a/n: Hi, and thanks a lot for reading my story! I'm extremely grateful for your kind reviews; they really do keep me motivated to share my little RT vision.

That last chapter was a rough one, eh? It was a difficult one to write, that's for sure. I'm glad it was generally well received (unless most of you are keeping quiet =D), because it took me a while to revise, and even then I wasn't sure if I should post it. But one of the things I always enjoyed about Robotech was its artful portrayal of drama. It never displayed violence for the sake of shock. There was always an underlying theme in keeping with the characters' actions. I've tried to tap into that vein here. In my opinion, the Malcontent Uprising was by far the most difficult section of the Macross Saga to watch. The emotional rollercoaster of a broken people rebuilding their devastating lives is a touchy thing to account. I'll work my hardest to do the original series justice, and make this a worthwhile reading.

And by the way, tela's comment on "Lisa's moves" was great! I'd have to agree that Minmei wouldn't be Lisa's favorite person, especially at this point in her life! And come on, folks, she'd totally kick Minmei's butt. We're talking military training here! What's Minmei got on that...like, a microphone, or something? =) I'll also make the rather blunt hint that certain people just might be appearing in this fanfiction sometime soon...

That's about it I guess; on to more serious things. But remember, any comments are always taken seriously. Well...except for "let's have *insert RT babe* get naked!" And the "make a big rock fall on Minmei!" requests, too. On second thought, I might consider that...

Chapter 6

The dry desert air cracked from a powerful sonic boom. A squadron of Veritech fighter planes dropped from the clouds, and moved into a delta formation. Three VF-1A strike fighters took the lead, screaming ahead with their wings swept back. They bore the Hawk Wing logo, a golden raptor's beak, on their tail fins. All three Veritechs were painted in cannon-fodder camoflauge.

A pair of VF-2B's brought up the rear. They were wide, fat, and sluggish bombers which bore no resemblance to their graceful older cousins. Their engines were rounder and larger, and their wings were fixed in a straight-out position. The cockpits were bubble-shaped, and crammed with targeting instruments. Rounded nosecones housed miniature chainguns, less effective than the VF-1's gunpod weapon.

But the Buzzards, as they were nicknamed, were not reliant on their cannons. The Buzzards were pure-bred bombers. Their wings and fuselage could be loaded down with many thousand-pound bombs, plus a wide assortment of missles and rockets. With the right armament, a single Buzzard could decimate an entire city. Its design did not allow for Battloid mode, though it could change to Guardian if its payload had been released.

Rick looked back in his cockpit, and saw the bombers moving into position. "Buzzards, this is Hawk Leader," he called. "Target ETA is five minutes and counting. Prepare for your attack run."

Cabe answered with mock professionalism. "Acnowledged, Hawk Leader. Arming weapons."

"Watch carefully," Hansen drolled. "We're about to bore you to death."

"Be my guest," replied Rick, with a quick wave behind him. He switched his radar to Active mode, and picked up a large clump of hostile blips dead ahead. "Okay, Hawk Wing," he said. "Stay focused up here. Joons, you and I will cover Cabe for his attack on the control center. Martinez, you stick with Hansen."

"To hell with that!" shouted Cabe. "Just keep your eyes open. We don't need a frickin' escort."

Rick rolled his eyes. "Scratch that, Hawk Wing. The Buzzards would rather get blown away. We'll sweep the perimeter."

He got a thumbs-up from Joons' cockpit, then one from Martinez. Rick took a breath, and focused on his head-up display. "Here goes nothing, gentlemen. Good luck."

He's flying right into a trap... and it's all your fault...

"No...Rick..."

A little fraternization, if you prefer...

"No!"

What are you going to do?

Lisa felt a sickening cold sweep over her. She struggled to catch her breath; each gasp stabbed at her lungs. The grated steel floor dug into her numbing fingers. Visions, painful voices, flashed across her mind. The tormenting face of Admiral Sever bearing down on her, cursing, and threatening; a suffocating stare.

The face was shattered away, and replaced in a flash with Rick Hunter's smile He reached out for her; spoke in words she had already heard him say.

Lisa... I love you.

"Rick! Oh God, I'm... I'm lost, I can't..."

I'll come visit you...

Rick looked down with caring eyes. Lisa's breathing slowed, and she raised her eyes to the ceiling. "Rick...I need help..."

I'm here... it's all right...

But Rick shook his head, and quickly turned away. He closed his eyes tightly and cried out. A deep gash appeared on his forehead. He blinked in pain, and blood poured from his eyes. His image was torn in half, and the figure of Lynn Minmei appeared in his place.

This is my chance to be a star!

Lisa screamed, and cried against the wall.

"Get up."

The voice frightened her; she had not imagined it. Her eyes glanced quickly up, and saw a pair of black combat boots.

"Stand up, immediately."

She crawled against the wall, inching away, to see the intruder. He was an RDF pilot with a pale face. He wore a heat resistant suit that covered his neck and skull, and a black pilot's flight outfit. An assault rifle was clenched in his hands.

"You...you saw!" cried Lisa. "You saw it happen! I'm sorry! Please let me explain...please, I beg you!"

The soldier's expression did not change. "Can you stand?" he asked.

"It...it wasn't supposed to happen! I just...what I mean to say is that...the Admiral..."

He reached down, and quickly pulled her up by the arm, leaning her against the wall. "What is your name and rank?" he asked, stepping away. His ice-blue eyes spoke determination.

Lisa hesitated. She dropped her eyes, downcast. "Lisa Hayes...bridge commander..."

To her shock, the soldier gave her a sharp salute. "How may I be of service, Commander!" he called.

She looked at him carefully, and blinked away a tear. "You...you want to help?"

"Yes ma'am! You seem to be injured!"

"No...no, I'm all right. I'll be fine... bad dreams, that's all." She brushed the hair from her face. "What's... your name and rank?"

"My name is Eo," replied the soldier, in an strict voice. "Awaiting rank."

Lisa took a very deep breath. "Eo, I do need your help. And I need you to trust me. Are you willing to?"

"Yes ma'am, Commander!"

She began to compose herself. "Oh, thank God! I'm afraid I can't explain this all...there isn't much time. But we're in the middle of a base emergency. There are pilots in grave danger. And...well, this sounds strange, but...the base doesn't want us... to know about it." She winced, and prepared for the worst.

But Eo remained stern and calm. "Please continue," he said, after a moment of silent wait.

Lisa took another, more confident breath. "Okay...I think I have a plan...and again, you must know that you can trust me. Do you understand?"

"Please continue," Eo repeated. "You stated that time is short."

"Right! Yes, it is. Eo, I need to find a communication center immediately. Please, can you take me to one?"

"Of course," said the soldier. "Follow me."

Lisa caught him by the shoulder. "Oh! Wait!" she said, and quickly lowered her voice. "There's... something else, as well." She swallowed hard. "Oh boy, you're not going to like this one..."

"Continue!" said Eo firmly.

Lisa was taken aback. "Oh! Well...the problem is that...the base has made an error. They don't believe me... in fact, they don't want me interfering with them." She bit her lip. "I... may need protection..."

Eo nodded, and cocked his assault rifle. "No one will interfere. Hurry, Commander, the nearest comm center is this way."

"Entering the hot-zone... now! Stay sharp people, we just made radar presence."

"Positive on target visual, bearing zero-three-five. Acquiring missle lock..."

"Scanning perimeter, no bandits in sight. Buzzard One, your path is clear. Repeat, your path is clear."

"Roger that, Hawk Three. Now be a good Valk, and stay outta my way."

Rick stared ahead as his squadron approached the target. He could see it over a far sand dune. It was chilling to behold. The army of Battle Pods were lined up in rows, motionless, and blown with sand. Next to the mass of battle craft was a flimsy metal bunker, Cabe's target.

"What are you waiting for?" said Cabe impatiently. "Gimme the order, Hunter. Let's get this over with."

"Not yet," replied Rick. His voice was garbled by his helmet radio, and mixed with the auto-respirator's airy hiss. "I'm getting closer first. Everybody stay on course, I'm going to make a pass."

"We've got your back, sir," said Joons.

The Buzzard pilots grumbled, but complied. They joined Joons and Martinez in holding back. Rick punched his throttle and blasted forward at the target. He armed his gunpod and set his missles to auto-lock.

The Battle Pods were beaten terribly. Some were missing cannons, and others had exposed wires and circuits. All of them had massive dents and plenty of rust. But even so, they were a terror for Rick to see in such a number. Echo Base would have been done for! he thought. Good thing we caught this in time...

As the pods whizzed by under him, he caught a bright flash in the sand dunes ahead.

Hansen's voice shook his attention. "Hawk Leader, this is Buzzard One. We'll be wrapping this up now, if you don't mind."

"What a great man," laughed Martinez.

The bombers broke away and throttled up, diving powerfully toward the target. Rick's wingmen climbed high and raced to catch up with him.

"Hey Cabe," said Hansen. "Hit it on the first pass, and I buy the beer."

Rick dropped his altitude and switched on his afterburners. "Hawk Wing!" he called. "There's something in this sand dune, bearing zero-two-eight. I'm gonna clear it off. Tell me what you see."

"Roger that, Rick," said Joons. "Dust that baby off."

Rick flew dangerously close to the desert surface, blowing sand in torrents as his jet engines rumbled at afterburner power. He watched the sand dune close in with lightning speed. At the last moment, he pulled back on the stick and launched into the sky. The engines blasted the dune away.

"Whew!" Rick chuckled. "Okay, what've we got down there?"

"Sir, it's a TC-1!"

Rick's heart stopped cold.

"And... here comes the money shot!"

Cabe's VF-2 launched a missle from its wing. The bombers rolled away as the missle screamed down, ripping a fireball through the metal bunker.

Cabe turned his head as his bomber leveled out. "Confirmed kill! That's ten dead Zentraedi, folks."

Hansen adjusted his instruments, and looked back. "Wait...wait, that's not right. There's no debris...it's like the building was...empty!"

"Sir, do you copy?" called Joons. "We've got positive visual on five TC-1 transports!"

Martinez cut him off. "Sir! Movement detected on the ground!"

Rick felt his hands growing numb around the flight stick. "Pull out! Repeat, pull out! It's a trap!"

Lisa watched as Eo carefully scanned the hallway. He slid into the open, with his assault rifle trained against his shoulder. With a quick wave, he motioned for her to catch up.

She stepped quietly down the hall, reading the information plate on each door. Where is he taking me? she thought. I've never been to this part of the base...

Eo suddenly stopped, and pointed to an unmarked steel blast door. It was sealed with shining bars and key-coded. "We are here," whispered Eo. "What is your key code?"

"Three-six-one-nine," Lisa recalled. "I'll get it."

"No!" Eo hissed, and grabbed her hand. "Step back. Do not speak. Close the door as soon as I am inside."

Lisa nodded, and Eo released her arm. He raised the rifle, and punched the code into the computer with his free hand. The bars slid away, and the door opened with a mechanical hum.

Eo stepped quickly into the room. The door shut behind him. The communication center's walls were lined with monitors, displaying RDF star cruisers on detailed computerized maps. Communication posts were raised from the floor on platforms. Each one held a keyboard, a monitor, and a microphone headset.

Two armored soldiers leaned against empty posts. Only one communications officer was on duty, at the nearest post.

Eo stepped slowly into the room, and slung the assault rifle across his back. The troopers quickly stood and drew pistols. "Can we help you, private?" one of them called sharply. The comm officer continuted typing, oblivous.

"Lower your weapons immediately," Eo said sternly. "This is a matter of base security. I require the use of your communications terminals."

"Uh-huh, right. Now, I'm hoping what you meant was, 'oops, I made a wrong turn.'"

Eo slowly looked around the room. "You have been warned."

He stretched his hand to an empty comm terminal. A long, black wire snapped from his wrist, and whipped into the keyboard. An electric current zapped the post, and a powerful arc jumped to the one next to the soldiers. The post exploded, and launched them into the wall.

One of the soldiers struck his head and fell unconscious. The other one rolled into the open, pulling a rifle from the sling on his back. Eo dove behind the nearest terminal, knocking the comm officer away. Gunshots clapped, and bullets ripped through the metal walls around Eo.

He leapt over the post, and moved his arm toward the soldier. The electrical wire detached from the computer. It whipped around the soldier's neck and pulled taut. Eo tugged hard, and dragged the soldier into a comm post, knocking him out.

"Your cooperation is mandatory," he said, as the wire retracted into his arm.

A powerful blast thundered into Eo's chest. He slipped backward and into one of the screens on the wall. His pilot's gloves scraped against the monitor and skimmed off, and he crumpled to the floor.

The shaky comm officer stood before him, aiming a pistol with both hands. Eo looked down at his flight suit. A bullet hole was ripped through the chest.

He looked at the officer, and threw back his hand. It shattered the screen. Eo gripped the broken glass, and stood.

"S-stay back!" the officer cried. "I'll kill you!"

Eo jerked his arm out of the screen. Shards of glass fell, and crushed under his boots as he stepped toward the officer.

Another shot fired, then another. Both missed Eo and blasted giant holes in the screens behind him. Eo grabbed the officer's hand and twisted it back. He pulled down on the pistol and the slide released, dropping the barrel and magazine onto the ground. Eo leaned back and side-kicked the officer in the face.

He checked the man for a pulse, and found him unconscious but breathing. Eo stood, and headed for the door. He placed his hand on the keypad, but noticed his reflection in the door' shining surface. The gunshot wound was bloodless, but the hole in his flight suit was gaping in size.

Eo blinked, and stared at the wound. He unzipped a pocket on his leg and retrieved a roll of black tape. Quickly, he covered the tear in his suit, and pressed the code for the door.

Lisa waited impatiently outside. "What happened?" she whispered. "I can't hear a thing out here!"

"Good," said Eo. "The nearest tower is online. Two towers have been damaged, and the rest are shut down."

She ran into the room as the door closed. "There's ony one tower? What if it can't connect me to...nevermind! I'll make it work!"

"Work quickly. If we are discovered, the entire room will be shut down."

Lisa nodded solemnly. She tapped at the keyboard frantically with one hand, and slipped on the headset with the other. Her monitor came to life. "Selecting comm quadrant..." she mumbled to herself. "Searching for available connections...oh, come on! Please, let somebody be out there!"

Eo looked up at one of the screens on the wall. "There is one RDF star cruiser on patrol," he said. "Its coordinates are fifty-nine, two-thousand-twenty-one, seven-million-six-hundred-thousand-"

"Wait! I have him!" shouted Lisa. "He's calling me!"

She opened the channel, and listened as an officer spoke into her earphone. "No...no, wait! Please hold on! This is Commander Lisa Hayes, of Echo Base! ...No, that's not important! We have a crisis on our hands!"

"I am putting the connected party on screen," said Eo, flipping a few switches at the wall. The image of a skinny officer with wide rimmed glasses appeared on the giant monitor.

"Commander Hayes, this is the G.S.S. Ultimatum. What is your crisis?"

"Oh, thank God! Officer, I need speak with the ship's admiral, immediately!"

Swarms of Zentraedi Battle Pods filled the desert sky. They bounded from the ground in scores, firing missles and canons in a blistering upward hail. Rick weaved his VF-1 between the hoardes of attackers with Joons and Martinez close behind. He released a barrage of swarm-rockets to pave the way.

"Incoming missles, three o'clock low!"

"Roger! Bank right, and release chaff!"

"Dammit, they're everywhere!"

"Hold your speed! Don't let them separate us!"

Rick struggled to make sense of the screams in his helmet radio. Flashes of light bursted all around, as wild missle shots collided. Lasers cut through the smoke-filled air. More pods went airborne by the second.

"Hawk Wing!" shouted Rick. "Set swarmers to auto-lock and fire on my mark!"

"Sir!" said Martinez. "We don't have room! You're in my..."

"Shut up and do it!"

"Y-yessir!"

"And... now!"

Joons and Martinez fired their weapons. The rockets whistled as they whipped through the air, leaving thin trails of smoke in their wake. Rick pulled back on the stick and barrel-rolled over their path. They seared a fiery wave through the wall of Battle Pods.

"Gun it!" yelled Rick. "Now! Now!"

Afterburners blazing, the VF-1's barely made it through the malestrom of pods. Rick brought his craft vertical. The wingmen followed him in the climb.

"Okay...alright..." panted Rick. The auto-breather hissed harder. "Where's the Buzzards? Do you copy, Buzzard One!"

Cabe's voice crackled to life. "Hunter, where the hell are you?!"

"Sir, he's eight o'clock low!" called Joons, turning in his cockpit. "I have visual!"

"I have nothing!" said Rick. "Take us in, Joons! We'll cut a pathway for them!"

The VF-1's leveled out, and dove sharply, with Joons in the lead. Cabe and Hansen were far below, rolling in formation as a host of Battle Pods closed in from above and below.

Cabe looked all around his canopy as his VF-2 rumbled at full speed. "Hansen! We gotta bomb the ones on the ground!"

"Are you crazy?!" Rick growled, fighting the G-forces of his steep dive. "We're not fighting this battle!"

"No choice!" said Cabe, as his bulky fighter tried to shake off his pursuers. "We can't outrun 'em! Hansen, get some of these off me!"

"Roger that!" said Hansen. His VF-2 made a vertical climb, and a few Battle Pods broke off to chase him.

Rick blinked away the sweat that rolled across his face. He fired his gunpod and took out two more of Cabe's pursuers. "Stay away from the ground!" he screamed. "Cabe, that's an order!"

"No way!" Cabe replied. "I gotta even this out--"

Joons interrupted. "Martinez! Check six!"

A pod had snuck up behind Martinez' fighter. Both wingmen broke off to combat the enemy. "I can't shake him!" said Martinez. "He's got a lock!"

"Hang on, man...I'll get him..." Joons trained his guns on the pod.

Rick accelerated to full throttle and left the dogfight. Two pods were trailing Cabe, and more were closing in by the second. "Cabe! Get out, now!" called Rick, trying to get a clean shot at one of the pods.

Cabe banked away, and throttled up in order to climb. A flame belched from his engines, and he trailed a cloud of black smoke. The VF-2 shuddered and began to nosedive.

"Overheat!" he screamed. "I'm losing her! I can't..."

A Zentraedi missle struck his cockpit. The craft's frame split into pieces and shredded away, releasing a molten fireball.

Rick's eyes burned from the blast. "Cabe!"

He shook with fury, gripping the flight stick with both cold hands. His VF-1 slid behind the pods and unleashed a fury of cannon fire. Both pods were decimated.

Joons watched his head-up display nervously. Martinez and the Battle Pod were dead ahead. "Come on," he breathed. "Get in there..."

"Hurry, man!" said Martinez. "He's got another lock!"

Joons' display turned red; he acquired a missle lock on the pod. He punched the trigger and released a cruise missle. It hit on the pod's leg, and blew the enemy craft apart.

"Yeah! How's that for a..."

Through the smoke, another pod cruised toward Joons on a head-on path. Joons slammed the flight stick to the left and banked his fighter, but it was too late. The pod clipped off his right wing.

"I'm hit!" he cried.

Martinez swung around, and rocketed three pods as they took off. "Joons! Switch modes!"

Joons struggled with his controls as the VF-1 spun downward. He flipped the Battloid switch and set his leg thrusters to full. "Geez, here comes a hard landing..."

Rick flew through a pack of Battle Pods upside-down. He glanced at the ground; less than half of them had taken off. His head swam with the mixed radio chatter, and he juggled comments to each troubled pilot. This is bad...concentrate, Hunter...

"We're gonna get slaughtered out here!" shouted Hansen. "Cabe, where are you? Where's that shock-bomb?"

His bomber dropped from the clouds and took out a group of pods. More approached, and latched onto his six. "Cabe, where are you?"

Rick climbed to meet Hansen. "Joons!" he called. As he did, he caught a glimpse of Joons' fighter. It was changing forms, morphing into a robotic Battloid soldier. Its leg engines were running full-throttle, slowing his fall.

"Cabe!" shouted Hansen.

Rick growled; his head pounded. "Hansen... Cabe's dead!"

"God!"

Hansen's fighter lost engine power. It spun downward, and through a cloud of Battle Pods. A laser blast hit his tail and ripped it off. The VF-2 caught fire and its engines disengaged.

"I'm going down!"

Rick's hand slipped off the controls, but he quickly caught them again. "Bail out, Hansen! Bail out!"

The VF-2's nosecone broke away and flew clear of the flaming wreck. Hansen's seat blasted from the cockpit and released a parachute.

"Joons!" said Rick. "Are you all right? Can you pick him up?"

Joons' Battloid lay half-buried in a sand dune. "Negative!" he said. "Both legs are damaged. I'm losing power..."

Martinez caught up with Rick's fighter. "Sir, we've gotta get down there!" he said.

Rick swallowed hard, and dove steeply. "Follow me down!"

They dropped altitude and skimmed over the sand. Both craft switched forms to Guardian mode. They stopped beside Joons' mangled Battloid, and scanned the sky for Hansen's parachute.

"He must have touched down!" said Martinez. "We have to find him!"

Rick was silent. He turned his eyes to the horizon, where an army of Battle Pods marched forward in a wide procession. He retrieved his gunpod, and the Guardian rested its finger on the trigger.

Joons' voice was garbled and barely audible. "Guys... go! ...Still time..."

Martinez looked to the sky, where scores of pods were patroling. He stood his ground, and cocked his gunpod.

Rick looked down at his instrument panel. His ripped, blood-stained picture of Lisa was taped to the edge. The fountain behind her still sparkled, and she still gave him that special smile.

He switched off his radio, and lay back against the seat with his eyes to the sky.

"I'm sorry..." he cried. "Lisa... I'm sorry... for everything..."

His eyes caught a glimmer falling from the clouds. He looked away, and pulled off his helmet, rubbing his face with his shaking hands. But Martinez caught his attention once again. He was waving madly, pounding on his cockpit window.

Rick turned his radio back on, and instantly heard a message. "Special delivery from the G.S.S. Ultimatum, boys! Who ordered the extra crispy?"

Missles rained from the sky, blasting the airborne pods to bits. Super Veritech fighters, outfitted with space-travel boosters, dove into action. Squadron after squadron poured down and laid waste to the Zentraedi armada. Shock-bombs fell on the advancing ground troops and quickly wiped them out.

In the blink of an eye, the battle was over and won.

"This is Wolf Leader," said the voice. "How would you fellas like to go home?"

Martinez and Joons shouted for joy, but Rick took a long, deep breath. "Sounds good, Wolf Leader," he sighed shakily. "But first, I've got a pilot to find."