On board the starship bound for Tirol, Dana and her friends celebrated the
ending of their journey. Within three days, they would complete the final
leg of their journey. The last space fold would bring them to the orbit of
Tirol, where they could hopefully make contact with the Robotech forces
stationed there. It had been a few days since the first kiss between Dana
and Angelo, and everyone on board was acutely aware of the budding romance
that had blossomed at last. Sean Phillips declared over dinner that he had
always known that Dana and Angelo would end up together.
"Yes," Sean swaggered as he walked up and down the dining table.
Everyone on board was present at the dinner table, listening to the former officer deliver his toast to Dana. Marie put her hands to her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch the man she loved creating such a spectacle. As always, she thought to herself ruefully.
"Yes, I don't claim to be an expert on human behavior," Sean rambled on, "but I could always tell that Dana and Angelo were made for each other."
"Even when Dana was-" Sean stopped himself from mentioning Zor. That would NOT be a good idea.
"I mean, even when Dana and Angelo were fighting together in the 15th like a couple of regular soldiers, I could tell that Angelo had the hots for her. He used to tell us, 'that lieutenant is really something!' While we were all fighting for our lives, running around in those Hovertanks, Angelo was secretly trying to get Dana to fall in love with him, until finally he charmed his way into her heart."
"And so," Sean said, raising his glass of wine, "I propose a toast to Dana and Angelo. A new couple is born!"
Everyone raised their glasses to cheer Dana and Angelo, who sat together blushing like a couple of junior high schoolers. After a couple of minutes, the focus of attention finally drifted away from Dana and Angelo, and everyone got to eating their dinners and having their separate conversations. Dana leaned her head on Angelo's shoulder.
"I know when I first began to fall in love with you," Dana said softly.
"Yeah? When was that?"
"I think it began for me the day the war ended."
* * *
Dana staggered toward the landing craft where all her friends were assembled, watching the spores of the Flower of Life disperse across the earth. She was numb with shock and heartbreak. The war of the Robotech Masters was over. She had a sister. And Zor was dead.
Louie saw Dana first. He pointed.
"Look, it's the Lieutenant!" Louie shouted.
Everyone, Angelo, Sean, Marie, Nova, Musica, Bowie, and Allegra turned to see Dana approaching.
"Dana!" Angelo cried as he ran out to meet Dana.
Angelo slowed as he neared his commanding officer. "Dana, what's wrong?"
Dana's lips were trembling, and tears were forming in her eyes.
"Oh, Angie!" Dana cried as she tumbled forward, into Angelo's arms. They wrapped their arms around each other.
"When I saw that ship explode, I was afraid you were on it," Angelo said.
Dana began sobbing inconsolably. Angelo felt his heart breaking for her, and he knew that something terrible had happened on that ship. Something having to do with Zor. She'd always had a strange fascination with Zor, akin to a romantic interest. If only she knew how much I cared for her, Angelo thought to himself. I could give her so much of myself. I would be so happy to share my life with her. I would always take care of her.
Dana paused to look into Angelo's eyes. He's so strong, Dana thought. He's so strong for me when I am so weak. Dana felt a strange comfort being in his arms.
"What happened?" Angelo asked after a long silence. The rest of their friends were gathered around the two in a circle. No one spoke for a moment. Everyone hung on Dana's every word.
"Zor sacrificed himself to destroy the flagship," Dana explained between her tears. "But he died for nothing. You see these spores, floating around all over the place?"
Everyone turned to look around them, at the spores spreading across the land like a cloud of ill omen.
"These are the spores of the Flower of Life. The Invid are going to come and destroy us all. It's just as Musica warned us. We fought this whole rotten war for nothing."
Dana calmed herself and managed to stop crying. She wiped her eyes on her arms and looked around to face each of her friends. They all stared at her in sad shock and despair.
* * *
"What I am about to ask of you, I ask as your friend, not your commanding officer," Dana began.
Dana, Angelo, Bowie, Musica, Allegra, Louie, Sean, and Marie sat around a small table in a broken down, utterly trashed, abandoned café in Monument City. Like much of the rest of the district, it bore the ugly scars left by the devastating final battle of the second Robotech War. Elsewhere in Monument City, Nova Satori and Dennis Brown were helping the remnants of the Global Military Police to organize efforts to provide emergency shelter and supplies to the war-weary citizens, many of whom had fled during the final battle but had trickled back, exhausted and discouraged, to start their lives anew.
"Uh oh," Bowie said, not sure he liked the serious tone of Dana's voice. "Sounds like it involves something dangerous."
Dana smiled. In the dim light of the single battery operated lamp that sat squarely on the center of the round table, Dana had a devilish gleam in her eye. She had "The Look." It was the same look she'd had on her face the night the 15th Squadron violated orders by gaining access to Zor's hospital room. While her teammates tricked Nova into leaving the hospital, Dana, dressed up as a nurse, had jumped into Zor's room and questioned him at gunpoint.
This was the kind of dangerous, rule-violating mission that Dana evidently had in mind.
"You're right," Dana said to Bowie, "you all know me too well. There's something I didn't tell you about what happened yesterday on that flagship."
"What?" Louie asked, as eager to know as everyone else.
"I had a vision of my sister."
"Your sister?" everyone asked in unison.
"I didn't know you had a sister," Angelo remarked.
"I was under the influence of the protoculture, and my sister came and spoke to me. I never even got her name, but I got a warning. A warning about the Flower of Life and the Invid. I saw her, Angie. I saw her as clear as day. She was such an adorable little thing. My parents spoke to me in the vision, too."
"Are you sure it was real?" Bowie said, skeptical.
"I'm sure. I have to trust my feelings. My heart is telling me that it's true, that I have a sister who has the power of communicating with me from across the galaxy. They're out there. I haven't forgotten my dream of finding my family, Bowie. With the Invid on their way, I may never get another chance to leave the earth and find them. And when we do find them, we'll be able to let Rick and Lisa Hunter know what's happened here. I know it sounds a little selfish, and you have every right to refuse to help me, but-"
"But you need a ship," Sean said.
"And you need us to help get one," Marie guessed correctly.
"There's a few ships at the northeast launching grounds," Dana informed them. "I scouted out the area this morning. Some of them are damaged beyond repair, but a few of them look spaceworthy. They're under heavy guard by what's left of the Army of the Southern Cross, right now. If we're caught, we could be executed. I'm asking all of you, as a friend, to help me steal a ship."
Dana looked at the faces of each of her friends, and at that moment, she knew from their determined expressions that they were all with her. They were all loyal to their leader, and they would follow her to the ends of the earth.
"I'm so glad," Dana said, deeply touched.
"We move tomorrow night."
"Yes," Sean swaggered as he walked up and down the dining table.
Everyone on board was present at the dinner table, listening to the former officer deliver his toast to Dana. Marie put her hands to her eyes, unable to bring herself to watch the man she loved creating such a spectacle. As always, she thought to herself ruefully.
"Yes, I don't claim to be an expert on human behavior," Sean rambled on, "but I could always tell that Dana and Angelo were made for each other."
"Even when Dana was-" Sean stopped himself from mentioning Zor. That would NOT be a good idea.
"I mean, even when Dana and Angelo were fighting together in the 15th like a couple of regular soldiers, I could tell that Angelo had the hots for her. He used to tell us, 'that lieutenant is really something!' While we were all fighting for our lives, running around in those Hovertanks, Angelo was secretly trying to get Dana to fall in love with him, until finally he charmed his way into her heart."
"And so," Sean said, raising his glass of wine, "I propose a toast to Dana and Angelo. A new couple is born!"
Everyone raised their glasses to cheer Dana and Angelo, who sat together blushing like a couple of junior high schoolers. After a couple of minutes, the focus of attention finally drifted away from Dana and Angelo, and everyone got to eating their dinners and having their separate conversations. Dana leaned her head on Angelo's shoulder.
"I know when I first began to fall in love with you," Dana said softly.
"Yeah? When was that?"
"I think it began for me the day the war ended."
* * *
Dana staggered toward the landing craft where all her friends were assembled, watching the spores of the Flower of Life disperse across the earth. She was numb with shock and heartbreak. The war of the Robotech Masters was over. She had a sister. And Zor was dead.
Louie saw Dana first. He pointed.
"Look, it's the Lieutenant!" Louie shouted.
Everyone, Angelo, Sean, Marie, Nova, Musica, Bowie, and Allegra turned to see Dana approaching.
"Dana!" Angelo cried as he ran out to meet Dana.
Angelo slowed as he neared his commanding officer. "Dana, what's wrong?"
Dana's lips were trembling, and tears were forming in her eyes.
"Oh, Angie!" Dana cried as she tumbled forward, into Angelo's arms. They wrapped their arms around each other.
"When I saw that ship explode, I was afraid you were on it," Angelo said.
Dana began sobbing inconsolably. Angelo felt his heart breaking for her, and he knew that something terrible had happened on that ship. Something having to do with Zor. She'd always had a strange fascination with Zor, akin to a romantic interest. If only she knew how much I cared for her, Angelo thought to himself. I could give her so much of myself. I would be so happy to share my life with her. I would always take care of her.
Dana paused to look into Angelo's eyes. He's so strong, Dana thought. He's so strong for me when I am so weak. Dana felt a strange comfort being in his arms.
"What happened?" Angelo asked after a long silence. The rest of their friends were gathered around the two in a circle. No one spoke for a moment. Everyone hung on Dana's every word.
"Zor sacrificed himself to destroy the flagship," Dana explained between her tears. "But he died for nothing. You see these spores, floating around all over the place?"
Everyone turned to look around them, at the spores spreading across the land like a cloud of ill omen.
"These are the spores of the Flower of Life. The Invid are going to come and destroy us all. It's just as Musica warned us. We fought this whole rotten war for nothing."
Dana calmed herself and managed to stop crying. She wiped her eyes on her arms and looked around to face each of her friends. They all stared at her in sad shock and despair.
* * *
"What I am about to ask of you, I ask as your friend, not your commanding officer," Dana began.
Dana, Angelo, Bowie, Musica, Allegra, Louie, Sean, and Marie sat around a small table in a broken down, utterly trashed, abandoned café in Monument City. Like much of the rest of the district, it bore the ugly scars left by the devastating final battle of the second Robotech War. Elsewhere in Monument City, Nova Satori and Dennis Brown were helping the remnants of the Global Military Police to organize efforts to provide emergency shelter and supplies to the war-weary citizens, many of whom had fled during the final battle but had trickled back, exhausted and discouraged, to start their lives anew.
"Uh oh," Bowie said, not sure he liked the serious tone of Dana's voice. "Sounds like it involves something dangerous."
Dana smiled. In the dim light of the single battery operated lamp that sat squarely on the center of the round table, Dana had a devilish gleam in her eye. She had "The Look." It was the same look she'd had on her face the night the 15th Squadron violated orders by gaining access to Zor's hospital room. While her teammates tricked Nova into leaving the hospital, Dana, dressed up as a nurse, had jumped into Zor's room and questioned him at gunpoint.
This was the kind of dangerous, rule-violating mission that Dana evidently had in mind.
"You're right," Dana said to Bowie, "you all know me too well. There's something I didn't tell you about what happened yesterday on that flagship."
"What?" Louie asked, as eager to know as everyone else.
"I had a vision of my sister."
"Your sister?" everyone asked in unison.
"I didn't know you had a sister," Angelo remarked.
"I was under the influence of the protoculture, and my sister came and spoke to me. I never even got her name, but I got a warning. A warning about the Flower of Life and the Invid. I saw her, Angie. I saw her as clear as day. She was such an adorable little thing. My parents spoke to me in the vision, too."
"Are you sure it was real?" Bowie said, skeptical.
"I'm sure. I have to trust my feelings. My heart is telling me that it's true, that I have a sister who has the power of communicating with me from across the galaxy. They're out there. I haven't forgotten my dream of finding my family, Bowie. With the Invid on their way, I may never get another chance to leave the earth and find them. And when we do find them, we'll be able to let Rick and Lisa Hunter know what's happened here. I know it sounds a little selfish, and you have every right to refuse to help me, but-"
"But you need a ship," Sean said.
"And you need us to help get one," Marie guessed correctly.
"There's a few ships at the northeast launching grounds," Dana informed them. "I scouted out the area this morning. Some of them are damaged beyond repair, but a few of them look spaceworthy. They're under heavy guard by what's left of the Army of the Southern Cross, right now. If we're caught, we could be executed. I'm asking all of you, as a friend, to help me steal a ship."
Dana looked at the faces of each of her friends, and at that moment, she knew from their determined expressions that they were all with her. They were all loyal to their leader, and they would follow her to the ends of the earth.
"I'm so glad," Dana said, deeply touched.
"We move tomorrow night."