Wednesday's Child

Twenty-Seven: Ragnarok

August 18th, 2010

"Massive defold operation, Captain." Shammy's eyes widened. "It's way the hell off the scale. Even the rate of climb is immeasurable."

Global scowled. "Looks like they've arrived."

"Indeed," said Exedol. "Bodolze has left little to chance. It appears that he has brought about five hundred Belnar-class battleships. These are our flagships." He indicated several points on the display. "Knock them out, and the forces they lead will automatically retreat."

Global shook his head. "Minister, how many of your ships have we destroyed so far?"

"Six destroyers, two cruisers and a carrier," said Exedol.

"All smaller ships than these battleships," continued Global. "And yet you would have us destroy a hundred times our prior total weight in destroyed metal, and to do it in one engagement?"

"It is not what I desire, but what you desire," stated Exedol. "If you wish to live, this is what you must do."


"I don't wanna do this," said Ranma. "But these guys...they're just not gonna give us any option, are they?"

"No, they will not." Milia shook her head. She still wore the plastic barettes, but had exchanged her dress for a Miclone battle uniform - one that had been tailored on Macross. "I had thought that you were a warrior."

"I am," snapped Ranma. "But that don't mean I wanna kill anyone. The only reason I can stomach the thought of this fight is because I'm defendin' the people of Earth. An' the Zentraedi."

"A warrior who does not wish to kill?"

"I fight to defend people," said Ranma. "It's part of our warrior code. The warrior fights only to defend the weak."

"In my culture, we fight because it is what we do," said Milia.

"No." Ranma shook her head. "You fight because ya don't have a culture. Ya fight because ya don't know any better." She paused, and poked a finger at Milia. "You've lived in Macross. What did ya think of it?"

"It was...chaotic," she admitted. "Frightening, even. But I learned to appreciate many aspects of your culture."

"You want a reason ta fight? A good reason? There it is."

"To preserve your culture?"

"Yeah."

Milia considered this, then nodded. "Yes. There is much to be learned from your people. But if Bodolze destroys you, we will never learn." She glanced at the clock. "We must prepare for the final briefing. Are you prepared, My Lady?"

"Don't call me that," grumbled Ranma. She adjusted her Zentraedi-style flight suit. "This thing feels like I'm wearin' a hair shirt."

"The material is engineered to be irritating to the skin, to force the Warrior who wears it to remain alert," said Milia. "And I must refer to you by title, as you now serve as a Zentraedi Assault Leader."

"Well, at least save it for when we're on duty," grumbled Ranma.

"My Lady..." Milia looked defiant. "I cannot. You have defeated me. Until you decide to end it, my life belongs to you. This is our way."

"It ain't my way," Ranma snapped.

"It was not you who was defeated," countered Milia.

Ranma rolled her eyes. They had had this same argument, or one much like it, every day for the last week. And it didn't seem likely that she was going to win it this time.

"I've received special sealed orders," said Ranma. "The brass has decided to kill the snake by cutting off its head. Since I've seen Bodolze face-to-face, and know what he looks like, I'm to try killin' him directly. And make sure everyone around him knows it was a Miclone who did it. Global hopes that if we take him out, the rest will surrender."

"They will not," said Milia. "But they will be more amenable to reason, and Vwritlai may be able to persuade them to leave."


"Defold operation appears to be complete," said Misa. "We're registering three million, three hundred thousand ships. Size classes range from destroyer on up."

Admiral Hayase gritted his teeth. "Looks like the timetable just advanced. Richardson, is the cannon able to fire?"

"Yes, Sir. We'll get one shot, though. After that, they'll have our position."

"We'll have to make it count," said Hayase. "Clear all maintenance areas, and start charging the gun."

"Yes, Sir."

"Incoming defold, Admiral!" Misa boggled at the reading. "Sir, it's a single point source, but it's as big as the last fold!"


"Right off the scale, Captain!" Vanessa stared at the screen in horror. "A single ship, mass roughly--oh, at a guess, fifty-seven gigatonnes!"

"Leaving little to chance, indeed," said Exedol. "That is the Fortress. The very heart of the Zentraedi empire. And that means that Gar Bodolze has come himself to deal with this threat." He glanced over at the Captain, and grinned. "I'd say that this little ship has him scared."

"Captain, screening elements of the Zentraedi fleet are beginning their burn," reported Claudia. "Coming in at two gees, and spreading out in an interdiction formation. Okay, now some cruisers are accelerating...they appear to be gun cruisers, Captain."

"Those ships are very bad news," grumbled Global. "Main guns on par with Macross' cannon."

"Roughly so," said Exedol. "The Inspection Army had more powerful weapons, and faster ships--why are you not using your gravity drive?"

"We can't in this configuration," admitted Global. "We're limited to the nuclear pulse drives. Claudia. When can those ships open fire on us?"

"Closing time to reach us at their current acceleration is two hours, Captain. However, they're not building vector for us."

"They're not?"

"No, Sir." Claudia looked up from her computer terminal. "They're on course for Earth."

"What?"


"All units, close and attack!"

Ranma's Quadranos fell upon the screening Battle Pods mercilessly. The wrist-mounted pulse lasers were far more than powerful enough to carve them up, and even the chest-mounted impact cannon could tear them apart. The Zentraedi Pods failed to react at first, as though shocked at the sudden attack by what seemed to be friendly units.

Ranma jetted from one group to the next, unleashing death in three different directions simultaneously each time she stopped. The stunned Zentraedi finally started moving, but they were still uncoordinated, attacking largely at random.

A screen sprang open in Ranma's cockpit. "My Lady, if you are serious about sparing lives, there is a way."

"I'm listening."

"The power coupling between the legs of the Regult. A strike there will cripple the robot, but leave its cockpit intact and life-support systems functional."

"How certain are ya of this data, Milia?"

"We have used it in the past, though only rarely."

Ranma ducked behind a Pod and fired at the indicated point. Sure enough, the Battle Pod's engines and weapons lost power. The sensitive scanners in the Queaddlun-Rau could pick out the power flow at ranges less than ten kilometers, and she noted the failure of all power systems save life support and communications. "It's a tough shot, Milia."

Milia laughed humourlessly. "Certainly, you do not expect that the Quadranos lack marksmanship?"

"All right, girls, listen up! Go for the disablin' shot on any Regult Battle Pods that you can. Don't get yerselves killed doin' it. But if ya can spare their lives, do it."


Max grinned. "Snakes, do you copy that transmission from Commander Saotome?"

"Snake Seven, aye."

"Snake Thirteen, aye."

"Gunsight Two, Snake Lead. We will be going for the incapacitating shot on the Battle Pods."

"Snake Lead, Gunsight Two. Copy your intention for non-lethal attacks. Don't risk the lives of your command doing it, but if you get the chance, take it."

"Snake Lead, Skull One. My Squadron will also be taking the non-lethal option."

"Roger that, Hikaru." Max grinned. "Snakes, let's go kick them in the wheels."

Quickly, word of the mercy shot spread throughout the Human pilots. The difficulty of the shot guaranteed that the pilots would take it - if for no other reason than to prove that they could - and its location ensured that there would be many jokes and wisecracks made.


"Skull, Quadrano. Path to primary target is clear. We need ya to make a door for us."

"Copy that, Quadrano Lead. We're packing reaction warheads, so get your girls clear of the impact zone."

Contrails leaped away from the six fighters of Ichigyo's command Flight. The massive GA-31N Jackhammers were locked to INS, and streaked in heedless of electronic countermeasures. Eleven were lost to counterfire, but the remaining twenty-five bored in until they reached detonation range.

Ranma winced at the overpowering glare of the nuclear warheads as they detonated mere meters from the hull of Bodolze's flagship. Thousands of Battle Pods were scattered like leaves in a stiff wind. Most did not even attempt to recover; either their on-board computers were scrambled by the electromagnetic pulse, or their pilots were flash-fried by hard gamma radiation.

The immediate radiation blast dissipated quickly, and though ion radiation was still an issue, she had been reassured that the Queaddlun-Rau could safely shield her from damage. She firewalled the engine, a double hundred Zentraedi woman behind her. They dove through the huge hull breach, and waded into battle.

The Zentraedi within the Fortress itself were on foot, some with their armoured space suits, others - now deceased - without. Ranma decided to conserve ammunition, and whirled into hand-to-hand combat. It was easier with the Queaddlun-Rau than it was with a Valkyrie; her arms and legs extended into those of a Waldo suit, allowing for full translation of motion to the machine.

"Command deck is up three levels and towards the heart of the ship," said Exedol in her ear.

"Got it," she said, and started towards the heart of the ship.


"As far as we can tell," said Major Kim, "the enemy forces appear to be divided, and are battling between themselves."

Hayase nodded. "Start charging up the Grand Cannon."

"Sir, if they are--"

"If they are willing to fight among themselves, great. But eventually, the survivors are going to head this way. And I doubt very much that, at hundred-to-one odds, it will be Vwritlai's forces that come out ahead."

Misa looked up from her instruments. "Sir, I'm getting a broadcast on all Zentraedi channels."

"Are they addressing us?"

"It's not coming from the Zentraedi, Sir. It's coming from Macross."

"Eh? On Zentraedi channels?" He walked towards her. "Put it on speakers."

She flipped a switch, barely able to suppress a grin.

"Music?" Hayase frowned. "That singer sounds familiar--"

"Ling Minmay." This time, Misa did chuckle. "Sounds like our side is using psychological warfare."


Ranma grabbed the volume knob and turned it to maximum. Aside from flooding her piloting compartment with music, it also re-broadcast it at full strength across all Zentraedi communications channels and through the external speakers. Because of this tactic, the Quadranos were using Human channels for battle orders.

The massive Fortress' hull had re-sealed itself, and her telltales indicated full atmospheric pressure outside her power suit. But the restoration of pressure meant that more Zentraedi could attack her troops. Of course, most of these Zentraedi wore at most light armour, and the assault rifles that they carried did little more than generate noise and smoke against her forces' combat robots.

Apparently, the Quadranos were following her lead, and sticking to hand-to-hand. Aside from conserving ammunition, it also allowed her - and them - to use disabling strikes when possible.

"We're within two hundred meters of the command deck," reported Ranma. "I'm gonna try to spare as many of the top brass as possible."

"Does that include Bodolze?" asked Global.

"I think I got an idea for dealing with him." She reached the first security door, and punched it, full-strength. The resulting dent gave her enough purchase, and she started to drag the door open. Warning telltales flickered on, letting her know he was exceeding the suit's capabilities, but she didn't care.

Finally, some override kicked in, and the door slid open. Behind were six Zentraedi in the male version of the powered armour. She sneered, and dived into the fray.

One armoured knee slammed through the visor of the first target, and her foot found purchase on the chest-mounted cannon. She vaulted over the disabled Zentraedi, twisting in mid-air to kick through the visor of the second. A third hurriedly scrabbled to open the security door behind him, but the other three ignored her, stunned into incapacity by Minmay's music.

I dunno what they're complainin' about. Sure, she ain't great, but she ain't that bad.

She leaped through the opening security door, and found herself in the flag deck of the Fortress. On the other side of the deck, surrounded by his officers, was Bodolze. It was a short distance to reach him, and her fists and feet scattered the officers around her prey, until she was but a few meters from him. She raised the Queaddlun-Rau's arm, and grinned; Bodolze was getting a close-up view of the wrong end of a pulse laser.

"Surrender, and I will spare you and your officers."

Bodolze sneered. "Zentraedi have no word for 'surrender.' It is alien to us."

"Then I challenge you. One on one. Winner takes all."

"How amusing," chuckled Bodolze. "Do you truly think we subscribe to such a primitive warrior philosophy? We are soldiers!" His thumb mashed a button, and hatches sprung open all over the bulkheads. Hundreds of combat robots poured onto the deck.

"Destroy her."

"Aw, fuck..."

Luckily, she had been conserving ammunition until now. She tucked her arms in close, exposing as many possible rocket tubes, and began launching.


"Message from Commander Saotome," said Nabiki.

"Go ahead."

"'Bodolze escaped, pursuing him now. Fortress now under Quadrano control.' Something else...bloody." She scowled at the screen. "This isn't my usual duty station, Captain. I'm sorry."

"No apologies needed, Major."

"Okay, got the code-groups translated...'Small craft inoperative, Bodolze cannot escape the Fortress.'" Nabiki leaned back into her chair and glanced upward at the Captain. "Sounds like the first part of the operation was successful, Skipper."

"Good news," said Global. "Signal Vwritlai that it's his turn."


"This is Fleet Commander Vwritlai Kridanik to all Zentraedi Commanders." The tall alien's voice rang out in deep baritone. Ranma's translator passed its feed directly into her ear, even managing to match the Zentraedi's deep, booming voice. "Bodolze has been defeated by a Miclone female. He has been driven from his command post. I am now assuming command of the Grand Fleet."

"Kridanik, you are a traitor!" Bodolze's face appeared on the comm net. "I am undefeated, still alive, and still in command of the Fortress."

Ranma decided to speak up. "Actually, you're on the run, an' runnin' outta time before I find your sorry ass. Assault Leader Fallyna holds command of the Fortress, an' I killed off your command staff." Ranma flipped her visual pickup to active. "Recognize me, asshole? Ya captured me an' two of my pilots, an' interrogated me right in this very Fortress, remember?"

Bodolze stared at her in shocked silence. Ranma smirked.

"I'm back."

"Indeed..." Bodolze's hand caressed his face, following the long scar that Ichigyo had burned into his face. "It was one of your companions who gave me this, when you escaped."

She stepped around the corner, and spotted him at the communications center. He was just a bit focused on the screen, and her arrival went unnoticed until her battle computer locked him up. It gave out a cheerful ping, and Bodolze heard it through the commo link.

He turned, drawing a pistol, and Ranma thumbed the missile stud. Sixteen missiles howled downrange. Bodolze shot two down, then tried to dive out of the way of the rest.

He did not make it. Fragments from the missile warheads peppered his body, and he collapsed to the ground.

Ranma stomped towards his crippled form. "The big nasty bad guy." She snorted, and raised the arm of the combat robot.

Bodolze rolled over onto his back, and looked up at her. "Missiles against an unarmoured foe. So much for your warrior philosophy, Miclone."

"I gave ya the chance. Ya turned it down."

"So I did." He brought up the laser pistol.

Ranma sighed, and thumbed the trigger. The arm-mounted pulse laser fired, and Bodolze fell back again, and did not move.

"Soldiers of the Zentraedi, please attend carefully."

"Huh?" Ranma turned towards the commo board. The speaker was an officer that Ranma had never before seen. His face held an arrogant sneer that put her in mind of a certain kendoist from her past. And it seemed he was taking exception to Vwritlai's speech. It took her a few seconds to isolate the frequency showing on the screen, and then she had audio and visual right in her cockpit.

"Hear what Vwritlai has said. He has brokered deals with the females, and had contact with the enemy. In fact, he has made pacts with Miclone enemies, and now asks us to disobey our orders and embrace their cultural contamination!"

"You speak without knowledge that I have gained from Bodolze himself, Kamjin. And from Exedol." Vwritlai was back on the channel as well. "At one time, we had a culture much like theirs. It is part of the Zentraedi heritage, and we can have it again."

"That officer is Kranshevra Kamjin." Exedol's voice was coming through her earbug, so she knew it wasn't going out over the general freq. "He is known for building a personality cult throughout the Fifth Botoru Battalion, and many of his clan follow him unquestionably."

"He seems familiar," mused Ranma. "Don't think I ever actually spoke with him."

"He has been responsible for many of the unauthorized attacks on Macross, and usually leads his troops personally into battle. He operates a custom Glaug combat robot. Red and silver colours."

Ranma nodded. "So I've fought him before. Has a tendency to kill his own troops, right?"

"Indeed," said Exedol. "In fact, his troops tend to refer to him as Khyron, a word which translates roughly as 'ally-killer'."

"Or 'backstabber?'" Ranma grinned. "Gimme a vector to his flagship, and I'll give him what I gave Bodolze."

"I don't think you will have the chance."

"Eh?" She turned her attention back to the battle of words raging across the airwaves.

"...call upon all Zentraedi still loyal to Bodolze. We shall purify the world of the Miclones with fire, wipe the contamination of their culture from the heavens, and remain in accordance to the intentions of the Protoculture." His face twisted into an ugly sneer. "The true Zentraedi heritage is battle. And the Kranshevra Clan shall lead our people to glory!"


"Commander Vwritlai to Macross."

"Commander Vrwitlai, this is Gunsight Two," replied Claudia. "What is the status of your fleet?"

"I am afraid that I must report that success is incomplete. Approximately two-thirds of the Fleet has chosen to disregard signals from my flagship."

"Signal from Azonia, Captain." Vanessa glanced over from her own console. "She reports that the Quadrano Battalion ships that arrived with Bodolze are answering her signals."

"Good," said Global. "At least we don't have to worry about them."

"You may find," said Vwritlai, "that they will be of little assistance to you. I doubt that they can be persuaded to take up arms against fellow Zentraedi."

"At least we won't have to fight them. What are the ships of your fleet doing?"


"The ships of the Renegade forces are firing into Loyalist ships," reported Milia. "The Loyalists are still badly outnumbered; most of them are breaking off the engagement. The Renegade fleet will reach Earth orbit in fifteen minutes."

Ranma pounded a fist on her console. "Can Macross head them off?"

"Our intent has been to capture Macross, not to destroy her; rest assured, Kamjin's fleet can easily overcome one Inspection Army Destroyer."

"What do we have that can stop them?"

"Nothing." Her voice grew hollow. "I am sorry, My Lady, but I feel that we have failed you. Nothing short of the Fortress itself could stop that fleet."

"The Fortress--" Ranma grinned. "Great idea. How many of this ship's crew are willin' to take our orders?"

"You jest!"

"Just answer the damned question!"

Milia visibly shook herself on the screen. "Various Renegade groups had to be rooted out, but when faced with Quadranos, most of the crew surrendered. We have enough to fight this ship. But we cannot possibly catch that fleet!"

"Why not?"

"The Fortress was not designed to be very mobile. It's acceleration is insufficient to match that of the Renegade fleet."

"There's gotta be a way!" She scowled. "There's always a way. Find it. Pull the win from the jaws of defeat."

"My Lady--"

Ranma grinned. "Yeah. There's a way. It's been starin' me in the face." Her Quadrano's fingers traced the console at which she stood. "Milia, get over here. I'm gonna need your help."


"Captain!" Kim turned to face him. "Message from Elmendorf Air Force Base: Hold position, we are opening fire."

"What?" Global turned back to the dome, and saw a pillar of light springing up from the planet's surface. It struck directly through a gun cruiser, smashing a hole directly through it along its longest axis. The beam traversed across the fleet, and the gravitational wake tore ship after ship apart.

Finally, it faded, leaving a million burning wrecks in its wake.

"Shammy--"

"One million, two hundred twenty thousand ships destroyed, Captain. Give or take a few." Shammy looked shaken. "Only twenty-three of them were Belnar-class ships. Mostly light units, gun cruisers and such." She examined her instruments again. "Twenty minutes until Vwritlai's forces arrive. But the Renegade fleet is still manoeuvering."

Half a million gun cruisers spread out in a massive enveloping manoeuvre. A much smaller contingent - perhaps ten thousand destroyers - altered course, bringing themselves towards the northern hemisphere. As one, every ship in orbit turned to face the planet, and their massive gravitational-beam cannons split open like the jaws of a prehistoric beast.

Then tongues of radiant energy stabbed out, hammering the Earth with radioactive fire.

Global stared out through the great transparent dome, looking down at the Earth.

"'There came hail and fire, mixed with blood, and they were hurled to Earth; and the Earth was burned.'"

He turned slowly from the carnage before them, to face his bridge crew.

"Shammy. Range to the Renegade flagship?"

"Eleven million kilometers, Sir." Her voice was quiet.

"Thank you. Vanessa, plot us a zero/zero burn directly to the Renegade flagship. Claudia, I want the main gun charged and ready to fire."

"Captain!" Shammy whirled to face Global. "Incoming defold operation!"

"What the hell else is coming?"

"Single point source, fifty-seven--It's the Fortress!"


"Defold operation complete."

Ranma nodded. "Good. Open fire."

The cannons of the Fortress opened up on the Renegade fleet. And compared to the massive weapons Ranma's commandeered vessel mounted, the Zentraedi spinal-mounted cannons were mere popguns. Blasts of energy kilometers wide slashed through Belnar-class ships like they were hot butter. Missiles larger than some entire ships detonated, scattering destroyers and cruisers like sakura petals.

"My Lady, folding this close to a planetary mass has caused severe gravitic strain to the Fortress' hull. Structural integrity is likely to fail."

"We don't need to last much longer," growled Ranma.

"I'm showing hundreds of hits, My Lady. Structural integrity weakening, and we've lost two hundred guns. Powerplant damage is reducing output, but we've lost so many guns it barely matters. Massive casualties on decks three hundred through three fifty."

"Can't be helped." Ranma gritted her teeth. "Keep all guns firin' as long as we can."

The Fortress bucked under her robot's feet, and her head bounced off the instrument panel in her cockpit.

"Primary battle computer is destroyed, My Lady. All weapons are in local control only. And the mains are beginning to fail."

"How many Renegade ships are left?"

Perhaps fifty thousand. And Macross has opened fire."

"Have you broken into the Renegade Tac Net?"

"Yes, and Ling Minmay's song is being sent into it. The Renegades seem to be destabilized."

The ship bucked again, and alert klaxons howled.

"The mains are off-line. We've got reserve power only."

Ranma sighed. "Okay. Order all crew to abandon ship. I want you to plot another space fold."

"The Fortress will not survive another--"

"I don't expect it to," snapped Ranma. "But if somethin' this size crashes into Earth, it will make what the Renegade fleet did look like a love-tap!"

"Plotting a fold into the system primary," said Milia. "Might I suggest that you abandon the usual Miclone tradition, and not go down with the ship?"

"Didn't plan on it," said Ranma with a grin.


The massive cannon fell silent. Escape pods, small craft and combat robots scattered from the Fortress like fleas leaving a dying wolf.

Perhaps sensing victory, several of the Renegade fleet moved in closer, ignoring the escaping crew. This proved to be an unfortunate, and final, mistake. The fold sphere enveloped eighty-seven ships, including one Belnar and two Nupetiet-Vernitsz, and dragged them off with the Fortress.

Ranma's Queaddlun-Rau touched down on Macross' gravity deck, in the company of Milia's modified robot, and both were lowered into the hangar deck. Barely had the atmosphere been restored in the liftlock when gangs of soldiers, including half the Jolly Rogers, all but dragged them from their cockpits.

"Way to pull our asses out of it, Ma'am!" Hikaru was beaming at her. "Between you and Elmendorf, we cut them apart!"

"Hikaru, they opened up on Elmendorf Air Force Base." Ranma's face was grim. "Misa was down there. I need--"

"Hold on." Hikaru raised a hand. "We've already got it covered. You can't ride that powered armour into atmosphere, and can't get back out again. Plus, there's no room for a second person in a...whatever you call it."

"I can take a shuttle--"

"There's still combatants out there," pointed out Hikaru. "Only one machine could get through it all and come back, right?"

Ranma nodded slowly. "Only one."


She stood at the edge of the massive crater that had been Elmendorf, and wept.

The sound of fusion turbofans grew louder, and she turned to see a Valkyrie dropping down about half a kilometer away. Even from this distance, she could see the massive thruster packs of the Space Augmentation Combat System, and her heart leaped in her chest. She ran towards it, one shoe getting kicked off and left behind, but she didn't care.

The fighter nosed down, and the cockpit popped open. The pilot leaped clear, moving with the feline grace she knew so well.

"Ranma!"

She pulled off the helmet, and smiled. "Am I glad to see you!"

She threw herself around the smaller woman. "Ranma, I'm sorry. You were right."

"Eh?"

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at you, you weren't doing anything wrong, I was..." She stopped, sniffed. "I'm sorry. I drove you away, my best friend. I shouldn't have been so stupid, so stubborn, I should have..." She sniffed again.

"Ah...Misa...need air."

"Sorry." She let her go, and took a step back. "For everything, I'm sorry."

"I understand, Misa." She smiled again. "Trust me, I do. It was the same song, different verse. I was doin' the same things I always did."

"I...I hope maybe we can..." Misa hesitated. "Like you said. We can still be friends?"

"We've been friends too long not to keep on with it," said Ranma.

"I'm...I'm glad," she said.

Ranma bit her lip, then seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. "Misa, if you wanna try pickin' up where we--"

Misa shook her head vehemently. "No! I don't want to risk losing you entirely."

Ranma nodded. "Okay. Good. I mean, I'm glad you still wanna be friends, an' all."

Misa chuckled. "As skilled as ever in the social arena, I see."

"'Fraid so." She turned, and indicated the crater. "Macross will be touchin' down soon. Global's gonna land in the crater, an' turn it into a memorial for your father."

"But he--"

"He did what he thought was right, an' he probably was pivotal in the fight," said Ranma. "No matter how many nasty things he did on a personal level - an' let's face it, he wasn't really that nasty personally - he fought to save his planet."

"I was so angry with him - for ignoring Global, for leaving the civilians trapped in the ship, for refusing to let me go back..." Misa kicked at the ground, and winced. "But even so, when he died...I wasn't even there for him, and it's tearing me up. I want to hate him, but..."

"But he was your father," said Ranma. "No matter what he did, he was still the man you called Daddy." She sighed. "I know a bit about that. An' almost everything he did that you objected to, was because he was still tryin' ta protect ya, even though he shoulda known ya didn't need it anymore."

Misa sighed. "So what do we do now?"

Ranma glanced towards the Valkyrie. "This place is gonna be irradiated pretty badly when Macross comes in. We're gonna climb into my jet, and fly back."

"And after that?" She indicated the crater. "The war is over. I still don't know if we won--"

"We did."

"--But we've got nothing left to fight with any more."

"True," allowed Ranma. "Most of the cities are gone. The Netherlands are underwater again, and so is much of Japan - I still haven't heard if Mom is okay. We've got a whole world to rebuild."

Misa nodded. "Then we'd better get started."


OMAKE

He had no idea where he was.

Not that that was unusual.

Ryouga was certain that he shouldn't have tried to stow away on that ship. One look at it should have warned him that it was a space ship, not a more conventional ocean-going vessel. But stow away he had, and then spent the next three weeks hiding like a rat from the giants - honest to Kami giants - until the ship landed.

But the world they'd landed on hadn't been Earth, and he'd spent who knows how long wandering through godforsaken jungles, running from or beating up nasty things with too many legs and teeth.

Okay, that last part wasn't that unusual either.

Finding another spaceship, even one populated by the damn giants, seemed a godsend, and he'd stowed away again. The ship had crashed, but he'd survived. And now he was wandering along the edge of the ocean, headed towards a city.

There had been one hell of a war here, from the looks of it. The landscape was blasted and dead. He'd passed the remains of several vehicles - almost impossible to tell what they looked like originally, but human-scale compartments and seats existed in them, so the people here must at least be his size.

He rounded a cliff, and stopped dead.

There before him was a massive head. Green, corroded copper, long spikes on the tiara, and lying nearby, a copper torch.

Earth.

A blasted, dead Earth.

He sank to his knees. "You fools..." He stared up at the sky. "You destroyed it all!

"Saotome Ranma, this is all your fault!"