I don't own the horse or the robot. Is there any point where I can stop saying this, its getting irritating now, honestly.

Nothing big happening in this section, well except for, you'll see. Some closure for people, and the start of many issues for others, all segueing to the next chapter which will be a big one, both in length and in impact to the story. Unfortunately I have to say it will not be out next Saturday as usual, it will be out on the Monday after at the earliest. I have a lot of it written but so much of my story has changed since I wrote those parts they need to be changed a lot, and because it is such an important chapter I want everything to be as good as I can make it.

I have changed my poll by removing the 'no just update faster' choice, I had put it in more as a joke than anything really. I assume those of you who voted for it will be able to cast new votes.

Chapter 19: Warning, idiots may appear and attack at any time

A hand through down a written report onto a table angrily, its owners' voice matching the action entirely. "God-damn it, we were nearly getting a handle on things and now this, the wayward Gloval returns with the space fortress, so not only do we have an alien fleet in orbit but the source of all this trouble right here on Earth again!"

"Getting a handle on things? Exactly how are we doing that? The public may believe the crap we've fed them, but the UN and the world governments sure as hell don't and we've been taking more and more flak from them." This voice wasn't angry, simply resigned, and morose.

"Oh really, could that be because they are supposed to be our superiors? We're stepping on every bloody document that gives us a right to exist!" This voice was clipped and British sounding, and like the first voice it too was angry, angry yet controlled, and its anger was directing at the other men around the table rather than the Macross. "What's worse we're doing so not to combat the threat this body was created to fight, but to stick our collective head into the sand!"

He was answered by an American voice with a northern twang. "Admiral you are continually pressing us on this issue, yet you know that getting up out of the atmosphere would make any of our remaining forces sitting ducks. And why should we when we can keep working on the grand cannons, which when finished can..."

"Do nothing!" The British voice interrupted rudely. "They can't be aimed remember, and I doubt the aliens will be so generous as to move into orbit directly above them, even if we finish all six of them."

Before this well-tread argument could start up anew another voice spoke up, this one speaking in clipped English with odd emphasis on words that indicated it wasn't his native language. "Enough, we must agree to disagree on this manner. What are we going to do about the SDF-1?"

That interruption allowed the others to retreat back from the argument before it could get worse. After a moment it was the morose voice that answered. "Send Gloval orders to remain where they are for now, but let them stew for a day or two then send for him and his command staff to give us their report. They'll be in our power then, and we'll get some answers." After a moment the others agreed, some reluctant but others more certain.

Other groups too noticed the arrival of the SDF-1, and began to make plans of their own…

The aftermath of the battle was always bad, though this time it was tempered by the fact the Macross was finally home. Captain Gloval, realizing what that meant for morale and thinking the aliens wouldn't attack for a while, given the damage they'd already done to the ship and being leery of causing more, had given the entire crew the day off.

He had also made a fortress wide announcement about their successful landing then opened up all of the hangers and ports along the topside of the space fortress, allowing anyone who wanted to head out and get some sun. He, Lisa and Claudia stayed on the bridge however, trying to find someone to talk to them beyond the hold position orders they had received, but eventually were forced to give up.

Ranma and Rick, having been among the last to land, and having remained nearby to go over their Valkyries, were among the first out to enjoy the sun. Around them other sailors were starting to direct the growing flood of civilians outside, while others were setting up a rope fence around the edges of the hull, marking off the area the civilians would be allowed to be.

Ranma smiled, once more a guy as he looked out of the hanger onto the first real sky anyone on the battleship had seen for a little under a year. He looked down at his off duty uniform and his rank tabs, the symbols of all he had gone through since living Nerima. "Heh, I wonder what the assholes back in Nerima would do if they could see me now."

Rick standing beside him smirked. "Going from your stories about them probably try to kill you. By the way do you think you can ask Kasumi if I could borrow her tri-plane? I promised Minmei that I'd take her home to see her parents as soon as we get clearance."

With Roy down, Rick was nominally in charge of Skull Squadron, much like Ranma was acting CAG (commander Pike had been medically discharged from the service, suffering from severe PTSD) but there were so few Valkyries and pilots remaining after the last battle, only thirty in total, there wasn't actually much work to do even if they were on duty. Well there was always writing AAR's and condolence letters, something neither of them had to do for any of the other squads, and Motoko had already written one for Jeffrey's family while Ranma was in the hospital. The computer would send it automatically once permission to do so was given.

Roy was however and much of his time in the hospital from a perforated lung and broken ribs would be spent writing these up for the next month. He and Mannstein had over a thousand such written and kept for later delivery by this point.

"Yeah let's go ask her now. We're free for at least a few hours, and it doesn't look like they'll need us here."

Before the two could go anywhere however a suspiciously large wave crashed into the side of the space fortress, throwing water up and over their position, drenching the tow of them and a few other sailors and a few civilians.

Rick cleared his eyes from the spray to see his friend had been turned into his girl form. "You know I didn't actually believe that part of your story, that you attract water like that, more fool me huh?"

Ranma scowled, flipping some of her now red hair out of her face. "Yeah yeah, I guess spending time in this body hasn't made the water attraction part lessen any." She reached into her weapon space bringing out a bottle of water and began to heat it with his/her ki. As soon as she raised it to pour over her head another massive wave crashed against the ship then stopped seeming to loom above the redhead. Ranma frowned up at it in consternation. If it had words it would be saying something like, 'go on, make my day' or something. With a sigh she put the bottle away, and the wave receded.

Rick had watched this with a blank expression while around them the people unused to magic and crazy phenomenon simply stared as he turned toward Ranma. "That… was scary." Ranma nodded morosely and the two turned to head back into the space fortress.

As the two walked back they were stopped by a veritable flood of civilians in the hanger bay who were heading out on deck, overjoyed at seeing the sky and feeling real air.

Ranma spotted Kasumi among them, and next to her Nodoka and the Lynn's including Minmei. "Hey gals. Ya want a good view o' the ocean?"

Kasumi nodded eagerly. "Oh my yes, I'd love to see the ocean again. While I like living on the ship there is something to be said for a sky that is real, moving air and the smell of the ocean."

The others all nodded and Ranma led them to the edge of the hanger but before they could head out with the crowd to the deck Ranma grabbed both Nodoka and Fei around the waists, and jumped up onto the top of the hanger.

Both gasped then smiled as they looked around. "My, this is a nice view. Would you mind getting my husband up here Ranma?"

Ranma nodded and jumped back down grabbing Shao and Rick before leaping back up. Minmei and Kasumi came last, the former giggling at the unfamiliar sensation of being in the air before Ranma set her on her feet next to Rick. "So what are you all going to do now? Oh and Kasumi, Rick wants ta borrow yer Ms. Macross prize; that little tri-plane that ya took as yer part of the contest winnings."

Kasumi nodded. "You may borrow it gladly Rick, but I would like to use it at some point myself, with Ranma flying it of course. I think I want to set up a meeting with at least Nabiki when I can, and hear about what has gone on at home since we left. I don't want to go back" she said noticing Ranma's raised eyebrows, "but I want to see if they learned anything from our leaving. I don't regret doing so, but I have to wonder about them even so. It will also serve as closure for my old life."

"I'll go with you" Nodoka said, before Ranma could reply. "I too would like to know if my ex-husband has learned anything or is still trying to search for you my son. There are also a few items that I wish to retrieve while I have the chance." This included the family sword, something she had plans for that she hoped to see come about in the near future.

"The old-man's probably sold it all off by now" Ranma grumbled "I don't like it, you'd be making targets of yerselves, and I can't leave the ship, I'm filling in fer Roy as CAG remember?"

Nodoka smiled. "He would have if he knew where they were, I moved them from the house and entrusted them to a close friend that he didn't know. I think they will be relatively safe. Besides, I have need of a few of them now. I never thought I would really." She smiled gently. "And I will be with Kasumi to guard her. I trust you know I can protect her?"

"Yeah, I'd back you against most of the old gang both friends and foes with your sword in your hand." Ranma said giving her a hug, but then staring at her seriously, "but not Ryoga. Promise me, if ya see Ryoga you and Kasumi will run! The guys a tank, he'll just take everything ya can dish out and keep on coming, promise me ya'll run!"

Nodoka paused looking at her fellow redhead. "How likely is it that the aptly named lost boy will find us at all?"

Kasumi spoke up now, a worried look on her face. Ryoga's hatred of Ranma had been high and simply gotten higher when their fathers kept on trying to push him and Akane together, and then again when Ranma revealed Ryoga's cursed form to her. "Ryoga always showed up at the worst possible time, I would recommend we run as well if we run into him. He may not bring himself to hurt me so long as he doesn't learn that Ranma and I are involved, but I know he wouldn't have a problem hurting you, probably for 'bringing that hell-spawn Ranma into this world' or something to that effect."

Nodoka's eyes narrowed angrily. "Well he had best not use such language in front of me. Tank or no tank I would assume taking a sword blade to his boy bits would halt his advance!"

Rick and Shao both gulped as the women giggled but Ranma shook her head. "He's too good to get caught by that mom, seriously promise me you'll run."

Nodoka sighed but as Kasumi nodded she followed suit. Their conversation was interrupted at that point by a call from the crowd below them. "Hey Minmei how about a song?!"

The group looked over the edge and saw a large portion of the crowd looking up at them. Others had begun to bring out food and someone was even setting up a fireworks display in the distance, though where they had gotten them of hidden them while onboard was anyone's guess.

Minmei smiled happily. "I'll sing, but I think other people have to start dancing, if we're going to really have a party out here!"

Sammy, Vanessa and Kim, who had been among the first of the ship's personnel to come out on deck squealed loudly. "We'll do it! We'll do it!"

Minmei nodded. "You all know the song 'firework?'" The three girls cheered, and Minmei nodded. "Three two one go!"

After the first song Claudia, pushing the injured Roy in a wheelchair, came out on deck and joined in. She sang a rendition of 'Waka Waka' after convincing Ranma dance to it (which made many of the pilots who knew about his curse wonder quite a bit about how at home he seemed with it). After that Ranma and Kasumi sang a duet in Japanese, the song Sakura by the all girl band Rin, while Claudia danced with the gossip trio. By this time the entire crowd had gotten into the festive atmosphere in one form of the other. Lisa too came out soon and joined in the fun, grinding against Kasumi and the redhead for several songs before the three moved further back out of sight from the main hull, content to just watch the waves and see the sky above them.

Azonia and the still injured Miriya (was it just her or was Miriya healing even faster from wounds these days?) sat in the command room of the Night Dagger watching as the three spies, once more their natural size, trooped in. Sonya led the way as was proper being a captain, with Lucretia and Anya following after. Azonia had to hold back an unbecoming smile at seeing her friend returned, and under Sonya's habitual facial control she could tell her friend was happy to be back, and… was that worry she saw there?

After they saluted Azonia studied all three of them for a moment, trying to detect any signs of contamination from their time with the Micronians. They appeared fine to her, and the medical wing had declared them free of disease so after a moment she shrugged. "Well, you three don't seem any the worse for your sojourn as spies; now tell us what you have discovered."

Sonya took the lead. "Where would you like us to start Lady?"

"Start with the most pertinent fact that you think we need to know to understand and find weaknesses in the Micronians." Azonia stated bluntly. "I have to tell you while we have collected a lot of information about the humans from their data-net it is so confusing that we haven't made heads or tails from most of it. Some things we have discovered, but our understanding of them as a race hinders us badly."

"That isn't actually surprising to us Lady Azonia, we had much the same problem until we were able to realize that in a way the Micronians are both like us and at the same time fundamentally different from us. We, all of us Meltraedi and Zentraedi are warriors, soldiers. The Micronians are not."

Azonia blinked in surprise at Lucretia, the one who had just spoken. That would certainly explain much of the points about a 'country and 'industry' that she had run into in her reading, but… "What else is there to be but a soldier?"

"That is where we had problems. To us this way of life seems incomprehensible but it seems to work for the 'humans' as they call themselves. They separate themselves into civilians and military personnel, and an individual can be trained to move from civilian to military. I think we need to look at it as those who provide' infrastructure', much like the factories Lord Dolza has, and those who do the fighting. That is the best way to describe it. The 'civilians' provide food, clothing, 'entertainment', which is something that helps morale, and civilians also help to build the machines of war while the military uses them to defend the civilians. That is in fact the stated primary objective of their military, to defend the civilians. The Humans have only recently united into one clan, thought they call it a government, and there were several wars before this process was completed."

"While the military is in charge, it listens to advice from the civilian leaders, chosen through a means we aren't certain we understand. It may be production, it may be some kind of popularity issue or not, we never could understand that point." Anya said. "The food and clothing also come in a large variety, far larger than we have, and directly impact morale among the civilian and military populations. Nor is it done simply out of obligation, the civilians take things called 'wages', which allows them to 'buy' goods and services from other civilians, even the military must pay for things and the soldiers must be paid in turn. We have brought samples of much of the clothing and food if you wish to see it, as well as some of the 'money' they use."

Azonia nodded thoughtfully her eyes flicking to Sonya for a moment then back to Anya. "Yes let us see these items you speak of. We've seen videos and pictures of it of course, but seeing something in person is always better." Indeed there was a growing underground movement to replace the standard uniform with the vast variety of choices the 'humans' seemed to have. She knew at least a dozen individuals among her captains that would jump at the chance to examine the clothing of the humans in person.

"But while Anya is doing that tell us about their military structure and how they have been coming up with so many tricks." The issue of entertainment she dismissed out of hand, as she had ordered her people to do when coming upon them in the videos. Indeed anything they could not readily understand went under this heading. Such morale buildings exercises were known among her people, tests to achieve higher rank, races and contests to achieve a goal such as more food, better clothing etc. She didn't know if that was the case among the Zentraedi and frankly she didn't care. Other than Breetai (and of course Dolza, though he wasn't seen so much as a Zentraedi but simply THE LEADER) there wasn't a single Zentraedi worth mentioning.

Sonya took up the thread, explaining in detail the military structure, as well as listing the classes of the human Destroids, all excellent information that would help the Queadluun Rau in the future. The fact that only the one space capable type came close to matching the power suits of her people filled her with pride. What her friend said next though shocked her to her core.

"What is perhaps the strangest of all is that humans can choose to become warriors! They have warrior clans, the tactical officer, a female, comes from one such, but others, even some of their best officers make the transition willingly from 'civilian' to military."

That evoked a moment of shocked silence to her listeners. Change from one branch of combat to another was something that occurred regularly, the idea of changing from being a noncombatant (a concept no Meltraedi or Zentraedi could really grasp) to a warrior? That was beyond comprehension.

Miriya leaned forward asking a few questions that had been bothering her. "But how is it that their males and females work together? How do they become micronized like that? And have you heard anything about their ace pilot?" Azonia glanced at her sharply at the last question, this hearing was to listen to information pertinent to the whole war effort, not just Miriya's ongoing feud with an enemy pilot, but she let it stand.

Lucretia answered this time, looking a little uncomfortable, while Azonia saw her friend become even more blank-faced then usual, and wondered what she had discovered that she hadn't shared with the others. "We have developed several theories about the first question based off observations. For one, the one we think is least likely, is that it's simply the way it has always been, as neither the males nor females can remember a time they did not work together. The second theory, one both Anya and I believe to be more accurate is that the males control the females through use of a special compound called chocolate that seems to take all the females willpower away from them. The other method of control goes the other way, and has to do with something called 'sex' that the females use to control the males. We… we weren't comfortable looking further into that area or research." Lucretia gave her the story she and Anya had decided to share. Neither of them was willing to share how they had reacted to watching the one called Ranma exercise, nor did they really understand it at all. And what Sonya thought about it was anyone's guess.

Azonia nodded sharply. "I can understand that easily enough, we have found literally countless images and video files dealing with that subject, and I have no wish to hear more about it."

"But this chocolate, we have come across numerous references to it as well, though none indicated the power you suggest. But if it is a secret power the males use to control the females, of course they wouldn't want them to learn of it. Have you brought any with you?"

Anya came back then, carrying a large pile of various clothing in different designs. "No Lady, chocolate was incredibly scarce on the battleship. But we did observe several instances of a male using a single piece to gain control of a female, though the time he could control her seemed to vary from female to female."

"We will have to send some troops down to collect samples of it for study," mused Azonia, a pronouncement that would in a few days cause many headaches for a certain group of individuals on Earth.

She reached forward gently prodding the small varicolored outfits, marveling at the difference in texture, color and cut. They had other things there as well, tiny things that seemed to be the solid-state books she had seen, though unlike the ones that interested her, these had bright pictures on the covers. One of them had the word 'cookbook', and she shook her head. How in the world had Micronians developed enough varieties of food paste they'd need a book to list them all? The money though, she wasn't interested in, it seemed pointless frankly, and she realized it was only worth anything in the minds of the people using it, it had no intrinsic value.

Miriya however barely glanced at the clothing, staring at the trio, willing them to answer her questions. Lucretia, who along with Sonya had learned the most about Ranma did so though reluctant. "We, um we actually met and interacted with the ace you speak of. In fact that interaction and with his Lieutenant, a rank we have no equivalent of that signifies the leader of four of the human space fighters, that gave us much of the information we have on their military structure."

Anya took up the thread now, handing across to Miriya a data disk they had prepared a few hours before. "His name is Ranma Sugita, and he has a very strange condition, he changes from male to female with the application of cold or heated water, and he is far and away the deadliest fighter both in and without his/her Valkyrie."

Azonia and Miriya's eyes widened at that. "Could that effect be caused by the proto-culture generator?"

Sonya shook her head. "I thought much the same, but he explained to me it was a condition he picked up while visiting a 'martial arts training ground' on their home planet, which they call Earth. Martial arts are what the humans call their various hand to hand combat skills. I thought perhaps the generator might have somehow fallen out of the ship during its crash landing, but upon careful questioning learned the strange testing ground had been like that for hundreds of years. On that disk you'll find more about him and his abilities, the ones we have seen, not heard about. There were literally hundreds of rumors about him. Ranma was a prominent figure in many ways about the space fortress."

Miriya nodded, taking the disk eagerly.

Azonia hmmed, still prodding the clothing carefully, and looking at the odd assortment of other items the spies had brought back. "Hmm… well you have given me much to think about, go and rest for now, I want to have a look at this clothing and the other items you have brought. We'll begin again in a local day, and I'll want to focus on weaknesses and ways to exploit them. Sonya, stay for a moment."

Azonia waited until the other two had left before turning to her friend and one of her most senior officers. And even more telling much like Azonia herself she had come through those years relatively unscathed. Indeed, Miriya had gained more scars from her recent battles with this Ranma human than Sonya had in all her years of war. "It was obvious something was bothering you Sonya, what is it?"

Sonya looked decidedly uncomfortable, her eyes flickering to Miriya, who was staring down at the disk in her hands. Azonia's did as well, and then lifted one hand, shaking it a little, telling her friend to state as much as she was comfortable with sharing with the younger green haired pilot.

Sonya nodded almost imperceptivity before speaking slowly. "Lady Admiral, for the past few days among the humans I have been looking at what they call science and their history, and I cannot believe what I have discovered, but I must, it is simply too consistent and pervasive to be a lie. What the humans call science, we have no equivalent of it but it works something like 'advancing the race through ever increasing knowledge of our surroundings and construction'. It is how the humans have been able to figure out most of the tricks they have been using. On the ship was a male by the name of Dr. Lang, and he and his team were able to do something they call 'reverse engineer' from Zor's flagship. All of the weapons they have used since are relatively new technology to them. More in their time onboard the space fortress they have come up with half a dozen new ones, including the 'FAST Pack' that allows their Valkyrie to almost equal our Queadluun Rau."

Azonia blinked in fresh shock and Miriya glanced up from the disk she had been staring at in surprise. "Go on."

"Humanity was not a space-going race as little as fifty local solar cycles ago." Sonya said bluntly. "Not only that, but they have only had computer technology for a little under a hundred years and even their least trained officers understand it far better than I do the workings of our own weapons systems. I can't even begin to understand how they do that, but it is fact."

Azonia and Miriya again exchanged glances. No Meltraedi or Zentraedi to their knowledge knew how long they had been space faring races, but it was far longer than that. Yet in all that time Azonia knew of no 'advancements' like Sonya was describing, no new weapons of war created in that time. The factories, all controlled by Dolza and his personal fleet, made every weapon of war they had, with little to no interaction between them and the Meltraedi, and they created the same weapons today as back then. "Go on."

"They also constantly do something they call 'maintenance' to the battleship and their mechs. If one of their mechs is damaged, damaged to the point where we would have to scrap the machine, they can 'repair' it. I witnessed this several times as I was in the construction section of the ship, and saw much of the maintenance and continued construction going on inside the ship. The ship is getting more formidable with time, as are the humans."

Azonia leaned back thinking hard. "Could this be a sign of their understanding of proto-culture?" She had never heard of a race having these 'civilians', these noncombatants before. The closest she had ever heard of was Invid grubs, as they had to wait until their chitin hardened enough to fight with. And the idea of 'repairing' something that was broken or damaged was something she had never heard of either. The Meltraedi could personalize their power suits, but actually repairing them?

"I don't know Lady Azonia, neither myself nor the others have even come across a reference to proto-culture in all our spying. Have you come across it when you attacked their data net?"

"No," Azonia said thoughtfully "nothing that combined those words at least, nor anything that could be the proto-culture generator." As an admiral Azonia was one of the few cleared to know what the proto-culture generator really was and what it could do, but she didn't have the knowledge necessary to make head or tail form the human's data net. "Yet they must have it somewhere on the space fortress."

"Perhaps sending another group of spies to analyze the fortress itself rather than the humans would work better," Miriya mused.

"Perhaps, but that is a decision for another time. For now Miriya, go get some rest," Azonia smiled, but there was no humor in it. "You will need it soon enough I imagine." She stood, looked back at her friend. "And Sonya, come to my quarters in a few hours, I have some questions I need to ask before tomorrow's session." Sonya nodded, relieved that her old friend had realized she still had information, but for her ears only, and walked out past Miriya, who was still moving slowly due to her injuries.

On board the hull of the Macross Ranma sneezed. His two girlfriends looked up from where they had laid out in their bathing suits. They were situated well away from the main party going on, right over one of the tertiary weapons in the main command spire, where only someone like Ranma could get to. Motoko and Nodoka (the only other people aboard who could get there) had both joined them soon, also wearing their bathing suits underneath some sweatshirts.

Kasumi smiled at her redheaded lover. "Someone must be talking about you Ranma-koi."

Ranma groaned as Lisa giggled. "Heh, I remember you mentioning that when you rescued me on Mars. What do you think, someone falling in love with you, declaring vengeance against you or just someone talking about you or the rumors around you?"

Ranma brought up a finger to her lips, smirking a little as she went along with the joke. "Hmmm, it wasn't loud enough to be a declaration of vengeance, my throat isn't itchy so no rumors, wasn't accompanied by a shiver down my spine, so not someone falling in love with me, I'd have to say just someone talking about me."

All the girls giggled but Motoko who seemed to be in a bad mood for some reason.

Nodoka watched the younger swordswoman thoughtfully as Ranma went back to applying sunscreen to his girlfriends. "What's bothering you dear, you've been wearing a frown ever since we met this morning?"

Motoko sighed. "Nothing you can help with Auntie, just…well you know about my… preferences?" Nodoka nodded, she knew it was touchy subject for the young girl, given the amount of flak her family gave her for it, but Motoko's lesbianism hadn't ever bothered her. Nodoka was many things, but she was not a hypocrite, and she would have been such if she had a problem with Motoko's interests after the experimentation she did as a teenager and in college before meeting Henri. "Well, the girl I was interested in has sort of disappeared."

Nodoka eyebrows rose in surprise. "Disappeared? How can anyone disappear?"

"She's no longer working, she hasn't signed up for classes at the college like she said she would and she and her friends are gone from their apartment." Motoko sighed morosely.

Nodoka frowned, but said "Well, I'm certain she'll turn up eventually, until then I suggest you look elsewhere until she does, don't mope around about it." Motoko nodded and the older woman turned to Lisa. "Have you all been able to make any headway getting anyone to talk to us?"

"Other than that initial order to remain in position I'm afraid not Auntie." Lisa answered. "I'm not certain why." Nodoka frowned then shrugged and put it out of her mind, sighing happily as the sun warmed her body.

Ranma laid down between her/his two girlfriends and smiling happily, just enjoying this moment of peace. He knew given his life it wouldn't last long.

Azonia spent an hour checking in with the portion of her fleet she had left behind before coming on this mission. She had left more than half her fleet behind to work with the Zentraedi in the defense of their territory against the assault of the Invid. After ten minutes the connection went through and she stared at the face of Delmera, the woman she had chosen to take command of that force. The other woman, with short cropped blond hair and an open face with smile lines, a rarity among either the Zentraedi or Meltraedi, wore the normal Meltraedi uniform and smiled in greeting. "Lady Admiral, how goes the operation against the Micronians and Zor's fortress?"

Azonia sighed at the others irreverent attitude, but she couldn't help but smile at the same time. Delmera wasn't only one of her best strategists, always able to put her flotilla where it could do the most damage, emphasizing ship to ship combat, but her, her happy attitude seemed to cheer up anyone regardless of circumstances. "Slowly and confusingly. That is why I wanted to check in with you, I needed to hear news about good, honest warfare. What is happening on the war front?"

Delmera paused, lips quirking as she gathered her thoughts. "It goes… well my lady, but oddly. We've managed to push the Invid out of many of the systems they took in their first push, but the Zentraedi haven't had an easy time of it."

Azonia waved that off, the Zentraedi always thought they could overcome any foe by simply throwing numbers at it, and so their losses were always massive, but they always won in the end anyway, and there was always more of them in any case. "What do you mean by oddly?"

"Well, as you know we are a separate force but we are supposed to answer to any of the main fleet clan admirals." Azonia nodded a little bitterly. Her fleet, even when it was all in one place had barely a hundred thousand ships in total, far less than the five hundred thousand plus that a main fleet had. Despite this their Queadluun Rau and the fact their ships always carried far more crews let them have an impact well beyond their fleet's size. "But after a few star systems were reclaimed Admiral Breetai ordered us to ignore any orders from any of the other fleet admirals."

Azonia blinked at that then made a go on gesture, which Delmera did so. "We had taken some losses before then, we were being thrown at any battle that the Zentraedi thought was tough. We did well of course, but they were using us poorly. Since then we have worked with lord Breetai and his fleet as the tip of the spear, yet our losses have been far less than before. His clan fleet has won the majority of the victories, but not taken the majority of the losses. He fights and controls his fleet like no Zentraedi I have ever seen before!"

No surprise there, Azonia thought wryly. Breetai didn't become the oldest and most dangerous fleet admiral in the entire Zentraedi fleet by being stupid. Breetai was the oldest admiral of the fleet, and had been involved in nearly every battle and campaign in living memory and far more besides. Rumor had it that he had been involved in the first battle against the Invid bugs, and that was where he had taken the injuries that disfigured his face. Azonia discounted that, but the fact was that Breetai was simply a far better and more experienced leader than even she.

Delmera kept talking. "He has taken control of the entire front at Lord Dolza's orders, but it hasn't won him any friends among the other admirals, and they have been… been doing what they could to hinder him. They've left his fleet alone a few times to be encircled and cut off, but he always turns it to his advantage somehow." Delmera's eyes shown with admiration as she went on. "I don't know how he does it but he keeps on leading his fleet in and out of some of the toughest battles I've ever seen. This push by the Invid was long planned, that is obvious, and they are fighting back hard, but with Admiral Breetai's leadership we are now pushing the Invid back all along the front."

Azonia nodded, wishing she and the rest of her fleet was there, but this mission was just as important, and it was only her insistence that she wouldn't need her full fleet (and, she admitted in the dark recesses of her mind, the fact her orders came from one of the command centers men rather than Lord Dolza himself) that allowed any of her fleet to help against the Invid at all. "Well if anything happens you think I should know about don't hesitate to contact me." Delmera nodded, and realizing she was being dismissed cut the connection.

Azonia sighed, leaning back and taking a sip from her water bulb as she brought up the copy of the Art of War she had been studying on the screen, hoping to understand more now that the spies had conveyed some more information about the odd Micronians. I wonder what Breetai would think of this work, it would certainly be an interesting conversation.

Azonia looked up from her reading as someone knocked on the hatch to her quarters. She smiled and called out "Enter." She rose and greeted her friend, hands outstretched and grabbing Sonya's forearms firmly. "Sonya, it's good to see you back."

Sonya nodded, her habitual control disappearing now that she was alone with her friend with none of the younger females around. "It's good to be back, I missed you my friend."

"And I you." Azonia sat down on her mattress, waving her friend to sit down, which she did. "You had something you wanted to share with me out of the ears of the others?"

Sonya frowned, rubbing her tattoo in a nervous gesture that Azonia knew all too well, she had seen that gesture right before the fecal matter hit the cannon round. Still the sight made her smile. The tattoo was a memento of a particularly viscous battle against the Invid nearly a hundred years ago that the Admiral of the time, her direct predecessor, had come up with to commemorate the victory for those who survived. Azonia never learned where she had come up with the idea, but she had created it and did the procedure on each of the survivors herself. It was a move that solidified the Meltraedi as a complete, tight knit fleet, and separated them even further form the Zentraedi because of the rumors that reached them about it. Sonya was the only one who had decided to have it put on her face, and she and Azonia, who had received it on her left pectoral were the only survivors still alive from those that had fought in that campaign.

"Azonia, I, I was telling the truth about how I spent my last few days, but my research went deeper than that, not just about the Micronians science and learning but their society and how it came about, their history and the wars they have fought against one another. I have a data disk for you to look at with that information on it if you want." Azonia nodded and Sonya went on. "But what I really wanted to know was the answers to a series of questions. Why are there civilians at all? The answer was that some people simply aren't mentally tough enough to handle combat, and that they need people to make things, design things, build things. All of those things are things that the factory ships that Dolza controls do for us. Not so important, but it is the fact they create things themselves that allows them to know how to repair it and upgrade it like the FAST Pack. It, it might seem disloyal but if we had control of the factories and the ability to learn from the designs of all of the machines they create, we may be able to come up with better ways of doing things."

Azonia frowned, wondering where her friend was going with this. "I wouldn't call that disloyal, though I certainly wouldn't share it with anyone else. Go on."

Sonya nodded, her voice becoming more hesitant but still certain. "I wanted to also learn why the military wasn't in charge completely. The answer is that historically speaking the military answer to the civilians. This is primarily because the military cannot do what the civilians can, control the means of production and the logistics of these humans." She left that hanging there hoping her friend got where she was going, and Azonia's frown deepened but she nodded again. Seeing this Sonya went on. "With every question I answered about the Micronians I had to question our own race, but I could not, cannot deny where the questions have led me. We the Meltraedi, we the Zentraedi are…are a…. a military without a society. So what happened to the society, to our culture? Is that why we call our fleet's clan fleets? What happened to make us this way?"

Azonia raised a hand at that point, stopping her friend before her speech could become even more of a diatribe. Is this what Micronian contamination is, not of the body but of ideas? Are these questions what Dolza was afraid of? Let it not be said however that Azonia would run away from hard questions. "Stop there Sonya. Let me look over the information you have gathered. Give me a week with this information and to see if, I come to the same conclusions. And if I do, if I do we will search for the answers together, come what may." Sonya nodded and seemed to sag, her entire body showing immense relief and Azonia changed the topic. "Stay here tonight and let us speak of other matters. Tell me about any of the individual Micronians you met, did any of them stand out?"

Sonya nodded, happy to change from the hard topic to something else. Later deep in the ships nighttime cycle, she fell asleep, lying up against Azonia's side as the two shared her bed as they had often done before. Azonia however stayed up, staring up at the ceiling. Sonya had not taken her questions to their logical conclusion, which was something Azonia was wont to do, think in the long term, and worst case scenarios. If something happened to our people to… to take away our culture, what was it, or who was it? And if a who, they must have gained something from it. And Dolza was worried about contamination… She was tempted to destroy the disk her friend had given her, but she shook off the temptation. She would learn the truth, wherever that led her.

The day after they had landed captain Gloval, captain Connor, commander Drake and colonel Mannstein were on the bridge of the space fortress looking at the information they had been able to glean once they had started to look at the internet and the military net. None of them, not even Conner was happy at what they saw.

"Where is the military buildup, not that I want to see it but where is the panic, where are the large civilian shelters to defend them from orbital bombardment? What the hell have they been doing since we left?" Drake was confused, angry, and frightened, and this made him speak more bluntly than he would normally allow himself when speaking to his superiors.

Yet the information they were looking at forced him to ask the question and none of the others chastised him speaking out. Nowhere could anyone find any sign of a military buildup. That didn't mean there wasn't one, but it obviously was well hidden, and did not involve the civilian population which would grossly limit its size, which in this war was a bad thing. Worse they didn't find any sign of new construction for civilian shelters.

"I don't know, Henri Gloval muttered, "but I don't like it." Mannstein remained silent, but his glower showed what he thought of it and Connor was bothered as well.

Claudia spoke up from the communications console. "Sir, we're receiving orders, the UNSF high command wants you to be ready for pickup to be taken to Fort Winter for a debriefing."

Gloval blinked. "Is that it, no word about what we should do about the civilians or our need for resupply?"

Claudia shook her head. "Sorry sir, nothing but the command for you to report for pickup to Fort Winter within an hour." She looked over at the radar screen and nodded. "We already have something slow incoming, probably a helicopter."

Gloval sighed. "Nevertheless, order the crew to start resupply runs to the nearest ports, we need more food and material desperately. And at least we'll get some of our questions answered." Claudia nodded and turned to give the orders.

Mannstein growled. "Who wants to bet we won't like those answers?" None of the others took up his bet.

"I don't like it."

Lisa shook her head as she looked at Ranma. Gloval had decided to leave Drake behind to take command of the Macross while he was gone, so he was going to take Lisa and Mannstein with him to this conference. Lisa was packing for the trip to the fort, , but her beau was not happy. "I don't like it any more than you do love." She smiled happily as Ranma blushed at that, but he also reached out and caressed her check for a moment and Lisa stood there, drawing strength from that wordless affirmation before continuing. "But the orders were nondiscretionary. Captain Gloval, Captain Connor, colonel Mannstein and myself are all required to report to the SDF high command at Fort Winter. We'll only be gone for two days, well barring setbacks at any rate."

Ranma still looked stubborn and Lisa sighed. "You know Claudia can handle the ship if there isn't any action going on, and I've trained Vanessa as well as I can, she just needs to build up instincts and the only way for her to do that is experience."

Ranma looked surprised and shook his head. "It ain't that part that bothers me, all my instincts are telling me something's gonna happen, either ta you, to us here on the Macross, or ta Kasumi and mom. Problem is, I can't be in more than one place at a time, and I have ta stay here ta fill in fer Roy until he's on his feet again, which, since he ain't a martial artist and ain't got any ki ta speak of, is gonna take months!"

Lisa paused then. In the past few months she had learned not to ignore Ranma's feelings about things like that. Unfortunately her hands were tied. "I'm sorry Ranma I wish I could do something, really I do, but we don't have any discretion built into these orders, we can't disobey them." In fact Gloval might well get in trouble for starting the resupply process without explicit orders to do so. "As for Kasumi and Auntie Nodoka, well, maybe you should talk to them before they leave." She glanced up at the clock in her room in their new home (and boy did she love that, having a home and sharing it with people you loved). "But if I don't leave right now, I'll be keeping the captain and everyone else waiting."

Ranma slumped then reached forward and gently pulled Lisa into a kiss. It was a gentle kiss in comparison to many they had shared since getting together, but the emotion in it was enough to take her breath away. He pulled away slowly looking into her eyes. "Stay safe okay Lisa?"

Lisa shook her head to get over the effect of the kiss then smirked at him. "I'll try, but if I get in over my head somehow, you'll come and rescue me right?"

"Damn straight!" Ranma laughed, and Lisa laughed too, gave him a final hug and walked out the door.

Even with that slight delay Lisa was there waiting as the more senior officers came out to the chopper that was supposed to take them to fort Winter. They all clambered in and Lisa found herself sharing a seat meant for three with just Mannstein, who nearly took up two seats all by himself while Connor and Gloval sat in front of them right behind the pilots. Everyone put on radio helmets to talk to one another while the helicopter got clearance to leave then the helicopter took off.

After they had been in the air for a few minutes, with only Connor and Gloval talking to one another, Mannstein waved a hand in front of Lisa face holding up two digits then four. Curious she changed her radio frequency to that channel. After a moment Mannstein's voice came in over her radio. "A word of advice commander: your father will almost certainly be on the committee high command has assembled to meet with us. I would advise you not to be drawn into any discussion with him, either during or after and if you do, do not assume on your family relationship. Let us do the talking as much as possible it will deflect attention from the old boy's club attitude toward women that is so prevalent among the admiralty."

Lisa wondered why he was telling her this and further why he disliked her father so much. As much as she didn't get along with him on a personal level, she still respected her father as a military man and Mannstein's antipathy toward him was a little strange to her. But after a moment she nodded and Mannstein nodded back then settled into his chairs closing his eyes in preparation for a nap. After a moment Lisa shrugged and did the same.

Ranma had a little more luck getting Kasumi and Nodoka to agree to be cautious and so instead of calling and telling Nabiki to meet her somewhere she e-mailed her with a message she would know came from Kasumi as well as a place to meet with her and Nodoka. Nodoka planned to stay with Kasumi until they were certain she was in no danger, then would go and retrieve the family heirlooms she wanted. As there was a supply ship heading to Japan anyway, the two of them asked it for a lift along with many other people wanting to leave the ship and not caring what they left behind. This left Kasumi's little bi-plane for Rick and Minmei who planned to leave later that same day. These two groups however were the first to report something that would rock the populations of Macross, both civilian and the military.

Nabiki Tendo was not one who showed her emotions, anyone who had met her in Nerima or even at Tokyo University would agree with that. So it would have come as a shock to them all that she was openly showing an odd mix of rage and hope, both emotions having to do with an e-mail she had received the night before. The e-mail said "come and meet the one who cleaned up after the cookie incident and gave you 'THE TALK' at the coffee shop nearest Tokyo tower tomorrow at noon for a discussion on the past, signed Heaven". Now while anyone could have cracked her older sisters former e-mail and signed it that way, Kasumi wasn't exactly a rare name after all, but as for the rest? The rest was only known to Kasumi and possibly Akane, but even that was doubtful.

Part of her thought this was just a cruel trick, while the rest of her remembered that Kasumi had been with Ranma, who regularly came back from things that anyone else would have died from. This was why she was sitting in the designated café torn between two very different emotions sipping a latte and glaring at the coffee shop door when Kasumi and Nodoka walked in.

For a moment even though she was watching and hoping it didn't register. The young woman looked so different from the big sister she thought she knew. Gone was the long conservative skirt, replaced by a pair of jeans that hugged her form in all the right ways. Gone was the conservative braided hair replaced by styled hair that flowed freely down her back. Gone was the placid, calm expression replaced by a warm smile and sparkling eyes that turned toward her. Nodoka too had changed, no longer wearing her hair in a traditional bun or even wearing a kimono, instead she was dressed in a business suit and had her hair in a braid down her front. Still it was Kasumi's change that was the most startling.

Nabiki at last reacted to what she was seeing and was out of her chair and hugging her sister before either could blink. "Nee-chan am I ever glad to see you! We were told you'd died! What the hell happened, and why the hell did you leave like you did?!"

Kasumi gently but firmly pried the arms of the younger woman off her and led her back to her table, allowing the curiosity of the people around them to die down. "Hello to you too Nabiki. And as for your question, I left because there was nothing at home for me, no room for me to grow as an individual. You and the others all pushed me into this role of being your house-slave, and I no longer wanted to live that life. Tell me honestly, with the way they were when Ranma and I left can you see Akane and Father allowing me to live my own life? Or would they continue to depend on me for everything, forcing me to take care of them forever? And you were a part of that too, you never saw me as anything more than a housemaid."

Nabiki was about to answer back sharply but the calm, almost contemptuous expression on her sister's face made her pause and actually think for a minute. After a moment she nodded reluctantly. "I can't disagree with that statement, though why the hell did you leave with Ranma? I understand leaving but why with him of all people? He was almost as bad as his deadbeat father for attracting trouble. Tell me you weren't, you aren't…"

"I wasn't with Ranma romantically at the time no, that occurred later, but who else could I have left with? Thanks to our family outside of taking care of a home I had little real world experience. Ranma and I together complemented each others abilities and skills very well. Now we have made lives for ourselves, that we are all" she smiled at Nodoka who returned the smile "happy with. I only came back to speak to you because of our family you were the least culpable in turning me into a drone, and I wanted to learn if you had moved on and if the others had changed without me there to clean up after them."

"What about Ranma's oath to never marry someone from a family his father contracted with?" Nabiki shot back weakly as she tried to get the image of Ranma and her sister out of her head. Sure she had fantasized a time or two about riding the wild stallion, usually after walking in on him in the furo, but to actually be in a relationship with him…

"Oh I know he won't marry me, I'm happy to just live with him. After all, marriage is just a label. Who cares what you call it as long as you are happy and together." Kasumi smirked, "I get all the benefits this way without the irritations such as his rivals, pissed off ex-fiancés etc."

Nabiki blushed, looking at that smirk and realizing her innocent big sister wasn't so innocent anymore. "Um yeah, well uh, moving on, you asked how we've been doing, well I gotta say it was really hard without you two around. With no Ranma to blame for everything Genma was forced to try and clean up his own messes once he realized he no longer had any claim to Ranma." she looked at Nodoka, "Your divorce letter and legal paper recognizing Ranma as part of your clan basically cut him off at the knees. With how Ranma had been bucking his control since before you arrived Genma had to face facts that he couldn't use him anymore. The few times he tried with a few more fiancés that showed up they came to me and I told them about it and it wasn't pretty. Eventually father was forced to throw him out of the house to protect the rest of us from the fallout, and no one has seen him since."

Nodoka smiled grimly. "Good riddance to bad rubbish. If I ever see the fat fool again it will be too soon."

Nabiki blinked at the vitriol in her voice but went on anyway. "Father kept on crying about his little girl leaving him and how the schools would never be joined for a few weeks. He was still going at it when I went away to college, and I haven't been back since. Most of the fiancés and their families moved into the area and just stayed, so the entire area is even more martial arts crazy then it was before, not my cup of tea at all."

"Akane…. Akane initially tried to take your place, and the house was barely standing before she finally realized she was crap at it. She was also going on about how she was still the strongest martial artist in the area, but a match with Kodachi a few months after you left shattered that little illusion as well as both her arm in several places. Since then she's moved on, and taken up acting."

"As for everyone else, the Kuno's are still there, though Kodachi has moved on at least. She became a professional gymnast and has won several awards for it, including two gold medals in this year's Olympics. Ukyo's still around, she's going to the same university I am, and she and Konatsu got together at last, though they still cross-dress a lot, I guess it just got to be a habit for them. The Amazons all left for China about a month after Ranma left."

"Cologne was really insufferable, laughing all the time over how he had pulled the wool over everyone's eyes but them and that we were all fools." She grimaced, that still rankled her, that the so-called jock had a plan to get away from his old man and all of them since the beginning and not only kept it a secret from everyone who would have objected but actually carried it out! "Shampoo was still single, though Mousse finally gave up on her and married Perfume before they left. Ryu Kumon was in the area for a time, and it looked as if he and Shampoo would get together, but that didn't happen and after beating up on Genma for a bit he left again."

"Happosai and Taro are still around and the bull is still trying to get the old man to change his name, though the other martial arts schools tend to keep the collateral damage down to a minimum. Of all the old rivals Ryoga was the one worst hit. About a month after you three left he showed up in his pig form, I guess he wanted to spy out the area, but Cologne caught him. She did something to him that turned him really docile, I don't know exactly what, but I hope it wasn't that trip to the vet she was talking about at the time. Anyway after that he was handed over to the authorities. Did you know he had been attacking people with pigtails randomly all over the country? Well he had, and the police were happy to solve the mystery of the pigtail-hater."

"A pity Cologne and the Amazons left," Nodoka mused "I would have enjoyed speaking with the elder again, and seeing Shampoo and the others. Such nice girls they all were." Nabiki inwardly rolled her eyes at how anyone could see that band of barbarians as nice. "Still, now that we're all caught up with the news, what did you mean when you said you thought Kasumi was dead?"

"Because that's what the UN told everybody, it was all over the news for a time. Something went wrong when they started up the engines on the alien battleship, some kind of booby trap set by remnants of the Anti-unification movement, and it exploded destroying the entire island." She looked at their shocked and outraged expressions and bit her lip. "Why do I get the feeling the truth is somehow worse than the lie?"

Nodoka shook her head. "Well I don't know why they would tell that particular lie, but we were attacked by an alien race intent on taking the space fortress. We tried something called a fold space jump, think of it like entering hyperspace in Star Trek, but because we did it inside a gravity well, it went badly wrong. Since then the Macrosshas been making its way back here, under attack from the aliens the whole time. Hopefully now that they know we survived they will retract that statement."

Nabiki leaned back thoughtfully. While on the surface the tale was ridiculous she had seen far stranger in her time. "That would explain the communication, radio and television blackouts that have been occurring lately, that was blamed on the anti-unification forces too. I assume the aliens have also taken out everything in orbit?"

"They hadn't before we left, but they seem to have before we returned yes." Nodoka replied. "Henri, the captain of the battleship was wondering about that and why there was an alien fleet around Earth at all if they were just after something on the space fortress."

"Hmm. Well, does this mean you are back, or are you going to go back to the Macross, you called it?"

"We're both going back" Kasumi confirmed. "We both have built lives there, careers and people we love. I'm an interior designer now, I'm starting my own company! In fact I'm working on a design for a game center and two family houses. It's going to be so much fun!"

"And I am the chief bio-engineer for the hydroponics section, in charge of all the interior food resources." Nodoka replied.

"Huh." Nabiki replied, a little dazed from the changes in the two other women. The three spent the next two hours exchanging more detailed stories about their lives, reconnecting and in some way finishing that chapter of their lives while outside, a grim shadow waited on an adjoining rooftop.

Elsewhere the discussion was nowhere near so cordial. The meeting with the SDF high command had started off badly and gotten worse. "So let me get this straight" one grizzled admiral said, nearly snarling the words "these aliens are after something on the space fortress, we don't know what, we don't know why, but they are determined to get it no matter what it costs them, and we have no way of simply giving it to them? I say we just hand over the fortress entirely if it will get these Zentraedi to leave us alone."

"I'm afraid that isn't an option. Dolza the leader of these aliens made it very clear that he was more than willing to order our extermination, and may do it out of hand once he has what he wants." Gloval responded, having anticipated that response.

"I find myself wondering how you could have been duped to think the numbers reported by Commander Hayes and the other escaped prisoners were real." Another admiral said, snorting huffily. "Its obvious that no race could have the infrastructure to build so many ships, let alone a population of that size and still need anything from the fortress."

Infrastructure, population. For some reason those words clicked in Lisa's head and she wondered why, but put it aside for now.

Gloval however was firmly focused on the here and now. "I understand your skepticism, but judging from how many ships they have lost, and further more how many combat mechs they have lost, upwards of 17,000 since we left Earth, without significantly impacting their numbers or altering their rules of engagement, we have to face facts that even if the numbers reported are inflated, the Zentraedi can still call on forces far beyond anything we can handle without significant troop buildup. I notice that you continued work on the Hercules class missile ships despite how ineffective they proved. What else have you done to counter this threat, and how can we help?"

Admiral Hayes, one of the most senior on the command staff spoke up for the first time. "Captain Gloval, it's not your place to question this committee! But in answer to your question, we have pushed forward the Grand Cannons project and have made significant inroads in that area."

"But what about building up the space fleet, and getting the worlds industries onto a wartime footing?" Mannstein asked quietly, citing the lack of said they had noticed already. His eyes moved around the committee and his mouth tightened slightly not liking what he was seeing in most of those faces. Only one face among them however seemed to be friendly, while one other seemed resigned.

The friendly face spoke up before the others could in answer to his question. "Unfortunately this committee voted to abandon the space program for now and concentrate on land based defenses, a decision I disagreed with most strenuously at the time. It makes us completely unable to take the offensive. As for getting the world onto a wartime footing that"

"Prescott damn it! May I remind you that you are a junior member of this committee, and that those decisions were reached by an open vote?"

"Oh shut up Hayes, I may be junior to you all, but my record in my parent navy speaks for itself! I said then and I'll say now, not acknowledging the magnitude of the alien threat is stupid and short sighted!"

"What do you mean not acknowledging the alien threat?" Gloval asked, stomach tightening, whatever this was it wasn't good.

"It was decided to not inform the civilian population of the alien threat, as it would cause undue stress and riots even if it was believed in the first place." Another admiral said. "They would only panic, riot and get out of control if they knew we had such a huge threat literally looming over us. We fed them a line about the anti-unification forces making a comeback via terrorists attacks to cover your disappearance and the destruction of our orbital satellites, and are simply hiding the fact we lost our space fleet from everyone easily enough. I for one see no reason to change that decision now." Prescott scowled angrily, but decided not to voice his objections to that idea as well.

Lisa made to speak but Mannstein's large hand clapped down warningly on her hand and she subsided. Gloval however merely spoke calmly, but there was ice in his eyes. "And what would that mean for the civilians we've finally managed to return to Earth?"

"Of course they'll have to stay with you." Another admiral said bluntly. "We can't have all those people walking about telling everyone they were attacked by aliens after all, it would blow the cover story wide open and lead to the panic we've been trying to avoid."

Lisa couldn't stand it any longer. "How the hells can you justify that! These people have put up with a lot, but they won't put up with that! And why the hell should they when we've finally reached home, just so you can keep on lying to the rest of the world?! And hiding things from the UN Council, that's…"

"Commander Hayes you are out of order!" her father barked at her. "We have to look at the big picture here. Is it really worth it in the long run, a city of barely sixty thousand, or the hundreds of thousands worldwide that would die in riots or panicked infighting if it was found humanity was really facing an extraterrestrial foe? What about the nations who would sue for peace and break from the UN, try to make peace with the aliens at all costs, maybe even volunteering to fight against the rest of humanity? Taking that into consideration the choice really isn't that hard."

One of the other admirals could see this wasn't going anywhere and decided to end this discussion before tempers could fray further. "I vote we adjourn for now and take up this interview tomorrow when we've all had time to look over the data already given." He looked around and seeing no one disagree he said "Motion carried, meeting adjourned."

Everyone began to get up from their seats but Lisa just stood there hands clenched in rage for a moment. Her father walked up to her. "I'm sorry about shouting at you like that Lisa but you have to remember military decorum. And as for the idea of removing the civilians from the battleship, as I explained that would cause far too many problems. It's all about control."

"Yes it is, isn't it admiral." The rank came out like an epithet and Admiral Hayes looked at his daughter in shock, seeing the scorn and contempt there. "You're control of the planet would be in danger if the civilian authorities, you know, the people you're supposed to answer to, found out you'd been lying to them and putting the fate of our entire species in jeopardy because you took the easy way out." With every word the contempt in her voice grew and her father flushed angrily.

"Lisa I" he started then stopped as she abruptly saluted and without a word walked off, moving over to talk to Admiral Prescott.

"Sir, may I talk to you for a moment?"

Alex Prescott nodded, a cold feeling settling into his stomach as he saw the young woman's serious expression. "Yes Commander, what can I do for you?"

Lisa took a deep breath then "Sir, it grieves me to inform you that your brother, Eric…."

Far away from this particular discussion another family was getting a strange but in their case wholly welcome visit.

Rick set the bi-plane down after a two hour flight from the Macross to their destination, a small Chinese restaurant on the coast of Taiwan. It stood on a bluff overlooking an ocean view, and the space between the house and the bluff was just enough for him to land on.

He looked behind her seeing Minmei asleep in the back. Smirking he leaned over the back of his flight chair and kissed her on the lips. Her eyes opened and she pouted as he retreated. "Wake up princess, we're here."

Minmei grinned leaning forward and kissing him quickly. "Thanks for this Rick, really it means a lot to have you here." Rick shrugged and Minmei grinned "Now lets go see my folks, they must have been worried sick about me." She hopped up out of the plane and walked to the back door of the restaurant.

Knocking on the door, she waited a moment, and when no answer was forthcoming knocked again, shouting as well. "Mom, dad, open up, its me Minmei!"

After a moment they heard shouting coming from inside. "I don't care who it really is, that's a fucking sick joke and I'm going to give them a piece of my mind!" After a second the door opened showing a rotund man who at first glance anyone could tell was related to Shao. He stood there looking as if he was about to shout at them but froze as his eyes locked onto Minmei. After a moment, his eyes began to tear and he croaked "Mi-Minmei?"

Minmei hugged the man tightly. "Hi dad, sorry I haven't been able to write or anything, but being in space kind of puts a crimp on keeping in touch with people here on Earth."

Her father put shaking arms around her tightly, nearly squashing the life out of her as behind him a woman poked her head out and gasped. Minmei raised her head out of her father's grip to peer over his shoulder smiling brightly. "Hi mom!" The next second the woman had somehow teleported herself placing her own arms around their daughter and her husband in a grip that, if anything, was even stronger than her husband's.

A young man with long black hair came out next, blinking in surprise at the sight of the group hug before his eyes narrowed at seeing Rick standing there in his uniform. His expression abruptly changed when Minmei squeaked out "Guys I can't breath!"

Ten minutes later, they were all seated around a table sipping tea. "I can't thank you enough for bringing our Minmei back to us, lt. Hunter was it?"

Rick smiled at Minmei's mother. "Yes ma'am, Lt. first class Rick Hunter, acting commander of Skull squadron until Commander Fokker is back on his feet. Still" his expression sobered. "I can't believe the high command made up that lie about us. We've been beaming long range transmission to earth for at least a day and a half, ever since we folded back into lunar orbit, they should've recanted and told everyone, I don't understand why they haven't."

The unidentified young man scoffed from where he was leaning against the wall. "Why should that surprise anyone, the military always lies to us civilians, why should this be any different."

Minmei smiled at him. "Nice to see you too, cuz. Rick this is Lynn Kyle, my cousin, he was here helping out at the restaurant and going to the local college while I moved in with his parents."

Kyle frowned a little at that. He had wanted to use his time here to get closer to his cousin, who he had watched grow up into a beautiful young woman but her decision to move to Macross to be with his parents and see the alien ship had blocked that plan. Now that she was back though he could quickly sweep her off her feet. "I'll agree with my aunt and uncle on this one, thank you for bringing Minmei home."

Rick nodded. "As to your question, none of the officers I worked with have ever lied to us, even when they probably should have to keep up morale. The losses we've taken fighting the Zentraedi are just" he shook his head sadly, he'd lost a lot of friends in this war "just brutal, but captain Gloval and the others never sugarcoated things for the civilians or the lower ranks. Its caused a few riots actually, but overall it helped both the civilians and the military to trust them way more than they would have if they had been lied to."

"And have you tried to make peace with these aliens, or like the rest of you soldiers have you all only shot first and thought second?" asked Kyle scornfully. "If they can travel from another solar system to ours it's obvious they have enough intelligence to want to talk things out. I bet it was our side that fired the first shot anyway."

At this point in this discussion in another universe Rick would have lost his temper, and attacked the long haired asshole and been flattened by the surprisingly adept Kyle. In this one however he was much calmer, in a secure relationship with Minmei and had learned patience from dealing with Ranma. Kyle's scornful commentary didn't bother him at all. "I don't know, I wasn't in the military at the time, but the aliens have never even tried to communicate with us outside of demanding our surrender just once. Since at the time we were in deep space and had no way to evacuate the ship, oh and the fact it turned out to be part of a plan to trap some of our troops away from the ship, I really don't think they're interested in talking."

"Hmmpf, that's probably what your superiors want you to think. In any case shouldn't you be heading back?" Kyle asked hinting broadly that Rick's continued presence was not welcome.

Rick ignored the hint taking Minmei's hand in his. "No, we don't have to go back for a few hours yet. I've got the day off and you said your next recording session isn't until tonight right?"

Minmei grinned again, taking his hand in both of hers, not seeing the spasm of anger on Kyle's face or the concern on her parents faces as she replied. "Yep, that's true, another recording of 'my boyfriends a pilot' going out live tonight on the radio, then two new songs I'll be singing on the radio for the first time. Hehee, it'll be more true to life this time huh?" She giggled as he blushed and she turned to her parents. "Oh I have so much to tell you! I'm a singer now, with a recording contract and everything!"

For the next two hours she described the Ms. Macross contest and how she had agreed to split the prize with Kasumi, her friendship with Kasumi and Ranma and Nodoka, and the many concerts she had put on the help ships morale and the fun she had and the trials she had overcome. As she talked her parents kept looking at one another, torn between happiness that their daughter had achieved her dream and worried at how happy she was living on what was still a warship.

When Minmei's chatter began to die down, her father broke in. "Well I see you've been having a lot of adventures but you're home now, so I hope you can put all that behind you. We'll call this Mr. Devray in the morning and see if we can get him to set up a, what did you call it, a recording session, nearby?"

Minmei shook her head stubbornly. "It's a live broadcast dad so that wouldn't work. Besides we should be getting back now or I'll be late."

Rick glanced at his watch and nodded. "Yep, I'll have to speed as it is to get us back on time. Well, it was nice meeting you, hopefully once the city is offloaded and we're all cleared to contact our family via phones and stuff you'll be able to get back in touch with Minmei." With that the two stood up but were blocked by Minmei's parents.

"You are not going back to that ship young lady." Her mother said sternly. "It's still a warship and that's no place for a young girl."

"Um" Rick began hesitantly "it's not like I can't see your point, but the aliens have never penetrated the battleship, let alone that far into the interior. And it's really not up to you, we only got permission to leave the ship for half a day, no more."

"How can the military act like that! It's like you're treating her like a prisoner?" Minmei's father said angrily. "Well I won't stand for it!"

"Mom, dad, it's my choice to go back, I've achieved my dream there, I make a difference in people's lives, and I'm happy there. I'm going and you can't stop me!" Minmei exclaimed.

"Don't take that tone with us young lady, you're still only 17, that makes you a minor and you will do what you're told!"

"I may be 17 now, but in a few months I'll be 18, then I'll be out of here whatever you want. Is that how we're going to do this, me cutting off all ties to get away from you? I'm living my dream right now, and want to continue to follow it!"

"How about I go along with her to keep an eye on her, would that put your minds at ease?" Kyle asked, seeing a chance to stay close to Minmei and win some points with her parents.

Both Minmei's parents calmed down at that. "Thank you Kyle, yes that would help. We can trust you to keep her out of trouble for us."

Minmei rolled her eyes as her mother's statement, as if she was some unruly pet that needed looking after. "I've already got Ranma-ni and Rick to look after me but if you want to come Kyle let's get going."

Rick nodded. "Yeah we have to get back, though I got to tell you with two passengers its going to be crowded."

He was proven correct. Much to Minmei's chagrin and Kyle's happiness Minmei was forced to sit on her cousin's lap, which was an 'iccky' moment for her. For Kyle however it gave him the chance to realize his cousin was truly all woman now, and he liked what he felt. So much so he had to force himself not to physically react, which by the time they landed, was one hell of a tall order.

In Tokyo Nodoka and Kasumi had completed their own objectives, picking up what Nodoka had wanted to grab from her friend's home and Kasumi had long since finished her discussion with Nabiki. Both were happy with how the day had gone.

This was perhaps why they were taken completely by surprise when Genma suddenly appeared out of nowhere and grabbed them both by the neck in grips of steel. Even Nodoka, deadly as she was with a blade wasn't strong enough to break his grip and could only pound on her ex-husband's hand ineffectually

"You" he snarled "It's all you're fault!" Your fault" he slammed Nodoka's head against the wall "you took my heir from me, my easy life was assured, all the boy had to do was marry Akane and the dojo would have been mine! I would've sat there and looked wise while he did all the work, as it should be!"

"Y-you lost him long before he ever saw me!" Nodoka gasped. "It isn't my fault that he hid his mind from you or his dreams! Nor is it my fault he ran from you the moment he honorably could!

Genma ignored her, turning to Kasumi. "And you!" He sneered, "The slut who left her family behind along with her honor, just like my heir!"

Kasumi gasped, and despite their situation her eyes were hard and hating as she looked back at him. "Y-you of all people have no right to talk to me about honor! Especially Ranma's!"

Genma again didn't seem to hear her, his eyes were like a crazy man's, and both women could see hundreds of old fading bruises all over him, the signs of neglect in his clothing, all pointing to how hard life had been for him since he could no longer live of Ranma or the Tendo's. He began to drag them away ignoring the screams of passersby who watched this even as some reached for cell phones to call the police. "Well you two are going to help me get my heir back so he can take responsibility for his actions. Oh the heavens cry out at the injustice of it all, why must I be cursed with such a girlish son!?"

A voice spoke out of a dark alley as a fist incased in heavy leather smacked into Genma's ample stomach. "I don't know about heaven, but I think the law will be happy to talk about injustice with you, though their position probably won't match yours."

Two figures dressed in black from head to toe and wearing heavy weapons belts stepped out of the darkness. One helped Kasumi to her feet while the other moved to stand next to Nodoka who had already whipped out her trusty katana, throwing the package she had collected to Kasumi, who caught it deftly. "It seems merely divorcing you wasn't enough Genma, perhaps burying you will be!"

Genma snarled but knew all too well he was no match for his wife once she had a blade in her hand. Smashing his fist into the ground he shouted "Bakutsai Tenketsu!" A wave of rock pieces erupted from the impact scattering everywhere. Thankfully the passerby had already ducked and run, though the side of one passing car was badly riddled with rock pieces.

The two people in black and Nodoka smacked them aside expertly, and Kasumi dove into the alley their rescuers came out of, out of the way of the blast. Unfortunately this gave Genma enough time to slip into the umi-sen-ken and flee.

Nodoka sighed sadly at the missed opportunity then turned to their rescuers. "Thank you for your help, but I have to wonder why you did so."

One of the ninja's pulled off its mask. "Well, I suppose you could say we did it for old-time's sake, but really, we're hoping that you have something interesting for us to do." Ukyo formally of the Kounji clan and current ronin grinned at Kasumi and Nodoka. "Konatsu and I have found we don't like the normal, boring life these days."

Kasumi and Nodoka looked at one another then laughed. "Well I think we can easily solve that problem for you. You may soon wind up wishing for less action in fact." The matriarch of the (if everything went according to plan) growing Sugita clan replied.

End chapter.

Looking back I feel I might have given the part with Azonia and Sonya short shrift, but it was hard to convey the points I wanted to. If anyone wants to make some suggestions about it I'll consider going back and changing things. Next chapter some new toys, various reactions and several battles that piss lots of important people off.