"I suggest you inform your troops of your decision immediately, Commander.
We'll make preparations to receive you shortly," Breetai declared as an
obviously unnerved Zelaenna was still in awe over the effect of Lisa-
Minmei's song over her troops.
"Congratulations, Captain Hayes. Your singing proved to be a definite tactical advantage again," stated Breetai as Lisa-Minmei put Dana back in her crib.
"But that wasn't my singing. It was-" was all that Lisa-Minmei could say as Breetai cut her short.
"Minmei's, precisely. But there is no separate entity for me to address as Minmei and doing so would be ridiculous as you are here right now. And as far as I am concerned, you are Lynn-Minmei AND Captain Lisa Hayes," Breetai replied.
"I may not be qualified to judge what is good singing or not but what I do know is that what you just did was good and it helped us prevent the unnecessary loss of lives that would've happened if you didn't sing at all. It's something to be proud of Captain, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better it will be for you," Breetai added.
Lisa-Minmei was left speechless at Breetai's last words for it sounded more like a compliment rather than advice. For the Zentraedi warlord, it was easy to accept that Lisa Hayes and Lynn-Minmei were one and the same. It wasn't because he gave no considerations to what each woman might've felt about the melding (they spent millennia in their war-culture), but what he focused on instead was how to make use of whatever was available immediately and in this case, it was her command-capabilities and her singing talent.
"All crew, prepare to receive our new allies, Commander Zelaenna and her B'Elarna division. Repairs on all our ships will commence as soon as crew- integration is complete," Exedore declared upon receiving the order from Breetai.
The factory-satellite's huge bay doors opened and the three main ships of the B'Elarna Division entered. Like most of the Zentraedi ships, their armor had already healed in almost all the areas that had suffered substantial damage but it was evident that their ships had taken a heavy beating from the combined RDF and Zentraedi allied fleet. One by one, the mostly female crews of the ships disembarked and were greeted by their male counterparts. Lisa-Minmei could swear she saw a bit of excitement mixed with the usual apprehension on the faces of both Zentraedi groups. Indeed, gender-segregation seemed to be the norm as each gender was given slightly different yet specific tasks within the fleet. Working together would present a new set of factors that could either make a huge difference or spell trouble for all.
Breetai, Exedore, Lisa-Minmei, Dr. Lang, Max and Miriya were the immediate officers who welcomed the newcomers. Salutations were exchanged and Commander Zelaenna formally declared her alliance with Breetai and his group. Outside the satellite, the remaining 305 ships were in gravity- anchors as repairs on them would commence as soon as the factory satellite was back in running condition. Breetai noted that the improved veritechs and Zentraedi pods were highly effective albeit, more than he had hoped for. Had they been any more effective, then the B'Elarna division would've suffered bigger losses.
"Welcome aboard the factory-satellite, Commander Zelaenna. Your addition to our fleet is most welcome. You will be shown to your quarters after proper introductions have been made," declared Breetai.
"These are my officers from the combined fleet of the Zentraedi Imperial fleet and their Robotech Defense Force. You of course know Exedore and Lt.Commander Miriya Parino Sterling. That is her husband, Commander Maximilian Sterling, Dr. Emil Lang, our head research-scientist, and one of my most able tactician and operations officer, Captain Lisa Hayes," Breetai introduced.
"Well met. And may I add that your improved fighters and strategy were really deadly. If may ask, Lord Breetai, who was the one who made that mysterious sound that emanated from this satellite?" asked Commander Zelaenna.
"That would be Lynn-Minmei who coincidentally, is also Captain Hayes but for reasons much too complex for me to explain, you'll just have to take my word for it," Breetai replied.
Lisa-Minmei could swear she heard a hint of humor from Breetai as he answered Zelaenna's question. If there were indeed human traits that Breetai could easily emulate and develop, it would be irony and sarcasm.
"You mean, a 'melding', Lord Breetai?" Zelaenna asked as they walked towards the bridge.
"Why, yes indeed. Tell me, have you witnessed it before or has something like this happened with your crew?" Breetai asked as he stopped walking for a while, the curiousity within him growing.
"Now that you mentioned it, something like that did occur to another fleet we were traveling with as we pursued the Invid in another part of this galaxy. We were in an area in space where there was a lot of natural gravimetric distortions so we had to be really careful in setting our jump coordinates. My B'Elarna Division made it through successfully but the other fleet suffered a substantial amount of damage as they reappeared in normal space. A third of the Q'Azira Division was rendered useless or damaged beyond repair. We investigated further and we found out that a few milliseconds before they folded into hyperspace from that quadrant, a huge gravimetric surge scrambled their jump coordinates thus, the resulting mishap. Some of the ships crashed into each other while others suddenly found their ships occupying the same space as the other did. However, there were some ships that somehow remained intact though their digital signatures were somewhat redundant. We later found out that these ships that did stay whole were actually two ships that somehow 'melded' together without mishap. The same could not be said of their crew, however. Almost all the crew in them died immediately upon reentering normal space. I have to admit though that this is the first time I've known it happen to an individual," Zelaenna replied.
"Odd, indeed. The only other fleet who did something like that although intentionally, was your best friend, Commander Khyron. Anyway, we can discuss more about these things later. I suggest you and your crew rest for a while. Captain Hayes will show you to your quarters," Breetai stated as he took his leave of the dumbfounded Zelaenna.
"Best-friend? Khyron? If I may say so, Lord Breetai has been spending too much time with you micronians," stated an obviously miffed Zelaenna.
"For what he is now, his development in that aspect is quite amazing, Commander. Most of the Zentraedi here have yet to begin adapting to their surroundings. I take it though that your rivalry with Commander Khyron and his Boturu Battalion goes deeper than what you show," queried Lisa-Minmei of her giant counterpart.
"Indeed, it is. I have no idea why it is that way but suffice to say that each time I received a commendation; he was receiving one as well though the number of reprimands he received was almost equal to that of his awards. I have to admit though that his redesign of the male battlepod was a stroke of genius. I guess you could say that what we had was an intense competition. What happened to him anyway?" asked Zelaenna.
Lisa-Minmei then recounted the last days of Khyron and Azonia albeit painfully, along with their crew of malcontent Zentraedi and the destruction of the SDF-1.
"I see. Along with Zor's ship and Azonia, it truly is an unfortunate occurrence," Zelaenna observed.
Lisa-Minmei saw a brief glimpse of emotion in Zelaenna's eyes as she made her observation after her account. It suddenly dawned upon Lisa-Minmei why Zelaenna felt that way: she was Azonia's clone-sister. Apparently, Zentraedi who got exposed to Minmei's singing were quick to develop emotions albeit, unintentionally.
Their paths soon diverged as Commander Zelaenna and her crew proceeded to their new quarters while Lisa-Minmei returned to hers. Once inside, she all but plopped into bed, undid her ponytail in the most Minmei of manner. Anyone seeing her would be surprised to see a high-ranking officer act in such a nonchalant way. Her own actions surprised her as well as she took note of them. She found it quaint how Breetai managed to maneuver things in such a way that was highly reminiscent of Admiral Gloval's own strategies. After all, it was Admiral Gloval's own strategy coupled with Breetai's that enabled their combined forces to take over the factory satellite. She had about two hours more of rest before she and a few other officers were to return to the earth's surface. Lisa-Minmei was about to go into a full- blown nap when she heard the room's systems alert her of a visitor which turned out to be Exedore.
"I hope I am not intruding upon anything private, Captain," Exedore said.
"No, not at all. I was merely preparing to rest for a while. I have to submit my reports once we're back on the surface and you know some of the other officers will not receive them well especially our unconditional acceptance of Commander Zelaenna's division," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"Yes, I know what you mean. For what it is, it seems Col. Maistroff and the others still haven't gotten over past issues with us Zentraedi," Exedore noted.
"Well they should. Or else I'll force it down their throats and tell them to sit in the corner! Have they forgotten that if it weren't for you and Breetai's choice of alliance, we wouldn't have stood a chance with Dolza's Royal Fleet!" Lisa-Minmei declared emotionally.
Exedore was quite surprised with Lisa-Minmei's outburst. If anything, Lisa Hayes was a headstrong woman who felt strongly about things yet not immediately vocal about it but now that she and Lynn-Minmei were one, these emotions made it to the surface rather quickly. This was yet another odd trait that Lisa-Minmei exhibited which he added to his mental notepad.
"Well then, I just came by to give you my own set of reports for you to add just in case you need supporting documents. Good luck, Captain Hayes." And with that, Exedore stood up and left Lisa-Minmei's quarters.
She made her own mental note of how Exedore had changed over time. Being of lesser physical stature than most of his brethren may have forced him to develop his mental skills and thus became Breetai's closest and most trusted advisor. Their combination was a highly effective one indeed and according to what reports were stored in the factory satellite's memory- banks, one of the most highly decorated divisions of the Zentraedi. Lisa- Minmei then proceeded to store the various documents she had into a file folder and took a nap. She awoke to the sound of Miriya and Max rousing her and Dana pounding on her legs, engrossed in a game that only children of her age understood.
"Alright Dana, that's enough. Mission accomplished," declared Max as he picked his daughter up from the bed.
"Mission accomplished?" asked a still fuzzy-eyed Lisa-Minmei asked.
"Well, you were in such a deep sleep that we found it difficult to wake you. We had to have Exedore override the room protocols just to get inside. Something about resting in a manner of earth-lumber, as Max would say," replied Miriya.
Max clutched his sides at Miriya's mistake and in truth, even Lisa-Minmei found it hard not to laugh.
"The term, Miriya, is sleeping like a log," she half-laughingly corrected.
"That's just it. Plants do not move on their own, much less hibernate so where's the sense in that phrase?" Miriya asked.
"Okay honey, that's enough. I'll elaborate further once we're back on the surface. We'll meet you in the space-dock, Lisa," Max declared as he shooed a still perplexed Miriya out of the room while carrying Dana.
"By the way, thanks for soothing Dana a while ago, Minmei. Your voice really does wonders with her. She was still fast asleep when we got back from the infirmary. I bet Rick will just love hearing about it," Max added.
Lisa-Minmei looked at the trio as they exited from her room. Max, a veritech-wizard and his Zentraedi-wife who was the deadliest Quadrono pilot and their daughter, Dana: an odd mix indeed but one wherein the differences love did overcome. She wondered if the same love could overcome this problem she and Rick were in, this time. It certainly seemed that way that fateful day when Khyron attacked; Rick finally realized his emotions and requited her feelings for him.
But she couldn't deny the strong feelings of rejection that the 'Minmei' part of her still felt. As far as she was concerned, Rick left her to be with another. After what they shared during Christmas Day, Rick still chose Lisa over her when Lisa revealed to him her feelings. But what was 'Minmei' to feel now, now that she and Lisa were one? The confused mix of emotions she felt during their first dinner after Khyron's attack was still fresh in her mind, especially when she learned that Rick kept Lisa waiting for him all day while he was with her. While people would see that it was 'Lisa' who they saw most of the time, 'Minmei' was still there in the background and she was a part of everything that happened. This was most obvious when Lisa-Minmei sang a lullaby for Dana. Up until that moment, she had let 'Lisa' take control as Lisa was coordinating the battle-plans with the RDF- defense fleet. Somehow, there seemed to be a silent agreement with her two sides that whoever was most effective in any given situation would take control. Most of the time, this system worked except when it came to Rick Hunter. When he was around, both of them were in the driver's seat and neither could tell where one began and the other ended. Lisa-Minmei decided not to give it any further thought for now as she made last minute inspections on what she was to bring. After she was satisfied, she proceeded to the space dock in order to board the flagship that would take her back to earth.
Lisa-Minmei was surprised to see that she was to board a different ship and not Breetai's flagship. It turned out that part of the huge dock was damaged during the last skirmish and the flagship was too big to fit through. She and the others would be riding one of the smaller support cruisers similar to the one Khyron used. She was greeted by Dr. Hiroshi Ayase, one of the macronized human technicians as she made her way to the moving ramps.
"Dr. Ayase-san. So, how does it feel to be a giant?" she asked.
"Quite odd but good, actually. I had expected to suffer from perspective problems once I became this size but apparently, the whole Zentraedi- process makes the necessary mental and psychological adjustments so as to keep the subject stable. It seems that our initial concerns about macronization were unfounded. I submitted my report to Minister Exedore, and I requested that some of my colleagues undergo the process and join me here on the satellite. I trust he gave it to you?" Dr. Ayase asked.
"Yes, he did so a while ago. I fully support your suggestion as well," Lisa- Minmei replied.
"Arigato, Captain. Good luck on your return trip," Dr. Ayase added as he turned into a corridor while Lisa-Minmei proceeded to the ship.
She was about to board the ship when she saw that there were two new additions to the escort-fleet. Apart from the combined New Vermillion and Green Squadrons, the battlepod/Quadrono complement included Lt. Adlea and Gela Parino's Quadrono as well. Once settled inside, she contacted Miriya's veritech and asked her about it.
"Captain Hayes. Is there something I can help you with?" Miriya asked.
"Yes, Miriya. Are your sisters joining us on earth? I saw their Quadronos with the Zentraedi portion of the escort-fleet," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"Indeed they are, Captain. They expressed wanting to know everything about micronian life so I suggested they join me and Max on earth," Miriya replied.
"I see. I take it Max didn't have any objections about their joining you then?" Lisa-Minmei added.
"None at all, though I did sense a bit of apprehension in him," Miriya answered.
Lisa-Minmei left it at that and after a few take-off procedures, the cruiser was given clearance. She felt a slight jolt as the ship was freed from the gravity-anchors and fired it's smaller thrusters as it slowly made it's was towards the exit. Once in outer-space, it was joined by the escort fleet and it headed towards the earth. A few hours later, Lisa-Minmei felt the ship as it entered the earth's atmosphere. A few minutes later, she heard the voice of Major Alberto Del Fuego as his Blue Squadron met up with the ship and escort-fleet. They then landed on the temporary airstrip of the RDF. Once they were secure, Lisa-Minmei stood up, got her belongings and went to the exit. She was greeted by the warm sunlight and cool breeze as the bay doors opened. She recalled the memory of her first return to earth after spending two to three years in space being pursued by Breetai and his forces. 'Lisa' had made the trip in order to convince her father, Admiral Hayes and rest of the earth-based RDF top-brass to send reinforcements and allow the SDF-1 to return to earth. Her father was the first one to greet her that day; it was a bleak and windy that day. Now, the first person she saw was a young officer, a Corporal Jennifer Sanders whom Rick had instructed to meet her in order to inform her of how the three bridge-bunnies had been found and where they were currently. Cpl. Sanders was to take Lisa-Minmei to them immediately as he was still in the middle of the next class he was instructing. Lisa-Minmei was utterly surprised when Cpl. Sanders told her of what happened in the past few hours.
"I can't believe it! So they're stable now?" Lisa-Minmei asked as they hurried in a jeep towards the hospital.
"Yes, ma'am. They were found early this morning by the three micronized Zentraedi, Ensigns Rico, Bron, and Konda. Commanders Young, Porter and Leeds suffered nothing major save for a few bruises," replied Cpl. Sanders.
They made it to the hospital in a few minutes and Lisa-Minmei all but ran towards the elevator, her way cleared by Cpl. Sanders who shouted to everyone who was blocking them. Upon reaching the ICU, Lisa-Minmei was surprised to see the three beds were already empty. An inquiry with the nurse on duty let her know that the three had been moved to new quarters as their condition improved quickly enough in order to be moved out of intensive-care. Lisa-Minmei made it to the room and she entered it slowly, expecting them to be still sleeping. She was surprised to see that they were awake and all three turned their attention to the door as they saw it open slowly. They were surprised to see a captain enter and all three did their best to salute the said officer.
"At ease, ladies. My god, Vanessa, Kim, Sammie! You're all okay! Thank GOD!!" uttered Lisa-Minmei as she rushed to hug each of the obviously surprised women.
"Uh, thanks ma'am but, who are you." was all that Kim could say as she saw the name on Lisa-Minmei's uniform. The three looked at Lisa-Minmei more closely and could not believe their eyes as what they saw and heard didn't quite match their last memory of Lisa Hayes.
"Captain...Hayes?" all three said in unison.
"In the flesh," answered Rick as he entered the room just a few minutes after Lisa-Minmei entered it. He rushed over to the hospital as soon as Cpl. Sanders informed him of Lisa-Minmei's arrival. He saw the surprised looks on the three womens' faces as he closed the door and had Lisa-Minmei sit on the guest chair. He then proceeded to recount the events of yesterday up until they were rescued by Rico, Bron and Konda. Rick noted how the three gazed back and forth from him to Lisa-Minmei as he went on with his story.
"Those three guys saved us? Gee, I'll have to thank them once we're out of here," Kim declared.
"So it's true then, you ARE Captain Hayes. Lisa!!!" all three questioned as Lisa-Minmei stood up in order to hug them once more.
"I can't believe it but I guess there's no other way to explain it then. I mean, how does it feel?" asked Vanessa as she inspected Lisa-Minmei from head to toe.
"I can't even begin to explain it, girls," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"I like her hair," Sammie stated as she touched Lisa-Minmei's ponytail.
They were about to pepper her with more questions when Rick stood up and motioned them to calm down.
"Alright, alright, girls. This is way too much activity for the three of you. The doctors strictly instructed not to get you girls too excited. We'll be back to elaborate as soon as you three are better. I suggest you three rest some more as Lisa has just returned from her own assignment form the factory satellite," Rick lectured.
"Yes sir!" all three replied. They remained silent as the other two settled back into their beds when Sammie stopped and turned to face Rick and Lisa- Minmei again.
"Er, Rick? What do you mean by 'we'?" Sammie asked.
Rick only smiled a bit then turned to Lisa-Minmei, who took his hand and they exited the room hand-in-hand.
"What?!!!! Lisa!!! Rick!!! No fair!!! Come back here this instant!!!" shouted the three as Rick noted the even bigger surprise on their faces as the full-implication of their action registered on the three.
After laughing for a few minutes, Rick and Lisa-Minmei calmed down a bit and proceeded to exit the hospital.
"That wasn't fair, Rick . They weren't done with what has happened to me and then you go bringing the house down on them," Lisa-Minmei scolded.
"I wouldn't have traded anything in the world for the looks on those three's faces when they saw us. It was too precious!" Rick replied as he dodged Lisa-Minmei's attempt to pinch him.
Rick calmed down a bit then turned his attention to Lisa-Minmei once more.
"So how was your time at the satellite?" he asked.
"You wouldn't believe what happened there," she replied.
Lisa-Minmei went on to recount her experiences aboard the factory-satellite starting from their arrival until their departure for earth.
"So we have new allies, huh? I knew there was a reason why there were two new Quadrono units with your escort-fleet. Miriya's sisters, you say?" Rick asked.
Lisa-Minmei nodded and went on to explain how Max and Miriya found out about them and their subsequent alliance with Breetai's fleet. Rick was amazed at all that happened to Lisa-Minmei and could not help but look at her as they walked towards the parking area where Rick parked his jeep. He noted how animated she was compared to how 'Lisa' was before while she recounted her experiences. Even in an excited state, Lisa before was still quite calm. Minmei on the other hand, was bubbly when telling him anything about herself. Rick shrugged inwardly as he concluded that Lisa-Minmei was just that way now owing to the two women's differing natures, and he had to admit that he liked it.
"Uh, Rick? Are you alright?" Lisa-Minmei asked as she noticed him staring at her for the past few minutes.
"Oh, its nothing. I'm just really glad you're okay and that you're back," he replied, eliciting a softening in Lisa-Minmei's features.
They were greeted by Cpl. Sanders who was waiting beside her own jeep. She gave both of them a crisp salute as they approached.
"At ease, Corporal. You did a nice job getting Captain Hayes here," Rick praised as he opened his jeep's doors.
"Just doing my duty, sir. I hope the three officers are alright," replied Cpl. Sanders.
"Indeed, they are. I must say, you were quite effective in clearing a path for me when we got inside the hospital," Lisa-Minmei added.
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am," Cpl. Sanders asked.
Lisa-Minmei nodded and waited for her companion to carry on with her reply.
"Most of the new doctors and staff are under my class in self-defense you see, so they know what would happen if they didn't get out of the way," stated Cpl. Sanders with a slight grin.
Lisa-Minmei had to stifle a bit of laughter as she digested Cpl. Sanders reply.
"No kidding. You should see her in action. She's managed to throw me a couple of times before I came up with a way to successfully counter it. Even the micronized Zentraedi admire her skills. This girl has even thought up a way to do a bit of martial arts in a zero-gravity environment," Rick related.
"So, where are you off to now, Jen?" Rick asked.
"I'm heading back to my quarters, sir. I've still got this afternoon's class to teach. With Lt. Cmdr. Sterling back, I'll be expecting a good workout. I look forward to it since her time is quite limited. I mean, Dana is a handful," Cpl. Sanders replied. Miriya was her favorite sparring partner as Max was simply too much. Moreso, sparring with Miriya gave Jennifer an insight to Zentraedi fighting-arts and she wanted to study these more closely.
"Well, you're in for a treat later," Rick stated.
Jennifer gave them an inquiring look as the two boarded Rick's jeep.
"We found Miriya's sisters and they'll be joining her later," Lisa-Minmei explained as they drove off.
The drive back to headquarters was a silent one, though Lisa-Minmei noted that Rick would steal glances at her every do often. She just gave him a soft smile. They headed for the cafeteria after they were parked. It was already 3pm so most of the usual retinue of patrons was gone now. Sgt. Bess McMillan saw him as he entered and she instructed her staff to prepare the selection Rick picked out from the menu. She then approached Rick and Lisa- Minmei.
"Glad you made it, sir. I half expected you to call and cancel everything. We'll bring out the food shortly. You guys take your seats," said Bess who went back into the kitchen.
"You actually made reservations, Rick?" Lisa-Minmei asked.
"Yes. I hope you're still hungry," Rick replied.
She nodded in agreement. Rick went round and helped her into her seat before seating himself.
"So, what about your day Rick? Care to share it with me?" Lisa-Minmei asked.
Rick shrugged before recounting his own experiences to Lisa-Minmei. She watched him as she saw his facial-expressions and hand-motions while he related his story. He was in the middle of telling her about the tech-crews progress with the various mecha when Bess and two waiters came out of the kitchen with the food Rick reserved: cream of mushroom soup, slightly- toasted buns, grilled tuna-belly, and white wine.
"My-my, Rick, but isn't this a bit too much for a simple lunch?" Lisa- Minmei asked.
"I believe it's more than appropriate. I mean, you did do something really noteworthy today, though heroic would be the best term if I were to ask Miriya," replied Rick.
Lisa-Minmei gave him a curious look before she realized that Rick somehow knew something that she deliberately omitted when she told him of her time aboard the factory-satellite.
"You know? How?" she asked.
"Max told me all about it on the way to hospital. He and Miriya rode with me as he wanted a further inspection of Miriya's injuries. He told me about how Breetai broadcasted your lullaby to the enemy Zentraedi fleet," Rick explained.
She was about say something when Bess emerged from the kitchen anew, bringing a bowl of what seemed to be a tropical-dessert. Lisa-Minmei knew what it was: pineapple-salad. Bess set it down on the cart then turned to say something to Lisa-Minmei.
"That was a tiresome dish to make, let me tell you. But looking at the two of you, I'd say it was worth it. Rick, you're lucky she agreed to go on a date with you for the second time," Bess declared as she scooped up portions of the salad into separate bowls.
"Second-time?" Lisa-Minmei and Rick asked in unison, both had stopped eating.
"Yep. I mean, this girl waited all day for you at that outdoor café that time. And where were you? Of all places, with another girl in another city!" Bess scolded.
Rick was so surprised that he dropped his fork. Looking back and forth at Lisa-Minmei and Bess he asked: "How'd you know that?"
"I was head-waiter at the outdoor-café Captain Hayes chose to wait in for you. My uncle ran that restaurant you were in with your other date. Who was it then? Oh yeah: that big star, Lynn-Minmei. Good thing this girl here didn't leave. She waited all day! Well, you can't have both. Enjoy your meal, kids!" Bess stated as she made her way back into the kitchen.
Rick was at a loss for words while Lisa-Minmei had stopped eating as well. The two could only look at each other and after a few seconds, Lisa-Minmei started giggling and then broke out into a full-blown laughter. Rick was curious as to why though he was smiling as well.
"Who would've thought? Oh, but the look on your face was too precious, Rick. Even better than what the bridge-bunnies had when they saw us holding hands. So that's why Bess looked familiar when we got here. I guess I was just too busy convincing myself of reasons why you were late to notice her back then. Don't look so guilty, Rick. This only confirms what I already know, I mean you wore her..er..MY scarf when you did show up," Lisa-Minmei chided.
Rick couldn't think of a clever retort, though he wasn't really feeling bad at all. In fact, Rick felt good in a way. Just seeing Lisa-Minmei laugh like that made him think of that time and how he would've wanted to make up to Lisa. The only snag was that he was dating the two women right now, albeit in a different manner.
"Congratulations, Captain Hayes. Your singing proved to be a definite tactical advantage again," stated Breetai as Lisa-Minmei put Dana back in her crib.
"But that wasn't my singing. It was-" was all that Lisa-Minmei could say as Breetai cut her short.
"Minmei's, precisely. But there is no separate entity for me to address as Minmei and doing so would be ridiculous as you are here right now. And as far as I am concerned, you are Lynn-Minmei AND Captain Lisa Hayes," Breetai replied.
"I may not be qualified to judge what is good singing or not but what I do know is that what you just did was good and it helped us prevent the unnecessary loss of lives that would've happened if you didn't sing at all. It's something to be proud of Captain, and the sooner you come to terms with that, the better it will be for you," Breetai added.
Lisa-Minmei was left speechless at Breetai's last words for it sounded more like a compliment rather than advice. For the Zentraedi warlord, it was easy to accept that Lisa Hayes and Lynn-Minmei were one and the same. It wasn't because he gave no considerations to what each woman might've felt about the melding (they spent millennia in their war-culture), but what he focused on instead was how to make use of whatever was available immediately and in this case, it was her command-capabilities and her singing talent.
"All crew, prepare to receive our new allies, Commander Zelaenna and her B'Elarna division. Repairs on all our ships will commence as soon as crew- integration is complete," Exedore declared upon receiving the order from Breetai.
The factory-satellite's huge bay doors opened and the three main ships of the B'Elarna Division entered. Like most of the Zentraedi ships, their armor had already healed in almost all the areas that had suffered substantial damage but it was evident that their ships had taken a heavy beating from the combined RDF and Zentraedi allied fleet. One by one, the mostly female crews of the ships disembarked and were greeted by their male counterparts. Lisa-Minmei could swear she saw a bit of excitement mixed with the usual apprehension on the faces of both Zentraedi groups. Indeed, gender-segregation seemed to be the norm as each gender was given slightly different yet specific tasks within the fleet. Working together would present a new set of factors that could either make a huge difference or spell trouble for all.
Breetai, Exedore, Lisa-Minmei, Dr. Lang, Max and Miriya were the immediate officers who welcomed the newcomers. Salutations were exchanged and Commander Zelaenna formally declared her alliance with Breetai and his group. Outside the satellite, the remaining 305 ships were in gravity- anchors as repairs on them would commence as soon as the factory satellite was back in running condition. Breetai noted that the improved veritechs and Zentraedi pods were highly effective albeit, more than he had hoped for. Had they been any more effective, then the B'Elarna division would've suffered bigger losses.
"Welcome aboard the factory-satellite, Commander Zelaenna. Your addition to our fleet is most welcome. You will be shown to your quarters after proper introductions have been made," declared Breetai.
"These are my officers from the combined fleet of the Zentraedi Imperial fleet and their Robotech Defense Force. You of course know Exedore and Lt.Commander Miriya Parino Sterling. That is her husband, Commander Maximilian Sterling, Dr. Emil Lang, our head research-scientist, and one of my most able tactician and operations officer, Captain Lisa Hayes," Breetai introduced.
"Well met. And may I add that your improved fighters and strategy were really deadly. If may ask, Lord Breetai, who was the one who made that mysterious sound that emanated from this satellite?" asked Commander Zelaenna.
"That would be Lynn-Minmei who coincidentally, is also Captain Hayes but for reasons much too complex for me to explain, you'll just have to take my word for it," Breetai replied.
Lisa-Minmei could swear she heard a hint of humor from Breetai as he answered Zelaenna's question. If there were indeed human traits that Breetai could easily emulate and develop, it would be irony and sarcasm.
"You mean, a 'melding', Lord Breetai?" Zelaenna asked as they walked towards the bridge.
"Why, yes indeed. Tell me, have you witnessed it before or has something like this happened with your crew?" Breetai asked as he stopped walking for a while, the curiousity within him growing.
"Now that you mentioned it, something like that did occur to another fleet we were traveling with as we pursued the Invid in another part of this galaxy. We were in an area in space where there was a lot of natural gravimetric distortions so we had to be really careful in setting our jump coordinates. My B'Elarna Division made it through successfully but the other fleet suffered a substantial amount of damage as they reappeared in normal space. A third of the Q'Azira Division was rendered useless or damaged beyond repair. We investigated further and we found out that a few milliseconds before they folded into hyperspace from that quadrant, a huge gravimetric surge scrambled their jump coordinates thus, the resulting mishap. Some of the ships crashed into each other while others suddenly found their ships occupying the same space as the other did. However, there were some ships that somehow remained intact though their digital signatures were somewhat redundant. We later found out that these ships that did stay whole were actually two ships that somehow 'melded' together without mishap. The same could not be said of their crew, however. Almost all the crew in them died immediately upon reentering normal space. I have to admit though that this is the first time I've known it happen to an individual," Zelaenna replied.
"Odd, indeed. The only other fleet who did something like that although intentionally, was your best friend, Commander Khyron. Anyway, we can discuss more about these things later. I suggest you and your crew rest for a while. Captain Hayes will show you to your quarters," Breetai stated as he took his leave of the dumbfounded Zelaenna.
"Best-friend? Khyron? If I may say so, Lord Breetai has been spending too much time with you micronians," stated an obviously miffed Zelaenna.
"For what he is now, his development in that aspect is quite amazing, Commander. Most of the Zentraedi here have yet to begin adapting to their surroundings. I take it though that your rivalry with Commander Khyron and his Boturu Battalion goes deeper than what you show," queried Lisa-Minmei of her giant counterpart.
"Indeed, it is. I have no idea why it is that way but suffice to say that each time I received a commendation; he was receiving one as well though the number of reprimands he received was almost equal to that of his awards. I have to admit though that his redesign of the male battlepod was a stroke of genius. I guess you could say that what we had was an intense competition. What happened to him anyway?" asked Zelaenna.
Lisa-Minmei then recounted the last days of Khyron and Azonia albeit painfully, along with their crew of malcontent Zentraedi and the destruction of the SDF-1.
"I see. Along with Zor's ship and Azonia, it truly is an unfortunate occurrence," Zelaenna observed.
Lisa-Minmei saw a brief glimpse of emotion in Zelaenna's eyes as she made her observation after her account. It suddenly dawned upon Lisa-Minmei why Zelaenna felt that way: she was Azonia's clone-sister. Apparently, Zentraedi who got exposed to Minmei's singing were quick to develop emotions albeit, unintentionally.
Their paths soon diverged as Commander Zelaenna and her crew proceeded to their new quarters while Lisa-Minmei returned to hers. Once inside, she all but plopped into bed, undid her ponytail in the most Minmei of manner. Anyone seeing her would be surprised to see a high-ranking officer act in such a nonchalant way. Her own actions surprised her as well as she took note of them. She found it quaint how Breetai managed to maneuver things in such a way that was highly reminiscent of Admiral Gloval's own strategies. After all, it was Admiral Gloval's own strategy coupled with Breetai's that enabled their combined forces to take over the factory satellite. She had about two hours more of rest before she and a few other officers were to return to the earth's surface. Lisa-Minmei was about to go into a full- blown nap when she heard the room's systems alert her of a visitor which turned out to be Exedore.
"I hope I am not intruding upon anything private, Captain," Exedore said.
"No, not at all. I was merely preparing to rest for a while. I have to submit my reports once we're back on the surface and you know some of the other officers will not receive them well especially our unconditional acceptance of Commander Zelaenna's division," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"Yes, I know what you mean. For what it is, it seems Col. Maistroff and the others still haven't gotten over past issues with us Zentraedi," Exedore noted.
"Well they should. Or else I'll force it down their throats and tell them to sit in the corner! Have they forgotten that if it weren't for you and Breetai's choice of alliance, we wouldn't have stood a chance with Dolza's Royal Fleet!" Lisa-Minmei declared emotionally.
Exedore was quite surprised with Lisa-Minmei's outburst. If anything, Lisa Hayes was a headstrong woman who felt strongly about things yet not immediately vocal about it but now that she and Lynn-Minmei were one, these emotions made it to the surface rather quickly. This was yet another odd trait that Lisa-Minmei exhibited which he added to his mental notepad.
"Well then, I just came by to give you my own set of reports for you to add just in case you need supporting documents. Good luck, Captain Hayes." And with that, Exedore stood up and left Lisa-Minmei's quarters.
She made her own mental note of how Exedore had changed over time. Being of lesser physical stature than most of his brethren may have forced him to develop his mental skills and thus became Breetai's closest and most trusted advisor. Their combination was a highly effective one indeed and according to what reports were stored in the factory satellite's memory- banks, one of the most highly decorated divisions of the Zentraedi. Lisa- Minmei then proceeded to store the various documents she had into a file folder and took a nap. She awoke to the sound of Miriya and Max rousing her and Dana pounding on her legs, engrossed in a game that only children of her age understood.
"Alright Dana, that's enough. Mission accomplished," declared Max as he picked his daughter up from the bed.
"Mission accomplished?" asked a still fuzzy-eyed Lisa-Minmei asked.
"Well, you were in such a deep sleep that we found it difficult to wake you. We had to have Exedore override the room protocols just to get inside. Something about resting in a manner of earth-lumber, as Max would say," replied Miriya.
Max clutched his sides at Miriya's mistake and in truth, even Lisa-Minmei found it hard not to laugh.
"The term, Miriya, is sleeping like a log," she half-laughingly corrected.
"That's just it. Plants do not move on their own, much less hibernate so where's the sense in that phrase?" Miriya asked.
"Okay honey, that's enough. I'll elaborate further once we're back on the surface. We'll meet you in the space-dock, Lisa," Max declared as he shooed a still perplexed Miriya out of the room while carrying Dana.
"By the way, thanks for soothing Dana a while ago, Minmei. Your voice really does wonders with her. She was still fast asleep when we got back from the infirmary. I bet Rick will just love hearing about it," Max added.
Lisa-Minmei looked at the trio as they exited from her room. Max, a veritech-wizard and his Zentraedi-wife who was the deadliest Quadrono pilot and their daughter, Dana: an odd mix indeed but one wherein the differences love did overcome. She wondered if the same love could overcome this problem she and Rick were in, this time. It certainly seemed that way that fateful day when Khyron attacked; Rick finally realized his emotions and requited her feelings for him.
But she couldn't deny the strong feelings of rejection that the 'Minmei' part of her still felt. As far as she was concerned, Rick left her to be with another. After what they shared during Christmas Day, Rick still chose Lisa over her when Lisa revealed to him her feelings. But what was 'Minmei' to feel now, now that she and Lisa were one? The confused mix of emotions she felt during their first dinner after Khyron's attack was still fresh in her mind, especially when she learned that Rick kept Lisa waiting for him all day while he was with her. While people would see that it was 'Lisa' who they saw most of the time, 'Minmei' was still there in the background and she was a part of everything that happened. This was most obvious when Lisa-Minmei sang a lullaby for Dana. Up until that moment, she had let 'Lisa' take control as Lisa was coordinating the battle-plans with the RDF- defense fleet. Somehow, there seemed to be a silent agreement with her two sides that whoever was most effective in any given situation would take control. Most of the time, this system worked except when it came to Rick Hunter. When he was around, both of them were in the driver's seat and neither could tell where one began and the other ended. Lisa-Minmei decided not to give it any further thought for now as she made last minute inspections on what she was to bring. After she was satisfied, she proceeded to the space dock in order to board the flagship that would take her back to earth.
Lisa-Minmei was surprised to see that she was to board a different ship and not Breetai's flagship. It turned out that part of the huge dock was damaged during the last skirmish and the flagship was too big to fit through. She and the others would be riding one of the smaller support cruisers similar to the one Khyron used. She was greeted by Dr. Hiroshi Ayase, one of the macronized human technicians as she made her way to the moving ramps.
"Dr. Ayase-san. So, how does it feel to be a giant?" she asked.
"Quite odd but good, actually. I had expected to suffer from perspective problems once I became this size but apparently, the whole Zentraedi- process makes the necessary mental and psychological adjustments so as to keep the subject stable. It seems that our initial concerns about macronization were unfounded. I submitted my report to Minister Exedore, and I requested that some of my colleagues undergo the process and join me here on the satellite. I trust he gave it to you?" Dr. Ayase asked.
"Yes, he did so a while ago. I fully support your suggestion as well," Lisa- Minmei replied.
"Arigato, Captain. Good luck on your return trip," Dr. Ayase added as he turned into a corridor while Lisa-Minmei proceeded to the ship.
She was about to board the ship when she saw that there were two new additions to the escort-fleet. Apart from the combined New Vermillion and Green Squadrons, the battlepod/Quadrono complement included Lt. Adlea and Gela Parino's Quadrono as well. Once settled inside, she contacted Miriya's veritech and asked her about it.
"Captain Hayes. Is there something I can help you with?" Miriya asked.
"Yes, Miriya. Are your sisters joining us on earth? I saw their Quadronos with the Zentraedi portion of the escort-fleet," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"Indeed they are, Captain. They expressed wanting to know everything about micronian life so I suggested they join me and Max on earth," Miriya replied.
"I see. I take it Max didn't have any objections about their joining you then?" Lisa-Minmei added.
"None at all, though I did sense a bit of apprehension in him," Miriya answered.
Lisa-Minmei left it at that and after a few take-off procedures, the cruiser was given clearance. She felt a slight jolt as the ship was freed from the gravity-anchors and fired it's smaller thrusters as it slowly made it's was towards the exit. Once in outer-space, it was joined by the escort fleet and it headed towards the earth. A few hours later, Lisa-Minmei felt the ship as it entered the earth's atmosphere. A few minutes later, she heard the voice of Major Alberto Del Fuego as his Blue Squadron met up with the ship and escort-fleet. They then landed on the temporary airstrip of the RDF. Once they were secure, Lisa-Minmei stood up, got her belongings and went to the exit. She was greeted by the warm sunlight and cool breeze as the bay doors opened. She recalled the memory of her first return to earth after spending two to three years in space being pursued by Breetai and his forces. 'Lisa' had made the trip in order to convince her father, Admiral Hayes and rest of the earth-based RDF top-brass to send reinforcements and allow the SDF-1 to return to earth. Her father was the first one to greet her that day; it was a bleak and windy that day. Now, the first person she saw was a young officer, a Corporal Jennifer Sanders whom Rick had instructed to meet her in order to inform her of how the three bridge-bunnies had been found and where they were currently. Cpl. Sanders was to take Lisa-Minmei to them immediately as he was still in the middle of the next class he was instructing. Lisa-Minmei was utterly surprised when Cpl. Sanders told her of what happened in the past few hours.
"I can't believe it! So they're stable now?" Lisa-Minmei asked as they hurried in a jeep towards the hospital.
"Yes, ma'am. They were found early this morning by the three micronized Zentraedi, Ensigns Rico, Bron, and Konda. Commanders Young, Porter and Leeds suffered nothing major save for a few bruises," replied Cpl. Sanders.
They made it to the hospital in a few minutes and Lisa-Minmei all but ran towards the elevator, her way cleared by Cpl. Sanders who shouted to everyone who was blocking them. Upon reaching the ICU, Lisa-Minmei was surprised to see the three beds were already empty. An inquiry with the nurse on duty let her know that the three had been moved to new quarters as their condition improved quickly enough in order to be moved out of intensive-care. Lisa-Minmei made it to the room and she entered it slowly, expecting them to be still sleeping. She was surprised to see that they were awake and all three turned their attention to the door as they saw it open slowly. They were surprised to see a captain enter and all three did their best to salute the said officer.
"At ease, ladies. My god, Vanessa, Kim, Sammie! You're all okay! Thank GOD!!" uttered Lisa-Minmei as she rushed to hug each of the obviously surprised women.
"Uh, thanks ma'am but, who are you." was all that Kim could say as she saw the name on Lisa-Minmei's uniform. The three looked at Lisa-Minmei more closely and could not believe their eyes as what they saw and heard didn't quite match their last memory of Lisa Hayes.
"Captain...Hayes?" all three said in unison.
"In the flesh," answered Rick as he entered the room just a few minutes after Lisa-Minmei entered it. He rushed over to the hospital as soon as Cpl. Sanders informed him of Lisa-Minmei's arrival. He saw the surprised looks on the three womens' faces as he closed the door and had Lisa-Minmei sit on the guest chair. He then proceeded to recount the events of yesterday up until they were rescued by Rico, Bron and Konda. Rick noted how the three gazed back and forth from him to Lisa-Minmei as he went on with his story.
"Those three guys saved us? Gee, I'll have to thank them once we're out of here," Kim declared.
"So it's true then, you ARE Captain Hayes. Lisa!!!" all three questioned as Lisa-Minmei stood up in order to hug them once more.
"I can't believe it but I guess there's no other way to explain it then. I mean, how does it feel?" asked Vanessa as she inspected Lisa-Minmei from head to toe.
"I can't even begin to explain it, girls," Lisa-Minmei replied.
"I like her hair," Sammie stated as she touched Lisa-Minmei's ponytail.
They were about to pepper her with more questions when Rick stood up and motioned them to calm down.
"Alright, alright, girls. This is way too much activity for the three of you. The doctors strictly instructed not to get you girls too excited. We'll be back to elaborate as soon as you three are better. I suggest you three rest some more as Lisa has just returned from her own assignment form the factory satellite," Rick lectured.
"Yes sir!" all three replied. They remained silent as the other two settled back into their beds when Sammie stopped and turned to face Rick and Lisa- Minmei again.
"Er, Rick? What do you mean by 'we'?" Sammie asked.
Rick only smiled a bit then turned to Lisa-Minmei, who took his hand and they exited the room hand-in-hand.
"What?!!!! Lisa!!! Rick!!! No fair!!! Come back here this instant!!!" shouted the three as Rick noted the even bigger surprise on their faces as the full-implication of their action registered on the three.
After laughing for a few minutes, Rick and Lisa-Minmei calmed down a bit and proceeded to exit the hospital.
"That wasn't fair, Rick . They weren't done with what has happened to me and then you go bringing the house down on them," Lisa-Minmei scolded.
"I wouldn't have traded anything in the world for the looks on those three's faces when they saw us. It was too precious!" Rick replied as he dodged Lisa-Minmei's attempt to pinch him.
Rick calmed down a bit then turned his attention to Lisa-Minmei once more.
"So how was your time at the satellite?" he asked.
"You wouldn't believe what happened there," she replied.
Lisa-Minmei went on to recount her experiences aboard the factory-satellite starting from their arrival until their departure for earth.
"So we have new allies, huh? I knew there was a reason why there were two new Quadrono units with your escort-fleet. Miriya's sisters, you say?" Rick asked.
Lisa-Minmei nodded and went on to explain how Max and Miriya found out about them and their subsequent alliance with Breetai's fleet. Rick was amazed at all that happened to Lisa-Minmei and could not help but look at her as they walked towards the parking area where Rick parked his jeep. He noted how animated she was compared to how 'Lisa' was before while she recounted her experiences. Even in an excited state, Lisa before was still quite calm. Minmei on the other hand, was bubbly when telling him anything about herself. Rick shrugged inwardly as he concluded that Lisa-Minmei was just that way now owing to the two women's differing natures, and he had to admit that he liked it.
"Uh, Rick? Are you alright?" Lisa-Minmei asked as she noticed him staring at her for the past few minutes.
"Oh, its nothing. I'm just really glad you're okay and that you're back," he replied, eliciting a softening in Lisa-Minmei's features.
They were greeted by Cpl. Sanders who was waiting beside her own jeep. She gave both of them a crisp salute as they approached.
"At ease, Corporal. You did a nice job getting Captain Hayes here," Rick praised as he opened his jeep's doors.
"Just doing my duty, sir. I hope the three officers are alright," replied Cpl. Sanders.
"Indeed, they are. I must say, you were quite effective in clearing a path for me when we got inside the hospital," Lisa-Minmei added.
"Permission to speak freely, ma'am," Cpl. Sanders asked.
Lisa-Minmei nodded and waited for her companion to carry on with her reply.
"Most of the new doctors and staff are under my class in self-defense you see, so they know what would happen if they didn't get out of the way," stated Cpl. Sanders with a slight grin.
Lisa-Minmei had to stifle a bit of laughter as she digested Cpl. Sanders reply.
"No kidding. You should see her in action. She's managed to throw me a couple of times before I came up with a way to successfully counter it. Even the micronized Zentraedi admire her skills. This girl has even thought up a way to do a bit of martial arts in a zero-gravity environment," Rick related.
"So, where are you off to now, Jen?" Rick asked.
"I'm heading back to my quarters, sir. I've still got this afternoon's class to teach. With Lt. Cmdr. Sterling back, I'll be expecting a good workout. I look forward to it since her time is quite limited. I mean, Dana is a handful," Cpl. Sanders replied. Miriya was her favorite sparring partner as Max was simply too much. Moreso, sparring with Miriya gave Jennifer an insight to Zentraedi fighting-arts and she wanted to study these more closely.
"Well, you're in for a treat later," Rick stated.
Jennifer gave them an inquiring look as the two boarded Rick's jeep.
"We found Miriya's sisters and they'll be joining her later," Lisa-Minmei explained as they drove off.
The drive back to headquarters was a silent one, though Lisa-Minmei noted that Rick would steal glances at her every do often. She just gave him a soft smile. They headed for the cafeteria after they were parked. It was already 3pm so most of the usual retinue of patrons was gone now. Sgt. Bess McMillan saw him as he entered and she instructed her staff to prepare the selection Rick picked out from the menu. She then approached Rick and Lisa- Minmei.
"Glad you made it, sir. I half expected you to call and cancel everything. We'll bring out the food shortly. You guys take your seats," said Bess who went back into the kitchen.
"You actually made reservations, Rick?" Lisa-Minmei asked.
"Yes. I hope you're still hungry," Rick replied.
She nodded in agreement. Rick went round and helped her into her seat before seating himself.
"So, what about your day Rick? Care to share it with me?" Lisa-Minmei asked.
Rick shrugged before recounting his own experiences to Lisa-Minmei. She watched him as she saw his facial-expressions and hand-motions while he related his story. He was in the middle of telling her about the tech-crews progress with the various mecha when Bess and two waiters came out of the kitchen with the food Rick reserved: cream of mushroom soup, slightly- toasted buns, grilled tuna-belly, and white wine.
"My-my, Rick, but isn't this a bit too much for a simple lunch?" Lisa- Minmei asked.
"I believe it's more than appropriate. I mean, you did do something really noteworthy today, though heroic would be the best term if I were to ask Miriya," replied Rick.
Lisa-Minmei gave him a curious look before she realized that Rick somehow knew something that she deliberately omitted when she told him of her time aboard the factory-satellite.
"You know? How?" she asked.
"Max told me all about it on the way to hospital. He and Miriya rode with me as he wanted a further inspection of Miriya's injuries. He told me about how Breetai broadcasted your lullaby to the enemy Zentraedi fleet," Rick explained.
She was about say something when Bess emerged from the kitchen anew, bringing a bowl of what seemed to be a tropical-dessert. Lisa-Minmei knew what it was: pineapple-salad. Bess set it down on the cart then turned to say something to Lisa-Minmei.
"That was a tiresome dish to make, let me tell you. But looking at the two of you, I'd say it was worth it. Rick, you're lucky she agreed to go on a date with you for the second time," Bess declared as she scooped up portions of the salad into separate bowls.
"Second-time?" Lisa-Minmei and Rick asked in unison, both had stopped eating.
"Yep. I mean, this girl waited all day for you at that outdoor café that time. And where were you? Of all places, with another girl in another city!" Bess scolded.
Rick was so surprised that he dropped his fork. Looking back and forth at Lisa-Minmei and Bess he asked: "How'd you know that?"
"I was head-waiter at the outdoor-café Captain Hayes chose to wait in for you. My uncle ran that restaurant you were in with your other date. Who was it then? Oh yeah: that big star, Lynn-Minmei. Good thing this girl here didn't leave. She waited all day! Well, you can't have both. Enjoy your meal, kids!" Bess stated as she made her way back into the kitchen.
Rick was at a loss for words while Lisa-Minmei had stopped eating as well. The two could only look at each other and after a few seconds, Lisa-Minmei started giggling and then broke out into a full-blown laughter. Rick was curious as to why though he was smiling as well.
"Who would've thought? Oh, but the look on your face was too precious, Rick. Even better than what the bridge-bunnies had when they saw us holding hands. So that's why Bess looked familiar when we got here. I guess I was just too busy convincing myself of reasons why you were late to notice her back then. Don't look so guilty, Rick. This only confirms what I already know, I mean you wore her..er..MY scarf when you did show up," Lisa-Minmei chided.
Rick couldn't think of a clever retort, though he wasn't really feeling bad at all. In fact, Rick felt good in a way. Just seeing Lisa-Minmei laugh like that made him think of that time and how he would've wanted to make up to Lisa. The only snag was that he was dating the two women right now, albeit in a different manner.