Robotech Stargate Saga: Otherworld
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and universes that I am about to mangle around and mash together for my own amusement – sadly all Stargate and Robotech characters and concepts remain the property of MGM, Amazon and Harmony Gold respectively – I am merely borrowing them and make absolutely no profit from their use. As a result, please keep the legal attack dogs – also known as lawyers – firmly muzzled and on a leash as I have no profit to give to anyone.
Chapter Two
United Earth Defence Command
Alaska Base, Alaska
That Same Time
Admiral Donald Hayes was slightly out of breath as he hurried into the situation room in response to an urgent summons. He had been in his office reading the latest reports on the construction of the space fleet, being especially pleased with the fact that the keels of four more Intrepid-class battlecruisers had been laid down as had the keels of eight of the newer Manchester-class heavy cruisers, as well as the latest developments in the construction of the orbital defence grid. He had just gotten to reading about the construction of the first of the ORC platforms nearing completion when he had been paged to come here as a matter of urgency.
"What is it?" he asked as he arrived in the room and moved up to the front of the command platform.
"Sir we are receiving an ultraviolent priority communication from the Dauntless," one the communications ratings reported. Donald blinked in surprise and confusion before frowning in concern, he was after all aware that the Dauntless had made a precision hyperspace jump to Saturn to assist a Serrakin vessel in distress. Rescue operations should still be on going so why would they be sending a message on the highest priority communication channel they had? Did it have something to do with how the Serrakin ship – a Ras'han-class frigate according to the system security tracking grid which now extended just beyond Saturn's orbit - had gotten into distress in the first place?
There was only one way to find out.
"Put it through" he ordered.
"Aye sir," the rating acknowledged before entering a series of additional commands into the console in front of him. At the information that appeared be frowned in concern. "Sir Admiral Chase is requesting to speak with you privately."
Well, that's not good, Donald thought feeling a wave of cold, like liquid nitrogen, travel down his spine before congealing into a diamond hard knot of dread in his stomach. The former Royal Navy officer was not someone who was prone to overexaggerating – indeed if anything he very much kept to the British stereotype of understating things – the fact that he felt they needed to speak alone meant that whatever this was, whatever they needed to talk about, it was beyond serious.
"Route it to the conference room," he ordered after a moment of silence, before turning to leave the command room. "I'm on the way there now."
"Aye sir."
Hayes quickly left the command room heading for the command level conference room. It took him only a few seconds to reach the room and he wasn't surprised to see the main monitor was showing that the communication was waiting for him to accept it. A few quick commands to the console below the monster bringing the screen to life showing the face and upper torso of his fellow admiral.
"Admiral Hayes sorry for calling you like this but we've got a problem," Chase said immediately, the way he said problem sending a wave of unease through him.
"It's alright what's the problem," Hayes asked concerned. "Is it something to do with the Serrakin vessel?"
"To a point," Chase replied before quickly explaining everything he had been told by Captain Keymar about how the Solios had been carrying supplies and equipment for the joint Terran/Serrakin colony on Poseidos when they had detected the sensor readings, they had told the Serrakin to keep an eye out for years earlier. As he said that Hayes went pale.
"Is it them?" he asked referring to the Zentraedi.
Chase nodded his expression grim. "The Solios encountered a fleet taking on supplies from some kind of mobile space station. Those ships that had finished taking on supplies were aligning onto a vector that could see them fold straight here."
Hayes cursed at that. While having some advanced notice that the Zentraedi were coming, that the invasion/war that they had feared and been planning for all these years was about to begin, was good as it would give them chance to get their completed defences ready the fact that they were choosing today or tomorrow at the latest to come was not good news at all.
"How many ships?" he asked at last. "And do we have any idea how much time we have before they fold here?"
"The Solios counted a total of seven hundred and fifty-four Zentraedi capital ships. We don't have a full breakdown of the fleet as the Serrakin ships main computer has been reduced to slag by Zentraedi lasers and I doubt they will leave the supply station completely undefended but…"
"… that's still more ships potentially coming at us than even our most pessimistic scenarios predicted."
"Exactly. As for how long we have before the Zentraedi arrive? There is no way to know as we still don't know much about how efficient their logistical support is especially this far from Tirolian space to be able to tell. It could be ten minutes, ten hours or even ten days there is just no way to know."
"Which makes it even worse," Hayes replied with a sigh. Despite the uncertainty of when exactly they would show up – though it was inevitable they would especially as they were sure to detect the reflex and naquada enhanced reflex power signatures on their ships on long range sensors and come to investigate it – he knew what they had to do now. "I'll call an emergency meeting of the Defence Council and get all our forces put on a heightened state of alert."
"What do you want me to do?"
"For now, continue helping the surviving crew of the Solios. Take them and the ship herself to Arcadia and Mars Base Two respectively. The cities medical facilities can help the crew while the technicians on the base might be able to pry some more information on the Zentraedi fleet from the secondary computer core, especially if we get the Tech-Con people to help.
"Once you've dropped them off assemble and take charge of the second fleet. You'll be our reserve force and a potential hammer to the defence grids anvil."
"Understood. Good luck down there."
"Good luck to us both," Hayes answered prompting the other man to nod before, knowing the conversation was over, closing the communication down from his end. For a moment Donald Hayes stared at the blank screen, mind awhirl with the knowledge that a decade of peace could be about to come to a sudden, violent end assuming they couldn't somehow talk the Zentraedi down. Then he straightened up, set his shoulders determinedly and walked out of the room. He had work to do.
Private Jet Mockingbird
Approaching Macross Island
T-40 Minutes to Zentraedi Arrival
Sitting in the cockpit of his fanjet racer, a craft that he hadn't had much chance to fly for the last three years, Cadet Rick Hunter smiled as Macross Island appeared on the horizon. The flight here had been long and quite boring, with nothing around but the sky and the rippling waves of the Pacific Ocean below. A vista only broken by the occasional ship – cargo ships mostly though he had overflown a number of fishing vessels as well and one cruise ship – against the endless deep blue. He didn't mind it had given him plenty of time to think, and reflect, on how different his life had gone from what he had originally thought it would be.
Until five years ago he had thought it his destiny to eventually take over the management of the Hunter Air Circus as his father had from his grandfather and until then be the star stunt pilot for the circus. Until that was they discovered the Stargate as ever since then he had had the strangest feeling, the feeling that he was needed out there amidst the endless sea of stars. Where the feeling had come from, he had absolutely no idea it had just been there and ultimately had led to him applying to join the UEDF by going to the academy in Colorado Springs which he had done for the last three years.
Something that, to his surprise at the time, his father had been very supportive of.
Since then, it had been a whirlwind of training and learning with another year left to go. Though he had heard that in the next year they would all be starting space flight training in both the simulator and taking a few trips to space to get used to it before they moved on to flying real fighters – both the Valkyrie veritechs and the Saber aerospace fighters for real and not just in a simulator. Something that if he was honest with himself, he was both nervous and excited about.
But first he had some leave to enjoy which included attending the commissioning ceremony of the SDF-1 at the invitation of Roy. Which was going to be interesting as he hadn't seen Roy in frankly ages as they were rarely home at the same time. A crackle on his headphones brought him out of his thoughts.
"Attention unknown aircraft approaching on vector one zero two," a brisk, business-like female voice said, "you are entering restricted airspace please identify yourself."
"This is Cadet Rick Hunter I have an invitation to attend the ceremony today," Rick replied immediately knowing that the islands defence systems were no doubt tracking him and wouldn't hesitate to shoot him out of the sky should he proceed further without clearance. And while he was confident that he could dodge a missile or two he knew there would be little chance of dodging a particle beam.
"Roger that cadet what is your invitation number?" the voice answered.
"Invitation number two zero four."
For a second there was silence, and Rick didn't doubt that whoever was on the other end of the comm was checking a list on a screen. "That's confirmed a personal invitation from Lieutenant Commander Fokker. Approach clearance granted follow course five seven for landing. Welcome to Macross Island Cadet Hunter."
"Roger that control and thanks," Rick answered a moment before the communication closed and Mockingbird's small navigation screen lit up with the landing course he was to follow. The course would take him around the other side of the island in a looping course that over time would see him loose altitude as he flew over the city itself before landing on the military base main runway next to the SDF-1. This will be fun, he thought as adjusted course and began to follow the indicate landing plan.
Bridge
SDF-1
Standing at her console Commander Lisa Hayes signed off with the young cadet and noted on her screens as he began to follow the indicated course to land. She looked over at Lieutenant Claudia Grant manning the opposite console to hers.
"Claudia ,do you have any idea why Commander Fokker has invited a cadet to the commissioning ceremony?" she asked curious knowing full well that given there ever deepening romantic relationship Roy would have certainly told her.
"Oh, that's easy," Claudia replied with a grin back at Lisa, "Rick's Roy's little brother."
"His brother," Ensigns Sammie Porter, Vanessa Leeds and Kim Young – collectively known as the Terrible Trio or the bridge bunnies depending on who you talked to - all exclaimed from their stations turning to look at Claudia in shock. None of them had known that the tall blond, hunky as hell leader of the SDF-1's veritech fighter wings had any siblings. Knowing that he did made them all curious as to what this Cadet Hunter was like? Would he be as hot as his brother?
"I thought Commander Fokker didn't have any relatives," Lisa commented, making a mental note to review Roy Fokker's personnel file when she had the chance. She didn't like getting blindsided like this.
"Biologically he doesn't," Claudia admitted. "Not like I do with Vince. Roy was adopted by Rick's father, Mitchell though everyone who knows him refers to him as Pops, after his own parents died and the two were raised together."
Lisa nodded in understanding it wasn't an unknown state of affairs. She was just turning back to her console to continue overseeing the launch preparations when Sammie's console came alive with a warning.
"We're receiving urgent flash traffic from UEDF High Command at Alaska Base," Sammie reported prompting Lisa to immediately snap to her duty as the ranking officer on the bridge. Moving immediately to take charge of the situation all the while wondering what was happening now and if it had something to do with those AUL idiots. It would be just like them to try and pull something, some terrorist action, on a day like today.
"What is it Sammie," she asked.
"Stand by I am running the decryption now," Sammie answered before going pale as the information appeared on her screens. "It's a warning from the fleet in orbit. Potential hostile force in-bound to Sol, exact arrival time unknown but all UEDF facilities and forces are to go to a heightened state of alert."
For a few stunned seconds a horrified silence descended upon the bridge of the great battlefortress. A potentially hostile force incoming to Sol could belong to one of two groups neither one of which was very good. On one hand, and despite how incredibly careful they'd been with exploring the gate network, some Goa'uld System Lord had found out about their world and the technology they had and was thus moving in to eliminate them as a threat to the megalomaniacal sentient parasites eons long dominion over the galaxy and to take robotechnology for themselves for use in their ongoing civil war. Alternatively, the incoming force could be the long-feared approaching of the giant aliens who had originally built the SDF-1 coming to reclaim their ship after a decade in Terran hands. Though why they had been content to wait for so long was anyone's guess.
Neither scenario was particularly appealing. Especially as both promised that they could soon be in the fight of their lives against a powerful, alien antagonist.
"Alright everyone here's what we're going to do," Lisa said shaking off her shock and horror, instead focusing on what exactly needed to be done. "We are going to start preparing this ship for both an immediate launch and immediate combat. Sammie contact Captain Gloval and advise him what is going on assuming he doesn't know already. It might upset the politicians, but it can't be helped. Let's get a move on people we've got a lot of work to do and not a lot of time to do it."
Under Rick's skilled hands Mockingbird touched down on the hypercrete runway with only the faintest of shivers. He immediately throttled back the turbofan jet engine at the back of the little racing plane reducing her speed right down to a virtual crawl, perfect for taxing to a parking area. Almost as soon as he did so a ground technician holding two coloured batons began directing him to a parking area.
Rick nodded back and began following the directions of the technician. It took only a minute or two for him to reach the designated parking area and move into an indicated stand. Once at a full stop he began to power down, the engine whirring softly as it powered off. He popped the canopy and carefully climbed out and jumped down. He then opened the small cargo compartment and extracted his duffle bag – which contained a change of clothing as the old air circus flight suit that he was wearing was a little tight on him these days as he'd put on a bit of additional muscle mass since he'd last worn it, so he didn't want to wear it the whole time he was here – before closing the compartment.
He had just used a small remote to close the canopy when a familiar voice spoke from behind him. "Well Cadet Hunter when I authorised your leave, I wasn't expecting you to turn up here on Macross Island," the voice, which Rick like everyone who attended the UEDF Academy knew as the voice of god, said from behind him.
Rick jumped slightly in surprise before spinning around to see General O'Neill standing there looking both surprised and amused. Especially as he was wearing a flight suit that was one size too small for him now and it showed. While Rick wasn't a big bloke, having inherited his mother's shorter frame, he was solidly built with the compact but muscular built of a gymnast or martial artist which the slightly too small flight suit did little to hide.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here sir," Rick said reflexively stiffening to attention and saluting the superior officer.
"Stand easy son you're on leave," Jack replied with a smile even as he returned the salute. "There's no need for all the saluting and sir stuff right now."
Rick smiled slightly as he relaxed. It was well known that General O'Neill liked to cultivate a more informal atmosphere in day to day interactions with staff and students alike at the academy even telling them to call him Jack – which he preferred over his real first name of Jonathan which Rick well understood as he preferred to be called Rick instead of Richard and the less said about his middle name the better – except when you did something really wrong. Then he would be extremely formal even as he metaphorically tore you to pieces and left you feeling one inch tall. If you were lucky, if you weren't then you'd wish he just shot you and put you out of your misery.
"Sorry Jack."
"That's better," Jack replied with his usual informal, and slightly cheeky, grin. "This plane the one you became the youngest person ever to win the national amateur pilots' competition in?"
"Yes, it is. Her name is the Mockingbird."
Jack chuckled slightly at the name even as Rick let him pass so he could examine the little racing plane much more closely. Jack had to admit that the little stunt/racing plane was an absolutely beautiful aircraft designed purely for a perfect balance of speed, agility and endurance. In the hands of a skilled pilot, like what one Rick Hunter definitely was, he wouldn't be surprised if she could outmanoeuvre almost any combat aircraft in the sky up to an including veritech's at least as long as they were in fighter mode.
The pilot in him wished he could take her up for a spin.
"She is beautiful," he admitted running a hand over the red and white fuselage which was perfectly smooth so as to keep air resistance to an absolute minimum. Whoever had designed and built her, as fanjets tended to be custom jobs, had really known what they were doing. He forced himself to stop admiring the aircraft and turned to look back at the, slightly amused, cadet. Standing further back he could see Charlie also looking amused as he and Jack had separated from the rest of the family with Sarah and the twins heading for the small funfair that had been set up on the other side of the base as they waited for the ceremony to get underway.
Meanwhile he and Charlie had had to mingle with the politicians – what fun – or well he did anyway. His eldest was just as he had nothing else to do.
"So, what brings you here," Jack asked Rick. "How'd you get an invite? They've been like gold dust for over a year."
"Roy invited me," Rick answered prompting Jack to frown.
"Roy," he repeated confused before realising who he was referring to and why he had no doubt invited his younger adoptive sibling – unlike Lisa Hayes on the SDF-1 bridge he was fully familiar with Rick Hunter's family background especially as he was one of the star pupils at the academy – to visit. "I should have guessed.
"Alright cadet I'll let you go," he continued with a smile. "You go and get changed, I assume that's what's in your duffle then go and see your brother. Meanwhile I have to go and meet up with some politicians, especially that fat slob Russo when he arrives."
"Rather you than me sir," Rick replied sympathetically, He had little patience for politicians at the best of times, but Senator Gerard Russo was an especially distasteful example of the political class – a fat, chain cigar smoking power broker who had no real care for anything but his own power and wealth. "Good luck."
"Thanks," Jack replied with a warm smile at one of his star students. Then he turned and started walking away. Rick watched him go before hefting his duffle bag and heading towards where he could see some toilets had been set up for the comfort of the various dignitaries as well as the islands civilian population who would soon descend on this part of the base for the commissioning ceremony. He would be able to get changed there and then he'd go find Roy.
As he walked, he happened to glance at the huge, refitted alien starship that had so changed the world when it fell out of the sky ten years ago. He noticed something that seemed odd to him, there was a faint shimmering of energy from the emitters for the anti-gravity wave generators. They must be running some last minute tests on them; he thought as knowing UEDF High Command like he did – there was an advantage in his father and Admiral Hayes being old friends – he wouldn't be surprised if they planned to cap the commissioning ceremony off with the SDF-1 taking to the skies for the first time in a decade.
It was logical but… he couldn't shake the sudden feeling that something was wrong.
"Who was that?" Charlie O'Neill asked his father as he rejoined him, and they began walking towards the temporary stage where the politicians and top brass would gather for the commissioning ceremony.
"Rick Hunter he's one of my top students at the academy" Jack replied.
"I know that name. Isn't he the youngest person ever to win an amateur flying competition?"
"That's him," Jack agreed with a nod. "He's got the potential for greatness in him I can tell you that, not to mention he's one of the most gifted pilots I've ever seen. Apparently, he's here because Commander Fokker – who's his adoptive elder brother – invited him to the ceremony. No doubt he accepted to get to see him. I certainly would have in that position."
Charlie nodded and was about to say something else when he spotted a tall man in the uniform of an operations officer approaching a serious look on his face that immediately set alarm bells ringing in his head. Ugh oh somethings up, he thought as his father, following his gaze, saw the operations guy approaching his features losing all levity as he moved to intercept him.
Charlie watched in interest as his father and the other man began speaking. He didn't know what it was about, dad was just out of his earshot, but it was obviously something serious. Something that was confirmed a few seconds later when his father suddenly went as a white as a sheet in a mixture of shock, horror and concern, something that made the alarms going off in his head even louder. For all his cheerful, informal nature he knew his father could be one hell of a badass, having been special forces himself once and thus didn't scare easily at all.
After a moment Jack returned, a completely serious fully military mask present over his normally quite jovial features. The general clearly in full charge right now.
"What is it," Charlie asked.
"We got trouble there's an alien fleet incoming, we don't know when exactly they're going to arrive but we know they're coming," Jack answered, "Major Carpenter here will take you to where there's a spare suit of armour for you. Once your suited up I need you to go find your sisters and your mother, get them to the island shelters."
Charlie nodded slipping into full military mode himself. "Consider it done," he said knowing seeing him suited up in armour when he found them would stop even Amelia for saying anything and prompt her to do what she was told. "What about you? Where are you going? Mom will want to know."
"Island operations. Apparently, they've still not replaced Parker so I'm the highest ranking non-naval officer on the island."
Charlie grimaced slightly at that. Though not at the fact that his father was suddenly finding himself in charge of all non-naval forces on the island – if no other top brass were here those would answer to Captain Gloval – but the reason for him having to do it. The normal head of army and marine personnel on the island General Jacob Parker had been killed in a mountain climbing accident while on leave a month ago and the UEDF – who could sometimes move at a pace that made a snail look like a Formula One racing car with these things – had yet to choose someone to replace him.
"You'll do fine," he said at last. "I'll get mom and the girls to the shelters as soon as I've suited up."
Jack smiled and nodded before turning and hurrying off towards where the entrance to the islands underground operational command centre was located elsewhere on the base. Charlie watched him go, then turned and followed Major Carpenter towards where the islands resident STORM Commando unit was billeted. As he walked, he found his thoughts turning to wondering just who it was who was choosing today of all days to come and attack them. Personally, he suspected it was the Goa'uld – he had been involved in enough covert ops against them off world via the Stargate to know just how those posturing egomaniacs thought – as it would be just like them to choose to attack today. Though he supposed it could also be the Zentraedi – the mysterious giant builders of the SDF-1 – coming to attack after all this time.
After a moment he sighed quietly to himself. He reasoned that at the end of the day it didn't really matter if it was the Goa'uld, the Zentraedi or someone else entirely who was coming to attack them. Everyone in the UEDF stood ready to meet them…
…and make them pay for the attempt or die trying.
Authors Note: Well, another chapter of this AU story bites the dust, I hope you all enjoyed it. Next time we will have the first clash between Terran humanity and the Zentraedi and both with have a few unpleasant surprises for the other. Until next time.