She then sang her song "To Be in Love." As I listened, I then remembered that tonight was the second anniversary of my first date with Jenna. It was also a year ago that things started taking a dive, beginning with Lani's death. This time, her singing was becoming painful for me.
"Excuse me," I said to the reporter sitting next to me.
"Where are you going?" he asked.
"I need to take a walk."
And so I did. I left the amphitheater through the service entrance and was walking along the concrete sidewalk. I could hear her song being blared over speakers along the street. Maybe I can go to the Bright Star Casino. Then I figured out that her song would prpbably be broadcast over there as well.
"ALL VERITECH FIGHTERS, RED ALERT!" yelled a female voice, interrupting Minmei's song. "I REPEAT, THIS IS NOT A DRILL! ALL VERITECH FIGHTERS, RED ALERT!"
It sounded like Jenna was going out there again. I looked back in the amphitheater in the distance. Then I decided I'd rather go to the observation deck.
"Taxi!" I yelled as I saw a yellow Toyota Tercel taxi.
"Where to, pal?" asked the taxi driver.
"Observation deck."
oooooooooooo
And so I went to the observation deck. I looked at the Prometheus aircraft carrier as I saw the fighters from Knight Squadron take off to meet the enemy. I could see many Zentraedi ships approaching us. Soon space was filled with fire as our fighters engaged the enemy's fighters and pods.
Despite the attacks from our fighters and the ship's laser and missile batteries, the Zentraedi ships kept getting closer and closer. I saw one of Knight Squadron's veritechs change into guardian mode and make a strafing run along one of the enemy destroyers, blasting the laser and missile turrets. One of the Zentraedi ships, the biggest in the attacking group, approached within a mile of the SDF-1 Macross, opening fire with its weapons.
Then I saw the Daedalus amphiibous landing ship fly right into the lead Zentraedi ship, thriust forward by the SDF-1. I have seen this Daedalus attack before. The Marine destroid unit would blow the enemy ship apart from the inside.
The Daedalus was withdrawn from the Zentraedi ship, leaving a gaping hole in the bow. But the ship was still in one piece. The hull must be tough. I wondered if the destroids managed to cripple the ship's systems; the destroids' missiles would surely cause heavy damage.
Then I heard explosions. I wondered if that was one of the enemy ships. Then I realized that the SDF-1 was in space, and space does not transmit sound waves. That must mean the explosion was coming from inside the SDF-1. I ran out of the observation deck to the streets of Macross City.
It was then that I saw the Zentraedi battle pods in the streets, blasting away at everything. It was like the day of the SDF-1's maiden voyage. I could hear people screaming. I could hear people dying.
This was it. The Zentraedi couldn't destroy us from the outside, so they sent their pods to wreck the ship from within. Destroids arrived from the base to do battle with the pods; they wear outnumbered by at least three-to-one.
I then saw a squad of Marines run towards me. One of them was carrying an RPG launcher, the others had rifles.
"The enemy is inside, sir," said the gunnery sergeant leading the squad.
"I know," I said.
"Sarge, one of the pods is heading this way!" yelled a Marine.
"Cover me," the Marine sergeant ordered. He pressed himself against a building and peeked around the corner. He then burst around the building and fired a rocket-propelled grenade at the enemy pod. The grenade made contact and the Zentraedi pod became a smoking ruin.
"We were trained to take on enemy pods in the event of a boarding action," said one of the Marines. "We're small, so we'd be hard to see."
"Good thing that they have thin skin," said another Marine.
"This is Little Leader to Control," the Marine sergeant said. "This area is free from enemy activity. Orders please?"
I looked and saw not one but four Zentraedi pods approaching us, all walking along the street.
"Oh shit," said one of the Marines. "We can't load the rockerts fast enough to take on four.
"I have four enemy pods heading in our direction," said the sergeant. He looked at his other Marines. "Take cover!"
I then saw the enemy pods squat down. The hatch was opened. Apparently the Zentraedi pilots were coming out to do some sort of job with their bare hands.
I saw a rope dropped down from the pod's cockpit, and then I saw people come out. People about the same size as us.
"Sarge!" yelled one of the Marines.
The Marine sergeant looked at the people who came out of the enemy pods. They were dressed in these robes. I wondered if they were some of our people who escaped from Zentraedi custody similar to what happened over a year ago.
"Don't shoot!" yelled one of the people, a man with black hair. "We surrender!"
The people that came from the pods all lay down with their hands on top of their heads.
"I have a situation here," the Marine sergeant said into his radio. "I need backup."
I looked at the Marine suad and these people who announced they were surrendering.
"This is Skull Leader!" yelled a voice. "What's the situation."
I looked and saw with white veritech battloid with a yellow-and-black trim. There was a skull and crossbones painted over the heat shield that covered the cockpit.
"Skull Leader, this is Little Squad," said the Marine sergeant. "These people came out of the enemy pods and told us they wanted to surrender. In English."
"Copy that," said the Skull leader pilot. "I'll stay here until we can transport them to the brig. Look out!"
I looked and saw a Zentraedi pod. It opened fire on Skull Leader.
Suddenly, something hit me in the forehead. One of the Marines came to my assistance.
"Are you all right?" asked the Marine.
"Owww," I said. I could feel blood trickling from my head.
"This is Skull Leader!" yelled the Skull Leader pilot. "We have casualties here. Send a medivac to Observation Road."
Soon I was put into an ambulance and taken to a hospital.
ooooooooooooo
When I reached the emergency entrance, I could see a lot of people. Many of them were in terrible shape. Doctors and nurses were treating the wounds and burns that these people suffered. I saw paramedics take someone straight to an emergency room. That someone must be in much worse shape than I was. I could hear snippets of conversation between doctors, nurses, and medics. My wound was not that serious, as they simply pressed a cloth to my head and then applied a bandage. I noticed that Lin Kyle was in the emergency room, with doctors treating him.
"We lost another one," was something I heard too many times.
"Okay," said one of the nurses. "I think we can move you to one of the hospital rooms."
And so she did. As it turned out, it was the same room that Jenna was in during her recovery from injuries sustained in a battle a long time ago. I lay there in the same bed that Jenna lay in.
"We'd like to keep you overnight," said the nurse. "We'll schedule a scan for possible brain injury tomorrow morning. You're one of the lucky ones."
I lay down, with fluorescent lights lighting the room. I looked out of the window.
I could see burning and wrecked buildings. No part of the city was spared damage. I wondered if my office and apartment were still there.
"Hi there," said someone.
I looked and I saw Jenna, dressed in her flight uniform. "Jenna," I said.
"Are you all right?" asked Jenna.
"I'm still in one piece. I'm gonna stay overnight. They want to run a brain scan tomorrow." I lay down in my bed.
"You need to get some rest. When I heard the Zentraedi invaded the ship, I was worried. I wanted to go into Macross City to fight them off, but Colonel Beckett had us protect the ship to keep enemy reinforcements away. I'm glad you're okay."
"I'm glad you're okay too," I said. "You and the pilots are not the only people facing destruction. All of us civilians are also in danger. But that's why you go out there. That's why Lani went out there. You both know the threat the Zentraedi posed to me and the others in Macross City."
Jenna bowed her head. "I'm sorry for the way I've acted," she said. "I just hope you can forgive me."
"You shouldn't isolate yourself. I still care about you. You're just making yourself miserable. Try talking to others."
"Okay. I guess I'll just have to take it one step at a time. By the way, we lost someone."
"Did you know him well?"
"No, he was under Captain Landry's command. But I guess Macross City lost a lot of people."
"That's right," I said.
"Do you mind if I stay here with you? You need someone to be here with you and I guess I could be here. I'll probably head back to base tomorrow morning."
"You need someone with you too."
Soon I fell asleep.
ooooooooo
The enxt morning I woke up. I looked around, seeing a table with a radio and an electrocardiogram monitoring my heart. Jenna was not in the room.
"You're awake," said a nurse.
"Was a young lady in here?" I asked. "She had blond hair and was wearing a flight uniform."
"I didn't see anyone in here when I checked on you an hour ago. But if she was in uniform, she's probably on duty now. It's time for your scan."
"Okay," I said.
oooooooooo
I ate a breakfast of corn flakes and drank water before my scan. I was put into this huge dark chamber. There was this buzzing sound and I felt some sort of dry heat. Then I came out.
"You should come for a followup a week from now," said the doctor. "There's no sign of brain injury from the initial scan; I just want to make sure."
"Okay," I said. "I'm sure I'll have the time."
I put my clothes back on and left the hospital. I decided to check my office, since it was closer to the hospital than my apartment. I could see burnt out buildings and piles of rubbles. Work crews were cleaning up the damage, which would probably take days given the scope. I could see the wreckage of Zentraedi pods and UN destroids scattered in the streets.
I finally reached the place and I looked.
My office was gone along with thew rest of the building. It most likely received a direct hit during the battle in Macross City last evening. There were construction crews picking up pieces of the building. There was no repairing my office; the remains of the building would have to be scrapped.
I continued walking through the battle-wounded city. I saw my apartment building. It was at least in one piece. When I drew closer, I could see scorch marks and broken windows.
"We just restored water and electrical power a few minutes ago," said one of the construction workers in my apartment building. "But telephones and gas are out."
"When will telephone service be back?" I asked.
"Tonight, I guess. Maybe tomorrow morning."
I went upstairs to my apartment and walked inside. Some books had fallen from the bookshelf attached to the wall. Otherwise, there was no damage.
I guess I'd have to work out of my apartment. I was glad I kept some backups of my articles inside a file cabinet I keep in the corner of the main room.
I still had my job, just as Jenna had hers. I went out to gather more data to write stories on the recent attack on Macross City.
From what I had read in the Macross City Gazette, in the issue with the headline "ZENTRAEDI INVADE MACROSS CITY! THOUSANDS KILLED!", Captain Henry J. Gloval had a press conference while I was in the hospital. He said that there were about three thousand people killed in the invasion. I heard that Mayor Tommy Luan would give a press conference in front of Macross City Hall. I attended the press conference with the other reporters. The City Hall did not avoid damage; there was a huge hole in the wall to the right of the front entrance, and the windows had been shattered. The building was closed until sufficient repairs could be made.
"As we all know, the Zentraedi launched an invasion of our city," said the mayor. "This assault resulted in the largest loss of life since the relocation of Macross City inside the SDF-1. I am currently working with Captain Gloval and SDF-1 Engineering and Security Departments to restore the city. We have already received emergency supplies from Earth.
"I am sorry to inform you that the Macross City Police Department had lost its chief, Scott Bernard. He was killed in the attack. My condolences go to his widow and his three children Helen, Jack, and Cody. We lost a lot of fine people yesterday. The best thing we can do is to pick up the pieces and rebuild our lives."
I looked at a woman and three children accompanying the mayor. That must have been Mrs. Bernard. I can feel sympathy for her.
ooooooooo
I later visited Jake Austin in the hospital. He was lying down in his hospital bed. I saw a vase of flowers sitting on the nightstand next ot the bad, while an electrocardiogram monitored his heart rate.
"Hi there," he said. "I'm glad you're still alive."
"I'm glad you're alive too. Are...?"
"My wife and kids are alive, thank God. I had at least three surgeries today. They're giving me all these painkillers."
"How are you currently?"
"I'm gonna need an operation to fully recover. The problem is that the SDF-1's medical staff aren't capable of the surgery. I'd have to go to Earth to get the operation."
"What exactly happened?" I asked.
"Debris hit me in the back and broke my spine. I could barely feel my legs. Doctors here can't fix it."
"Listen, Jake, maybe we can get back to Earth and you can get spinal implants or something. Or maybe the Spacy can fly a doctor up here to operate on you."
"Fat chance," said Jake. "I guess I shouldn't dwell on that though. I mean, I still have some more surgeries. I'll probably be in the hospital for months. At least you're on your feet."
"I'll make sure to come by and visit," I said to the Macross Gazette publisher.
ooooooooooo
The next morning, I looked in the Gazette for some office space. Rents have skyrocketed since there was much less real estate available for the time being. I heard the telephone ring; the city must have restored telephone service.
"Hello?" I asked, telling the caller whom I was.
"This is Captain Gloval," said a voice. "I have a special request for you. We have this situation here and we believe you can help. Please come to my office."
"Okay," I said. I looked out my window, seeing the reconstruction effort.
And so I did.
ooooooooooo
I entered Captain Gloval's office minutes later. It was a large office with an oak desk, a file cabinet, a bookcase, and a Sony television set. There were plaques hanging on the wall. The captain was sitting behind the desk. There was another Spacy officer with him, Lieutenant La Salle.
"Have a seat please," said Gloval. "What I am about to tell you is in the strictest confidence. You will be compensated for your favor."
"LIke what?" I asked.
"You will be paid a day's worth of a captain's salary, and you will get exclusive rights to publish what you learn if and when I decide this will go public."
"So what's up that you need a civilian like me?"
"Lieutenant La Salle and I have read your articles on the war. It was her idea to summon you here."
"You're a good writer," said La Salle. "And I know you have to ask the right questions."
"It goes with the job," I said.
"During the recent battle in Macross City, a squad of Marines had captured aliens," said Captain Gloval. "They were shrunk down to our size. Three of them spoke English and communicated to us that they want to defect."
"Defectors?" I asked. "The Zentraedi could change their size?"
"Apparently yes. Lieutenant La Salle, if you will."
"We'd like you to question the three defectors who could speak English," said the lieutenant. "Maybe you can find out something that they did not mention during the initial interrogation. I'd also like to find out if their stories are credible. The Zentraedi prisoners are under my custody, and I will arrange for you to speak to them one at a time."
"Okay," I said.
And so I did.
oooooooooooo
I sat in the interrogation room, with a Spacy security policeman standing inside, armed with a baton. They brought in the prisoner, who was dressed in a blue robe.
"What is your name?" I asked him.
oooooooooo
"My name is Konda," said the man with black hair.
oooooooooo
"My name is Rico," said the man with purple hair.
oooooooooo
"My name is Bron," said the big guy with red hair.
oooooooooo
"You are a Zentraedi, correct?"
"Yes," replied Konda.
ooooooooooo
"What was your position in the Zentraedi?"
"We were intelligence analysts," said Rico. "We were assigned to Breetai's flagship."
oooooooooo
"Breetai? What is that?"
"He's a Zentraedi fleet commander," said Bron. "We analyzed the data gathered by scouts and present the analysis to Breetai and his assistant Exedore. We even participated in scout missions ourselves. Breetai was one of the best fleet commanders, which is why Dolza sent him to capture the ship."
oooooooooo
"How do you know how to speak our language?"
"We've been studying your language for many days," said Konda. "Our brains were designed to learn languages easily."
oooooooooo
"What is the strength of the Zentraedi?"
"There are six billion Zentraedi troops," said Rico.
oooooooooo
"Six billion?" I asked. "Is that correct?"
"Yes," said Bron. "We have four million eight hundred thousand ships around the time we surrendered. Crew complements for the ships are about two thousand, and the Zentraedi command headquarters has one million personnel. We have tens of millions of Regult pods, Gnerl fighters, millions of Glaugs, and hundreds of thousands of Quadrano and Nousjadel power armor. We also have tens of millions of transport shuttles and re-entry pods."
oooooooooo
"Where is the Zenteaedi homeworld?"
"We do not have a home world," said Konda. "The Zentraedi headquarters is a huge ship, large enough to fit thousands of Zentraedi destroyers. Over a million Zentraedi are assigned there to provide support to the commanders or maintain and defend the headquarters."
oooooooooo
"What is the leadership of the Zentraedi?"
"The commander-in-chief is Gorg Dolza," said Rico. "He has a staff of four hundred to advise him on various matters and to provide administrative support. Under him are the fleet commanders such as Breetai."
oooooooooo
"What is the basic social structure of the Zentraedi?"
"The squad," said Bron. "Squads are organized into platoons, then companies, then battalions, then regiments, then brigades, then divisions, then corps, then fleets and armies depending on branch of service. We were in an intelligence squad."
oooooooooo
"What about families?"
"What is this thing families?" asked Konda.
oooooooooo
"Where were you born?"
"Born?" said Rico. "I guess I was born in a cloning chamber. We Zentraedi are cloned and modified for specific tasks. I was given increased brainpower so I can be an intelligence analyst. After I was born, I immediately started in a training squad before going into operational duty."
ooooooooo
"What do you know about the rest of the galaxy and beyond?"
"We know of at least a dozen nations, some with offensive space combat capability," said Bron. "We crushed almost all of them. But there is one particurly nasty enemy called the Invid. They inflicted more losses on the Zentraedi than any other enemy. We lost six hundred million Zentraedi to the Invid, and about eight hundred thousand ships. Last we heard, the Invid were still out there."
oooooooooo
"Who are your allies?"
"We don't have information on allies," said Konda. "We only gather and analyze data on our enemies' military capabilities."
oooooooooo
"Why were you trying to destroy the SDF-1?"
"Our goal was to capture it," said Rico. "I do not fully underatand the reasons, except as it has to do with protoculture."
ooooooooo
"Protoculture?"
"We don't know what it is, only that it's important to Breetai and Dolza," said Bron. "It has something to do with this ship, but we don't know. All we were assigned to do was to analyze the ship's defensive capabilities."
ooooooooo
"Where was the origin of the Zentraedi people?"
"We don't know," said Konda. "Dolza and Exedore may know."
ooooooooo
"Why are you small while other Zentraedi are giants?"
"We have resizing chambers which changes our size," said Rico. "That was how we became the size of Micronians."
ooooooooo
"Why did you defect to us? You know this is a great risk for you. It is very likely you could be executed as spies."
"We wanted to become part of Micronian society," said Bron. "You see, a year ago were were micronized and planted on board ship as spies to learn more about the enemy, about you. it was wonderful. We ate plant and animal tissue that tasted very good. We listened to music which strings sounds together to make Micronians feel good, like what the female Minmei does. There were males and females talking to each other. There was this thing called gambling, where you go into this place called a casino and you put coins into these machines and pull the lever and sometimes the machines give coins back so you can pull the lever again. So we and the others shrunk ourselves down to Micronian size and we drove a Regult into the ship when it launched its Daedalus attack. We got out and we surrendered to your soldiers. We want to live among you, so we can have food and music. We'll do whatever work you require of us if you let us live with you. I understand if you decide to kill us. We know how you Micronians deal with captured spies, and we know many of you were killed in the invasion of Macross City. But this was the only way we could come live with you."
oooooooo
I later played the recording of the interrogation to Captain Gloval and Lieutenant La Salle.
"Thank you," said the captain. "what is our opinion?"
"I think that the three English-speaking defectors want to live among us. They're willing provide whatever service you require if you let them live here. But there is a possibility that Breetai planted a saboteur among the defectors. The other defectors should be kept in custody until we can determine their motivations."
"We don't know their language," said Gloval. "It will be difficult to communicate with the others. I want to thank you for your favor. You may leave now."
ooooooooo
I walked along the corridor back to Macross City.
"This is an interesting part of my job," said Lieutenant La Salle.
"What will we do with them?" I asked.
"There was one thing I agreed with your recommendation. We should evaluate each of the prisoners on a case-by-case basis. We have to find out if they want to live with us or if they were here to sabotage the ship."
"What will happen to them?"
"Captain Gloval will make the decision. If we do reject their request to live with us, we will send them out of the airlock without a spacesuit. They're not POW's, they were caught out of uniform and are considered to be spies. And UN military policy allows for the execution of enemy spies at the commander's discretion."
I went back to my apartment, contemplating the recent events. The very fact that at least three Zentraedi would defect to us implied it was possible to have a peace agreement with the Zentraedi.
It would be a shame if Konda, Rico, and Bron ended up in the vacuum of space for all their troubles.
oooooooooo
I continued to cover the reconstruction of Macross City. The damage had been worse than the modular transformation two years ago. Somes of the buildings were too damaged to be repaired and had to be torn down. I got statements from survivors of the Zentraedi attack.
"We heard this alarm, asnd just before we got into this shelter, we saw these walking pods," said this boy.
"I looked out and I saw this, this thing with two arms and two legs and a lser on its head," said a girl. "It was shooting at the other pods. I don't know what for."
There was one bright spot. UN Spacy Private Bryan Hart was awarded the titanium medal of valor. He had rescued a small child who did not know where the shelter was even as the Zentraedi battle pods were blasting away at everything. The ceremony was held in a small room. His parents, friends, and superiors were in attendance like I was. Captain Gloval took the podium.
"For courage under fire during the recetn Zentraedi attack in Macross City," he started. "I hereby grant Private Bryan Hart, UN Spacy, the titanium medal of valor."
We all clapped, and his parents hugged their son.
"How are you feeling, Private?" asked Gloval.
"Fine, sir," said Bryan Hart. "Lani would have been proud."
"Who?"
"My older sister Lani. She was a Marine veritech pilot. She was killed in battle about a year ago."
"The medal is not a prize to be won, Private. It simply recognizes those of us who when faced with a challenge, rose up to the occasion."
"That's what Lani did."
The private and the captain shook hands as photographers took pictures.
oooooooooooo
The day after, Captain Gloval made a very important press conference. All of us were there.
"Hello everyone," said the captain as television cameras were trained on him. "A few days ago the Zentraedi broke into the ship and invaded Macross City. Three thousand people died. On that same day, about twenty micronized Zentraedi surrendered to us. They were shrunk down to size by a process not understood. They informed us that they wanted to defect to our ship and live with us. After days of interrogation, we decided to grant their request for asylum to five of them."
The others expressed shock; I was not surprised. I already knew in advance whom three of the five were.
"It is true that they were the enemy," continued Gloval. "Some of them may have killed those we befriended and loved. But they are not the enemy anymore. They wanted to stop fighting us, and become part of our culture. For all their lives, they have known nothing but war and destruction. They turned their backs on their old lives, to start a new one with us. This shows that a peaceful resolution to the conflict with the Zentraedi can be achieved. These people have no where to turn. We should accept them as our neighbors."
"The outside of an airlock would be a good place for them to turn," I heard someone mutter.
"Any questions?" asked Gloval.
"You said you granted asylum to five Zentraedi," said a reporter. "You also said there were twenty prisoners. What of the other fifteen?"
"Their requests are still pending," said the captain.
"Is there any concern that these are saboteurs?" asked another reporter.
"It is a primary concern, which is why we are reviewing the remaining fifteen. We do know that at least five of them have a genuine desire to live with us."
"Are there any restructions on their movements?" asked another reporter.
"They will be treated like defectors from any other enemy," said Gloval. "They will be required to report to the SDF-1's security police. They will be closely monitored for a time."
"Will they be settled on Earth?" asked another reporter.
"Not now."
ooooooooooo
I later went into one of the apartment buildings and went to Apartment 2A. The door was open. I saw Konda, Rico, and Bron inside.
"Hi there," I said. "I just wanted to pay a visit. I heard Captain Gloval's announcement."
"Oh, it's you," said Bron. "We were set up here by the crew after we were released."
"I just wanted to bring a housewarming gift," I said, placing a potted flowering plant on a windowsill.
"Housewarming?" asked Konda.
"It's a tradition. When friends move to a new place, we give gifts to them."
"Is that for us to grow food?" asked Rico.
"No, it's for decoration. It will make this place more homely. So what will you do for jobs?"
"We're teaching the Micronians how to speak our language," said Bron. "They're paying us a lot. We're also teaching the other two the English language."
"So you became teachers," I said.
"We're very skilled in learning languages," said Konda. "We can teach both Micronians and Zentraedi."
"How about we go to the casino so we can celebrate your residency in Macross City?"
And so we did.
oooooooooooo
We went to the Bright Star Casino. There were many people in here. I could hear the familiar clinking sounds of coins being paid by the slot machines, which ranged from the lever-and-reel devices to video slot machines.
"How about we play some blackjack?" I asked. "There are open spots at that table."
"Okay," said Konda. "Let's see what this blackjack is about."
We all sat at a table and we looked at the dealer, a woman with black hair.
"Hello everyone," said the woman.
"These three don't know how to play blackjack," I said.
"Well, first of all you buy chips. the mimumum bet is five dollars."
The three Zentraedis gave the woman cash in exchange for chips.
"I deal out the cards, and you choose whether to hit, stand, double, or split. If you beat me without busting, I win. I have to hit at sixteen and below and stand on seventeen and above."
So the dealer dealt out the cards.
"What do I have?" asked Bron.
"You have an eleven," said Rico. "I have a sixteen."
We all played our hands.
"You're giving us more chips?" asked Bron.
"That's what happens when you win," said the dealer.
oooooooooo
We played for a couple of hours. Konda, Rico, and Bron did not know what to do, since they did not know any strategies about blackjack. Still they maanged to keep some of their chips.
"is there something else to do?" asked Konda.
"We could have a drink at the bar," I said. "You can meet Vince."
So we went to the bar. Vince was working there.
"Hi there," I said. "These three are Konda, Rico, and Bron."
"Hello," he said. "I'm Vince. I'll be your bartender for this evening."
"Could you get us some beer?"
So he did. I mentioned to him where the three came from.
"They're Zentraedi?" asked Vince. "I thought they were giants."
"We have devices that can reduce us to Micronian size," said Bron. "We came and surrendered to your leaders so we can live among you."
"So you're not killing us anymore," said Vince.
"That's right."
"I say we have a toast to your residency status," I said.
"A toast?" asked Rico.
"It is when we raise our drinks in celebration."
"A toast to living with the Micronians!" said Konda.
Three women in Spacy uniforms approached- one had bshort black hair, one had red hair, and one had brown hair and was wearing eyeglasses.
"Where have you been?" asked the black-haired woman. "We haven't seen you around."
"We thought you might have been killed during the invasion," said the little red-haired woman.
I smiled. Those three would surely be surprised to hear about who these three men were.
oooooooooooo
The rebuilding of Macross City continued. I was certainly impressed with the efforts. All of the rubble was cleaned up. Construction crews worked hard to rebuild the shattered city.
But then there were shattered families who were emotionally wounded. Bricks, steel beams, and cement would not be able to provide relief. All they have is each other.
I decided to go to the observation deck's food court for dinner rather than cooking dinner myself. There were a few people eating. I could look out through the windows at the planet Earth. I decided to get a hamburger and a Coke from McDonald's.
I looked and I saw Jenna eating by herself.
"Hi there," I said as I approached. "Mind if I join you?"
"Not really," said Jenna, picking up a french fry.
"How are you doing?"
"I got an excellent fitrep from Colonel Beckett."
"No, how are you doing in your personal life?"
"I feel so estranged from everyone. I don't think anyone in my squadron wants to be my friend anymore. I'm not surprised, considering how I've been treating them for the past year. I just wish I could take it back. I came here to eat because I was tired of eating alone in my quarters. I hoped that at least eating in a public place, with other people around, would help."
"I can be your friend," I said.
"You know, Lani's little brother Bryan was awarded the titanium medal of valor," said Jenna. "He joined the Spacy a few months ago."
"I covered the award ceremony. Maybe you can talk to him about Lani."
"No. You know, the first few nights after Lani died, I kept replaying the image of her death in my mind. I saw that thing blow her to bits. I heard her crying for help. I told her I'd come for her. I was too late. It didn't help to see the footage of that same flying destroid that killed Lani battling in Macross City."
"Are you sure it was the same one?"
"None of the others like it flew like it. Ace pilots have their own flight style. I remember seeing the flying destroid chasing after someone from Skull Squadron. I knew it was the same one that killed Lani. I flew after it as it was flying towards the ship. They closed the hatch and I had to go into guardian mode and apply full reverse thrusters to avoid becoming splattered on the hull. Sometimes, I wish I could have saved Lani, or at least killed that flying destroid. I wonder if there was something I could have done differently. If I could have gotten there faster."
"The question is what can we do now. Lani's dead and we miss her, but we have lives to live. And I want to be with you." I looked into her blue eyes. "We can be together again. I remember how happy we were together. We can build a future." I put my hands on her hand.
She pushed my hands away. "It won't work," she said. "I'm not the same person you fell in love with two years ago. The past two years, the war, Lani's death, have all changed me."
"You're not the only person that changed, Jenna," I replied. "I changed too. Before I flew to Macross City, I ddin't think of my family as anything important. Now that I have not spoken to them for over two years, I would want to see them again. But here on this ship, I didn't islloate myself. I have Katie and Vince and Jake. And I had you. And I want to have you again."
"I just need some space. This is very difficult for me." She stood up.
I looked to the window. I could see Earth and space. Space was something in plentiful supply.
I then saw a bunch of explosions in space. There was another battle. The ship's alarm had not sounded. It might have been an offensive from us. I noticed Jenna was looking at the battle as well.
The I saw some spacecraft launch from Prometheus's flight deck. I looked and I saw it was a veritech fighter with some sort of boosters attached to it. It flew right to where the explosions were. Soon the explosions stopped. I saw the new modified veritech fighter come back to the Prometheus.
"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO PRESS MY LIPS AGAINST HIS!" I heard Jenna yell. "AND I'M NOT GOING TO PRESS MY LIPS AGAINST YOURS!"
I looked and saw Jenna leaving a group of five men. I looked and I saw three of them were Konda, Rico, and Bron.
"Now I understand why we Zentraedi kept male and female separate," said Bron.