observed. It was the first time Angelo had addressed her as 'Ma'am' since the end of the Second Robotech War.
"Yeah? So I did."
"You know, you're the only one who ever called me that. It's so old fashioned and gentlemanly."
"Gentlemanly? I don't believe anyone has ever accused me of that before."
"Yes Angie," Dana smiled, blushing and averting her eyes shyly, "you are a gentleman to me."
Dana's heart was beating so fast. She was suddenly aware of her physical closeness to the tough old career sergeant. Even more startling to her was the realization of their emotional intimacy as well. She was sharing her innermost feelings with Angelo now, and he was listening to her with infinite patience. It filled her heart with gladness. Could it be? Dana thought back to all her adventures with Angelo. With a sense of wonder, she felt as if she were looking back on her experience with Angelo with new eyes, eyes that were conscious of a growing feeling toward him. They had survived so much together, and through it all, Angelo had always been there for her. Even their disastrous date, when she had dragged him to the theater to see some horrible B movie, and he had embarrassed her by laughing out loud at the film, brought a smile to her heart.
Could it be? Could it be that I love Angelo?
"Thank you, ma'am," Angelo said softly.
"You called me 'Ma'am' again," Dana said.
"Yeah, I did."
"Call me Dana."
Dana's hands rested on Angelo's shoulders. Their faces had drawn so close, almost unwittingly, that they were surprised at how close their lips were to touching.
"Dana," Angelo breathed with affection as they kissed on the observation deck. Dana leaned in and tilted her face upward to meet Angelo's, and she poured into her kiss all her grief and all her love. Only the stars before them bore witness to the truth of their feelings for one another.